{"id":18092,"date":"2025-07-25T14:13:50","date_gmt":"2025-07-25T19:13:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/autism.org\/?p=18092"},"modified":"2025-09-11T12:50:54","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T17:50:54","slug":"applying-neuroscience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/autism.org\/applying-neuroscience\/","title":{"rendered":"Improving Clinical Understanding of Autism"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1 nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"--awb-border-radius-top-left:0px;--awb-border-radius-top-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-left:0px;--awb-flex-wrap:wrap;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-0 fusion_builder_column_1_6 1_6 fusion-one-sixth fusion-column-first\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;width:16.666666666667%;width:calc(16.666666666667% - ( ( 4% + 4% ) * 0.16666666666667 ) );margin-right: 4%;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-column-wrapper-legacy\"><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-1 fusion_builder_column_2_3 2_3 fusion-two-third\" style=\"--awb-padding-top:80px;--awb-bg-size:cover;width:66.666666666667%;width:calc(66.666666666667% - ( ( 4% + 4% ) * 0.66666666666667 ) );margin-right: 4%;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-flex-column-wrapper-legacy\"><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\" style=\"--awb-text-transform:none;\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#jump\">James McPartland, Ph.D.<\/a>, discusses current limitations in autism diagnosis and treatment, noting their reliance on behavioral observations despite the condition&#8217;s genetic and neurological underpinnings. He advocates integrating biomarkers as objective, measurable biological indicators that revolutionize clinical practice. The speaker details ongoing research into the N170 biomarker, its connection to social behavior and development, and potential for measuring intervention efficacy. McPartland outlines the collaborative work of the Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials (ABC-CT) and its implications for autism diagnosis and care.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Handouts are online <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/mcpartland.pdf\">HERE<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube fusion-aligncenter\" style=\"--awb-max-width:600px;--awb-max-height:360px;--awb-width:100%;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><div class=\"fluid-width-video-wrapper\" style=\"padding-top:60%;\" ><iframe title=\"YouTube video player 1\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/octvLVpYFwc?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"360\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:40px;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-2\" style=\"--awb-text-transform:none;\"><h2><strong>In this webinar:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>5:00<\/strong> &#8211; The need for biomarkers in autism<br \/>\n<strong>11:00<\/strong> &#8211; Practical considerations for clinical practice<br \/>\n<strong>13:30<\/strong> &#8211; EEGs as a promising biomarker technology<br \/>\n<strong>20:00<\/strong> &#8211; The N170 biomarker<br \/>\n<strong>28:00<\/strong> &#8211; N170: social and behavioral development<br \/>\n<strong>34:00<\/strong> &#8211; Confounds and responses to behavioral interventions<br \/>\n<strong>42:00<\/strong> &#8211; Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials (ABC-CT)<br \/>\n<strong>47:00<\/strong> &#8211; ABC-CT progress and impact<br \/>\n<strong>54:00 &#8211;<\/strong> Implications for clinical practice<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>The need for biomarkers in autism<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">highlighting that these methods have remained largely unchanged since the initial descriptions in 1943 <\/span><b>(5:00)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Although today we understand that autism is rooted in genetics and the brain, there are no biological assays\u2014meaning no tests to aid in diagnosis, guide treatment selection, or measure intervention effectiveness. He explains that this lack of biological criteria impedes our ability to provide optimal care <\/span><b>(8:17)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The presenter details various categories of biomarkers as defined by the FDA, each serving a distinct &#8220;context of use&#8221; or purpose:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Diagnostic biomarkers <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">are used to identify the condition.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Susceptibility or risk markers<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can indicate the likelihood of developing autism.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Pharmacodynamic or response biomarkers<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> show changes in response to treatment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Prognostic biomarkers<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> help to predict the course of development.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Predictive biomarkers<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> estimate response to specific treatments.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Stratification biomarkers<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are used to subgroup the highly heterogeneous autistic population meaningfully. This last category, McPartland suggested, represents the &#8220;lowest hanging fruit&#8221; for immediate impact in autism.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Practical considerations for biomarker adoption in clinical settings include viability across the diverse autism population, cost-effectiveness, and accessibility <\/span><b>(11:00)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>EEG as a promising biomarker technology<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McPartland presents various methods for measuring brain activity in autism, including electroencephalography (EEG), fMRI, PET scans, and eye tracking. He highlights EEG as an ideal technology that detects electrical activity produced by brain cells from the scalp. This technology offers many advantages, especially that it is non-invasive, movement tolerant, widely applicable, cost-effective, and accessible, as they are widely available in hospitals. EEGs have also been used effectively to understand social communicative development, supporting their use in autism research <\/span><b>(13:18)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The speaker notes the wide variability in clinical presentations of autism and the challenges this presents in using biomarkers for diagnostic purposes <\/span><b>(18:00)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>The N170 biomarker and its Implications<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The speaker describes the N170, an event-related potential (ERP) component measured by EEG. The N170 is a negative electrical spike that occurs around 170 milliseconds after seeing a human face. This indicates the brain\u2019s rapid recognition of a face as a face, making it highly relevant to social communication <\/span><b>(20:00)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. McPartland outlines a 2004 study that compared the N170 in autistic and allistic (non-autistic) adolescents and adults. Preliminary findings show that autistic participants exhibited a slower N170 response, which was replicated in a younger cohort. These findings, the speaker asserts, suggest a difference at the fundamental stages of face perception <\/span><b>(22:30)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Further research showed that the N170 latency correlated directly with impaired facial recognition abilities in autistic participants, providing crucial evidence that the N170 is not simply a brain anomaly, but a biomarker associated with a clinically relevant social function.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/15335344\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Event-related brain potentials reveal anomalies in temporal processing of faces in autism spectrum disorder<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (McPartland et al., 2004)<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>A biomarker for social behavior and development<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To determine if the N170 response is meaningfully tied to social behavior, subsequent research by McPartland and colleagues compared brain responses to faces (social), letters (non-social, an autistic strength), and houses (control). Results indicated the N170 latency is specific to social stimuli, where similar slowness was not observed in response to letters <\/span><b>(28:00)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The only difference for letters was a tendency for autistic individuals to involve more of the right hemisphere, typically associated with faces (a difference in lateralization). These findings, the presenter asserts, confirm the N170 biomarker&#8217;s specificity to the social domain in autism, rather than a general indicator of slower sensory processing. As the findings were replicated in a younger cohort, this study also provides evidence of the N170 biomarker&#8217;s relevance to development <\/span><b>(32:00)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/21777159\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Atypical neural specialization for social percepts in autism spectrum disorder<\/span><\/i><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(McPartland et al., 2011)<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Confounds and responses to behavioral interventions<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McPartland briefly touches on research addressing confounds, such as eye gaze patterns. A 2021 study indicated that the N170 differences persisted even when eye gaze was experimentally controlled. This suggests that the brain difference is fundamental and not simply a consequence of where someone is looking, thus strengthening the validity of the N170 as a robust measure of underlying neural processes <\/span><b>(34:00)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Studies also show that the N170 biomarker may be sensitive to changes in clinical status following behavioral interventions. The speaker explains that this suggests potential for N170 to serve as a response biomarker, capable of measuring the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions <\/span><b>(36:00)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/33749161\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The N170 event-related potential reflects delayed neural response to faces when visual attention is directed to the eyes in youths with ASD<\/span><\/i><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Parker et al., 2021)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/34267691\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Brief Report: Preliminary Evidence of the N170 as a Biomarker of Response to Treatment in Autism Spectrum Disorder<\/span><\/i><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Kala et al., 2021)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1186\/1866-1955-4-11\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social attention: a possible early indicator of efficacy in autism clinical trials<\/span><\/i><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Dawson et al., 2012)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/24309258\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Brain mechanisms of plasticity in response to treatments for core deficits in autism<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Ventola et al., 2013)<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Large-scale autism biomarkers consortium for clinical trials\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The presenter outlines the Large-Scale Autism Biomarkers Consortium Study, or the Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials (ABC-CT), a monumental effort to bridge the gap between scientific discovery and clinical application in autism. The overarching goal of the ABC-CT is to accelerate the development of effective treatments for social impairment in autism by identifying, developing, and validating a set of reliable, objective, and quantitative measures that can serve as biomarkers <\/span><b>(42:00)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. McPartland notes the rationale for this multicenter research study, highlighting its potential for bridging the research-to-clinic gap.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The main study is longitudinal, tracking participants between 6 and 11 years old across multiple time points to evaluate candidate biomarkers&#8217; stability and sensitivity to change. A battery of measures was collected, including clinician and caregiver assessments, biospecimens (DNA samples), and lab-based measures like EEG, eye tracking, and behavior observations <\/span><b>(45:00)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The ABC-CT specifically investigates well-evidenced candidate biomarkers, such as N170. Candidate biomarkers must meet several criteria, including feasibility and construct validity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/35615454\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Identifying Age Based Maturation in the ERP Response to Faces in Children With Autism: Implications for Developing Biomarkers for Use in Clinical Trials<\/span><\/i><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Webb et al., 2022)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/36000217\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials: Initial Evaluation of a Battery of Candidate EEG Biomarkers<\/span><\/i><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Webb et al., 2023)<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Progress and impact<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To date, the ABC-CT reports high levels of successful data acquisition and acceptance of the N170 latency in upright human faces. Therefore, the FDA views the N170 as a promising stratification (subgrouping) biomarker for clinical trials. An eye-tracking biomarker has also been submitted, the Oculomotor Index of Orienting to Human Faces <\/span><b>(47:00)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. In 2020, ABC-CT was renewed for a follow-up study to evaluate long-term stability, sensitivity to change, and longitudinal predictive value in the original cohort. Data collection occurred from May 2021 to August 2022, and a confirmation study was completed in March 2025. A feasibility study was also launched in August of 2024 <\/span><b>(49:00)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. McPartland underscores the importance of increasing inclusivity in neuroscience studies, specifically of autistic people with intellectual disabilities. He presents N170 latency replication studies in this group <\/span><b>(50:30)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Implications for clinical practice<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The speaker reiterates the potential impact of ABC-CT as a collaborative effort to develop objective tools that can address the heterogeneity of autism, improve the design and efficiency of clinical trials, and ultimately lead to more personalized and effective treatments for autistic individuals. He reiterates that rigorous study of biomarkers like the N170 holds immense implications for improving clinical understanding and care for autistic individuals via subgrouping, measurements of treatment effectiveness, earlier identification, and enhanced clinical trials <\/span><b>(54:00)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The presenter asserts that a biomarker&#8217;s utility is a &#8220;moving target,&#8221; evaluated for its purpose in a particular situation. The ongoing research into the N170 and other biomarkers represents a critical step towards a future where objective biological measures significantly enhance clinical understanding and intervention for autism. McPartland provides thanks and acknowledgments before the Q&amp;A <\/span><b>(55:02)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Originally published November 4, 2024<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:40px;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-2 fusion_builder_column_1_6 1_6 fusion-one-sixth fusion-column-last\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;width:16.666666666667%;width:calc(16.666666666667% - ( ( 4% + 4% ) * 0.16666666666667 ) );\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-column-wrapper-legacy\"><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"jump\" class=\"fusion-container-anchor\"><div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-2 has-pattern-background has-mask-background nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"--awb-border-radius-top-left:0px;--awb-border-radius-top-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-left:0px;--awb-flex-wrap:wrap;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-3 fusion_builder_column_1_3 1_3 fusion-one-third fusion-column-first\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;width:33.333333333333%;width:calc(33.333333333333% - ( ( 4% ) * 0.33333333333333 ) );margin-right: 4%;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-column-wrapper-legacy\"><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-3\" style=\"--awb-text-transform:none;\"><h3>The speaker:<\/h3>\n<p class=\"elementtoproof\"><span style=\"color: black; background: white;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload alignleft wp-image-18093 \" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%2789%27%20height%3D%27138%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%2089%20138%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%2789%27%20height%3D%27138%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/mcpartland-james-200x300-1-e1710789125390.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"89\" height=\"138\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"elementtoproof\"><span style=\"color: black; background: white;\"><strong>James McPartland, Ph.D.<\/strong>, is the Harris Professor of Child Psychiatry and Psychology at the Yale Child Study Center. He is a neuroscientist and practicing child psychologist who directs the Yale Developmental Disabilities Clinic. Dr. McPartland is also a founder and director of the Yale Center for Brain and Mind Health and the Principal Investigator of the Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials, a US-based effort to identify biological indices to enhance intervention research in autism. Dr. McPartland\u2019s program of research investigates the brain bases of neurodevelopmental conditions to develop biologically-based tools to improve clinical care and quality of life for autistic people and their families.