Psychiatric conditions crop up more than twice as often in families that include a child with autism as in the general population. That’s the upshot of the most sweeping study to date of mental health in siblings of children with autism. The findings suggest that clinicians should look carefully for…

A modified protein allows researchers to use a magnet to switch on neurons anywhere in the brain in freely moving mice and zebrafish. The tool, described in May in Nature Neuroscience, could shed light on neural circuits underlying autism-like behaviors in animal models of the condition1. Scientists…

This cartoon is courtesy of Erin Human of Human Illustrations. Source: The Art of Autism

We already know that our dear friend Alexa (Amazon Echo) can read us Kindle books, which is great for blind people. But what if someone doesn't have an Amazon Echo? Is there any other way to listen to Kindle books in audio format?Yes, now there is. The new Amazon Kindle, which was announced yesterda…

When I first came across this study, “Behavioral Training for Siblings of Autistic Children,” I was immediately hesitant. There’s something about the idea of sibling-as-therapist that makes me cringe a little bit. When I work with the families of children with autism, the hope is that th…

Each of the various breathing difficulties seen in people with Rett syndrome arises from a distinct circuit in the brainstem, a new mouse study suggests1. Rett syndrome is an autism-related disorder that primarily affects girls. The syndrome appears in children by 18 months, when their development d…

The post CRISPR medicine; inclusive experiments; autism in Egypt appeared first on Spectrum. Source: Spectrum News

Traditionally, National Oceanic and Atmospheric  Administration's  motto, "When Thunder  Roars, Go Indoors" has helped understand the importance of seeking shelter during a thunderstorm. However, it does not resonate very well with deaf people who cannot hear a roaring thunder. In ord…

The post Webinar: Rebecca Saxe appeared first on Spectrum. Source: Spectrum News

Congratulations to Michael Miller and his son Jonathan ABC Persons of the Week. See the story here. ‘TOYS ACROSS AMERICA’: There have been thousands of surprise packages landing on doorstops across America– you may think it’s the holiday season, but these gifts are coming from a special father-son t…

Too few or too many copies of a genetic region linked to autism produce similar effects on intelligence and social skills, according to a new study. Higher or lower doses of the gene than normal have opposite effects on brain structure, however. The study is the first to connect genetic, structural …

By Rebecca Burgess, translated in Spanish by Jennifer Del Valle. English version here. Source: The Art of Autism

The number of genetic variants implicated in autism is large and growing, but it’s increasingly clear that identifying these variants is only the beginning of the quest to understand the biology of autism. Genes not only store information but also serve as templates for RNA transcripts that then giv…

NEW to our catalog are a set of cooperative games that foster teamwork, shared decision-making, and many more valuable skills, as learners work together to solve a common obstacle in the games. This week, you can save 15% on these cooperative games by using our promo code TEAMWORK at check-out. In …