Autism

Matt Savage doesn't like to think of his younger days, when he couldn't stand the sound of music, even his family singing "Happy Birthday" to him. Diagnosed at age 3 with autism, he was hyperactive, engaged in repetitive motions, and lasted two days in preschool before being kicked out. Noise of any sort, including music, was anathema. Now, music is his life. Today, his 20th birthday, Savage will graduate from Berklee College of Music with a 3.99 grade point average. He still has a semester left, but since Berklee has just one graduation ceremony per year, he will collect his diploma with the class...

Runners are invited to participate in Evan's Run, a 5K/10K road race and 5K walk through the scenic roads of Norwell to raise funds for autism awareness. Races will begin and end at Norwell High School Sunday. The day kicks off with a series of children's races from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. The adult road race starts sharply at 10:30 a.m. and runners will line up 15 minutes prior. Registration will be available at Norwell High School on race day. Entry fees will be charitable donations to the Evan Henry Foundation.

One in 3 young adults with autism have no paid job experience, college or technical schooling nearly seven years after high school graduation, a study finds. That's a poorer showing than those with other disabilities including those who are mentally disabled, the researchers said. With roughly half a million autistic kids reaching adulthood in the next decade, experts say it's an issue policymakers urgently need to address. The study was done well before unemployment peaked from the recession.

One in 3 young adults with autism have no paid job experience, college or technical schooling nearly seven years after high school graduation, a study finds. That's a poorer showing than those with other disabilities including those who are mentally disabled, the researchers said. With roughly half a million autistic kids reaching adulthood in the next decade, experts say it's an issue policymakers urgently need to address. The study was done well before unemployment peaked from the recession.

Premiering tonight on Fox TV is "Touch," a drama centered on a mute, emotionally withdrawn 10-year-old named Jake who possesses genius-level math skills. Just released, meanwhile, is the film "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," whose 10-year protagonist, Oskar Schell, exhibits mildly autistic traits. It earned an Oscar nomination for best picture yesterday. Even as the American Psychiatric Association announced last week that it may restrict its definition of autism, a wave of movies, television dramas, and best-selling books is drawing pop culture attention to the mannerisms and...

What if autism could be reversed with a pill? A growing body of research in mice and a handful of people is finding that autism is not a degenerative disease like Alzheimer's, but a changeable condition, like, say, epilepsy that can potentially be controlled. A study out Wednesday in the journal Neuron found that medication could correct the health and behavior problems of mice with a genetic condition known to lead to autism in people. The drug, which acts on the synapses, or gaps, between brain cells, reversed a vast range of symptoms often associated with autism --...

BETHESDA, Md. - Calling scientific research a job-creating engine, President Obama heralded $5 billion in new government grants yesterday to fight cancer, autism, and heart disease while boosting the economy. Obama said the money is crucial to improving public health and helping add jobs to an economy that has seen unemployment surge. Visiting the Bethesda campus of the National Institutes of Health, he said that its projects illustrate the dual goals of the $787 billion stimulus bill: rescuing the economy and laying the groundwork for future generations’ stability.

WHEN Victoria Berrey took a cruise with her mother and sister three years ago, she returned to her home in Santa Clarita, Calif., with one regret: She’d never be able to do a trip like it with her own children, both of whom have autism. “I worried about the confined quarters and the need for the boys to sit still in the dining room,” said Mrs. Berrey, whose older son, Miles, now 12, is on a restricted diet, and whose younger boy, Mathew, 8, has difficulty with any disruptions in routine.

Local 25 - the union that will be filmed for Mark Wahlberg's A&E show "Teamsters" - hosted its annual "Light Up the Night" Gala for Autism at the InterContinental Boston on Saturday night. The group raffled off this custom chopper (above) at $100 a ticket for the cause; the bike is valued at more than $60,000. Guests at the affair, which featured some celebrity look-alikes (including Marilyn Monroe), included real-life "Fighter" Micky Ward, union president Sean O'Brien, and Dropkick Murphys frontman Ken Casey.

Runners are invited to participate in Evan's Run, a 5K/10K road race and 5K walk through the scenic roads of Norwell to raise funds for autism awareness. Races will begin and end at Norwell High School Sunday. The day kicks off with a series of children's races from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. The adult road race starts sharply at 10:30 a.m. and runners will line up 15 minutes prior. Registration will be available at Norwell High School on race day. Entry fees will be charitable donations to the Evan Henry Foundation.

