An appalling story appearing on the front page of CNN.com today noting that many schools are still using or have recently used "seclusion" rooms as a means to isolate students with disabilities, inluding autism, when the need to calm them arises.

Annemie Ploeger, developmental psychologist, hypothesizes that Autism and Schizophrenia may both develop during the first month of pregnancy. There are physical traits that both may share at times, such as protruding ears or peculiar toes. She believes that her research reveals that the embryo is susceptible to disruptions between 20-40 days after fertilization.

Researchers hope that medicines may soon be able to reduce activity in the gene known as FKBP12. When they reduced the activity in this gene in mice, they noted that there was an increase in neuron to neuron activity and an increase in fearful memory and obsessive behavior. This lends to the theory that this gene may be controlled by medicine.

New research seems to back up previous research studies where advanced paternal age increases the risk of having a child with autism.

More and more people are eliminating gluten from the normal diet. It is believe by many that by doing so, they are eliminating toxins from their body, and it has shown promise for some suffering from autism, celiac disease, ADHD, and other issues. It's been proven to help in cases related to celiac disease which affects approximately 1% of the U.S. population. Can it help others?

Sadly behind the times, Texas is garnering an unwelcome spotlight on the national level from the U.S. Justice Department. Texas, as is pointed out, has more patients institutionalized in large patient facilities than any other state in the country.

A speech condition that is thought to be as common as dyslexia and affects 2-7% of preschool children may have been pinpointed down to the gene level. Researchers are closely looking at the CNTNAP2 gene and its apparent contributions to the language disorder

What many of us may have seen in our child's development may be crucial to future generations of children being diagnosed. Researchers believe that a multitude of clues can point towards autism. One is head circumference. Many doctors believe there may be a link in the skull development and autism. Another red flag is the inability to play with toys in their appropriate manner.