Spectrum: Autism Research News

Research roundup

• Mice exposed to their mother’s immune response in the womb show some behavioral changes as adolescents, but those changes resolve in adulthood. Biological Psychiatry
• Increased blood levels of certain immune system mediators in pregnant women are associated with autism in their children, according to a population-based case-control study. Molecular Autism
• Fetal brain scans can reveal lesions related to tuberous sclerosis; more and larger lesions are linked to higher chances of autism. The Journal of Pediatrics
  

  Telling lesions: Fetal brain images show signs of tuberous sclerosis complex.

• An adapted version of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule is valid for use in deaf children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
• Autistic people may experience ‘stereotype threat’ in the workplace, conforming to negative expectations of their performance. Employee Relations
• Mutations in the autism-linked gene NLGN3 may alter neuronal connections and social behaviors in mice, by an unexpected protein-protein interaction. Nature Communications
• The NIH Toolbox Cognitive Battery may be of limited use with some autistic children, who can have difficulty completing the assessment’s tasks. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
• Difficulties with daily-life and communication skills reflect cognitive ability more than trait severity in autistic preschoolers. Autism Research
• Funding to support research on autism services and lifespan issues has remained low, despite a U.S. federal advisory panel recommendation to prioritize these areas four years ago. Autism
• Family income and family functioning are associated with autistic children doing well across five developmental domains. JAMA Network Open
• Autistic children who participate in dog training have shown improvement in their own social and communication skills. Autism
• Artificial blastocysts, grown from human stem cells, may serve to model the earliest stage of development. Nature

Science and society

• An advocacy organization is hosting a virtual conference about autism and the Black community, slated for 1 to 4 April. Autism in Black
• Scientific journals grapple with the growing problem of fake manuscript submissions. Nature
• An autism-focused magazine has rated U.S. states for how supportive they are of families with autistic children; Colorado, Massachusetts and New Jersey top the list. Autism Parenting Magazine
• A coronavirus vaccination clinic designed to be sensory-friendly for autistic people has opened at a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, football stadium. The Philadelphia Inquirer
• A U.K.-based program to study health outcomes in people with learning disabilities plans to explicitly include autistic people. National Health Executive