Asperger's Syndrome

Out of place

2009-08-24T05:46:00.001Z

‘I felt out of place in this world’ (Kate Hodal, The Press and Journal).

MOST people have an autopilot, but having Asperger’s means I don’t,” says 44-year-old James Christie.

Diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, a rare form of autism, seven years ago, the Glasgow-based data assistant say he lives each day “by manual control”...

Hollywood

2009-08-10T15:17:00.001Z

Autistic impressions (By Laura Schocker BBC News Magazine)

Hollywood movies rarely deal with disability - except for autism, when characters are typically shown as having special intelligence.

Why do we like to think everyone with autism is especially gifted?...

Video resources

2009-06-09T13:01:00.001Z

Video resources taken from DVD accompanying National Audit Office Report: Supporting people with autism through adulthood.

Work

2009-04-15T20:58:00.001Z

Succeeding at Work with Autism (Dan Woog)

As a child, Temple Grandin had extraordinary memory and visualization skills.

But she was socially awkward and hypersensitive to noise and other sensory stimuli.

As an adult, she used her skills to gain insight into the minds of cattle.

She is now among the world's preeminent designers of humane livestock facilities and an associate professor of animal science at Colorado State University.

Stress

2009-04-09T20:51:00.001Z

Asperger's stress hormone 'link' (BBC News: Health).

Children with Asperger's Syndrome may dislike change to their routine because of their different levels of the stress hormone cortisol, a study suggests.

The hormone is believed to make the brain more alert, and more able to cope with changes in the environment...

Autism and the workplace

2009-03-22T18:49:00.002Z

Autism and the Workplace - Strangers in a Strange Land (by Teresa J. Foden).

For many young people with autism, venturing out into the adult world is akin to Valentine Michael Smith's journey to the planet Earth from outer space in the 1961 science fiction classic Stranger in a Strange Land, by Robert A. Heinlein...

References.

Improved support for autism

2009-02-27T15:38:00.001Z

'Bail-out' hope for autism carers (Stephen Robb, BBC News: UK)

Government plans to improve support for people with autism are expected to be outlined in Parliament later, and families affected by the disability hope the moves could eventually transform their lives...

Many children have mild autistic "symptoms"

2009-01-21T19:26:00.000Z

Autistic traits 'spread widely' (BBC News: Health).

Many children have mild autistic "symptoms" without ever having enough problems to attract specialist attention, say UK researchers.

The Institute of Child Health team says diagnosed children have severe versions of character traits probably shared by millions of others...

New education report

2008-11-11T19:30:00.002Z

Why don't you understand? (Dorothy Lepkowska, The Guardian: Education).

Teachers' tolerance levels were never very high where Ieuan Packenham was concerned. The boy, who has autism and dyspraxia, was noisier than many other children with his condition and would become frustrated easily, especially in a confined space.

"Ieuan was perceived as being badly behaved and I would receive phone calls from the school telling me what he had done now, rather than asking me for advice on how to deal with it," says his mother, Deborah Packenham...

Professional and academic careers

2008-11-04T19:26:00.001Z

Children with Asperger's: A 21st Century Brain Trust (Suzanne McCain, Business Week)

Ignorance about autism and Asperger's syndrome limits the possibilities for students embarking on their professional and academic careers.

Asperger's syndrome (AS) is characterized by social awkwardness, although many have learned to adapt so their deficits may vary.

Differences may include taking things too literally, seeing rules too legalistically, having trouble understanding certain kinds of humor while finding humor in obscure details others don't follow, demonstrating brutal honesty, and not realizing when others' feelings have been hurt.

Those with AS may have difficulty recognizing nonverbal cues such as facial expressions or body language and realizing when someone they are speaking to has lost interest...

Lego therapy

2008-10-06T17:29:00.001Z

Here's how to build your hopes (Alexandra Blair, The Times).

There is no easy way to start a conversation about autism.

Images spring to mind of a child sitting under his desk, rocking to and fro, unable to communicate and throwing tantrums.

Or the film Rain Man and the misunderstood geniuses who struggle alone in the world.

To many, a diagnosis of autism in a child is a family trag-edy and spells a lifetime of challenge.

But a new study that investigates how Lego can help some autistic children to socialise is giving hope to families across Britain...

Women and autism

2008-09-21T17:33:00.000Z

Autistic women: a life more ordinary (Charlotte Moore, The Telegraph).

