Autism Speaks, founded in 2005 by Bob and Suzanne Wright, sometimes seems to have taken over the entire conversation about autism in this country, what with their blue puzzle pieces littered all over the landscape, coming to symbolize, wrongly, autism itself. Yet in spite of their ostensible role as a voice for autism, they’ve got
Children with autism experience gastrointestinal (GI) upsets such as constipation, diarrhea and sensitivity to foods six-to-eight times more often than do children who are developing typically, and those symptoms are related to behavioral problems, including social withdrawal, irritability and repetitive behaviors, a new study by researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute has found.The researchers
Children with autism spectrum disorders usually aren’t diagnosed until they are at least 2 years old, but a new study finds that signs of the condition are apparent as early as two months after birth.Researchers focused on babies’ ability to make eye contact with caregivers, since lack of eye contact is one of the hallmarks
A controversial US teaching method, applied behavioural analysis, or ABA, is now being used in a few UK state schools. And parents are moving from all parts of the country to get their child a place. A year ago, Julie Barber came close to a nervous breakdown. Her son, Jack, who is four, has autism, and she
This just in from the Science Takes Time Department: A study that came out a year ago touting a “genetic test for autism” has now been roundly refuted by a follow-up from another group. That follow-up work indicates that the authors of the first study made several errors in their analysis. What they were identifying
Many kids with autism are prescribed mood-altering drugs, sometimes several at once for long periods of time, according to a new study. So-called psychotropic drugs include antipsychotics like Haldol and Thorazine as well as antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications and stimulants like Adderall.Those drugs alter people's mood or behavior. Many have not been proven effective for treating
The number of newly diagnosed cases of autism has levelled off in the UK after a five-fold surge during the 1990s, finds research published in the online journal BMJ Open.The findings differ from widely publicised results issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last year, which reported a 78% increase in
Jennifer Gallucci had been afraid to find out, but last month, she finally got her answer: Her 2-year-old son, Jude, does not show any signs of autism.It was a small but important victory.Mrs. Gallucci and her husband, Bruno, who live in the tiny community of Burgettstown in Washington County, already have two sons with different
Daryl Hannah has made headlines for opening up publicly about being autistic, a diagnosis she received as a child. Hannah is 52 and a woman, which makes her what some people consider to be a rare entity in the autistic population: female and middle-aged.Hannah could not, as a child, have received a diagnosis of Asperger
I found this great story by Jo Ashline. Jo has 2 children, one with Autism and she lives in California. We were just wrapping up our evening and putting our leftovers into our to-go boxes when she made her way towards me, her cheeks flushed, her eyes hinting at her humiliation. “I’m so sorry,” she
