Health and Social Issues

From speech development to friendships, from genes to girls' experiences, you will find articles that explore the effect of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) on the health and social well-being of people with ASD and their families. Some of the information in several articles comes from research involving families in the Simons Simplex Collection (SSC) project.

• The Curious Link between GI Symptoms, Mental Health and Autism
• Sleep Problems Linked to More Severe Autism Symptoms reports on a new SSC study.
• A New Look at Sensory Symptoms in Autism: Is it One or Two? SSC and IAN research results.
• Conflicting Pictures Emerge of Autism in Girls: Study looks at boy-girl differences in the SSC.
• What Causes GI Problems in Autism? Get the results of an SSC@IAN study.
• Measuring Intelligence in Autism: What do IQ scores really mean?
• Strange Bedfellows: The Link between Sleep and Gastrointestinal Problems in Autism: What did SSC families teach researchers about sleep and GI problems in autism?
• Perfect Pitch: Autism's Rare Gift: Studies have found that people with autism are more likely to have this rare musical gift – or at least some version of it – than the general population. What's behind this remarkable ability?
• Rocky Road: The Career Paths of People with Autism and Their Parents What happens to your career when you or your child has autism?
• Are Girls with Autism Hiding in Plain Sight? Why are so few girls diagnosed with autism? A growing number of studies, including one by IAN, suggests that autism looks a little different in girls — and this may affect the timing of diagnosis and whether girls get diagnosed at all.
• The Stigma of Autism: When All Eyes Are Upon You: Have you felt the disapproving stares of others when your child with autism was acting differently? What does stigma mean for people?
• What Does it Mean to Have Just a Hint of Autism?: Comedian Jerry Seinfeld stepped into a minefield when he diagnosed himself as being on the autism spectrum – "on a very drawn out scale." He complained of problems with social engagement and understanding figures of speech. Was he describing the Broad Autism Phenotype?
• The Challenge of Physical Fitness for People with Autism: People with ASD often face unique challenges to physical fitness. Find out what some SSC@IAN families have done to address this.
• Space Invaders: Personal Space and Autism: Children in the SSC contributed to research on social distance problems in autism.
• Autism and Faith: Inclusion and Acceptance at Places of Worship. Inspired by SSC parent Silvia Verga.
• Rethinking Head Size in Autism: Scientists question statistics on "Early Brain Overgrowth," some using data from SSC families
• The Epilepsy Connection: Why are People with Autism at Risk?
• Not Just for Boys When Autism Spectrum Disorders Affect Girls
• Good News for Late Talkers: What have SSC families taught researchers about speech development in autism?
• Redefinition: Autism, Asperger's and the DSM-5 (Includes SSC research)
• Friendship, Anxiety, and ASD Interview
• The Social Brain and ASD

Articles about Genetic Findings Made Possible by SSC Families

• Examining Genes to Describe Different Types of Autism
• Scientists Start with One Gene in Hunt for Autism Subtype: SSC families play a crucial role in the search for a subtype of autism.
• Simons Simplex Collection: Revealing the Genetic Underpinnings of Autism
• Key Genetic Findings
• Searching "Smaller Haystack" Yields Promising ASD Genetic Findings
• Deletion of Gene Could Increase Risk of Autism