Headlines
Stories in the media about autism are on the rise, but unfortunately, they're often obscured by more "glamorous" topics. The articles on these pages aren't necessarily intended to represent the all latest breaking news; they are, however, timely stories that we believe are well worth reading.
Click on individual headlines to read articles.
Looking for Early Signs of Autism in Brain Waves (June 12, 2011)
A technology that monitors electrical activity in the brain could help identify infants who will go on to develop autism, scientists say.
Asperger's, Children and Some Unconventional Wisdom (June 11, 2011)
The field of autism research continues to neglect a key aspect of these children: their internal, emotional lives.
Extra Gene Copies May Trigger Some Cases of Autism (June 10, 2011)
Over the past several years, a case has been building that many of the sporadic cases are also genetic, the result of brand-new mutations that appear only in the affected individual.
Autism Brains Alike; Very Different From Normal Brains (May 25, 2011)
Common “developmental patterning defect” seen in autistic brains.
Gene Expression in the Brain Offers Clues to Autism's Roots (May 25, 2011)
An intriguing new study on patterns of gene expression in the autistic brain offers fresh insight.
U.S. Rates of Autism, ADHD Continue to Rise (May 23, 2011)
Study finds 1 in 6 kids now have a developmental disability, perhaps due to better diagnosis.
Autism spectrum students get welcome at more colleges (May 9)
Checklist offers early alert to autism spectrum disorders (May, 5, 2011)
Getting your child tested at a younger age can lead to earlier intervention, and potentially a better long-term outcome.
Autism Now: Robert MacNeil Shares Grandson Nick's Story (April 18, 2011)
The first of six reports by former NewsHour anchor Robert MacNeil takes viewers on a visit with his six-year-old grandson, Nick, to see how autism affects the whole family. Be sure to look for related videos in the series.
Mark Bear's Fight To Decode Autism (December 6)
MIT researcher Mark Bear thinks that some forms of autism and mental retardation may be treatable with drugs already on laboratory shelves.
The cause of autism may be faulty mitochondria (December 2)
Researchers explore role of genetic power packs in autism.
Cell dysfunction may play part in autism (November 30)
Mitochondria, energy center of cell, found impaired in some, researchers report
They call him 50 Tyson (November 24)
Antonio's family, teacher and coach still find it hard to believe that a 17-year-old with autism has gone from an unknown in north Minneapolis to a larger-than-life Internet rap sensation.
IQ scores fail to predict academic performance in children with autism (November 19)
New data show that many children with autism spectrum disorders have greater academic abilities than previously thought.
Autistic kids show different brain activity patterns (November 17)
Kids with autism tend to have a different pattern of brain activity as compared to normal kids, a new brain-imaging study suggests.
Children with autism practice traveling on 'mock' flights (November 16)
Child with autism connects with Kinect (November 11)
When a father got Xbox's motion control system, he had no idea it would be a breakthrough for his boy.
At the Age of Peekaboo, in Therapy to Fight Autism (November 1)
Researchers are watching some babies in a pioneering effort to determine whether they can benefit from specific treatments.
New Device Helps Break Through Autism’s Psychological Wall (October 25)
The Q Sensor measures the electrical conductivity of skin offering warning sign of anxiety.
More Intellectually Disabled Youths Go to College (October 18)
MRI as potential diagnostic tool for autism (October 18)
FDA cracks down on autism treatment (October 14)
Chelation drugs are dangerous and illegal, agency warns.
Autistic patients’ brains have less communication between regions, study finds (October 12)
Researchers theorizes abnormal connectivity as cause
Siblings of autistic children may have some autism-related traits, study says (October 11)
Researchers discovered that siblings of autistic children who have not been diagnosed with the disease often exhibit mild traits of autism.
Autism in the spotlight: Will one celeb's story make a difference? (August 31)
Angie Dickinson speaks about her daughter's struggle with autism, then a little known disorder.
Siblings on the frontlines for people with disabilities (August 25)
A journalist's look at growing up with a disabled brother.
O. Ivar Lovaas, pioneer in developing therapies for autism, dies at 83 (August 23)
9-year-old Prior Lake author with Asperger's publishes novel (August 17)
A story of a boy's ability, not disability.
Parents of boy with autism map out his future as an adult (August 16)
As Tyler Bell grows too old for government support, family and friends step in to help.
On-the-job training at Best Buy for students from PS 37 (August 12)
Chance meeting leads to job opportunity for kids with autism.
