| 123 Health - Autism Resources |
| 3-D Modeling Software Benefits Kids With Autism |
| These days, we hear a lot about the disorder of autism, but researchers at the University of Utah have created a program that helps kids with autism focus on building their skills and utilizing an aptitude for visual-spatial thinking, computers and other electronic media. |
| January 10, 2012 |
| 5-minute screen identifies subtle signs of autism in 1-year olds |
| A five-minute checklist that parents can fill out in pediatrician waiting rooms may someday help in the early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. Published today in the Journal of Pediatrics, the study's design also provides a model for developing a network of pediatricians to adopt such a change to their practice. |
| April 28, 2011 |
| 18 novel subtype-dependent genetic variants for autism spectrum disorders revealed |
| By dividing individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) into four subtypes according to similarity of symptoms and reanalyzing existing genome-wide genetic data on these individuals vs. controls, researchers at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences have identified 18 novel and highly significant genetic markers for ASD. |
| April 27, 2011 |
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| Adolescents with autism spend free time using solitary, screen-based media |
| Children with autism spectrum disorders tend to be fascinated by screen-based technology. A new study found that adolescents with autism spend the majority of their free time using non-social media, including television and video-games. |
| January 25, 2012 |
An Early Start for Your Child with Autism: Using Everyday Activities to Help Kids Connect, Communicate, and Learn |
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| Amazon Product |
| Another Clue in the Mystery of Autism |
| Although the genetic basis of autism is now well established, a growing body of research also suggests that environmental factors may play a role in this serious developmental disorder affecting nearly one in 100 children. Using a unique study design, a new study suggests that low birth weight is an important environmental factor contributing to the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). |
| January 19, 2012 |
| Antidepressant Use in Pregnancy: Autism Risk? |
| Preliminary Research Suggests Possible Risk of Autism From Use of SSRIs During Pregnancy |
| July 4, 2011 |
| Autism Awareness Efforts Boost Early Diagnoses |
| Study Shows Increased Enrollment in Early-Intervention Programs for Autistic Children |
| May 16, 2011 |
| Autism blurs distinctions between brain regions |
| Autism blurs the molecular differences that normally distinguish different brain regions, a new study suggests. Among more than 500 genes that are normally expressed at significantly different levels in the front versus the lower middle part of the brain's outer mantle, or cortex, only 8 showed such differences in brains of people with autism, say researchers funded in part by the National Institutes of Health. |
| June 2, 2011 |
| Autism Brains Alike; Very Different From Normal Brains |
| Common 'Developmental Patterning Defect' Seen in Autistic Brains |
| May 25, 2011 |
| Autism Changes Molecular Structure of the Brain: Discovery Points to a Common Cause for Multifaceted Disease |
| For decades, autism researchers have faced a baffling riddle: how to unravel a disorder that leaves no known physical trace as it develops in the brain. |
| May 25, 2011 |
| Autism diagnosis by brain scan a possibility |
| A team of Stanford scientists have found that the brains of autistic children have a distinctive topography and could be captured using new imaging techniques. This could someday create a template for the autistic brain that could be used to diagnose kids at a very early age they claim. |
| September 6, 2011 |
| Autism expert on proposed changes to autism diagnosis |
| Autism has been the subject of much discussion recently due to proposed changes in diagnostic criteria, as laid out in the forthcoming fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). These proposed changes would collapse three current diagnoses – Autistic Disorder, Asperger Disorder, and a diagnosis called PDD-Not Otherwise Specified – into one diagnosis. This change has led to concerns about how individuals with these previous diagnoses, as well as individuals who have yet to receive a diagnosis, will be impacted. |
| January 23, 2012 |
| Autism linked with excess of neurons in prefrontal cortex |
| A study by researchers at the University of California, San Diego Autism Center of Excellence shows that brain overgrowth in boys with autism involves an abnormal, excess number of neurons in areas of the brain associated with social, communication and cognitive development. |
| November 8, 2011 |
| Autism May Have Had Advantages in Humans' Hunter-Gatherer Past, Researcher Believes |
| Though people with autism face many challenges because of their condition, they may have been capable hunter-gatherers in prehistoric times, according to a paper published in the journal Evolutionary Psychology in May. |
| June 3, 2011 |
| Autism may involve disordered white matter in the brain |
| It's still unclear what's different in the brains of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), but evidence from genetic and cell studies points to abnormalities in how brain cells (neurons) connect to each other. A study at Children's Hospital Boston now provides visual evidence associating autism with a disorganized structure of brain connections, as well as defects in myelin -- the fatty, insulating coating that helps nerve fibers conduct signals and that makes up the brain's white matter. |
| December 5, 2011 |
| Autism redefined: Yale researchers study impact of proposed diagnostic criteria |
| Getting an autism diagnosis could be more difficult in 2013 when a revised diagnostic definition goes into effect. The proposed changes may affect the proportion of individuals who qualify for a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. |
