Increasingly, scientists are studying the brain in people with autism, seeking a molecular signature that might help identify the complex disorder as it develops or some structural clue to its causes. Now an intriguing new study …
Autism
Developmental Disabilities, Including Autism and ADHD, Are on the Rise
One in six American children now has a developmental disability — a 17% increase over the past decade, driven largely by increases in autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to government researchers.
Study: Why Some Transgendered People Have Higher Levels of Autistic Traits
Female-to-male transgendered people — known as transmen — have more autistic traits than typical heterosexual men and women, and more than those who wish to switch gender in the opposite direction, according to new research.
South Korean Study Suggests Rate of Autism May Be Underestimated
In the first large-scale study of its kind, U.S. and South Korean researchers report that the rate of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) may be significantly higher than previously thought, affecting as many as 1 in 38 children. The …
Brain Size, Early Growth: Clues to Autism’s Causes
There’s been a lot of news recently about efforts to detect signs of autism in children earlier — even before age 2, which is when doctors typically make the first diagnosis based on toddlers’ behavior and development. (Read …
Detecting Autism Early With a 5-Minute Questionnaire
It’s generally better to detect a disease sooner rather than later, but with some slowly progressing conditions, it’s not always possible to pick out the first signs of trouble.
A Little-Known Problem in Children With Autism: Wandering Away
Within a matter of seconds, your child slips from your watchful eye and wanders away. Soon, he or she is nowhere to be found.
Closely Spaced Pregnancies May Contribute to Autism
As researchers continue to learn more about autism—its causes and risk factors—it is increasingly clear that there isn’t a single driver for the developmental disorder, and no simple answer to why rates of the condition …
Study: Living Near a Highway May Contribute to Autism Risk
There are many reasons why living near a highway is undesirable — the noise, the poor air quality, the endless stream of lost tourists using your driveway to turn around.
Study: More Hope for a Brain Scan for Autism
A team of researchers from the University of Utah and Harvard have reported using a brain-imaging test that looks at connections within the brain in order to distinguish people with autism from those without.
New Version of an Old Drug Could Treat Autism (and Addiction Too)
One night in 2006, Kathy Roberts rushed her autistic daughter, Jenny, to the hospital. Nothing had been able to stop the young woman, then in her mid-20s, from vomiting. Jenny had recently suffered several major seizures and her …
Study: Some Autistic Brains Really Are Wired Differently
Too many tight connections in frontal-lobe circuits and too few long-distance links between the frontal lobe and the rest of the brain may cause some of the language, social problems and repetitive behavior seen in autism …
1 in 5 Kids With an Autistic Sibling Show Subtle Symptoms Too
It’s not easy being the brother or sister of an autistic child. “Typical” siblings sometimes feel embarrassed by or responsible for their autistic sib, or may feel jealous of all the attention he gets. Now researchers have found …