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Research by Topic: podcast
Podcast: Lordy Lordy it’s One in Forty
Published December 3, 2018You may have heard the news: The prevalence of autism is 1:40 according to an email survey of parents. However, there’s more information in the study that’s worthy of consideration: The high rate of unmet mental health needs in those with ASD. Learn more on the ASF podcast. Read more about the study.
Filed under: ASD, asf, Autism, featured, mental health, parent report, podcast, Prevalence, research, science, survey, unmet needs
Podcast: Scientists know in their gut how the GI symptoms are linked to autism
Published November 19, 2018People with autism have higher levels of GI problems than people without a diagnosis, and the microbiome is associated with GI function. So, is the microbiome linked to autism? Some studies say yes, but this week, studies in China look at non-caucasian people with a different diet. Do the differences still hold? Also, while GI […]
Filed under: ADHD, aggression, anxiety, asf, Diagnosis, featured, GI issues, microbiome, podcast, Raphael Bernier, Sara Jane Webb, symptoms, University of Washington
Podcast: The average age of diagnosis depends on where, when, and how you ask
Published November 13, 2018While diagnosis before 3 years of age is ideal, circumstances may not always allow the earliest identification and diagnosis. This week’s podcast explores two of the reasons why diagnosis is not always possible before age 3. One is a study from Denmark and one is from members of the Baby Siblings Research Consortium.
Filed under: ASD, asf, Autism, Baby Siblings Research Consortium, BSRC, Denmark, Diagnosis, featured, podcast, research, science
Podcast: From cells to anxiety
Published October 29, 2018Dr. Inna Fishman from San Diego State University explains how findings from brain tissue helps scientists interpret data which studies how brain regions connect to each other and why this is important for understanding autism subgroups. Also, researchers from the Karolinska Institutet examine ADHD diagnosed in adults, and find it is similar to autism. Listen […]
Filed under: ADHD, Adults, ASD, asf, Autism, brain, Diagnosis, featured, Inna Fishman, Karolinska Institute, podcast, research, San Diego State University, science, SDSU
Podcast: The waterbed around your brain (and its role in sleep)
Published October 22, 2018This week, Dr. Mark Shen from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill explains new findings looking at the fluid around the brain. It’s now seen in families even without a family history of ASD, the finding has now been seen in different independent studies, including those at the UC Davis MIND Institute in […]
Filed under: ASD, asf, Autism, Biomarkers, brain, cerebrospinal fluid, Chapel Hill, featured, Mark Shen, podcast, research, science, UC Davis MIND Institute, UNC
Podcast: Super siblings!
Published October 15, 2018This podcast is dedicated to siblings of people with autism who are typically developing. They play an important and beneficial role in development of socialization of those with ASD. But sadly, they also have issues of their own, such as a high rate of issues like anxiety and depression. Those siblings may be genetic carries […]
Filed under: advocates, anxiety, ASD, asf, Autism, children, community, depression, Family, featured, podcast, Siblings
Podcast: A conversation with Clare Harrop about autism in boys and girls
Published October 1, 2018Recently, Clare Harrop from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill published two papers which help explain the differences between boys and girls with autism, at least in kids and toddlers. She graciously agreed to talk with ASF about these findings and what it means for better identification and diagnosis of girls with ASD, and […]
Filed under: ASD, asf, Autism, boys, Chapel Hill, children, Clare Harrop, Diagnosis, featured, girls, podcast, research, science, sex differences, Toddlers, UNC, University of North Carolina
Podcast: What is autism? It’s changing
Published September 24, 2018This week’s ASF podcast focuses on how co-occuring conditions with autism, like anxiety, depression, and OCD, have changed over time. The increase in these conditions may help in defining different subgroups of autism. Listen on asfpodcast.org or on your favorite podcatcher!
