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Scientists Identify 2 Distinct Subtypes of Autism in The Brain
A potentially big step forward.
Most health institutions failed to address acetaminophen-autism misinformation on Instagram, audit finds
Most public health institutions failed to respond promptly to misinformation on social media that falsely claimed acetaminophen use during pregnancy is linked to autism, according to research presented ...
Texas health agency proposes eliminating children’s autism program
Texas health officials have proposed cutting funding for a program that helps autistic children communicate. The Children's Autism Program offers therapy at reduced costs, but the Texas Health and Human Services Commission wants to eliminate it due to budget cuts.
Why MAHA wants to make health data much more accessible
At a MAHA Institute event, Kennedy and others argued that health data should be more accessible to researchers can study vaccines, chronic diseases, and autism
New 360 Behavioral Health autism care center opens in Visalia
A new 360 Behavioral Health autism care center is now open in Visalia, bringing Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA, therapy services closer to families in the Central Valley.
Southeast Georgia business owner creates community space inspired by daughter with autism
What started as a mother’s vision to support her daughter has grown into a community gathering space in southeast Georgia.
Yale School of Medicine On the Science of Childhood Anxiety, Say, Anxiety Disorders Are the Most Common Mental Health Challenges In Youth
Credit: Matt Bradbury October 5, 2026 - By Isabella Backman - Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health challenges in youth. Left untreated, they can disrupt the lives of both children and their families. The good news is that with intervention, most children will overcome these conditions. Across Yale School of Medicine, scientists are working to understand anxiety at every level, from common anxious behaviors to molecular biomarkers in the brain. They are using their findings to develop and disseminate new evidence-based treatments for childhood anxiety. Today, the go-to treatment for childhood anxiety disorders is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This is a form of psychotherapy that teaches children skills for confronting anxious thoughts and helps them practice managing situations that cause anxiety. While it is the gold-standard treatment backed by considerable scientific evidence, up to 50% of children will not see sufficient benefit from CBT alone. Wendy Silverman, PhD, Alfred A. Messer Professor in the Child Study Center, co-directs the Anxiety and Mood Disorders Program alongside Eli Lebowitz, PhD, associate professor in the Child Study Center. One of their main interests is learning how to improve outcomes beyond CBT. “We’re developing cutting-edge, research-based knowledge that can reduce the suffering that anxiety causes children and their families,” says Silverman. Changing parent behavior YSM experts are investigating how to improve CBT outcomes for children by involving the parents. Silverman’s research has uncovered two main components of parent intervention that improve childhood anxiety: not enabling children to completely avoid the things that make them anxious and taking steps to enhance their autonomy. Parents may unintentionally reinforce their child’s anxiety by allowing them to avoid what makes them anxious. They also may unintentionally limit the children’s sense of autonomy by being overly intrusive. “One of the things that we take pride in is that we’ve focused on trying to understand what parents need to do, and to test our ideas and see if changing the parents’ behaviors is enhancing the effects of CBT,” Silverman says. “Our findings thus far suggest that they do." As much as CBT can be helpful, it can also be challenging to get one’s child to do the necessary steps for CBT to work. This is one important reason why Lebowitz created a novel intervention program for parents named Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE). Existing intervention programs often teach parents to act as therapists for their child, such as training them on how to practice breathing exercises. “It makes sense, but this doesn’t work very well in practice,” says Lebowitz. “And part of the reason, I think, is that it’s not easy to get your kid to do things, especially if they’re not excited about doing it.” SPACE is unique because it focuses entirely on parent involvement and changing parental behavior—children are not involved in the sessions. For example, parents learn how to use supportive messages that convey confidence that their child can tolerate and manage distress. “It might sound like a parent saying to a child, ‘I get that this is really hard for you, but I know that you can handle it,’” Lebowitz says. The program also works with parents to identify the ways in which they are accommodating anxious behaviors. “We’ll pick one thing that parents are doing that is an accommodation and help them make a detailed plan for how they’re going to change that,” Lebowitz explains. Treating Anxiety in Children and Adolescents Much of the existing research on SPACE has focused on parents of children under age 14. Ongoing studies are now exploring its use with parents of older teens. “Both anxiety and accommodation can interfere with normative developmental shifts during the teen years, including increased autonomy and individuation from parents,” says Rebecca Etkin, PhD, associate research scientist in the Child Study Center. “In this sense, SPACE may be particularly well-suited for anxious teens and their parents. We want to see whether it is effective during this distinct developmental window.” Unfortunately, many families in need of CBT face barriers, including limited availability of services and geographic constraints. One way to improve access is digital interventions. Silverman and her team are developing an evidence-based digitized intervention program for parents that they can access directly from their computer or smart phone. “The work we’re doing will be one of the very few parent interventions that is digitized and importantly tested for