Why do women make up only one in four of those diagnosed as autistic? Could it be that they are simply better at pretending not to be? Charlotte Moore meets a group of women for whom 'normal' is an alien language that they battle to learn...

AS and HE

2008-08-24T14:16:00.000Z

My Semester With an Asperger's Syndrome Student by Allen A. Oldham

I am not a psychologist or otherwise professionally qualified to say for certain that “Fred,” the name I am using as a pseudonym for one of my students, has Asperger’s Syndrome.

He never identified himself as such in any way, including by seeking any accommodation.

I have not even been a teacher that long, having recently become an assistant professor after a 30-year career outside of academia...

Support into work

2008-08-15T16:15:00.001Z

Supporting role (by Claire McBain, The Press and Journal)

For most people, getting a place at university or landing a high-flying job isn’t too distant a hope, but for those with autism or Asperger syndrome it’s a different story...

Teamwork

2008-07-14T15:43:00.001Z

Asperger syndrome: 'Bosses say I'm not a team player' (Sheryl Moore, The Telegraph).

Danny Hancock has a brilliant mind but can't hold down a job. Sheryl Moore talks to him and his mother about changing workplace attitudes to Asperger syndrome

Surrounded by a pile of well-thumbed science journals and maths textbooks, Danny Hancock comes alive. The 22-year-old enthuses at length about the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler and his French contemporary, Pierre de Fermat.

Early diagnosis

2008-07-09T12:08:00.001Z

New Ways to Diagnose Autism Earlier by Jeremy Singer-Vine (The Wall Street Journal).

With the number of autistic children growing, researchers are targeting new technologies to help detect the disorder at ever-younger ages in hopes of reversing some of autism's worst symptoms...

A better deal

2008-06-23T17:52:00.002Z

Health: why families with autism sufferers need a better deal (Daily Mirror).

Half a million families are hit by autism in the UK - and many of them are struggling without proper support...

A better deal

2008-06-23T17:52:00.000Z

Health: why families with autism sufferers need a better deal (Daily Mirror).

Half a million families are hit by autism in the UK - and many of them are struggling without proper support...

Living with Autism

2008-04-13T11:59:00.001Z

Living with autism in the UK (BBC News: UK)

Increasingly common, yet often misunderstood, autism is now being discussed in the international corridors of power with the first UN-sponsored World Autism Awareness Day - but what issues face those with the condition in the UK...

Teaching advice

2008-04-04T05:35:00.001Z

Teaching gifted children with Asperger syndrome: practical advice (Julian Whybra, Teaching Expertise).

Working with very able pupils presents a challenge to any teacher, but when learners also have special educational needs, there are complex issues to address.

Julian Whybra shares his experiences of children and young people with Asperger syndrome...

The human satnav

2008-02-16T17:13:00.001Z

The human satnav who can dodge road jams (Adam Morris, Edinburgh Evening News).

He's the human satnav and when it comes to the UK motorway network, Peter Young knows almost every diversion and shortcut.

The 26-year-old has Asperger syndrome – a form of autism that makes the sufferer obsessive about a particular subject.

While some may consider his condition as a weakness, Peter believes it is one of his greatest strengths. Now he is about to launch a bus service, serving Edinburgh holidaymakers, after his obsession with the national road network led him to what he believes is a great business opportunity...

Virtual worlds

2007-11-20T07:18:00.000Z

Avatars Help Asperger Syndrome Patients Learn to Play the Game of Life (The University of Texas at Dallas)

A technology associated with fantasy worlds is helping young adults with autism in the hard reality of life.

Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas Center for BrainHealth are working with patients diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome using virtual reality training. People with the disorder have normal intelligence, but they suffer from a variety of social cognitive defects, including an inability to read nonverbal clues and adapt well to change.

These young adults -- considered to have a form of autism -- face many obstacles in life. Interviewing for a job or asking somebody for a date can be monumentally difficult...

Employment

2007-11-09T15:18:00.000Z

'Ignorant' employers missing out (Fiona McLeod, The Scotsman)

PEOPLE with autism are being discriminated against by employers and denied education because of ignorance.

Despite one in 100 Scots being affected by the neurological condition, just 13 per cent of those diagnosed are in full-time employment.

The National Autistic Society (NAS) in Scotland says extra funding could improve that figure to 50 per cent...

Ignorance

2007-10-29T10:49:00.000Z

Ignorance of autism is ruining lives (Fiona MacLeod, The Scotsman).

