recent research on autism

Autism Research in 2022

Written by staff and the SAB of the Autism Science Foundation

COVID Recovery Was Slow, But Scientific Progress Continues

After two grueling pandemic years, 2022 saw a return to quasi-normalcy in both the world at large and in the world of autism research. Although the pandemic was incredibly challenging for autism families and researchers, the pivot to telehealth led to advances in online autism diagnoses, mental health supports, and interventions that will likely benefit autistic people across the globe for years to come.

Autism scientists working in diverse areas of research made important strides this year and continued to gain valuable insights into every facet of autism. They also identified more effective ways to support people on the spectrum. Researchers developed a better understanding of the unique needs and priorities of specific groups of autistic people , better-defined links between biological mechanisms and behavior , and disparities in autism diagnosis and treatment.

This work was only possible because of families like yours: You actively participated in important research studies. You agreed to have your data shared with others. You donated. You advocated. Your U.S. tax dollars supported $100 million of NIH grants funded in 2022 . 

Autism science simply cannot progress without your continued partnership. Earlier this year, ASF launched a “ Participate in Research ” directory to match families with research studies that meet your needs and interests. Many of these studies offer compensation, and can also provide valuable information and resources to aid your family member. The goal is to use the information gleaned from research to improve the real lives of real people, both now and in the future.

Here’s a little bit of what 2022 taught us.

Early identification leads to earlier diagnosis, but diagnosis happens at all ages

• Developmental milestones are skills that most children reach at a certain age and are used by healthcare providers to track progress. This year, the CDC updated these milestones to track what 75% of children can do by certain ages, rather than 50%, causing some pushback. In addition, the CDC added new time points as well as markers that might predict an autism diagnosis. 1
• In autism, reaching developmental milestones can be delayed from months to years. Delays are often more severe and variable in those with co-occurring intellectual disability and a rare genetic variant. New research reinforced the need to focus on milestones and the importance of early intervention.: If you notice your infant is struggling with new skills, tell your healthcare provider. 2
• Language skills in infants are an important predictor of an ASD diagnosis. Recent work from the ASF-supported Baby Siblings Research Consortium (BSRC) showed that maternal education levels and early gestures are important predictors of these language skills, suggesting markers for intervention. 3
• Researchers have suggested that early behaviors that are predictive of a later diagnosis may be part of a larger “developmental cascade,” where, for example, the trajectory from laying to sitting to language may be disrupted. These are intertwined behavioral and neurobiological networks that affect how a person with autism functions. 4
• There are now multiple biomarkers under investigation. Some are better than others at not just autism diagnosis, but the response to intervention. 5 In the future, they can be used to promote earlier diagnosis and more objective measures of the effectiveness of interventions.

Key takeaways: Parents and clinicians should monitor developmental milestones early in life. Early signs are not a substitute for a diagnosis, but some supports and interventions can be provided that allow for an improvement of trajectories across the lifespan.

Parent-mediated interventions and training – they work.

• A review of 30 studies showed promising results from parent-mediated interventions, but improvements in studies are still needed. 6
• Parent-mediated interventions can be used for teaching everything from core autism symptoms to self-care like tooth brushing. 7
• Autism interventions can and should be customized to culture and race. 8,9
• Some parent-mediated interventions have been tested successfully in a hybrid format, leading the way for others to investigate their effect on parent and child outcomes. 10
• While some have suggested parents only recognize the weaknesses in their children, recent research strongly notes that parents know their child’s strengths and use those strengths to help support their family.  Educators also note these strengths in the classroom. 11,12
• Siblings play an important role in the outcome of autistic individuals, while they also experience unique challenges themselves. 13,14

Key takeaways: Parents and caregivers often feel helpless when they are concerned about their child’s development and are facing long waiting lists for services. New research shows that providing support is beneficial for both the parents and the child outcome, and elevates strengths while mitigating support challenges. Further research should continue to explore the role of sibling relationships and support.

The brain has a distinct “signature” and sensory issues are on the front line

• One type of immune cell of the brain called the microglia has been known to affect cell communication, shape, and number. Researchers have now determined when and where these cells are expressed during development, laying the foundation for research into a critical brain cell type. 17
• The greatest differences in gene expression in the brain are in sensory areas like the visual cortex. 15 This may explain the almost universal problems in sensory processing that autistic individuals experience, and why sensory problems are so common in ASD. 18
• The visual area, specifically the occipital cortex, was also enlarged at young ages, more so in kids who have siblings with a diagnosis, demonstrating that genetic heritability plays a role in brain activity involved in sensory processing in families. 19
• A new marker of sensory processing was detected: differences in the activity of a neurotransmitter called GABA. GABA commonly slows down the activity of brain cells, which is important when they are too active, indicating this neurotransmitter is critical for sensory processing. Changing the activity of GABA neurons can alleviate sensory problems in autistic individuals. 20
• In addition, changes in the thickness of different cortical regions may influence sensory responses, depending on whether there is overstimulation or understimulation. 21
• Another brain region called the amygdala may relate to anxiety in autistic people. Certain areas of the amygdala are different in size, 22 and can explain variability in anxiety. 23   There is also disruption in connectivity from the amygdala to outside regions, 24 which may also explain how anxiety interacts with autism features.
• Rather than examining one autism feature at a time, it seems that ability to make gains or show potential for change over time is correlated to differences in brain structure. Markers of change over time are also linked to genes associated with ASD. 25 Targets of intervention based on biological markers may need to focus on sensitivity to change rather than a specific number on an instrument per se.
• The use of biological tools has increased this year. These tools include induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSCs) and organoids that are based on cells from individuals with different forms of ASD. Studies have looked at different types of autism (idiopathic and genetically-based) and identified creation of new brain cells as a common biological mechanism. 26 New studies also used novel tools to improve the validity of these cell-based systems. 27
• Animal models can be used to identify mechanisms by which genes and environmental factors exert their influence over behavior. Right now, there are hundreds of animal models of ASD, but not all of them are used appropriately to understand ASD. The ability of the model to recapitulate both the biology and behavior involved in ASD is essential. 28

Key takeaways: While different brain regions are specialized in their function, they interconnect and turn on and off in synchrony. Researchers need better models of human neurobiology, including better animal models, to understand the core and associated autism features, from sensory dysfunction to GI issues. If you want to learn more about research involving the brains of people with autism, sign up for more information at Autism BrainNet .

Genetic markers start to explain phenotype.

• The presence of rare genetic variants and common variants tend to funnel people into groups defined by intellectual disability (ID) or high educational attainment. 29,30 Scientists have identified and characterized two major types of genetic variation associated with ASD. Rare genetic variants are commonly associated with lower cognitive function and profound autism, but that is not always the case. 31  Even with hundreds of thousands of samples, scientists have still not found a direct gene – outcome linkage.  However, genetics are still important.  Genetic findings can help identify specific needs leading to appropriate supports.
• Certain types of gene mutations can explain associations with features like psychosis, 32 as well as obesity and depression. 33
• Five new variants were identified that are not linked to intellectual or developmental disability (IDD), but are linked to other neuropsychiatric issues besides ASD. 31,34 Therefore, rare ASD or DD gene mutations usually lead to some sort of deleterious outcome.
• There is a significant overlap between ASD genes and genes associated with developmental disorders in general. Researchers suggest that autism specificity may be the result of when the gene is expressed. For example, in developmental disorders, genes are expressed in progenitor cells while in ASD they may be expressed in developing neurons. 35  
• Other studies have not found any ASD-specific gene, they show linkage to neurodevelopmental problems in general, and can be grouped based on what cells are affected. 35
• There are shared pathways between ASD and other neuropsychiatric disorders. 36  
• Studies have shown linkages between epilepsy, ASD and ADHD. 37

Key takeaways: Genetic markers associated with ASD are also associated with other developmental conditions like ADHD and intellectual disability, as well as comorbid conditions like obesity. Two major types of genetic markers, rare and common variations, may represent biomarkers of two different phenotypes, but there is overlap, and rare and common variants are likely mixed in most people. Genetic research is important for a better understanding of ASD and the development of individualized approaches for supports.

But genetics doesn’t tell it all.

• Parental genetics and environmental factors are intertwined on a biological level. Genes associated with depression in parents are also linked to ASD. 38
• Maternal immune infections are an established risk factor for ASD. However, the genetics of children with and without maternal immune challenges during pregnancy are different. 39
• Studies in Norway offer a unique perspective of gestational exposures by banking blood taken mid-pregnancy during usual obstetrical visits. One study has shown that certain cytokines, or markers of immune activity, are elevated during pregnancy in both boys and girls with autism, particularly in girls. It’s unclear what role these cytokines play collectively or individually, or where they came from in the first place. 40
• Where you live can affect the role of genes vs. environment, evidenced by environmental factors playing a bigger role in heritability in certain areas of Sweden and the U.K. 41
• Genetics and the environment clearly interact when it comes to the influence of an ASD diagnosis. For example, pesticide exposure exacerbated the effects of the autism CHD8 gene on rodent behavior. 42
• The role of environmental factors may depend not just on a diagnosis but on specific autism traits. 43
• Given that autism is likely part of a larger developmental disorder spectrum, regulation of toxic chemicals which are harmful to development must be expanded. 44

Key takeaways: The role of environmental factors in ASD has often been disassociated with genetics when it should be integrated into the understanding of autism’s causes, behavioral features, and interventions.

Biological sex plays a role.

• Studies replicated this year showed that females with autism have a higher burden of rare genetic mutations. In addition, research is demonstrating that females with an autism diagnosis also show a higher level of “common” variations. 29,45
• The effect of higher levels of common variation in females extends to even undiagnosed members of ASD-impacted families, demonstrating that females carrying ASD genetic variation are resilient. 45
• The two above studies implicate an important role of the female protective effect but do not explain all of the differences in diagnosis. 46
• Some scientists have wondered if biases in instruments used to inform a diagnosis play a role in the sex difference. One study used a mathematical algorithm to eliminate the difference in M:F diagnostic differences, but still, females show different behavioral profiles. This further reiterates that instruments should be used to inform, not make a diagnosis, and that autism is more than a yes or no diagnosis. 47
• Clinicians may miss an autism diagnosis in females because of camouflage. Females are also more likely to camouflage, which means they (consciously or unconsciously) pretend to fit in as a typically-developing girl. This leads to lower quality of life. 48
•  Intellectual disability plays a bigger role in autism features in girls vs. boys. 49
•  New genetic mutations involving the X chromosome were identified – and these mutations are more likely to occur in females. 35
• Sex differences in brain region size can be attributed to gene expression patterns. In other words, brain differences in males and females with ASD are due, in part, to underlying genetics. 50

Key takeaways: Females with ASD show different biological and behavioral profiles and are understudied in research and underserved in the community. Future research should aim to include more females to better understand their unique needs and provide targeted support.

It’s still not over, but families are in a better place than a year ago.

• Despite a rocky start at the height of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, opportunities to receive autism diagnoses, mental health supports, and interventions via telehealth have been improved, and polished, and are not only acceptable to families and clinicians but are effective. 51-57
• Families and clinicians were happier with remote diagnosis and evaluation when the diagnosis was clear; in cases where there was some ambiguity, it caused frustration. 58,59
• While many families and individuals experienced a mental health decline during the pandemic, some exhibited resiliency under social distancing guidelines. 60 The differences could be due to the degree to which services were lost, coping styles, and pre-existing mental health attributes. 61

Key takeaways: Autism families suffered during the pandemic, but it also allowed for new approaches to be developed that may ultimately improve practice – including hybrid clinical services, holistic family support, and more comprehensive diagnostic practices.

It’s not all about the asd.

• Individuals with ASD experience higher levels of anxiety, GI issues, epilepsy, and other developmental disorders like ADHD compared to those without a diagnosis.
• While not a core autism symptom, anxiety is linked to insistence on sameness in toddlers with ASD, which indicates a similar underlying mechanism. 62
• Gastrointestinal issues plague people with autism, and there are few options for treatment. The gastrointestinal microbiome has been a target for intervention for autism symptoms, although studies are still ongoing. 63 GI issues were the focus of a major NIH-funded meeting this year .
• Suicide risk is higher in ASD. 64
• Sleep problems, while mostly studied in children, are now shown to follow kids into adolescence and adulthood. 65
• There is a high degree of overlap in the brain activity profiles between ADHD and ASD kids. Differences are mostly seen when symptom severity is accounted for. ADHD and ASD show more similarities in the brain than differences. 66
• Behavioral profiles between ADHD and ASD are also similar. 67
• Mental health concerns are present in adolescents and adults with ASD with cognitive inflexibility strongly linked to compromised mental health. 68,69 Cognitive inflexibility, which is different than cognitive ability, is how someone shifts their attention from one thing to another based on what is going on around them. This may be a focus for future mental health interventions.
• Unfortunately there are no strong individual-level predictors in childhood of mental health issues in adults, but some factors that may lead to better mental health are better living skills and higher IQ. 70

Key takeaways: Outside the core features of autism listed in the DSM5, individuals experience a wide range of associated features, ranging from psychiatric issues to medical comorbidities. For many individuals, these associated features are highly debilitating.

Biases in underserved communities are getting more attention.

• A recent analysis showed a reduction of the disparities in the age of ASD diagnosis for Black and Hispanic children over the last four years, but a difference still exists. 71
• This is likely due to provider bias, but not necessarily diagnostic instrument biases. The standard diagnostic tools are not biased toward race or sex. 72
•  Lessons learned from the pandemic reiterate the need for intense community engagement, flexibility, and an understanding that a holistic approach – rather than one focused on ASD – is necessary for working with underserved communities 73,74 .
• A culturally-adapted parent training program delivered by Black providers was effective in the Black community and could be a model for future engagement efforts. 8
• Only 25% of intervention studies report the ethnic and racial makeup of their participants, 75 indicating that researchers need to do a better job of deliberately including racial and ethnic minorities, recruiting them as research leads and coordinators, and including them on boards for scientific review. 76
• Low socioeconomic status contributes to social and communication deficits in young children with ASD. 77

Key takeaways: Racial and ethnic biases are still pervasive in autism research and diagnosis, and we need a holistic approach to support families in all aspects of their lives beyond just autism symptoms. Scientists must continue to focus on the deliberate inclusion of these groups in both research and career training to better serve all individuals with autism.

On a final note, there has been a lot of debate this year about the language used to describe autism. 78-81 There is a diversity of experiences with autism and likely to be a diversity of perspectives. Families and scientists should use scientifically accurate terms to best describe the wide range of autistic people and their symptoms. 82   What that is may differ from person to person, and situation to situation, which means context and preference need to be considered as well.

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• Published: 28 May 2021

Advances in autism research, 2021: continuing to decipher the secrets of autism

• Julio Licinio   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-6905-5884 1 &
• Ma-Li Wong 1  

Molecular Psychiatry volume  26 ,  pages 1426–1428 ( 2021 ) Cite this article

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• Autism spectrum disorders
• Neuroscience

We are proud to publish this Special Issue focused on autism, a topic that has been exceedingly important for Molecular Psychiatry since our inception. It is not too bold a statement to say that we were a fundamental contributor to bringing autism to the forefront of the national discourse. A Pubmed search reveals 403 articles published in Molecular Psychiatry since our founding in 1996. Our first autism article by Vincent et al., published in July 1996, examined the fragile X syndrome gene (FMR1) for mutations in autistic individuals, using single-stranded conformational polymorphism analysis; those authors identified three new FMR1 polymorphisms and identified specific and significant association findings with autism [ 1 ].

In late 2001–early 2002 we received four exciting papers with findings on the genetics of autism that were published together in our March 2002 issue, with an accompanying editorial [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. We issued then a press release that was picked up by Time magazine and served as the basis for their unprecedented May 6, 2002 cover story on autism, featuring as that iconic magazine’s cover a young boy who was visibly autistic [ 7 ]. That was the first time that a person with autism was the cover of a national magazine. The magazine’s cover displayed in big yellow letters “Inside the world of autism” and it had a subtitle stating “More than one million Americans may have it, and the number of new cases is exploding. What scientists have discovered. What families should know.” The full story, by Nash [ 8 ], was entitled: “The Secrets of Autism,” with the following subtitle: “The number of children diagnosed with autism and Asperger’s in the U.S. is exploding. Why?” Time ’s cover article was so successful that their editors expanded that from a single issue into an entire series on autism over multiple issues. That Time series effectively made autism emerge as a mainstream topic of kitchen table conversations across America. As that effort was triggered by our press release and four articles on autism, it is reasonable to boast that Molecular Psychiatry launched the national conversation on autism.

The four papers highlighted in our March 2002 issue were within the first 20 articles that we published on this topic. Now, 383 papers later, we have a much more substantial body of work that further unravels the secrets of autism, the culmination of which is this autism Special Issue, with 26 truly superb papers on autism [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ]. These extraordinary articles cover essentially all aspects of this disorder, from the training of specialists, to the interface with other disorders, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease, and in-depth analyses of genetics, structural and functional imaging, as well as neuroscience, including postmortem brain studies, transcriptome of induced pluripotent stem cell models, assessments of the role of vitamin D, and studies highlighting the contributions of inflammatory mediators to autism.

