As More With Autism Near Adulthood, Clues To Success Emerge

By MICHELLE DIAMENT What’s the biggest predictor of success for individuals with autism in adulthood? Researchers say it might not be what you’d expect. The ability to do everyday, self-care activities like bathing, cleaning and cooking trumped other factors like symptom severity and intellectual functioning, according to findings from a new study being presented this week at the International Meeting for Autism Research in Salt Lake City. Researchers looked at the experiences of 152 people […]

Autism: A New Theory

BY JOHN J. CANNELL, MD It’s time to look at autism a new way – with a new theory. If the CDC’s worst-case scenario of a 12 percent yearly increase in the incidence of autism proves to be true, we will be in serious trouble in terms of caring for these individuals. Over the past 20 years, scientists have assured us that effective prevention and treatment of autism are just a matter of time. However, […]

Challenges And Resources For Military Families Touched By Autism

BY JENNIFER WOODWORTH, PSY.D Jen Gerberding felt that the military lifestyle was better understood when surrounded by other military families; that being separated due to the military is common for training, deployments, or certain jobs, and not viewed as a hindrance to the family. One of the main challenges that you might first think of when hearing the diagnosis of autism is of rigidity, inflexibility, and consistent structure. However, a military family encounters unique situations […]

Looking Behind And Beyond The Screen

BY DR STEPHEN B. CORBIN Albert Einstein observed that if one does the same thing over and over again, while expecting a different result, it is the definition of insanity. That seems like a man on the street type of observation that makes a lot of sense. There is a corollary to that observation, equally as true, but rarely stated – if you fail to take an action that could change or fix something, right […]

Birthday Parties and Kids with Autism

BY KIMBERLEE RUTAN MCCAFFERTY I love my birthday. Although I’m rapidly approaching 50 (how did that happen?) I continue to stretch it out for an entire month each year, enjoy being celebrated and eating lots of chocolate cake (a staple for me not only on my actual day.) When I was pregnant with both of my sons, I was so thrilled they’d each have their “own month” in our family, couldn’t wait to shower them […]