With World Autism Month drawing to a close this week, we’ve curated the tenth edition of the Autism Digest, with the latest news, research, and stories from the Autism community in the past month.

This edition highlights research examining the connection between gut health in childhood and the development of Autism, as well as news about new developments in the baby food/Autism lawsuits. We’ve also featured a heartwarming social media interaction within the Autism community.

In the spotlight this week is an entrepreneurial family raising Autism awareness through their small business.

If someone you know might benefit from the information shared in The Autism Digest, please share it with them! We’d love for this resource to reach those who need it.

If this email has been shared with you and you’d like to sign up to receive more of The Autism Digest, you can subscribe here.

Latest Research and News

Recent publications

🦠 Infant microbes and metabolites point to childhood neurodevelopmental disorders: This study followed over 16,000 Swedish children over 20 years and identified factors that may increase future risk of developing ASD. Some of these factors included exposure to parental smoking, early childhood infections and antibiotic use, and changes to the types of bacteria in the gut. The results suggest that an early-in-life inflammatory response potentially mediated by gut bacteria may contribute to increased risk of developing ASD. Link to article.

🧠 Association of cerebral palsy with Autism Spectrum Disorder: This large-scale study analysed data from a national survey to assess if there is increased risk of developing ASD or ADHD in children with cerebral palsy. It was found that children with cerebral palsy had a significantly higher likelihood of developing ASD or ADHD compared to children without cerebral palsy. Link to article.

🫄 Preeclampsia and Autism Spectrum Disorders in Offspring: This study assessed data from births between 2001–2014 in Southern California to determine if there was a link between the time of preeclampsia onset and the child’s risk of developing ASD. The results showed that experiencing preeclampsia did significantly increase ASD risk, and risk increased with earlier onset of preeclampsia. Link to article.

New in News

🔬$2M research initiative to explore heart health in Autism: Recent studies have shown that Autistic people may be at increased risk for developing some heart conditions, and that people born with certain heart conditions are more likely to be diagnosed with Autism. To further investigate the links between heart health and neurodevelopmental disorders, the American Heart Association is moving to fund new research. Link to article.

⚖️ Updates in lawsuit against baby food: An ongoing nationwide case against a variety of baby food manufacturers alleges that products which were known by the manufacturers to contain heavy metals have caused harm to infants, including contributing to the development of Autism in some children. New developments include the case being ruled as a federal class action, with all baby food lawsuits in the US now consolidated. Link to article.

💰 EarliTec Diagnostics, Inc. Raises $21.5 Million: The company is working on commercializing a diagnostic tool, EarliPoint, which may aid clinicians in early Autism diagnosis. The tool is a digital tablet that plays videos of social interactions and assesses a child’s reaction to the videos to determine if they may or may not have Autism. Read more.

Featured

Spreading Awareness One Cookie At A Time

When her youngest son Oli was diagnosed with Autism, mom Laura felt lost. After leaving her 20-year career as a chef to take on full-time care for Oli, Laura did everything she could to learn about his condition and how best to raise him.

The dedicated mom recognized from early on that Oli expressed creativity and artistic abilities, and combined with her culinary passion, Oli’s cookies was born. The family kitchen has ben completely converted into a workspace, and 9 year old Oli designs the artwork that is proudly displayed on the front of every package, each containing delicious home-made cookies.

Through their online store, providing stock to other local businesses, and setting up at farmers markets, Oli’s cookies help spread awareness about Autism, with each packet printed with the family’s inspiring story on the back.

Laura believes Oli feels very special and proud of their products, and she endeavors to provide a safe space for others to share their own stories and connect. The family aims to provide work opportunities with Oli’s cookies for those on the spectrum in the future.

The cookies are plant based and available in a variety of flavors, with some examples including limoncello, snickerdoodle, chocolate chip pecan and strawberry bliss.

You can read more about Oli’s Cookies on their website here.

Community Corner

❓ Autistic people ask and answer: Autistic advocate @neurodivergent_lou shared a recent Instagram post encouraging Autistic people younger than 25 to seek advice in the comments, and for those aged 25+ to provide advice. One commenter asked “What helped you guys start to unmask?”, which was answered by another with “…my therapist recommended saying feelings out loud instead of trying to internalize everything.” Many more insightful interactions were shared. Read more.

👪 The Autism Parenting Summit Is Here: The global virtual conference will be held on May 17th–20th. With a lineup of over 25 neurodivergent speakers subject-matter experts, the free event will touch on a broad range of topics, including Autism in girls, food sensitivities, and positive behavior support.
Read more.

👬 The science of siblings: 19 year old twins Sam and John share a close bond. Although both are Autistic, John has higher support needs, despite presenting with similar symptoms to Sam in early childhood. This interview delves into the unique connection the brothers share, their thoughts on being neurodivergent, and how they help each other navigate the world. Read more.

Resources and Tools

💡 NEW 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.

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

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

Inspiration and Motivation