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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 …

Autism Speaks funds ECHO Autism Primary Care to bring better autism screening and care to your doctor’s office… the child’s behavior, learning and relationships. Each clinic features one individual provider who presents a case to the group, and everyone participating in the clinic gets the benefit of learning from that real case. “It’s a lot like the learning model in medical school,” Dr. Sohl says. “A group of providers – including experts in developmental medicine, behavioral health, and social work, plus a family advocate … family.” Now, all 12 ATN centers have ECHO Autism Primary Care groups operating or planned in their local areas, most with support from Autism Speaks.   The ECHO Autism Primary Care model was originally tested at the University of Missouri, an ATN …

Study finds translation of parent survey is reliable at detecting autism in Chinese children… autism in young children. The Autism Spectrum Rating Scale is a tool for finding children with autism so they can get support. A family member or teacher fills out the survey if they believe a child has autism. Depending on the age of the … it out, there are four different versions of the survey, which was designed for English speakers in the United States. “Supporting children with autism is important not only in the United States but around the world,” said Andy Shih, Ph.D., … a tool that can be used with parent input to find children with autism who need supports and services.” A private research group, the Public Welfare Industry of Health of China, translated and shortened the Autism Spectrum Rating Scale into the …

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 …

Study finds health disparities for LGBTQ+ autistic adults … were among the respondents. “The healthcare system is not currently working for many LGBTQ+ autistic adults, when this group has a greater need for health services,” said Dr. Andy Shih, Ph.D., senior vice president, public health and inclusion … research at Autism Speaks demonstrates a large unmet need for healthcare for people with autism,” said Shih. “Where these groups intersect, the community and the healthcare system need to come together to provide added support and remove barriers to appropriate care.” … Study finds health disparities for LGBTQ+ autistic adults …

Researchers report findings on getting autism treatments into diverse communities … communities.  A series of presentations by panelists looked at access to services for different minority and ethnic groups as well as in international communities.  “Getting autism care and knowledge into communities means better access for … creative ways that researchers and providers are trying to distribute knowledge so that communities are better equipped to support people with autism where they live.”  In Washington, D.C., where 80 percent of the children enrolled in Medicaid are … program for early childhood educators.   Following a four-part training series, the educators felt better equipped to support children with autism in their care, but still reported that timely access to full evaluations and treatments …

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 …