We use emoticons to punctuate tweets or text messages, but did you know that these icons can [maybe sorta] lend insight into where people fall along the autism spectrum? That's the premise of Genevieve Belleveau's Emoji Autism Facial Recognition Therapy, a performance art piece that showed at this year's Emoji Art Show … » 12/26/13 7:00pm 12/26/13 7:00pm

For the past five years, London's Heathrow airport has recreated the same exact departure experience, Groundhog Day-style, for a 21-year-old autistic man who gets too stressed and confused to fly if his conditions change. » 9/27/13 10:50am 9/27/13 10:50am

As part of Night of Too Many Stars: America Comes Together for Autism Programs, 11-year-old Jodi DiPiazza — who was diagnosed with autism at age 2 — took the stage, sitting at a huge grand piano, and played Katy Perry's "Firework." As a baby, Jodi did not speak or make eye contact. At three, she struggled with speaking, … » 10/19/12 10:25am 10/19/12 10:25am

As advanced as we've gotten with our scientific and technological skills, it seems as we can still be brought down by the simplest of errors. That's what happened recently at the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center, where they experienced a freezer malfunction that has defrosted 150 brains. » 6/11/12 8:45pm 6/11/12 8:45pm

Navigating this stupid broken job market is tough enough for your average high school or college graduate, but what about those who fall on the autism spectrum? Despite what the Big Bang Theory and Rainman tell us, autistic people aren't all hilariously kooky magic engineers from space (Special Skills: Knowing when you … » 5/14/12 11:15pm 5/14/12 11:15pm

For decades, critics have attacked the Rotenberg Center in Boston — which was originally founded to treat severely autistic and mentally disabled children but also accepts kids with ADHD, mental illnesses, and juvie rap sheets — for its use of electric shock therapy. (You may recall Jennifer Gonnerman's 2006 Mother… » 4/12/12 10:20am 4/12/12 10:20am

In the ongoing hunt to figure out what's causing the alarming increase in autism in children, there's a new finding that's bound to stir up a lot of debate. The study in question found that there appears to be a link between obesity in mothers and autism in their children. This is one of the first studies to connect… » 4/09/12 10:20am 4/09/12 10:20am

Want an excuse not to varnish that chair? Here you go: it could raise your kids' risk of autism. This probably isn't a huge issue for the occasional home-improver — but for people who work with varnish and other solvents as part of their jobs, it could be a big problem. » 3/12/12 6:45pm 3/12/12 6:45pm

Dolphin therapy programs claim that swimming with the sea mammals can cure conditions from chronic fatigue syndrome to autism. However, aside from a few small studies suggesting that dolphin fun may help with depression and, oddly, eczema, there's no evidence for these claims. Also, as much as dolphins may like playing … » 7/18/11 1:58pm 7/18/11 1:58pm

A pair of high-tech glasses could help wearers read other people's emotions. But don't start celebrating the arrival of telepathy just yet. » 7/06/11 4:35pm 7/06/11 4:35pm

After giving 16 women a small dose of testosterone, British and Dutch researchers found they were less able to judge the mood of facial expressions they were shown, according to the BBC. Scientists say this supports the idea that exposure to the hormone during brain development in the womb leads to autism. » 2/10/11 1:48pm 2/10/11 1:48pm

A landmark 1998 study purporting to show a link between vaccines and autism has now been exposed not just as "bad science," but as a fraud. » 1/06/11 9:45am 1/06/11 9:45am

A Towson University student has posted a YouTube video saying she saw her mentor teacher hit and kick 3-year-old autistic students. After reporting the abuse she was suspended, and now school officials are suggesting Asperger's syndrome is affecting her teaching. » 11/23/10 2:27pm 11/23/10 2:27pm