Autism spectrum disorders

A group of researchers from the Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science of the University of Trento, together with colleagues from US and British universities and departments, delved into the world of people with autism through their conversations, learning about their interests, the topics they discuss, their needs, tastes, experiences. They worked from the ground up, examining discussions and narratives to shed light on things that usually remain unknown to outsiders.

A new trial from the Kennedy Krieger Institute reveals a promising path forward for infants showing early signs of social communication delays.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said it will not create a new autism registry, reversing an earlier announcement from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

For years, Florida Tech’s Catherine Talbot, an assistant professor of psychology, has worked to understand the sociality of male rhesus monkeys and how low-social monkeys can serve as a model for humans with autism. Her most recent findings show that replenishing a deficient hormone, vasopressin, helped the monkeys become more social without increasing their aggression—a discovery that could change autism treatment.

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.