Interbots, Inc., a high-tech spin-off company associated with the Carnegie Mellon University Entertainment Technology Center has teamed up with the Autism Center of Pittsburgh to provide innovative robot-based therapy for children with autism. The program, “Character Therapy,” through the use of the Interbot robot “Popchilla” will test the ability of children with autism with limited or no verbal skills. According to Seema Patel, CEO and co-founder of Interbots, “We’ve had numerous individuals tell us our robots could be tremendous tools for Autism therapy…

Interbots, Inc., a high-tech spin-off company associated with the Carnegie Mellon University Entertainment Technology Center has teamed up with the Autism Center of Pittsburgh to provide innovative robot-based therapy for children with autism. The program, “Character Therapy,” through the use of the Interbot robot “Popchilla” will test the ability of children with autism with limited or no verbal skills. According to Seema Patel, CEO and co-founder of Interbots, “We’ve had numerous individuals tell us our robots could be tremendous tools for Autism therapy…

Based on current evidence, the commonly practiced therapy of prescribing antidepressants to people with autistic spectrum disorders cannot be recommended, according to a new study by Cochrane researchers. Even though some evidence exists of benefits to a number of adults with autism, there is no proof of any benefits associated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in children, who may suffer serious undesirable side effects from taking the medications…

Researchers at UQ’s Parenting and Family Support Centre are offering a free program to parents of children aged two to nine with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Called “Primary Care Stepping Stones Triple P”, it is the latest version of the popular Stepping Stones Triple P program, designed specifically for parents of children with a disability. This new program is shorter, with parents given four 30-minute sessions with a trained practitioner to target one or two specific problems they are experiencing with their child…

Autism is the fastest growing developmental disorder in the world. With 1 child in 91 facing the disorder, the diagnosis is more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. Autism and Digestion: The Surprising Link A new survey by Enzymedica and the Enzyme Research Group (ERG), links autism and digestive problems, and suggests diet modification and dietary supplements as successful tools for families facing the diagnosis…

Feeding problems are evident among children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) from infancy, researchers found.

The Autism Genome Project, a new international study published in the June 9th edition of the journal Nature, demonstrates that people with autism may have differences in their genes that are unique to each person. This Canadian led study is funded by public and private partners including major awards and support from Genome Canada, thru the Ontario Genomics Institute. Genome Canada receives its support from the Government of Canada. The research team is co-led by Dr…

Deciphering the functions of multiple rare genes may be at the core of understanding the genetic factors that cause autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), according to a new study published June 9 in the journal Nature by dozens of top autism researchers around the world, including Yale Child Study Center Director Fred R. Volkmar, M.D. ASDs are a group of conditions marked by impairments in social interaction and communication, and by the presence of restricted and repetitive behaviors…

Inner structure of nerve synapses defective in patients / Human geneticists from Heidelberg publish in Nature Genetics Researchers working with Professor Gudrun Rappold, Director of the Department of Molecular Human Genetics at Heidelberg University Hospital, have discovered previously unknown mutations in autistic and mentally impaired patients in what is known as the SHANK2 gene, a gene that is partially responsible for linking nerve cells. However, a single gene mutation is not always enough to trigger the illness. In some cases, a certain threshold of mutation must be exceeded…

Preschool social interaction with children with autism improves parent-child interaction, but does not appear to offer clinically significant improvements in autism symptoms, researchers in the UK reported this week in The Lancet. The report, written by Professor Jonathan Green, University of Manchaster and team from the *PACT Consortium is being presented at the International Meeting For Autism Research (IMFAR), 9th Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, USA, 20-22 May…