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-4 fusion_builder_column_2_3 2_3 fusion-two-third fusion-column-last\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;width:66.666666666667%;width:calc(66.666666666667% - ( ( 4% ) * 0.66666666666667 ) );\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-column-wrapper-legacy\"><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-4\"><h4>Take the knowledge quiz<\/h4>\n<p>Can&#8217;t see the quiz below? 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href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/autism-research-institute\/\"><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"align-self: center;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:30px;width:100%;\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-4 nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"--awb-border-radius-top-left:0px;--awb-border-radius-top-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-left:0px;--awb-flex-wrap:wrap;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-6 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-one-full fusion-column-first fusion-column-last\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-column-wrapper-legacy\"><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:30px;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-recent-posts fusion-recent-posts-1 avada-container layout-default layout-columns-3\"><section class=\"fusion-columns columns fusion-columns-3 columns-3\"><article class=\"post fusion-column column col col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-sm-4\"><div class=\"fusion-flexslider fusion-flexslider-loading flexslider flexslider-hover-type-none\"><ul class=\"slides\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/breakthroughs-in-understanding-roles-of-genes-and-environment-in-autism\/\" aria-label=\"Breakthroughs in Understanding roles of Genes and Environment in Autism\" class=\"hover-type-none\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"441\" src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/paid_-dna-700x441.jpg\" class=\"attachment-recent-posts size-recent-posts lazyload\" alt=\"autism genetic research, beyond genetics autism\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271600%27%20height%3D%271067%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%201600%201067%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%271600%27%20height%3D%271067%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/paid_-dna-700x441.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/paid_-dna-320x202.jpg 320w, https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/paid_-dna-700x441.jpg 700w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" \/><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"recent-posts-content\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/melanie\/\" title=\"Posts by Melanie Glock\" rel=\"author\">Melanie Glock<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2026-01-05T18:58:39-05:00<\/span><h4 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/breakthroughs-in-understanding-roles-of-genes-and-environment-in-autism\/\">Breakthroughs in Understanding roles of Genes and Environment in Autism<\/a><\/h4><p class=\"meta\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/melanie\/\" title=\"Posts by Melanie Glock\" rel=\"author\">Melanie Glock<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2026-01-05T18:58:39-05:00<\/span><span>December 2nd, 2025<\/span><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/webinar\/environmental-factors\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Environmental Factors<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/webinar\/genetics\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Genetics<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/health\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Health<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/medical-care\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Medical Care<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/webinar\/neurological\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Neurological<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/webinar\/research-webinar\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Research<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/research\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Research<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/webinars\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Webinar<\/a><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><\/p><p>          About the speaker: Dr. Jonathan Sebat, Director, Beyster Center for Psychiatric Genomics Dr. Sebat leads an interdisciplinary team in the clinical and genomic analysis of<\/p><\/div><\/article><article class=\"post fusion-column column col col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-sm-4\"><div class=\"fusion-flexslider fusion-flexslider-loading flexslider flexslider-hover-type-none\"><ul class=\"slides\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/molecular-and-celluar-mechanisms\/\" aria-label=\"The Low-Hanging Fruit: Exploring Monogenic Syndromes with Elevated Rates of Autism\" class=\"hover-type-none\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"441\" src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/AdobeStock_845339561-700x441.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-recent-posts size-recent-posts lazyload\" alt=\"Two puzzle pieces with the words &quot;Autism&quot; and &quot;Genetics&quot; on them\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271192%27%20height%3D%27924%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%201192%20924%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%271192%27%20height%3D%27924%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/AdobeStock_845339561-700x441.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/AdobeStock_845339561-320x202.