Blue Cross And Blue Shield Of Oklahoma Announces Autism BenefitsBlue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma announced the addition of an autism benefit to insured groups effective their next policy year. This change will not in any way affect the current medical coverage that has always been available to children with autism. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma is responding to market interests in the benefits and coverage of certain autism-related medically necessary services.
Autism And Schizophrenia Share Common OriginSchizophrenia and autism probably share a common origin, hypothesises Dutch researcher Annemie Ploeger following an extensive literature study. The developmental psychologist demonstrated that both mental diseases have similar physical abnormalities which are formed during the first month of pregnancy.
A Father's Age Is Associated With Decreased Social Abilities In BoysNew studies from Tel Aviv University suggest that waiting until a man can give his son "all the advantages" may have a disadvantage, too. Tel Aviv University researchers found in several consecutive studies that older dads are more likely to have boys with autism and lower IQs. Most recently, they found that the older a father's age, the greater the chance that his son will display poor social abilities as a teen. Dr.
Clues About Enzyme Role In Arrhythmias Provided By Rare DiseaseA University of Iowa study provides insight into a calcium-sensing enzyme already known to play a role in irregular heartbeats and other critical functions. The researchers showed that the enzyme, calmodulin kinase II (CaM kinase II), contributes to arrhythmia in an extremely rare disease called Timothy syndrome and that inhibiting the enzyme prevents irregular heartbeats.
Decreased Levels Of Binding Gene Affect Memory And BehaviorReducing the activity of a gene called FKBP12 in the brains of mice affected neuron-to-neuron communication (synapse) and increased both fearful memory and obsessive behavior, indicating the gene could provide a target for drugs to treat diseases such as autism spectrum disorder, obsessive-compulsive disease and others, said researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston in a report in the current issue of the journal Neuron.
ED Miliband Urged To Act On Autism And Winter Fuel Poverty, UK The UK Autism Foundation has appealed to Energy Secretary Ed Miliband to take urgent action and help families and adults with autism and Asperger's Syndrome who are faced with fuel poverty this Christmas. The Foundation has been in touch with Chancellor Alistair Darling, Business Secretary Lord Peter Mandelson, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and Children's Secretary Ed Balls, over the serious issues connected with winter fuel poverty.
National Autistic Society Response To The Welfare Reform White Paper, UKFollowing today's publication of the welfare reform white paper, The National Autistic Society (NAS), the UK's leading autism charity, voiced concerns that toughening up conditions on benefits could mean people with autism face hefty sanctions, rather than getting the specialist support they need to succeed in employment.
Setback In Child Development Could Be Signs Of Regressive Autistic Spectrum DisorderWe all know how infants can act up during their terrible twos, but when these behaviors are accompanied by developmental setbacks, they could point to something more serious. Researchers are currently learning more about regressive autistic spectrum disorder (RASD), which describes children who have been diagnosed with autism who demonstrate a history of a regression.
Weird, Wild And Wonderful - A Fathers Devotion For His Autistic SonWeird, Wild and Wonderful A Naturally Autistic Tale Stuart Nicklen 29 January 2009 £17.99 Hardback A practical and inspirational book for parents of children with severe autism. Laurence is a 'child out of time'. Born with severe autism, he is very limited in his responses to the outside world, yet needs to somehow learn how to survive in it.
UNC Expands Brain Imaging Study Of Infants At Risk For Autism Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have been awarded an additional $3.25 million in funding to substantially expand an ongoing study that uses infant brain imaging to examine the brain and behavioral changes in very early life that may mark the onset of autistic symptoms.
Majority Of Local Authorities Failing Adults With Autism, UKFor the first time, all local authorities in England have been ranked and rated on their approach to adults with autism. The online table, published by The National Autistic Society (NAS), reveals an astounding postcode lottery where only one local authority knows how many adults with autism are in their area.
Epilepsy Drug May Increase Risk Of Autism In ChildrenA new study shows that women who take the epilepsy drug valproate while pregnant may significantly increase their child's risk of developing autism. The preliminary research is published in the December 2, 2008, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The ongoing study involves 632 children, nearly half of whom were exposed to epilepsy drugs during gestation.
Brain Waves Show Sound Processing Abnormalities In Autistic Children Abnormalities in auditory and language processing may be evaluated in children with autism spectrum disorder by using magnetoencephalography (MEG), according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). "Using MEG, we can record the tiny magnetic fields associated with electrical brain activity," said Timothy Roberts, Ph.D., vice chair of research in the Department of Radiology at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
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