effectiveness,” she says. Creating interventions for anxiety-related challenges Silverman and Lebowitz recently received a generous gift to develop and test other interventions that help parents reduce other child anxiety-related behavioral and emotional difficulties, such as restrictive eating and unexplained somatic symptoms. One of these projects in particular focuses on understanding the risks of social media and its potential benefits, including offering a sense of connection. “A lot of research has focused on the idea that social media is harmful and the less of it the better,” says Lebowitz. “But we actually see is that this is not quite right—there are negatives, but there are also positives. So, we’re trying to get a little bit more nuanced of a picture.” The team is working with teens with social anxiety and their parents over an extended period to better understand their social media habits and how their anxiety levels affect engagement with different platforms. The teens will answer questions sent to an app on their phones about mood and social media usage in an effort to capture emotional responses as they unfold. “We hope to develop interventions that can help make the best of social media while protecting against the more problematic effects,” Lebowitz says. The brain’s role in anxiety Researchers are also testing therapies to address anxiety at the neurological and molecular levels. In collaboration with Dylan Gee, PhD, professor of psychology in Yale's Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and Hilary Blumberg, MD, John and Hope Furth Professor of Psychiatric Neuroscience at Yale School of Medicine, Lebowitz and Silverman are using brain imaging to identify changes in a child’s brain before and after parents enroll in SPACE. In one study, children viewed anxiety-inducing images while undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); the researchers conducted scans with and without the children’s parents nearby. Before SPACE, children’s brains were better able to activate the regulatory circuitry needed to turn off an anxious response when their parents were nearby. But after SPACE, children could activate this circuitry even without the parent around. “As parents work on gradually reducing some of their accommodations, you can see a child get better at regulating their own fear system in the brain,” Lebowitz says. “It’s remarkable.” Research into the molecular underpinnings of anxiety can also inform new childhood anxiety treatments. In a recent study, Lebowitz, Silverman, and Flora Vaccarino, MD, Harris Professor in the Child Study Center, discovered that a protein known as fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) could be protective from the toxic effects of stress. FGF2 levels in children and their parents were linked to the children’s risk of developing anxiety and depression, the study showed. The findings could help explain why some children who are exposed to early life trauma such as poverty or abuse are more prone to developing mental health disorders. And FGF2 could be a target for treatment. “This is very novel because it starts to give a clue to what is the molecular chain that connects those lived experiences to the actual psychological outcomes,” Lebowitz says. New ways to study and treat childhood anxiety Michael Crowley, PhD, associate professor in the Child Study Center, collaborates with Silverman and Lebowitz to study the role that attention plays in development and maintenance of childhood anxiety. There is a large body of research that shows that anxious children, like anxious adults, are prone to focus on threatening stimuli such as angry faces compared with neutral faces. This has led to innovative interventions that involve attention retraining. The idea is that if experts train children to look away from threatening stimuli, it may reduce their anxiety—especially children with social anxiety who are most prone to attend to threats. The researchers have just completed a clinical trial for attention retraining with 10- to 14-year-olds with social anxiety disorders and are currently analyzing the findings. Besides this innovative attention retraining research, as Crowly notes, “I like to design tasks that are engaging to kids,” Crowley says. “My goal is to assess something without the kids knowing what we are assessing.” With this goal in mind, Crowley has created a virtual game, named Boom, to study threat processing in children with anxiety disorders. The game is similar to that of hot potato—the child and three digital players take turns virtually passing a ball to each other’s gloves. At some point, the ball turns into a bomb, and as the bomb lands in each player’s glove, the outline of the glove turns yellow. The goal is to avoid having the bomb go off in your glove. What isn’t obvious is that the game is designed to measure different types of threatening stimuli, both ambiguous and direct. In the game, the direct threat occurs as the bomb is traveling towards your glove. The ambiguous threat is the yellow outlined glove as it is unknown where the bomb will travel next. While children play the game, Crowley’s team measures their brain activity using electroencephalography (EEG). The researchers have discovered that in kids with anxiety, the brain reacts more strongly to ambiguous threats than it does in their peers, but less strongly to direct threats. They believe that the initial abnormally large brain response to not knowing where the bomb is going impairs the brain's ability to properly respond when the threat is actually traveling the child’s way. “The brains of children with anxiety are unable to differentiate between threats you need to do something about and those that are not your problem.” Michael Crowley, PhD, develops innovative games for studying anxiety in children and adolescents.Credit: Matt Bradbury Based on these insights, Crowley hopes to study whether interventions like attention training could restore appropriate threat processing. Crowley’s team is also working on a test called the Balloon Risk Avoidance Task, which evaluates risk-taking and avoidance behaviors. It features a digital balloon that is full of air and about to burst. Kids have six seconds to let air out of the