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The world agrees on studies of early autism. Find out what they think.

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Studies of very early signs of autism, even before an official diagnosis can be made, has led to better recognition of early signs and driven earlier and earlier interventions.  These interventions have improved the lives of people with autism.  The biological signs like brain activity, structure and genetics could further improve early intervention paradigms that look at biomarkers rather than just behavioral features.   Studies of these early signs are best looked at through symptoms in younger siblings of those with a diagnosis, who have a 20x higher risk of ASD compared to those who do not.  To move to even more high impact discoveries, researchers need more families to participate.  But what do families really think of this type of research?  Adults and parents agree on the value of understanding the early signs of autism, but not always about what to call it.  This week’s podcast explains.

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Help for children with minimal language

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About 25-30% of children with autism show language impairment or no language at all, and these families often use assisted communication devices like picture exchange to help their children communicate.  Recently, electronic communication devices like the iPad have revolutionized the way that people communicate, but little research has been done on how and if they are really effective.    This week, a multidisciplinary group of researchers added an assisted communication device, an iPad, to behavioral intervention for a 9 month trial.  As it turns out, the group with all 3 (language intervention, behavioral intervention and the communication device) showed the greatest gains in language and speech, but only when the intervention was intense.  This new study shows that in the right context, these devices can help those who do not communicate with words, and provides preliminary proof that this technology is indeed helpful.

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Regression in autism, down to the neuron

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On Friday, February 19, the NIH organized a workshop on regression in autism.  It included autism researchers as well as neurobiologists studying regression in other disorders, specifically Rett Syndrome.  Rett Syndrome is characterized by a regression in symptoms around 18-30 months of age but is the result of a known genetic mutation.  Because the genetic mutation is know, researchers have been able to make huge advancements in the study of the cellular causes of regression.  Do they apply to autism?  The theory of overturning is presented and discussed in the workshop and on the podcast.  You can see the full agenda at:  https://iacc.hhs.gov/non-iacc-events/2016/loss-of-skill-agenda-february19.shtml

Here are some screen shots of the workshop:

 

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A presidential issue for people with ASD: employment

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In honor of President’s Day in the United States, today’s podcast is a summary of a few more recent studies on employment of people with autism spectrum disorder.  In addition to identifying challenges between the perspectives between employees and employers on the purpose of job supports, new methods to increase and maintain employment of people with ASD are reviewed.  They include supportive employment environments and self-instruction.  Both could be cost-effective in the long run.  These studies add to an ever emerging literature on employment strategies in people with autism, and hopefully there will be more on this topic in the future.

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How early do females with autism show differences?

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Using high risk baby siblings research design, scientists at Yale University showed that as babies, girls with autism show an unusual pattern of social attention for their age, spending most of their time looking at faces.  This is in stark contrast to findings in boys.  Together with other data, the authors conclude that this early social behavior may mitigate, or protect against, the symptoms of ASD later on in life.

In the second half of the podcast, the new supplement to the journal Pediatrics is summarized, which includes important new guidelines and recommendations that affect people with autism.  As promised, here is the link so you can see for yourself.

 

 

 

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New exciting findings in parent-mediated early interventions for autism

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Over the holidays, new studies around early (before age 5 years) intervention were published that generated excitement in the autism community.  First, a new parent-mediated intervention called the “Social ABC’s” showed promising results.  Another intervention showed promise in south Asia, indicating that the success of parent-mediated interventions are not specific to North American countries.  Finally, data shows that most children are not having to wait for an ASD diagnosis before they receive these early intervention services.  They may not be perfect, but they are something, and this is progress.

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A year of autism research in under 30 minutes

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What was impactful this year in autism research? This last podcast of 2015 explores the year of the female, highlighting the relatively new exploration into what makes females with ASD different and what they can tell us about everybody with autism and their families.  Some of what is discussed was highlighted in other podcasts, but not all of it.   The summary is organized so that what may initially be interpreted as small, nonsignificant discoveries, are viewed as progress.  Everything from genetics to getting laws passed is included.

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Moving the needle towards earlier diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders

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This week, the CDC published data that showed that the average age of first developmental evaluation for concerns was lowered by 5 months.  Five months is a lot to a family whose child is suffering and in need of help.  Separately, research out of Houston shows that many families are able to skip the formal evaluation and receive intervention prior to an established diagnosis based on demonstrated need that the child needs services.  This was the good news in autism, and while there is still a lot to be done especially with regards to racial and ethnic differences, public health is moving in the right direction on this issue.  But not all people with autism view their differences as symptoms or a disability.  What can we learn from people who use sign language to communicate to inform us about the way some people with autism communicate?  A special meeting called Conversations in Autism and Sign Language (CASL) brought experts and individuals on the spectrum to discuss.

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Autism Insurance Mandates: Necessary But Not Sufficient For Services

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Autism insurance mandates are wonderful.  They require insurance companies to pay for screening, diagnosis and treatment and services for people with autism.  But just because insurance will pay for it does not mean that it’s out there.  The idea of “build it and they will come” for insurance mandates is on it’s way, but not quite there.  Dr. David Mandell from University of Pennsylvania explains why in a new study.  Also, single genes that are associated with autism are a great start to look for causes and subtypes of people with autism, but they aren’t the final word to resolve the heterogeneity of ASD.  If you didn’t read the new story about new findings in brains of people with autism, read more on the ASF website.

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Managing real life autism situations.

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Compared to researchers, community clinicians don’t have time for the same rigorous training on the standard autism diagnostic instrument called the ADOS, so can they still do it as well?  Or does this group not have the resources they need to use it properly?  Also, because psychiatric hospitals don’t see as many people with autism as they used to, a group of child psychiatrists got together and wrote guidelines for what to do if a child with autism showed up at the general inpatient ward.  These are things that face families in the real word, and we thought you should hear about new science around them.