🔬 AUTISM THERAPY ADVANCES: WHAT'S NEW IN 2026

Exciting progress is being made in autism therapy! Several major studies are underway this year, bringing new hope and improved approaches to supporting individuals with autism. Here's a look at some of the key research areas:

🔬 WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS

✅ Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is being rigorously tested for children aged 6-14 who experience emotional dysregulation, like irritability and anxiety. A large trial is comparing CBT to standard care, with therapists receiving expert guidance.

✅ For minimally verbal children, the PRISM study is developing a personalized language intervention to maximize language outcomes in preschoolers. The goal is to reduce the number of children classified as "minimally verbal" later in life.

✅ Researchers at UCLA are exploring the best ways to improve speech in children with autism. They are comparing JASPER (a play-based intervention) alone to JASPER combined with PROMPT (which adds speech-specific techniques).

✅ A clinical trial is testing external Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation (eTNS) to reduce ADHD symptoms and improve core autism features in children with autism.

💡 EARLY DETECTION AND ACCESS

💙 A digital app developed by Duke is using computer vision and machine learning to detect early signs of autism in toddlers as young as six months. The app tracks attention, motor skills, emotional expression, and social interest. This is being tested in primary care clinics.

💙 A landmark longitudinal study is following 7,500 children from birth to age 12 to observe them before symptoms appear and throughout treatment. This will provide invaluable data about autism development.

💙 Duke researchers are also investigating whether therapies like the Early Start Denver Model can be effectively delivered via telehealth and by non-specialist providers. This could greatly improve access to treatment for families.

🛠️ STUDY RESOURCES:

➡️ Georgia State study: https://news.gsu.edu/2026/02/2....5/georgia-state-expe

💬 What interventions or technologies are you most excited about? Share your thoughts below!