Archive for autism
Kids with special health care needs can take small steps toward dental visits
This is the second of a two-part series offering dental advice to the parents of children with special health care needs. A visit to the dentist can be an overwhelming experience for children with special health care needs. Like many people, they might feel uncomfortable with dental picks and drills. Or, favoring the rhythm of ... Read More about Kids with special health care needs can take small steps toward dental visits
Can intensive early behavioral therapy help children with Down syndrome?
“It’s like learning a new language. It’s a challenge, but a good challenge,” says Kristala of the new ways she has learned to connect with her 3-year-old son, Ellison, who has Down syndrome. Her favorite part of the Joint-Attention-Symbolic-Play-Engagement-Regulation (JASPER) clinical trial program at Boston Children’s Hospital came during the “Follow His Lead” week. “I ... Read More about Can intensive early behavioral therapy help children with Down syndrome?
New technique yields potential treatment for a common cause of autism
Since 2008, we have known that the 16p11.2 chromosomal region is linked with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Now, researchers from Boston Children’s have developed a new way to study the effects of 16p11.2 deletion in human neurons. In the process, they also found a potential treatment, possibly expanding the therapeutic options for this specific cause ... Read More about New technique yields potential treatment for a common cause of autism
‘Mosaic’ gene mutations could explain some cases of autism
The causes of autism remain mysterious. Scientists have linked autism spectrum disorder to a long list of genes, but most children with autism have no known explanation. Two new studies add to the picture, implicating mutations that affect only a fraction of a child’s cells. Called mosaic mutations, they open a new avenue for research ... Read More about ‘Mosaic’ gene mutations could explain some cases of autism
Zooming in on screen time for children with special education needs
In 2013, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended no more than two hours of screen time per day for school-aged children. This includes time on television, computers, tablets, and cell phones. However, during the current COVID-19 pandemic, many children are doing some, if not all, of their schooling remotely via a screen. So, how do you ... Read More about Zooming in on screen time for children with special education needs
Back to school during COVID-19: Children with special needs
If this were a normal year, summer would be wrapping up and kids would be returning to the routines of another school year. But school will be different this fall. From staggered start times to classrooms set up for physical distance, kids are in for an unpredictable year. The many changes may be especially difficult ... Read More about Back to school during COVID-19: Children with special needs
CRUSH: Developing a sexual education program for young adults on the autism spectrum
For many young adults on the autism spectrum, developing and maintaining positive intimate relationships can be challenging. But collaboration between Boston Children’s Hospital and UMass Boston hopes to provide some on-point guidance through a new initiative¾the Competence in Romance and Sexual Health (CRUSH) program, aimed at developing a new sex education curriculum for young adults ... Read More about CRUSH: Developing a sexual education program for young adults on the autism spectrum
Going into science: Women scientists at Boston Children’s offer advice to girls
In honor of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (February 11), we invited women scientists at all stages of their careers at Boston Children’s Hospital to share their scientific agendas. Here is some of what they had to say. The scientists also offered their advice for girls interested in entering the field. ... Read More about Going into science: Women scientists at Boston Children’s offer advice to girls
Samantha’s story: ‘I was bullied by a classmate’
During the fifth grade when Samantha was 10 years old, she was bullied by a male classmate. She remembers walking through the halls of her elementary school and hearing the bully call out these words: “Why are you on this earth? You don’t deserve to be alive.” The bullying followed her every day. “I didn’t want to ... Read More about Samantha’s story: ‘I was bullied by a classmate’
Immune cells “sculpt” brain circuits — by eating excess connections
The image above and the movie below show an immune cell caught in the act of tending the brain. The cell below has just eaten away unnecessary connections, or synapses, between neurons. That’s not something these cells, known as microglia, were previously thought to do. As immune cells, it was thought that their job was ... Read More about Immune cells “sculpt” brain circuits — by eating excess connections