When Dads Engage Autistic Kids More, Everybody Wins

Findings, published today [15 Jul] in Nature Communications, reveal the extent a mutation associated with autism and epilepsy plays in impairing a biochemical process in the brain. The study, led by University of Bristol researchers, could provide a new target for treating neurological disorders. The brain contains billions of nerve cells which communicate via the release of chemicals at connections called synapses. Each nerve cell can have thousands of synaptic connections to hundreds of other nerve cells. The protein Synapsin 1a plays a key role in regulating how synapses operate by regulating the amount of chemical transmission
Brusters Fundraiser 6 to 9 pm
Bridgewater, PA July 3, 2015
By Bailey Moser
Gluten-free and casein-free (GFCF) diets, also known as “autism diets,” have been heralded as reliable treatment options for Autism Spectrum Disorder (AUS) by some therapists, but scientific evidence has been lacking. A recent study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has found that using dietary supplementation to treat children with autism is not only ineffective, but it could also lead to both insufficient nutrients and excessive nutrients.
Some children with autism should undergo ongoing screenings for apraxia, a rare neurological speech disorder, because the two conditions often go hand-in-hand, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.
Over the course of a three-year study, 64 percent of children initially diagnosed with autism were found to also have apraxia. The study also showed that the commonly used Checklist for Autism Spectrum Disorder (CASD) accurately diagnoses autism in children with apraxia.
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