School-Based Mindfulness Program Shows Promise for Children with ASD
Many individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are faced with an additional challenge called executive dysfunction. A properly working executive function system provides a person with the ability to plan, problem solve, use working memory, monitor impulse control, manage inhibitions, make decisions, manage time, and initiate and scrutinize actions. However, these skills are typically missing in children with autism. Without proper executive functioning skills, classroom learning becomes especially difficult.
Autism Severity Can Change During Childhood
Does the degree of severity of autistic symptoms remain static during preschool and early elementary school years? If a change in severity is experienced, could the degree of variation be influenced by initial severity levels, sex, IQ or level of adaptive functioning? These thought-provoking questions were recently posed by a new study out of the MIND Institute at UC Davis.
COVID-19 Autism Resource Round-Up
To support special needs families during COVID-19, SafeMinds has assembled a comprehensive list of resources to make life at home more manageable. These resources have been broken down into different categories. Most categories include several links, giving many options to see what works best for your special needs family member.
Association Between Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Autism
Neurological research from the past decade has produced several studies investigating a possible relationship between autism and malfunctioning mitochondria. A 2010 UC Davis MIND Institute study, a 2016 British study, as well as other research, have consistently found mitochondrial disorders commonly linked to autism. At the conclusion of such studies, a call for more research is typically made by the authors.
Individuals with Developmental Disabilities May Suffer More Severe COVID Outcomes
As the global pandemic continues to grow, concerning news originating from SUNY Upstate Medical University shows that COVID-19 appears to pose a greater threat to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The report published in Disability and Health Journal set out to compare COVID-19 outcomes among people with and without IDD through three different age spans.
Having an Aunt or Uncle with Autism May Put Children at Higher Risk of ASD
According to new research from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a child who has a parent with a sibling on the spectrum is more likely to be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to the general population. The study, published in Biological Psychiatry, analyzed health records of approximately 850,000 children born in Sweden between 2003-2012. Using the Swedish National Patient Register and the Multi-Generation Register, information on ASD diagnoses in both the child and parental generations was recorded.
