Category Archives: Autism Research

Dr. Jonathan Tarbox Comments on “Changing Perceptions: The Power of Autism”

By Marlena Smith | Published: November 14, 2011
JONATHAN TARBOX

This week,CARD Research Director Dr. Jonathan Tarbox was featured in the article “Is ThereAn Upside to Autism,” in response to Dr. Laurent Mottron’s opinions expressed in the recent commentary “Changing Perceptions: The Power of .rax_tsmdwc_main { float:right; background: ; border: ; padding: 10px; margin:0px 10px 10px 10px; margin-right:0px; } .rax_tsmswc_inner { float:right; margin:0px 10px 10px [...]

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Posted in Autism Research | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Popular Cartoon Found to Have a Negative Effect on Executive Function in Children

By Marlena Smith | Published: September 26, 2011

Participants included 60 four-year-old children,. The participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups. Each group participated in a different activity for the duration of nine minutes. The first group watched “a very popular fantastical cartoon about an animated sponge that lives under the sea,” clearly referring to SpongeBob SquarePants. The second group watched “a realistic Public Broadcasting Service cartoon about a typical US preschool-aged boy,” rumored to be Caillou. Finally, the third group colored with crayons and markers. Immediately following the activity, participants were administered a number of tasks that measured executive function.

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Posted in Autism Research | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Can Brain Scans Discriminate Children with Autism from Children with Typical Development?

By Marlena Smith | Published: September 19, 2011

In a recent study, Dr. Lucina Uddin and colleagues found magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to accurately differentiate children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) from children with typical development based on volumes of gray matter in specific regions of the brain. While previous MRI studies have identified differences in the brain scans of children with ASD and children with typical development, there has been no real consensus regarding which distinctive neurological features can serve as reliable biological markers in the detection of ASD. This may stem from the fact that ASD is a heterogeneous disorder that likely affects the development of many areas of the brain. For this reason, Dr. Uddin and colleagues used MRI scans in an attempt to identify brain regions that together may differentiate children with ASD from children with typical development.

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Posted in Autism Research | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Greater Risk of Autism and Schizophrenia in the Offspring of Older Fathers

By Marlena Smith | Published: September 13, 2011

A recent study conducted by Dr. Flatscher-Bader and colleagues may shed light on why children with older fathers face an increased risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). A significant body of research has revealed that offspring of older fathers are at a greater risk of developing disorders such ASD and schizophrenia; however, the underlying cause of this occurrence is not well understood. For this reason, Dr. Flatscher-Bader and colleagues used a rodent model to investigate the effects of paternal age on offspring’s genes.

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Posted in Autism Research | Tagged , , , | 20 Comments

Training Behavioral Therapists to Administer Brief Preference Assessments

By Marlena Smith | Published: August 9, 2011

In a recent study, CARD Researchers Dr. Michele Bishop and Dr. Amy Kenzer found group classroom training to be effective in teaching behavioral therapists to administer brief preference assessments to children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). A major component of applied behavior analysis (ABA) treatment is the delivery of preferred stimuli as reinforcement. Therefore, preference assessments are conducted to identify highly preferred stimuli. Such assessments ought to be conducted frequently since a child’s preferences may change. For this reason, Dr. Michele Bishop and Dr. Amy Kenzer set out to evaluate the effectiveness of classroom training in teaching behavioral therapists to administer brief preference assessments to children with ASD during therapy sessions.

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Posted in Autism Research | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

Behavioral Intervention to Increase Compliance with Liquid Medications

By Marlena Smith | Published: August 4, 2011

In a recent study, CARD researchers Averil Schiff, Dr. Jonathan Tarbox, Taira Lanagan, and Peter Farag found behavioral intervention to increase compliance with liquid medications in a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Children with ASD often have trouble taking medications in both pill and liquid form. For this reason, CARD researchers set out to evaluate the effectiveness of behavioral intervention in improving compliance with liquid medications in a child with ASD.

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Posted in Autism Research | Tagged , , , , , | 25 Comments

Center for Autism Ranked in Top Three Non-Governmental Organizations Providing Largest Financial Support to Autism Research

By Daphne Plump | Published: July 20, 2011

The Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc. (CARD), has been named one of the top three largest non-governmental financial supporters of autism research in the United States, and the only for-profit organization in the top three-tier ranking. The research findings come from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services’ Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), whose mission is to provide a blueprint for autism research that is advisory to the Department of Health and Human Services and serves as a basis for partnerships with other agencies and private organizations involved in autism research and services.

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Also posted in Autism Therapy, Autism Treatment | Tagged , , , , | 15 Comments

Genetics versus Environment in Autism Spectrum Disorders

By Marlena Smith | Published: July 11, 2011

Potential participants were identified through the California Department of Developmental Services (DDS). Both identical and fraternal twin pairs were eligible to participate if they were born between 1987 and 2004, and at least one twin was reported to have an ASD diagnosis. A total of 1,156 twin pairs were identified through the DDS, however, due to limited participation from families, only 202 twin pairs were included in the study. All participants received comprehensive diagnostic evaluations to confirm diagnoses of autistic disorder or broader ASD.

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Posted in Autism Research | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

Family Structure and Autism Spectrum Disorders

By Marlena Smith | Published: July 5, 2011

Although this statistic has been used time and again, its origin and supportive research are unknown. While there have been many speculations about elevated parental divorce rates for children with ASD, very little research has actually been conducted to estimate the frequency of divorce in this population. For this reason, Dr. Freedman and colleagues conducted the first population-based study to explore family structures of children with ASD.

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Also posted in Autism Therapy | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

Routine Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorders

By Marlena Smith | Published: June 28, 2011

Dr. Al-Qabandi and colleagues set out to review existing research in order to determine whether routine ASD screening would be appropriate for the entire population. Findings of various research studies were used to evaluate how routine ASD screening measured against a number of criteria.

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Also posted in Autism Treatment | Tagged , , , | 11 Comments