April 2, 2012
World Autism Awareness Day draws attention to an illness that now affects 1 in every 88 children in the United States. The figure was cited in a study on autism spectrum disorder recently released by the CDC; the report also reveals that the disorder is almost five times more common among boys than girls.…
January 30, 2012
App developers and education and informatics researchers from the University of Edinburgh have collaborated on a new iPad game called FindMe — the first-ever attempt to fuse autism research with iPad gaming. The app could help improve social skills in autistic children as young as 18 months.…
January 20, 2012
Proposed changes to the definition of autism, currently under review by an expert panel appointed by the American Psychiatric Association, are expected to significantly reduce the soaring rate of autism diagnoses. The panel is completing work on the 5th edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or “The DSM.”…
November 9, 2011
Best-estimate clinical diagnoses of pediatric patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) appear to vary widely across regions, according to a study published online in Archives of General Psychiatry.…
April 28, 2011
A simple 24-item checklist may help physicians identify children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) as early as 1-year old, triggering earlier and potentially more effective treatment. The checklist can be completed by parents or caregivers in 5 minutes and scored in less than 2 minutes by medical staff.…
January 6, 2011
The study that triggered worldwide controversy over childhood vaccinations linked to autism was found to be based on widely discredited research, according to a new report published in the British Medical Journal — the first scientific publication to name the scandal as scientific fraud.…