balloon. The more air they let out, the less risk they face that the balloon will pop. But at the same time, the balloon becomes less valuable as it deflates. “The more air you keep in the balloon, the more points you get,” Crowley explains. So far, the researchers have found that when the balloons pop unexpectedly, teens with social anxiety show distinct brain responses. Studying these responses can help psychologists understand the underlying pathways driving the various manifestations of anxiety. The genetics of anxiety When Thomas Fernandez, MD, associate professor in the Child Study Center and of psychiatry, was still in training, there was a lot of excitement about understanding the genetics associated with autism spectrum disorder. Since then, scientists have identified around 250 genes associated with autism. The genetic contribution to anxiety disorders, on the other hand, has historically received less attention. Anxiety is less heritable than autism, but the genetic contribution for anxiety disorders that emerge in childhood may be higher than for anxiety disorders overall. While scientists estimate the heritability of anxiety disorders in general to be around 30% to 50%, some studies suggest higher heritability for certain childhood-onset anxiety presentations. “I saw firsthand how researchers in the field went about finding vulnerability genes for autism,” Fernandez says. “So, we’re using a very similar playbook for childhood anxiety.” “I saw firsthand how researchers in the field went about finding vulnerability genes for autism. So, we’re using a very similar playbook for childhood anxiety.” Thomas Fernandez, MD Associate Professor In the Child Study Center and in Psychiatry Now, Fernandez and Emily Olfson, MD, PhD, assistant professor in the Child Study Center, are studying children and their parents to identify genetic changes that are present in the child but not the parents, known as “de novo mutations.” “All of us have some de novo mutations—maybe about 50 to 100 sprinkled throughout the genome,” Olfson says. “But when they occur within the coding regions of genes, they can be really disruptive.” Previous research shows that people with autism have higher rates of damaging de novo mutations than the general population. In 2022, Olfson, Lebowitz, Silverman, and Fernandez published a study on 68 children and their families that found that children with anxiety had similarly high levels of these mutations. Studying de novo mutations can help point the researchers to where they should be looking for genes associated with anxiety. “The end game is using the genes to steer us toward the right part of biology that we can then target to come up with better treatments,” Fernandez says. Building on those findings, the team is now studying more families to better understand how these de novo mutations, along with other genetic and environmental factors, shape pediatric anxiety disorders. They recently received a National Institutes of Health grant to enroll 750 new families over the next five years. Olfson is the principal investigator, with co-investigators Lebowitz, Fernandez, Silverman, and Shuangge Steven Ma, PhD, department chair and professor of biostatistics at Yale School of Public Health. Neurodevelopment, Risk Genes, and Mental Health Conditions - The Olfson Lab Joel Gelernter, MD, Foundations Fund Professor of Psychiatry, is interested in how different anxiety disorders differ genomically. “We are studying social phobia, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder, working to understand why people differ in their risk to these specific anxiety disorders and evaluating various risk factors,” he says. Gelernter was recently involved in one of the largest studies to date of the genomics underlying anxiety disorder. The study included around 122,000 people with anxiety disorders and around 730,000 without. It found that some genetic differences associated with anxiety were linked to signaling that helps reduce overactivity in the nervous system. Many anxiety medications available today work by targeting this process. “It’s nice when the biology that you get out of a large genome-wide study ratifies things that we already know because that can help increase confidence in further findings from the study,” Gelernter says. Uncovering the neurobiology of psychiatric disorders John Krystal, MD, Robert L. McNeil, Jr. Professor of Translational Research and chair of the Department of Psychiatry, is interested in the neurobiology of psychiatric disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), of which anxiety is a major symptom. In the late 1980s, Krystal’s team discovered that the drug yohimbine activated symptoms in patients with PTSD. “This was the first time we could link a specific biological mechanism to the symptoms of PTSD,” Krystal says. At the time, he adds, this finding was highly controversial. “A lot of people felt that PTSD was a purely psychological syndrome that didn’t have an underlying biology.” Since then, Krystal has dived deep into understanding the neurobiology of PTSD to learn how to better treat it. His team is evaluating the use of ketamine and psychedelics. These would be among the first treatments to be developed specifically for PTSD. They may also be applicable for other disorders including anxiety disorders, Krystal adds. An important gap in PTSD treatment is the absence of biological tests that inform how to best help patients manage their PTSD symptoms. A doctor doesn’t diagnose cancer based on how they feel. Rather, they use tests of the biology of the cancer to determine the best course of treatment. “And we can’t do that in any psychiatric disorder other than Alzheimer’s disease,” Krystal says. “But now we are building a foundation for this approach to the treatment of anxiety disorders for the first time.” Source: Yale School of Medicine
Cassidy shifts on CDC nominee, citing change to disputed autism page
But the page’s core claim still suggests a long debunked link between vaccines and autism.
ADHD and autism at risk of over-diagnosis, says report, with author due to speak to BBC
The government-commissioned review, which covers England, also says better support is needed for young people with mental health problems.
