Juneteenth, 2023

The 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 to lower the age of diagnosis and improve access to early intervention in Black families. This intervention improved cognitive outcomes in Black kids.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36443922/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37196781/

Environmental factors: the forgotten stepchild of autism spectrum disorders

When people hear the word “heritability” in mathematical estimates, they automatically think “just genetics”.  That isn’t true, and this week epidemiologist Brian Lee from Drexel talks us through his SpectrumNews viewpoint about what heritability actually is and why there is room for environment.  Also this week, twin studies, which have traditionally used the word heritability to distinguish genetic vs. environmental interactions, are studied in a new light.  This one shows that severity and differences of autism across the spectrum in identical twins are caused by environmental differences – not just genetics.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31853901