Autism spectrum disorders

A non-intoxicating extract of cannabis appears to help children and teenagers with autism, a new study says.

US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s announcement of a vast study to reveal the cause of a so-called autism “epidemic” has alarmed medical experts, who fear it could rekindle thoroughly debunked conspiracy theories about vaccines.

An article by researchers at the Universitat Jaume I of Castelló published in the journal Autism in adulthood has collected some of the needs detected in autistic women regarding motherhood. Among them, the shortage of professionals with updated knowledge to identify autism and provide a better individualized attention or the convenience of a family and social support network that favors the transition to the experience of being mothers.

A cross-disciplinary research team from the Faculty of Dentistry and the Department of Psychology of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) has found a promising connection between oral microbiota and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Their study, published in the Journal of Dentistry, introduces a prediction model with an 81% accuracy rate for identifying children with autism through simple oral sampling.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is preparing to study whether vaccines are linked to autism—despite overwhelming scientific evidence showing no connection.

Childbirth is often described as one of life’s most profound experiences, but for many, it can be fraught with anxiety, pain and trauma.

An innovative exercise program co-designed by Murdoch University researchers, children with autism and their families, is breaking down barriers for enjoyable movement.

Affordable and stable housing is critical to improving health across a person’s lifespan. People with disabilities, including autism, comprise a significant share of people in need of housing assistance. However, the intersection of housing and health among individuals with autism is largely unknown because data on public housing and public health are not connected.