Fox News
 
"As of today, there are no definitive tests to measure a child's risk for developing autism. Since early intervention and therapy is key for at-risk children, such a test could be critical for managing the early development of a child.

"Now, researchers at Yale School of Medicine and the MIND Institute at the University of California, Davis say they have found a safe and effective way to measure a newborn's risk for developing an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) - by looking at his or her placenta.

"In a new study published in the online issue of Biological Psychiatry, senior author Dr. Harvey Kliman and his colleagues examined abnormal placental folds and cell growths called trophoblast inclusions, which acted as effective biomarkers for predicting which children were at risk for developing ASD.

"'There are no methods at birth to diagnose this at all. Period,' Kliman, a research scientist in the department of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at Yale, told FoxNews.com. 'The only advanced notice that a family might have a child with autism spectrum disorder is that they have a previous child (with autism) - which is sort of unfair, because it's a high price to pay.'

"One out of every 50 children is diagnosed with autism in the United States each year, according to the latest report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, most children are diagnosed with ASD at the age of 3 or 4 - long after their first year of life, when early intervention can be the most effective.... "
 
New York Times
 
There was no place for comments.
 
The last sentence says it all. I feel like crying.....'This is, to me, the most exciting time because we understand so much more than we did even five or 10 years ago.'
 
"With the diagnosis of autism on the rise and drug companies facing major setbacks in developing successful treatments, the University of California, Los Angeles will lead a $9 million effort financed by the National Institute of Mental Health to find effective drugs, officials said Wednesday.

"Under a contract with the institute, U.C.L.A. will form a network of researchers at other academic centers that will try to identify promising new and older drug compounds quickly, and conduct early tests to see if they merit additional investment.

"The program, part of the 'Fast Fail' initiative at the institute, aims to determine within weeks whether a drug works, rather than the years it traditionally takes to evaluate a new drug. ...

"The number of diagnosed cases of autism, Asperger's syndrome and related disorders in children has been growing in recent years, largely because of increased awareness. A recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Health Resources and Services Administration concluded that one in 50 children aged 6 to 17 had been found to have autism or a related disorder, a 72 percent increase since 2007. ....

"'It's taken a really long time to kind of crack open and begin to understand part of the disorder of brain biology that underpins autism,' Dr. McCracken said. 'This is, to me, the most exciting time because we understand so much more than we did even five or 10 years ago.'"
 
Madison.com

"First, where did this all start? In 1998, the British Medical Journal published an article that 'showed' immunizations and autism were linked. The article was a fraud, a lie, plain and simple. The data was faked. The article was retracted.

"The scientist behind it was rebuked by his peers, but he continues to lecture (for money, no less)?. He did a disservice to moms and dads all over the world.

"Because of this man's lies, some parents stopped getting proper immunizations for their children, resulting in outbreaks of pertussis (whooping cough) and measles all over the globe. And what happened to the autism rate in places where parents stopped having their kids immunized? It didn't drop. In fact, it went up. Autism is on the rise, we know that, but we don't know why."

Dr. Paster doesn't believe vaccines cause autism.  He says the numbers are rising, "but we don't know why."  And we don't seem to care.
 
CBS Baltimore

"Over a million people in America are living with autism."

"As part of WJZ's continuing community commitment, we are sponsoring the Roar For Autism event at Oregon Ridge this Sunday."

"The Autism Center evaluates about a thousand children like Xavier every year. And while they are who they are, the center gives parents and kids ways to adapt."

"'Your life takes a turn when your child has-I won't call it a disorder, but has a different way of going about things,' Danielle said.

"'Kennedy Krieger Institute's Center for Autism---"We're right on the cutting edge of what is known about autism, how to treat it and how to support development,' said Dr. Rebecca Landa."

We're told that Kennedy Krieger is on the cutting edge of autism research? Maybe Dr. Landa could give us an idea about when we might possibly know one thing for sure about autism. I posted comments.
 
The Oregonian
 
"In the face of more parents not getting their kids vaccinated, Gresham pediatrician John Calcagno is turning away patients who opt out of certain recommended immunizations. His clinic could soon expand the policy to all families that don't get all recommended vaccines."
Doctors who have no interest in why so many kids are sick are threatening parents. I posted lots of comments.
 
Wall Street Journal

"The blood test aims to speed the diagnosis of autism, a condition characterized by poor social interaction and repetitive behaviors that can be hard to recognize when a child is very young.
"The average age of diagnosis in the U.S. is about 4 years, older than is optimal, according to experts, because therapies are more effective when begun early.

"'Time is the enemy here in improving outcomes,' said Stan Lapidus, chief executive of SynapDx, a lab-services company in Lexington, Mass., that is sponsoring the trial.

"SynapDx, which is backed by venture-capital firms and is paying for the trial, has no ties to any autism treatment but hopes to make money by selling the test if it is commercialized."