Author of Bullying Study: 'It Puts a Fire In Me'

Paul Sterzing

BERKELEY, Calif. -- Paul Sterzing had barely moved into his office at UC Berkeley when the New York Times, the Washington Post, Reuters and CNN started calling. The newly hired assistant professor’s just-published study – showing nearly half of U.S. adolescents with autism spectrum disorder have been bullied at school – had propelled him into the media spotlight.
His first mistake was eyeing readers’ comments under the online news articles. “Duh, tell me something I didn’t know,” was a common theme. “Science provides a factual basis for beliefs and assumptions,” Sterzing says, shrugging his shoulders.
And just as many, if not more, commenters revealed they’d been bullied, too. Clearly, the study had touched a nerve.

N.J. Probes Doctor's Treatment of Disabled

TRENTON, N.J. -- A longtime doctor and nurse practitioner at a New Jersey-run residential center for the developmentally disabled are under investigation for allegedly conducting research on residents without agency permission.
Dr. Philip May and his wife, Robin Davidson May, of Oxford, have been accused of giving vitamin D supplements to residents of the Hunterdon Development Center in northwestern New Jersey as part of unapproved research, the state Department of Human Services said.

Seeking Data on Autism and Wandering

Though wandering has long been a concern within the autism community, no one knows exactly how many people are affected by the issue. Now, a handful of autism organizations are banding together to find out.
The Interactive Autism Network, or IAN, is launching a survey Wednesday asking parents of those with autism whether or not their children have a tendency to bolt from home or school.
Researchers say the survey is designed to answer a number of key questions including who is most at risk for wandering, how often it occurs and what can be done to help families dealing with the issue.

Strategic Plan for Autism Research Unveiled

The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) and the Office of Autism Research Coordination (OARC) Monday released the 2011 IACC Strategic Plan for Autism Spectrum Disorder Research. The Strategic Plan provides a 'blueprint' for autism research as well as providing up-to-the-minute information about possible causes of autism, an overview of treatments for autism, information about where to find services, and a sense of the #1 question parents of autistic children might prefer not to think about, but have to: What does the future hold?

Conference Tackles Autism Research and Funding

GARDEN CITY, N.Y. -- Significantly increasing funding for autism research and making insurance companies pay for treatment were among the major ideas offered at a government-university sponsored conference and rally on autism here Tuesday.
"Those are the top items of the day," said Mark Roithmyer, president of Autism Speaks, the largest advocacy agency for the disease in the world.
In response, Susan Pisano, a spokeswoman for America's Health Insurance Plan in Washington, D.C., said "there has been a recent attempt to shift the responsibility for some educational services to the health care systems, and our customers tell us they can't pay any more."
But Roithmyer said 15 states have mandated that insurance companies provide additional services and noted, "New York State could be next. Harvey Weisenberg [D-Long Beach] is sponsoring such a bill in the Assembly and Sen. Charles Fuschillo [R-Merrick] in the Senate."

$20 Million Gift to University of Miami for Autism Research

MIAMI -- An institute at the University of Miami will receive a $20 million gift to research some common but complex disorders including autism and Parkinson's, university officials announced Thursday.
The gift is being made by the John P. Hussman Foundation. Hussman, a Maryland-based investment fund manage, will spread the gift over a 10-year period.
As a result, the Miami Institute for Human Genomics will be renamed the John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, UM officials said.

Utah Researchers Develop Genetic Map for Down Syndrome

Researchers at the University of Utah have developed a high-resolution genetic map that outlines the development of diseases often associated with Down syndrome.
Down syndrome individuals typically face a host of problems such as intellectual disabilities, heart defects and Alzheimer's disease. The map, produced by researchers at the U. Brain Institute and colleagues at Yale University, may help direct future studies and clinical treatments for a wide range of birth defects related to the disability.