Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

Staggering economic costs of autism will continue to rise

Autism Speaks, the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization, today announced preliminary results of new research that estimates autism costs society a staggering $126 billion per year (U.S.) - a number that has more than tripled since 2006, and annually in the U.K. has reached more than -34 billion (equivalent to $54 billion U.S.).

30 Mar 2012

ASD more prevalent among New Jersey children: CDC

New statistics issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders found among 8-year-old children in a sample area of New Jersey is significantly higher than in most other states surveyed.

30 Mar 2012

Drexel experts available to comment on new CDC study on autism prevalence

Experts from Drexel University are available to comment on a new study on autism prevalence released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

30 Mar 2012

New CDC data shows increase in prevalence of autism in U.S. children

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced today that the prevalence of children in the United States with autism has increased. The newly-released statistics suggest one in 88 children have an Autism Spectrum Disorder, up from one in 110 released in 2009.

30 Mar 2012

Autism Speaks calls for the development of national action plan

Autism Speaks, the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization, today called on the nation's elected and appointed leaders to immediately develop a new, coordinated strategy to take on a national public health emergency - the autism epidemic - in the wake of a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) finding that autism is now diagnosed in a staggering 1 in every 88 American children.

30 Mar 2012

Calif. readies Medicaid changes for dual-eligibles, adult day care program; Other Medicaid news from the states

California is revamping its adult day health care program as well as its program for people who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. In Florida, a judge orders the Medicaid program there to cover autism therapy, and Georgia prepares to restructure its program.

30 Mar 2012

Study: 1 in 88 U.S. children have an autism spectrum disorder

A new study estimates that 1 in 88 children in the United States has an autism spectrum disorder.

30 Mar 2012

Greenwood launches Syndromic Autism 62-Gene Panel

RainDance Technologies, Inc., the Digital Biology Company, today announced that Greenwood Genetic Center has commercially launched its Syndromic Autism 62-Gene Panel which was built for use on RainDance's picodroplet-based targeted sequencing platform.

29 Mar 2012

Affymetrix' GeneChip technology incorporated into Lineagen's FirstStepDx genetic evaluation service

Affymetrix, Inc. and Lineagen, Inc., an innovative molecular diagnostics company focused on complex, genetically linked disorders, today announced the companies have signed an agreement to incorporate Affymetrix' GeneChip technology into Lineagen's next-generation FirstStepDx, a genetic evaluation service for individuals with developmental delay (DD), intellectual disability (ID), and autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

29 Mar 2012

Researchers demonstrate how to use eye-tracking in children with ASD

Though the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been steadily climbing- from 6 in 1,000 children in 2002, to nearly 10 in 1,000 children in 2006, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention- little is known about the disorder. But, research with young kids can lead to important insights in how children with developmental abnormalities view the world.

28 Mar 2012

Ten warning signs of ASD or other communication disorders

Though autism is often not diagnosed until the age of three, some children begin to show signs of developmental delay before they turn a year old. While not all infants and toddlers with delays will develop autism spectrum disorders (ASD), experts point to early detection of these signs as key to capitalizing on early diagnosis and intervention, which is believed to improve developmental outcomes.

27 Mar 2012

Children with ASD more frequently to be bullied

Today, the Interactive Autism Network (IAN), the nation's largest online autism research initiative and a project of the Kennedy Krieger Institute, reports preliminary results of the first national survey to examine the impact of bullying on children with autism spectrum disorders.

27 Mar 2012

Uppsala University researchers identify promising biomarkers for ASD

An important step towards developing a rapid, inexpensive diagnostic method for autism has been take by Uppsala University, among other universities. Through advanced mass spectrometry the researchers managed to capture promising biomarkers from a tiny blood sample.

23 Mar 2012

State roundup: Union seeks $80M from N.Y. for health aides' insurance

As Gov. Andrew Cuomo and lawmakers lurch toward a budget deal, the state's largest health-care union is asking Albany for another bailout of its troubled insurance fund. The union, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, is asking the state for $80 million more in Medicaid dollars so it can keep on providing health insurance to personal-care aides.

23 Mar 2012

Study identifies abnormal brain gene expression patterns in autism

A study led by Eric Courchesne, PhD, director of the Autism Center of Excellence at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine has, for the first time, identified in young autism patients genetic mechanisms involved in abnormal early brain development and overgrowth that occurs in the disorder. The findings suggest novel genetic and molecular targets that could lead to discoveries of new prevention strategies and treatment for the disorder.

23 Mar 2012