autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

July 26, 2014

Behavior-focused therapies help children with autism: study

Vanderbilt researchers this week reported updated findings regarding the benefits of behavior-focused therapies for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

By Craig Boerner
One woman comforting another
July 21, 2014

Mothers of children with autism benefit from peer-led intervention: study

Peer-led interventions that target parental well-being can significantly reduce stress, depression and anxiety in mothers of children with disabilities.

By VUMC News and Communications
May 8, 2014

Preschool program for children with autism set to open

A preschool program for children ages 18-36 months with autism or suspected autism is opening in mid-July at the Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center (BWC), with plans to expand to children ages 3-5 in the near future.

By VUMC News and Communications
puzzel pieces, autism
April 15, 2014

Tennessee, Vanderbilt launch novel autism intervention program

By VUMC News and Communications
neurons
March 13, 2014

‘Missing link’ may spur new brain disorder drugs

Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego and Vanderbilt University have discovered a “missing link” in the structure of a transmembrane receptor that could lead to new treatments for autism, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

By Bill Snyder
Colleen Niswender
January 23, 2014

Autism Speaks grant boosts Rett syndrome research

Colleen Niswender, Ph.D., research associate professor of Pharmacology, has received a three-year, $450,000 grant from the autism science and advocacy organization Autism Speaks to support studies investigating a possible new treatment for Rett syndrome.

By Bill Snyder
January 16, 2014

Employment may improve autism symptoms: study

More independent work environments may lead to reductions in autism symptoms and improve daily living in adults with the disorder, according to a new study released in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
By VUMC News and Communications
January 14, 2014

Vanderbilt study reveals senses of sight and sound separated in children with autism

Children with autism spectrum disorders have trouble integrating simultaneous information from their eyes and their ears--as if they experience the world like a badly-dubbed movie.
By Craig Boerner
January 9, 2014

Employment may lead to improvement in autism symptoms

More independent work environments may lead to reductions in autism symptoms and improve daily living in adults with the disorder, according to a Vanderbilt study released in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
By VUMC News and Communications
January 9, 2014

Brain-gut connection in autism

An association between rigid-compulsive behaviors and gastrointestinal symptoms in autism spectrum disorder may point to a common biological pathway that impacts both the brain and the gut.
By Leigh MacMillan
December 12, 2013

Children with autism benefit from peer solicitation

By VUMC News and Communications
November 27, 2013

Autism narrows brain’s reward response

MRI brain scans reveal that children with autism spectrum disorders respond to a narrower range of familiar rewards.
By VUMC News and Communications
October 24, 2013

Theatre offers promise for youth with autism

A novel autism intervention program using theatre to teach reciprocal communication skills is improving social deficits in adolescents with the disorder that now affects an estimated one in 88 children, Vanderbilt University researchers report in the journal Autism Research.
By VUMC News and Communications