Memory Issues Could Be Another Struggle for Kids With Autism

Children with autism have wellknown difficulties with social interactions, but a new study is highlighting another area where they can struggle: memory.

Researchers found that compared with their peers, school-age kids with autism showed more difficulty managing memory tasks. They often had a hard time remembering faces — something seen in past studies — but also in recalling words and other feine, yielding 250 mg. of caffeine in only two ounces. It’s easy for teens to overdo since they can easily drink six servings or more of energy shots in a single sitting.

Because energy shots are classified by the FDA as supplements, they don’t fall under the same guidelines as food. The effect of the excessive supplements is not known.

Many teens see their parents and most other adults relying on caffeine to get through their day and assume that this is simply how to function.

“When we’re growing up, we see exactly what our parents are doing,” said Bridget Vaccaro, family nurse practitioner and clinical director at Neighborhood Health Center’s Northwest Buffalo location. “We don’t realize the impact caffeine has for teens. You get a burst of energy and crash. It impacts social relationships, sleep patterns and school performance.”

Teens also draw from social media the notion that excessive caffeine is the way to go, especially energy drinks.

“It’s an epidemic of caffeinated Gatorade and Prime Energy,” Vaccaro said. “Social media and YouTube promote an idea that this is safe to do. Their bodies don’t need that. they don’t adjust well to it.”

The FDA’s guideline for maximum daily caffeine for adults is 400 mg. Most pediatricians agree that children younger than 12 should not consume caffeine. Those 12 to 18 should limit consumption to 100 mg. daily.

Guide to Caffeine

Soft drink (12 oz.)

Content

30-40 mg.

Green or black tea (8 oz.) 30-50 mg.

Coffee (8 oz.) 80-100 mg.

Energy drinks

Bang (16 oz.)

Alani Nu (12 oz.)

300 mg.

200 mg.

C4 (16 oz.) 200 mg.

5-hour energy shot (2 oz.) 200 mg.

Monster energy (16 oz.) 160 mg.

Rockstar (16 oz.)

160 mg.

Red Bull (8 oz.) 80 mg.

Source: Rachel Simson, registered dietitian and owner of Buffalo Dietitian types of information.

What's more, the researchers were able to trace the memory deficits to particular brain circuitry that was "hyperconnected."

The findings suggest that memory challenges may be a bigger issue for kids with autism than generally recognized. And that should be taken into consideration at school and in services for those children, the researchers say.

Kids with "high-functioning" autism often go to mainstream schools and receive the same instruction as their peers, said lead author Jin Liu, a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University School of Medicine, in California.

But, she said, the new findings suggest that even though those children may have high IQs, they can still struggle with memory issues.

"So they may need extra help," Liu said.

The new study was published July 10 in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging.