What Leads to the Good Life for Autistic Adults? Nobody Knows.
People with autism live most of their lives as adults, yet almost all research – 98% – has been done on children. And what meager research on adult outcomes exists has generally focused on the individual or family – on skill development or caregiving approaches, for example. Yet studies on health challenges across many fields have shown that community- or systems-level capacities – the services offered, innovation in programs, case coordination, financing – are vital components to achieving sufficient quality of life. Surprisingly, there are few studies evaluating programs and services for autistic adults, reports a new study.
Horseback Riding Therapy for Autism Given a Boost
“We hypothesize that our manualized therapeutic riding (THR) approach regulates/conditions physiological arousal levels in the ASD population and is at least partially responsible for our previous observations of beneficial THR outcomes,” Gabriels said. She notes that emotional regulation through THR may lower the need for medications and reduce hospitalizations.
30 Years of Autism = $7 Trillion in Costs
Next Decade Will Add More Trillions to Looming Public Financial Burden: The lifetime cost of autism for U.S. cases identified in the 30 years between 1990 and 2019 is estimated to be $7 trillion. If costs for the next decade 2020-2029 are included, the lifetime cost will reach up to $15 trillion. The findings were reported in a new study in the journal Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. In “The Lifetime Social Cost of Autism: 1990–2029”, authors Janet Cakir, Richard Frye, and Stephen Walker compiled findings from peer-reviewed published studies on the number of cases of autism for the decades 1990-2019 and the lifetime cost of autism per person in the U.S.
Potential Anti-inflammatory Treatment for Autism
A team of researchers led by Dr. Theoharis Theoharides has shown that IL-37 is increased along with the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-18 and its receptor IL-18R, in the amygdala and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of children with ASD. Moreover, IL-37 inhibits neurotensin-stimulated secretion and gene expression of IL-1β and CXCL8 from cultured human microglia. 24 These results suggest that the gene for IL-37 is activated in an effort to contain the inflammation in the amygdala, but the protein is either not produced or not made in sufficient amount to reduce the inflammation sufficiently.
Heidi Kidd Year-End Donation Appeal
Hi, It’s me, Heidi Roger Kidd, one of the SafeMinds founding Board Members. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! Holy Moly! It is December 30th already, how did that happen? That means there are less than two days to make a tax deductible donation to SafeMinds. Why should you make a donation to SafeMinds? Many […]
The Autism ERA Act
The purpose of the proposed Autism Effectiveness, Responsiveness, and Accountability (ERA) Act of 2019 is to improve the health status and quality of life for people living with autism and their caregivers, while reducing the associated costs for individuals with autism, their caregivers, and the U.S. Government. The Autism ERA Act provides for: A full-time […]
