New Research Suggests Possible Direction for Treatment of Autism
Researchers note marked improvements in young autistic boys when using a treatment known as sensory-motor or environmental enrichment.
Enhanced Motion Detection in Autism May Point to Underlying Cause of the Disorder
A new study finds children with autism see simple movements twice as quickly as their non-autistic peers. This hypersensitivity to motion could provide clues to one of the fundamental causes of autism.
Children and Teens with Autism More Likely to Become Preoccupied with Video Games
New research suggests children with ASD spend more time playing video games and watching TV than participating in social media and pre-social activities compared to their typically developing peers.
Humanoid Robot Helps Train Children with Autism
Vanderbilt researchers develop a humanoid robotic system to help teach autistic children to coordinate their attention with objects and other people in their environment.
Atypical Brain Circuits May Cause Slower Gaze Shifting in Infants Who Later Develop Autism
Infants at 7 months of age who go on to develop autism are slower to reorient their gaze and attention from one object to another when compared to 7-month-olds who do not develop autism, and this behavioral pattern is in part explained by atypical brain circuits.
Difficulty in Recognizing Faces in Autism Linked to Performance in a Group of Neurons
Neurons in the specific brain area responsible for processing faces are too broadly “tuned” in some patients with autism, leading to difficulties in discriminating between the facial features of different individuals, a new study suggests.
Speech Emerges in Children with Autism and Severe Language Delay at Greater Rate Than Previously Thought
A new study reveals 70 percent of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, and who have a history of severe language delay, achieved fluent speech by the age of eight.
Network Analysis of the Brain may Explain Features of Autism
Researchers find that, compared with neurotypical children, those with autism have multiple redundant connections between neighboring brain areas at the expense of long-distance links.
BPA May Affect the Developing Brain by Disrupting Gene Regulation
New research suggests environmental exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical commonly found in plastics and resins, could suppress a gene critical to nerve cell function and the development of the central nervous system. Exposure to BPA could predispose humans to a number of neurodevelopmental and other health disorders.
Ultrasound Reveals Autism Risk at Birth
Low birth weight babies with ventricular enlargement are at greater risk for developing autism, a new study suggests.
