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Spectrum: Autism Research News

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Science & Society

From funding decisions to scientific fraud, a wide range of societal factors shape autism research.

May 2017

Novel autism treatment translates well to South Asian nations

by  /  9 May 2017

An innovative approach allows families with autism in India or Pakistan to practice communication strategies at home.

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Golden Gate bridge at night

Reactions from IMFAR 2017

by  /  9 May 2017

On Wednesday, some 2,200 researchers, clinicians and others from 50 countries will gather in San Francisco, California, for the 2017 International Meeting for Autism Research.

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Anti-vax myth fuels fear behind Minnesota measles outbreak

by ,  /  5 May 2017

Health officials in Minnesota are scrambling to contain a measles outbreak that has sickened primarily Somali-American children.

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Five things to watch as ‘Trumpcare’ bill heads to Senate

by ,  /  5 May 2017

After weeks of will-they-or-won’t-they tensions, the House managed to pass its Republican replacement for the Affordable Care Act yesterday by a razor-thin margin.

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Week of MayMay
1st
2017

Funding future; vaccine politics; health connections

by ,  /  5 May 2017

The National Institutes of Health receives a $2 billion boost, politicians who propagate anti-vaccine views are fueling outbreaks, and a new report highlights preventable conditions associated with autism.

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A man and woman kiss under a sunset within a surreal environment, suggesting the surreal nature of studying romantic love within the autism spectrum.

Sex and other foreign words

by  /  3 May 2017

People with autism fall in love. They marry. They even (gasp) have sex. Yet these deeply human needs have mostly gone ignored by scientists.

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Researchers correct statistical flaw in high-profile paper

by  /  3 May 2017

A February study that tied several new genes to autism contained a large statistical error, according to a report from 14 independent researchers; the original team is working on issuing a correction.

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Parents can help children with autism become better storytellers

by ,  /  2 May 2017

Parents in a pilot program reported a significant improvement in their child’s narration and were also surprised to see the difference it made in their ability to communicate with their sons and daughters with autism.

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Adults with disabilities deserve right to choose where to live

by  /  2 May 2017

The idea that one residential model is appropriate for the entire spectrum of intellectual and developmental disability is patently absurd.

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Autism researchers blast budget cuts for U.S. funding agency

by  /  1 May 2017

President Donald Trump’s proposed cut for the U.S. National Institutes of Health’s 2018 budget could stall advances in science for generations.

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