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NEW TO BOARD: The Autism Society of Mahoning Valley recently named four new members to its board of directors. The new board members bring diverse professional experience in human resources, healthcare, workforce and economic development, and real estate, strengthening the Autism Society’s leadership as it expands programs, partnerships, community engagement, and resources for individuals and […]
US ‘drowning in misinformation’ under RFK Jr, autism advocates say
Health officials in Trump administration were accused of fueling ‘crisis of public trust’ over autism and vaccines
A review argues the family dog may become science’s unlikely ally against autism
This peer-reviewed Perspective synthesizes a decade of research on a surprising candidate for autism science: the laboratory Beagle. Drawing together scattered studies, the review authors argue that dogs carrying engineered changes in the Shank3 gene reproduce core human features of autism spectrum disorder, including social withdrawal, altered sensory responses, and reduced attention to the eyes of a face. The synthesis assembles, for the first time in one place, the parallels between mutant dogs and autistic people, alongside early signals that oxytocin, a psychedelic, and a third compound may soften these traits. The authors frame the dog as a complementary, ethically governed model, not a replacement for existing ones.
Mice with millions of human neurons in their brains bring scientists closer to understanding mental disorders
Researchers in the United States and Spain have created living rodents with cerebral cortexes from healthy people to facilitate research into autism, schizophrenia, and epilepsy
Texas health agency proposes eliminating children’s autism program
The proposed elimination of the program, aimed at serving lower-income families, comes as Texas leadership has called on agencies to reduce budgets by 3%.
Scientists Identify 2 Distinct Subtypes of Autism in The Brain
A potentially big step forward.
Scientists map key protein interactions linked with profound autism
Research published in the journal Science illuminates a "missing piece" in the biological understanding of profound autism and offers new targets for drug development.
NC families fear losing access to autism therapy as new rules take effect
Parents and providers warn that changes to treatment reauthorization and who can provide autism therapy could mean many children lose care.
UT San Antonio Health Science Center study finds elevated levels of toxicants in teeth of children with autism
UT San Antonio Health Science Center study finds elevated levels of toxicants in teeth of children with autism
Bringing basic biology back to INSAR
As the International Society for Autism Research has grown over the past two decades, basic science has become less central, Christine Wu Nordahl says. This year, she and other meeting organizers aimed to change that.
HHS research agency ends funding for dozens of health studies
The Trump administration terminated dozens of health research grants this week, telling grantees it is shifting priorities to issues like the “overmedication of children” and autism, according to a prominent research organization. The cuts hit projects at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, many of them multiyear awards that had already been indefinitely delayed. At least 67 […]
Exclusive-Kennedy names new chair for US autism advisory panel, sources say
WASHINGTON, Sept 18 (Reuters) - US Health Secretary Robert F. John Gaitanis, to lead a key federal advisory panel on autism on Friday, two people with knowledge of the announcement told Reuters.
Owner of autism center raided by feds tied to another business billing Minnesota Medicaid
Federal raids at autism centers in Minnesota reveal multiple Medicaid-billing businesses under shared ownership, a pattern first exposed by 5 INVESTIGATES.
A Study of Brain Proteins Offers New Targets to Treat Autism
Researchers hope their findings could help inform future therapies for people with severe autism.
Spectrum Laboratory, Autism in Entertainment & Partners Bring Halloweekend Fun to Hollywood
Neurodiverse talent orgs Spectrum Laboratory, Autism in Entertainment and more bring comedy, animation & celebration to Halloween Weekend.
Frequent AI chatbot use linked to belief in anti-vaccine myths, poll finds
Poll finds use of AI tools for health advice is correlated with belief in vaccine falsehoods, such as shots causing autism
LEARN Behavioral Entity Sues to Stop MassHealth Medicaid Recoupment
A Massachusetts autism therapy provider has sued 10 public officials and entities to stop a Medicaid recoupment effort that local providers have decried
Short Naps, Long Hours: How Autism Clinics Squeeze Medicaid Dollars Out of Preschoolers
The industry has grown rapidly, straining state budgets. A focus on finances has led to overbilling, fraud and even harm.
Stanford Grows Human Brain Tissue Inside Mice in Science Breakthrough
Stanford grew human brain tissue inside mice, creating living neural models that could transform drug testing for epilepsy, autism, and schizophrenia.
‘They misunderstand science’: Research attempting to tie autism to changes in the gut microbiome comes under fire
besity, liver disease, diabetes, and cancer are all chronic diseases that inflict misery across millions of patients. Imagine if bacteria could be to
Howard County task force discusses response to crisis and mental health calls following deadly shooting
The Howard County task force was created in the aftermath of the deadly police shooting of Alex LaMorie, a man with autism, on May 1 in Columbia.
LEARN Behavioral Entity Sues to Stop MassHealth Medicaid Recoupment
A Massachusetts autism therapy provider has sued 10 public officials and entities to stop a Medicaid recoupment effort that local providers have decried
Hope Network acquires behavioral health provider
Hope Network says it has acquired Developmental Enhancement Behavioral Health, expanding access to autism services for West Michigan families.
ADHD and autism at risk of over-diagnosis, says report, as author warns of rise in mental ill health
Prof Peter Fonagy, who chaired the review, tells Radio 4's Today programme there has been a "very real" rise in "distress and mental ill health among young people".
Hidden GI struggles in children with autism spark $12.9M Duke-UNC Health study
A Raleigh fourth grader is helping researchers highlight a hidden struggle for many children with autism: chronic GI issues. Duke Health and UNC Health are launching a $12.9 million national study aimed at improving treatment options.
Autism care center opens in Madera with services and community health fair
A new autism care center opened its doors in Madera on Thursday, marked by a ribbon-cutting celebration and a community health and resource fair.
ADHD and autism diagnoses have surged. A massive study may help explain why
A large Danish study found that children diagnosed with ADHD or autism today more closely resemble their peers in the general population than those diagnosed 10 years ago. The shift suggests that rising diagnosis rates may partly reflect broader identification and changing diagnostic patterns, rather than only an increase in the underlying conditions.
The Key Points of Tension Between Trump and RFK Jr. Over Vaccines
Takeaways from The Wall Street Journal’s coverage of Trump’s push on vaccines and autism.
Essex mental health inquiry: My daughter was lost in system
Lisa Wolff says medical staff ignored her daughter's autism diagnosis before she took her own life.
North Carolina MCO Alliance Health Taps Cortica to Rein in Autism Spending, Improve Outcomes
Ready to dive into what's shaping autism therapy-payer relations? Be a part of the Autism Investor Summit East this November 9–10. Get your tickets here.
Scientists create human-mouse hybrid
Animals will be used to study causes of neurodevelopmental disorders such as dementia, profound autism and cerebral palsy
Republican senator faults Trump vaccine policy for US measles deaths as panel weighs health nominees
The Republican chairman of the U.S. Senate health committee on Wednesday blamed the Trump administration's approach to vaccines for recent measles deaths in Pennsylvania and pressed the president's pick for surgeon general to state plainly that vaccines do not cause autism.
‘So much fringe science’: RFK Jr’s advisers are pushing an extreme makeover in autism research
Experts warn the 336-page plan from RFK Jr’s advisers deflects federal dollars into unreliable alternative therapies
Atlanta teen with autism uses basketball tournament to raise money for youth mental health
According to America’s Health Rankings, Georgia ranks 47th in the country for the percentage of children who receive needed mental health treatment or counseling.
RFK Jr. seeks to peek at Americans’ medical records for clues on autism and vaccines
U.S. health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pursuing federal government access to most Americans’ medical records, in a quest to research a link between vaccines and autism — a connection the medical establishment studied for decades and flatly rejects.
White House drafting order on vaccines, autism despite pollsters’ warnings
The effort underscores President Donald Trump’s determination to elevate vaccine policy even as a federal judge has halted Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s sweeping vaccine overhaul.
Study Findings Conflict with Body of Science Linking Pesticides to Attention Deficits and Autism - Beyond Pesticides Daily News Blog
A recent study finds no connection between levels of urinary biomarkers of organophosphates and autism-related traits, conflicting with a wide body of research.
A single dose reversed autism-like symptoms in adult mice within hours
Even mild inflammation during pregnancy led mouse offspring to develop persistent brain overactivity, sensory sensitivity, repetitive behaviors, and increased seizure risk. Remarkably, one dose of rapamycin improved nearly all of these problems within about two hours. The benefits were temporary, but they suggest that adult brain circuits may remain far more adaptable than previously believed.
Texas health agency proposes eliminating children's autism program
KVII serves the Amarillo, Texas and Panhandle region with local news, sports and weather for the city and surrounding towns, including Canyon, Hereford, Borger, Pampa, Dalhart, Dumas, Childress, Perryton, Clarendon, Texas; Guymon, Oklahoma; and Clovis, Portales, Tucumcari, New Mexico.
Opinion | We’re Thinking About Mental Health Diagnoses All Wrong
Neither genetics nor brain scans can distinguish a person with depression, A.D.H.D. or autism from one without.
Texas health agency proposes eliminating children’s autism program
In its budget request to the Legislature for the 2028-2029 biennium, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) proposed eliminating funding for the Children’s Autism Program (CAP) entir…
Senators call for military healthcare program to cover autism therapy as a basic benefit
A letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth follows an NBC News investigation into the military healthcare program’s restrictions on applied behavioral therapy.
Thompson Center at MU trains over 80 businesses to be autism friendly
The Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment has led the Autism Friendly Business movement in mid-Missouri.
5 Takeaways From a Times Investigation on Autism Therapy Clinics
A rapidly growing industry often overprescribes treatment to young children with autism, who spend as many as 40 hours a week at the facilities.
We study autism and vaccines. Trump’s executive order rests on flawed science.
The new childhood vaccine schedule and 6G, in readers' eyes.
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NEW TO BOARD: The Autism Society of Mahoning Valley recently named four new members to its board of directors. The new board members bring diverse professional experience in human resources, healthcare, workforce and economic development, and real estate, strengthening the Autism Society’s leadership as it expands programs, partnerships, community engagement, and resources for individuals and […]
This Is Carolina: Self-taught mechanic with Autism takes his business on the road
A Myrtle Beach man with autism who taught himself auto repair is launching a mobile mechanic business with his father.
