Episodes
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For this podcast, trans means transdiagnostic
On this week’s podcast, we present new research summarizing how autism is part of a larger spectrum of neuropsychiatric disorders and issues. There are issues that people with autism experience that are not unique to autism; they are seen in people with ADHD, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and...
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Can animals be autistic?
The answer is obviously “no”, however, animal models are necessary to help understand brain circuitry and improve interventions and supports for not just core symptoms but associated issues like anxiety, OCD, seizures and GI issues. Scientists view behaviors consistent with an ASD diagnosis...
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Which came first, ASD or sleep problems?
People with autism have lots of problems, and sleep is one of them. This week’s podcast explores when these problems begin, which brain areas are involved, and how autism contributes to, or suffers from, lack of sleep. Does sleep make ASD worse or are ASD symptoms causing a sleep problems? It’s…
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This one’s for the girls
In this week’s podcast, I semi-plagiarize from a recent summary of sex differences in ASD, written by Drs. Meng-Chuan Lai and Peter Szatmari from the University of Toronto. They delve into why more males are diagnosed with females, and differences in the presentation of those features of ASD that...
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The Pros of Prozac and the Placebo Effect
Two of the largest randomized control trials of Prozac as an intervention for restrictive and repetitive behaviors were published recently. They both coincidentally found no effect on the core features of autism, nor clinician rated improvement. What they did find is a big placebo effect. That is...
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Yeah, another study about autistic poop
This week’s podcast includes a summary of the new study, this time in an animal model, looking at microbiome transplantation. Because this was more of an experimental model, the researchers could be more rigorous in their design and look at things like behavior, brain activity, and specific...
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Do the rules apply in school?
This week is focused on what happens in schools, including classification, service receipt and new interventions. How an educational classification translates to a clinical diagnosis, how and what factors are important in receiving services, what teachers think about repetitive behaviors and...
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Nobody puts babies in a corner
Nobody can dispute that research to better understand autistic adolescents and adults is lacking. However, scientists continue to make important scientific discoveries in infants and toddlers with autism. These infants and toddlers eventually become adolescents and adults, so identifying critical...