Autism

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September 2008
- Autism-Reversing Drugs Show Promise
  
  NPR | Sep 24, 08 12:50 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - MIT scientists have discovered one of the mechanisms of Fragile X Syndrome, one cause of autism, and are developing drugs to treat it, NPR reports. The disorder, triggered by a genetic mutation, interferes with the normal links between brain cells, making those networks something like a car without a brakes. The new drugs limit acceleration, and have been successful in mice. More »
- Insurers Balk at Paying for Autism Therapy
  
  Boston Globe | Sep 16, 08 6:33 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A national autism advocacy group is pushing insurance companies to pick up the tab for intensive new therapies now footed by local school districts, the Boston Globe reports. They say the rising number of autism cases will swamp school budgets and make it unlikely that kids will get the help they need. On the flip side, pushing insurers into the education business will “drive up costs for everyone,” says an industry rep, who adds that the therapies—which can run $100,000 a year—are still unproven. More »
- New Study Finds No Vaccine Link to Autism
  
  Washington Post | Sep 4, 08 6:00 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A new study concludes that a childhood vaccine against measles, mumps, and rubella is not linked to autism, reports the Washington Post . Researchers studied bowel biopsies from 38 autistic children and found no link between the vaccine and the digestive problems often associated with autism. The results, which contradict the findings of an earlier study, come amid a federal investigation on the controversial topic. More »
July 2008
- Savage Defends Attack on Autistic 'Brats'
  
  New York Times | Jul 22, 08 2:32 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Right-wing mouth Michael Savage isn't backing down from his remarks characterizing autistic kids as nothing more than "brats," outraging thousands of parents, the New York Times reports. The radio host said in a broadcast last week that autism was a "fraud" and 99% of cases were created by poor parenting. Dozens of parents demonstrated outside his studio yesterday, and an insurance company has canceled advertising on his program. More »
- Study Yields More Clues About Autism
  
  Associated Press | Jul 10, 08 6:20 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Scientists have found six new genes linked to autism, inching closer to a fuller understanding of the disorder and how to treat it, the AP reports. The genes in question are necessary for learning but are essentially stuck in the "off" position. The finding lends credence to the philosophy behind intensive education programs that seek to give the circuits an "extra push," said one expert. More »
- For Top Vaccine Doc, Autism Battle Hits Home
  
  Washington Post | Jul 1, 08 7:33 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - For one of the country's highest-profile vaccine researchers, the accusation that the medical establishment is covering up a link between autism and vaccinations hits a nerve. Peter Hotez's 15-year-old daughter, Rachel, has autism, a fact that colors every aspect of her family's life. Her parents, Peter and Ann, declined to let a reporter meet Rachel but opened up to the Washington Post. More »
May 2008
- Autism Linked to Parents' Mental Disorders
  
  AFP | May 6, 08 3:18 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A new study of autistic children may provide insight into the causes of autism and its epidemic rates in developed countries. Researchers have found a link between autism and mental disorders among parents—including schizophrenia, personality disorders and clinical depression. Mothers and fathers diagnosed with schizophrenia are about twice as likely to have a child diagnosed with autism, the study found. More »
- Austin center charts different course on autism
  
  Austin American-Statesman | May 4, 08
  
  Since it opened in 2005, Thoughtful House has seen about 2,500 patients, officials there said. The nonprofit has attracted celebrity supporters in Austin and parents from around the world who say mainstream doctors offered them little help — and no hope — for their children. They say their children are recovering from autism at Thoughtful House.But government scientists, other researchers and many mainstream doctors have repeatedly challenged the theory on which Thoughtful House anchors much of its work, and they say there is no credible science behind many of its prescribed medical treatments.
- Austin center charts different course on autism
  
  Austin American-Statesman | May 4, 08
  
  Since it opened in 2005, Thoughtful House has seen about 2,500 patients, officials there said. The nonprofit has attracted celebrity supporters in Austin and parents from around the world who say mainstream doctors offered them little help — and no hope — for their children. They say their children are recovering from autism at Thoughtful House.But government scientists, other researchers and many mainstream doctors have repeatedly challenged the theory on which Thoughtful House anchors much of its work, and they say there is no credible science behind many of its prescribed medical treatments.
- Software Brings Autism Therapy Into Homes
  
