Welcome to our Research Roundup! This new weekly feature highlights recent autism research news from around the globe:
Therapy shows promise among infants with signs of autism: A small study of a behavioral therapy designed for infants with symptoms of autism shows promise in reversing developmental delays. Using the Early Start Denver program as a model, researchers taught parents of seven 6- to 15-month-olds how to engage their infants during everyday activities, and only two of the children later were diagnosed with autism. Time.com, Disability Scoop
Programs help U.K. students with autism prepare for college: Some universities in the U.K. are offering programs to help students with autism spectrum disorders prepare for college life. Programs include lessons on cooking meals, accessing public transit and navigating common social situations. The Guardian (London)
Projects on autism spectrum disorder receive $7.9M in NIH grants: The National Institutes of Health has awarded 12 grants totaling $7.9 million to projects relating to autism spectrum disorder. "The funding will help to provide models for the delivery of needed services to children, youth, and adults with ASD, across different communities and care settings, appropriate to each age and individual," the NIH said in a statement. MedicalDaily.com
EEG may offer clues on children's risk of developing autism: Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University measured the brain wave activity of 43 6- to 17-year-olds with autism spectrum disorder using an electroencephalography cap and found greater impaired responses to certain auditory stimuli among youths with severe autism. The findings were published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disabilities. The Washington Post (tiered subscription model)
Intervals between pregnancies linked to autism risk: The likelihood of autism spectrum disorder was 150% higher in children who were conceived less than a year after the birth of a sibling compared with those born later, Columbia University researchers found. Pregnancy intervals of five years and 10 years were associated with a 30% and 40% increased autism risk, respectively. The findings appear in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The Telegraph (London) (tiered subscription model)