Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
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Are autistic behaviours a trait or a state of anorexia nervosa?
Anorexia nervosa (AN) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) seem to co-occur more frequently than would be expected by chance.1,2 Yet because most studies investigating the nature of this co-occurrence have used a retrospective design, where the data are prone to recall bias, we don’t know whether the elevation of autistic traits in AN is present from childhood or rather from AN onset.
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Do sex differences affect ASD symptom severity scores?
Researchers in the USA have investigated whether standard diagnostic assessments for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are biased against girls.
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Is brain circuitry linked with early symptoms of autism spectrum disorder?
Researchers in San Diego, USA, have studied the relationship between brain network connectivity and emerging autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms in toddlers aged 17-45 months with (n=24) or without (n=23) ASD.
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What mechanisms underlie reduced social attention in people with ASD?
A key predictor of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis is attenuated attention to social stimuli. Thus far, the reasons underlying this abnormality are unknown: some have hypothesized reduced social motivation while others have suggested aberrant oculomotor function in affected individuals.
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September 2020 – The Bridge
The month of September is a challenging time for young people, as they start a new school year. September 2020 will be particularly difficult for many, as they must also deal with the stresses of the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing, as well as the effects of increasing financial pressures on families.
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Conflicts of interest are under-reported in autism early intervention research
Researchers in the USA have studied, for the first time, the types, prevalence and effects of conflicts of interest (COI) in autism early intervention research.
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June 2020 – The Bridge
Includes ‘Are social networking sites contributing to depression and anxiety symptoms in young people?’
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Do the same mechanisms drive social anxiety in autistic and neurotypical adolescents?
Researchers at King’s College London have recently published data on how cognitive, emotional and sensory factors are associated with social anxiety in adolescents with autism.
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May 2020 – The Bridge
Includes general ‘Mental Health in Deaf Children’ and ‘Accessing good communication – Deaf children in a mental health assessment’
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Multi-disciplinary teams are needed to sensitively diagnose autism in Deaf children
An ethnographic study of NHS professionals, who diagnose autism in Deaf children, finds that recognizing the intersections between mental health and Deaf culture is essential for healthcare professionals to make sensitive diagnoses.
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