Bullied by their classmates as children, shunned by neighbours as parents, and refused work as adults, the lives of thousands of Scots are being devastated by ignorance about autism.

New research reveals that people with the condition are seven times more likely to be caught up in the criminal-justice system - as suspects, rather than criminals - because of poor understanding of the way autism can cause unusual behaviour...

New benchmark

2007-06-29T08:38:00.000Z

New 'benchmark' for autism care

Guidelines setting out a "benchmark" for the care of children with autism in Scotland have been published.

It is the first time in the UK that clinicians, parents and carers have drawn up the evidence-based standards.

About 7,500 children and teenagers in Scotland are thought to have some form of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD).

Those behind the guidelines said they would help parents who had until now been faced with information which could be contradictory or even misleading.

The guidelines, developed by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (Sign), aim to provide a road map of best practice and tried-and-tested treatments.

Riddle

2007-02-01T23:45:00.000Z

Rise and rise of autism is a riddle the experts can't crack (Kevin Schofield, The Scotsman).

BY ANY measure, the rise in autism rates in the past 20 years has been astronomical. Pre-1990 estimates put the number at about four or five cases per 10,000 people.

But a study published last year in the medical journal the Lancet suggested that the condition now affects one person in every hundred...

An epidemic of discovery

2007-01-16T12:54:00.000Z

The autism numbers (Arthur Allen, Slate)

For a decade or more, parents of autistic children, including public figures ranging from quarterback Doug Flutie to Rep. Dan Burton to NBC Chairman Bob Wright, have argued that an epidemic of autism is sweeping the country.

The claim usually comes in the context of advocating more funding for autism research and treatment, which the advocates justify by pointing to the increase in reporting of autism cases.

The numbers of autistic children on the rolls of the California Department of Developmental Services, for example, swelled 634 percent from 1987 to 2003. Similar increases have been reported in other states. Thirty years ago, autism was thought to occur in one in 2,000 children; prevalence rates put it at about one in 200.

Various environmental factors have been held to blame, and autism has entered public consciousness in a new way, which makes it feel like a new disease, at least in its current dimensions...

Cartoons

2007-01-09T16:34:00.000Z

Cartoons to aid autistic children (Jane Hughes, BBC News: Health).

A project that has helped a small group of autistic children understand more about human emotions is being launched nationwide.

The project uses cartoons narrated by the actor Stephen Fry to help teach the youngsters about facial expressions.

It's in the genes

2006-12-17T16:00:00.000Z

Scientists identify gene mutation in autism (Reuters).

French scientists have identified genetic mutations in a small number of children with autism which could provide insight into the biological basis of the disorder...

A girl with a deletion of SHANK 3 in the third family suffered from autism while her brother, who had an additional copy of the gene, had a mild form of autism called Asperger syndrome...

Potential treatments

2006-12-06T10:46:00.000Z

Studies shed light on autism effects and treatment (Reuters).

Two studies shed light on the possible effects of autism on the brain and point to potential treatments, researchers said on Monday...

...The term autism describes a range of conditions that can include very severe mental and behavioral effects, an inability to interact in normal social ways, and milder behavior like Asperger's syndrome...

Bullied

2006-11-23T10:33:00.000Z

'Bullied because I was different' (BBC News: Education).

As the government launches a drive to tackle prejudice-led bullying, Joshua Muggleton talks about how he was targeted because he was different.

As someone with Asperger syndrome, Joshua acknowledges that he "tends to show up on the social radar".

He looks like any other 17-year-old but his condition makes it difficult to make eye contact or read other social cues...

Second life

2006-11-19T22:41:00.000Z

Welcome to your second life (Andrew Burnett, The Scotsman).

...Educational institutions including Harvard and Edinburgh universities have also established Second Life presences. The platform has been used to help people with Asperger's syndrome - a form of autism - to improve their communication skills, and to host self-help groups for schizophrenics and stroke sufferers. The news agency Reuters has established an in-world bureau to report on Second Life developments. Now the reality TV giant Endemol is planning a version of Big Brother in which the participants will be represented by avatars...

Keeping a job

2006-11-18T22:35:00.000Z

Special intelligence (Sabina Dosani, The Guardian).

If you have Asperger's syndrome, getting and keeping a job might seem impossible, but it's not. Sabina Dosani talks to employers about why they value their 'incredible' workers.

