UK charity advocating for treatments for autism and research into underlying causes. We don't provide medical advice, tweets should not be construed as such.
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UK National Autistic Society declares #autism is genetic... despite admitting there's no single gene/genetic test for autism, and maternal rubella infection/valproate exposure can lead to autism.
Please support the only UK autism charity to counter this nonsense: @TweetingAutism
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RFK Jr.’s New Autism Missing-Person Initiative & Why the First Minutes of Search Matter policemag.com/digital-cover-… Really wonder what's stopping other countries adopting similar measures. Including our national autism society here in the UK...
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Similar situation this side of the pond. The recently published Fonagy Review's claim that #autism prevalence in UK is "stable" relied on a small scale survey from nine years ago! More info here: theautismtribune.substack.co…
A new CDC study exposes how inadequate our autism data infrastructure is. The IACC Strategic Plan calls for better. It was adopted over a month ago. @HHSGov, it’s time to act. Advocates, raise your voices: these data shape the services and supports people need.
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12-Year-Old Boy with Autism Found Dead 10 Days After Disappearing During Storm, Mom Believes He Was Scared of the Thunder people.com/boy-with-autism-1… The very worst outcome from this story. And another family forever grieving.
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Not one but two papers talking about surgical removal of bezoars and foreign bodies in the context of autism pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/article… and pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/article… Pica in autism is not benign.
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Modifiers of Genetics in ASD Etiology pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4288… Structural genetics is only part of the story. Epigenetics is another layer and has lots to potentially add e.g. methylation, histone acetylation, etc.
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Causal associations between gut microbiota and autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a two-sample mendelian randomization study frontiersin.org/journals/gen… Wait for the inevitable 'yes but..' from certain people. And yes, bacteria have genes too.
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" A molecular diagnosis was identified in 112 patients (12.2%), including 82 with variants in ASD-associated genes or regions and 30 with findings related to other clinical features" pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4288… Exome sequencing and autism. Adds to other independent data.
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One Gut Clue Links Kidney Stones and Autism: Missing Bacteria May Hold the Key bioengineer.org/one-gut-clue… Various paths combine across autism and kidney function(s). Lots converge on bacteria and their metabolites e.g. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4000…
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"This case emphasizes the importance of considering a syndromic etiology in children with ASD accompanied by developmental delay, dysmorphic features, neurological findings, or multisystem involvement..." pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4287… The autisms (plural). Again.
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Insights from #Autism Tribune author and Fonagy Review participant:
"Sadly, Fonagy has spun the old lies on the numbers and said nothing about the biological drivers of change.
The review represents a massive, missed opportunity to start turning the tide."
theautismtribune.substack.co…
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Latest from Brain Energy & Function substack:
The Paradox of Stimulants for Hyperactivity and Attention Deficit - The Brain’s Search for Fuel
#ADHD #autism
brainenergyandfunction.subst…
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New book explores possible link between brain energy and #autism/#ADHD. Based on research, but written in plain English.
The Exhausted Minds: How Brain Energy Shapes Autism and ADHD, and Why It Matters for Health, Education, Parenting and Beyond
amazon.co.uk/dp/1036998606/
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Thinking Autism retweeted
HOW IS IT THAT CHILDREN CAN HAVE SEVERE OCD AND NOBODY EVEN LOOKS AT THEIR IMMUNE SYSTEM?
I still meet families where this has never been investigated. Not once.
Back in 2005, researchers examined 50 children with OCD.
42% had antibodies reacting with the basal ganglia, an area of the brain involved in movement, habits and behaviour.
In the comparison groups, the figure was just 2–10%.
A subsequent review of 7 studies found that people with OCD had almost 5 times the odds of having these antibodies compared with controls.
I’ve spent years investigating the immune system’s role in childhood OCD, and I’ve seen remarkable changes when underlying immune dysfunction is identified and addressed.
Yet I still meet children whose OCD has completely taken over their lives without anyone having investigated infections or immune dysfunction.
So I want to ask parents something.
Has anyone EVER investigated your child’s immune system?
Or was it straight to anxiety, medication and therapy?
I’d genuinely like to know how many families are still experiencing this.
Please share this. There are parents who need to know that the immune system may be part of their child’s OCD.
Studies and my blog below 👇
#OCDAwarenessWeek #OCD #PANS #PANDAS
Sometimes the compulsion happens entirely inside someone's head.
OCD can latch onto the things a person cares about most, including their values, morality, faith, relationships, and identity. Someone might spend hours mentally reviewing an interaction, trying to determine whether they did something wrong or what it says about them.
That's one reason “just stop worrying about it” doesn't capture what living with OCD is actually like. #ThatsOCD
Have questions about OCD? Join IOCDF livestreams featuring experts, advocates, and members of the community 👉 iocdf.org/livestreams
ALT The image features a light blue background with text reading, "What if I did something morally wrong and I'm actually a bad person?" It includes the International OCD Foundation logo, mentions OCD Awareness Week, and has the hashtag #THATSOCD at the bottom. There is a subtle swirl design on the right.
ALT Blue graphic titled "International OCD Foundation OCD Awareness Week." Text reads: "Compulsions might look like: repeatedly confessing, seeking reassurance, mentally reviewing what happened, or trying to prove you're a good person." Hashtags: #THATSOCD.
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The Evolving Paradigm of Autism: Folate Receptor Autoimmunity deranging Epigenetic Programming in fetal and postnatal Brain Development pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4287… It still has some evolving to do. But the science is producing some interesting potential connections.
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An important call. Gonna suggest our plural autisms paper: cambridge.org/core/journals/… our autism comorbidity review: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/article… and our immune system screening 'roadmap' paper: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/article…
The IACC is seeking nominations of autism research published in 2025 & 2026 for consideration in its statutorily mandated Summary of Advances report, which highlights consequential findings in autism research.
Submissions due October 23.
federalregister.gov/document…
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Gut microbiota are linked to gastrointestinal symptoms and behavioral changes but not inflammation in autism spectrum disorder: a cross-sectional analysis nature.com/articles/s41390-0… Intriguing. The gut-brain axis holds but not based on inflammatory markers (ELISA measured markers).
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"a consistent transdiagnostic reduction in the DTI-ALPS index across a broad range of psychiatric disorders" sciencedirect.com/science/ar… A proxy marker for glymphatic system function (brain waste clearance) shows some interesting trends...
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"... information from the investigation indicates Harvey wandered from her residence" ktsm.com/local/las-cruces-ne… Another tragic story on autism and wandering/elopement. Another family forever grieving. Another reason to make this an autism research priority focused on prevention.
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Is ADHD on the rise in children and adults in the UK and Europe? eurekalert.org/news-releases… There's potential structural reasons (widening criteria, missed and mis-diagnosis, diagnosis tied to supports, etc). But there's also potentially a (part) real increase too. Sounds familiar..
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