The goal of this research was to determine how sensory features, such as increased or decreased sensitivity to the environment, are associated with the brainstem in autistic and non-autistic children
Brittany Travers
Understanding autism from the minute to the masses: Autism research at the Waisman Center
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an intricate and complicated diagnosis. The spectrum of presentations and severity is as expansive as the theorized causes. Autism’s complexity and breadth of impacts on a person’s life means that it has a multitude of facets to investigate.
Sensory responses in autistic children are linked to a small under-explored region tucked deep down in the brain called the brainstem
The same external sensory stimulus – a flashing light, a hug, or hearing one’s name – can provoke a different reaction in every person.
Brittany Travers, PhD – Slide of the Week
The goal of this proposal was to determine if microRNA’s (miR) are elevated in the plasma of individuals affected by the inherited peripheral neuropathy Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease, type 1A (CMT1A)
Video games teach balance, reduce symptoms in autistic adolescents
While balance training may not necessarily sound fun to most adolescents, video games typically do. And for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, video games that improve their balance by teaching them yoga and tai chi poses also improves their posture, reduces the severity of their autism symptoms and influences the structure of their brains.
Brittany G. Travers, PhD – Slide of the Week
Title: Associations among daily living skills, motor, and sensory difficulties in children with and without autism Legend: The goal of this study was to determine how motor skills relate to daily living skills in children 6-10 …
Balancing act: what motor function can tell us about autism
Can the way a person moves be a key identifier of autism? It’s a question that Waisman Center investigator Brittany Travers, PhD, is trying to answer.
Brittany Travers, PhD – Slide of the Week
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder often struggle with motor difficulties across the life span, and these motor difficulties may affect independent living skills and quality of life. Yet, we know little about how whole-body movement may distinguish individuals with autism spectrum disorder from individuals with typical development.
Brittany G. Travers, PhD – Slide of the Week
The current study investigated the relation between postural balance and performance of daily living skills (DLS) in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Fifty-two youth with ASD (6–17 years; IQ ≥ 67) completed standardized balance testing and parent-reported DLS measures.
Video game improves balance in youth with autism
“We think this video game-based training could be a unique way to help individuals with ASD who have challenges with their balance address these issues,” says Travers, an investigator at UW–Madison’s Waisman Center and an assistant professor of kinesiology.