Leading experts on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and child development will discuss new advances in the identification, treatment, education, and family dynamics of autism and associated disorders, at the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders' (ICDL) 12th Annual Conference on Nov. 7-9 in Tyson's Corner, Virginia, outside Washington, D.C.

Elaine Hill has been appointed as the new Specialist Advisor for Autism at the Department of Health. Working four days a week, Elaine's responsibilities in her new role will be to lead the development of an adult autism strategy. She will advise on the needs of people with autistic spectrum conditions (ASC) in policy work on projects for social care and health services.

Researchers at the University of Denver (DU) Morgridge College of Education are conducting a groundbreaking study that will compare two early literacy intervention approaches to educating young children with Down syndrome. The Rocky Mountain Down Syndrome Educational Fund is funding the study, which hopes to improve teaching methods for children with the condition.

Autism Support Network today announced the launch of its free online support community available at http://www.AutismSupportNetwork.com.

She seemed to be everywhere. Last fall, actress Jenny McCarthy could be found on a host of American talk shows, including Larry King Live, The View and The Oprah Winfrey Show promoting her book Louder than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism. During the Oprah appearance, she made several controversial claims, including the idea that vaccines had a role to play in causing her son's autism. "The nurse gave (Evan) the shot...

The advocacy group Autism Speaks in 2009 will target at least 10 states -- including New York, California and Ohio -- to push for legislation that would require health insurers to cover autistic behavioral therapy, the AP/Contra Costa Times reports. The group already has endorsed bills in New Jersey, Virginia and Michigan.

Mark Lever, chief executive of The National Autistic Society (UK) said; The National Autistic Society is delighted to see that autism is high up on the US political agenda. The presidential debate has done much to put autism in the spotlight and raise awareness of the challenges facing people with autism and their families. Increasing understanding of this complex disability is the first step to ensuring people with autism can enjoy the same rights and freedoms as everyone else.

Recently, the University of Missouri Department of Psychological Sciences introduced an addition to their field of research with the opening of the Brain Imaging Center (BIC). The BIC will allow MU researchers to conduct behavioral research on diseases that can have tremendous impact, including Parkinson's disease, autism, schizophrenia and other neurocognitive disorders using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology.

A new screening method can be used to detect the chromosomal abnormalities most commonly associated with autism spectrum disorders. By screening for genetic defects associated with various kinds of cognitive impairment, the approach described in the open access journal BMC Medical Genomics will help clinicians identify the underlying causes of some patients' autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).

People with autism-related disorders are less likely to make irrational decisions, and are less influenced by gut instincts, according to research funded by the Wellcome Trust. The study adds to the growing body of research implicating altered emotional processing in autism.