Mitochondrial mutations are present in at least 1 in 200 people, a number exponentially higher than previous estimates of their prevalence, according to a study published this summer in the American Journal of Human Genetics.
When you look at someoneʼs face, scientists say, you look first at their eyes, then their nose or mouth. In contrast, eye-tracking experiments have shown that people with autism rely more on the mouth and less on the eyes to interpret emotions.
Among many parents of children with autism, food free from wheat and dairy is considered one of the most effective ways to improve the symptoms of autism ― despite little solid evidence to support that claim.
I’m a journalist and a blogger ― stands to reason that I think all things Internet are generally good. Itʼs a lot easier to find out what I should write about, whom I should interview about it, how I can reach them… you know the drill. Life is just easier.
People with schizophrenia have a much higher frequency of duplications and deletions in their DNA, two independent teams of researchers are reporting today. The teams have both found that schizophrenia is associated with genetic changes in regions of chromosomes 1, 15 and 22.
Earlier this week, at a staff meeting at the foundation, we were talking, as we often do, about the relationship between genes and autism, and the tenuous, ill-understood connections between the two.
If youʼve read this blog before, you know that I believe that the rising numbers of autism cases, the “epidemic” if you will, may be explained by changes in how we diagnose the disease now, and because of the special services available to children with autism.
For many parents with autism, the ultimate goal is to have their children lead lives that are as ‘normalʼ as possible ― and that includes attending mainstream schools, where their child would be just like everyone else.
Let me first apologize for not having updated the blog in a few days. I was away getting married last weekend, while news in the world of autism piled up…
