MedWorm: Asperger's Syndrome

DIY science: should you try this at home?

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:59:00 +0100

When Richard Handl was arrested for attempting to split the atom on his stove, he joined a growing band of home experimenters cooking up all kinds of trouble behind the kitchen doorÄngelholm is a pretty southern Swedish town, famed for its clay cuckoo manufacturing, a clay cuckoo being a kind of ocarina, which is a kind of flute. The crime rate here is practically zero. Except one of its residents was last year arrested for trying to split the atom in his kitchen. His name is Richard Handl and he buzzes me into his first-floor flat.I wanted to meet Richard because I keep seeing reports of home science experimenters clashing with the authorities. There's been a spate of them this past year or two.I glance into Richard's kitchen and recognise his cooker from the news. It was horrendously, a...

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The Mind Behind the Message: Advancing Theory‐of‐Mind Scales for Typically Developing Children, and Those With Deafness, Autism, or Asperger Syndrome

Child Development — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Children aged 3–12 years (n = 184) with typical development, deafness, autism, or Asperger syndrome took a series of theory‐of‐mind (ToM) tasks to confirm and extend previous developmental scaling evidence. A new sarcasm task, in the format of H. M. Wellman and D. Liu’s (2004) 5‐step ToM Scale, added a statistically reliable 6th step to the scale for all diagnostic groups. A key previous finding, divergence in task sequencing for children with autism, was confirmed. Comparisons among diagnostic groups, controlling age, and language ability, showed that typical developers mastered the 6 ToM steps ahead of each of the 3 disabled groups, with implications for ToM theories. The final (sarcasm) task challenged even nondisabled 9‐year‐olds, demonstrating the new scale’s sen...

One in 100 adults has autism with the condition much more likely to affect men

the Mail online | Health — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:25:01 +0100

Experts say the disorder and similar conditions such as Asperger’s syndrome are far more widespread than previously thought. (Source: the Mail online | Health)

Op-Ed Contributor: I Had Asperger Syndrome. Briefly.

NYT Health — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:40:46 +0100

Asperger syndrome was the wrong diagnosis for me. I was really just an awkward teenager. (Source: NYT Health)

Op-Ed Contributor: Asperger’s History of Over-Diagnosis

NYT Health — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:30:43 +0100

People with social disabilities are not necessarily autistic, and giving them diagnoses on the autism spectrum often does a real disservice. (Source: NYT Health)

Office Screening and Early Identification of Children with Autism

Pediatric Clinics of North America — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:14:51 +0100

This article focuses on autism/autistic disorder screening and its early identification, with a brief mention for AS screening, as there are limited tools and no recommendation for universal screening for AS. (Source: Pediatric Clinics of North America)

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How Will the DSM V Changes in Autism Affect People?

Psychology Today Anxiety Center — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:31:06 +0100

Last week's NY Times and ABC News stories really got people talking, especially when one doctor suggested that 75 percent of today's Asperger population would not qualify for a diagnosis under the new definitions. Let me say at the outset, I think that 75 percent statement is inaccurate, and a substantial overreaction to the available data.read more (Source: Psychology Today Anxiety Center)

Study on the Changing Diagnosis of Autism

About.com Pediatrics — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:14:05 +0100

The diagnosis of kids with an austism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been in the news a lot recently. This mostly relates to how the diagnostic criteria for ASD, including autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and Asperger disorder, might change under new DSM-V guidelines....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Pediatrics)

Love, Identity and Disability

Psychology Today Relationships Center — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 06:11:25 +0100

Early this month, the Susan Baer of the Washington Post wrote a wrenching piece about the life of Page and Robert Melton. In 2003, Mr. Melton, a former WP reporter, experienced a stroke which resulted in an anoxic brain injury, and significant cognitive disabilities. Billed as an uplifting story, for me it brought up strong feelings in me which I am still struggling to sort through.read more (Source: Psychology Today Relationships Center)

As Specialists Debate Autism, Some Parents Watch Closely

NYT Health — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 03:19:53 +0100

A possible revision of a disorder’s definition has ignited a discussion over the value of a diagnosis for behavior differences, and how to apportion services amid shrinking resources. (Source: NYT Health)

Proposed changes to autism definition may mean new diagnoses for people with Asperger's

Health News: CBSNews.com — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:56:49 +0100

Proposed changes to American Psychological Association's diagnostic manual may stop skyrocketing autism rates, experts said (Source: Health News: CBSNews.com)

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The Challenge of Children with Special Needs

Psych Central — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:35:58 +0100

Labels abound, some of them distasteful, some inaccurate, some just in vogue, others useful to understanding and planning. I am speaking about children who have substantial special needs. They may be diagnosed with complex disorders such as Autism, Asperger’s, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Bipolar Disorder, Tourette’s, or Mental Retardation. All are challenging to identify reliably, and even more challenging to treat effectively. We can add the physical disabilities of blindness, deafness, and a multitude of serious medical disorders that strike children and significantly limit their ability to function. Each of these disorders has books, websites, and national organizations devoted to them. Parents often know more about the specific disorder than any individual professional ...

Erratum to: Can Gaze Avoidance Explain Why Individuals with Asperger's Syndrome Can't Recognise Emotions From Facial Expressions?

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Sawyer AC, Williamson P, Young RL PMID: 22271198 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders)

A comparison of the trait emotional intelligence profiles of individuals with and without Asperger syndrome

Autism — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

The extent to which the socioemotional impairments of Asperger syndrome (AS) might be extreme manifestations of individual differences within the general population remains under-explored. We compared the trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) profiles of 30 individuals with AS against the profiles of 43 group-matched controls using the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue). Participants with AS scored significantly lower than controls on 12 of the 15 TEIQue facets (p 2 = 0.09 to 0.49) as well as on all four factors and the global score of the construct (p 2 = 0.07 to 0.41). There was a significant main effect of gender, with men generally scoring higher than women. Results are discussed from the perspective of trait EI theory, with emphasis on its implications...

Work woes for Asperger's patient

BBC News | Health | UK Edition — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:46:39 +0100

Dealing with unemployment for someone with Asperger's (Source: BBC News | Health | UK Edition)

Autism, Grown Up: Navigating Love and Autism

NYT Health — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 22:58:20 +0100

For Jack Robison and Kirsten Lindsmith, both of whom fall on the autism spectrum, being in a relationship together has created a unique set of comforts and challenges. (Source: NYT Health)

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Navigating Love and Autism

About.com Pediatrics — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 19:34:27 +0100

There have been several hopeful articles in the news this year about older teens and young adults with Asperger syndrome. A new one in The New York Times, Navigating Love and Autism, is especially interesting....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Pediatrics)

Analysis of Copper and Zinc Plasma Concentration and the Efficacy of Zinc Therapy in Individuals with Asperger's Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) and Autism.

Biomarker Insights — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 12:00:02 +0100

DISCUSSION: These results suggest an association between copper and zinc plasma levels and individuals with autism, PDD-NOS and Asperger's Syndrome. The data also indicates that copper levels normalize (decrease to levels of controls) in individuals with autism and PDD-NOS, but not in individuals with Asperger's. These same Asperger's patients do not improve with respect to symptoms after therapy, whereas many symptoms improved in the autism group. This may indicate an association between copper levels and symptom severity. PMID: 22174567 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biomarker Insights)

High Prescription Drug Use and Associated Costs among Medicaid-Eligible Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders Identified by a Population-Based Surveillance Network.

Annals of Epidemiology — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:18:20 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: Results confirm that medication use in ASD, alone or in combination, is common, costly, and may increase with age. PMID: 22153288 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Annals of Epidemiology)

A Letter to the Lonely

Psychology Today Depression Center — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:11:30 +0100

It's the holidays again. A time for togetherness. For family and friends. That's what they say, right? Unfortunately, that's not the reality for many of us. Several years ago, I wrote a post about the way in which loneliness and the holidays often seem to mix for me, and many others like me. Primary Topic: Social Life read more (Source: Psychology Today Depression Center)

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Exploring Language Profiles for Children With ADHD and Children With Asperger Syndrome

Journal of Attention Disorders — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: Language abilities should be taken into account when standard assessments of ADHD and AS are performed and before therapies are initiated. (Source: Journal of Attention Disorders)

The sociocommunicative deficit subgroup in anorexia nervosa: autism spectrum disorders and neurocognition in a community-based, longitudinal study.

Psychological Medicine — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: A subgroup of subjects with AN meet criteria for ASDs. They may represent the extreme of neurocognitive and personality problems to be found more generally in AN. PMID: 22186945 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Psychological Medicine)

How Did We Go From a Baby in a Manger to Black Friday?

