New Congressional Effort Urges Increased Spending on Autism
Federal Funding for Autism Lags Far Behind Spending for Alzheimer’s and AIDS In a rare bipartisan request, members of congress are calling for the federal government to raise its investment in autism-related research and services by spending an additional $150 million on the disorder. In a recent letter to the leaders of the U.S. House […]
Exercise Provides Beneficial Neurocognitive Effects for Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Movement and Exertion Could Become a Treatment for Kids with Executive Dysfunction A new scientific research review article focusing on the effectiveness of exercise for children with neurodevelopmental disorders has recently been published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Review. In this review, an international team of scientists highlight the potential benefits of exercise to support the […]
Just 39% of Toddlers Who Fail ASD Screening Are Referred for Further Evaluation
Pediatricians More Likely to Act When Parents Express Concerns A new study published in the Journal of Pediatrics has found that many pediatricians are not referring toddlers who failed autism screenings for additional evaluation services. In fact, only 39% of toddlers who failed a screening looking for signs of autism were then referred on to […]
Tailored Hospital Programs Improve Outcomes for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
New Study Shows Program Saves Money in Long Run Roughly 1.2 million American adults have an intellectual disability (ID). People with ID tend to have complex medical needs and face barriers to high-quality healthcare. Medical providers are often unfamiliar with issues that accompany ID. These issues can include sensory impairment, behavioral challenges, medications, or lifestyle […]
More Evidence Points Toward Link Between Gut Microbiota and Social Behavior
Gut Bacteria from Wild-Type Mice Fix Social Deficit of Cntnap2 Knockout Mice A preview of an upcoming study from scientists at the University of Geneva in Switzerland has shown that microorganism transfer into the microbiomes of rodents can influence their social behavior. This short report begins by explaining the hologenome theory, which suggests that a […]
LIfetime Autism Incidence in Japan Exceeds 2.75% for Children Born 2009 to 2016
New Research Compares Local Cohort Incidence to Nationwide Incidence Researchers in Japan, concerned with rising worldwide incidences of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), set out to calculate their nation’s cumulative incidence of the disorder. The team had collected recent local cohort studies that consistently reported an autism incidence of over 3%. However, the researchers were unsure […]
