Welcome back to The Autism Digest! The team at Human Health have curated a brand new roll-up of what’s new in Autism research, news and community stories to round out the end of the year.

Some highlights for this edition include groundbreaking research publications that could impact Autism diagnosis and uncover novel mechanisms that may lead to Autism development, as well as new updates in the ongoing class-action lawsuit against the makers of Tylenol, alleged to result in the development of Autism.

We’ve also featured a real and raw interview with a mom to two kids on the spectrum, reflecting on her journey as a parent navigating what it means to care for Autistic children.

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Latest Research and News

Recent publications

👁️ Retinal photographs and AI may aid early Autism diagnosis: A machine-learning technology has identified children aged 4+ with Autism from a photo of their retina, the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eyeball, with 100% accuracy. The technology also predicted Autism symptom severity with acceptable accuracy. Link to article

🧠 Enlarged Brain Spaces in Infancy and Autism Diagnosis: In a study of children with Autistic siblings, and therefore increased risk for developing the condition, children with enlarged brain spaces were found to have over double the risk of developing Autism compared to children with typical brain spaces. The study also found that children who had enlarged brain spaces as infants woke up more often in the night at school age (>8 years old).
Link to article

🔬 Stem cell technology leads to new understanding of Autism risk: Researchers used stem cells to grow brain tissue structures and study the effects of DNA mutations on human brain development. The study found that variants of SYNGAP1, a gene previously thought only to affect mature brain cells, may disrupt early development in the brain. This discovery sheds light on the mechanisms for the development of conditions, including Autism, related to SYNGAP1 mutations. Link to article

New in News

📚 Autistic author longlisted for the Booker Prize: Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow's debut novel, All the Little Bird-Hearts, explores the mother-daughter relationship between the characters of an Autistic narrator and her 16-year-old daughter. The moving tale dives deep into the meaning of friendship, motherhood, and the complexities of human relationships. Link to article

⚖️ Court rejects claims linking Tylenol to Autism, ADHD: A United States federal judge has claimed that insufficient scientific evidence has been presented to determine if Tylenol is responsible for causing the alleged harm when taken during pregnancy. Link to article

🔬 Concerns about the impact of chatbots: Researchers suggest that chatbots, now integrated into many social networking platforms, may affect the development of social skills in people who experience challenges with social interaction. The article highlights the technology’s potential to reinforce social isolation. Link to article

Featured

The Human Condition – Kate’s Story

In this interview with Human Health, Kate shares her journey as a mother of two children on the Autism spectrum. This interview offers a glimpse into the real-life experiences, challenges, and learnings that have shaped her path.

Reflecting on her journey, Kate shares how the diagnosis has impacted her family life. She speaks about the changes her children’s health challenges brought to her life, and the resilience she built along the way.

Outlining the strategies and approaches she developed to support her children's needs, Kate emphasises the importance of individualised care, focusing on enhancing their daily experiences and quality of life, and the practical steps she took to ensure their well-being.

You can watch Kate’s story on the Human Health blog. Watch the video

Community Corner

❤️‍🩹 They’re not just difficult – demand avoidance and Autism: The team at Human Health have broken down what demands are and what demand avoidance looks and feels like, how demand avoidance and Autism are related, and strategies parents and demand-avoidant people can use to manage it. Read the full post

🎉 Campbell tries Shake Shack for the first time: Stephanie Hanrahan is a mom to two kids on the spectrum. Over this past year, her daughter Campbell has been trying hard to expand her palette, even though she’s been averse to many foods in the past due to sensory sensitivities.
Read the full post

🌻 I was diagnosed today: Reddit user @Embarrassed_Yak_2659 shared that they have recently received an Autism diagnosis, expressing that they “…feel validated and hopeful that this will lead to better support for me in the workplace and my life in general.“  Read the full post

Resources and Tools

📖 Autism Hub webpage: A knowledge-base for current information about Autism, including live feeds of the latest clinical trials and publications, news articles, community stories, and more. Visit the Autism Hub

💬 Support groups: You can find a list of Autism support groups and organizations on the US Autism association website. Link to list

📱 Health tracking: Human Health is a free mobile app that helps you track Autism symptoms and treatments. Download the app here

🎙️ Autism podcast: “Oh, that’s just my Autism” is a podcast by Melissa Tacia, an Autistic adult navigating and sharing about her lived experience with the condition. Listen to the podcast here

Inspiration and Motivation