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Women who receive a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome are happiest when they were prepared for the news and provided as much information as possible, new research finds.

Researchers found for the first time that children with spina bifida are more likely to walk and less likely to have neurological difficulties when surgery is done in the womb rather than after birth.

Click here to register!What:The Autistic Self Advocacy Network, in conjunction with the Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology and Bioethics, the Harvard Law Project on Disability and the UNESCO Bioethics Chair American Unit, is proud to invite you, to join us on December 10th for a Symposium on Ethical, Legal and Social Implications of Autism Research at Harvard Law School. The free event will run from 9 AM to 3 PM at the Harvard Law School campus, Hauser Hall, Room 105. Topics covered will include prenatal testing, community participation in research methodologies, appropriate and inappropriate intervention goals and much more. This symposium will serve a unique role in shedding light on ethics and values issues within the autism research community. By bringing together self-advocate and researcher participants, we hope this will serve as a starting point for meaningful dialogue between those conducting research on autism and the community of Autistic adults and youth. Confirmed participants include Administration on Developmental Disabilities Commissioner Sharon Lewis, ASAN President and IACC Public Member Ari Ne'eman, National Institute on Child Health and Human Developmental Director Alan Guttmacher, Harvard Law Professor Michael Stein, Paula Durbin-Westby, Emily Titon, Liz Pellicano, David Rose and many more.   This event is open to the general public without charge and is made possible by a grant from the Administration on Developmental Disabilities.When:Saturday December 10, 2011 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM ESTWhere: Harvard Law School, Hauser Hall Room 1051563 Massachusetts AvenueCambridge, MA 02138 Contact: Ari Ne'eman Autistic Self Advocacy Network 202.596.1056 info@autisticadvocacy.org

Parents are bombarded with stories about autism research. Headlines and somber-voiced announcers declare that new research has found that autism is linked to a smorgasbord of things: mom's age, dad's age, grandfather's age, living near freeways, living near farms, prenatal stress, premature birth, fertility treatments, obese mothers, flu during pregnancy, having babies too closely together, and so on. How do we make sense of this?

You might be surprised to learn there's been an increase in the number of children born with Down syndrome in recent years. The conventional wisdom holds that with more prenatal screening, the rate at which children would be born with Down syndrome would have fallen.