Parenting

The Washington Post reports "One day in May 2004, a student at Short Pump Elementary School in Henrico County, Va., walked up to fourth-grade aspie David Henck in the cafeteria and said, 'It would be a holy day if you were shot dead by a sniper'"

A study of 100 children indicate that children exposed to high levels of testosterone in utero (due to the mothers' stress during the pregnancy) tend to have behavior consistant with ASD.

Google News reports: RedNova.com, TX - 2 hours ago
... In the US, positive results have been reported among kids with autism, Down's syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Link to article

Reuters reports "A difficult birth or a history of mental illness in a parent may put a baby at greater risk for autism, according to a study that may provide clues to the causes of the devastating neurological disability."

With dozens of elaborately decorated clay models of dragons, dinosaurs and cartoon characters displayed around the house, it seems as though Clinton Mesa is just a 17-year-old teenager with a great hobby. But, as his parents, Lou and Chris Mesa, found out, their son's knack for making strikingly descriptive models, was much more than a passion.

Though Clinton Mesa made it through his elementary school years without major problems, his...

Autism is one of the most devastating — and puzzling — disorders challenging medical science. Now, a McMaster University psychologist has uncovered some precious clues to its beginnings. The diagnosis of autism is usually made when a child is 2 1/2 or 3 years old, but there are reasons to believe the seeds of the disorder are sewn much earlier, perhaps even at birth. The problem is uncovering convincing evidence of that. So, when Dr....

Freelance writer Ellen Notbohm has a nice little informational piece which describes ten feelings supposedly held by someone with Autism. It seems that her piece is focused on individuals with extremely low functioning autism, but it is an informative read regardless. Also, some of you will be able to relate to quite a few of the troubles resulting from an autistic mindset. I enjoyed reading this and I hope you will as well.

BruneiDirect.Com reports

London - Autistic children may often hide outstanding musical skills and benefit from specialized musical training, according to a new study.

"A lot of work has been done on musical savants with exceptional musical memory and rarely-found, absolute pitch ability," says researcher Pamela Heaton, PhD, a psychologist at the University of London, in a news release. "But our research shows that even children without...