Filed under: anxiety, ASD, asf, Autism, comorbidity, depression, featured, mental health, OCD, podcast, research, science
Podcast: Just Listen to Nancy Reagan – Say NO to MDMA
Published September 17, 2018This week’s podcast begins with a comment on the debate over ABA – helpful or harmful? But the big news this week is an analysis of very early, but very published, data on the use of MDMA, also known as “ecstasy” or “Molly”, in people with autism. Called an “empathogen”, MDMA can elicit feelings of […]
Filed under: ABA, ASD, asf, Autism, Behavior, drug, Emory University, featured, Lawrence Scahill, MDMA, neurotoxin, podcast, research, science, social anxiety, therapy
Podcast: Children are not small adults
Published September 3, 2018Children are not small adults, and this was illustrated this week in two papers studying features of autism across the lifespan. Their symptoms may change, which has implications for treatment – you can’t take an intervention designed for a child and give it to an adult. Hear more on this week’s podcast with an interview […]
Filed under: adolescents, Adults, ASD, asf, Autism, children, development, featured, outcomes, podcast, research, science
Podcast: Tristram Smith, 1961-2018
Published August 27, 2018Two weeks ago, the autism research community lost a pioneer, mentor and advocate for the autism community. This podcast only highlights a portion of the enormous contribution he made to autism research and the impact his research had on families with ASD. Also, two people that know him best, one of his current mentees, Suzannah […]
Filed under: ASD, asf, Autism, Behavior, children, families, featured, podcast, research, science, therapy, Treatment
Podcast: What are PCOS and DDT, and what do they have to do with autism?
Published August 20, 2018On this week’s podcast, the link between polycystic ovarian syndrome and autism explained and tied in with a new study on the highly toxic chemical DDT. They do have a common link. Research also shows that environmental exposures and maternal medical conditions contribute to a host of outcomes and comorbidities, autism being one of them.
Filed under: ASD, asf, Autism, Columbia University, DDT, featured, PCOS, podcast, polycystic ovarian syndrome, Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey, research, science, University of Cambridge
Podcast: What is happening in research around employment for people with ASD?
Published August 13, 2018On this week’s podcast, Melissa Scott of Curtin University discusses findings from the first paper out of Curtin’s collaboration with ASF, Stony Brook University, and Karolinska Institutet on an international policy brief on employment for people with autism. Based on a scoping review of existing research on employment practices, the environment was one crucial element […]
Filed under: asf, best practices, Curtin University, employment, Environment, featured, INSAR, Karolinska Institute, Melissa Scott, podcast, policy brief, research, science, Stony Brook University
Give Spectrumly Speaking a listen
Published August 6, 2018Listeners to the ASF podcast get a break this week, although you are all encouraged to check out the Spectrumly Speaking podcast. Spectrumly Speaking is a podcast dedicated to women on the autism spectrum, produced by Different Brains. Every two weeks join hosts Becca Lory, CAS, BCCS, and Katherine Cody, Psy.D., as they discuss news […]
Filed under: ASD, Autism, Becca Lory, Different Brains, featured, female, Katherine Cody, podcast, Spectrumly Speaking, women
Podcast: PMS – It’s not what you think
Published July 30, 2018On this week’s podcast, highlights from the Phelan-McDermid Syndrome Foundation 2018 International Family Conference in Dallas, TX. People with Phelan McDermid Syndrome, or PMS, suffer from seizures and intellectual disability, and about 70% have an ASD diagnosis. This syndrome is caused by mutations of the SHANK3 gene, which is present in about 1% of people […]
Filed under: asf, Autism, children, Family, featured, intervention, outcomes, Phelan-McDermid Syndrome, PMS, podcast, research, science, support
Podcast: Classroom interventions that work
Published July 23, 2018On this week’s podcast, two studies that used a randomized design to show how interventions can be delivered in the classroom.
Filed under: asf, Autism, classroom, featured, intervention, podcast, research, science, students, teachers
Podcast: Autism diagnosed in school age, and does early intervention make a difference?
Published July 16, 2018On this week’s podcast, highlights of a new systematic review on Early Intense Behavioral Intervention. Thank you to the ASF community for suggesting this topic for the podcast!
