Spectrum: Autism Research News

Research roundup

• Autistic boys and girls show differences in various social skills, including expressive social communication and the ability to interpret social cues. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
• Neurotypical people tend to have negative first impressions of both autistic men and women, with men faring worse. Autism Research
• Researchers have found social-cognition problems and distinguished them from other cognitive abilities in 3- to 5-year-olds with Prader-Willi syndrome. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
• Nearly half of applicants for faculty positions at a research university claimed authorship for least one incorrect or unverifiable publication in their curriculum vitae. Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics
• In Taiwan, people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are at an increased risk of death, particularly from injury, suicide and homicide. JAMA Network Open
• Jaundice in preterm infants is associated with autism and developmental conditions. Journal of Perinatology
• Nearly three-quarters of parents of autistic children wish they had more information about genetic testing for their children. Autism Research

Science and society

• Pittsburgh International Airport has opened a suite of ‘sensory rooms’ for travelers with autism to escape the noise and commotion of the terminal. NPR
• Scientists across the globe should advocate for their value in solving society’s problems, a Nature editorial argues. Nature
• A new chapter in biological form and function: Droplets within a cell collect the machinery for gene transcription at specific stretches of DNA. MIT News
• Researchers have produced magnetic resonance images of the human brain at “unprecedented” resolution. STAT
• Researchers advocate for open-source hardware and software that can advance the field of behavioral neuroscience. eNeuro
• The symptoms of many conditions, from heart attacks to asthma, vary over the course of a day, so researchers should develop time-dependent therapies, a group of physicians argues. Science
• The Chinese government plans to establish an advisory committee to address ethical issues around emerging technologies. Nature
• A nonprofit called Seeding Labs ships used laboratory equipment from high-income countries to low-income ones. STAT
• The U.S. agency that oversees independent-living programs for people with disabilities has not done any site visits in five years. The Washington Post

Autism and the arts

• The North Carolina Symphony has added a sensory-friendly performance to its fall schedule. WRAL

Funding news

• The hucksterism of for-profit stem cell clinics has undermined funding for research. Nature