Is autism over diagnosed?

Click here for the article.

Oxytocin may help some people with autism

This is really old news, but another study/finding.  To read the article, click here.

Are endless hours of repetitive skill building outside the natural routine really a good idea?

Please read article linked here.

Breastfeeding your baby could protect them from autism, new study says: Express UK

"The shocking research has found breastfeeding could boost social behaviour in children born with a genetic predisposition to autism.
The findings suggest that a chemical passed from mother to child in breast milk could help protect babies from the behavioural disorder."
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Vasopressin Emerges as a Hormone of Interest in Autism Research: Scientific American

"Ask a physician what the hormone vasopressin is good for, and she will explain that it regulates the volume of water in your body and also affects blood pressure. But since the 1990s, vasopressin has been a hot topic in a very different field: social behavior. And recently it has emerged as a possible target for treating autism spectrum disorders (ASD), which are characterized by social, behavioral and communication impairments. The research is still in early stages, however, and has yielded more questions than answers."
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Scientists pinpoint how a single genetic mutation causes autism

Scientists pinpoint how a single genetic mutation causes autism: Published today in the journal Cell, the research shows that an enzyme called UBE3A can be switched off when a phosphate molecule is tacked onto UBE3A. In neurons and during normal brain development, this switch can be turned off and on, leading to tight regulation of UBE3A. But a research team led by Mark Zylka, PhD, associate professor of cell biology and physiology, found that an autism-linked mutation destroys this regulatory switch. Destruction of the switch creates an enzyme that cannot be turned off. As a result, UBE3A becomes hyperactive and drives abnormal brain development and autism.

Rep Begs Congress: Investigate Vaccine-Autism Link Coverup

Rep Begs Congress: Investigate Vaccine-Autism Link Coverup: Last summer, a senior epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control, admitted that he had helped the CDC hide data from a study that linked the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine to autism. Although the official study said no link was found, Dr. William Thompson said the study actually found that giving a child the vaccine before the age of 36 months increased the risk of autism by 69 percent, and giving it to an African-American child increased the risk of autism by 240 percent.

Autism Cost In America Could Reach $1 Trillion In 10 Years

Autism Cost In America Could Reach $1 Trillion In 10 Years: The cost of caring for autism in the United States could hit the $1 trillion mark in another 10 years, if the disorder continued to prevail at the current rate, the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), researchers said.

Girls with mild autism prone to severe epilepsy

Girls with autism are nearly three times as likely as boys with the disorder to have severe epilepsy that responds poorly to medication1.

The findings, published 26 June in Autism Research, add a twist to one of the biggest conundrums in autism: its 4-to-1 ratio of boys to girls. Research suggests that girls are somehow protected from autism-linked mutations. The new study hints that these mutations also lead to treatment-resistant epilepsy.

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CDC Should Admit Coverup of Vaccine-Autism Link: Top Doctor

CDC Should Admit Coverup of Vaccine-Autism Link: Top Doctor: Last summer, Dr. William Thompson, a senior epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control, admitted that he had helped the CDC hide data from a study which linked the MMR vaccine to autism. Holistic doctor David Brownstein tells Newsmax Health the CDC is still not owning up to Dr. Thompson's charges that they found data that links the vaccine to a spike in autism. "The CDC is still not coming clean," Dr. Brownstein says. "They want to keep it quiet, but it's time the cover-up ended."

CDC Should Admit Coverup of Vaccine-Autism Link: Top Doctor

CDC Should Admit Coverup of Vaccine-Autism Link: Top Doctor: Last summer, Dr. William Thompson, a senior epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control, admitted that he had helped the CDC hide data from a study which linked the MMR vaccine to autism. Holistic doctor David Brownstein tells Newsmax Health the CDC is still not owning up to Dr. Thompson's charges that they found data that links the vaccine to a spike in autism. "The CDC is still not coming clean," Dr. Brownstein says. "They want to keep it quiet, but it's time the cover-up ended."

Study suggests potential way to predict autism or psychosis risk in children with genetic abnormality

Study suggests potential way to predict autism or psychosis risk in children with genetic abnormality: New findings by researchers at UCLA and the University of Pittsburgh are the first to suggest a potential way to make that determination. In a study published in PLOS One, the researchers report having isolated specific genetic differences between people with the chromosomal deletion — known as 22q11.2 deletion syndrome or DiGeorge syndrome — who have autism and those who have psychosis.

Interpreting body language is no problem for kids with autism

The finding challenges the commonly held notion that children with autism have difficulty reading emotions. This may have arisen from studies focusing on whether people with the condition can interpret emotions from just the face or eyes, says Candida Peterson at the University of Queensland in Australia.

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Shriners doing autism study using diet | More Local News - KITV Home

Shriners doing autism study using diet | More Local News - KITV Home: a pioneering study is being done right here at the Shriners Hospital for Children to see if a diet can make a difference. They are calling for more to take part.

Could early infant screening and intervention help prevent autism?

Could early infant screening and intervention help prevent autism?: Among the many available therapies and early interventions for children with autism, only a few are backed up with solid scientific evidence. But here’s some good news: recently, the quality of autism early intervention research has improved significantly.

A number of randomised controlled trials – the gold standard scientific method for testing whether a treatment works – show various parent-training and therapist-delivered interventions can help young children with autism to build skills for social communication and independent living.

Small test may diagnose autism, research suggests : MEDICINE & HEALTH : Science Times

Small test may diagnose autism, research suggests : MEDICINE & HEALTH : Science Times: A person with autism may be diagnosed with a smell test, a study suggests.


Normal individuals respond to pleasant smell by taking a deep breath, while for bad odor, they are more likely to limit their breathing. Researchers, however, discovered that autistic children do not react to any at all. In fact, those with autism show different sniffing patterns than normal children.








"We can identify autism and its severity with meaningful accuracy within less than 10 minutes using a test that is completely non-verbal and entails no task to follow," Noam Sobel, who works for Weizmann Institute of Science, and a principal researcher of the study.

Autism symptoms may be helped by diabetic diet | UTSanDiego.com

Autism symptoms may be helped by diabetic diet | UTSanDiego.com:



"While genetic influences predispose certain people to autism, the environment helps determine how the symptoms manifest."



The study by Salk Institute scientists found that the brains of mice fed diets with a high glycemic index accumulated more activated immune cells called microglia, along with signs of inflammation. The mice also exhibited more autistic type behaviors, such as impaired social interactions, and apparently purposeless activities

Robot helps children with autism by teaching them social skills | FOX31 Denver

Robot helps children with autism by teaching them social skills | FOX31 Denver: It’s therapy like you’ve never seen before and he’s not your traditional therapist.

NAO moves, talks and even dances the macarena; he even knows some more recent hits like Gangnam Style.

Early intervention improves long-term outcomes for children with autism | EurekAlert! Science News

Early intervention improves long-term outcomes for children with autism | EurekAlert! Science News: The study is the first in more than 20 years to look at long-term outcomes after early intensive autism intervention. The therapy began when children were 18 to 30 months of age and involved therapists and parents working with the toddlers in their homes for more than 15 hours each week for two years.

Low glycemic index diet reduces symptoms of autism in mice

Low glycemic index diet reduces symptoms of autism in mice: New research in a mouse model of autism showed that such low glycemic index diets, similar to the plans that people with diabetes follow to keep their blood sugar in check, reduced symptoms of the disorder in mice. Although preliminary and not yet tested in humans, the findings, published June 9 in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, might offer clues to understanding one potential cause of autism.

Autism Best Treated in a Stable and Predictable Environment, Study Says

Almost 15 years ago I attended a two week seminar on the brain at the U of WA.
At that time they talked about autism often being a disorder of too much information and not enough neural pruning when it is supposed to occur, starting around age 10 (for at least some kids) so that piece of this is really not new.
The importance of consistence and the home environment is of course, also not new.
Good article though.  Click on the link below for the rest of the article.



Autism Best Treated in a Stable and Predictable Environment, Study Says: So holds the Intense World Theory of autism, proposedby Kamila and Henry Markram in 2007. It contends that people with autismdon’t have an underdeveloped brain but rather an overdeveloped one.


New research released today in Frontiersin Neuroscience lends considerable weight to this theory. It also concludesthat predictability can significantly help those with autism explore theirintense world.

Study Sheds New Light on Brain Anatomy of Girls with Autism

Study Sheds New Light on Brain Anatomy of Girls with Autism: Researchers say there is a big difference in brain anatomy between girls with autism and girls without autism. This may also explain why their symptoms are more severe than boys.

What If There Is No Autism Epidemic? - The Daily Beast

What If There Is No Autism Epidemic? - The Daily Beast: Swedish researchers suggest that outside factors, from diagnosis to socioeconomics, may have inflated reports that suggest rates of autism are spiking.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s March 2014 report showing a 30 percent rise in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) over the span of a few years triggered widespread concern over one simple question: what is the cause?

Autism Tied to Multiple Births After Fertility Treatments | Psych Central News

Autism Tied to Multiple Births After Fertility Treatments | Psych Central News: A new paper reports the incidence of diagnosed autism was twice as high for assisted reproductive technology (ART) as non-ART births in a California study.

Mindful Parenting Decreases Aggression, Noncompliance, and Self-Injury in Children With Autism

Mindful Parenting Decreases Aggression, Noncompliance, and Self-Injury in Children With Autism: Parent—child transactions provide an important social context for the development of adaptive and problem behaviors in young children with autism.Teaching parents to develop alternative transactional pathways often leads to positive behavioral patterns in their children.We taught three parents the philosophy and practice of mindfulness in a 12-week course and assessed the outcome of the training on their children's behavior. In addition, the mothers rated satisfaction with their parenting skills and interactions with their children. Results showed that the mothers' mindful parenting decreased their children's aggression, noncompliance, and self-injury and increased the mothers' satisfaction with their parenting skills and interactions with their children.We speculated on the possible reasons for the efficacy of mindful parenting in decreasing the children's problem behaviors without the application of specific, programmed contingencies for the children's behavior.