{"id":22038,"date":"2025-03-24T19:43:41","date_gmt":"2025-03-25T00:43:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/autism.org\/?p=22038"},"modified":"2025-04-23T13:40:52","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T18:40:52","slug":"research-update-webinar-series","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/autism.org\/research-update-webinar-series\/","title":{"rendered":"Research Update Webinar Series"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1 fusion-flex-container 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 fusion-flex-align-items-flex-start fusion-flex-content-wrap\" style=\"max-width:1315.6px;margin-left: calc(-4% \/ 2 );margin-right: calc(-4% \/ 2 );\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-0 fusion_builder_column_1_6 1_6 fusion-flex-column\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;--awb-width-large:16.666666666667%;--awb-margin-top-large:0px;--awb-spacing-right-large:11.52%;--awb-margin-bottom-large:0px;--awb-spacing-left-large:11.52%;--awb-width-medium:100%;--awb-order-medium:0;--awb-spacing-right-medium:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-medium:1.92%;--awb-width-small:100%;--awb-order-small:0;--awb-spacing-right-small:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-small:1.92%;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-column\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-1 fusion_builder_column_2_3 2_3 fusion-flex-column\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;--awb-width-large:66.666666666667%;--awb-margin-top-large:0px;--awb-spacing-right-large:2.88%;--awb-margin-bottom-large:0px;--awb-spacing-left-large:2.88%;--awb-width-medium:100%;--awb-order-medium:0;--awb-spacing-right-medium:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-medium:1.92%;--awb-width-small:100%;--awb-order-small:0;--awb-spacing-right-small:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-small:1.92%;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-column\"><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"align-self: center;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:20px;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\"><p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">As part of ARI\u2019s work to <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/mission-statement\/\">advance autism science and education<\/a>, we offer free bi-monthly expert-led webinars on topics related to autism. Presenters discuss emerging trends and research findings on the underlying biology of autism and effective care strategies. Information presented in ARI webinars is evidence-based, making our video library a trustworthy resource for the autism community. Webinar playbacks are free on our <a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/webinars\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">website<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@Autism-org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">YouTube Channel<\/a>, with more than 1.35 million views.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">ARI&#8217;s recurring Research Update webinar series offer uniquely up-to-date insights on critical topics in autism. These series cover ongoing investigations and their implications for research and care, providing families and practitioners with crucial information in a timely manner. Within the ever-changing landscape of autism science, these webinar series also offer a transparent look at how our understanding of autism continues to evolve. Research topics recently updated include systemic inflammation, sleep, challenging behaviors, trauma, and gastrointestinal issues.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"align-self: center;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:20px;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-2\"><h1>Research Update Series<\/h1>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-image-element \" style=\"--awb-caption-title-font-family:var(--h2_typography-font-family);--awb-caption-title-font-weight:var(--h2_typography-font-weight);--awb-caption-title-font-style:var(--h2_typography-font-style);--awb-caption-title-size:var(--h2_typography-font-size);--awb-caption-title-transform:var(--h2_typography-text-transform);--awb-caption-title-line-height:var(--h2_typography-line-height);--awb-caption-title-letter-spacing:var(--h2_typography-letter-spacing);\"><span class=\" fusion-imageframe imageframe-none imageframe-1 hover-type-none\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1640\" height=\"924\" title=\"Research Update Series\" src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Research-Update-Series.png\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Research-Update-Series.png\" alt class=\"lazyload img-responsive wp-image-22133\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271640%27%20height%3D%27924%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%201640%20924%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%271640%27%20height%3D%27924%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Research-Update-Series-200x113.png 200w, https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Research-Update-Series-400x225.png 400w, https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Research-Update-Series-600x338.png 