A judge in Florida has granted permission for a school district to reinstate a teacher who soaked crayons in hot sauce for days in order to teach a student with autism not to chew on the crayons. Let us not forget that these were not just any crayons. The crayons she soaked in hot sauce were specifically stored in this student's bag labeled with their name on it. This pointed, purposeful, horrendous action has not led to punishment but instead has been indirectly supported by the court system.

In what is sure to make major headlines across every major news publication today is the rising numbers of children affected by autism. They have again increased and affect nearly 1 in every 100 children.

Can toxins such as PCBs and PBDEs be the key to autism? Can these environmental toxins which are used in day to day products (such as fire retardants) be passed through breast milk from mother to child? Some experts think so.

Pharmaceutical makers of the Swine Flu vaccine and government officials will be protected from lawsuits stemming from what may be a mandatory vaccination later this year.

Many children can simply not tolerate the environment around big named theme parks. With the crowd, lines, noise and all other aspects of the chaos, many simply melt down. Parents near the Jersey Shore came up with their own solution; their own amusement park. The Brick-based Parents of Autistic Children (POAC) group puts together picnics with amusement park rides tailored to younger children with autism and their families.

Could vaccines really be the problem after all? Some groups remain strong in this belief. The SPCI or Sound Choice Pharmaceutical Institute note that years ago vaccine makers switch vaccines from containing animal cells to aborted human fetal cells. It is there belief that this switch lines up nicely with the spike in autism diagnoses in the US and UK.

Scientists have observed that lab mice having inherited an intentional chromosomal duplication from their fathers more often displayed behaviors and traits that are associated with autism.

Findings released recently by the University of Aberdeen may give credible supporting evidence of a genetic link to autism. Disruptions to the EIF4E gene were discovered with new technology that allows a deeper look into genetic mapping.

Polley Tommey has done more than her fair share to bring awareness to autism in the UK. Recently she met with the Prime Minister on how support for the autism community could be improved for families all over the country. Here's her story.