We have had for over three decades a particular interest on the interface of immune mediators and psychiatric disorders [ 35 ]. It is very rewarding to see the interface of immune mediators and psychiatry evolve from a hypothesis, that we and others explored decades ago, into a broad and established area within psychiatric neuroscience. As we have developed a new model of analysis of the simultaneous contributions of multiple genes and environmental factors to a psychiatric phenotype [ 36 ], were also encouraged to see studies looking at the polygenic risk for autism in the context of childhood trauma, life-time self-harm, and suicidal behavior and ideation [ 30 ], as well in comparison to several other psychiatric disorders [ 32 ].

One paper in this issue, by Frye et al., is highly usual, and particularly intriguing: it investigates the role of the mitochondrion, in the influence of prenatal air pollution exposure on neurodevelopment and behavior in 96 children with autism spectrum disorder [ 22 ]. Second and third trimester average and maximal daily exposure to fine air particulate matter of diameter ≤2.5 µm (PM 2.5 ) was obtained from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality System. Mediation analysis found that mitochondrial respiration linked to energy production accounted for 25% and 10% of the effect of average prenatal PM 2.5 exposure on neurodevelopment and behavioral symptoms, respectively. Those results suggest that prenatal exposure to PM 2.5 disrupts neurodevelopment and behavior through complex mechanisms, including long-term changes in mitochondrial respiration and that patterns of early development need to be considered when studying the influence of environmental agents on neurodevelopmental outcomes.

We are honored to have initiated the national conversation on autism twenty years ago and we believe that the 403 autism papers published to date in Molecular Psychiatry , including, but not limited to those highlighted in this Special Issue, report major advances in a key area of molecular psychiatry. It is particularly rewarding to see that these articles cover the full spectrum of research translation [ 37 ], from molecules to society.

In future issues, Molecular Psychiatry will continue to publish outstanding advances in autism research.

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Licinio, J., Wong, ML. Advances in autism research, 2021: continuing to decipher the secrets of autism. Mol Psychiatry 26 , 1426–1428 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-021-01168-0

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Scientists discover how dozens of genes may contribute to autism

Using a host of high-tech tools to simulate brain development in a lab dish, Stanford University researchers have discovered several dozen genes that interfere with crucial steps in the process and may lead to autism, a spectrum of disorders that affects about one in every 36 Americans , impairing their ability to communicate and interact with others.

The results of a decade of work, the findings published in the journal Nature may one day pave the way for scientists to design treatments that allow these phases of brain development to proceed unimpaired.

The study delves into a 20-year-old theory that suggests one cause of autism may be a disruption of the delicate balance between two types of nerve cells found in the brain’s cerebral cortex, the area responsible for higher-level processes such as thought, emotion, decision-making and language.

Some nerve cells in this region of the brain excite other nerve cells, encouraging them to fire; other cells, called interneurons, do the opposite. Too much excitation can impair focus in the brain and cause epilepsy, a seizure disorder that is more common in people with autism than in the general population. Scientists therefore believe a proper balance requires more of the inhibiting interneurons.

In the developing fetus, these nerve cells start out deep in the brain in a region called the subpallium, then migrate slowly to the cerebral cortex. The process begins mid-gestation and ends in the infant’s second year of life, said Sergiu Pasca, a Stanford University professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences who led the study.

Pasca’s team, which included researchers from the University of California at San Francisco and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, tested 425 genes that have been linked to neurodevelopmental disorders to determine which ones interfere with the generation and migration of interneurons. Genes linked to autism were among those identified in the study.

“What’s really cool about this paper is that autism is a collection of different behaviors, but we don’t have [an] understanding of how those behaviors are connected to differences in the brain,” said James McPartland, a professor of child psychiatry and psychology at the Yale School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study.

The new work advances research into autism by “beginning to create a fundamental understanding of the building blocks of brain development,” he said.

A new way to screen for autism genes

For ethical reasons, it is not possible to view developmental processes as they take place inside a fetal brain.

Often, scientists can instead learn the role an individual gene plays by observing what happens when that gene is knocked out of cells in a lab dish. But knocking out 425 genes one by one is time-consuming.

For their study, Pasca and his colleagues used a technique they developed six years ago that allowed them to test all 425 genes at once. They engineered the cells so that only those nerve cells that inhibit others from firing would cast a green glow. They also used the gene-editing system CRISPR to create different cells, each missing one of the 425 genes.

The scientists created clumps of cells that model the structures and functions of the brain’s subpallium and cerebral cortex. Then they placed the two different clumps beside each other in a lab dish.

“We discovered that if you put them together in close proximity, they’ll fuse immediately,” Pasca said. “And the cells know exactly what to do … and they invade the cortex exactly as they would in people.”

This was all the more remarkable because in living brains, the region of the subpallium that makes interneurons is not right next to the cerebral cortex, but is inches away, Pasca said.

Pasca and his colleagues allowed time for interneurons to form and migrate to the cerebral cortex. Then they examined the genetic profiles of the various cells. This allowed them to hunt for the genes that caused two defects: the failure to generate interneurons and the failure of interneurons to journey into the cerebral cortex.

They found 13 genes whose absence prevented interneurons from forming. They identified another 33 genes that, when missing, prevented interneurons from traveling to the cerebral cortex. All told, 46 genes — 11 percent of the 425 linked to neurodevelopmental disorders — appeared to affect the nerve cells that inhibit their neighbors, leading to an imbalance.

The scientists learned that one of the genes crucial to the migration of interneurons, LNPK, has been linked to seizure disorders. This would support the idea that seizures result from too much excitation of neurons and too little inhibition.

A new, more diverse human genome offers hope for rare genetic diseases

Using the fused clumps of cells, the researchers “performed by far the largest screen for autism and [neurodevelopmental disorder] genes,” Guo-li Ming, a professor in the departments of neuroscience and psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, wrote in an email commenting on the study.

Ming, who was not involved in the project, described it as a “tour-de-force” that may one day lead researchers to develop treatments for autism and other disorders — therapies based on the genetic profile of an individual patient.

The autism services cliff

Experts stressed that autism is not one disease, but a group of disorders. The neuron imbalance is only one of multiple possible causes.

Many people with autism, for example, have defects of the microglia, cells that regulate brain development, injury repair and maintenance of the networks that process information.

And genes alone cannot account for autism, said Yale’s McPartland. “It’s complicated, and it’s fascinating. You can have [autism in] identical twins and they almost always will both have autism. But not always.”

Jennifer Singh, an autism expert and associate professor in the school of history and sociology at Georgia Institute of Technology, said too much money has been poured into searching for the genetic underpinnings of autism spectrum disorder. Singh pointed to a 2018 report by a federal advisory committee, which found that 60 percent of the funding for autism research addressed the biology and risk factors, but only 2 percent dealt with “life span issues” for people living with the spectrum of disorders .

“This hyper focus and massive investment obscures the real issues people with autism and their families face,” Singh wrote in an email. She cited the “autism services cliff,” which occurs when people with autism can no longer attend public school. “Services that would be useful for autistic adults do not exist or are no longer available,” she said.

Pasca said that it’s important to study “the natural history of the disease. But we also need to understand the biological basis if we want to develop effective [treatments].”

Scientists reveal two paths to autism in the developing brain

Two distinct neurodevelopmental abnormalities that arise just weeks after the start of brain development have been associated with the emergence of autism spectrum disorder, according to a new Yale-led study in which researchers developed brain organoids from the stem cells of boys diagnosed with the disorder.

And, researchers say, the specific abnormalities seem to be dictated by the size of the child's brain, a finding that could help doctors and researchers to diagnosis and treat autism in the future.

The findings were published Aug. 10 in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

"It's amazing that children with the same symptoms end up with two distinct forms of altered neural networks," said Dr. Flora Vaccarino, the Harris Professor in the Child Study Center at Yale School of Medicine and co-senior author of the paper.

Using stem cells collected from 13 boys diagnosed with autism -- including eight boys with macrocephaly, a condition in which the head is enlarged -- a Yale team created brain organoids (small, three-dimensional replicas of the developing brain) in a lab dish that mimic neuronal growth in the fetus. They then compared brain development of these affected children with their fathers. (Patients were recruited from clinician colleagues at the Yale Child Study Center, which conducts research, service, and training to improve understanding of health issues facing children and their families.)

The study was co-led by Alexandre Jourdon, Feinan Wu, and Jessica Mariani, all from Vaccarino's lab at the Yale School of Medicine.

About 20% of autism cases involve individuals with macrocephaly, a condition in which a child's head size is in the 90 th percentile or greater at birth. Among autism cases these tend to be more severe.

Intriguingly, the researchers found that children with autism and macrocephaly exhibited excessive growth of excitatory neurons compared with their fathers while organoids of other children with autism showed a deficit of the same type of neurons.

The ability to track the growth of specific types of neurons could help doctors diagnose autism, symptoms of which generally appear 18 to 24 months after birth, the authors say.

The findings may also help identify autism cases that might benefit from existing drugs designed to ameliorate symptoms of disorders marked by excessive excitatory neuron activity, such as epilepsy, Vaccarino said. Autism patients with macrocephaly might benefit from such drugs while those without enlarged brains may not, she said.

Creating biobanks of patient-derived stem cells could be essential to tailor therapeutics to specific individuals, or personalized medicine.

Abyzov Alexej, an associate professor of biomedical informatics at the Mayo Clinic, is co-senior author of the paper.

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• Alexandre Jourdon, Feinan Wu, Jessica Mariani, Davide Capauto, Scott Norton, Livia Tomasini, Anahita Amiri, Milovan Suvakov, Jeremy D. Schreiner, Yeongjun Jang, Arijit Panda, Cindy Khanh Nguyen, Elise M. Cummings, Gloria Han, Kelly Powell, Anna Szekely, James C. McPartland, Kevin Pelphrey, Katarzyna Chawarska, Pamela Ventola, Alexej Abyzov, Flora M. Vaccarino. Modeling idiopathic autism in forebrain organoids reveals an imbalance of excitatory cortical neuron subtypes during early neurogenesis . Nature Neuroscience , 2023; DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01399-0

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Brain cells, interrupted: How some genes may cause autism, epilepsy and schizophrenia

Jon Hamilton

New research probes the relationship between certain genes and brain disorders like autism and schizophrenia. Jill George / NIH hide caption

New research probes the relationship between certain genes and brain disorders like autism and schizophrenia.

A team of researchers has developed a new way to study how genes may cause autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders: by growing tiny brain-like structures in the lab and tweaking their DNA.

These "assembloids," described in the journal Nature , could one day help researchers develop targeted treatments for autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, schizophrenia, and epilepsy.

"This really accelerates our effort to try to understand the biology of psychiatric disorders," says Dr. Sergiu Pașca , a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University and an author of the study.

The research suggests that someday "we'll be able to predict which pathways we can target to intervene" and prevent these disorders, adds Kristen Brennand , a professor of psychiatry at Yale who was not involved in the work.

Shots - Health News

Researchers link autism to a system that insulates brain wiring.

The study comes after decades of work identifying hundreds of genes that are associated with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. But scientists still don't know how problems with these genes alter the brain.

"The challenge now is to figure out what they're actually doing, how disruptions in these genes are actually causing disease," Pașca says. "And that has been really difficult."

For ethical reasons, scientists can't just edit a person's genes to see what happens. They can experiment on animal brains, but lab animals like rodents don't really develop anything that looks like autism or schizophrenia.

So Pașca and a team of scientists tried a different approach, which they detailed in their new paper .

The team did a series of experiments using tiny clumps of human brain cells called brain organoids . These clumps will grow for a year or more in the lab, gradually organizing their cells much the way a developing brain would. And by exposing an organoid to certain growth factors, scientists can coax it into resembling tissue found in brain areas including the cortex and hippocampus.

"We can actually make different parts of the nervous system in a dish from stem cells ," Pașca says. When these parts are placed in the same dish, they will even form connections, much like an actual brain. The resulting structure is called an assembloid .

Pașca's team thought they could use assembloids to study how developmental disorder genes affect special brain cells called interneurons, which are thought to play a role in several psychiatric disorders.

Research News

The first wiring map of an insect's brain hints at incredible complexity.

During pregnancy and the first two years of life, these special cells must complete a remarkable journey.

"Interneurons are born in deep regions of the brain, and then they have to migrate all the way to the cortex," Pașca says. "So you can imagine that during that migration a lot of things could go awry."

Pașca's team simulated the migration of interneurons by creating assembloids containing two types of organoids. One resembled an area deep in the brain called the subpallium, where most interneurons are generated. The other organoid resembled the cerebral cortex, where interneurons are supposed to end up.

"And then we've put them together, allowing these interneurons to move towards the cerebral cortex," he says.

The process worked just the way it's supposed to in assembloids containing typical organoids. So next, the team used a gene-editing technique called CRISPR to alter the organoids.

This approach allowed the team to study the effect of more than 400 genes associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. And they found that 46 of those genes were involved in either the generation of interneurons, or with their migration. Knock out a part of those genes and interneurons no longer arrived where they were supposed to.

In the cerebral cortex, interneurons serve as inhibitory neurons, which means they act a bit like the brake in a car. The interneurons can release a neurotransmitter that tells other neurons to reduce their activity.

Meanwhile, excitatory neurons act as the accelerator, telling other cells to become more active.

Brain networks rely on a delicate balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurons. Too much acceleration and the result can be an epileptic seizure. Too much brake and vital information may get lost or delayed.

Want to understand your adolescent? Get to know their brain

The study is important because it offers a way for scientists to study the effect of many genes at the same time, and identify the ones that affect a particular type of cell or cell function during brain development, says Dr. Guo-li Ming , a professor of neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine.

The research also shows clearly how gene variants could lead to autism or some other neurodevelopmental disorder by disturbing interneurons.

"That would be a disaster" in a developing brain, Ming says. "The circuitry would be wrong and the signaling would be wrong, and ultimately the brain functioning would be wrong."

Ming, who was not connected with study, says her lab would like to use the combination of assembloids and CRISPR in their own research on schizophrenia, another psychiatric disorder with a neurodevelopmental origin.

Pașca's study could help brain scientists make the sort of advances that cancer researchers have in the past few decades, says Brennand.

"Thirty years ago, we might have thought all intestinal cancers should be treated the same way and all lung cancers should be treated the same way," she says. "Now we know a lot better."

Instead of choosing treatments according to the location of a cancer, doctors study a tumor's genes to determine which therapy is most likely to work. A similar approach could eventually help people with autism spectrum disorder, epilepsy, and schizophrenia, Brennand says.

"This improved genetic understanding will let us do better," she says, "because we'll know which pathways we can target to intervene."

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New Research May Change How We Think About the Autism Spectrum

Insar keynote suggests brain differences correlate with cognition—not diagnosis..

Posted May 16, 2022 | Reviewed by Davia Sills

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• Dr. Evdokia Anagnostou presented the results of neuroimaging studies at the International Society for Autism Research 2022 annual meeting.
• Of note, brain differences clustered along dimensions of cognition and hyperactivity, not diagnosis.
• These findings suggest we need to reconsider how we classify neurodivergence.

University of Toronto child neurologist Evdokia Anagnostou dropped a bombshell in her keynote Saturday at the annual meeting of the International Society of Autism Research (INSAR) in Austin, Texas, which may call into question the validity of the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis.

What Brain Scans Tell Us About Autism Spectrum Disorder

Anagnostou and her colleagues had set out to use neuroimaging to identify brain differences unique to ASD, as compared to other neurodevelopmental differences like ADHD , OCD , and intellectual disability. And they did find that brain differences clustered into different groups—but not by diagnosis. In fact, brain scans could not distinguish children who had been diagnosed with ASD from those who had been diagnosed with ADHD or OCD.

“Dr. Anagnostou reported data from multiple papers that looked at over 3,500 children,” Dr. Alycia Halladay, Chief Science Officer at the Autism Science Foundation, explained to me. “These studies looked at multiple structural and functional features of the brain—including cortical gyrification (the way the brain folds in the cortex), connectivity of different brain regions, and the thickness of the cortical area—and found no differences based on diagnosis.”

Groupings did emerge, but they were along totally different axes. Added Halladay, “The brains themselves were more similar based on cognitive ability, hyperactivity, and adaptive behavior.” In other words, the brains of mildly affected autistic children looked much more like the brains of kids with ADHD than they did like those of severely autistic children.

Validity of the Autism Spectrum Diagnosis May Be at Stake

If replicated, these findings could have tremendous implications for our current diagnostic framework. During the question and answer period following her talk, Anagnostou described two children who both carried the diagnosis of autism; one was very mildly affected, while the other had such disordered behavior that “even their bus driver knows” he is autistic. “Should these kids have the same diagnosis?” she asked.

Right now, they do—but there has been a growing dissatisfaction among many stakeholders in the autism community with the American Psychiatric Association’s introduction of the all-encompassing ASD diagnosis in the 2013 revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) to replace more narrowly defined categories, including Asperger syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and childhood disintegrative disorder.

