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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Author

Sarah DeWeerdt

Contributing Writer, Spectrum

Sarah DeWeerdt is a Seattle-based freelance science writer specializing in biology, medicine and the environment. Her work has appeared in publications including Nature, Newsweek, Conservation and Nautilus. She has been a regular contributor to Spectrum since 2010, writing conference reports, news and Deep Dive articles.

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November 2017
person walking down sidewalk

Motor problems in autism persist into adulthood

by  /  11 November 2017

Young adults with autism have an unusual gait and problems with fine motor skills.

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October 2017
Woman and girl examining toy

With popular autism therapy, some skills take time to learn

by  /  26 October 2017

The longer a child receives applied behavioral analysis, the greater her gains in language, daily living and other skills.

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Pregnang woman sitting by window looking sad.

Studies send mixed messages on antidepressants’ link to autism

by  /  16 October 2017

Four large studies published since May arrive at various conclusions about whether exposure to antidepressants in the womb ups autism risk.

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September 2017
Portrait of Eric Courchesne outside

Eric Courchesne: Reaching for the rings in autism research

by  /  4 September 2017

Eric Courchesne is known for his findings on brain size in autism. But the roots of his long career trace back to his own childhood disability.

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June 2017

Mini-brains bare tortuous trek of cells in Timothy syndrome

by  /  23 June 2017

A new technique for building a ‘brain in a dish’ reveals how neurons move to their proper places during fetal development.

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In autism, social difficulties may set the stage for anxiety

by  /  5 June 2017

Poor social skills are a risk factor for the development of social anxiety, but the reverse — anxiety foreshadowing social problems — is not necessarily true.

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May 2017

Smoking during pregnancy may up autism risk in grandchildren

by  /  29 May 2017

A woman who smokes while pregnant may increase autism risk in her daughter’s children.

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The unexpected plus of parenting with autism

by  /  16 May 2017

Having autism as a parent might seem impossibly challenging. But a generation of parents with the condition is showing that it can be an advantage — even when their child does not share the diagnosis.

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April 2017

Estimate of autism’s sex ratio reaches new low

by  /  27 April 2017

A massive new analysis drops the ratio of boys to girls who qualify for an autism diagnosis to about 3-to-1.

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Parent reports of autism features vary by country

by  /  13 April 2017

Parents in the United States tend to rate their children’s autism features as more severe than do parents in four other countries.

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