Getting a vaccine can be a little nerve-wracking and uncomfortable for many people, with the worry about the... The post Philadelphia Eagles Host Sensory-Friendly COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic for Autistic Community appeared first on The Autism Site News. Source: The Autism Site

16-year-old Caleb Smith's life changed forever when he adopted his first rabbit. Now he's training rescued and rare breed rabbits to become "comfort bunnies" to help other people, too. The post Teenager Is Training Rabbits To Become Therapy Animals On “Peacebunny Island” appeared first o…

Hello, and welcome to the Community Newsletter! I’m your host, Chelsey B. Coombs, Spectrum’s engagement editor. Up first this week is a thread from Clare Harrop, assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, about her new study in Autism Research, “A lost generation? The im…

The post Puberty and autism: An unexplored transition appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

As advocates we must embrace intersectionality in all we do because no movement’s issues are isolated issues. By Nicole LeBlanc As we celebrate Women’s History Month and Developmental Disability Awareness Month, we must recognize the struggles women continue to face in our society and sy…

The post Spotted around the web: Screening snafu, decoding SCN2A variants, supporting Black neuroscientists appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

Mice that lack CNTNAP2, a gene linked to autism, have an atypical collection of microbes in their intestines, according to a new study. Treating the mice with a strain of gut bacteria commonly found in wildtype mice, people and other mammals improves their social behavior. The CNTNAP2 mice are hyper…

"He's kind of known by lots of the people as Ambassador of Lonsdale." The post Man with Autism Becomes Community’s Unofficial Greeter by Smiling and Waving at Passersby appeared first on The Autism Site News. Source: The Autism Site

Welcome to the first edition of the Null and Noteworthy Newsletter! We read a lot of papers here at Spectrum, and although we tend to focus our coverage on those with new findings, sometimes well-conducted studies lead to null results or produce replications. Those can be at least as valuable as exc…

Mutations that strongly curb the expression of CHD8, a top autism-linked gene, block the proliferation of developing neurons and stymie brain growth in mice, two new studies show. By contrast, mutations that only mildly dampen the gene’s expression increase proliferation and lead to brain overgrowth…

Essential tremor is a condition that affects 2.2% of the American population – about 1 in 25 adults over 40 and 1 in 10 over 75. For such adults, drinking a cup of coffee without spilling or eating something with a spoon is very difficult and frustrating. Essential tremor starts as tremor in o…

There’s no question that people like Gavin are great examples to others. The post Teens Approach Autistic Boy At Skatepark And Perform Act Of Kindness appeared first on The Autism Site News. Source: The Autism Site

If a person thinks they might have autism, they will usually see their general practitioner as the first port of call. The general practitioner will use a screening test to help them decide if the person should be referred to a specialist for a formal diagnosis. However, we recently discovered, by …

Motor and memory training early in life postpones the onset of difficulties in those areas in a mouse model of Rett syndrome, according to a study published today in Nature. Stimulating neurons involved in those skills appears to mimic the effects of training. Mutations in the gene MECP2 cause Rett …