UCLA researchers have combined two tools - gene expression and the use of peripheral blood - to expand scientists' arsenal of methods for pinpointing genes that play a role in autism. Published in the online edition of the American Journal of Human Genetics, the findings could help scientists...
A pioneering report of genome-wide gene expression in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) finds genetic changes that help explain why one person has an ASD and another does not. The study, published by Cell Press in The American Journal of Human Genetics, pinpoints ASD risk factors by comparing...
A new University of Miami (UM) study shows that one in three children who have an older sibling with an Autism Related Disorder (ASD) fall into a group characterized by higher levels of autism-related behaviors or lower levels of developmental progress. The study will be presented at the...
An editorial published in the prestigious journal Environmental Health Perspectives calls for increased research to identify possible environmental causes of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders in America's children and presents a list of ten target chemicals including which are...
Autism rates are climbing in the U.S.--which is leading scientists to look for some of the genetic and environmental factors which may be leading to the spike. So far, they've identified the age of the father*and*the weight of the mother, just to name a few. But a new peer-reviewed study, which...
A new approach to investigating hard-to-find chromosomal abnormalities has identified 33 genes associated with autism and related disorders, 22 for the first time. Several of these genes also appear to be altered in different ways in individuals with psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia...
Children born to obese, hypertensive or diabetic mothers are 60% more likely to be autistic or have other developmental delays, according to a new study. This adds to a wealth of evidence linking maternal obesity with unhealthy or impaired children. Yet whenever the issue of pregnancy and weight...
It has long been recognized that autism runs in families, suggesting a substantial genetic component to the disease. Yet few genes have so far been identified and the underlying genetic architecture of autism - that is, how many genes contribute and to what extent they influence a person's...
An important step towards developing a rapid, inexpensive diagnostic method for autism has been taken by Uppsala University, among other universities. Through advanced mass spectrometry the researchers managed to capture promising biomarkers from a tiny blood sample. The study has just been...
Often, children with autism have difficulties developing motor skills, such as throwing a ball, learning how to write, or running. However, a study published in the journal Autism, suggests that autism itself, not genetics, may be to blame. The research was conducted at Washington University...
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) come with several neurodevelopmental signs and symptoms which overlap other conditions - it is possible that some early ASD diagnoses are wrong, especially among children who no longer meet the criteria for ASD as they get older, researchers from the Johns Hopkins...
"Face recognition is an important social skill, but not all of us are equally good at it," says Beijing Normal University cognitive psychologist Jia Liu. But what accounts for the difference? A new study by Liu and colleagues Ruosi Wang, Jingguang Li, Huizhen Fang, and Moqian Tian provides the...
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who attend regular education classes may be more likely to improve their social skills if their typically developing peers are taught how to interact with them than if only the children with ASD are taught such skills. According to a study funded by...
As of 1.5 weeks ago I have been unemployed (Nov 12th). I'm 27, female, engaged and my fiancé has the job I was last at. I have NVLD (lowest form of autism, PLEASE LOOK IT UP) and other disorders that don't matter to the job force.
So here is the question I really have. What is your opinion...
As of 1.5 weeks ago I have been unemployed (Nov 12th). I'm 27, female, engaged and my fiancé has the job I was last at. I have NVLD (lowest form of autism, PLEASE LOOK IT UP) and other disorders that don't matter to the job force.
So here is the question I really have. What is your opinion...
Research just released shows that scientists are finding new tools to help understand neurodevelopmental disorders like autism and fragile X syndrome. These studies show in new detail how the brain's connections, chemicals, and genes interact to affect behavior. The research findings were...
"Recent data and my own personal experience suggest it's time to start thinking of autism as an advantage in some spheres, not a cross to bear," says Dr. Laurent Mottron, MD, PhD, a professor at the University of Montreal's department of Psychiatry and the director of the autism program at...
It's an often used platitude that it's how a team plays the game, not that game's result, that is most important. For one Orlando-area swimmer, it's not even how he plays the game that's important. Rather, it's how he's part of a team.
As reported by the Orlando Sentinel, Ian Soules was...
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...
A paper coming out in the next issue of the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases addresses the question of the link between vaccines and autism. This new review article examines three hypotheses linking vaccines to autism:
(1) the combination measles-mumps-rubella vaccine causes autism by...