  Seattle Post-Intelligencer | May 1, 08 8:00 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A Seattle software company is offering new hope to parents of autistic children who struggle to get, and afford, behavioral therapy, which can cost upward of $30,000 a year and isn't usually covered by insurance. Jigsaw Learning has created a game-like computer network, called TeachTown, that provides some aspects of the therapy, the Post-Intelligencer reports. More »
April 2008
- Autistic Kids Linked to Sperm Donor
  
  CNN | Apr 3, 08 8:07 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A New York professor who wanted to become a mother contacted a sperm bank and chose sperm from a donor with a high IQ. When her son turned out to be autistic, she contacted other mothers who used the same donor and discovered some of their kids were autistic as well, CNN reports. Experts warn there's no effective way to genetically screen for the condition. More »
February 2008
- Digital Tutors May Edge Out Real Thing
  
  LiveScience | Feb 22, 08 3:33 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - The best education available these days may be a virtual one, scientists are finding. Today´s digital educators can teach anything from social to language skills—and don't get tired, bored or irritable, LiveScience reports. The programs are a perfect match for autistic kids, who often find face-to-face interactions overwhelming. More »
- Missing Protein May Explain 'Rain Man'
  
  LiveScience | Feb 13, 08 4:27 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - The absence of a certain brain protein may play a role in the development of “autistic savants”—patients who exhibit the socio-cognitive impairments of autism but possess exceptional aptitude in highly specific areas, Live Science reports. Researchers found mice lacking the Shank1 protein, used for building synapses, learned one spatial memory task faster and better than normal mice despite having somewhat shriveled brains. More »
January 2008
- Docs Demand ABC Pull Vaccine-Autism Drama
  
  USA Today | Jan 29, 08 4:17 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Angry pediatricians are demanding the first episode of new ABC legal drama "Eli Stone" be pulled because of its dangerous message about childhood vaccinations, reports USA Today . Doctors say the storyline, in which a woman wins a $5.2 million judgment against vaccine companies because of her son's autism, will give viewers "the destructive idea that vaccines cause autism"—and trigger a drop in vaccination rates, said a statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics. More »
- Second Life Offers Aid for Asperger's
  
  ABC News | Jan 16, 08 2:18 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Sufferers from Asperger’s syndrome, characterized by an inability to pick up social cues, are getting an unlikely assist from the virtual world Second Life, ABC News reports. Researchers have found that the site, in which users communicate through online avatars, is more effective than other therapies for guiding patients through social exercises such as asking another avatar out on a date or asking a “boss” avatar for a raise. More »
- Study Finds Mutated Genes Raise Autism Risk
  
  USA Today | Jan 10, 08 3:50 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Researchers studying the DNA of autistic children have discovered a pair of genetic mutations that raise the risk of developing autism as high as a hundredfold, USA Today reports. The defects in chromosome 16 occur in just 1% of autistic kids, but that figure represents some 10,000 children. A test has been developed to identify the mutations, which may be "the tip of the iceberg" of genetic aberrations linked to autism, said one expert. More »
December 2007
- New Tech Identifies Rare DNA Disorders
  
  New York Times | Dec 28, 07 11:50 AM CST

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Stories

Autism-Reversing Drugs Show Promise

Insurers Balk at Paying for Autism Therapy

New Study Finds No Vaccine Link to Autism

Savage Defends Attack on Autistic 'Brats'

Study Yields More Clues About Autism

For Top Vaccine Doc, Autism Battle Hits Home

Autism Linked to Parents' Mental Disorders

Austin center charts different course on autism

Austin center charts different course on autism

Software Brings Autism Therapy Into Homes

Autistic Kids Linked to Sperm Donor

Digital Tutors May Edge Out Real Thing

Missing Protein May Explain 'Rain Man'

Docs Demand ABC Pull Vaccine-Autism Drama

Second Life Offers Aid for Asperger's

Study Finds Mutated Genes Raise Autism Risk

New Tech Identifies Rare DNA Disorders