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attention attention…this is the INSAR 2023 summary

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Last 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 IDD and who are non-speaking, females, adults, international studies and yes, diversity. The program book was released a day before the meeting and can be found here: https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.autism-insar.org/resource/resmgr/docs/annualmeeting/insar2023_program_book.pdf

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Talk talk talk…..it may make a difference to your infant

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Children and infants who later go on to have an autism diagnosis show impairments in communication. Is there anything that parents can do? Yes! Talk. Talk in complicated sentences. Talk responsively and keep it up. This isn’t always an inherent skill, it’s learned, and in this podcast we talk about the biological basis of why infants with ASD are more sensitive to verbal input, how hyposensory features are involved and what you can do to improve your verbal responsiveness that needs to be different for your child with ASD

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34128355/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34185234/

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Potential of therapy cats, training for parents, and help for families of diverse backgrounds

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What do cats, the Developmental Check-In and parent training all have in common? They all have the documented potential to help children gain emotional skills, social skills, and receive earlier intervention. A small study shows the potential of a well-tempered cat in easing symptoms of autism. Parent training has been shown time and time again to improve functioning across different domains and a new screening tool based on visual scenarios has been validated in Hispanic populations. Thank you for listening this week!

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33290937/

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=33303635

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33287762/

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Help for those with minimal verbal ability

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On this week’s ASF weekly science podcast, we provide a recent review on influences of speech and language both in those with ASD who are verbally fluent, as those who have minimal verbal ability. What does the brain look like in those with minimal verbal ability and are there interventions to help improve social communication ability in those with not just minimal verbal ability but also cognitive disability? What are some early markers or behaviors that predict understanding and communicating? Listen to learn more.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32909382/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32881387/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32827357/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32812191/

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Understanding the hard to research

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What do Princess Kate and Amy Schumer have in common, and what does it have to do with autism?  The answer:  Hyperemesis Gravidum.  It’s linked to autism, but not strongly, but it does show more evidence of significant overlap between many neuropsychiatric issues and disorders.

More importantly though, those with low verbal ability and low cognitive function are harder to study than most people with autism.  Two new research studies documented what they had to do to make studies in this population possible, and how this group was different from those with average IQ and some words.  One looked at brain structure, and the other was a treatment for minimally verbal girls with autism.

The HG study:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30594672

The minimally verbal girls study https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30607780 

The imaging study:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6307191/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6307191/

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The Young and the Deaf: the relevance to language development in autism

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This week two important studies which examine early influences of language development are explored.  First, we are lucky that Dr. Aaron Shield from Miami University joined to explain why studying children who are deaf and have autism, as well as parents of deaf children, are important for understanding language development.  He explores how autism is different and the same in those who are and are not deaf.  Second, study of very early speech, even before language emerges, may help guide speech and language therapists about how they should be dividing their time in therapy in toddlers, especially those with a high probability of developing ASD.  Thank you to both Drs. Shield and Chenausky for sharing their findings with us!

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New science for those with little or no language

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Even though more than 20% of people with autism have little or no language, research into ways to help this group have really been lacking.  Several efforts to not just understand the abilities and disabilities of this group started a few years ago and we are just starting to hear about what works and what doesn’t work to improve communication in those with little or no language.  This podcast summarizes the evidence, which points to combinations of things, rather than things in isolation, and peeks in on ways in which interventions can be better directed and made more effective.