Autism Science Foundation Weekly Science Report
237 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 11 hours ago - ★★★★★ - 70 ratingsThe week in autism research discoveries
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Episodes
Recurrence rates for families with an ASD child
July 21, 2024 18:28 - 14 minutes - 12.3 MBWhat is the probability of having a future child with autism if you already have one or more? Families want to know. It helps preparation, planning, will hopefully improve early screening and supports. The Baby Siblings Research Consortium analyzed a bigger group of siblings compared to their 2011 numbers and found the recurrence pretty stable … Continue reading "Recurrence rates for families with an ASD child"
Alison Singer appears on @LifeWithTheSpectrum
July 15, 2024 01:12 - 19 minutes - 11.9 MBIn case you missed it, listen to Alison Singer with Gina Kavali on her podcast @LifeWiththeSpectrum. Alison talks about the importance of autism research and science in general, and how families can get involved.
Culturally sensitive care with Mia Kotikovski
July 07, 2024 20:26 - 14 minutes - 3.54 MBOn this week’s podcast, Mia Kotivkoski, founder of her own 5013c and recent graduate of Stony Brook University, reviews why understanding cultural and contextual factors influence not just an autism diagnosis but general health and outcomes of a broad group of people. They include immigrants, racial and ethnic differences, and socio-economic factors. What can be … Continue reading "Culturally sensitive care with Mia Kotikovski"
Breakthrough for those with rare genetic disorders
June 29, 2024 22:32 - 12 minutes - 10.3 MBThis week, more on genetics as an influence to an autism diagnosis with a twist: can genetics lead to a specific treatment for core symptoms – across the board? How do you measure such broad symptoms? Our Rett Syndrome family friends and colleagues developed a novel outcome measure to capture what was most important to … Continue reading "Breakthrough for those with rare genetic disorders"
The Transcription Factor Song
June 23, 2024 17:12 - 20 minutes - 17.1 MBVery rarely are scientists able to look at single genes within the brains of people across neuropsychiatric disorders and understand how the genes in each of these cells influence expression of proteins and interactions of different cells with each other. Recently, a collaboration called PsychENCODE released a series of papers that investigated what genes are … Continue reading "The Transcription Factor Song"
Father of mine
June 17, 2024 14:59 - 11 minutes - 9.55 MBIn recognition of Father’s Day on the 16th, today’s podcast includes the latest research on fathers. Fathers may often be the “secondary caregiver” but should hardly be dismissed as inconsequential. Father’s sensitivity and insightfulness plays an important part in development, psychiatric diagnoses (including autism) change the the chance of having a child with autism, and … Continue reading "Father of mine"
We need more psychiatrists with expertise in autism
June 10, 2024 16:12 - 43 minutes - 32.4 MBGeneral psychiatrists are trained deal with a range of psychiatric issues in a variety of areas, but very few have experience helping families of children and adults with autism. This is training that is desperately needed, as, like other professions, there are not enough psychiatrists to help families and waitlists are staggering. Dr. Arthur Westover … Continue reading "We need more psychiatrists with expertise in autism"
Biology of profound and non-profound autism
June 02, 2024 21:26 - 12 minutes - 10.7 MBScientists have spent a lot of time trying to understand the biology of autism, unfortunately in the past, scientific studies had everyone with autism lumped together in one group and there are so many differences between people with a diagnosis that any features of the diagnosis itself were hard to detect. In the past, researchers … Continue reading "Biology of profound and non-profound autism"
Are Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions controversial?
May 20, 2024 11:21 - 19 minutes - 16 MB VideoWhile NDBIs are generally considered beneficial, they still face controversies – do they actually work and does that translate to an improved quality of life for the family? This week’s #ASF podcast interviews Molly Reilly and Jinwei Song of @UConn to dive into these issues, as well as the role of the caregiver in the … Continue reading "Are Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions controversial?"
Rest in Power Jim Simons
May 13, 2024 00:58 - 16 minutes - 14.1 MBA legend in the autism community passed away on Friday. Today’s podcast focuses on the many talents of Dr. James (Jim) Simons, one of the founders of the Simons Foundation that has spent more than $500 million on autism research. We explain how he made his fortune, how he spent it, the importance of the … Continue reading "Rest in Power Jim Simons"
What happens to premature infants as they get older?
May 06, 2024 14:25 - 31 minutes - 23.7 MBAs health care and outcomes for very premature infants has improved, scientists are able to track their longer term behavioral development, and that includes risk of developmental disorders like autism. On this week’s #ASFpodcast, Dr. Jessica Bradshaw discusses her recent research examining biological predictors like body temperature and heart rate and how they are linked … Continue reading "What happens to premature infants as they get older?"
Research for the end of Autism Action Month
April 28, 2024 23:52 - 14 minutes - 12.1 MBIn honor of the last week of Autism Awareness/Acceptance Month, we review two new scientific findings that call for more awareness and action, and less acceptance of the status quo. First: sex differences in autism are not well understood, and as it turns out, the influences on a diagnosis are different. Males have a higher … Continue reading "Research for the end of Autism Action Month"
Machine Learning in Autism, Explained
April 22, 2024 14:47 - 39 minutes - 30 MBThank you to Dennis Wall from Stanford University for explaining what Machine Learning is, how it’s related to Artificial Intelligence (today’s four buzz words) and how these new technologies are helping families get a diagnosis. He talks about the overall goals of these techniques, highlighting Cognoa’s CanvasDx to provide remote diagnoses to potentially reduce the … Continue reading "Machine Learning in Autism, Explained"
Autism Self-Diagnosis Tools
April 15, 2024 14:57 - 31 minutes - 23.5 MBAutistic individuals are turning to self-diagnosis to explain their autism features, sometimes based on better awareness, sometimes based on what they see on social media. But how accurate are these autism diagnostic tools? They range anywhere from tik-tok videos all the way to a tool called the RAADS-R which has been described as a valid … Continue reading "Autism Self-Diagnosis Tools"
The 2024 Day Of Learning Quickie
April 07, 2024 19:22 - 17 minutes - 14.6 MBDid you miss the ASF 2024 Day of Learning and can’t wait for the videos to be posted? This is a 17 minute brief summary of what was discussed, but unfortunately, with no visuals. Don’t just listen to the podcast, watch the videos when they are posted. Also included in this podcast is a shoutout … Continue reading "The 2024 Day Of Learning Quickie"
The Trouble with Transitions
April 01, 2024 15:17 - 11 minutes - 9.88 MBThis podcast has not covered transition from adolescence to adulthood in the past, probably because there has not been a lot of research in this area. Luckily, recently there has been a surge of investigations and scientifically – supported interventions and recommendations for individuals who are transitioning to adulthood. This podcast reviews the latest in … Continue reading "The Trouble with Transitions"
“What is Profound Autism?” with Matt from the podcast Behavioral Observations
March 25, 2024 12:12 - 52 minutes - 42.8 MBThis week’s podcast will be an interview with Matt Cicoria from the podcast Behavioral Observations. We discuss the meaning of the words “Profound Autism” and why a blanket term of “autism spectrum disorder” may not be helping anyone on the spectrum. If you are in the Boston area on April 5th, please attend the Profound … Continue reading "“What is Profound Autism?” with Matt from the podcast Behavioral Observations"
Missed the Meeting on Language in Autism? Listen to this podcast
March 18, 2024 01:54 - 21 minutes - 17.8 MBLast week in North Carolina, the Meeting on Language in Autism was held, with 3 days of amazing presentations and lots of productive discussions about how language and speech develops and how people with autism communicate. This podcast describes the origins of language development and how intervention during toddlerhood can promote lifelong language abilities. To … Continue reading "Missed the Meeting on Language in Autism? Listen to this podcast"
How does autism prediction work?
March 11, 2024 00:03 - 10 minutes - 8.9 MBThis podcast provides updates on studies that help with prediction of an autism diagnosis – which is important for preparing for the future and for intervening early. First, a study that uses environmental factors to create an equation for the probability of a diagnosis following a combination of of non-genetic factors only which does a … Continue reading "How does autism prediction work?"
What is the IACC and what do they do?
