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Recent Autism News as of Jul 29, 2010
Screening speech may aid autism diagnosis
Tue, 20 Jul 2010 04:04:14 - Pacific Time
A device may be able to automatically screen young children for autism based on how they talk, U.S. researchers said on Monday.The small recorder fits into a child's pocket and analyzes the words the child says during the day, and a software program evaluates how the child makes certain sounds. A team of researchers led by Kimbrough Oller of the University of Memphis analyzed more than 3 million syllabic utterances, collected from almost 1,500 all-day recordings from 232 children aged 10 months to 4 years. The program correctly identified an existing autism diagnosis 86 percent of the time. The analysis also predicted the age of a typically developing child, said the study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "Although clinicians have been saying for many years that they think that autistic kids sound strange when they talk, there's been no practical way to use vocalization as a part of the diagnostic or screening procedure in working with autism," said Oller, professor of audiology and speech-language pathology. Oller identified the speech patterns the device analyzes and helped develop the screening method. Read More...
Canadian Study Uncovers DNA Changes In People With Autism Spectrum Disorders
Tue, 22 Jun 2010 07:41:51 - Pacific Time
A study co-led by Dr. Stephen Scherer, a molecular genetics researcher at the University of Toronto has uncovered genetic changes with people with Autism Spectrum Disorders. The Autism Genome Project, saw 120 scientists in 12 countries work collaboratively to identify over 100 different autism-related genes. Starting in 2002, the project involved researchers and experts from around the world sharing their data, samples and expertise with the aim of identifying genetic susceptibility of autism spectrum disorders. The DNA of 1000 autistic people and 1300 people without autism spectrum disorder were compared. The findings of the study have revealed that as so many different genes are autism-related, this could explain why individuals with autism display different symptoms. Another revelation of the study was that people with autism spectrum disorder either lack or have extra copies of multiple genes vital for the both normal development and function of the brain. The results will help health care workers treating individuals with autism to develop better treatments and diagnostic tools and future research may enable researchers to identify autism spectrum disorders far more effectively. Read More...
Preliminary settlement reached in autism lawsuit
Fri, 18 Jun 2010 05:41:58 - Pacific Time
Families of children with autism in eastern Los Angeles County appear to have prevailed in a fight to maintain state funding for a popular therapy for the disorder. More than 2,200 families received notice this week of a preliminary settlement in a class-action lawsuit that, if approved by a judge, would force the Eastern Los Angeles County Regional Center to continue to provide the treatment, known as the DIR model (for "developmental, individual difference, relationship-based"). DIR is the basis for Floortime, a popular method in which a therapist follows a child's lead during play activities to develop communication and social skills.Last year, the regional center — one of 21 nonprofits throughout the state that administer state money for people with developmental disabilities — informed more than 100 families whose children were receiving DIR that it would no longer pay for the therapy. That prompted the Public Counsel Law Center to file a class-action suit. At the time, Gloria Wong, the executive director of the regional center, said she was simply enforcing a mandate from the state Legislature to stop paying for experimental and non-medical treatments — part of a broad effort to cut more than $300 million from the state budget for people with developmental disabilities. DIR has not been tested with controlled scientific studies, but experts testified it is supported by decades of clinical experience. Other regional centers pay for DIR. The Eastern Los Angeles County Regional Center could end up having to provide the treatment to more people than ever. As part of the settlement, families whose autistic children had never received the treatment were among those notified this week that they too may be eligible for it. Lawyers in the case said they expect the judge to give final approval to the settlement in September. Read More...
