Some autistic people report feeling more strongly connected to animals than to other people, but a new study suggests that introducing companion animals to autistic children at the right time in life may help with human bonding, too.
Autism
What Genius and Autism Have in Common
A study of eight child prodigies finds that share some striking characteristics, most notably high levels of autistic traits and an overrepresentation of autism in their close family members
Using Brain Activity Patterns to Identify Autism in Kids as Young as 2
In a large new study, researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital used EEG to identify specific patterns of brain activity that can distinguish children with autism.
Should Depressed People Avoid Having Children?
Do people with depression or other psychological problems have any moral obligation to forgo bearing children in order to avoid passing on their “bad” genes?
Why Jenny McCarthy Doesn’t Matter
The former Playmate is posing nude again for Playboy. Will McCarthy’s fee bolster the cause of Generation Rescue, her autism research organization that rejects vaccines as dangerous?
Are Vaccines Safe? A Major Media Outlet’s Specious Story Fans the Debate
The Learning Channel’s website yanked a story that was riddled with mistruths and flat-out errors — but only after major medical organizations complained.
‘Shock’ School Trial: Where Is the Evidence that Abuse Helps Treat Autism?
The video is brutal: a young man, pinned face down in four-point restraints, receiving 31 electric shocks over the course of several hours that convulse his body with pain. But this is not Guantánamo or Syria.
Can Autism Really Be Diagnosed in Minutes?
A Harvard researcher says he’s achieved exceptional accuracy in identifying autism by using just seven online questions and an evaluation of a short home video of the child, instead of conventional, face-to-face exams that can take hours.
Seeking the Roots of Autism and Antisocial Personality in the Brain
Experts have long noted that both autism and antisocial personality disorder are marked by problems with empathy, yet the differences between the two conditions couldn’t be starker.
Mom’s Obesity, Diabetes Linked with Autism and Developmental Delays
New research from the University of California, Davis, finds that a woman’s weight and health during pregnancy may have significant influences on her child’s development.
Autism Studies Confirm Genetic Complexity and Risk for Older Fathers
Four new studies this week take on the genetics of autism, finding further evidence that older fathers are at increased risk of having an autistic child and suggesting that, overall, the genetic roots of the condition are …
Autism: Why Some Children ‘Bloom’ and Overcome Their Disabilities
About 10% of low-functioning children with autism may “bloom” and outgrow most of their severe disabilities by adolescence.