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According to the World Health Organization, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) begins in childhood. One in 160 children worldwide has been diagnosed with autism. But since autism was only recognized as a disorder in 1980, there are many adults who went through childhood without a diagnosis and without help. Now, a new study thought to be the first of its kind examining an autism diagnosis exclusively in middle age, found that adults diagnosed with autism in their fifties grew up believing they were ‘bad people’, ‘alien’, and ‘non-human’. The study is published in the Journal of Health Psychology and Behavioural Medicine [More]

A recent study published in the Journal of Early Intervention looked at the feasibility and effectiveness of Responsive Teaching (RT) with Saudi Arabian mothers and their children diagnosed with autism. RT is a relationship-based early intervention curriculum that was developed by study author, Gerald Mahoney. [More]

A new study, titled, Associations between parenting stress, parent mental health and child sleep problems for children with ADHD and ASD, looked at whether sleep problems experienced by children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) were connected to parenting stress. About one in 59 children in the U.S. has been diagnosed with ASD and like ADHD, and it’s more common in boys than girls, about four times more common. One in 37 boys and one in 151 girls were diagnosed with ASD in 2018. [More]

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in children is 1 in 59 and boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls. Research has shown that early intervention can help improve communication skills and the most well known autism therapy is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). A new study looked at a type of ABA which is showing great promise in helping children with autism. [More]

A new study from the University of Waterloo, published in Scientific Reports, aimed to examine the way we learn to perceive the passage of time. Is time perception rigidly fixed in the brain, or is it flexible and open to change? If the latter, how rapidly can our brain adapt to changes in timing statistics? [More]

According to a new study published in JAMA Pediatrics, compared to later-born siblings of non-diagnosed children, later-born siblings of children with autism were more likely to be diagnosed with autism or with ADHD. Likewise, compared to later-born siblings of non-diagnosed children, later-born siblings of children with ADHD were more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD or with autism. [More]

Does antidepressant use during pregnancy cause autism, as a recently published study suggests? Using Family Systems Theory to answer this question will lead to a more nuanced answer than a traditional cause and effect conceptualization. [More]

There is a fight brewing in Indiana regarding continued insurance coverage for applied behavioral analysis for the treatment of autism, and the end result may cause an important ripple, affecting how autism treatment is covered in other states. Parents of an autistic son brought forth a class action suit on April 9th against Indianapolis-based Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield after the insurance company cut services for their son. Anthem maintains that autism treatment is not the responsibility of insurance but of the school system during school hours. [More]

Using three dimensional images and statistical analysis, the team has identified a way to discern specific patterns of facial features and structures which may be common to children with ASD. Once children’s faces have been scanned, the measurements of features along the actual curvature of the faces are compared to the various symptoms displayed. The results of this study have indicated correlations within subgroups based on facial traits and the severity and types of ASD. [More]

Birthday parties are meant to be special days for a child. But for a 6-year-old Florida boy, the day was devastating. Though Glenn Buratti's mother Ashlee Buratti invited his entire class over for a party, none of the 16 kids showed up. Glenn is autistic. Children on the autistic spectrum have great difficulty in socializing and making friends and often feel isolated and alone – and especially for birthday parties where no one shows. [More]