Your cart is currently empty!
Scientists Found A Striking Pattern Hidden Inside More Than 1,200 Autism Risk Genes
For years, autism genetics has looked like a puzzle with thousands of pieces and no obvious picture on the box. Researchers have identified more than 1,200 genes linked to autism, but the sheer number has made one question incredibly difficult to answer: do all those different genetic changes eventually lead the brain toward a smaller…
Scientists Identify 36 Genes Linked To OCD And Tourette Syndrome
For 20 years, researchers collected DNA from families affected by obsessive-compulsive disorder and chronic tic disorders without having the technology to fully read what those samples contained. Now, a new study has identified 36 large-effect risk genes linked to OCD and tic disorders, dramatically expanding a genetic map that previously contained only four confirmed genes.…
Two School Employees Fired After Recorder Captures Comments About Autistic Boy
Milissa Davis knew something was wrong with her 12-year-old son, but Camden could not explain what was happening at school. He had severe autism and difficulties with communication, so when his behavior suddenly changed, his mother was left trying to piece together the reason. Camden had started wetting the bed again, appeared anxious and became…
Mom Finds A Genius Way To Help Her Nonverbal Son Talk When Technology Fails
When 11-year-old Hunter’s communication device suddenly died during a meal, his mother Jessica Fletcher was left facing a problem that could have brought their conversation to an abrupt stop. Hunter is nonverbal and uses an Augmentative and Alternative Communication device to select words and symbols, but the technology was suddenly useless when its battery ran…
Nonverbal Boy Found His Voice After Years Of Silence
For years, Nathaniel Schumann seemed trapped behind a wall that nobody else could see. He understood far more than he could express, but without the ability to speak in full sentences, much of his world remained hidden from everyone around him. Then, at the age of eight, something remarkable happened. After joining a clinical trial…
Scientists Discover Common Genetic Link Behind Eight Major Psychiatric Disorders
Psychiatric disorders have traditionally been viewed as separate conditions, each with its own symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment plan. Someone diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) receives a very different diagnosis from someone living with schizophrenia or anorexia nervosa, even though doctors have long observed that these conditions often overlap. Many people experience more than one…
The Surprising Way Autistic Children Interpret Optical Illusions
The human brain is often described as a prediction machine. Every moment, it receives streams of sensory information and rapidly constructs a coherent picture of reality. But what we perceive is not always a direct reflection of what is actually there. Instead, it is the brain’s best interpretation of incomplete data. Optical illusions reveal this…
New Theory Suggests Autism Is a Treatable Metabolic Signaling Disorder
When a child is diagnosed with autism, the first question parents often ask is simply, “Why?” It is a question that has proven incredibly difficult to answer, offering us a confusing mix of genetic clues and environmental factors that never quite seem to fit into a single picture. But a new framework proposed by researchers…
Mattel Introduces First Autistic Barbie to Its Inclusive Doll Lineup
Play is often the first language children learn, a crucial tool they use to navigate social dynamics and understand their own identities. When the toys in their hands fail to reflect their reality, it can leave a silent gap in that understanding. Mattel’s latest addition to its historic doll line aims to close that distance,…
How One Dad Built a Safe Minecraft World for Autistic Kids
For many children, video games are a simple escape. A place to build, explore, and play without thinking too hard about the outside world. For children on the autism spectrum, however, online spaces are often anything but safe. Public gaming servers can quickly turn hostile, filled with bullying, mockery, and cruelty that targets kids who…