Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Regions of interest: Researchers mapped out the heritability of single nucleotide polymorphisms across 13 neuroimaging modalities, 6 of which are shown here. Some 4,349 regions in the genome seem to govern key physical characteristics in the cerebral cortex, according to a new genome-wide association study (GWAS). The research included genetic and MRI data from more…

An evangelical pastor who briefly shot to fame in 2015 for recording a rap song in support of Sen. Ted Cruz is now selling industrial-strength bleach tablets to parents and has admitted that many of his customers are using the product  to treat autism in their children. Joe Salant, who grew up in an affluent…

“This is what makes the feared stigma a non-issue,” he said. The firm, which started a pilot programme two years ago to hire autistic individuals, took a “phased approach” to the onboarding process, providing them a smooth transition into the job.  “They were given time to fit into their roles over several months. It allowed…

Almost Three-quarters of videos relating to Autism on TikTok contain inaccurate information on the disorder, new research reveals. A new study in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders entitled: The Reach and Accuracy of Information on Autism on TikTok found that 73% of informational videos on the platform contained inaccurate or overgeneralized claims about…

Shared genetic architecture (MiXeR) MiXeR revealed substantial amount of shared ‘causal’ variants between ASD&INT and ASD&EDU. As shown in the Venn diagram (Fig. 1), the estimated number of shared ‘causal’ variants between ASD and INT was 11.1k (SD = 0.7k), with 1.6k (1.2k) unique ASD variants and 0.6k (0.7k) unique INT variants. The Dice coefficient was 0.91…

A new brain organoid model lets researchers investigate the origins of autism. Organoids are microtissue spheroids that are grown from stem cells and have a similar structure to real organs. With them, and with a new method for modifying genes within these organoids using the CRISPR-Cas gene scissors, the researchers found out which genetic networks…

Moving to a new home can be a huge challenge. There are so many things to consider when moving especially when there is an autistic child involved. I needed to consider the safety of the home and the surrounding area. I checked  to see if  there were any bodies of water nearby; including  private swimming…

The most recent data shows that about one in 68 children in the U.S. are affected by autism and boys are four times more likely than girls to be diagnosed. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is marked by communication and social difficulties, sensory processing issues, and inflexible patterns of behavior. Almost everything that researchers have learned…

ABA Centers of Florida recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the unveiling of its Florida flagship autism care center in Boca Raton. During the ceremony, guests received exclusive tours of the premises, allowing attendees to explore the cutting-edge facility and learn about its sensory-friendly designs, which cater to all levels of the autism spectrum. The play…

In the vast tapestry of human history, stories serve as the golden threads connecting generations. From tales whispered around ancient campfires to modern-day bestsellers, narratives have always held the power to captivate, inspire, and educate. When we consider children with autism, an audience often deeply focused on their passions, the potency of storytelling as an…