Brief Report: Sensory Features Associated with Autism After Controlling for ADHD Symptoms.

Background: Sensory processing differences are reported both in children with ADHD and in children with autism. Given the substantial overlap between autism and ADHD, the current study examined which sensory features were uniquely predictive of autistic traits after controlling for ADHD symptoms, age, IQ, and sex in a sample of children and adolescents with autism aged 6-17 years.

Methods: The sample included 61 children and adolescents with autism.

Prenatal exposure to valproic acid and treatment with intranasal oxytocin have sex-specific effects on behavior in Long Evans rats.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social behaviors and communication. In rodents and humans, prenatal exposure to antiepileptic valproic acid is associated with an increased risk for autistic-like characteristics. One potential treatment is oxytocin, a prosocial neuropeptide that can be delivered intranasally.