The Autism Science Foundation Weekly Science Podcast is a summary of the latest research in autism spectrum disorders. This podcast will discuss new science, research discoveries, meetings and discussions, news reports, and other information important to those affected by autism especially families.
http://asfpodcast.org
Loss of skills in autism partially explained
Is regression a sudden loss of previously acquired skills or is it the gradual decline in a particular area of function? Who are the experts? Parents who recall back in time or clinicians who see in real time? The answer is both – using the right tools, both parents and clinicians can see that many more children than thought show regression. However, regression is slow, starting at around 12 months and showing continual declines until 36 months. Thanks to an NIMH day long symposium on the biological causes of regression, this decline or loss of skills is due to biological events that disrupt the formation of specific brain circuits at critical times in development. This can be because neurons stop developing, or maybe the brain goes overboard in shaping and pruning back connections. If you want to see the amazing full day of presentations that aired in 2016, click here: https://videocast.nih.gov/Summary.asp?file=19500&bhcp=1. A link to the Ozonoff study described in the podcast is here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29524310