Genetic Errors Linked to Autism
Thu, 10 Jun 2010 06:51:08 - Pacific Time
The genetic background to autism may have gotten a little clearer. Scientists say they have pinpointed certain types of genetic abnormalities that are unusually prevalent in individuals with the disorder. These are either segments of DNA entirely missing from the genome or the same segment repeated several times, known to geneticists as "copy number variations" (CNVs). "We knew genetics were involved through twin studies and family studies, but the majority of studies focused on common variations in probably a few genes," explained study author Stephen Scherer, director of the McLaughlin Center and the Center for Applied Genomics at The Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto in Canada. "We found dozens, if not hundreds, of genes involved and each autism family may have their own genetic form of autism. The variations are quite rare." "This validates and confirms a hypothesis long held by researchers in this community that autism, instead of having just one or two genetic risk factors, is likely to have hundreds, and these are usually identified by these sudden deletions or insertions in the genome called copy number variants," added Andy Shih, vice president of scientific affairs at Autism Speaks, which helped fund the study. Shih served as key facilitator of the Autism Genome Project Consortium, a collaboration of institutions around the world that conducted the study. The study findings are published in the June 10 issue of Nature. The researchers compared the genomes of nearly 1,000 people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and about 1,300 healthy controls. On average, participants with ASD had 19 percent more CNVs than the controls. Most of the CNVs were inherited from parents while others appeared for the first time in the autistic individual. When researchers mapped all the genes affected by CNV deletions, they found many overlaps. "We were able to link hundreds of these candidate genes together in the same pathway and these molecules include the known autism genes," Scherer said. "We identified known groups of genes but also entirely new collections." These links between genes may prove important in looking for treatments. "Now that we have a good outline of the network of molecules involved, that's what we can use to start designing rationally targeted therapeutics," Scherer said. "We didn't really have that before." In some cases, there may even be drugs already out there that would affect some of these genes, he said. Many of the CNVs identified were in areas of the genome already known to be associated with autism. Others were in areas involved with neuron (brain cell) signaling, also in line with previous research. Read More...
Slightly early births linked to autism, dyslexia
Wed, 9 Jun 2010 06:09:47 - Pacific Time
Babies born just 1 or 2 weeks before their 40-week gestation due date are more likely to develop learning difficulties such as autism or dyslexia, according to a British study published on Tuesday. The findings show that even babies born at 39 weeks -- the point at which many women who choose to have a Caesarean section delivery -- have an increased risk of a developing a learning disability compared with babies born a week later at 40 weeks. Scientists in Scotland, analyzing the birth history of more than 400,000 schoolchildren, found that while babies born at 40 weeks have a 4 percent risk of learning difficulties, those born at 37 to 39 weeks of gestation have a 5.1 percent risk. "There was an increasing risk of special educational needs as the gestation date fell, so as deliveries got earlier, the risk went up," said Jill Pell, an expert in public health and health policy Glasgow University, who led the study. "Even being just a week early put the risk up." It is already known that a baby born prematurely -- for example at 24 weeks of gestation -- is more likely to have learning difficulties. But the risks for babies born in the 24 to 40 week range had not previously been studied. According to the World Health Organization, more and more women worldwide are delivering by caesarean section and a "significant proportion" of these surgical procedures are performed without any clear medical need. Around a third of babies are born between 37 and 39 weeks of gestation, either by caesarean section or natural vaginal delivery. Rates of autism have also been rising, with worldwide prevalence estimated at between 1 to 2 people in every thousand, although experts say this may be partly due to better diagnosis. Pell noted this rise but said it would be "a leap too far" to link her findings directly to rates of autism, since autism was only one of a range of learning difficulties considered. Pell, whose study was published in the Public Library of Science Medicine journal, stressed that caesarean sections were not the only factor behind early-term births, since some women go into labor naturally before 40 weeks of gestation. But she said doctors and women should consider the risks of learning difficulties when thinking about a caesarean. "It is now normal policy (in caesarean section) to deliver women a week early," she said in a telephone interview. "But if you make a decision...for an elective pre-term delivery, then it has to be a balance, weighing up the risks and potential benefits. "What this study shows is that special education needs are another factor that need to be considered." Children with special educational needs may have either a learning difficulty such as dyslexia or autism, or a physical difficulty such as deafness or poor vision. Pell found that although the risk of educational difficulties was much higher in preterm than in early term babies, the absolute numbers of children with difficulties in the 37 to 39 week group were higher, because many more babies are born at this time than before 37 weeks. In her study, early term births accounted for 5.5 percent of cases learning disabilities, while preterm deliveries accounted for only 3.6 percent of cases. Read More...
