Dental visits can be daunting for autistic children
April 28, 2014
Many children with autism experience distress during dental visits, often because of sensory overload. Early research findings from the University of Southern California suggests that modifications (e.g. “replacing fluorescent lights with softer and colored lighting, playing soothing music and using butterfly wraps that provide calming deep pressure”) can actually decrease anxiety...
Study: New autism criteria will reduce diagnoses
April 28, 2014
The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) was released in May 2013; it included major changes to the diagnostic criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Now, researchers at Columbia University are beginning to reveal the potential implications of those changes. They found a statistically significant decrease of...
FDA warns against bogus autism treatments
April 28, 2014
On April 25, 2015, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a public warning to companies that provide misleading claims about their products treating or curing autism. Their press release identifies some of the more notable offenders (e.g. chelation therapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy) and said that many...
April 22, 2014
The Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) has partnered with the Institute for Behavioral Training to offer free autism training workshops for first responders (police, fire, EMT, etc.) in cities across the United States. The focus will be on teaching personnel how to approach and interact with individuals on...
Sesame Street to Partner with Exceptional Minds to See Amazing in All Children
April 22, 2014
Sesame Street is launching a new initiative called “See Amazing in All Children,” aimed at increasing understanding and acceptance of autism among peers. They’ve partnered with Exceptional Minds, a California non-profit vocational center and working production studio for young adults with autism, whose students will be working on creative program...
Club teaches archery, life skills to kids with autism
April 21, 2014
An Indianapolis-area man started an archery club for his son and other children with autism. For many, the benefits extend beyond building skills with a bow and arrow. For more information, read the full story by Vic Ryckaert of The Courier-Journal....
Teens with Autism Learn to Drive through Simulation Study
April 18, 2014
Researchers at the University of Virginia are teaching teenagers with autism to drive using simulator technology, as part of an ongoing study. They’ve found that it can take four times as long for an individual on the spectrum to learn how to drive capably because they struggle with the “complexities...
Home videos could be powerful tool for diagnosing autism, researcher says
April 17, 2014
A group of Harvard and Stanford researchers recently published research which suggests that videos of children in natural settings could aid in the process of diagnosing autism. Undergraduate research assistants with minimal training were able to correctly identify “autistic-type” behaviors in YouTube videos 97% of the time. While the authors...
Pioneering Telemedicine Training for Rural Parents of Children with Autism
April 16, 2014
University of Kansas researchers recently published the initial results of a study that examined the effectiveness of an Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) parent training program that was administered online; the ultimate goal is to expand ABA access to families in rural, generally underserved areas. For more information, read the full...
Pregnant women who took antidepressants linked to higher autism risk in boys
April 15, 2014
In their assessment of nearly 1,000 mother-child pairs, Johns Hopkins University researchers found that children with autism spectrum diagnoses were more likely – a 2.5 percent difference – than their typically developing peers to have been exposed to antidepressants (e.g. Lexapro, Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft) while in the womb. For more...
Even ‘baby sibs’ without autism show delays in first year
April 10, 2014
New research published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry indicates that children who have older siblings with autism diagnoses are more likely to show developmental delays at one year than children whose siblings aren’t on the spectrum. For more detailed information, read the full story from...
Florida Firefighters Learn to Help People with Autism
April 08, 2014
Excerpt from the full story by Will Greenlee of Treasure Coast Newspapers: “With the number of people identified as having autism growing, a Fire District firefighter is training others in his agency in recognizing and interacting better with those with the developmental disability. Firefighter/paramedic Pete Villasuso, 39, whose son was diagnosed...
