Month: February, 2012

Study Hints At Why Some Outgrow Autism Diagnosis

A new study is helping to explain why the diagnosis sticks around for some and not others.Researchers looked at parent-reported data on more than 1,300 children ages 3 to 17 with a current or previous autism diagnosis.According to the study published on monday online in the journal Pediatrics. the two groups of children apart was whether or not a child had other co-occurring psychiatric or developmental disorders in addition to autism, the researchers found.In fact, those who retained their autism diagnosis as they got older were more likely to have two or more co-occurring conditions.The other conditions affecting kids who retained an autism diagnosis often included learning disabilities, developmental delay, speech problems, anxiety and seizures.This can also be true in the opposite direction, in which a child might have been diagnosed with an ASD because of the presence of common ASD co-occurring conditions or diagnoses and then was later reclassified as not having an ASD.

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Study Hints At Why Some Outgrow Autism Diagnosis

Report: New Autism Definition Could End ‘Epidemic’

The American Psychiatric Association is planning on changing the criteria that defines an individual as autistic, in a move that will have nation-wide repercussions. If this new interpretation goes through, it could spell the end of a rising trend for persons diagnosed with the disorder. While some are relieved that the ‘epidemic’ may be coming to an end, others are worried that these new changes may spell disaster, and leave more deserving persons vulnerable.

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Report: New Autism Definition Could End ‘Epidemic’

Doctor Perks May Soon Be Public Knowledge

Doctors accept payments from drug makers for everything from speaking engagements to travel. Now, the federal government is on pace to make such transactions known to the public.Pharmaceutical companies who produce any product covered by Medicare or Medicaid would be required to document all payments made to doctors. The information would then be publicly posted on a government website.Doctors who accept money from drug makers are more likely to prescribe medications for unapproved uses. Antipsychotic medications that are frequently prescribed off-label to children with various disabilities are one area where payments to doctors have come into question.However, argue that increased disclosure could lead to fewer doctors being willing to work with drug makers, which could stifle progress in the field.

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Doctor Perks May Soon Be Public Knowledge

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