A novel implant can deliver complex combinations of drugs and light to targeted areas of a lab animal’s brain, without restricting the animal’s movement1. The tool could help researchers uncover the brain pathways that underlie repetitive behaviors and unusual vocalizations in mouse models of autism…

There are many things an able bodied person can do very easily on their phones. Want to go somewhere? Open the lyft app and get a ride. Cooking dinner? Look up a recipe online. However, for the 630 million people in the world who live with cognitive disabilities, what seem like “simple” …

“With sick children it’s proven, that two things that help them get through their illnesses are music and animals.” Source: The Autism Site

Deleting the mutation from an autism gene may reverse some autism traits in mice, according to a new study1. But the results may be a fluke: The researchers saw some of the same improvements in controls. “I can’t interpret our results,” says Craig Powell, professor and chair of neurobiology at the U…

This month’s ASAT feature comes to us from Alice Walkup, MS, BCBA. To learn more about ASAT, please visit their website at www.asatonline.org. You can also sign up for ASAT’s free newsletter, Science in Autism Treatment, and like them on Facebook! You can read more of our AS…

Interview with Author Ron Roecker Ron Roecker is an award-winning writer, artist and photographer moonlighting as an award-winning Entertainment PR and brand marketing executive in Los Angeles. That’s what he does for a living. Ron, the person, is kind a kind and generous human who does whatever he …

More than two-thirds of toddlers flagged for autism at doctor visits do not get assessed for the condition by specialists, according to a study of more than 13,000 children1. Most children are screened for autism at 18 and 24 months, as the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends. It’s after this …

Autism is diagnosed more often in boys than in girls by at least a factor of four. Of the many hypotheses proposed to explain that gender difference, a biological one posits that testosterone exposure during gestation primes fetal brains to be more male-like. And some autism researchers have focused…

When children are diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), stimulant medications such as methylphenidate (Ritalin) or a combination of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine (Adderall) are usually the first line of treatment. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued new guid…

An analysis of genetic sequences from nearly 500 people with autism and their relatives has linked 13 new genes to the condition1. It has also uncovered a genetic cause for autism in about 10 percent of the autistic participants. The results are the first to emerge from SPARK, launched in 2016 to co…

Tablift is a low tech assistive technology device that can provide relief and relaxation to people with disabilities by giving them the ability to use tablets in a “hands-free” manner. Tablift works well with any brand of tablet and even smartphones. In the unboxing video below, you’…

Support from visitors like you has changed lives, and it's about to make an even bigger difference.Source: The Autism Site

The post Spotted around the web: Week of 23 September 2019 appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

The 3D structure of DNA has only a minimal influence on gene expression, a new study suggests1. The findings call into question a fundamental assumption about how genes are regulated. The genome is organized into 3D structures called topologically associating domains (TADs), regions in which DNA seq…