Psychology Today Parenting Center — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 21:18:23 +0100

The holidays are a time to give thanks and spread goodwill toward fellow man, right? Then why do some of the stresses of the holidays seem to bring out the worst in people? Primary Topic: Parenting read more (Source: Psychology Today Parenting Center)

Idiom understanding in people with Asperger syndrome/high functioning autism

Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Fonoaudiologia — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 22:11:29 +0100

CONCLUSION: The results provide further evidence that children with AS/HFA have difficulties in understanding idioms and they confirm their tendency to make literal interpretations. These impairments are irrelevant to their intelligence and they affect their communication with others. The understanding of these difficulties is important in order to find ways to limit the confusion and the misinterpretations which are observed during the communicative acts with this clinic group.OBJETIVO: Ampliar pesquisas anteriores a respeito do desenvolvimento da compreensão de expressões idiomáticas por meio da investigação dessa habilidade em crianças com síndrome de Asperger (AS) ou com autismo de alto funcionamento (HFA). MÉTODOS: Três grupos participaram do estudo. O primeiro grupo era comp...

Love Is Blind, Marriage Is the Eye-opener

Psychology Today Anxiety Center — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 21:47:38 +0100

When people meet me for the first time, they're often surprised to learn that I have Asperger syndrome. "Oh, my," they say, sometimes slowly and clearly, as though they're now addressing a child. "It is really remarkable how well you're able to handle yourself socially." Primary Topic: Relationships read more (Source: Psychology Today Anxiety Center)

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High Prescription Drug Use and Associated Costs among Medicaid-Eligible Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders Identified by a Population-Based Surveillance Network

Annals of Epidemiology — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 05:02:35 +0100

Conclusions: Results confirm that medication use in ASD, alone or in combination, is common, costly, and may increase with age. (Source: Annals of Epidemiology)

Judge to Hear Request to Ban Film About Autism

Psychology Today Parenting Center — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 03:00:08 +0100

The documentary, The Wall, consists of interviews of 30 French psychoanalysts (many of them lead psychiatrists at treatment centers and department heads of notable French hospitals) who place the blame for autism on mothers who are either too cold or too incestuous towards their children. Primary Topic: Autism read more (Source: Psychology Today Parenting Center)

Can Potassium Help Treat ADHD and Sensory Overstimulation?

Psychology Today Food and Diet Center — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 14:54:04 +0100

A study shows potassium helped decrease a patient's sensory overstimulation. And her family receives no numbing effects from lidocaine. How are these issues connected? Primary Topic: Integrative Medicine read more (Source: Psychology Today Food and Diet Center)

Voices of finance: quant

Guardian Unlimited Science — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:59:00 +0100

'It's very tempting to just stay in the world where everything can be understood in mathematical language'• This monologue is part of a series in which people across the financial sector speak to Joris Luyendijk about their working livesWe're meeting for lunch at a restaurant in Canary Wharf, where many of the major global banks are located. He is a man in his late 40s, inconspicuously dressed, and in possession of a firm handshake. He orders a Coke, and then a pasta dish he will dig in with great relish. In his volunteer email he said he was with a software firm (working in investment banking). When asked for a job description, he simply says he is a "quant"."My parents discovered that I was of a mathematical bent aged three when I was apparently lining up my toys in order of size and t...

Disordered Porphyrin Metabolism: A Potential Biological Marker for Autism Risk Assessment

Autism Research — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Autism (AUT) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that, together with Asperger's syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder‐Not Otherwise Specified (PDD‐NOS), comprises the expanded classification of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). The heterogeneity of ASD underlies the need to identify biomarkers or clinical features that can be employed to identify meaningful subtypes of ASD, define specific etiologies, and inform intervention and treatment options. Previous studies have shown that disordered porphyrin metabolism, manifested principally as significantly elevated urinary concentrations of pentacarboxyl (penta) and coproporphyrins, is commonly observed among some children with ASD. Here, we extend these observations by specifically evaluating penta and coproporphyrins as biolo...

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The 5-HT2A receptor and serotonin transporter in Asperger's Disorder: A PET study with [11C]MDL 100907 and [11C]DASB

Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 03:08:27 +0100

This study failed to find significant alterations in binding parameters of 5-HT2A receptors and serotonin transporters in adult subjects with Asperger's Disorder. (Source: Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging)

The prevalence and treatment of people with Asperger's Syndrome in the criminal justice system - Browning A, Caulfield L.

SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 00:42:13 +0100

Clinical knowledge of Asperger's Syndrome and other Autistic Spectrum Disorders has developed enormously since Hans Asperger's early definition of 'autistic psychopathy' in 1944, yet societal misunderstandings persist and recent research claims that indivi... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

Colored halos around faces and emotion-evoked colors: A new form of synesthesia.

Neurocase — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Ramachandran VS, Miller L, Livingstone MS, Brang D Abstract The claim that some individuals see colored halos or auras around faces has long been part of popular folklore. Here we report on a 23-year-old man (subject TK) diagnosed with Asperger's disorder, who began to consistently experience colors around individuals at the age of 10. TK's colors are based on the individual's identity and emotional connotation. We interpret these experiences as a form of synesthesia, and confirm their authenticity through a target detection paradigm. Additionally, we investigate TK's claim that emotions evoke highly specific colors, allowing him, despite his Asperger's, to introspect on emotions and recognize them in others. PMID: 22115465 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: ...

Increasing the Understanding and Demonstration of Appropriate Affection in Children with Asperger Syndrome: A Pilot Trial

Clinical and Developmental Immunology — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 23:55:40 +0100

The study was conducted to examine relationships between affectionate behavior in children with Asperger syndrome and variables likely to influence its expression (e.g., tactile sensitivity, social ability). It also evaluated the impact of a cognitive behavioral intervention that aimed to improve a child's understanding and expression of affection. Twenty-one children, aged 7 to 12 years, participated in the trial. The results showed significant correlations between measures of affection and tactile sensitivity and social ability. After attending the 5-week program, parents identified significant increases in the appropriateness of children's affectionate behavior both towards immediate family and people outside the immediate family, despite reporting no significant changes in thei...

The Brown University Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology Update — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 02:33:36 +0100

AbstractAntipsychotics Prescribed Most Often in Children With Psychotic or BPI DisordersStudy Sheds Light on Genes' Role in Methylphenidate Treatment ResponseUpdated AAP Practice Guidelines for ADHDAge‐Related Differences in Psychotropic Adverse EffectsAntipsychotics and Prolonged QTc IntervalLong‐Term Risperidone Effects on Body Weight in AutismPsychotropics and Development of Medical ComorbiditiesPharmacologic Treatment for StutteringMemantine for Comorbid OCD and Asperger's DisorderNew ApprovalsVarenicline Updated Safety ReviewAdverse Linezolid Interactions With Certain Serotonergic DrugsSafety Labeling Changes (Source: The Brown University Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology Update)

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Mother Doesn't Always Know Best

Psychology Today Parenting Center — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 02:56:46 +0100

As a parent, it's your job to be a positive role model for your child, right? But when "experts,"are constantly reminding you of your child's deficiencies, it's hard to accomplish that. For many special parents, there comes a time when we should stop listening to what the experts say and listen to the person who really knows best -- the child. Primary Topic: Parenting read more (Source: Psychology Today Parenting Center)

An Initial Investigation of the Generalization of a School-Based Social Competence Intervention for Youth with High-Functioning Autism

Clinical and Developmental Immunology — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:13:11 +0100

This study evaluated the impact of generalization of the Social Competence Intervention-Adolescent (SCI-A) curriculum in a school setting for individuals with high-functioning autism or Asperger's Syndrome (N=6). This study examined to what degree the generalization of the SCI-A curriculum could be measured when delivered in a school setting. Across the six participants preliminary results suggest improvement on teacher reports of social skills and executive functioning. Some improvements were also evident in direct measures of facial-expression recognition. Data collected in the nonintervention settings indicated that some generalization of social interaction skills may have occurred for all six participants. Future research directions are discussed. (Source: Clinical and Developmenta...

Study Suggests Common Diagnostic Subcategories For Autism, Like Asperger Syndrome, Are Flawed And Provide Questionable Value

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 09:00:00 +0100

To diagnose autism spectrum disorders, clinicians typically administer a variety of tests or scales and use information from observations and parent interviews to classify individuals into subcategories listed in standard psychiatric diagnostic manuals. This process of forming "best-estimate clinical diagnoses" has long been considered the gold standard, but a new study demonstrates that these diagnoses are widely variable across centers, suggesting that this may not be the best method for making diagnoses... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

VIDEO: Teenager's film on having autism

BBC News | Health | UK Edition — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 08:11:36 +0100

Teenager Rose King, who lives with the Aspergers form of autism, is appearing in a BBC Newsround special which aims to raise awareness about the condition. (Source: BBC News | Health | UK Edition)

Audiovisual Speech Perception and Eye Gaze Behavior of Adults with Asperger Syndrome.

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Saalasti S, Kätsyri J, Tiippana K, Laine-Hernandez M, von Wendt L, Sams M Abstract Audiovisual speech perception was studied in adults with Asperger syndrome (AS), by utilizing the McGurk effect, in which conflicting visual articulation alters the perception of heard speech. The AS group perceived the audiovisual stimuli differently from age, sex and IQ matched controls. When a voice saying /p/ was presented with a face articulating /k/, the controls predominantly heard /k/. Instead, the AS group heard /k/ and /t/ with almost equal frequency, but with large differences between individuals. There were no differences in gaze direction or unisensory perception between the AS and control participants that could have contributed to the audiovisual differences. We suggest an ex...

