Lifetime Cost of Autism Tops $2 Million

U.S. and U.K. scientists have completed the most comprehensive analysis of the costs associated with supporting a child with an autism-spectrum disorder (ASD) over a lifetime and found that those whose ASD is linked with intellectual disability can accrue up to $2.4 million while those without intellectual disability require about $1.4 million in medical, nonmedical and indirect costs. And that’s on top of the average $241,000 that it takes to raise a child to age 18 in the U.S.

Study Ties Pollution to Autism, Schizophrenia

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Tiny bits of air pollution may irritate very young brains enough to cause problems, according to a study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

When mice younger than 2 weeks old were exposed to very small particles of pollutants, their brains showed damage that is consistent with brain changes in humans with autism and schizophrenia. That's not to say air pollution causes either one, said Deborah Cory-Slechta, professor of environmental medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center and lead researcher in the study published Friday.

After Consulting, Cuomo Ally to Oversee Medicaid Money

ALBANY — Former deputy secretary of health Jim Introne is returning to the state Department of Health to help oversee the disbursal of more than $6 billion in federal money from a recently approved Medicaid waiver, possibly to health care organizations who are clients of the politically well-connected firm he recently worked for.Introne, who began working at the state health department on June 5 this year, will serve as special adviser to the state health commissioner, a department spokesperson confirmed.In his new position, Introne will provide counsel on matters related to the health department's Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program, the spokesperson said.

Study Finds Anxiety Lingers in Adults with Autism

People with autism often feel anxious, worrying about everyday events and ruminating on their fears for long periods of time, reports a study published 8 May in the journal Autism.Previous studies have linked a high intelligence quotient to anxiety in children with autism. But little is known about anxiety in adults with the disorder.

OPWDD Acting Commissioner Resigns

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Just less than a year after she came on board, and with no fanfare, Laurie Kelley has resigned as the acting commissioner of the state Office for People with Developmental Disabilities.The new acting commissioner is the agency's Executive Deputy Commissioner Kerry Delaney, according to the Cuomo Administration.It wasn't immediately clear why Kelley, who previously ran the well-respected Ulster-Greene ARC operation for those with disabilities, stepped down.

Study Ties Hormone Levels in Womb to Higher Autism Risk in Boys

Some boys with autism may have been exposed to slightly elevated levels of certain hormones in the womb, a new study suggests -- though it's not clear yet what the finding means.Researchers found that of 345 boys with and without autism, those with the disorder had somewhat higher levels of steroid hormones in stored samples of their amniotic fluid. Specifically, they had elevated levels of four sex hormones, including testosterone and progesterone, and the stress hormone cortisol.

High Court Throws Out Term 'Mental Retardation'

The U.S. Supreme Court is often divided, but on one little-noticed point last week, it was unanimous: the term "mental retardation" is no longer appropriate to use. This may seem trivial and way too late. Mental health professionals and most of the rest of us long ago abandoned that phrase, which echoes insulting schoolyard epithets.

But at an institution whose decisions have broad impact, the court's action is a significant sign of society's progress toward treating each other with dignity.