A new study from Australia measured physiological arousal in children with and without ASD in the context of different peer group situations. Small groups of three children (one with ASD and two with typical development) wore wrist bands to measure skin conductance during four peer group activities: reading silently, reading aloud, free play with toys, and free play with guinea pigs. The children with ASD showed: (1) reduced levels of arousal during play with guinea pigs compared to the other activities, and (2) reduced levels of arousal during play with guinea pigs compared to their peers. In fact, arousal levels of the children with typical development increased during play with guinea pigs relative to the other activities.

The different patterns of response to the guinea pig activity in children with and without ASD may be explained by the fact that physiological arousal can reflect either stress or excitement. The authors propose that for children with ASD, the presence of the guinea pigs within a social context may serve as a buffer against the anxiety and stress induced by social situations. On the other hand, for children without ASD, who are more comfortable in social situations, increased arousal in the guinea pig condition may reflect increased excitement in response to the novel situation.

While the presence of guinea pigs should not be considered a therapeutic intervention in and of itself, it may be useful in reducing social anxiety in children with ASD, and provide a more comfortable context for interacting with and learning from peers.

To learn more about the study, read The New York Times’ article Guinea Pigs Are Autistic Child’s Best Friend.

 (via The New York Times)

 

Clock genes play a key role in regulating our sleep-wake cycles, or circadian rhythms. The study of clock genes in children with ASD is important because (as many parents know) disturbances in sleep are a common occurrence in individuals with ASD. A recent study in Japan examined the genes of 28 children and adults with ASD and intellectual disability, half of whom had sleep disorders and half who did not.  Their results revealed that individuals with ASD had twice as many mutations in circadian-related genes – regardless of whether they had a sleep disorder – compared with individuals in the control group. The authors suggest that these circadian-related genes may be involved in the pathophysiology of ASD, and even speculate that these genes may be involved in other aspects of timing that affect individuals with ASD, such as attention-shifting and social coordination. While the findings of this study are interesting, it will be important to see whether they can be replicated with other, larger, samples of individuals with ASD, including those without intellectual disability.

 

…READi Lab website! Now that our “extreme website makeover” is complete, we hope you will enjoy and take advantage of all of the new features, which include quick access to the Understanding Autism DVD segments, finding local, national, and educational resources, and connecting with us for more information about studies and your burning questions. Many thanks to Diane Conrad and Muna Haddadin who re-designed the site (and revamped our logo) as part of their Capstone Project through the UW Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering. Feel free to share your thoughts with us as you explore and navigate through all of the website’s sections!

Don’t forget – the Pacific Science Center hosts a FREE sensory-friendly experience one Saturday morning every month for individuals with ASD. Check out their website for the specific dates as well as a downloadable sensory guide and tips and tools for families: Pacific Science Center . The doors open from 8-10am on these special Saturdays, before the exhibits are open to the public. Not a bad way to start a fun summer weekend!

Rates of Autism have increased by 30 percent since 2008, and the causes of this rise remain elusive. Maureen Durkin, PhD, at the Department of Population Health Science and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, discusses some possible reasons for the growing number of cases, how traditional ways of studying autism may not be painting a complete picture, and what role public health approaches have in answering this question. learn more: http://sfari.org/…/questions-for-maureen-durkin-understandi…

Thirteen ASD researchers representing diverse backgrounds collaborated recently on a consensus statement coining the term “Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBI)” to characterize evidence-based interventions for young children that integrate components of behavioral and developmental science. This move serves the purposes of clarifying the misconception that “applied behavior analysis” is synonymous with “discrete trial training,” as well as describing the common features of the NDBIs, which include a focus on improving core social-communicative skills, teaching in naturalistic settings, and using prompts and natural reinforcement.