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Spectrum: Autism Research News

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Signs & Symptoms

Autism’s core symptoms accompany a constellation of subtle signs that scientists are just beginning to unmask.

October 2020
four images show pattern of eye movement

Social attention shifts differently over time for autistic adults

by  /  23 October 2020

Neurotypical adults change how they view social scenes over time in a way that autistic adults do not, reflecting different underlying mechanisms of social attention.

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four brain areas marked with flags: Cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, cerebellum

Brain structure changes in autism, explained

by  /  15 October 2020

Autistic people have distinct patterns of brain development, which sometimes result in differences in brain structure. Here’s what we know about those differences.

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Toddler vocalizing with parent.

Social motivation predicts language skills in autistic children

by  /  8 October 2020

The more children with autism tune in to and communicate with others as toddlers, the stronger their conversation skills are later in childhood.

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Parent reads to her child at night in a makeshift text with cozy lights.

Virtual lab visits enable remote assessments of child development

by  /  7 October 2020

A new telehealth test offers researchers a way to detect signs of atypical behavior from afar and could help more families participate in autism studies and clinical trials.

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A child wearing headphones looking into his locker with bullies lurking behind him.

Why it is imperative to ask autistic adolescents about bullying

by ,  /  6 October 2020

Being bullied puts adolescents with autism at increased risk of suicide. Identifying and preventing bullying may help prevent suicides.

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Toddler vocalizing next to parent.

Autistic toddlers do not tune in to sounds with others

by  /  2 October 2020

Unlike typical toddlers, those with autism tend not to share experiences involving sound — dancing to music with their parents, for example, or calling attention to the source of a sound.

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September 2020
Close-up of adult hand holding preemie baby hand.

Increasing delays in development may signal autism in preterm babies

by  /  28 September 2020

Extremely preterm babies later diagnosed with autism tend to show steep declines in development, a pattern that could flag them for intervention as early as 6 months of age.

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The knight Perceval leaves his mother in extreme distress, oblivious to his effect, as he rides into the distance.

The perils of suggesting famous historical figures had autism

by ,  /  22 September 2020

Looking for signs of autism in characters from history and literature can offer insight into society’s changing perceptions through time — but it can also increase the risk of stigma against people with the condition.

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Illustration shows a family is watching fireworks, child sees blurry version of the event.

Eyeing the connection between autism and vision

by  /  16 September 2020

Autism is unusually common among blind people, and children with autism are more likely to have vision problems than their typical peers. Understanding why could lead to better therapies for autism for autism.

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Illustration shows information flowing from family (parents and child) into algorithm .

Listening to parents can curtail autism’s diagnostic odyssey

by ,  /  15 September 2020

Surveys of parents’ impressions of their child’s emotional and behavioral problems can improve autism screening and shorten waitlists for diagnostic evaluations.

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