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Autism or Asperger's? It might depend on your doctor

Reuters: Health — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 23:26:17 +0100

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - An autism diagnosis means different things depending on who is doing the diagnosing, suggests a new study. (Source: Reuters: Health)

Where a Child Is Tested May Affect Autism Diagnosis

MedlinePlus Health News — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:00:00 +0100

Centers vary on how a child is deemed to have autism, Asperger or other developmental disorder Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Pages: Asperger's Syndrome, Autism (Source: MedlinePlus Health News)

A Multisite Study of the Clinical Diagnosis of Different Autism Spectrum Disorders [Original Article]

Archives of General Psychiatry — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions Clinical distinctions among categorical diagnostic subtypes of autism spectrum disorders were not reliable even across sites with well-documented fidelity using standardized diagnostic instruments. Results support the move from existing subgroupings of autism spectrum disorders to dimensional descriptions of core features of social affect and fixated, repetitive behaviors, together with characteristics such as language level and cognitive function. (Source: Archives of General Psychiatry)

'I find dating really stressful'

BBC News | Health | UK Edition — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:25:27 +0100

A charity is helping people with Asperger's to go on dates (Source: BBC News | Health | UK Edition)

Teens, Autism and Work: Build on Passions and Find Mentors

Psychology Today Parenting Center — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:03:20 +0100

Mentors can help figure out how to turn an interest into a job, or into a means to earn money. Another important area to consider is what your teen or student likes or is passionate (ie obsessed) about. For most on the spectrum, a job will be their one connection to the community, and their main activity. Primary Topic: Autism read more (Source: Psychology Today Parenting Center)

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Consultation with the Specialist: Asperger Syndrome

Pediatrics in Review — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

(Source: Pediatrics in Review)

The Big Picture: Storytelling Ability in Adults with Autism Spectrum Conditions.

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Authors: Barnes JL, Baron-Cohen S Abstract Previous work on story-telling ability in autism spectrum conditions (ASC) has found a pattern of relatively intact use of story grammar in ASC narratives; however, prior analysis has concentrated primarily on whether specific story components are included, rather than how they are included. The present study analyzes an existing narrative dataset, concentrating on the kind of information that individuals with and without high functioning autism or Asperger syndrome include about story elements such as setting, character, conflict, and resolution. This analysis showed that individuals with ASC are biased toward providing local over global details about each element, regardless of whether the element involved mental content. These results a...

Predictive models for subtypes of autism spectrum disorder based on single-nucleotide polymorphisms and magnetic resonance imaging.

Advances in Medical Sciences — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: Our analysis demonstrated that SNP-based classification was more accurate than morphometry-based classification in ASD subtype classification. Also, we found that one SNP-rs878960 in GABRB3-distinguishes Asperger syndrome from high-functioning autism. PMID: 22037176 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Advances in Medical Sciences)

Visual Memories are Great! Well, Sometimes...

Psychology Today Anxiety Center — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:32:47 +0100

Visual memories can set you free to explore your best times or chain you to recall your most difficult moments. Here's help to help you make the most of what you remember. Primary Topic: Autism read more (Source: Psychology Today Anxiety Center)

Who Needs Maternal Instincts When You Have Facebook?

Psychology Today Parenting Center — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 13:37:04 +0100

You've heard all about the dangers of Facebook. But what about the benefits? Facebook can be a valuable tool in helping parents connect with (and spy on) their children. Best of all, you can do it in your pajamas. Read this humorous look at the positive side of Facebook. Primary Topic: Parenting read more (Source: Psychology Today Parenting Center)

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Asperger's Syndrome Signs and Symptoms

eMedicineHealth.com — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 07:00:00 +0100

(Source: eMedicineHealth.com)

An investigation into social information processing in young people with Asperger syndrome

Autism — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Deficits in social functioning are a core feature of autistic spectrum disorders (ASD), being linked to various cognitive and developmental factors, but there has been little attempt to draw on normative models of social cognition to understand social behaviour in ASD. The current study explored the utility of Crick and Dodge’s (1994) information processing model to studying social cognition in ASD, and examined associations between social information processing patterns, theory of mind skills and social functioning. A matched-group design compared young people with Asperger syndrome with typically developing peers, using a social information processing interview previously designed for this purpose. The Asperger syndrome group showed significantly different patterns of information p...

Did Sherlock Holmes Have Asperger Syndrome?

Psychology Today Personality Center — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 02:17:36 +0100

Sigmund Freud and Arthur Conan Doyle did their best work at about the same time. Which of those thinkers, and their intellectual descendents, have taught us more about people? Primary Topic: Neuroscience read more (Source: Psychology Today Personality Center)

Betrayal: Can We Get Over It?

Psychology Today Relationships Center — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 20:32:43 +0100

Betrayal is hard to forgive and forget, but for the sake of our well-being we have to try and do both. Primary Topic: Autism read more (Source: Psychology Today Relationships Center)

High‐Functioning Autism/Asperger Syndrome in Schools: Assessment and Intervention

Child and Adolescent Mental Health — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 12:00:28 +0100

(Source: Child and Adolescent Mental Health)

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Mirror Neuron Activity Associated with Social Impairments but not Age in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Biological Psychiatry — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: These data provide general support for the mirror neuron hypothesis of autism; researchers now must clarify the precise functional significance of mirror neurons to truly understand their role in the neuropathophysiology of ASD and to determine whether they should be used as targets for the treatment of ASD. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Pregnancy complications and obstetric suboptimality in association with autism spectrum disorders in children of the Nurses' Health Study II

Autism Research — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

AbstractThe authors examined pregnancy and obstetric complications in association with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in children of participants from the Nurses' Health Study II, a prospective national cohort with information collected through biennial mailed questionnaires since 1989. Logistic regression was used to obtain crude and adjusted odds ratios for ASD, and by diagnostic subgroup. Seven hundred and ninety‐three cases were reported among 66,445 pregnancies. Pregnancy complications and obstetric suboptimality factors were assessed by maternal report of occurrence in first birth and, in secondary analyses, in any birth. Complications and a suboptimality score were significantly associated with having a child with ASD (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.26, 1.77, P<0.0001 for pregnancy complic...

Empathy, values, morality and Asperger’s syndrome

Scandinavian Journal of Psychology — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions suggest that different people may acquire moral values through different mechanisms. (Source: Scandinavian Journal of Psychology)

Finding Meaning in Muppets

Psychology Today Parenting Center — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 06:14:37 +0100

In a recent post, Elaine Hall, the founder of The Miracle Project, wrote about special interests in autism. In it, she wrote about the importance of working with a child's special interests and how these interests may lead to employment in adulthood. Primary Topic: Autism read more (Source: Psychology Today Parenting Center)

Gauging Autistic Intelligence: Asperger Syndrome

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:00:00 +0100

Autism spectrum disorders, including Asperger syndrome, have generally been associated with uneven intellectual profiles and impairment, but according to a new study of Asperger individuals published in the online journal PLoS ONE, this may not be the case - as long as intelligence is evaluated by the right test. Both autistic and Asperger individuals display uneven profiles of performance in commonly used intelligence test batteries such as Wechsler scales, and their strongest performances are often considered evidence for deficits... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Preparing Your Teen or Young Adult for Work in the Real World

Psychology Today Parenting Center — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 05:44:05 +0100

When thinking about employment for your child or student on the spectrum, there are a few aspects that need to be focused on. Primary Topic: Autism read more (Source: Psychology Today Parenting Center)

Screening for signs and symptoms of autism spectrum disorders in siblings

Revista de Psiquiatria do Rio Grande do Sul — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 20:51:27 +0100

Os transtornos globais do desenvolvimento (TGD) são caracterizados por anormalidades qualitativas e abrangentes em três domínios do desenvolvimento: interação social recíproca, comunicação e presença de um repertório comportamental de interesses restritos, repetitivo e estereotipado. Estudos genéticos têm identificado a recorrência de TGD numa mesma família. O presente estudo teve por objetivo rastrear a ocorrência de sinais e sintomas de TGD em irmãos de indivíduos com esse diagnóstico. Participaram do estudo 25 sujeitos provenientes de 19 famílias. A coleta de dados foi realizada mediante a utilização da versão brasileira do Autism Screening Questionnaire (ASQ), ou Questionário de Comportamento e Comunicação Social. Foram confirmados dois casos de irmãos com TGD...

Movie Review: Loving Lampposts: Living Autistic

Psychology Today Parenting Center — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:42:52 +0100

I'd like to recommend this documentary by Todd Drezner called "Loving Lampposts: Living Autistic." Primary Topic: Autism read more (Source: Psychology Today Parenting Center)

Asperger's syndrome gets in way of work? Not at this startup

Health News: CBSNews.com — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:04:56 +0100

Symptoms that make adults with autism social misfits also makes them great software testers (Source: Health News: CBSNews.com)

Debunking 6 Myths About Asperger Syndrome

Psych Central — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 13:31:19 +0100

The discovery of Asperger Syndrome (AS) dates back to 1944. Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger described the syndrome when he was treating four boys with similar symptoms. But his writings remained relatively unknown until 1981. At that time, English doctor Lorna Wing published case studies with children who displayed the same signs. Still, it wasn’t until 1992 that AS became an official diagnosis in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). Two years later, it became an official diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). Asperger Syndrome is a developmental disorder. People with AS don’t have cognitive or language deficits. (If they do, they’re diagnosed with autism.) But they do have a difficult time interacting, communicating a...

