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Autism spectrum disorders news

Neuroscience

Neuronal hyperactivity and broader tuning linked to altered sound processing in autism model rats

People with autism spectrum disorders commonly have difficulty processing sensory information, which can make busy, bright or loud settings—such as schools, airports and restaurants—stressful or even painful. The neurological ...

Autism spectrum disorders

How autism rates are rising, and why that could lead to more inclusive communities

I can say from personal experience that being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder can feel very isolating. Increasingly, however, it's not unusual.

Health

Texas sues Tylenol makers over alleged autism link

The Texas attorney general announced a lawsuit Tuesday against the pharmaceutical companies behind Tylenol that echoes the Trump administration's allegations linking the painkiller to increased risk of autism.

Autism spectrum disorders

Autistic adults push back on 'fear-based' Trump rhetoric

Composer William Barnett started his YouTube channel as an outlet for his music—but today he also uses it to debunk the steady stream of White House rhetoric on autism while sharing his own experience living with it.

Autism spectrum disorders

FDA and Kenvue say no autism link to Tylenol use during pregnancy

The maker of Tylenol is urging U.S. health regulators not to add an autism warning label to it and other pain-relievers containing acetaminophen, calling the request "unsupported by the scientific evidence and legally and ...

Autism spectrum disorders

Why some autistic people don't speak

Around a third of autistic people—children and adults alike—are unable to share what they want using speech.

Medications

Five things to know about folinic acid and autism

As the Food and Drug Administration moves to make folinic acid an official treatment for a neurological condition associated with autism, parents want to know how it might help children with autism spectrum disorder.

Health

RFK Jr pushes fringe claim linking autism to circumcision

US President Donald Trump and his Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., on Thursday promoted another fringe theory about autism—this time linking it to circumcision or to pain medication given for the procedure.

Medications

Q&A: Autism and Tylenol

The federal administration offered health guidance at a press conference this week, urging pregnant women to avoid using the over-the-counter painkiller acetaminophen, marketed in the U.S. as Tylenol, saying use of the medication ...

Autism spectrum disorders

Avoiding ableist language in autism research

Ableist language is often used by autism researchers, which assumes that autistic people are "broken" or inferior to non-autistic people. Strategies for avoiding ableist language are provided in Autism and Adulthood.

Autism spectrum disorders

Autism triggers nonverbal manifestation of GI symptoms in children

(HealthDay)—Developmental and behavioral functioning often associated with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), such as sensory sensitivity, aggression, and sleep disorders, may be linked to a nonverbal ...

Autism spectrum disorders

Small increase in risk of autism seen for pre- and post-term births

A study of more than 3.5 million Nordic children suggests that the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may increase slightly for each week a child is born before or after 40 weeks of gestation. Martina Persson of the Karolinska ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

Reducing self-harm and suicide in autistic adults

Researchers are inviting partner organizations and charities to work with them to help shape and progress a study to develop new ways of reducing self-harm and suicide in autistic adults.

Genetics

Studying the human genome to understand the risk of autism

A team of researchers at CHU Sainte-Justine and Université de Montréal has succeeded in using bioinformatics to develop a statistical model to assess how the gain or loss of genetic material impacts the risk of autism.

Health

Autistic adults have a higher rate of physical health conditions

Autistic individuals are more likely to have chronic physical health conditions, particularly heart, lung, and diabetic conditions, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Cambridge. The results are published ...

Neuroscience

Guilt by dissociation: Study sheds light on serotonin in autism

Recent estimates indicate a prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the United States of 1 in 59 children with a well-established 4:1 male predominance. Individual costs for care are estimated at about $2.4 million, ...

Autism spectrum disorders

Adolescence can help unlock autism diagnosis in girls

Adolescence is a challenging time for every child, as they experience important developmental milestones and navigate an increasingly complex world. For girls with autism spectrum disorder, adolescence can create a window ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

Autistic people's nerve cells differ before birth

Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that researchers are now tracing back to prenatal development, even though the disorder is not diagnosed until at least 18 months of age. A new study now shows in human brain cells ...

Autism spectrum disorders

For black children with autism, diagnosis occurs at about age 5

(HealthDay)—Diagnosis of African American children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) occurs at an average of 64.9 months, many months after parents' first concerns about their child's development, according to a study ...

Autism spectrum disorders

Simple test could improve public attitudes to autism

Using a simple 'thermometer scale survey' to measure public attitudes towards people with autism could help improve public understanding and acceptance, say researchers.

Autism spectrum disorders

Measuring social networks of young adults with autism

As many have recently discovered, social connections are vital to a person's wellbeing. While social isolation is a core challenge associated with autism, researchers from Drexel University's A.J. Drexel Autism Institute ...

Neuroscience

Early neural activity associated with autism

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is rarely diagnosed until symptoms arise, often well into childhood. Evidence however, is mounting that developmental abnormalities likely emerge in the brain long before then: early identification ...

Autism spectrum disorders

Cannabis use in pregnancy linked to a greater risk of autism

In the largest study of its kind, Ottawa researchers found that children whose mothers reported using cannabis during pregnancy were at greater risk of autism. The incidence of autism was 4 per 1000 person-years among children ...