Spectrum: Autism Research News

Research roundup

• Children with autism appear to have different patterns of tactile sensitivities than children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Communications Biology
• To communicate effectively with autistic children, physicians may need to get creative — and even use cartoon drawings, as this case study describes. Case Reports in Psychiatry
• Adolescents with autism report negative emotions after certain social interactions, which could be a key risk factor for depression in this population. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
• Adding easy-to-measure biomarkers to autism screening could aid early diagnosis, lowering the lifetime costs of special education and healthcare services. Autism Research
• Sensory issues in people with activity dependent neuroprotective protein syndrome do not necessarily indicate autism. Genes
• Primary-care physicians and parents often hold differing views about a child’s development; improved communication between them may enhance early diagnosis of autism. The Journal of Pediatrics
• Brain imaging measures of reward, inhibition and emotion regulation may reveal latent profiles linked to neurodevelopmental conditions. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging
• The disruptions people with autism have experienced during the coronavirus pandemic highlight the need for support services to prepare for future emergencies. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
• Occupational therapists can help dentists adapt their environments and procedures to better care for autistic children. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Parents stressed by caring for their autistic child may rate problem behaviors differently than clinicians would. Autism
• Bilingual children on the spectrum show similar progression in language development as those who speak only one language. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

Science and society

• An 11-year-old autistic boy in Colorado was detained for hours, handcuffed and alone, after poking a classmate with a pencil; the boy’s mother has filed a federal lawsuit. WCAX
• The Biden administration has appointed disability advocate Kimberly Knackstedt as disability policy director. Time
• Pregnant women have faced much uncertainty about the risks of COVID-19 and vaccines against the disease, though vaccine trials are beginning to include them. Nature
• A new proposal to standardize reporting of polygenic risk scores, which includes 22 elements, could make such data more useful to other researchers and clinicians. The Scientist
• The coronavirus pandemic has caused a shortage of lab supplies, including gloves, pipette tips and some animals. Nature