July 06, 2021
- Susan A. Daniels, Ph.D., will serve as Acting National Autism Coordinator starting July 1, 2021. Previous National Autism Coordinator, Ann E. Wagner, Ph.D. retired from federal service on June 30, 2021. Dr. Daniels will remain in the coordinator role until a permanent successor is named.
- Results from a small phase 2 clinical trial showed that nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, significantly lowered the severity of depression symptoms in individuals who had not responded to other forms of therapy. Nitrous oxide’s antidepressant benefits continued well beyond the first week after treatment and, in some cases, lasted up to a month after treatment.
- Are fitness levels for children on the spectrum and neurotypical children the same or do they differ? A recent study set out to find this answer. Not surprisingly, the results demonstrated that there are statistically significant differences in the fitness levels between children with ASD and neurotypical children. Children without autism are generally more fit than children with the disorder.
- Harvard Medical School has just published a list of suggestions to make dental visits more successful for children with autism.
- A California federal court has ruled that health plans that cover autism may not exclude specific treatments for the condition. The Parity Act laid the foundation for this ruling. The act requires group health plans to provide the same aggregate benefits for mental healthcare and substance abuse treatment as provided for medical and surgical benefits.
- A new study shows that emergency room visits for children with ASD are stressful. Data from the research shows that children with autism were five times more likely to have difficulty with triage vitals, three times more likely to require additional staff for peripheral intravenous placement, and four times more likely to experience delays or disruptions to their plan of care.
