Autism Spectrum Disorders News

Receipt of measles-mumps-rubella vaccine was not associated with increased risk for autism spectrum disorders, regardless of whether older siblings had autism, according to study findings in JAMA.

Results from a large, multi-ethnic clinical study indicated an increased risk for autism spectrum disorders among children of mothers diagnosed with gestational diabetes by 26 weeks gestation.

Video games with strong narrative elements may positively influence players, as recent data suggested being immersed in a game’s story increased players’ opportunities to make meaningful choices and relations.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging may be able to predict future language development outcomes among toddlers with autism spectrum disorder even before they have been formally diagnosed.

Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) represent a diverse spectrum of individuals with various functioning levels, from working and married with children, to living in a highly supervised setting and having all basic needs met by a caretaker. The level of functioning will affect the approach one takes when evaluating an adult with ASD. Mental health professionals may encounter adults with ASD in a variety of settings, and it’s important to understand how to work and communicate with this population in order to best set them up for success. Here are 10 considerations when treating adults with ASD.

Children with autism spectrum disorder are more likely to have gastrointestinal symptoms as infants and toddlers compared with children with typical development; and more likely to have constipation compared with children with developmental delays, according to data published in JAMA Psychiatry. 

The Pediatric Advisory Committee of the FDA met Tuesday to review data for numerous drugs to determine their safety for pediatric populations.

Children born as a result of assisted reproductive technology were twice as likely to have autism compared with those born without reproductive assistance, according to study findings in the American Journal of Public Health.

Exposure to bisphenol A, a chemical often found in consumer food and beverage containers and other household products, may be associated with the development of autism spectrum disorder, recently published data suggest.

Autism may be caused by genetic and moderate nonshared environmental influences, according to data published in JAMA Psychiatry.