In 2021, the Lancet Commission —a group of 32 researchers, clinicians, autistic individuals, and family members—called for the creation of a new label, “profound autism,” that would carve out those autistic individuals who also suffer from cognitive and language impairments and require round-the-clock supervision. “Anagnostou’s data converge nicely with the Lancet Commission’s proposal,” Halladay observed. “They provide biological evidence for a category that was originally defined solely by external criteria.”

At the very least. The real question is whether this work demands an even more radical re-imagining of our classification of neurodevelopmental differences. If, as Anagnostou’s data demonstrates, cognition and hyperactivity are much more correlated with brain difference than variables like social deficit that have been considered core symptoms of autism, then perhaps it’s time to scrap our current model and introduce new diagnoses based on these more salient dimensions. Aligning our diagnostic system with underlying biology is the first step in the development of targeted interventions for some of the most intractable and dangerous behaviors exhibited by the developmentally disabled, such as aggression , elopement, self-injury , and pica (the compulsion to eat inedible objects).

As Anagnostou opened her talk, “Nature doesn’t read the DSM.” But, as our understanding of the brain advances, shouldn’t the DSM reflect these divisions in nature?

Amy S.F. Lutz, Ph.D. , is a historian of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She is the author of We Walk: Life with Severe Autism (2020) and Each Day I Like It Better: Autism, ECT, and the Treatment of Our Most Impaired Children (2014) . She is also the Vice-President of the National Council on Severe Autism (NCSA).

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New Research Suggests Cerebellum May Play Important Role in Autism

Nimh grant will fund studies on how autism risk gene impacts a crucial, but long-overlooked brain area.

• by Douglas Fox
• April 02, 2024

Researchers in the College of Biological Sciences have received a grant to study the role of the cerebellum in autism. “ We need a more holistic understanding of the brain circuits that drive this disorder , ” says Alex Nord , an associate professor of neurobiology, physiology and behavior (NPB); psychiatry and behavioral sciences; and a core faculty member at the Center for Neuroscience (CNS). “ The cerebellum is a key component that has been largely overlooked until recently . ”

Nord partnered with Diasynou Fioravante , also an associate professor of NPB and core faculty member at CNS, and received an R21 grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Announced in November, it will provide $435,000 of funding over the next two years.

With this grant, they will study how a potent autism risk gene, called chromodomain helicase DNA binding protein 8 ( Chd8 ), alters function in the cerebellum, which plays a crucial role in physical movement, and how this drives autism-like behaviors. Their research ties together two emerging trends in autism research.

Surprising discoveries in autism

Researchers long believed that autism involved genes that regulate communications between neurons — especially the synapses, where neurotransmitters carry signals from one neuron to another. But starting in the early 2010s, genetic studies revealed that many autism risk genes actually play a very different role: they encode proteins that reside far from the synapses — in the cell ’s nucleus, where the DNA is located, and regulate the activity of hundreds of other genes.

“ This was a huge surprise , ” says Nord. Chd8 , a typical member of this group, regulates how tightly DNA is packaged and coiled with proteins. As such, it may regulate many genes that govern the formation and function of synapses.

At the same time, another major area of study is advancing the field of autism research. Scientists had assumed that autism was driven by changes in the cerebral cortex, which performs all sorts of tasks, such as recognizing words and faces, and “executive function” — controlling working memory, guiding our spotlight of attention, and making choices — such as whether to act on the impulse to withdraw one's hand when an unfamiliar dog approaches.

But in 2012, researchers reported that mice with mild abnormalities in the cerebellum developed behaviors that resembled autism in humans, such as reduced social interaction with other mice. “ The autism field was really rocked by this discovery , ” says Fioravante.

People had previously believed that the cerebellum mainly coordinates body movements such as walking, speaking, and typing. “ When you damage the cerebellum, it causes profound movement problems, and this probably made it difficult to see more subtle changes in behavior , ” says Fioravante.

But she points out that the cerebellum has significant connections with brain structures like the prefrontal cortex, which guides executive function, and limbic system, which regulates sociability, mood and emotions . People with cerebellar injuries often show autism-like changes in their emotions and social interactions.

Then in 2017, Nord and his colleagues reported a discovery that tied together these two intriguing threads : they found that the autism risk gene Chd8 helped guide the development of the cerebellum. Mice with one non-functioning copy of the gene had smaller cerebella.

That discovery “ planted the idea of our project , ” says Fioravante. She and Nord sat in offices next door to one another. And while Nord studied Chd8 , she worked on the cerebellum. In 2021 they applied for, and received, an earlier NIMH grant, to study how Chd8 influences the development of the cerebellum in mice, before and shortly after birth. Fioravante also received a pilot grant from the Behavioral Health Center of Excellence at UC Davis that launched Chd8 cerebellar studies in adult mice.

Working on these earlier grants from 2021 to 2023, they found that Chd8 mutations in mice triggered changes in the cerebellum and in behavior that resemble what is seen in humans with autism. For example, mice with a mutant copy of the gene had impaired social cognition. While regular mice prefer to explore and interact with mice they have not met before, mice with mutant Chd8 had more restricted interests — preferring mice or objects that they already knew.

New targets for treatment

With the new grant, Fioravante and Nord will pick up where they left off. In adult mice with normally developed cerebella, they will use genetic tools to disrupt Chd8 . They will examine how loss of Chd8 alters gene expression and function in neurons of the cerebellum, and how the connections between it and other brain areas change. They will also study whether disruption of Chd8 causes autism-like behavioral changes, such as reduced social interaction with other mice, or reduced interest in novelty. Cesar Canales, an assistant professional researcher in NPB, who has expertise in cerebellar anatomy, will take part in these studies.

These experiments “will help shed light on the totality of what the cerebellum does , ” says Fioravante — getting beyond the traditional narrow view that it mainly coordinates movement. The team also hopes to uncover new strategies for treating autism.

Although autism involves early brain development, the condition usually isn ’t diagnosed until children are years older — when the abnormal brain connections are already established, potentially making treatment difficult.

In these upcoming studies, Nord and Fioravante hope to explore whether the treatment window for autism can be extended. “ If we see changes in behavior or neural circuits when Chd8 is disrupted in the developed cerebellum, then we know there is a treatment target , ” says Nord.

These studies could also shed light on schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder, which occur more frequently in people with mutations in this gene, says Nord: “ It ’s a molecular handle , an entry point into the pathophysiology of these other complex diseases . ”

Media Resources

• Douglas Fox is a freelance science writer based in the Bay Area.
• Fioravante Lab
• Germline Chd8 haploinsufficiency alters brain development in mouse ( Nature Neuroscience 2017)
• Cognitive-affective functions of the cerebellum ( The Journal of Neuroscience 2023)

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Autism Breakthrough: New Treatment Significantly Improves Social Skills and Brain Function

By Tel-Aviv University November 29, 2022

The researchers anticipate that the study’s success will have positive implications for clinical treatment.

The treatment caused neurological changes, including a decrease in inflammation and an increase in functionality, according to the researchers.

A recent Tel Aviv University study found that pressure chamber therapy greatly improved social skills and the condition of the autistic brain. The research was carried out on autism animal models. The researchers discovered changes in the brain, including a decrease in neuroinflammation, which has been linked to autism. Furthermore, the social functioning of the animal models treated in the pressure chamber improved significantly. The success of the research has significant implications for the applicability and understanding of pressure chamber therapy as a treatment for autism.

Inbar Fischer, a Ph.D. student in Dr. Boaz Barak’s lab at Tel Aviv University’s Sagol School of Neuroscience and School of Psychological Sciences, led the team that made the discovery. The findings were recently published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences .

According to Fischer and Barak, hyperbaric medicine is a kind of treatment in which patients are treated in special chambers where the atmospheric pressure is greater than the pressure we experience at sea level, and they are also given 100% oxygen to breathe. Hyperbaric medicine is already being used to treat a wide range of medical conditions and is considered to be safe. Scientific evidence has accumulated in recent years that certain protocols of hyperbaric treatments boost the supply of blood and oxygen to the brain, thereby increasing brain function.

Dr. Barak: “The medical causes of autism are numerous and varied, and ultimately create the diverse autistic spectrum with which we are familiar. About 20 percent of autistic cases today are explained by genetic causes, that is, those involving genetic defects, but not necessarily ones that are inherited from the parents. Despite the variety of sources of autism, the entire spectrum of behavioral problems associated with it are still included under the single broad heading of ‘autism,’ and the treatments and medications offered do not necessarily correspond directly to the reason why the autism developed.”

In the preliminary phase of the study, a girl carrying the mutation in the SHANK3 gene, which is known to lead to autism, was treated by Prof. Shai Efrati. He is director of the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine at the Shamir “Assaf Harofeh” Medical Center, a faculty member at the Sagol School of Neuroscience, and a partner in the study. Upon completing a series of treatments in the pressure chamber, it was evident that the girl’s social abilities and brain function had improved considerably.

In the next stage, and in order to comprehend the success of the treatment more deeply, the team of researchers at Dr. Barak’s laboratory sought to understand what being in a pressurized chamber does to the brain. To this end, the researchers used adult animal models carrying the same genetic mutation in the SHANK3 gene as that carried by the girl who had been treated. The experiment comprised a protocol of 40 one-hour treatments in a pressure chamber, which lasted several weeks.

Dr. Barak: “We discovered that treatment in the oxygen-enriched pressure chamber reduces inflammation in the brain and leads to an increase in the expression of substances responsible for improving blood and oxygen supply to the brain, and therefore brain function. In addition, we saw a decrease in the number of microglial cells, immune system cells that indicate inflammation, which is associated with autism.

“Beyond the neurological findings we discovered, what interested us more than anything was to see whether these improvements in the brain also led to an improvement in social behavior, which is known to be impaired in autistic individuals,” adds Dr. Barak.

“To our surprise, the findings showed a significant improvement in the social behavior of the animal models of autism that underwent treatment in the pressure chamber compared to those in the control group, who were exposed to air at normal pressure, and without oxygen enrichment. The animal models that underwent treatment displayed increased social interest, preferring to spend more time in the company of new animals to which they were exposed in comparison to the animal models from the control group.”

Inbar Fischer concludes: “The mutation in the animal models is identical to the mutation that exists in humans. Therefore, our research is likely to have clinical implications for improving the pathological condition of autism resulting from this genetic mutation, and likely also of autism stemming from other causes. Because the pressure chamber treatment is non-intrusive and has been found to be safe, our findings are encouraging and demonstrate that this treatment may improve these behavioral and neurological aspects in humans as well, in addition to offering a scientific explanation of how they occur in the brain.”

Reference: “Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Alleviates Social Behavior Dysfunction and Neuroinflammation in a Mouse Model for Autism Spectrum Disorders” by Inbar Fischer, Sophie Shohat, Gilad Levy, Ela Bar, Sari Schokoroy Trangle, Shai Efrati and Boaz Barak, 21 September 2022, International Journal of Molecular Sciences . DOI: 10.3390/ijms231911077

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144 comments on "autism breakthrough: new treatment significantly improves social skills and brain function".

So how do they know that the effect is caused by the pressure and not by the oxygen?

A very promising news.

if this was true then i’d expect to see this news everywhere i look, not just on this one site truth is, there isn’t enough research on this right now to truly say if this can help manage autism lets just treat autistic people like normal, aye?

do your own reading if you like: https://www.nice.org.uk/donotdo/do-not-use-hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy-to-manage-autism-in-any-context-in-children-and-young-people https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5471082/ https://asatonline.org/for-parents/becoming-a-savvy-consumer/hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy/

i feel like if this was legit we’d be seeing news about this everywhere (which i’m not seeing) doing my own research concludes that this “treatment” is shaky at best, and hasn’t been given the proper scientific investigation it may or may not deserve

i don’t think i’m allowed to share links here, so just search up “hyperbaric chamber autism” and do your own research for now, let’s just not try to alienate autistic people aye?

Begs the question…. how long does the improved behavioral and neurological improvements last–days, weeks, months, years? Are additional hyperbaric treatments needed to maintain these improvements?

Maybe i don’t want to be social. Maybe my autism doesn’t need to be “fixed”.

If you’re happy as you are, that’s genuinely awesome, you don’t need to try it. But there are lots of people who would love to have it better managed than what is currently offered.

What you want might not be what the next person wants, though.

Allow me to clarify what Danielle might have been getting at. The characteristics of autism are part of us. Sure, learning life skills through OT, doing speech therapy, etc can be super useful and good for people with ASD to have a better quality of life. But neurotypicals trying to “fix” their autism because their autistic-ness doesnt fit in with society. The problem here isnt that people with autism are perfectly happy with their quality of life. Being autistic in this society sucks. Its horrible. But what a lot of autistics want is for society to change- being more inclusive, accepting, and accessable- not constantly hear how neurotypical society thinks they can and need to change us.

Exactly! Society disables us…we don’t need treatments or cures, just understanding.

You don’t need those things. But some autistic people do.

Please make room for *their* lived experience of autism, as you would like other people to make room for yours.

It’s a disability and many of us would like to treat or cure certain aspects to make our day to day life easier.

Well said! Articles like this give me rage.

Maybe the autistic people in the study were more regulated because the sensory environment of the hyperbaric oxygen tanks was ideal for them? And maybe there is nothing wrong with autistic people’s socialization, maybe it’s just different.

So my question is what the expectations are and how will preparations be made in the outcome of humans treated with this method in correlation to the absence of consciousness in a person. How will the transition be for the peraon treated. Would it be like the person experiencing birth? What are the difficulties of this?

This is fascinating to see used as a treatment. The implications and subsequent results would constitute being better classified as a cure. As for the people with negative responses to this, this is a new study, not going to see a lot of news, still in lab trials, for the one that doesn’t want autism fixed, ignorance is bliss, but please keep that ignorance to yourself. My specific form of autism is quite painful. Increasing my brain function would be fantastic. If you find that insulting, that is awesome. What are you doing looking at cures and treatments for something you are comfortable with? Wouldn’t you find something positive to occupy yourself with?

This research presents autism as a genetic weakness that needs to be cured which it is not it is neurodiversity which in many cases is proven to be an advantage Elon musk, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and many more had autism and they flourished. We need to help the disadvantages that autism brings and nurture the extraordinary things it does not try to eliminate it all together. This project is a pure example of fascism the belief that one group of people is superior to another. I feel sorry for the people and animals that have and will be in this experiment.

Anything that helps me achieve my goals is good for me. I want to more easily relate to others. I want a family. I don’t want people to feel like they were born with a disease, but I’d like options on how my own brain functions. It’s possible that given the nature of excess throughout history people will take this too far. However we need more options now and we can try to be better to reach other as we go on.

I’m going to need to see this replicated on more than a human sample size of one. When you treat one single person with something you will not be able to fully generalize their result/success rate to a population as diverse as the autism one, and the scientists even acknowledge it themselves, saying autistic behavior comes from so many different sources but are grouped together under one diagnostic label.

Why try to fix us? We are humans with a different ways of understanding and as far as I know you’ll never find an autistic tyrant or something worse We as people have a right as everyone yet it’s a problem to be fixed and if it’s just a model then I guess soon you’ll be wanting people so you’ll as parents for volunteers yeah right I’m dyslexic/autistic person who has finally accepted myself for who I am I’m a person not a problem to be fixed.

Wow I have seen the different reactions from people who are autistic and wonder if there is a need for further research and diversity and maybe direction as to the source of this (difference) in structure and function of the brain that leads to the classification of autism. If there is a seemingly a discovery of a treatment or protocol that will make for a better life for such people, why shoot it down.

Hey there sheeple! Just FYI in 99% of the times Autism is a vaccine injury induced by aluminum breaching the blood brain barrier using Polysorbate 80. Also, there are protocols to detoxify the brain and effectively cure Autism using heavy metals chelators such as Chlorine Dioxide . You can find more info all over Telegram

This is idiotic. Take your BS elsewhere.

Go get a booster it’s good for your sheeple heart and will rid us of your carbon

Useless conspiracy theorist idiots wouldn’t understand science if it slapped them.

Absolute crap… I was born autistic, as was every other autistic person. Autism existed before vaccines and is an evolutionary development.

$CIENCE! IT’S ALL FAKE BS shilling for pharma companies

Why is this drivel even being published? The premise upon which this nonsense is based is flawed as it is treating being autistic as something that needs to be “cured”. The people conducting the study are clearly not up to date in their understanding of what it means to be autistic as they seem to think that only 20% of autistic people’s neurology is due to genetic mutation and seems to dismiss any idea that autistic parents have autistic kids. That would,of course require them to admit that autistic people are full members of society who can have families, jobs etc.

I wonder where the funding for this nonsense came from.

You are defensive. No one is forced to do anything. Simple as hyperbaric oxygen is, it definitely has positive short term effects on cognition. Now that makes this interesting g to those open to learn. All autism is not the point… maybe some cases benefit in ways some autistic individuals will find beneficial. You don’t get to decide that for the universe. You should just step out if this thread if that’s your oersodctive.