600w, https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Research-Update-Series-800x451.png 800w, https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Research-Update-Series-1200x676.png 1200w, https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Research-Update-Series.png 1640w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/span><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"align-self: center;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:20px;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-3\"><h2>Sleep<\/h2>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-4\"><h3>Research Updates: Bringing Sleep and Autism into Community Settings (2025)<\/h3>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"--awb-max-width:600px;--awb-max-height:360px;\"><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\/ZRDi_rE9onc?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"360\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"align-self: center;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:20px;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-5\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beth Mallow, MD, shares current research updates on sleep and autism. She highlights the multifactorial nature of sleep patterns and how they affect daily functioning and core autism traits like emotion regulation. The speaker provides helpful sleep questionnaires and tips for minimizing sleep resistance and night waking. Mallow outlines preliminary work from ongoing sleep education trials for parents and therapists and emphasizes the efficacy of behavior-based interventions. She provides contact information for potential study participants and notes the lack of research surrounding common medications before the Q&amp;A.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\">\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/sleep-into-community-settings\/\">View Summary<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"align-self: center;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:20px;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"accordian fusion-accordian\" style=\"--awb-border-size:1px;--awb-icon-size:13px;--awb-content-font-size:20px;--awb-icon-alignment:left;--awb-hover-color:#f7f8f9;--awb-border-color:#e8eaf0;--awb-background-color:#ffffff;--awb-divider-color:e8eaf0;--awb-divider-hover-color:e8eaf0;--awb-icon-color:#ffffff;--awb-title-color:var(--awb-color4);--awb-content-color:#5d5f64;--awb-icon-box-color:var(--awb-color5);--awb-toggle-hover-accent-color:var(--awb-color4);--awb-title-font-family:&quot;Josefin Sans&quot;;--awb-title-font-weight:700;--awb-title-font-style:normal;--awb-title-font-size:24px;--awb-content-font-family:&quot;PT Sans&quot;;--awb-content-font-style:normal;--awb-content-font-weight:400;\"><div class=\"panel-group fusion-toggle-icon-boxed\" id=\"accordion-22038-1\"><div class=\"fusion-panel panel-default panel-0f5057942f77ab6f1 fusion-toggle-has-divider\" style=\"--awb-title-color:var(--awb-color6);\"><div class=\"panel-heading\"><h4 class=\"panel-title toggle\" id=\"toggle_0f5057942f77ab6f1\"><a aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"0f5057942f77ab6f1\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-22038-1\" data-target=\"#0f5057942f77ab6f1\" href=\"#0f5057942f77ab6f1\"><span class=\"fusion-toggle-icon-wrapper\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><i class=\"fa-fusion-box active-icon awb-icon-minus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-fusion-box inactive-icon fa-plus fas\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><span class=\"fusion-toggle-heading\">Previous Updates<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div><div id=\"0f5057942f77ab6f1\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse \" aria-labelledby=\"toggle_0f5057942f77ab6f1\"><div class=\"panel-body toggle-content fusion-clearfix\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/autism-and-sleep-research-updates\/\">Autism and Sleep \u2013 Research Updates (2024)<\/a> -Presented by Dara S. Manoach, Ph.D.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/food-and-sleep\/\">Food and Sleep (2022)<\/a> &#8211; Presented by Vicki Kobliner, RDN, CD-N<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/webinars\/sleep-issues-and-asd-2018\/\">Sleep Issues and ASD (2018)<\/a> &#8211; Presented by Dr. Beth Mallow<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"align-self: center;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:20px;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-6\"><h2>Systemic Inflammation &amp; PANS\/PANDAS<\/h2>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-7\"><h3><strong>Research Updates: At the Crossroads of Infection, Inflammation, and Mental Health (2024)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"--awb-max-width:600px;--awb-max-height:360px;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><div class=\"fluid-width-video-wrapper\" style=\"padding-top:60%;\" ><iframe title=\"YouTube video player 2\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bFHz9LC5eJI?