The latest in Autism Spectrum Disorders

1 in 4 parents buys unproven vaccine-autism link

2010-03-01T03:30:12Z

<div id="subtitle">1 in 4 parents believes unproven vaccine-autism link, but most do what doctor says is best</div><div><p>One in four U.S. parents believes some vaccines cause autism in healthy children, but even many of those worried about vaccine risks think their children should be vaccinated.</p><p>Most parents continue to follow the advice of their children's doctors, according to a study based on...

Friend: NY mom had obsessed over dead son's autism

2010-02-25T18:15:54Z

<div><p>Gigi Jordan quit a high-powered job as a pharmaceutical company executive and abandoned her social life to devote all her time to her severely autistic son.</p><p>For most of his tortured life, Jude Michael Mirra repeatedly banged his head on the floor, screaming and unable to speak, writhing in pain. His mother, trained as a nurse, went to exhaustive lengths to help the 8-year-old, desperate for a cure.</p&...

Manhattan Hotel Death

2010-02-25T12:32:27Z

FILE - This Feb. 5, 2010 file photo shows the entrance to the Peninsula Hotel in New York where severely autistic 8-year-old Jude Michael Mirra was found dead, prosecutors say at the hands of his mother. After years of struggling with his autism and her inability to help him, Jude’s mother Gigi Jordan gave up. To those who knew ...

Proposed autism diagnosis changes anger "Aspies"

2010-02-22T09:04:20Z

<div id="subtitle">'Aspies' cling to Asperger's as an elite diagnosis and balk at proposal to lump it with autism</div><div><p>In the autism world, "Aspies" are sometimes seen as the elites, the ones who are socially awkward, yet academically gifted and who embrace their quirkiness.</p><p>Now, many Aspies, a nickname for people with Asperger's syndrome, are upset over a proposal they see as an attack on their ide...

"Love" hormone may help autism symptoms: study

2010-02-22T09:23:57Z

<div><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A hormone thought to encourage bonding between mothers and their babies may foster social behavior in some adults with autism, French researchers said on Monday.</p><p>They found patients who inhaled the hormone oxytocin paid more attention to expressions when looking at pictures of faces and were more likely to understand social cues in a game ...

Changes proposed in how psychiatrists diagnose

2010-02-22T10:25:55Z

<div id="subtitle">Psychiatrists propose changes in how doctors diagnose and name mental disorders</div><div><p>Don't say "mental retardation" — the new term is "intellectual disability." No more diagnoses of Asperger's syndrome — call it a mild version of autism instead. And while "behavioral addictions" will be new to doctors' dictionaries, "Internet addiction" didn't make the cut.</p><p>The CHICAGO (Reuters) - Being an older mother significantly increases the risk of having a child with autism, but being an older father only increases the risk when the mother is under the age of 30, U.S. researchers said on Monday.</p><p>They found that a 40-year-old w...

Autism risks detailed in children of older mothers

2010-02-22T10:48:44Z

<div><p>A woman's chance of having a child with autism increase substantially as she ages, but the risk may be less for older dads than previously suggested, a new study analyzing more than 5 million births found.</p><p>"Although fathers' age can contribute risk, the risk is overwhelmed by maternal age," said University of California at Davis researc...

Big differences remain on Mo. autism coverage bill

2010-02-22T17:44:30Z

<div id="subtitle">Advocates, insurance companies are many dollars apart on Missouri autism insurance proposals</div><div><p>Despite nearly a year of negotiations, big differences remain between insurers and advocates for autistic children who are urging Missouri to mandate coverage of a costly but promising behavioral therapy.</p><p>House and Senate committees each...

What Are the Different Types of Symptoms and Diagnosis of Autism?

2010-02-22T18:56:05Z

Symptoms and treatment of autism vary widely, dependant on the individual. Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) which affects normal brain function, impairing social and communication abilities. Early detection is essential and so that parents of autistic children can capitalize on the many treatment options available.<br><br>One of the 1st autism symptoms is a child's inability to socialize, exhibiting bad behavior, poor communication skills, and in ...

The Gluten-Casein Free Diet For Autistic Children

2010-02-22T22:01:13Z

Once you find out your child is Autistic you will then want to begin some type of treatment plan.<br><br>The Gluten-Casein Free Diet consists of removing any foods from your Autistic child's diet that contain Gluten and Casein. This can seem hard at first because so many foods do have Gluten in them. Gluten is found in most prepared foods. Foods containing wheat, barley ,oats, or rye need to be eliminated from the diet. Gluten can also be found in some vinegars and...

Study turns up 10 autism clusters in California

2010-02-23T00:32:37Z

<div><p>CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. researchers have identified 10 locations in California that have double the rates of autism found in surrounding areas, and these clusters were located in neighborhoods with high concentrations of white, highly educated parents.</p><p>Researchers ...

Another study finds no MMR-autism link

2010-02-23T01:40:09Z

<div><p>NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study provides further evidence that the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine is not associated with an increased risk of autism.</p><p>Concerns that the MMR shot could cause autism were first raised a decade ago by British physician Andrew Wakefield, who, based on a study of 12...

Evidence lacking for special diets in autism

2010-02-23T01:53:25Z

<div><p>An expert panel says there's no rigorous evidence that digestive problems are more common in children with autism compared to other children, or that special diets work, contrary to claims by celebrities and vaccine naysayers.</p><p>Painful digestive problems can trigger problem behavior in children with autism and should be treated medically, according to the panel's report published in the January issue of Pediatrics and released ...

Texas study confirms lower autism rate in Hispanics

2010-02-23T08:22:32Z

<div><p>NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Hispanic kids are less likely than their non-Hispanic white counterparts to be diagnosed with autism, and socioeconomic factors don't seem to explain the difference, according to a new study in Texas schoolchildren.</p><p>"These findings raise questions: Is autism under diagnosed among Hispanics? Ar...

New CDC estimate: 1 in 110 children have autism

2010-02-23T14:08:52Z

<div><p>About 1 in 110 children have autism, according to the government's latest estimate released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.</p><p>It's a small change from a 1 in 100 preliminary estimate that CDC officials made in October from the same study. CDC officials said the latest number comes from a m...

One percent of U.S. children have autism: study

2010-02-23T14:05:58Z

<div><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Autism, a brain disorder that interferes with communication and social skills, affected an estimated one in 110 American 8-year-olds in 2006, according to a federal study released Friday.</p><p>The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and ...

NJ looks to expands services for those with autism

2010-02-23T19:38:52Z

<div id="subtitle">New Jersey Assembly poised to vote on legislation to expand services for those with autism</div><div><p>New Jersey Assembly members are poised to vote on legislation that would provide more assistance for people with autism.</p><p>The Garden State has the nation's highest autism rate, and officials have moved in recent years to raise...

Missouri lawmakers try again on autism insurance

2010-02-23T21:25:54Z

<div id="subtitle">Missouri lawmakers to make autism insurance requirement a priority in 2010 legislative session</div><div><p>Missouri's top House official pledged his support for legislation requiring health insurers to cover an expensive therapy for autistic children.</p><p>Legislation proposed for the 2010 session would require group health insurance plans to cover up to $72,000 of behavioral therapy per year...

Early intervention aids children with autism: study

2010-02-23T22:52:07Z

<div><p>A new therapeutical treatment for autism that can be used to treat children as young as 18 months improves their IQ, language ability and social interaction, according to a study published Monday.</p><p>"This is the first controlled study of an intensive early intervention that is appropriate for children with autism who are less than two-and-a-half years of age," said Gera...