Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

Rethink Autism provides free online video to help child with autism for Halloween-related social interactions

How does a family with a child on the autism spectrum participate in Halloween activities. That question is pondered by more families than ever before. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that an average of 1 in 110 children in the United States has an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

25 Oct 2010

Brainwave to open twenty first shop at Taunton

On the 29 October 2010, Brainwave will open their twenty first shop at 2 Priorswood Place Taunton, following the success of their existing Taunton store at 106 Roman Road.

25 Oct 2010

Research finds succimer drug not effective in removing mercury

Succimer, a drug used for treating lead poisoning, does not effectively remove mercury from the body, according to research supported by the National Institutes of Health. Some families have turned to succimer as an alternative therapy for treating autism.

25 Oct 2010

Daschle says GOP might defund health plan, and other overhaul news

Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, a South Dakota Democrat, tells Kaiser Health News that a Republican strategy to defund the health law may be an effective way for the plan's opponents to unravel it.

25 Oct 2010

ASD-related health care expenditures escalate in state Medicaid programs

Autism was described as early as 1940, but a marked increase in the prevalence for the broader class of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) during the past decade highlights the demand for treatment of affected individuals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the prevalence of ASD was one in 110 children in 2006 and increased at an average annual rate of 57% between 2002 and 2006. The rising prevalence has heightened concern about the financial impact of treating ASDs in the private and public health care systems.

25 Oct 2010

Trained service dogs can help children with Autism Syndrome Disorders

Dogs may not only be man's best friend, they may also have a special role in the lives of children with special needs. According to a new Universit- de Montreal study, specifically trained service dogs can help reduce the anxiety and enhance the socialization skills of children with Autism Syndrome Disorders (ASDs).

20 Oct 2010

Autistic children with poor diet face risk of vision loss due to vitamin B12 deficiency

Autistic children with severely limited diets may be at risk for vision loss due to vitamin B12 deficiency, according to new research from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Doctors should consider this deficiency when evaluating and treating children with autism and vision loss, the authors said.

20 Oct 2010

Scientists probe functional connectivity among neurons in auditory cortex gives rise to map of acoustic space

Just as we visually map a room by spatially identifying the objects in it, we map our aural world based on the frequencies of sounds. The neurons within the brain's "hearing center"-the auditory cortex-are organized into modules that each respond to sounds within a specific frequency band. But how responses actually emanate from this complex network of neurons is still a mystery.

19 Oct 2010

Pre-Brain Balance Program for autistic children

With the autism epidemic on the rise, Brain Balance Centers of Peachtree City & Suwanee, GA have implemented the groundbreaking Pre-Brain Balance Program to help children diagnosed with mild, moderate and severe autism spectrum disorders and reactive detachment disorders. The program is designed to improve children's listening comprehension, motor skills, core elements and verbal communication.

19 Oct 2010

UCSF professor receives National Medal of Science

UCSF Nobel laureate Stanley B. Prusiner, MD, UCSF professor of neurology and director of the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, today (Oct. 15, 2010) was named to receive the National Medal of Science, the nation's highest honor for science and technology.

18 Oct 2010

FDA warns companies over unsubstantiated claims of 'chelation' products

The Food and Drug Administration says there's no proof that nonprescription 'chelation' products—which claim to treat everything from autism to Alzheimer's disease—can rid the body of toxic metals.

15 Oct 2010

UCLA study sheds light on roots of schizophrenia, autism

UCLA scientists have discovered that exposing fetal neurons to higher than normal levels of a common immune protein leads to abnormal brain development in mice.

15 Oct 2010

Study finds vaccination rates in decline for children covered by private health plans

A new report shows that vaccination rates among two-year-olds covered by private insurance plans dipped by almost four percentage points last year." At the same time, vaccination rates for children covered by Medicaid were edging up by less than 1%.

15 Oct 2010

Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Research Network to focus on neurodevelopmental disabilities

Recognizing both medical progress and unmet needs in the field of developmental disabilities, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia will house the Network Coordinating Center for a newly established collaborative organization, the Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Research Network.

14 Oct 2010

Justices wrestle with issue of protecting vaccine makers

The Supreme Court is grappling with the question of how much protection the 1986 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act was meant to provide vaccine manufacturers against lawsuits. The case involves Hannah Bruesewitz, whose parents claim that a Wyeth-manufactured D.T.P. vaccine she received as an infant in 1992 led to developmental problems.

14 Oct 2010

NCQA reports two new findings on nation's health care

The new State of Health Care Quality report from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has two new findings about the nation's health care.

13 Oct 2010

Infection during pregnancy linked to increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders in fetus

A pregnant woman's immune response to viral infections may induce subtle neurological changes in the unborn child that can lead to an increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders including schizophrenia and autism. Research published in the online journal mBio- provides new insights into how this may happen and suggests potential strategies for reducing this risk.

13 Oct 2010

U of U researchers use MRI to diagnose autism

University of Utah (U of U) medical researchers have made an important step in diagnosing autism through using MRI, an advance that eventually could help health care providers identify the problem much earlier in children and lead to improved treatment and outcomes for those with the disorder.

13 Oct 2010

High Court to hear vaccine case

The New York Times: A Supreme Court case scheduled for today will examine whether the 1986 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act should protect manufacturers from "virtually all product liability lawsuits."

13 Oct 2010

Vaccine lawsuits – Justices divided

The US Supreme Court is seemingly divided over the lawsuits on childhood vaccines. The Justices acquiesced that the Congress has done its bit to shield vaccine-makers from suits by the few who have had an adverse reaction to a vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Now the matter revolves around whether those hurt by vaccines have the right to sue manufacturers if they can prove that a safer version was available.

12 Oct 2010