| January 20, 2012 |
| Autism researchers make exciting strides |
| Teaching young children with autism to imitate others may improve a broader range of social skills. |
| December 12, 2011 |
| Autism Speaks |
| It's time to speak |
| Provides Information |
| Autism Speaks and BGI to complete whole genome sequencing on 10,000 with autism |
| Autism Speaks, the world's largest autism science and advocacy organization, and BGI, the largest genomic organization in the world and a global leader in whole genome sequencing, jointly announce their partnership to create the world's largest library of sequenced genomes of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Using the Autism Speaks Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE), this collaboration will perform whole genome sequencing on more than 2,000 participating families who have two or more children on the autism spectrum. The data from the 10,000 AGRE participants will enable new research in the genomics of ASD, and significantly enhance the science and technology networks of both Autism Speaks and BGI. In addition, Autism Speaks and BGI will collect and sequence genome samples from individuals in China. |
| October 13, 2011 |
| Autism Speaks announces 47 new ASD research grants |
| Global autism science and advocacy organization advances research in epigenetic and gene-environment influences, neurobiology, and studies concerning adolescents and adults with autism. |
| December 22, 2011 |
| Autism Speaks receives $100,000 Royal Arch Masons RARA grant |
| Funding supports expansion of Autism Speaks early diagnosis and intervention initiative |
| November 17, 2011 |
| Autism Speaks supports ICM-9-CM diagnostic code for ASD detection in children |
| With increasing frequency, parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) report the terrible consequences that can occur when their children wander or unexpectedly run away. One mother described the recent death of her child who had wandered away from her home, despite efforts to lock doors and windows. |
| March 18, 2011 |
| Autism Study Validates Importance of Spontaneous Causal Mutations and Sheds New Light on Gender Skew |
| A clinically extensive and mathematically powerful study of 1000 families with one autistic child and one unaffected sibling has validated a controversial theory of autism's complex genetic causation. The study for the first time estimates the minimum number of locations in the human genome -- 250 to 300 -- where gene copy number variation (CNV) can give rise to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It also sheds new light on the long observed but little understood "gender bias" of autism, an illness that typically manifests by age 3 and affects about four times more boys than girls. |
| June 8, 2011 |
| Autism, intellectual disabilities related to parental age, education and ethnicity, not income |
| New research from the University of Utah in collaboration with the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) shows that the presence or absence of intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) varies with risk factors such as gender, parental age, maternal ethnicity, and maternal level of education. The study, published Sept. 15, 2011, in Autism Research, also shows that household income level has no association with either ID or ASD, in contrast to what other studies have suggested. |
| September 19, 2011 |
| Australian research finds autism risk |
| A family history of pink disease is a significant risk factor for developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD), new research from Swinburne University of Technology has found. |
| August 9, 2011 |
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| Babies learn to speak by lip-reading, could offer autism clues |
| For years, the conventional wisdom was that babies learned how to talk by listening to their parents. But a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that our little angels are using more than their ears to acquire language. They're using their eyes, too, and are actually pretty good lip readers. |
| January 16, 2012 |
| Balance tips toward environment as heritability ebbs in autism? |
| The largest and most rigorous twin study of its kind to date has found that shared environment influences susceptibility to autism more than previously thought. |
| July 4, 2011 |
| Best and Worst Cities for Autism Care |
| Survey Shows Which Cities Offer Best Support for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders |
| April 1, 2011 |
| Bilingualism doesn't hamper language abilities of children with autism: research |
| Bilingual children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) acquire vocabularies just as rich as monolingual children with ASD, according to research by a bilingualism expert at the University of British Columbia. |
| October 06, 2011 |
| Biomarker for Autism Discovered |
| Siblings of people with autism show a similar pattern of brain activity to that seen in people with autism when looking at emotional facial expressions. Researchers at the University of Cambridge identified the reduced activity in a part of the brain associated with empathy and argue it may be a 'biomarker' for a familial risk of autism. |
| July 12, 2011 |
| Boys with regressive autism, but not early onset autism, have larger brains |
| In the largest study of brain development in preschoolers with autism to date, a study by UC Davis MIND Institute researchers has found that 3-year-old boys with regressive autism, but not early onset autism, have larger brains than their healthy counterparts. |
| November 28, 2011 |
| Brain Enlargement in Autism Due to Brain Changes Occurring Before Age 2 |
| In 2005, researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that 2-year-old children with autism have brains up to 10 percent larger than children of the same age without autism. |
| May 2, 2011 |
| Brain Scans May Help Detect Autism |
| Study Shows Functional MRI Images Differ Between Autistic Brain, Typical Brain |
| May 31, 2011 |
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| Children conceived in winter have a greater risk of autism, study finds |
| An examination of the birth records of the more than 7million children born in the state of California during the 1990s and early 2000s has found a clear link between the month in which a child is conceived and the risk of that child later receiving a diagnosis of autism. |
| May 5, 2011 |
| Children with autism and gastrointestinal symptoms have altered digestive genes |
| Researchers at the Center for Infection and Immunity (CII) at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and at the Harvard Medical School report that children with autism and gastrointestinal disturbances have altered expression of genes involved in digestion. These variations may contribute to changes in the types of bacteria in their intestines. |
| September 17, 2011 |
| Common form of autism recreated in a new mouse model |
| Over the past decade, new technologies have revealed that autism spectrum disorder has a substantial genetic component. But determining exactly which genes are involved has been like finding the proverbial needle in the haystack. |
| October 05, 2011 |
| Conglomeration of perinatal and neonatal conditions increase risk of autism |
| In a new study published in Pediatrics, researchers reveal that in addition to possible genetic vulnerability and environmental factors, certain perinatal and neonatal conditions show as increased risk in the later development of autism. |
| July 14, 2011 |
| Conquer Autism: Effective Autism Treatments |
| Conquer Autism is a comprehensive guide to autism treatments |
| Provides Information |
| Curemark reaches targeted enrollment in CM-AT Phase III clinical trials for autism |
| Curemark, LLC,, a drug research and development company focused on the treatment of neurological diseases, announced that the company has completed its targeted enrollment of Phase III clinical trials for CM-AT, its autism treatment. |
| March 21, 2011 |
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| Diagnosed autism is more common in an IT-rich region |
| A new study from Cambridge University has for the first time found that autism diagnoses are more common in an IT-rich region. |
| June 20, 2011 |
| Disabilities Trust, The |
| An imaginative new concept of personal care and rehabilitation housing for people with severe physical disabilities, brain injury and autism. |
| Provides a Service |
| Do you reside somewhere on the autism spectrum? In the near future, you may not. |
| For the first time in seventeen years, the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (D.S.M.) is undergoing a significant revision. One of the mental conditions facing major emendations in its D.S.M. definition is autism. If the changes go through, a recent analysis suggests that the rate of official diagnosis for autism, and related disorders like Asperger syndrome, could plummet. And that, some people worry, could be bad news for those marginalized by the new diagnostic criteria. |
| January 20, 2012 |
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| Early work indicates drug used to treat alcoholism may help those with Fragile X and autism |
| In small, early clinical trials, adults and children with autism and Fragile X syndrome have shown improved communication and social behavior when treated with acamprosate, according to Craig Erickson, M.D., assistant professor of psychiatry at the Indiana University School of Medicine and chief of the Riley Hospital for Children Christian Sarkine Autism Treatment Center at Indiana University Health. |
| April 4, 2011 |
| Environment Plays Bigger Role in Autism Than Thought |
| Study in Twins Finds a Shared Environment Influences the Development of Autism More Than Shared Genes |
| July 4, 2011 |
Essentials of Autism Spectrum Disorders Evaluation and Assessment (Essentials of Psychological Assessment) |
 With autism spectrum disorders (ASD) on the rise, there is an urgent need for health practitioners to learn about the nature, course, assessment, and diagnosis of the various ASDs. This book addresses the main domains of assessment, defines the purpose of the assessment, suggests test instruments, and includes user-friendly features such as "Don't Forget," "Rapid Reference" boxes and "Test Yourself" questions at the end of each chapter. Mental health practitioners will be equipped with all the information they need to utilize the varied assessments frequently employed in an autism evaluation. |
| Amazon Product |
| Evidence Found for the Genetic Basis of Autism: Models of Autism Show That Gene Copy Number Controls Brain Structure and Behavior |
| Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have discovered that one of the most common genetic alterations in autism -- deletion of a 27-gene cluster on chromosome 16 -- causes autism-like features. By generating mouse models of autism using a technique known as chromosome engineering, CSHL Professor Alea Mills and colleagues provide the first functional evidence that inheriting fewer copies of these genes leads to features resembling those used to diagnose children with autism. |
| October 03, 2011 |
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| Female-to-male transsexual people have more autistic traits |
| A new study from Cambridge University has for the first time found that female-to-male transsexual people have a higher than average number of autistic traits. |
| May 5, 2011 |
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| Gene mutation in autism found to cause hyperconnectivity in brain's hearing center |
| New research from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory might help explain how a gene mutation found in some autistic individuals leads to difficulties in processing auditory cues and paying spatial attention to sound. |
| January 31, 2012 |
| Genetic variant, auto-antibodies linked to autism |
| A study by researchers at UC Davis has found that pregnant women with a particular gene variation are more likely to produce auto-antibodies to the brains of their developing fetuses and that the children of these mothers are at greater risk of later being diagnosed with autism. |
| October 19, 2011 |
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| Health Care Reform and Children: FAQ |
| Answers to WebMD readers' questions about health care reform and children. |
| March 9, 2011 |
| How Kids With Autism Spend Screen Time |
| Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) tend to be preoccupied with screen-based media. A new study by Paul Shattuck, PhD, assistant professor at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, looks at how children with ASDs spend their "screen time." |
| January 25, 2012 |
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I Am Intlgent: A Mother and Daughter's Journey from Heartbreak to Healing through Autism |
 A riveting memoir of extreme loss and unimaginable gain, this book recounts the story of a child who, although unable to express herself, lives fully aware of her limiting circumstances. Robbed of speech and bodily control, and despite her loving parents’ best efforts to help her, Peyton Goddard suffered neglect and ongoing sexual abuse by many who dismissed her as autistic and severely mentally retarded. Peyton’s violent outbursts and bizarre, self-destructive behavior left her parents terrified at the prospect of having to institutionalize their daughter. No one could have imagined that she possessed a brilliant mind in her uncooperative body until her first opportunity to communicate electronically at age 22 when she typed “I AM INTLGENT," a breakthrough reminiscent of The Miracle Worker. After two decades, mother and daughter are finally able to communicate, and Peyton goes on to graduate valedictorian from college. |
| Amazon Product |
| Identifying Toddlers at Risk for Autism |
| Parents and health care providers can't always tell whether toddlers display signs of autism syndrome disorder (ASD), but new research from the University of Utah shows that a significant portion of at-risk children between 14-24 months can be identified through systematic screening by autism experts and providers working together. |
| June 2, 2011 |
| In the brain, an earlier sign of autism |
| In their first year of life, babies who will go on to develop autism already show different brain responses when someone looks at or away from them. Although the researchers are careful to say that the study is only a first step toward earlier diagnosis, the findings do suggest that direct brain measures might help to predict the future development of autism symptoms in infants as young as six months. |
| January 26, 2012 |
| Inflexibility May Give Pupils With Autism Problems in Multitasking |
| Young people with autism may find it difficult to multitask because they stick rigidly to tasks in the order they are given to them, according to research led by an academic at the University of Strathclyde. |
| August 15, 2011 |
| Interactive Autism Network |
| IAN, the Interactive Autism Network, is an innovative online project designed to accelerate the pace of autism research by linking researchers and families. Anyone impacted by an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can become part of IAN's online community to stay informed about autism research, provide feedback, and make their voices heard. |
| Provides Information |
| Interest in toys predicts effectiveness of autism treatment in toddlers |
| Toddlers who played with a limited number of toys showed more improvement in their communication skills following parent-guided treatment than those receiving other community-based treatments. |
| March 22, 2011 |
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| Large brains linked to regressive autism: Study |
| Autism symptoms can appear in babies, however some children with the disorder develop normally until about age 2 when they suddenly regress. This is termed regressive autism and has been associated with larger brain size in boys. |
| November 29, 2011 |
| Living Life With Autism II: Perspectives |
| The fact that adults with autism were not included in the original article was a shortcoming of the piece, but it was also an interesting barometer of the situation in the U.S. As Landon Bryce, an autistic educator, pointed out to me on the phone, "to publish an article without talking to people with autism...what were you thinking? On the other hand, it's the norm!" |
| December 9, 2011 |
| Low birthweight infants have five times rate of autism |
| Autism researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing have found a link between low birthweight and children diagnosed with autism, reporting premature infants are five times more likely to have autism than children born at normal weights. |
| October 17, 2011 |
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| 'Most adults with autism go undiagnosed' -- new findings |
| Not a single person identified with autism or asperger's syndrome during a community survey in England actually knew they had the condition, research led by the University of Leicester reveals. |
| May 4, 2011 |
| Many Genetic Keys Needed to Unlock Autism, Researchers Discover |
| Hundreds of small genetic variations are associated with autism spectrum disorders, including an area of DNA that may be a key to understanding why humans are social animals, according to a multi-site collaborative study led by researchers at Yale University. |
| June 8, 2011 |
| Mirror neuron system in individuals with autism is not actually broken, but simply delayed |
| Developmental abnormalities in the mirror neuron system may contribute to social deficits in autism. |
| May 3, 2011 |
| Mobile health IT startup could help autism treatments, education |
| Autistic children for years have been presented images on paper, a visual schedule that gives them the order and structure that they seek. |
