Children who are diagnosed to have Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are known to have social problems, one of which is difficulty in recognizing emotions in other people. But a group of researchers in Australia have found that the hormone oxytocin may help them in emotion recognition.
Filed under Autism, Mental Illness by on Apr 22nd, 2010. Comment. 
When it comes to recognizing autism, grandparents may know best. This is according to a survey of grandparents of children with autism conducted by the Interactive Autism Project (IAN).
Grandparents are often the first to realize that a young grandchild has autism, but they often hesitate to say something to the child’s parents, which can delay the best available treatment for autism: early intervention. More than 2,600 grandparents responded to the online survey, which was sponsored by the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore and the advocacy group Autism Speaks.
Read more on Grandparents May Hold Key to Early Autism Diagnosis…
Filed under Autism, Mental Illness by on Apr 19th, 2010. Comment.
A new study published in the March issue of the journal Neuron may help scientists detect susceptibility to Autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders in infants as young as seven months. British and German researchers found that the brain of a normal 7-month old infant is as sensitive to human voices, and has the ability to distinguish emotions as well as an adult brain. In contrast, autistic individuals and those with neurodevelopmental disorders lack these abilities.
Read more on Autism Susceptibility May Be Detected As Early as 7 Months of Age…
Filed under Autism, Mental Illness by on Mar 28th, 2010. Comment.
The genetic basis of Autism has long been recognized due to the observation that the disorder tends to run in families. But what are the genes responsible for the disorder? A group of researchers may have found the answer. A study of 661 families in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, and Italy has identified two genes: LRRN3 and LRRTM3 that appear to be associated with increased risk for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).
Filed under Autism, Mental Illness by on Mar 28th, 2010. Comment.
