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Abstract Genetic studies are refining our understanding of neurodevelopmental mechanisms in autism. Some autism-related mutations appear to disrupt genes regulated by neuronal activity, which are especially important in development of the postnatal nervous system. Gene replacement studies in mice indicate that the developmental window to ameliorate symptoms may be wider than previously anticipated. Autism is classified as a “pervasive developmental disorder”—pervasive because it affects many aspects of cognition and behavior and developmental because autistic symptoms emerge during development from infancy or perhaps from birth. Yet, a key question about autism is at what stage during brain development does the primary lesion occur? Several recent findings in genetic models of autism suggest that substantial improvement in some behavioral or neurobiological defects can result from gene replacement or pharmacological treatment after “development” is largely complete. Does th...

Communities of Readers and Writers Ask Me  by Antje Damm. From commonplace ("Who is your best friend?") to thought-provoking ("Whom do you miss?") this nifty book of questions invites children to reveal personal information, reflect on their lives, and learn more about each other. Engaging illustrations accompany each question and provide further response opportunities. Designed as a conversation starter between parents and children,  Ask Me  provides a unique resource for writing and discussion topics. BookSpeak!: Poems about Books  by Laura Purdie Salas. This collection offers 21 poems on everything bookish from characters to indexes to falling asleep while reading. At turns humorous and informative,  BookSpeak!  is the perfect text to launch a reading year and reinforce a love of reading. Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It: False Apology Poems  by Gail Carson Levine. Modeled after William Carlos Williams' "This Is Just to Say," Levine presents ov...

Our children and youth are immersed in technologies that give them opportunities no previous generation has enjoyed. How will schools respond? Some weeks ago, I attended a family reunion where the children ranged from age 10 to 18. As we were all talking, someone asked a question about a specific movie. Immediately, every kid pulled out a smartphone, and within 30 seconds they all had answers. Some went straight to the Internet Movie Database (using a smartphone app, of course); two quickly searched Yahoo! for movie reviews; others went to their favorite sites to sample public opinion. I've seen adults do something similar and gloat about how Internet-savvy they are and how fast their smartphones navigate cyberspace. But each and every kid acted like this practice was commonplace. A few days later, I had another enlightening experience. A colleague's 7-year-old son, Mikey, has his own iPad courtesy of his grandpa. A week ago, he was visiting our lab and wanted to...

Free to express is an inordinate abode to get a regular dose of what's good: good in eco, causes, companies and incredible change makers.  How I decide what to cover Picking which stories to run is often a battle as I am quite passionate about each and every story covered. Bottom line, I chose what I think is inspirational, suitable for the moment or simply catches my fancy. Each day you’ll read something that makes you stop and think, has you looking into something a bit more, or entices you to support a cool cause. Here I’d like to remind you that most of them are those which I am following and I think are very relevant for the society at large. Moreover, to avoid the necessary details regarding finances, donations etc. I pick the causes up from the Facebook. My readers are encouraged to follow the causes from there itself i.e. to log on to www.causes.com Eg: UPDATES FROM  CAUSES ·          Health and Wellness H...