Wow…it is quite incredible to observe, as a neurodivergent person within the spectrum, how certain individuals have such immature reactions due to a biased position. No one said that the persons under the spectrum constitute a problem, because they aren’t, indeed, we are different and wonderful in so many ways. But it is a SPECTRUM and there are persons within its range, that suffer intensely and actually would benefit from certain forms of therapy. If the quality of life ( which was the actual PROBLEM that was addressed ) can be increased for certain individuals that do face different problems and difficulties and their life, that’s great news. For your own good, learn to think outside yourself, because from what I see there can exist the tendency to negate somebody else’s reality and struggles when you are generalising.

Well said Vanilla Cat

Thank you for saying that so well.

Freddy, easy for you to say until it affects your own child and you have to help them function daily. Not all autistic people get along just fine without treatment and support and to assert that they can is privileged and ignorant.

I have 2 children on the spectrum and one full blown moderate to severe ASPERGERS. I have been a Critica Care , Clinical Care Specialty Nurse for 30 years, we came before Nurse Practioner’s , yes I am old.

I am familiar with hyperbaric therapy, obviously for lung conditions.

As one who has done much research on my Children’s Conditions, they were all adopted, 2 from Ukraine, 1 from China and my most complex child was a domestic adoption, we adopted Danny at 7 days old, he is 19. He has a rare Genetic Disorder, Partial Trisomy 3Q29 and Epilepsy, and a Chiari 1 Brain Malformation, and Cortical Visual Impairment with depth perception problems. He has severe global and cognitive delays and Autistic Spectrum, and my 24 year old from Ukraine Fetal Alcohol Disorder, Lily 13 year old daughter is the Asperger’s.

Yes super smart but cannot get a bath and get dressed in the morning without me.

So just because this has not been researched on AUTISM very well I’m this country, does not mean we have to sit around and say “ well I guess I wait 20 years and then find out it could have helped my kids tremendously, no we rally as advocates for our loved ones and say, to Teaching Learning Hospitals, John’s Hopkins University Hospital, Jefferson University Hospital, University of Penn Hospital and petition some neurological, Autism Specialist, neuropsychology , Autism Psychiatrist who treat the very hard cases of ADHD/Asperger’s.

If this study gets more oxygenated blood to the brain, which let’s face it any medical and lay person knows that is a good thing, and if the pressure aspect is studied more in detail, this could be a breakthrough!!

I could have children that can actually feel emotions and can think about other people before their own needs. Autism is just not about being more social, it is a neurodevelopmental disorder just as ADHD.

All the sensory, odd behaviors, ticks, and with life skills and social skills if their is something as simple as pressure and oxygen that can even help these kids/Adults think better and feel better and understand themselves better, we should definitely push for more research.

Most parents and family of severely affected Autistic loved ones will understand this, High Functioning Autism Adults or teens who can function in the real world obviously, I am not including them, but like my A+ child who cannot get dressed or get on the run and she is 14 in 3 months, we will take all the help we can get.

If you do not live 24/7 with Autistic, several children, you will not understand a word I am saying, I live it, breath it, have gone to Doctors for decades, and if my kids could stop picking her head, Tick, my son could stop slapping his tongue and my oldest one paces and talks to himself, I really am going to advocate for this.

I have been in special needs, Disabled child Medicaid, IEP’s, Social Security fighting my butt off for years for my kids. So the question is where are the hyperbaric chambers located, we start their first.

Just a word from a beyond experienced SN Mom and a seasoned Specialist in Critical Care, I use ICP drains, I k ow what brains pressures can do.

Let’s put this together and it either does or does not work, what’s the worst that can happen your child remains absolutely the same, well you already have that down.

The “do your own research” BS has to STOP! It’s embarrassing. You can read what’s available but you ARE NOT doing “your own research”! Ask questions, read, inquire, but that is NOT research.

Do you think that a two year old would be able to deal with this treatment? This toddler can’t stand noise.

Hospitals use a 95%oxygen/5%carbon dioxide gas mixture on their coma patients. Would using that gas mixture, instead of the 100% oxygen in this hyperbaric treatment, make it even more effective?

How long will it take. My grandson would get anxious in a confined space for too long. Is it safe for someone to be in the chamber with them like a diving bell of something?

It’s garbage. It’s another scitech fairytale.

As a member of the autistic community articles like this are just plain offensive.

Your grandson is not defective, he’s not broken, he doesn’t need fixing. I know it can be challenging but give him the right stimulus and he’ll show you how awesome he can be.

@Andy: You don’t get to speak for everyone with Autism, or those that live with and/or help them. It’s not the case of treating all Autism as a problem, so that’s a false premise to begin with; sure some people may view it that way, but not all (and I doubt most) do.

As most that have experience with it know – It is a wide-spectrum: some can function just fine in society (with or without A-typical behaviour) and occasionally with advantageous developments in areas; these people are likely to be, and feel just fine about themselves and their role in society. They are more akin to the healthy autist that’s just a bit different (neurodivergent), but is otherwise happy/healthy/thriving; certainly not a problem to be fixed, but they are also not the typical case either.

Again, not all autists are the same; some thrive, some just need a bit of help, but some are genuinely unhappy with themselves and their condition and would like help – you don’t get to deny that reality for them.

On the other side of things; some can be severely inhibited (not just in wider society, but in the day-to-day tasks required to live, let alone thrive). What about the child that wants to give/have a hug, to have that closeness, but can’t stand the feeling on their skin and gets frustrated at themselves for it (sometimes to the point of self-harm)? Or the child that’s trying desperately to process language and communicate well enough so that those not in her immediate family can also understand her?

I’m sure it’s outrageously expensive.

I think this study sounds fascinating and I can totally see it working. I would love to know where this treatment will be offered. I think its definately worth a try.

Makes sense to me, an HFA. I always felt so much better after scuba diving and hyperbaric tanks recreate the pressures experienced when scuba diving.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy provides a higher concentration of oxygen delivered in a chamber or tube containing higher than sea level atmospheric pressure. Case series and randomized controlled trials show no evidence to support the benefit of HBOT for children with ASD. Only 1 randomized controlled trial reported effectiveness of this treatment, and those results have yet to be repeated.

I tried this for my son on 2011. He was 7 years old at the time. I went with him in the chamber and laid down for about approx 2.5 hours each day. It was horrible being confined in a capsule like chamber. No effect. Spent thousands of money.

I’m okay the way I am. I’ve lived a long and sometimes difficult life caused by “normal” people who wanted to change me, punish me, fix me, and otherwise make me well aware that I am undeserving of the benefits and respect of the mainstream. This is more of the same bullying, and these scientists can go to Hell.

Very interesting lies, unaware people who don’t understand or experience sh*t would believe, but meditation and a little weed are the only things you need to fix THE TRAUMA DISORDERS AUTISM, AND ADHD. B**** *** **** hiding that most important fact from everyone. You baby was traumatized at some point at birth during birth,that’s autism and adhd

The connection between inflammation in the brain and autism is a big deal.

It would be great if this process could be created for individual use at home somehow. I also wonder about long term treatment or maintenance.

Zac Brace, professorC, etc al.: IF autism is indeed the result of inflammation of the brain, then this is not simply an example of “neurodiversity” but of an abnormal physiological condition. For every Elon Musk, Albert Einstein or Isaac Newton in history, there are thousands (perhaps millions) of autistic souls suffering throughout their lives and failing to optimize their potential. The significant disabilities of an autism spectrum disorder for many individuals warrants continued research for viable treatments. If you, as an autistic, have a satisfying rewarding, & independent life, good for you but don’t make the mistake of believing your autism parallels that of all others. My guess is your autism is not very significant, which would make you (yes) “neurodiverse”, not disabled.

Completely agree with your statement. It’s unbelievable that some would think that just because something works for them, that everyone else should be OK too. Ridiculous, we need advancements in autistic treatment now. My niece is suffering along with her sister who doesn’t understand why her autistic sister won’t play with her. It’s sad for both children.

I see people are still trying to FIX “the Autism problem”…

It’s only neurotypicals who experience anything other than what they perceive as normal as a problem that needs fixing.

Please do some research on what autism does to a parent that has a 4 year old that is non verbal, violent to self and others, hits. Screams and is completely unable to socialize in almost any type of surroundings. Many only sleep 2 or 3 hours a night, won’t eat and refuses potty training. Then you can decide that this is not good news. Until then your negative comments are very unhelpful and you come off as unfeeling towards the suffering of thousands of kids and their parents.You ATA

Id like to know more. What exsactly does the improved brain function help with. Only social issues? What about theself harm part? Would more oxygen and pressure help with the biting himself or smashing his head in the walls? Is this only for higher functioning autstics or can it help the more severe people too. I dont care about a cure so much as I would love to see my child enjoy life more and stop hurting himself as much. I love seeing more research on autism.

Jess, you don’t get to answer for everyone on the spectrum. Maybe higher functioning people will choose not to make any changes to themselves and that should totally be supported. But some on the spectrum cannot talk, function, ever hold a job, are violent to themselves and/or others. They deserve a chance to live a better life. What happens when my husband and I die? Who will care for my son so that he can be happy and not destructive? I have seen enough abuse of seniors and disabled to know he won’t stand a chance.

No offense, but some of us have been doing this for years for our kids with autism. It’s definitely not new.

I’m not quite sure how to address this article from this so called online magazine I have to stand thoroughly disgusted there’s nothing to fix I’m fine maybe it’s everyone else and maybe we’re just fine the way we are you can just sit in your hyperbolic chamber and eat Doritos and watch TV and we’ll do important things thank you

And yet again switch posting absolute garbage. I’ve seen more accurate reporting on Fox News.

I mean for a start autism is a genetic condition, usually inherited from parents even if they don’t present with autistic traits. Our brains function just fine, quite often better than NT peers, we just tend to be a bit more focused.

If you think autistic people are defective take every mechanical, electronic or other modern gadget out of your house because I can guarantee they were either designed, engineered, coded or otherwise created by people who are probably on the spectrum.

Articles like this are on the same level as Trump suggesting intravenous UV and Klorox.

Autistic people aren’t a defective kind of neurotypical people, we are whole people in our own right, we just have a different neurotype. Before nts say I’m ‘not like their autistic child’, just know that I’m regularly non verbal, unfit to work, and at times I often self harm and sui*. I’m also able to travel alone, I’ve a great network of friends, and go to clubs, pubs, gigs, and write poetry – its not black and white. What causes autistic people is sex. Not brain injury. Animals simply can’t be autistic, at least not in the way humans are, as they have different brains, and behaviours. It’s ableist to imply otherwise and this is hack science taking advantage of vulnerable autistic people and their hopeful parents and care givers.

Not all people with autism are high functioning. Many have significant behaviors and would benefit. My son did thus when he was young and it helped. But some of the positives fade. I think you need to do treatment long term like medication.

I have autism L2 and Fibromyalgia,It has been adviced that the same treat may help relieve pain of fibro.

Gods forbid another Albert Einstein, Michelangelo, Charles Darwin, Emily Dickinson, Bill Gates, Isaac Newton, Nikola Tesla, Vincent Van Gogh, Steven Spielberg, Jerry Seinfeld, Benjamin Franklin, Beethoven, Mozart, or Jane Austen use the brains they were born with to create groundbreaking art, science, literature, music, comedy, or anything else. Far more important to make them conform to neurotypical standards of social acceptability, amirite?

Oh, and if this so-called ‘treatment’ makes Autistic kids more neurotypical, then I guess we can expect them to become ruthless social climbers who are better liars, more dispassionate about their interests, more underhanded and conniving, and more willing to accept obsolete social rules without questioning them. But at least they’ll smile and make eye contact!

You see it from the social aspect alone. As a father of a 12 years old who can not use even the potty, has no speech, keep inflicting injuries on himself can’t sleep without tranquilizer most of the time not even aware of his our existence,you will realize that it is not just about socializing and eye contact. It is about self help. You may be on the mild end but I tell you a lot more are on the severe end and needed anything that gives a glimpse of hope.

Treat inflammation thru diet.

Autism is a very generic and diverse classification. I am certainly no expert, but I have seen totally nonfunctional autism and I have seen those who are capable of self-regulating function. It is very important that we help those who are in need of a basic quality of life.

I remember seeing a research presentation for hyperbaric oxygen chamber at a biomedical conference back in 2005. It sounded promising for certain case studies, but did not offer generalized results. What is new here?

Many with autism have texture phobias, balance issues and sometimes a little ADD, ADHD, some will spin, focus too much or too little on tasks at hand, some can be more sensitive to change in environment and like to take things apart or line em up rather than put them together. The pressure room can help regulate some of that because it can give them more balance and forthcoming control over movement and therefore à less interrupted thought process, not just deflaming the brain.. great idea.

Very interesting. Don’t see any harm in giving this option to those who are on the autism spectrum, and are interested and find this method may be useful to them. I find conversation much more interesting and intellectually stimulating when talking to friends who may be on the spectrum. There may be huge positives and some negatives (like all people) as we are all different. So with that being said it’s wonderful for scientists to study everything. To ask questions. To discover. Humans are fasting, so are our brains. Let’s be supportive. What one may see as minuscule and lacking in importance could change another life for the better!

So, if we decrease systemic inflammation, would that be another avenue?

I think it’s great news to be moving in the direction of either a cure or helping with the symptoms that affect many autistic children. Where would one find more information or how are clinical studies going to be done soon? Is I let available to everyone?

Stop trying to cure different. Your eugenics is showing. Different is not bad. Rather than trying to cure our existence why not try accepting us with understanding. Your pity looks like a tombstone.

I doubt very much the same treatment can possibly cure a spectrum of symptoms of varying degree, not necessarily interrelated and which may stem from environmental factors. Are we capable of changing a person’s character; the way they think; their likes; dislikes; their empathy, and whether others value their company? Of course not!

So autism could be symptom of neuro- inflammation?

It is very discouraging to see the high functioning autistic people on here be so negative about autism treatments! Not every autistic person has a choice if they want to be fixed or not. My son whom is 14 and can’t speak and still isn’t completely potty trained with major social deficits could certainly benefit from any breakthrough or treatments offered up. So many other severely autistic children and adults in the world that deserve to be free from the frustration and anxiety of extreme sensory overload and inability to communicate.To all of the higher functioning autistic I say this….you poor tortured souls that want to bask in your autism…go for it! But for the sake of the lower functioning or severely affected autistics that need help; be freaking respectful and mindful of what you say! (In honor of my son)

There is no such thing as “high functioning autistic people”… We are all just Autistic and present differently.

We don’t need treatments or cures. We are a different neurotype… We don’t have a disease! 🙄

Stephanie Brown you read my mind!! My grandson is severely autistic… he’s almost 6, doesn’t speak & isn’t potty trained. The difference between high functioning autism & the severely autistic is so profound they might as well be to different diagnoses. High functioning autistic individuals can speak for themselves, the severely autistic need their family to speak for them. I for one think this research is promising & just because it’s brand new & not all over the media doesn’t mean it’s false. For goodness sake it takes YEARS for changes to trickle down & be put into practice in the medical field. I’m hopeful to hear studies like this are happening & hopeful there will be something in the future that can help my grandson. I know there’s no such thing as “fixing” him but something that could help his enormous anxiety, confusion & anger. Something that’ll help him feel comfortable in his own body & this world.

“High functioning” autism is not a thing. Autism is Autism, and some Autistic people present differently. Stop using outdated labels.

How do I get some for my very hard to diagnose problem with hydrocephalus to take care of my adult dependent with Autism? He says he isn’t going in there. I think I need to at least try?

How long do the effects last outside the pressure chamber? Would one need to wear a pressurized diving helmet with a 100% oxygen feed to ‘cure’ one’s autism?

I fully agree with you Zak Brace.

Autism in the severest form is what this is about not functioning autistics. It bothers me that high ASD people would even comment in here the way they have. Live with a non verbal person and meltdowns then understand we need this kind of research. But I think vitamin e works just as well with relieving swelling in brain. Please research this

This supports the findings of the first “autistic researcher,” Temple Grandin, who invented a similar idea based on pressure, she called the Squeeze Machine.(See the movie made by HBO “Temple Grandin.”)

It also mentions the immune system relation to autism that was named in 2003 to associate autism with one of the 5 immune system disorders, called Common Variable Immune System Disorder, – which I was born with in 1949, and later assessed as caused by DDT poisoning of my mother when she was pregnant. (There was a LOT of crop dusting in the rural S. TX town we lived in.)

I am so happy to hear of this development and especially for my grandson who has autism and lives in Israel. And yes. I too would prefer people were treated in a real, loving expression toward each other and there more value in that enough that we had “application” training available.

I think the article refers to capacity. As in autistic people we’ll have a higher capacity for being social. I don’t think it means that they have to be social.

How do I get hepl

How can you test an animal for autism. That ridiculous. An animal can’t talk or anything. You need to test on adult who want to be tested. Testing animals is NOTHING like on a human being it’s common sense. If there were more help out there for autism more educational HELP. Then maybe they will learn how to deal with this world because this world is having a hard time dealing with autism or any type of Special need human. That’s where these people with these paper hanging on there walls ( Bachelor degree ) should start educating others how to help the proper way for Special need people. This Article is all False hope for autism.

This article doesn’t tell how many people were studied in total. In fact, the scientific study’s title is “…a mouse”. Singular. Everyone knows you need to have a large sample study in order to gain any type of conclusion. Nothing is conclusive here, in my opinion.

