Isabel Smith

Challenge There are few interventions targeted at children three years of age and under who have early signs of autism or a confirmed diagnosis, despite evidence that early intervention is important. Project Summary Social ABC’s is an intervention co-developed by Dr. Jessica Brian (Holland Bloorview, Toronto), together with Dr. Susan Bryson from Halifax. The intervention [...]

Challenge Children on the autism spectrum commonly face learning and attention challenges, but the relationships between these deficits and ASD’s core impairments are poorly understood. If we knew more about the predictors of learning and attention disorders in people with ASD, we would gain a better idea of why they arise and how to help [...]

Challenge Parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have long noticed that ASD aggregates within families, but may manifest differently amongst siblings. Researchers wondered how and why this occurred. Project Summary The team set out to examine gene-behaviour relationships of newly diagnosed children with ASD. The team hypothesized that multifactorial causes of ASD are [...]

Challenge Once one can confirm the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, most Canadian provinces and territories offer government-funded interventions. However, because of long wait lists—first for diagnosis and then for treatment—intervening during the early years of life is virtually impossible for many families. Project Summary Network researchers aimed to change this reality when they developed [...]

Challenge Social ABCs is an intervention for toddlers who are showing social-communication delays or early signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This intervention does not require waiting for a formal diagnosis. As a result, it allows a child to make progress during the critical stage when their brain is at its most “plastic” (capable of [...]

Challenge There is a lot of academic writing on the challenges faced by children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), however, much of what’s known is based on parent report or researchers’ observations. We know very little about the lived experiences of youth with ASD, from their own perspectives. ‘Giving voice’ (including to those [...]

Challenge Up to 90% of children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) experience sleep problems, particularly insomnia, which refers to difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, and waking up in the morning. This number is in stark contrast to the 25% of typically developing children who have trouble sleeping. Poor sleep can lead to significant consequences for children’s [...]

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 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 [...]