Jonathan Young's job entails using complex technology to collate and disseminate information for investment bankers at Goldman Sachs. He is highly intelligent, motivated and was close to being selected for MI5. He also has Asperger's syndrome...

Rugby

2006-11-15T22:24:00.000Z

A Way To Break Autism?s Grip? The Answer May Be Rugby (Anna Batista, STV).

Life can be rather hard for parents with an autistic child. Even everyday activities such as eating, playing and making friends, can turn into difficult challenges. Both parents and children need specialist advice and support, but the truth is that very few autistic children are able to attend schools designed to meet their needs, or are able to take part in care programmes that could help them develop their full potential. The result is that parents and children end up living isolated lives, full of anxiety and frustration.

Autism and Asperger Syndrome affect a person’s ability to communicate, understand language, play, interact with others and form relationships. The term Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) refers to a broad definition of autism, including the classical form of the disorder, as well as closely related disabilities that share many of the core characteristics of autism. The Scottish Society for Autism estimates there are 46,167 people in Scotland with ASD; within the City of Glasgow, the prevalence of ASD is over 5,000 of the total population...

New support site

2006-11-11T08:58:00.000Z

Support site launched (County Times)

A mother whose son has Tourette Syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Asperger Syndrome and obsessive behaviour disorder, is running a support website for other families at www.samuelsworld.co.uk.

Work and Aspergers

2006-11-08T22:30:00.000Z

Finding jobs for autistic victims (News Wales).

Newport 30-year-old Joe Powell thought he was a hopeless failure when he was sacked from his job with a police force for "a lack of communication. " Then he discovered he had Asperger Syndrome (a form of autism) and realised he was ill, not incompetent...

...The 'Ability to Work' conference takes place at the Holiday Inn, Newport on Thursday this week. It aims to encourage employers to consider the skills that people with disabilities such as autism can offer, and to promote the support available from agencies working in the Newport area. Twenty people with disabilities have been invited to be guest trainees at the Holiday Inn for the event, giving them a valuable insight into the work of a national chain of hotels...

Gary Numan

2006-11-06T22:51:00.000Z

60 SECONDS: Gary Numan (Andrew Williams, Metro).

...You think you’ve got Asperger syndrome – why is that?It was suggested I had it when I was younger but no one knew much about it then. I’ve read a lot about it since and I fulfil some of the diagnostic criteria but not others. I probably only have a mild form. It means you’re unable to interact socially in a way that is generally acceptable. For example, if people came over for dinner and I saw a magazine I hadn’t read, I’d pick it up, sit in the corner and read it – which I now know is wrong. You also don’t readily understand facial expressions. You don’t communicate in the same way...

Working past autism

2006-11-03T13:08:00.000Z

Woman discusses how she worked past autism (Eric Stevick, Herald).

...Develop their areas of strength, particularly among high-functioning students with what is called Asperger's Syndrome, and get them job experiences while still in school...

Let down

2006-11-01T13:05:00.000Z

Autistic pupils 'let down by failures in mainstream education services' (Kevin Schofield, The Scotsman).

Hundreds autistic children are being denied a proper education in Scotland's schools, according to a damning report by education watchdogs.

...Mrs McGill withdrew Lawrie from the school in March this year and three months later he was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism...

The weather, television and austism

2006-10-21T09:59:00.000Z

A Bizarre Study Suggests That Watching TV Causes Autism (Claudia Wallis, Time).

Strange things happen when you apply the statistical methods of economics to medical science. You might say you get dismal science, but that's a bit glib. You certainly get some strange claims — like the contention of three economists that autism may be caused by watching too much television at a tender age. It gets stranger still when you look at the data upon which this argument is based. The as yet unpublished Cornell University study, which will be presented Friday at a health economics conference in Cambridge, Mass., is constructed from an analysis of reported autism cases, cable TV subscription data and weather reports. Yes, weather reports. And yet, it all makes some kind of sense in the realm of statistics. And it makes sense to author Gregg Easterbrook, who stirred the blogosphere this week with an article about the study on Slate, provocatively (and perhaps irresponsibly) titled "TV Really Might Cause Autism."

Also from Time - The Secrets of Autism (Madeleine Nash) and Inside the Autistic Mind (Claudia Wallis).

A tale of family tragedy

2006-10-19T15:10:00.000Z

Mysterious Creatures is a tale of family tragedy (Ian Wylie, Manchester Evening News).

