Autism

New program may help parents of children with autism, study finds

Apr 27, 2022

Researchers at Penn State and the University of South Carolina have recently found that a program for parents of children recently diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) shows promising evidence of helping parents access services for their child, strengthening their co-parenting skills and…

Using game technology to help adolescents on the autism spectrum

Oct 26, 2021

People on the autism spectrum often struggle to interpret facial cues, partially because they are unable to recognize how eye gaze direction is used to predict the actions and intentions of others. This can have huge implications for understanding behavior, language learning, and social interaction…

People with autism may have large deficits in facial recognition

Oct 29, 2020

The ability to recognize faces varies greatly, but individuals with autism spectrum disorders can especially struggle, having huge implications for social interaction. Penn State researchers, for the first time, recently analyzed 40 years of autism data to determine deficits in face recognition.…

Unusual eating behaviors may be a new diagnostic indicator for autism

Jul 10, 2019

Atypical eating behaviors may be a sign a child should be screened for autism, according to a new study from Penn State College of Medicine. Research by Susan Mayes, professor of psychiatry, found that atypical eating behaviors were present in 70% of children with autism, which is 15 times more…

Seed funding available for autism spectrum disorder

Jun 10, 2019

SSRI is requesting pilot research project proposals aimed at advancing solutions for those diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Funding will be granted to applications that best align with the mission of improving the treatment for and understanding of ASD. SSRI is encouraging the…

Clinical and Translational Science Institute program welcomes new scholar

Sep 19, 2018

 Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute has welcomed a new scholar into its program that invests in early-career faculty. Dr. Steven Hicks, assistant professor of pediatrics, was named into the institute’s KL2 Training Program, which gives researchers establishing themselves in…

People with autism may not have trouble focusing on people in photos

Aug 16, 2018

While people with autism may avoid eye contact in one-on-one conversations, they may not avoid looking at people in photos, according to Penn State researchers. Krista Wilkinson, professor of communication sciences and disorders and SSRI faculty co-fund, said previously it was thought that people…

Department head authors chapter on Autism Spectrum Disorder

Aug 10, 2018

Diane Williams, head of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Penn State, is author of a chapter in The Wiley Handbook of Memory, Autism Spectrum Disorder and the Law, released in July. Williams authored the chapter, “Executive Function and Complex Processing Models,” which…