February 25, 2024 22:01 - 48 minutes - 37 MBOn this week’s podcast we interview Dr. Susan Daniels who is the National Autism Coordinator for the Department of Health and Human Services. This position is created by the Autism CARES Act (which is under reauthorization) and represents one of the only disorders that provides coordinating functioning across funding agencies. We talk about what her … Continue reading "What is the IACC and what do they do?"
Are new ICD-11 criteria for an autism diagnosis too vague?
February 11, 2024 20:24 - 31 minutes - 24 MBIn the last version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, the different subtypes of autism were folded into one label: autism spectrum disorder. A similar revision is being made around the International Classification of Diseases, the system the WHO uses across the world to describe autism and provide appropriate reimbursements for services and supports. In … Continue reading "Are new ICD-11 criteria for an autism diagnosis too vague?"
Learn about your infant’s development from your own home
February 04, 2024 13:59 - 19 minutes - 15.1 MBAre you the parent of an infant? Are you wondering how you can get assessments on your child without having to struggle with your pediatrician’s time at a well- baby checkup? Are you interested in how your baby is thinking or communicating but your doctor says “it’s too early to tell?” A new study based … Continue reading "Learn about your infant’s development from your own home"
How do you solve a problem like aggression?
January 28, 2024 19:32 - 12 minutes - 10.9 MBIrritability and aggression are dangerous behaviors that can lead to harm and injury and are overlooked in research. Unfortunately there are only two FDA medications approved to treat them in autism. The drugs have many side effects, and there are efforts to improve these treatments and minimize side effects by lowering the dose with adjunct … Continue reading "How do you solve a problem like aggression?"
Speak now
January 21, 2024 23:12 - 22 minutes - 17.2 MBThose who are minimally verbal or non speaking represent about 25% of those with an autism diagnosis, yet there is really a lack of effective interventions for this group of autistic individuals. It used to be that everyone who was non-speaking was thought to have minimal ability to understand language, since understanding and speaking are … Continue reading "Speak now"
How to predict severe and dangerous behavior
January 08, 2024 00:20 - 14 minutes - 11.9 MBOn the first podcast of 2024, we describe a new paper in the Journal of the American Medical Association or JAMA which uses physiological measurements like heart rate and skin conductance to predict severe and dangerous behaviors, specifically aggression. If aggression can be predicted, it might be able to be prevented. It turns out aggression … Continue reading "How to predict severe and dangerous behavior"
The ASF Year End Review of Science
December 27, 2023 22:29 - 22 minutes - 19.3 MBJust three days before 2024, ASF provides a summary of the the highlights of scientific discoveries and how they have translated into tools families can use. They include ways to speed up diagnosis and reduce waitlists, study of the brains in females and clinical recommendations for helping autistic females at birth, evidence of better practices … Continue reading "The ASF Year End Review of Science"
What’s the latest on minocycline for autism?
December 17, 2023 21:45 - 12 minutes - 10.6 MBThis week’s podcast re-explores a question about a potential therapy for autism – minocycline. Minocycline is an antibiotic used to treat a number of different infections and some anecdotal reports have linked it to an improvement of autism. This has led to some experimental trials on minocycline, with inconclusive results. This week, a multisite study … Continue reading "What’s the latest on minocycline for autism?"