...The Merseyside couple's note explained how they could no longer cope with their 33-year-old daughter, Lisa, who has been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, but defies attempts to pin down her condition.

Mysterious Creatures (ITV1, Sunday, October 29) shows how Bill and Wendy tried, and failed, to cope with their daughter, including her addiction to spending money they didn't have on cuddly toys and hundreds of pairs of designer shoes...

Mutated genes

2006-10-17T08:57:00.000Z

Mutated gene raises autism risk, US study finds (Maggie Fox, Scientific America).

U.S. researchers said on Monday they had identified a genetic mutation that raises the risk of autism and could also explain some of the other symptoms seen in children with autism...

...Dr. Pat Levitt and colleagues at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, studied 743 families in which 1,200 family members were affected by autism spectrum disorders, which range from fully disabling autism to Asperger's syndrome...

Story

2006-10-16T08:23:00.000Z

Teen will tell his story on NPR (Nicole Robertson, The Oakland Press).

Joshua Yuchasz knows he's different. On Monday, he's going to tell the world about it...

..."It's a fact that only 10 percent of the (autistic) population is working," he said. "It's the fastest-growing handicap. And society doesn't come to handicaps. Once they get out of these schools, the boss doesn't care about it, he just wants the job done. So we have to give them the coping skills."

MMR

2006-10-13T00:01:00.000Z

Uptake in MMR jabs too slow (David Powles, Norwich Evening News).

...Sue Collins, of Lime Tree Road, believes her 21-year-old son's Asperger's Syndrome, which is a form of autism, was due to him having the MMR vaccine.

She said: “I know a lot of parents whose children have Asperger's and they all think the same. The study was flawed and the safety has not been proven and I think a lot of parents still have concerns...

Definition

2006-10-12T10:25:00.000Z

Ped Med: Autism rates hinge on definition (Lidia Wasowicz, United Press International).

At its most basic level, part of the debate over the cause and consequence of the climbing numbers of autism diagnoses among America's young centers on bookkeeping...

...Three of these connote what is commonly called autism: the severe autistic disorder, the much milder Asperger's syndrome, and the tongue-tripping "pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified," PDDNOS in doctors' shorthand, which lumps together children who show symptoms but do not meet the criteria of either of the other two conditions...

Tony Attwood

2006-10-08T15:25:00.000Z

Symptoms misunderstood (Bernadette Condren, The Courier Mail).

Brisbane physician Tony Attwood has made the study and treatment of Asperger's patients his life's work for more than 30 years and is a world authority on it.

The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome will be available in bookstores by the end of the month, RRP: $49.95

Dictionary

2006-10-03T21:52:00.000Z

Asperger's children could use explanations (Consumer Health Daily).

...Dahle suggest parents should: "Create a dictionary that explains the meanings of common expressions -- speech therapists also can teach children idioms and not just articulation."

Increasing

2006-10-02T21:05:00.000Z

Local autism cases increasing (Yashekia Smalls, South Bend Tribune).

Imagine not being able to grasp the meaning of "next week." Or having so much trouble adjusting to the slightest change in routine that throwing a tantrum becomes a normal way to deal with the unpredictable.

...Asperger's Syndrome, or high-functioning autism, causes those affected to have deficits in social interaction and unusual responses to the environment...

Story

2006-10-01T10:32:00.000Z

Life with Asperger's: One man tells his story (Bob Ivry, The Record).

My name is Scott Michael Robertson. I'm a 26-year-old third-year Ph.D. student studying information sciences and technology at Penn State University.

I'm different from my friends and peers in graduate school in that I have Asperger's syndrome, a disorder on the autism spectrum. I self-diagnosed with AS in 1999. Six years later, a doctor confirmed my diagnosis...

On his own, in a new world (Bob Ivry, The Record).

David Bloom's dream came true on June 29 when he moved into his own apartment in Teaneck.

...Bloom has Asperger's syndrome, a mild form of autism, as well as an obsessive-compulsive disorder...

Research

2006-09-26T09:34:00.000Z

Unraveling autism's mystery (Lindy Washburn, The Record).

It explained her son Alex's strange behavior. It clouded her dreams for her second son, Ben, who was just 3 weeks old when Alex was diagnosed. Would he, too, have autism?

...Five years ago, a study in Brick Township in Ocean County drew national attention when it documented an autism rate of 1 in 149 children -- higher than had ever been found elsewhere. The cases included kids with Asperger's syndrome and high-functioning autism as well as severe autism...

