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Clinician Guide: Program Development and Best Practices for Treating Severe Behaviors in Autism … of life for autistic people and their families.  To improve systems of care for this population, Autism Speaks convened a group of multi-disciplinary experts to develop the Clinician Guide: Program Development and Best Practices for Treating … The goal of this guide is to help providers:  Expand their understanding of intense challenging behaviors in autism  Support individuals experiencing significant behavior challenges who may harm themselves or those around them  Develop …
Researchers outline method to create gene list for autism-linked genetic variants … A multidisciplinary group of autism researchers proposed a new method for identifying whether certain gene changes are linked to autism, in a … know how certain gene changes impact a person with autism, ultimately helping us to develop tailored treatments that will support that person,” said Dr. Thomas Frazier, Ph.D., Autism Speaks chief science officer and an author of the paper. After … an autism diagnosis, providers will be better able to offer autistic children and adults more personalized health care and supports. … Researchers outline method to create gene list for autism-linked genetic variants …
Review of interventions for autistic adults finds lack of evidence-based treatments … of related studies found that very few treatments have been studied to effectively address the specific needs of this group. The review also found that priorities of autistic adults were overlooked in the existing research.  In a review … question about which of these outcomes matter most to autistic adults, and far more research is needed to recommend ways to support health as they age.”  Research into autistic adult health has identified several health outcomes, such as early … the federal Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee.  Of the studies reviewed, two interventions showed some evidence of supporting better psychiatric health outcomes.   Cognitive behavior therapy and mindfulness-based interventions, both …
Identical twins with autism differ significantly in severity of social traits… by our environment. It also confirms what we know about the importance of getting intervention as early as possible to support development,” said Autism Speaks Chief Science Officer Thomas W. Frazier. “Repeating this study with larger groups may help us understand those environmental factors where we might be able to best support optimal development for young children at risk for autism.” Using genetic data and clinical information, researchers …
Autism Speaks to host Thought Leadership Summit on Challenging Behaviors… Autism Speaks will convene an invited group of researchers, clinicians, autistic adults and other autism community members virtually on Dec. 3 and 4, 2020, to … with social interactions or might not be appropriate for work or school, to behavior challenges that require significant support, such as aggression and self-injury. There are few programs that provide the level of care needed for those with more significant support needs, and families often face obstacles like distance and financial limitations that keep them from accessing them. …
Social skills classes produce lasting benefits for adults with autism… or other caregivers received training on how to coach the participants outside of class. Conversation, humor and more The group classes focused on conversational skills, appropriate use of humor and electronic communication, identifying sources … in the study, the researchers propose. “Our study offers encouraging findings that, through an evidence-based, caregiver-supported intervention, adults with autism can improve in ways that may help them be more successful in these aspects of … exist for young adults on the spectrum. “It’s exciting to see a community-based treatment model using caregiver support to help improve social skills,” comments Kara Reagon, Autism Speaks associate director of dissemination science. …
Autism Speaks executive Val Paradiz appointed to federal autism committee… U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced today that Valerie Paradiz, Ph.D., vice president of services and supports at Autism Speaks, has been appointed as one of 20 new as well as two returning public members of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), an advisory group on federal autism activities. Along with federal members of the committee from key agencies and departments serving … IACC plays a critical role in deciding where our federal priorities should lie in funding autism services and research to support autistic people of all ages,” said Dr. Paradiz. “I look forward to working with other members of the committee to …
Finding Information on Autism-Related Genes … 15q duplication syndrome, copy number variation Pheland-McDermid syndrome and DiGeorge syndrome . A number of advocacy groups and organizations provide information, parent and child support, research funds and services for those affected by these specific genetic disorders. (See list below.) … aware of an organization that specifically addresses Xp22.31 deletions. There are, however, a few Yahoo and Facebook parent support groups for Xp22.31 deletions. The National Society for Genetic Counselors provides a platform for finding genetic …
Study finds higher rates of gender diversity among autistic individuals… can improve their quality of life,” said Thomas W. Frazier, Ph.D., chief science officer at Autism Speaks. “By looking at groups of autistic people across several different types of data collected, this study gives us a more realistic idea of how … should focus on how to better meet their healthcare needs and what medical and mental health providers can do to best support their patients.” Read more about how parents can support autistic, gender-diverse youth in this Got Questions? article from Dr. Eric Butter, a clinician at the Division of …
Autism Speaks national board member Dr. Tom Frazier appointed to federal autism committee… has been appointed as one of two new members of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee ( IACC ), an advisory group on federal autism activities. He will serve alongside other public stakeholders as well as federal committee members … IACC plays a critical role in deciding where our federal priorities should lie in funding autism services and research to support autistic people across the spectrum and of all ages,” said Dr. Frazier. “I look forward to working to ensure that …