A self-advocate and Autism Speaks’ chief science officer are among the latest appointees to a federal committee tasked with guiding autism research priorities. Continue Reading

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Many kids are picky eaters but new research suggests the trait is even more common in autistic children who tend to refuse more foods and are more likely to restrict their diets to a smaller variety of foods than other children. Continue Reading

SARAH WHYTE

CHILDREN with autism who attend weekly playgroups have improved development and social skills, a study has found, supporting the inclusion of children with autism into mainstream education. Continue Reading

ASHER MOSES

Few can legitimately boast that an iPhone app changed their life but for 10-year-old Grace Domican, unable to speak due to autism, the touchscreen phone has given her a voice for the first time. Continue Reading

By ALYSSA FORD

Joe Keely of Bloomington never gave up on his lifelong goal of making Scouting’s highest rank. Continue Reading

On Friday, a girl with Asperger’s syndrome disappeared into the woods near her Winter Springs home. Nadia Bloom, 11, was found alive Tuesday after an exhaustive search involving hundreds of people.

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by Christopher Eshleman

Interior groups last week urged a Wasilla representative to move a plan to require insurance companies here to cover autistic patients. But Rep. Wes Keller, a Republican who leads the Health and Social Service Committee, said the bill and another autism-focused measure from his office will wait for more review by a task force. Continue Reading

Los Angeles Times

For a reality check on how much scientists know about the genetics of autism, consider a study being published in Monday’s edition of the journal Pediatrics. Continue Reading

Reuters

Vaccines that contain a mercury-based preservative called thimerosal cannot cause autism on their own, a special U.S. court ruled on Friday, dealing one more blow to parents seeking to blame vaccines for their children’s illness. Continue Reading

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