| March 14, 2011 |
| More support needed for adult siblings of people with autism |
| An 18-month qualitative research study by the University’s Department of Health Sciences, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, explored the experiences of adult siblings at different life stages and identified their support needs now and in the future. |
| November 10, 2011 |
| Mortality rate is increased in persons with autism who also have epilepsy |
| A comprehensive investigation of brain tissue donated to the Autism Speaks Autism Tissue Program (ATP), a postmortem brain tissue donation program, determined that one-third of the brain donors with autism also had epilepsy, and co-morbidity data from the California State Department of Developmental Services revealed a higher than expected rate of mortality in individuals with both autism and epilepsy than for individuals with autism alone. |
| April 15, 2011 |
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| NAET safe and effective in treating children with allergy-related autism |
| Researchers at the NAET Autism Treatment Center in Buena Park, CA, hypothesized that major contributors to the development and symptoms of autism include food and nutrient sensitivities. They applied NAET, a combination of a special form of acupressure and kinesiology, to desensitize subjects to multiple allergens as a way to treat symptoms of autism. |
| January 31, 2012 |
| NDAR federation creates largest source of autism research data to date |
| A data partnership between the National Database for Autism Research, and the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange positions NDAR as possibly the largest repository to date of genetic, phenotypic, clinical, and medical imaging data related to research on autism spectrum disorders. |
| December 12, 2011 |
| Nearly 50% of children with autism elope |
| Today, the Interactive Autism Network (IAN), www.ianproject.org, the nation's largest online autism research project, reveals the preliminary results of the first major survey on wandering and elopement among individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and announces the launch of a new research survey on the association between pregnancy factors and ASD. The wandering and elopement survey found that approximately half of parents of children with autism report that their child elopes, with the behavior peaking at age four. Among these families, nearly 50% say that their child went missing long enough to cause significant concern about safety. |
| April 21, 2011 |
| Neurons grown from skin cells may hold clues to autism |
| Rare syndrome's workings could help explain how brain wiring goes awry -- NIH-funded study |
| November 28, 2011 |
| New approach finds success in teaching youth with autism |
| As the number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders continues to increase, the one thing that won't change is the need for those children to develop social skills. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri are developing an effective social competence curriculum, with a virtual classroom component, that could help educators meet the demand of this growing population. |
| November 19, 2010 |
| New Clinical Trial to Examine Medication to Treat Social Withdrawal in Fragile X and Autism |
| Children and adults with social withdrawal due to Fragile X syndrome, the most common cause of inherited intellectual disability and the most common known single gene cause of autism, may benefit from an experimental drug under study by pediatric neurologists at Rush Children's Hospital at Rush University Medical Center. |
| July 20, 2011 |
| New clues to molecular understanding of autism |
| The first transgenic mouse model of a rare and severe type of autism called Timothy Syndrome is improving the scientific understanding of autism spectrum disorder in general and may help researchers design more targeted interventions and treatments. |
| September 12, 2011 |
| New findings validate the accuracy of autism diagnosis in children with Down syndrome |
| New findings from a 16-year study confirm that the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the gold-standard for the classification of mental health conditions, can be used to accurately identify autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in children with Down syndrome, according to research from Kennedy Krieger Institute. |
| October 04, 2011 |
| New Gene Linked to Alcohol Consumption; Also Linked to Autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder |
| Scientists have identified a gene that appears to play a role in regulating how much alcohol people drink, in a study of over 47,000 people published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. |
| April 4, 2011 |
| New information revealed about a protein implicated in autism and similar disorders; could lead to better drug design |
| University of Michigan researcher Gabrielle Rudenko and her Life Sciences Institute lab have solved the structure of a protein that is implicated in a number of neuropsychiatric disorders including autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia and mental retardation. |
| July 8, 2011 |
| New Research May Lead to Improved Diagnosis of Autism |
| Autism is a spectrum disorder characterized by repetitive behaviors and impaired language, communication and social interactions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is estimated that as many as one in every 110 children is affected by autism. |
| May 31, 2011 |
| New research suggests birth weight plays a role in autism spectrum disorder |
| Although the genetic basis of autism is now well established, a growing body of research also suggests that environmental factors may play a role in this serious developmental disorder affecting nearly one in 100 children. Using a unique study design, a new study suggests that low birth weight is an important environmental factor contributing to the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). |
