Autism, features and articles | Educational Science

May 30, 2013

MD Who Tied Vaccine to Autism Sues Journal for Defamation

Andrew Wakefield, the doctor who first proposed a link between autism and the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, is suing theBritish Medical Journal over a series of articles the journal published last year that accused Wakefield of fraud, according to news reports. Wakefield's lawyers say the articles make false and...

May 30, 2013

Autism Identified Early By Fixation on Geometry

Fixation on geometric patterns might be an early sign of autism in toddlers as young as 14 months old, a new study suggests. Identifying autism early is important because children may benefit from beginning treatments earlier, the researchers say. The new findings could help to create test to evaluate children,...

May 30, 2013

Autism Mimicked by Cells in a Dish

Using stem cells, scientists have engineered neurons that provide the first human cellular model in which to study the development of autism. The stem cells came from adult patients with Rett syndrome, a severe developmental disorder similar to autism. Researchers sought to make neurons from these cells because if we...

May 30, 2013

Chromosome Change Points to Autism, Schizophrenia, Study Says

People who possess a specific change in one of their chromosomes are nearly 14 times more likely to develop an autism spectrum disorder or schizophrenia than those without this change, according to a new study. The change, which is called a deletion, happens when a section of chromosome 17 is...

May 30, 2013

Siblings of Kids with Autism Are at High Risk for Language Delays

Siblings of children with autism are more likely to have language delays and characteristics of autism than the siblings of children who don't have the disorder, a new study suggests. There's an underlying assumption that undiagnosed siblings aren't affected by autism, said study researcher Dr. John Constantino, director of child...

May 30, 2013

No Link Between 'Too Many Vaccines' and Autism Risk

Despite concerns by some parents that their children receive “too many vaccines too soon,” a new study finds that many shots, even on the same day, do not increase the risk of autism. In the first six months of life, children receive as many as 19 vaccine doses of six...

May 30, 2013

Children with Autism at Greater Risk for Suicide

Children who have autism may be at greater risk for thinking about or attempting suicide than children without the condition, according to a new study. Researchers looked at data for about 1,000 children, including 791 kids with an autism spectrum disorder, 186 non-autistic children without a mental condition and 35...

May 30, 2013

Autism Rate Rises to 1 in 50 Kids

The percentage of U.S. kids with autism continues to rise, with the latest estimate showing the highest numbers yet. About 1 in 50 U.S. children (2 percent) ages 6 to 17 have an autism spectrum disorder, according to a new report based on a national survey of parents in 2011...

May 30, 2013

Women Abused as Children More Likely to Have Kids with Autism

Women who were abused during childhood may face a higher risk of having a child with an autism spectrum disorder, according to new findings. Women in the study who experienced the highest levels of physical and emotional abuse were 60 percent more likely to have a child with autism than...

May 30, 2013

Antidepressants May Fail to Help Some Autistic Kids

About a quarter of children with autism may be taking antidepressants that won't help them, a new study suggests. Autistic children are sometimes prescribed antidepressants to reduce repetitive behaviors, but the new findings suggest the drugs may not be as effective for this use as they seem. Researchers at the...

May 30, 2013

Half of Teens with Autism Bullied

Nearly half of children with autism are bullied, a new study says. Researchers surveyed 920 parents of teens with autism spectrum disorders, and 46 percent of them said their child had been the victim of bullying. By comparison, about 11 percent of teens in the general population report being bullied,...

May 30, 2013

Gene Holds Clue to Why Autism is More Common in Boys

Autism's higher prevalence in boys than in girls may be partly explained by a mutated gene located on the X chromosome, according to new research. Earlier studies have found that mutations in the PTCHD1 gene, which plays a role in brain development in embryos, are a risk factor for autism...

May 30, 2013

Autism-Vaccine Link Refuted Again

There is no link between autism and vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal, another new study has found. The results show that children exposed to the once-questioned chemical thimerosal, either in the womb or as infants, are not at increased risk for autism . The findings agree with those of previous...

Jun 5, 2013

Why Kids With Autism May Avoid Eye Contact

Children with autism often have difficulty making eye contact, and now a new study suggests this may be due in part to how their brains process visual information, rather than being purely a social deficit. In the study, children with autism showed activity over a larger area of the brain's...

Jul 1, 2013

Eating Healthy Fats During Pregnancy May Reduce Baby's Autism Risk

Women who eat certain types of healthy fat during pregnancy may reduce their risk of having a child with autism, a new study suggests. In the study, women who consumed high levels of linoleic acid — a type of omega-6 fatty acid found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds —...