Individuals with autism have higher rates of minor physical anomalies (MPAs) than neurotypical persons. Minor physical anomalies are slight morphological deviations typically harmless and without cosmetic or medical importance to the individual but indicative of an underlying neurodevelopmental disorder. In genetic autism research the utilization…

The autism phenotype is associated with an excess of brain volume due in part to decreased pruning during development. Here we aimed at assessing brain volume early in development to further elucidate previous findings in autism and determine whether this pattern is restricted to idiopathic autism or shared within the autistic phenotype (fragile X…

Debate regarding the etiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is on the rise with numerous theories being put forth. Currently, the theory with the most empirical support is the interaction of multiple genes. Many studies have provided evidence that as the incidence of ASD increases so do genetic similarities. However, very little research has…

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder consisting of a constellation of symptoms that sometimes occur as part of a complex disorder characterized by impairments in social interaction, communication and behavioral domains. It is a highly disabling disorder and there is a need for treatment targeting the core symptoms. Although autism is accepted…

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) have reported to have impairments in face, recognition and face memory, but intact object recognition and object memory. Potential abnormalities, in these fields at the family level of high-functioning children with ASD remains understudied despite, the ever-mounting evidence that ASDs are genetic and…

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) constitute a class of severe neurodevelopmental conditions with complex multifactorial and heterogeneous etiology. Despite high estimates of heritability, genetic causes of ASDs remain elusive, due to a high degree of genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity. So far, several "monogenic" forms of autism have been…

Sleep problems have often been reported in children with intellectual disabilities (ID). How anomalies in 24-h sleep patterns relate to behaviour difficulties in children with different types of ID remains to be elucidated. The purpose of this study was to assess 24-h sleep and behaviour patterns in children with a variety disorders including…

Choice between alternative response options has received much attention in both basic and applied research. However, there is limited study on the effects of choice of task order on responding. This study examined the effect of choice of task order on on-task behavior, duration to complete the tasks, and problem behaviors in 2 children with autism…

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a rare genetic disorder within the autistic spectrum. This study compared socio-demographic, clinical and genetic characteristics of the international database, InterRett, and the population-based Australian Rett syndrome database (ARSD). It also explored the strengths and limitations of InterRett in comparison with other…

Emotion regulation (ER) abilities and developmental differences were investigated among 19 children with autism and 18 children with 22q13 Deletion Syndrome (a rare chromosomal disorder with certain autistic symptoms). The purpose of this study was to examine the phenotypic similarities between the two disorders. ER was measured by the Temperament…

Research findings examining the adjustment of siblings of children with autism has been inconsistent, with some studies concluding that siblings are negatively impacted, while others have found no adverse effects. We argue that one reason for these inconsistent findings may be the failure by some investigators to take into account the increased…