New research indicates there is a relationship between mitochondrial disease and autism. Although at this point, researchers are not sure if mitochondrial disease plays a role in the development of autism, or if the muscle weakness in a child with autism points to a genetic defect that causes mitochondrial disease. Mitochondrial disease results in muscles not getting the energy they need. This is because the mitochondria convert energy... more

I’m guessing that lots of toddlers, even neurotypical ones, exhibit occasional “hand flapping”, especially when faced with something exciting or overstimulating. It’s that quick little, almost compulsive-looking waving motion of contracting their fingers quickly into their palms (usually both hands at once and often raised up over their heads). But, repeated hand flapping, or other compulsive hand movements, can indicate something else is the culprit.

But what?

Here’s a list of disorders that are associated with hand flapping:

Angleman... more

Researchers from the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and the University Of Cincinnati College Of Medicine, all reported that boys with autism and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) had higher levels of growth hormones than their non-autistic peers. This may help to explain why children... more

In the early 1990s, along with the influx of Romanian adoptees into the U.S. came the term “institutional autism.” Dr. Ron Federici, a neuropsychologist was instrumental in using this term to describe children from Romanian orphanages who exhibited autistic-like behaviors that seem to have resulted from the deprivation and isolation associated with living in an institution.

For some in the world of international adoption, institutional autism was a welcome way of describing the phenomenon they were observing... more

Do you remember the mirror in the first Harry Potter book, the Mirror of Erised? The mirror showed Harry what he wanted to see. It was an enchanted mirror that showed the person looking at it what that person most desired (erised is desire spelled backward).

I feel like we have a similar situation with LuLu every time she’s evaluated. She is like this mirror that psychologists and therapists peer into and see whatever they want to see as her diagnosis and problems. And because these folks are human, and have expertise in certain areas and not... more

Your child may be at an increased risk for an autism spectrum disorder if he fails to respond to his name by one year of age according to a new study from the M.I.N.D. institute at the University of California. However, early identification and intervention can result in overall better outcomes for children affected... more