In support of AFAB
December 03, 2023 22:01 - 52 minutes - 40.3 MBA recent publication in the Lancet was dedicated to clinical recommendations to support autistic females at birth. Because more males than females are diagnosed with autism, their needs are often misunderstood, misinterpreted, or just ignored. Researchers, clinicians, scientists, parents and self-advocates from around the world joined together to identify those needs and propose solutions that … Continue reading "In support of AFAB"
Waitlists for waitlists
November 19, 2023 18:53 - 51 minutes - 39.2 MBEveryone who has looked for support for autism spectrum disorder is familiar with waitlists. Waitlists for evaluation, diagnosis, intervention, consultations and referrals. These waitlists prevent important opportunities for services and many groups developing technologies, policies, and approaches to reduce the waitlists or work around them. On this week’s podcast, we talk to Dr. Sharief Taraman … Continue reading "Waitlists for waitlists"
Nobody ever talks about catatonia
November 06, 2023 00:03 - 24 minutes - 19.5 MBNobody ever talks about catatonia in autism. This podcast explores the symptoms of catatonia, how to measure it, what parents should know about tracking the symptoms, what the treatments are, and what the causes are. Dr. Martine Lamy from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital explains her work looking at genetic causes in those with catatonia and neurodevelopmental … Continue reading "Nobody ever talks about catatonia"
Contemplating “syndromic autism”
October 22, 2023 22:20 - 38 minutes - 29.5 MBThe words “syndromic autism” have been used to describe individuals with autism who also have a rare genetic mutation. Is it time to change those words to something else? Scientists and clinicians Drs. Jacob Vorstman and Steve Scherer from the University of Toronto share recent data in understanding autism, the role of genetic testing in … Continue reading "Contemplating “syndromic autism”"
Little Brains Answer Big Questions
October 14, 2023 21:09 - 34 minutes - 26.2 MBThis week we talk to Sergiu Pasca from Stanford University. He has revolutionized the field of understanding the field of brain development in neurodevelopmental disorders and just published a new study which examined the genetic influence of brain assembly. The way he does this is quite remarkable. His lab uses assembloids, which are many many … Continue reading "Little Brains Answer Big Questions"
Resilience and heterogeneity in ASD
October 02, 2023 16:38 - 34 minutes - 26 MBEveryone knows that every person with autism has their own unique strengths and challenges. Autism is heritable, and there are over 100 genes associated with autism. There are also an unknown number of environmental factors influencing outcome, so the heterogeneity is not necessarily surprising. But why would two people with the same genetic mutation have … Continue reading "Resilience and heterogeneity in ASD"
All who wander are not lost. But many are lost and need help.
September 25, 2023 14:12 - 11 minutes - 9.86 MBIn recognition of September 26th, this podcast explores one of the more dangerous issues in autism: wandering. But it’s really not wandering in the traditional sense. Wandering in autism mostly means running off, bolting, deliberately with intent and without permission. Obviously this leads to some very dangerous situations for people on the spectrum. How can … Continue reading "All who wander are not lost. But many are lost and need help."
Now you know the reason for decades of eye tracking research
September 10, 2023 21:05 - 22 minutes - 18.8 MBCan biomarkers that measure things like visual social attention be a good proxy for an in person behavioral diagnosis? Why would this be important? This week’s podcast explores two new studies the the Journal of the American Medical Association that show a simple device called EarliPoint can be used to shorten the wait times to … Continue reading "Now you know the reason for decades of eye tracking research"
Support for Siblings during COVID
August 28, 2023 14:42 - 9 minutes - 7.91 MBEveryone needed support during the pandemic, but families affected by autismneeded special support. This included siblings. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital tried out an intervention around stress and anxiety reduction in siblings in 2020. Not only was it liked, it worked. It didn’t completely eliminate stress and anxiety, nothing would, but it did help siblings … Continue reading "Support for Siblings during COVID"
Tik-Tok for autism information? Nope
August 20, 2023 21:12 - 41 minutes - 28.8 MBIn a highly discussed paper, researchers from Drexel University report their findings on a scientific and methodologically rigorous study on the accuracy of information posted on the social media platform Tik-Tok. They also discuss where the information comes from and how it is viewed. The accurate and inaccurate posts get “liked” equally, meaning they are … Continue reading "Tik-Tok for autism information? Nope"
Suicide, self-harm and genetics in autism
August 13, 2023 22:29 - 14 minutes - 12.2 MBThis week’s podcast covers two new papers of interest to the autism community. First, another study showing increase in self harm and suicide in those with autism – no new news there – but a new discovery this week showed a vulnerability of females with a diagnosis. The study also explores the lower rate of … Continue reading "Suicide, self-harm and genetics in autism"
Top reasons to study the autistic brain
