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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Author

Emily Sohn

Emily Sohn is a freelance journalist in Minneapolis. She writes mainly about health, science, adventure and complex conservation questions. Her stories have appeared in Nature, the Washington Post, NPR, Aeon, bioGraphic and many other publications. See more at www.tidepoolsinc.com.

July 2022
Ann Kennedy stands against the wall of a brightly lit hallway wearing a black and red dress.

Rising star: Ann Kennedy bridges gap between biology, computational theory

by  /  26 July 2022

A theoretical neuroscientist, Kennedy uses a blend of computational modeling and real-world experiments to understand how brain activity shapes the behaviors of animals that model autism and other conditions.

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October 2020
Illustration depicts mother and child facing a field of doors: some are dark and some are light

Low standards corrode quality of popular autism therapy

by  /  28 October 2020

Rapid growth and inadequate standards in the ‘applied behavior analysis’ industry may put vulnerable children in the hands of poorly prepared technicians.

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April 2020
Illustration shows a boy with converging patterns overlapping; these lines signify autism and intellectual disability.

The blurred line between autism and intellectual disability

by  /  15 April 2020

Doctors often conflate autism and intellectual disability, and no wonder: The biological distinction between them is murky. Scientific progress depends on knowing where the conditions intersect — and part ways.

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February 2020
Illustration shows child at school seated in chair with bullies all around

How abuse mars the lives of autistic people

by  /  5 February 2020

Many people with autism experience a triad of trauma: neglect at home, abuse from trusted adults and bullying at school or work.

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March 2019
Women pushing to broaden the definition of autism to be more inclusive

Righting the gender imbalance in autism studies

by  /  13 March 2019

Autism doesn’t just affect boys and men, but research on the condition still predominantly focuses on them. Some scientists are finally beginning to include women and nonbinary people in their studies.

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November 2017
Illustration: Parents looking over a railing into a river, while a child balances on the railing beside them.

Why autism seems to cluster in some immigrant groups

by  /  29 November 2017

Cultural barriers lead clinicians to misdiagnose or miss children with autism in immigrant communities.

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March 2017
Four white mice bike ahead of a white rat, who is juggling on a unicycle; suggesting that rats can do more for research than mice.

Meet the newest contestant in the scientific rat race

by  /  15 March 2017

Mice have long been the mainstay of autism research, but a small group of scientists say rats are the superior choice. Rats are bigger, smarter, friendlier — and a lot more fun.

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