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"360\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"align-self: center;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:20px;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-8\"><p>Jennifer Frankovich, MD, MS, dives into the intersection of infection, inflammation, and mental health. She discusses the increase in recognition of this critical overlap over the last decade, highlighting how systemic inflammatory conditions have the highest rate of co-occurring psychiatric disorders. The speaker outlines ten inflammatory diseases that frequently co-occur with mental health conditions, including spondyloarthritis, psoriasis\/psoriatic arthritis, Beh\u00e7et\u2019s Syndrome, Sj\u00f6gren\u2019s disease, Scleroderma, CNS Vasculitis, Sydenhams\u2019 Chorea, and Lupus. Frankovich underscores the connection of Streptococcal infections to many of these inflammatory conditions, noting their similarities to PANS and challenges with diagnosis. She provides thanks and acknowledgments before the Q&amp;A.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\">\n<p>This is a follow-up to our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/blood-brain-barrier-dysfunction-in-pediatric-acute-neuropsychiatric-syndrome-pans-and-regulation\/\">June 12, 2024 webinar<\/a>\u00a0featuring Dr. Jennifer Frankovich, Ayan Mondal, Ph.D., and Noor A. Hussein, Ph.D.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/pans-updates\/\">View Summary<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"align-self: center;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:20px;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"accordian fusion-accordian\" style=\"--awb-border-size:1px;--awb-icon-size:13px;--awb-content-font-size:20px;--awb-icon-alignment:left;--awb-hover-color:#f7f8f9;--awb-border-color:#e8eaf0;--awb-background-color:#ffffff;--awb-divider-color:e8eaf0;--awb-divider-hover-color:e8eaf0;--awb-icon-color:#ffffff;--awb-title-color:var(--awb-color4);--awb-content-color:#5d5f64;--awb-icon-box-color:var(--awb-color5);--awb-toggle-hover-accent-color:var(--awb-color4);--awb-title-font-family:&quot;Josefin Sans&quot;;--awb-title-font-weight:700;--awb-title-font-style:normal;--awb-title-font-size:24px;--awb-content-font-family:&quot;PT Sans&quot;;--awb-content-font-style:normal;--awb-content-font-weight:400;\"><div class=\"panel-group fusion-toggle-icon-boxed\" id=\"accordion-22038-2\"><div class=\"fusion-panel panel-default panel-00381486ff52de10f fusion-toggle-has-divider\" style=\"--awb-title-color:var(--awb-color6);\"><div class=\"panel-heading\"><h4 class=\"panel-title toggle\" id=\"toggle_00381486ff52de10f\"><a aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"00381486ff52de10f\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-22038-2\" data-target=\"#00381486ff52de10f\" href=\"#00381486ff52de10f\"><span class=\"fusion-toggle-icon-wrapper\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><i class=\"fa-fusion-box active-icon awb-icon-minus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-fusion-box inactive-icon fa-plus fas\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><span class=\"fusion-toggle-heading\">Previous Updates (PANS\/PANDAS)<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div><div id=\"00381486ff52de10f\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse \" aria-labelledby=\"toggle_00381486ff52de10f\"><div class=\"panel-body toggle-content fusion-clearfix\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/blood-brain-barrier-dysfunction-in-pediatric-acute-neuropsychiatric-syndrome-pans-and-regulation\/\">Research Update: Blood-brain barrier dysfunction in Pediatric Acute Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Regulation (2024)<\/a> &#8211; Presented by Dr. Jennifer Frankovich, Ayan Mondal, Ph.D., and Noor A. Hussein, Ph.D<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/pans-and-autism-2021-updates\/\">Systemic Inflammatory &amp; Autoimmune Diseases\u2014PANS (2022)<\/a> &#8211; Presented by Jennifer Frankovich, MD MS<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/webinars\/pans-pandas-research-updates\/\">PANS\/PANDAS \u2013 Research Updates (2020)<\/a> &#8211; Presented by Susan Swedo, M.D.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"align-self: center;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:20px;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-9\"><h2><strong>Challenging Behavior<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"--awb-max-width:600px;--awb-max-height:360px;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><div class=\"fluid-width-video-wrapper\" style=\"padding-top:60%;\" ><iframe title=\"YouTube video player 3\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8JSp0ShX3WM?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"360\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-10\"><h3>Self-Regulation Strategies for Self-Injury<\/h3>\n<p>Emily Ferguson, Ph.D., discusses self-regulation strategies for self-injurious behaviors (SIB). She outlines recent research on the frequency and distribution of different SIBs across a large sample, underscoring the importance of assessing individual behavior severity instead of an overall SIB score. The presenter considers the role of emotion regulation in SIB interventions. Ferguson considers emotion recognition, coping strategies, and prevention methods and provides free online resources for parents and clinicians.