November 15, 2021
- Two new rodent studies have associated maternal autoantibodies with the development of autism, according to an article in Spectrum. Antibodies can pass from a pregnant woman’s placenta to her developing fetus. Most antibodies are protective and beneficial. However, the report details how certain forms of antibodies–called “auto-antibodies”–can attack a fetus’ brain cells and affect its development.
- The New York Times recently ran an essay written by the mother of an 11-year-old son with autism. The piece focused on the terror, sadness and frustration she experiences when trying to figure out the cause of her non-verbal son’s distress when he has a meltdown. According to the mother, her son’s inability to express himself in times of crisis is the hardest part of dealing with his limitations.
- A devastating news article from Utah recounts the heartbreaking story of Isabella Faith Tichenor, a 10-year-old African-American girl with autism who committed suicide earlier this month. Her family reported that her death was caused by bullying experienced at school tied to her disability and race.
- The McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT is hosting a webinar titled, “Exploring Gut-Brain Signaling in Autism” on Wednesday November 17 at noon EST. This virtual discussion will include new research approaches that investigate the links between the gut and central nervous system in animal models for autism. This important research has the potential to identify how gut and brain communication can become disrupted in cases of autism.
- Join Drexel University’s Policy Impact Project Team for a webinar discussion on the Autism CARES evaluation and general issues affecting policy research. Other topics covered in this webinar include study results, effectiveness of federally-supported programs, and sharing evaluation evidence to a wide range of audiences.
- ARI will be holding a webinar titled, “Executive Functioning Research Updates” on Tuesday, November 23, 2021 at 1 p.m. EST. Greg Wallace, Ph.D., an Associate Professor in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at The George Washington University will be hosting the discussion.
