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