Spectrum
Children showing signs of autism should be treated before diagnosis is confirmed, under new guidelines
Pediatricians should start treating children who show signs of autism even before tests confirm a diagnosis, according to the newest ...
Adults with autism are twice as likely to suffer from anxiety
Adults with autism are more than twice as likely as neurotypical people to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, a ...
Children with autism are twice as likely to suffer from chronic pain
Children with autism are about twice as likely as their typical peers to experience chronic or repeated pain, according to ...
Privacy concerns: Mental health apps may be selling your data to third parties, including Google, Facebook
Apps spell big business in the healthcare industry: Dozens of apps are marketed to people with conditions including depression, anxiety ...
Blood test for autism? Discovery of ‘distinctive pattern’ in white cells may make it possible
Researchers have identified a distinctive pattern of gene expression in the white blood cells of young autistic boys. The discovery ...
Can CBD treat autism, epilepsy? Growing body of evidence suggests it may be possible
A single dose of cannabidiol, a component of marijuana, eases seizures and improves learning and sociability in mice with mutations ...
Should we be more careful with our genetic data? ‘People don’t understand what can actually be done with this information’
People in the United States view certain personal information, such as their social security number and the content of their ...
Baby brain wave patterns may offer early predictor of autism
Brain activity patterns in the first year of life may predict autism in infants at high risk for the condition, ...
Are there subtypes of autism? Language regression study supports controversial hypothesis
Autistic children who lose words reach key milestones earlier than autistic children without language regression, according to a new study ...
Genetic registry SPARK scores first victory by pinpointing new autism-linked genes
An analysis of genetic sequences from nearly 500 people with autism and their relatives has linked 13 new genes to ...
60% of children with autism missed by this widely used screening tool
The most widely used screening tool for autism misses a large proportion of toddlers who are later diagnosed with the ...
Examining toddlers’ brain waves may offer early diagnosis of autism
Certain patterns of electrical activity in the brain may signal autism in children with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), a related genetic condition ...
‘Wearable sensors’ could provide early warning system for aggressive autism traits
In one corner of the classroom, rocking back and forth, sits Julio, 16. Julio was not always aggressive. He was ...
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 ...
‘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, ...
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, ...