From the Jane Pauley Show. AUTISM. Thursday, Sep. 1, 2005. The number of children diagnosed with autism is exploding. One in 166 children are diagnosed with the neurological disorder each year. A new case is diagnosed nearly every 20 minutes. In most cases, a child progresses normally, and then begins to regress. Most withdraw into a world of their own. But there's new hope. Today, researchers believe that signs of autism can be detected as early as six months of age. We'll learn what difference early intervention can make, meet a woman who has lived a full life and become a best-selling author in spite of her struggle with autism and actor Anthony Edwards shows us all how we can make a difference in finding a cure for Autism.
Animal Insight. At the time Temple Grandin, professor, international lecturer and author, was born, autism was frequently misdiagnosed as "infant schizophrenia." Doctors, in those days, blamed the mother and their recommendation was to institutionalize the child. However, Temple was not put away. Instead, she and her mother, Eustacia Cutler, learned to overcome the obstacles that autism presented. Today, Temple is one of the world's leading experts on animal behavior, an international lecturer and author.
Early Intervention. Seven years ago at the Center for Autism and Related Disorders, a project began to see how early - early intervention could begin. Dr. Rebecca Landa has discovered that it's a lot earlier than previously thought. Today, she talks about what you should look for as a parent.
ER Doc Anthony Edwards. A doctor from TV's ER is on the case, raising awareness and funding. Anthony Edwards has got a real-life medical passion. He's on the board of the "Cure Autism Now Foundation," the largest private funder of biological research in autism.
For More Information:Temple Grandin's Books: Thinking in Pictures; Animals in Translation. Eustacia Cutler's Book:A Thorn in My Pocket. Center for Autism and Related Disorders -http://www.centerforautism.com. Cure Autism Now Foundation -http://www.cureautismnow.org. Rafael Pelayo, MD is the Assistant Professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine. He has been working on groundbreaking research that shows that kids who are being identified as ADD actually have sleep disorders instead. Also the gene for nacolepsy was discovered at his institute. Click for Bio