"It was my way of telling him that we’re here for him through thick and thin and not to worry about what may come at him in life."Source: The Autism Site

These common household chemicals are found in shampoo, cosmetics, detergents, food packaging, vinyl flooring, and more. Source: The Autism Site

The post Spotted around the web: Scientific jargon, savant social skills, impostor syndrome appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

Autistic people who are hyperactive or have difficulty controlling their own impulses are the most likely to show persistent self-injury, according to a new study1. The 10-year study is one of the longest to track self-harming behaviors in people with autism. Most studies follow people with autism f…

Girls are diagnosed with autism 1.5 years later, on average, than boys, according to an analysis of 1,000 people living in Rhode Island and nearby states1. The delayed diagnosis may be due to the fact that autistic girls tend to have stronger verbal abilities than autistic boys do. The analysis also…

A new technique detects rare genetic mutations that occur in a subset of a person’s cells1. Pinpointing these ‘mosaic’ mutations is the first step in studying their contribution to conditions such as autism. About 8 percent of the mutations that arise spontaneously in people with autism follow a mos…

The post How aripiprazole’s promise for treating autism fell short appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

In order to inform, educate and engage deaf voters in the community to participate without any frustrations, and ultimately increase voter engagement, the Communication Service for the Deaf recently made elaborate expansions to to its SignVote campaign. SignVote is a non partisan platform that ho…

How secure are brains scans of research participants? Can they, in the wrong hands, compromise the participants’ identity? Perhaps. But I firmly believe that the risk is minimal, and there are things scientists can do — such as masking the participants’ faces — to safeguard this information. The pri…

Restricted interests and repetitive behaviors are hallmarks of autism. They can take many forms: Some autistic people flap their arms or rock back and forth; others ritualistically line up objects or insist on a rigid daily schedule. Several studies have suggested that repetitive behaviors originate…

By Gretchen McIntire For years I have struggled with my weight being mixed with my self-confidence. I’ve had quite a few health issues that also contributed to my weight and water retention as well. I’ve gained weight. I’ve lost it. It finds me every time I swear. I’ve been a size two and I’ve been …

By Chloe Rothschild My involvement with health care professionals increased in August 2015. I was hurting and exhibiting behaviors as a result of pain in my bladder. All I could communicate was “tummy hurt,” because I did not recognize the difference between stomach and bladder pain. My parents too…

A Letter from Our Guest Editor By Lydia Wayman Like many aspects of daily life, illness is especially challenging for autistic people. We often have trouble understanding what we are feeling and communicating it to others. We struggle with changes in our daily routines. Being poked and prodded at ap…

Autistic Health Care Advocacy By Ann Oldendorf, MD I am a retired urologist and a mom who will never retire. My two children are now young adults, but they continue to seek my guidance as they learn their new roles in society. My son, who is the eldest, was diagnosed with autism at age 3 in 1999. So…