Distinctive Bacteria Could Enable Urine Test for Autism
Tue, 8 Jun 2010 07:45:58 - Pacific Time
Autistic children have distinctive chemicals in their urine, according to a study by British researchers who say the results could pave the way for an diagnostic test for the disorder. The finding also lends more weight to theories that substances related to gut bacteria may contribute to autism, New Scientist reports. In the study, reported in the June 4 issue of the Journal of Proteome Research, Jeremy Nicholson and colleagues at Imperial College London examined 39 children with autism, 28 of their non-autistic siblings and 34 unrelated children. They analyzed the children’s urine and found each group had a specific chemical signature, NS reports. In the autistic kids, the chemicals had the markings of gut bacteria. The researchers emphasized that their findings in no way support claims that link autism to childhood vaccines. Many kids with autism also have gastrointestinal problems, which manifest around the same time as their behavioral symptoms. Other studies have suggested a link between gastrointestinal bacteria and autism, including a 2006 study that noted more clostridium bacteria in the feces of autistic kids. In the latest study, the Imperial College researchers say bacteria could be producing another substance, such as metabolic byproducts or toxins, that contributes to the onset of autism. One substance identified in the urine of autistic kids was N-methyl-nicotinamide, a chemical that has been tied to Parkinson’s disease. Even if the bacteria are not causing autism, they could be used to detect the disorder at a young age. That’s key, because studies show autism treatment is most successful when started early, but the disorder is often undiagnosed until two or three years of age. Read More...
UK doctor at heart of vaccine row banned from practice
Tue, 25 May 2010 05:54:13 - Pacific Time
A doctor whose claims of links between vaccination and autism triggered a scientific storm before being widely discredited was struck off Britain's medical register on Monday for professional misconduct. Dr Andrew Wakefield's 1998 study led many parents to refuse to have their children vaccinated with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) shot and has been blamed for a big rise in measles cases in the United States and parts of Europe in recent years. A disciplinary panel of the General Medical Council (GMC) found that Wakefield had acted in a "dishonest," "misleading" and "irresponsible" way during his research. The ruling means Wakefield, who now lives and works in the United States, can no longer practice as a doctor in Britain, but can continue to work in medicine outside the UK. His paper, published in The Lancet medical journal but since widely discredited, caused one of the biggest medical rows in a generation. "The panel has determined that Dr Wakefield's name should be erased from the medical register," the GMC said in a statement. Wakefield had failed to disclose various details about the funding of the study -- a failure the GMC described as "dishonest and misleading" -- and had acted "contrary to the clinical interests" of the children involved in his research. Striking Wakefield off the medical register was "the only sanction that is appropriate to protect patients" and was in the wider public interest. It was also "proportionate to the serious and wide-ranging findings made against him," the statement said. Data released last February for England and Wales showed a rise in measles cases of more than 70 percent in 2008 from the previous year, mostly due to a fall in the number of children being vaccinated. Vaccination rates are now recovering. Wakefield has always defended his work and has accused his critics of making "unfounded and unjust" allegations. The GMC said his refusal to accept that he had made mistakes meant that a temporary suspension of Wakefield's license was not enough and he should be banned altogether. "Dr Wakefield's continued lack of insight as to his misconduct serve only to satisfy the panel that suspension is not sufficient and that his actions are incompatible with his continued registration as a medical practitioner," it said. Read More...
