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.

• What are the symptoms of autism in a 3-year-old?

  Parents and caregivers often notice the signs of autism, or autism spectrum disorder, when a child is still very young. Learn about the possible signs of autism in a 3-year-old here.

• Researchers devise a more 'child-friendly' test for autism

  In a new study, researchers have come up with what they say is a less stressful method of diagnosing autism in children: tracking their gaze.

• How a unique gene mutation may drive autism

  Working with animal models and analyzing human genetic information, researchers discover how one gene may be key to the development of autism.

• What is the difference between autism and ADHD?

  A number of symptoms can be common to autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, these are separate conditions with key differences. It is also possible to have both autism and ADHD. Learn more here.

• What to know about autism in girls

  The symptoms of autism in girls are mostly the same as they are in boys, though autistic girls may exhibit certain behaviors less often than autistic boys. Because autism is more common among boys, doctors may be more likely to miss a diagnosis in girls. Learn more about symptoms and diagnosis here.

• Could processed foods explain why autism is on the rise?

  A first-of-its-kind study finds a molecular link between high levels of a food preservative compound and neuronal disruptions that may explain ASD.

News-Medical.Net Aspergers Syndrome News Feed

Latest Aspergers Syndrome News and Research

• As the economy surges, a dramatic drop in workers on disability

  Tens of thousands of Californians have come off the Social Security disability payroll and gone back to work, part of a national trend that reflects a surging U.S. economy, a shift toward less conventional work and tighter supervision of what qualifies a worker for disability benefits.

• Study: Around one in hundred people has autism spectrum condition in China

  The first large-scale study of autism in China has revealed that around one in a hundred people in the country has an autism spectrum condition - the same figure as found in the West.

• Students with disabilities call college admissions cheating ‘big slap in the face’

  For Savannah Treviño-Casias, this week's news about the college admissions cheating scandal was galling, considering how much red tape the Arizona State University senior went through to get disability accommodations when she took the SAT.

• 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.