Developmental Disability News and Research

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Health providers scramble to keep remaining staff amid Medicaid rate debate

Andrew Johnson lets his clients choose what music to play in the car. As an employee of Family Outreach in Helena, Montana — an organization that assists developmentally disabled people — part of his workday involves driving around, picking up clients, and taking them to work or to run errands.

24 Mar 2023

A convergent coexpression approach identifies novel genes associated with autism

The current study analyzes transcriptional convergence across many autism risk genes.

14 Mar 2023

NIHTB-CB tests found to be sensitive in detecting cognitive change in people with intellectual disability

A major challenge in testing new therapies for people with intellectual disability is finding accurate tools to measure whether the intervention or medication works.

5 Dec 2022

Gene mutation associated with autism causes an overstimulation of brain cells

Scientists looking to understand the fundamental brain mechanisms of autism spectrum disorder have found that a gene mutation known to be associated with the disorder causes an overstimulation of brain cells far greater than that seen in neuronal cells without the mutation.

21 Nov 2022

Medical insurance claims data may help predict the likelihood of autism in kids

Medical insurance claims might do more than help pay for health concerns; they could help predict them, according to new findings from an interdisciplinary Penn State research team published in BMJ Health & Care Informatics.

11 Oct 2022

People with developmental disability at high risk of avoidable in-hospital safety incidents

People with developmental disability are nearly three times as likely than other patients to experience preventable physical injuries while in hospital, reveals new research by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and the Universitat de Barcelona.

3 Oct 2022

COVID found to be the leading cause of death for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Authors of a new peer-reviewed paper have discovered that COVID was the leading cause of death for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in 2020.

13 Sep 2022

‘So rudderless’: A couple’s quest for autism treatment for their son hits repeated obstacles

When Sebastian Rios was a toddler, he hardly talked. "Don't worry," his pediatrician told Amparo and Victor Rios, Sebastian's parents. Kids who grow up in households in which both Spanish and English are spoken are sometimes slower to develop language skills, she said.

21 Jul 2022

Children with autism may not always process body movements effectively, study finds

Noticing and understanding what it means when a person leans into a conversation or takes a step back and crosses their arms is a vital part of human communication.

18 Jul 2022

Duke researchers identify role for key gene in developmental disability syndrome

A single gene that was previously found to be the driving force in a rare syndrome linked to epilepsy, autism and developmental disability has been identified as a linchpin in the formation of healthy neurons.

28 Jun 2022

Children without diapers do not get quality sleep, study says

Children whose parents cannot afford diapers do not get quality sleep, according to a study by the Rutgers School of Nursing.

3 May 2022

Researchers create a comprehensive atlas of cerebrovascular cell types

While neurons and glial cells are by far the most numerous cells in the brain, many other types of cells play important roles. Among those are cerebrovascular cells, which form the blood vessels that deliver oxygen and other nutrients to the brain.

15 Feb 2022

This doctor thought she could navigate US health care. Then her autistic son needed help.

Alexander Roodman was packing up his room, preparing for a gap year before college, when I met him at his family's Washington, D.C., townhouse.

15 Feb 2022

A catch-22 trips up some in legal guardianship who try to regain independence

Ten years ago, Nicholas Clouse was riding shotgun in his friend's Camaro when the car jerked and he felt himself flying through the air. Clouse's head slammed against the passenger-side window.

7 Jan 2022

Low wages and pandemic gut staffing support for those with disabilities

Ernestine "Erma" Bryant likes her job, but the pay is a problem. She works in a caregiver role as a "direct support professional" in Tifton, Georgia, helping people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities with basic functions such as dressing, bathing and eating.

24 Sep 2021

FDA authorizes marketing of a device to help diagnose autism spectrum disorder

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized marketing of a device to help diagnose autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

2 Jun 2021

Over one-quarter of families with autistic adults who use Developmental Disability services face complications

In the latest National Autism Indicators Report, researchers from Drexel University's A.J. Drexel Autism Institute examined surveys of family members of autistic adults who use Developmental Disability services, and found needs for additional supports like respite care and assistance to plan for crisis and emergencies, especially among families whose adult lived with them.

26 May 2021

Can a gaze measurement app help spot potential signs of autism in toddlers?

Researchers at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, USA, used computational methods based on computer vision analysis and a smartphone or tablet to help detect early signs of ASD in toddlers.

28 Apr 2021

Study reveals COVID-19 outcomes for Californians with intellectual and development disabilities

A new study published recently in ScienceDirect by researchers from Syracuse University and SUNY Upstate Medical University shows that California residents who receive services for intellectual and development disabilities (IDD) have lower COVID-19 case rates but a higher case-fatality rate than the general population.

9 Dec 2020

Repetitive behaviors and gastrointestinal problems may be connected in children with autism

In children with autism, repetitive behaviors and gastrointestinal problems may be connected, new research has found.

3 Dec 2020