IT + autism = real jobs (August 10)
David Farrell-Shaw is sitting in his bright, clean new office, behind a clutter-free desk, explaining how he came to his current job.
Teen with autism becomes inspirational wrestler (August 10)
A touching story of a boy overcoming the odds of his disability
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Jobs lifeline for autism sufferers (August 5) Scots with autism are to be thrown a jobs lifeline with the launch of a new social enterprise business.
Face cards used by police help autistic pupils in Frome (August 4)
Cards that illustrate different human emotions are being used by the police in Frome to help victims of crime who suffer from Autism spectrum disorder.
Working with someone with Asperger's (August 3)
Advice from two professionals coping with the condition.
Treatment is right on beat (August 2)
A father creates an innovative "treatment" for children with autism.
Bringing up autistic twins (August 2)
A family's story of isolation and the challenges of raising children with autism.
A perfect fit: Skateboarding's therapeutic effects on children with autism (June 18)Connecting with kids through solitary sport.
Students with autism learn how to succeed at work (June 14)
School program helps prepare students with autism for the future.
Asperger's syndrome: How a name brought harmony to my sister's life (June 11)
This woman is truly living up to her name.
Researchers discover genetic patterns of autism (June 9)
Genetic variations may increase susceptibility to autism.
Boy with autism communicates through his award-winning art (June 9)
Art by seven-year-old provides window to his thoughts.
Boy with autism saves choking friend (June 8)
Quick-thinking student saves his friend.
New database for families with disabled loved ones (June 3)
Having information on file about disabled citizens could help decrease misunderstandings.
Schools need to require certification of behavior analysts (April 14, 2010)
One case sheds light on need for certification standards for behavioral therapists.
Rodney Peete's journey to accept son's autism (April 13, 2010)
NFL football star tells was slow to come to grips with his son's needs.
Grandparents key for autistic children (April 9, 2010)
Report finds that grandparents are on the front lines but often overlooked.
Mayor declares April 6 'Temple Grandin Day' in honor of autistic CSU professor (April 7, 2010)
Mayor of Fort Collins, Colorado honors Grandin's contribution to autism
Areva Martin's happy family (April 7, 2010)
All one big happy family: balancing career and mothering an autistic child.
Major obstacles for adults with autism (April 6, 2010)
Immunologist and clinical pathologist Neil S. Greenspan looks at the future for individuals with autism.
Google SketchUp lets children with autism create (February 22, 2010)
University teams with Google to help autistic children use 3D modeling programs.
Disorder out of chaos (February 9, 2010)
Autism is a spectrum disorder (op-ed by Ron Grinker)
Kim Peek, inspiration for 'Rain Man,' dies at 58 (December 27, 2009)
In 1988, the film "Rain Man," about an autistic savant played by Dustin Hoffman, shed a humane light on the travails of autism while revealing the extraordinary powers of memory that a small number of otherwise mentally disabled people possess, ostensibly as a side effect of their disability.
People with autism 'have problem with self-awareness' (December 14, 2009)
Sophisticated scans showed the brains of people with autism are less active when engaged in self-reflective thought.
Teaching the ABC's of crucial social skills (December 2, 2009)
The middle school years, when nothing seems more important or more impossible than fitting in, are rough for nearly everyone. But they are particularly brutal for preteens such as Will Gilbertsen, whose mild autism makes him stand out.
The short life of a diagnosis (November 10, 2009)
A look at the proposed changes to the DSVM-V (op-ed by Simon Baron-Cohen).
A powerful identity, a vanishing diagnosis (November 3, 2009)
Much of the growing prevalence of autism, which now affects about 1 percent of American children, according to federal data, can be attributed to Asperger's and other mild forms of the disorder. But no sooner has Asperger consciousness awakened than the disorder seems headed for psychiatric obsolescence.
New data show 1 in 110 children have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (November 2009)
CDC's most recent data show that between one in 80 and one in 240 children with an average of one in 110 have an ASD. This is a prevalence of about one percent. These results reflect data collected by the CDC in multiple communities throughout the U.S. in 2006.
Growing old with autism (May 24, 2009)
In mid-2007, I set off to meet with geneticists, epidemiologists and doctors who specialize in researching and treating autism. I was seeking a novel therapy for my 42-year-old autistic younger brother Noah.
Tug of war over costs to educate the autistic (April 19, 2009)
The eight children, ages 5 to 11, who attend the Brooklyn Autism Center Academy need intensive individual instruction to cope with a neurological disorder that can make achieving academic progress slow and grueling.