<\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"align-self: center;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:20px;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"accordian fusion-accordian\" style=\"--awb-border-size:1px;--awb-icon-size:13px;--awb-content-font-size:20px;--awb-icon-alignment:left;--awb-hover-color:#f7f8f9;--awb-border-color:#e8eaf0;--awb-background-color:#ffffff;--awb-divider-color:e8eaf0;--awb-divider-hover-color:e8eaf0;--awb-icon-color:#ffffff;--awb-title-color:var(--awb-color4);--awb-content-color:#5d5f64;--awb-icon-box-color:var(--awb-color5);--awb-toggle-hover-accent-color:var(--awb-color4);--awb-title-font-family:&quot;Josefin Sans&quot;;--awb-title-font-weight:700;--awb-title-font-style:normal;--awb-title-font-size:24px;--awb-content-font-family:&quot;PT Sans&quot;;--awb-content-font-style:normal;--awb-content-font-weight:400;\"><div class=\"panel-group fusion-toggle-icon-boxed\" id=\"accordion-22038-3\"><div class=\"fusion-panel panel-default panel-2c1c3f899be406c8f fusion-toggle-has-divider\" style=\"--awb-title-color:var(--awb-color6);\"><div class=\"panel-heading\"><h4 class=\"panel-title toggle\" id=\"toggle_2c1c3f899be406c8f\"><a aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"2c1c3f899be406c8f\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-22038-3\" data-target=\"#2c1c3f899be406c8f\" href=\"#2c1c3f899be406c8f\"><span class=\"fusion-toggle-icon-wrapper\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><i class=\"fa-fusion-box active-icon awb-icon-minus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-fusion-box inactive-icon fa-plus fas\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><span class=\"fusion-toggle-heading\">Previous Updates<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div><div id=\"2c1c3f899be406c8f\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse \" aria-labelledby=\"toggle_2c1c3f899be406c8f\"><div class=\"panel-body toggle-content fusion-clearfix\">\n<p>(Not recorded) <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/strategies-for-addressing-challenging-behaviors\/\">Strategies for Addressing Challenging Behaviors and Implementing Coping Skills in Parenting (2025)<\/a> &#8211; Presented by Emily Ferguson, Ph.D.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/autism-pica\/\">Autism and Pica (2023)<\/a> &#8211; Presented by Dean Alexander, Ph.D.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/understanding-and-treating-challenging-behaviors\/\">Understanding and Treating Challenging Behaviors Parts 1 &amp; 2 (2022)<\/a>\u00a0&#8211; Presented by Paul Shattock &amp; Lauren Moskowitz, Ph.D.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/webinars\/assessing-and-treating-challenging-behavior-in-individuals-with-asd\/\">Assessing and Treating Challenging Behavior in Individuals with Autism (2015)<\/a> &#8211; Presented by Lauren Moskowitz, Ph.D.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"align-self: center;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:20px;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-11\"><h2><strong>Trauma<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-12\"><h3>Autism and Trauma: Research Updates (2025)<\/h3>\n<div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"--awb-max-width:600px;--awb-max-height:360px;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><div class=\"fluid-width-video-wrapper\" style=\"padding-top:60%;\" ><iframe title=\"YouTube video player 4\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_5dKq0b8PTE?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"360\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"align-self: center;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:20px;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-13\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dr. Connor Kerns delivers research updates on the intersection of trauma and autism. She describes the relationship between childhood adversities, trauma, and mental health and highlights the need for trauma measurements that are specific to the autism community. The presenter considers the complexities of diagnosing PTSD in autism and details the development of the Childhood Adversity &amp; Social Stress Questionnaire (CASS-Q). Kern&#8217;s ongoing work aims to describe the adversities of autistic youth and compare the CASS-Q PR symptom subscale to the DSM-5 PTSD descriptors. She discusses preliminary results revealing high validity and summarizes limitations and implications before the Q&amp;A.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\">\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/autism-and-trauma-research-updates\/\">View Summary<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"align-self: center;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:20px;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"accordian fusion-accordian\" style=\"--awb-border-size:1px;--awb-icon-size:13px;--awb-content-font-size:20px;--awb-icon-alignment:left;--awb-hover-color:#f7f8f9;--awb-border-color:#e8eaf0;--awb-background-color:#ffffff;--awb-divider-color:e8eaf0;--awb-divider-hover-color:e8eaf0;--awb-icon-color:#ffffff;--awb-title-color:var(--awb-color4);--awb-content-color:#5d5f64;--awb-icon-box-color:var(--awb-color5);--awb-toggle-hover-accent-color:var(--awb-color4);--awb-title-font-family:&quot;Josefin