4/1: It’s Autism Action Month! TACA’s Autism Action Month page: click here

 

4/2: World Autism Awareness Day: 1 in 36 children has autism in the U.S.
TACA’s What We Do page: click here

 

4/3: Autism diagnoses have increased by 317% since 2000.
TACA’s Hope & Help Facebook Group: click here

Research: click here

Maenner MJ, Warren Z, Williams AR, et al. Prevalence and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2020. MMWR Surveill Summ 2023;72(No. SS-2):1–14.

 

4/4: 25-30% of children diagnosed with autism are minimally verbal.

TACA’s article on Therapeutic and Communication Options for Speech: click here

TACA’s article on Medical Causes of Speech Issues in Autism: click here

Research: click here

Posar A, Visconti P. Update about "minimally verbal" children with autism spectrum disorder. Rev Paul Pediatr. 2021 Sep 1;40:e2020158. doi: 10.1590/1984-0462/2022/40/2020158. PMID: 34495269; PMCID: PMC8432069.

 

4/5: Studies show children with autism have low glutathione, making detoxification harder, so minimizing toxin exposure is essential.
TACA’s article on Detoxification and Autism: click here

Research: click here

Liu X, Lin J, Zhang H, Khan NU, Zhang J, Tang X, Cao X, Shen L. Oxidative Stress in Autism Spectrum Disorder-Current Progress of Mechanisms and Biomarkers. Front Psychiatry. 2022 Mar 1;13:813304. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.813304. PMID: 35299821; PMCID: PMC8921264.

 

4/6: New to Autism or New to TACA? We’re Here to Help.

TACA’s article on Child Newly Diagnosed with Autism: click here

 

4/7: 60% of children with autism have behavioral challenges, 48% have ADHD, and 39% have anxiety.

TACA’s article on Anxiety: click here

Research: click here

 

Guerrera S, Pontillo M, Tata MC, Di Vincenzo C, Bellantoni D, Napoli E, Valeri G, Vicari S. Anxiety in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Clinical Characteristics and the Role of the Family. Brain Sci. 2022 Nov 22;12(12):1597. doi: 10.3390/brainsci12121597. PMID: 36552057; PMCID: PMC9775263.

4/8: 125 colleges offer Autism-Specific Support Programs for degree-seeking students. 356 colleges offer Inclusive Post-Secondary programs.

TACA’s article on College and Post-Secondary Education: click here

Website for Degree-Seeking Programs: click here

Website for Inclusive Post-Secondary Programs: click here

4/9: In a 2023 meta-analysis, 37% of children with autism had constipation, 21% had abdominal pain, and 19% had diarrhea.

TACA’s article on Constipation and Diarrhea in Autism (The Poop Page): click here

Research: click here

Gan H, Su Y, Zhang L, Huang G, Lai C, Lv Y, Li Y. Questionnaire-based analysis of autism spectrum disorders and gastrointestinal symptoms in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Pediatr. 2023 Jul 26;11:1120728. doi: 10.3389/fped.2023.1120728. PMID: 37565245; PMCID: PMC10410855.

4/10: Happy National Sibling Day!

TACA’s article on Supporting Siblings: click here

Research: click here

Leedham AT, Thompson AR, Freeth M. A thematic synthesis of siblings' lived experiences of autism: Distress, responsibilities, compassion and connection. Res Dev Disabil. 2020 Feb;97:103547. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2019.103547. Epub 2019 Dec 20. PMID: 31869772.

4/11: 1 in 8 children with autism has seizures, increasing to 1 in 4 after age thirteen.

TACA’s article on Seizures: click here and here

Research: click here

Viscidi EW, Triche EW, Pescosolido MF, McLean RL, Joseph RM, Spence SJ, Morrow EM. Clinical characteristics of children with autism spectrum disorder and co-occurring epilepsy. PLoS One. 2013 Jul 4;8(7):e67797. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0067797. PMID: 23861807; PMCID: PMC3701630.

4/12: Therapies for Autism
TACA’s article on Therapeutic Interventions for Autism: click here

Research: click here

Anixt JS, Ehrhardt J, Duncan A. Evidence-Based Interventions in Autism. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2024 Apr;71(2):199-221. doi: 10.1016/j.pcl.2024.01.001. Epub 2024 Jan 30. PMID: 38423716; PMCID: PMC11788931.

4/13: Parents of kids with autism experience more stress than parents of neurotypical children.

TACA’s article on Self-Care for Parents of Children with Autism: click here

Research: click here

Hayes SA, Watson SL. The impact of parenting stress: a meta-analysis of studies comparing the experience of parenting stress in parents of children with and without autism spectrum disorder. J Autism Dev Disord. 2013 Mar;43(3):629-42. doi: 10.1007/s10803-012-1604-y. PMID: 22790429.

