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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: diagnosis

April 2023
Out-of-focus photograph of a young girl sitting at a desk using an eraser.

U.S. study charts changing prevalence of profound and non-profound autism

by  /  19 April 2023

Profound autism prevalence rose from 2002 to 2016, though not nearly as much as non-profound autism did.

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Illustration of hybrid objects: part light bulb, part lab vial, some in blue and some in red to signify null and replicated results.

Null and Noteworthy: Reader response; cerebrospinal fluid; connectivity subgroups

by  /  18 April 2023

In this edition of Null and Noteworthy, researchers upend early interventions and diagnostic boundaries.

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Closeup photograph of an infant lying in a bassinet under white sheets with their left hand lifted close to their ear.

New technique details brainstem’s response to sounds

by  /  4 April 2023

By revealing differences between autistic and non-autistic children, it could help identify autism in babies.

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Portrait of Cathy Lord.

Diagnosing autism with Catherine Lord

by  /  1 April 2023

In this inaugural episode, Lord discusses her entry into autism research, what the future of the field might look like and how drama club saved her in high school.

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March 2023
Overhead picture of a racially diverse group of children playing while lying on a blue carpet.

U.S. autism prevalence continues to rise as race and sex gaps shrink, new stats show

by  /  23 March 2023

About 1 in 36 children in the United States has autism, up almost 20 percent from the previous estimate, reflecting improved identification, particularly among girls and Black, Hispanic and Asian or Pacific Islander children.

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Photograph of a doctor taking notes on a toddler who is playing with their mother.

Journal Club: Meta-analysis oversells popular autism screen

by  /  14 March 2023

The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) accurately flags autistic toddlers, a new systematic review and meta-analysis suggests, contrary to past evidence that the tool’s validity varies depending on a child’s age and traits. Experts weigh in on the discrepancy.

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February 2023
A photograph of an infant's foot.

Dietary changes ease traits in rare autism-linked condition

by  /  21 February 2023

Early treatment with nutritional supplements and a high-protein diet forestalls some neurodevelopmental problems for children with BCKDK deficiency.

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Coraline with her family at home in Pennsylvania.

The promise of telehealth in autism diagnoses

by  /  15 February 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic forced a reckoning, in which autism clinicians had to redefine best practices and expand how children are evaluated. The remote assessments they developed may help solve a persistent problem: the long wait families endure to get a diagnosis in the United States.

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A group of children walk up stairs

Filling autism knowledge gaps in Latin America: Q&A with Cecilia Montiel-Nava

by  /  13 February 2023

Countries across Latin America and the Caribbean struggle to collect data on autism, but Cecilia Montiel-Nava and the Latin American Autism Spectrum Network are beginning to change that.

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A young girl sits on the couch biting her thumb.

Children with autism and ADHD often have additional mental health conditions

by  /  10 February 2023

The dual diagnosis frequently co-occurs with anxiety, depression and developmental and language delays.

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