Connected conditions: A new study describes developmental pathways from tuberous sclerosis complex to autism. In a cohort of 125 children with tuberous sclerosis, followed for 10 years, 40 percent had an autism diagnosis, which was associated with more cortical tubers and infantile spasms. By identifying aspects of tuberous sclerosis complex in early life that lead […]
Motherhood changes us. Not just in the way we think, love or live. It changes our bodies too. And honestly, this is something we don’t talk about enough. We talk about the sleepless nights. The endless laundry. The school runs, packed lunch boxes, homework, tantrums and the never-ending question of, “Mumma, where is my…?” But […]
I’m late. Again. I can’t put on the polo Mom just washed. She used fabric softener. The shirt has miniature bumps, like sandpaper dragged across my shoulders, and the color; that washed-out navy, presses against my throat. I sit in my room, staring at it, hoping to come to a truce with my school clothes. […]
Interneurons sculpt circuits across the brain, adjusting their synapses, excitability and output in response to learning and social experiences. Glitches in this delicate fine tuning, called experience-dependent interneuron plasticity, can lead to hyperexcitability, seizures and cognitive impairments—all common traits in a variety of neurodevelopmental conditions. This overlap may be rooted in genetics, according to a […]
In This Article Student and Teacher Challenges in the Classroom When ADHD Is Present Teacher Self-Efficacy and ADHD Teachers’ Attitudes About Students With ADHD ADHD Training for Teachers: Next Steps “I’m sorry, but your child just doesn’t care about doing well.” This was the middle school teacher’s only response when I asked her for ideas […]
Individual structural MRI studies fail to identify reproducible brain signatures for autism and other neuropsychiatric conditions, a new study finds. Brain scans of people with autism, depression and bipolar disorder rarely show consistent differences in cortical thickness or grey matter volume across independent studies, according to the analysis. The study suggests that these structural measures […]
Hear, hear: A comparison of brain activity in three genetic models of autism demonstrated different mechanisms that lead to changes in auditory processing, according to a new study in zebrafish. The genetic lines examined—each carrying variants of FMR1, MECP2 or CNTNAP2—displayed altered sensory behaviors, such as hyper-responsiveness and reduced habituation. As for brain circuitry, the […]
What I want the most is for the world to see A- the way (I think) he sees himself. As an amazing human being. Maybe this is my contribution to why not “profound autism.” It’s not about the term itself. It’s about the reason people want it, and what that would mean for my son. […]
Inspiring Stories of Healthcare Heroes for Children As a mother, I often find it challenging to keep my kids engaged with books these days. So, I started looking for comics and illustrated stories, much like Amar Chitra Katha or Panchatantra tales, that would not only capture their imagination but also leave them with meaningful lessons. […]
Nanoparticles resembling viruses can carry gene-editing tools into muscle and help restore a critical protein in a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, according to a new preprint. The approach currently works for muscle. But the team behind the work is exploring similar delivery options that could help treat a range of conditions, including neurological […]
Rare form: Two new studies use antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) to investigate mechanisms of autism-related conditions. One paper reports that ASOs targeting SCN2A variants reduced seizures and improved language and motor skills in two children with developmental and epileptic encephalopathies. The other study, a preprint, used ASOs to reveal molecular pathways from a truncated ASXL3 gene […]
I wish we framed autism around the impact on adaptive skills and activities, instead of framing it around behaviors. I have a lot of reasons for this. One is that “behavior support needs” tends to invite behavior management strategies that are based on external/observable behavior, and focus on the quality of life of the people […]
