Autism + Original Articles

It's estimated that more than 400,000 families in the U.S. have a child with Asperger Syndrome. The disorder affects more boys and girls and is most often diagnosed between the ages of 5 and 9. Here's what you should know about this common disorder. Asperger syndrome (AS) is a neurobiological disorder that is part of a group of conditions known as autism spectrum disorders. The disorder was named after Hans Asperger, a Viennese pediatrician, who, in 1940, first described a set of behavior patterns, such as impaired social skills, the inability to communicate effectively with others, and poor coordination, that he found in some of his patients.

Does he like to arrange toys by size or color or count the same object over and over again? Some children like order and find routines comforting. But when these behaviors start interfering with daily life, there may be reason to worry. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a type of anxiety disorder that may first appear as strange or odd behaviors. In children, the onset typically occurs between the ages of 8 and 13 and is rarely diagnosed in preschoolers. People with OCD are distressed by constant, unwanted thoughts or impulses (obsessions).

Although the procedure may sound complex, the intended results are not. NFT seeks to teach a brain with a particular abnormality how to behave normally. Picture the scene from TV. A patient suffering from some mental malady is holed up in a windowless office, electrodes placed strategically about her head, while a screen records responses to various stimuli. It's fiction, but the premise is anchored in scientific accuracy.

If you've recently learned that your child has autism, you may feel overwhelmed by this diagnosis and wonder if there’s any cure. And while this is a controversial topic, some people believe that the answer may be yes, thanks to recent research efforts exploring this very question. If you've recently learned that your child has autism, you may feel overwhelmed by this diagnosis and wonder if there's any cure. And while this is a controversial topic, some people believe that the answer may be yes, thanks to recent research efforts exploring this very question.

If you have a child who has been diagnosed with autism and also suffers from food allergies, you may wonder if there’s any relationship between these two serious conditions. If you have a child who has been diagnosed with autism and also suffers from food allergies, you may wonder if there's any relationship between these two serious conditions. In fact, some research does indicate that a link between food allergies and autism exists, yet the findings aren't consistent and exactly how the two topics relate seems to be a subject of great debate.

Autistic Disorder (Autism) and Asperger's Disorder (Asperger's) are both part of the subgroup known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders. But critical differences exist. Children with Asperger's differ from those with Autism in several ways.  One major area of difference is verbal communication. Children with Asperger's usually exhibit normal language development. They score much higher on verbal performance intelligence tests.

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Caring for a child with autism can be stressful, but these tips may help you keep perspective. Parents who have autistic children face unique challenges in raising their kids. Beyond knowing what medications and what types of intervention are most helpful, parents must understand the best ways to interact with their child, and how to incorporate the disease into their everyday lives.

Autism affects one out of every 150 births. What role do vaccines actually play in the prevalence of this disorder? Get the facts now. Since 1998, when the British medical journal The Lancet published a study connecting the use of vaccines containing thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative, with a spike in the diagnoses of autism, a debate has waged over the validity of such a hypothesis.

Learn more about this increasingly common disorder, from risk factors to potential treatments. Autism affects one out of every 150 births, according to the Autism Society of America. While some experts point to a variety of factors, such as vaccines or environment, to explain these startling statistics, others attribute the recent influx of cases to changes in diagnostic criteria.