Developmental Disorder News and Research

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Gameplay patterns on iPad could help identify children with autism

Autism could be diagnosed by allowing children to play games on smart phones and tablets, a study involving the University of Strathclyde has found.

30 Aug 2016

Study to examine new ways to transfer autistic child's improving communication skills into education setting

A University of Manchester-led study is testing whether an intervention with parents and teachers can help children with autism transfer newly acquired social communication skills from home into school.

23 Jun 2016

Children with ADHD experience difficulties in adapting behaviour to given situations

Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often display behaviours that are inappropriate for the situation in which they are in. They might move around in the classroom during a lesson, or talk non-stop and interrupt others' conversations.

4 Jun 2016

Telehealth can help parents improve social communication of autistic children

Parents struggling to find and afford therapy for their child with autism may eventually be able to provide that therapy themselves with the help of telehealth training.

25 May 2016

Scientists uncover unique cellular defects linked with SLOS using novel stem-cell model

Studies performed by a Sanford Research scientist using an innovative stem-cell model for a fatal developmental disorder is the focus of a recent study published in Nature Medicine. Kevin Francis, Ph.D. uncovered unique cellular defects associated with Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS) by modeling this disease using induced pluripotent stem cells.

21 Apr 2016

Tumor suppressor p53 gene twice as likely to be defective in autistic children

A large study by researchers with the UC Davis MIND Institute has found that a gene whose role is to suppress cellular damage from environmental stressors is nearly twice as likely to be defective in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and that the deficit is also present in their fathers.

1 Apr 2016

Prevalence of autism spectrum disorder in U.S. unchanged, finds new CDC report

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health contributed to a new U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that finds the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) largely unchanged from two years ago, at one in 68 children (or 1.46 percent).

1 Apr 2016

Current evidence insufficient to assess benefits and harms of screening for ASD

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has concluded that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children 18 to 30 months of age for whom no concerns of ASD have been raised by their parents or a clinician.

17 Feb 2016

Electronic medical data could help verify link between maternal obesity and diabetes to autism

Scientists show they can use electronic medical records and birth information to verify and strengthen an already suspected link between autistic children and pregnant mothers with obesity and diabetes.

1 Feb 2016

Using antidepressants during pregnancy greatly increases autism risk

Using antidepressants during pregnancy greatly increases the risk of autism, Professor Anick Bérard of the University of Montreal and its affiliated CHU Sainte-Justine children's hospital revealed today. Prof. Bérard, an internationally renowned expert in the fields of pharmaceutical safety during pregnancy, came to her conclusions after reviewing data covering 145,456 pregnancies.

15 Dec 2015

Study provides biochemical links between genes linked to autism and the inhibition of nerve cells

A study led by the University of Utah School of Medicine provides new insights into how the subtle changes within cells, caused by disruptions in a gene called Kirrel3, could underlie some types of intellectual disability and autism.

18 Nov 2015

New zebrafish study provides insights into causes of congenital heart defects

Researchers working with zebrafish at New Zealand's University of Otago have published a study providing new insights into the causes of the congenital heart defects associated with a rare developmental disorder.

16 Oct 2015

Novel computational strategy may help identify genetic variants that cause disease in children

The team behind the Deciphering Developmental Disorders (DDD) Study, one of the world's largest nationwide rare disease genome-wide sequencing initiatives, have developed a novel computational approach to identify genetic variants that cause disease in young children.

6 Oct 2015

OGT’s popular ESHG workshop free to view online

Oxford Gene Technology (OGT), The Molecular Genetics Company, has made its European Human Genetics (ESHG) Conference workshop freely available to view online.

From Oxford Gene Technology 16 Jul 2015

OGT launches new arrays for developmental disorders at ESHG

Oxford Gene Technology (OGT), The Molecular Genetics Company, is today launching a new range of arrays at the European Society of Human Genetics (ESHG) Conference in Glasgow, UK, that are dedicated to elucidating the underlying causes of developmental delay.

From Oxford Gene Technology 10 Jun 2015

New study examines appropriate use of dietary supplementation in children with ASD

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are often picky eaters, which can lead parents to suspect that their children might not be getting adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals. This sometimes leads parents of children with ASD to try nutritional supplements and dietary regimens such as gluten-free and casein-free (GFCF) diets without professional supervision.

4 Jun 2015

New study identifies gene that causes potentially fatal Adams-Oliver syndrome

A new study has separately confirmed and significantly built on recent research, identifying mutations of a gene that causes the uncommon but potentially fatal Adams-Oliver syndrome.

12 May 2015

CHOPS syndrome sheds light on key biological processes during human development

Analyzing a puzzling multisystem disorder in three children, genetic experts have identified a new syndrome, shedding light on key biological processes during human development. The research also provides important information to help caregivers manage the disorder, and may offer clues to eventually treating it.

3 Mar 2015

Declarative memory helps individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders compensate for dysfunction

Individuals with five neurodevelopmental disorders -- autism spectrum disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette syndrome, dyslexia, and Specific Language Impairment -- appear to compensate for dysfunction by relying on a single powerful and nimble system in the brain known as declarative memory.

13 Feb 2015

Improving prefrontal cortex activity could help autistic people regulate emotions

Tantrums, irritability, self-injury, depression, anxiety. These symptoms are associated with autism, but they're not considered core symptoms of the disorder. Researchers from the UNC School of Medicine are challenging this assertion. They have used functional MRI to show that - when it comes to the ability to regulate emotions - brain activity in autistic people is significantly different than brain activity in people without autism.

28 Jan 2015