Sleep Problems Linked to More Severe Autism Symptoms

Marina Sarris Interactive Autism Network at Kennedy Krieger Institute ian@kennedykrieger.org In autism, lost sleep means more than just a drowsy morning: it’s linked to serious problems. A new study of children with autism shows that those who slept less also had lower intelligence scores and more severe autistic symptoms than kids who slept more.1 This is important because insomnia affects from 50 to 80 percent of children on the spectrum, according to estimates.1-5 They are […]

Make a Home Accessible With Department of Veterans Affairs Programs

If you’re disabled, it is important to feel comfortable at home. Depending on your unique needs, modifications such as a wheelchair ramp, wider doorways or even a special doorbell can make a big difference in your accessibility at home. The Department of Veterans Affairs promotes independent living for disabled veterans through several programs. Based on your disability, you may be eligible for a grant to make modifications to your home. Here are a few possibilities […]

Why Doctors Should Ask About the Use of Supplements in Patients with Down Syndrome

My wife is a pediatrician and in better health than I am. She is physically fit and obsessively exercises, which is more than I would claim about myself. She begins her day in a routine way, which includes drinking a foul-smelling concoction of green tea, herbs, and spices that are said to have anti-inflammatory qualities. She uses it to wash down fist-full of supplements, which are without solid scientific evidence of extending life or delivering […]

A Complicated Landscape: Parents’ Perceptions of Stress, Control in Autism

Marina Sarris Interactive Autism Network at Kennedy Krieger Institute ian@kennedykrieger.org A decade ago, Sarah S. Mire helped assess autism symptoms in children who came to Baylor College of Medicine in Texas for a research project. She got to know their families and appreciate the time they devoted to the Simons Simplex Collection (SSC), an autism study that recruited families at university centers throughout the United States and Canada. Like other families affected by autism,1-3 many […]

Autism Risk Determined by Health of Mother’s Gut

Summary: Researchers have successfully identified autism risk in young mice by examining their mother’s microbiome during pregnancy. The study, which may offer the earliest detection of autism, could pave the way to developing preventative measures against forms of autism by altering the maternal diet and probiotic intake. Source: University of Virginia Health System. The risk of developing autism-spectrum disorders is determined by the mother’s microbiome – the collection of microorganisms that naturally live inside us […]