Autism News

The Miami Herald reports:

A judge on Friday barred attorneys defending a graduate student charged in an arson spree of sport utility vehicles from presenting evidence he suffered from a type of autism known as Asperger's syndrome. U.S. District Judge Gary Klausner ruled Friday that the condition could not be used as part of Cottrell's defense.

There are some more grim stories in the news, but I thought it'd be nice to post a more encouraging story carried by Peterborough Today:

A MOTHER of two has won an award in recognition of her selfless devotion to her children. Christine, of Edinburgh Road, Spalding, is devoted to her two children, Oliver (16), who suffers from the compulsive obsessive disorder Tourette's syndrome, and Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism. Her...

The Washington Post reports:

Zeke, an angelically beautiful, mentally impaired 29-year-old man, works in London as a house painter. His symptoms vary: Publicity material for Margot Livesey's new novel, "Banishing Verona," describes him as suffering from Asperger's syndrome, but sometimes he seems mildly autistic. (Also, he's had a nervous breakdown.) Zeke can't recognize familiar faces, he can't comprehend metaphor, he becomes afraid for no...

Science Daily Reports:

In new research, scientists have found that a specific gene contributes to autism and that autistic people have fewer receptors for the brain messenger acetylcholine, as well as more tightly packed columns of neurons in the cerebral cortex. Another study found that autistic children were less able to discriminate similar sounds than were other children.

The research is providing new clues to the genetic, neurological,...

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Philadelphia Daily News Reports:

AUSTIN, Texas - A maverick British scientist who now works in Austin has completed a study on autism that links the disease to a novel intestinal illness.

The research, to appear in the Journal of Clinical Immunology due out today, opens the door to testing treatments for some autistic children, including a diet that forbids dairy products and certain grains.

The The Times (London) reports:

Bullied at school for his stilted speech and learning difficulties, Paul Smith was always seen as the "odd kid".

Like many sufferers of Asperger’s syndrome, the 18-year-old lacked social skills and hated crowded situations such as the fateful party last December.

OnlyPunjab.com calls Autism a "A National Tragedy."

This "Autism" tragedy that parents are experiencing with their affected children has taken a terrible toll on these families and the U.S. healthcare system.

This epidemic will cost the U.S. billions of dollars. An entire generation of children may have been affected. The symptoms of "autism" and mercury poisoning are identical.

I for one don't think of myself as a national tragedy...

OnlyPunjab.com reports:

The role of genetics in autism is believed to be significant because twin studies have found that identical twins, who have the same DNA, are much more likely to share the diagnosis than fraternal twins. However, experts have not yet identified the specific genetic components related to autism, and many experts believe that multiple genes are involved.

Researchers, led by Yong-hui Jiang of Baylor College of Medicine...

This is a very exciting time for us. Having a high google pagerank means that more aspies will learn about our site! I'm very happy with our tightly knit community and I look forward to the continued growth and success of the site. I thank everyone who has helped us make the community what it is.