Top Ten Autism Research Advances of 2012

Autism Speaks annual best of features progress in environmental science, adult support,
medicines development and more

In 2012, autism dominated headlines as never before. Public awareness skyrocketed with new
updates on autisms estimated prevalence (1 in 88) and costs to society ($137 billion per year
nationally). Controversy roiled around proposed changes to how autism spectrum disorder
(ASD) will be diagnosed in the years ahead.

Behind the headlines or at least off the front page the field of autism research experienced
a significant growth in the number of publications and scientists entering the field. In recent
years, the field has drawn hundreds of talented scientists from other areas of science. In 2012,
we saw many of these teams publishing important findings that confirmed and built on the
pioneering discoveries of previous years.

We think youll see this growth on the pages of this, our fourth annual Top Ten report.
Instead of isolated breakthroughs, many of this years top advances represent broad progress in
areas of autism science and involve multiple research teams at sites across the nation and the
world.

Some of these advances helped solidify relatively new fields of autism research such as
environmental science and translational research. We saw a deeper understanding of possible
links between environmental exposures, genetic vulnerability and autism risk. We saw real
progress in safely moving promising medicines out of the laboratory and into clinical trials.

The year likewise brought progress in more established areas of autism science, including
genetics and behavioral therapies. This included evidence that intensive early intervention can
change autisms underlying brain biology and new insights into the complexity of autism
genetics. Some of these genetic discoveries also held promise for identifying new targets for
treating autisms core symptoms.

As always, our choice of the years most important advances in autism research was guided by
the expertise and perspective of Autism Speaks dedicated Scientific Advisory Committee and its
science department leadership. In no way is it meant to be exhaustive.
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We hope youll enjoy this update. It represents a step forward in a process that we hope to
accelerate through our research funding at Autism Speaks.

Table of Contents
(Order does not imply relative importance.)

1. CDC Revises Estimate of Autism Prevalence: 1 in 88 p. 3

2. Field Trials Suggest New Criteria for Diagnosing Autism Reliable p. 5
3. Deeper Understanding of Link between Chemical Pollutants and Autism p. 8
4. Hundreds of Tiny Mutations Linked to Autism p. 11
5. Insights into Immune Changes & Autism p. 14
6. Discovery of Pre-symptom Marker of Autism p. 16
7. Early Intervention Program Alters Brain Activity in Children with Autism p. 18
8. Peer Training Outperforms Traditional Autism Interventions p. 21
9. Arbaclofen Shows Promise for Treating Core Symptoms of Autism p. 24
10. Mounting Evidence of Critical Need for Adults Transition Support p. 27

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CDC Revises Estimate of Autism Prevalence: 1 in 88
Continuing increase in prevalence reaffirms public-health crisis

In March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) significantly revised the
estimated prevalence of autism in the United States. The new number 1 in 88 children.

This represents a 23 percent increase from the CDCs previous estimate of 1 in 110 children,
reported in 2009. Its a 78 percent increase over the agencys 2007 estimate of 1 in 150.
Consistent with previous estimates, the updated numbers remained heavily skewed toward
boys affecting an estimated 1 in 54, compared with 1 in 252 girls.

The CDCs new estimates of autism prevalence demand that we recognize autism as a public
health emergency warranting immediate attention, said Autism Speaks Chief Science Officer
Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D. It is a crisis of epidemic proportions and not just among children.
(See related Top Ten story: Mounting Evidence of Critical Need for Adult Transition Support.)

The CDC analysis comes from its Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network,
with sites in 14 states. The researchers reviewed the health and special education records of
tens of thousands of 8 year olds in the 14 communities. They looked for a diagnosis of autism
spectrum disorder (ASD) or the symptoms that would add up to one.

As in previous CDC reports, prevalence figures varied widely between sites suggesting
possible differences in screening programs and the availability of records. The researchers also
found evidence of a persistent but narrowing gap between white and minority children. The
estimated prevalence for white children was 1 in 83. This compared with 1 in 127 for Hispanics

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and 1 in 98 for African Americans. Here, too, the findings may reflect differences in community
screening and services rather than true differences in prevalence.

More research is needed to understand the situation and address persistent gaps, said Michael
Rosanoff, M.P.H., Autism Speaks associate director of public health research and scientific
review.

More attention must be paid, not only to the increasing number of identified cases, but also to
the cases still being missed, he explained. Autism Speaks is committed to closing the gap in
access to early detection and early intervention services, particularly among ethnic minorities
and other underserved communities.

Evidence suggests that autisms true prevalence in the United States may be considerably
higher, he added. A 2011 South Korean study, for example, directly screened grade-schoolers
for ASD rather than relying on medical or educational records. It found a prevalence of 1 in 38
among the schoolchildren, two-thirds of whom had previously gone undiagnosed. As such, they
would have been missed by the records-review approach the CDC currently uses in its
estimates.

Autism Speaks funded the South Korea study and is now funding a similar direct-screening
study in South Carolina. It is doing so in collaboration with the CDCs monitoring site in that
state. This project aims to not only improve the accuracy of autism prevalence estimates, but
also to understand the factors that influence why we may be missing diagnoses, Rosanoff said.
Such factors may include differences in community awareness and access to autism screening
and services.

More than ever, these numbers compel us to redouble our investment in the research that can
provide more accurate estimates in the US and help us understand the causes of the increases
in prevalence we have witnessed, Dr. Dawson concluded.

Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network Surveillance Year 2008 Principal
Investigators. Prevalence of autism spectrum disorders--Autism and Developmental
Disabilities Monitoring Network, 14 sites, United States, 2008. MMWR Surveill Summ. 2012; 61(3): 1-19.

(continued)

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Field Trials Suggest New Criteria for Diagnosing Autism Reliable
American Psychiatric Association approves DSM-5 changes; autism advocates call for further
study

Autism experts and families have long been concerned about inconsistencies in how clinicians
diagnose autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Though U.S. doctors and therapists use the same
checklist of symptoms, they tended to vary in how they applied them. What one clinician
diagnosed as autistic disorder, another would call Asperger syndrome or pervasive
developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). Some clinicians misdiagnosed
autism in children with related conditions such as language disorder, or vice versa.

So the American Psychiatric Society assembled a committee of experts to improve the criteria
used to diagnose ASD. The committee developed a diagnostic definition of autism that they
judged to be less subjective and more reliable. Those changes are now slated to become part of
the fifth edition of the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), scheduled for
publication in May 2013.

The proposed revision which generated tremendous public comment throughout 2012
introduced two fundamental changes.

* First it collapsed previously distinct autism subtypes including autistic disorder and Asperger
syndrome into one unifying diagnosis of ASD.

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* Second, the current three symptom domains of social impairment, communication deficits
and repetitive/restricted behaviors were folded into two social communication impairment
and repetitive/restricted behaviors.

The changes have a strong scientific rationale, said Autism Speaks Chief Science Officer
Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D. However, they are more than an academic exercise. They will impact
how ASD is diagnosed, can affect access to services and will influence how the prevalence of
ASD is measured.

Indeed, some research suggested that certain individuals

currently diagnosed with ASD might lose their diagnosis
under the new system. For this reason, the National
Institutes of Health (NIH) and Autism Speaks funded
studies to better gauge the effects of the proposed
changes. (See Autism Speaks DSM-5 study grants, here.)

In October, the American Journal of Psychiatry published

the results of the first NIH study to analyze a large
number of records of individuals diagnosed with ASD
In 2012, DSM-5 studies began to address the using the DSM-IV. It explored whether the cases
concerns of parents and autism advocacy examined would retain their diagnosis of ASD based on
groups (Photo courtesy the CDC) the DSM-5. While preliminary, the results were
reassuring.

The study involved an expert review of more than 5,000 case files of children who had been
evaluated for ASD under the DSM-IV criteria. The team, led by psychologist Catherine Lord,
Ph.D., of New Yorks Weill Cornell Medical College, applied the DSM-5 criteria to the symptoms
recorded in the childrens records. This included both children diagnosed with autism and some
who were not.

The study found that the new DSM-5 criteria did not miss a significant number of previously
diagnosed children. However, the study was based on a retrospective analysis of medical
records. Still needed was a prospective study with clinicians applying both old and new
criteria to the diagnosis of actual children.

November brought the results of the first DSM-5 field trial. The three-part report Iikewise
appeared in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

This field trial involved the evaluation of 63 school age children in Massachusetts and California.
It, too, found diagnoses using the DSM-5 criteria to be reliable. When one clinician diagnosed a
child with ASD using the new criteria, the second clinician was very likely to do so as well. The
study also showed that the large majority of children who met the DSM-IV criteria for a
disorder on the autism spectrum would retain a diagnosis of ASD.

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The results are promising, but more studies need to be conducted to ensure that affected
individuals dont lose access to services, Dr. Dawson said. This is a relatively small sample of
school age children from largely Caucasian backgrounds, she noted. Adults with autism were
not included, so we dont know how the proposed diagnostic criteria might affect them. We
also dont know how the proposed changes will affect diagnosis of very young children.

Dr. Dawson and other autism experts agree its crucial to gain a better understanding of how
the DSM-5 criteria will affect autism prevalence estimates which in turn could influence the
nations public health priorities. Autism Speaks is currently funding a study, in collaboration
with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to better address this issue.

As these new diagnostic criteria come into use, we need to closely monitor how they affect
people in our communities, Dr. Dawson concluded. At Autism Speaks, we remain committed
to getting answers to these questions and ensuring that all individuals receive the interventions
and services they need.

Huerta M, Bishop SL, Duncan A, Hus V, Lord C. Application of DSM-5 Criteria for Autism Spectrum
Disorder to Three Samples of Children With DSM-IV Diagnoses of Pervasive Developmental Disorders.
Am J Psychiatry. 2012; 169(10): 1056-64.

Regier DA, Narrow WE, Clarke DE, et al. SM-5 Field Trials in the United States and Canada, Part II: Test-
Retest Reliability of Selected Categorical Diagnoses. Am J Psychiatry. Advance online 30 Oct 2012.

Narrow WE, Clarke DE, Kuramoto SJ, et al. DSM-5 Field Trials in the United States and Canada, Part III:
Development and Reliability Testing of a Cross-Cutting Symptom Assessment for DSM-5. Am J
Psychiatry. Advance online 30 Oct 2012.

Clarke DE, Narrow WE, Regier DA, et al. DSM-5 Field Trials in the United States and Canada, Part I: Study
Design, Sampling Strategy, Implementation, and Analytic Approaches. Am J Psychiatry. Advance online
30 Oct 2012.

