Research

Well…it has been a whole year since we launched our blog. Hard to believe. A lot has happened in a year’s time. Prince William tied the knot, I had a baby, the New York Giants won the Super Bowl, and Seattle saw record snow fall. Oh wait…you are reading because you want an autism update, not just any update! Okay, let’s get down to business…

As many of you know, April is autism awareness month. Although we strive to promote awareness all year round, it can be good to stop and remind ourselves that not everyone has autism on their minds the way we do as individuals who are directly involved with this disorder. And even those of us who are affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) on a daily basis often lose sight of what is going on in the broader world of autism. Hopefully this post will bring you up to speed a bit…I will attempt to update you on some of the information we shared in our first post last April 2011.  Read full post »

If you’ve been watching the news today you’ve probably heard something about the study out of UC Davis, released today, entitled “Maternal Metabolic Conditions and Risk for Autism and Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders”. The study looked at the link between obesity, diabetes and autism and found an association between metabolic conditions during pregnancy (diabetes, obesity and hypertension), and developmental delays. Please see what Dr. Bryan King, director of Seattle Children’s Autism Center, says are the take away messages: Read full post »

Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that an estimated 1 in 88 children in the United States are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. The number is based off a study published today in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The report provides autism prevalence estimates from 14 areas. Read full post »

A while back The Autism Blog received a comment from someone who suggested that the sharp rise in autism rates is a direct result of people wanting to make money. The person who posted this comment seemed quite frustrated by the apparent increase in the number of people being diagnosed with autism. I can thoroughly identify with and appreciate his or her frustration. 

So, let’s take a deeper look at the issue. There is no doubt that the diagnosis of autism has increased tremendously in the past 15 years. And, are there undoubtedly people who have made money from many parents confused, frustrated and angry about this condition. That makes me sad and a bit angry as well. Nevertheless, to tarnish the entire professional community is unfair and inaccurate.  Read full post »

It seems a month doesn’t go by without an article in the news highlighting some research study that has discovered a new risk for developing autism.

Just within the last year, published research articles in reputable scientific journals have correlated everything from antidepressants and paternal age to closely-spaced pregnancies and living in close proximity to freeways as associated with an autism diagnosis.

After the lay press editorializes and sensationalizes the findings, the correlation study has been converted into wording that implies causation. Read full post »