SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " autism " 172 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
NC moves to rein in soaring autism therapy costs amid fraud concerns
Families say ABA has been life-changing. But a surge in Medicaid spending — and questions about who's collecting it — has drawn scrutiny.
'This is Me.' Autism diagnosis did not stop me from telling my story
I was diagnosed with autism at the start of sixth grade. Here's my story of how I got to journalism and now Vermont.
Life on the spectrum with Mason
1 in 31: That’s the number of kids identified as having autism spectrum disorder by age 8 in the US. Follow Mason, who’s on the spectrum, as he goes about his day.
At 25, INSAR needs to bring autism scientists together more than ever
As the International Society for Autism Research’s annual meeting in Prague this week celebrates its quarter-century anniversary, its president reflects on the field’s past successes, current challenges and needs for the future
Giuseppe's Mafia raises nearly $15K for autism awareness
April is Autism Awareness Month and one local, annual charity event nearly doubled last year's fundraising — the fourth annual Giuseppe's Mafia bowling tournament at King Pin Lanes in Rome raised $14,733 for Kelberman, according to organizer and mother Gina Kierpiec.
Proclamation Brings Awareness To State’s Behavioral Health Workforce Needs - West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Recognition from Gov. Patrick Morrisey is helping autism treatment advocates to expand resources in West Virginia.
Lowcountry small business turns tide on drowning risk for children with autism
April marks Autism Acceptance Month, a time focused on inclusion, understanding and highlighting critical safety issues.
Tylenol in pregnancy not linked with autism, Danish study finds
The use of Tylenol by women during pregnancy was not associated with autism in their children, according to results of a nationwide study in Denmark published on Monday.
Health expert explains preparing teens with autism for adulthood amid limited adult services
April is Autism Awareness Month, and on Tuesday, we focused on what comes next as your child grows into adulthood.
Tylenol in pregnancy not linked with autism, Danish study finds
The use of Tylenol by women during pregnancy was not associated with autism in their children, according to results of a nationwide study in Denmark published on Monday.
Laredo proclaims April Autism Awareness Month, underscores challenges
Laredo proclaimed Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month as officials, families and community members urged others to move beyond awareness and address barriers.
A local sports bar and grill is opening doors for inclusion and opportunity
As Autism Awareness Month continues, Wayne’s journey serves as a reminder of the importance of community support and the impact of giving everyone a chance to succeed.
ASF Announces Recipients of 2026 Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowships
New York, NY — April 7, 2026 — The Autism Science Foundation (ASF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding innovative autism research, today announced the recipients of its annual Undergraduate […]
Harrison athletes unite for Autism Speaks and Champions Together
Acts of kindness by Harrison softball and baseball players kickoff 4-part series on Lafayette area athletes giving back to the community.
East Lansing Insider Podcast: A Conversation with Acorn Health
On this week's podcast, ELi Deputy Editor Anna Liz Nichols talks about autism awareness and acceptance with Paul Doher, national director of clinical quality for Acorn Health.
Mom advocates for son’s autism through local business
A local mom with sewing experience created a business to advocate for her son's autism.
Surprising links between autism, Alzheimer’s could change how we treat both
The idea that two conditions at opposite ends of life might be biologically linked is beginning to upend long-standing assumptions in brain science, blurring a divide that has shaped the field.
Surprising links between autism, Alzheimer’s could change how we treat both
The idea that two conditions at opposite ends of life might be biologically linked is beginning to upend long-standing assumptions in brain science, blurring a divide that has shaped the field.
SPORTS TALK: South Ga. track athlete defies odds competing at collegiate level with autism
SPORTS TALK: South Ga. track athlete defies odds competing at collegiate level with autism
How to improve the chances of a healthy pregnancy as more women are having babies later in life
More and more women are having babies later in life. A federal report showed that 21% of all births in the U.S. were to women 35 and older in 2023, up from 8.8% in 1990.
How the term ‘neurodivergent’ moved from activists to pop culture
Nick Minaj is one of the most recent Trump supporters to identify herself as “neurodivergent,” embracing a narrow definition of a once-niche term commonly associated with autism and ADHD.
Rival ‘shadow’ group to RFK, Jr.’s autism science committee meets in D.C.
Autism researchers are working to counter a federal autism advisory panel that has vaccine skeptic members and, they say, a “striking absence of scientific expertise”
New autism group meets to counter MAHA's 'ideological agenda'
Autism experts plan to convene in Washington Thursday to propose a research agenda at odds with the one endorsed by the Trump Administration.
Advocates sue Worcester over response to mental health 911 calls, alleging discrimination
Officers restrained a 10-year-old boy with autism face-down at school drop-off, placing a knee on the boy’s neck and fracturing his arm.
Medicaid autism therapy boom triggers crackdown
Spending quadrupled over five years amid a proliferation of fraudulent billings.
Five Takeaways From the WSJ Investigation of the Autism Therapy Business
States paid autism-therapy providers $2.2 billion in 2023, helping make it the fastest-growing area of Medicaid spending—and entrepreneurs and investors saw an opportunity.