(continued)

7
Deeper Understanding of Link between Chemical Pollutants and Autism
The year brought advances in understanding whether and how chemical pollutants affect brain
development in ways that may predispose to autism

Most scientists agree that autism involves early changes in brain development. Decades of
research have clearly implicated genes that regulate how brain cells and networks develop and
interconnect. This year brought increased evidence that chemical pollutants may similarly
affect brain development in ways that increase autism risk.

Environmental studies have been historically underfunded, said Alycia Halladay, Ph.D., Autism
Speaks senior director of environmental and clinical sciences. This year we saw a greater
emphasis on studies that examine the link between chemical pollutants and autism. Taken
together, they show that exposure can affect the developing brain in ways that may lead to
autism.

The July issue of the journal Environmental Health Perspectives

featured five articles exploring how exposure to certain pollutants
may contribute to the development of autism spectrum disorder
(ASD).

In Tipping the Balance of Autism Risk, scientists with the

University of Californias MIND Institute reviewed past research on
pesticide exposure, brain development and ASD. They concluded
that evidence strongly suggests that certain pesticides can increase
the risk for autism. They noted, however, that too little is known
about how the timing or dose of exposure influences risk or the
biological mechanisms involved.

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Three of the issues research reports helped address these
questions. Two focused on polychlorinated biphenols (PCBs).
This class of toxic industrial chemicals became widespread in
the environment before the U.S. Congress banned their use in
1979. One of the studies used tissue cultures and the other
laboratory rats to show how exposure to PCBs can disrupt the
development of crucial connections between brain cells. Both
studies involved exposure to PCBs at levels still commonly found
in the environment.

Another research team examined a possible link between

autism and smoking during pregnancy. Based on a large review
of birth certificate records, their study included information on
more than 3,000 children diagnosed with autism. They found no
overall association between smoking during pregnancy and autism. However, they detected a
small increased risk for Asperger syndrome. The researchers called for larger and more focused
studies to confirm or rule out this possible association. (More on this special issue of
Environmental Health Perspectives here.)

Following up on the suspected link between PCBs and autism, another MIND Institute research
team compared levels of PCBs in the postmortem brain tissue of individuals with autism with
those in brain tissue unaffected by autism. They found elevated levels of
one PCB PCB-95 in the brains of those with a form of autism linked to
mutations on chromosome 15. Only those with these mutations showed
the increased PCB, for reasons that remain unclear. However, the
researchers suggested that the mutation might affect the bodys ability to
clear PCBs from the body.

The investigators also analyzed the brain tissue for DNA methylation, an
epigenetic marker associated with reduced gene activity. They found
significant decreases in methylation in the brains with the highest PCBs. This suggested that
gene activity may have been abnormally switched on in ways that disrupt normal brain
functioning. Appearing in the August issue of the journal Environmental and Molecular
Mutagenesis, the study was made possible by postmortem donations to Autism Speaks Autism
Tissue Program.

In yet another landmark environmental study this

year, researchers reported some of the first direct
evidence of an association between air pollution and
autism. A team led by Heather Volk, Ph.D., of the
University of Southern Californias Keck School of
Medicine, associated exposure to high levels of air
pollution during pregnancy and the first year of life
with a three-fold increase in autism risk. Their report

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appeared in a November issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Dr. Volk's team looked at air pollution records associated with the geographic location of more
than 500 children and their mothers. The families were part of the California-based Childhood
Autism Risks from Genetics and the Environment (CHARGE) study. Roughly half of the children
had autism.

"This work has broad public health implications," Dr. Volk said. "We've known for a long time
that air pollution is bad for our lungs, especially for children. We're now beginning to
understand how air pollution may affect the brain." Dr. Volk and her colleagues are currently
pursuing a study supported by Autism Speaks that explores how genetic predisposition to
autism may increase vulnerability to certain pollutants. (More on Dr. Volks research here.)

Shelton JF, Hertz-Picciotto I, Pessah. Tipping the Balance of Autism Risk: Potential Mechanisms Linking
Pesticides and Autism. Environ Health Perspect. 2012; 120(7): 944951.

Wayman GA, Yang D, Bose DD, et al. PCB-95 Promotes Dendritic Growth via Ryanodine Receptor
Dependent Mechanisms. Environ Health Perspect. 2012; 120(7): 9971002.

Wayman GA, Bose DD, Yang D, et al. PCB-95 Modulates the Calcium-Dependent Signaling Pathway
Responsible for Activity-Dependent Dendritic Growth. Environ Health Perspect. 2012; 120(7): 1003
1009.

Kalkbrenner AE, Braun JM, Durkin MS, et al. Maternal Smoking during Pregnancy and the Prevalence of
Autism Spectrum Disorders, Using Data from the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring
Network. Environ Health Perspect. 2012; 120(7): 10421048.

Landrigan PJ, Lambertini L, Birnbaum LS. A Research Strategy to Discover the Environmental Causes of
Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities. Environ Health Perspect. 2012; 120(7): a258a260.

Mitchell MM, Woods R, Chi LH, et al. Levels of select PCB and PBDE congeners in human postmortem
brain reveal possible environmental involvement in 15q11-q13 duplication autism spectrum disorder.
Environ Mol Mutagen. 2012; 53(8): 589-98.

Volk HE, Lurmann F, Penfold B, Hertz-Picciotto I, McConnell R. Traffic-Related Air Pollution, Particulate
Matter, and Autism. Arch Gen Psychiatry. Published online Nov 2012.

(continued)

10
Hundreds of Tiny Mutations Linked to Autism
Many arise spontaneously in germ cells; may explain why autism risk higher among children of
older fathers

Over the last 20 years, researchers have uncovered a number of genes that greatly increase the
risk of autism. These high-impact genes account for a relatively small percentage of autism
cases. Still, scientific evidence remains strong that genes play an important role in the
development of autism.

This year, a group of papers helped shed light on what may be autisms missing genetic dark
matter. Together, they show that that hundreds of tiny mutations not just handful of high-
impact genes may contribute significantly to the development of autism spectrum disorder
(ASD).

Any one of these small gene changes is rare. But together with other mutations known to be
associated with autism risk, they may be involved in the development of nearly a quarter of
ASD cases. Importantly, many are de novo, or spontaneous, mutations. They show up in the
genes of children but not their parents. Most likely, they arise in sperm, egg or very early
embryo development.

Moreover, the studies found these tiny mutations to be more abundant in children born to
older parents especially older fathers.

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In the four papers, published by different research teams in the highly respected journal
Nature, scientists used DNA sequencing to examine the genomes of families with one child
affected by autism. Specifically, they scanned for de novo changes in the active, or protein-
coding, part of the genome. This exome makes up about 2 percent of our total genome.

All people have some de novo changes in their DNA. Most prove harmless so long as they do
not affect crucial areas of the exome. However, all four Nature studies indicated that such
mutations were significantly more common in those with autism. This would increase the
likelihood that one or more would affect a gene critical to early brain development.

These findings spotlight a possible gene-environment interaction associated with increased

risk of autism, commented Andy Shih, Ph.D., Autism Speaks senior vice president for scientific
affairs. If the children of older fathers have significantly more tiny mutations in their DNA as
these studies suggest it may be that increased age brings cumulative exposure to influences
that produce gene changes in the fathers germ cells. These genetic glitches could then end up
in a childs DNA.

Such studies also illustrate how scientists are using new tools
and approaches to expand the search for autisms genetic risk
factors and the environmental factors that may interact with
them, Dr. Shih added. They also shed light on why the children
of older parents particularly older fathers are at higher risk
for developing ASD.

The small genetic glitches the studies found include single

nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and copy number variations
(CNVs). SNPs involve a switch in a single DNA nucleotide pair.
(See image at right.) CNVs include duplications or deletions of
longer DNA sequences including entire genes.

In the first of three papers in the April 4 issue of Nature, a team A single nucleotide
polymorphism (SNP) involves a
of researchers from across the United States identified change in just one nucleotide
hundreds of spontaneous mutations in the DNA of children pair.
with autism. They also found that the mutations were
increasingly frequent in children born to older fathers.

In the issues second paper, researchers from the University of Washington, Seattle, described
their discovery that spontaneous mutations associated with ASD come primarily from the
father and increase in frequency with a fathers age at time of conception.

In the third paper, another multi-center team of U.S. researchers described sequencing all the
protein-coding genes of 175 persons with autism and their parents. They found CNVs in more
than a hundred genes previously associated with increased risk of autism.

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In Natures August 23 issue, Icelandic scientists likewise reported that children of older men
had a greater number of de novo mutations than children fathered by younger men. The
researchers analyzed the whole genome of 78 trios (mother, father and child). In each trio, the
child had been diagnosed with autism or schizophrenia, but neither parent had signs of either
disorder. They found that the number of de novo mutations in a childs genome increased
with the fathers age by around two per year. The study also found a slight association
between a mothers age and these mutations.

Taken together, these findings are starting to give us a better picture of the biology of autism,
of the possible underlying disease mechanisms, said Dr. Shih. They are one piece of a larger
puzzle that is helping us understand the causes of autism.

Kong A, Frigge ML, Masson G, et al. Rate of de novo mutations and the importance of father's age to
disease risk. Nature. 2012; 488(7412): 471-5.

Sanders SJ, Murtha MT, Gupta AR, et al. De novo mutations revealed by whole-
exome sequencing are strongly associated with autism. Nature. 2012; 485(7397): 237-41.

ORoak BJ, Vives L, Girirajan S, et al. Sporadic autism exomes reveal a highly inter-connected protein
network of de novo mutations. Nature. 2012; 485(7397): 246-50.

Neale BM, Kou Y, Liu L, et al. Patterns and rates of exonic de novo mutations in autism spectrum
disorders. Nature. 2012; 485(7397): 242-5.

