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Spectrum: Autism Research News

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Science & Society

From funding decisions to scientific fraud, a wide range of societal factors shape autism research.

June 2011

Diagnostic brain scans: hope or hype?

by  /  16 June 2011

In the past year, several studies have suggested that brain scans will soon help clinicians diagnose autism. But many experts say these scans are far from — and may never be — ready for use as diagnostic tests.

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Altered development

by  /  14 June 2011

Developmental disorders increased by 17 percent between 1997 and 2008 in the U.S, according to a report published 6 June. Is this cause for alarm, or a sign that we are at last assessing the true rate for these disorders?

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Clinical research: Mainstreaming helps children with autism

by  /  10 June 2011

Early interventions for preschoolers who have autism are effective when included alongside standard curricula in mainstream settings, according to two studies published in April.

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Video monitoring could identify autism behaviors

by  /  8 June 2011

Video surveillance combined with computer algorithms could provide an objective method to monitor the success of autism interventions, according to a study published 3 May in the Journal of Medical Systems.

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Mind’s eye

by  /  7 June 2011

A review article published earlier this year in Progress in Brain Research suggests that scientists may have been too quick to explain away the results of eye-tracking studies.

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Genetics: Chromosome 11 deletion links autism, obesity

by  /  7 June 2011

Deletions on a segment of chromosome 11 are associated with autism, attention problems and obesity, according to a study published in the June issue of the American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A.

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Information overload

by  /  3 June 2011

Sensory sensitivity is one of the most understudied aspects of autism. That’s a serious problem, because it underlies much of the distress experienced by people with the disorder, says best-selling author and animal scientist Temple Grandin.

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May 2011

Boy talk

by  /  31 May 2011

Female-to-male transsexuals show more traits associated with autism than typical males or females, though the reasons for this link remain unclear.

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New York program fulfills promise of inclusive education

by  /  30 May 2011

An innovative academic program in New York City public schools is successfully educating children with high-functioning autism alongside their unaffected peers.

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Generation gap

by  /  27 May 2011

Parents see more benefits to a diagnosis of autism than their affected children do — perhaps unsurprising, given young people’s overwhelming desire to fit in with their peers.

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