The hidden complexity underlying a common cause of autism
6/29/18
Genes located in a large chromosomal aberration associated with autism interact with each other to modulate the variable symptoms of the disease, according to new research.
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autism
World Campus to train staff on best practices for online learners with autism
4/6/18
Penn State World Campus will educate its staff about working with students on the autism spectrum in an effort to better serve online learners with autism.
Barriers prevent family-centered services for children with speech disabilities
4/5/18
While speech-language pathologists support the concept of family-centered services when working with children who cannot meet their communication needs through their own speech due to autism or other disorders, a Penn State study shows that there are barriers to meeting this goal.
Grant to improve outcomes for children with complex communication disabilities
9/11/17
A group of Penn State researchers have received a $1.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to address a shortage of faculty who can conduct research and train speech-language pathologists to provide interventions to improve outcomes for the more than four million Americans who have such complex disabilities that they cannot meet their communication needs through their own speech.
Psychology professor conducting children’s feeling-words study
7/12/17
As part of her quest for a new measure to diagnose autism, Penn State Beaver Assistant Professor of Psychology Amy Camodeca is conducting a study on children's ability to name feeling words.
Genes, ozone and autism
6/22/17
A new analysis shows that individuals with high levels of genetic variation and elevated exposure to ozone in the environment are at an even higher risk for developing autism than would be expected by adding the two risk factors together.
Think tank supports augmentative and alternative communication research
5/22/17
Penn State recently hosted the Doctoral Student Research Think Tank in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) in order to support the research community that strives to improve outcomes for people with complex disabilities and their families.
Speech and language deficits in children with autism may not cause tantrums
5/3/17
The higher frequency of tantrums in children with autism are often blamed on speech and language problems. In a study, researchers indicate that IQ, the ability to understand language, and their ability to use words and speak clearly explained less than 3 percent of their tantrums.
New project serves military families affected by autism
5/1/17
TeleConsult, a three-tier, collaborative program in the College of Education, provides guidance and information for military families regarding their child’s autism diagnosis.
Tutorial recommends family-centered approach for children with limited speech
3/24/17
Two Penn State graduate students, with the assistance of two faculty members, have developed a tutorial for speech-language pathologists designed to better include parents and other family members in communication interventions for children whose speech does not adequately meet their communication needs due to autism or other disorders.
Adolescents with autism four times more likely to visit emergency department
2/28/17
Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) use emergency-department services four times as often as their peers without autism, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers. The findings suggest that youth with autism may need better access to primary care and specialist services.
Medicaid waivers help parents of children with autism stay in the workforce
2/6/17
Medicaid waivers that improve access to home and community-based services for children with autism also help their parents keep their jobs, according to research from Penn State College of Medicine and collaborators.
Visual displays help children develop communication skills
10/3/16
Jennifer Thistle, as a doctoral student at Penn State, and Krista Wilkinson, professor of communication sciences and disorders at Penn State, studied the ways speech-language pathologists (SLPs) design visual displays for children whose speech does not adequately meet their communication needs.
Human services majors bridge gap for kids with autism
9/14/16
Rehabilitation and human services majors at Penn State Abington completed their final course, a 600-hour required internship, this summer. “The experience showed me that my mind and my heart made the right choice,” one new graduate said.
The eyes have it
8/23/16
Suzy Scherf, assistant professor of psychology and head of the Laboratory of Developmental Neuroscience at Penn State, and her research team aim to help autistic adolescents discover how eye gaze provides information about the outside world in a new five-year project funded by the National Institutes of Health.