medication – ASF Weekly Science Podcasts

Is it genes or is it the environment? or is it a combination? This question has plagued researchers and scientists and caused a lot of confusion in families about what caused their own or their child’s ASD. This week we review the mechanisms by which de-novo mutations could be the work of gene x environment … Continue reading "What causes autism? Genetics or the Environment? Or maybe both?"

This week’s podcast summarizes recent evidence on why there is good and bad in treating autism with medication, but there is also lots of ugly.  While new medications are being developed and researchers are looking into new ways of measuring change across time time, medications are not effective in treating the core symptoms of autism … Continue reading "The good, the bad and the ugly about medication use in ASD"

On early Wednesday morning, the United States woke up to the news that the new president was Donald Trump.  While he hasn’t taken office yet, this podcast reviews his statement on his website or in his Contract with America, as well as thing  published or stated by him or his campaign on his website or in … Continue reading "What the Trump presidency could mean for autism families"

Overall, the scientific research examining the efficacy of oxytocin treatment in autism spectrum disorder has been mixed.  On a previous podcast, studies in the way the oxytocin receptor was turned on and off were explained which may account for variability in treatment response.  This week, two studies in Japan show that specific mutations in the … Continue reading "Precision medicine presents: OXYTOCIN!!!"

Parent training has a number of important uses in autism.  For toddlers, parents help provide intervention strategies in a number of settings allowing skills to be generalized.  In adolescence, parents can help implement behavioral rules that can manage non-compliant behaviors, aggressive, disruptive or impulsive behaviors.  This week, research investigated the role of parent training plus … Continue reading "Parents are interventionists too"