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Unique strengths in some people with ASD

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We almost always hear about how people with autism show deficits in certain behaviors, but what about features that may be an advantage?  A new study from the UK offers some scientific insight on how people with autism exhibit thinking styles that are not as fixed and rigid as ‘neurotypicals’.   Where does this come from?  And is it on the opposite of the genetic coin as things that produce problems in people with ASD?   I mention one task in the study, here’s the image:

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Can people with autism lose their diagnosis?

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Researchers have been studying a small group of individuals who were diagnosed with autism, then later no longer met criteria for diagnosis.  Most of these people received early intense behavioral intervention before the age of 3, and what is called “optimal outcome” by researchers is the exception, not the rule.  However, a new study explores where they are no longer showing symptoms, and where they still are.  Also, ASF postdoctoral fellow Aarthi Padmanabhan explains her data on the brain structure of girls and boys with autism.  A sneak peak:  girls are different than boys.

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Help for symptoms of anxiety in autism and understanding very early signs of autism in girls

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About 40% of individuals with autism experience symptoms of anxiety. Despite this, clinicians still treat anxiety in autism the same way they treat anxiety in people without autism because there has not been enough research.  However, this week a new study was published which reviews and summarizes almost a dozen studies on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in autism, showing that it is effective when given in group and individual sessions.  Also, I talk to Dr. Clare Harrop from UCLA about why it isn’t enough to study people with autism at just younger ages or at older ages, and what types of research is needed.

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Targeting environmental chemicals in neurodevelopmental disorders

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This week a group of experts met to build consensus around the effects of environmental chemicals on the developing brain. Autism was part of this discussion. And a new large-scale study shows that c-sections do not cause autism, it is something else related to c-sections.