Autism typically affects a person's ability to communicate, form relationships with others, and respond appropriately to the world around them. As recently as a decade ago it was estimated that only about four per 10,000 children were affected--...
One of a newer class of anti-psychotic medications was successful and well tolerated for the treatment of serious behavioral disturbances associated with autistic disorder in children ages 5 to 17. The findings of the large, multi-site, eight-week,...
Autism is a brain disorder that, in varying degrees, affects a person's ability to communicate, form relationships with others, and respond appropriately to the environment. Some people with autism are relatively high-functioning, with speech and...
Parents are usually the first to notice unusual behaviors in their child. In many cases, their baby seemed "different" from birth---seeming unresponsive to people and toys, or focusing intently on one item for long periods of time. The first signs...
It is generally accepted that autism is caused by abnormalities in brain structures or functions. Using a variety of new research tools to study human and animal brain growth, scientists are discovering more about normal development and how...
A team of scientists led by National Institute of Mental Health Health (NIMH) grantees has identified a trove of proteins involved in synaptic plasticity and neuronal growth - some of them likely implicated in mental retardation and perhaps other...