One of the hardest challenges for families facing autism is the problem of touch. Often, autistic children resist hugging and other types of physical contact, causing distress all around.
Autism
Q&A: Are You Just the Sum of Your Brain’s Connections?
Sebastian Seung, professor of computational neuroscience and physics at MIT and author of the new book, Connectome, argues that you are.
The Perils of ‘Metabolic Chauvinism’
A reporter’s notes from a recent scientific conference
Ending the Autism Epidemic: If the Definition Changes, Will Some Kids Lose Services?
With an official redefinition of autism in the offing, many parents are worried.
Advice from Dr. Spock’s 9th Edition: Less Materialism, More Nature
More than six decades after his seminal child care book was published, Dr. Spock still knows what’s best for baby.
Girls on the Spectrum: Q&A with the Author of Aspergirls
Is Asperger syndrome really less common in girls and women, or are females just better than males at masking autistic symptoms?
MyAutismTeam: A New Site for Families With Autism
In September, Emily Ybarra saw an ad on Facebook for MyAutismTeam, a new site where parents of kids with autism can connect. Because Ybarra has a young son with autism, she clicked and was almost immediately rewarded.
Prozac May Reduce Symptoms of Autism in Adults
The antidepressant Prozac may alleviate repetitive behavior and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in adults with autism, reducing these defining symptoms of the disorder, according to new research.
Study: Autistic Children Have More Brain Cells
There’s growing evidence that the brains of autistic children are very different from the brains of other youngsters. Now a new study that found an excess of brain cells in children with autism comes closer to pinpointing the …
Risk of Autism Is Five Times Higher in Low-Birthweight Babies
Low-birthweight babies are at risk for all sorts of motor and cognitive delays, and researchers have just added autism to the list. A new study from the University of Pennsylvania finds that premature babies weighing less than …
1 in 10 Parents Skip or Delay Vaccines
More than one in 10 parents don’t follow the recommended vaccination schedule for their children, according to a new study. And one in four who do adhere to current guidelines say they still feel that it may not be the best or …
Vaccine Safety: New Report Finds Few Adverse Events Linked to Immunizations
In a new report investigating adverse events caused by vaccines, a panel of experts says there are relatively few health problems caused by the most commonly recommended immunizations, which public health experts advise that all …
Could the Way We Mate and Marry Boost Rates of Autism?
In this week’s paper issue of TIME, author Judith Warner explores a provocative theory about why rates of autism, particularly the mild form known as Asperger’s, are on the rise: because people who have certain “autistic” traits …