The latest in research and treatment will be discussed by researchers from Brazil and abroad in São Carlos from January 9-13

Establishment of an advanced school for autism
2012-01-04
PT

Advances in recent years in research into autism—a global developmental dysfunction that affects the communication, socialization and behavioral capacities of thousands of people worldwide—suggest improved treatment for the behavioral disturbance.

Establishment of an advanced school for autism

Advances in recent years in research into autism—a global developmental dysfunction that affects the communication, socialization and behavioral capacities of thousands of people worldwide—suggest improved treatment for the behavioral disturbance.

2012-01-04
PT

The latest in research and treatment will be discussed by researchers from Brazil and abroad in São Carlos from January 9-13

 

By Elton Alisson

Agência FAPESP – Advances in recent years in research into autism—a global developmental dysfunction that affects the communication, socialization and behavioral capacities of thousands of people worldwide—suggest improved treatment for the behavioral disturbance.

Some of these advances will be discussed from January 9 to 13 at the São Paulo School of Advanced Science: Advances in Research and Treatment of Autistic Behavior (ESPCA: Autism) conference at the Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar).

The event, which is part of the São Paulo School of Advanced Science (ESPCA), a FAPESP funded program, will be organized by professor Celso Goyos of the UFSCar Department of Psychology together with researchers Caio Miguel from California State University and Thomas Higbee from Utah State University.

The School will bring together 40 Brazilian graduate, post-graduate and doctoral students and 25 international students, who will take classes with 31 renowned researchers in the areas of genetics, molecular medicine and the behavioral treatment of autism. The group of lecturers includes nine Brazilians and 22 lecturers from other nations, including the United States, Canada, Norway and Spain.

Among the foreign researchers are Brian Iwata from the University of Florida and Douglas Greer of Columbia University. Maria Rita dos Santos e Passos Bueno, professor at the Universidade de São Paulo (USP), and Alysson Renato Muotri, professor at the University of California Medical School, will be among the Brazilian professors.

Bueno has dedicated herself to studying the genetics of autism, most recently conducting stem cell research to understand the genetic mechanisms associated with the neurological disturbance.  

Muotri, who was funded by FAPESP during his master’s, doctoral and post-doctoral studies, announced at the end of 2010 that he had observed the development of neurons from patients with autistic behavior and reverted them to their normal state for the first time.

The study, which was featured on the cover of Cell magazine, suggests the possibility of reversing the symptoms of autism in the future. The number of cases of autism has increased worldwide, largely due to improved diagnostic methods and more publicity on the neurological disturbance.

“Research and treatment of patients with autism has advanced greatly in recent years, mostly in areas like language development and social development. And in Brazil, we don’t have any well-structured study groups in this area such as those that exist in the United States and Europe,” Goyos told Agência FAPESP.

According to Goyos, although the studies on autism conducted in Brazil are of excellent quality, they are diverse and focus more on patient diagnosis than treatment, which must commence as early and intensely as possible to increase the chances of recovery. There is also a significant lack of training for professionals who treat the disorder at the clinical and educational levels.

Given this situation, the ESPCA: Autism event was planned not only to provide education and new information to professionals specializing in the care and treatment of autistic patients in Brazil, but also to foment the consolidation of research groups in the field, especially in São Paulo State.

“The only post-graduate program entirely dedicated to special education in all of Brazil is at UFSCar. New programs like this one are needed to meet demand and transform São Paulo into a center of formation for researchers in this area,” explained Goyos.

Open to the public

The opening session of the School will be open to the public. Following the opening ceremony, there will be a discussion panel composed of guest researchers at the School, which will present overviews of the studies in the three areas that currently produce the most research on autism: genetics, molecular medicine and behavioral analysis.

The event will be composed of workshops and lectures on basic and advanced research conducted by the guest researchers and professors, as well as a poster presentation by participating students.

Registration to attend any of the presentations (which will be conducted in English, without translation to Portuguese) can be completed via e-mail to espca.autism@gmail.com. Openings are limited.

More information: www.lahmiei.ufscar.br/espca

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