Current treatments for autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) are useful in some cases, but have little enduring impact. This had lead to many parents seeking nonconventional treatments that often border on quackery. More »

PITTSBURGH -- Autism may be a brain-wide phenomenon caused by poor connections among the brain's parts rather than by defects in one or two areas, according to investigators here. More »

MONTREAL ? As the mercury-containing preservative thimerosal was removed from vaccines, and as fewer children received the mumps-measles-rubella vaccine, the rates of autism and related disorders rose. More »

During a routine physical examination, a 3-year-old boy was noted to have speech delay and hyperactive behavior. The child was born at term to a 25-year-old mother with epilepsy, which was managed with phenytoin. His birth weight was 3.5 kg (7.8 lb); he had no neonatal problems or features of fetal... More »

ANN ARBOR, Mich. ? A diagnosis of autism in a two-year old, when made by a trained clinician and backed by parent interviews and observation, has a fairly high degree of accuracy, investigators here reported. More »

autism, mirror neuron defect More »

Behavioral and Pharmacologic Treatment of Aggression in Children With Autism by Craig A. Erickson, M.D., Naomi B. Swiezy, Ph.D., Kimberly A. Stigler, M.D., Christopher J. McDougle, M.D., and David J. Posey, M.D. Aggression in children with autism can be quite serious and lead to self-injury or... More »

Autism is a highly prevalent, highly heterogeneous disorder of unknown etiology. Studies to clearly establish the efficacy of various classes of psychoactive drugs are scarce. Nonetheless, available findings do support the efficacy of atypical antipsychotics and antidepressants in treating the core... More »

Although there is no pharmacological agent that has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of autism, new studies are showing promise in not only discovering the cause of autism, but pharmacological treatments as well. More »