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Adults with autism thrive as software testers

Health News: CBSNews.com — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:23:25 +0100

Nonprofit Aspiritech overlooks quirks of employees with Asperger's syndrome, benefits from unusual focus, attention to detail (Source: Health News: CBSNews.com)

Aspie Talk: Perseveration or Conversation?

Psychology Today Personality Center — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 15:54:18 +0100

Perseverating interests can be great conversation pieces. Primary Topic: Autism read more (Source: Psychology Today Personality Center)

Autism Spectrum Conditions. FAQs on Autism, Asperger Syndrome and Atypical Autism answered by International Experts

Acta Paediatrica — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

(Source: Acta Paediatrica)

Autism Spectrum Conditions: FAQs on Autism, Asperger Syndrome and Atypical Autism Answered by International Experts

Acta Paediatrica — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

(Source: Acta Paediatrica)

Sometimes What Looks Like Empathy, Isn't

Psychology Today Anxiety Center — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 02:37:22 +0100

Change isn't easy for those of us on the spectrum. The beginning of a new school year is replete with it. Given this, it's inevitable that students with Asperger's would run into a few bumps along the way. Jeanne Holverstott recently wrote an interesting post about some of the challenges she's experienced through the eyes of her clients, young men with AS.read more (Source: Psychology Today Anxiety Center)

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Loving and Letting Go

Psychology Today Parenting Center — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 23:33:22 +0100

Letting go is not easy for any parent. But when you have a child with a disability, it can be devastating. Sisters Patricia Konjoian and Gina Gallagher share the lesson of how the unexpected loss of their mother helped them gain perspective on the importance of fostering love and independence for their special children. read more (Source: Psychology Today Parenting Center)

Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Mainstream Classroom

Psych Central — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 19:34:56 +0100

Barbara Borosonʼs Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Mainstream Classroom: How to Reach and Teach Students with ASDs is an engaging, thoughtful and valuable resource for instructors, parents and administrators that enable them to reach, understand and help students with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) so that they may succeed in school. Barbara Boroson holds an undergraduate degree in creative writing from Cornell and a masters degree in social work from Columbia University. She has worked in autism spectrum education for 20 years in clinical, administrative and advisory capacities. She currently works as a consultant and supports teachers and school districts as they integrate their students on the spectrum into mainstream environments. Her stated goal is in the development of incl...

Impairments in multisensory processing are not universal to the autism spectrum: no evidence for crossmodal priming deficits in Asperger syndrome

Autism Research — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100

In this study, we investigated whether multisensory processing deficits in ASD persist when semantically complex but nonsocial stimuli are presented in succession. Fifteen adult individuals with Asperger syndrome and 15 control persons participated in a visual‐audio priming task, which required the classification of sounds that were either primed by semantically congruent or incongruent preceding pictures of objects. As expected, performance on congruent trials was faster and more accurate compared with incongruent trials (crossmodal priming effect). The Asperger group, however, did not differ significantly from the control group. Our results do not support a general multisensory processing deficit, which is universal to the entire autism spectrum. Autism Res2011,4:xxx–xxx. © 2011 Int...

An endangered species?: Proposal calls for eliminating Asperger's syndrome from DSM-V [FOCUS ON SUBSPECIALTIES]

AAP News — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100

(Source: AAP News)

Group intervention for siblings of children with disabilities: a pilot study in a clinical setting.

Disability and Rehabilitation — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The results were encouraging and contribute to further development of interventions meeting the needs of siblings of children with disabilities. In view of the limited empirical research on group interventions for siblings of children with disabilities future work is needed to investigate the effectiveness of such interventions. Particular attention should be given to siblings of children with autism and siblings of children with intellectual disability. [Box: see text]. PMID: 21877903 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Disability and Rehabilitation)

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The Genius in My Basement: the Biography of a Happy Man by Alexander Masters – review

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 23:05:01 +0100

The author of Stuart: A Life Backwards returns with another portrait of an amiable misfit – this time a former maths prodigy-turned-chaotic recluseThe moment that made a success of Alexander Masters's first book, Stuart: A Life Backwards, is described in its opening pages. Masters's homeless street raconteur, Stuart Shorter, tells his biographer that the first draft of the book is "bollocks boring". Not wishing to offend Masters further, Stuart comes up with a brilliantly simple editorial intervention. "Do it the other way round," he suggests. "Make it more like a murder mystery. What murdered the boy I was? See? Write it backwards." Masters takes the advice and provides, at once, an inciting incident to establish the nature of the relationship and an alluring narrative construction.The ...

Care of the Suicidal Pediatric Patient in the ED: A Case Study.

The American Journal of Nursing — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 22:40:56 +0100

Authors: Schmid AM, Truog AW, Damian FJ Abstract OVERVIEW: The suicide rate among children and adolescents has increased worldwide over the past few decades, and many who attempt suicide are first seen at EDs. At Childrens Hospital Boston (CHB), an algorithm-the Risk of Suicidality Clinical Practice Algorithm-has been developed to ensure evidence-based care supported by best practice guidelines. The authors of this article provide an overview of pediatric suicide and suicide attempts; describe screening, assessment, and interventions used at CHB; and discuss the nursing implications. An illustrative case study is also provided. KEYWORDS: algorithm, Asperger's syndrome, attempted suicide, bullying, emergency, emergency department, patient safety, pediatrics, pediatric suicide, suici...

How To Make a Visit to the Dentist Less Scary for Autistics, Aspergians, Sensitives and Any Anxious Person

Psychology Today Anxiety Center — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 23:19:24 +0100

I've been meaning to write this for ages; since a visit to a dentist in upstate NY. I asked him to hand me a toy that he had for kids so I could squeeze it to help me deal with my anxiety. I thanked him and explained, kind of apologetically, that I had Aspergers and he replied, "Don't worry, I'm used to dealing with all sorts of crazy folks." read more (Source: Psychology Today Anxiety Center)

Home-School Collaboration for Children with Learning Disabilities

Psych Central — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:35:32 +0100

The transition into elementary school can be especially tough for our children with learning disabilities and challenging behavior. Whether they’ve been at home or in a preschool program, they’ve been in an environment that is more flexible and usually less overstimulating than the average kindergarten or first grade classroom. Once in elementary school, there are usually more kids to deal with; the day may be longer; the schedule may be less flexible; and the demands on them are greater. Whatever the diagnosis, Attention Deficit Disorder (with or without Hyperactivity), an auditory processing disorder, Dyslexia, Aspergers, etc., our kids do better in school when we parents do our share. As stressful as it can be to reinforce learning at home, as difficult as it is to add regular cont...

Empathy enhanced by magnetic stimulation of the brain

New Scientist - Health — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 17:01:41 +0100

Magnetically stimulating the brain might improve symptoms of autism and Asperger's syndrome (Source: New Scientist - Health)

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A Call for New Measures of Asperger’s and Schizotypy

Psychology Today Personality Center — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 16:30:03 +0100

Our current methods of distinguishing between Asperger's and Schizotypy in the general population are woefully incomplete.read more (Source: Psychology Today Personality Center)

Parent Report of Community Psychiatric Comorbid Diagnoses in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Clinical and Developmental Immunology — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 12:13:31 +0100

We used a national online registry to examine variation in cumulative prevalence of community diagnosis of psychiatric comorbidity in 4343 children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Adjusted multivariate logistic regression models compared influence of individual, family, and geographic factors on cumulative prevalence of parent-reported anxiety disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder or attention deficit disorder. Adjusted odds of community-assigned lifetime psychiatric comorbidity were significantly higher with each additional year of life, with increasing autism severity, and with Asperger syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder—not otherwise specified compared with autistic disorder. Overall, in this largest study of parent-...

Business Lessons from The Asperger's Community

Psychology Today Work Center — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 04:05:47 +0100

In my last post, I listed some of the behaviors that can make the workplace difficult for those with Asperger's. In response, a reader wrote: "Some of the items on the list (such as not talking much/at all during meetings) are typical of standard introversion. Do you regard the person as having Asperger's if he has most or all of the characteristics on the list?"read more (Source: Psychology Today Work Center)

Increased serum androstenedione in adults with autism spectrum conditions

Psychoneuroendocrinology — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 04:01:50 +0100

Summary: Molecular and behavioural evidence points to an association between sex-steroid hormones and autism spectrum conditions (ASC) and/or autistic traits. Prenatal androgen levels are associated with autistic traits, and several genes involved in steroidogenesis are associated with autism, Asperger Syndrome and/or autistic traits. Furthermore, higher rates of androgen-related conditions (such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, hirsutism, acne and hormone-related cancers) are reported in women with autism spectrum conditions. A key question therefore is if serum levels of gonadal and adrenal sex-steroids (particularly testosterone, estradiol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and androstenedione) are elevated in individuals with ASC. This was tested in a total sample of n=166 participants. The ...

