Spectrum: Autism Research News

Research roundup

• Vocalization patterns at 12 months may predict a future autism diagnosis among infants with an autistic sibling. Child Development
• A brain response to sound called the N1 auditory evoked potential may differ between autistic and non-autistic people. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology
• Viewing autism as a set of deficits — a conventional medicine approach — may constrain broader thinking about neurodiversity in society. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
• Researchers have treated multiple children with rare genetic diseases using custom antisense oligonucleotides that obscure short, pathogenic stretches of DNA. Science
• Autism and intellectual disability in two siblings likely resulted from SCN2A mutations in a small proportion of their father’s sperm, a case study finds. Spectrum wrote about such ‘mosaic’ mutations in July. Journal of Medical Genetics
• Mice missing the autism-linked gene CNTNAP2 have altered spatial skills, memory processing and neuronal activity in the hippocampus. Cell Reports

Science and society

• The Autism Science Foundation issued a statement in support of applied behavior analysis. Spectrum has covered the controversial therapy in depth. Autism Science Foundation
• The Canadian-Israeli Azrieli Foundation has made a $13 million donation to the National Autism Research Center in Beersheba, the largest gift ever to support autism studies in Israel. The Times of Israel
• In Canada, the province of British Columbia intends to switch its autism support funding to a hub system that spans a broader set of childhood needs, leaving autism advocates and families uncertain if they’ll lose their current services. Global News
• Science historian and writer Brandy Schillace discusses embracing her gender identity and neurodiversity in a personal essay. Scientific American
  

  Know thyself: Painting by essay-writer Brandy Schillace, entitled “Fledging”

  Courtesy of Brandy Schillace

• The coronavirus pandemic has impacted the productivity and mental health of researchers, particularly women, people of color and parents of young children. Nature
• A federal effort to oversee autism research and healthcare services in the United States has requested public comment by 30 November for next year’s strategic plan. Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee
• Parents of autistic children living in the United Kingdom have reported more difficulty in getting school-based support services than they did four years ago, according to a report by the National Autistic Society. The Guardian
• The U.S. Justice Department has sued Uber for charging extra fees when drivers wait for passengers to arrive, saying it discriminates against people with disabilities. The New York Times

Cite this article: https://doi.org/10.53053/TMEC6180