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Spectrum: Autism Research News

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Diagnosis

Diagnosing autism is an evolving science but a crucial first step to understanding the disorder.

March 2020
an onscreen app compares developmental milestones for more accurate early autism diagnosis.

How online training may help detect autism earlier

by ,  /  17 March 2020

Providing training for primary-care clinicians and for families can go a long way to lowering the average age of autism diagnosis and helping children get the services they need.

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February 2020

Verbal ability may predict age at autism diagnosis

by  /  20 February 2020

Girls with autism are diagnosed 1.5 years later, on average, than boys with the condition, perhaps because they tend to have stronger verbal skills.

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A baby in a yellow jumper that has movement tracking sensors

Smart jumpsuit may help test motor skills in infants with autism

by  /  12 February 2020

A new jumpsuit is fitted with sensors that can track and classify an infant’s posture and movements.

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Young family of four reading together

Autism has no impact on family size in Sweden

by  /  7 February 2020

New data challenge the idea that parents of autistic children refrain from having more children.

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How one doctor made Oman a leader on autism in the Middle East

by  /  4 February 2020

Developmental pediatrician Watfa Al-Mamari is building an autism program in Oman from the ground up.

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Young boys in Oman in a market sit and drink juice

Analysis offers first reliable estimate of prevalence in Oman

by  /  3 February 2020

A new study has found that 0.2 percent of children in Oman are on the autism spectrum — an estimate about 15 times higher than the previous one.

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January 2020
Illustration shows a large red floating blob that says "PANDAS" while smaller, blue blobs float around it with phrases "autism," "OCD," "ADHD" and "TOURETTE SYNDROME"

How a controversial condition called PANDAS is gaining ground on autism

by  /  8 January 2020

Some scientists say an immune condition called PANDAS affects as many as 1 in 200 children who have traits similar to those of autism. But many experts contest that figure — and even the condition’s very existence.

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December 2019
map shows autism prevalence over time

Autism prevalence estimates for Catalonia, Iran highlight gaps in data

by  /  18 December 2019

The first rigorous estimate of autism in Catalonia, Spain, has found a prevalence on par with that in the United States; an independent study in Iran, meanwhile, has found a prevalence that lags far behind.

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Pediatrician with big baby and parent

New U.S. autism guidelines call for early treatment

by  /  16 December 2019

The American Academy of Pediatrics has, for the first time in 12 years, overhauled its recommendations for identifying and supporting autistic children.

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variants across the genome are shown in a wheel shaped visualization

New database catalogs variants in autism genes

by  /  13 December 2019

A new database cross-checks study participants to avoid double-counting variants linked to autism genes.

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