Against all logic, reason and every shred of credible scientific evidence, the "don't vaccinate your kids" brigade is still at it. (Thanks for the resurgence of whooping cough and polio, guys!) The latest pawn in their apparent bid to kill everyone from easily preventable diseases: the Amish, courtesty of yet another… » 1/06/15 12:00pm 1/06/15 12:00pm

In August, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge (remember that?) took a very dark turn when a video was posted of a teenager with autism tricked into being drenched with a bucket full of feces, cigarette butts, and water. Now five teens have been charged in connection to the incident. » 10/15/14 10:45am 10/15/14 10:45am

New research has found that autistic boys were more likely exposed to higher levels of testosterone, cortisol and other hormones in their mother's womb than those who don't have autism. The findings suggest that the condition is triggered during fetal development. (Read: this has nothing to do with vaccinations!) » 6/03/14 11:40am 6/03/14 11:40am

PETA's scientists have been hard at work creating new and sensational ways to get you to fear meat and dairy. While I agree that a vegan/vegetarian lifestyle is an excellent choice, spreading fear and false information is not the way to gain converts. It's dishonest at best and dangerous at worst. And this ad, which… » 6/01/14 2:36pm 6/01/14 2:36pm

Here for spreading far and wide is a graphical reminder of the important distinction between correlation and causation. » 1/05/14 8:00pm 1/05/14 8:00pm

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… » 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… » 10/19/12 10:25am 10/19/12 10:25am

Carly Fleischmann is a 17-year-old author who has a form of autism that prevents her from speaking. Doctors said she would never intellectually develop beyond the abilities of a small child, but Carly eventually began using a computer to communicate and now carries an iPad with her so she can "talk" on the go. » 8/15/12 2:40pm 8/15/12 2:40pm

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

The Jezebel inbox receives all sorts of interesting messages, from helpful tips to furious gibberish. Often, the missives strike us as poetic — in the chaos of the mailbag, we can find a sense of peace. As such, we have taken it upon ourselves to let some messages grow into the poetry they are meant to be. And we will… » 5/23/12 5:30pm 5/23/12 5:30pm

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… » 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

Though the idea that vaccines are linked to autism has been disproven by multiple studies, an increasing number of parents are sending their kids off to school without their required vaccines, citing fears over autism and other health problems. Now doctors are concerned that growing resistance to vaccination could… » 11/28/11 11:48pm 11/28/11 11:48pm

The researcher who helped popularize the belief that vaccines cause autism has already been discredited several times over, but just to be sure the government had scientists check again. Once again, they found that parents shouldn't be worried about having kids get their recommended shots, but unsurprisingly,… » 8/28/11 8:03pm 8/28/11 8:03pm

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… » 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