Another edition of The Autism Digest is here! The Human Health team has prepared a new round-up of the latest news, research, and stories from the Autism community in the past month, just for you.

This issue highlights research examining the differences in symptom severity with variations in brain growth, as well as new practice guidelines for applied behavior analysis therapy in the United States. In the spotlight this week is a highschooler’s award-winning coding program for neurodivergent kids.

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Latest Research and News

Recent publications

🧠 Early brain overgrowth may impact ASD symptom severity: Researchers measured size and growth patterns of brain tissue models (known as organoids) grown from samples from children with and without ASD. Organoids derived from ASD children grew larger than the controls, and larger organoids were derived from children with more severe social symptoms. The study suggests the possibility of an association between brain growth and symptom severity. Link to article.

💊 Effects of Vitamin D deficiency on pregnancy and child outcomes: This study analysed pre-existing research using data from >170,000 women. The principle findings indicated there may be an association between a variety of negative fetal and maternal outcomes and vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy. Notably, risk of children developing ADHD or ASD was increased with maternal vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy. Link to article.

🪶 Response to touch in ASD: This study examined the effects of different kinds of physical touch on Autistic and non-Autistic participants. A key finding was that Autistic participants could explicitly differentiate types of touch, but their physiological response is less specific than for non-Autistic people. This study highlights potential divergence between response to touch in Autistic and non-Autistic individuals. Link to article.

New in News

✈️ AirCanada introduces Autism Aviation Days: The program introduces Autistic children and their families to air travel by practicing going through security, boarding a plane, taxiing and disembarking the aircraft, all in a safe and supported environment. The program is in partnership with Canucks Autism Network. Link to article.

📋 New ABA practice guidelines: The Council of Autism Service Providers recently released a third edition of informative guidelines. The aim of the new documentation is to support the appropriate and effective delivery of ABA therapy, to ensure optimal outcomes for Autistic individuals. Link to article.

📚 Special Education Enrolment Hits All-Time High: Across 2022–2023, a record 15% of US students aged 3–21 were supported by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Common conditions reported included specific learning disabilities, speech or language impairments, and Autism. Link to article.

Featured

High Schooler Wins Award for Coding Program for Neurodivergent Students

Sreenidi Bala is a 16 year old student from Connecticut who was recently awarded as the 2024 Prudential Emerging Visionaries Societal Solution Winner. Over the past 3 years she has worked on creating a computer science program that provides educators with tools to help neurodivergent learners how to code.

After helping out friends in her school’s Special Learning classroom, Sreenidi noted that there were few STEM opportunities made available to these students. This inspired her to start Code for All Minds in 2020, which she now calls her ‘passion project’, and is committed to pursuing for years to come in order to further expand access to STEM pathways for neurodivergent learners and special education programs.

With the help of members and educators of the Special Learning program at her highschool, Sreenidi has worked diligently to incorporate tools that make learning challenging and complex concepts easy for her target audience. This includes extra video animations and comprehensive guidance information.

Sreenidi hopes to use her $10,000 prize to expand her program, to empower many more learners to achieve opportunities in computer science and STEM. You can read more about Sreenidi and Code for All Minds here.

Community Corner

🎭 Love on the Spectrum star to make acting debut: Michael Theo, fan favorite from the Australian docuseries, is set to star the leading role in upcoming comedy drama ‘Austin’. The show follows a neurodivergent forklift driver on a quest to discover who his father is. Read more.

🌊 Swim Possible: Experts are emphasising the importance of teaching children with Autism and their families about swimming and water safety after a young Autistic child recently drowned in Minneapolis. Read more.

🎤 Stars of the Spectrum: The Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism has collaborated with Big Night Records to produce a musical album starring the voices of 15 Autistic artists, now available to buy or stream. The foundation will also hold a live music festival in August where the artists will perform. Read more. 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