August 07, 2023 02:38 - 18 minutes - 16.1 MBThere are dozens of good reasons why scientists need to study the brains of people with autism. One is to understand what happens in the brain as people with autism get older and see how the brain changes over time. Another is to identify mechanisms of autism to help all neuroscientists figure out how the … Continue reading "Top reasons to study the autistic brain"
“Emergent and Transactional” with Dr. Andrew Whitehouse
July 31, 2023 00:23 - 43 minutes - 32.2 MBThis week’s ASF podcast returns with a special guest: Dr. Andrew Whitehouse from the University of Western Australia talks about a new unifying theory of the spectrum of autism symptoms and features. It’s called “emergent and transactional”, and while the original author was Dr. Jonathan Green from the UK, Dr. Whitehouse wrote a clear explanation … Continue reading "“Emergent and Transactional” with Dr. Andrew Whitehouse"
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger
July 03, 2023 13:10 - 14 minutes - 12.1 MBThis week’s podcast explores new evidence that exercise produces longer term improvements in coordination and motor skills. Parents can play a big role in how these skills are developed over time. Physical exercise also has different effects on the brain in typically developing people than those with a diagnosis. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aur.2969 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aur.2977
The importance of a childhood diagnosis
June 25, 2023 15:54 - 12 minutes - 10.8 MBTwo recent papers suggest that a childhood diagnosis of ASD is important for adulthood quality of life and well being. But another one points out that it isn’t the only thing, or even the primary factor, involved in improved quality of life and well-being as autistic adults age. There are others, like comorbid mental health … Continue reading "The importance of a childhood diagnosis"
Juneteenth, 2023
June 19, 2023 14:28 - 8 minutes - 7.41 MBThe disparity in diagnosis between Black kids and white kids is narrowing, but not by luck or coincidence. Based on previous research, clinicians are altering their professional training and their outreach to make sure more Black families are diagnosed and receive interventions. On today’s podcast, we highlight a recent study that focused on different ways … Continue reading "Juneteenth, 2023"
Following our trajectory
June 11, 2023 18:44 - 23 minutes - 17.4 MBCompared to other types of research, there are so few studies that look at three time points in the same person with autism over their live to better understand groups and predict outcomes. What is missing? What do families need? What’s there and what could be done differently to get at the answers that will … Continue reading "Following our trajectory"
Uncovering the digital underground
June 04, 2023 20:54 - 20 minutes - 15.4 MBDigital therapeutics may very helpful in helping families and individuals on the spectrum. What are they? How can they be used? This week’s #ASFpodcast talks to Lani Hessen from the Digital Therapeutics Alliance who is holding a summit this week in Washington DC. There is technology that is already used to help those on the … Continue reading "Uncovering the digital underground"
Happy Pride 2023
May 21, 2023 18:28 - 15 minutes - 13.1 MBWith just a few weeks to go until June, this week’s podcast is a short summary of the prevalence of transsexuality in the autism community and how many people are autistic in the trans community. More importantly, there are guidelines about the identification and care for those who have these co-occurring conditions. The references mentioned … Continue reading "Happy Pride 2023"
attention attention…this is the INSAR 2023 summary
May 14, 2023 23:37 - 23 minutes - 19.8 MBLast week in Stockholm, Sweden, 2200 researchers and scientists working to understand and help those on the spectrum, met to share their most recent findings and exchange ideas. What were the main takeaways as ASF saw them? We cover why some autistic people don’t want genetics to be studied, how to better engage families with … Continue reading "attention attention…this is the INSAR 2023 summary"
Sperm
April 30, 2023 19:59 - 13 minutes - 11.5 MBThe title gets you, right? Well, on this week’s #ASFpodcast we report on a new study that examines epigenetic profiles of sperm and how they related to child outcomes. Do some of the marks on bio-dad’s sperm match to those found in kids with ASD? what about genes related to autism? Also, can parents be … Continue reading "Sperm"
How many people can be described as having “profound autism”?
April 23, 2023 22:22 - 12 minutes - 11 MBQuick answer: 26.7%. But what is “profound autism” and why is this label necessary? Have the rates of profound autism changed over time? How many do not have profound autism and are their needs different and how? Listen to this week’s ASF podcast and read the paper here: https://autismsciencefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/CDC-Profound-Autism-Statistics_ASF-Copy.pdf
The CDC speaks on prevalence, and we listen.
April 16, 2023 20:25 - 20 minutes - 15.3 MBThis week we conduct an interview with Michelle Hughes, PhD, epidemiologist with the CDC, who answers all of our questions about how many people have autism, how they are counted, what has changed since the last count and why the CDC are counting more kids than they were 10 years ago. You can read more … Continue reading "The CDC speaks on prevalence, and we listen."