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Friday, May 10, 2013

Shots - Health News

Enhanced Motion Perception in Autism

Did you see that?

May 10, 2013 To test a common theory about the cause of autism, researchers recently studied how kids with autism process moving images. They found that the kids saw simple movements twice as fast as their typically developing peers.

Summary

Monday, April 22, 2013

Shots - Health News

Young Adults With Autism Can Thrive In High-Tech Jobs

Amelia Schabel, 23, works with art director Andrew LaBounty at the nonPareil Institute in Plano, Texas.

April 22, 2013 KERAFinding a job is hard enough for recent graduates, but for those on the autism spectrum the search can be even harder. One training program in Texas is helping these young people prepare for jobs in the tech industry.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

Friday, March 29, 2013

Shots - Health News

Number Of Early Childhood Vaccines Not Linked To Autism

A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds no link between the number of vaccinations a young child receives and the risk of developing autism spectrum disorders.

March 29, 2013 A government study of the medical records of 1,000 kids found no correlation between the number of vaccines a child received and his or her risk of autism spectrum disorder. Experts hope the finding will allay some parents who worry that many vaccines on one day or in the first two years of life may lead to autism.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Shots - Health News

How Guinea Pigs Could Help Autistic Children

A guinea pig does its part for science and human relations by sitting on the lap of an autistic child.

February 27, 2013 Autistic children may find it easier to socialize with other people in the presence of animals. An Australian study suggests that animals could help autistic children connect with therapists, teachers and their peers.

Summary

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Shots - Health News

Folic Acid For Pregnant Mothers Cuts Kids' Autism Risk

Despite public health campaigns urging women in the U.S. to take folic acid, many are still not taking the supplements when they become pregnant.

February 12, 2013 A study of more than 85,000 women in Norway found that those who started taking a folic acid supplement four weeks before getting pregnant were about 40 percent less likely to have a child who developed the disorder. Mothers had to continue taking the supplement during the first eight weeks of pregnancy to get the full benefit.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

Monday, February 04, 2013

Shots - Health News

Shortage Of Brain Tissue Hinders Autism Research

Jonathan Mitchell is autistic and wants to donate his brain to science when he dies.

February 4, 2013 Autism researchers are studying post-mortem brain tissue from people with the disorder to understand how it changes the brain. The greatest demand is for tissue from children. But it's especially hard to get.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

Friday, November 16, 2012

Shots - Health News

Mental Disorders And Evolution: What Would Darwin Say About Schizophrenia?

Charles Darwin

November 16, 2012 Given the pressure of evolution, why have genes behind schizophrenia, autism and others disorders persisted? A study that looks at the likelihood someone is to have kids tries to figure it out.

Summary

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Shots - Health News

Progress Made On Drug For Autism Symptoms

Andy Tranfaglia, 23, who has Fragile X syndrome, rides a horse with his mother, Katie Clapp.

September 20, 2012 The drug, called arbaclofen, made people with Fragile X syndrome less likely to avoid social interactions, according to a newly published study. Researchers suspect it might do the same for people with autism.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Shots - Health News

Kids Of Older Fathers Likelier To Have Genetic Ailments

Older dads add more genetic mutations to the family tree.

August 22, 2012 Icelandic scientists have found solid evidence that older men have more random mutations in their sperm cells. They're warning that can cause autism, schizophrenia and a long list of other genetic diseases in their offspring. Their findings are reported in the journal Nature.

Summary

Monday, June 11, 2012

Shots - Health News

Thaw At Brain Bank Deals Setback To Autism Research

Unrefrigerated brains in preserving solution are stacked high on shelves at the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center at McLean Hospital.

June 11, 2012 A freezer that went on the fritz damaged about one-third of the brains from autistic people being stored at a research depository near Boston. The malfunction, whose cause remains under investigation, could slow research into the disorder.

Summary

Monday, June 04, 2012

Shots - Health News

What's Different About The Brains Of People With Autism?

Jeff Hudale, who is autistic, demonstrates a face recognition test at the University of Pittsburgh in 2010. Researchers use eye tracking devices to monitor and record what he is looking at.

June 4, 2012 There's growing evidence that the difference involves the fibers that carry information from one part of the brain to another. Brain scans of people with autism show a lack of synchrony between different areas of the brain.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

Monday, May 14, 2012

Shots - Health News

Jobs And College Pose Big Challenges For Young People With Autism

A teenage girl sits on the floor with her hands crossed over her legs.

May 14, 2012 Within the first six years of getting out of high school, a little more than one-third of young people previously diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder had gone to college and only a slim majority — 55 percent — had held paying jobs.

Summary

Monday, April 23, 2012

Shots - Health News

Children With Autism Are Often Targeted By Bullies

Abby Mahoney, 13, has Asperger's syndrome. She says she has memorized nearly everything there is to know about Star Wars. Her enthusiasm for the subject helped make her the target of a bullying boy.

April 23, 2012 A survey by the Interactive Autism Network found that nearly two-thirds of children with autism spectrum disorders have been bullied at some point. And it found that these kids are three times as likely as typical kids to have been bullied in the past month.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

Monday, April 09, 2012

Shots - Health News

Study Warns Of Autism Risk For Children Of Obese Mothers

A pregnant woman measures her stomach.

April 9, 2012 Half of the mothers in the study had a child with an autism spectrum disorder, while the rest had a child with a developmental delay unrelated to autism, or no developmental problem. But an author of the study says it's not clear whether there's any connection between rising obesity rates and the increasing number of children diagnosed with autism.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Shots - Health News

Autism Rates Jump Again, As Diagnosis Improves

Some children with autism have trouble speaking, and use images to help communicate.

March 29, 2012 The rapid rise in numbers has prompted calls to declare the developmental disorder an epidemic. But researchers say most if not all of the increase could be due to better recognition of the disorder by parents, doctors and teachers.

Summary

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