Out of Sync Brain May Be a Clue to Autism

Out of Sync Brain May Be a Clue to Autism: "Toddlers with autism are more likely to have abnormal synchronization between certain brain areas than other kids the same age, even those with language delays, according to a new study.
''There seems to be impaired or reduced synchronization between the right and left hemispheres, specifically the areas involved in language and communication,' says researcher Ilan Dinstein, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel."

Do Tech-Rich Regions Have More Autism? - Ideas Market - WSJ

Do Tech-Rich Regions Have More Autism? - Ideas Market - WSJ: "The hypothesis that there’s a link between autism and minds oriented toward math and technology just grew stronger: A new study has found that a region of the Netherlands known for high-tech industry has substantially higher levels of autism-spectrum conditions than two other regions."

'Face blind' sufferers see world like this. But now there's hope - Scotsman.com

'Face blind' sufferers see world like this. But now there's hope - Scotsman.com: "A SCOTTISH eye expert has developed what he says is the first treatment in the world for people who suffer from face blindness.
The condition, also known as prosopagnosia, impairs the ability of people to recognise faces and facial expressions and is common in people with autism.

Now optometrist Ian Jordan has developed a system using coloured lenses to help people overcomADVERTISEMENT
e the disability, which can have a serious impact on their lives."

How common is autism?

"Earlier this month, a press release from Yale University announced: "Prevalence of Autism in South Korea Estimated at 1 in 38 Children". This estimate was considerably higher than recent UK studies (Baird et al, and Baron-Cohen et al). There are three possibilities: either children in South Korea are at unusually high risk of autism; previous studies have dramatically underestimated the prevalence of autism; or this new study gives an overestimate.

The authors reject the first option and plump for the second. Their estimate, they maintain, is so high because they looked for children in mainstream schools, doing their own assessments of children detected on an initial screening questionnaire, rather than relying on existing diagnoses."

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Baron-Cohen et al