Matt Savage doesn't like to think of his younger days, when he couldn't stand the sound of music, even his family singing "Happy Birthday" to him. Diagnosed at age 3 with autism, he was hyperactive, engaged in repetitive motions, and lasted two days in preschool before being kicked out. Noise of any sort, including music, was anathema. Now, music is his life. Today, his 20th birthday, Savage will graduate from Berklee College of Music with a 3.99 grade point average. He still has a semester left, but since Berklee has just one graduation ceremony per year, he will collect his diploma with the class...

The afternoon performance of "Mary Poppins" was marked by loud yips, shouts and moans — and that was just fine. It was the second autism-friendly performance of a Broadway show, and for many families with a child who suffers from the disorder, it turned out to be a practically perfect day. "It is an amazing opportunity to bring our families here and enjoy the show, not be stressed, and relax and know that everyone in the theater is...

Wayside Youth and Family Support Network is sponsoring a free talk about proposed changes in how autism spectrum disorders are labeled in the American Psychiatric Association's next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-5, on May 9 at 7 p.m. in the Waltham Public Library. The draft of the new manual, a resource for diagnosing mental conditions and developmental disabilities, would classify Asperger's disorder, PDD-NOS, and childhood disintegrative disorder under one entry for "autism spectrum disorder" and list the previously stand-alone...

WHO Temple Grandin WHAT Grandin is a professor of animal science at Colorado State University and a pioneer in livestock reform. She was portrayed by Claire Danes in the HBO biopic "Temple Grandin" and is the subject of a new children's book, "How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism & Changed the World," by Sy Montgomery. WHERE Grandin and Montgomery will speak at Dedham Country Day School (Grandin's former elementary school) at 7 p.m. Wednesday, during Autism Awareness Month.

REHOBOTH - As 9-year-old Daniel Nelson unhesitatingly leads his therapeutic horse, "Pippin," down the track at Greenlock Therapeutic Riding Center he carefully follows therapist Kathy Darowski's instructions. The autistic youngster holds his hands out in front of him for a count of 10; puts them out to his side for a 10-count; and then raises them above his head for another 10-count. "We set specific goals for the kids - they're basic therapy goals that have nothing to do with the horse," said Darowski, an occupational therapy assistant who works specifically with horses.

WITHOUT CITING any research, the Globe claims that the staggering rise in autism is "due largely" to doctors becoming more aware of the disorder, and that the definition should be narrowed to exclude children who are higher-functioning ( "Struggling for a definition," Editorial, April 12). However, a 2009 UC Davis study specifically found that California's increase in autism was unrelated to "improved diagnosis. " Do we really believe that doctors of yore couldn't notice the devastating symptoms of autism?

The Bedford Special Education Parents Advisory Council, along with local fire, EMT and police officials, will give a public presentation tomorrow evening on the training the emergency responders have received for managing situations that may include the special needs population. The training program was developed by Bill Cannata, a fire captain in Westwood and statewide coordinator for the Autism and Law Enforcement Education Coalition. The program will be held at 7 p.m. in the Common Meeting Room at the Police Station, 2 Mudge Way. - Nancy Shohet West

Q. You became involved in autism when your now 10-year-old grandson was diagnosed. Suzanne: He has regressive autism, which is just something terrible. Bob: A child diagnosed at 2 years of age, if they get occupational therapy, speech therapy, and behavioral therapy alone, they have a 50 percent chance of matriculating through public school. [If the therapy is started] after first grade, they don’t have much of a chance at all. Q. There’s growing recognition now that autism is more than a brain issue — that the rest of the body is involved as well.

THE CDC is now reporting that every 1 in 88 births, and every 1 in 54 boys, will have autism ("Struggling for a definition," Editorial, April 12). Does anyone over the age of 30 remember that many autistic kids growing up? Are you trying to tell me that the shift from 1 in 10,000 births to 1 in 88 is because of better diagnosis? I don't buy it. I'm shocked that the medical community would take the blame for being so completely clueless and not diagnosing these thousands and thousands of children in past years.

What if autism could be reversed with a pill? A growing body of research in mice and a handful of people is finding that autism is not a degenerative disease like Alzheimer's, but a changeable condition, like, say, epilepsy that can potentially be controlled. A study out Wednesday in the journal Neuron found that medication could correct the health and behavior problems of mice with a genetic condition known to lead to autism in people. The drug, which acts on the synapses, or gaps, between brain cells, reversed a vast range of symptoms often associated with autism -- including lack of...