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Spectrum: Autism Research News

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Conversations on the science of autism research.

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Ruth Carper: Imaging the aging brain in autistic adults

by  /  19 May 2023

Few studies have tracked how brain structure and function change across adulthood in people with autism. Carper and her colleagues are collecting data to fill this gap.

Autism researcher Veronica Martinez Cereno holds a brain in her lab.

Beyond the bench: At school with Verónica Martínez Cerdeño

by  /  1 May 2023
Spectrum caught up with the University of California, Davis professor about her passion for volunteering in underserved schools, birding and fossil-hunting.
Three people stand on a staircase and contemplate a maze-like array of paths in the sky before them.

What kind of autism research should we do, and where should we do it?

by  /  3 May 2023
Researchers at INSAR 2023 need to discuss these questions and remember that the purpose of research may be different for different communities.
Photograph of a woman in a dim room looking out her window.

Weaponized heterogeneity only harms the most vulnerable autistic people

by  /  17 April 2023
Focusing on aspects of autistic experience that we all share may lead more quickly to our shared goal of improved outcomes for all autistic people.

Latest Opinion

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The future of autism therapies: A conversation with Lilia Iakoucheva and Derek Hong

by  /  14 April 2023

If a therapy for autism’s core traits makes it to market, it will likely take one of three forms, the researchers say.

A row of magazines against the wall with many adhesive notes stuck between their pages.

Journal club: Does lithium in drinking water contribute to autism?

by  /  11 April 2023

A study published last week in JAMA Pediatrics suggests that autism is more common among people born in areas with high levels of lithium in drinking water, but it is too soon to say whether prenatal lithium exposure is truly a concern.

Illustration of a single patient in a clinical trial sitting on a bed in a glitchy, imperfectly rendered room.

Lessons from n-of-1 trials: A conversation with Joseph Gleeson

by  /  30 March 2023

Some conditions are too rare for conventional drug trials, leading some scientists to test bespoke treatments in single participants. Gleeson discusses the merits — and limitations — of these tiny trials.

Computer-generated image of mountains against a black background.

Detecting a signal amid noise in autism early-intervention research

by , ,  /  28 March 2023

Studies of behavioral treatments for autism are complex and can easily be misunderstood. Here we provide some guidance.

Three groups of people meet and mix at a crossroads.

Letter to the editor: Researchers must bridge disconnect at ‘autism crossroads’

Two groups of researchers respond to Spectrum’s article about the power struggle among researchers, self-advocates and families, calling on their autistic and non-autistic colleagues to work collaboratively and promote equity in autism research.

Photograph of a doctor taking notes on a toddler who is playing with their mother.

Journal Club: Meta-analysis oversells popular autism screen

by  /  14 March 2023

The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) accurately flags autistic toddlers, a new systematic review and meta-analysis suggests, contrary to past evidence that the tool’s validity varies depending on a child’s age and traits. Experts weigh in on the discrepancy.

Illustration of a person holding the end of a thread that has trapped them within concentric circles while another person picks up the other end of the thread and begins to follow it.

People who need people: Leveraging desire for connection to address suicide in autism

by  /  7 March 2023

There are a variety of suicide interventions designed to improve social connection that could be adapted for autistic people, but first the field must work to dismantle the damaging and inaccurate notion that autistic people are uninterested in social interaction.

A bar graph with a hand extending from below to push the center bar higher.

Private equity harms autism service market

by  /  1 March 2023

Time is running out to expose this disreputable push for profit over care and change insurance, funding and training practices for the better.

MRI scan of a 2-year-old child.

Mapping genetic influences on the infant brain: A chat with Rebecca Knickmeyer

by  /  27 February 2023

Researchers know little about the ways genetic variants affect development in the infant brain. Knickmeyer, who launched the Organization for Imaging Genomics in Infancy, has spent the past five years trying to close the gap.

A group of children walk up stairs

Filling autism knowledge gaps in Latin America: Q&A with Cecilia Montiel-Nava

by  /  13 February 2023

Countries across Latin America and the Caribbean struggle to collect data on autism, but Cecilia Montiel-Nava and the Latin American Autism Spectrum Network are beginning to change that.

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