http://medicalxpress.com/autism-spectrum-news/ en-us PhysOrg Team Medical Xpress provides the latest research news on autism spectrum disorders, Asperger syndrome, Childhood disintegrative disorder, Rett syndrome Children with autism showed significant improvement after six months of simple sensory exercises at home using everyday items such as scents, spoons and sponges, according to UC Irvine neurobiologists. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-enrichment-therapy-effective-children-autism.html Autism spectrum disorders 2013-05-21T13:37:06-07:00 Research by Victoria University PhD education graduand Larah van der Meer highlights the importance of understanding the communication preferences of children with developmental disabilities such as autism. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-children-autism-chance.html Autism spectrum disorders 2013-05-14T08:20:01-07:00 At times, Andy Shih still finds himself overwhelmed by the groundswell of interest in autism applications he's seen in the three years since Apple Inc. released the first iPad. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-wealth-autism-apps.html Autism spectrum disorders 2013-05-09T10:00:03-07:00 Children with autism see simple movement twice as quickly as other children their age, and this hypersensitivity to motion may provide clues to a fundamental cause of the developmental disorder, according to a new study. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-motion-perception-autism-underlying-disorder.html Autism spectrum disorders 2013-05-08T13:23:11-07:00 (AP)—Autism scientists are seeking more brain samples for research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-autism-scientists-brains-aid.html Autism spectrum disorders 2013-05-02T15:20:01-07:00 (HealthDay)—An experimental drug for autism did not improve levels of lethargy and social withdrawal in children who took it, but it did show some other benefits, a new study finds. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-drug-benefit-kids-autism.html Autism spectrum disorders 2013-05-02T06:50:03-07:00 Young adults with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more likely to never see friends, never get called by friends, never be invited to activities and be socially isolated. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-social-isolation-young-adults-autism.html Autism spectrum disorders 2013-05-02T06:34:55-07:00 (HealthDay)—With four to five times more males affected by autism spectrum disorders than females, much less is known about girls with autism. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-girls-autism-treatments-boys.html Autism spectrum disorders 2013-05-02T05:15:57-07:00 (HealthDay)—Using a kid-friendly robot during behavioral therapy sessions may help some children with autism gain better social skills, a preliminary study suggests. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-kelly-robot-kids-tackle-autism.html Autism spectrum disorders 2013-05-02T05:15:20-07:00 The Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), a comprehensive behavioral early intervention program that is appropriate for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as young as 12 months, has been found to reduce the need for ASD therapies and special education services through the school years following their early intervention. These findings were presented by David S. Mandell, Sc.D., Associate Professor, Director, Center for Mental Health Policy & Services Research, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, today at the Autism Speaks Toddler Treatment Network meeting held in San Sebastian, Spain concurrent with the start of the International Meeting for Autism Research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-asd-early-intervention-effective-school.html Autism spectrum disorders 2013-05-01T10:35:23-07:00 (Medical Xpress)—The biggest study of fetal growth and autism to date has reported that babies whose growth is at either extreme in the womb are at greater risk of developing autism. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-bigger-birth-weight-babies-greater.html Autism spectrum disorders 2013-05-01T08:25:31-07:00 (HealthDay)—A new study failed to find any evidence to back up a suggested association between Lyme disease and autism spectrum disorders. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-evidence-lyme-disease-children-autism.html Autism spectrum disorders 2013-04-30T15:00:01-07:00 (Medical Xpress)—Most infants respond to a game of peek-a-boo with smiles at the very least, and, for those who find the activity particularly entertaining, gales of laughter. For infants with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), however, the game can be distressing rather than pleasant, and they'll do their best to tune out all aspects of it—and that includes the people playing with them. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-successfully-autism-infants.html Autism spectrum disorders 2013-04-30T07:11:49-07:00 Researchers at the Yale School of Medicine have figured out how to measure an infant's risk of developing autism by looking for abnormalities in his/her placenta at birth, allowing for earlier diagnosis and treatment for the developmental disorder. The findings are reported in the April 25 online issue of Biological Psychiatry. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-autism-birth-abnormal-placentas.html Autism spectrum disorders 2013-04-25T00:10:01-07:00 An Autistica consultation published this month found that 24% of children with autism were non-verbal or minimally verbal, and it is known that these problems can persist into adulthood. Professionals have long attempted to support the development of language in these children but with mixed outcomes. An estimated 600,000 people in the UK and 70 million worldwide have autism, a neuro-developmental condition which is life-long. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-autistic-children.html Autism spectrum disorders 2013-04-24T19:00:02-07:00 A first-ever vaccine created by University of Guelph researchers for gut bacteria common in autistic children may also help control some autism symptoms. The groundbreaking study by Brittany Pequegnat and Guelph chemistry professor Mario Monteiro appears this month in the journal Vaccine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-scientists-vaccine-autism-symptoms.html Autism spectrum disorders 2013-04-24T10:44:29-07:00 Maternal use of valproate (a drug used for the treatment of epilepsy and other neuropsychological disorders) during pregnancy was associated with a significantly increased risk of autism in offspring, according to a study in the April 24 issue of JAMA. The authors caution that these findings must be balanced against the treatment benefits for women who require valproate for epilepsy control. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-anti-epileptic-drug-pregnancy-autism.html Autism spectrum disorders 2013-04-23T16:51:05-07:00 One of the defining characteristics of autism is difficulty communicating with others. However, it is unclear whether those struggles arise only from the poor social skills commonly associated with autism, or whether autistic children suffer from more specific linguistic impairments. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-reveals-linguistic-deficits-autistic-children.html Autism spectrum disorders 2013-04-23T09:34:51-07:00 Scientists from King's College London have identified patterns of epigenetic changes involved in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by studying genetically identical twins who differ in autism traits. The study, published in Molecular Psychiatry, is the largest of its kind and may shed light on the biological mechanism by which environmental influences regulate the activity of certain genes and in turn contribute to the development of ASD and related behaviour traits. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-epigenetic-biological-mechanism-autism.html Autism spectrum disorders 2013-04-23T04:00:01-07:00 (HealthDay)—People with Asperger's syndrome—mild autism with normal or sometimes superior verbal ability and intelligence—are at a crossroads: Their diagnosis is about to disappear. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-guideline-asperger-edge.html Autism spectrum disorders 2013-04-18T13:50:01-07:00 (HealthDay)—Asperger's syndrome is disappearing as an official diagnosis, but people who live with its symptoms will continue to struggle. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-asperger.html Autism spectrum disorders 2013-04-18T13:30:01-07:00 Neuroscientists from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and the University of Toronto have developed an efficient and reliable method of analyzing brain activity to detect autism in children. Their findings appear today in the online journal PLOS ONE. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-autism-brain.html Autism spectrum disorders 2013-04-17T17:00:04-07:00 Children and teens with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) use screen-based media, such as television and video games, more often than their typically developing peers and are more likely to develop problematic video game habits, a University of Missouri researcher found. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-children-teens-autism-preoccupied-video.html Autism spectrum disorders 2013-04-17T12:51:26-07:00 For the first time, researchers have linked autism in a mouse model of the disease with abnormalities in specific regions of the animals' chromosomes. The regions contain genes associated with aberrant brain development and activity. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-autism-mice-linked-genetics.html Autism spectrum disorders 2013-04-15T17:00:02-07:00 People with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often have trouble communicating and interacting with others because they process language, facial expressions and social cues differently. Previously, researchers found that propranolol, a drug commonly used to treat high blood pressure, anxiety and panic, could improve the language abilities and social functioning of people with an ASD. Now, University of Missouri investigators say the prescription drug also could help improve the working memory abilities of individuals with autism. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-drug-memory-people-autism.html Autism spectrum disorders 2013-04-15T16:26:16-07:00 Mutations found in individuals with autism block the action of molecules made by the brain that act on the same receptors that marijuana's active chemical acts on, according to new research reported online April 11 in the Cell Press journal Neuron. The findings implicate specific molecules, called endocannabinoids, in the development of some autism cases and point to potential treatment strategies. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-mutations-individuals-autism-endocannabinoid-brain.html Autism spectrum disorders 2013-04-11T12:00:19-07:00 The age at which a child with autism is diagnosed is related to the particular suite of behavioral symptoms he or she exhibits, new research from the University of Wisconsin–Madison shows. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-autism-age-diagnosis-specific-symptoms.html Autism spectrum disorders 2013-04-09T16:48:50-07:00 (Medical Xpress)—Children with autism have increased levels of genetic change in regions of the genome prone to DNA rearrangements, so called "hotspots," according to a research discovery to be published in the print edition of the journal Human Molecular Genetics. The research indicates that these genetic changes come in the form of an excess of duplicated DNA segments in hotspot regions and may affect the chances that a child will develop autism—a behavioral disorder that affects about 1 of every 88 children in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-autism-linked-genetic-regions-genome.html Autism spectrum disorders 2013-04-03T09:59:49-07:00 (Medical Xpress)—As Autism Awareness Month kicks off this April, experts at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) offer tips to an increasing number of parents and children facing the challenges the disorder presents. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-child-autism.html Autism spectrum disorders 2013-04-03T09:00:01-07:00 When New Jersey reported one of the nation's highest rates of autism last year - doubling in six years to one in 49 children - researchers described it as "beyond an emergency." But a federal study released this past week indicated that the high rate appears to be the norm nationally. Autism spectrum disorder now affects one in every 50 children, well above the one in 88 previously reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-state-highest-autism-range.html Autism spectrum disorders 2013-03-26T19:10:01-07:00