Edward Ritvo: The Gentle Giant
Edward “Ed” Ritvo: The Gentle Giant (June 1, 1930-June 10, 2020) Ed Ritvo was a renowned American Psychiatrists and autism researcher. He passed away peacefully while at his home in […]
Tag Archives: epilepsy
Cannabidiol (CBD)
I have long been interested in the possible use of cannabis plant extracts as a way of treating seizures, anxiety, and some of the maladaptive behaviors observed in autism spectrum […]
Talking to Parents About Autism: A Potpourri of Cautionary Observations and Common Misconceptions
I remember when my first grandson was born that he cried constantly and was seemingly very irritable. Crying is the way a newborn baby has to express a need, whether […]
The Zika Virus, Autism Speaks and Weathervanes
The Zika virus has been making headlines and along with it have been the circulation of gratuitous remarks from some health-related professionals linking this viral infestation to autism. One investigator […]
Neurodiversity and Comorbidities
Neurodiversity proponents have a peculiar way of cherry picking characteristics of autism and hand-waving them into positive and somewhat appealing attributes. Repetitive movements, for example, are labelled as “personality traits” […]
Isabelle Rapin (1927-2017): the Grande Dame of Autism Research
It was with great sorrow that I learned of the passing away of Isabelle Rapin. She died this past month of pneumonia at the age of 89. For the past […]
Autism or Autisms: What should be our Default Position?
I recently gave a lecture for the Autism Research Institute. The same dealt with whether autism should be considered a single condition or a conglomerate of multiple disorders. My position […]
Lessons in Late Onset or Regressive Autism: Cortical Dysplasia-Focal Epilepsy Syndrome (CDFES)
A few months ago I wrote a blog about Dravet syndrome (http://bit.ly/1IOKxum ). In this condition a genetic defect impairs the normal development of the brain thus giving rise to […]
A Little Known Fact: Very Late Onset Autism
Autism is presently recognized as a neurodevelopmental disorder. This means that sometime during gestation brain development is disturbed. Fingerprints indicative of migrational abnormalities and cortical malformations support the premise that […]
Dravet Syndrome: Lessons in Regressive Autism
Dravet syndrome is the eponym for a particular type of severe epilepsy that begins between the first and fifth year of life. It was named after the French physician Dr. […]
