Vaccines and autism … controversy or not?

Posted by Lisa Tate on December 9th, 2008

A Today Show feature about autism that aired back on October 30 is still weighing heavily on my mind. Matt Lauer spoke with Dr. Nancy Snyderman — she had recently interviewed Dr. Paul Offit, the author of Autism’s False Profits: Bad Science and Risky Medicine and the Search for a Cure. Offit disputes the link between Vaccines and Read More » »

What’s with the rapid rise in autism?

Posted by Lisa Tate on April 22nd, 2008

Is the rise in autism due to better diagnosis? Heightened awareness? Or is there a genuine increase in incidence? As a Speech-Language Pathologist, I’m often asked those sort of questions. When we don’t know what causes autism, these can be difficult questions to answer. So it was good to read a press release about an expert doing Read More » »

Toolkit helps identify autism early on

Posted by Lisa Tate on April 10th, 2008

Matt’s post on Tuesday reported that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends developmental surveillance and autism screenings at well-child visits before age three. It turns out AAP has developed a toolkit to support health care professionals in the identification and ongoing management of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

The toolkit is called Caring for Children Read More » »

CNN wants to hear your autism story

Posted by Lisa Tate on March 24th, 2008

On Wednesday, April 2, CNN Medical News is planning to devote their entire day to autism coverage.

If autism touches your life, CNN wants to hear your story. They are hoping to dispel misconceptions about the disorder in a report called Myths of Autism and are interested in what you think the prevailing myths about autism are.

I’m planning on submitting Read More » »

Larry King keeps autism in the news

Posted by Lisa Tate on March 10th, 2008

Autism is receiving a lot of attention –- here at Easter Seals, in the press, in the legislature –- it’s everywhere. Shows like last Thursday’s Larry King Live pay a lot of attention to “cause and cure.” If that helps inform and educate people about this increasingly prevalent disorder, I guess I have Read More » »

Autism gets wired

Posted by Lisa Tate on February 29th, 2008

This month’s cover of Wired Magazine draws readers in by promising “The Truth About Autism.” The magazine describes the brains of people living with autism as neurologically different vs. neurologically disordered. While a bit scientific, the article does a great job of highlighting the unique abilities of individuals with autism.

It opens with a story Read More » »