Search Results for: blog symptoms of autism

Can Autism Be Stopped at Six Months?

New research is showing that the signs of autism appear in infants brains as young as six months of age leading to the question can autism be stopped or at least the symptoms improved with extremely early intervention? Perhaps, the impact of the disorder can lessened. The research took scans of infant brains and found that there are certain connections that were not forming as swiftly in the babies who later developed autism as they were in infants who did not. The “normal” brains showed rapid organization. The study was just published Friday in the American Journal of Psychiatry. Previous … Continue reading →

Special Needs Blog Week in Review – Week of February 5-11, 2012

Parents of children who have special needs are busy. No one ever said that being a parent would be easy, all the time, every day. You might not have had the time to check out the Special Needs blog this week. The Special Need Blog Week in Review makes it easy to find the blogs that you missed. The Special Needs Podcast Roundup went up on February 6, 2012. This week, I recommend that you check out the Hope Saves the Day podcast. The hosts had an interview with Dr. Temple Grandin. Doctors Have Different Opinions About the Mystery Illness … Continue reading →

Asperger’s Syndrome Symptoms in Girls

Asperger’s Syndrome, like other autism spectrum disorders, is something that we still have a lot to learn about. One thing that seems to be true is that the symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome in girls may look a bit different than how it tends to appear in boys. It has been said that Asperger’s Syndrome is a “high-functioning” form of autism. It is still part of what has been called “the autism spectrum” or an autism spectrum disorder. There seem to be more boys diagnosed with autism than girls, but I don’t know what the reason for that is. There is … Continue reading →

Having Autism Has Some Advantages

A professor of psychiatry believes that we should stop viewing autism as a “defect”. Instead, he points out that autism can be an advantage, (in the right environments). His viewpoint echos those of others, who see autism as “different”, but not as something that should be corrected. Dr. Laurent Mottron is a professor of psychiatry at the University of Montreal. He believes that when researchers focus on the difference between a person who has autism and a “neurotypical” person as defects, they end up not fully understanding the condition of autism. For example, researchers sometimes use brain scans to learn … Continue reading →

Autism Spectrum Disorders and School

I came across an article in the US News & World report health section today that caught my eye. They were discussing a study published in Psychiatric Services last month (August 2011). The research looked at the use of mental health services by adolescents with an autism spectrum disorder. They were looking at data from a longitudinal study that covered a 10 year period, and discovered that about half of those who received mental health services received them at school. Obviously school plays an important role in the lives of those with autism spectrum disorders. Normally these students would be … Continue reading →

Virginia Governor Signs Autism Insurance Bill

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Virginia joins the growing list of States that are requiring insurance companies to cover the cost of autism treatment. This is not a separate insurance policy, but rather, an addition to existing health insurance policies. Laws like this one will be a big financial help to parents of children who have autism. Parents who have a child that has been diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum can find it difficult to come up with the money that is needed in order to pay for treatment. In most cases, this is due to the fact that a lot of insurance … Continue reading →

12 Year Old With Autism Revising Einstein’s Theory

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Jake Barnett is twelve years old, and has an IQ of 170. He also has aspergers syndrome. His interest in astronomy and advanced mathematics eventually lead him to question the calculations of Einstein’s theory of relativity. This, from a child who psychologists thought would always remain detached from the world around him. Asperger’s syndrome is a form of autism. It’s been described as high functioning autism. Symptoms tend to include an intensely focused interest in one particular subject to the point where the person knows everything about it. Other symptoms involve delayed motor skills, a lack of eye contact, and … Continue reading →

Autism and Genetics

Autism is the collective name for a group of developmental disorders called the “Autism Spectrum Disorders”. People with autism spectrum disorders often have a great deal of trouble communicating and often have difficulty with social interactions. Autism symptoms can be very subtle, or they can be rather debilitating. Autism does tend to run in families. Autistic children often have autistic siblings, especially if they are twins. In fact, if a family has one autistic child, there is a one-in-five chance that their next child will have autism too. Because autism tends to run in families, there is likely a genetic … Continue reading →

Autism Speaks Announces Expansion of Their Autism Treatment Network

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Early treatment of autism and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has proven to be the best course of action in improving the lives of those with the condition. This month, Autism Speaks, the nation’s largest autism science and advocacy organization, announced the expansion of their Autism Treatment Network (ATN). According to the Autism Speaks web site, the ATN works to improve the health and healthcare of children and adolescents with ASD. Through evidence-based research and practice, ATN’s mission is to provide each child with access to high quality care within their own communities. The ATN was created as a response to … Continue reading →

Chelation and Autism

Most parents of young children with autism are constantly looking for answers, reasons and solutions for their child’s autism. A controversial treatment for autism is chelation therapy. Chelating agents are administered to children to remove any mercury in the blood, mercury that many parents believe is the cause or at least a contributing factor to autism. The thought is that removing the mercury from the child will improve the autistic symptoms. While there are no proven studies for this treatment, many parents seek it out anyway, figuring that it won’t hurt to try. But in fact, I believe that it … Continue reading →