Spectrum: Autism Research News

Research roundup

• Scans of young people’s brains reveal individual differences in the neural networks that underlie cognition. Neuron
• Weak connections between brain areas may not be directly responsible for behavioral traits in autistic people. Autism Research
• The protein filamin A may offer a new target for epilepsy medications. Science Translational Medicine
• A new clinical syndrome involving intellectual disability and speech delay is linked to mutations in a gene called KAT6A. Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases
• The antipsychotic drug olanzapine may cause structural changes in people’s brains. JAMA Psychiatry
• In autistic and typical adolescents, anxiety stems from some of the same factors, including negative reactions to uncertainty and difficulty identifying one’s own emotions. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
• Even at the academic rank of department chair, women in medicine earn less than the men. JAMA Internal Medicine
• Social isolation and loneliness pose a public-health risk for older Americans. National Academies Press

Science and society

• Robots using artificial intelligence may help autistic children practice social skills. STAT
• Several dating apps designed for people with autism have failed. UX Planet
• Autism advocate Temple Grandin says that schools do not support visual thinkers like her. Springfield News-Leader
• Robots working in retail stores have been given faces to make them more likable. The New York Times
• Proposed legislation in Minnesota would require police officers to undergo training in autism awareness. KTSP
• A writer describes the ‘autistic paradox’ — too atypical to function comfortably in social settings and too typical to attract notice or qualify for accommodations. The Washington Post
• Maine voters have rejected a ballot proposal to overturn the state’s new law that bans non-medical exemptions for student vaccination. Bangor Daily News
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has banned the use of electrical stimulation devices to control aggressive or self-injurious behavior. FDA.gov

Autism and the arts

• An exhibit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, features 26 artists with autism or other disabilities. The Star