'Cuddle Hormone' Aids Autism Treatment

BOSTON -- When Cheryl Philippon's youngest son Steven was diagnosed in November with autism, their lives changed forever.
"So much of our time is focused on his schedule, his program," said Philippon.
The 3-year-old had been nonverbal up until recently, and he still avoids playing with others, even his older sister, who's 4.
"Patients with autism have primary deficits in terms of their social cognition, so they have a hard time developing strong trust bonds with other individuals," said Dr. Eric Hollander, director of the Compulsive, Impulsive and Autism Spectrum Disorder Program at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, N.Y.