Spectrum: Autism Research News

Research roundup

• People with autism have an elevated chance of developing a gastrointestinal disorder, such as inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, according to a review of eight studies. Autism Research
• Various interventions designed to improve balance have proved helpful in autistic children and adolescents. Perceptual and Motor Skills
• Trait severity among autistic children in northeast China appears to be linked to gastrointestinal issues, high blood levels of lead, having a mother with a low level of education or having non-parent caregivers. BMC Pediatrics
• Among teenage boys and young men with fragile X syndrome, poor daily living skills are associated with more communication difficulties and autism traits. American Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
• A variety of strategies can help autistic people manage the sensory challenges posed by magnetic resonance imaging scanners without sedation, according to a review of studies. Autism
• Researchers have found 15 unique variants of the gene AGO1 in people with intellectual disability. Journal of Medical Genetics
• Screening for autism among children who are receiving early-intervention services increases autism diagnoses and reduces long-standing disparities for Spanish-speaking families. JAMA Pediatrics
• Some rare genetic variants may influence how well autistic people respond to social-skills interventions. Autism Research

Science and society

• Mice missing MYT1L — the same gene autistic teenager Jake Litvag lacks a copy of — are part of a new research program, funded in part by the Litvag family. Spectrum covered a study involving these mice in October. AP
• Blood tests that screen pregnant women for genetic conditions are far less accurate for rare conditions such as Prader-Willi and Angelman syndromes than for Down syndrome. Spectrum covered the pitfalls of prenatal testing for autism-related conditions in depth in 2019. The New York Times
• Lauren Adamson, professor emerita at Georgia State University and an expert on children’s social communication and joint attention, has died. Twitter
• A new reality TV show, “Leave It to Geege,” features a family with a minimally verbal autistic son. Disability Scoop

Cite this article: https://doi.org/10.53053/XVKY5117