November 07, 2022
- Recent research has discovered that 84.2% of children with ASD treated for restless leg syndrome (RLS) with intravenous ferric carboxymaltose experienced improved sleep. The authors used ferric carboxymaltose to treat iron deficiency, a condition more common in children with ASD than kids without the disorder. Their study pointed out that children with ASD may not fit the complete RLS criteria, therefore “probable RLS” is sometimes determined. These researchers recommend that children with ASD and iron deficiency with definite or probable RLS be considered for treatment with iron supplementation to aid sleep quality.
- STALICLA, a precision neuroscience biotech company, is advancing their first precision medicine platform for patients with neurodevelopmental disorders. Their product, SFX-01, targets a biologically characterized subgroup of patients with ASD. SFX-01 is a patented composition of sulforaphane and alpha-cyclodectrin. Lynn Durham, STALICLA CEO explains more about her company’s new drug. She states, “There are no current approved treatments for ASD. Bringing precision treatments to patients such as SFX-01 could radically alter this landscape thanks to an effective oral option for a subgroup of ASD patients. This agreement with Evgen to advance SFX-01 expands STALICLA’s option to improve the quality of life of a biologically defined subgroup of patients with ASD.”
- The Conversation recently featured an article which demonstrates how TikTok is educating the world about autism through videos made by individuals on the spectrum. TikTok’s statistics show that there are more than 38,000 posts under the hashtag #Autism, counting for over 200 million views. The hashtag #ActuallyAutistic, a term used by the people on the spectrum to highlight content created by people with autism, has more than 20,000 posts and 40 million views. The article suggests that TikTok has given individuals with autism an opportunity to dispel myths and share the diveristy of autistic experiences.
- A new French study examined the impact of integrative developmental and behavioral interventions on children ages 3-6 with ASD from migrant and non-migrant families. The authors discovered that children of migrants progressed slower in the areas of verbal language skills and modeling appropriate behaviors, even though they received more hours of intervention than the non-migrant children. On the whole, the authors discovered that the migrant children had more severe ASD symptoms. They attribute this higher severity level to a mixture of contributors, including a higher risk of more severe ASD and/or ID in children from immigrant families, more frequent socio-economic limitations, living in a new environment with a different culture, and unfamiliarity with the local healthcare system. Even though the migrant children exhibited more severe autism, they showed a positive progression over time similar to the non-migrant group. The authors believe there is an urgent need to target the migrant population so that children with ASD can receive treatment giving these kids a chance to improve significantly.
- A recent article published in the Los Angeles Times reports that California’s regional centers, which offer services to developmentally disabled adults, are afflicted with remarkable spending disparities. Sadly, these differences seem to be based on where the individual resides and their race or ethnicity. For instance, the Westside Regional Center spends more than $30,000 on clients living at home, while the San Diego Regional Center spends less than $11,000. The article also mentions a “culture of no” at regional centers. It points out that fighting against this type of hurdle tends to be easier for those with more resources, including white families and English speakers.
- Join New Beginnings Nutritionals’ new webinar, “The Negative Health Impact of Low Cholesterol: In Autism, Puberty, Mental Health, and More.” This free one-hour webinar takes place on Monday, November 14, at 11:00 a.m. EST. New Beginnings’ presentation will cover topics such as how to know if an individual’s cholesterol is low, how low cholesterol negatively impacts the body, how low cholesterol affects puberty, how low cholesterol affects mental health, and how to raise cholesterol levels
