ASD

A Pilot in Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon Challenge Children with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDDs) often navigate a confusing patchwork of uncoordinated services. These services span several different sectors, organizations and layers of government. Research shows that families frequently struggle to determine what supports are available, appropriate and accessible —especially at crucial life junctures such [...]

Challenge While there has been little research done about the transition to adulthood in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there has also been increasing concern from parents and policymakers about the poor adult outcomes associated with ASD.  However, research on children with ASD can now lead to a study of adults. Project Summary In [...]

Challenge New biomarkers, new treatments, and new methods: scientific advancements bring new opportunities, but they also tend to bring further ethical questions with them. This is especially true in the field of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) since it involves vulnerable populations such as children, people struggling with addictions and people with disabilities. Project Summary Built into [...]

Challenge Video games place a high demand on our cognitive systems and teach children skills that are generalizable to other tasks. For example, many games require the player to divide their attention between two different tasks; to ignore distractors; and to assess a situation and quickly make a decision, all skills that are applicable in [...]

Challenge A lot of genomics data has been published on neurodevelopmental disabilities, but researchers face challenges in accessing this information. Data found in the literature is often scattered and difficult to synthesize, and simply aggregating data onto one platform isn’t sufficient. Project Summary This project aimed to examine the literature on the genomics of FASD, [...]

Challenge Neuroscience is a broad field with a vast array of research and findings. The research often interconnects in various ways and allows scientists to extrapolate data that is useful for future projects. The problem, however, was to create a database where this information could be shared, accessed and used in meaningful ways. Project Summary [...]

Challenge Right now, autism spectrum disorder is diagnosed based on behaviours and developmental delays, not neurobiological markers. If we knew more about autism’s basis in the brain, this might allow children to get a diagnosis sooner. Project Summary KBHN has played a crucial role in identifying genetic variants associated with ASD as part of its [...]

Challenge Autism spectrum disorder often runs in families. For example, identical twins of people with ASD have roughly a 60 percent chance of having it as well while siblings have a 20 percent chance. This statistic points to genetic risk factors. But which gene variants increase susceptibility to ASD? Moreover, how do genes influence the [...]

Challenge An autism spectrum disorder diagnosis gives parents and guardians only an idea of what to expect in the years to come. Even when children start with similar abilities and disabilities, they can go on to develop in a wide variety of ways, with different speeds of skill progression and various additional health conditions. Unfortunately, [...]

Challenge Kids in Canada with autism spectrum disorder do not usually receive a diagnosis until the age of four, which is unfortunate given that intervening in early childhood is shown to improve outcomes. Project Summary To help families seize this missed opportunity, researchers involved with the ASD Demonstration Project from KBHN worked to find ASD-related [...]