(continued)

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Insights into Immune Changes & Autism
Researchers produce autism behaviors in mice by mimicking infection during pregnancy; reverse
symptoms by resetting offsprings immune system

Caltech investigators demonstrated how maternal infection during pregnancy could trigger immune
abnormalities and autism behaviors in offspring. (Image by Elaine Hsiao)

Over the last decade, studies have suggested links between autism and immune-system
abnormalities. What remained unanswered was whether immune changes played a role in
causing autism or resulted from it.
Results from a mouse study published this summer provide new insights into how challenges to
the immune system may contribute to the development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
The researchers mimicked a maternal infection during pregnancy in mice. Doing so produced
both an overactive immune system and autism-like behaviors in the offspring. Further, the
investigators reversed some of the behaviors by resetting the offsprings immune systems
with a bone-marrow transplant.
"We have long suspected that the immune system plays a role
in the development of autism spectrum disorder," said senior
researcher Paul Patterson, Ph.D. "In our studies of this mouse
model, we found that the mothers immune system is a key
factor in the eventual abnormal behaviors in the offspring."
The teams report appeared in the Proceedings of the National
Academy of Science. It was supported by an Autism Speaks
Weatherstone Predoctoral Fellowship for lead researcher
Inflammation during pregnancy resulted in
Elaine Hsiao. offspring with reduced levels of inflammation-
calming immune cells called T-regulatory cells.
The investigators injected pregnant mice with a molecule that
mimicked viral infection by triggering a similar type of
inflammation. "This single insult to the mother translated into autism-related behavioral
abnormalities in the offspring," Hsiao explained. These abnormalities included all three of

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autisms core symptoms: repetitive behaviors, impaired communication and reduced
sociability. The mice compulsively buried marbles and self- groomed, avoided new mice and
exhibited reduced and abnormal vocalizations.
The mice also had a number of immune abnormalities similar
to those seen in some people with autism. These included
decreased levels of key immune-calming cells called
regulatory T cells. Taken together, the immune abnormalities
reflected an immune system in overdrive, Hsiao said.
"We saw these abnormalities in both young and adult
offspring of immune-activated mothers," she added. "This
tells us that a prenatal challenge can result in long-term
consequences for health and development."
A mouse with autism-like symptoms In addition, the team directly tested whether the immune
compulsively buries marbles problems contributed to the mices autism-like behaviors.
They gave the affected offspring bone-marrow transplants
from normal mice. In effect, this reset their immune systems to normal. It also reduced their
autism-like behaviors.
Researchers have studied immune changes in pregnant mothers or in offspring, but have
rarely linked the two findings together, commented Alycia Halladay, Ph.D., Autism Speaks
senior director of environmental and clinical sciences. This study is an important contribution
to understanding the link between gestational immune dysfunction and outcomes.
Such results in mice can't be directly applied to humans, experts agreed. Nor would a bone
marrow transplant be an appropriate treatment for autism. Rather, it was a useful research tool
for studying immune system changes in an animal model.
That said, normalizing immune irregularities could be an important target for future
treatments, Dr. Patterson said. By correcting immune problems through safe and proven
methods, it might be possible to relieve some of autisms classic developmental delays.
Hsiao is continuing her research on the molecular basis of autism at Caltech, with the aim of
developing novel therapeutics for the disorder.
Hsiao EY, McBride SW, Chow J, Mazmanian SK, Patterson PH. Modeling an autism risk factor in mice
leads to permanent immune dysregulation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2012;
109(30).

(continued)

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Discovery of Pre-symptom Marker of Autism
Researchers use MRI to reveal differences in the brains white matter in infants as young as 6
months

Scientists found differences in the early development of major brain pathways in infants who went on to be diagnosed with
autism. (images courtesy UNC)

While autisms core behaviors tend to emerge near or after a babys first birthday, researchers
have long searched for earlier signs. A clear biomarker could lead to earlier therapy that
promotes brain development in the crucial first year of life. Identifying early differences in brain
biology could also increase understanding of what causes autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In
some cases, the biomarker itself might become a target of treatment to prevent or ease
debilitating symptoms.

This year, researchers found distinctive differences in brain communication pathways in infants
who went on to develop ASD. These differences appeared as early as 6 months and continued
through 2 years of age.

The study appeared in the June issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry. It was led by Joseph
Piven, M.D. and Jason Wolff, Ph.D., of the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities at
the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

As part of their Infant Brain Imaging Study (IBIS), the researchers followed the early brain and
behavior development of 92 infants with an older sibling on the autism spectrum. As such,
these children were at an elevated risk of ASD, which frequently runs in families.

The researchers used a special type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), called diffusion
tensor imaging, to record three-dimensional snapshots of brain development at 6, 12 and 24
months of age. In addition, all the toddlers received a behavioral assessment for autism at 24
months. At that time, 28 of the 92 toddlers met criteria for ASD.

As a group, the children who developed autism showed significant differences in white-matter
development compared to those who did not. White matter consists of the nerve fibers that

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connect different regions of the brain. The differences seen in the children who developed
autism suggested blunted development of this brain wiring during early infancy in advance of
core clinical symptoms.

A very interesting aspect of the findings was that the brain differences change over time, Dr.
Piven said. The differences we see at 6 months are not the same as the differences we see at
12 and 24 months. This may help us understand emerging evidence that autistic symptoms
unfold or emerge over time.

In addition, Dr. Pivens team saw the observed pattern of differences in all 15 white matter
tracks they examined in the brain. This suggests a remarkable convergence of evidence and
bolsters our confidence in the finding, he said.

Previous studies have suggested that autism involves abnormal connectivity between different
brain regions. In theory, this could explain the impaired communication and social behaviors
that are hallmarks of ASD. For example, a typical infant trying to communicate something of
shared interest uses a combination of gestures, babbling and eye contact. This requires several
brain regions to communicate with each other simultaneously.

Its too early to tell whether some form of MRI could be used to identify children at risk for ASD
in early infancy, Dr. Piven said. But the results could guide the development of better tools for
predicting risk and perhaps for measuring whether an early intervention therapy is improving
underlying brain biology.

