Pulling threads: A new study describes how genetic background can influence neurodevelopmental phenotypes linked to a particular gene variant. To wit, when a parent and child both carry the 16p12.1 deletion, they often experience different clinical presentations. The researchers evaluated 17 classes of secondary variants and identified those that influenced risk for specific traits, such […]
Note: This article discusses rape and abuse. I remember the shock when I realized that my ex had raped me. And that it had taken me nearly two years to the day to realize that what had transpired that evening had been rape. I had always been uncomfortable about what had happened. But it’s not […]
Autism research is highly focused on causation and autism “treatments,” areas most autistic people neither benefit from nor want studied. Enter AutINSAR, a much-needed discussion between autistic people, autism researchers, family members, and professionals about priorities in autism research. This year’s AutINSAR chat took place during INSAR 2025, the annual meeting of the International Society […]
It is almost a cliché, at this point, that when questions arise about the increase in autism diagnostic rates, or increase in visibility of autism in public life and schools, for laypeople to protest, “We didn’t use to see this many autistic people 30 years ago!” or “when I was a kid” or “when I […]
Early overgrowth: In their first few weeks of development, organoids with two intact copies of CHD8 (top) developed excitatory neurons more slowly than organoids missing a copy of the gene (bottom). Editor’s Note This article was originally published 11 January 2021, based on preliminary findings presented at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting. The results […]
Many autistic people with a serious or life-threatening condition do not seek medical care, according to a new study. The most common health-care barriers include difficulties in communicating with physicians or making appointments by telephone. “For me, as a physician, to realize that patients are sitting at home with medically serious conditions, unable to access […]
Recording device: The Neuropixels probe has hundreds of sites (black and white) that can make recordings of human neurons (red and blue). Angelique Paulk / NeuroMorpho.org (IDs: NMO_86955, NMO_86997, NMO_109433, NMO_61420, NMO_61421) A high-resolution probe commonly used in animals can be modified to simultaneously record the activity of hundreds of individual neurons across the human […]
Illustration by Laurenne Boglio Hello and welcome to the Community Newsletter! I’m your host, Chelsey B. Coombs, Engagement Editor of Spectrum. Twitter this week served up some practical tips on how to make magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) more comfortable for autistic people. Strategies in the literature could lead to new training materials for clinicians and […]
Illustration by Laurène Boglio Hello and welcome to the community newsletter! I am your host, Chelsey B. Coombs, the engagement editor of Spectrum. The first study, which sparked an online exchange this week, looked at the association between autism characteristics and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults aged 50 and over who scored high on […]
Realize this: The brain’s response to this visual stimulus could reveal which autistic people can benefit most from the investigational drug arbaclofen. publisher’s Note This article was originally published on May 14, 2021, based on preliminary results presented at the annual meeting of the International Society for Autism Research. We updated the article in Science […]
A series of unprecedented weather events occurred in six US states on the night of December 10th and through December 11th. At least 30 tornadoes landed in various parts of Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, and Tennessee, leaving unspeakable havoc. Kentucky was hit particularly hard; One of the tornadoes there, which originated in Arkansas, was […]
I heard more than 20 years ago that mindfulness can help people with ADHD. But I wasn’t listening. It was too “New Age-y” and trendy. I also got overwhelmed by the idea of doing a new activity, even one that promised to make my life better. It was too many steps, I thought, and I […]
