Stanford researcher Theo Palmer, PhD, has long sought to understand how genetic and environmental factors shape brain function. His team is investigating a genetic …
Category: Autism
Tips for creating quality family time when a child has autism spectrum disorder
What makes family time memorable and enjoyable? If you ask around you're likely to get a range of answers. Spontaneity is key for some families; …
Do the brain’s intricate folds hold clues to autism?
When mechanical engineer Ellen Kuhl, PhD, came to Stanford in 2007, she was studying the physical forces that affect how the heart functions. But some of …
New Stanford research offers hope for faster autism diagnosis
What's the first step in getting help for a child who may have autism? Discouragingly, the answer is often "A long wait." The number of …
Girls with autism show behavior and brain differences compared to boys, Stanford study finds
Last week, a new Stanford study answered one of the oldest questions in autism research: Does autism differ between boys and girls? Yes, the study …
A tribute to Oliver Sacks, from a science writer
The news this weekend of neurologist and writer Oliver Sacks' death brought back a crystalline memory of myself at 18, searching through the library stacks …
Stanford grad students design new tools for learning about nutrition, feelings
Mushrooms and tomatoes, veggies that are often reviled by preschoolers, star in a new app designed by a Stanford graduate student that aims to involve …
A new insight into the brain chemistry of autism
For several years now, scientists have been testing the hypothesis that one particular hormone, oxytocin, plays a role in autism. It seems logical: After all, …
Brain cell spheres in a lab dish mimic human cortex, Stanford study says
Mental disorders like autism and schizophrenia are notoriously difficult to study at the molecular level. Understandably, people are reluctant to donate pieces of living brain …
Genetic testing, autism, and “fixing” the pathological body
How do we know what is pathological, versus what is normal? It seems obvious until you start thinking philosophically, which was the goal of a …
Unlocking autism’s secrets: Stanford researchers point fingers at a brain cell dark horse
Geneticist Michael Snyder, PhD, has a thing for ‘omes.’ He’s studied genomes, transcriptomes, proteomes and microbiomes. Each term represents looking at something (DNA, RNA, proteins …
Thinking in pictures: Stanford hosts Temple Grandin
Earlier this week, I got to hear a presentation by Colorado State University animal behavior expert Temple Grandin, PhD, who is widely known not just …
A conversation with autism activist and animal behavior expert Temple Grandin
In the inspiring film, "Temple Grandin," we learn the remarkable story of a woman born with autism who, as a young child, communicates through screaming …
Study validates oxytocin levels in blood and suggests oxytocin may be a biomarker of anxiety
Oxytocin, sometimes dubbed "the love hormone," can be tricky to study in humans. To conduct research on the connection between oxytocin and emotion, scientists want …
Parents can learn autism therapy in groups to improve kids’ verbal skills, Stanford study shows
Autism is more than twice as common than it was 15 years ago. But the number of clinicians who treat the developmental disorder is growing …
Growing up with an autistic sibling: "My sister has a little cup"
It was the photo that first draw my attention: the big sister and little sister, with their bed-head hair and pink-and-purple pajamas, hugging each other …