Course talks coping with Asperger's

Scotsman.com News - Health — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Advice on how to cope with Asperger's syndrome is on offer at a free course. (Source: Scotsman.com News - Health)

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Motor examination in children with Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Asperger Syndrome

Acta Paediatrica — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: Dysfunction of the fronto‐striatal‐cerebellar networks related to motor control could be the physiopathological basis of the reported findings. (Source: Acta Paediatrica)

Melatonin in autism spectrum disorders: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 19:30:14 +0100

Aim The aim of this study was to investigate melatonin‐related findings in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), including autistic disorder, Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorders, not otherwise specified.Method Comprehensive searches were conducted in the PubMed, Google Scholar, CINAHL, EMBASE, Scopus, and ERIC databases from their inception to October 2010. Two reviewers independently assessed 35 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Of these, meta‐analysis was performed on five randomized double‐blind, placebo‐controlled studies, and the quality of these trials was assessed using the Downs and Black checklist.Results Nine studies measured melatonin or melatonin metabolites in ASD and all reported at least one abnormality, including an abn...

Real Life Heroes - Boy with Aspergers Saves Friend

About.com Pediatrics — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 13:30:30 +0100

I wrote about kids saving kids last week and didn't expect that there would be that many stories to make it a regular topic to post about. There is already a new story about a little hero though - another story about kids saving kids....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Pediatrics)

New Topic on Genetics Home Reference: Asperger Syndrome

NLM General Announcements — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 19:11:42 +0100

(Source: NLM General Announcements)

Anatomy and aging of the amygdala and hippocampus in autism spectrum disorder: an in vivo magnetic resonance imaging study of Asperger syndrome

Autism Research — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 04:00:00 +0100

AbstractIt has been proposed that people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have abnormal morphometry and development of the amygdala and hippocampus (AH). However, previous reports are inconsistent, perhaps because they included people of different ASD diagnoses, ages, and health. We compared, using magnetic resonance imaging, the in vivo anatomy of the AH in 32 healthy individuals with Asperger syndrome (12–47 years) and 32 healthy controls who did not differ significantly in age or IQ. We measured bulk (gray + white matter) volume of the AH using manual tracing (MEASURE). We first compared the volume of AH between individuals with Asperger syndrome and controls and then investigated age‐related differences. We compared differences in anatomy before, and after, correcting for whole ...

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Mosaic partial trisomy 19p12‐q13.11 due to a small supernumerary marker chromosome: A locus associated with Asperger syndrome?

American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100

AbstractIn the neurodevelopmentally impaired population the frequency of small supernumerary marker chromosomes (sSMC) is about 0.3%. To find the origin of a sSMC in a 4‐year‐old boy with Asperger syndrome (AS) a microarray‐based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH), using a 135K‐feature whole‐genome microarray, and Metaphase FISH analysis, was performed. The sSMC was characterized as being composed of 18.4 Mb from 19p12q13.11. Based on the size and genic content, it is expected that the partial trisomy detected is responsible for the characteristics observed in the patient. In that case it could be an indication of a novel locus associated with AS. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. (Source: American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A)

Face recognition performance of individuals with Asperger syndrome on the Cambridge face memory test

Autism Research — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100

AbstractAlthough face recognition deficits in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), including Asperger syndrome (AS), are widely acknowledged, the empirical evidence is mixed. This in part reflects the failure to use standardized and psychometrically sound tests. We contrasted standardized face recognition scores on the Cambridge Face Memory Test (CFMT) for 34 individuals with AS with those for 42, IQ‐matched non‐ASD individuals, and age‐standardized scores from a large Australian cohort. We also examined the influence of IQ, autistic traits, and negative affect on face recognition performance. Overall, participants with AS performed significantly worse on the CFMT than the non‐ASD participants and when evaluated against standardized test norms. However, while 24% of par...

Asperger's disorder and the criminal law. - Freckelton I.

SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 22:31:25 +0100

Asperger's Disorder has the potential to be relevant to many aspects of the functioning of the criminal justice system. However, its mere presence does not excuse or justify all offending. The inquiry into its potential relevance to criminal offending and ... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

No Wire Hangers...Ever! A look at Aspergers and Control Issues

Psychology Today Anxiety Center — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 19:34:23 +0100

"No wire hangers ever!" We all remember this line, uttered by a crazed Joan Crawford in Mommie Dearest. Could she have had Aspergers? I had a similar fit the other day when the clean lines and organized shelves of my closet were decimated by my neurotypical partner, with hangers at all angles and all over the floor, causing my own decibel level to exceed legal limits.read more (Source: Psychology Today Anxiety Center)

15 Ways To Exclude Associates with Asperger's

Psychology Today Work Center — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 02:52:48 +0100

As an advocate, and as a person with Asperger's who's been employed out in the world for some years now, I've had a lot of opportunity to observe the effects of common workplace behaviors on those of us who live on the spectrum.read more (Source: Psychology Today Work Center)

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Laparoscopic sigmoid resection for diverticular disease has no advantages over open approach: midterm results of a randomized controlled trial

Langenbeck's Archives of Surgery — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 18:13:04 +0100

Conclusion LSR was not superior to OSR regarding postoperative quality of life and incidence of complications in this trial. Content Type Journal ArticlePages 1-8DOI 10.1007/s00423-011-0825-4Authors Wieland Raue, Department of General, Visceral, Vascular and Thoracic Surgery, Charité–University Medicine Berlin, Campus Mitte, Berlin, GermanyV. Paolucci, Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Ketteler Krankenhaus Offenbach, Offenbach, GermanyW. Asperger, Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Krankenhaus St. Elisabeth u. St. Barbara Halle, Halle, GermanyR. Albrecht, Department of Visceral and Vascular Surgery, HELIOS Klinikum Aue, Erfurt, GermanyM. W. Büchler, Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidel...

What They Don't Tell You About "Therapy" Dogs

Psychology Today Parenting Center — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 14:44:08 +0100

For many parents of special needs children, a therapy dog can provide invaluable assistance and comfort to their struggling children. For others, caring for a "therapy" dog can lead them to therapy. read more (Source: Psychology Today Parenting Center)

Mercyhurst Autism Summer Program

Disabled World — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 19:35:36 +0100

Just three years into the Asperger Initiative at Mercyhurst (AIM), organizers can barely keep pace with the demand for both its college program and its summer immersion experience for high school juniors on the autism spectrum. (Source: Disabled World)

GL.06 The rise and fall of Asperger syndrome

Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100

The syndrome described by Hans Asperger has had a remarkable and complex evolution. Asperger's first paper was published one year after Kanner's. They apparently never acknowledged one another's existence. Unlike Kanner, he revised his description many times over the ensuing decades. His diagnostic criteria were further amended by Gillberg, in 1989, and eventually appeared in yet another form in DSM-IV in 1994. Is the condition merely a milder form of autism, in those of high intelligence? There are proponents of that view, who strongly dispute the validity of the syndrome, but others characterise it as having unique features. Unfortunately, there are few data published that could guide us to any firm conclusions. Our difficulty comes about in part because the current DSM-IV diagnostic cri...

How To Be a Dad To Your Aspergers Child

Psychology Today Parenting Center — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:47:32 +0100

This article is dedicated to all fathers who parent children gifted with autism.read more (Source: Psychology Today Parenting Center)

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Effects Of Asperger Syndrome Noticeable In Babies

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 07:00:00 +0100

People with Asperger syndrome have problems with social interaction and attentiveness, and are also sensitive to noise and light. Several of these characteristics were evident to parents during their child's first two years, reveals Petra Dewrang's thesis in psychology at the University of Gothenburg. In her thesis, Dewrang investigated how individuals with Asperger syndrome aged 14-24 perceive themselves relative to their diagnosis. The thesis is based on interviews, tests and self-evaluations... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Effects of Asperger syndrome noticeable in babies

ScienceDaily Headlines — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 15:18:18 +0100

Effects of Asperger's syndrome noticeable in babies

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 04:00:00 +0100

(University of Gothenburg) People with Asperger's syndrome have problems with social interaction and attentiveness, and are also sensitive to noise and light. Several of these characteristics were evident to parents during their child's first two years, reveals Petra Dewrang's thesis in psychology at the University of Gothenburg. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Disability, Discrimination, and Disclosure: Being "Out" In The Workplace

Psychology Today Depression Center — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 01:53:23 +0100

Living with Asperger's, as with many other "hidden" disabilities, can be a lonely prospect. At times, telling others about your disability can be a help. Other times it can be a disaster. It can be hard to know whom to trust. Do you tell? Or don't you tell?Editorial Controls Editorial Status: No Status read more (Source: Psychology Today Depression Center)

Individual differences in pronoun reversal: Evidence from two longitudinal case studies.

Journal of Child Language — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

This study examines longitudinal corpus data from two children, a typically developing girl, and a boy with Asperger's syndrome. Both were precocious talkers who reversed the majority of their personal pronouns for several months. A comparison of the children's behaviors revealed quantitative and qualitative differences in pronoun use: the girl showed 'semantic confusion', using second person pronouns for self-reference, whereas the boy showed a discourse-pragmatic deficit related to perspective-taking. The results suggest that there are multiple mechanisms underlying pronoun reversal and provide qualified support for both the Name/Person Hypothesis (Clark, 1978; Charney, 1980b) and the Plurifunctional Pronoun Hypothesis (Chiat, 1982). PMID: 21669013 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]...

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The Anxiety of Living with Anxiety

Psychology Today Parenting Center — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 22:49:43 +0100

Tornadoes. Tsunamis. Doomsday predictions. There sure is a lot of uncertainty in the world. And if you have a child with special needs and anxiety, managing these uncertainties can drive you straight to the nearest pharmacy. read more (Source: Psychology Today Parenting Center)

Lexical processing in individuals with high-functioning autism and Asperger's disorder

Autism — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

The presence or absence of clinically delayed language development prior to 3 years of age is a key, but contentious, clinical feature distinguishing autism from Asperger’s disorder. The aim of this study was to examine language processing in children with high-functioning autism (HFA) and Asperger’s disorder (AD) using a task which taps lexical processing, a core language ability. Eleven individuals with HFA, 11 with AD and 11 typically developing (TD) individuals completed a masked priming task, a psycholinguistic paradigm that directly examines lexical processes. Within-group analyses revealed the AD and TD groups had intact lexical processing systems and orthographic processing of the written word. The outcomes for the HFA group were ambiguous, suggesting that their lexical...

Social vulnerability and bullying in children with Asperger syndrome

Autism — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Children with Asperger syndrome (AS) have IQ within the normal range but specific impairments in theory of mind, social interaction and communication skills. The majority receive education in mainstream schools and research suggests they are bullied more than typically developing peers. The current study aimed to evaluate factors that predict bullying for such children and also to examine a new measure, the Social Vulnerability Scale (SVS). One hundred and thirty three parents of children with AS completed the SVS and of these 92 parents completed both the SVS and questionnaires measuring anxiety, anger, behaviour problems, social skills and bullying. Regression analyses revealed that these variables together strongly predicted bullying, but that social vulnerability was the strongest pred...

Nathan, In His Own Words

Sound Medicine — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Sound Medicine host Barbara Lewis talks with autistic student Nathan Racher about plans for college, about the mastering new social interactions, and about his hope to live independently. Nathan Racher is 20 years old and has Asperger's syndrome. He lives in Indianapolis..... (Source: Sound Medicine)

Design and Subject Characteristics in the Federally-Funded Citalopram Trial in Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders.

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

We present the rationale, design and sample characteristics of the citalopram trial. Subjects (128 boys, 21 girls) had a mean age of 9.3 (±3.12) years; 132 (88.6%) were diagnosed with autistic disorder (4.7% with Asperger's Disorder; 6.7% with PDD-not otherwise specified). Less than half of the subjects were intellectually disabled; 117 (78.5%) were rated Moderate or Marked on the Clinical Global Impression for Severity. Study measures were similar to previous Research Units on Pediatric Psychopharmacology trials. Subjects in this trial were slightly older and more likely to have complaints of repetitive behavior than participants in RUPP trials. PMID: 21667200 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders)

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The effect of visual spatial attention on audiovisual speech perception in adults with Asperger syndrome.

Experimental Brain Research — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Saalasti S, Tiippana K, Kätsyri J, Sams M Individuals with Asperger syndrome (AS) have problems in following conversation, especially in the situations where several people are talking. This might result from impairments in audiovisual speech perception, especially from difficulties in focusing attention to speech-relevant visual information and ignoring distracting information. We studied the effect of visual spatial attention on the audiovisual speech perception of adult individuals with AS and matched control participants. Two faces were presented side by side, one uttering /aka/ and the other /ata/, while an auditory stimulus of /apa/ was played. The participants fixated on a central cross and directed their attention to the face that an arrow pointed to, reporting which ...

Differentiation of High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's Disorder Based on Neuromotor Behaviour.

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

This study examined gait in children with autism and AD. Eleven children with high-functioning autism and eleven children with AD completed a series of walking tasks. Results indicated distinct movement disturbance; these findings are discussed in light of seminal papers in this field by Vilensky et al. (Arch Neurol 38:646-649, 1981) and Hallett et al. (Arch Neurol 50:1304-1308, 1993) who interpret the gait of individuals with autism using parkinsonian and cerebellar-ataxia patient models, respectively. Distinctions in gait patterns implicating perhaps unique motor circuit disturbances support the hypothesis that autism and AD may have unique neurodevelopmental trajectories. PMID: 21660499 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders)

Asperger Through the Looking Glass: An Exploratory Study of Self-Understanding in People with Asperger's Syndrome.

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Jackson P, Skirrow P, Hare DJ Hobson (Autism and the development of mind. Lawrence Erlbaum, Hove, UK 1993) has proposed that the cognitive and linguistic disabilities that characterise autism result from abnormalities in inter-subjective engagement during infancy, which in turn results in impaired reflective self-awareness. The aim of the present study was to test Hobson's hypothesis by examining self-understanding in Asperger's syndrome (AS) using Damon and Hart's (Self-understanding in childhood and adolescence. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1988) model of self-concept. Ten participants with Asperger's syndrome were compared with ten non AS controls using the Self-understanding Interview (Damon and Hart in Self-understanding in Childhood and Adolescence. Cambridge U...

The Science of Evil and Variations in Empathy

Psychology Today Personality Center — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:14:12 +0100

Simon Baron-Cohen's new book describes empathy and evil. Evil comes from empathy erosion and "turning people into objects." He gives graphic examples of this kind of evil throughout the book, from sadistic cruelty by soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo to the criminal in a supermarket line who robs a woman's ring, taking her finger with him.read more (Source: Psychology Today Personality Center)

Why do children and adults with autism act the way they do?

Psychology Today Parenting Center — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 04:36:41 +0100

People with autism act the way they do because of their various sensory processing challenges and the difficulties they have in making sense of their environment.read more (Source: Psychology Today Parenting Center)

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Atypical Movement Performance and Sensory Integration in Asperger's Syndrome.

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Siaperas P, Ring HA, McAllister CJ, Henderson S, Barnett A, Watson P, Holland AJ The aims of this study were to investigate whether individuals with AS have impaired motor abilities and sensorimotor processing and whether these impairments were age-related. Sensorimotor abilities were examined using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2, and the Sensory Integration Praxis Test. Fifty boys with AS aged 7-14 years old were compared with typically developing boys. Overall, children with AS showed significant impairment of movement performance as well as proprioceptive and vestibular processing. There were no interaction effects of age and clinical group on level of performance deficit in any of the modalities tested. Increasing our understanding of motor and sensory imp...

Health Tip: Recognize Signs of Asperger Syndrome

The Doctors Lounge - Health News — Tue, 31 May 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Here's a list of possible characteristics (Source: The Doctors Lounge - Health News)

Discovery, Structure-Activity Relationship Studies, and Crystal Structure of Nonpeptide Inhibitors Bound to the Shank3 PDZ Domain.

ChemMedChem — Thu, 26 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Saupe J, Roske Y, Schillinger C, Kamdem N, Radetzki S, Diehl A, Oschkinat H, Krause G, Heinemann U, Rademann J Shank is the central scaffolding protein of the postsynaptic density (PSD) protein complex found in cells of the central nervous system. Cellular studies indicate a prominent role of the protein in the organization of the PSD, in the development of neuronal morphology, in neuronal signaling, and in synaptic plasticity, thus linking Shank functions to the molecular basis of learning and memory. Mutations in the Shank gene have been found in several neuronal disorders including mental retardation, typical autism, and Asperger syndrome. Shank is linked to the PSD complex via its PDZ domain that binds to the C-terminus of guanylate-kinase-associated protein (GKAP). Here, ...

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Aspergers, Bullying and Self-advocacy

Psychology Today Depression Center — Wed, 25 May 2011 18:18:10 +0100

Want to fight back but don't know where to begin? If you give up, you will have no closure. Whether it's physical, mental/emotional or financial injuries you've suffered, If you take one thing away from this article, it should be this: there is always a recourse.read more (Source: Psychology Today Depression Center)

Why Rich and Famous Men Stray

Psychology Today Sex Center — Sun, 22 May 2011 17:18:38 +0100

Could it be about being hooked on adrenaline, feeling entitled to the adoration and admiration of the masses, feeling unduly carped/nagged/criticized at home and then being seduced by power into developing secondary Asperger’s Syndrome?read more (Source: Psychology Today Sex Center)

Mary and Max

Medical Humanities — Tue, 17 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Such is the unique and daring ambition of this multi-award winning clay animation that all of its characters, bar none, suffer a physical or mental affliction. As such, Mary and Max is a fascinating artistic achievement and an inexhaustible resource for medical educators and academics. Welcome to Australia, 1976, where our omniscient narrator introduces the ‘complicated soul’ Mary—a lonely, depressed 8-year-old girl. As an only child, with a facially disfiguring birthmark and alcoholic, emotionally distant parents (her mother a chain-smoking kleptomaniac, her father a reclusive taxidermist), she has endured an isolated and deeply troubled childhood. By chance, Mary strikes up a long distance pen-pal friendship with a 44-year-old Jewish man from New York, Max. He has Asper...