Trump slashes science board with Oak Ridge, University of Tennessee ties
An Oak Ridge National Lab scientist and a former University of Tennessee research lead were among those Trump fired from the National Science Board.
US Stand Up for Science movement expands to Europe
A grassroots movement by scientists in the US pushing back against threats to academic freedom is setting up a Swiss outpost to take the movement global. Stand Up for Science started in February 2025 to protest against politically-motivated grant cancellations by the Trump administration. Since then, it has organised numerous rallies by scientists and turned into a broader campaigning organisation, supporting “pro-science” political candidates and attempting to impeach Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the health and human services secretary the group accuses of advancing “quack” science. Now, Stand Up for Science is establishing a Swiss office to take some of its campaigning beyond the US, and its leader is urging European academics to organise similar pro-science groups in case they face similar threats in Europe. There will likely be “spillover” to Europe from what the Trump administration is attempting in the US, said Colette Delawalla, chief executive of Stand Up for Science, who last month returned from a tour of Europe. “Are we going to see a Trump-style scientific [. . .] take over in the same way?” she asked.Delawalla, who is doing a PhD in clinical psychology, said she was driven to help found the organisation after the Trump administration started cancelling health research grants in politically taboo topics, such as transgender people, diversity and HIV, in early 2025. Since then, the administration has introduced several other measures that infringe academic and institutional autonomy.It threatened to cut Harvard University’s federal funding unless the university accepted a “critical mass” of new faculty and students to create “viewpoint diversity.” And this year, it proposed explosive new rules that would allow political appointees at research funders to screen grants to make sure they “advance the president's policy priorities.”US scientists have been at times stunned by the volume of announcements, and the country’s researchers were relatively unprepared. “We sit in front of the fire hose every day,” said Delawalla. For this reason, European scientists need to prepare now for similar assaults. “If you've got a little bit of extra time to start thinking through, and making those preparations and building community and solidarity,” then European researchers will “start five steps ahead of where we were.” She plans to return to Paris in September to share experiences with concerned French academics. Is Le Pen the same?During her European tour, Delawalla said that French academics were beginning to worry about a National Rally (RN) victory in presidential elections next year. She said there were “chilling similarities” between Trump and Marine Le Pen, the RN’s likely candidate. However, so far, the RN hasn’t proposed anything nearly as radical as the Trump administration has carried out. Its current manifesto is all but silent on university and research policy. Le Pen’s 2022 manifesto bemoaned a lack of French R&D spending, including in fundamental research, and promised to modernise labs and strip away grant bureaucracy. The party’s 2024 European election manifesto explicitly supported the Erasmus+ student exchange programme, scientific exchange and joint European technology projects. However, a Le Pen victory next year could see France drastically cut its contribution to the EU, which would hit the budget for science and innovation. Meanwhile, more restrictive immigration policies could hit university recruitment of faculty and students. Climate science denial?As heatwaves and wildfires have ravaged France, the RN has sought to distance itself from previous comments casting doubt on climate science.In the UK, the radical-right party Reform UK, now second in the polls, denied climate research in a draft of its 2024 election manifesto, but its leader, Nigel Farage, then appeared to quietly U-turn and said he was “not arguing the science.” By contrast, Trump has repeatedly and explicitly denied climate change science, in 2025 calling it “the greatest con job.” Like the RN, Reform UK has been light on research and university policy. However, it did say in its 2024 manifesto that universities should suffer “heavy financial penalties” for allowing “political bias or cancel culture” on campus, building on laws brought in by a previous Conservative government. Ahead of September state elections in Saxony-Anhalt in Germany, the poll-leading Alternative for Germany has proposed abolishing gender studies and postcolonial studies, and promised money for “critical” climate research and studies of Islam. Starts with rhetoricEven if European radical right parties aren’t currently planning the draconian policy measures of the Trump administration, Delawalla said that academics should not be complacent, and fight even small funding restrictions or anti-science talk from the start. “It starts off with sowing distrust about institutions,” she said. “It starts off with these small things, and then all of a sudden it's there.” There are other, more established science and university advocacy groups in the US aside from Stand Up for Science. But the group stands out because of Delawalla’s refusal to attempt to appear politically bipartisan or conciliatory. “I firmly believe that the US is experiencing fascism,” she said. “We’re not trying to win over the super Maga people,” she said, “and we never have been.” The lesson of the US is that even if universities or other institutions capitulate to government demands, this doesn’t save them from cuts and restrictions. “It doesn’t matter what people do,” she said. Global “pseudoscience”Another aim of Stand Up for Science’s push into Europe is to better coordinate a campaign to protect people in poorer countries from what the group describes as “pseudoscientific exploitation,” trials outside the US used to build a case against things like vaccines. Earlier this year, the group sent an investigator to Guinea-Bissau to investigate a controversial, Danish-run Hepatitis B vaccine project funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The study would have withheld a proven vaccine from newborns, Stand Up for Science argued in a briefing it presented to Congress, risking their health. Significantly, the research group based in Guinea-Bissau, known as Bandim, focuses on the “non-specific effects” of vaccines: impacts on health beyond preventing the target disease. Related articlesEuropean researchers sound the alarm that Trump rule changes will hit cooperationData corner: which fields of health science is the US curbing? The US ‘golden age’ science strategy: what Europeans need to know The suspicion is that the study was funded as part of an attempt to shop around for results that could help build a case against vaccines in the US, said Delawalla. “This is just code for vaccines cause autism,” she said.Bandim has put out a rebuttal of Stand Up for Science’s criticisms, arguing its work has uncovered a number of vaccine side effects, both positive and negative, which need to be taken into account in public health. However, Congressional Democrats took up the Stand Up for Science cause, and in February, Guinea-Bissau said it had permanently halted the study. WatchdogBut for Delawalla, this is not the end of the fight. Kennedy has made a number of health claims that scientists think lack evidence, such as the idea that seed oils cause inflammation, for example. Delawalla worries that more studies could be launched in poorer countries to fish around for evidence to support this agenda. Stand Up for Science is talking to African science organisations to create a kind of “watchdog” to scrutinise any further trials. “Outsourcing the investigation to some of the most vulnerable children in the world who are desperate [. . .] is fundamentally wrong,” she said.
