autism

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Autistic Teen's NCAA Bracket Perfect Thus Far
 Autistic Teen's NCAA 
 Bracket Perfect Thus Far 
1 in 13,460,000
Mar 24, 2010 12:56 PM CDT

Autistic Teen's NCAA Bracket Perfect Thus Far

Alex Hermann's 48 game streak carries 1 in 13,460,000 odds

(Newser) - Alex Hermann is 17 years old, autistic, and has picked the correct winner of every one of the 48 games of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament played so far—including three far-fetched upsets. An online odds-maker puts the likelihood of Hermann’s feat at 1 in 13,460,000,...

3 More Judges See No Link Between Autism and Vaccines

Tuna sandwich more dangerous, says one

(Newser) - Three separate judges ruled today that vaccines containing mercury don’t lead to autism in children, with one saying that “normal fish-eating diet by pregnant mothers” presents more risk than the shots. The rulings are part of a series of nine test cases brought by 5,000 families seeking...

Google Execs Convicted Over Abusive Video

Italian court wants content monitored

(Newser) - When a video of an autistic Italian teen being beaten turned up on a Google-owned video site, Italian authorities stepped in to prosecute and convict the bullies—and Google. In a verdict with far-ranging implications for Internet freedom, an Italian judge today found three Google executives guilty of privacy violations...

Oxytocin Improves Autistics' Social Skills

'Love hormone' offers hope of treatment

(Newser) - The hormone oxytocin may improve the social skills of people with high-functioning autism. In a new study, patients who received doses of it in a nasal spray were better able to recognize faces and interact with others in a game. In short, the so-called "love chemical" seems to help...

Why Kids With Autism Hate Hugs

Delayed brain development linked to 'hug-avoidance'

(Newser) - New research suggests that sensitivity to touch, a common symptom of autism, might be caused by delays in brain development in the womb. The study looked at brain development in mice with Fragile X, a condition closely linked to autism. Researchers found that parts of the brain linked to touch...

Autistic Workers Find Niche in IT

US company takes cue from Danish firm and trains software testers

(Newser) - Inspired by a Danish company and the lack of employment opportunities for her son with Asperger’s, an Illinois woman has brought the trend of IT training for those with autism spectrum disorders to American shores. Aspiritech has trained 8 people so far to test computer programs, a skill many...

Older Women More Likely to Have Autistic Kids

Women over 40 face double the risk compared to moms under 25

(Newser) - Older mothers face an increased risk of giving birth to a child with autism, a new study says. Researchers analyzed all 4.9 million births in California in the 1990s and found that women who give birth over the age of 40 are 77% more likely to have an autistic...

Temple Grandin a 'Captivating' Look at Autism

Claire Danes shines in title role as animal behavior expert

(Newser) - Temple Grandin, the renowned animal behaviorist who credits her achievements to her autism, values "tangible results" over emotion—and so does her HBO biopic. The eponymous film, debuting tomorrow, "avoids the mawkish clichés" so typical of made-for-TV movies, instead delivering "a movie that is funny, instructive,...

Debunked Study Won't Kill Autism-Vaccine Theory

Believers will still believe, despite lapses in research

(Newser) - The landmark British study that declared a link between vaccines and autism has been debunked , Claudia Wallis reports, but don't expect the controversy to go away any time soon. Though the study was apparently riddled with lapses and even deception, parents are likely to continue to believe—as they have...

Journal Retracts Study Linking Autism with Vaccination

Says infamous paper wasn't properly randomized

(Newser) - Ever heard of that study linking the MMR vaccine with autism? Well, never mind, says the Lancet, the British medical journal that published the study back in 1998. The journal today retracted and discredited the study, saying its author, Dr. Andrew Wakefield, hadn’t properly randomized the study or cleared...

Kids With Autism Don't Need Special Diet: Docs

Report calls for more research, brings relief to some parents

(Newser) - Children with autism are not particularly prone to digestive issues, and special diets have no effect on the condition, new research shows. Digestive problems do affect kids with autism, but a specific malady called “leaky gut” or “autistic enterocolitis,” says a report out today. The findings refute...

