Study suggests biases in handedness and visual field alignment offer social benefits. Humans show high right-handedness and left visual field bias. Animal studies indicate biases enhance survival tasks. Aligning biases with others may provide social advantages. Research may also link to autism/ ADHD

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#Handedness #VisualFieldAlignment #SocialBenefits #Autism #ADHD

Autistic traits may protect against loot box overspending, study suggests

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#Autism #LootBox #Overspending #Study #AutisticTraits

Children who exhibit neurodivergent traits, such as those associated with autism and ADHD, are twice as likely to experience chronic disabling fatigue by age 18. The research highlights a significant link between neurodivergence and chronic fatigue.

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#Neurodiversity #ChronicFatigue #Autism #ADHD #ResearchHighlight

Plastics and autism in boys: Higher levels of bisphenol A (BPA), a plastic used in food packaging, were detected in urine samples taken from women pregnant with boys later found to have autism, finds new analysis of two small studies in people, along with studies of cells in a dish and in mice.

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#Plastics #Autism #BPA #FoodPackaging #HealthConcerns

ADHD symptoms in autistic children linked to neighborhood conditions: Study finds poverty, lack of services may play a role

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#ADHD #autism #neighborhoodconditions #poverty #lackofservices

Autism Recurrence Risk in Mid-Childhood is Significantly Higher — 37% of children with an older autistic sibling will be diagnosed with autism by mid-childhood. Around half of those diagnosed with autism in mid-childhood had not received a diagnosis at 3 years.

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#Autism #RecurrenceRisk #MidChildhood #Diagnosis #AutismAwareness

Several Psychiatric Disorders Including Autism, ADHD, Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, And Major Depressive Disorder May Share The Same Root Cause, Study Reveals

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#MentalHealth #PsychiatricDisorders #Autism #ADHD #Depression

📈 CBD Oil Shows Promise for Children with Autism and ADHD
Israeli researchers found that CBD-rich oil extracts, when given to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), were linked to a reduction in impulsivity and improvements in other ADHD-related behaviors.

📝 Key Improvements Observed
Over a three-to-six-month period, teacher assessments using the Conners’ Teaching Rating Scale revealed significant improvements in anxious-shyness, perfectionism, the ADHD index, emotional liability, and hyperactive-impulsivity.

🧠 Emerging Evidence on Cannabinoids
This study, published in Current Neuropharmacology, is the first prospective teacher-based assessment of CBD-rich cannabis for ADHD symptoms in children with ASD. Findings suggest cannabinoids may play a role in attention and emotional regulation, warranting further clinical trials.

#Autism #ADHD #CBD

🧘‍♀️ Autistic adults in an 8-week adapted mindfulness program reported significantly reduced stress and better coping skills compared to those receiving regular care. The study from Karolinska Institutet, published in Autism in Adulthood on November 26, 2025, found improved ability to handle everyday challenges and decreased symptoms of anxiety and depression.

🤝 The group-based program, featuring mindfulness exercises like breathing practices and body scans in a low-sensory, predictable environment with clear instructions, was described as safe and socially inclusive by participants.

🧠 Many participants valued the practical exercises and gained a new, less judgmental understanding of their thoughts and reactions to stress.

#Autism #MentalHealth #Mindfulness

📊 Autistic adults see varied results from standard talk therapy for depression and anxiety; most symptoms remain stable or worsen.

📈 Factors like ethnicity and daily living difficulties significantly impact therapy outcomes for autistic individuals, highlighting a need for personalized mental healthcare.

🗣️ Standard therapies often miss autistic needs, requiring adjustments like visual aids and a focus on neurodiversity-affirming care, which respects autistic traits.

🔬 A study of 7,175 autistic adults between 2012-2019 in England revealed distinct symptom patterns, with some showing improvement, others worsening, and most staying the same.