The discovery of an early biomarker offers the promise of intervening with treatments before
behavioral symptoms become obvious, said co-author Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D. Dr. Dawson is
the chief science officer of Autism Speaks and a professor of psychiatry at the University of
North Carolina. Earlier intervention may increase the likelihood that a therapy can reduce, or
perhaps even prevent, the development of autisms disabling symptoms, she said. (See related
Top Ten story, Early Intervention Program Changes Brain Activity in Children with Autism.)

Further research is needed to understand what is causing these differences in early brain
development, Drs. Piven and Dawson agreed. This, in turn, could uncover targets for future
treatments.

Their study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Child Health and
Development, Autism Speaks, the Simons Foundation, the National Alliance for Medical Image
Computing and the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. Additional
funding from Autism Speaks is enabling the IBIS team to look at genetic and environmental
influences on brain and behavior development.

Wolff JJ, Gu H, Gerig G, et al. Differences in white matter fiber tract development present from 6 to 24
months in infants with autism. Am J Psychiatry. 2012; 169: 589-600.

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Early Intervention Program Alters Brain Activity in Children with Autism
Clinical study of Early Start Denver Model intervention improves not only social skills, but also
brain responses to social cues

A study participant prepares for noninvasive monitoring of brain activity.

(image courtesy University of Washington, Seattle)

Decades of research have shown that behavioral therapies for autism can improve cognitive
and language skills. Still, it remained unclear whether behavioral interventions simply reduced
autisms symptoms or actually treated the developmental disorder. In other words, could an
effective behavioral intervention change the brain biology that underlies autism spectrum
disorder?

This year, researchers delivered compelling evidence that the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM),
an intensive early intervention program for toddlers with autism, improves brain activity
related to social responsiveness. The Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent
Psychiatry published the findings in its November issue.

This may be the first demonstration that a behavioral intervention for autism is associated
with changes in brain function as well as positive changes in behavior, commented Tom Insel,
M.D., director of the National Institute of Mental Health.

Psychologists Sally Rogers, Ph.D., and Geraldine Dawson,

Ph.D., developed the ESDM therapy program in the
1990s. It adapts key techniques from Applied Behavioral
Analysis (ABA) for toddlers, with an emphasis on
interactive play between children and their therapists
and parents. Dr. Rogers is a professor and researcher at
the University of California, Davis, MIND Institute. Dr.
Dawson was a professor and researcher at the University

The young participants viewed images of faces

and objects while noninvasive EEG recorded 18
brain responses.
of Washington, Seattle, when she and Dr. Rogers developed the program. She is now the chief
science officer of Autism Speaks and a professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Three years ago, Drs. Dawson and Rogers published

the first results of a clinical trial comparing ESDM with
conventional autism therapy services. They randomly
assigned 48 toddlers (ages 18 to 30 months) to
receive either ESDM therapy or the early intervention
services routinely available in their communities
(Seattle). Both groups received roughly 20 hours of
weekly therapy for two years. Overall, those in the
ESDM group showed greater increases in IQ,
language, and adaptive behavior than children in the
ESDM therapy emphasizes enjoyable interactive play
community-intervention group.

In this years report, the research team published their analysis of brain activity monitoring
performed on both groups of children at the end of their two years of therapy. For comparison,
they also performed the brain activity tests on a group of age-matched children without autism.

Noninvasive electroencephalography (EEG) showed that the children in the ESDM group
showed greater brain responses to social information compared to children in the community
group. When they viewed womens faces, their brain activity patterns were virtually identical to
those of the children without autism. This more-typical pattern of brain activity was associated
with improved social behavior including improved eye contact and social communication.

By contrast, children in the community intervention group showed greater brain activity when
viewing objects than faces. Previous research has shown that many children with autism have
this unusual pattern of brain activity.

By studying changes in the neural response to faces, Dr. Dawson and her colleagues have
identified a new target and a potential biomarker that can guide treatment development, Dr.
Insel said.

So much of a toddlers learning involves social interaction, Dr. Dawson added. As a result, an
early intervention program that promotes attention to people and social cues may pay
dividends in promoting the normal development of brain and behavior.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends autism screening for all children twice before
24 months. When families receive a diagnosis, its vitally important that we have effective
therapies available for their young children, Dr. Dawson urged. Currently ESDM is the only
early intervention evaluated in clinical trials.

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As methods for earlier detection become available, infants flagged at risk for ASD may likewise
benefit from early intervention, many experts agree. Research suggests that adults with autism
can likewise benefit from interventions that promote social engagement.

Dawson G, Jones EJ, Merkle K, et al. Early behavioral intervention is associated with normalized brain
activity in young children with autism. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2012; 51(11):1150-9.

