autism (Page 8)

New research shows that autism may be linked to male hormones circulating in the developing fetus, and babies who produce high levels of testosterone are more likely to be autistic. It’s an affliction that mostly shows up in males. This has led to the theory that autism is an exaggerated form of the way ordinary men think and behave. Researcher Simon Baron-Cohen says, “What I am doing is testing this idea that autism might be an extreme of the male brain.” Baron-Cohen tested amniotic fluid taken from 70 pregnant women during amniocentesis for testosterone levels. When the children were born, he found that “Those who had a high level of testosterone also found it more difficult to fit into new social groups.” While they were not actually autistic, they did have more autism-like traits.read more

Author Michael Fitzgerald says that Socrates, Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein may have had a form of autism called Asperger’s syndrome. Artists and writers such as Andy Warhol, Lewis Carroll and the poet W.B. Yeats may have had it as well.
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In the June 22nd Sunday New York Times, Lawrence Osborne writes about Australian researcher Allan Snyder, who has developed the Medtronic Mag Pro. When you wear it on your head, it turns you into a savant. Scientists have always been puzzled by savants?retarded or autistic people who are geniuses in one area, like math or calculating dates. Snyder is trying to figure out how their brains do this, and how to turn anyone into a savant.
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Autism is increasing at an alarming rate in the U.S. and in Europe. Mercury preservative in vaccinations (which is no longer used) has been blamed, but then why don’t all children develop this problem? Now researchers think that children who become autistic have genes that make it harder for them to process mercury, and they may be getting it from their mothers’ tooth fillings.
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