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Antidepressants do not cause autism

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In all the recent hype on the “overprescribing” of psychiatric medications, there is a circulating rumor antidepressant use in the mother during pregnancy has could be linked to an autism diagnosis in the child. Thankfully, there is research on this topic, and the results are clear: antidepressant exposure during pregnancy does not cause autism in children. Where would this idea come from? Early studies did show a weak link, but the association arises because there is a genetic link between having a psychiatric disorder like anxiety and stress and autism. Don’t stop taking your meds unless you discuss it with your doctor. References below:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42134364

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42088678/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42168841/

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Lost in translation: SPARK NS helps scientists with a good idea turn it into therapies for families

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SPARK – neuroscience, known to autism researchers as the other “SPARK”, is a project based out of Stanford University. This project does not collect genetics on hundreds of thousands of people, instead, they that provide funding, advice, support, mentorship, coaching and project management to scientists who have some evidence of a target in the brain relevant to autism. They help these scientists turn it into a potential drug or therapeutic that can help families. This is known as “translational research” and part of the “Valley of Death” where so many good drugs fail. This is a high-risk/high-reward endeavor. They are currently focused on therapeutics that target the functioning of the brain in autism and Parkinson’s Disease. Today’s guest is Dr. Opher Kornfeld, managing director of SPARK NS and neuroscientist. He explains how SPARK NS started, what they do, and how they have been successful helping scientists develop an idea into a potential product.

https://sparkns.org

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Rare Disease Week, the FDA, mortality in autism, trajectories and subcategories

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This week’s podcast summarizes some highlights in scientific research and includes a recognition of Rare Disease Week and actions taken by the FDA to ease the criteria for evaluating genetic therapies for rare genetic disorders, the best study to date on the mortality in autism, genetic prediction of outcome in individuals with a diagnosis, and Uta Frith’s commentary on the concept of “spectrum”.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41773580

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41651809

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41661606

https://archive.ph/fPscR

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Genetic pathways leading to autism

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A landmark study that uses brain organoids from different people with different genes associated with autism showed that the different genes act as roads that go on different journeys to the same destination. This will be an enormously important discovery for identifying targets to treat different autism symptoms across different genetic causes of autism and understand the diversity of symptoms. Also, the new Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee was announced and there is not much breadth of perspectives.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-10047-5

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For this podcast, trans means transdiagnostic

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On this week’s podcast, we present new research summarizing how autism is part of a larger spectrum of neuropsychiatric disorders and issues. There are issues that people with autism experience that are not unique to autism; they are seen in people with ADHD, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression. This is what is meant by “transdiagnostic”. These things include core autism features, co-morbid health problems, and can partially be explained by genetics. While autism is a unique condition, understanding how autism is placed in the wider spectrum of disorders and conditions will speed up discoveries in treatments and supports.

Click to access mentalizing-impairments-across-11-psychiatric-conditions-a-transdiagnostic-systematic-review-and-network-meta-analysis-of-tasks-with-static-illustrations.pdf

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09820-3

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41416939

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41257798

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The 2025 Year in Review

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This year was a VERY eventful year for autism. If you want to hear a highlight of the good news, the great science that was discovered and the ideas developed to help families with autism, listen to this podcast or read the summary here: https://autismsciencefoundation.org/2025-year-in-review/. In summary: more precise subtypes of autism have been discovered and validated using biological markers, explanation for sex differences, new precision medicines for those with known genetic causes of autism, and new research studying the effects of early intervention. It was a great year for science, even with all the challenges from DOGE.

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Can COVID cause autism?

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This week, a new study suggests a causal link not between Tylenol, but to COVID, which can cause a fever. There is clearly more research needed, but the findings are consistent with research on the link between maternal illness and autism. Also, it’s well known that genetics plays a role in how symptoms of autism emerge and present. Can genetics also explain why some people are diagnosed later? What about cannabis exposure during pregnancy? Is it a factor in a later diagnosis? For more information, listen to this week’s ASF podcast.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41016606

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09542-6

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13623613251355257?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed

https://journals.lww.com/greenjournal/abstract/9900/neurodevelopmental_outcomes_of_3_year_old_children.1392.aspx

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Have you heard the good news?

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The National Institutes of Health just awarded $50million to 13 different research sites to better understand genetic and environmental contributions to an autism diagnosis, or increase in prevalence in autism, as well as environmental factors which improve the quality of life for children and adults with ASD.

You can read about them here or listen to this 30 minute podcast which summarizes them.

https://dpcpsi.nih.gov/autism-data-science-initiative/funded-research

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Happy Birthday Simons Searchlight!

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In an effort to better understand the causes of autism in those with a known genetic variant associated with ASD or other developmental disorders, in 2010, the Simons Foundation launched Simons VIP, now known as  Simons Searchlight – an online international research program studying nearly 200 rare genetic neurodevelopmental disorders and working with over 60 patient advocacy groups across these conditions. 

Since its inception, it has grown to not just study specific genes, but to provide de-identified aggregate data to researchers & industry, support for patient advocacy groups to bring together families & researchers (thanks to the generosity of the Simons Foundation), identify even more genes associated with autism, and create international communities. 

These communities share similar underlying mechanisms even though there are sixty genes represented within Simons Searchlight. This week is a conversation with the principal investigator of Simons Searchlight, Dr. Wendy Chung, talks about why genes associated with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders are so important to study, what the scientific community has learned, and how Patient Advocacy Groups have grown and flourished as a result of this understanding.

If you are having problems accessing a genetic test, here are some tips

Genetic Testing
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What labels should be used to describe autism?

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This week’s podcast includes summaries from two new scientific studies (with comments from one of the studies’ authors @SimonsFoundation and @princetonPPH) about that tackle grouping and labeling the differences across the spectrum into meaningful subtypes. Both provide scientific evidence, including behavioral and biological data, that support the use of different labels. This is more evidence that lumping everyone into one unitary “autism” diagnosis is not meaningful or biologically accurate, and that using computer-driven approaches, different behavioral subtypes map onto behavioral features. This supports approaches that more clearly describe different types of autism for better supports.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40651720

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-025-02224-z

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451902224003793?via%3Dihub