If you can be a decent human being, you can talk to someone with autism. Source: The Autism Site

"I want him to not be trapped in his body."Source: The Autism Site

In 2010, a group of psychologists pointed out that behavioral researchers overwhelmingly rely on participants from Western, educated, industrialized, rich and democratic societies — what they termed a ‘WEIRD’ sample — to draw conclusions about human characteristics1. They demonstrated that theories …

Toddlers with autism show less fear when confronted with something scary than do typical children or those with developmental delay. This lack of fear may explain why toddlers with autism often run into traffic or deep bodies of water. Researchers presented the unpublished results today at the 2018 …

James has dealt with depression and suicidal thoughts for 8 years. Riding his motorcycle was the one thing that made him feel "normal."Source: The Autism Site

Many drugs for fragile X syndrome have been tested in large clinical trials, but none have proven effective. But candidates that target newly uncovered aspects of the condition are showing promise. Fragile X syndrome typically results from mutations in the gene FMR1. It is characterized by intellect…

James has dealt with depression and suicidal thoughts for 8 years. Riding his motorcycle was the one thing that made him feel "normal."Source: The Autism Site

A new behavioral test in zebrafish may help scientists zero in on the biology of social interactions1. Using their test, a team of researchers was able to home in on a neuron type and brain region that drive the zebrafishes’ interactions. Analogous cells and regions exist in people, so the test may …

Evie Walker sits on Alison’s lap, playing a game she never grows tired of: turning her mother’s hand over and over, stroking and examining it. When she takes a break and looks around, it is with the open-mouthed look of curiosity and awe that you see in many infants. Evie’s vocabulary currently cons…

The post Spotted around the web: Week of 17 September 2018 appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

Contestants must submit a fun sock design As part of its Giving Back Program and its mission to show what people can do when given a chance, John’s Crazy Socks is sponsoring an Autism Can Do Scholarship. This program will present a $3,000 scholarship to a person on the autism spectrum in the United …

This is heart-wrenching. Source: The Autism Site

The protein CPEB4 may serve as a ‘master regulator’ of many of the hundreds of genes linked to autism, according to a new study. Autism typically stems from alterations to groups of these genes. The new work shows that CPEB4 controls protein production from many of the genes and that an altered vers…

Researchers have charted billions of synapses in the mouse brain and sorted them by type, according to unpublished findings presented today at the 2017 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C. They used a new technique that captures and categorizes these tiny gaps between neurons …