Fostering partnerships for autism research

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Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Testing school-based autism treatments takes teamwork

Partnering with families and teachers is the only way to make autism interventions work in the community.

By David Mandell
12 May 2016 | 7 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

How dining out with my daughter inspired my autism studies

Restaurants can be stressful for my daughter Frances, who has autism, but her difficulties led me to try to better understand and treat her type of situational anxiety.

By Kevin Pelphrey
12 May 2016 | 7 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Scientists must curb tendency to try untested treatments

People may misconstrue basic research as ready remedies, so scientists must work to prevent misinterpretation of their findings.

By Matt Carey
12 May 2016 | 8 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Firsthand experience with autism can spark new science

Meeting people with autism can give scientists new ideas and the motivation to pursue long-term studies.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
12 May 2016 | 5 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Questions for Laura Anthony: Teaming up to improve research

Partnering with families affected by autism may make research more relevant, fun and likely to succeed.

By Katie Moisse
12 May 2016 | 5 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Before talking about autism, listen to families

Scientists should phrase their findings to be sensitive to the dignity and needs of people with autism.

By Shannon Des Roches Rosa
26 January 2016 | 6 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Autism’s full spectrum

Minority families often miss out on treatment or get left out of research — an ethical failure. New projects are illuminating autism’s diverse shades.

By Amy Yee
4 May 2016 | 19 min read

From the archives

Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Questions for Ari Ne’eman: Partnering with participants

Autistic adults should be partners in the research process, not just ‘subjects’ in a study, says Ari Ne’eman.

By Jennifer Richler
16 June 2015 | 5 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Funds add up for research plans that put focus on families

With billions of dollars in hand, a novel initiative is funding projects that involve people with disorders and their caregivers from the outset.

By Rachel Kremen
7 May 2015 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

School’s in

School-based interventions are arguably the best way to reach the truly underserved, under-represented and under-resourced children with autism, says Connie Kasari.

By Connie Kasari
23 July 2013 | 5 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

U.S. aims to overhaul ethics rules for research with people

The proposed guidelines would require scientists to destroy biological specimens if they don’t have the explicit consent of the participant for further use.

By Ann Griswold
17 December 2015 | 5 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Questions for Amaral, Halladay: Boosting brainpower

A new network of brain banks aims to collect and disburse tissue donations to U.S. autism researchers.

By Katie Moisse
15 December 2015 | 6 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Autism researchers need to actively connect with public

Are scientists doing enough to communicate their findings — and explain their findings’ importance — to families affected by autism? The answer, suggests a new study, is no.

By Rachel Zamzow
7 July 2015 | 4 min read

Experimental autism treatments put to test in real world

Researchers are modifying autism therapies for the various communities tasked with implementing them — a move they hope will make treatments more effective for and accessible to all children.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
16 January 2017 | 7 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Mother’s drive helps research on rare autism-linked mutation

A mother of two sons with mutations in the autism-linked gene neuroligin-4 helped broker collaborations between research teams. Her ultimate goal, she says, is to help researchers uncover new treatments for the disorder.

By Emily Singer
14 March 2013 | 6 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Family ties compel some scientists to tackle autism

Many autism researchers began studying the disorder after a loved one’s diagnosis, but some struggle with the decision to enroll their children in studies.

By Virginia Hughes
9 September 2009 | 7 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Parents turn their skills to furthering autism research

Most parents educate themselves as much as possible when their child is diagnosed with a disorder. A handful of others — in many cases, mothers — have devoted their professional lives to research on autism-related disorders.

By Emily Singer
9 May 2013 | 7 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Communication lapses hinder autism research

The term ‘deficit model’ traditionally means treating people with autism by focusing on their limitations rather than their strengths. Chris Gunter introduces the deficit model in a different context: science communication.

By Chris Gunter
24 October 2014 | 3 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Violet-stained neurons in a serial transverse section from an embryonic spiny dogfish, a bottom-dwelling shark.

Digitization of ‘breathtaking’ neuroanatomy slide collection offers untapped research gold mine

Thousands of histological sections of vertebrate brains—including from spiny dogfish, turtles and more—are newly available online.

By Shaena Montanari
22 January 2025 | 3 min read
Research image of brain organoids with astroglia formation represented in green.

Personalized medicine; astroglia organoids; fast track for fragile X drug

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 20 January.

By Jill Adams
21 January 2025 | 2 min read
Illustration of clinicians, a pill bottle, a speech bubble and shadowy figures.

Neuroscientists need to do better at explaining basic mental health research

The knowledge gap between scientists, health-care professionals, policymakers and people with mental health conditions is growing, slowing the translation of basic science to new treatments. Like lawyers learning to present a case to the court, scientists should learn to educate nonscientists about their findings.

By Omar Abubaker, Karla Kaun, Eric J. Nestler
21 January 2025 | 7 min read