This month, a commonly used emotion-recognition test doesn’t perform as expected — nor does a survey of past efforts to train autism specialists or a hunt for the sources of the sleep problems that often accompany the condition. The post Null and Noteworthy: Mind reading, specialist shor…

What these genes do and how they affect autism depends on when in development they’re studied, despite what classic ‘gene ontology’ analyses say. The post ‘Double duty’ autism-linked genes upend conventional characterizations appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Sourc…

Researchers have long studied subgroups of people who share genetic variants, but the newly formed ‘CNV Commission’ is also looking at people with shared traits across different neurodevelopmental conditions. The post Lumping versus splitting with autism-linked variants: A conversation with Vanessa…

By Catherine Londero Back when it was first announced that England was going into lockdown, many let out a sigh of dread. I did not. In fact, it was more an inhalation of fresh air. While so many people faced difficulties living with these restrictions, I was discovering a new sense of freedom. No m…

Takeaways from two team-ups titillated Twitter this week — one on the effects of mutations in the PAX5 gene and one linking rare genetic mutations to a large number of diseases and traits. Plus a primer on dopamine with facts about dopamine fasting. The post Community Newsletter: PAX5 mutations, rar…

Here is a roundup of news and research for the week of 15 August. The post Spotted around the web: Antidepressants, PAX5 mutations, preprints appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

The new tool may help researchers reconstruct the sequence of biological events that underlie development. The post ‘Retro-Cascorder’ tracks gene-expression timing appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

Troves of sequencing data reveal genes tied to autism through different variant types, providing a more complete picture of the condition’s genetic roots and new clues to its heterogeneity. The post Scans of sundry variant types uncover autism-linked genes appeared first on Spectrum | Autism R…

By: May Chriseline Beaubrun, MEd, BCBA (Brett DiNovi & Associates) Prior to offering some global suggestions, I wanted to highlight some of the available research that explains of the unique experiences of Black families of children with autism. Although autism does not discriminate (acro…

Interview techniques that cater to a range of communication abilities can elicit the perspectives of autistic youth with cognitive and verbal challenges. The post Novel protocol captures autism voices across the spectrum appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

“Autistic burnouts for me feel like the puzzle pieces in Tetris falling so fast you don’t have enough time to line them up before they reach the top and the videogame is over, burnouts leave me feeling overwhelmed and exhausted.” Ron Sandison By Ron Sandison I’ve experienced many autistic burnouts …

Interventions that moderate a need for ‘sameness’ may prevent anxiety traits. The post Yen for routine seeds anxiety in autistic children appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

The method could boost reproducibility across brain imaging studies of autism. The post Machine learning streamlines neuroimaging data analysis appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

By Dan L. Edmunds, PH.D. They said to persevere. I began to perseverate. They discouraged me. Be joyful they said. I flapped my hands with a joyful feeling. Not like that they said. They used a lot of words whereas I had not many. They said I needed to speak like them and when I did they said it was…