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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: IQ

May 2023
Illustration of DNA methylation.

‘Polygenic risk scores’ for autism, explained

by  /  23 May 2023

These scores — composite measures of a person’s autism-linked common genetic variants — cannot predict an autism diagnosis but could help researchers better understand the condition’s underlying biology.

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September 2022
Conceptual illustration of a door leading from one area of the brain to another area of the brain.

Autism’s genetic heterogeneity evident in brain connectivity patterns

by  /  27 September 2022

The results highlight the importance of subgrouping study participants based on their underlying genetics, the researchers say.

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July 2022
An abstract "funding mechanism" featuring dollar bills alongside tubes, beakers and wires

New program offers $35K grants to study ‘profound autism’

by  /  18 July 2022

People who have ‘profound autism’ — those with severe intellectual disability, limited communication abilities or both — tend to be excluded from research. The Autism Science Foundation seeks to change that.

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December 2021
Child with colorful tactile puzzle and clinician or therapist.

Autism without intellectual impairments more common than previously reported

by  /  1 December 2021

Almost 60 percent of autistic people may have an average or above-average intelligence quotient, according to a new longitudinal study.

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September 2021
Child makes a row of flowers on the ground.

Repetitive behaviors wax and wane among autistic youth

by  /  20 September 2021

Some types of restricted and repetitive behaviors become more prevalent among autistic children and teenagers over time, depending on their age and intellectual ability, whereas others decrease.

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July 2021
Illustration shows yellow landscape with blue sections and a lot of trains on paths with kids on the trains, going different directions.

Mapping the futures of autistic children

by  /  14 July 2021

Researchers can roughly project what autistic children’s lives will look like years down the road. But how good is their crystal ball — and what are its benefits?

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researchers analyzing a big change in a DNA helix

Evolutionary approach reveals impact of missense variants in autism

by  /  7 July 2021

Cross-species comparisons can help make sense of subtle genetic variants in people with autism and identify hundreds of new genes that may contribute to the condition.

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April 2021
Child in an MEG machine

Making neuroimaging accessible for more autistic children

by  /  6 April 2021

A new protocol aims to help researchers include more autistic people — especially those who are minimally verbal or have intellectual disability — in imaging studies.

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March 2021
Brain made of DNA strands on a background of molecule shapes

There are no autism-specific genes, just brain genes

by ,  /  23 March 2021

There is not yet a single example of a gene that, when mutated, increases the likelihood of autism but not of other neurodevelopmental conditions, including intellectual disability.

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February 2021
Heatmap plot showing how each genetic variant plus autism group differed.

Copy number variations linked to autism have diverse but overlapping effects

by  /  1 February 2021

People with mutations in distant chromosomal regions often share a range of autism traits, even if they do not meet the diagnostic threshold for autism.

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