Autism News From Medical News Today

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of developmental disabilities that can cause considerable social, communication and behavioral challenges. People with ASD often have issues with social, emotional, and communication skills. They might repeat certain behaviors and might not be comfortable with change occurring in their daily activities. Many people with ASD also have different ways of learning, paying attention, or reacting to things. There is currently no cure for ASD. However, research shows that early intervention treatment services can improve a child’s development.

• Pesticide may increase autism risk

  Levels of DDT, a once-common pesticide, in maternal blood have been linked with an increased risk of autism in the offspring in a new study.

• Reversing autism with a cancer drug

  Scientists may have found a new treatment for a genetic form of autism; experiments in mice successfully reverse the condition using cancer trial drugs.

• Autism blood test: One step closer

  A novel blood test achieves 88 percent accuracy in diagnosing autism spectrum disorder. This advance could help to identify the condition earlier.

• Can these hormones provide the key to autism, schizophrenia?

  The hormones oxytocin and vasopressin have been linked to pair-bonding, but can they help to improve impaired social behavior? A new study investigates.

• What effect does ADHD have on sexuality?

  ADHD is a behavioral disorder that causes some people to become frustrated or hyperactive at inappropriate times. It is often lifelong and is usually managed by medications. It can often impact many areas of a person’s life, including their sexuality and relationships. Learn more about ADHD’s effects on sexuality here.

• Pupillary reflex may predict autism

  A new study examines the pupillary light reflex in infants and concludes that the amount of light the pupil lets in may be an accurate autism predictor.

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Latest Aspergers Syndrome News and Research

• First in-car study of rush hour pollution finds alarming results

  The first in-car measurements of exposure to pollutants that cause oxidative stress during rush hour commutes has turned up potentially alarming results.

• Developmental Split-Brain syndrome discovery

  Our group describes a new entity, which we refer to as “Developmental Split-Brain syndrome” which we discovered affected four individuals from three unrelated families. All affected individuals showed disruption of communicating tracts between the right and left side of the brain which meant that there is lack of coordination and communication between the two sides of the brain.

• Researchers discover 'Developmental Split-Brain syndrome' caused by biallelic mutations in DCC gene

  In a study published in Nature Genetics, Dr Saumya Jamuar, co-founder of Global Gene Corp and a visiting scientist at Harvard Medical School, under the supervision of Prof Christopher Walsh and A/Prof Timothy Yu of Harvard Medical School, reports on a new disease entity that they discovered in their quest to map novel human disorders related to brain development.

• Augmented reality improves mental abilities of children with autism

  Augmented reality is of considerable help to children with disabilities and children with special educational needs (SEN) - autism, Asperger's syndrome, ADHD, and others. So says Veska Aleksieva, an experienced educational expert, regarding the products of Duard, a European-based company specialising in augmented reality

• Vanderbilt engineers develop virtual-reality driving environment to help teenagers with ASD

  Astronauts and pilots use them. So do truck drivers and Formula One race-car drivers.

• University of Derby introduces new MOOC to provide better knowledge on autism, Asperger’s and ADHD

  A new Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) to educate anyone interested in learning more about autism, Asperger’s and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been launched by the University of Derby.