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Research meeting highlights access and intersectional challenges in U.S. and international communities … designed to reduce some of that resource burden.”  Early data presented by Wagner from the clinical trial of the TAP tool supported its effectiveness as a diagnostic tool for children who were referred for autism evaluation, but further research was needed to see if the tool would be effective at other sites with more mixed groups of children.  After testing the tool with 200 providers from across specialties, from pediatricians to school … are lifted.  In a related session, researchers at Children’s Mercy Kansas City presented findings about using telehealth to support caregivers during the pandemic. Located in an area with a range of patients from rural, suburban and urban …
Autism Speaks announces pilot sites for groundbreaking project linking discovery science and clinical research… $6.15M including a leading gift of $3.5M from the Wise Family Foundation of Toronto, Canada. These generous commitments support the $12 million expansion of PATH, the next phase of MSSNG, to include not only whole genome sequence data but also … of the data and findings. These larger datasets increase the ability for researchers to find patterns and connections in groups of very different people. Due to the broad and variable ways each person is affected by autism, when testing … people.” About Autism Care Network A first of its kind learning health system for autism, the Autism Care Network, with support from Autism Speaks is built on more than a decade of work in improving autism care and a family-centered approach to …
COVID-19 survey reveals widespread challenges for autism community and wider disparities for minority communities … community are struggling even more, particularly with basic needs.”  Minority respondents, who made up about half of the group surveyed, reported more struggles with a variety of needs related to the pandemic, basic needs, daily routines and education.  The largest disparities were in the areas of food insecurity and receiving distance learning supports, with nonwhite respondents experiencing twice the food insecurity of white respondents and twice as likely to not receive any distance learning supports. Food insecurity was measured as food for the household having run out and families not having enough money to buy …
Autism Speaks Names 2017 Weatherstone Predoctoral Fellows… career scientists pursuing autism research. Lady Weatherstone and daughter Cheryl Weatherstone-Vance continue to actively support this fellowship program on a personal level.  The 2017 class brings the number of Autism Speaks Weatherstone … and daily living among adolescents affected by autism. Her goal is to guide the development of more-effective programs for supporting a successful transition to adulthood. Read more about Maya Reiter's research project here . Evan Geller Under the … understanding and treatment of anxiety, depression and other mental health problems that commonly occur in this vulnerable group. Read more about Jessica Greenlee's research project here . Elyza Kelly Under the mentorship of Peter Tsai at …
Supplements for kids with autism may lead to nutrient imbalances… and vitamin D. The study appears this week in  the  Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics .  The research was supported through the ATN’s role as the federally funded Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P). … and were taking supplements were still not getting enough calcium. Around a third were not getting enough vitamin D. As a group, the children on a gluten-free/casein-free diet got more magnesium and vitamin E than the other children did. This may … of bone fractures seen in children with autism. “Many children and families affected by autism can greatly benefit from the support of nutritionists and feeding specialists to ensure both immediate and long-term health,” Dr. Wang concludes. The 14 …
Study: Eye Contact Declines Early in Babies Who Later Develop Autism… with autism. The researchers tested each infant 10 times between 2 and 24 months. Initial levels of eye contact for both groups were similar. But infants who did not develop autism increased their eye contact over time, while eye contact … steadily declined among the 13 infants later diagnosed with autism. (Twelve of the 13 were from the high-risk baby siblings group.) In addition, those infants whose levels of eye contact diminished most rapidly were the most disabled by symptoms of … In fact, earlier eye-gaze studies done without eye-tracking technology failed to capture the pattern. The new results also support the strong role that genetic and prenatal factors play in the development of ASD, Dr. Wang adds. “Some people have …
Autism Speaks awards over $550,000 for autism research… more effective, personalized care in the years ahead,” said Autism Speaks Chief Science Officer Andy Shih. “We are proud to support a promising group of young scientists who are propelling the field of autism research forward in new directions.”  Grant applications …
Family Advisors:  The power and importance of connection… MPA. For many families who care for a loved one with autism spectrum disorder, access to knowledge and resources to support autism is critical. The right supports can enhance a life that is meaningful and productive. For me and my colleague, Liza Krassner, we understand how … of the Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network /Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (ATN/AIR-P). This group of 12 sites across the U.S. and Canada represent a wide array of autism services, research and clinical programs, …
Pediatrics journal dedicates supplement publication to autism studies … for Children and Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder,” include both provider guidance and new findings based on network-supported research studies. Some highlights of the research findings include: 93 percent of families of children with autism … therapies, and few of those are receiving the recommended amount. Psychotropic medications are also being used in this age group. Certain racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups experience barriers to getting appropriate autism care and report … obstacles to getting appropriate autism care. Shared decision-making, provider follow-up on service navigation and provider support on weighing service options are potential provider strategies to ensure follow up on referrals for needed services. …
Autism and auditory processing disorder: A follow-up… filtering sounds. In May 2016, Autism Speaks and Royal Arch Masons International announced funding for new fellowships to support research by young investigators to better understand central auditory processing disorders in people with and … sound, is part of one of the core criteria for diagnosing autism. Parent- and self-reports collected in multiple studies support the importance of this criteria. They describe a person with autism as having atypical perception and response to … understanding and remembering spoken information, especially in noisy environments. Past research has tended to focus on group-level analyses of auditory processing (i.e., comparing people with autism to neurotypical people) but has not looked …