| January 19, 2012 |
| NIH-funded study shows pre-birth brain growth problems linked to autism |
| Children with autism have more brain cells and heavier brains compared to typically developing children, according to researchers partly funded by the National Institutes of Health. Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on Nov. 9, 2011, the small, preliminary study provides direct evidence for possible prenatal causes of autism. |
| November 8, 2011 |
| No evidence that most autism treatments work |
| Popular drugs have no hard science behind them; intense behavior therapies may help a bit |
| April 4, 2011 |
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Parenting Your Child Through the Challenges of Autism: Understand Autism Spectrum Disorder, Navigate Treatment Options, and Become Your Child's Best Advocate |
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| Amazon Product |
| Partnership between autism experts, pediatricians identifies toddlers at risk for autism |
| Parents and health care providers can't always tell whether toddlers display signs of autism syndrome disorder (ASD), but new research from the University of Utah shows that a significant portion of at-risk children between 14-24 months can be identified through systematic screening by autism experts and providers working together. |
| June 2, 2011 |
| Physical abnormality in airway linked with autism |
| Autism and autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) are currently diagnosed primarily through subjective observation of autistic behaviors. However, new research, presented at CHEST 2011, the 77th annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), suggests that a physical abnormality in the airway may be a prominent indicator for autism and autistic spectrum disorders, making it a possible diagnostic marker for this disease. |
| October 24, 2011 |
| Prevalence of Autism in South Korea Estimated at 1 in 38 Children |
| Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in South Korea affect an estimated 2.64% of the population of school-age children, equivalent to 1 in 38 children, according to the first comprehensive study of autism prevalence using a total population sample. The study -- conducted by Young-Shin Kim, M.D., of the Yale Child Study Center and her colleagues in the U.S., Korea and Canada -- identifies children not yet diagnosed and has the potential to increase autism spectrum disorder prevalence estimates worldwide. |
| May 9, 2011 |
| Promising Drug Treatment for Improving Language, Social Function in People With Autism |
| Most drug therapy interventions for people with autism have targeted psychiatric problems, including aggression, anxiety and obsessive behavior. Now, University of Missouri researchers are examining the use of propranolol (a drug used to treat high blood pressure and control heart rate as well as to reduce test anxiety) to improve the primary traits associated with autism -- difficulty with normal social skills, language and repetitive behaviors. MU researchers say the drug is a promising new avenue for improving language and social function. |
| September 29, 2011 |
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| Re-creating autism, in mice |
| By mutating a single gene, researchers at MIT and Duke have produced mice with two of the most common traits of autism — compulsive, repetitive behavior and avoidance of social interaction. |
| March 21, 2011 |
| Research Reveals Effectiveness of Seizure Treatments for Children With Autism |
| Physicians will have a better guide for more effectively managing treatment of children experiencing seizures related to autism with the results of a study by researchers at Arizona State University and the University of Texas-Houston. |
| June 2, 2011 |
| Researchers discover many genetic keys needed to unlock autism |
| Hundreds of small genetic variations are associated with autism spectrum disorders, including an area of DNA that may be a key to understanding why humans are social animals, according to a multi-site collaborative study led by researchers at Yale University. |
| June 8, 2011 |
| Researchers link spontaneous gene mutations to autism |
| Using high-throughput gene sequencing technology, researchers have identified several harmful spontaneous gene mutations in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) that may cause the disorder. |
| May 16, 2011 |
| Research proposes common link between autism, diabetes |
| A review of the genetic and biochemical abnormalities associated with autism reveals a possible link between the widely diagnosed neurological disorder and Type 2 diabetes, another medical disorder on the rise in recent decades. |
| October 19, 2011 |
| Risk of autism among younger siblings of a child with autism much greater than previously reported |
| Autism Speaks, the world's largest autism science and advocacy organization, joined in announcing significant findings from the largest known study of younger siblings of children who had a verified diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study, based on data from the Autism Speaks High Risk Baby Siblings Research Consortium (BSRC) and led by investigators from the UC Davis MIND Institute, was published online today in the journal Pediatrics and will appear in the September issue. |
| August 15, 2011 |
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| Scientists identify 'de novo' genetic mutations in autism spectrum disorder children |
| Researchers sequenced the protein-coding sections of the genomes of affected children and their parents to find mutations |
| May 17, 2011 |
| Seaside Therapeutics commences STX209 Phase 2b study in autism spectrum disorders |
| Seaside Therapeutics, Inc. announced today the initiation of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2b study to evaluate the effects of STX209 (arbaclofen) on social impairment in children, adolescents and adults (ages 5 to 21) with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The Company announced positive results from an open-label Phase 2a study of STX209 in September of 2010. |