What those people with autism commenting here fail to realize is that this autism of a thing is a spectrum. All of you here are not having this condition as far as am concern. My son is 12 with a case of regressive autism has lost every single skill he previously acquired and is mostly inflicting injuries on himself can’t use the toilet, is out of school, infact I doubt if he aware that he is alive. So you expect me not to worry about finding way out? Please scientists go on with anything that will better the life of these children. If my child is high functioning like you guys, I will have nothing to worry about. So you need to realize that autism is a spectrum. It affects people differently.

People sitting talking smack about us “high functioning” (which we are not and don’t use that term for this reason) autistics, clearly aren’t seeing what the problem we have is. It’s not that we don’t know that this could benefit people with very high needs. We aren’t stupid. It’s more frustrating that we’ve been forgotten when it comes to autistic studies. They don’t ask us what we need help with to better understand our issues. As someone with a non verbal son with high needs, I know the struggle, but you aren’t the victim here, they are. I have to advocate for my son but I can’t get the same respect because I’m too “normal”. “High functioning” autistics are offin themselves at an alarming rate because we can’t stand to exist in a world that doesn’t care. Have some compassion on an issue you don’t fully understand.

This begs the question: Do we have to risk getting “The Bends” just because we stim or pace? For the father of the 12 year old who cannot use the toilet, do you think they can tolerate being in the chamber for who knows how long?

Judgmental. If you have autism and are happy with it than more power to you. However for some of us it is debilitating.

I looked up one of those chambers, no way am I getting into that claustrophobic thing. Like you keep trying to “cure” us but how about just try being nice perhaps? Being understanding and non-judgemental does loads more for my social anxiety than a pressure cooker ever will. Maybe we should work on curing societys rudeness first. Also, I only skimmed the article so it’s on me probably but what exactly is an autism animal model I’ve never heard that before

Not every autistic person is able to function like you are. My daughter is essentially nonverbal and has bad behavioral episodes caused by frustration by being unable to communicate her wants and needs. Something like this, if it works as they said, would make it 100000% easier on everyone. These types of therapy aren’t for everyone and are likely best for people that are so severe on the spectrum that they can’t even function on their own. Consider yourself blessed to be able to read, write and communicate with those around you in an understandable way. You don’t understand how helpful this would be to my family. I’d have a child that can actually understand what is being said to her and can respond back in some verbal and coherent form. I’d probably cry if she suddenly went from nonverbal to talking after 40hrs of this treatment. If it effectively stopped or extremely reduced her aggression and behavior episodes, I’d be ecstatic. And who wouldn’t be?? No more worries about her hurting teachers at school or potentially someone else cause she couldn’t control herself.

Our autistic daughter is frequently made miserable by her autism. She talks about her brain not letting her do what she wants, about being constantly frustrated by the way her autism affects her subjective experience of living in her own head.

We would do anything that *she* wanted, to help her feel better in the ways that *she* feels miserable. But, so far, we’ve all found limited success.

Not all people with autism are unhappy about it. And many people with autism are unhappy because of the way society treats people with autism. But *some* people with autism are miserable *because of their autism*, in ways that their context can do nothing to improve.

Please don’t exclude my daughter’s lived experience, in your perfectly understandable desire to push back against the way that our society pathologizes autism even when it causes no intrinsic distress in the person experiencing it. For some people, autism itself hurts. 😢

Some are missing the point of these treatments. My grdaughter is autistic but she does not socialize, speak unless directed right ar her, does not really know how it is to do anything without instruction. Some people leaving comments say they are autistic but they are able to read on their own and they know what they are reading. If my grdaughter could do that, I would not even consider her autistic.

This sounds like a gimmick. My sons and I have ASD my eldest and I are verbal and my youngest is not. He has agoraphobia issues so something like this chamber may scare the heck out of him. For those talking about people trying to change them I feel miss the point. I would accept any help for my kids and myself. While our thinking and perception is unique to ourselves, our health issues are not. By the time we reach adult hood 1 in 4 of us will acquire a neurological disease like Parkinson’s or dementia. I’m assuming it’s because our gut flora is highly dysfunctional and does not work properly ( Gut theory). Also compared with the neurotypical population our lifespans are much shorter. On average classical autism patients see to live up to 39 yrs of age where as people with aspbergers level diagnosis reach to see 57 on average. I would like to see our lifespan reach somewhat of a normal frame and is riddled with less neurological problems .

How does one do about being involved in the study as a participant?? I’d be genuinely interested to join along with my daughter and see the effects on us. I’m pretty sure I’m on the spectrum and my daughter is on the moderate to severe side with behavioral and nonverbal symptoms.

How lucky so many of those responders are who are aware of their diagnosis enough to make choices in and out of relationships! But they call it a Spectrum for a reason. For those un-diagnosed or unaware in neurodiverse relationships, further that may share other dx-s unaware or untreated, relationships and families are often destroyed in time. All that aside, for those becoming aware something is wrong and trying to identify it through therapy with the many angels beginning to specialize in the higher levels of the Spectrum, these researchers findings could be miracles for the future! Jobs, friendships, marriages, children who feel abandoned, I’ve seen it all. Look into AANE and read the forum emails! Join the groups. We NEED this research even if you don’t. Keep up your good work and self care. You’re clearly doing well and must be happy.

5 mg Lexapro was like someone blew 75% of his severe autism quirks away

This isn’t a new treatment for ASD, nor is it effective. It gives people false hope and may even cause more harm than good. There is not a shred of empirical evidence proving it to be effective. If there was then it would have been all over the news by now. It’s been around for well over a decade.

So they tested it on some autistic mice and one little girl. Promising.

My son has severe autism. He suffers daily from an inability to communicate, insomnia, chronic constipation, self-injury, aggression, and anxiety. He attacked me driving down the road related colon cramps. He sometimes withholds his stool for 21 days straight. Yes, I think he would love treatment to make his life 20-30 percent better. I love him more than anything in the world; it breaks my heart to watch how much he suffers. We do not live in a high-functioning world. Of course, I would do anything to take away his pain if it worked. Unfortunately, there are minimal options for people with severe autism that take them to even a moderate level of functioning. He will need daily living support probably for the rest of his life. It absolutely kills me to think of his life once I’m dead and gone. People like my son are vulnerable to predators. I hope they find more treatments that are humane to help him.

Very well said Zac 👏

Most of the children I see – who have autism or other issues would be traumatized by being places in such a chamber for an hour x 40. “The girl”? How old was she? In what way and to what degree did autism effect her? You can put a mouse in a hyperbaric chamber – no problem . How did you place this child in one?

Autism is not a disease. Stop trying to ‘treat’ it and maybe put all that time and effort into listening to actually autistic people and putting a stop to damaging nonsense like this. Jesus christ, people with so much education behind and yet they still don’t bloody get it.

Listen to the full R’s talk about ground breaking progress to help millions… like narcissistic children indoctrinated in new age anti progressive cult think akin to the psychological operation that is the manufactured trans/lgbtq societal gender war. “Are you saying im not perfect because I wont make eye contact, cant function in society and have been a tremendous burden on my loved ones who have fought an unwinnable fight my whole life, sacrificing theirs for mine… well words are violence and you’re racist. Dont assume my dogs gender. Im fine. We are fine. Neuro diversity is good and that kid not being able to talk… that builds character?” This is wonderful and if you think otherwise or feel personally attacked… head to the nearest pressurized chamber with a shower to wash the sand out.

I bought a hyperbaric chamber over 10 years ago for my then 6yr old son who was diagnosed on the lower end of the autism spectrum. He was doing ABA treatment at the time, I asked all the doctors and specialist back then about what I was researching and they told me that it was not going to work because autism is genetic, but he wasn’t barely progressing in ABA. Even my husband was a skeptic because we were spending almost $13,000 with conversion from $US to $CAD but I didn’t care because I refused to believe that nothing could be done for my son who was progressing normally and started regressing at age 2. Within a week of usage he went from barely 10 words per day to over 100 words the therapist were witnessing. He was potty trained a month later in 1 week never haven’t had an accident since, started reading in 6 months, changes in food choices in around a year and more importantly vast improvement in his behaviour. I tried telling them what I was doing but they didn’t think that hbot was helping so I stopped talking. What does a mother know, I am a not part of a university study. My son was later doing a university study where they were tracking his eye movements. I told them about the chamber nothing. So my son has improved and my information could have helped many parents years ago but now 10 years later this is a headline

This is great news. How is your child doing now? This gives me hope ❤

Maybe the school system should be more inclusive of neurodiversity. Idk. Just a thought. We grow up thinking that school is going to make us well rounded. But they want to keep defunding anything creative. Now we got a jacked left brain and a crippled right. School is a terrible atmosphere for autistic people. Probably because we know at a cellular level that the environment is soul crushing. I don’t think an oxygen chamber would change my mind about that, but this is very Ineresting and would love to hear more.

Not everyone who is autistic is a genius like Einstein. There are autistic people who are non verbal,unlettered, into repetitive, self harming behaviour like head banging, totally dependant on others for their day to day needs and not even aware of all this as they live in their own warped world of pain. If treatments like this one can help them, it would be a huge help for their caretakers. Autism is not cute or just a slight quirk, people!

I think this is an exceptional break through and that hopefully will lead to further break throughs. My son is autistic and I’m almost certain he would like the be neuro appropriate. As a mother of an autistic child, once I leave this world I don’t know for certain how he will be cared for. If he is able to cope socially, my fears will be lessened. Is this selfish, hell yes it is but if he cannot interact in a way to express his feelings to others, will this not cause him more frustration and cause him to withdrawal even more? It most definitely will. This doesn’t mean one has to be more social it just means he would have the ability should he choose to do so. More power to those who have made this discovery. Please don’t stop researching autism. We need you desperately.

My son is 11.5 years old. He barely reads at a kindergarten level and math at grade 1. He will not use any other toilet than home and its a fight to get him to let me clean him up afterwards. For this reason, we hardly leave home. His language is limited and jarbled. He self harms and has meltdowns over the smallest of issues, mainly eats the same 3 foods and will not try anything new, has sensory issues, will not cooperate with doctors or dentists. For those of you that feel he doesn’t need “fixed”, you are greatly mistaken. He probably will never be able to function on his own or support himself. In cases like his, the entire family is evolved. If this treatment could help him in anyway, I would go to earths end to do it. I really hope this therapy proves to be effective for our family could use the help.

Hello, I have twin Autistic sons, age 20.

One twin has a job, drives and works on social settings on his own now. He’s very happy!

Sadly, his brother is VERY LONELY and non verbal. He can push a few buttons on his speaking device.

When asked what he wants??? A FRIEND!

Every person is different. Every Autistic person is different.

Let’s not knock any research the may HELP. So many studies over the past 20 years…we’ve learned how to identify (in utero) in order to abort these children.

I’m grateful for any studies that may one day help my poor, sad son.

Thank you for reading. Ruby

There always has ti be morons in the comment section giving their worthless opinion to feel important. Autism is related to inflammation in the brain which is NOT NORMAL for a human body. So for those of you saying it’s who I am, I was born this way, is completely ignorant. That’s like saying someone who develops severe joint inflammation as a child, i.e. oligoarthritis will be ok with their life and refuse treatment. It is a disability and hinders one in different and important aspects of life that are not healthy. Whether you want to admit that or not. This is breakthrough treatment and will take a few years to “perfect”. All you other pessimists can wallow in your depression because you are antisocial and believe that I’d a healthy lifestyle.

“Fixing autism” shouldn’t be the goal, but reducing brain inflammation is always a good outcome.

All these people saying, “maybe I don’t want to be ‘fixed'”fixed. Ever think of those on the spectrum that are also IDor can never live on their own or have a functional life because of it? Ever think of the CHILDREN who are able to possibly grow up without any difficulties? Many young children with autism struggle so much with communicating with others that they harm themselves, others, their environment, bc they are so frustrated they can’t communicate or their sensory system is in overdrive all the time. It is literally my profession to work part of an autism team to determine intellectual adaptive skills and then help develop a behavioral plan. I see how this impedes a child’s ability to develop socially, academically,communicatively, cognitively, etc, and it can be extreme for more than your realize. Why would we force a child to grow up with so many struggles of they don’t have to? That’s like forcing a child to battle a disease alone. Schools and parents provide intervention services ask the time for children on the spectrum, treatment like this should be no different. And btw, it’s “people WITH autism” not “autistic people”. Autism may be part of you, but it doesn’t define you. YOU define you, autism or not. It may shape you, but it is not the core of you.

Saying that this is essentially your job, is very disheartening. As someone who is autistic. (we actually prefer autistic people, not “people with autism) it should be society that changes to benefit everybody. Not us who change to benefit society. You say you see the impacts daily, yet don’t recognize you’re continuing them. Autism should *not* be likened to a disease. If you truly actually care about the people you work with. Maybe listen to us, instead of things written about us, by Allistics.

So many comment and it’s clear that 99% of them didn’t even read the introduction in the study or they wouldn’t be making the comments they are making.

While pressure therapy has an effect I’m nervous what it really means. Overwhelming the senses with a perfectly even pressure may well seem calming on the surface but lead to deeper issues involving repressed experience to stimulus. Experiments which I conduct on myself are moving in the direction of being open to stimulus rather than further isolating myself from my body. I have had some success in confronting reservoirs of anger and moving past them to a state of mind resembling comfort. On the other hand I would be very interested to test oxygen treatments as I’m sure my mind body disconnect includes shallow breathing patterns that clearly induce extra anxiety.

people in these comments are making great points about autism not necessarily needing a cure. however, the therapy also alleviates inflammation, which is helpful

My son is 21 years old and I would love the opportunity for him. He’s 21 77lbs and non verbal.

Great, more people treating autism as a disease and not something that just is. This biased study also makes the assumption that the autistic brain doesn’t work as well as the Allistics. My gods its 2022 can we stop treating autism like it’s cancer, something to be eradicated??

This is horrifying and extremely worrying to discover this and money has been spent on this?! I hope no one forces autistic people to go through this. ABA and shock therapy is torture enough.

Autism is a different neurotype not a defect! More time should be spent on accommodating autistic people’s needs and making the world suitable for all neurotypes NOT trying to make autistic people neurotypical.

It’s not trying to make us more neurotypical, it’s an attempt to treat aspects that disable us and makes daily life extremely difficult. Stop trying to get in the way of autistic people getting help.

My son is autistic, wonderfully autistic. Although he has made amazing progress and highly functional…his social skills are not. He doesn’t have friends, nor enjoy any sports. I’ll never going to cheer him up in a basketball game, he will not be invited to friends parties, perhaps he’ll never have a family of his own. Gaby doesn’t need a cure, but deserves an opportunity to enjoy these little things that we take for granted.

Funny thing is psychology today and scientific American published articles around the same time condemning this kind of thinking about autism as a disease to cure.

Maybe this can also work for narcissism

This is a great example of how a neurotypical will read a study on neurodivergents and completely miss the point of the scientific study. It is not “The mutation” as the author puts it, it is a mutation, one mutation in one person of 43 known mutations and countless unknown. The more important thing is that the autoimmune portion, which is associated with many people, is treated. Oh wait we already knew if you killed the cells in animal immune systems that those cells would stop attacking parts of the body and make everything feel better for people with autoimmune disorders.

I’d like to know more about the animal models with autistic “mutations.” How was that determined? What were their characteristics before and after “treatment.” What species? What was the duration between the treatment and social interaction? How long did it last? How were the changes measured?

It seems to me that if an animal is confined to a pressure chamber that the mere isolation itself could cause a temporary change in behavior. I would think that being in the chamber would be anxiety inducing, so being let out of it could cause a feeling of relief and maybe even joy. Change in interactions with others may just be a response to not being isolated anymore.

This study should be replicated for people with fibromyalgia who an illness known to be liked to inflimmation in the brain.

I have a autistic child I love her the way she is and I am not putting her through something like that. She already went through a lot of blood test when she was a baby we found out she also has a thyroid condition to I have to give her medicine every day just so she can manage her weight and she does not speak and does not drink a open cup and does not yous silver ware and she is still in pull ups. But I still love her very much and I would like to see her learn without a machine or anything else in that category.

Autistic children seek pressure perhaps this meets this need and helps to relieve the internal pressure they may be feeling. I do not understand why a parent would want to leave their autistic children as is, do we love them less as they are? I hope not. They want friends and relationships I cannot imagine leaving them in such distress. I have seen children at all levels of autism. The anxiety they experience is heartbreaking. We as parents have a responsibility to give them a way to cope and survive. We, the parents, do not live forever and the world is not a kind place.

STOP TORTURING INNOCENT ANIMALS. EXPERIMENT WITH YOURSELF OR YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS

Look, I can empathize with those high functioning autists here who feel that society makes life difficult for them and are butthurt at every suggestion that autism could be healed. I’m a schizoid myself and have often been wronged by ignorant expectations from normies. But this time, you are wrong and doing harm to other autists, because not everyone is as lucky as you. Autism is, as we like to repeat, a spectrum, and it’s one that also includes people where it’s definitely not society’s fault that they can’t function in everyday life and where the only voice they – unable to present their case – have is that of their relatives (whose lives they make extremely difficult). It would be great to have a treatment for that (and if that also gives you the option (no one’s forcing you) to do social stuff easier than before, all the better). Please proritize that over your personal indignation over being called disabled (which technically you are, as you lack certain common abilities, even if you’re fine with that).

