Waiting in line at the grocery store is frustrating for many of us, but for people with autism spectrum disorders, the experience can be downright unbearable
“Waiting in line is a big issue,” says Rowan University professor S. Jay Kuder, chair of the University’s Department of Special Educational Services/Instruction.
“People with autism spectrum disorders are usually not that good at anticipating situations. And when they don’t see a solution, they get upset and act up. Acting up gets them out of the uncomfortable situation.”
To assist people with autism spectrum disorders in social situations—particularly teens and young adults—Kuder and a partner developed Mi-Stories, videotaped scenarios of common situations that are downloadable, and readily available, on Apple i-Pods. [continue reading…]
New from All in the Mind. News of the largest studies on the genetics of autism to date is out, paving the way for genetic risk testing in the future. And, Australian research suggests autistic behaviours can be detected as early as eight months. So should we be screening newborns for neurological disorders like autism? The ethical debate unfolds
A child reads instructions on a screen while seated with his head surrounded by the MEG's noninvasive magnetic detectors.
Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) process sound and language a fraction of a second slower than children without ASDs, and measuring magnetic signals that mark this delay may become a standardized way to diagnose autism.
“More work needs to be done before this can become a standard tool, but this pattern of delayed brain response may be refined into the first imaging biomarker for autism,” said study leader Timothy P.L. Roberts, Ph.D., vice chair of Radiology Research at Children’s Hospital.
ASDs are a group of childhood neurodevelopmental disorders that cause impairments in verbal communication, social interaction and behavior. ASDs are currently estimated to affect as many as one percent of U.S. children, according to a recent CDC report. [continue reading…]