(continued)

20
 Peer Training Outperforms Traditional Autism Interventions
Training classmates produces greater gains in social inclusion than even one-on-one training
between therapist and child

Many children with autism attend mainstream classrooms for at least part of the school day.
Many struggle socially and are at risk of being isolated or bullied. The most common
intervention involves enrollment in social skills training in a clinic or therapists office. The
instructor models appropriate social skills either one-on-one or with a group of socially
challenged children. Both types of intervention improve social skills at least within the clinics
and academic centers where theyve been studied. Their results in real-world settings have
been less clear.
This year, the findings of a landmark study argue for a shift away from relying solely on such
standard social-skills training and toward greater emphasis on teaching classmates how to
interact with children who have social challenges.
The study was led by educational psychologist Connie Kasari, Ph.D., of the UCLA Center for
Autism Research and Treatment. It appeared in the April issue of the Journal of Child
Psychology and Psychiatry.
The researchers enrolled 60 students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), in grades 1 through
5. All attended mainstream classes for at least 80 percent of the school day. The researchers
randomly assigned them into one of four groups:
One group received one-on-one training with an adult for six weeks. The provider helped the
child practice social skills such as how to enter a playground game or conversation.

One group didnt receive any social skills training, but had three typically developing classmates
learn strategies for engaging children with social difficulties. These classmates did not know the

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 identity of the child with autism.

One group received both one-on-one and classmate training.

One group received neither intervention in the first phase of the study and later participated in
one of the interventions.
All training sessions lasted 20 minutes, twice weekly for six weeks. During the intervention,
observers watched and noted playground behaviors. These observers did not know which
children had received which intervention. Three months after training completion, the
investigators returned to observe the children with autism and interview them and their
teachers.
Those whose classmates received training
including those who themselves received no social
skills counseling spent less time alone on the
playground and had more classmates naming them
as friends, compared to those who received only
one-on-one training or no intervention.
In addition, their teachers reported that the students
with autism showed significantly improved
classroom social skills following training of their peers. By comparison, the teachers noted no
changes in the social skills of children with autism who received one-on-one coaching without
any training of their classmates. Like the playground observers, the teachers were not told who
had received which intervention.
In the situation where classmates were trained, the children with autism continued to
demonstrate improved social connectedness even after they changed classrooms and
classmates with the new school year.
I thought working through the peers would be more indirect, and yet we found the exact
opposite, Dr. Kasari said of her surprise findings. The model where an adult works directly
with the child with autism just wasnt as effective.
However, the study also highlighted areas of continued concern. For example, while peer
engagement lessened isolation on the playground, it did not improve interactions across all
areas of playground behavior. Many of the children with autism still struggled with taking turns,
engaging in conversations and other joint activities. Also, despite greater inclusion in social
circles, the children with ASD did not seem to recognize that they had more friends.
We found that even if a child with autism is popular, he still has a really tough time on the
playground, Dr. Kasari said.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) sponsored the research. Dr. Kasari has also received
several Autism Speaks research grants that build on her work in schools and with underserved
populations of children with ASD. Two of her Autism Speaks pilot grants became the basis of
larger NIH-sponsored research studies.

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This is ground-breaking work that points to the most effective ways of helping children with
autism successfully navigate their social worlds at school, noted Geri Dawson, Ph.D., chief
science officer at Autism Speaks. It is so important that these interventions be tested in real-
world settings so we can more easily adapt research findings to the community. That is one of
the strengths of this study.
Kasari C, Rotheram-Fuller E, Locke J, Gulsrud A. Making the connection: randomized controlled trial of
social skills at school for children with autism spectrum disorders. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2012; 53(4):
431-9.

(continued)

23
Arbaclofen Shows Promise for Treating Core Symptoms of Autism
Compound advances into larger clinical trials; could pave the way for other future medicines as
well

Investigator Randi Hagerman, M.D., and a patient with autism (photo courtesy of UC Regents)

Currently there are no medicines to treat autisms core symptoms of impaired social and
communication abilities and repetitive behaviors. This year, two studies a clinical trial of
patients with fragile X syndrome and a mouse study suggest that arbaclofen could become
the first. Both appeared in the September issue of Science Translational Medicine.
Arbaclofen is the most important compound in clinical development in
autism today, said Robert Ring, Ph.D., Autism Speaks vice president of
translational research. Moreover, arbaclofen derives from the already
approved drug baclofen, used to treat muscle spasticity. This means that
this class of drugs has already undergone considerable safety testing.
The study of individuals with fragile X syndrome enrolled 63 children and
adults. Many but not all had the additional diagnosis of autism. (Around
one-third of individuals with fragile X also have autism. Around 5 percent
of those with autism have fragile X syndrome.)
Researchers found a trend in improvements in several areas of social and behavior skills in their
first analysis of this clinical trial. However, the trend fell short of significant improvement in
most measures. Among the stand-out exceptions was social avoidance.
The investigators then narrowed their focus to look only at participants with severe social
impairment. These were also the most likely to have ASD. This groups response to treatment

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produced significant reductions in social avoidance and global improvement in problem
behaviors and improvement in overall social functioning.
Whats significant about this study is that the drug had an effect on a core symptom in fragile
X that is also a core symptom of autism, said lead investigator Elizabeth Berry-Kravis, M.D.,
Ph.D. Dr. Berry-Kravis is a professor of biochemistry, neurological sciences and pediatrics at
Rush University, in Chicago. One would expect that the findings might translate from fragile X
to other causes of autism, she said.
In the animal study, researchers used a mouse model of fragile X syndrome. The mice lacked a
working copy of the FMR1 gene. Silencing this gene causes fragile X syndrome. Without it, brain
cells lose the ability to respond correctly to a neurotransmitter called glutamate. This in turn,
causes the cells to overproduce certain proteins. As a result, malformations arise in the
structures (dendritic spines) that connect brain cells. (See illustration below.)

