DEVELOPMENTS NEWSLETTER
8/24/2023
Publishing Opportunity with AIR-P Cureus Channel
The AIR-P would like to share the Autism and Health: Across the Lifespan channel, where our authors can publish articles without cost and at a faster rate than is typically available through the traditional scholarly publication process.
5/24/2022
AIR-B Network's Conference on Inclusion for Students with ASD
The academic and community partners of the Autism Intervention Research Network on Behavioral Health (AIR-B Network; PI: Kasari) gathered virtually in March and April for their 8th annual community conference on autism. Titled Optimizing School & Community Inclusion for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
5/24/2022
An ecological approach to understanding obesity risk among children with autism spectrum disorder
Led by Dr. Russell S. Kirby, investigators at the University of South Florida College of Public Health conducted a secondary analysis to better understand the social-ecological context for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and obesity to address disparities in adolescents with ASD as they transition to adult health care. The study was funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under grant number R41MC39340 and R40 Maternal and Child Health Field-initiated Innovative Research Studies Program.
5/24/2022
Power of Partnerships to Enhance Impact: MN LEND and MN Act Early
Partnerships have the power to transform our work. In Minnesota, we are fortunate to have a robust partnership between our MN LEND and MN Act Early projects. MN LEND and MN Act Early share a common mission to connect young children (birth to 5) to early developmental screening and critical early intervention services. These two programs have developed a strong and lasting partnership by identifying and supporting shared goals and seeking opportunities to advance a strategic vision for the field of early intervention.
5/20/2022
Health Care Transition Publication Supported by Autism Cares Act Funding
The Health Resources and Service Administration, and Maternal and Child Health Bureau have measured HCT service provision since 2001 but the longitudinal use of this measure has never been examined. This manuscript highlights the consistent and inconsistent uses of HCT constructs in two prominent national surveys (the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (NS-CSHCN) and the National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH)) between 2001 and 2019.
5/20/2022
Supporting Children with Disabilities: Lessons from the Pandemic
MCHB is funding this virtual workshop hosted by the Board on Children, Youth and Families of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. Dr. Houtrow chaired the planning committee with Emily Hotez from the UCLA LEND and Marc Taste from the OSU UCEDD serving as committee members.
5/20/2022
Texas LEND Programs Join Together at the Capitol in Austin
Developing leadership skills through policy education and advocacy is integral to LEND training. In recognition of Autism Acceptance Month, the Autism Consortium of Texas LEND (ACT LEND) invited LoneStar LEND to join them at the Capitol in downtown Austin on Friday, April 8, 2022. Scott Daigle, Public Policy Director at the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities, provided a full day of policy training to the LEND trainees.
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5/18/2022
Developments: The Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P)
The Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P) is an interdisciplinary, multicenter research network that aims to increase the life expectancy and quality of life for autistic individuals.
5/18/2022
Ignite Inclusion with SPARK for Autism
In 2016 the Simons Foundation launched a nationwide genetic longitudinal autism study with the goal of recruiting 250,000 persons with autism to better understand its causes and how the diagnosis impacts families and individuals. The Center for Autism (CARD) at Kennedy Krieger Institute is one of thirty-one clinical sites across the nation participating in this unprecedented research opportunity.
5/16/2022
Mentoring Autism Researchers to Advance Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
At the Conference on Research Innovations in Early Intervention in San Diego, February 2022, Dr. Landa brought together current and past mentees to support their career development and foster exchanges between early investigators from diverse cultural, racial, and geographic backgrounds. Each of the mentees had the honor of presenting cutting edge research at this very prestigious scientific meeting.
5/15/2022
Diagnostic stability and phenotypic differences among school-age children diagnosed with ASD before age 2
Drs. Rebecca Landa, Rachel Reetzke, Calliope Holingue, Christine Hess, and Ms. Dana Herman published a manuscript in Frontiers in Psychiatry, March 2022, examining diagnostic stability and behavioral characteristics in school-age children diagnosed with ASD before age 2 years. We examined non-linearity in manifestation of ASD beginning before 24 age months, when ASD symptoms are beginning to consolidate, through the age of 36 months when stability of ASD diagnosis is reportedly high into school-age when increased demands may challenge previously successful compensatory processes and permit first ASD detection.
5/15/2022
Increasing Public Awareness of Autism Early Signs, Diagnosis, and Intervention
In March of 2022, Drs. Rebecca Landa, Paul Lipkin, and Mary Leppert shared the latest news about the early signs of autism spectrum disorder, how it is diagnosed, and what to expect in early intervention.
5/15/2022
Teacher Implementation of the Early Achievements Intervention Improves Preschoolers' Social and Communication Outcomes
At the International Society for Autism Research annual meeting in Austin Texas on May 12, 2022, Dr. Rebecca Landa, Ms. Anne-Michelle Engelstad and Dr. Calliope Holingue presented the results of an Institute of Education Sciences-funded randomized control trial focused on teacher-implemented intervention with autistic preschoolers in public school settings.
5/15/2022
Training Teachers to Utilize Developmentally Appropriate Play to Improve Social and Communication Learning
In the spring of 2022, Dr. Rebecca Landa provided virtual training to nearly 200 early childhood educators in Prince Georges County, Maryland. The focus was on young children with autism and other neurodevelopment disabilities. Dr. Landa explained stages of play development, how language and social development is intricately linked to play development, and how to integrate play-based activities into existing daily instruction to improve children's engagement and accelerate their play, language, and social development.
4/29/2021