The post Webinar: Judy Van De Water discusses the maternal immune system and autism appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

Exposing fertilized chicken eggs to valproic acid, an epilepsy drug, yields chicks with apparent social deficits. The finding could lead to a new model for autism in its early stages1. Exposure to valproic acid in utero is known to boost the risk for autism. Researchers primarily use mouse models of…

Brain networks in babies reflect the degree of inflammation their mothers experienced during pregnancy, according to a new study1. A mother’s immune response also tracks with her child’s cognitive abilities at age 2. The findings support the hypothesis that in-utero exposure to inflammation shapes b…

“Maybe if I can skydive, I might someday feel secure enough and steady enough to sit in conversations with people and not play on my phone. “ By Austin John Jones Do you ever get that feeling that you think you might want something, but you aren’t exactly sure? Like you can’t make …

“Dear Behavior BFF, How do I get my child to be more independent? I want her to handle dressing herself- things like getting out clean clothes, putting them on as much as she can, putting her dirty clothes in the correct hamper, etc. I know she is capable but she just chooses not to take care of the…

Rebecca Eisenberg is a speech language pathologist, instructor, children’s book author, blogger and mother. She’s been helping children with complex communication needs since 2001. One of her passions is using children’s literature to teach important lessons and to create a more acceptin…

Taylor Cross reviews the video game God of War (2018) There are few games released every console generation that are on the level of Santa Monica Studios’ newest game, Dad of Son, I mean, God of War (2018). If you can, you should do whatever it takes to play it. Now that I’ve heaped prai…

One mom was skeptical that integration was the right choice for her son with autism...Source: The Autism Site

In 2016 in North Miami, Florida, a police officer’s lack of knowledge about autism led to a shooting. Arnaldo Rios, a 26-year-old man with autism, had strayed from his group home and was sitting in the middle of the street. One of his therapists had followed and was trying to coax him to return home…

Male monkeys that avoid touching, grooming or playing with others have low brain levels of the hormone vasopressin, according to a new study. Low levels of vasopressin in the brain also characterize boys with autism, the study found1. Vasopressin and the related hormone oxytocin control a variety of…

“Low pitched notes really make me feel like love might be truly possible.  High pitched notes make me feel like I could go  crazy with pain and sadness. Great rhythms can make me feel like life is freedom.” By Jeremy Sicile-Kira Music makes my life feel normal sometimes because…

More often than not, people with disabilities have to call up hotels or other places where they are staying beforehand, asking whether the room they will be staying in has suitable accommodations for them. In many cases, travelers face difficulties because of lack of accessibility features, which le…

By Nonya Sieffert They told my husband and I that our son was different and may never do things like other kids. We refused to accept it! We were determined to prove them wrong and make sure our son J.R. never heard the words “can’t do” as we helped to support him on his journey to what he can do. J…

Girls with an autism diagnosis have more severe impairments in social communication than boys with the diagnosis, according to a large population-based study1. The reverse is true for boys and girls in the general population, the researchers found. About four boys are diagnosed with autism for every…