Can Gaze Avoidance Explain Why Individuals with Asperger's Syndrome Can't Recognise Emotions From Facial Expressions?

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders — Tue, 17 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Sawyer AC, Williamson P, Young RL Research has shown that individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have difficulties recognising emotions from facial expressions. Since eye contact is important for accurate emotion recognition, and individuals with ASD tend to avoid eye contact, this tendency for gaze aversion has been proposed as an explanation for the emotion recognition deficit. This explanation was investigated using a newly developed emotion and mental state recognition task. Individuals with Asperger's Syndrome were less accurate at recognising emotions and mental states, but did not show evidence of gaze avoidance compared to individuals without Asperger's Syndrome. This suggests that the way individuals with Asperger's Syndrome look at faces cannot account for ...

Evidence for association between Disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) gene polymorphisms and autism in Chinese Han population: a family-based association study

Behavioral and Brain Functions — Sat, 14 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Our study provided evidence that the DISC1 may be the susceptibility gene of autism. It suggested DISC1 might play a role in the pathogenesis of autism. (Source: Behavioral and Brain Functions)

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A Dog Named Slugger: How Service Dogs Improve the Lives of Many

Psych Central — Sat, 14 May 2011 10:00:17 +0100

Consider these surprising studies concerning the benefit of trained service dogs to help all kinds of disabilities: A recent survey showed that 82 percent of patients with PTSD who were assigned a dog had a decrease in symptoms, and 40 percent had a decrease in the medications they had to take.” –Dr. Melisa Kaime, director of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) A study presented at the 2006 annual conference of the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) investigated whether people with severe disabilities who use service dogs are less dependent on family and friends to carry out activities of daily living than people with similar disabilities without service dogs. Subjects who had service dogs used approxima...

Empathy and Advocacy: Closing the Gap

Psychology Today Parenting Center — Thu, 12 May 2011 01:46:06 +0100

Sitting in an IKEA Cafe, a quick movement catches my eye. I see a girl, probably in her teens or twenties, running in a way that is distinctive. It's familiar to me, because it's one I've seen in myself - her hands are drawn up against her chest, and flap in time with her steps. I see her run, turn back toward a woman who is obviously her mother, then turn back to run again.read more (Source: Psychology Today Parenting Center)

Asperger's Disorder in an Adolescent With 47,XYY Chromosomal Syndrome

Clinical Pediatrics — Wed, 11 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

(Source: Clinical Pediatrics)

Social Perception and WAIS-IV Performance in Adolescents and Adults Diagnosed With Asperger's Syndrome and Autism

Assessment — Tue, 10 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Previous research using the Wechsler scales has identified areas of cognitive weaknesses in children, adolescents, and adults diagnosed with Autism or Asperger’s syndrome. The current study evaluates cognitive functioning in adolescents and adults diagnosed with Autism or Asperger’s syndrome using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) and the Social Perception subtest from the Advanced Clinical Solutions. Deficits in social perception, verbal comprehension, and processing speed were found in the Autism sample. Additionally, they exhibited inconsistent performance on auditory working memory and perceptual reasoning tasks. The Asperger’s syndrome group had better overall cognitive skills than the Autism group, but compared with controls, they ...

Is that Treadmill Really Good for You?

Psychology Today Parenting Center — Tue, 10 May 2011 10:46:55 +0100

This past weekend, we had the privilege of speaking in Minnesota for the Autism Society of Minnesota or AUSM (pronounced "Awe-some" on the street). Our mission was the same as it has been for the past five years - to get out of the house. ("Yippeee! No laundry for two whole days!" )read more (Source: Psychology Today Parenting Center)

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Female-To-Male Transsexual People (Transmen) Have More Autistic Traits

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 06 May 2011 10:00:00 +0100

A new study from Cambridge University, funded by the Medical Research Council, has found for the first time that female-to-male transsexual people have a higher than average number of autistic traits. The study has important implications for the clinical management of biological girls with gender incongruence that persists into adulthood. The researchers measured autistic traits using the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) and compared AQ scores from transmen; transwomen (male-to-female); typical males; typical females; and individuals with Asperger Syndrome (AS, a form of autism)... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

'Most Adults With Autism Go Undiagnosed'- New Findings, UK

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 04 May 2011 14:00:00 +0100

Not a single person identified with autism or asperger's syndrome during a community survey in England actually knew they had the condition, research led by the University of Leicester reveals. According to Dr Traolach Brugha, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Leicester, the research has already revealed that autism was commoner in males, those without higher educational qualifications, and those living in social (government financed) housing. Prevalence was not related to the age of those with the condition... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

The neural architecture of expert calendar calculation: A matter of strategy?

Neurocase — Mon, 02 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Fehr T, Wallace GL, Erhard P, Herrmann M Savants and prodigies are individuals with exceptional skills in particular mental domains. In the present study we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine neural correlates of calendar calculation in two individuals, a savant with Asperger's disorder and a self-taught mathematical prodigy. If there is a modular neural organization of exceptional performance in a specific mental domain, calendar calculation should be reflected in a considerable overlap in the recruitment of brain circuits across expert individuals. However, considerable individual differences in activation patterns during calendar calculation were noted. The present results indicate that activation patterns produced by complex mental processing, such as ca...

Mind Reading: How to Live Well on the Autistic Spectrum

TIME.com: Top Science and Health Stories — Mon, 02 May 2011 10:00:00 +0100

What happens when children with Asperger's grow up? (Source: TIME.com: Top Science and Health Stories)

Asperger's disorder and Williams syndrome: a case report.

The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics — Sun, 01 May 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Authors: Kilinçaslan A, Tanidir C, Tutkunkardaş MD, Mukaddes NM Abstract Williams syndrome (WS) is a genetic disorder caused by the hemizygous microdeletion in chromosome 7q11.23. It is characterized by dysmorphic face, cardiovascular disease, idiopathic hypercalcemia, mental retardation, and an uneven profile of cognitive-linguistic abilities and deficits. The presence of autistic features in individuals with WS is a controversial issue. While there are reports that describe them as overly friendly with excessive sociability and good empathic skills, some recent studies focus more on the qualitative impairment of their social abilities. Here, we report the clinical presentation and follow-up of an eight-year-old boy with WS and clear problems in his social interaction, non-verba...

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Asperger Syndrome Can the disorder be diagnosed in the adult age?

Actas Espanolas de Psiquiatria — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions. Asperger Syndrome can also be diagnosed in adulthood and should be suspected whenever retrospective information and clinical assessment point to this diagnosis. Key words: Asperger, autism, differential diagnosis, comorbidity, neuropsychology. PMID: 21560081 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Actas Espanolas de Psiquiatria)

The 7,000 Habits of Highly Imperfect Parents

Psychology Today Parenting Center — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 15:30:11 +0100

Characteristics of special needs parents as seen through the eyes of two CHImPs.read more (Source: Psychology Today Parenting Center)

A Teen's Guide To Taking The Road Less Traveled

Psychology Today Parenting Center — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 16:16:43 +0100

"According to Strelecky, a significant number of parents and guardians give their children irrational advice on what studies to pursue, when they have no experience in that profession."read more (Source: Psychology Today Parenting Center)

Brief Report: Life History and Neuropathology of a Gifted Man with Asperger Syndrome.

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100

We examined the 1,570 g brain of a 63 year old otherwise healthy mathematician with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder of Asperger subtype. Except for an atypical gyral pattern and megalencephaly, we detected no specific neuropathologic abnormality. Taken together, the behavioral data and pathological findings in this case are compatible with an early neurodevelopmental process affecting multiple neuroanatomic networks, but without a convincing morphologic signature detectable with routine neuropathologic technology. PMID: 21516432 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders)

Life stories of autistic adolescents: contributions to Speech-Language Therapy and Pediatrics

Revista Paulista de Pediatria — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 21:50:15 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: The patients' indications reveal the need for continuous guidance about the aspects outlined in the categories, from the very moment that diagnosis is received, allowing the individual to have a more effective social participation and linguistic-cognitive development. The pediatrician and the speech-language therapist are the professionals to provide such guidance, once they are the first to work with autistic children and to actively participate of their lives, from the moment of diagnosis until adolescence.OBJETIVO: Analizar los procesos dialógicos de seis adolescentes autistas, durante terapia fonoaudiológica, respecto sus historias de vida, buscando subsidios para que el pediatra y el fonoaudiólogo trabajen con la familia a fin de impulsar el desarrollo de esos sujetos....

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Brief Report: Making Experience Personal: Internal States Language in the Memory Narratives of Children with and Without Asperger's Disorder.

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Brown BT, Morris G, Nida RE, Baker-Ward L The development of the personal past is complex, requiring the operation of multiple components of cognitive and social functioning. Because many of these components are affected by autism spectrum disorders, it is likely that autobiographical memory in children with Asperger's Disorder (AD) will be impaired. We predicted that the memory narratives of children with AD, in comparison to typically-developing peers, would reflect less personal interpretation as evidenced by internal states language. Thirty children with AD and 20 typically-developing children aged 6-14 reported their earliest memories and two emotional experiences (one positive and one negative). Consistent with our predictions, children with AD included fewer emotional, ...