4/14: 74% of individuals with autism have at least one additional medical condition, and over 50% have four or more.
TACA’s article on Underlying Medical Issues in Autism: click here

Research: click here

Al-Beltagi M. Autism medical comorbidities. World J Clin Pediatr. 2021 May 9;10(3):15-28. doi: 10.5409/wjcp.v10.i3.15. PMID: 33972922; PMCID: PMC8085719.

4/15: Up to 80% of children with autism have metabolic evidence of mitochondrial dysfunction. Research suggests CoQ10 may help!
TACA’s article on Autism & Mitochondrial Function: click here

Research: click here

Frye RE. Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Unique Abnormalities and Targeted Treatments. Semin Pediatr Neurol. 2020 Oct;35:100829. doi: 10.1016/j.spen.2020.100829. Epub 2020 Jun 23. PMID: 32892956.

4/16: Leucovorin is being used to treat children with autism because they are 19x more likely to have autoantibodies that block folate from getting to the brain.
TACA’s article on Cerebral Folate Deficiency: click here

Research: click here

Rossignol, D. A., & Frye, R. E. (2021). Cerebral Folate Deficiency, Folate Receptor Alpha Autoantibodies and Leucovorin (Folinic Acid) Treatment in Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Personalized Medicine, 11(11), 1141. https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm11111141.

4/17: 20–25% of children with autism have food allergies, compared to 5% of neurotypical children.
TACA’s article on Mast Cells and Autism: click here

TACA’s article on Introduction to the Gluten-Free, Casein-Free, Soy-Free Diet: click here

Research: click here

Pérez-Cabral, I. D., Bernal-Mercado, A. T., Islas-Rubio, A. R., Suárez-Jiménez, G. M., Robles-García, M. Á., Puebla-Duarte, A. L., & Del-Toro-Sánchez, C. L. (2024). Exploring Dietary Interventions in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Foods, 13(18), 3010. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13183010 .

4/18: Up to 84% of children with autism have GI issues, where gut permeability allows toxins to enter the bloodstream, cross into the brain, and trigger immune dysregulation and neuroinflammation that impact cognition and behavior.
TACA’s article on The Gut Brain Connection: https://tacanow.org/family-resources/the-gut-brain-connection/

Research: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37753490/

Al-Beltagi M, Saeed NK, Bediwy AS, Elbeltagi R, Alhawamdeh R. Role of gastrointestinal health in managing children with autism spectrum disorder. World J Clin Pediatr. 2023 Sep 9;12(4):171-196. doi: 10.5409/wjcp.v12.i4.171. PMID: 37753490; PMCID: PMC10518744.

4/19: People who disclose their autism diagnosis to their employer are 3x more likely to be employed than those who do not.
TACA’s article on Employment: https://tacanow.org/family-resources/employment/

Research: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28211841/

Ohl A, Grice Sheff M, Small S, Nguyen J, Paskor K, Zanjirian A. Predictors of employment status among adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Work. 2017;56(2):345-355. doi: 10.3233/WOR-172492. PMID: 28211841.

4/20: Happy Volunteer Day!
TACA’s Ways to Help page: https://tacanow.org/ways-to-help/

4/21: Several studies suggest supplementing vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants can help improve cognition, behavior, and metabolic function in children with autism.
TACA’s article on Nutritional Deficiencies in Autism: https://tacanow.org/family-resources/nutritional-deficiencies-in-autism/

Research: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39335937/

Pérez-Cabral ID, Bernal-Mercado AT, Islas-Rubio AR, Suárez-Jiménez GM, Robles-García MÁ, Puebla-Duarte AL, Del-Toro-Sánchez CL. Exploring Dietary Interventions in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Foods. 2024 Sep 23;13(18):3010. doi: 10.3390/foods13183010. PMID: 39335937; PMCID: PMC11431671.

4/22: Up to 80% of children with developmental delay have feeding problems. Sometimes, a zinc supplement can help!
TACA’s article on Picky Eating: https://tacanow.org/family-resources/picky-eating-and-autism/

Research: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9857150/

Vasilakis M, Polychronis K, Panagouli E, Tzila E, Papageorgiou A, Thomaidou L, Psaltopoulou T, Tsolia M, Sergentanis TN, Tsitsika AK. Food Difficulties in Infancy and ASD: A Literature Review. Children (Basel). 2022 Dec 31;10(1):84. doi: 10.3390/children10010084. PMID: 36670635; PMCID: PMC9857150.

Research: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21846317/

Suzuki H, Asakawa A, Li JB, Tsai M, Amitani H, Ohinata K, Komai M, Inui A. Zinc as an appetite stimulator - the possible role of zinc in the progression of diseases such as

cachexia and sarcopenia. Recent Pat Food Nutr Agric. 2011 Sep;3(3):226-31. doi: 10.2174/2212798411103030226. PMID: 21846317.

