This past October, Keith Wargo was named the president and CEO of Autism Speaks, an organization dedicated to aiding individuals on the spectrum and their families. Responsible for the management of Autism Speaks, Wargo is working to guarantee that the mission of the organization is being fulfilled. Autism Speaks is working to promote greater understanding …
In 1998, Andrew Wakefield published a paper, claiming that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine caused symptoms including intestinal inflammation, among other things that led to the consequent development of autism. This paper was scientifically flawed and even fraudulent due to data misrepresentation. Wakefield claimed that autism arose as a result of intestinal inflammation …
As a researcher, one thing I have always been fascinated with, is how the autistic brain differs from the neurotypical brain. How specific environmental stimuli in the brain of an autistic child compares to the response occurring in a neurotypically-developing child. Last week, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet with Dr. Geraldine Dawson, the …
Unlike my previous interviews focusing primarily on autism research, I wanted to change things up and address the lack of neurodiversity in the workplace and what some organizations and universities are doing to develop new programs that address this issue. A staggering 75% of adults with autism are unemployed. The Frist Center for Autism and …
I'm walking to raise funds for the mission of Autism Speaks - to fuel innovative research and make connections to critical lifelong supports and services for the autism community. Please support me by donating and help me meet my fundraising goal: My Personal Autism Speaks Walk Page - and you, too, can join the team …
Dr. Rebecca Landa, a professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins University, is a highly influential autism researcher and the founder of the Center for Autism and Related Disorders at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. Some of her research publications include, Longitudinal Effects of Adaptive Interventions With a Speech-Generating Device in …
I recently had the wonderful opportunity to interview Dr. Wendy Chung, the director of clinical research at SPARK and a supervisor of education in human genetics at Columbia University Medical School as well as a Kennedy Family Professor of Pediatrics in Medicine. By managing the research study of autistic individuals, Dr. Chung evaluates opportunities to …
Continue reading Understanding Autism Through Research – An Interview with Dr. Wendy Chung
About 1.8% of United States children are diagnosed with autism, a rate that has increased significantly over the past two decades. This growth could be accredited to broader diagnostic criteria and an increase in general recognition of the disorder, however it nonetheless means that it is essential to gain a greater sense of understanding of …
This past week I was really happy because my brother came home to visit for a week and a half. The Saturday before he left, my Dad decided that he wanted all of us to go to the beach to see the sunrise. Let’s go back to 6:20 a.m. Saturday morning; everyone is ready to …
I always hear my parents talking to doctors who constantly say, “He’ll grow out of it.” My parents say that my brother will eventually mature and therefore he will better utilize the skills to improve his quality of life. Some studies have found that children who were diagnosed with autism as a toddler may not …
The Real Spectrum 