| June 21, 2011 |
| Social Bonding in Prairie Voles Helps Guide Search for Autism Treatments |
| Researchers at the Center for Translational Social Neuroscience (CTSN) at Emory University are focusing on prairie voles as a new model to screen the effectiveness of drugs to treat autism. |
| April 28, 2011 |
| Sporadic Mutations Identified in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders |
| Scientists at the University of Washington (UW) Department of Genome Sciences have identified several sporadic or "de novo" genetic mutations in children with autism spectrum disorder. The researchers applied leading edge molecular biology techniques and massively parallel sequencing to simultaneously examine all of the protein coding portions of the genome, collectively called the exome. |
| May 16, 2011 |
| Startup company succeeds at hiring autistic adults |
| The software testers at Aspiritech are a collection of characters. Katie Levin talks nonstop. Brian Tozzo hates driving. Jamie Specht is bothered by bright lights, vacuum cleaners and the feel of carpeting against her skin. Rider Hallenstein draws cartoons of himself as a DeLorean sports car. Rick Alexander finds it unnerving to sit near other people. |
| September 21, 2011 |
| Study characterizes epigenetic signatures of autism in brain tissue |
| Neurons in the prefrontal cortex of individuals with autism show changes at numerous sites across the genome, according to a study being published Online First by the Archives of General Psychiatry. |
| November 7, 2011 |
| Study estimates rate of autism spectrum disorder in adults in England |
| In England, the prevalence of adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was estimated to be 9.8 per 1,000 population, according to a report in the May issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. |
| May 2, 2011 |
| Study explores autism co-occurring conditions and diagnosis change |
| In a new Pediatrics article, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health examined the relationship between the co-occurring conditions in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), and whether the children's ASD diagnosis remained stable or changed. |
| January 24, 2012 |
| Study finds wide variation in best-estimate clinical diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders |
| In a study conducted at 12 university-based research sites, there was wide variation in how best-estimate clinical diagnoses within the autism spectrum were assigned to individual children, according to a study being published Online First by the Archives of General Psychiatry. |
| November 7, 2011 |
| Super-social gene may hold clues to autism, other disorders |
| Top scientists team up to unravel mystery of Williams syndrome |
| October 25, 2011 |
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| 'Toolkit' makes medical procedures less stressful for children with autism |
| The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center has joined with Autism Speaks to create a resource for physicians and parents of children with autism to better prepare for blood draws and other routine medical procedures. This new toolkit, called "Taking the Work Out of Blood Work: Helping Your Child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder — A Parent's Guide," and the companion: "Taking the Work Out of Blood Work: Helping Your Patient with an Autism Spectrum Disorder — A Provider's Guide," was created to help families and health care providers make necessary medical procedures less stressful. |
| September 22, 2011 |
The Children of Raquette Lake: One Summer That Helped Change the Course of Treatment for Autism |
 Kindle Edition |
| Amazon Product |
The Effective Teacher's Guide to Autism and Communication Difficulties: Practical strategies (The Effective Teacher's Guides) |
 Paperback Edition |
| Amazon Product |
| The National Database for Autism Research announces its first data release |
| Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) researchers now can use data from over 10,000 participants enrolled in ASD studies. The National Database for Autism Research (NDAR), created by the National Institutes of Health, recently made the data available. Researchers can now use the NDAR portal to perform queries that simultaneously yield results from multiple datasets. The portal was designed to provide tools to define and standardize data collected by different laboratories under different protocols. It was also built to ensure a collaborative approach and open data access to the whole ASD research community. |
| November 30, 2010 |
| Therapies to improve biochemical functions hold promise as treatments for autism |
| Two promising new treatments to aid people with autism have shown effectiveness in pilot studies conducted by an Arizona State University professor and private researchers. |
| June 2, 2011 |
| Tracking the birth of an evolutionary arms race between HIV-like viruses and primate genomes |
| Using a combination of evolutionary biology and virology, scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have traced the birth of the ability of some HIV-related viruses to defeat a newly discovered cellular-defense system in primates. |
| January 26, 2012 |
| Treatment-resistant epilepsy common in idiopathic autism |
| A new study found that treatment-resistant epilepsy (TRE) is common in idiopathic autism. Early age at the onset of seizures and delayed global development were associated with a higher frequency of resistance to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Full findings appear online in Epilepsia, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE). |
| April 19, 2011 |
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| University of Leicester researchers lead on new autism study published today |
| New research on autism in adults has shown that adults with a more severe learning disability have a greater likelihood of having autism. |
