Two veterans groups have asked a federal appeals court to force the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to expedite disability claims and treat troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The groups - Veterans for Common Sense and Veterans United for Truth Inc. - filed a notice Monday with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco to overturn a lower court ruling in their lawsuit. Filed in July 2007, their lawsuit claims that the VA system that identifies and processes sufferers of PTSD has collapsed.

read more

Michael savage is quickly becoming and Autism "expert." His comments on Autism ignited a national debate and protests. Now the Radio Network released his 20 Audio Clips of Michael Savage's Comments On Autism which we bring to our readers.

1. Savage says the real cases of autism need our sympathy and support.

2. Savage says his brother was severely disabled and that misdiagnosis hurts the child.

3. Savage says that the genuinely autistic need as much love and attention as we can give them.

4. Savage talks about his disabled brother who died in a hospital.

read more

There have been numerous calls in recent days for Michael Savage, who hosts "The Michael Savage Show" for Talk Radio Network (the "Network"), to be fired or suspended for his brief 84 seconds of commentary concerning autism during the July 16th broadcast of the Show.

read more

Oxytocin was originally studied as the "milk let-down factor," i.e., a hormone that was necessary for breast-feeding. However, there is increasing evidence that this hormone also plays an important role in social bonding and maternal behaviors. A new study scheduled for publication in the August 1st issue of Biological Psychiatry now shows that one way oxytocin promotes social affiliation in humans is by enhancing the encoding of positive social memories.

read more

The number of Western Australians being prescribed stimulants for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) continues to fall with an 8.6 per cent reduction over the past year.

But for the first time since the introduction of the Western Australian Stimulant Regulatory Scheme in 2004, there are more adults than children taking medication for the disorder.

Public Health Physician Dr Margaret Stevens said in 2007 there were 6,997 adults compared to 6,188 children prescribed medicines such as Ritalin or dexamphetamine for ADHD.

read more

Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) wants to identify the number of Montana children under five who have autism, state officials said Wednesday.

To help pinpoint that information, DPHHS will spend $384,000 to offer free autism screenings at various clinics across the state effective immediately.

The effort will create a list of children eligible to receive services for a new Medicaid program called the Autism Waiver for Children Program announced last month.

read more

Shire Limited (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY), the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced that it has launched VYVANSE (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate) for the treatment of adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This launch of adult ADHD treatment follows the recent FDA approval of VYVANSE to treat ADHD in the adult population. VYVANSE is now available in U.S. pharmacies nationwide in six once-daily dosage strengths.

read more

In Autism, faulty brain connections conceal intentions of others.

Picking up on innuendo and social cues is a central component of engaging in conversation, but people with autism often struggle to determine another person's intentions in a social interaction. New research from Carnegie Mellon University sheds light on the neural mechanisms that are responsible for such social difficulties in autism, and on the workings of these social brain mechanisms in all of us.

read more

No one enjoys being told that their behavior is harmful to themselves or others. In fact, most people respond defensively when confronted with evidence that their behavior is irrational, irresponsible, or unhealthy. Fortunately, research has shown that just a few minutes of writing about an important value can reduce defensiveness.

read more

Michael Savage spoke of autism that made national headlines. On his nationally syndicated radio show, Michael Savage claimed that autism is "[a] fraud, a racket. ... I'll tell you what autism is. In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out. That's what autism is."

Two of my worlds have collided - Talk radio, in which I have made my living... and autism, which has had a profound and lasting impact on my family. Please give me a minute and a half of your time and listen to Michael Savage on Autism.

read more

Not nice of Michael Savage to express himself about autism in such a way as autism is a huge problem for many families.

read more

Actress and author Jenny McCarthy has established herself as a tireless crusader in the search for an autism treatment and advocate for nutritional regimens to help manage autism.

McCarthy incorporated the Global Health Trax(TM) (GHT) flagship specialty probiotic product, ThreeLac(TM), into her autistic son's nutritional regimen and shared her experience about fighting autism in her book Louder than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism. For instance, on page 200 McCarthy writes, "This is the stuff that really made Evan excrete yeast and start talking more."

read more

Compared to their victims, bullies experience a significantly higher risk of a wide range of health, safety and educational problems, according to research in the International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health.

“We see that the [obvious] victims are not the only victims. The bullies are also victims of their own emotional problems,” said lead study author Jorge Srabstein, M.D., medical director of the Clinic for Health Problems Related to Bullying at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

read more

Researchers have repeatedly found signs of an apparent connection between bullying and suicide in children, according to a new review of studies from 13 countries. Nevertheless, there is no definitive evidence that bullying makes kids more likely to kill themselves.

Still, “once we see that there’s an association, we can act on it and try to prevent it,” said review lead author Dr. Young-Shin Kim, an assistant professor at Yale University School of Medicine’s Child Study Center.

read more

Some cases of autism may be a failure of the young brain to wire itself properly in response to a baby’s social and physical surroundings, according to a new systematic analysis of disease genetics.

read more

Many of the seemingly disparate mutations recently discovered in autism may share common underlying mechanisms, say researchers supported in part by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The mutations may disrupt specific genes that are vital to the developing brain, and which are turned on and off by experience-triggered neuronal activity.

read more

ADDitude magazine released an expert report on the non-medical treatment of ADHD symptoms. Top ADHD doctors and treatment specialists contributed to the free ADDitude Guide to Alternative ADHD Treatment, which investigates and clearly explains the benefits and risks of natural ADHD therapies like fish oil.

read more

A new study of depression from the Center for Addiction and Mental Health examines the widely held expectation that East-Asian people emphasize physical symptoms of depression, and offers clinicians valuable insight into cultural context when assessing a patient, leading to more accurate diagnosis.

New data may help doctors more accurately diagnose patients who may be suffering from depression.

read more

Gov. Blagojevich uses amendatory veto to expand House Bill 4255 requiring health insurance companies in Illinois to also cover a range of autism treatment for youth until the age of 21.

read more

Pennsylvania health insurance providers are now required to provide autism health insurance coverage. The new bill protects children with autism and requires coverage of expenses.

Governor of Pennsylvania Edward G. Rendell today signed House Bill 1150 into law, groundbreaking legislation that will provide unprecedented new protections for children and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

read more