Area parents of autistic kids bond (Belia Ortega, The Sheyboygan Press).

Cathy and Raul Del Valle of Sheboygan are thankful for organizations such as the Autism Society of the Lakeshore Sheboygan County Satellite Group...

...Kelly Shariff, whose son, Zach, 14, has Asperger's syndrome — a higher functioning form of autism — joined the Manitowoc Autism Society after she felt that she needed some support for her and her family. Zach joined the friendship circle and immediately formed a bond with other autistic kids that were in the group. Kelly Shariff is now the Manitowoc group's president...

Applied Behavioral Analysis

2006-09-24T09:55:00.000Z

Special Report: The Spectrum Of Autism (David Marks, WBCS - TV).

...Jonathan Lentine was diagnosed with Asperger's when he was about 8 years old...

...However, she's made tremendous progress with a therapy called "Applied Behavioral Analysis" at the Institute for Educational Achievement...

Online games can teach life skills (Reuben Schwarz, The Dominion Post)

Online games can teach valuable life skills and shouldn't be seen as mindless entertainment, says a Waikato University games expert....

...She says such games are also good at providing a safe environment for people who are shy or have personality disorders such as Asperger's Syndrome, letting them interact with people from a wide variety of backgrounds...

Parent power

2006-09-21T22:22:00.000Z

Power to the parents (Hilarie Stelfox, The Huddersfield Daily Examiner).

It's 10 years since Kirklees blazed an educational trail with one of the country's first autism units, based at Longley School...

...The autism spectrum, which includes Asperger's Syndrome, remains one of medical science's unsolved mysteries. Children born with it display a number of characteristics that typically include difficulty with social relationships; problems with communication and a limited imagination. Repetitive behaviour patterns and resistance to change in routines is also a feature of autism. Some higher functioning people withAsperger's can be extremely intelligent and in a few, special, cases sufferers are said to have a "savant", which gives them extraordinary abilities...

Bullying

2006-09-21T18:02:00.000Z

Parents of autistic boy sue district (Ellen Lyon, The Patriot News).

A Hampden Twp. couple allege in a federal lawsuit against the Cumberland Valley School District that their son, who has a high functioning form of autism, was repeatedly bullied and harassed by students and teachers from 1998 to earlier this year...

...The abuse and discrimination "exacerbated" their son's Asperger's syndrome and caused him to regress, the suit states. The Bloschichaks seek unspecified monetary and punitive damages for "economic, psychological, emotional and physical injuries."

Respite care

2006-09-19T23:25:00.000Z

Plight of disabled silenced (Margaret Wenham, The Courier Mail).

The Beattie Government has refused to release details of how many applicants are denied support funding for disabilities...

...And Barbara Larsen said her daughter Sophie, 13, had spent the past two weeks in Disability Services Queensland-funded respite – only her second respite period since Sophie was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome aged seven...

Podcast

2006-09-19T09:09:00.000Z

Study Finds Older Fathers Are More Likely to Have Autistic Children (VOA News).

This week - a report on the link found between older fathers and the risk of autism in children...

...The National Institute of Mental Health says autism may represent several different diseases. Autism presents itself in different ways and is part of a larger group of disorders. These are often called autism spectrum disorders. They also include Asperger's syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder...

Technorati Profile

Curious incident of the dog in the night

2006-09-18T09:16:00.000Z

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: Children's Edition (Paperback).

Book Description

A fantastically unusual detective story written from the perspective of an autistic boy.

Synopsis

Christopher is 15 and lives in Swindon with his father. He has Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism. He is obsessed with maths, science and Sherlock Holmes but finds it hard to understand other people. When he discovers a dead dog on a neighbour's lawn he decides to solve the mystery and write a detective thriller about it. As in all good detective stories, however, the more he unearths, the deeper the mystery gets - for both Christopher and the rest of his family.

Funding

2006-09-17T16:48:00.000Z

Minister vows autism cash review (BBC News: UK).

More funding could be found for teaching autistic youngsters in England, a minister has said...

...Ruth McNichol, whose son George has Asperger's syndrome - a form of autism - told BBC News teachers needed to be trained to deal with autistic children...

How the system let my son down (Jacqueline Head, BBC News: UK).

As the children's commissioner for England says the lack of adequate education for autistic children is "shocking and appalling", one mother describes her ordeal...