Sans&quot;;--awb-title-font-weight:700;--awb-title-font-style:normal;--awb-title-font-size:24px;--awb-content-font-family:&quot;PT Sans&quot;;--awb-content-font-style:normal;--awb-content-font-weight:400;\"><div class=\"panel-group fusion-toggle-icon-boxed\" id=\"accordion-22038-4\"><div class=\"fusion-panel panel-default panel-0e37fbf021aae249b fusion-toggle-has-divider\" style=\"--awb-title-color:var(--awb-color6);\"><div class=\"panel-heading\"><h4 class=\"panel-title toggle\" id=\"toggle_0e37fbf021aae249b\"><a aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"0e37fbf021aae249b\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-22038-4\" data-target=\"#0e37fbf021aae249b\" href=\"#0e37fbf021aae249b\"><span class=\"fusion-toggle-icon-wrapper\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><i class=\"fa-fusion-box active-icon awb-icon-minus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-fusion-box inactive-icon fa-plus fas\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><span class=\"fusion-toggle-heading\">Previous Updates<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div><div id=\"0e37fbf021aae249b\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse \" aria-labelledby=\"toggle_0e37fbf021aae249b\"><div class=\"panel-body toggle-content fusion-clearfix\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/disability-and-race\/\">The Intersection of Race and Disability (2025)<\/a> &#8211; Presented by Dr. Amber Davis<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/autism-and-trauma\/\">Autism and Trauma (2024)<\/a> &#8211; Presented by Dr. Connor Kerns<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"align-self: center;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:20px;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-14\"><h2>Gastrointestinal Issues<\/h2>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-15\"><h3>Autism and Gastrointestinal Comorbidities (2025)<\/h3>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"--awb-max-width:600px;--awb-max-height:360px;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><div class=\"fluid-width-video-wrapper\" style=\"padding-top:60%;\" ><iframe title=\"YouTube video player 5\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XJ40pif6tlo?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"360\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"align-self: center;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:20px;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-16\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mojdeh Mostafavi, MD, describes gastrointestinal conditions commonly seen in individuals with autism, including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Eosinophilic GI disease (EGID), avoidant\/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), disorders of the gut-brain interaction (DGBI), and constipation. She outlines recent research on the prevalence of these conditions in people with autism, emphasizing the complexities of symptom presentation, drivers, and care. The speaker provides a free social story for endoscopies and considers the relationship between pain expression and GI conditions. Mostafavi considers the difficulties of transitioning from pediatric to adult healthcare in autism. She summarizes the presentation before the Q&amp;A.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/gi-behavior\/\">View Summary<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"align-self: center;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:20px;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"accordian fusion-accordian\" style=\"--awb-border-size:1px;--awb-icon-size:13px;--awb-content-font-size:20px;--awb-icon-alignment:left;--awb-hover-color:#f7f8f9;--awb-border-color:#e8eaf0;--awb-background-color:#ffffff;--awb-divider-color:e8eaf0;--awb-divider-hover-color:e8eaf0;--awb-icon-color:#ffffff;--awb-title-color:var(--awb-color4);--awb-content-color:#5d5f64;--awb-icon-box-color:var(--awb-color5);--awb-toggle-hover-accent-color:var(--awb-color4);--awb-title-font-family:&quot;Josefin Sans&quot;;--awb-title-font-weight:700;--awb-title-font-style:normal;--awb-title-font-size:24px;--awb-content-font-family:&quot;PT Sans&quot;;--awb-content-font-style:normal;--awb-content-font-weight:400;\"><div class=\"panel-group fusion-toggle-icon-boxed\" id=\"accordion-22038-5\"><div class=\"fusion-panel panel-default panel-ab5b0fa7a365b99d2 fusion-toggle-has-divider\" style=\"--awb-title-color:var(--awb-color6);\"><div class=\"panel-heading\"><h4 class=\"panel-title toggle\" id=\"toggle_ab5b0fa7a365b99d2\"><a aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"ab5b0fa7a365b99d2\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-22038-5\" data-target=\"#ab5b0fa7a365b99d2\" href=\"#ab5b0fa7a365b99d2\"><span class=\"fusion-toggle-icon-wrapper\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><i class=\"fa-fusion-box active-icon awb-icon-minus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-fusion-box inactive-icon fa-plus fas\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><span class=\"fusion-toggle-heading\">Previous Updates<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div><div id=\"ab5b0fa7a365b99d2\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse \" aria-labelledby=\"toggle_ab5b0fa7a365b99d2\"><div class=\"panel-body toggle-content fusion-clearfix\">\n<p class=\"entry-title fusion-responsive-typography-calculated\" data-fontsize=\"48\" data-lineheight=\"69.6px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/gi-behavior\/\">Research Updates: GI Symptoms &amp; Behavior (2024)<\/a> &#8211; Presented by Dr. Bradley Ferguson, Ph.D.