By Bruce Bower

BALTIMORE—Some infants headed for a diagnosis of autism, or autism spectrum disorder as it’s officially known, can be reliably identified at 14 months old based on the presence of five key behavior problems, according to an ongoing long-term study described March 11 at the International Conference on Infant Studies. Continue Reading

By Michelle Diament

After years of criticism for not including self-advocates in its leadership, Autism Speaks said Tuesday it is appointing an individual with autism to one of its committees for the first time. Continue Reading

By JULIE M. McKINNON
BLADE STAFF WRITER

Lily Lyons was reading books while still in her crib, but speech continues to mostly elude the 3 1/2-year-old Toledo girl. Continue Reading

By LAURAN NEERGAARD (AP)

WASHINGTON — Don’t say “mental retardation” — the new term is “intellectual disability.” No more diagnoses of Asperger’s syndrome — call it a mild version of autism instead. And while “behavioral addictions” will be new to doctors’ dictionaries, “Internet addiction” didn’t make the cut.

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By Thomas H. Maugh, Los Angeles Times

Women who give birth after age 40 are nearly twice as likely to have a child with autism as those under 25, but it is unlikely that delayed parenthood plays a big role in the current autism epidemic, California researchers reported Monday.

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Reporting from London – The British doctor whose suggestion of a link between the MMR shot and autism helped cause vaccination rates to plunge conducted his now-discredited research in a dishonest and irresponsible manner, medical authorities here concluded Thursday.

CANBY, Ore. –

When Curtis Jr. is around a service dog, you would never know he has autism. On Saturday the 7 year old from Canby worked with a dog from “4 Paws for Ability,” a nonprofit that trains service dogs for families all over the country. “The dog definitely makes a difference,” said Curtis Jr.’s father, Curtis Cottengim. He and his wife are saving to buy a service dog of their own for Curtis Jr. The family joins a growing number of those in Oregon working with dogs to help treat autism symptoms, according to findings from Lake Oswego-based Autism Service Dogs of America.

http://www.katu.com/news/local/82533042.html?

Jennifer Chambers / The Detroit News

Birmingham — The enticing aroma of baking biscuits envelops the room, but workers at a nearby table remain focused on the task at hand: making more biscuits. There’s Alex, who kneads the dough standing up, pushing the light-brown mixture of flour and oil around the bowl. Josh sits, grasping the handles of a rolling pin, transforming a lump into a pancake. And finally, Evan pushes a dog-bone shaped biscuit cutter deep into the dough, pulling out tiny shapes for baking.The well-tuned trio is part of a student-run business at Seaholm High School designed for students with autism.

By April Dembosky

Most parents never think they’ll have to learn how to play with their own children. But if a toddler is diagnosed with autism, moms and dads can spend years with the child and a therapist, drawing with crayons and playing hide and seek. Research is proving that as parents color and stack building blocks with their kids, they are subtly teaching them to overcome cognitive, language and social delays.

http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/2485097.html

An industrial chemical developed to help separate heavy metals from polluted soil and mining drainage is being sold as a dietary supplement by a luminary in the world of alternative autism treatments. Called OSR#1, the supplement is described on its Web site as an antioxidant not meant to treat any disease. But the site lists pharmacies and doctors who sell it to parents of children with autism, and the compound has been promoted to parents on popular autism Web sites.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/chi-autism-chemicaljan17,0,6466364.story