Prosper Health Raises $10M to Support Adults with Autism
Prosper Health, a virtual behavioral health provider focused on working with adults with autism, has raised about $10 million in an equity sale.
South Florida Medicaid families say kids with autism are losing therapy as state cuts and insurer pause add up
RFK Jr. says Trump ‘certainly’ wants him to investigate any link between autism and vaccines
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Sunday said President Trump “certainly” wants him to investigate perceived links between autism and vaccines. Kennedy …
Aetna Developing Preferred Network for Autism Therapy Providers
CVS Health’s (NYSE: CVS) payer arm, Aetna, plans to create a preferred autism therapy provider network that may make a debut in 2026. Aetna first
Local health provider expanding into Livingston Parish with fifth clinic
Mercy Autism Center is expanding into Livingston Parish with plans to open a clinic in Denham Springs this fall to meet growing demand from families and shorten commutes for patients and employees. … Already an INSIDER? Sign in. Already an INSIDER? Sign in
Tylenol precedent threatens to tighten science vetting in Camp Lejeune toxic water trials
In a national lawsuit, parents claimed taking acetaminophen during pregnancy caused their children to develop autism or ADHD. A higher appeals court recently issued a major ruling on how strictly trial judges must vet medical experts and scientific data before a jury is allowed to hear it. Now, federal lawyers have formally flagged that case for the Camp Lejeune judges, hoping to tighten restrictions on what science is allowed at trial.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visits Rochester to announce new autism initiative
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made autism a priority in his agency, but he consistently spreads false information about the condition, including claims that Tylenol causes it. He visited Rochester Friday to share his near autism initiative in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
AU School of Public Health researcher awarded $1.3 million for IDD study
The project aims to improve how individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD), including autism, are included in research.
Rutgers Brain Health Institute Recruits World-Renowned Autism Expert
The Rutgers Brain Health Institute has recruited Sara Jane Webb as director of the Rutgers Center for Autism Research, Education and Services (RUCARES). Webb — a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle and is affiliated with the Center on Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle Children’s Research Institute — succeeds inaugural director Wayne Fisher and will join Rutgers in April.
Texas health agency proposes eliminating children’s autism program
For years, 7-year-old Israel Solis couldn’t communicate with the world around him. Born with autism and nonverbal, he would bite and scratch himself in frustration when someone couldn’t understand his needs.
Behavioral Health Compliance Platform Brellium Raises $23M to Expand AI Auditing
Brellium, a healthcare billing compliance software provider serving mental health and autism providers, has raised $23 million. The investment
Executive function interventions may be critical to long-term mental health in autism
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ACEing Autism through adaptive sports
ACEing Autism helps neurodivergent kids practice physical, mental, and emotional skills
The Autism-Therapy Business Is Booming—and So Is the Billing Abuse
Insurers warn of fraud and exorbitant charges from providers, including one that stuck a parent with a surprise $911,400 bill.
Mom of Teen with Autism Runs Pizza Business in Her Spare Time to Create Job Opportunities for Others with the Condition
Aparna Bangur launched Pizza Party, a business created to train and provide jobs for people with autism
RFK Jr.'s health department is seeking Americans' medical records. Here's what's going on
The Health and Human Services Department wants to access medical records, but it's not tied to reports of autism research, the department says.
Texas proposes eliminating children’s autism program
The proposed elimination of the program, aimed at serving lower-income families, comes as Texas leadership has called on agencies to reduce budgets by 3%.
Arizona health experts say Trump vaccine order won’t bring immediate changes
The president said the move comes in response to a recent rise in autism, a connection local health experts say is disproven.