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/AdobeStock_845339561-700x441.jpeg 700w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" \/><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"recent-posts-content\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/autismadmin\/\" title=\"Posts by autismAdmin\" rel=\"author\">autismAdmin<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2024-08-07T10:37:37-05:00<\/span><h4 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/molecular-and-celluar-mechanisms\/\">The Low-Hanging Fruit: Exploring Monogenic Syndromes with Elevated Rates of Autism<\/a><\/h4><p class=\"meta\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/autismadmin\/\" title=\"Posts by autismAdmin\" rel=\"author\">autismAdmin<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2024-08-07T10:37:37-05:00<\/span><span>July 15th, 2024<\/span><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/autism-spectrum-disorders\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Autism Spectrum Disorders<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/biomarkers\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Biomarkers<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/webinar\/genetics\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Genetics<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/news\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/autism-spectrum-disorders\/ways-to-help\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Ways to Help<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/webinars\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Webinar<\/a><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><\/p><p>   Dr. Daniel Vogt, Ph.D., explores monogenic syndromes and what they can tell us about the underlying causes of autism. He describes signaling pathways critical in early development, highlighting the electrical nature of<\/p><\/div><\/article><article class=\"post fusion-column column col col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-sm-4\"><div class=\"fusion-flexslider fusion-flexslider-loading flexslider flexslider-hover-type-none\"><ul class=\"slides\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/gender-brain-differences-autism\/\" aria-label=\"Behavioral and Brain Signatures of Autism in Females\" class=\"hover-type-none\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"441\" src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/AdobeStock_238082786-700x441.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-recent-posts size-recent-posts lazyload\" alt=\"puzzle pieces with male and female gender symbols on the pink and blue background. concept equality\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%272560%27%20height%3D%271707%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%202560%201707%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%272560%27%20height%3D%271707%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/AdobeStock_238082786-700x441.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/AdobeStock_238082786-320x202.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/AdobeStock_238082786-700x441.jpeg 700w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" \/><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"recent-posts-content\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/autismadmin\/\" title=\"Posts by autismAdmin\" rel=\"author\">autismAdmin<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2024-03-07T15:37:58-05:00<\/span><h4 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/gender-brain-differences-autism\/\">Behavioral and Brain Signatures of Autism in Females<\/a><\/h4><p class=\"meta\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/autismadmin\/\" title=\"Posts by autismAdmin\" rel=\"author\">autismAdmin<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2024-03-07T15:37:58-05:00<\/span><span>July 26th, 2022<\/span><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/webinar\/genetics\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Genetics<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/webinar\/neurological\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Neurological<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/webinar\/research-webinar\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Research<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/webinars\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Webinar<\/a><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><\/p><p>  Kaustubh Supekar, Ph.D., examines recent findings about gender\/sex differences in autism phenotypes and brain organization. He highlights the underrepresentation of females in autism and underscores the need for a large-scale science approach. The<\/p><\/div><\/article><article class=\"post fusion-column column col col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-sm-4\"><div class=\"fusion-flexslider fusion-flexslider-loading flexslider flexslider-hover-type-none\"><ul class=\"slides\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/research-priorities-editorial\/\" aria-label=\"Editorial &#8211; Setting Priorities for Autism Research\" class=\"hover-type-none\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"441\" src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/keyboard-e1570204484508-700x441.jpg\" class=\"attachment-recent-posts size-recent-posts lazyload\" alt=\"Close-up of a keyboard with the word &quot;Research&quot; on it\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271200%27%20height%3D%27630%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%201200%20630%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%271200%27%20height%3D%27630%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/keyboard-e1570204484508-700x441.