As the diagnosis of autism is increasing the diagnosis of mental retardation is decreasing. And more and more on the other end, the high end, more children who are just a little bit off, who ordinarily you would not single out now are being described as perhaps Asperger’s syndrome or on the high end of the autism spectrum, so I don’t believe there is an epidemic.

Gerald Fischbach

Categorized in : Children Believe Epidemics

The brain immediately confronts us with its great complexity. The human brain weighs only three to four pounds but contains about 100 billion neurons. Although that extraordinary number is of the same order of magnitude as the number of stars in the Milky Way, it cannot account for the complexity of the brain. The liver probably contains 100 million cells, but 1,000 livers do not add up to a rich inner life.

Gerald Fischbach

cells stars order

The brain immediately confronts us with its great complexity. The human brain weighs only three to four pounds but contains about 100 billion neurons.

Gerald Fischbach

three pounds brain

Memory is the scaffolding upon which all mental life is construct... by Gerald Fischbach

Memory is the scaffolding upon which all mental life is constructed.

Gerald Fischbach

scaffolding life-is memories

Autism is not a snapshot. It's a life. by Gerald Fischbach

Autism is not a snapshot. It's a life.

Gerald Fischbach

snapshots autism

Vibrato is the badge of tonal maturity. by Gerald Fischbach

Vibrato is the badge of tonal maturity.

Gerald Fischbach

badges maturity

I don't know of any neuropsychiatric disorder other than an infection that has been cured. But the goal is to improve the quality of life of people who experience autistic symptomology and I just think we will make progress on that.

Gerald Fischbach

goal people thinking

There are clear differences between and some- and there may be pr... by Gerald Fischbach

There are clear differences between and some- and there may be protective factors in a female brain.

Gerald Fischbach

female differences brain

There is no question there are differences between male and female brains. They are called sexual dimorphisms and you can point to different anatomical structures.

Gerald Fischbach

males differences brain

It is not all that common, but there is a phenomenon where autism could get worse at about age two. There are some controversies whether regression is a prominent part of autism, but many people feel that it's very hard to diagnose autism before you can begin really talking in detail with a child.

Gerald Fischbach

talking two children

In fact, many children come to autism clinics early on with GI/bo... by Gerald Fischbach

In fact, many children come to autism clinics early on with GI/bowel disturbances.

Gerald Fischbach

gis autism children

In autism there is just genes in part more or less of a probability that you will have the disorder, and that is where interactions with the environment are key.

Gerald Fischbach

autism environment keys

I think my own bias is that there may be something wrong with the timing and the connectivity between regions rather than pointing to one particular spot in the brain.

Gerald Fischbach

brain may thinking

I think the gold standard is a clinical diagnosis, that an astute clinician interacting with a child, interviewing the parents, talking with teachers makes the diagnosis based on some standard tests and also on clinical impression and skill.

Gerald Fischbach

teacher children thinking

Autism reaches out in many different directions. It can be associated with language delays. It can be associated with epilepsy. It can be associated with some degree of intellectual disability, but the two core features of autism, I see, is impairments and social cognition, understanding and in restricted interests and repetitive behaviors.

Gerald Fischbach

epilepsy autism two

Autism is a developmental disorder characterized by two main components: an inability to interact socially with other people with joint attention to understand other people's thoughts.

Gerald Fischbach

autism two people