Category: Autism News

Lockard BS, et al. Saccadic eye movement variability and scattered patterns in children with autism spectrum disorder. Presented at: American Neurological Association annual meeting; Sept. 9-12, 2023; Philadelphia. Disclosures: Lockard reports no relevant financial disclosures. ADD TOPIC TO EMAIL ALERTS Receive an email when new articles are posted on Please provide your email address to…

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, celebrated the induction of 12 distinguished individuals into its Alpha Omega Chapter as Honorary Members during a historic ceremony at Howard University on September 19, 2023. Among these notable figures, the spotlight shines brightly on Debra Vines, a passionate advocate recognized as the 2022 Top 10 CNN Hero for her…

What’s PICA? Pica is a mental health condition where people compulsively swallow non-food items. For my son, Charlie, who has profound autism, a “PICA item” is… everything. Wrappers, toys, dirt, plants, paint from the wall, anything on the floor, rubber bands, nails, coins, dollar bills… You name it. Charlie compulsively swallows everything he sees. What causes PICA…

What is the Yippee/TBH creature? If you’ve browsed the internet, you may or may not be aware of a new symbol that is gaining popularity in the autism community. The image, which began circulating in 2021, is known as the TBH Creature. It has also been referred to as “Yippee,” referring to a popular video…

— Tom Werner/Getty The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently authorized the use of a novel eye-tracking tool to assist in the diagnosis of autism in kids aged 16 to 30 months — a very early yet critical stage for discovering the condition in young children. While the new tech promises to help make…

A group of scientists led by Professor Minsik Kim from DGIST say they have figured out what environmental factors play a role in causing autism spectrum disorder. The group worked together with research teams led by Professor Yongsuk Lee at Seoul National University, Professor Junyong Ahn at Korea University, and Chanyeong Shin at Konkuk University.…

Summary: A collaborative research effort delved deeper into the environmental factors impacting autism spectrum disorder (ASD) onset. Utilizing a mouse model treated with valproate, researchers observed an increase in the expression of the Rnf146 gene, a known ASD influencer, in the mouse’s prefrontal lobe. This was associated with autistic behavioral patterns and a disrupted neurotransmitter…

Provided by Katherine Gotthardt, Author Award-winning poet and author Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt announced her 12th book, We All Might Be Witches, an illustrated collection of micropoems released by MacKenzie Publishing. Gotthardt, inspired by her son, wrote the book to honor those with autism spectrum disorder and conditions considered cognitive or emotional disabilities. “The word ‘disability’ attached to…

[By: Damen Shipyards] Port Marlborough New Zealand (PMNZ) and Damen Shipyards have signed a contract for the delivery of an Azimuth Stern Drive Tug 2111. Just 21 metres in length, the ASD Tug 2111 has a bollard pull of 50 tonnes and its Twin Fin skeg and Azimuth thrusters ensure excellent manoeuvrability. PMNZ, situated at…

Head to head: Mice use an array of social-touch behaviors to interact, including facial whisker touch. Heidi and Hans-Juergen Koch / Minden Pictures A new assay measures how mice respond to social touch, a type of interaction that fosters kinship and facilitates communication between animals. This test could help scientists study reactions to social touch…