Changes in the way that autism is defined may mean fewer cases, and could leave many families without needed services
Autism
Autism and Alternative Medicine: Getting Real About the Benefits and Risks
With no approved medications to treat autism, more parents are turning to alternative therapies to help their kids.
Genetic Condition Often Misdiagnosed As Autism
Up to 50% of children with a genetic disorder unrelated to autism are mistakenly diagnosed with the developmental disorder, and that can lead to inappropriate treatments that can worsen their condition.
What the ‘Love Hormone’ Has to Do With Autism
The latest findings hint at why autistic children are more interested in objects and ideas than they are in other people.
Siblings of Autistic Children at a Higher Risk for the Disorder; Can That Risk Be Lowered?
More research finds a family-based risk of autism among siblings, which raises the question of what parents can do to lower the risk among potentially at-risk youngsters.
Researchers from Aarhus University in Denmark report in …
Induced Labor Linked to Higher Autism Risk
Artificially stimulating labor is associated with a slightly higher risk of autism, but researchers caution that the link may be complicated.
Using Movement to Diagnose and Treat Autism
By taking advantage of disrupted motor connections in the brains of autistic children, researchers say it may be possible for affected kids to guide their own therapy.
Reading the Brain: FDA Approves First Scan for Diagnosing ADHD
It’s the first test to diagnose the behavioral disorder using brain wave patterns, but it won’t be the last. The idea of reading the brain’s activity for clues to mental illness is gaining ground.
Mother’s Antibodies May Explain a Quarter of Autism Cases
A test for six antibodies in an expectant mom’s blood may predict with more than 99% certainty which children are at highest risk of developing autism.
Brain Scans Could Become EKGs for Mental Disorders
If EKGs can detect potential problems in heart function, then doctors are asking why brain scans can’t be used in the same way, to identify disorders like depression, autism or schizophrenia.
Unique Brain Pattern Could Predict Autism in Youngest Children
Genetic changes are almost certainly behind many cases of autism, and the latest research suggests that some of those alterations may be contributing to more densely connected networks of brain nerves.
Prenatal Exposure to Pollution Raises Risk of Autism in Kids
Pollutants in the air are known to affect brain development, but the first national study of in utero exposure and autism rates raises new concerns.
Autistic Children’s Brain Responses To Words Predict Their Developmental Outcomes
Language can prove a bugaboo for children with autism. Now new research finds that it’s possible to use toddlers’ brain responses to words to predict their linguistic and cognitive skills down the road.
Researchers from the …