Social Competence Intervention for Elementary Students with Aspergers Syndrome and High Functioning Autism.

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Stichter JP, O'Connor KV, Herzog MJ, Lierheimer K, McGhee SD Despite frequent reports of academic success, individuals with high functioning autism or Aspergers Syndrome (HFA/AS) often manifest deficits in social abilities. These deficits can lead to daily difficulties, and negative long-term outcomes. Deficits in social competency are evident in this population from an early age, as children with HFA/AS present unique challenges relating to peers, interpreting complex contextual cues, and transitioning across settings. A paucity of social interventions exist that target elementary-age children with HFA/AS and their combination of core social competence deficit areas: theory of mind (ToM), emotional recognition, and executive functioning. The current study expanded on the Soci...

Zero Degrees of Empathy by Simon Baron-Cohen – review

Guardian Unlimited Science — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 13:14:00 +0100

Carole Jahme reviews two new books about the science of empathy, Zero Degrees of Empathy by Simon Baron-Cohen, and Pathological Altruism edited by Barbara Oakley et alDoes altruism rewarded by altruism – as seen in the TV series The Secret Millionaire ("Millionaire benefactors ... go undercover in deprived areas to find out who needs their help") – ever move you to tears? Would your favourite football team winning the premier league reduce you to a sobbing wreck? Perhaps there are few things that would ever reduce you to tears? Where you sit on the empathy spectrum will have an effect over the sorts of things that make you cry. More significantly, how much or how little empathic understanding you possess will shape the course of your life.Empathy is a powerful ability that most mammals...

Successful School Change and Transition for the Child with Asperger Syndrome: A Guide for Parents

Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 09:24:15 +0100

(Source: Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities)

Creating a Healthy Awareness of Sexuality with Your Child or Teen

Psychology Today Parenting Center — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 17:53:50 +0100

Human beings are sexual animals. Walk up to any checkout register and you will see magazines with scantily clad people. read more (Source: Psychology Today Parenting Center)

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Risk factors for autism and Asperger syndrome: Perinatal factors and migration

Autism — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Using the Swedish Medical Birth Registry (MBR), obstetrical and demographic information was retrieved for 250 children with autism or Asperger syndrome who were born in Malmoe, Sweden, and enrolled at the local Child and Youth Habilitation Center. The reference group consisted of all children born in Malmoe during 1980—2005. Obstetric sub-optimality (prematurity, low Apgar scores, growth restriction, or macrosomia) was positively associated with autism but not with Asperger syndrome. Maternal birth outside the Nordic countries was positively associated with autism (adjusted OR: 2.2; 95%CI: 1.6—3.1) and negatively associated with Asperger syndrome (OR: 0.6; 95%CI: 0.3—0.97). The highest risk estimate for autism was found among children to women who were born in sub-Saharan...

A Compelling Theory About Introversion, Extroversion, and Autism

Psychology Today Personality Center — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 18:28:38 +0100

The more I examine introversion the more confusing it is.read more (Source: Psychology Today Personality Center)

'Knowing I have Asperger's is a relief'

Telegraph Health — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 22:58:02 +0100

Award-winning actor Paddy Considine talks for the first time about being diagnosed with Asperger's - at the age of 36. (Source: Telegraph Health)

Caution!

Psychology Today Parenting Center — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 17:45:05 +0100

Shut Up About Your Perfect Kid. Imperfect mothers embrace joys and challenges of raising special kids.read more (Source: Psychology Today Parenting Center)

MedWorm: Asperger's Syndrome

DIY science: should you try this at home?

The Mind Behind the Message: Advancing Theory‐of‐Mind Scales for Typically Developing Children, and Those With Deafness, Autism, or Asperger Syndrome

One in 100 adults has autism with the condition much more likely to affect men

Op-Ed Contributor: I Had Asperger Syndrome. Briefly.

Op-Ed Contributor: Asperger’s History of Over-Diagnosis

Office Screening and Early Identification of Children with Autism

How Will the DSM V Changes in Autism Affect People?

Study on the Changing Diagnosis of Autism

Love, Identity and Disability

As Specialists Debate Autism, Some Parents Watch Closely

Proposed changes to autism definition may mean new diagnoses for people with Asperger's

The Challenge of Children with Special Needs

Erratum to: Can Gaze Avoidance Explain Why Individuals with Asperger's Syndrome Can't Recognise Emotions From Facial Expressions?

A comparison of the trait emotional intelligence profiles of individuals with and without Asperger syndrome

Work woes for Asperger's patient

Autism, Grown Up: Navigating Love and Autism

Navigating Love and Autism

Analysis of Copper and Zinc Plasma Concentration and the Efficacy of Zinc Therapy in Individuals with Asperger's Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) and Autism.

High Prescription Drug Use and Associated Costs among Medicaid-Eligible Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders Identified by a Population-Based Surveillance Network.

A Letter to the Lonely

Exploring Language Profiles for Children With ADHD and Children With Asperger Syndrome

The sociocommunicative deficit subgroup in anorexia nervosa: autism spectrum disorders and neurocognition in a community-based, longitudinal study.

How Did We Go From a Baby in a Manger to Black Friday?

Idiom understanding in people with Asperger syndrome/high functioning autism

Love Is Blind, Marriage Is the Eye-opener

High Prescription Drug Use and Associated Costs among Medicaid-Eligible Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders Identified by a Population-Based Surveillance Network

Judge to Hear Request to Ban Film About Autism

Can Potassium Help Treat ADHD and Sensory Overstimulation?

Voices of finance: quant

Disordered Porphyrin Metabolism: A Potential Biological Marker for Autism Risk Assessment

The 5-HT2A receptor and serotonin transporter in Asperger's Disorder: A PET study with [11C]MDL 100907 and [11C]DASB

The prevalence and treatment of people with Asperger's Syndrome in the criminal justice system - Browning A, Caulfield L.

Colored halos around faces and emotion-evoked colors: A new form of synesthesia.

Increasing the Understanding and Demonstration of Appropriate Affection in Children with Asperger Syndrome: A Pilot Trial

Table of Contents

Mother Doesn't Always Know Best

An Initial Investigation of the Generalization of a School-Based Social Competence Intervention for Youth with High-Functioning Autism

Study Suggests Common Diagnostic Subcategories For Autism, Like Asperger Syndrome, Are Flawed And Provide Questionable Value

VIDEO: Teenager's film on having autism

Audiovisual Speech Perception and Eye Gaze Behavior of Adults with Asperger Syndrome.

Autism or Asperger's? It might depend on your doctor

Where a Child Is Tested May Affect Autism Diagnosis

A Multisite Study of the Clinical Diagnosis of Different Autism Spectrum Disorders [Original Article]

'I find dating really stressful'

Teens, Autism and Work: Build on Passions and Find Mentors

Consultation with the Specialist: Asperger Syndrome

The Big Picture: Storytelling Ability in Adults with Autism Spectrum Conditions.

Predictive models for subtypes of autism spectrum disorder based on single-nucleotide polymorphisms and magnetic resonance imaging.

Visual Memories are Great! Well, Sometimes...

Who Needs Maternal Instincts When You Have Facebook?

Asperger's Syndrome Signs and Symptoms

An investigation into social information processing in young people with Asperger syndrome

Did Sherlock Holmes Have Asperger Syndrome?

Betrayal: Can We Get Over It?

High‐Functioning Autism/Asperger Syndrome in Schools: Assessment and Intervention

Mirror Neuron Activity Associated with Social Impairments but not Age in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Pregnancy complications and obstetric suboptimality in association with autism spectrum disorders in children of the Nurses' Health Study II

Empathy, values, morality and Asperger’s syndrome

Finding Meaning in Muppets

Gauging Autistic Intelligence: Asperger Syndrome

Preparing Your Teen or Young Adult for Work in the Real World

Screening for signs and symptoms of autism spectrum disorders in siblings

Movie Review: Loving Lampposts: Living Autistic

Asperger's syndrome gets in way of work? Not at this startup

Debunking 6 Myths About Asperger Syndrome

Adults with autism thrive as software testers

Aspie Talk: Perseveration or Conversation?

Autism Spectrum Conditions. FAQs on Autism, Asperger Syndrome and Atypical Autism answered by International Experts

Autism Spectrum Conditions: FAQs on Autism, Asperger Syndrome and Atypical Autism Answered by International Experts

Sometimes What Looks Like Empathy, Isn't

Loving and Letting Go

Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Mainstream Classroom

Impairments in multisensory processing are not universal to the autism spectrum: no evidence for crossmodal priming deficits in Asperger syndrome

An endangered species?: Proposal calls for eliminating Asperger's syndrome from DSM-V [FOCUS ON SUBSPECIALTIES]

Group intervention for siblings of children with disabilities: a pilot study in a clinical setting.

The Genius in My Basement: the Biography of a Happy Man by Alexander Masters – review

Care of the Suicidal Pediatric Patient in the ED: A Case Study.

How To Make a Visit to the Dentist Less Scary for Autistics, Aspergians, Sensitives and Any Anxious Person

Home-School Collaboration for Children with Learning Disabilities