With only a few decades of solidified research, groundbreaking discoveries surrounding autism continue to captivate the scientific community. As a complex neurological condition, scientists are pushing forward in understanding to develop adequate interventions, support, and treatments.
In this blog, we’ll be discussing:
- What is the latest research for autism in 2023?
- What is the latest treatment for autism?
- Why is autism so high now?
What Is The Latest Research for Autism in 2023?
In 2023, more research has developed surrounding autism.
Below are some recent developments:
January
Vitamin D deficiency was found to be more common in children with ASD. About 75.9% of autistic children or other psychiatric disorders will be deficient in this vitamin.
February
After observing toddlers’ response to “motherese” (caregiver’s playful, emotional, and exaggerated form of speech), UCSD researchers found that children who didn’t pay attention to this tone of voice had weaker social and language skills. This can be used to help diagnose children with ASD, as non-autistic children responded to this voice and autistic children didn’t.
April
Nature Neuroscience discovered that there are four subtypes of autism. These distinct subtypes are categorized by brain activity, behaviors, and communication. Scientists believe that this can make diagnoses and therapy programs more effective and specific per person.
May
Out of 6,000 families, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) researchers found that autistic children are more likely to share their father’s genome- which changed the previously considered narrative that it was from the mother’s genome. This is especially common if the family has two or more children with ASD.
What is the Latest Treatment for Autism?
The most popular treatment for autism is ABA therapy. This is a systematic process that works to make meaningful changes in behavior. Improved symptoms can be in areas such as challenging behaviors, language, speech, communication, play skills, self-help skills, and feeding skills.
Why is Autism So High Now?
The frequency of autism has not necessarily become higher, just the prevalence of its diagnosis. Awareness of autism symptoms has increased- which allows caregivers to indicate how their child may fit this description. As this knowledge of neurodiversity rises, the CDC states that autism prevalence has increased from 1 in 150 children to 1 in 36 in the last few decades.
Additionally, research continues to develop solidified knowledge of the signs and symptoms of autism. This directly increases the number of official diagnoses as medical professionals and caregivers alike have a more foundational understanding of what to look for.
