Autistics are up to 40 percent faster at problem-solving than non-autistics, according to a new Université de Montréal and Harvard University study published in the journal Human Brain Mapping. [continue reading…]
Autism
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A research team has connected more of the intricate pieces of the autism puzzle, with two studies that identify genes with important contributions to the disorder. One study pinpoints a gene region that may account for as many as 15 percent of autism cases, while another study identifies missing or duplicated stretches of DNA along two crucial gene pathways. Significantly, both studies detected genes implicated in the development of brain circuitry in early childhood. [continue reading…]
Children who are firstborn or breech or whose mothers are 35 or older when giving birth are at significantly greater risk for developing an autism spectrum disorder, University of Utah School of Medicine researchers have reported in a new study with Utah children.
In the April 27, 2009, online issue of the journal Pediatrics, the researchers showed that women who give birth at 35 or older are 1.7 times more likely to have a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), compared with women between the ages of 20-34. Children diagnosed with ASD also were nearly 1.8 times more likely to be the firstborn child, the researchers found. [continue reading…]
The Interactive Autism Network (IAN) is an innovative online project bringing together tens of thousands of people affected by autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and hundreds of researchers in a search for answers. Every day thousands of people from across the country are coming together through IAN Research, an innovative online initiative connecting researchers with individuals and families affected by autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The information being shared by those living with an ASD is already helping researchers discover new insights about the disorder and is assisting community leaders advocating for improved services. This dynamic exchange is the nation’s largest online autism research study and is making remarkable strides to improve the lives of individuals and families affected by ASDs. This collaborative effort strives to accelerate important breakthroughs about causes, diagnosis, and treatments which may lead to the discovery of a possible cure. Link to participate in IAN Research
