March 18, 2024
- The recently published 2019-2020 IACC Autism Research Portfolio Analysis Report is now available. The document represents the ninth comprehensive overview of U.S. autism research funding, highlighting the contributions of federal and private funders to the autism research landscape. The report shows that while federal agencies continue to dominate funding, new funders have enhanced the breadth of autism research. The report aligns funding with the strategic objectives outlined by the IACC Strategic Plan, showing sustained investment in critical areas such as biology, genetic and environmental factors, and interventions.
- A new study has analyzed the clinical presentation of catatonia in pediatric and young adult patients with and without neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), such as autism, and assessed the time from symptom onset to catatonia diagnosis. Through a retrospective chart review of electronic medical records from a large pediatric medical center, 113 patients with catatonia history were identified. Results revealed a significant delay in catatonia diagnosis among those with NDDs compared to neurotypical patients, with a diagnosis delay of approximately 330 days for NDD patients versus around 16 days for neurotypical patients. Involvement in psychiatry services was associated with shorter diagnosis delays. These findings underscore the need for enhanced recognition of catatonia symptoms in NDD patients and advocate for early psychiatric referral to mitigate diagnosis delays.
- A team of researchers, including Dr. Irva Hertz-Picciotto, recently investigated how thyroid hormones could be connected to autism traits. The team studied pregnant women from two different studies: one following women who had a child with ASD from the Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation (EARLI) study and the other monitoring pregnant women from Cincinnati’s Health Outcomes and Measures of the Environment (HOME) study. They measured thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4) levels during pregnancy and then checked for ASD traits in their children at ages 3-8. The researchers found that higher FT4 levels during pregnancy were linked to more ASD traits in children, especially in the highest percentile of traits. On the other hand, they discovered that higher TSH levels were connected to fewer ASD traits. These associations were stronger in the HOME study than in the EARLI study. This link suggests that thyroid hormone levels during pregnancy might affect ASD traits differently depending on the family’s history of ASD and the distribution of traits in the population.
- Don’t miss The Autism Community in Action’s (TACA) new monthly learning series for March focusing on Education. All month long, TACA will feature free webinars that explore federal law including Individual Education Plans (IEPs), advocating for your child, and alternatives to traditional public education.