Nerve cells in the brain have branching projections with specialized structures
called dendritic spines (red dots) that receive information. These spines are longer,
frailer and more abundant in the brains of fragile X mice (center). Treatment with
arbaclofen reduced the abnormalities (far right).

Following treatment with arbaclofen, the mice showed evidence of regulated protein
production and corrected connectivity in and between their brain cells. In addition, treatment
significantly reduced seizures and repetitive behaviors in the mice. Seizures are a symptom of
fragile X syndrome and are also associated with other severe types of autism. Repetitive
behaviors are a core symptom of all types of autism.
Because we correct the core pathophysiology in the mouse, we believe that this is a disease
modifying treatment, said Aileen Healy, Ph.D., the studys lead author and vice president of
research for Seaside Therapeutics, the Cambridge, Mass., biotech company developing
arbaclofen.
Together these studies offer important insights that are poised to transform the field of autism
medicine development, Dr. Ring said. This establishes an important translational bridge
between the proverbial bench and bedside by demonstrating that the same experimental agent

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can both produce clinically relevant effects in patients and reverse similar endpoints in an
animal model of the same disease. With a bridge like this in place, a wave of additional
scientific breakthroughs can begin to advance into clinical development.
In November, Autism Speaks non-profit venture affiliate DELSIA (Delivering Scientific Innovation
for Autism) announced a partnership with Seaside Therapeutics. Autism Speaks funding will
help Seaside discover biomarkers that can help predict which patients are most likely to
respond to arbaclofen and which may be at risk of possible side effects.
Henderson C, Wijetunge L, Kinoshita MN, et al. Reversal of Disease-Related Pathologies in the Fragile X
Mouse Model by Selective Activation of GABAB Receptors with Arbaclofen. Sci Transl Med. 2012; 4(152):
152ra128.
Berry-Kravis EM, Hessl D, Rathmell B, et al. Effects of STX209 (Arbaclofen) on Neurobehavioral Function
in Children and Adults with Fragile X Syndrome: A Randomized, Controlled, Phase 2 Trial. Sci Transl Med.
2012 19; 4(152): 152ra127.

(continued)

26
Mounting Evidence of Critical Need for Adult Transition Support
Young adults with autism less likely than any other disability group to be employed or enrolled
in higher education

Image courtesy Christopher Gauthier (www.christophergauthier.com)

Approximately 50,000 individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) turn 18 each year in the
United States. Yet life beyond the school-age years has largely remained uncharted territory in
autism research. This may change following the sobering results of a study tracking young
adults with autism over their first six years post-high school.

In the first two years after high school, over half of young adults with ASD had neither held paid
employment nor enrolled in vocational training or college. This no participation rate was
higher than that of any other disability group tracked in the study including those with
intellectual disability. Six years after high school, only a third of young adults with autism had
attended college and barely half had ever held a paid job.

The years immediately after high school are when people create an important foundation for
the rest of their lives, said lead investigator Paul Shattuck, Ph.D., of Washington Universitys
Brown School of Social Work, in St. Louis. Yet many families with children with autism describe
leaving high school as falling off a cliff because of the lack of services for adults with ASDs.

Research on autism treatment and support services has long focused on early childhood. On
many levels, this is understandable. Early intervention has great potential to improve
outcomes, and school systems need to provide appropriate support services.

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Yet adulthood makes up the vast majority of a lifespan. To the degree that adults with autism
fail to achieve independence, adulthood may also account for autisms estimated lifetime costs
of $1.4 million to $2.3 million.

Dr. Shattucks team examined data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2, a nine-
year study of youth enrolled in special education classes during high school. They compared the
post-high school employment and education of young adults ages 19 to 23 across several
disability groups. These included individuals with ASD, intellectual disability, speech-language
impairment or learning disability.

Among young adults with autism, employment and education varied with their degree of
impairment. The highest rates were seen among those who ranked as high ability on a scale
of functional life skills. In this group, nearly 60 percent had attended some college. Just over 80
percent had some sort of paid work. By contrast, 11 percent of those on the low ability end of
the scale had enrolled in postsecondary education. Just 23 percent had ever been employed.

Overall, employment among young adults with autism rose with family income. It ranged from
around one in three among families earning less than $25,000 a year to almost three out of four
in families earning more than $75,000.

This suggests that the right support services such as those made possible by higher family
income can increase the chances for an independent and successful adulthood, Dr. Shattuck
said.

In his report, Dr. Shattuck called for research to determine the kinds of services that can best
foster a successful transition into adulthood. He also highlighted the need for a special focus on
interventions that can help low-income youth overcome barriers to accessing services and
achieving fuller participation in society.

The journal Pediatrics published Dr. Shattucks report in its June issue. His research was funded
in part by a grant from Autism Speaks.

Dr. Shattucks research has played a tremendous role in raising awareness of autism as a
lifetime issue, said Autism Speaks Chief Science Officer Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D. As
researchers and advocates for those with ASD, we must increase our emphasis on research that
identifies the kinds of services and educational and employment opportunities that can
effectively increase independence and quality of life."

Shattuck P, Carter Narendorf S, Cooper B, Sterzing P, Wagner M, Lounds Taylor J. Postsecondary

Education and Employment Among Youth With an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Pediatrics. 2012; 129 (6):
1-8.

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