Research

What’s MSSNG in #Autism? – By John Elder Robison

By on December 10, 2014

mssng_hero Yesterday a new hashtag campaign appeared in my Twitter feed – #MSSNG. It seemed to refer to autism, and a new research project. I had an immediate reaction, based on my interpretation of the letters in the context of the autism discussion – I thought, Missing?  Certainly not.  We may be gifted or we may […]

Autism in France Pt. 2: Psychoanalysis Film Banned in France

By on January 27, 2012

It's a gloomy day. I'm riding on a train from New York City to Philadelphia with french filmmaker Sophie Robert for the international premiere of her film The Wall or Psychoanalysis Put to the Test for Autism. I was with Sophie in New York City filming a documentary yesterday when she received a call from her lawyer.

She was awaiting the results of a frivolous lawsuit brought against her by psychoanalysts upset by her exposé. Autistic...

Autism in France: Psychoanalysis, Packing, and Other Travesties: Why it Matters

By on January 17, 2012

Unlike most modern countries, the Autism Spectrum in France is viewed as a disease that can and should be cured. The dark-ages culture of neglect and abuse remains extremely strong. The documentary The Wall or Psychoanalysis Put to the Test for Autism reveals how outdated theories haunt Autism there.

David Heurtevent is a 32 year-old autistic self-advocate from France. He has travelled extensively and even got a degree from Georgetown....

Autism Talk TV – Ep. 10 – Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

By on October 27, 2010

In this 18 minute episode of Autism Talk TV I sit down with Lindsay Oberman at Harvard Medical School's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center to talk about TMS, a technology that allows researchers to use magnets to affect the brains of individuals with Autism. First we have an interview with Lindsay and then you can watch me undergoing TMS.

Lindsay discusses the details of TMS and how it relates to Autism. She has been interested in Autism...

Autism Talk TV – Ep. 5 – Geraldine Dawson of Autism Speaks

By on August 3, 2010

Hello and welcome to episode five of Autism Talk TV. This time around, Alex Plank and Jack Robison talk with Geraldine Dawson, the chief science officer at Autism Speaks. Dawson, who's been involved in the autistic community for over 30 years, gives Autism Talk TV a sample of the research funded by Autism Speaks aimed at, not curing, but improving the lives of spectrumites.

We learn about some of the physical troubles autistic individuals...

Autism Talk TV Ep. 3: Alison Singer at IMFAR

By on May 26, 2010

For the third episode of Autism Talk TV, I had the opportunity to sit down with Allson Singer who cofounded the Autism Science Foundation. This is the first video in our series of Autism Talk TV interviews conducted at IMFAR in Philadelphia last week.

Alison talks about what it was like for her brother growing up in the 1960s and 1970s with an Autism diagnosis. She discusses the history of Autism services and shares her views on the...

Review and Video: Autism’s False Prophets by Dr. Paul Offit

By on October 17, 2008

Autism’s False Prophets: Bad Medicine, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure is a well-referenced, historical work that explains the dangerous and unnecessary controversies that have put the lives of autistic children at risk. Offit sets up his book by explaining how he has become a major player in the field of immunology. He then explores the process by which the autism/vaccine controversy has been given so much attention. He...

Interview: Heather Kuzmich of America’s Next Top Model

By on November 29, 2007

This morning I had a conversation with model and art student Heather Kuzmich, a girl with Asperger's who appeared on America's Next Top Model and won Cover Girl of the Week eight times in a row.

Read on for the interview.

Wrong Planet founder Alex Plank interviewed on the radio

By on October 30, 2006

I was interviewed on Monday by Michael Boll of Autism Podcast. He asked me about WrongPlanet.net, autism, and my life as a successful individual with Asperger's Syndrome. The interview is an interesting look into the person behind Wrong Planet (me).

I think we had a great interview and I really enjoyed reminiscing about my early childhood experiences, which many of you will definitely relate to. Also, we touched on what it's like to run a...

Researchers may have found a single cause for social blindness in aspies and aut

By on December 25, 2005

Using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), a team lead by Mirella Dapretto found that test subjects on the autism spectrum have virtually no activity in the mirror neuron section of their brains, whereas NTs of comparable age and intelligence had abundant activity.

Mirror neurons are the “duplication” neurons in the brain. The neurons activate when an NT performs a goal-oriented task. They also activate in exactly the same way...