Research roundup

• Certain lineages of microglia, the brain’s main immune cells, affect mouse behavior in a model of anxiety and obsessive compulsion. Cell Reports
• Autistic children who have anxiety may underplay how anxious they are. Autism Research
• The more time children spend in low-income conditions, the higher their chances of having schizophrenia as adults. JAMA Psychiatry
• Automatic eye-tracking methods produce different results than manual eye tracking in autistic children. Autism Research
• Among low-income families, autism diagnosis happens at similar ages for white non-Hispanic children and Hispanic children. Autism Research
• People with a genetic propensity toward autism may be at an elevated risk for self-harm and suicidal behavior. Molecular Psychiatry
• The U.S. National Institutes of Health has launched an open-source citation database for biomedical research papers. PLOS Biology
• Autistic teens can learn everyday skills by using iPad videos along with parental prompts and feedback. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

Science and society

• A Russian scientist has been using CRISPR in human eggs to edit a gene that causes deafness. Nature
• A camp for exceptionally bright students in Iowa City, Iowa, welcomes autistic children, whom its leadership calls “twice exceptional” students. NPR
• The start-up company Daivergent matches technology companies with potential autistic employees. The New York Times
• An entertainment industry executive makes the case for inclusion of people with autism in Hollywood. The Hollywood Reporter
• Sales of a specialty license plate in Florida generated more than $100,000 for autism programs in the state this year. ABC Action News
• Autistic children may experience more pain than neurotypical children. HealthDay
• Autism may look different in adults than it does in children, making diagnosing adults harder. Medical News Today
• Children should not need to self-identify as autistic on Halloween by carrying a blue bucket, argues one writer with an autistic son. The Washington Post

Autism and the arts

• An autism organization in Ernakulam, India, will produce a 2020 calendar featuring artwork and poetry by young autistic artists. Newz Hook
• An autistic teen in York, Pennsylvania, plays trumpet and piano and has performed at various venues. York Daily Record