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/gut-autism\/\">The Gut, Autism, and Mental Health (2024)<\/a> &#8211; Presented by Dr. Calliope Holingue, MPH, Ph.D.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/gi-symptoms-2023\/\">Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Autistic Patients (2023)<\/a> &#8211; Presented by Frederico Balzola, MD<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"align-self: center;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:20px;width:100%;\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-2 fusion_builder_column_1_6 1_6 fusion-flex-column\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;--awb-width-large:16.666666666667%;--awb-margin-top-large:0px;--awb-spacing-right-large:11.52%;--awb-margin-bottom-large:0px;--awb-spacing-left-large:11.52%;--awb-width-medium:100%;--awb-order-medium:0;--awb-spacing-right-medium:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-medium:1.92%;--awb-width-small:100%;--awb-order-small:0;--awb-spacing-right-small:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-small:1.92%;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-column\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22038","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.6 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Research Update Webinar Series - Autism Research Institute<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/research-update-webinar-series\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Research Update Webinar Series\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/research-update-webinar-series\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Autism Research Institute\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/autismresearchinstitute\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-03-25T00:43:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-04-23T18:40:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Meaghan Weldele\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ariConference\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ariConference\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Meaghan Weldele\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/autism.org\/research-update-webinar-series\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/autism.org\/research-update-webinar-series\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Meaghan Weldele\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/autism.org\/#\/schema\/person\/8bd7229277bd1b8caa4cfa0d9646ac0f\"},\"headline\":\"Research Update Webinar Series\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-03-25T00:43:41+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-23T18:40:52+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/autism.org\/research-update-webinar-series\/\"},\"wordCount\":6369,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/autism.org\/#organization\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/autism.org\/research-update-webinar-series\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/autism.org\/research-update-webinar-series\/\",\"name\":\"Research Update Webinar Series - Autism Research Institute\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/autism.org\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-03-25T00:43:41+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-23T18:40:52+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/autism.org\/research-update-webinar-series\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/autism.org\/research-update-webinar-series\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/autism.org\/research-update-webinar-series\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/autism.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Research Update Webinar Series\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/autism.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/autism.org\/\",\"name\":\"Autism Research Institute\",\"description\":\"Advancing Autism Research and Education\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/autism.org\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/autism.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/autism.org\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Autism Research Institute\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/autism.org\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/autism.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/ARI_Final_CMYK_CROP.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/ARI_Final_CMYK_CROP.jpg\",\"width\":1516,\"height\":737,\"caption\":\"Autism Research Institute\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/autism.