You are a beautiful soul. Thank you for this well thought out, heart felt reply. I also have a brilliant one in my life who is schizophrenic. Such an amazing person. I hate when life gets hard for her. She is kind and beautiful and doesn’t deserve it. You give me a lot of hope. God Bless you. ♥️

Interesting research. I don’t think that the chamber benefits are anything new though. Autism mothers have known this for a long time and many already get hyperbaric oxygen treatment for their kids or even have their own chambers at home. Would love to see this research lead to the availability of this treatment and equipment to the average person. I’m not a fan of the negative comments here. I have two with autism, one who is brilliant like Einstein and Elon but would love relief from anxiety and fitting in better. The other has terrible co-morbids and pain that we manage in unique ways but I think the oxygen therapy would help with being non verbal. It’s not lessening them in anyway to only want the best.

Austism is not genetic. Only ~8% of what happens to us is genetically caused. Also, if you wait for a “study” you’ll wait a long time. 99% of all studies prove exactly what the entity paying for the study wants proved so they can sell what they want to make millions on. Very simple equation. It’s like a business who sells Christmas lights, winter jackets, boots, and ladders, which then does a study and lo and behold, they learn to through this ‘”study”‘ that at homes where owners have purchased abc brand Christmas lights, winter jackets, boots and ladders always have the best looking Christmas lights every single year, only when they our base abc brands. This is how a very large percent of so-called studies in America are “designed.”

I don’t get the negative comments at all. Well maybe I do. I am a father of an autistic child, he is 9, he is high functioning. Obviously most of our friends are also parents to autistic children, I’m sure everyone here knows how that goes. But some our friends kids have severe issues and parents are very hopeful for any new treatment, especially non-instrusive treatments. It’s called the spectrum for a reason. We’ve been through a lot raising our kid, he’s came SO far at this point, but some of our friends are in hell, and want nothing more than for their kids to be more manageable, and excepted outside of the home. Blogs and commercials are total BS, it’s what happens in real life that pisses us special needs parents off. Bring on as many treatments as you can to help those parents that are in need of it. Just my opinion

I for one really appreciate this kind of experimentation and hope it leads to something great. I’ve always recognized my inability to properly recognize social cues and nuances and would love to partake in something that improved that.

My brother is 63 years old. He suffers from severe autism. It was a little known term in the 1960s and 70s. As a child I had to explain to people I didnt mean he is “artistic.” If a treatment would have stopped him from beating his face bloody it would have been a God send.

The article claims that the treatment is somehow more or less harmless.

“Harmless” and/or its synonyms are what they always say until it is shown that the treatments and proposed “cures” are actually very harmful!

So, the pressurized chamber works by forcing more Oxygen into the body and therefore more Oxygen into the Autistic person’s brain, eh?! Well, what if that would also cause OXYDATIVE STRESS AND/OR HYPER-PEROXIDATION THAT ACCELERATES THOSE AUTISTIC PERSONS” BRAINS’ AGING PROCESSES AND THUS WOULD DRASTICALLY INCERASE THEIR RISK OF ORGANIC (TRUE) DEMENTIA LATER IN LIFE — EH?!

Those so-called “scientists” are a bunch of Curebie Quacks and it shows!

Those Curebie Quacks of Tel Aviv really should stay away from Autistic people in all countries and of all nationalities! Israel would do well by eventually renouncing those Curebie Quacks — along with all the other Quacks. Also, the sooner that Israel renounces all Quacks, including Curebie Quacks, the better it will be for Israel’s moral and social condition!

That young Autistic girl was a child! What they essentially did to her was to perform a medical experiment on her, using elevated levels of Oxygen as a mind-altering drug or “psychotropic medication” (to use a euphemism). I understand that a certain creep named Mengele also liked to perform experiments with children!

I for one totally despise all Curebie Quacks! Curebie Quacks are evil and dangerous, and some of them are even genuinely sadistic in what they are willing to subject Autistic people to!

By the way, the very phrase “the autistic brain” is a very disturbing expression that symbolically dehumanizes Autistic people by suggesting that our brains be somehow not really Human brains. Imagine what it’s like to be told all your life that you are not fully or truly humsn because your brain is different from that of Joe Neurotupical’s brain! You might find it to be a hopeless and humiliating situation, right?

I suspect that the little girl in the experiment is being more sociable that usual because she wants those horrible treatments to end so that she can go home to go back to living her life! Or maybe she is/was experiencing some sort of Stockholm Syndrome or Trauma Bonding or some variations of those themes! See, she’s stll very young, so that’s why she’s acting more sociable and trying to please the Neurotypical normies. The day will very probably come in which she will see those Curebie Quacks and their accomplices for what they are: Bigots Who Like To Physically And/Or Psychologically Abuse Autistic Persons Under The Guises Of Science And/Or Healing !!!

I don’t think some of you people that are against this possible future therapy are thinking outside of your ‘boxes’. If you’re autistic and you’re capable enough to be typing on a comment section of this article then you may not need as intensive a treatment program as a lot of others out there that might benefit greatly from a treatment like this in the future. My middle child is almost 7 and isn’t talking yet. The prognosis for somebody like him isn’t nearly as good as somebody like my oldest son who’s 11 and is also on the spectrum but can communicate just fine and is sharp as a tack he’s just a bit goofy(aspergers). So I guess what I’m saying is just because you might be well enough to take care of your daily needs and communicate enough to get through life, there’s tens of thousands of others out there that don’t have those abilities and may never without breakthrough treatments like these coming out eventually, and there’s hundreds of thousands if not millions of loved ones of those people that would do anything to get them the help they need to be able to satisfy their daily needs themselves after we’ve passed on. It doesn’t mean ‘neurotypical’ people see autistic people as needing ‘fixed’, it just means we love them and want them to live satisfying and self sufficient lives when we’re no longer around to make sure that happens ourselves…

I understand this is not meant to cure autism, but to improve the quality life. Most parents of autistic children would do anything to get help for their kids. I, as a mother of an autistic child, am concerned about his safety when I’m not around. My Gaby is aware of his condition, he suffers, he does not have control for his outburst, he feels horrible when people get scared if him. Why not try something that promise some hope

Articles like this give me hope! All the neurodivergent folks should stop their inputs on treatments. Clearly they are not impacted as much and doing a lot of disservice to others on the spectrum.

And most autistic kids would need to be sedated to be locked in a chamber! wouldn’t that diminish the effect? Maybe there is another way to flood the brain with oxygen?

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New Data on Autism

Click on the following links to learn more about CDC’s data on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Prevalence and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2020

Early Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 4 Years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2020

PowerPoint slides that can be used to present CDC’s latest data from the ADDM Network [PPTX, 5.36MB]

A highlight of the most recent scientific findings on ASD.

Higher Autism Prevalence and COVID-19 Disruptions

Informe Comunitario del 2023 sobre el Autismo

An easy-to-read summary of the latest autism data  

CDC autism report finds higher prevalence; shifting demographics  

Track your child’s development and act early if you have a concern

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Videos with asl interpretation, one minute autism update and the role healthcare providers can play, one minute autism update and information for parents and caregivers.

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• v.33(2); 2017 Apr

Recent Research Progress in Autism Spectrum Disorder

1 Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031 China

2 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China

3 School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210 China

4 Institute of Mental Health, Peking University Sixth Hospital, Beijing, 100191 China

5 Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 China

6 PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 China

On April 2, 2017, the world will celebrate the ninth annual World Autism Awareness Day. In honor of this occasion, Neuroscience Bulletin has put together a Special Issue of reviews and primary research articles focusing on autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD is a heterogeneous developmental neurological disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and social interactions, as well as stereotyped, repetitive behavior and/or restricted interests [ 1 ]. In addition, affected individuals often have sensory abnormalities and delayed/absent language. The symptoms are present from early childhood, affecting the individual’s daily activity and imposing a huge burden on their families and the community at large. While the global burden of ASD is largely unknown, the annual social cost in the United States and the United Kingdom is estimated to be billions of dollars [ 2 , 3 ].

The term “autism”, deriving from the Greek words “ autos” (self) and “ ismos ” (action), was first used by Leo Kanner in his landmark paper in 1943 [ 4 ] to describe children with an “extreme inability to relate to others”. In the introductory review “An overview of autism spectrum disorder, heterogeneity and treatment options” [ 5 ], Masi et al . revisit the history of the diagnosis and characterization of ASD, from Kanner’s time to the currently-used Fifth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [ 1 ]. The review progresses to describe the prevalence, etiology, and clinical presentation of ASD, and discusses factors contributing to its heterogeneity, including genetic variability, co-morbidity, and gender. It concludes with evidence for pharmacological and behavioral treatments, highlighting the complexities of conducting clinical trials in ASD populations.

A key factor behind the emerging interest in ASD is its apparently growing prevalence. A recent survey of 8-year old children in the United States estimates ASD occurrence to be as high as 1 in 68 [ 6 ]. A review of the global prevalence of autism and other pervasive developmental disorders puts the median estimate of ASD prevalence at the slightly lower rate of 62/10,000 [ 7 ], with variations between studies, but no obvious evidence for differences in prevalence between geographic regions and/or ethnicities. This global report [ 7 ], commissioned by the World Health Organization, notes that changes in diagnostic concepts, service availability, and awareness of ASD may affect prevalence estimates, and highlights the scarcity of epidemiological studies from low- and middle-income countries.

To better estimate the prevalence of ASD in China, the National Health and Family Planning Commission of the People’s Republic of China recently initiated a national population-based study to measure ASD prevalence in children aged 6–12 years in 8 cities (over 120,000 individuals). A suitable screening tool in the Chinese language is essential for conducting this large-scale epidemiological study. From the array of available scales, the Autism Spectrum Rating Scales (ASRS, 6-18 years) [ 8 ], translated into Chinese, was selected because of its demonstrated high reliability and validity [ 9 ]. In an original article in this Special Issue by Yi Wang and colleagues, exploratory factor analysis was used to assess the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of ASRS [ 10 ]. The results showed that the modified Chinese version (MC-ASRS) has a 3-subscale structure comparable to the original US version, although some items have been shifted between subscales. In a companion article by Zhou et al ., the Chinese norms of the MC-ASRS, including its three sub-scales and the total score, were determined for both parent and teacher ratings [ 11 ]. A third study, from Xiu Xu and colleagues, compares the MC-ASRS with the Social Responsiveness Scale, another widely-used tool for screening children with ASD [ 12 ]. The results showed that both scales have high reliability and validity, further underscoring the suitability of the MC-ASRS for ASD screening in China. Together, these works set the foundation for large-scale epidemiological studies of ASD in China.

ASD has a strong male bias in its prevalence, on average affecting four times as many males as females [ 13 ]. However, sex differences in behavior, the presentation of autistic symptoms, or co-morbid intellectual disability are relatively unknown. An original article from Xiaobing Zou and colleagues explores this question by analyzing the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule scores for a large cohort of boys and girls [ 14 ]. Their results show that girls score significantly higher in socio-emotional reciprocity and lower in restricted and repetitive behaviors than boys. Clarifying sex differences in the diagnosis and clinical phenotypes of ASD could help provide better clinical guidance for early screening, diagnosis, and intervention.

ASD is a heterogeneous disorder with a complex genetic basis. Early twin and family studies have shown that ASD is highly heritable [ 15 ], suggesting a strong genetic predisposition. In addition to inherited mutations, recent advances in genetics and genomics have identified a large number of de novo copy-number variations and single-base-pair mutations in ASD patients, increasing the estimated proportion of patients with identifiable genetic mutations to 20%–40% [ 15 – 20 ]. As many ASD genes are known to regulate brain development and/or synapse function, theories of ASD relating to synaptic dysfunction, including excitatory/inhibitory imbalance and dysfunctional feedback regulation have been proposed [ 15 , 21 – 24 ]. Since deficits in social behavior are hallmarks of ASD, molecules and circuits underlying social behavior have received special attention [ 25 , 26 ]. Of note are the evolutionarily highly-conserved neuropeptides oxytocin and vasopressin, which have been implicated in ASD through genetic studies and have established roles in regulating social behavior [ 26 – 28 ]. Furthermore, intranasal oxytocin administration is currently being tested as a potential therapy for ASD in clinical trials, with mixed results [ 29 ]. Zhang et al . [ 30 ] review current knowledge regarding associations between ASD and single-nucleotide variants in the human oxytocin and vasopressin signaling pathways, and propose that polymorphisms in these signaling pathways may be important for sub-grouping patients in clinical trials of oxytocin.

In addition to genetic factors, pre-, neo-, and post-natal environmental risk factors have been implicated in the etiology of ASD. Epidemiological studies have identified various pharmaceutical drugs, toxicants, and metabolic and nutritional factors as increasing the ASD risk, especially during the prenatal period [ 31 , 32 ]. Immunological risk factors, including maternal infection during pregnancy, immune dysregulation, inflammation, and microbial dysbiosis have been consistently reported across multiple studies [ 31 – 33 ]. The interaction between environmental exposures and an individual’s genetic susceptibilities, both complex factors by themselves, add yet another layer of complexity to the heterogeneous phenotype of ASD. To delve into this complex problem at some depth, we focused on one aspect of environmental factors contributing to ASD, that of cytokines and the immune system. The review by Guastella and colleagues focuses on the relationship between the immune system, the brain, and behavior, and summarizes previously-identified immune system abnormalities in ASD, focusing on the role of cytokines. They further discuss the use of cytokines as potential biomarkers to define sub-groups of ASD patients [ 34 ].

ASD research has not only progressed at the level of genes and molecules, but also at the level of circuits and neural connectivity. Early findings from several structural magnetic resonance imaging studies have shown that toddlers with ASD, aged on average 2–4 years, have a larger brain volume than typically-developing children, an effect that levels off by 6–8 years [ 35 , 36 ]. These findings contribute to the notion that the trajectory of brain maturation in ASD is atypical and involves an early period of overgrowth, with each brain region having its distinct trajectory [ 35 , 36 ]. Further structural neuroimaging studies have revealed ASD to be a disorder with general and regional alterations in brain size, while functional neuroimaging studies have highlighted changes in connectivity between brain regions in ASD patients [ 35 , 37 – 39 ]. The review by Li et al . summarizes recent progress from neuroimaging studies in young ASD children and discusses the applicability of these results in aiding ASD diagnosis [ 40 ]. Since ASD is a developmental neurological disorder, neurological changes detected earlier are more likely to represent the causes rather than the effects of ASD pathogenesis. Furthermore, these results could contribute to future diagnosis and treatment strategies.

One approach to further exploration of the application of neuroimaging to ASD research is to interpret its results in combination with molecular markers. An original article from Ji-Sheng Han and colleagues examines correlations between circulating levels of the neuropeptide vasopressin, changes in structural and functional connectivity, and autistic behavior in young children with ASD. They found a significant reduction in the volume of the hypothalamus, where vasopressin neurons reside, as well as enlargement of the left amygdala and left hippocampus, which receive projections from vasopressin neurons [ 41 ]. These and other results presented in this article provide evidence for correlated changes in structural and functional connectivity and vasopressin levels in young children with ASD [ 41 ]. Neuroimaging can also be used in combination with genome sequencing to characterize rare disorders. The letter by Wen et al . [ 42 ] identifies an inherited mutation in SGSH , encoding N-sulfoglucosamine sulfohydrolase (MIM: 605270), in two brothers with Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, a rare childhood disorder with autistic phenotypes.

A discussion of advances in ASD research would be incomplete without describing the contribution of animal models. Rodent models of ASD, mostly mimicking the genetic abnormalities identified in patients, including loss-of-function mutations, gene duplications, and mis-sense point mutations, have contributed significantly to our understanding of the synaptic, circuit, and behavioral basis of ASD [ 15 , 16 , 22 , 43 , 44 ]. A number of mouse models of syndromic ASD display social impairment and repetitive behavior, the core features of ASD, although they vary widely in additional co-morbidities, and in alternations in excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission in various neuronal circuits. In investigating synaptic alterations in ASD mouse models, Wang et al . [ 45 ] examined spine density changes in two relatively well-characterized mouse gene-duplication models of ASD, namely the MECP2 duplication and human chromosome 15q11-13 duplication models. They found that, in the mouse primary somatosensory cortex, 15q11-13 duplication mostly affects spine formation at 1 month of postnatal development, while MECP2 duplication interferes with spine pruning at 3 months, without significantly affecting spine formation. To study the function of ASD genes in specific circuits and at specific time points during development, it is important to induce the genetic changes with cell-type and spatial–temporal specificity. The review by Hulbert and Jiang discusses the currently-available tools and assays for investigating ASD in rodent models, comprehensively reviewing the genetic tools available through the Cre/LoxP system for inducing genetic alterations in specific cell types and brain regions with temporal control [ 46 ]. The authors also summarize the results of published studies using existing mouse models of ASD in combination with these available genetic tools [ 46 ]. An exciting recent development in ASD research is the generation of a non-human primate ASD model through MECP2 overexpression, mimicking the MECP2 duplication syndrome in humans [ 47 ]. The review by Qiu and Li provides an overview of the existing non-human primate models of brain disorders and describes recent advances in gene-editing technology, advances that will likely accelerate the development of other ASD models in non-human primates [ 48 ]. Based on the close evolutionary relationships between non-human primates and humans, as well as similarities in their brain structure, non-human primate models of ASD will likely contribute significantly to understanding the circuit basis of ASD, as well as to testing new treatment strategies.