4/23: Sleep disorders affect up to 80% of individuals with autism.
TACA’s article on Sleep Issues in Autism: https://tacanow.org/family-resources/sleep-issues-in-asd/

Research: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8085719/

Al-Beltagi M. Autism medical comorbidities. World J Clin Pediatr. 2021 May 9;10(3):15-28. doi: 10.5409/wjcp.v10.i3.15. PMID: 33972922; PMCID: PMC8085719.

Research: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4041696/

Krakowiak P, Goodlin-Jones B, Hertz-Picciotto I, Croen LA, Hansen RL. Sleep problems in children with autism spectrum disorders, developmental delays, and typical development: a population-based study. J Sleep Res. 2008 Jun;17(2):197-206. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2869.2008.00650.x. Erratum in: J Sleep Res. 2012 Apr;21(2):231. PMID: 18482108; PMCID: PMC4041696.

4/24: Individuals with autism have significantly higher blood glutamate levels than neurotypical controls, contributing to OCD, anxiety, and tics.
TACA’s article on Glutamate: https://tacanow.org/family-resources/glutamate/

Research: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27390857/

Zheng Z, Zhu T, Qu Y, Mu D. Blood Glutamate Levels in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. PLoS One. 2016 Jul 8;11(7):e0158688. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158688. PMID: 27390857; PMCID: PMC4938426.

Research: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28768803/

Selimbeyoglu A, Kim CK, Inoue M, Lee SY, Hong ASO, Kauvar I, Ramakrishnan C, Fenno LE, Davidson TJ, Wright M, Deisseroth K. Modulation of prefrontal cortex exResearch/inhibition balance rescues social behavior in CNTNAP2-deficient mice. Sci Transl Med. 2017 Aug 2;9(401):eaah6733. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aah6733. PMID: 28768803; PMCID: PMC5723386.

4/25: A gluten-free, casein-free diet can reduce stereotypical behaviors and enhance cognition in kids diagnosed with autism.
TACA’s downloadable guide, Going GFCFSF in 10 Weeks: https://tacanow.org/family-resources/going-gfcfsf-in-10-weeks/

Research: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34617108/

Quan L, Xu X, Cui Y, Han H, Hendren RL, Zhao L, You X. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the benefits of a gluten-free diet and/or casein-free diet for children with autism spectrum disorder. Nutr Rev. 2022 Apr 8;80(5):1237-1246. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuab073. PMID: 34617108; PMCID: PMC8990762.

4/26: Some children with autism have significantly higher ammonia levels in their blood, contributing to behavioral issues, mood disturbances, and cognitive challenges.

TACA’s article on Excess Ammonia in Autism: https://tacanow.org/family-resources/excess-ammonia-in-autism/

Research: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6954634/

Saleem TH, Shehata GA, Toghan R, Sakhr HM, Bakri AH, Desoky T, Hamdan FRA, Mohamed NF, Hassan MH. Assessments of Amino Acids, Ammonia and Oxidative Stress Among Cohort of Egyptian Autistic Children: Correlations with Electroencephalogram and Disease Severity. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2020 Jan 6;16:11-24. doi: 10.2147/NDT.S233105. Erratum in: Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2020 Jan 30;16:325. doi: 10.2147/NDT.S246681. PMID: 32021195; PMCID: PMC6954634.

4/27: Emerging research on the efficacy of theater-based social skills interventions shows improvements in social communication and cognition in youth with autism.
TACA’s article on Facilitating Friendships: https://tacanow.org/family-resources/facilitating-friendships/

Research: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35896405/

McDonald RG, Khawar S, Yacoub N, Cargill MI, Lerner MD, Kang E. Performance- and Theater-Based Interventions for Supporting Social Cognition and Social Communication in Autistic Youth: A Review and Theoretical Synthesis. Semin Speech Lang. 2022 Aug;43(4):255-276. doi: 10.1055/s-0042-1750763. Epub 2022 Jul 27. PMID: 35896405.

4/28: Happy National Superhero Day
TACA’s Conference page: https://tacanow.org/conference/

4/29: Studies show Methyl B12 supplements can significantly improve autism symptoms.
TACA’s article on Methyl B12 for Autism: https://tacanow.org/family-resources/methyl-b12-for-autism/

Research: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34442428/

Rossignol DA, Frye RE. The Effectiveness of Cobalamin (B12) Treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Pers Med. 2021 Aug 11;11(8):784. doi: 10.3390/jpm11080784. PMID: 34442428; PMCID: PMC8400809.

4/30: New research highlights a key finding: Hope helps reduce parental stress when raising a child with autism.
TACA’s What We Do page: https://tacanow.org/what-we-do/

Research: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39295769/

Naicker VV, Hedley D, Bury SM. Does hope mediate the relationship between parent's resolution of their child's autism diagnosis and parental stress. Front Psychol. 2024 Sep 4;15:1443707. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1443707. PMID: 39295769; PMCID: PMC11408360.