You know what is a human right? Communication

It stands to reason that an intervention specifically designed to stimulate and train the immune system would engage deeply conserved evolutionary defense mechanisms. cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092…

"Together, these findings indicate that both prenatal immune perturbations induced by MIA and chronic postnatal peripheral immune activation can create a long-standing pro-inflammatory susceptibility state that primes abnormal CNS responses, driving downstream molecular and cellular pathology." frontiersin.org/journals/imm…

NEXT UP for the IACC: Summary of Advances This report identifies top breakthroughs and high-impact science across autism spectrum disorder to guide federal priorities and research updates. Below, peer reviewed research can be submitted for consideration. Public submission dates: Oct 9-23 federalregister.gov/document…

A brilliant deconstruction of the criteria we use to define profound autism, from Dr. Sylvia Fogel: @FogelSylvia

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“Findings indicate that neuroinflammation is a central mechanism linking ASD-related comorbidities with established [Alzheimer’s/dementia] risk factors. The evidence suggests that reducing neuroinflammation, particularly through interventions targeting microglial activation during childhood or early adulthood, may lower the likelihood of early-onset [Alzheimer’s/dementia] in individuals with ASD.”

Autism advocates, It is important that we make a clear distinction when discussing “co-occurring conditions.” There is a meaningful difference between medical and biologically based conditions that co-occur with autism - such as epilepsy, gastrointestinal disorders, immune dysfunction, sleep disorders, and metabolic abnormalities - and psychiatric or behaviorally defined diagnoses, such as anxiety, ADHD and bipolar disorder. Many of us hear the phrase “co-occurring conditions” and assume an organization is referring to the former: the medical and biological conditions that significantly affect health & quality of life, and possibly drive the behaviors we call autism. But in some cases, organizations are using the term primarily to refer to more lateral, phenotypic conditions. That distinction matters. We should be specific about what we mean by “co-occurring conditions,” because these categories raise very different research questions, require different forms of clinical evaluation and can lead to very different priorities for research and care.

Autism is extraordinarily heterogeneous, yet we continue to study causes and treatments as though it were a single, uniform condition. Without meaningful subtyping, important biological signals can be diluted or obscured, and potentially effective treatments for specific groups may appear ineffective when evaluated across the entire autism population. We urgently need biologically anchored subtypes that can help identify distinct mechanisms, trajectories, and treatment responses. This is essential if we are serious about moving toward precision medicine and providing each person with care that reflects their individual biology and needs.

Perhaps the most important distinction of the new Strategic Plan is its focus on translation and accountability. It is not enough to simply advance the science, the goal must be to ensure that meaningful discoveries reach the individuals and families who need them. This plan creates a pathway for research to move from discovery to real-world impact, with accountability mechanisms to ensure progress does not stall along the way. Ultimately, it brings greater urgency and accountability to turning scientific progress into meaningful improvements in the daily lives of people with autism. iacc.hhs.gov/meetings/iacc-m…

May your story find safe harbor 🫶🏼

Once you realize that even talking openly about regression, despite regression being documented in a substantial subset of children with autism (30-40%), can be met with dismissal and skepticism, it adds an entirely new layer to this conversation. When so many parents believe they witnessed a specific trigger preceding a profound change in their child, their observations deserve to be heard and studied rigorously, not mocked, dismissed, or treated as though asking the question itself is unacceptable. What are we even doing? These are children. Their experiences matter. Their parents’ observations matter. And getting the science right matters.

There is empirical evidence that the environmentally sensitive neurodevelopmental window extends beyond the prenatal period and birth. #autism #regression #neurodevelopmentalregression

The immune system is inextricably and reciprocally linked to the functioning of the brain and nervous system👇🏼

Sylvia Fogel, Reshaping US Autism Research Strategy An autism mom with the world at fingertips, who never stopped working for our kids. You are the best, @FogelSylvia Sylvia Fogel. thetransmitter.org/spectrum/…