Article: 2011 Research: Do Girls With Autistic Traits Bloom Later?

July 19, 2011.  An autism-related article is coming out in the August issue of the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders that looks at the average age of first menses (menarche) for girls who demonstrate autistic-like behaviors. Special thanks to Dr. Andrew J.O. Whitehouse, University of Western Australia, who provided me with additional information to support this review.  Read at: Link to article by Melanie Hundley on www.suite101.com.

For more information, consider:

Article: New Research: Police Work and Autism

An abstract of a new research article coming out in September coupled autism and police work.  Intrigued, I contacted one of the authors (Jones) and was very pleased with her willingness to share a bit of info. Link to article on www.suite101.com by Melanie Hundley.

2011: Chasing Better Autism Data

Finnish data model offers new insight on autism in children

By Melanie Hundley

A major consideration in any research project or audit is selecting the data to analyze.  Once the data population is determined, various methods of sampling are used to spot trends and draw conclusions.  Deciding where to obtain the data is critical to the quality, trust, and peer acceptance of the results.

That is why a new report coming out in the August 2011 issue of the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders should prove very interesting for future studies of autism.  Lampi, Sourander, Brown, et al's excitement about the Finnish Prenatal Study of Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders (FIPS-A) appears justified.  Having a comprehensive collection of medical data together with blood samples sounds wonderful for any such research. 


Lampi and the other researchers are affiliated with the University of Turku, Columbia University, or the National Institute of Health and Welfare in Finland.  I will reference the team as Lampi et al in this article for brevity.

Article: New Research: Autism and Vaccines

I spied a new research abstract coming out in September about autism and thimerosal, a component in some childhood vaccines. See also FDA link in post for updated U.S. vaccine list.  Link to article on www.suite101.com by Melanie Hundley.

Article: Could My Severely Disabled Child Ever Find a Job?

An encouraging bit of research is coming out of the University of Wisconsin - Madison for disabled kids.  And my follow-up with Dr. Erik Carter, one of the researchers, found him helpful and engaging.

The UWM team took a look at severely disabled teens who found work to supplement their early vocational training and hopefully get them on the road to a future career.  Researchers have identified several factors that may have contributed to the teens' success in finding early work.  My review of their report is available here: Link to article by Melanie Hundley on www.suite101.com.

Also for more information about people with disabilities, consider:

 

Article: New Research: Asperger Syndrome and Depression

I was pleased to review this new article coming out in September 2011 by a group of university and hospital researchers in Sweden. It addresses the topic of Asperger's Syndrome (aka Aspergers or Asperger's) coupled with other conditions such as major depression. When I contacted them for more information, their dedication to their work was evident as they expressed sincere concern for increased awareness by care providers and the public on AS and associated depression.