Filed under: asf, Autism, Early Intense Behavioral Intervention, Early Intervention, EIBI, featured, podcast, research, review, science
Podcast: If you want to know about people with autism, ask them
Published July 9, 2018If you want to know about people with autism, ask them. Scientists are working on how they collect information from people with autism in order to better understand individual experiences and produce findings that may help improve services. Listen to the podcast episode here.
Filed under: asf, Autism, featured, individual experiences, podcast, research, science, self report, services
Podcast: A tool to describe strengths of people with autism
Published July 2, 2018For this week’s podcast, Soheil Mahdi of the Karolinska Institutet describes the International Classification of Functioning (ICF), a tool used being used to describe the strengths of people with autism in order to identify opportunities for them. ASF is collaborating with Mr. Mahdi on an employment policy brief.
Filed under: asf, employment, featured, ICF, International Classification of Functioning, Karolinska Institute, opportunity, podcast, policy brief, research, science, strengths
Podcast: Reusing and recycling autism data from brain tissue
Published June 25, 2018On this week’s podcast, data obtained from brains of people with autism is reused and re-analyzed so that a new role of mitochondria and their relationship to the activity of synapse genes could be discovered. In addition, cellular stress is seen in the brains of people with autism. What comes first? Mitochondrial dysfunction and cellular […]
Filed under: Autism, autism brainnet, brain tissue, Brown University, cellular stress, featured, Fragile X, FRAXA Research Foundation, genes, mitochondria, NeuroBioBank, NIH, podcast, research, Tuberous Sclerosis, Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance, UCLA
Podcast: Ode to autism dads
Published June 18, 2018On this week’s podcast, a special episode highlighting recent research focusing on fathers. This includes genetics, parental stress and quality of life, and broader autism phenotype features. Of note, two new studies that look at antidepressant exposure in father and probability of having a child with autism – a variation on studying maternal exposures.
Filed under: antidepressant, asf, Autism, broader autism phenotype, dad, exposure, father, featured, Genetics, parental stress, paternal, podcast, quality of life, research
Podcast: Sobering statistics on suicide
Published June 4, 2018Suicidal thoughts and suicidal attempts have been shown to be increased in people with ASD. Rates are similar to those with bipolar depression and schizophrenia, but are higher even without psychosis. This is shocking and an urgent health issue in the autism community. This week’s podcast summarizes recent data, publications, presentations, and concerns of thought […]
Filed under: asf, Autism, featured, podcast, prevention, research, Risk Factors, suicide
Podcast: In partial phrase of the DSM 5
Published May 28, 2018On this week’s podcast, diagnosis with the DSM 5. While much work needs to be done to include individual abilities and disabilities into the DSM5, after the CDC prevalence numbers were published last month, it became clear the old DSM IV was not working. In a replication of a previous finding, it showed that the […]
Filed under: asf, Autism, CDC, Diagnosis, diagnostic categories, DSM, featured, podcast, research
Podcast: The sticky subject of cost-effectiveness
Published May 21, 2018On this week’s podcast, Dr. Tracy Yuen of University of Toronto and the Hospital for Sick Children explains two different analyses of cost-effectiveness which looked at 1) universal screening for ASD and 2) use of genomic sequencing to identify novel variants in people with ASD.
Filed under: ASD, asf, cost-effectiveness, featured, podcast, research, Screening, Sick Kids, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto
Podcast: A sampling of science from the International Meeting of Autism Research
Published May 15, 2018This week’s podcast is a short summary of just a few of the presentations. There was more of an emphasis on what has been called “real life” research questions like employment, quality of life, and relationships. As a result, some of the more basic science questions around autism are now being presented at other meetings. […]
Filed under: asf, conference, featured, INSAR, International Society for Autism Research, podcast, research, science, services, support
Podcast: Where the wild new genetic hot spots are
Published May 7, 2018On this week’s podcast, three genetics papers featuring three ASF fellows! All three deal with using whole genome sequencing (WGS) to study non-coding regulatory regions that may be associated with autism. These regions of DNA do not code for proteins but regulate the regions that do. Mutations in the non-coding regulatory regions that regulate the […]
Filed under: asf, ASF Grantee, Donna Werling, featured, Genetics, Genomics, Joon Yong An, Mutations, podcast, research, UCSD, UCSF, WGS, William Brandler
Podcast: Just to be clear, people with Aspergers are not Nazi’s
Published April 23, 2018This week’s podcast covers the recent article published in Molecular Autism that looks into the history of Hans Asperger, the eponym of Asperger’s Syndrome and a physician with ties to eugenics in Nazi-era Vienna.
