Hi Everyone,
Good news: “Researchers say they have found the first piece of the genetic puzzle that could lead to greatly improved diagnosis, treatment and even prevention of autism.” (Fred Tasker, Miami Herald). Other excerpts from the article include:
• Autism is a serious developmental problem that usually appears before age 3, affecting a child's ability to communicate and interact with others. Experts believe autism affects as many as one in 150 children in the United States, making it one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders.
• The apparent culprit is a gene involved in making connections among cells in the developing brain.
• Getting a firmer grasp on autism's genetic makeup could make drug therapies much more effective.
• Now it might be possible to see if different children respond differently to various therapies -- both drug therapies and behavioral therapies -- so you don't have to go through so much trial and error.
Read the entire article: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/1022791.html
Related articles:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2007/feb/19/genetics.health
If a school district in your area needs Speech-Language Pathologists, please let me know by email as we at TinyEYE can help!
Marnee Brick, MSc
Speech-Language Pathologist and Director of Speech Therapy
TinyEYE Therapy Services (Speech Therapy Telepractice)
