MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'asd'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:09:06 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4225449&cid=t_105374_122_f&fid=34736&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FChannelN-PodcastsPoweredByOdiogo%2F%7E3%2F5KkQJRgk9ck%2F How Magic Changes Our Expectations About Autism Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in a study were more subsceptible to a cognitive illusion, compared to controls. Watch the multimedia pubcast at SciVee, synced to the original article How Magic Changes Our Expectations About Autism, Kuhn et al., Psychological Science, 2010. (Source: Channel N) Channel N blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4225449 Fri, 03 Dec 2010 12:30:01 +0100 4225449 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4013278&cid=t_105374_111_f&fid=34834&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMentalNurse%2F%7E3%2Fp96zPuhbF2U%2F I’ve been seeing a 10 year old boy with ADHD and Aspergers. He’s a genuinely likeable kid. He’s intelligent, he can be incredibly pleasant, but he’s also hyperactive to the max. He has tortuous rituals that take up large amounts of time and cause him to go berserk if they’re interrupted. If he sees a dog or a cat he flies into a panic. His Mum and Dad love him, but he’s very challenging, and he exhausts them. Methylphenidate has reduced his impulsivity, but hasn’t eliminated it. A quarter of a milligram of risperidone takes the edge off his agitation, but it’s made him gain weight and the consultant is reluctant to give any more than that to somebody so young. His parents use reward charts, but he isn’t good at recognising the value of ... Mental Nurse blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4013278 Wed, 29 Sep 2010 22:21:31 +0100 4013278 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3876655&cid=t_105374_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fresearch-suggests-autism-could-be-diagnosed-with-a-15-minute-brain-scan%2F2010.08.17 A team of researchers at King’s College of the University of London (KCL) has developed a brain scan which can purportedly detect autism in adults. The scan, which uses MRI to obtain images of the brain, can identify autism based on the physical makeup of grey matter in the brain. Results of an initial study involving the scan were published in the Journal of Neuroscience today. From the article: The team used an MRI scanner to take pictures of the brain’s grey matter. A separate imaging technique was then used to reconstruct these scans into 3D images that could be assessed for structure, shape and thickness — all intricate measurements that reveal Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at its root. The research studied 20 healthy adults, 20 adults with ASD, and 19 adults with A... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3876655 Tue, 17 Aug 2010 12:00:52 +0100 3876655 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3767188&cid=t_105374_122_f&fid=34736&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FChannelN-PodcastsPoweredByOdiogo%2F%7E3%2F__E2_hWip5M%2Ftemple-grandin-on-autism.html Focus on Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome Noted author, advocate, and person with autism Temple Grandin in a 2008 talk on autism and Asperger’s syndrome. (Source: Channel N) Channel N blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3767188 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:30:30 +0100 3767188 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3618029&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35095&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FAutismsEdges%2F%7E3%2FOEKtq4_yJWw%2Fblue-angels.html (Source: Autism's Edges) Autism's Edges blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3618029 Mon, 31 May 2010 15:08:00 +0100 3618029 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3511609&cid=t_105374_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2Fy_fl2QFkSP8%2F           Autism is a developmental disability that comes from a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain.  It is characterized by the abnormal development of communication skills, social skills and reasoning.  Males are affected four times as often as females.  Children may appear normal until around the age of 30 months.  Although autism spectrum disorder (ASD) varies significantly in character and severity, it occurs in all ethnic and socioeconomic groups and affects every age group.  Experts estimate that three to six children out of every 1,000 will have ASD.  The cause of autism remains unclear, but a psychological one has been ruled out.  Neurological studies seem to indicate a primary brain dysfunction, and a genetic component is sugges... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3511609 Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:35:04 +0100 3511609 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2842725&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35124&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspergerwoman%2F%7E3%2FjGN8yfCjN08%2Fit-was-fine.html The first date in years has resulted in a very nice meeting between two people. Yes, the magic click was there. We had plenty to talk of and afterwards there were another 1000 questions to ask him. So, we decided to take things slow and become good friends... After a week of intense emotions it feels good life returns to normal, however I must say my daily structure and inner rest has been disturbed in a strange way by all this. No one will take away yesterdays experiences, whatever the future might bring. Between butterflies and both feet on the ground. Yes, he knows about my ASD and understands. It was very sweet of him to tell me when he noticed I wanted to be on my own for a while at the end of the date. He told me he could see that on my face....That is good! Meanwhile several pro... The Art of Being Asperger Woman blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2842725 Mon, 28 Sep 2009 08:21:00 +0100 2842725 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2782247&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35089&url=http%3A%2F%2Faspiefamily.org%2Fdad%2Fneurodiversity-and-sci-fi-fandom%2F This was over at Eliot’s and I’ve just got around to posting it here. I don’t know about you, but I am surprised when I meet a teen or adult Fan and they’re not on the spectrum. School is starting up soon. My son used to attend a preschool/kindergarten for special-needs kids and their siblings, and now he’s going on to a public school, though still in the special education program. He’s cool with it, but I am a little freaked. It has brought up a whole childhood can of worms regarding my less-than-lovely educational experience, and makes me reflect on issues of social acceptance for neurologically atypical people overall. That leads me to fandom. I can’t help but think neurodiveristy is an area in which science fiction and fantasy fans are a long, long ways a... Aspie Dad blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2782247 Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:23:02 +0100 2782247 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2390176&cid=t_105374_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2Fdk7Y9bg3raU%2F Complex disorders like autism are very tricky to study when finding the genes responsible for them. There are many factors that can cause autism and genes was thought to play only a small role. So far, the genes that were found linked to autism explained only a small fraction of the phenotypes, and environment was the big chunk. The symptoms and signs that people with autism showed were also quite varied that it was hard to know if there was anything genetically common among them. On top of that, disorders that were classed as autism spectrum disorders (ASD) ranged from very severe to much milder forms and everything in between. Well, recently, scientists became very excited because a common genetic link was found among people with autism! To be exact 65% of people with autism showed a com... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2390176 Mon, 04 May 2009 15:38:00 +0100 2390176 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2081148&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fd8dHcT8cT-A%2F Thanks very, very, very much to everyone for your kind words about the big change. It is definitely a change and I’m still adjusting—-I’m very interested in knowing what you think. Thanks to all those—-Kev, Emily, Mike, Lisa—who’ve given the new autism blog a shout-out It’s been fabulous blogging with Dora and I’m very excited to be part of the Change.org community. There’s been a couple of questions about what will happen to this blog: While I won’t be writing it after this week, someone (I’m not sure who) will be taking it over. As far as I know, the archives will remain on the web. If you’ve other questions, or if there’s a particular post that you’d like to bookmark or otherwise save but can’t qui... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2081148 Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:06:29 +0100 2081148 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2074306&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FyFuBGi5XLrM%2F A long time ago (definitely “before Charlie,” which is “bC” to Jim and me) “someone” (she writes poetry) wrote this to me: Poetry is life; it should change everything around it. Do only what changes you. The lines were written at the end of a letter regarding a topic that was, at that point in time (I was about half as old as I am as I write this), of total everything significance to my life: What should I study in graduate school? I was a Classics major in college and, finding the sustained study of Latin and ancient Greek intellectually intriguing, albeit a little wearying on the soul, I was drawn to another academic discipline, Comparative Literature; I had hopes of studying something called “literary theory” or just “theory” (... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2074306 Fri, 02 Jan 2009 08:17:59 +0100 2074306 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2074307&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FAEl2FxBWZe4%2F Happy 2009! We’re leaving tonight on the red-eye to go back from the Bay Area to New Jersey so, in the interest of being able to spend more time in the California sunshine with my guys and my parents, and since it is, indeed, 2009, a few more highlights from 2008. August means one thing in my household—-two weeks at the beach, at the Jersey Shore. Not surprisingly, it was still impossible to avoid talk about vaccines. A new clinical trial of the GFCF diet was announced. While people have strong disagreements about the “right” of parents to vaccinate or not, everyone agreed that the use of “retard” in the movie Tropic Thunder was unncessary. Charlie started middle school in September and, by October, he was deep into middle school blues, and Jim and I fou... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2074307 Thu, 01 Jan 2009 08:54:15 +0100 2074307 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2074308&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F3k-pX4_KwHk%2F Starting January 5, 2009, voting for the 2008 Weblog Awards begins—–and this blog, which I’ve been writing since April of 2006, is among the finalists for best Medical/Health Issues Blog. I’m included in some good company, including Respectful Insolence—-The Differetial—-Junk Food Science—-Stirrup Queen. Thanks to everyone for reading Autism Vox, writing in, sounding off—-it’s been a great year and onward into a new one (very very soon!). Tags: asd, autism, autism blog, awards, blog, blogger, disability, Health, Medicine, pdd-nos, Science, weblogShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2074308 Wed, 31 Dec 2008 23:32:52 +0100 2074308 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2074311&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FlCxl1pmVf30%2F Discussion was dominated by two stories, that of 13-year-old Adam Race, against whose parents a priest filed a restraining order, and of 5-year-old Alex Barton, who was voted out of his kindergarden class by his classmates, at the suggestion of his teacher, Wendy Portillo. These two incidents sparked some very heated and often acrimonious exchanges and remind me of why there’s a need to think about autistic persons and the community, in faith communities and all others. Also: It was reported that there had been 72 cases of measles so far in the US, the highest number since 2001—-and the number would only go up, while misinformation about vaccines continued. Sometimes it seems that everything, if not anything, could be said to cause autism (and that everything, and anything, has... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2074311 Wed, 31 Dec 2008 02:47:21 +0100 2074311 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2074313&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FL_tKrzJRdGM%2F 9-year-old Nicholas Benavides died Monday morning in a fire at his house in Corpus Christi, Texas, today’s Caller Times reports. Nicholas was autistic and, according to his grandmother, Maria Benavides, was “’shy, but also friendly and always smiling.’” On Monday, Nicholas’ siblings, ages 11 and 4, were at their maternal grandparents’ home and Nicholas’ mother was at work. Benavides said her son, the boy’s father, told her he was doing laundry in a room at the rear of the house. Fire Chief Richard Hooks said it hasn’t been determined if the boy was alone in the house. Fire officials were interviewing the boy’s father late Monday. When Corpus Christi firefighters arrived at 10:37 a.m., about five minutes after the initial cal... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2074313 Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:13:02 +0100 2074313 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2074314&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fvm6BiQLpVdU%2F A constant theme in 2008 was the rebranding of autism, as Orac at Respectful Insolence referred to how the likes of David Kirby have been constantly saying that “autism isn’t autism”—-it’s “mercury poisoning,” “vaccine-aggravated mitochondrial disorder,” “mercury-induced neurological disorder,” etc., etc. (April being Autism Awareness Month—-does your child know about this—let’s not get into what such “rebranding” would do to the month…….) The notorious Judge Rotenburg Center in Canton, Massachusetts uses electroshock “treatment” on some its residents, some of whom are autistic. In April, one of its staff was charged with rape, assault, and battery of another staff member... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2074314 Tue, 30 Dec 2008 07:07:52 +0100 2074314 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2074315&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FjsxVi4TrMdc%2F I would say I wrote a lot, and probably too much, about Jenny McCarthy in 2008 (and writing less about her, and about the whole vaccine-autism idea, is making its way higher and higher up onto my list of New Year’s resolutions). Nonetheless, vaccines dominated discussions about autism in March in the wake of announcements about the case of Hannah Poling, whose “pre-existing mitochondrial disorder…. was ‘aggravated’ by her shots” and led to symptoms of autism, as conceded by the U.S. Federal Court of Claims. A lot of debate followed about the Vaccine Court, to the point of general vaccine fixation. Some mentions of birdsong and fish, and then, in the course of yet again saying it’ not the vaccines, some thoughts about why this is such a personal matter. Also: Insur... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2074315 Tue, 30 Dec 2008 02:10:30 +0100 2074315 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2067674&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FsmNHx_N1EVc%2F So says Ellen Raphael, UK director of Sense About Science, regarding the “bad science tips” made by various celebrities and public figures (from Tom Cruise on psychiatry to, yes, President-Elect Barack Obama on vaccines and autism). Here’s hoping that they’ll all take a New Year’s resolution to do a little fact-checking, or at least web-surfing, before offering those tips in 2009. Tags: asd, asperger syndrome, autism, barack obama, pdd-nos, president-elect, Psychiatry, Science, tom cruise, VaccinesShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2067674 Sat, 27 Dec 2008 23:34:19 +0100 2067674 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2067675&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FR2-oJ1izqVw%2F How did 5-year-old Colum Canning fall into a pool at a Disneyland Paris hotel during a Christmas trip? Colum, who was autistic, was discovered in the pool by another guest, who pulled him out; he had already lost consciousess when he was taken to a hospital, where he died, today’s SkyNews reports. Colum was just a typical wee boy who was so happy, so loving and so full of energy, said Colum’s parents, Karen Canning and David Bradley of Derry, in a statement, and may he be remembered just like that. Tags: asd, asperger syndrome, autism, Disney, disneyworld, drowning, hotel, paris, pdd-nos, swimming poolShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2067675 Sat, 27 Dec 2008 17:19:18 +0100 2067675 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2067676&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FWh8Fvf8vREw%2F Things small and familiar were the gifts that Charlie most liked: A pale blue Mugen Pop Pop, a new copy of a DVD he already has (and that’s gotten so scratched up and smudged that it skips and gets stuck), a case for his Leapster (which we should have gotten a while ago, as Charlie’s dropped his a couple of times). We’d be happy to get him some more elaborate gifts, and have over the years. Iused to spend quite a bit of time choosing toys and then even more time teaching Charlie to play with them (some of the toys are still in closets in our house and in my parents’, shiny and wrapped in plastic to protect them from the dust). Charlie pretty much seems to lack consumer consciousness. He likes what he likes. And so, while experiencing the sort of quavering feeling ma... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2067676 Sat, 27 Dec 2008 07:01:32 +0100 2067676 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2067677&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FUx-GfR0V_vw%2F Charlie playing flag football? In Pennsylvania, Bob Wargo runs a flag football program for special needs kids, each of whom is paired with a high school football player, as noted in today’s Phillyburbs. Well, Charlie is getting a strong set of shoulders and earlier today we went for a walk up a long and steep hill; he ran in front (yes, ran), bent over horizontal and going full speed ahead………. Tags: asd, asperger syndrome, athletics, autism, flag football, football, pdd-nos, pennsylvania, running, Sports, teams. walkingShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2067677 Sat, 27 Dec 2008 01:00:47 +0100 2067677 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2067678&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F4YXywSgetHo%2F And here’s autism on a list of CNN’s top 10 health issues of 2008, with more than a nod to the vaccine issue …… and from Mark Miller’s special needs blog, his list of the “top 10 moments” in disability policy and politics. Your top 10 of 2008? Tags: asd, asperger syndrme, autism, cnn, disabilities blog, disability, Health, john mccain, pdd-nos, sarah palin, special needs, top 10, vaccineShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2067678 Fri, 26 Dec 2008 21:12:30 +0100 2067678 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2067679&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F5ZMkWnSt7HQ%2F Seems a pity that, on seeing the words “top 10 unfounded health scares,” the first thing I thought about was……….vaccines and autism. Many speak of a “debate” about an alleged vaccine-autism link and that there’s a “controversy” brewing here, but it’s a false controversy. 2008 saw the publication of more studies refuting a link, and yet there’s been a call for more studies—-among the $1 billion in research initiatives noted in the Strategic Plan of the IACC is an item about the “different health outcomes in vaccinated, unvaccinated and alternatively-vaccinated groups”—so it’s not as if this particular topic is going to go away. Sometimes, one starts to wonder, will this particular topic eve... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2067679 Fri, 26 Dec 2008 15:41:50 +0100 2067679 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2065373&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FpCbLZ2_03Qs%2F Something Charlie already has in book/video/DVD form………. It was the first present he opened and the one he kept by him when he fell asleep on the couch. (Any guesses?) Tags: asd, asperger syndrome, autism, book, children, christmas, dvd, gift, holiday, Parenting, pdd-nos, videoShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2065373 Fri, 26 Dec 2008 07:41:23 +0100 2065373 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2065374&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FwRDVkZ1yWrs%2F The American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) has issued a list of Top 10 Unfounded Health Scares of 2008 and take a wild guess about one item, specifically #8……. it involves autism and a word that starts with a ……………………..v. Stumped? Hint: Something involving “greening.” Hint: Something involving a certain former MTV starlet. Yeah, it’s something that gets brought up too much in discussions about autism, namely, the hypothesis, unsupported by the scientific evidence, that vaccines can be linked to autism. Here’s the ACSH’s bottom line: Not only are childhood vaccines safe, they are necessary to protect both individual children and the larger population from dangerous diseases. Despite the ever-pre... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2065374 Fri, 26 Dec 2008 00:00:02 +0100 2065374 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2065375&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FQ6lXwrLKdxg%2F Am off to visit the cemetery where my grandfather, Yeh Yeh, great-grandmother, Bak Bak, great aunt, another great grandmother, a very good friend of the family, and many other great relatives are, and then out to lunch in Chinatown with cousins, aunts, uncles and (hopefully, if she’s up to it), my grandmother, Ngin Ngin, who’s 104. It’s always good to be with family—today’s St. Petersburg Times describes the bond between 12-year-old twins, Anthony and Ryan Moran. Ryan is autistic and Anthony is his constant companion: Most of the time it’s good having a twin, Anthony insists. You always have someone to talk to, even if the other person can’t really talk back. Ryan understands everything. “Only sometimes he doesn’t care what you’re... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2065375 Thu, 25 Dec 2008 19:12:26 +0100 2065375 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2065376&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fx5xmVSzx56U%2F Sometimes being Charlie’s mother just makes everything simple. For instance, since a quarter after noon on Tuesday when I walked out into the middle school hallway, Charlie leading the way, after a holiday party in his classroom (really just him and one other classmate and his mom and the four aides and Charlie’s teacher, as the other two boys had left early), I was focused on one thing and one thing only: Getting the three of us— Jim, Charlie, and me—and our stuff (and most of all, Charlie’s favorite things and the presents for my family) onto a 7.15am airplane at Newark Liberty Airport bound for San Francisco. While Jim worked on end-of-semester business in his office, Charlie and I did the usual things we do on a Tuesday afternoon, although it felt differen... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2065376 Thu, 25 Dec 2008 09:18:20 +0100 2065376 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2065377&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fit-o2E8AONc%2F The other day I read a review of a play by an Irish playwright, and was reminded of another of his plays and was relieved it was a bright morning of full sunshine and a strong wind pushing away the clouds, or I would have been spooked, as this other play (to me) was thoroughly terrifying in a Kafkaesque kind of way (but keep in mind, I can’t handle seeing horror movie). I was distracted by other things and then, before I knew it, I was running down the stairs to meet Charlie’s schoolbus, and watching him make his lunch, and helping him practice the cello, and then (even though it must have been the coldest day of the year) we went on our daily walk up and down the main boulevard of the condo development we live in. As it had been snowing on and off since Friday, there were medi... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2065377 Wed, 24 Dec 2008 18:05:14 +0100 2065377 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2061066&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fx251kywh-8g%2F Seems likes CNN is running a three-day series under the name of “Autism 911,” in which they’re focusing on a California family, the Bilsons, whose middle child, 13-year-old Marissa, is autistic and has tantrums that are “off the charts and seemingly unwarranted.” In “Supernanny” fashion, an autism consultant from an ABA provider, Autism Partnership, has been called in and, it seems, the CNN show will see if it’s possible to “[rein] in” Marissa’s behavior. Since she’s 13, I’m wondering if she’s entering, or isin the midst of, puberty? As noted, adolescence and the hormonal and other changes has made this school year—already challenging as Charlie started middle school—-even more, well, challengin... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2061066 Wed, 24 Dec 2008 06:09:00 +0100 2061066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2061068&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fw9dzy4maCiU%2F That’s how autism is referred to in a  story in yesterday’s Philadelphia Examiner about “assembling your medical team” including osteopathic physicians. There’s mention of finding “relief from autism” via homeopathic methods, and autism is discussed as if it were a disease like cancer—which autism is indeed not. And no, after 11-plus years raising my autistic son, no way do I feel that it’s been some “horror” I wish to run away from, or that I ever need “relief from autism.” Sure I do (as one new story today puts it) “worry about everything,” but, really, it’s all better with Charlie. Tags: asd, asperger syndrome, autism, blindness, cancer, Health, homeopathy, osteopathy, pdd-nos, quackery, Sci... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2061068 Tue, 23 Dec 2008 18:00:27 +0100 2061068 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2061069&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FTFCtm7qFf4s%2F Discussion continues about autism legislation, and is going to continue here in the US under a new administration. One piece of federal autism legislation that has been passed here is the 2006 Combating Autism Act (CAA), under which the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) was charged to create a Strategic Plan for research in autism spectrum disorders. (Regarding how the CAA was voted on and passed, and on its unfortunate name, go here.) Over the past year-plus, the IACC has been developing a draft of the Strategic Plan. This draft was reviewed at the IACC’s November 21st meeting and, as review of the plan was not completed, the IACC met again on December 12th to continue review of the draft Strategic Plan and, per the agenda, to discuss cost estimates. The IACC will be ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2061069 Tue, 23 Dec 2008 07:59:08 +0100 2061069 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2061070&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FYm9YlU9_soE%2F “Restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities”—-these are noted in one of the DSM-IV criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder. A study published in the December 10th Neuron has found that reducing the activity of the gene FKBP12 in the brains of mice affected their synapses, and increased obsessive behavior and “fearful memory.” As noted in today’s Science Daily: The protein FKBP12 regulates several important cell signaling pathways, and decreasing its activity enhances long-term potentiation in the hippocampus, said Dr. Susan Hamilton, chair of molecular physiology and biophysics at [Baylow College of Medicine] and a senior author of the report. (Long-term potentiation means the enhancement of the synapse or commu... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2061070 Tue, 23 Dec 2008 00:00:11 +0100 2061070 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2061071&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FLDZI5mHrqUU%2F It is down to the last days of 2008: If you can remember back to January, what do you think have been the top autism issues—the most important, notable, significant, event(s) concerning autism— this year? I’ve my own thoughts and would like to know yours……….please leave a note in the comments or you can email me at autismvox@gmail.com. Tags: 2008, asd, asperger syndrome, autism, lists, pdd-nos, Q & AShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2061071 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:34:09 +0100 2061071 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2061072&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F299Ecf6H2dw%2F On today’s Good Morning America, a story of giving and compassion—-something we could use more of, and not just at this time of year: When layoffs were announced at the Governor’s School of the Arts and Humanities in Greenville, S.C., Ralph Hanahan—a state employee for 20 years—voluntarily asked to “take the hit,” so his fellow worker, Mike Camp, could keep his job. Camp has four children aged 6 to 10, the youngest of whom has “severe autism”: The Camps already have dealt with the great stress brought on by the treatment and therapy for Aaron’s condition and, at times, their medicals bill are too much to bear. “Ralph [Hanahan] definitely had a soft spot in his heart for Aaron,” Lorrie Camp said. Her husband said, &#822... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2061072 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:39:04 +0100 2061072 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2056134&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FVlMp_Gb2gTo%2F Soon as December started, my students started asking me what we were getting Charlie for Christmas. I fumbled with an answer—what do you get for the child who doesn’t ask for anything?—and they seemed quite incredulous that he’d no desire for any electronic devices or a football jersey with X player’s last name emblazoned on it. I’ve been used to telling people that things are different with Charlie but, on further reflection, the thought occurred to me: Charlie, at 11 1/2, is getting closer and closer in age to my college-students. Certainly there’s more than a few similarities between him and the tall guys with really big sneakers or Timberlands with legs too long to fit in the desks and always fishing around in a beyond dog-eared notebook for th... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2056134 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 06:47:58 +0100 2056134 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2056135&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FJ0IxVrYoaWA%2F You could call 2008 a year of autism legislation, with bills proposed and (in Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas) passed for insurance coverage for children with autism (of varying ages; for instance, Texas’ House Bill 1919 calls for coverage for autistic children between two and six; efforts are being made to pass House Bill 451, to require certain insurance plans coverage to autistic individuals up to age 18). Via the National Council of State Legislatures, you can access the NCSL Autism Legislation Database, which provides information about legislation in different states. Autism Bulletin also has a map of autism legislation, and here are various posts I’ve written on legislation concerning autism and disabilities. Military famil... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2056135 Sun, 21 Dec 2008 20:30:20 +0100 2056135 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2056138&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FJKsbsRRDyLA%2F 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 who formerly worked for large companies but was forced into semi-retirement after suffering a stroke. “I’ve gone from being the geek to being his driver,” joked... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2056138 Sat, 20 Dec 2008 23:34:36 +0100 2056138 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2056139&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FJwOdrLqZslQ%2F Plans to construct a new 27,000 school for autistic children in Milford, Connecticut, have been put on hold after Planning and Zoning Board members questioned the design and material of the proposed school, today’s New Haven Register reports: PZB Chairwoman Jean Cervin said the board specifically did not like the “rectangular box” appearance of the proposed school, and the metal roof. She also said the playscape is proposed for the front yard, and some members felt it was too close to the road, and should be placed at the rear of the site. Cervin said PZB members do not object to the proposed 30,000-square-foot school, which includes a gymnasium. “They do a very necessary piece of education for autistic children,” Cervin said. Suzanne Letso, co-founder and chief executive off... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2056139 Sat, 20 Dec 2008 18:52:16 +0100 2056139 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2052839&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FccVGdnlzW9A%2F We do not, as I’ve noted from time to time, have a TV set—a fact which, when I happened to mention it to my students a while back, completely shocked them. “What do you do?” they sputtered. The class was my Elementary Latin class and it was one of those “teachable moments” when I could have launched into a discussion about “how did the Romans spend their free time” and “what about those giadiator fights.” It was the week before exams and we had so much to review and so I let the moment past, and got back to the fourth conjugation of verbs. Apparently I’d made an impression on my students, as they brought up the not-having-a-tv business a couple of times (mostly, I suspect, to avoid having to think about that inevitable entit... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2052839 Sat, 20 Dec 2008 08:23:07 +0100 2052839 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2052840&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F3ewwARh2ST4%2F The Florida legislature has declared the first half of October as Disability History and Awareness Weeks, today’s West Volusia Beacon notes. Indeed, the legislature is said to be “trying to change the negative image, perception and treatment of people with disabilities.” The article highlights programs for disabled students throughout the county, such as Deltona High School’s Multi-VE program. VE stands for varying exceptionalities. Multi-VE students’ disabilities and challenges include hearing or language impairments, mental handicaps, emotional and behavioral disorders, multiple physical handicaps and disorders all across the autism spectrum. Located in Building Z on the 92-acre campus, Deltona High School’s Multi-VE program serves more than 50 students, ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2052840 Sat, 20 Dec 2008 01:51:37 +0100 2052840 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2052841&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FpxZzVZ4JjYc%2F An Arizona man, Raymond G. Parenteau, was arrested on Wednesday on the charges of allegedly defrauding the Prescott Unified School District of almost $20,000, today’s Daily Courier reports. Parenteau had contracted with the school district for $55 an hour to homeschool his 12-year-old autistic son; he is alleged to have hired a certified special education instructor to work with his son for $25 an hour, and to have kept $30 for himself: During a nine-month period starting in January 2007, Parenteau allegedly charged the school district $36,258. He paid the special education assistant only $16,262 of the money he received from PUSD. Parenteau also allegedly billed the school district for hours not used for teaching his son and created false invoices. Says Parenteau, who has also advoc... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2052841 Fri, 19 Dec 2008 20:45:52 +0100 2052841 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2052842&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FJnbYZ4hzXt4%2F So the December 17th New York Times refers to the DSM, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, now in its fifth revision. Will Asperger Syndrome and “high-functioning autism” be merged? Will sensory processing disorder enter the DSM? The revision, it’s noted, “will have consequences for insurance reimbursement, research and individuals’ psychological identity for years to come,” and, too, for our cultural understanding of what “autism” is. Perhaps it’d be more accurate to call the DSm (whatever revision), the book of being human, all too human. Tags: asd, asperger syndrome, autism, book, Diagnosis, dsm-iv, dsm-v, human, new york times, pdd-nos, Psychiatry, PsychologyShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2052842 Fri, 19 Dec 2008 17:15:25 +0100 2052842 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2052843&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F7p89AgRLPnY%2F I can’t prove it right now, but I’m more and more thinking that Charlie may well have perfect pitch. Though without a piano or cello teacher (I’ve followed a few leads, but with no luck, yet), Charlie has still been practicing, and has often asked to “play cello” in the later afternoon, before he and I go on our usual walk. Last week, after I took the cello out of its case, a few strums on the strings revealed that it was really out tune. As in, really, the D way way too low, the G unidentifiable, the C low, and loose. With Charlie saying “play cello,” “play cello,” I turned the pegs, just a bit, but with the memory of how I once broke a string on my viola still fresh, I was very hesitant. Charlie kept asking to play and so I brought th... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2052843 Fri, 19 Dec 2008 07:00:12 +0100 2052843 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2052844&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FBl61jJRNTPs%2F It’s said to be something that parents of children with developmental disabilities experience. An article by Amy Basking and Heather Fawcett coins the terms “Empty Nest Envy,” as noted in today’s Orangeville Banner: While most parents can look forward to children spreading their own wings, there are some who look to the future with trepidation and uncertainty. Not just for themselves, but more importantly for their adult children who have developmental disabilities. These parents, when their children graduate from high school, suddenly find themselves supporting their adult child full-time. The reality for these parents can be daunting. In the article, the authors talk about how for one family their 28-year-old son remains with them. Despite thinking that he would b... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2052844 Fri, 19 Dec 2008 01:43:57 +0100 2052844 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2052845&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FXN79_1e93gk%2F Very sad and sobering news to hear in this holiday season: On March 17th, 5-year-old Lily Breen swallowed a balloon and was found unconscious by her parents in their home in Desborough, Northants. As reported in today’s Telegraph, the death of Lily, who was autistic, has been ruled an accident. Lily’s mother, Angela, a registered nurse, tried to resuscitate her daughter before rushing her to the hospital, where she died. The inquest heard Lily was very tactile and liked to play with things, and had a high pain threshold, often touching hot radiators with her hand or tongue. Mrs Breen said she had found Lily with the balloon earlier that day and had thought to dispose of it as it was a risk, but had not got round to doing it, and had not noticed it again that day. In her stateme... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2052845 Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:38:55 +0100 2052845 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2052846&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FXbfiuGrc-08%2F The Women’s Rights blog over at Change.org has a post about the Top 10 Moments of Feminism in 2008. The selection of Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska, as Senator John McCain’s running mate sparked (I guess that’s an understatement) lots of discussion in general, and certainly in the autism and disability community, and in particular regarding Palin’s baby son Trig, who has Down Syndrome. Would you consider the choice of Sarah Palin, special needs mother, as a Top 10 Moment in the annals of special needs families in 2008? Tags: alaska, asd, asperger syndrome, autism, change, children, disability, down syndrome, Family, feminism, Health, john mccain, sarah palin, women's rightsShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2052846 Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:00:46 +0100 2052846 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2046915&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FDN0Djg95KF0%2F So yesterday I wrote “what comes around, comes around.” Siliconmom commented about this sentence, the last one in the post: Is that one of the stages of being an autistic parent - that at some point you realize and accept that life is what it is? For me, I would say, yes, very much, and that, too, hope starts with acceptance. Charlie was around 5 years old when I let go of feeling I had to save him from, and fight against, and do the warrior mom thing. I’m not saying I don’t have moments when a shadow of the old “fightin’ spirit” passes through me (pre-IEP meeting, for instance, or when you get The Stare-’n'-Shakes-Head Combo in the supermarket). Being Charlie’s mom is not about doing everything I can to “take the autism out of hi... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2046915 Thu, 18 Dec 2008 06:36:35 +0100 2046915 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2046916&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FhaC9uTz-zfE%2F With legislation for insurance for “autism treatment” under consideration around the country (in Virginia, in Florida, in Illinois), a question: The “treatment” called for is principally in the form of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). What other treatments might you wish to see covered and how might they be justified as the sort of treatment and therapy that health insurance must provide for? Tags: ABA, asd, asperger syndrome, autism, florida, illinois, Insurance, pdd-nos, virgniaShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2046916 Thu, 18 Dec 2008 02:24:31 +0100 2046916 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2046917&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FbIsqSGMhVes%2F Ping, ping, ping. There’s nothing quite like it—those rhythmic twirpings that say, “The food is microwaved.” Charlie having become quite proficient at making his own afterschool snacks thanks to this modern technological innovation (and the phenomenon of frozen food), it’s a sound heard often at out place around 3pm, every weekday. Imagine the response to hearing 49 microwaves set to play Jingle Bells—-now that’s some holiday cheer. Tags: asd, asperger syndrome, autism, christmas, frozen food, geekery, gizmo, Holidays, jingle bells, microwave, pdd-nos, snack, TechnologyShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2046917 Wed, 17 Dec 2008 23:00:09 +0100 2046917 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2046918&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FTQl7IZaJLPw%2F First, huge applause for Bonnie Sayers for organizing, garnering prizes, managing Autism Twitter Day. Did you tweet? (I did, though not as much as I would have wanted to—-a thing called giving exams, and grading exams, and end of semester business…….) What did you think? Do it again? Tags: asd, asperger syndrome, autism, autism spectrum disorder, community, prizes, twitter, weblogShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2046918 Wed, 17 Dec 2008 21:00:08 +0100 2046918 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2046919&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FwtRsfmIuHCw%2F A St. Paul family is suing after the school district decided to bar Newman, their son’s service dog, from his public school, Como Park Elementary. Newman, a Golden Retriever, is connected to 8-year-old Wally LaBerge throughout the day via a harness, yesterday’s WCCO notes. While service dogs have been more and more widely used to assist autistic children, there’s been more than a little disagreement about their presence in public places, from schools to airplanes to apartments. It’s noted that the dogs are calming and help to allay anxieties: Until it’s widely understood how much a service dog can help an autistic child, they’ll be more of these sorts of disputes, and more anxiety, and antagonism. And not enough learning on either side. Tags: Animals, as... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2046919 Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:07:51 +0100 2046919 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2040114&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FqbnMn_jsLEI%2F This study, along with another noted on Monday about paternal age and children’s health, is focusing on how parents’ behaviors and decision (taking certain medications, having a child when one is older) can possibly have an impact on a child being autistic or not; on a child being “healthy” or not—-I’ll end by noting that I, and some other friends who have autistic children, followed all the recommendations about “how to have a healthy pregnancy” exactingly, and our husbands were younger than 40. What comes around, comes around. Tags: asd, asperger syndrome, autism, Baby, children, pdd-nos, pregnancy, schizophrenia, softenonShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2040114 Wed, 17 Dec 2008 07:39:34 +0100 2040114 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2040115&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F0mNa4v_a0hI%2F Today Easter Seals is unveiling the results of its Living with Autism Study. The study was done in cooperation with the Autism Society of America. 1,652 parents of children who have autism and 917 parents of typically developing children were surveyed about daily life, relationships, independence, education, housing, employment, finances and healthcare. The results are summarized on the Easter Seals blog: The Easter Seals Living with Autism Study results reveal parents raising children with autism are very concerned about the future independence of their children. In fact, they’re far more concerned than parents of typically developing children — nearly 80 percent say they’re extremely or very concerned about their children’s independence as an adult, compared to only 32 percent of... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2040115 Tue, 16 Dec 2008 22:22:49 +0100 2040115 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2040116&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FAFWB42Dnwvo%2F Arne Duncan, the superintendent of the Chicago school system, has been chosen as the new Secretary of Education by President-Elect Barack Obama, as noted yesterday in EdWeek and on the New York Times’ The Caucus blog. From EdWeek: As Chicago schools CEO, Duncan tapped a panel to craft curriculum-based assessments to guide teaching, bolstered spending on anti-violence prevention measures, and tested out a program allowing teachers to evaluate one another. Duncan supports the basic framework of the No Child Left Behind Act. In testimony before a congressional committee in 2006, he called on lawmakers to “maintain the law’s high expectations and accountability” but to amend the law “to give schools, districts, and states the maximum amount of flexibility possible... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2040116 Tue, 16 Dec 2008 17:29:37 +0100 2040116 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2040117&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FwDPuBSUJEMI%2F Yes, it’s today, Tuesday, Dec 16th  – 9AM, 12:30 PM and 8 PM (Pacific Standard Time). Autism Twitter Day is open to Twitter members, specifically those who are members of the autism community, whether you’re a parent, sibling or relative, and too those on the spectrum. Prizes will be given out, most geared to children and young adults with autism or Asperger syndrome; lots more information about the day is here. The hashtag to be used for autism twitter day is #ASD. So, if you post a tweet today on the topic of autism / positive autism awareness, please use the hashtag, either in front or at end of the tweet. You can open up a window at www.summize.com and input #ASD to follow along with the conversation at the specified times; conversations may well run longer than one hour... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2040117 Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:48:13 +0100 2040117 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2040118&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F7QBg4H8cu4U%2F While I’m contemplating where to locate twinkling bike lights and as it’s the holiday season, I thought I’d make a confession: Charlie’s never sat on Santa Claus’s lap. We have tried, when he was much younger and we found ourselves in a mall in New Jersey, the land of malls and mallrats. Or maybe we had gone to the mall that day for that sole purpose. Something about “mall air” and the deliberately smiling velvet-clad elves/Santa’s helpers, and the line of overly excited, bored, or wandering about children, led Jim to say, quite wisely: “Let’s get out of here.” We never really brought up the matter after that. Charlie was around 4 or 5 then and he wasn’t too inclined to sit on anyone’s lap for too long, and we wo... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2040118 Tue, 16 Dec 2008 06:48:34 +0100 2040118 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2040119&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FIY_IiAIUdGM%2F There’s been studies about older parents, both fathers and mothers, being more “at risk” of having an autistic child, and especially if it’s their first-born child—-now, a study published in Oxford University’s Schizophrenia Journal is suggesting that being a younger dad means you’ll have healthier children. From today’s Science Daily: “There is a growing body of data showing that an advanced age of parents puts their kids at risk for various illnesses,” says Dr. [Mark Weiser from Tel Aviv University’s Sackler School of Medicine]. “Some illnesses, such as schizophrenia, appear to be more common the older parents get. Doctors and psychologists are fascinated by this, but don’t really understand it. We want to know how it works.” To... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2040119 Tue, 16 Dec 2008 01:33:13 +0100 2040119 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2040120&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FqyPMQQEcbQQ%2F ‘Tis the holiday season and I have pretty much finished shopping for everyone on our list, from relatives to my sister to multiple cousins, office staff, the letter carrier, Charlie’s teacher and aides, Jim—-and I’m down to one last person. Charlie. What do you get for the boy who doesn’t seem to want anything? Today’s Chicago Tribune captures this dilemma: Parents struggle with whether to oblige the child who desires nothing more than church directories, word puzzles, spinning toys or even cleaning supplies—all real examples from youngsters’ wish lists. Friends might see the child’s exotic interests as humorous or cute. But the youngster’s family recognizes that the obsession represents their child’s special need for a coping t... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2040120 Mon, 15 Dec 2008 21:31:48 +0100 2040120 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2040121&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F3ESPTdPo7yg%2F 16 months ago, Olivia Agbonlahor and her 7-year-old twins, Great and Melissa, were deported from Clonakilty, County Cork, in Ireland, to Nigeria. Great is autistic and, as reported in the Irish Indepedent, he is considered “wicked” and “possessed by voodoo” in Africa. Great’s autism is simply not recognised due to the common stigma in Africa against autism. “I have to do my best, but it is not easy,” said Olivia. “His behaviour is getting worse every day — that is the problem. He cannot play with other children. People ask ‘what is wrong with this boy’ all the time,” she said from her home in Ghana. While the teachers that helped the family when they lived in Clonakilty and Killarney have sent over computer learning ai... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2040121 Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:22:15 +0100 2040121 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2035853&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FK2fLwbKGN0w%2F My son Charlie is, as I’ve noted here, 11 1/2 years old. He’s been attending middle school since September and it hasn’t been easy, and we’ve started to get the feeling that it’s not going to get easier. Charlie is in a self-contained classroom, located in a large middle school in our school district. There are three other boys—all older than him by a year or two, and all shorter than him—a teacher, and four aides in the room. He starts the day with Adapted Physical Education (APE) around 8.30am) and has speech therapy briefly with a speech therapist most days of the week. An occupational therapist sets up programs on specific skills, like writing and washing his face, that he works on throughout the day. He has a really good teacher and behavior c... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2035853 Mon, 15 Dec 2008 07:03:48 +0100 2035853 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2035854&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F6a5FhWI7D8M%2F So says 15-year-old Roderick Robertson, who takes care of his younger brother, Tim, every day. Tim has autism and his older brother is his regular caretaker, today’s Courier-Mail reports: Roderick, who also lives with his stepfather, two stepsisters and stepbrother, describes home life as “hectic” but says it with a smile. There are times when he misses out on social outings with friends because he looks after Tim and school holidays aren’t always as fun and carefree as they are for many of his peers. “I have a roster of when I need to be at home to look after Tim over the school holidays,” he says. “I take him to the park, muck around with him - that sort of thing.” Sounds like how I spend many any afternoon with Charlie, and many moments th... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2035854 Mon, 15 Dec 2008 01:05:45 +0100 2035854 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2035855&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F7CpE78ha8Ms%2F Sports “tap into an autistic person’s basic needs for social and physical interaction and participation in purpose-driven tasks,” according to Chantal Sicile-Kira, whose autistic son is an adult and who’s written three books on autism. Sicile-Kira is quoted in an article in today’s Orange County Register about the first school-district sponsored sports league for autistic children. The league was started by Kathy Murphy, a speech language pathologist at Harbor View Elementary in Newport Beach; soccer, T-ball, and track are offered. No one keeps score and, during a soccer game, “……everybody, no matter what team they were aligned with, cheered when a player found the back of the net.” My son Charlie’s been in Challenger league t-bal... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2035855 Sun, 14 Dec 2008 22:04:29 +0100 2035855 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2035856&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fnq3q-zLkyuk%2F The terrible two’s are really just another name for “regressive autism spectrum disorder”?????—-so suggests a professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Temple University. From yesterday’s UPI.com: Gerry A. Stefanatos of Temple University in Philadelphia said regressive autistic spectrum disorder describes children who have been diagnosed with autism who demonstrate a history of a regression. The regression refers to a marked loss of previously acquired developmental skills such as language or social ability. “Often children with regression aren’t being seen by professionals at the time of the loss of skills,” Stefanatos said in a statement. “The parents are aware of a problem, but not sure what it is so they don’t seek ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2035856 Sun, 14 Dec 2008 18:00:36 +0100 2035856 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2035857&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FJ9vZGdd_fzg%2F As in, school closures and budget cuts to programs for autistic children. In Brooklyn, a nationally recognized program for speech and language delayed children, The Little Room, will either be moved from its location in the Brooklyn Heights Montessori School or closed, according to the December 13th New York Times. The Little Room, which has been in operation since 1970, is “one of the most popular and best regarded [preschools for special education students], not just for those enrolled but for dozens of other families who receive evaluations and support services at the school.” Among the factors being cited as reasons for moving or closing The Little Room are the costs incurred from maintaining a small class size (The Little Room’s classes are capped at nine students) a... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2035857 Sun, 14 Dec 2008 07:45:18 +0100 2035857 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2035858&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fv3UB4FiJwVA%2F In the midst of talk of diagnosis and disability rights, of treatments and of what’s an appropriate education for an autistic student, we took a hands-free cold walk last weekend to see the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Plaza, and passed a wall of snowflakes too. Age of Diagnosis and the Apparent Increase in Autism A study in the December Archives of Pediatrics and General Medicine examines autism prevalence trends over time in Denmark and states that “the apparent increase in autism in recent years is in part attributable to a decrease over time in the age at diagnosis. Recovery Distracts How the notion of “recovery from autism” colors—not for the better— parents’ decisions about “treatments” and “therapies” for autism, and also on the popular percept... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2035858 Sun, 14 Dec 2008 02:36:32 +0100 2035858 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2035859&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F-WtfDf89Z3U%2F A potentially double-good plan involves (1) preserving one of the last strips of undeveloped land within Dubuque’s city limits and (2) creating a residential facility with an on-site farm for autistic adults: Today’s THOnline tells more about an effort to preserve green space and provide a place to live, and to work, for autistic adults. $985,000 has to be raised to purchase the property and the whole project could cost some $2million, so there’s a lot more to do. Says Craig Beytien, whose autistic son is 15 years old, “‘We’ve got the passion and some ability, but does the economic model support it?’”Goes without saying—hoping that it can, and will.  Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, disabilities blog, disability, dubuque, Educ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2035859 Sun, 14 Dec 2008 00:00:30 +0100 2035859 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2035860&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FftHoVlF9GxE%2F Children with autism and other disabilities, and more of them, are “actually getting arrested for having tantrums at school,” Minnesota’s WCCO reports. 13-year-old Dakota Jacobson was charged with a felony after he was found carrying a pocket knife in his coat: [Dakota] didn’t threaten anyone, but bringing any kind of weapon to school is a felony in Minnesota. While most kids understand why you wouldn’t want to do that, Dakota did not. “He’s 13 and he’s autistic,” explained his mother [Kathryn Jacobson]. Children with autism can have trouble understanding rules. His mom says he was just trying to be like his dad, Brian. “Brian is on the volunteer fire department, carries a knife hooked up to his belt, so he kind of likes to emulat... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2035860 Sat, 13 Dec 2008 18:36:19 +0100 2035860 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2033258&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F43dWxgLWU5o%2F Earlier this week, mega-autism-organization Autism Speaks announced the appointment of three new board members, Artie Kempner, lead director for the NFL and NASCAR on FOX; Billy Mann, President of International A & R - Labels and President of Global Artist Management, EMI Music; and Jack Schneider, managing director of Allen & Co.. Kempner and Mann are both fathers of autistic children. It’s been noted (by Lisa Jo Rudy at About.com) that the new board members include no one who’s autistic. With the rise of self-advocacy organizations like ASAN, and also GRASP and many others, the absence of an autistic member on Autism Speaks’ board seems more and more puzzling. The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee lists Stephen Shore, a self-advocate, on its roster, and ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2033258 Sat, 13 Dec 2008 07:51:20 +0100 2033258 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2033259&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F73blwjze_fA%2F Autism a factor in swallowing magnets, is the headline for a story in UPI today. The actual reference to autism in the news story does not make such a clear link about autistic individuals and magnets: U.S. researchers said a child’s medical or psychological status — such as autism — was a factor linked to swallowed magnets. “Not all children will be inclined to swallow magnets, but if a particular child displays tendencies to eat or swallow inappropriate objects, flags should be raised and special attention should be paid to ensuring that toys do not contain any type of magnetic components,” study author Dr. Alan Oestreich of the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center say in a statement. A study in Pediatric Radiology is cited and it’s note... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2033259 Sat, 13 Dec 2008 01:39:12 +0100 2033259 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2033260&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FZsTTvmqgD64%2F In her Domestic Disturbances column today, Judith Warner writes about “emotional enmeshment,” which she defines as “the boundary collapsing” that, she thinks, is the “signature characteristic of motherhood (and parenthood) in our time.” Warner scrutinizes her relationship with her two daughters, aged 11 and 8. While she notes that she’s sought to establish boundaries between herself and them: I despised the cliché “you can only be as happy as your least happy child.” What drivel this was, I thought. What self-indulgence. Wasn’t it a parent’s responsibility to remain whole in the face of a child’s unhappiness, the better to buoy him or her through difficult times? As the years passed, I refused to be a good Suzuki mother and sit in on my ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2033260 Fri, 12 Dec 2008 21:00:15 +0100 2033260 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2033261&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F-l3FWYBuQ98%2F Back in August of 2007, University of Georgia mathematics professor Shuzhou Wang was charged with making terroristic threats at Cedar Shoals High School during a parent-teacher conference for one of his children; Wang is the father of two autistic children. As reported in the Athens Banner-Herald, a grand jury did not indict Wang, noting that he did not intend to terrorize anyone: At least one school official felt threatened by his remarks, according to the indictment prosecutors presented. Wang “did threaten to commit a crime of violence with the purpose of terrorizing (the official) by threatening to kill people in the county,” the court document states. The professor and his wife struggle to raise two children with autism, and he was frustrated during the meeting and said th... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2033261 Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:00:59 +0100 2033261 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2033262&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fmrd9ldllxJQ%2F The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) is meeting today from 9am to 4pm, at the National Institutes of Health Neuroscience Center, Conference Room A (6001 Executive Boulevard, Rockville, MD 20892). You can listen in virtually via a webinar: Use this link: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/446892042 Or, you can attend via conference call at these numbers: USA/Canada Phone Number: 888-455-2920 International Phone Number: 212-287-1838 Access code: 3857872 The agenda for today’s meeting is to complete the review of the IACC Strategic Plan for ASD Research Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan addressed six questions: 1) When should I be concerned? • What are the early warnings signs? • Are there typical characteristics that are part of an ASD diagnosis? • How much v... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2033262 Fri, 12 Dec 2008 07:36:47 +0100 2033262 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2033263&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FRj1cEpmQOdo%2F A review of special needs education in the UK has found that “parents feel the system is not on their side,” today’s BBC reports: [Inquiry chairman] Brian Lamb wrote: “A major concern for parents is the lack of transparency and lack of information about school and local authority SEN policies”. And he said no-one discussed with parents what their hopes and aspirations were for their children. I suspect the situation is not so different for parents in the US…… Tags: arizona, asd, asperger, autism blog, bbc, disabilities blog, disability, education autism, Health, parenthood, special education, special needsShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2033263 Fri, 12 Dec 2008 01:00:14 +0100 2033263 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2033264&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FarDyYzTlSrY%2F Life 101: That’s how the University of Arizona’s Chapel Haven West program is referred to in a story on yesterday’s ABC News. The program helps young adults with autism learn “to live independent and productive lives.” “Just friendships, job interviews, actually filling out resumes and bringing them to a job, having a roommate,” said Betsey Parlato, president of Chapel Haven. “These are all things that you and I take for granted, but for someone with autism it’s a monumental challenge.” In a social skills class, University of Arizona teaching assistants show the students the “hidden rules” that help them navigate their surroundings and interpret changing social cues. “Not to stare inappropriately and that kind of... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2033264 Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:06:47 +0100 2033264 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2033265&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FfbXMZNloCH8%2F An editorial in today’s Palm Beach Post reports that Alex Barton’s mother is hopeful that a request for private schooling will be settled soon. A “bigger problem” is also noted: The bigger problem, as public schools have to deal with more problems with less money, will be seeing that all children get the testing and help that they need - without wasting a lot of time. If Alex had received help more quickly, the Survivor scandal might never have happened. If training about autism and special needs kids in the classroom had been provided……… if there’d been more and real understanding of what it’s really like to have Asperger’s Syndrome……. if…………… Tags: alex barton, asd, asperger, autism, aut... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2033265 Thu, 11 Dec 2008 17:11:18 +0100 2033265 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2027193&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FJZqMcLgGO5I%2F Thanks to all who sent the kind birthday regards. My birthday coincided with the last day of classes at my college and the morning was packed with review sessions prior to exams and a couple of phone calls about matters that needed to be figured out by today (meaning Wednesday, i.e., yesterday) and some missing files of a rather important nature. (Two found, one still missing.) At 11am a student came in to talk about her graduate school applications; she had a bag lined in red tissue paper (a little soggy from the rain) and gave it to me. Inside was a hardcover version of my Latin textbook. Since I first taught my student Elementary Latin four years ago, I’ve been through three or four paperback versions of the book. The cover inevitably gets ripped off and the book’s spine spl... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2027193 Thu, 11 Dec 2008 07:46:08 +0100 2027193 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2027194&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FKYZXtFhvO64%2F All That Noise Is Damaging Children’s Hearing, said an article in yesterday’s New York Times—noise from headphones, video games, computers, TVs, “power mowers, leaf blowers, snow blowers, car and house alarms, sirens, motorcycles, Jet Skis, loudspeakers, even movie previews,” not to mention music from weddings, parties, rock concerts…………………. All of which falls rather ironically on my ears since the only reason Charlie is wearing headphones is because he’s become so sound-sensitive and needs to block out noise…………………. Tags: alarms, arizona, asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, cars, disabilities blog, disability, Education, headpones, Health, hearing, hearing loss, lawnmowers, ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2027194 Thu, 11 Dec 2008 02:19:02 +0100 2027194 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2027195&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FpQubl1wZPHo%2F 12-year-old Joshua Wilson has made it all the way to the base camp of Mt. Everest, the highest mountain in the world, today’s Bournemouth Echo reports. Wilson, who’s autistic, is believed to be the youngest ever to trek that far. Talk about climbing every mountain………. Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, base camp, bournemouth, climbing, disabilities blog, disability, Education, Health, mt everest, nepal, parenthood, special needsShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2027195 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 23:15:52 +0100 2027195 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2027196&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F1tKB_p7qnzI%2F Washington’s first private school specifically for autistic children, Wintros Academy, closed its doors last Friday, according to yesterday’s Whidbey News Time Reporter: Founders of the academy say local school districts are partly to blame after months of failed talks with special education departments. It’s a problem a spokesperson with the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) called “common.” In order for Wintros to receive state funding, it first needed sponsorship by a school district to be certified as a non-public agency, instead of a private school. But no Whidbey school district would sign on. “A district would need to extend their liability to the school, which is where problems can start,” Doug Gill of OSPI said. Wintros Academy h... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2027196 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 18:00:20 +0100 2027196 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2027197&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fn1WgatgCdvs%2F I grow old … I grow old … I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled. I write fairly frequently here about Charlie growing up. Of course, he’s not the only one around here getting older: It’s my birthday today, and I’m 40. Fout-ohmygod, as one my mom-blog-friend puts it. Like the narrator in T.S. Eliot’s poem, I grow old, I do grow old, and I actually do roll the bottoms of my trousers (ok, pants), because I’m too lazy to get out a needle and thread and hem them. My mother did teach me to hem, years ago, and it really is years ago, due to this birthday thing. She taught us the basics; I think my first “creation” was a pocket made of fabric from the scraps of the Halloween costumes and jumpers and curtains and pillows she used to mak... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2027197 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 07:08:38 +0100 2027197 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2027198&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FmNvwhs2L-t8%2F On October 12, while presiding as the honorary chair for an Autism Speaks walk on the campus of Ohio State University, President Gordon Gee made remarks including the statement that “‘It [autism] should not exist.’” Melanie Yergeau, a 2nd-year Ph.D. student in English, wrote this letter, which is posted on the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network blog. As Yergeau, who notes that she has Asperger’s Syndrome, writes: Until very recently, I have felt incredibly welcome at Ohio State—due to the interdisciplinary work of the Disability Studies Program and the Department of English, the Office of Disability Services, and the programs for high-functioning/Asperger’s adults at the Nisonger Center. I would urge you, as you continue in your autism advocacy, to consider wh... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2027198 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 02:30:50 +0100 2027198 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2027199&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FMPYmCT5kYLs%2F Charlie’s bus ride home from school seems to take some 15 minutes, hence my daily rush from work to get to home. The December 8th Newsday reports that more than 1000 special needs children are”sent off Long Island for education and sometimes housing, costing schools and the state millions of dollars.” Two New York state lawmakers and parents are calling on education officials to change regulations that currently limit how many children can be educated at “special sites” on Long Island. How far does your child—or do you—travel to school? (Not, it’s hoped, two hours.) Tags: arizona, asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, disabilities blog, disability, Education, Health, long island, new york, parenthood, Schoolbus, special needsShare This (Source:... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2027199 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:54:13 +0100 2027199 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2027200&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FiL1ipKgmG44%2F Experimental drugs that are said to “correct” symptoms of Fragile X, Rett Syndrome, and tuberous sclerosis complex are now in early-stage human trials, the MIT Technology Review reports. The drugs reduce the activity of a receptor called metabotropic glutamate receptor 5, or mGluR5, and have previously been tested on mice, as reported in the June 25-29 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. From the MIT Technology Review: People with fragile X, the most common form of heritable mental retardation and a leading cause of autism, have a mutation in the FMRP gene, which normally inhibits protein synthesis stimulated by a receptor called metabotropic glutamate receptor 5, or mGluR5. Last year, [lead researcher and MIT neuroscientist Mark Bear] and Gul Dolen, al... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2027200 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:59:01 +0100 2027200 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2027201&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FKfyGG7tbK7Q%2F One of my students is writing her senior thesis on environmental psychology and classrooms for special needs students. This is the fourth year I’ve known her; she’s an education major and has a special needs sibling, and I’ve long shared stories with her about Charlie and found her a sympathetic and supportive presence. Early yesterday afternoon, she stopped by my office and she asked me a series of questions, as research for her thesis, and I’ve been reflecting on her questions and my answers to them. What do you worry most about for Charlie? I’m afraid this one was too easy to answer: A job and a place to live, I said. And paused. I said: What happens to Charlie when we’re gone……. The other questions evoked less overtly existential sorts of... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2027201 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 10:05:26 +0100 2027201 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2021577&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FhAHohdak74s%2F A 5-year-old Arizona boy was bound at his hands and feet with duct tape by his father, as reported in today’s AZFamily.com. Jasper Smalley has been diagnosed with “Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Bi-polar Disorder and Asperger’s Syndrome.” Here’s what allegedly occurred: [Jasper’s mother, April Smalley] says one day her ex-husband found out Jasper was caught hitting other children at daycare. “He called me after he had taped him up and told me he had duct-taped our son. I asked him to remove the tape immediately, and he said he wouldn’t. He said he was being punished.” It was a punishment that made its mark in Jasper who was bound at his wrists and ankles. April explains, “There were red abrasions on his wrists. It looked almost like where the tap... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2021577 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 03:04:35 +0100 2021577 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2021578&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fq7WzIwVwu68%2F Those with savant syndrome have “quite remarkable, and sometimes spectacular, talents”—such as being able to recite prime number after prime number or to draw the city of Rome with photographic precision—while also having “serious mental or physical disability” (according to one website). Garrett Heaney in Wishtank describes an exchange two individuals who have been diagnosed with savant syndrome, Kim Peek (the model for Raymond in the movie Rain Man, though Raymond is referred to as “autistic” and as an “autistic savant”) and Daniel Tammet, the author of Born on a Blue Day). In particular, Heaney considers this exchange of words between Peek and Tammet: Towards the end of their first encounter, Kim hugs Daniel and says to him “... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2021578 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 00:35:49 +0100 2021578 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2021579&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FDWbLLJ5vfJc%2F Four years ago, Larry and Judy Vardon’s house was extensively remodeled thanks to ABC-TV’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, in part to accommodate their blind, autistic now-16-year-old son, Lance. Now the family faces the loss of the house: The family’s mortgage payment has almost doubled since the makeover and their medical insurance does not cover medical, dental, and other therapies for Lance. Both Larry and Judy Vardon are deaf and the renovations included the installation of cameras and flat-screen monitors for them to monitor their son. As reported in today’s Associated Press via MLive: Adding to their insecurity, Larry Vardon, 50, works at Chrysler LLC’s Sterling Heights stamping plant. The company is on the brink of bankruptcy as it and the other Detroi... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2021579 Mon, 08 Dec 2008 20:35:46 +0100 2021579 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2021580&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FcOAoIKZVBG0%2F In the December 8th Bangalore Times, the need to research ayurvedic treatment for autism is noted: For children identified with autism spectrum disorders, ayurveda has a range of internal medications and external treatments that are done for an average of 21 days and repeated periodically. These contribute significantly to improved social interaction, improved eye-to-eye contact, reduced hyperactivity, improved communication and also improvement in metabolism and other associated complaints….. Many ayurvedic medicines can contain dangerous quantities of heavy metals, including lead, mercury, thallium and arsenic, a recent study in the International Journal of Environment and Health reported. Be careful what you “treat” autism with. Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2021580 Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:49:00 +0100 2021580 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2021581&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FTop1OO0F-ks%2F A couple of years ago, I stopped holding Charlie’s hand on our regular walks around the neighborhood. He was starting to let go more and more, to pull away when he wanted to walk on the grass or stop to examine a crack in the pavement. At first, this seemed like not the best turn of events. How was I to stop Charlie when we came to an intersection? What if he started running away? At first, I made a point of walking reallyclose and our walks were a bit nerve-wracking, for me at least. And I realized that, for me, the first thing I had to work on was my nerves: I had to stay calm and carry on. Charlie doesn’t talk a lot (in words, that is) but he certainly understands a great, great deal of what he hears, and picks up a lot of non-verbal communication; it’s long been evide... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2021581 Mon, 08 Dec 2008 07:17:55 +0100 2021581 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2021582&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FGibKCKi-MJE%2F Eureka! A possible stocking stuffer that combines sensory input with one of Charlie’s preferred foods—edamame—and can be attached to the D-ring on his bookbag and readily squeezed when the noise on the schoolbus gets, well, noisy: Asovision Edamame If that seems a little weird (and the price is kinda steep—equivalent to buying a couple of bags of frozen edamame), there’s always virtual bubble wrap. Tags: asd, asperger, audit, autism, autism blog, bubble wrap, disability, edamame disabilities blog, Education, gadgets, gizmos, Health, parenthood, special needs, ToysShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2021582 Mon, 08 Dec 2008 02:12:23 +0100 2021582 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2021583&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FhbCmjK5tZqQ%2F This is the last week of classes at the college where I teach; after finals, spring semester does not start till mid-January. It’ll be good not to have to rush around so much and to work more around home, and, certainly, not to have to hurry home on the highway to meet Charlie’s schoolbus. It does occur to me that, if I didn’t work, I could spare us a certain amount of anxiety: What to do when Charlie is sick? What to do if there’s an early morning meeting to attend or one in the later afternoon? What I do at work—-teaching Latin and ancient Greek and some administrative and advising duties—has little (obvious) relevance to what Charlie is learning and to what he needs. Some years ago, I thought seriously about becoming an autism teacher, so I’d be... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2021583 Sun, 07 Dec 2008 21:57:26 +0100 2021583 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2021584&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FfTz9KniIb6s%2F , also known as the Kennedy-Brownback bill, authorizes the use of federal funds to train doctors to inform parents about Down syndrome or other prenatally and postnatally diagnosed conditions with up-to-date information on child development and life expectancy. If funded at the recommended $25 million over five years, the bill would provide for referral networks, to connect parents who’ve recently received a diagnosis with parents of older children, as reported in today’s Eagle Tribune (North Andover). Dr. Brian Skotko of Children’s Hospital Boston—who has a nephew with Down syndrome—published a study of the results from a survey of more than 1,000 mothers (2005): The central question was about how medical support could be improved for mothers who received a D... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2021584 Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:08:47 +0100 2021584 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2017834&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F4SCUw62fj9k%2F MMR and autism have become indelibly linked in the public consciousness. What about MMR and asthma? A study in the December 1st American Journal of Epidemiology asks if there is an association between receiving the MMR vaccine and asthma in early childhood. 871,234 children were examined; researchers Anders Hviid and Mads Melbye looked at rates of hospitalization in those with asthma diagnoses and (for a subset of the cohort) the use of anti-asthma medications. Significantly larger numbers of children who had received the MMR vaccine were less often hospitalized with an asthma diagnosis and also used anti-asthma medication less than unvaccinated children. Researchers concluded that these results are compatible not with an increased risk of asthma following MMR vaccination but rather with t... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2017834 Sun, 07 Dec 2008 07:27:54 +0100 2017834 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2017835&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FlKiExNLGdI4%2F Emmett Doyle and Michael Wesely are students—a senior and a junior, respectively— at Apollo High School in Minnesota and are both acting in a school production of A Christmas Carol. Doyle is playing Scrooge and Wesely is playing Marley, who visit Scrooge in ghostly form. As noted in the December 6th St. Cloud Times, both have Asperger’s Syndrome and have found acting a way to work on their social and communication skills. Elements of theater such as following a script (which enforces turn-taking in conversation), interpreting body language, developing empathy for their characters and working as a team all help with their everyday lives. Through acting, they are memorizing social cues, which can in turn become more instinctive to them offstage. “One of the cool things ab... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2017835 Sun, 07 Dec 2008 02:58:43 +0100 2017835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2017836&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F0katBrwYtBM%2F 23-year-old Alex Kwan is autistic and the team manager for the West Albany High School football team. Yesterday’s Oregonian describes how, for Kwan, football has become a “safe haven, a place where he is embraced for his differences instead of mocked because of them.” That’s real teamwork, yes? Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, disabilities blog, disability, Education, football, Health, high school, hormone, oregonShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2017836 Sat, 06 Dec 2008 22:14:57 +0100 2017836 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2017837&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FHriUT9wx-v4%2F 8-year-old Mari Klages—-whose was asked not to return to a Girl Scout Brownie troop for girls with special needs in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, after attending one meeting—-is now again a Brownie again, thanks to her former troop leader, Dina Johnston, and the Girl Scouts organization. Writes Laurel Walker in today’s Journal Sentinel: Anita Rodriguez, vice president for organizational strategy at the southeast Girl Scouts chapter, said, “The bottom line for us is we do not discriminate and the Girl Scouts did not kick her out” but worked to find a solution. Unfortunately, she said, the special needs troop that was tailored to the sedentary needs of the other three girls, including one with brittle bone disease, has disbanded after three meetings because parents and... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2017837 Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:25:58 +0100 2017837 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2017838&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FWl4OGrSUFt4%2F Lately hormones have been on my mind a lot. “It’s those hormones,” someone seems to say at least once a day in reference to Charlie. Not only has he grown some six inches this year (that’s what Jim and I have been estimating). Physically, he is really growing up: For the past few weeks, it’s become very apparent that his voice is changing (though I still hear, mixed in with new, lower tone, the familiar light voice that is Charlie’s). At times his moods seem to change in a split second or less. I’ve been remembering back to my own adolescence and to how waves of feelings seemed to arise in me with no warning, and how these weren’t always expressed in the best of ways, as I didn’t know how to express what I was experiencing—–... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2017838 Sat, 06 Dec 2008 07:25:59 +0100 2017838 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2017839&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FbvEx_R7Iqp8%2F An article in the November Journal of the American Medical Association by researchers at the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute calls for Fragile X testing throughout the lifespan. The genetic mutation that is linked to Fragile X, fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1), also gives rise to a “family of disorders occurring throughout the entire life span, including the most common heritable form of intellectual disability, fragile X syndrome, and premature menopause (primary ovarian insufficiency).” Further mutations of the gene also are the cause of fragile X–associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS), which is “one of the most common single-gene, late-onset neurodegenerative disorders.” Researchers note that, while it might be thought that these disorders are rare, such an... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2017839 Sat, 06 Dec 2008 00:06:44 +0100 2017839 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2017840&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FdzVJLzWW9gU%2F Family and Office Roles Mix, yesterday’s New York Times noted: But workplace roles and the dynamics among colleagues can go much deeper than those somewhat superficial stereotypes, especially in a nation where many people spend as much time with colleagues as they do with their families, where the office so often mirrors the family. A nanosecond to guess which role I fall into…….. (Hint: Yesterday afternoon, upon entering the building—it’s an old house—where my office is, I confront a huge puddle of coffee and my instant reaction is…………….. I start unfurling paper towels and mopping it up, while a student waiting to talk to a colleague looks startled and then says “I can help!”) Tags: abuse, asd, asperger, autism,... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2017840 Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:40:47 +0100 2017840 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2017841&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FltH-dwmThgc%2F Next Wednesday, on December 10, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET, there will be a meeting of the Services Subcommittee of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), to review public comments received in response to a completed Request for Information. When I attended the November 21st IACC meeting, a good part of the agenda was devoted to discussing services and the many needs of adults. You can view the meeting agenda and also see who is on the committee. The meeting is being held here: National Institutes of Health 9000 Rockville Pike Building 31 Conference Room 7 Bethesda, MD 20852 You can attend the meeting virtually via a webinar; to register and access it, go here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/563207085 Or, to attend via a conference call, here’s the numbers: ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2017841 Fri, 05 Dec 2008 17:59:00 +0100 2017841 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2013667&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FD5jeIaqdAdc%2F While it’s often frustrating trying to find some time at our YMCA pool for Charlie to swim in—-because, in the late afternoon and evening, the pools are primarily for the use of the numerous swim teams—-on Wednesday night, Charlie and I found ourselves by the “family pool,” with its water slides and 3 1/2 foot pool. He had asked to swim and then gotten his swimsuit on. At the pool, his eyes drifted towards the big pool. It was filled with lines of teenagers swimming up and down and up and down and (as I had done in the car en route to the YMCA), I carefully explained why we would not be able to swim in that pool. Charlie sat on a bench for a few minutes with his head down, before taking off shoes, socks, blue coat, and blue sweatshirt. At the far end of the po... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2013667 Fri, 05 Dec 2008 07:36:01 +0100 2013667 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2013668&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FbEksIa4t7nk%2F Okay, there’s probably a few other things, and generally we’ve been pleased with—-and Charlie seems comfortable, for the most part, to like—his current school placement. Nothing’s entirely perfect and things this week have been more frazzled than they have been, with Charlie irked by a sore in his mouth (’tis the season for such things). Plus, he seems more sensitive to sound than ever, especially to certain types of people’s voices, and especially when these are at higher pitches and loud. A low-ceilinged classroom in a really big middle school — and fluorescent lights and linoleum — probably aren’t the ideal set-up and his teacher and I have been emailing a lot. Fortunately a package from my parents with some noise-cancelling he... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2013668 Fri, 05 Dec 2008 01:24:23 +0100 2013668 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2013669&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FnBJ5rrnzdsg%2F Majority of Local Authorities [in the UK] Failing Adults with Autism, as noted in Medical News Today. The National Autistic Society’s Think Differently campaign has found that 148 out of 149 local authorities do not know how many adults with autism are in their area; 27% are planning to “address this issue,” that’s 73% who still need to. A long long way to go………… Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, disabilities blog, disability, Education, Health, Legislation, local authority, think diferentlyShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2013669 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:35:06 +0100 2013669 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2013670&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FlLXCo8sgJjs%2F Gluten-free diets are now being used to address conditions ranging from autism to ADHD. As noted in this week’s Newsweek, those with allergies and pregnant women are also saying they feel better on what’s come to be known in autism circles as “the special diet” or “the diet.” (Go here, here, and here to read some of our experiences with “the diet”; Charlie now eats wheat, though not dairy.) Is gluten-free the new hope, or is it more dietary hype, with Americans spending $2 billion a year on gluten-free products? Tags: adhd, allergies, asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, casein-free, celiac disease, diet, disabilities blog, disability, Education, food, gluten-free, Health, pregnancy, wheat freeShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2013670 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:36:46 +0100 2013670 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2011190&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FrBrxfgCpiVA%2F This study did not find significantly elevated rates of abuse among children diagnosed with autism, but it did find the highest abuse rates among children with behaviour disorders. In fact, most large scale, well controlled studies have failed to demonstrate that there is a clear link between autism and abuse. [my emphasis]It is important to recognize that the failure to find something does not mean that it doesn’t exist and there are a number of technical reasons that could obscure the link between autism and child abuse. However, for now, it is correct to say that the link between disability and abuse has been more clearly demonstrated for other disabilities. All things considered, as a researcher, I think that there is probably about the same link that exists between a number of other... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2011190 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 07:14:12 +0100 2011190 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2011191&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FV_iqsZNpn8M%2F In South Korea, a now-16-year old girl with “mental and developmental diabilities” was sexually abused by her grandfather and three uncles for 7 years. The abuse occurred from August 2001 to May of this year—that means she was 9 years old when it started. According to the December 4th Joong Ang Daily, the girl’s relatives were convicted by the Cheongju District Court on November 20. Judge Oh Jun-keun recently gave a three-year suspended sentence to the 87-year-old grandfather and to two of the uncles, 57 and 42; another uncle, 39, was given an 18-month suspended sentence. According to authorities, the girl’s father is also suspected of incest, but the case was dropped against him because the statute of limitations had expired. In his ruling, the judge said tha... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2011191 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 01:58:44 +0100 2011191 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2011192&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FYUR4HtQYKtc%2F Via Cynthia Samuels On Special Education blog at EdWeek, I found this Autism Legislation Database on the National Conference of States Legislatures website. You can also access a state-by-state database on autism legislation here. Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, database, disabilities blog, disability, Education, Health, Insurance, Legislation, policy, statesShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2011192 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:01:14 +0100 2011192 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2011194&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F7N4v9CZX5V4%2F An audit of the South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs has reported numerous oversights including failures to follow up on up on safety violations and insufficient efforts to keep abusers off facility payrolls, yesterday’s Associated Press (via the Courier Post) reports. The audit recommends Disabilities and Special Needs require fingerprinting and FBI national background checks for caregivers, not just a check through the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division. The agency said it would consider the feasibility of fingerprint checks. Meanwhile, the agency isn’t doing enough to check references. It “does not have an adequate system to ensure that direct caregivers who are dismissed for consumer safety-related disciplinary infractions are not reh... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2011194 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 18:00:29 +0100 2011194 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2005912&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F7O5AhJ55fMY%2F There’s a new study by Molly Helt et al. out about recovery from autism in the December Neuropsychology Review. Kev at Left Brain/Right Brain has an overview; here’s the abstract: Although Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are generally assumed to be lifelong, we review evidence that between 3% and 25% of children reportedly lose their ASD diagnosis and enter the normal range of cognitive, adaptive and social skills. Predictors of recovery include relatively high intelligence, receptive language, verbal and motor imitation, and motor development, but not overall symptom severity. Earlier age of diagnosis and treatment, and a diagnosis of Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified are also favorable signs. The presence of seizures, mental retardation and genetic synd... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2005912 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 07:32:15 +0100 2005912 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2005919&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FIlrs31XXXc4%2F Housing for disabled adults in New Jersey. The current economic crisis, and its effect on the housing market. This post is about both of those topics. Don’t stop reading—this is an upbeat post, despite the subject matter. Certainly one wishes that the question of housing for disabled adults weren’t the sort of topic that is accompanied by words like “worries” and “depressing.” But it very much is, right now. In New Jersey, where we live, the waiting list of developmentally disabled adults wishing to move into government-supported community housing has over 8000 people on it. Last week’s report that 28-year-old Tara O’Leary died of starvation after being removed from a group home run by New Jersey’s Department of Developmental Dis... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2005919 Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:30:36 +0100 2005919 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1999136&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FomE9MKGDkYA%2F An article in the December Pediatrics examines the health care experiences of families with autistic children in the US. Researchers looked at a nationally representative 2005-06 survey of nearly 40,000 children with special health care needs; the children’s needs were “physical and mental,” and required medical care that was more than usual, yesterday’s Associated Press (via AZ Central) reports. 2,088 children of those children had autism. The article is entitled A National Profile of the Health Care Experiences and Family Impact of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children in the United States, 2005–2006, by Michael D. Kogan, Bonnie B. Strickland, Stephen J. Blumberg, Gopal K. Singh, James M. Perrin, Peter C. van Dyck. The Associated Press notes that Compared ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1999136 Mon, 01 Dec 2008 07:36:54 +0100 1999136 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1999137&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FTkI3-YarwUE%2F Made it through Thanksgiving; did some holiday shopping from the comfort of home (and here’s some gift suggestions); time to get back on the school bus! Autism and Schizophrenia: The Same “Disease”? According to the latest theory, “an evolutionary tug of war between genes from the father’s sperm and the mother’s egg can, in effect, tip brain development in one of two ways.” Girls and Getting a Diagnosis Are girls and women sometimes not diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum because they do not have the same symptoms as boys and men do? Denis Leary Tries (Tries) to Defend Himself Contrary to what he said a few weeks ago, Denis Leary doesn’t seem to be so sorry after all about what he said Nicotine Addiction and Autism While studying drug abuse and addiction, re... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1999137 Mon, 01 Dec 2008 02:00:26 +0100 1999137 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1999138&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fz4h8rbFHQXM%2F Autistic children responded to sounds one-fiftieth of a second slower than a group of non-autistic children in research conducted at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. 64 autistic children aged 6 to 15 listened to a series of rapid beeps through headphones while wearing a helmet-like device. The device recorded their brain’s response to the sounds and their brain waves were then compared with responses in a group of non-autistic children. From the Associated Press via First Coast News: “We tend to speak at four syllables per second,” said Timothy Roberts, the study’s lead author and the hospital’s vice chairman of research. If an autistic brain “is slow in processing a change in a syllable … it could easily get to the point of being overloa... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1999138 Sun, 30 Nov 2008 22:07:08 +0100 1999138 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1999139&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FPFKbscC6jug%2F A new national strategy for screening for Down syndrome in Denmark has halved the number of Down Syndrome births and led to a 30% increase in infants diagnosed with the condition. The Danish National Board of Health issued guidelines for prenatal screening and diagnosis for Down Syndrome in 2004; these guidelines (from Science Daily) included the offer of a combined test for Down Syndrome (based on combination of maternal age, plus serum and nuchal screening) in the first trimester. This test gave women a risk assessment for Down Syndrome at an early stage in the pregnancy. Women whose risk was higher than a defined cut off were referred for invasive diagnostic tests (chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis). The study is published in the November 27th British Medical Journal.It was rec... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1999139 Sun, 30 Nov 2008 18:32:37 +0100 1999139 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1999140&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FXiM59l6LYbM%2F Actually, that title should read, “It’s just like I thought it would be,” as said by Jim. It was Saturday night and we were having dinner at a restaurant on Mott Street, in Chinatown in New York. We’d avoided the whole Black Friday business/madness and decided also to avoid the crowds going to see the Christmas tree on Rockefeller Plaza near Radio City Music Hall. We’d spent the day around home, with a late breakfast and midday nap for Charlie, and then a bike ride. And then, we drove to Jersey City and took the PATH train into the World Trade Center site—there’s construction going on all the time and you can see some of it—-and then walked past City Hall and into Chinatown. Charlie had said no to any snacks, even after an hour-long bike ride... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1999140 Sun, 30 Nov 2008 06:38:57 +0100 1999140 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1999141&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FKbYAZBv0GTQ%2F 35-year-old Kate Southern lost her mother, Dorothy, to brain cancer last week, and it’s unclear where she’ll live and who’ll take care of her. Today’s Illawarra Mercury describes Southern’s situation: Her two sisters, Jane Southern and Jenny Wilson, have been caring for her along with an in-home respite worker. But the worker will not be provided after December 22nd and there’s no residential placeent for Southern in Illawarra, where she currently attends a day care group. A placement in Queanbeyan, far from her family and her familiarity, has been offered and the Illawarra Mercury notes, Southern has been “pulling her hair out in clumps, terrified at the prospect of being separated from her family.” An article in today’s New York Times... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1999141 Sat, 29 Nov 2008 23:33:22 +0100 1999141 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1999142&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FOfUEu2TFEsI%2F “Faceblindness” has been associated with autism, as written about by Donna Williams and Joe at This Way of Life. About two percent of the population has faceblindess or congenital prosopagnosia, according to today’s Science Daily. A team of scientists has been able to devise a biological explanation for faceblindness. In those who have it, “there was a reduction in the integrity of the white matter tracts in the brains of individuals with congenital prosopagnosic. Moreover, the extent of the reduced white matter circuitry was related to the severity of the behavioral impairment. White matter is one of the three main solid components of the central nervous system. The white matter is the tissue through which messages pass between different areas of grey matter withi... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1999142 Sat, 29 Nov 2008 18:46:43 +0100 1999142 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1996397&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F_DHjvzBCogs%2F Earlier this year, reports that the US Federal Court of Claims had conceded that vaccines had contributed to the onset of autistic symptoms in the case of Hannah Poling led to much speculation and debate about (1) if mitochondrial disorders could be linked to autism and (2) how common mitochondrial disorders might be among autistic children. A number of experts on mitonchondrial disorders met in June to discuss the “controversial case” of Hannah Poling. An article in the November 26th PLoS One entitled Mitochondrial Disease in Autism Spectrum Disorder Patients: A Cohort Analysis investigates the medical records of 25 patients with a primary diagnosis of ASD by DSM-IV-TR criteria. These children were later determined to have “enzyme- or mutation-defined mitochondrial electron tran... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1996397 Sat, 29 Nov 2008 07:32:19 +0100 1996397 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1996398&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FOzZt3QVrsCU%2F I mentioned Alex Bain and Tyler McNeil and Jonathan Brunot, who’ve all run marathons, while encouraging Charlie to try the treadmill on Tuesday: Today’s Ventura County Star reports on 15-year-old Joshua Otani, who’s a member of the Pacifica cross country team. He competed in the Pacific View League Championships and is thinking of joining the track team, too. Guess we’ll have to keep at that treadmill to catch up! Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, cross country, disabilities blog, disability, Education, marathon, new york marathon, runner, running, trackShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1996398 Sat, 29 Nov 2008 02:36:08 +0100 1996398 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1996399&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FmdGhSk5C9rs%2F Did Thanksgiving and now full speed ahead into December with all of its festivities, plus a few extras. Today is “Black Friday” here in the US, formerly known as “the day after Thanksgiving when people line up at 5am to charge the stores to get super-special-deal-discounts on holiday purchases”—as you probably guessed, we didn’t hit any malls with Charlie in tow. He has a general aversion to shopping for clothes, electronics, and anything in the closed confines of the modern mall. Once upon a time, we went to malls with pretty much the sole intent of walking around for exercise on a cold winter day, with the promise of escalator and elevator rides. Charlie’s interest—desire—to ride the likes of those has waned (and, too, some rather pai... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1996399 Fri, 28 Nov 2008 21:38:12 +0100 1996399 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1996400&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FdKUtaOBqYn8%2F 1049 cases of measles have been reported in England and Wales so far this year, the highest number in 13 years and exceeding the number on 2007, when there were 990 case. Today’s Guardian reports that health officials are seriously concerned about a possible epidemic of measles of between 30,000 - 100,000 cases. Measles has been spreading more easily because of the “relatively low uptake” of the MMR vaccine in the past decade: The fall in uptake of MMR was triggered by now-discredited research claiming there was a link between the jab and autism. Health officials in the UK are planning a mass vaccination program in some areas. The Daily Mail quotes Guy Hayhurst, consultant in public health at a local Primary Care Trust, as saying that they have identified 10,534 children ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1996400 Fri, 28 Nov 2008 17:31:22 +0100 1996400 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1996401&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FZIwO-tSz2KY%2F Patternicity. It’s a term that refers to “the tendency to find meaningful patterns in meaningless noise,” as noted by Michael Shermer in the November Scientific American: Traditionally, scientists have treated patternicity as an error in cognition. A type I error, or a false positive, is believing something is real when it is not (finding a nonexistent pattern). A type II error, or a false negative, is not believing something is real when it is (not recognizing a real pattern—call it “apatternicity”). However, as Shermer notes, we don’t have a “Baloney Detection Network in the brain to distinguish between true and false patterns”—-patternicity does seem to be at work when it comes to theories of autism causation. There’s no doubt that s... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1996401 Fri, 28 Nov 2008 07:02:57 +0100 1996401 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1996402&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FpPpbuhzayNs%2F 34-year-old Charlene Sawyer has a “rich and dark mezzo soprano voice,” today’s Charlotte Observer notes. Sawyer was not diagnosed with autism until she was 17 years old. She started piano lessons and performing with school choirs at the age of 12, and has been taking voice lessons since she was 14. And Around this time, she says, her peers made fun of her because they knew she took special education classes. Instead of the socializing she might have enjoyed as a young teen-ager, she immersed herself in her budding gift, learning pieces in Italian, Latin, German and French. Sawyer has written an outline of her autobiography and now lives in a group home run by the Enola Group, whose director, Fredda Monroe, “says she wants to market Charlene to perform at weddings an... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1996402 Fri, 28 Nov 2008 02:32:02 +0100 1996402 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1996403&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FsWxXyd387vE%2F 15-year-old Christophr Transue has been missing since yesterday, KOLD news reports. He was last seen around noon at Catalina High School in Tucson, AZ, and has autism and diabetes. Another teenager, 11-year-old Jack Engalade, who has autism, went missing from Sunday till Wednesday night, WWLtv in New Orleans reported. Hope good news about Christopher Transue can be heard soon, too. Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, disabilities blog, disability, Education, Health, missing children, new orleans, Safety, tucsonShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1996403 Thu, 27 Nov 2008 21:56:10 +0100 1996403 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1996404&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fl8nvkqF-1Bs%2F Among the books about autism at the public library in our town are this, this, and this—I’ve put in requests for a few other things. To be very honest, we rarely visit our library. While there’s no lack for books of every sort at our house, Charlie’s not a reader. I was interested to read about a program called Project Inclusion, which is described in the November 26th Wausau Daily Herald (Wisconsin): Project Inclusion’s overall goal is for the participating libraries to “take a proactive stance to address the literacy needs of children with disabilities and to make libraries meaningful and welcoming places for these children and their families.” Special emphasis was placed on adding materials especially for and about children on the autism spectru... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1996404 Thu, 27 Nov 2008 18:17:48 +0100 1996404 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1990890&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fq24DYqSafHc%2F Back in May, 5-year-old Alex Barton was voted out of his kindergarten class by his classmates. His teacher, Wendy Portillo, had asked the students to vote on whether they wanted Alex to remain. Alex’s mother, Melissa Barton, removed Alex from the school following this incident, which received a great deal of attention in the national media. Portillo has been suspended for a year without pay and is asking that her her case be reviewed by the state Division of Administrative Hearings. Alex is now being taught at home and Melissa Barton is requesting that the St. Lucie County School District pay for private school, psychological testing and counseling for him, as reported in today’s Palm Beach Post: Barton filed a complaint with the district in late August seeking an administrativ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1990890 Thu, 27 Nov 2008 01:01:17 +0100 1990890 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1990891&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FuVlMHfSgK80%2F I have been thinking more than ever about where Charlie will live as an adult since hearing about the services offered in different states at last Friday’s IACC meeting. The pressing, pressing, pressing need for staff with appropriate training, for facilities, and for much much more was more than made apparent—the November 10th death of 28-year-old Tara O’Leary highlights just how pressing these needs are. Tara O’Leary had severe developmental disabilities and was a client in a community care residence in Hunterdon County in central New Jersey. Her death is being investigated by both the state Department of Human Services and the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office. According to yesterday’s FOX News, O’Leary had brain deformities, scoliosis, and o... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1990891 Wed, 26 Nov 2008 22:02:12 +0100 1990891 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1990892&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F8urjr_op6Vc%2F 8-gold-medal swimmer Michael Phelps has ADHD: Did he succeed not so much in spite of having ADHD, but, in part, because he does? Tara Parker-Pope on the New York Times Well blog posed this question. Allow me to rephrase it in terms of autism and (to refer to an oft-mentioned figure), animal scientist Temple Grandin. Did Grandin succeed not so much in spite of being autistic, but because she is? And as some will not doubt rush in to point out that Grandin is very “hfa,” I’ll note that some things that can make things very trying for more son—his intensive need for order and his particular, deep-running sensory needs—can be of benefit. I always know where to look for his items and he’s becoming a champion grocery-put-awayer. I don’t think he’d ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1990892 Wed, 26 Nov 2008 07:56:59 +0100 1990892 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1990893&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FrIWsFTm30h0%2F The poet John Donne talks about “trepidation of the spheres” and, I was thinking last night after settling Charlie in bed, that there’s been some trepidation in our little corner of the cosmos. This whole business of adolescence combined with an ongoing growth spurt has made our daily routine well, “interesting-er“: A neologism, but maybe that’s the best way to describe the latest chapter of life with Charlie. Throw in the fact that the holiday season is upon us, with Thanksgiving tomorrow and a half-day of school for Charlie and no school on Friday, a recipe for potential not-so-peaceful-easy-feeling-ness. A distinct air of deep tiredness seemed to haunt my college classes; I watched a couple of students, wearing floppy gray sweats, yanking their suitca... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1990893 Wed, 26 Nov 2008 07:50:24 +0100 1990893 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1990894&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FvY0m3AXwqIM%2F In many states (such as Virginia), families of autistic children have been seeking legislation to provide for insurance coverage for treatment (usually ABA therapy) for their children. A recent decision involving insurance coverage for eating disorders in New Jersey might be of interest: As reported in today’s Star-Ledger, Horison—the state’s largest health insurer—has agreed to cover claims stemming from eating disorders. Some 500 patients will receive $1.2 million when their previously denied claims are reprocessed; the decision settled a class action lawsuit brought by parents of children with anorexia. In a statement, Horizon spokesman Tom Rubino said the company “believes the settlement is in the best interest of all the parties involved and in line with ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1990894 Wed, 26 Nov 2008 02:56:30 +0100 1990894 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1990895&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FD6lKH0gnDiw%2F McDonalds. Burger King. They’re the competition. Not against Guardians of Healthy (and Happy) Meals. They’re competition for staff—for workers—for disabled adults who need support in their living, work, and other arrangements. And, if you cook burgers and fill drinks at a fast-food restaurant, you don’t need the sort of training—which can be extensive—that can be called for in assisting some disabled adults. Emily Homer of VOCA of Maryland D.C. made this point at last week’s IACC meeting and it sobered the atmosphere in the room up. She noted that, if Americans won’t take these kinds of jobs for those wages, it’s likely that people will turn to immigrants to fill the positions—-and I thought about how at least half of the bu... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1990895 Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:07:06 +0100 1990895 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1990896&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fwuq4zEk56yc%2F For all the concern and criticism about the use of restraints in public schools on disabled students, sometimes it seems there’s no end to hearing about yet another school district that has improperly restrained a child. Yesterday’s McDowell News reports that a 14-year-old autistic student was restrained using a “belt-like device”—-a belt used to help students using wheelchairs in and our of their chairs. Jeremiah’s mother, Ann Watson, said that the school did not inform her about restraining her son and in this way. She further said the system has purged documents that reflect poorly on the school system’s handling of special needs students. Last month she began noticing that Jeremiah was nervous, unable to sleep at night, and unusually upset. He ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1990896 Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:39:45 +0100 1990896 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1984958&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FPUQEWVOuJHI%2F Is the “warrior mother” not—as proclaimed in the Warrior Mothers book put together by Jenny McCarthy—the opposite of the “refrigerator mother” of the previous generation, but rather her “distorted mirror image”? So argues Dr. Michael Fitzpatrick, author of another new book, Defeating Autism: A Damaging Delusion, argues in yesterday’s Spiked. As Fitzpatrick writes in his essay, The ghost of the ‘refrigerator mother’, The ‘warrior mom’ is yet another reflection of the culture of mother-blaming and a manifestation of the burden of guilt carried by parents as a result of the influence of pseudoscientific speculations about the causes of autism…… ……. A number of common themes link McCarthy’s ‘warri... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1984958 Tue, 25 Nov 2008 05:38:57 +0100 1984958 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1984959&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F59DzpXVIoro%2F I mean, at least two hours each way, to school and then back home? That’s how long 5-year-old Brandon Montanez, who’s autistic, rides the bus to get from his home in Bensonhurst to Learning Springs School in Manhattan, according to yesterday’s WCBStv. Brandon’t bus ride used to be 90 minutes long each way—-already too long—-New York’s Office of Pupil Transportation changed his route (and his driver and bus matron) on short notice and, more than understandably, it hasn’t been easy for Brandon: “It’s been a nightmare,” says Michelle Montanez, Brandon’s mother. “He was jumping on his seat, he was throwing off his seat belt, he told them that he wanted to scream and he wanted to do it. He started banging his head aga... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1984959 Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:00:45 +0100 1984959 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1984960&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FrIzsMU6Hswg%2F More children with Down’s Syndrome are being born in the UK, according to today’s Times Online. Widespread screening was introduced in 1989, and led to a steady fall in new instances of Down’s syndrome. From 717 babies born with Down’s that year, the total decreased each year, to 594 in 2000. During the next six years the birth rate for children with Down’s rose by 15 per cent, reaching 749 in 2006, the most recent year for which figures are available from the National Down Syndrome Cytogenetic Register. It’s noted that, while most women who receive a prenatal diagnosis of Down’s Syndrome choose not to have the child, “many are now deciding to give birth.” Carol Boys, chief executive of the [Down’s Syndrome Association, had not expected the r... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1984960 Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:36:48 +0100 1984960 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1984961&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FIoNmg44k5ks%2F Rainbow is a parrot: Last week he was stolen from his owner, Mitchell Chareunsouk, of Sacramento. Mitchell and his family are asking for the safe of Rainbow. From KERO 23: “Every time (Mitchell) sees the picture, he cries, and he doesn’t want to eat,” Toune Chareunsouk said. Mitchell got Rainbow three years ago and would like to see his best friend again. “It’s not fair. What if someone stole your best friend?” Mitchell said. Bev at Asperger Square 8 is offering a reward for the return of Rainbow: If you live in the Sacramento area and know anything about this, please contact me. Asperger Square 8 is offering a reward for the safe return of Rainbow to the Chareunsouk family. To the person who took the parrot: Please reconsider. Parrots bond very strongly... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1984961 Mon, 24 Nov 2008 18:39:19 +0100 1984961 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1984962&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FjSoeNg73MGE%2F 20-year-old Alex Bain of Prince Edward Island has been named one of the most inspirational runners in Canada—-here’s the write-up in iRun and here’s more on the Runman blog (where you can leave a message if you’d like). And, here’s CBC News. Go Alex! Tags: alex bain, asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, disabilities blog, disability, Education, irun, prince edward island, running, SportsShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1984962 Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:52:33 +0100 1984962 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1984963&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FfrkLG4oBxc4%2F Six deep-sea divers have been enlisted by the city of New York to repair a valve at the bottom of a 700-foot shaft in Dutchess County, yesterday New York Times reports. The shaft is located in the Rondout-West Branch tunnel, which is 45 miles long, 13.5 feet wide, up to 1,200 feet below ground” and which brings half of the water supply to New York city from reservoirs in the Catskill Mountains. For more than a month, the six divers have to live in a sealed 24-foot tubular pressurized tank complete with showers, a television and a Nerf basketball hoop, breathing air that is 97.5 percent helium and 2.5 percent oxygen, so their high-pitched squeals are all but unintelligible. They leave the tank only to transfer to a diving bell that is lowered 70 stories into the earth, where they work... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1984963 Mon, 24 Nov 2008 07:48:20 +0100 1984963 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1984964&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FaS2BWKrGbMw%2F I think this is, potentially, the perfect t-shirt for Charlie. Yes, I’ve ordered him one. Tags: asd, asperger, australia, autism, autism blog, condiments, developmental disabilities, Diagnosis, disabilities blog, disability, food, ketchup, mustard, relish, shirt, t-shirtShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1984964 Mon, 24 Nov 2008 01:11:21 +0100 1984964 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1984965&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FzJHFMdRw6TM%2F Towards the end of a review of Dr. Paul Offit’s book Autism False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure in today’s Washington Times, Malcom A. Kline writes: This writer recently heard a social worker warn the parents of autistic children to avoid certain doctor’s offices “where 90 percent of the children come out with an autism diagnosis.” What is even less widely known, though, is the degree to which the autism spectrum has expanded on the other end — the more severe cases. Now what’s going on at those “certain doctor’s offices”? Is it that said doctor is particularly attentive to parents seeking an autism diagnosis for a child, as they know that such a diagnosis can come with more services? Is there some&#... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1984965 Sun, 23 Nov 2008 21:50:14 +0100 1984965 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1984966&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F5_OLxvYYeok%2F Connecticut’s Pilot Program For Autistic Adults which “adults of normal intelligence with diagnoses on what is called the autism spectrum” is in danger due to budget cuts. Today’s New Haven Register reports that Governor M. Jodi Rell has ordered all state government agencies to submit proposals that will cut up to 10 percent from their upcoming budgets. Prior to the program’s inception in 2006 (with $1 million from the state), no services were provided to autistic adults of normal intelligence (adults with diagnoses of both autism and mental retardation did receive services). The program received an additional $500,000 in July 2008 and is financed through June 2009. Currently, 52 people with autism and Asperger’s syndrome in in the greater New Haven and Hart... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1984966 Sun, 23 Nov 2008 18:43:37 +0100 1984966 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1980894&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FpxrKw9GTpSk%2F MARBLES stands for Markers of Autism Risk in Babies—Learning Early Signs. The study investigates “biological and environmental triggers that children are exposed to prenatally and post-partum”: Some 100 women who have a biological autistic child and who are pregnant, or who are planning on becoming pregnant, are participating in MARBLES, which began in 2006. Researchers from the UC Davis-M.I.N.D. Institute are collecting blood, urine, hair, saliva, and breast milk (if the mother is breast feeding), as well as dust from participants’ houses, and mothers are interviewed and medical records examined. It’s noted that MARBLES is “unique” because follows mothers before, during, and after their pregnancies, allowing us to obtain information about the pre-... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1980894 Sun, 23 Nov 2008 07:22:48 +0100 1980894 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1980895&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F91LPV_iRZhg%2F Away-facing strollers stress out babies, according to a study published on Friday by the British charity National Literacy Trust. CNN reports that “parents who choose a stroller that seats their baby facing away from them could risk long-term development problems in their children”—-and I say to myself, now what kind of stroller did we push Charlie around in, once upon a hot Missouri afternoon or down Summit Avenue on early fall days in St. Paul? We started him off in one of those bulky EvenFlo stroller-detachable baby seat combinations, referred to as “the buggy” by Jim (the baby seat alone, with the handle, was “the bucket”). As noted here, Charlie was in the 90th-plus percentile for height since he was born, so “the bucket” had soon ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1980895 Sun, 23 Nov 2008 01:00:27 +0100 1980895 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1980896&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fo9p9d2TL4i0%2F After 14-year-old Casey Reilly, who has Asperger’s, was excluded from week-long scouting trip, which prevented him from advancing in rank, his parents filed a lawsuit against the Pacific Palisades Boy Scout Troop 223—-more recently, in Wisconsin, after one visit to Girl Scout Brownie troop for girls with special needs in Oconomowoc, the troop’s leaders told 8-year-old Magi Klages’ parents not to bring her back. Magi is autistic and, after graduating from a Daisy troop, she wanted to continue with Brownies. A local Brownie troop with 22 girls was too overwhelming so her parents, Michele and Kevin Klages, decided to try the troop for special needs children. Magi’s first meeting at the group was difficult, understandably, as she was faced with a completely new routin... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1980896 Sat, 22 Nov 2008 18:00:27 +0100 1980896 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1980897&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Ft2YxqrfOdGU%2F If you weren’t able to listen in to yesterday’s meeting of the IACC meeting, this is a brief summary: In the morning, the committee members reviewed the draft of the Strategic Plan and “wordsmithed” various additions and revisions suggested by various members of the IACC. These revisions included: • the use of “may” or “can” in regard to describing the effects of Early Intervention • mention of “comorbid” and “co-occurring” (medical) conditions • a lengthy discussion about vaccines and about what science and evidence there is to refute or support a link (it was decided to include the statement “the weight of the available evidence does not support a link between autism and vaccines”—more details... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1980897 Sat, 22 Nov 2008 05:01:30 +0100 1980897 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1980898&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FB2ffZZCHCNg%2F One of the main concerns that people raise in regard to giving medication to autistic children, and to children more generally, is that there’s a lack of information about the long-term effects of the medication on a child. According to a new study by researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Duke University Medical Center, two medications commonly prescribed for treating ADHD—methylphenidate and amphetamine—do not cause chromosomal damage in children. (My son briefly—very briefly—took Ritalin; while taking it, he became so focused that he became extremely anxious, lost his appetite and looked—this is the best word—skittish; we discontinued the medication after less than a week.) From Science Daily: The current study included 63 ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1980898 Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:00:04 +0100 1980898 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1980899&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FxO3hUrTUj40%2F In Illinois, Gov. Rod Blagojevich is expected to sign a bill requiring insurance companies to cover autism diagnosis and treatment up to $36,000 a year until a patient turns 21, today’s Chicago Tribune reports. Sen. Dale Righter (R-Charleston) is arguing that “the measure would cause the number of people diagnosed with autism to grow, therefore increasing premiums for other policy holders”—-an assumption that people are going to get children diagnosed with autism specifically so they can qualify for treatment? In Oklahoma, a bill to provide insurance coverage for autism diagnosis and treatment has also been introduced in the state Senate, KTEN notes. The bill is called “Nick’s Law“—Nick is 11 years old and has autism—last year, the meas... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1980899 Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:07:08 +0100 1980899 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1980900&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F_FoQ2GXr8XM%2F I’m on the train to Washington D.C., to attend a meeting of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, which coordinates efforts concerning autism within the US Department of Health and Human Research. There’s a list of the federal and non-federal members of the IACC here; the committee has been overseeing the writing of the Strategic Plan for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) Research. Over the past year, there have been numerous calls for input from “stakeholders”—from anyone concerned about autism—and other meetings of the IACC and of workgroups concerning various parts of the plan. I went to an IACC meeting just about a year ago and read this statement. While I wrote up and sent in a statement for today’s meeting, there apparently is not spac... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1980900 Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:37:24 +0100 1980900 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1975220&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FpjzhN605zYI%2F Just as there is the Amber Alert for abducted children, should there be an “Autism Alert” when an autistic child is missing? The parents of Kaitlyn Bacile—-who, in September, was found drowned in a canal near her home —-think so, as reported in today’s WSVN (Florida): While it’s too late for Kaitlyn, her parents hope some good can come from their tragedy. Jay Bacile: “We want Kaitlyn’s life not to go in vain, at the very minimum we want to raise awareness. We just want her memory to live on and do good because that’s what Kaitlyn was, was pure goodness. WSVN notes that current programs designed to report that autistic children are missing are “not being used consistently”: The “Take Me Home” program supplies poli... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1975220 Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:11:13 +0100 1975220 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1975221&cid=t_105374_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fm7q1KScmOKQ%2F Jonathan Reyes is 7 and lives in Sylmar in Southern California—-his family lost their house in the recent wildfires in Los Angeles County. Joshua is autistic and his family has been, amid everything else, especially concerned about what the impact of losing all that was familiar to him will mean. Yesterday’s CNN described the family visiting the ashes of their house of ten years: On Tuesday, they brought Jonathan to the site of their home to see if any of his cherished Hot Wheels cars survived the fire. And maybe, they hoped, seeing the house would help their son understand. “One of the first things he asks is, ‘Are we coming home today?’ ” said Jan Reyes, Jonathan’s mother. “Now that he sees this, maybe it will bring closure for him.” ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1975221 Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:03:55 +0100 1975221