Autism - Raising Awareness for Autism at Pittcon's 70th Birthday
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 Gut bacteria linked to metabolic changes and autism in new studyGut bacteria linked to metabolic changes and autism in new study
 
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology found that when mice were colonized with gut microbes from people with ASD, not only did they develop autism-like behaviors; they also had altered gene expression patterns and metabolites in their brains, compared with mice that had not been colonized with the bacteria.
 
   Raising Awareness for Autism at Pittcon's 70th BirthdayRaising Awareness for Autism at Pittcon's 70th Birthday
 
One of the disabilities for which the PEAL Center is increasing awareness is autism spectrum disorder, or ASD. People with ASD are usually perceived as being different, and the PEAL Center is striving to teach people that this does not need to be viewed negatively, to advocate their integration into society and to enhance their employment opportunities.
 
   Autism may be accurately diagnosed as early as 14 months of ageAutism may be accurately diagnosed as early as 14 months of age
 
It is well known that detecting autism as early as possible is critical for successful intervention. However, in the USA, children are not typically diagnosed and treated for autistic spectrum disorders until they are four years of age. Now, researchers have concluded that the disorder can be stably diagnosed from 14 months (1 year and 2 months) of age, providing an opportunity for medical advancement.
 
 Autism estimates for the USA are wildly inaccurate, say experts at INSAR 2019
 
Autism estimates for the USA are wildly inaccurate, say experts at INSAR 2019The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released new statistics on autism. They estimate that there has been a 15% increase in the prevalence of autism across the USA, from 1 in 68 in 2012 to 1 in 59 in 2014.
 
 
 Neuroscientists find anatomical link between cognitive and perceptual symptoms in autism
 
Neuroscientists find anatomical link between cognitive and perceptual symptoms in autismNeuroscientists at the RIKEN Center for Brain Science (CBS) and University College London have found an anatomical link between cognitive and perceptual symptoms in autism. Published in the Journal of Neuroscience, the study identified a posterior region of the brain whose size--amount of gray matter--is related to both cognitive rigidity and overly stable visual perception, two symptoms of autism that until now were only conceptually related.
 
 
 Mutations within junk DNA linked to autism spectrum disorder
 
Mutations within junk DNA linked to autism spectrum disorderUsing artificial intelligence, scientists have discovered mutations in parts of non-coding DNA known as “Junk DNA” that can lead to autism. This is the first study of its kind to connect the dots between autism and the human genome. The study titled, “Whole-genome deep-learning analysis identifies contribution of non-coding mutations to autism risk,” was published this week in the journal Nature Genetics.
 
 
 Artificial intelligence technique identifies new class of mutations behind autism
 
Artificial intelligence technique identifies new class of mutations behind autismMany mutations in DNA that contribute to disease are not in actual genes but instead lie in the 99% of the genome once considered "junk." Even though scientists have recently come to understand that these vast stretches of DNA do in fact play critical roles, deciphering these effects on a wide scale has been impossible until now.
 
 
 Eyes hold clues to effective treatment of severe autism, study shows
 
Eyes hold clues to effective treatment of severe autism, study showsVocabulary tests for individuals with the severest forms of autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, are notoriously inaccurate. They commonly ask the test-taker to point to an illustration after hearing a spoken word, measuring the ability to understand and perform a task as much as word knowledge.
 
 
 Children with autism have difficulties in reading and narration, shows research
 
Children with autism have difficulties in reading and narration, shows researchChildren with autism may be good at reading a text one word at a time, but simultaneously have problems in understanding and retelling the content of what they read. Research now shows the importance, for these children, of extensive language assessment and follow-up over time.