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/keyboard-e1570204484508-320x202.jpg 320w, https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/keyboard-e1570204484508-700x441.jpg 700w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" \/><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"recent-posts-content\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/autismadmin\/\" title=\"Posts by autismAdmin\" rel=\"author\">autismAdmin<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2024-09-11T10:13:51-05:00<\/span><h4 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/research-priorities-editorial\/\">Editorial &#8211; Setting Priorities for Autism Research<\/a><\/h4><p class=\"meta\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/autismadmin\/\" title=\"Posts by autismAdmin\" rel=\"author\">autismAdmin<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2024-09-11T10:13:51-05:00<\/span><span>November 23rd, 2021<\/span><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/news\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><\/p><p>    Autism organizations, individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and parents have differing views on how best to proceed with autism research. However, nearly all of us can agree that the progress<\/p><\/div><\/article><article class=\"post fusion-column column col col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-sm-4\"><div class=\"fusion-flexslider fusion-flexslider-loading flexslider flexslider-hover-type-none\"><ul class=\"slides\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/maternal-immune-activation\/\" aria-label=\"Research on Maternal Immune Activation, Pregnancy &#038; Covid-19\" class=\"hover-type-none\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"441\" src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/AdobeStock_416761381-700x441.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-recent-posts size-recent-posts lazyload\" alt=\"Doctor is doing ultrasound screening for a pregnant woman\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%272560%27%20height%3D%271350%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%202560%201350%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%272560%27%20height%3D%271350%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/AdobeStock_416761381-700x441.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/AdobeStock_416761381-320x202.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/AdobeStock_416761381-700x441.jpeg 700w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" \/><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"recent-posts-content\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/autismadmin\/\" title=\"Posts by autismAdmin\" rel=\"author\">autismAdmin<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2022-02-15T16:13:16-05:00<\/span><h4 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/maternal-immune-activation\/\">Research on Maternal Immune Activation, Pregnancy &#038; Covid-19<\/a><\/h4><p class=\"meta\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/autismadmin\/\" title=\"Posts by autismAdmin\" rel=\"author\">autismAdmin<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2022-02-15T16:13:16-05:00<\/span><span>June 1st, 2021<\/span><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/covid-19\/\" rel=\"category tag\">COVID-19<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/webinar\/immune-issues\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Immune Issues<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/webinar\/prenatal-health\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Pregnancy<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/webinars\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Webinar<\/a><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><\/p><p>       Learn about emerging findings on maternal immune activation and Covid-19. \u00a0     About the speaker: Judy Van de Water, PhD, joined the faculty in the<\/p><\/div><\/article><article class=\"post fusion-column column col col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-sm-4\"><div class=\"fusion-flexslider fusion-flexslider-loading flexslider flexslider-hover-type-none\"><ul class=\"slides\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/possible-fat-related-biomarker-detected-in-very-young-children-with-autism\/\" aria-label=\"Possible Fat-Related Biomarker Detected in Very Young Children with Autism\" class=\"hover-type-none\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"441\" src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/research-700x441.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-recent-posts size-recent-posts lazyload\" alt=\"Medical Research Scientist Examines Laboratory Mice and Looks on Tissue Samples under Microscope. She Works in a Light Laboratory.\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%272560%27%20height%3D%271440%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%202560%201440%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%272560%27%20height%3D%271440%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/research-700x441.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/research-320x202.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/research-700x441.jpeg 700w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" \/><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"recent-posts-content\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/melanie\/\" title=\"Posts by Melanie Glock\" rel=\"author\">Melanie Glock<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2024-04-28T17:52:15-05:00<\/span><h4 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/possible-fat-related-biomarker-detected-in-very-young-children-with-autism\/\">Possible Fat-Related Biomarker Detected in Very Young Children with Autism<\/a><\/h4><p class=\"meta\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/melanie\/\" title=\"Posts by Melanie Glock\" rel=\"author\">Melanie Glock<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2024-04-28T17:52:15-05:00<\/span><span>January 8th, 2021<\/span><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/news\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><\/p><p>   Researchers in Japan report that they have identified a possible biomarker for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in very young children. Noting that both low birth weight and obesity in infancy are known<\/p><\/div><\/article><\/section><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8399,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9735,9698,26,3782,20,19,24],"tags":[9852,4806,9854,9853,4910,9851,9836],"class_list":["post-18092","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-biomarkers","category-early-intervention","category-health","category-neurological","category-news","category-research","category-webinar","tag-biological","tag-biomarkers","tag-clinical-trials","tag-intervention-research","tag-neurology","tag-neuroscience","tag-white-matter","webinar-author-james-mcparland"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.6 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - 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