Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

Discover of gene behind specific language impairment

Scientists have identified the first gene that is associated with a common childhood language disorder, known as specific language impairment (SLI).

6 Nov 2008

Rainfall linked to autism

Scientists in the U.S. say there appears to be a link between high levels of rainfall and the prevalence of autism - they say children living in high annual rainfall areas appear more likely to develop autism, which raises again the possibility of an environmental trigger for the disorder.

5 Nov 2008

Rain may be linked to autism

Children living in counties with higher levels of annual precipitation appear more likely to have higher prevalence rates of autism, according to a report in the November issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine , one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

4 Nov 2008

New research will explore how children with Down syndrome learn

Researchers in the U.S. say there is little information or research on how children with Down syndrome learn, especially when it comes to reading and language.

27 Oct 2008

Groundbreaking study to examine how children with Down syndrome learn

Researchers at the University of Denver (DU) Morgridge College of Education are conducting a groundbreaking study that will compare two early literacy intervention approaches to educating young children with Down syndrome. The Rocky Mountain Down Syndrome Educational Fund is funding the study, which hopes to improve teaching methods for children with the condition.

26 Oct 2008

People with autism less influenced by gut instincts

People with autism-related disorders are less likely to make irrational decisions, and are less influenced by gut instincts, according to research funded by the Wellcome Trust. The study adds to the growing body of research implicating altered emotional processing in autism.

16 Oct 2008

Infants who focus on mouths rather eyes could be autistic

Researchers in the United States say young children who focus on mouths rather than on eyes could be autistic and they believe the extent of such behaviour indicates the severity of the Autism Spectrum Disorder.

28 Sep 2008

Study on controversial treatment for autism 'scuppered' by U.S. health officials

The study by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) intended to examine the effectiveness of a type of treatment advocated by some autism activists as alternative medical therapy for children with the condition.

18 Sep 2008

Neuroscientists discover a critical early step of memory formation

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine report in the July issue of Neuron how nerve cells in the brain ensure that Arc, a protein critical for memory formation, is made instantly after nerve stimulation. Paradoxically, its manufacture involves two other proteins - including one linked to mental retardation - that typically prevent proteins from being made.

14 Sep 2008

Depression and autism are subjects of public forum on research

The University of Rochester Medical Center will present a forum on the progress of mental health research Sunday Sept. 14.

8 Sep 2008

New research settles measles vaccine/autism controversy

New research from the United States will hopefully settle once and for all the controversial debate about a link between the measles vaccine and autism.

4 Sep 2008

CDC MMR/autism study - wrong questions asked, wrong children studied, wrong conclusions NAA says

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study released today claims there is no link between the MMR vaccine and autism. The National Autism Association (NAA) says this study does nothing to dispel the growing public concern over a vaccine-autism connection and raises several questions concerning design and methodology.

4 Sep 2008

CDC MMR/autism study - wrong questions asked, wrong children studied, wrong conclusions NAA says

4 Sep 2008

Older fathers more likely to have children with bipolar disorder

According to new research by Swedish scientists, older fathers are more likely to have children with bipolar disorder.

2 Sep 2008

Children of older fathers more likely to have bipolar disorder

Older age among fathers may be associated with an increased risk for bipolar disorder in their offspring, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

1 Sep 2008

Minnesota officials to examine autism in Somali immigrant children

Minnesota health officials are examining a "possible surge" in autism cases among Somali immigrant children in the state, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

26 Aug 2008

Beware of finding ADHD everywhere

A group of leading education academics has warned the number of schoolchildren labelled with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder will increase exponentially if new guidelines are accepted.

18 Aug 2008

Brain imaging study shows context and personality are both key in understanding our responses to emotional facial expressions

It is well appreciated that facial expressions play a major role in non-verbal social communication among humans and other primates, because faces provide rapid access to information about the identity as well as the internal states and intentions of others.

6 Aug 2008

Anti-reflux surgery - research may lead to changes in treatment recommendations

Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center have found that the reflux and swallowing problems that are common symptoms in patients with Rett syndrome and other neurological impairments, may be caused by a different mechanism than they are in healthy individuals. The finding leaves researchers to wonder if these patients truly benefit from anti-reflux surgery commonly performed in these children.

4 Aug 2008

Unusual chromosomal changes increase the risk of schizophrenia

People with schizophrenia have an increased number of unusual chromosomal changes, particularly structural changes that have the potential to alter the function of the genes. These results were published today in the scientific journal Nature.

31 Jul 2008