COVID-19 Disproportionately Impacting Those With Developmental Disabilities
A letter published recently in the American Journal of Psychiatry on behalf of the directors of the nation’s 13 intellectual and developmental disabilities research centers — which are funded by the National Institutes of Health — is sounding the alarm about the devastating impact the pandemic has had on an already vulnerable population.
Probiotics Beyond Yogurt
As we wrote in an earlier SafeMinds Shares article, taking probiotics may help with some symptoms of autism. Probiotics are also considered a healthy addition to anyone’s diet. BiomeHealth, a maker of probiotic products, has produced a handy list of probiotics beyond those containing dairy, such as yogurt. The article contains tips on how to incorporate these foods into meal preparation. Since some individuals with autism are on dairy-free diets or might like variety in their diets, this list might be helpful to our readers.
EPA Announces Research Grant for Early Life Exposures
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is seeking applications for a new Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Center, the Center for Early Lifestage Vulnerabilities to Environmental Stressors.
BYU Develops Special Glasses to Increase Eye Contact for Kids with ASD
Making eye contact is challenging for many children with autism. The inability to maintain eye contact can prevent children from developing meaningful social relationships. To assist with this dilemma, an engineering team at Brigham Young University (BYU) developed a unique pair of eyeglasses that display animated images on eyeglass lenses to increase engagement and ease children’s tension as they work on eye contact skills.
Disability Programs in Danger of Closing Due to COVID-19
Data collected in July by the American Network of Community Options and Resources, or ANCOR, showed that 77% of organizations serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities have reported shutting down and discontinuing programs due to COVID-19. Unfortunately, 16% of those programs are never expected to reopen again.
Measuring Metabolites in Blood Could Be Used to Diagnose Autism
Scientists are one step closer to developing a serological test that could be used to diagnose autism. Researchers at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York designed a blood test that analyzes measurements of metabolites in a blood sample to predict whether or not an individual has autism. Their model proved fairly accurate. The blood test successfully identified 124 of 131 children with autism in their study.