Studies Link Infertility Treatments to Autism
Thu, 20 May 2010 07:12:18 - Pacific Time
A study presented Wednesday at the International Meeting for Autism Research in Philadelphia provides some of strongest evidence to date that infertility treatments may be linked to autism. The study, conducted by a team at the Harvard School of Public Health, found that autism was nearly twice as common among the children of women who were treated with the ovulation-inducing drug Clomid and other similar drugs than women who did not suffer from infertility, and the link persisted even after researchers accounted for the women's age. Moreover, the association between fertility drugs and autism appeared to strengthen with exposure: the longer women reported being treated for infertility, the higher the chances their child had an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A second paper presented at the conference by an Israeli team found an association between autism risk and in vitro fertilization, which also involves the use of drugs that stimulate ovulation. Taken together, the studies add to a growing body of evidence that a history of infertility and treatment for infertility could play a role in causing autism. However, the papers raise more questions than they answer. The Harvard study was the first to look specifically at Clomid-type drugs and autism. It was a large study involving data from 3,985 women — all of them nurses; 111 reported having a child with autism. However the data was based on questionnaires completed by the women, rather than clinical records, so there was no way to confirm the history or timing of treatment for infertility or autism diagnosis. Nor did researchers have access to information on whether the affected children were born prematurely, whether they were twins or triplets, or whether they had low birth weights. "Preterm delivery, low birth rate, twinning and maternal age are all associated with infertility treatment and they are all associated with the risk of autism. We need to understand how to tease these factors apart," observes Lisa Croen, senior research scientist with Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, Calif., and director of its Autism Research Program, who was not associated with the paper. "This study is addressing a really important question but we really need more data." The Israeli report on in vitro fertilization (IVF) is also intriguing, but perhaps even more preliminary. The study looked at 564 children with ASD, who had come to an autism center for in-depth evaluation. It found that 10.2% of the children were the product of IVF, much higher than the rate in the general population of Israel, which is 3.5%. Still, it isn't clear to what degree the greater risk of autism might be traceable to confounding factors such as maternal age, premature birth or multiple birth. Read More...
Study: Gluten-free diets do not improve autism behavior
Thu, 20 May 2010 07:09:31 - Pacific Time
Keeping the proteins found in wheat, barley, rye and dairy out of the diets of children with autism does not lead to behavior improvements, new research has found. While many doctors do not recommend a special diet as an autism therapy, there are widespread reports from families on the internet lauding the success of keeping foods containing gluten and casein out of an autistic child's diet. Currently, nearly one in three children with autism is given a gluten- and casein-free diet in an effort to reduce symptoms of the neurodevelopmental disease, study authors say. Actress and activist Jenny McCarthy is one the most vocal parents who claims her son's autism symptoms improved when she switched his diet. The cause of autism, a neurodevelopmental disorder that hinders communication and social interaction, is not yet known and there is no cure. While there are a few science-based therapies, which applied early in a child's development can improve the behavior in some children, for many families finding way to help children can be challenging and lead them to try many unproven treatments. Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center in upstate New York put the gluten- and casein-free diet to most stringent test today, according to lead author Dr. Susan Hyman. They looked at 14 children with autism between the ages of 2½ and 5½ years old – but without celiac disease or allergies to milk and wheat. First they removed gluten and casein from the children’s diet. After four weeks, the children were randomly given either gluten or casein, both, or a placebo, through a carefully measured snack. Parents, teachers and a research assistants were questioned about the child's behavior before and after the snack was eaten. "Under these controlled circumstances we did not find an effect on behavior in response to challenges with gluten and casein in children with autism but without GI disease," says Hyman. Parents need to be aware of the potential cost and measure the benefit before they consider trying a new treatment for their child, says IMFAR Program Committee program chair, David Mandell. Hyman and Mandell both say more studies need to be done looking at the effects of diet and the specific subtypes of autism. The study is being released this weekend at the International Meeting for Autism Research in Philadelphia. Read More...
News Archive
Autistic Kids and GI Problems Linked: Wed, 5 May 2010 07:37:02 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Dr. Stanley Greenspan dies, founded Floortime and developmental approaches to autism therapy: Wed, 28 Apr 2010 08:45:27 - Pacific Time: Read More...
How and when autism symptoms appear dictate illness severity: Thu, 22 Apr 2010 06:54:42 - Pacific Time: Read More...
