I have studied autism for almost 50 years now. My focus on the condition was not planned. Rather, it was a product of being in the presence of extraordinary researchers, clinicians and trainees who challenged me to keep evolving as our understanding of autism evolved. The most important factor in my…

This isn't the first study to find a link between fetal exposure to Tylenol and autism.Source: The Autism Site

By Kit Falbo The Appeal of Other Worlds Speculative fiction is appealing on many levels for people with autism. The worlds, the people we follow, the use of escapism.  It influences how we interact with the world and people outside of our heads, in the friendships and bonds we form. I’ve seen it as …

How well autistic children perform basic tasks of daily living — dressing, grooming and the like — at about age 6 depends on their language skills, age of diagnosis and the extent of certain autism traits between ages 2 and 4. The severity of their autism also predicts how quickly they learn the tas…

The post Spotted around the web: Week of 25 November 2019 appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

A new analysis of nearly 40,000 people pinpoints 48 genetic variants that may determine the volume of certain brain areas1. The findings could help reveal the genetic roots of brain conditions such as autism. Brain areas that lie beneath the cerebral cortex are involved in a variety of processes, fr…

Pregnant women’s use of acetaminophen may increase the odds of autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in their children, according to an analysis of cord blood from nearly 1,000 children1. The study design has a major limitation: Cord blood provides only a short window of exposur…

People who have mutations in a gene called PHF21A tend to have a constellation of traits and conditions, including autism, according to a new study1. PHF21A encodes a protein that is part of a massive complex that binds to DNA. The gene’s exact function is unknown, but studies suggest it prevents ne…

In a world full of villains, choose to be a princess.Source: The Autism Site

The teacher firmly denies kidnapping the child.Source: The Autism Site

Disruptions in sensory processing are a core trait of autism, according to the criteria outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. And so studies of the sensory system could provide unique insight into brain mechanisms underlying autism. They also may point to potential t…

By Megan Amodeo I spend too much time thinking about how I should act around other people. I won’t say that all of us on the spectrum have this characteristic, but it often plagues those of us who have been labeled by neurotypicals as “high functioning.” Putting those labels aside, I think socializ…

The post Rethinking repetitive behaviors in autism appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

A mix of two drugs nixes noise hypersensitivity in an autism mouse model, according to new research1. The findings offer the promise of a similar treatment for autistic people. People who are unusually sensitive to noise have trouble tuning out background sounds and can become easily overwhelmed. Th…