At CLEAR Child, we know the importance of staying current on autism research. Scientists around the world are doing great work! Today, let’s look at a recent study published out of Yale University.
Behavioral disorders in kids with autism linked to reduced brain connectivity was published in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging in 2019. Authors on the study include Jeffrey A. Eilbott, Pamela Ventola, George He, Kevin A. Pelphrey, and Gregory McCarthy.
The researchers looked at the link between Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and behavior disorders. They found that the way the brain regulates emotion is different in children with ASD who also have behavior disorders. Of all the kids with ASD, about 25% also have behavior disorders. Having both, that is, having ASD and a comorbid behavior disorder, leads to the highest level of hospitalization and psychiatric treatment, according to this study.
With this brain link identified, these researchers created a biomarker, which means an biological indicator for ASD, that can be used to develop more targeted medical treatments for the combination of ASD and behavior disorders. Wow!
At CLEAR, we find that sometimes it takes a combination of support and a team of providers like doctors, teachers, therapists, etc., to help a child make the greatest progress. We are always excited to see some of the medical treatments coming alongside the support psychologists, speech pathologists, ABA therapists, teachers and others provide. Check out what we’re doing to support families and providers here on our website, and contact us to learn more!