Health & Behavior
Drinking Diet Soda During Pregnancy Linked To Autism, Study Finds
A new study found a link between boys diagnosed with autism and their mothers regularly drinking diet soda or a comparable amount of the artificial sweetener aspartame while pregnant or breastfeeding.
Feds Urged To Classify Disability As A Health Disparity
Advocates are asking the Biden administration to step in after a government panel squashed plans to put more resources toward addressing the persistent disparities people with disabilities face.
NIH Weighs Changes To Its ‘Ableist’ Mission Statement
The NIH is considering changes to its mission statement amid concerns that the existing one furthers "ableist beliefs" that people with disabilities are "flawed" and need to be "fixed."
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Research Shows Hearing Test May Help Diagnose Autism In Newborns
New research finds that babies later diagnosed with autism had a split-second delay responding to sound on a routine newborn screening.
Biden Administration Proposes Rule To Curb Disability Discrimination In Health Care
Federal officials are proposing new regulations prohibiting medical providers from discriminating against people with disabilities and setting new standards for accessibility at the doctor's office.
Cuts To ABA Therapy Rates Worry Parents
After spending on ABA therapy soared exponentially, one state cut payments to therapists from $91 to $55 an hour, much to the chagrin of parents and providers who warn they may be forced to close.
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FDA Approved Eye-Tracking Device May Speed Autism Diagnosis, Studies Suggest
A newly available device could help doctors determine within minutes whether or not children as young as 16 months have autism with a high degree of accuracy, researchers say.
Feds Warn Medicaid Programs Against Wrongly Dropping Beneficiaries
Federal officials say multiple states may be improperly removing individuals from Medicaid, a program many with disabilities rely on for everything from health care to home and community-based services.
Study Links Screen Time To Developmental Delay
New research suggests that the more children are exposed to screens at age 1, the more likely they are to experience developmental delay in the years that follow.
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In Some Areas, Accessing Services For Autism Is ‘A Full-Time Job’
While wait and travel times are issues many parents of kids with autism grapple with, those in rural areas face additional challenges accessing resources, which are largely concentrated in metro areas.
States Chart Path Forward On Paying Parents As Caregivers
The end of the COVID-19 public health emergency has many states revisiting waivers that allowed Medicaid payments to parents and other relatives to care for kids with developmental disabilities.
Disability Services System In Free Fall, Providers Say
Disability providers that run day programs, in-home care teams and residential facilities say they need more funding to stay open, attract workers and offer services to residents.