| January 31, 2012 |
| Unraveling the Complex Genetics of Autism |
| Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are devastating developmental disorders characterized by altered social interactions and behavior. Although genetic risks are known to contribute to the development of ASDs, the genetic causes of the disease are not well understood. Now, three papers published by Cell Press in the June 9 issue of the journal Neuron provide new insight into the diversity of the genetic abnormalities that contribute to autism and represent a step towards the future design of treatments specifically targeted to different kinds of autism. |
| June 8, 2011 |
| Using touch screens and apps to treat autism |
| As a commercial software expert for the financial services industry, Ted Conley was frustrated with the technology that a speech therapist recommended to help his developmentally disabled son. So he decided to build his own application. |
| July 22, 2011 |
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| Vaccines and Autism |
| We’re seeing now, in one small English town, the effects of the furore over whether vaccines can cause autism.There’s been enough nonsense spouted about the vaccines on both sides of the Atlantic: although it’s interesting that the part of the vaccine at fault has been so differently identified. |
| November 18, 2011 |
| Validating preschool programs for children with autism |
| Researchers from the University of Miami (UM) Department of Psychology participated in a multi-site study to examine different teaching models for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The study is one of the first to look at the fidelity of treatment models for preschoolers with autism. The findings are published online in the current issue of the journal Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. |
| May 19, 2011 |
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| Weak Synchronization in Toddler Brains May Be a Biological Marker for Autism |
| The biological causes of autism are still not understood. A diagnosis of autism is only possible after ages three or four; and the tests are subjective, based on behavioral symptoms. Now, in research that appeared in Neuron, scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Carnegie Mellon University and the University of California, San Diego have found, for the first time, a method that can accurately identify a biological sign of autism in very young toddlers. By scanning the brain activity of sleeping children, the scientists discovered that the autistic brains exhibited significantly weaker synchronization between brain areas tied to language and communication, compared to that of non-autistic children. |
| July 25, 2011 |
| Weaker Brain 'Sync' May Be Early Sign of Autism |
| In a novel imaging study of sleeping toddlers, scientists at the University of California, San Diego Autism Center of Excellence report that a diminished ability of a young brain's hemispheres to "sync" with one another could be a powerful, new biological marker of autism, one that might enable an autism diagnosis at a very young age. |
| June 22, 2011 |
| What to consider when teens with autism want to drive? |
| In the first study to investigate driving as it relates to teens with a high-functioning autism disorder studies found that two-thirds of teenagers with a high-functioning autism spectrum disorder who are of legal driving age in their state are currently driving or plan to drive. |
| January 9, 2012 |
| What Works to Treat Autism? |
| Studies Detail Evidence Behind Medication, Behavioral Therapies for Autism Spectrum Disorders |
| April 4, 2011 |
| When autism hits home |
| About one in 110 American children has an autism spectrum disorder, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. It's a sobering statistic to developmental psychologist Wendy Goldberg, who studies such youngsters and their families. |
| September 13, 2011 |
| Why do children with autism wander and bolt from safe places? |
| Today, the Interactive Autism Network (IAN), with support from leading autism advocacy groups, launches the first major survey to study the experience of wandering and elopement, or escaping, among individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The tendency of individuals with ASD to wander or "bolt" puts them at risk of trauma, injury or even death, yet information on this critical safety issue is lacking. |
| March 30, 2011 |
| Why Does Brain Development Diverge from Normal in Autism Spectrum Disorders? |
| Rett syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder on the autism spectrum, is marked by relatively normal development in infancy followed by a loss of loss of cognitive, social and language skills starting at 12 to 18 months of age. It is increasingly seen as a disorder of synapses, the connections between neurons that together form brain circuits. What hasn't been clear is why children start out developing normally, only to become progressively abnormal. |
| April 13, 2011 |
| Women Who Start Prenatal Vitamins Early Are Less Likely to Have Children With Autism, Study Finds |
| Women who reported not taking a daily prenatal vitamin immediately before and during the first month of pregnancy were nearly twice as likely to have a child with an autism spectrum disorder as women who did take the supplements -- and the associated risk rose to seven times as great when combined with a high-risk genetic make-up, a study by researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute has found. |
| May 25, 2011 |
| Workings of Brain Protein Suggest Therapies for Inherited Intellectual Disability, Autism |
| Researchers now have a much clearer understanding of how mutations in a single gene can produce the complex cognitive deficits characteristic of Fragile X Syndrome, the most common inherited form of intellectual disability. As the majority of patients with Fragile X Syndrome also display autism-like symptoms, the findings offer hope for treating both conditions. |
| July 21, 2011 |