autism spectrum disorder

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He Wanted to 'Forget' His Life, Until He Got a Diagnosis

John Paul Scotto writes about learning at 35 that he was autistic

(Newser) - John Paul Scotto has become obsessed with many things—among them internet poker, drinking, and movies—and one of those movies was Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Like Jim Carrey's character in the film, there was a time when Scotto wanted to forget things—in his case, as...

Major Shift Underway in Goals for Treating Autism

Change is driven in part by neurodiversity movement

(Newser) - According to recent CDC stats, about 2.2% of American adults—more than 5.4 million people—are somewhere on the autism spectrum, which "reflects major improvements in public awareness and public health response to autism" since the early 2000s, according to Autism Speaks . Writing for Scientific American , Claudia...

His Autism Left Him Isolated, Unemployable. Then, Hope

ProPublica reports on the innovative ITvitae program

(Newser) - By the CDC's count , 1 in 44 8-year-olds were diagnosed with having an autism spectrum disorder in 2018. As Renee Dudley writes for ProPublica , those children eventually become job-seeking adults, and in great numbers. And while there are programs that seek to employ people with autism whose focused and...

What Critics Are Saying About Sia's Controversial New Film

'Music,' about a teen girl on the autism spectrum, is getting widely panned

(Newser) - It's been a tumultuous few months for Sia Furler, whose new film, Music, officially comes out Friday amid a good amount of controversy. Furler's directorial debut—about a newly sober drug dealer named Zu (played by Kate Hudson) who suddenly finds herself the caretaker of her teen half-sister...

After Second Wave of Movie Criticism, Sia Quits Twitter

Singer-director first apologized to autism community over criticism of 'Music'

(Newser) - Controversy over pop star Sia's directorial debut came to a head Tuesday as Music was nominated for two Golden Globes , including best musical or comedy. Hours later, Sia apologized to the autism community, which has been openly critical of the film's portrayal of the titular nonverbal autistic character...

Amy Schumer: Hubby Is 'On the Spectrum'

Comedian says she 'knew from the beginning that my husband's brain was a little different than mine'

(Newser) - Amy Schumer loves her husband because of his autism, not in spite of it. Chef Chris Fischer, whom Schumer married last year , "has autism spectrum disorder. He's on the spectrum," Schumer says in her Netflix special Growing , which was filmed in Chicago in December and began streaming...

With New Vaccine Study, 'a Truth Has Emerged' on Autism

Namely, as other studies have noted, that MMR vaccine isn't linked to the developmental disorder

(Newser) - The Centers for Disease Control and many others have long noted there's no proven link between vaccines and autism, and now the agency has yet another study to back those claims. CNN reports that the research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine journal looked to see if there...

Study Finds Link Between Fever in Moms, Autism in Kids

Fever during pregnancy may increase odds of autism diagnosis in kids

(Newser) - In a study of nearly 100,000 Norwegian children, those whose mothers reported having a fever or two at some point during their pregnancy were 1.3 times more likely to be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, according to a report published Tuesday in Molecular Psychiatry . Medical News Today reports...

Parents Building a Neighborhood Just for Autistic Adults

Community is going up on 29 acres near Dallas

(Newser) - For years, the parents of a boy on the high-needs end of the autism spectrum have been brainstorming what to do when he enters adulthood. When he was a pre-teen, they hit on the idea of a housing complex designed specifically for adults with autism, and now that he's...

Dad Learns He's Autistic When Daughter Is Diagnosed

Chris Offer had been with his wife 7 years before diagnosis

(Newser) - In the early days of their relationship, Jessica Offer says she and her now husband Chris Offer would argue over his discomfort in looking people directly in the eye. Then there was the sensitivity to social overload. And after moving in together, the absurd neatness of their kitchen pantry. But...

