Autism

Kids With Autism Quick To Detect Motion

Fri, 10 May 2013 16:54:00 +0000

Children with autism see simple movements twice as fast as other children their age, a new study finds.

Researchers at Vanderbilt University and the University of Rochester were looking to test a common theory about autism which holds that overwhelming sensory stimulation inhibits other brain functions.

Young Adults With Autism Can Thrive In High-Tech Jobs

Lauren Silverman — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 07:26:00 +0000

The job hunt is complicated enough for most high school and college graduates — and even tougher for the growing number of young people on the autism spectrum. Despite the obstacles that people with autism face trying to find work, there's a natural landing place: the tech industry.

Amelia Schabel graduated from high school five years ago. She had good grades and enrolled in community college. But it was too stressful.

How Guinea Pigs Could Help Autistic Children

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 22:12:00 +0000

Feeling a little awkward? Consider skipping the alcohol and grabbing a pet instead.

As any dog walker knows, it's easy — unavoidable, even — to strike up conversations with strangers when accompanied by a canine friend.

Folic Acid For Pregnant Mothers Cuts Kids' Autism Risk

Jon Hamilton — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 21:31:00 +0000

A common vitamin supplement appears to dramatically reduce a woman's risk of having a child with autism.

A study of more than 85,000 women in Norway found that those who started taking folic acid before getting pregnant were about 40 percent less likely to have a child who developed the disorder, researchers reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

"That's a huge effect," says Ian Lipkin, one of the study's authors and a professor

Shortage Of Brain Tissue Sets Autism Research Back

Jon Hamilton — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 08:31:00 +0000

Research on autism is being hobbled by a shortage of brain tissue.

The brain tissue comes from people with autism who have died, and it has allowed researchers to make key discoveries about how the disorder affects brain development.

But there's not nearly enough tissue because most potential donors aren't identified, and their family members are never approached about the possibility of donation.