Autism

Pennsylvania Mandates Health Insurance Autism Coverage

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) has signed legislation requiring coverage for autism be included in all health insurance policies sold within the state. The new health insurance law raises to 39 the total number of treatments and conditions required by law to be included in every health insurance policy sold in Pennsylvania. When the law [...]

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Autism Risk Not Affected By Measles Vaccine

Many health professionals have been trying to clarify if measles vaccine increases autism risk or not. This is an emotional issue for parents and now it is finally answered: there is absolutely no link between autism and Measles vaccine. Before 1963, when there was no MMR vaccine developed, there were about 3 or 4 million [...]

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Autism Society Puts Research Into Practice

National Autistic Society International Conference is planned to take place between 19 ad 20 of September 2008 – 20th September 2008, which aims to discuss the latest in autism spectrum disorders and offer ways for treatment. The National Autistic Society 2008 Conference promises to provoke interesting debate, provide opportunities to hear of the latest developments [...]

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Examining Prevalence, Impact Of Gastrointestinal Problems In Children With Autism

A new study examines the characteristics of children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) who also have gastrointestinal problems. The study was published online ahead of print September 2008 in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. PDDs, such as autism and Asperger’s disorder, are marked by repetitive behavior and pervasive impairments in language and the [...]

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Autism Causes Parents To Have Fear And Confusion

The first national survey of attitudes toward autism reveals that a small but significant percentage of people still believe the disease is caused by childhood vaccines. The survey of 1000 randomly selected adults was conducted for the Florida Institute of Technology. Nearly one in four (24 percent) said that because vaccines may cause autism it [...]

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Research Examines Link of Autism To Vision and Movement

A hand moves forward, but is it a friendly gesture or one meant to do harm? In an instant, we respond — either extending our arm forward to shake hands or raising it higher to protect our face. But what are the subtle cues that allow us to interpret such movement so we can properly [...]

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Eye Contact Predicts Level Of Social Disability In Autism Patients

By age 2, children with autism show unusual patterns of eye contact compared with typically developing children. This symptom appears to be related to a child’s level of impairment and may be a useful biomarker for diagnosing autism at an earlier age. Background From birth, humans typically show a preference for social interaction, favoring the [...]

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Autism Rates In California and Oregon Linked to Rainfall

A new study published by the Archives of Pediatrics %26amp; Adolescent Medicine links Autism to precipitation rates in California, Oregon, and Washington counties. The abstract of the research on Autism rates and rainfall titled Autism Prevalence and Precipitation Rates in California, Oregon, and Washington Counties reads the following. To investigate empirically the possibility of an [...]

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Autistic Parent Questions If Autism Is Linked To Rainfall

A while back I wrote a critique of the TV hypothesis by Waldman et al. I noted the likely confound is population density, which should not be considered a “fixed effect” in Waldman’s methodology (an interesting statistical methodology that is apparently used in Economics frequently). When we talk about population density as a confound, we’re [...]

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Brain’s Magnetic Fields Reveal Language Delays In Autism

Faint magnetic signals from brain activity in children with autism show that those children process sound and language differently from non-autistic children. Identifying and classifying these brain response patterns may allow researchers to more accurately diagnose autism and possibly aid in developing more effective treatments for the developmental disorder. Timing appears to be crucial. “Children [...]

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Brain Waves Show Sound Processing Abnormalities In Autistic Children

Abnormalities in auditory and language processing may be evaluated in children with autism spectrum disorder by using magnetoencephalography (MEG), according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). “Using MEG, we can record the tiny magnetic fields associated with electrical brain activity,” said Timothy Roberts, Ph.D., [...]

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Autism Strains Family Finances

Caring for children with autism is wreaking havoc on family finances across America, jeopardizing current and long-term care and security, according to a new study, Living with Autism, released today by Easter Seals and Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual). “No one expected the problems and challenges to be so severe for families living with [...]

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