We live in an exciting time for ASD research, with advances at the genetic, molecular, and circuit levels emerging rapidly, and new diagnostic and treatment tools increasing being tested and becoming available. While by no means comprehensive, this Special Issue on ASD, with its reviews and original articles, is intended to provide a flavor of ongoing research progress. We sincerely hope that our efforts will contribute to generating more excitement in ASD research, and ultimately help children and families affected by ASD in a meaningful and fruitful manner.

As we put the final touches on this special issue, we are very excited that the introductory review has already been downloaded ( http://link.springer.com/journal/12264 ) well over 1600 times. We thank Prof. Shumin Duan, Editor in Chief, for the opportunity to organize this issue at such an exciting time for autism research. The issue could not have come together so quickly without concerted efforts from all authors, reviewers and staff members at Neuroscience Bulletin. In particular, we thank Yefei Li for her enthusiastic and professional assistance.

Contributor Information

Xiang Yu, Email: nc.ca.noi@gnaixuy .

Zilong Qiu, Email: nc.ca.noi@uiqz .

Dai Zhang, Email: nc.ude.umjb@gnahziad .

The government is looking to improve the lives of autistic Australians and wants your advice

Whether it's your son or daughter, sibling, partner, friend or colleague, chances are you know an autistic person. 

You might be autistic yourself.

From stigma to lack of support and a decreased life expectancy, the challenges the community face can be huge. 

But when the environments and people around them make it possible, autistic people can thrive.

A new draft national autism strategy has just been released, aiming to help shift the dial so the community can live, work and play like everyone else.

What is the strategy and what is it trying to do?

Make life better for autistic Australians, basically. 

To get to this draft stage, autistic people and their families, researchers and other stakeholders were asked what would help improve outcomes for autistic people across all stages of life. 

Four key areas were identified: 

• social inclusion
• economic inclusion
• diagnosis, services, and support, and
• health and mental health 

Now the government wants more community feedback before it decides on specific reforms. 

Clare Gibellini, who is autistic and a co-chair of the strategy oversight group, says it's a historic moment for the community. 

"It's person-centred. It looks at our strengths, rather than things we can't do. It's trauma-informed and it's guided by our own lived experience," she says. 

It's hoped the strategy will ultimately lead to a greater understanding of autism across the community, help make education and employment more inclusive, and provide better support for parents and carers. 

Ms Gibellini is also hopeful having a national strategy will go some way in helping autistic people feel heard. 

"It's time to acknowledge that being autistic doesn't mean we're flawed or broken and need to be fixed. It's also time to work towards preventing anything that seeks to erase autistic identities." 

Why is a national strategy needed?

Outcomes for autistic Australians are much poorer than for the rest of the population. More on that in a bit. 

The lack of a national approach has also led to inconsistencies across the country when it comes to inclusion and support. 

Countries including England, the United States and France already have national autism strategies. 

Domestically, South Australia provides a model. It became the first jurisdiction to appoint an assistant minister for autism when Emily Bourke took the job in 2022.

She welcomes the prospect of a national autism strategy, and since taking up the portfolio has been able to implement several initiatives.

"We're now the first in the nation to have autism inclusion teachers in our public primary schools," she says. 

What are the stats on autism? 

WARNING: This section contains references to mental health and suicide. 

The number of Australians with an autism diagnosis has surged in recent years. 

It's thought at least 200,000 Australians have an autism diagnosis, though the true number of autistic people is likely to be much higher. That could be attributed to several factors, including the time and cost of getting a diagnosis. 

Every autistic person is unique. Autistic people can have a wide variety of abilities and significantly different support needs — some may require occasional speech therapy while others may need round-the-clock care.

The life expectancy of autistic people is 20 years less than the general population and are nine times more likely to die by suicide, according to the draft strategy. 

Autistic people are almost eight times more likely to be unemployed and they are at a higher risk of homelessness and violence, according to the department. 

About 95 per cent of autistic Australians also have other disabilities or neurodivergent diagnoses. 

Out of 646,449 participants on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), 230,119 — or 36 per cent, the highest proportion on the scheme —  have autism listed as a primary diagnosis, according to the most recent quarterly report .  

Autistic participants, particularly children, have been joining the scheme in rising numbers. Campaigners say that's due to a lack of support elsewhere.

What happens next? 

The government says it will continue to work with the oversight council, working groups and the autistic community to develop an action plan. 

That, along with the final strategy, is expected to be released by the end of 2024. 

Public consultation is now open via the Department of Social Services  Engage website and closes Friday May 31, 2024.

Given the strategy is the first of its kind, Ms Gibellini acknowledges there will be gaps. 

But she's confident further consultation with the community will help pick up on those missing pieces. 

"I really want people to get involved … to be open and honest [and say] whether or not they think it'll be effective in improving outcomes," she says. 

"There should be no policy developed that impacts our lives without us having a seat and an equal voice at the table." 

Beth Radulski, an autistic autism researcher at La Trobe University, is upbeat about what the strategy could achieve. 

"Society is built to benefit people who are abled and neurotypical," she says. 

"[We need to look at] how are our environments built, what are the lighting and sound factors that are present in those environments, how that impacts sensory processing [and] how are our workplaces organised."

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Communication difficulties in autism spectrum disorder

Many individuals with autism encounter challenges in effective communication. Difficulties with both verbal and nonverbal communication can be frustrating. Still, there are a variety of therapies and alternative communication methods that can help people with autism facing language difficulties succeed in neurotypical spaces.

This post will dive into the types of communication barriers experienced by those with autism, how to recognize autism and speech delays early, and the types of therapies and accommodations that are available to aid those facing the communication challenges associated with autism.

Types of communication difficulties

Individuals with autism may approach communication in non-traditional ways and may experience verbal, nonverbal, and social communication challenges.

Language difficulties associated with ASD might include speaking in a flat tone or repeating words or phrases, known as echolalia. People with autism may also have a speech delay, meaning they may use childlike language even as adults, or they may not have developed speech at all. 1 They also may have difficulty understanding sarcasm and figurative language. 2

For individuals with autism, nonverbal communication might develop differently.

Facial expressions

Individuals with autism may face difficulty in understanding and expressing facial expressions, which are crucial for effective social interaction. Without adequate development of these skills, autistic individuals may have difficulty with interpreting social cues and engaging in meaningful social communication.

Body language

Similarly, individuals with autism may encounter challenges in understanding and utilizing body language effectively.

Underdeveloped nonverbal conversation skills can hinder their ability to engage in social interaction and may contribute to social communication difficulties.

Developing pre-language skills, such as oral language skills, may also present challenges for individuals on the autism spectrum. These difficulties can lead to repetitive or rigid language patterns and behaviors, further impacting their social interactions and communication skills.

Individuals who are neurotypical often use gestures like pointing to complement their verbal communication and typically maintain eye contact during conversations, those with autism may not exhibit these behaviors. They might not engage in typical body language or display facial expressions, which can sometimes lead to misunderstandings or difficulties in expressing their needs.

In particular, many social cues that are widely recognized by people who identify as neurotypical may be missed by someone on the autism spectrum. This can lead to awkwardness or confusion when a socially-expected script is not followed, making it hard for some people with autism to develop close relationships. 3

Additional factors contributing to communication difficulties

Some communication difficulties may be connected with other symptoms of autism spectrum disorder. These symptoms may exacerbate the communication issues or may even be their root cause.

For example, many individuals with autism may experience difficulties with sensory sensitivity. Oversensitivity to sound may make it hard for a person with autism to focus solely on their conversation. In young children, this could also make it difficult to acquire language, as other sounds in the environment may cover up speech. Sensitivity to touch, smell, or visual stimuli may also be distracting, dragging a neurodivergent person’s attention away from communicating effectively. 4

People with autism may also have difficulty recognizing others’ emotions or intentions, a skill sometimes referred to as Theory of Mind; this can make the undertone or unspoken implications of a conversation obscured to an individual with autism. 5

Many neurodivergent people also struggle with executive dysfunction. When executive functioning is impaired, it can hinder someone's ability to initiate or maintain a focus on tasks, including communication tasks. Conversely, this can cause hyperfocus, in which a person can become so focused on their task that they lose awareness of what’s going on around them, including when someone tries to get their attention. 6

Assessment and diagnosis

Early detection of the potential communication concerns associated with ASD can help prevent them or make them less severe. Autism can be detected as early as the toddler stage, with some symptoms including:

• Failure to make eye contact or reciprocate body language, like smiling 7
• Not responding to their own name 7
• Echolalia (repeating sounds or phrases over and over) 7
• “Stimming” behaviors such as hand flapping or rocking back and forth 7
• Sensory sensitivity to textures, tastes, smells, or certain noises 7

If a child is showing early signs of autism or delayed speech, a speech and language evaluation by a professional may help. This testing, performed by a qualified specialist in speech and language development, will assess various aspects of the child’s communication, as well as potential alternative causes, such as hearing loss. 8

Communication strategies

Many tools can help those facing language difficulties communicate more effectively. Augmentative and alternative communication uses additional tools to enhance communication. This could range from body language to paper tools such as spelling boards to digital tools such as text-to-speech programs. 9

Individuals with autism can also benefit from speech therapy. This therapy may help them learn both verbal and nonverbal communication strategies, including more expressive speech patterns, body language, or sign language. 10

People with autism can also be trained in social skills. This usually involves face-to-face instruction with a teacher who can offer guidance in relationship building, conversation skills, and other areas. 11

Supporting individuals with ASD

The family members or caregivers of a child with autism are the first experiences they'll have with social and linguistic development. These role models need to spend time with the child, intentionally developing these skills. Patience is key. It may take a child with autism extra time or effort to absorb what a neurotypical child might pick up quickly. 12

Inclusive education and community support can also help a child with autism succeed. Research shows that modifying classroom environments and accommodating learning differences can improve outcomes for neurodivergent students. 13

Research and innovation

Research into autism is ongoing and continually evolving.

Current studies are looking into ways to detect speech delays even earlier in childhood, augmenting communication with technology, and the effect parents have on the outcome of speech therapy and other treatments. 14

New therapies are being explored for autism and other communication challenges as well. Drug trials are making use of both new and existing medications that may reduce the severity of the core symptoms. It’s important to note, however, that the diversity among those with autism makes it difficult to determine what therapies will work. Many medications work for only a subset of those with autism in their community. 15

Success stories

Though autism can cause many difficulties, it is very possible to live a successful and fulfilling life with such a diagnosis.

Many successful performers, athletes, activists, scientists, entrepreneurs, and artists utilize their strengths and unique perspectives associated with autism.

Some famous names you might recognize—including actor Anthony Hopkins, climate activist Greta Thunberg, baseball star Jim Eisenreich, and novelist Helen Hoang—identify themselves as living with autism.

Many historical figures also may have lived with undiagnosed autism, including scientists Albert Einstein and Sir Isaac Newton, artist Leonardo da Vinci, and fairy-tale writer Hans Christian Andersen. 16

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• Retrieved on March 15, 2024, from nidcd.nih.gov/health/autism-spectrum-disorder-communication-problems-children
• Retrieved on March 15, 2024, from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3991690/
• Retrieved on March 15, 2024, from educationonline.ku.edu/community/social-difficulties-in-autism-spectrum-disorder
• Retrieved on March 15, 2024, from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3086654/
• Retrieved on March 15, 2024, from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5487761/
• Retrieved on March 15, 2024, from books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=xaafOGu0fSIC&oi=fnd&pg=PA133&dq=executive+dysfunction+and+communication&ots=WvuE27WJve&sig=Zr222n8uDTsd3w9WslJXjcjnyF4#v=onepage&q=executive%20dysfunction%20and%20communication&f=false
• Retrieved on March 15, 2024, from nhs.uk/conditions/autism/signs/children/
• Retrieved on March 15, 2024, from asha.org/public/speech/disorders/autism/#professional
• Retrieved on March 15, 2024, from autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/professional-practice/aug-alt-comm
• Retrieved on March 15, 2024, from nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/autism/conditioninfo/treatments/speech-language
• Retrieved on March 15, 2024, from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7670840/
• Retrieved on March 15, 2024, from verywellmind.com/how-to-care-for-someone-with-autism-5213890
• Retrieved on March 15, 2024, from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9620685/
• Retrieved on March 15, 2024, from nidcd.nih.gov/health/autism-spectrum-disorder-communication-problems-children#5
• Retrieved on March 15, 2024, from sparkforautism.org/discover_article/finding-new-treatments-for-autism/
• Retrieved on March 15, 2024, from autismparentingmagazine.com/famous-people-with-autism/#Athletes_on_the_spectrum
• Retrieved on March 15, 2024, from usnews.com/education/online-education/education/online-special-education-rankings

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The sudden rise of AuDHD: what is behind the rocketing rates of this life-changing diagnosis?

Just over a decade ago, autism and ADHD were thought to be mutually exclusive. But in recent years, all that has changed

H e had beaten more than 19,000 applicants for a place at medical school, yet Khurram Sadiq was now bunking off his hospital shifts. The 19-year-old felt inexplicably anxious around strangers on the wards and was hiding from his own patients. During lectures he couldn’t focus on what he was being taught. He deemed himself “a goof, a dunce” in contrast to his peers. Sadiq couldn’t motivate himself to revise for his exams and instead found himself panic reading textbooks in the final days. He passed his undergraduate pre-medical exams by the skin of his teeth. That was 30 years ago. In the decades since, Dr Sadiq has qualified as a consultant psychiatrist, been diagnosed with both autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), specialised in autism and ADHD psychiatry and met hundreds of patients with struggles similar to his. He is now trying to spread what was once an unbelievable message: that both autism and ADHD can coexist in the same person simultaneously. Just over a decade ago, the two conditions were considered to be mutually exclusive, with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, often referred to as “psychiatry’s bible”, stating that the diagnosis of one precluded the existence of the other. This wasn’t revised until 2013. “It led to a fork in the road,” says Dr Jessica Eccles, spokesperson for the Royal College of Psychiatrists. “Not only for clinical practice, but also for research and public understanding of these conditions.” Now some specialists believe that the coexistence of both conditions is not just possible, but frequent. One study by researchers at Duke University found that up to half of people diagnosed as autistic also exhibit ADHD symptoms, and that characteristics of autism are present in two-thirds of people with ADHD. “My clinical experience suggests it’s more than three-quarters in both directions,” adds Dr Eccles. Online, the idea that autism and ADHD can coexist is so widely accepted that it has spawned its own label – “AuDHD” – and a groundswell of people who say they recognise its oxymoronic nature, perpetual internal war and rollercoaster of needs. There are tens of thousands of people in AuDHD self-help forums, and millions more watching AuDHD videos. Some of those videos come from Samantha Stein, a British YouTuber. “The fact that you can have both [autism and ADHD] at the same time is kind of paradoxical in nature,” she admits. “You think: ‘How can you be extremely rigid and need routines and structure, but also be completely incapable of maintaining a routine and structure?’” The 38-year-old started making videos on autism after her diagnosis in 2019, then began covering AuDHD after learning that she also had ADHD. “I realised that autistic adults – especially those who are diagnosed late in life – more often than not seem to have ADHD as well,” says Stein. Her first video on the subject, “ 5 signs you have ADHD and autism ”, has now been viewed more than 2m times.

Some critics like to describe ADHD – and more recently autism – as a “fashionable” diagnosis, a misinformed excuse for life’s struggles. It’s almost inevitable that the new AuDHD label will cause a similar backlash. To see just how misguided this is, we must first understand both autism and ADHD. Both are lifelong neurodevelopmental conditions that affect how people think, perceive the world and interact with others, according to Embracing Complexity , an umbrella group of organisations that research neurodiversity.

Autism and ADHD affect people on a spectrum of severity, both are legally recognised as disabilities, and neither are mental illnesses to be “cured”, although the knock-on effects can lead to mental illness . People who experience ways of thinking that diverge from those experienced by the majority of people are described as “ neurodivergent ”. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is caused by multiple genetic factors that aren’t yet fully understood . Contrary to misconception, autism doesn’t equate to impaired intelligence, and only around half of people with autism also have a co-occurring intellectual disability. According to the National Autistic Society, autism is characterised by social challenges, repetitive behaviours, over- or under-sensitivity to surroundings and highly focused interests. Autism is experienced in a multitude of ways. To empathise with the autistic trait of oversensitivity, for example, imagine that all your senses are amplified . The hum of your fridge is louder, the overhead lights are brighter, your itchy jumper is pricklier. It’s distracting while you’re trying to work, it’s draining to pretend it isn’t bothering you and you become increasingly stressed as a result. “For me, eating in a canteen is like eating in a nightclub for a neurotypical person,” says Jill Corbyn, who is autistic and the director of support organisation Neurodiverse Connection . “It’s unpleasantly loud, it’s going to distract you from your food, it’s anxiety-inducing.” Additionally, some autistic people may find social situations exhausting or overwhelming, or feel incompetent when they’re unable to decipher the subtleties of interpersonal communication, 60% of which is non-verbal . Charli Clement, 23, explains that while a non-autistic person may rehearse parts of a conversation before a date or a job interview, her autism leads her to “script significantly” before even ordering a drink at a bar.

