Sex bias: This week, new preprints highlight the influence of sex on the occurrence of de novo variants in autism and on the specific neural pathways that show altered connectivity in the condition. Sex bias also showed up in another study, which found that prenatal exposure to COVID-19 infection is associated with an increased likelihood […]
Measuring self-harm: Two new studies investigate aspects of suicidality in autistic adults; both studies found more suicide-related behaviors in autistic people than in non-autistic people. One paper reported that, after accounting for participants’ experiences of trauma that contribute to mental health issues, people with autism were more likely to report self-harm, suicide attempts and suicide […]
Measuring worry: Two new papers explore the relationship between autism and anxiety. The first study describes a network analysis of data from 623 autistic children, showing that specific autism traits give rise to anxiety, namely sensory hypersensitivity and a preference for sameness or predictability. The investigators suggest that these findings might inform therapeutic approaches. A […]
Since he was young, my son seemed different from other children. Blaise had bigger, more intense tantrums. He wouldn’t wait quietly with a book and a couple of colored pencils. We always had to take him for walks, talk to him, play with him. While we loved raising our busy boy, my husband and I […]
In the current school year, parents and teachers alike are facing the ongoing challenges and uncertainties of the pandemic, a return to personal learning and the best preparation of our children for an increasingly complex world. But despite the unknown, as parents and caregivers we can move from a place of fear to a place […]
