Parents enroll their children in genetic research studies because of the opportunities to meet other families in the same situation, take control of their circumstances, and validate the medical nature of their child’s condition, according to a report published 11 July in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
Studying tuberous sclerosis provides researchers with a unique opportunity to find a common pathway among the various genetic causes of autism, says neurologist Mustafa Sahin.
Nearly all children diagnosed with autism retain their diagnosis when screened again at 8 years of age, according to a population-based study of more than 1,000 children, published in June in the Journal of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics.
Childhood disintegrative disorder may be the longest-lived of childhood psychiatric diagnoses. Austrian educator Theodor Heller described it more than 100 years ago, while working in a school for disabled children he had founded with his father. That reign may soon come to an end.
Calibrated severity score, a test based on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, provides a measure of autism symptoms that is independent of age and language ability, according to a study published 24 May in Autism Research.
An abnormal response to sound detected by brain imaging may distinguish children with autism from those with specific language impairment, according to a study published 30 May in Neuroreport.
By sequencing the protein-coding region of the genome of a single affected family member, researchers were able to diagnose 20 percent of people in 85 consanguineous families with unknown neurodevelopmental disorders, according to research published 13 June in Science Translational Medicine.
A report from the Autistic Self Advocacy Network analyzes the impact that the proposed changes to diagnostic criteria for autism are likely to have on people with the disorder.
Contrary to previous studies, preliminary results from field trials of the new criteria for diagnosing autism suggest it will capture people on the high-functioning end of the spectrum.
Do rising rates of autism point to a true increase in prevalence or simply reflect a growing awareness and thus diagnosis of the disorder?