Spectrum: Autism Research News

Research roundup

• Atypical eating behaviors, such as limited food preferences and sensitivity to texture, are far more common among autistic children than among typical children. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Neural activity correlates between bats that socially interact, and it varies with the degree of interaction. Cell
• Research priorities for fragile X syndrome include identifying treatment targets and developing new animal models of the condition. The Lancet Neurology
• People born preterm or with low birth weight may be less likely than others to have sexual or partner relationships as adults. JAMA Network Open
• Retractions of journal articles sometimes include apologies, which vary in style but rarely draw a line between legitimate and fraudulent science. Science Communication
• The prevalence of autism in Scotland is 1.9 percent in children up to age 15, based on a whole-population study. BMJ Open

Science and society

• U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden’s claim that the Affordable Care Act achieved parity for mental health treatment is mostly accurate. Kaiser Health News
• A growing number of theme parks and resorts include autism-friendly experiences and accommodations. The New York Times
• High-tech headbands have made it possible to conduct quality sleep-monitoring at home. Science
• Autistic people living in London can now carry ‘autism alert’ cards to show police officers. CNN
• Psychologists plan to establish research stations around the world to improve participant diversity in psychology studies. Science
• Google Glass may help autistic children learn to recognize facial expressions and their associated emotions. The New York Times
• Hiki, a new dating app for autistic adults, launched this week. Newsweek
• Three families successfully sued a Portland, Oregon, school district to allow their autistic children’s personal therapists in classrooms; families that lacked the money for legal fees were not as lucky. Willamette Week
• Autistic writer Yuval Levental argues that medical disabilities such as seizures and gut problems are integral to many autistic people’s lives and neurodiversity advocates should not disregard them. Scientific American

Autism and the arts

• Except for “Keep the Change,” no television show or movie has a lead character played by an actor with autism, writes an autistic actor’s mother. The Good Men Project

Publishing

• A certification process could help ensure that research findings derived from confidential data are valid and reproducible. Science

Job moves

• Neuroscientist Thalia Wheatley of Dartmouth College has been named external professor at the Santa Fe Institute in New Mexico. Twitter