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/autismresearchinstitute\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/ariConference\",\"https:\/\/autismresearchinstitute\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/autism-research-institute\",\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/melfromari\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/arifulton\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/autism.org\/#\/schema\/person\/8bd7229277bd1b8caa4cfa0d9646ac0f\",\"name\":\"Meaghan Weldele\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/autism.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/36487bf632afc65423d25fb3c5169b1b04dd95c8800490649432e77b77616e49?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/36487bf632afc65423d25fb3c5169b1b04dd95c8800490649432e77b77616e49?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Meaghan Weldele\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/mweldele\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Research Update Webinar Series - Autism Research Institute","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/autism.org\/research-update-webinar-series\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Research Update Webinar Series","og_url":"https:\/\/autism.org\/research-update-webinar-series\/","og_site_name":"Autism Research Institute","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/autismresearchinstitute\/","article_published_time":"2025-03-25T00:43:41+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-04-23T18:40:52+00:00","author":"Meaghan Weldele","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@ariConference","twitter_site":"@ariConference","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Meaghan Weldele","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/autism.org\/research-update-webinar-series\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/autism.org\/research-update-webinar-series\/"},"author":{"name":"Meaghan Weldele","@id":"https:\/\/autism.org\/#\/schema\/person\/8bd7229277bd1b8caa4cfa0d9646ac0f"},"headline":"Research Update Webinar Series","datePublished":"2025-03-25T00:43:41+00:00","dateModified":"2025-04-23T18:40:52+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/autism.org\/research-update-webinar-series\/"},"wordCount":6369,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/autism.org\/#organization"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/autism.org\/research-update-webinar-series\/","url":"https:\/\/autism.org\/research-update-webinar-series\/","name":"Research Update Webinar Series - Autism Research Institute","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/autism.org\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-03-25T00:43:41+00:00","dateModified":"2025-04-23T18:40:52+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/autism.org\/research-update-webinar-series\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/autism.org\/research-update-webinar-series\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/autism.org\/research-update-webinar-series\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/autism.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Research Update Webinar Series"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/autism.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/autism.org\/","name":"Autism Research Institute","description":"Advancing Autism Research and Education","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/autism.org\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/autism.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/autism.org\/#organization","name":"Autism Research Institute","url":"https:\/\/autism.org\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/autism.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/ARI_Final_CMYK_CROP.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/ARI_Final_CMYK_CROP.jpg","width":1516,"height":737,"caption":"Autism Research Institute"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/autism.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/autismresearchinstitute\/","https:\/\/x.com\/ariConference","https:\/\/autismresearchinstitute","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/autism-research-institute","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/melfromari\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/arifulton"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/autism.org\/#\/schema\/person\/8bd7229277bd1b8caa4cfa0d9646ac0f","name":"Meaghan Weldele","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/autism.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/36487bf632afc65423d25fb3c5169b1b04dd95c8800490649432e77b77616e49?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/36487bf632afc65423d25fb3c5169b1b04dd95c8800490649432e77b77616e49?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Meaghan Weldele"},"url":"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/mweldele\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22038","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22038"}],"version-history":[{"count":72,"href":"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22038\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22646,"href":"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22038\/revisions\/22646"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22038"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22038"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22038"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}