Autism Science Foundation Weekly Science Report

Jan 26 2025 50 ep. 23 mins 1.9k
Autism Science Foundation Weekly Science Report Podcast artwork

The Autism Science Foundation Weekly Science Podcast is a summary of the latest research in autism spectrum disorders. This podcast will discuss new science, research discoveries, meetings and discussions, news reports, and other information important to those affected by autism especially families.

  Health & Fitness  Science
RSS feed Share
Copy RSS


Subscribe on Podcast Addict


How IQ impacts the “will do” of skills: adaptive behaviors

Jan 26 2025 32 mins  
On this week’s podcast, Dr. Elaine Clarke from @RutgersU discusses the role of adaptive behavior. This refers to the wide range of skills that a person with autism can exhibit. Can they hold a conversation? Dress themselves? Prepare a meal? These sets of skills are strongly influenced by cognitive ability. Dr. Clarke will talk about the link between cognitive ability and ada

Do Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Direct Current Stimulation help people with autism? The latest science here.

Jan 13 2025 12 mins  
Two therapies that are meant to alter brainwave activity, called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation are receiving a lot of attention for potential efficacy in treating autism. They are non-invasive, which means treatment is provided on the scalp. While results vary, the overall evidence does not support these two interventions in helping

We missed one for the 2024 year end summary: Proof of the importance of genetic testing in autism

Jan 05 2025 27 mins  
It happens every year – this one belonged in the 2024 year end highlights but was published late in the year. Researchers at UCSD, UCLA and CHLA followed families with autism whose genetic test revealed a rare variant. Did it make a difference in care? Understanding? Referrals? If you are in need of a genetic test, here are some things to know: https://www.alliancegenda.org/

The 2024 Autism Science Year in Review

Dec 23 2024 13 mins  
New Technologies, New Data, New Solutions This year’s progress in autism research includes promising findings, clarifications, explanations, and the uncovering of new avenues of inquiry. The focus is now on personalized medicine: finding the right treatment for the right person at the right time through targeted interventions. Advances in technology and genetic testing are op

Online autism assessments as a perk of the pandemic

Dec 16 2024 17 mins  
While it may not seem like it, the COVID-19 pandemic brought some advances in care and understanding for people on the spectrum. One example is the development and validity of remotely administered assessments that families can participate in from home rather than travel to a clinic. These tools were built out of necessity, and are evolving into a set of tools that can be used to

An update on why there are fewer autistic females compared to males

Dec 08 2024 17 mins  
This week, special podcast correspondent #MiaKotikovski summarizes new research on the increasing prevalence of autism, with a focus on females. While the number of diagnosed females is increasing faster than the number for males, females assigned at birth still are less likely to receive a diagnosis than males. Additional evidence points to females having more genetic mutations a

Synaptic Density and Autism, explained

Nov 25 2024 12 mins  
….or at a podcast with at least an attempt at an explanation of what synaptic density is and how it is affected in brains of people with autism. This week we review three convergent lines of evidence – whole brain, brain cell then genes within those brain cells – that show that the autistic brain has a decrease in cell-to-cell communication in multiple brain regi

Health Concerns Across 3 Generations

Nov 10 2024 24 mins  
Are you the grandparent, cousin, aunt, uncle, sibling, or half-sibling of someone with autism and wondered “what is the likelihood of autism in families, and the likelihood of comorbid conditions if I have a family member with autism?” Researchers at the AJ Drexel Autism Research Institute and Aarhus University in Denmark collaborated to calculate probabilities between

Stigma experienced around the world

Nov 03 2024 16 mins  
Despite many years fighting it, families with autism still experience societal stigma. The experiences depend on many factors, summarized in the October 21st podcast. This week, Mia Kotikovski explores cultural factors involved in stigma. As examples, she explores the literature from Asia, the Middle East and the United Kingdom, how they are different, and how families cope with t

The Importance of Model Systems

Oct 28 2024 36 mins  
Animal models of autism, including cell based models, have received criticism because autism is a uniquely human condition so there is no value in studying it in a model like a mouse or a cell. On the other hand, model systems have been used for decades to develop therapies for a myraid of other conditions and disorders, and produced evidence-based treatments for not just autism b