By Gretchen McIntire Last year was full of challenges that prepared me to be the brave woman I have become although most of my life has been this way. But this year is different. My goals are softer, quieter, and yet require just as much hard work. This year my goal is to focus on giving, gratitude,…

The mutation that causes Angelman syndrome makes neurons hyperexcitable, according to a study in brain organoids and mice1. The findings may help explain why about 90 percent of people with the syndrome experience seizures that do not respond to treatment. Angelman syndrome is a rare genetic conditi…

As a black woman living in the United States, I am always mindful of what others think about me, and the assumptions they may make. As a black woman with autism, I am especially aware that colleagues often see me as an ‘angry black woman,’ even though my thoughts and behaviors are the opposite of th…

Rory Steel, a UK resident and father of two children with hereditary spastic paraplegia that affects their motor skills, has created an amazing accessible controller that makes playing complex games on Nintendo Switch very easy for his children. Rory took the XBox Adaptive Controller, patiently a…

“The true test of success is persistence."Source: The Autism Site

Isaac Roman says that, as a young man, he grew up with no friends. All alone he sought help from a trusted mentor who encouraged him to develop his love of writing, ideas, and characters, all “warped into one big fantasy world.” When he turned 18, he channeled his dreams and creativity into his firs…

Sarah Nannery blogs about Autism, Asperger’s, life, love, books, and parenthood, all from the lens of a woman on the spectrum. Your blog: Quirky & Bright Your City, Country: New York, United States Inspiration for Writing a Blog: I was looking for others with similar experiences to my own, to le…

By Megan Amodeo Part time jobs are a rite of passage for many teenagers. It is not uncommon to see teenage employees at fast food drive through windows, community pools ad big box stores. Most of us do not pay much attention to the faces we see when picking up food or buying our daily essentials. I …

A Personal Reflection of My Late-in-life Autism Diagnosis By William Gilreath I will describe my experiences in autism. I give specific examples from my perspective of being autistic. The experiences are in sensory, processing the world, and interaction with others. Sensory My senses are like the ch…

For many people with autism, a good night’s sleep is an elusive thing. As much as 86 percent of children on the spectrum experience disrupted sleep, which can leave them feeling out of sync with the rest of the world. This video explores the connection between autism and sleep, and offers steps auti…

A child’s environment exerts a strong influence on the severity of her autism, according to a study of 78 pairs of identical twins in which at least one twin has autism. Researchers presented the unpublished results yesterday at the 2019 International Society for Autism Research annual meeting in Mo…

The post Spotted around the web: Week of 13 January 2020 appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

Electronic neurons made from silicon mimic brain cells and could be used to treat autism1. Researchers plan to use the technology in conjunction with machine learning to retrain damaged or atypical neurons and restore function in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease, autism or other conditi…

Some men who have an autistic child carry mutations linked to the condition only in their sperm, according to a new study1. In these men, genetic tests of sperm, rather than of blood, may help estimate their chances of passing the mutations to future children. “If you look in the blood of the father…