Pennsylvania researchers, parents help shape autism science as founders of new independent committee
Founders of the new Independent Autism Coordinating Committee say they will act as an alternative body to a federal advisory group under RFK Jr.
Federal officials walked back claims on leucovorin. Here’s what families should know now
The drug leucovorin was touted by the Trump administration in September as a potential treatment for thousands of children with autism. Now, some parents and guardians of children with autism say they feel abandoned by the US Food and Drug Administration’s new stance on leucovorin.
FDA declines to endorse leucovorin for autism, walking back earlier statements suggesting benefit
The prescription drug leucovorin is getting a label update, though it’s not what that the US Food and Drug Administration suggested might be coming during a White House briefing in September, when officials touted the drug as a potential treatment for thousands of children with autism.
Amid dueling autism meetings, HHS cancels
Epilepsy med response, a long-awaited fix to the kidney transplant system, and more health news
AI helps neurodivergent solopreneurs with key tactics and planning
AI aids solopreneurs with ADHD and autism in task management, energy planning, and business growth, increasing efficiency.
NC lawmakers eye concerns over child care availability, health care costs
State legislative committees meeting Tuesday are set to debate issues ranging from the availability of child care and maternal care in North Carolina, to costs associated with autism therapies and more.
Scientists discover a brain signal that may trigger autism’s domino effect
Researchers have uncovered a surprising molecular chain reaction in the brain that may play a role in some forms of autism. The study suggests that nitric oxide, a tiny signaling molecule normally involved in fine-tuning communication between brain cells, can sometimes trigger a cascade of changes inside neurons. When nitric oxide activity rises, it can alter a protective protein called TSC2, weakening an important cellular brake and allowing the mTOR pathway, which controls growth and protein production, to become overactive.
Pregnant ER patients took less Tylenol after Trump's autism claims: study
After a September 2025 press conference in which President Trump told pregnant women not to use Tylenol, usage dropped in ERs, a new study found.
Pregnant women in ERs took less Tylenol after Trump autism warning
A study in The Lancet finds that pregnant women in emergency rooms used less Tylenol after President Trump said it could raise their babies' risk of autism. Scientists say there is no proven link.
Tylenol orders for some pregnant women fell after Trump said to avoid it
New research found that Tylenol orders fell for pregnant women who visited the E.R. in the months after Trump’s statements. Prescriptions rose, meanwhile, for leucovorin, a drug the administration touted as a potential autism treatment.
Scientists create autism panel, citing RFK Jr.’s politicization of research
The scientists launched the independent autism advisory panel to counter what they see as the politicization of research by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Women Experience Longer Lasting Pain Than Men and Scientists Think They Finally Know the Reason Why
New study links testosterone-tuned monocytes to an anti-pain signal after injury.
Correlation isn't causation: What headlines often get wrong about health science
Headlines can confuse correlation for causation: Tylenol causes autism. Ultra-processed foods cause cancer. Social media causes depression.
New research suggests some cases of autism could be preventable
Studies say avoiding environmental exposures, especially pre-conception, may help. Influencers are branding the idea “trimester zero,” but the science is in early stages.
New research suggests some cases of autism could be preventable
Studies say avoiding environmental exposures, especially pre-conception, may help. Influencers are branding the idea “trimester zero,” but the science is in early stages.
Autism Rates Appear To Be Even Across Sexes. Diagnosis Is Not | Science Friday
There’s a long-held idea that autism is more prevalent in boys than girls—the CDC says it’s three times as common. But a growing body of research suggests the reality is more complica...
February 20, 2026
Autism has long been thought of as a condition that mostly affects boys, but data suggest that’s not true. Plus, an update on the first state-run psilocybin therapy programs, and why the American Medical Association is joining an effort to launch an independent vaccine review panel. And, what record-low snowpack in Utah and Colorado means for the region's water supply.
Autism Rates Appear To Be Even Across Sexes. Diagnosis Is Not
Autism has long been thought of as a condition that mostly affects boys—but data suggest that’s not true.
RFK Jr. Made Promises in Order To Become Health Secretary. He’s Broken Many of Them.
Before being confirmed to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told U.S. senators he would not cut funding for vaccine research or change the nation’s official vaccine recommendations. He did both.
Colorado sues to block Trump administration from cutting public health grants
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services notified Congress it wouldn’t pay $600 million worth of grants already awarded in Colorado, California, Illinois and Minnesota.
La Verne teenager with autism turns his obsession with trash trucks into a small business
A 19-year-old entrepreneur with autism is successfully turning one of his passions into a profitable neighborhood business.
Cooper Health's new mobile unit brings primary care to people with autism and other developmental disabilities
The program aims to reduce the stress that medical visits may cause for these patients and remove barriers to care.
How the Trump Administration’s Embrace of Oil, Gas, and Chemical Industry Interests Will Endanger Children’s Health
The Trump administration’s actions to eliminate lifesaving environmental protections would allow corporate polluters to emit more toxins and chemicals, exposing more than 2 million kids to pollutants that increase the likelihood of lifelong health concerns—such as asthma, autism, ADHD, and cancer—while undercutting the administration’s own “Make America Healthy Again” agenda.
