There will be some potentially major changes to the ASD criteria in the DSM-5 – the manual psychologists use to diagnose autism. These changes would impact who receives a diagnosis of an ASD and could affect services. Check out the link below to read about the specific changes being discussed and how you can weigh [...]
Girls with older fathers are 6 times as likely as those with younger fathers to be the only children with autism in their families, a new study in the journal Autism reports. This effect was seen for boys and girls but was stronger for girls. The results support the hypothesis that non-inherited mutations that accumulate [...]
The UC Davis MIND Institute published a study in February that indicates that early exposure to flame retardants presents an independent risk of neurodevelopmental deficits associated with reduced sociability and learning. Read more below. http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/publish/news/mindinstitute/6164
Developed especially for the younger siblings of children with autism, this cheek swab genetic screen checks for 65 known gene markers associated with autism. It will help classify younger siblings in terms of risk levels and may help those with the highest risk get the earliest possible treatments. Read more about it: http://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science-news/new-gene-screen-flags-autism-risk-infant-siblings
1 in 88 children has an Autism Spectrum Disorder, according to a new estimate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This represents a 78% increase in autism prevalence over the past 5 years. More children are impacted by autism than by diabetes, AIDS, cancer, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, Down Syndrome, and cystic fibrosis [...]
Today the Autism Treatment Network announced a new toolkit for parents who are considering having their child take medication for challenging behavior. The toolkit is designed to help parents understand the possible risks and benefits of different medications and help parents clarify the goals and values that are most important to them. The download request [...]
Although the law has not changed in California, Blue Shield and Anthem Blue Cross have recently settled with the Department of Managed Health Care and have agreed to cover Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services as supervised by a licensed professional. Senate Bill 770, which allows ABA services to be provided by qualified personnel, including those [...]
Recent research funded by Autism Speaks shows that a one-page baby toddler checklist called the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile (CSBS DP) can be used effectively as early as 12 months to screen children for autism and developmental disorders. Click here to download the free tool and scoring information: http://www.brookespublishing.com/store/books/wetherby-csbsdp/checklist.htm
A new sibling study from the UC Davis MIND institute found that the younger siblings of children with autism may be more likely to develop autism than previously thought. Past estimates, typically between 3 and 10 %, may underestimate actual recurrence rates. The study, published on August 15th in Pediatrics, reported that 1 in 5 [...]
Stanford’s California Autism Twins Study – the largest autism twin study ever – suggests that environmental influences during pregnancy may significantly increase the risk for autism. Genes are known to contribute to the risk for autism; the twins study provides strong evidence that a shared prenatal environment may play a greater role than previously suspected [...]