Texas health agency proposes eliminating children's autism program
Texas health officials have proposed cutting funding for a program that helps autistic children communicate.
Immigrant-led residential care businesses in Maine launch new coalition
The group consists of 30 agencies who provide Medicare services to Mainers with intellectual disabilities and autism.
Federal Committee Looks Backward as Autism Science Moves Forward
In its second meeting, federal autism committee advances plan that may stymie promising research
Autism Decoded: New Science Is Opening Paths to Better Treatments
In the past few decades, researchers have identified hundreds of genes that increase the risk of autism spectrum
This autism therapy is covered by many insurers. Why does the military’s plan restrict it?
Logan Cabiao started applied behavior analysis therapy for autism when he was 2. Several years later, TRICARE, the military’s healthcare program, imposed major coverage restrictions.
Autism and Vaccines: Questions Science Hasn’t Settled
Where are you in the debate over autism and vaccines? Challenge your perspective: It's not about winning the debate; it's about making our children safe.
Asking Eric: I’m over neighbors who keep making rude comments about my autism
Eric: You don’t owe anyone an explanation simply for living your life.
UT San Antonio Health Science Center study finds elevated levels of toxicants in teeth of children with autism
Suggests children are ‘chronically and repeatedly exposed’ to dozens of potentially harmful chemicals Contact for media: Steven Lee, (210) 450-3823, lees22@uthscsa.edu Content provided by Claire Kowalick SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 5, 2026 – A pilot study by The University of Texas at San Antonio Health Science Center found elevated levels of toxicants in the primary teeth […]
UT San Antonio Health Science Center study finds elevated levels of toxicants in teeth of children with autism
Suggests children are ‘chronically and repeatedly exposed’ to dozens of potentially harmful chemicals Contact for media: Steven Lee, (210) 450-3823, lees22@uthscsa.edu Content provided by Claire Kowalick SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 5, 2026 – A pilot study by The University of Texas at San Antonio Health Science Center found elevated levels of toxicants in the primary teeth […]
Vote on CDC nominee clinched with change to CDC’s website on vaccines and autism
The Senate’s health committee pushed back a vote to advance two top health care nominations but indicated that one, the pick to lead the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, would win the necessary votes.
This “rare” autism-linked genetic disorder may be far more common than scientists thought
A major analysis suggests Phelan-McDermid syndrome, a genetic disorder closely linked to autism, may affect about 1 in 7,300 people and more than 45,000 Americans. Researchers warn that thousands of cases may remain hidden because genetic testing is often not performed, even as targeted treatments move into clinical trials.
The head of Kennedy's new autism project served in Iraq War, worked with Sesame Street
Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health is planning a total-lifespan research project on autism: A Q&A with its leader, Russell Shilling.
Monroe County Health Department investigating cluster of cyclosporiasis cases
The Monroe County Health Department is investigating a cluster of cyclosporiasis cases that have popped up in the past week.
RFK Jr. Seeks To Peek at Americans’ Medical Records for Clues on Autism and Vaccines
To collect and scrutinize millions of Americans’ health data, U.S. health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. aims to work with state organizations that help health systems share medical records. In Nebraska, millions in federal dollars has flowed into one nonprofit cooperating with Kennedy’s project.
Birth order linked to 150 health conditions in study of 10 million American siblings
First-born children showed higher rates of autism, ADHD and food allergies, while second-born siblings faced more substance use disorders and migraines.
Food safety experts warn of USDA brain drain
An autism advisory committee finally meets again, antipsychotics and dementia, and more health news from Morning Rounds
Scientists Uncover Shared Genetic Roots of OCD, Tourette Syndrome, And Autism
Important insights into the roots of these disorders.
‘A place where everyone felt welcome,’ New KC business offers sensory-friendly play for kids with autism
Bubbles and Goo opened in Kansas City's River Market to offer sensory-friendly slime play for families affected by autism.
Parental mental health — not medication — drives autism correlation, study finds
A new study finds no evidence that antidepressant medications cause autism.
Disability Groups Fear RFK Jr.’s New Special Education Role
Alienated by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s claims about autism, advocates for disabled students are sounding the alarm about the Trump administration's shifting special education programs to his department.
Trump's frustrations drove vaccine order, but MAHA wants more
President Donald Trump's frustration that his administration was not doing enough to address what he considers a likely contributor to autism drove a U.S. executive order this month that cut back the number of childhood vaccinations, administration officials told Reuters.
State Sen. Pat Fahy introduces bill on swimming lessons for children with autism
Harbe Nagi who was found dead in a pool in Menands last week following a search that lasted for multiple days.
Rethinking How Babies Communicate
Explore UC Davis research on how infants communicate through signs and how young brains develop during early childhood, including in children with autism.
Bates named executive director of HHS Medical Services Division | Health and Human Services North Dakota
North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) has named health policy expert Stephanie Bates to lead its Medical Services Division, which administers Medicaid services, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, autism services and other health-related services that benefit North Dakotans.