Spectrum
Articles written for the GLP list the source as Genetic Literacy Project. All other articles were written for the sources noted with excerpts provided by the GLP.
Viewpoint: There’s a problem with autism studies. They rarely use the same set of tools to measure results.
Clinical trials of autism treatments rarely use a consistent set of tools to measure efficacy, a new study suggests. Instead, ...
Early speech exposure could boost language skills for kids with autism
The more words autistic children hear as infants — and the more verbal interactions they have with their caregivers — ...
‘Grave set of circumstances’: Investigating connection between autism and depression
[People with autism] are four times more likely than neurotypicals to experience depression over the course of their lives, although ...
Experimental ‘preemptive’ therapy fails to improve autism traits in study
An experimental behavioral therapy delivered by parents does not improve autism traits in babies who screen positive for the condition, ...
Why are autistic people 50% more likely to die during a hospital stay?
Adults with autism are nearly 50 percent more likely to die in the hospital than their neurotypical peers, according to ...
Price of progress: Debating the ethics of charging families to participate in stem cell trials for autism
During four visits to Panama over nine months, Aaron [a 9-year-old boy with autism] received infusions of stem cells harvested ...
‘Genetic factors’ account for 81 percent of autism risk, suggests large multinational study
About 81 percent of autism risk comes from inherited genetic factors, according to an analysis of more than 2 million ...
‘Life-threatening’ unregulated at-home treatments sparked by research linking autism to gut bacteria
A growing number are experimenting with specialized diets, probiotics, stool transplants and parasites, trying to game the gut to address ...
Autism-linked mutation may also play role in gastrointestinal problems
Mutations in the gene NLGN3, found in some people with autism, alter mice’s gut nervous system, two new studies suggest ...
How the study of ‘affective touch’ could offer a better understanding of autism and its causes
Strong reactions to touch are remarkably widespread among people who have autism, despite the condition’s famed heterogeneity. “The touch thing ...
Why we have to look for early signs of psychosis in people with autism
Most young autistic people do not and will not have psychosis or schizophrenia. As a class, psychotic disorders are relatively rare ...
Understanding autism’s broad spectrum can ‘save’ family relationships
That half of the family is on the spectrum and half not makes the Wiesenthals interesting to Molly Losh, director of ...
Why genetic testing for autism cannot offer definitive answers
Here’s a primer on how genetic tests work, their value for autism and what to expect from the results. Is ...
Prenatal sequencing for autism genes could be here soon—along with some ethical questions
Sequencing can identify mutations linked to autism even before a child’s birth – especially in cases where doctors suspect problems, ...
Do ‘loopholes’ in organic, non-GMO labeling rules mislead consumers?
The North Dakota State Collegiate Future Farmers of America and NDSU Collegiate Farm Bureau hosted a food information forum to ...
Low intelligence in autistic children predicts ‘poor life skills and challenging behavior’
Without timely intervention, intellectual disability in autistic children can worsen over time, contributing to poor life skills and challenging behavior, ...
Hypersensitivity, hearing problems could lead to early autism diagnosis
Many individuals with autism have hearing problems. In fact, Leo Kanner included this trait in his original description of autism. The type ...
Latest results for once-promising behavioral therapy for autism called ‘extremely disappointing’
A much-touted behavioral therapy for autism, the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), may not be as effective as its creators ...
Autism often accompanied by ADHD, anxiety and other conditions
Behavioral conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) crop up in about one in three autistic people within 15 ...
New blood test for autism criticized as ‘not appropriate’ for clinical use
Doctors can now order a blood test that its makers say may help flag autism, but experts say the test ...
Drugs developed as cancer treatments show promise against autism
An experimental compound that blocks two enzymes involved in gene expression improves social behavior in young mice, according to a ...
Genetic study sheds light on heritability of autism risk
A new analysis of DNA from more than 20,000 people with autism identifies 12 regions in the genome that harbor ...
Searching for autism clues in the placenta
Activation of a mother’s immune system during pregnancy can increase the risk of autism in her child. New clues to ...
Demand surges for genetic autism testing in Europe
In France, some two-thirds of autistic children receive some kind of genetic test, paid for by the national health service ...
Autism linked to the nerves that regulate heart rate
The part of the nervous system that regulates heart rate and breathing is involved in autism, a new study suggests ...
Genetic tests for autistic people could ‘substantially alter the course of treatments’
Almost as soon as James was born in April 2003, it was clear that he was not well. When he ...
Examining the link between autism and gender noncomformity
Traits associated with autism and gender variance co-occur even among typical children, a new study suggests. The finding may ease ...
Autism, attention deficit disorder share ‘significant’ genetic links, sibling study shows
Children who have an older sibling with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at an increased risk of having autism, ...
