April 01, 2024
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, the shift to telehealth significantly affected diagnostic patterns for children evaluated for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A recent study involving 2,192 children aged 1-17 years, conducted by physicians and psychologists at an ASD specialty center, compared diagnoses made before and during the pandemic. Results showed that diagnostic certainty for ASD and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was lower in telehealth evaluations compared to in-person evaluations pre-pandemic. Additionally, diagnoses of intellectual developmental disorder (IDD) were less frequent during telehealth evaluations, whereas depression (DEP) and behavioral disorder (BD) diagnoses were more common. No significant differences were found for anxiety (ANX) diagnoses.
- New research has investigated the associations between childhood exposure to non-persistent environmental chemicals and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), developmental delay (DD), and typical development (TD). A total of 549 children aged 2–5 years from the CHARGE case-control study were assessed using the Aberrant Behavior Checklist focusing on ADHD-related behaviors. Urine samples were analyzed for 62 chemicals across four classes, and 43 chemicals detected in over 70% of samples were studied for their associations with ADHD symptoms. Results indicated that a mixture of phthalate metabolites was linked to increased ADHD/noncompliance scores, especially hyperactivity/impulsivity, predominantly among children with ASD. Specific chemicals like di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) metabolites and mono-2-heptyl phthalate (MHPP) were identified as potential contributors to these effects. Additionally, a mixture of all chemicals was associated with ADHD symptoms in children with ASD, with several chemicals identified as possible contributors. These findings suggest a potential connection between phthalate exposure and the co-occurrence of ASD and ADHD.
- The Social Security Administration (SSA) is implementing significant changes to its overpayment recovery policies following criticism of its aggressive efforts to reclaim billions in overpayments from beneficiaries, including those with disabilities. Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley announced that beneficiaries will now have more time to repay mistakenly received funds and that the process of requesting debt waivers will be simplified. The reforms came after an investigative report highlighted cases where the agency demanded repayments, sometimes within 30 days, from beneficiaries who had received overpayments, often due to administrative errors or complex compliance requirements. Specifically, SSA will limit the withholding of monthly benefits to 10% instead of the previous 100% if beneficiaries fail to respond to repayment demands. Additionally, the agency will extend the repayment period to up to 60 months and facilitate the process for beneficiaries to request waivers in cases where they are not at fault or lack the means to repay. O’Malley also committed to addressing the agency’s root causes of overpayment errors to prevent such injustices.
- Don’t miss Dr. Stephen Edelson’s new editorial, “Bernard Rimland’s Impact: Sixty Years Since the Publication of Infantile Autism.” His piece commemorates the 60th Anniversary of Dr. Rimland’s groundbreaking book, which impacted the landscape of autism research, understanding and support.