Transit Impostor With 30 Arrests: I Can't Get Help

'There's no AA for buses or trains,' laments Darius McCollum

(Newser) - Darius McCollum's addiction isn't booze and pills—it's buses and trains. The New York transit impostor who first commandeered a train at age 15 has been arrested 30 times over the years for transit-related crimes. Most recently, he was nabbed in November behind the wheel of a...

New, 'Catastrophic' Numbers Out for US Autism

'We do believe autism is more prevalent'

(Newser) - A new report reveals what appears to be a notable jump in the number US kids with an autism spectrum disorder, Live Science reports. According to a previous CDC estimate from medical records in 2010, one in 68 children had autism. But a new study states it's closer to...

Autism Study 'Like No Other' Looks at 5.7M Kids

Older parents, those with age gap at higher risk, say researchers

(Newser) - A massive new autism study adds to the evidence that parents' age plays a role in their children's risk of autism—including the suggestion that a couple with a big age gap has a higher risk. "Though we've seen research on autism and parental age before, this...

Driving Vast Majority of Autism: Genes
 Driving Vast Majority 
 of Autism: Genes 
NEW STUDY
Mar 5, 2015 9:51 AM CST

Driving Vast Majority of Autism: Genes

Environmental factors likely still play some role

(Newser) - In somewhere between 74% and 98% of autism spectrum disorder cases, genes are to blame. So say researchers out of King's College London in the journal JAMA Psychiatry after studying both identical and fraternal twins. In fact, hundreds of genes could contribute to the development of autism, although because...

Sibling Study Surprises Autism Researchers

'Autisms' a better term than 'autism,' they say

(Newser) - Siblings with autism tend to behave as differently as any other siblings, according to a new study that highlights what the New York Times calls the "exasperating diversity of autism, even in the most closely related individuals." The researchers analyzed genetic material from 85 families that had two...

Why Autism Rates Have Soared

 Why Autism Rates 
 Have Soared 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Jan 11, 2015 6:32 AM CST

Why Autism Rates Have Soared

Study: Most of the uptick is because of better diagnosis, not environmental factors

(Newser) - The rate at which autism is diagnosed around the world has increased dramatically in just a generation, and researchers studying a comprehensive tracking system in Denmark say they can explain the majority of the uptick: new and improved diagnosis. In the medical journal JAMA Pediatrics, they argue that the huge...

Jerry Seinfeld Backtracks, 'I Don't Have Autism'

Comedian tells 'Access Hollywood': 'I'm not on the spectrum'

(Newser) - Jerry Seinfeld is on the autism spectr—um, never mind. The comedian is backtracking after he claimed to be mildly autistic in an interview with NBC News , noting, "I think I'm on the spectrum" as "basic social engagement is really a struggle." Now he tells Access ...

Jerry Seinfeld: I'm on Autism Spectrum

'Basic social engagement is really a struggle'

(Newser) - Jerry Seinfeld is making headlines for an interview with Brian Williams of NBC in which he says he thinks he's at least mildly autistic. "I think, on a very drawn-out scale, I think I'm on the spectrum," he says. Williams presses him for details, recounts USA ...

Tiny Monet: Autistic Girl, 5, Sells Paintings for Thousands

Iris Grace may struggle to communicate with words, but not on canvas

(Newser) - When Iris Grace Halmshaw's parents first supplied their daughter with painting supplies, they hoped it would be a fun way for the autistic girl to express herself. But instead of stick figures, Iris Grace immersed herself in abstract impressionist painting for hours at a time, often depicting movement in...

Autism in Kids Jumps 30%
 Autism in Kids Jumps 30% 
Mar 27, 2014 2:00 PM CDT

Autism in Kids Jumps 30%

CDC report concludes that 1 in 68 has it

(Newser) - Autism Spectrum Disorder may be on the rise in the US, with 1 in 68 children now having the condition, according to CDC figures released today. That's a 30% increase from the 1 in 88 number recorded just two years ago, CNN reports. It also means that, according to...

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