Autism 2017 New Studies
2017 was a big year for many things, autism studies included. A number of studies were conducted last year that gave us a little more insight into the disorder. Autism Speaks has kindly outlined the top 10 studies done in 2017. To review their entire list of studies, click here. For the purpose of this post, let’s just review some of the highlights.
Parent Participation in Early Intervention
As it was the first to prove long-term benefits of parent participation in early intervention for autism, the study conducted at the University of Manchester was enlightening. The study involved assessing, ‘treating’ and following up with 54 infants at familial risk of autism over a span of 3 years. The long term benefits that were proven to be a result of parent participation in early intervention included milder autism features and increased social interaction later in life. No wonder this study made the top 10, it is interesting, insightful and will hopefully be impactful for the future of early intervention. Read more >
Insights into Autism Genomics
Autism genomics is always a popular point of study so much so that Autism Speaks included 3 in their top 10. One of the most interesting studies identified 18 new candidate risk genes for autism spectrum disorder. This study in particular also found that participants with mutations in susceptibility genes had lower adaptive ability. Read more >
Brain Development In Infants at High Risk for Autism
As brain imaging is advancing, medical insights continue to be enhanced for a number of disorders and conditions including autism spectrum disorder. A new 2017 autism study that used brain imaging observed infants at both low and high familial risk for ASD and detected that brain volume overgrowth was linked to the emergence and severity of autistic social deficits. This study is important as it reveals new early indicators of autism and its severity. Read more > ..
