Many children with autism do better in school than their intelligence scores would predict, according to a new study1. And about 16 percent do worse. The study is the first to track cognitive ability and academic skills in children with autism throughout childhood. The findings suggest that these ch…

The more you educate yourself, the better you can help your child reach their full potential. Source: The Autism Site

The design also incorporates places for chewies and other autism-friendly items.Source: The Autism Site

The post Gene-editing gadgetry; intelligence trajectories; research reset and more appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

A simple method for growing spheres of brain cells yields more realistic replicas of the brain than traditional techniques do1. The approach requires no specialized equipment and few chemical ingredients. Scientists can use stem cells to build brain tissue in a dish, with layers of working neurons s…

Learn more about the three ego states that control each person's behavior.Source: The Autism Site

Star-shaped brain cells from children with autism release inflammatory molecules that harm neurons, a new study suggests1. Researchers derived the cells, called astrocytes, from the children’s teeth, and cultured them alongside neurons. The new work hints that blocking inflammatory molecules from as…

Success is no stranger to him.Source: The Autism Site

This week, Leanne Page M.Ed, BCBA, answers a parent’s question on creating effective token economies.   This piece originally appeared on bsci21.org. “Dear Behavior BFF, I’ve tried using a token economy and it helped for a little while. But lately my son has told me that he doesn’t want to ea…

The post Banking on brains for clues to autism appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

A drug that has shown promise for treating fragile X syndrome eases features of another condition associated with autism, suggests a new mouse study1. The study shows that the drug, arbaclofen, improves cognitive and social functioning in mice missing a chromosomal region called 16p11.2. Many childr…

This is the first study of its kind.Source: The Autism Site

In a clinic I run at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), I see children who have various genetic syndromes associated with autism. These children have a wide range of features, including intellectual disability, language problems and seizures. But they have one thing in common: poor sl…

Received a diagnosis that doesn't seem to fit you? You may actually have autism.Source: The Autism Site