Infant eye gaze predicts ASD
When they look at models who are looking toward them versus away from them, the variation in brain activity in infants who later develop Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is different than that of their...
View ArticleDe novo mutations and Autism redux
In articles published online by Nature, Professors Stephan Sanders and colleagues and Brian J. O’Roak his colleagues reported additional evidence that rare mutations contribute to risk for Autism. By...
View ArticleNature: De novo mutations, autism, and schizophrenia, redux
In Nature a group of researchers from Denmark and Iceland report the results of their studies of mutation rates of Icelandic parent-child groups. They found that the level of new mutations, called a...
View ArticleAutism, recovery, CAM, placebo, and research
Thought experiment: Suppose that scientists want to compare a new therapy for children with Autism. They’ll need to compare the New Therapy to a control condition and evaluate it over time using...
View ArticleCan a child recover from Autism?
Yesterday I wrote about how, when people consider individual cases, the possibility of improvement for children with Autism might make otherwise inert therapies appear to be beneficial. In yesterday’s...
View ArticleASAT newsletter #1 for 2013
The first newsletter of 2013 from the Association for Science in Autism Treatment is available. Download the latest issue of the ASAT newsletter for free and get your own subscription for free, too. Do...
View ArticleBad Astronomy on bad TV programming
Phil Plait, who is known for his “Bad Astronomy” Web presence (and let’s not confuse that with astrology, which is bad, forsooth!), hit the Internet with a critique of Jennifer “Jenny” McCarthy’s...
View ArticleAnalyzing K. Couric’s mea culpa
In “Katie Couric backs off from her anti-vaccine show–but not enough,” Michael Hiltzik provided a sensible and nuanced analysis of Ms. Couric’s recant of her recent mistaken grant of airtime to...
View ArticlePlait on Kouric’s mea culpa
In Katie Couric Apologizes for Anti-Vax Episode, but It’s Not Enough, Phil Plait (DBA “Bad Astronomer”) explains why Ms. Couric’s mea culpa for her giving excessive credibility to the incredible,...
View ArticleNational Academies EBP guidelines
The US National Academies Press published a a booklet recommending a framework for promoting evidence-based practices in the areas of mental health and substance abuse. The focus is not expressly on...
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