App Would Give Parents A Faster Autism Diagnosis
Due to a shortage of specialists, it can sometimes take months or even years for children with Autism to receive a diagnosis. A Phoenix-based autism research non-profit, Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center, is developing a smartphone app that could change this. The app – the Naturalistic Observation Diagnostic Assessment – could shorten the diagnositic process so children can get treatment earlier, especially in rural communities where skilled specialists are difficult to find. This new technology would enable specialists to base a diagnosis on videos of children's behavior uploaded to a website.
From: AZCentral.com
Published: April 18, 2013
Health Officials: 1 In 50 School Kids Have Autism
A government survey of parents says 1 in 50 U.S. school children has autism, surpassing another federal estimate for the disorder.
Here's the Report
From: Yahoo News
Published: March 20, 2013
After Criticism, DSM Committee Changes Course
It appears that the American Psychiatric Association heard the complaints with respect to its initial plans to revise the diagnosis of “mental retardation” in the forthcoming fifth edition of the psychiatric manual. “Mental retardation” was to be renamed “intellectual developmental disorder” but appears to now to be replaced by “intellectual disability.”
From: Disability Scoop
Published: January 23, 2013
DSM-5 Approved
After several years of debate, the American Psychological Association has approved the new version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the guidelines used to diagnose psychiatric disorders.
Click HERE to view a range of perspectives and opinions regarding how individuals expect the change to impact individuals on the Autism Spectrum.
From: Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative
Published: December 25, 2012
A Blood Test For Autism?
Researchers from Boston Children’s Hospital describe a new experimental test to detect Autism, based on the differences in gene expression between kids with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and those without the condition. The blood-based test appears to predict autism relatively accurately, at least among boys.
From: Time Healthland
Published: December 11, 2012
The Legal Impact Of DSM-5: Will It Affect Children With Aspergers?
Psychiatrists, psychologists, and medical doctors use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) published by the American Psychiatric Association to diagnose mental disorders and intellectual disabilities. However, the Association's board has recently approved several revisions that will remove the diagnosis of Asperger's Disorder and instead categorize those symptoms under the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) umbrella.
From: Friendship Circle Blog
Published: December 6, 2012
Found In: , Autism › Aspergers Syndrome › Diagnosis
Newborn Blood May Reveal Early Immune Signs Of Autism
Children diagnosed with autism tend to have low blood levels of several immune molecules at birth, according to an epidemiological study published in August in the Journal of Immunology.
From: Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative
Published: October 24, 2012
Proposed Guidelines Won’t Miss Autism Cases, Study Says
The proposed changes to the diagnostic criteria for autism are unlikely to exclude many people currently diagnosed with Asperger syndrome or pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), according to a large analysis published today in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
From: Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative
Published: October 2, 2012
Autism: The Frantic Telephone Call
Learning about the possible causes of Autism can evoke panic in pregnant mothers
Dr. John Carosso, a licensed psychologist specializing in Autism diagnosis and treatment, writes about the feelings of anxiety that are often experienced by pregnant women who are concerned about the health of their unborn children.
Dr. John Carosso
Published: September 11, 2012