“I try to make sure I’m not doing something that will be perceived as ‘wrong’, so focusing on what the person is saying and what I should be replying is overwhelming,” she says.

Compounding the experience is the feeling many autistic people have that it isn’t “normal” to feel this way and that they must camouflage their discomfort to fit in with the pack. This “masking”, as it’s known, is exhausting, invalidating and can lead to burnout . ADHD is also not fully understood. There’s evidence that the condition, involving an imbalance of neurotransmitters – including dopamine, in the brain – has both genetic and environmental causes. These chemical messengers are responsible for motivation, movement, planning, reward, memory, focus, alertness, impulse control and threat response, among others. People with untreated ADHD, whose reward pathways are therefore more dysregulated, can subsequently experience disordered moods, sleep, eating habits and dysfunction in almost every area of life. Some people with ADHD are like pinballs of external chaos – of lost keys, missed appointments and cluttered homes. Others may appear inattentive, distracted by balls of chaotic thoughts into which they frequently retreat from the world to untangle. ADHD affects people to different degrees. But many say their lives are marred by their brain’s misguided attempts to correct its chemical imbalances . They impulsively dopamine-spike with food, sex, drugs, booze, the internet, people, hobbies and novelty of all shades. “I am a slave to my own brain and it’s tiring,” writes one anonymous person on an ADHD Reddit support group. Another asks: “Do you also feel like a slave to your desires?” She gives the examples of “chasing girls, gambling, chasing men, eating, hobby-hopping, extreme budgeting, falling in love [with] the wrong person, spending extravagantly”.

What frequently underpins the external and internal chaos, according to experts and many ADHDers alike, is a pervasive sense of deep shame and the quiet realisation that their potential in life is not being met .

When autism meets ADHD, it’s a curious form of alchemy, according to those who have both. Sometimes the conditions are in conflict; at other times they’re symbiotic. There is no such thing as a perfect 50/50 split, explains Sadiq, and the brain is often “seesawing” between both conditions. This makes the presentation of AuDHD a distinctive condition in its own right, “completely different from pure ADHD or pure ASD”, he adds.

In his Ted Talk, “When Order and Anarchy Live Together”, Sadiq describes the dualities of the condition: “Silence v noise; structure v chaos; repetition v novelty; caution v risk-taking …” Mattia Maurée, a non-binary composer and host of the AuDHD Flourishing podcast, discovered the AuDHD concept after following separate pieces of advice about autism and ADHD that “just weren’t working for me”. “It was like: ‘No, my life is still really, really hard,’” they tell me from Philadelphia. AuDHD is uniquely “cyclical”, says Maurée, with big bursts of energy followed by a crash. “AuDHDers can also be incredibly creative and innovative, maybe because of that brain hyper-connectivity.” Creativity is cited as the most positive AuDHD attribute by everyone I speak to, along with the subtle pairings of traits that “complement each other in a really nice way”, as Stein puts it. “ADHD gives me a love of novelty and a very creative side. And then autism allows me to focus on a topic that I’m really interested in. All of that allows me to be very self-directed.”

The paradoxes of AuDHD can camouflage each other or – on the surface at least – cancel each other out, which is why some AuDHDers experience missed or incorrect diagnoses. In February, Sadiq saw a patient who had been referred to his NHS clinic for an ADHD diagnosis. He realised 15 minutes into the consultation that the patient was autistic. “If I had no lived experience of autism and ADHD I would have missed it completely,” he says. “I would have diagnosed either social anxiety or a personality disorder.” In spite of his expertise, Sadiq is not formally qualified to make an autism diagnosis, and instead he had to refer the patient on to the autism service within the NHS trust. He believes that psychiatrists specialising in autism should also be trained in ADHD and vice versa, because otherwise “they’re going to be missing a lot”.

It’s not just the medical profession that needs more coordination. Charities such as ADHD UK and the National Autistic Society also work independently from one another. Legislation such as the government-backed The Buckland Review of Autism Employment, which recently called for employers to boost support for autistic people , scrutinises autism provisions but not ADHD ones. ADHD UK is one of many advocacy groups calling for the Autism Act , which legally compels the government to support autistic people, to be widened in scope to include other forms of neurodiversity. Once a correct dual diagnosis is obtained, there are still complications. ADHD can be successfully managed with medication and behavioural coaching, but some autistic people react badly to this medication. Research indicates that stimulants are overall less tolerable for AuDHDers than they are for people with ADHD, according to the global research platform Embrace Autism, with one report finding that side-effects doubled in those with both conditions.

Another quirk of AuDHD treatment is that in some cases, it’s only after “quietening” someone’s ADHD symptoms that their autism traits come to the fore. This is often when people realise their autistic side for the first time, and it could explain why rates of self-reported autism closely follow those of ADHD. The medical professionals I interviewed for this article were emphatic that ADHD medication cannot cause autism. Instead, Dr Eccles says: “It has just changed the balance of symptoms. The balance of masking has changed.” The prevalence of autism was widely believed to be 1% until last year, when a first of its kind study published in the Lancet found the true rate to be more than double that, with at least 1.2 million autistic people in the UK. The prevalence of ADHD in UK adults is around 4% , according to ADHD UK, and assessment waiting lists for both conditions are increasing year on year, with waits of a decade in some parts of the country for ADHD assessment. When naysayers argue that we are in the midst of an overdiagnosis epidemic, charities often point them to the statistics on suicide, and the fact that the ripple effects of ADHD and autism often lead to mental ill-health. Autistic adults without a learning disability are far more likely to die by suicide. In 2022, researchers from Cambridge and Nottingham University, analysing coroners’ inquest records, concluded that a significant number of people who had died by suicide were likely autistic but undiagnosed. Adults with ADHD, meanwhile, are  five times more likely to attempt suicide than their neurotypical peers. Yet AuDHDers have been found to be at even greater risk of suicide than either those with only autism or ADHD, according to an academic study of more than 50,000 people.

For people like Clement, criticism about over-labelling is the least of her concerns. As a teenager she spent time in a psychiatric unit before the nature of her AuDHD was fully realised. “I’d already given myself labels,” she says. “I already thought that I was weird and broken. So having a label that actually made sense and encompassed my experience was so liberating.”

She now works part-time advising psychiatric hospitals on how to ensure their sensory environments are adequate for neurodiverse people.

Other AuDHDers give colourful analogies to describe the epiphany of diagnosis. Before the discovery, I’m told, it’s as if you are trying to fit in and be a horse rather than celebrating the fact that you’re a zebra. It’s like being trapped in a maze in the dark, then suddenly the lights are on and now there’s a way to navigate out.

Stein describes her life as “fundamentally walking parallel to, but never quite included in society”. Her diagnosis, however, “allowed me to look at my life through the lens of far more compassion – as a pretty good autistic person rather than a broken neurotypical person”.

“I think in some ways [AuDHD] can be a very beautiful thing,” she says.

“You just need the right support to be able to access those parts of you. And you need the label to know what the hell is going on in your brain.”

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The Importance of Lived Experience Perspectives – Insights From the IACC

Joshua A. Gordon, M.D., Ph.D., and Susan Daniels, Ph.D., HHS National Autism Coordinator and Director of the NIMH Office of National Autism Coordination

April 4, 2024

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During National Autism Acceptance Month, NIMH and the NIMH Office of National Autism Coordination  celebrate the important contributions of autistic people in our families and our society, and we reaffirm our support for their acceptance, inclusion, and full participation in all aspects of community life. This April, we would like to highlight NIMH’s unique role in federal autism coordination efforts and reflect on how the lived experiences of autistic people and their families have shaped federal autism research, services, and policy.

We have the privilege of serving as the Chair and Executive Secretary of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC)  . The IACC is a federal advisory committee established by Congress and currently authorized under the Autism CARES Act of 2019. The committee includes federal officials from agencies that support autism research and vital services for people with disabilities, as well as public members, including autistic adults, family members, advocates, researchers, and service providers from diverse communities around the country.

The IACC serves as a forum for community engagement and provides an important point of convergence and collaboration. Federal agency members and public members work together to develop and provide advice that informs the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, federal agencies, Congress, and the President. This advice guides the activities of federal agencies and helps ensure that federal programs are responsive to the needs of the autism community.

Reflecting community needs

In working with the IACC, we have seen how community voices, reflecting the lived experiences of autistic people and their families, can contribute to important advances in federal autism activities. Public input on the co-occurring mental and physical health conditions often experienced by autistic individuals is one such example. These conditions can include seizure disorders, gastrointestinal problems, and disruptions in sleep. They can also include mental disorders and mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), self-injury, and suicidal ideation. Many autistic individuals also have learning disabilities or additional developmental conditions and disabilities.

For many people with autism, co-occurring conditions can contribute to lost opportunities and decreased productivity, poor health outcomes, and, in some cases, premature death. Discussions initiated by public members of the IACC, along with public comments received at IACC meetings and at an IACC-sponsored town hall  , helped to shape the research objectives on co-occurring conditions in the inaugural 2009 IACC Strategic Plan   .

The topic of co-occurring conditions remains an IACC priority today. The 2021-2023 IACC Strategic Plan   includes comprehensive recommendations for research investigating the biology underlying co-occurring conditions and autism, as well as interventions and services to address these conditions across the lifespan. Just last year, the IACC issued a Request for Information  seeking additional community input on the topic and received responses from more than 1,200 people. Themes and priorities from these responses will be included in the forthcoming IACC Strategic Plan Update , which will focus on the impact of co-occurring conditions on the physical and mental health of people on the autism spectrum. The update aims to further identify opportunities for research and services to improve well-being for autistic people.

Representing diverse experiences

Hearing from people with lived experience has shed light on additional issues important to the autism community, including wandering and elopement, the needs of transition-age youth and adults, and autism in girls and women. Autistic people and family members have also emphasized the breadth of experiences and challenges across the spectrum of ability and disability and the need for a range of personalized tools, interventions, services, and supports rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

Based on input from autistic people and families from diverse and underserved communities, the IACC has prioritized the need to increase equity and reduce disparities experienced by autistic individuals across race, ethnicity, culture, sex and gender, socioeconomic status, and geographic location, including rural and urban communities. This also includes the need for more researchers and service providers who come from diverse communities and have lived experience with autism and disability.

The 2021-2023 IACC Strategic Plan includes two cross-cutting recommendations – one on equity and disparities and one on sex and gender – to intensify focus on addressing gaps in these areas and increase equity for all autistic people. The committee also continues to support priorities to ensure that autism research and services meet the needs of individuals across the whole spectrum, including those with the highest support needs, and across the full lifespan into older adulthood. Importantly, the strategic plan emphasizes inclusion and acceptance of all autistic people and reducing barriers to their participation in every aspect of community life.

Prioritizing collaboration and inclusion

In all of this work, consideration of diverse viewpoints and experiences from across the autism community and a spirit of cooperation, collaboration, and civility have been crucial. As the autism landscape continues to evolve, collaboration between federal agencies and community members will remain a cornerstone of progress in improving the health and well-being of autistic people and their families.

Community engagement plays an important role across the broad portfolio of federal research, services, and policy activities related to disabilities, mental health, and physical health. Federal agencies gather public input through federal advisory committees; solicit public comments through formal requests for information; and engage individuals with lived experience in grant review panels, community engagement programs, and community-based participatory research. Lived experience perspectives strengthen federal programs and help ensure federal research and services address the issues most important to those whom they serve.

During Autism Acceptance Month, let us honor the contributions of autistic individuals and others with lived experience; strive to ensure that their voices, perspectives, and priorities are heard and represented in federal activities for research, services, and policy; and work toward a more inclusive society for all.

Frist Center for Autism and Innovation

Frist Center seeking applications for new fellows, affiliates

Posted by stassuk on Tuesday, April 9, 2024 in FCAI News , News .

The Frist Center for Autism and Innovation has announced its 2024 call for membership, which allows Vanderbilt faculty and staff to apply to become affiliates or fellows of the Center. The work of current fellows and affiliates has resulted in multi-million-dollar grants and was highlighted nationally on CBS’s 60 Minutes with Anderson Cooper .

An affiliate can be any VU/VUMC faculty or staff member who has a relevant interest in the activities of the Frist Center, including—but not limited to—developing a strengths-based understanding of neurodiverse abilities; studying novel employment arrangements and workplace practices that leverage these capabilities; inventing new technologies that enable individuals with autism to achieve their potential; and exploring innovative approaches inspired by neurodiversity. Non-VU/VUMC individuals may also apply as Outside Affiliates. Affiliates are eligible for benefits such as access to resource staff, postdoctoral fellows, and the ability to apply for mini-grants.

Fellows will be affiliates who are willing to contribute time and effort toward the Center’s initiatives, ranging from participating on committees, mentoring students, mentoring postdocs, hosting speakers, planning symposia, leading white papers, conducting studies and more. Those awarded fellow status will be eligible for additional benefits, such as administrative support for working groups, prioritized access to resource staff and Center workspace, and the ability to propose projects with significant Center support. Non-VU/VUMC individuals may also apply for Visiting Fellow status.

The membership program intends to formally recognize the many faculty and staff and community members who seek to support the Center’s mission, and to facilitate collaboration with these individuals. Given the high amount of anticipated interest in becoming a Frist Center member, applications will be carefully reviewed and the strongest applicants will be offered membership.

Both affiliate and fellow status will be renewable on an annual basis, based on mutual agreement. The Frist Center will have annual calls for affiliation, so if this year does not work out for you, there will be ample opportunity to pursue affiliation in the future. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Frist Center, please take a moment to fill out this online form by May 15th, 2024 .

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Acetaminophen during pregnancy not associated with ADHD or autism risk

Taking acetaminophen during pregnancy has been associated with an increased risk of autism, and ADHD in children in some research. A new study suggests that it is not acetaminophen that is linked to neurodevelopmental disorders, but likely other issues such as genetics.

The new report, published in JAMA on Tuesday, focused on data from more than 2 million Swedish children who were followed for up to 26 years. After an initial analysis that revealed a very small increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children whose mothers took acetaminophen during pregnancy, the researchers went back to the same database and did a second study, looking at pairs of siblings whose mothers used acetaminophen during one pregnancy but not the other. 

This time they found there was no increased risk of neurodevelopmental problems associated with acetaminophen, which suggested there was something else raising the risk of these disorders. 

Both the initial and sibling studies were published in the same report. 

In this study as well as in earlier ones, researchers have had little information on whether the parents’ themselves had autism, ADHD or an intellectual disability. When the parents of the children in the study were young, diagnoses of neurodevelopmental disorders weren’t as common. 

“The bottom line from this study is that pregnant women do not need to worry about autism if they use acetaminophen during their pregnancy,” said the study’s co-senior author Brian Lee, an associate professor at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health and a fellow at the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute.

Still, Lee said, “women should always consult with their physician before initiating medication use.”

Of the 185,909 children whose mothers took acetaminophen during pregnancy, about 9% were diagnosed with autism, ADHD or an intellectual disability. Among the estimated 2.3 million children whose mothers did not use acetaminophen while pregnant, about 7.5% were diagnosed with one of the conditions.

After adjusting for factors such as mother’s age, smoking status and maternal diagnoses of autism, ADHD and intellectual disability, the researchers found that among those children whose mothers had used acetaminophen during pregnancy, there was a 5% increased risk of autism, a 7% increased risk of ADHD and a 5% increased risk of an intellectual disability.

An estimated 2.8% of children will be diagnosed with autism by age 8, according to 2023 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ; 11.3% of children and adolescents will be diagnosed with ADHD and 2.35% of children aged 3 to 17 will be diagnosed with an intellectual disability. 

Dr. Catherine Caponero, an OB-GYN at the Cleveland Clinic said she was reassured by the results..

“This is a very well-studied drug during pregnancy,” Caponero said. “Studies have shown over and over again it is one of the few options women can use for pain and fever.” 

Not treating fevers in moms could also be a problem, said J. Blake Turner, an assistant professor of social science in psychiatry at Columbia University. Turner pointed to studies that have linked fevers during pregnancy to an increased risk of autism. “The risk can be quite dramatically higher if it’s untreated,” he said.

The new study’s use of a sibling analysis highlights the importance of genetics, said Manish Arora, a professor of environmental medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The sibling analysis provides an adjustment that “is missing in many studies,” he said. “I really appreciated that.”

Linda Carroll is a regular health contributor to NBC News. She is coauthor of "The Concussion Crisis: Anatomy of a Silent Epidemic" and "Out of the Clouds: The Unlikely Horseman and the Unwanted Colt Who Conquered the Sport of Kings."