The Debate Continues on Autistic Enterocolitis: Fri, 16 Apr 2010 06:41:16 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Grandparents key for autistic children: Fri, 9 Apr 2010 08:13:38 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Autism Susceptibility Genes Identified: Mon, 5 Apr 2010 07:16:38 - Pacific Time: Read More...
1 in 4 Parents Link Autism to Vaccines: Tue, 9 Mar 2010 08:01:38 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Do Toxins Cause Autism?: Mon, 1 Mar 2010 07:00:20 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Autism signs appear in babies' first year, but parents don't notice: Wed, 24 Feb 2010 06:53:09 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Curemark CM-AT Autism Treatment Granted FDA Fast Track Status: Mon, 22 Feb 2010 07:21:00 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Hormone May Help Autism Symptoms: Tue, 16 Feb 2010 07:04:52 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Proposed Autism Diagnosis Changes Anger "Aspies": Thu, 11 Feb 2010 07:51:13 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Older mothers' kids have higher autism risk, study finds: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 07:10:54 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Andrew Wakefield responds to article about journal retraction of autism study report: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 07:29:54 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Andrew Wakefield found to have Acted Unethically in Autism Study: Sun, 31 Jan 2010 07:54:02 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Hotel includes suite outfitted for parents of autistic child: Mon, 25 Jan 2010 06:44:05 - Pacific Time: Read More...
OSR#1: Industrial chemical or autism treatment?: Sun, 17 Jan 2010 07:51:15 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Families of autistic kids sue over therapy's elimination: Fri, 15 Jan 2010 08:51:47 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Startup Tests Drugs Aimed at Autism: Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:00:08 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Misconnections in Developing Brain May Cause Autism: Mon, 11 Jan 2010 08:48:55 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Brain Imaging May Help Diagnose Autism: Sat, 9 Jan 2010 06:30:04 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Autism Group Calls for More Studies on Restrictive Diets: Tue, 5 Jan 2010 07:37:52 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Another study finds no MMR-autism link: Mon, 4 Jan 2010 17:00:17 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Asperger's syndrome will be folded into a single broad diagnosis: Fri, 1 Jan 2010 07:11:21 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Autism clusters found in 'educated areas' of state: Thu, 31 Dec 2009 07:18:02 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Texas Study Confirms Lower Autism Rate in Hispanics: Tue, 29 Dec 2009 14:38:56 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Toxic metals may influence autism severity: Mon, 28 Dec 2009 08:19:38 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Autism and Vaccines are Unrelated. So, What Causes Autism?: Wed, 23 Dec 2009 06:38:03 - Pacific Time: Read More...
With autism at 1 in 110 kids, treatment in demand: Sun, 20 Dec 2009 16:49:48 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Brain Imaging Sheds Light on Social Woes Related to Autism: Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:17:52 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Study Expected to Announce 1 in 100 Autism Rate—A Startling 50% Jump: Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:57:01 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Autism's stigma replaced by eminence: Mon, 14 Dec 2009 03:43:10 - Pacific Time: Read More...
People with autism 'have problem with self-awareness': Mon, 14 Dec 2009 03:31:41 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Autism and schizophrenia could be genetic opposites: Sun, 13 Dec 2009 07:55:10 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Parent training vital to raising children with autism: Fri, 11 Dec 2009 07:24:29 - Pacific Time: Read More...
UW study leads to IQ improvements in autistic children: Thu, 10 Dec 2009 06:15:21 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Chelation based on faulty premise: Mon, 7 Dec 2009 00:29:22 - Pacific Time: Read More...
NJ Looks To Expands Services For Those With Autism: Sun, 6 Dec 2009 11:32:25 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Harvard Experts Hope Facial Recognition Studies Benefit Autism Research: Sat, 5 Dec 2009 14:12:14 - Pacific Time: Read More...
How to Get Early Intervention Autism Therapy for Your Child: Thu, 3 Dec 2009 08:28:57 - Pacific Time: Read More...
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