autism treatment

Faulty brain connections conceal intentions of others in autism

harminka — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:58:34 -0500

Picking up on innuendo and social cues is a central component of engaging in conversation, but people with autism often struggle to determine another person's intentions in a social interaction.

Middle Eastern families yield intriguing clues to autism

harminka — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:42:08 -0500

Research involving large Middle Eastern families, sophisticated genetic analysis and groundbreaking neuroscience has implicated a half-dozen new genes in autism.

University of Leicester to lead audit of adults with autism

harminka — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:29:44 -0500

The University of Leicester is leading on a national study to calculate the number of adults with autism, it has been announced today.

Autistic mannerisms reduced by sensory treatment

harminka — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:28:07 -0500

Parents of children with autism are increasingly turning to sensory integration treatment to help their children deal with the disorder, and they’re seeing good results. In 2007, 71 percent of parents who pursued alternatives to traditional treatment used sensory integration methods, and 91 percent found these methods helpful.

Sticky blood protein yields clues to autism

harminka — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 12:32:43 -0600

Many children with autism have elevated blood levels of serotonin – a chemical with strong links to mood and anxiety. But what relevance this “hyperserotonemia” has for autism has remained a mystery.

Prenatal exposure to maternal antibodies linked to autistic behaviors in offspring

harminka — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 08:55:02 -0600

New research from the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute shows that an interaction between fetal brain cells and maternal antibodies could be linked with the repetitive behavior — also called stereotypies — that is characteristic of autism.

Poor recognition of 'self' found in high functioning people with autism

harminka — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:02:02 -0600

Contrary to popular notions, people at the high end of the autism spectrum disorder continuum suffer most from an inability to model “self” rather than impaired ability to respond to others, said Baylor College of Medicine researchers in a report that appear in the journal Neuron.

Brain study suggests way to measure, treat autism

harminka — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 14:53:23 -0600

Researchers have pinpointed subtle deficits in the brains of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that they say could aid more precise diagnoses and perhaps improve treatment of ASD. The researchers discovered characteristic patterns of brain activity in people with ASD that reflect an inability to perceive themselves as social creatures.

No link between MMR jab and autism spectrum disorders

harminka — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:48:37 -0600

There is no evidence for a link between the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) jab and autism, finds research published ahead of print in the Archives of Disease in Childhood .

2 steps closer to understanding genetic underpinnings of autism

harminka — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 08:03:03 -0600

Today’s issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics (AJHG), describes what might be a corner piece of the autism puzzle—the identification and subsequent validation of a gene linked to the development of autism by three separate groups of scientists.

First autism prevention study launched

harminka — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 14:56:26 -0600

Autism researchers at the University of Washington will take the initial step in attempting to prevent the developmental disorder when they launch an $11.3 million study this week.

Gray matter increase in brains of autistic children

harminka — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 09:16:49 -0600

Using a novel imaging technique to study autistic children, researchers have found increased gray matter in the brain areas that govern social processing and learning by observation.