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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.

February 2023
Week of JanuaryJan
30th
2023

Spotted around the web: Brain morphology; mild 22q11.2 effects; eugenics apology

by ,  /  3 February 2023

Here is a roundup of news and research for the week of 30 January.

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Headshot of Johnny Matson, former editor-in-chief of Research in Developmental Disabilities and Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Prolific autism researcher has two dozen papers retracted

by  /  2 February 2023

Elsevier’s retractions focus on peer review and conflicts of interest.

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January 2023
A photograph of a person preparing for an fMRI scan

Head motion mars most fMRI results, even after correction

by  /  30 January 2023

A new measure shows how greatly movement influences associations between traits and brain activity, revealing abundant false positives and false negatives.

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Many mouths making conversation, with speech bubbles in red and blue.

Community Newsletter: Better measurement; Rett rescue; interactomes; social touch

by  /  29 January 2023

Conversation took off this week around precision in neuroscience measurements, a new strategy to rescue Rett neurons, autism insights from protein interactomes, and mechanisms of touch perception.

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Week of JanuaryJan
23rd
2023

Spotted around the web: Birth cohort research; DNA methylation; medical marijuana

by ,  /  27 January 2023

Here is a roundup of news and research for the week of 23 January.

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A multiracial group of schoolchildren sit at their desks in class.

Racial, economic disparities skew New Jersey data on autism, intellectual disability

by  /  26 January 2023

Serious differences in autism identification persist, according to an analysis of autistic children in New Jersey over 16 years.

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Three groups of people meet and mix at a crossroads.

Autism research at the crossroads

by  /  25 January 2023

The power struggle between researchers, autistic self-advocates and parents is threatening progress across the field.

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Three groups of people meet and mix at a crossroads.

Divisions over ABA

by  /  25 January 2023

Applied behavior analysis, the most common intervention for children diagnosed with autism, is the subject of an intense debate between practitioners and neurodiversity advocates.

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Illustration of a signature being signed on a form.

Decisional capacity and informed consent, explained

by  /  23 January 2023

To include more autistic people in research, here’s what scientists need to know about informed consent procedures for study participants who have impaired decision-making capacity.

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Speech bubble formed by a network of communication

Community Newsletter: Null on biomarkers; dopamine; sleep issues; funding

by  /  22 January 2023

This week, researchers discussed a search for autism biomarkers, a surprising explanation for how the brain organizes spontaneous behavior, and sleep disturbances in children with genetic neurodevelopmental conditions. Also, four new projects on profound autism received funding from the Autism Science Foundation.

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