#Autism #MentalHealth #Neurodiversity

When autistic people ask AI programs for life advice, mentioning their diagnosis prompts these systems to recommend highly conservative choices like skipping social events or avoiding romance. This shift in advice reveals a hidden tension where the technology relies heavily on stereotypes.

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#Autism #AI #Neurodiversity

✨ New research in the International Journal of Sexual Health links sensory processing differences in autistic adults to increased sexual distress, negatively impacting relationship and sexual satisfaction.

💡 Addressing specific sensory needs could help reduce anxiety and improve intimate experiences for autistic individuals, as both hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity were associated with higher sexual distress.

📊 A study of 144 autistic adults found that while most reported high relationship satisfaction, approximately 33% experienced sexual function impairments, and two-thirds of autistic women exceeded thresholds for high sexuality-related personal distress.

🔬 The research suggests sensory processing differences indirectly affect satisfaction via heightened sexual distress, rather than directly impacting sexual function or satisfaction levels.

#Autism #SexualHealth #Neurodiversity

📈 A JAMA Network Open study suggests the rise in autism diagnoses post-pandemic, particularly among girls and women, may be due to improved recognition of traits historically overlooked, rather than autism becoming more common.

📊 From 2020-2024, new autism diagnoses among females increased by an average of 19% annually, while rates in males remained stable or declined. The number of females diagnosed nearly doubled from 284 in 2016 to 513 in 2024.

🧒 The biggest increase was seen in teenage girls, with diagnoses rising about 22% annually from 2020-2024, suggesting many may have been missed as children and diagnosed later.

#Autism #Healthcare #Research

Sensory Overload Tied to Autism and Anxiety—Not ADHD. Sensory over-responsivity was associated with autism traits, anxiety, and altered brain connectivity.

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#Autism #SensoryOverload #Anxiety

* 👶 A study published in Med links early life exposure to DEHP, a common plasticizer, with increased likelihood of autism and ADHD symptoms. The research suggests this exposure may alter DNA methylation, a mechanism affecting gene function, with clearer effects observed in boys.

* 🔬 The study analyzed urine samples from 847 Australian mothers during pregnancy to estimate DEHP exposure and umbilical cord blood for epigenetic changes. It found that specific DNA methylation patterns mediated a portion of the link between DEHP exposure and observed autism/ADHD-related behaviors in children at ages two and four.

* ⚠️ Researchers caution that this observational study cannot prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship. The behavioral traits measured were based on parental questionnaires, not clinical diagnoses, and DEHP exposure was estimated. Experts emphasize that autism and ADHD are complex conditions influenced by multiple factors.

#Autism #ADHD #Plasticizers

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🧠 Increased interest in ADHD/autism diagnoses is overwhelming diagnostic and treatment systems, fueled by social media, greater awareness, modern life demands, and psychostimulant effects.

🧠 Childhood trauma is linked to brain differences affecting executive function, potentially predisposing individuals to neurodiversity and also leading to misperceived neurodiversity due to trauma's impact on social skills and coping.

🧠 Treating adult executive dysfunction stemming from complex PTSD lacks robust evidence; psychostimulants may worsen PTSD symptoms, and current best practice involves verifying childhood symptom onset.

🧠 More research is needed to determine if psychotherapeutic approaches can improve executive function in complex PTSD, with clinical experience suggesting a need for more directive and structured therapy.

#ADHD #Autism #Trauma

🏫 A long-term study involving 9,619 students in Japan (grades 4-9, 2012-2023) found that children with autism and ADHD traits face complex social challenges that can impact mental health.

Autism traits were consistently linked to peer difficulties (large effect) and internalizing problems (small-to-medium effect), but not consistently to academic struggles or teacher conflicts.

ADHD traits were linked to externalizing problems (medium-to-large effect) and academic difficulties, with learning struggles acting as a pathway to emotional distress.

The study revealed bidirectional relationships, where social problems can worsen mental health, and mental health issues can lead to more social difficulties, creating self-reinforcing cycles.

#Autism #ADHD #MentalHealth