Filed under: asf, featured, Hans Asperger, Herwig Czech, Molecular Autism, podcast
Podcast: The ASF Day of Learning mini-recap
Published April 16, 2018This week’s podcast is a mini-recap of the 5th Annual Day of learning. Hear what the speakers distilled in their TED-style talks on topics covered sleep, diet, and medical marijuana as a potential treatment for autism. Plus hear about the most recent ASF grantees.
Filed under: ASD, asf, Autism, Day of Learning, featured, fellowship, Grants, podcast, research
Podcast: Through the years
Published April 9, 2018On this week’s podcast, studies tracking changes over time. The British Autism Study of Infant Siblings (BASIS) tracked changes in adaptive behaviors and cognitive skills in children at low-risk and high-risk of an ASD diagnosis, based on family history. The results point to the value in monitoring siblings of those with autism. Researchers at Kaiser […]
Filed under: adaptive behavior, asf, BASIS, cognitive skills, family history, featured, health, Kaiser Permanente, medical conditions, podcast, psychiatric conditions, research
Podcast: Here’s to understanding why people with autism have anxiety in adolescence
Published April 2, 2018On this week’s ASF podcast: By looking directly at the brains of people with autism, researchers at UC Davis MIND Institute, led by Dr. Thomas Avino and Dr. Cyndi Schumann, show a disruption of neuron number in the amygdala in autism. The amygdala is important because it is linked to emotion, fear and anxiety in […]
Filed under: amygdala, anxiety, ASD, asf, Autism, autism brainnet, Cyndi Schumann, David Amaral, featured, podcast, Thomas Avino, UC Davis MIND Institute
Podcast: Why the Environmental Protection Agency is important for autism
Published March 26, 2018On this week’s podcast, highlights of a new study led by Dr. Amy Kalkbrenner of the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee published in Environmental Health Perspectives—certain air pollutants from cars and coal burning plants were associated with autism risk and severity. This scientific evidence supports policies which keep U.S. Environmental Protection Agency infrastructure intact to monitor […]
Filed under: air pollution, Amy Kalkbrenner, Autism, clean air, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, featured, podcast, research, risk, science, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
Podcast: Loss of skills in autism partially explained
Published March 19, 2018On this week’s ASF podcast, regression—what is it and who can see it? Using the right tools, both parents and clinicians can see that many more children with autism than thought show regression, a gradual decline or loss of skills starting at around 12 months of age and showing continual declines until 36 months of […]
Filed under: asf, brain, communication, featured, NIMH, podcast, regression, Sally Ozonoff, Social Skills, UC Davis
Podcast: What is true for males is not true for females
Published February 26, 2018On this week’s podcast, Dr. Alycia Halladay focuses in on the Extreme Male Brain Theory of Autism. Amazingly, fetal testosterone levels are reflected in the length of the 2nd and 4th fingers and can be measured as a reflection of testosterone levels during pregnancy. But what may be true for one sex, may not be […]
Filed under: CDC, Drexel University, featured, finger length, podcast, sex differences, symptoms, Testosterone
Podcast: The causes of social communication deficits in ASD
Published February 5, 2018On this week’s podcast, Dr. Katherine Stavropoulos (ASF Grantee ’14) highlights her research with her UC Riverside colleague Dr. Leslie Carver on brain patterns that may explain the social communication deficits present in ASD. Plus, recent research from the Study to Explore Early Development led by Dr. Eric Rubenstein of UNC presented findings that demonstrated […]
Filed under: Autism, broader autism, featured, motivation, podcast, Riverside, Sensory Issues, social communication, social cues, University of California, University of North Carolina
Podcast: Improving early detection of ASD by listening to parents
Published January 29, 2018On this week’s podcast, Dr. Lori Sacrey of the University of Alberta highlights findings from a multi-site study she led that investigated how well parent report measures could predict an ASD diagnosis for at-risk infants. Plus, the journal Autism decided to move away from the puzzle piece symbol in this new era of autism research.
