Community Shares | December 23rd 2024
- A ProPublica investigation has uncovered that UnitedHealthcare, the largest U.S. insurer, is reducing access to applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy for children with autism as part of a cost-cutting initiative.
- The Autism CARES Act of 2024, a bipartisan bill providing $1.95 billion over five years, is set to become law after passing Congress with overwhelming support.
- Researchers at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) have developed an innovative method using artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze children’s arm movements, potentially aiding early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
- A recent study investigating the link between prenatal ozone exposure and intellectual disability (ID) in children found significant associations, particularly during the second trimester of pregnancy.
Prenatal PFAS Exposure and Genetic Risk Linked to Increased Autism Susceptibility
New research involving 1,610 mother-child pairs from the Shanghai Birth Cohort found that prenatal exposure to certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may increase the risk of autistic traits in children, particularly in those with a high genetic predisposition.
Early-Life Circadian Disruption Linked to Autism-Like Traits in Adulthood
A recent study highlights the significant impact of early-life circadian rhythm disruption on neurodevelopment, with implications for understanding autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Community Shares | December 16th 2024
- Researchers at the University of New Orleans are leveraging artificial intelligence to analyze and interpret the behavioral patterns of children with autism, aiming to improve communication for those who are nonverbal or minimally verbal.
- A recent op-ed, featured in The Transmitter, emphasizes the essential yet challenging task of studying sex differences in the human brain, a topic fraught with technical complexities and sociocultural sensitivities.
- A new randomized clinical trial (RCT) has investigated the feasibility and efficacy of a parent-administered screen time intervention (PASTI) aimed at removing toddler screen time in the hour before bed. Conducted with 105 families, the study found high feasibility, with 99% retention and 94% adherence to the intervention.
- A new computational model offers fresh insights into the unique neural and behavioral characteristics of ASD.
Cognitive Impairment Linked to Differences in Oral Microbiome in Autism
A study analyzing 7,812 oral microbiomes from 2,025 U.S. families in the SPARK-WGS cohort identified significant differences in salivary microbiomes between children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and neurotypical (NT) individuals, with cognitive impairment emerging as a key driver of these differences.
Childhood Lead Exposure Linked to Worsening U.S. Mental Health Over 75 Years
A study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry suggests that childhood exposure to lead from vehicle exhaust may have significantly worsened mental health in the U.S. over the past 75 years, potentially contributing to 151 million excess psychiatric disorders.
