Monday, April 25, 2016
by Lori Warner, Ph.D., Director, Beaumont Children’s Center for Human Development
I’ll admit, I cringe when I’m asked for the “short answer” on hot topics in autism. I want to share the amazing information we are learning about autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but I know that media sound bites or even short blogs (like this) aren’t the full story.
The great thing about science is it is data-driven. When there is evidence to support our hypothesis, wonderful. When the evidence isn’t there, that means we need to take another look. As scientists, we’re not allowed to be “wedded” to our ideas; they must be supported by evidence, and if they are not, we need new ideas or new tools to measure what is going on.
Peter Medawar’s quote fits well, “I cannot give any scientist of any age better advice than this: the intensity of a conviction that a hypothesis is true has no bearing over whether it is true or not.”
Enrico Fermi said, “There are two possible outcomes: if the result confirms the hypothesis, then you’ve made a measurement. If the result is contrary to the hypothesis, then you’ve made a discovery.”
With that in mind, here are a few of the latest science stories featured in the Autism Speaks blog:
This study of a classroom-based behavioral group intervention helps kids with ASD improve social communication. This is particularly exciting because it can be challenging to translate clinical work into a classroom setting. Here’s to increased teamwork among providers and educators!
Oxytocin, the “bonding chemical” might help improve social function in ASD. Or it might not. Here’s an update on the evolving science on this fascinating possibility.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation as a treatment for ASD? Here’s another hot topic, but it seems there is currently not enough data to support this use.
A behavioral intervention is being piloted to teach parents to prevent elopement. Half of all children with ASD between the ages of 4 and 10 elope, so this is a huge safety concern.
The CDC just released an updated ASD surveillance report, with estimates remaining at 1 in 68. The report highlights the fact that early concerns are still being missed.
Concerned that your child may have autism?
Call the Beaumont Children’s Center for Human Development at 248-691-4744 for information about diagnostic evaluations.