UK Pentagon Hacker to Be Sent to US for Trial

Man with Asperger's was seeking info on UFOs

(Newser) - A British man who hacked his way into Pentagon computers looking for information on UFOs has lost his final appeal against extradition. Gary McKinnon, who suffers from Asperger's syndrome, is now expected to be sent to the US for trial within weeks, the Independent reports. The 43-year-old Londoner could face...

Brits Hold Up Hacker's Extradition

Asperger's sufferer accused of cracking Pentagon systems

(Newser) - American authorities keen to get their hands on a man accused of the biggest military hack in history are going to have to wait. British authorities have "stopped the clock" on the extradition of Gary McKinnon while lawyers examine new medical evidence, say officials. McKinnon, who has Asperger's...

Anti-Vaccine Push Threatens Kid Health
 Anti-Vaccine Push  
 Threatens Kid Health 
ANALYSIS
Oct 20, 2009 1:40 AM CDT

Anti-Vaccine Push Threatens Kid Health

'Pseudo-science' campaign blamed for rising rates of child illnesses

(Newser) - A flourishing anti-vaccination movement based on bad science and distrust of Big Pharma is pressing the rewind button on decades of advances in reducing child illness, writes Amy Wallace. Parents who believe—despite the lack of credible evidence—that vaccines harm children are endangering other people's children as well as...

IT Firm Puts Autism to Work
 IT Firm Puts Autism to Work 
Oct 15, 2009 12:25 PM CDT

IT Firm Puts Autism to Work

Software tester finds niche for those with the disorder

(Newser) - A Danish entrepreneur—and father of a son with autism—has figured out a profitable way to serve the needs of blue chip companies and the underemployed members of the autism community. Thorkil Sonne’s company, Specialisterne, does repetitive software testing, turning its employees’ disability into an asset. “This...

Medical Weed's Been Great for My 9-Year-Old
Medical Weed's Been Great for My 9-Year-Old
Perspective
Oct 6, 2009 12:13 PM CDT

Medical Weed's Been Great for My 9-Year-Old

Marijuana helps autistic, allergic child with debilitating pain

(Newser) - Almost as soon as Marie Myung-Ok Lee began giving daily doses of marijuana to her 9-year-old son J, she noticed a big change: He returned from school with his whole shirt on. J is autistic, has an inflammatory bowel condition, and has had two serious spinal cord surgeries. Before pot,...

Autism Much More Common Than We Thought: CDC

New survey shows 1 in every 100 kids autistic

(Newser) - Roughly 1 in every 91 American 8-year-olds has been diagnosed with autism, a rate significantly worse than the 1 in 150 estimated in 2007, finds a new CDC survey that will be released later this year. The study showed that autism is “an urgent public health concern,” CDC...

Autistic Surf Pro 'Becomes One With the Wave'

Documentary shows raves, and difficulties, for Clay Marzo, 20,

(Newser) - That a 20-year-old Hawaiian might be among the world’s best surfers isn’t a surprise—but Clay Marzo has Asperger’s syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism. Just Add Water, a documentary out next month, juxtaposes Marzo’s inability to handle everyday social situations with a seemingly innate mastery...

Asperger's Man Could Be Next Susan Boyle

Briton who can barely leave the house wows X Factor judges

(Newser) - A young singer with Asperger’s syndrome who once spent 7 years without leaving his home is poised to take the British reality TV world by storm, the Independent reports. 21-year-old Scott James’ yet-to-be broadcast audition on the show X Factor features a rave review from Simon Cowell, earning him...

Case of Autistic Marine Sheds Light on Recruitment Ethics

Struggling to fill quotas, recruiters' practices called into question

(Newser) - Operating in a war-weary America, military recruiters face a difficult task—and some are skirting ethics to fill their quotas, the Los Angeles Times reports. While substantiated cases against recruiters are relatively few—593 claims were verified in fiscal 2007, which saw 319,229 enlistees—the case of an autistic...

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