Don't say "mental retardation" — the new term is "intellectual disability." No more diagnoses of Asperger's syndrome — call it a mild version of autism instead. And while "behavioral addictions" will be new to doctors' dictionaries, "Internet addiction" didn't make the cut. The American Psychiatric Association is proposing ...

The first rigorous study of behavior treatment in autistic children as young as 18 months found two years of therapy can vastly improve symptoms, often resulting in a milder diagnosis. The study was small — just 48 children evaluated at the University of Washington — but the ...

Two new government studies indicate about 1 in 100 children have autism disorders — higher than a previous U.S. estimate of 1 in 150. Greater awareness, broader definitions and spotting autism in younger children may explain some of the increase, federal health officials said. "The concern here is that buried in these numbers is a true increase," said Dr. Thomas ...