A total of 44 states and the District of Columbia have laws on the books requiring health insurers to cover autism treatments. But new research evaluating the so-called ‘insurance mandates’ suggests these efforts are failing in key ways to help people — especially children — get needed t…

A chemical commonly used in emergency rooms can anesthetize mice and rats for brain scans without distorting the images, according to a new study1. Researchers routinely use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to probe brain function in people as they rest or perform a task. The technique m…

A large segment of the autism community is interested in research. As a parent of a child with autism, I pay attention to autism research for the simple reason that I’d like to see a better life for people with autism. Whether it is for finding residential placements for adults or improving diagnosi…

Autism research might best be considered a contact sport — as in, researchers would greatly benefit from stepping away from their lab benches long enough to meet and work with people on the spectrum and their families. The field is replete with examples of how well this strategy can work. For instan…

By Claudia Casser Context I’m not a joiner. People exhaust me. One on one, I enjoy short interactions, but then I need to get away into a book. So I don’t voluntarily join groups unless they are my only way to a goal. On the other hand, I have a compulsion to “help out” when someone brings a problem…

Alex Abenchuchan, a resident of Austin, TX, has started a Youtube news channel for the deaf. His show, called The Daily Moth,  consists of him reading current news, including trending stories off of a makeshift teleprompter,  and signing them in ASL . He posts news Monday through Thur…

Sometimes, people hear about ABA and equate reinforcement with bribery. But the two are quite different, and it’s important to understand those differences. First, let’s look at bribery. The definition of bribery is “to persuade someone to act in one’s favor by a gift of money or other inducement.” …

The parent’s view: It’s been one of those days! Your child won’t listen to a thing you say and refuses to get dressed screaming like a banshee when you try to put on their socks. You get up and offer breakfast realising too late you’ve run out of the cereal your child HAS to have, screaming starts y…

What if every time the bathroom fan buzzed, you became unhinged? Or you lived in a place where it felt impossible to avoid curious neighbors whenever you went outside? Or where the location of kitchen appliances made it feel like a combat zone every time you tried to cook a meal?   Only then mi…

When you’re settling in to watch a movie, and the music starts playing, it’s hard to ignore the names that flash first in the opening credits: The Director. The Big Stars. Name placement matters in academia, too. A recent study revealed there’s a gender gap in who gets top billing on medical studies…

These short reports from our journalists give you the inside scoop on developments at the 2016 International Meeting for Autism Research. Autism’s first Emmy gets bright new home Catherine Lord might be the only autism researcher to have an Emmy award. In honor of mothers of children with autism, an…

A new tool relies on abilities rather than diagnoses to steer clinicians toward personalized treatments for conditions such as autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Researchers presented the preliminary findings yesterday at the 2016 International Meeting for Autism Research in…

Spring is rushing into summer, schools are letting out, and vacations are being planned. But before we hit the beaches let’s celebrate some awesome achievements. Academic Milestones: Ross J. and Steven W. will graduate from Sonoma State University this month – both with degrees in Applied Math…

Mutations in TSC2, a gene typically associated with a syndrome called tuberous sclerosis, are found in many children with autism, suggests a genetic analysis presented yesterday at the 2016 International Meeting for Autism Research in Baltimore. The findings support the theory that autism results fr…