Brain size linked to autism

[mol]

The brains of many autistic children are smaller than normal at birth and then grow at an abnormally fast rate during the first year - a new finding that could lead to clues to the cause of the puzzling disorder.

Autism is one of the few behavioral disorders diagnosed before a child enters school. About four in every 1,000 children will be identified with some form of autism. An estimated 1 million Americans, including adults, have an autistic disorder, according to the Autism Society of America.

The symptoms can include serious delays in social functioning and language development, and problems with adaptive behaviors, including rocking and other ritualistic movements. Symptoms can range from mild to severe. Scientists have spent decades trying to pinpoint biological or genetic clues, but the triggers for the disease remain a mystery.

http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ny-hsaut163373408jul16,0,5431323.story?coll=ny-health-headlines

[Arienadean]

Hi I'm autistic and yes there have been many studies on our brains. I had a PET scan or something when I was small and they did say my brain is diffrent chemically, etc. What another study showed was diffrences in the superior olive and such. Here is a link below:

http://www.unc.edu/~cory/autism-info/orgautsa.html

[Flar's Freyja]

Thanks, Mol! Some of the folks in the population I'm working with now have this disability, so this is useful info!