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Spectrum: Autism Research News

WEEK OF
February 11th

Research roundup

  • A catalog of more than 500,000 DNA sequences called regulatory elements active in mouse immune cells may provide insights into immune-system function. Cell
  • A study documents the national and state-level prevalence of mental-health conditions, and disparities in healthcare use for these conditions, in U.S. children. JAMA Pediatrics
  • Sleep problems are more common in young children with autism and other developmental conditions than in typical children. Pediatrics
  • College students with autism report more problems with academics and health, as well as social rejection and bullying, than do their neurotypical peers. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
  • Detailed studies of neuron growth in early brain development in people and nonhuman primates contribute to our understanding of human evolution. Elife
  • Researchers describe new molecular pathways underlying tuberous sclerosis complex. PNAS
  • Alterations in an autism-linked gene called CYFIP1 lead to motor-learning problems in mice that behavioral training can ease. Translational Psychiatry

Science and society

  • The first U.S. clinical trial of genome editing, in which researchers manipulate DNA with special enzymes, fell short of expectations. STAT
  • Scientists in Sacramento, California, are testing how students with autism respond to different lighting in classrooms. KCRA
  • More than 3,000 University of California staff researchers are fighting for union representation in hopes of receiving fair compensation for their work. Science 
  • A U.S. congressional bill would renew and increase support for the Autism CARES Act, which funds research, professional training and related initiatives. Disability Scoop
  • Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, plans to expand its adult autism services, providing employment and vocational training for local community members, thanks to new philanthropic funding. Rutgers Today
  • Health experts call on Facebook to thwart anti-vaccination messages, particularly in private groups. The Guardian

Autism and the arts

  • Kambel Smith, a self-taught artist with autism, has gained recognition for his intricate cardboard models of historic buildings at art fairs around the United States. The Philadelphia Inquirer
  • A local Girl Scout group has recreated artist Brian Jobe’s “Turfside Passage,” an interactive sculpture, as a therapeutic device for autistic children at the University of Tennessee’s Pediatric Language Clinic. Knoxville News Sentinel