Autism: myth-busting and what scientists still don't know : Short Wave
Autism has a long history of misinformation that continues to today. The Trump administration has perpetuated some of this misinformation in the last year. Among other things, officials have claimed certain groups of people don’t get the condition and that taking Tylenol while pregnant causes autism to later develop in children. Today, NPR Science Correspondent Jon Hamilton sets the record straight with host Emily Kwong on what scientists do and don’t know about autism. If you liked this episode, check out our episodes on an Autism researcher’s take on Trump’s claims about Tylenol and a Fragile X treatment that may be on the horizon.Interested in more science in the news? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.This episode was produced by Berly McCoy. It was edited by Rebecca Ramirez. Tyler Jones checked the facts. The audio engineer was Damian Herring.
Breathing in wildfire smoke late in pregnancy may increase autism risk, Tulane study shows
What happens when smoke meets pregnancy? A new Tulane study links wildfire smoke exposure late in pregnancy to higher autism risk.
Kennedy Overhauls Federal Autism Panel in His Own Image
The new panel, which advises the government on research and service priorities for people with autism, includes many members who have argued that vaccines cause the disorder.
Autism Science Foundation Releases Request for Applications for 2026 Undergraduate Summer Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders
New York, NY — January 27, 2026 — The Autism Science Foundation (ASF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and funding innovative autism research, has released its 2026 Request for Applications for Undergraduate Summer Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, a competitive funding opportunity designed to support undergraduate students pursuing basic or clinical autism research during
Can leucovorin treat autism? History says, probably not
Parents of autistic children are clamoring for a prescription vitamin promoted by federal health officials. But there's little evidence the drug will help.
The rise of unproven, potentially dangerous autism treatments
And other health news from Morning Rounds today
Tickets on Sale for ASF’s 13th Annual Day of Learning
New York, NY — January 21, 2026 — The Autism Science Foundation (ASF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and funding innovative autism research, announced today that registration is open for its 13th Annual Day of Learning. This highly anticipated event will take place in person on March 26, 2026, at 583 Park Avenue in
Despite Little Research, Companies Race to Market Autism Tests
Backers claim the tests can predict a child’s risk of autism using a strand of hair or a mother’s blood, but critics say they are not ready for the market.
An open science resource for accelerating scalable digital health research in autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions
Nature Neuroscience - This paper describes the Simons Sleep Project, an open resource designed to accelerate research into the sleep and daily behaviors of autistic children using synchronized...
New science points to 4 distinct types of autism
When Marc and Cristina Easton’s son was diagnosed with autism at 20 months, the Baltimore couple left the doctor’s appointment in confusion. Their toddler - who was very social - didn’t resemble the picture of the condition they thought they knew. And the specialists could offer little clarity about why or what lay ahead. It wasn’t until four years after their child’s diagnosis that the Eastons finally began to get answers that offered them a glimmer of understanding. This summer, a team from Pr
New science points to 4 distinct types of autism
When Marc and Cristina Easton’s son was diagnosed with autism at 20 months, the Baltimore couple left the doctor’s appointment in confusion. Their toddler - who was very social - didn’t resemble the picture of the condition they thought they knew. And the specialists could offer little clarity about why or what lay ahead. It wasn’t until four years after their child’s diagnosis that the Eastons finally began to get answers that offered them a glimmer of understanding. This summer, a team from Pr
The new science of ‘many autisms’ and what it reveals about condition’s origins
Scientists are redefining autism as a complex condition with multiple forms, challenging traditional notions.
The new science of ‘many autisms’ and what it reveals about condition’s origins
Scientists are redefining autism as a complex condition with multiple forms, challenging traditional notions.
Aluminum salts emerge as likely target as health officials scrutinize childhood vaccines
The vaccine ingredient has long been a talking point for anti-vaccine activists. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made unsubstantiated claims that it is linked to allergies and autism.
It's the 'gold standard' in autism care. Why are states reining it in?
Budget shortfalls and nearly $1 trillion in looming federal Medicaid cuts have prompted states to rein in spending on a widely embraced autism therapy, pinching families who depend on the services.
RFK Jr.'s Health Department Just Pulled Millions in Funding from the American Academy of Pediatrics
The grants involved research studying autism and sudden infant deaths.
American Academy of Pediatrics loses government funding after criticizing RFK Jr
Cuts, which affect projects focused on issues including early identification of autism, made without prior notice to AAP
A Trump-touted drug for autism is now in demand, but doctors see a dilemma
Pediatricians debate leucovorin for autism treatment after Trump’s endorsement of the drug.
Lurie expands inpatient psychiatric unit amid ongoing youth mental health care shortage
The four new beds and 20 new staffers are designed for kids with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities. The $4.5 million addition is a first for the state but can't fill the major dearth in youth psychiatric beds across Illinois.
In search for autism's causes, look at genes, not vaccines, researchers say
After more than 50 years of research, scientists still don't know exactly what causes autism. But the data make clear that genetics are an essential piece of the puzzle.
Why autism should not be treated as a single condition
A better understanding of its biology will lead to better interventions