...Joy Belson's son Ashley committed suicide when he was 18 after suffering a number of learning difficulties, including Asperger's, an autistic spectrum disorder...

Socialising

2006-09-14T23:21:00.000Z

Program helps autistic children socialize (Missy Paniaguas, The Exponent).

Larry Bolan has always been shy due to his autism, but thanks to Kids CLUB, his social life has turned around...

...Dixon said the program serves children with Asperger's syndrome or anyone with a social language deficiency component from ages 5 to 17...

Failure

2006-09-14T09:30:00.000Z

Council 'failed' autistic boy (Croyden Advertiser).

An autistic boy's parents who said he was given a place at an unsuitable school have have been vindicated in the High Court...

...The boy,named only as J for legal reasons,suffers from Asperger's Syndrome and cannot be taught in a mainstream school as a result...

Paul

2006-09-11T09:26:00.000Z

Disability doesn't stop a boy for all seasons (Patrick McNally, News Gleaner).

...The problems for children with Asperger's Syndrome occurs when socialization is required. For years, Paul has struggled, and continues to struggle, with simple things such as starting or continuing a conversation. Most of the emotional responses that we take for granted every day are learned activities for Paul, a result of therapies practiced at home and at school...

Causes

2006-09-10T19:29:00.000Z

How much do we really know about the causes and incidence of autism? (Jeremy Laurance, Belfast Telegraph).

Research published this week suggested men over 40 were six times more likely to father a child with autism compared with men under 30. The study, published in Archives of General Psychiatry, involved more than 130,000 children in Israel, and is one of the first to suggest that men may be subject to the same biological clock that increases the risk of birth abnormalities in women as they age...

Unsuitable schooling

2006-09-08T11:05:00.000Z

Autism rap for council (Kerry McQueeney, This is Hertforshire).

The parents of an autistic boy who believed a tribunal was misled when their son was given a place at an unsuitable school have been vindicated at the High Court...

New National Institute of Mental Health research program launches autism trials (Eurek Alert).

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has launched three major clinical studies on autism at its research program on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland. These studies are the first products of a new, integrated focus on autism generated in response to reported increases in autism prevalence and valid opportunities for progress. Initial studies will define the characteristics of different subtypes of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and explore possible new treatments...

...It is part of a larger group of disorders, often referred to as autism spectrum disorders or ASDs, that also includes Asperger's syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder. Developing better screening or diagnostic tools and finding effective treatments depend on gaining more information about these various disorders and subtypes, which currently are reported to affect 2–6 out of every 1000 children.

Dads

2006-09-06T10:08:00.000Z

Older dads linked to autism risk (Irish Health.com).

Men who are aged 40 or older are significantly more likely to father a child with autism compared to younger men, the results of a new study indicate.

A team of researchers studied the data on 130,000 children who were born over a six-year period. In all cases, the ages of the children's parents had been recorded...

Experts to address autism (The Brunei Times)

FOREIGN experts on autism will share their knowledge and experience at the 4th National Conference on Autism held by Smarter Brunei from September 8 to 10. The conference will take place at the Multipurpose Hall of University of Brunei Darussalam...

Bacteria

2006-09-05T08:52:00.000Z

Treatment with 'friendly' bacteria could counter autism in children (Ian Johnston, The Scotsman).

PROBIOTIC bacteria given to autistic children improved their concentration and behaviour so much that medical trials collapsed because parents refused to accept placebos, a scientist revealed yesterday...

Older Dads More Likely to Father Kids with Autism (Neil Osterweil, MedPageToday).

Men in their 40s are nearly six times more likely than men in their 20s to father children with autism spectrum disorders, according to researchers here and Israel...

Grappling with mortality and his family (John Freeman, NewsDay).

Twenty years into his writing career, Mark Haddon has finally begun writing for adults. His last novel, "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time," an exceptional story about a boy with Asperger's Syndrome, was hailed as his first book for adults, but it was really more of a crossover novel. The tone, the style, the narration were all reminiscent of the young-adult genre. In fact, in England the book was sold in two different versions - one for kids, one for grown-ups...

Rock star

2006-09-03T14:48:00.000Z

Mad, bad and up for it...

Forever young

Special-ed costs soar, with fewer ways to pay

Books

2006-09-02T14:45:00.000Z

All the colours of the spectrum

Charter-school aid flows in

Disabled kids get "field of dreams" in Hartsdale