Filed under: Autism journal, Autism Research, Diagnosis, featured, INSAR, parent report, podcast, puzzle piece, University of Alberta
Podcast: What is the can do vs. the will do of autism?
Published January 22, 2018Often overlooked in intervention studies, it is becoming increasingly clearer that adaptive behavior, the “will do” vs. the “can do” of functioning, should receive more focus. On this week’s podcast, learn about adaptive behavior and hear about highlights of studies from the National Institutes of Health and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Filed under: adaptive behavior, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, featured, functioning, IQ, NIH, podcast
Podcast: Supporting the support staff, at least a first step
Published January 15, 2018On this week’s podcast, the needs of #autism support staff are discussed. These important members of the community suffer burnout which can impact the quality of the services they provide individuals with ASD. A new study examines how to improve the psychological well being of autism support staff so interventions and prevention of burnout can […]
Filed under: ASD, burnout, featured, Kennedy Krieger Institute, podcast, support, uncertainty, well being
Podcast: What is the real prevalence of ASD?
Published January 8, 2018This week’s ASF podcast takes a look at the prevalence rate of autism diagnoses. Two national datasets have shown no further increase in autism prevalence in the last few years of looking. Also, folic acid proves to show an effect on the probability of not just an autism diagnosis but also autism symptoms, especially important […]
Filed under: ADDM, anti epileptic drugs, Epilepsy, featured, folic acid, NHIS, podcast, pregnancy, Prevalence
Podcast: Gamma waves and autism brains
Published December 11, 2017This week’s ASF podcast goes into some waves—gamma waves, which seem to help coordinate activity in different parts of the brain. Researchers at Oxford University led by Dr. David Menassa explore gamma waves in the brains of autistic adults who perform better on a visual processing task than those without a diagnosis. Dr. Menassa provides […]
Filed under: brain wave, David Menassa, featured, gamma wave, Oxford University, podcast, research
Let’s talk about sex (and sexuality) in people with autism
Published November 13, 2017This week’s ASF podcast explores differences in sexuality and sexual relationships between those with autism and without, and also differences between males and females with autism. While this is not a new topic, the number of publications and research has exploded this year. Learn more here.
Filed under: Autism, featured, females, podcast, relationships, sexuality
What does Labor Day mean for people with autism spectrum disorders?
Published September 5, 2017Labor Day is a time to appreciate and honor all those people who work to make this world a better place. People with autism do that, but they also want to get paid and be employed just like anyone else. This Labor Day, the podcast summarizes challenges to studying employment in people with ASD, what […]
Filed under: Curtin University, employment, featured, Karolinska Institute, podcast, policy brief, quality of life, Stony Brook University
Help for people with minimal language
Published March 16, 2016About 25-30% of children with autism show language impairment or no language at all, and these families often use assisted communication devices like picture exchange to help their children communicate. Recently, electronic communication devices like the iPad have revolutionized the way that people communicate, but little research has been done on how and if they […]
Filed under: featured, intervention, iPad, Language, podcast
ASF co-hosts the 2nd environmental epigenetic of autism research webinar
Published March 7, 2016On Thursday, ASF, the Escher Fund for Autism and Autism Speaks co-organized the second in a series of webinars on environmental epigenetics. These webinars are open to the public and provide discussions on the role of gene/environment interactions in autism led by leading researchers in the field. This month, the presentations were given by Dr. […]
Filed under: Environment, epidemiology, Epigenetics, featured, germ cells, multigeneration, podcast, Screening, TENDR, USPSTF