Some $200 will get you a LENA Language and Autism Screen (LAS) designed to detect early signs of autism in toddlers’ chatter. Five years in the making, the iPod-sized recorder fits into special overalls that parents let their child wear for a 12-hour day. Parents then ship the device back to the company for analysis. LENA stresses that the device is for detection, not diagnosis, though the goal of such screening is earlier diagnoses when appropriate (diagnosis age for autism currently averages about 5, though symptoms often appear much earlier). The idea to adapt the technology for the general public …read more

A 16-year-old starts his own computer consulting and repair business, Hire the Brain—impressive. Today’s Columbia Tribune tells how Collin Driscoll, who has Asperger Syndrome, started his company with his father and, too, how he’s learned to deal with his sound sensitivity.
Several months ago, [Driscoll's] mother convinced him to take a trip by himself to his aunt’s home in Kansas and to help her trucking company fix its computer system. It was a big step for Collin, but he enjoyed it, and at his aunt’s encouragement decided he wanted to start the business with his father, Steve, an IT programmer …read more