A study examining #Autism highlights the differences between #autistic boys and girls (#ASD). - - http://clapway.com/2015/09/04/girls-and-boys-with-autism123/

Autism is characterized by a few distinctive symptoms, including impaired social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication and restricted and repetitive behaviors. Though every person will exhibit these symptoms in varying degrees along a spectrum, boys are at higher risk for ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) than girls. The exact reason behind this is unknown, but one theory states that girls are under diagnosed. Now, a new study reveals that this could be due to differences in parts of the brains of autistic girls and boys, which can cause them to exhibit symptoms differently.

Study Sheds Light On Autism

According to Kaustubh Superkar, the leader author behind the study, restricted and repetitive behavior is generally seen as the “red flag” that causes a child to be evaluated for the disorder. The symptom can manifest itself in several ways, but an example of this behavior can include a “strict adherence to routines” or a singular focus on a specific area of interest.

Because repetitive behavior is so indicative of autism, children with less prominent symptoms may be misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all. Conversely, those with more pronounced behaviors might show up as “false positives.” Emily Willingham, in quoting a July 2015 piece by journalist, Angela Neustatter, points out that autistic girls have the tendency to “implode emotionally,” as opposed to boys who express their emotions physically. As a result, girls can frequently be mislabeled as “autistic” or worse, get treated for a disorder they do not have.

Superkar’s analysis, the findings of which were published in Molecular Autism on Sept. 3, was conducted in two parts, according to WebMD. Firstly, the symptoms found in a focus group of autistic children (comprised of 128 girls and 614 boys between the ages of 7 and 13) were examined. Following this analysis, the researchers then searched and compared MRI brain scans for children with and without autism.

The MRI scans, in particular, revealed differences in certain parts of the brain between autistic girls and boys. This disparity, however, was not seen in children without autism. Furthermore, both parts of the study revealed that girls tended to exhibit less repetitive behavior in general.

Researchers agree that the results might hold implications for the future treatment of autism. However, critics have argued that the analysis is only preliminary, as the sample size of the study was not large enough to translate the results into an effective treatment just yet.

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Differences Between Girls and Boys with Autism

In the quest for tracing a root for the development of #autism (#ASD), scientists have found success in two genetic tests. What do #genetics reveal? - http://clapway.com/2015/09/02/genetic-tests-predict-autism123/

In the quest for tracing a genetic root for the development of autism, scientists have found success in two genetic tests. These tests can reliably diagnose autism subtypes that show discernable physical anomalies.

Genetic testing done to detect mutations common in children with autism

Published in the Journal of American Medical Association, the study used a genome-wide molecular testing regimen to detect genetic mutations that could offer a future diagnosis for the disorder. The tests were conducted on 258 unrelated children, who were diagnosed at two separate pediatric clinics at Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada. The children were divided into three groups based on their increasing severity of congenital and physical abnormalities: essential, equivocal and complex. Two tests called the chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) and whole-exome sequencing (WES) were used to determine the chances of autism diagnosis in each group. CMA was conducted on all 258 participants, whereas WES was performed on 95 child-parent trios.

Genetic tests can predict the chance of autism recurrence in siblings

The genetic tests showed different rates of prediction for each autism subtype studied. In the microarray analysis test, a molecular diagnosis was possible for 9.3% of the participants. This number was 8.4% for the WES trio test, which shows that the predictive capacity for both tests was quite similar. The combined predictive prowess of the two tests was 15.8%. This means that the tests can diagnose the genetic root for autism roughly 16 out of every 100 cases. However, the prediction rate is better for certain autism subtypes. Those who had complex autism were diagnosed with a mutation in 24.5% of the cases with the CMA test and 16.7% with the WES test; that is a combined detection rate of 37.5%. This means that dual genetic testing could aid diagnosis of complex autism in siblings based on the clinical examination for physical anomalies in the current child.

Autism diagnosis has a helping hand with the advent of genetic tests

The diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders is not entirely understood and still relies heavily on the astute clinical observation of social, communicative and repetitive symptoms. Although experienced clinicians are able to reliably diagnose this set of disorders, none of the behavioral or cognitive measures are sufficient for stratifying these disorders to identify subtypes and recurrence in siblings. It is believed that the combination of the robust genetic testing and skilled clinical assessment could achieve in autism diagnosis, what neither technique could possibly predict with confidence.

Autism and creativity: what’s the connection?

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Genetic Tests Predict Certain Types of Autism

Autism May Generate Exceptionally Creative Ideas #autism #creativity #asd - http://clapway.com/2015/08/24/autism-creative-ideas123/

A new study shows that autism is linked to higher level of creativity, debunking a commonly held myth concerning people with learning disabilities.

Researchers collected data from approximately 312 people, which revealed that people with the developmental condition were more likely to contribute fewer, but more unique answers. The relationship between creativity and autistic traits was studied in a large group of both autistic and non-autistic individuals. Participants were asked to come up with as many innovative uses for common objects or interpretation of vague images as they could in one minute.

Fewer creative ideas but more original thinkers

“We think that perhaps the people with autistic traits use more effortful methods to produce answers to divergent thinking tasks (not based on obvious word associations or common uses for similar items) and therefore come up with fewer but better responses,” lead author Dr. Catherine Best of the University of Stirling in the U.K. explained to Reuters Health.

Dr. Best underlined that the study examines just one aspect of the creative process, yet it reveals a nexus between autistic traits and imaginative ideas. According to The Guardian, some celebrities believe the findings should act as a wake-up call to the creative industries.

Tailored treatment models for autism

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that around 1 in every 68 children are diagnosed with some level of autism spectrum disorder – or ASD.

At one end of the spectrum are individuals who require constant care and supervision. However, the other end also includes others who are very high functioning. Previous research even suggests a possible connection between child prodigies and autism.

New technologies analyzing brain chemistry are now being developed to replace the previous “one-size-fits-all” approaches.

“We are not treating autism spectrum disorders. We are treating the individual child who has the behaviors consistent with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder,” said Dr. Roberto Tuchman, director of the Autism and Neurodevelopment Program at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Market Business reported.

What do you think of the link between creativity and autism? Share your views in the comments section below.

You might also like:

Single Mutation Might Be Cause For Autism
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Five Historical Geniuses Alleged to be Autistic

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Autism May Generate Exceptionally Creative Ideas