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 'autism children'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:31:54 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704713&cid=t_318997_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F12%2F6-tips-for-living-with-an-autism-spectrum-disorder-in-college%2F As Autism Awareness month continues, April is a time of transition for many high school seniors, as they learn what colleges and universities they got into. So it seems like an ideal time to talk about autism and college, and some tips to help with the transition. The excerpt below is from the book, Living Well on the Spectrum by author Valerie L. Gaus, Ph.D. The book is a self-help book that helps a person with an autism spectrum disorder identify life goals and the steps needed to achieve them. Read on for the excerpt… April is the month when most high school seniors receive their college acceptance letters and begin to plan the next phase of their lives. The transition from high school to college can be very difficult for people on the spectrum. All too often I am referred a youn... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704713 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 21:05:05 +0100 4704713 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4314048&cid=t_318997_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F05%2Fandrew-wakefield-the-autism-vaccine-link-and-deliberate-fraud%2F As though Dr. Andrew Wakefield didn’t have enough problems. After his study of 12 (count ‘em — a whole 12!) children was thrown out of The Lancet when its original claim of a link between autism and MMR vaccines didn’t really hold water, now he’s got the BMJ on his case. The problem with the original study came when nobody — and I mean, nobody — could replicate the research. Not Wakefield. Not other researchers. Science demonstrates a strong finding when data is replicable. When nobody can replicate your research, it’s considered an unreliable or extremely weak finding. And in this case, it’s not even that. The BMJ today claimed that Dr. Andrew Wakefield allegedly engaged in deliberate fraud in his original study. “The MMR [measl... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4314048 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 01:13:52 +0100 4314048 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4025618&cid=t_318997_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fadhd-is-it-genetic%2F2010.10.02 British scientists announced that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been linked to deleted or duplicated DNA segments (copy number variants), which leads to developmental difference in the brains of children with the condition. Researchers scanned genomes of 366 children with ADHD and compared them with 1,047 unrelated, ethnically matched control subjects. They reported full results in The Lancet. Rare copy number variants were almost twice as common in children with ADHD compared to the other children. Researchers commented to Reuters that there was a significant overlap between copy number variants found in ADHD and elements of the genome linked to autism and schizophrenia, specifically in a region on chromosome 16. *This blog post was originally published at AC... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4025618 Sat, 02 Oct 2010 19:00:00 +0100 4025618 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3108398&cid=t_318997_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F12%2F20%2Fautism-rates-redux-autism-rates-better-than-in-october%2F Talk about déjà vu. It was just over two months ago we and other news agencies reported on a study published in the journal Pediatrics that found that autism was now in about 1 in 91 children. So I was scratching my head when I started seeing news reports late this past week stating that autism was in 1 out of every 110 children. After a little digging, I see it was spurred by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issuing a press release on the findings of an analysis of actual 8-year-old child health records, published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The Pediatrics study was a structured phone survey of parents (not an analysis of actual child health records). While it’s great that we now have two datasets that are in basic agreement that ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3108398 Sun, 20 Dec 2009 16:56:46 +0100 3108398 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2685338&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FncLpt7Cl8Uk%2F Remember that scene in Lost Weekend when Ray Milland has escaped from detox and returns to his apartment, collapses in an armchair, and figures everything is fine as night falls. Then out of nowhere he sees a cute little mouse emerge from an imaginary hole in the wall, and he thinks that’s really darling until a bat flies in and eats the mouse and he starts screaming? Well that’s what I thought Alex would become this afternoon. Image: Virtualtoydrive.org Jill gave away the cabinet that housed our DVD player, VCR, and cable box, and the guy arrived half an hour early to take the cabinet. So I had to yank all the cables quickly out of the back of the units without, of course in my life, marking where the cables were to be plugged back in. So reconstructing our home entertainment ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2685338 Mon, 10 Aug 2009 04:04:29 +0100 2685338 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2580453&cid=t_318997_140_f&fid=34849&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftrouble.pwblogs.com%2F2009%2F07%2F07%2Fschizophrenia-in-children-january-schofield%2F There’s a great post over at Furious Seasons by Philip about Shari Roan’s LA Times story about a 6-year-old girl, January (pictured), who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. As Philip points out, many of us are skeptical of such an early onset and skeptical of childhood diagnoses in general. The article has caused many reactions–good [...] (Source: The Trouble With Spikol) The Trouble With Spikol blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2580453 Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:52:02 +0100 2580453 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2463204&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F6WN9TV5lA_M%2F I asked a forum, “If you could say one thing to your relatives about your autistic child, what would it be?” “Do not be afraid,” said one respondent. “Do not feel sorry for us or our child. He is the greatest gift/blessing we could ever have in our lives. We are happy we were chosen to care for this person.” Photo by Me-Liss-A (flickr.com) “Have empathy,” said another. ”Please help!” said a third. “It isn’t just hype,” said another. “You got one hell of a nerve complaining about your life in my presence!” was another reply. ”You don’t know ‘tired,’  you don’t know ’stress,’ you don’t know heartache, you don’t know ‘my house is such a mess,... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2463204 Sun, 07 Jun 2009 19:43:47 +0100 2463204 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2067673&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FIkDzNqZru7g%2F I read about plans for a new preschool for autistic children (in Brownsville, Texas, which—one upon a long while ago—-I briefly visited). An occupational therapist is hoping to start the school, which sounds as if it’ll have some emphasis on sensory sensitivities. I read about a new book on understanding autism written by a written by a 13-year-old whose best friend has a younger autistic brother. I think back ten years ago, to the winter of 1998. That December was the first time I didn’t make it home for Christmas in California since I went to college back east in 1986. Charlie had had a number of ear infections and colds and the like throughout September of 1998 and, with his latest raging infection, the pediatrician told us we couldn’t take him on an airpla... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2067673 Sun, 28 Dec 2008 07:50:01 +0100 2067673 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2067676&cid=t_318997_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=2065374&cid=t_318997_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=2052844&cid=t_318997_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=2040114&cid=t_318997_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=1834739&cid=t_318997_105_f&fid=35048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FMedicineAndMan%2F%7E3%2F403756225%2F Scientists have a discovered a gene called Npas4 that keeps brain activity in check. Targeting this gene may one day lead to drugs that can help autistic children. Scientists say they have pinpointed a gene in the brain that can calm nerve cells that become too jumpy, potentially paving the way for new therapies to treat autism and other neurological disorders. The brain is continually trying to strike a balance between too much and too little nerve cell activity. Neurologists believe that when the balance tips, disorders such as autism and schizophrenia may occur. They are not sure why neurons (nerve cells) go berserk. But Greenberg (Neurobiologist at Harvard Medical School) says he and his colleagues located a gene in mice and rats that helps keep neural activity in check—and may one d... Medicine and Man blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1834739 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 13:00:05 +0100 1834739 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1730714&cid=t_318997_105_f&fid=35048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FMedicineAndMan%2F%7E3%2F373814400%2F In contrast to my earlier post, Measles vaccine is very effective and should be given to each and every child. Failure to vaccinate children is leading to to measles outbreaks which will increase in the future. Furthermore, the risk of contracting measles (with its attendant complications) far outweigh the risk of developing autism. More people had measles infections in the first seven months of this year than during any comparable period since 1996, and public health officials blamed growing numbers of parents who refuse to vaccinate their children. Many of these parents say they believe vaccines cause autism, even though multiple studies have found no reputable evidence to support such a claim. Reference: New York Times, Center for Disease Control (CDC) Public domain image. CDC Publ... Medicine and Man blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1730714 Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:25:20 +0100 1730714 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1413488&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F281598869%2F Seattle Post-Intelligencer report Paul Nyhan writes about Teachtown software as a “high-tech way to lower the cost of autism.” Parents in Seattle report that they spend “$30,000, $40,000 and $50,000 a year on applied behavior analysis because few health insurance plans cover the costly treatment”; a subscription to Teachtown is $40/month. While the software’s founders stress that there is no substitute for actual, live human teachers (yes, there is no substitute!), it can provide “some—though not all—of the elements of the popular behavioral therapy.” Specifically, Backed by concepts co-founder Lars Lidén learned while earning a doctorate in cognitive and neural systems, the software allows speech therapists, psychologists, teachers an... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1413488 Thu, 01 May 2008 18:12:37 +0100 1413488 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1402357&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F278938820%2F The Star (Malaysia) notes that 1 in 625 Malaysian children is autistic, which would be a much lower prevalence rate than the 1 in 150 figure among children in the US. But some think otherwise: If this were to be taken as a standard in Malaysia, there would be more than 3,000 new cases each year nationwide. Said [National Autism Society of Malaysia (Nasom) chairman Teh Beng Choon]: “The question is how different are we in Malaysia from the US? That’s a pretty scary number. Everyone should be concerned.” Dr Hasnah Toran, a senior lecturer in Early Intervention, Autism and Assessment from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Education Faculty, believed the situation in Malaysia is closer to that of the US as revealed by the recent research. “There are various problems with the survey co... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1402357 Sun, 27 Apr 2008 19:30:53 +0100 1402357 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1347435&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F262956867%2F If you’d like a sense of where the next rebranding of autism is going, look no further than what Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey say on CNN.com today: We believe autism is an environmental illness. So: If “autism” is  redefined as a medical diagnosis, will school districts start saying “autistic child? not our child, go talk to you doctor—education’s not the answer.” I really hope not. Tags: asd, asperger, autism, children, Diagnosis, Health, jenny mccarthy, jim carrey, mercury, Parenting, pdd-nos, Science, vaccineShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1347435 Wed, 02 Apr 2008 23:00:36 +0100 1347435 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1334493&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F259893636%2F In a new study, scientists at the University of Washington and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories have found that rates of genetic deletions and duplications are three to four times higher in people with schizophrenia. These genetic mutations are more likely to disrupt that brain’s signaling genes, which affect brain development. Further, researchers found that “most patients have different mutations” which cause them to have schizophrenia. (While autism was once referred to as child schizophrenia, they are different diagnoses; here’s an interesting note about this at Left Brain/Right Brain.) As today’s Science Daily reports: Some deletions and duplications are common and found in all humans. The researchers studied such mutations that were found only in individu... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1334493 Fri, 28 Mar 2008 22:17:49 +0100 1334493 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1329101&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F258576070%2F Reseachers at Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital have undertaken a pilot study to investigate a potentially “delicate issue,” why parents decide to tell a child that he or she is autistic, today’s ABC News (Australia) reports. Notes child psychiatrist Jennifer Harrison, who helped run the pilot study: “The main reason parents decided not to tell their child was that they were afraid of stigmatising the child, they were afraid of labelling the child. “Some saw the diagnosis in a negative sense, as though it was a bad stamp on them. “On the other hand, a number of parents - and the majority of parents - actually felt that informing their child of the diagnosis increased communication between them and their child.” A follow-up study will involve more p... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1329101 Wed, 26 Mar 2008 21:52:56 +0100 1329101 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1270585&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F243986928%2F This study, which was published in the Journal of Family and Economic Issues, comes as no surprise: One family has spent $200,000 on therapies and parents sometimes hold fundraisers to raise money for a child’s therapy. As a comparison, back in 2004 it was estimated that it would cost a quarter million to raise a child from birth through age 17. BabyCenter offers a simple tool to estimate how much it would cost to raise a child in 2006 dollars (more than that quarter million). I’ve never added up everything we’ve spent for Charlie: Besides all of the above, there are lawyer fees; the plumber’s bills (we lived in a one-bathroom house at the time when putting things in the toilet—-duplo Legos—provided great, if fleeting, amusement for one member of our hou... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1270585 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 19:16:20 +0100 1270585 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1253259&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F240580408%2F Infoture, a Boulder-based company, has created the LENA (for “language environment analysis”) which is (reports the February 24th New York Times magazine) means to be a kind of “verbal thermometer” to help parents better gauge how baby’s language skills are developing. A voice recorder tucked into a child’s clothing records all the sounds in the environment. At the end of each day, special software evaluates both the amount of exposure the child has had to verbal stimulation as well as the child’s own utterances. Ultimately, the device generates percentile rankings that help assess a child’s language development, just as doctors provide such rankings for a child’s height, weight and head circumference. Whatever its merits, LENA represents a radically new way o... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1253259 Sun, 24 Feb 2008 23:59:07 +0100 1253259 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1250215&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F239475579%2F Just a few days ago I noted to Jim that having a child who, like Charlie, does not talk much is entirely different from what I would have imagined things to be like. Had someone told me ten years ago, twenty years ago, that I’d be the mother of a child like Charlie, I think I would have just not have known what to think. How, I would have thought, can anyone be without speech, language, talking, the ability to read and write and express thoughts and hopes and wants and wishes in words? Charlie is not non-verbal, but talking is only one way that he communicates, and probably not the main way for him. Just as crucial are his body language, his facial expressions, the tone and pitch of his voice, the particular phrases and sorts of melodies that he says/sings/uses. We don’t have r... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1250215 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 17:46:19 +0100 1250215 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1238196&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F236824046%2F Parents don’t cause autism and neither do vaccines. Further: More and more evidence is being found that rejects the hypothesis that there is a link between autism and mercury; more and more evidence is also being found that rejects the hypothesis that there is a link between autism and the MMR vaccine. Nonetheless: Proponents of the hypothesis that a vaccine or something in vaccines (such as mercury in the form of the preservative thimerosal) causes autism remain as vocal as ever about their views, which they make known via full-page ads in national newspapers; celebrities such as Jenny McCarthy; and press releases issued post-haste by “mercury causes autism” organization such as Safe Minds. Those who subscribe to such hypotheses of autism causation tend, too, to voice di... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1238196 Mon, 18 Feb 2008 06:46:29 +0100 1238196 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1174943&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F222376306%2F A Real Boy: How Autism Shattered Our Lives - and Made a Family from the Pieces is the title of a new book by Christopher Stevens and his wife, Nicola, about their 11-year-old son, David. In an interview on Keep the Doctor Away, Christopher Stevens talks about finding out that David was autistic, what surprised him and his wife most about autism (the “sheer prevalence of it”), David’s awareness of the world (”David’s completely aware of everything… he just interprets the world differently”), some “negative experiences” with those who do not understand autism, and “the biggest misconception about autism.” I have to quote one of those negative experiences as it’s quite negative and in contrast to the Stevens’ loving... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1174943 Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:26:38 +0100 1174943 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=947973&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F169311653%2F A reader recently asked: I am new and researching the average costs of raising and treating an autistic child. Specifically what one could expect to pay for PT, OT, Hyperbaric Chamber, speech therapy, ASB, DAN, and any other therapies anyone wants to contribute. They don’t have to be specific numbers, just a range is fine. Any help would be appreciated. I looked up providers for some of the above treatments on the web, such as the Hyperbaric Medical Center in New Mexico; the Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!) conference (one day at the conference is $135, three days is $350, for parents: practitioners are charged $425 for all three days and $150 per day, not including fees for the hotel, meals, and transportation to Anaheim, CA). I may not have checked every aspect of each website, but costs tend... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=947973 Sat, 13 Oct 2007 08:29:03 +0100 947973 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=947386&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F168998712%2F “A childhood free of serious illness is now taken for granted.” So writes Paul Howard in an op-ed in today’ Washington Post that is entitled On Vaccines, Immune to Reason. Howard is Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute Center for Medical Progress, is Editor of the daily blog Medical Progress Today. It is this assumption—belief—-that Howards suggests is one reason that, despite more and more scientific evidence to the contrary, many still think that there is a link between vaccines and autism. Howard concludes: ….critics are effectively demanding that scientists prove that thimerosal does not cause illness — an impossible standard. The very success of vaccines has become their downfall. As Dr. [Paul] Offit writes in Vaccinated, “When [vacc... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=947386 Fri, 12 Oct 2007 16:05:44 +0100 947386 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=945364&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F168841172%2F As we were leaving the pool tonight, Charlie and I walked past three middle-school aged girls. I heard: “Were you part of that conversation about retarded people in Language Arts today?” I had not zipped the top of Charlie’s backpack shut and paused to do so. “You not that girl with the problems………were you there when she had the seizure……” Charlie had run ahead of me as he usually does and I called out “Wait for Mom!” The three girls had glanced at Charlie and me as walked past them but I’m not sure if their remarks were linked to that; I would say that the tone of their voices was distancing. It has been more and more the case that people—children in particular—notice and even stare a bit at Charlie... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=945364 Fri, 12 Oct 2007 08:56:14 +0100 945364 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=944616&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F168645615%2F 64-year-old Mamie Hubbard-Washington, a special education teacher in Las Vegas, is alleged to have pinched, pushed, and verbally abused her students, some of whom have autism and do not speak. Parents testified on September 26th that their children came home with bruises from Hubbard-Washington’s classroom at Reed Elementary School. In Racine, Wisconsin, a 3-year-old autistic boy was restrained in a Rifton Toddler Chair with belts, without his parents’ knowledge or consent. Hasmig Tempesta only learned that her son, Zachary, was being restrained in this manner after an in-home therapist observed Zachary at school. I do not know what any of the students mentioned in these news stories were doing, so that teachers decided to use the belts and chair, or, in Hubbard-Washington&#8... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=944616 Thu, 11 Oct 2007 22:08:16 +0100 944616 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=944617&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F168543118%2F That’s what Wendie Marcuso, whose son Daniel has autism, called a presentation that she created to give others a better understanding of the disordered and different sensory processing systems of autistic persons. The October 10th WHP CBS (Harrisburg, PA) notes that she sought to simulate how autistic persons experience sensory stimuli differently by: baking brownies with an excessive amount of salt, to show how something that looks good to many can evoke a gag reflect in others (not to mention neophobia) blasting music from three steroes to show how autistic persons may experience everyday sounds turning on flashing strobe lights to show how fluorescent lights can powerfully (too powerfully, sometimes) affect an autistic person putting something in a bag with a very potent smell (&... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=944617 Thu, 11 Oct 2007 17:50:37 +0100 944617 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=944618&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F168435422%2F Dr. Daniel Gunther, the doctor who was at the center of the controversial medical procedures performed on a severely disabled girl, “Ashley X,” committed suicide on September 30. As reported in today’s MSN news, Dr. Gunther was 49 years old and a pediatric endocrinologist at Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle and an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington. In 2004 when Ashley was 6, he and a colleague, Dr. Douglas S. Diekema , performed the following procedures at the request of Ashley’s parents: a hysterectomy, removal of breast tissue and hormone treatment to permanently halt her growth. Ashley’s parents wrote about the “Ashley treatment” and their decisions to purposefully stunt her growth ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=944618 Thu, 11 Oct 2007 13:24:37 +0100 944618 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=943029&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F168362462%2F These are the six “common life phases” according to New York Times columnist David Brooks in The Odyssey Years (October 9): childhood, adolescence, odyssey, adulthood, active retirement and old age Once upon the 1960s, the phases were four: childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age This “odyssey” age is, true to its classical roots in the title of Homer’s epic about the 10-year-old journey home of the hero Odysseus after the Trojan War, the decade of wandering that frequently occurs between adolescence and adulthood. During this decade, 20-somethings go to school and take breaks from school. They live with friends and they live at home. They fall in and out of love. They try one career and then try another. Their parents grow increasingly anxious. Thes... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=943029 Thu, 11 Oct 2007 09:54:59 +0100 943029 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=941872&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F168119886%2F Yet another recently published study highlights not one but two concerns of autism families, picky eating or “neophobia” and the interactions of genes and environment. According to an article in today’s New York Times: For parents who worry that their children will never eat anything but chocolate milk, Gummi vitamins and the occasional grape, a new study offers some relief. Researchers examined the eating habits of 5,390 pairs of twins between 8 and 11 years old and found children’s aversions to trying new foods are mostly inherited. The message to parents: It’s not your cooking, it’s your genes. The study, led by Dr. Lucy Cooke of the department of epidemiology and public health at University College London, was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrit... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=941872 Wed, 10 Oct 2007 21:40:32 +0100 941872 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=941873&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F168026210%2F The Supreme Court has ruled that New York City schools must reimburse former Viacom executive Tom Freston for private special education for his son, who has learning disabilities. The Supreme Court voted 4-4, with Justice Anthony Kennedy not participating, and thus upheld a lower court ruling that sided with Freston. According to that ruling, even though the student was enrolled in a private school and his learning disabilities were diagnosed after he was enrolled in it, the city had to pay for the student From today’s Associated Press: The New York City board of education had asked the justices to take the case after a lower court said that tuition reimbursement is available to the parents under the Individuals With Disabilities Act. Lawyers for the boy’s parents said the spec... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=941873 Wed, 10 Oct 2007 17:28:43 +0100 941873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=941874&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F167932503%2F Sad and horrible to think about. 32-year-old Allison Cox is on trial today on charges of manslaughter and failing to provide the necessities of life for Tiffany Pinckney, her adopted sister, The Star reports. On April 2, 2005, Pinckney was found in a basement apartment in Missisauga, on a rug soiled with urine and feces. She was 23 years old and weighed 84 pounds. Diagnosed with autism at the age of three, Pinckney “was non-verbal, was toilet trained, and functioned at a mental age of about 3.” Her adoptive mother, Margaret Cox, died of cancer in 2004 and named Allison Cox as Pinckney’s legal guardian in her will. Allison Cox has pleaded not guilty. Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=941874 Wed, 10 Oct 2007 13:22:43 +0100 941874 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=939823&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F167736510%2F Edwin Tirado, who is on trial for reckless manslaughter in the death of 13-year-old Johnathan Carey last February, took the stand today. WYNT reports: Tuesday afternoon, Tirado took the stand in his own defense. Defense attorney Brian Donohue used a bench from the court house hallway to help Edwin Tirado show the jury how he restrained Jonathan Carey, who had autism. He showed jurors how he crossed his arms over the boy’s chest. When it didn’t stop the former aide says he laid the boy down, sat in front of him, grabbing his arms and legs. Tirado told jurors that he stopped the restraint because he thought the boy had fallen asleep. Under cross examination, Tirado admitted to “working a lot of overtime, even multiple double shifts,” and said that “he was tired ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=939823 Wed, 10 Oct 2007 03:04:44 +0100 939823 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=935306&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F167156081%2F Autism Controversy Dominates National News proclaims a headling in NewsBlaze.com, as a prelude to a story about a new book, The Boy in the Window (Morgan James Publishers, Nov 2007), by Barbara Coppo, whose 29-year-old son has autism. It’s always good to read another parent’s, and autistic person’s story, though (for better or for worse), a check of various news sources suggests that that NewsBlaze headline is not entirely accurate. Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=935306 Mon, 08 Oct 2007 22:51:59 +0100 935306 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=935307&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F167019735%2F 19-year-old Max Hollen, who has autism and epilepsy, has been missing from his group home since yesterday afternoon. Update: Hollen was found by Monday morning, Oct. 8. Two employees of the Rainer School at Buckley, Washingston, have been arrested after videos shot by undercover KIRO 7 Eyewitness News shows that disabled students at a school run by the Department of Social and Health Services were allegedly slapped, struck in the face, and otherwise mistreated. An 11-year-old boy with Asperger’s syndrome was “brutally attacked” after stepping off the school bus in Templeton, Massachusetts. Authorities are planning to press charges against two girls and three girls who filmed the incident, as reported by WCVB today. A parent has to worry: What will it be like when, if, Cha... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=935307 Mon, 08 Oct 2007 16:38:40 +0100 935307 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=933202&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F166578139%2F Today’s New York Times reports on a new autism school in Nutley, in Essex County, New Jersey. It has a 1:1 student to teacher ratio; three teachers were chosen from a pool of 200 applicants, and a school psychologist/behavioral specialist, three occupational, physical and speech therapists and a part-time music therapist all hired. It has new furniture, toys, and other equipment. It’s a public school program. The New York Times notes that it is an “unusual preschool program,” although to me—-after Charlie’s years of strictly special education—-it sounds very familiar. There are 8,490 students with autism in New Jersey as of last year (there were 4,624 in 2002—Charlie is included in both figures): A lot of programs, a lot of need, and lot of g... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=933202 Sun, 07 Oct 2007 16:30:58 +0100 933202 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=933000&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F166490086%2F I had a big project to finish for my job and Jim took Charlie on a Riverkeepers tour in the New Jersey Meadowlands: At 12 noon, they boarded a pontoon boat and, with the Captain providing a steady narration about evil developers and looming landfills, went up and down the Hackensack River. Jim interjected with a few questions and agreed with the Captain that no one in Hudson County takes an interest in nature, not that there isn’t plenty of it, from the phragmites reeds the boat pushed past to the many birds, as varied as the ethnicities of Jersey City’s population: People do tend to think more of the garbage and car part dumpyards and the smokestacks that I pass everyday on my way into Jersey City via the Pulaski Skyway (”one of the most notorious and dangerous roads in ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=933000 Sun, 07 Oct 2007 10:59:18 +0100 933000 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=932695&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F166215189%2F He believes vaccines, autism are linked reads the headline for a letter in today’s Pocono Record. I don’t. Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=932695 Sat, 06 Oct 2007 17:05:30 +0100 932695 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=932052&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F166059557%2F A lot is being said about the effects of a special diet on autistic children: A few more items of note, including a technological device designed to help a user understand social expressions. UK grandfather donates sperm to father his own grandchildScientists cite the “older dads” theory of autism: At least mom wouldn’t get all the blame in this case. That tuna fish sandwich is ok after allOverriding debates about mercury in fish, a new study urges pregnant women to eat fish But hold the bread, oatmeal, cheese and definitely the pizzaThe LA Times notes that Jenny McCarthy’s “celebrity status is likely to lend credence” (which is just, well, credence) to the gluten-free casein-free diet. Did Isaac Newton have Asperger’s?And if he did, would this ha... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=932052 Sat, 06 Oct 2007 07:43:51 +0100 932052 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=931175&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F165808012%2F Books are not my son Charlie’s favorite things but he does like to go for a (fast) visit to the library. One reason we often have to keep visits short is that Charlie has a hard time not talking when we are there and I have to say “gotta be quiet” a few too many times. People look up at his too-loud “choose a book!” and, while they go back to whatever they are doing, I feel the need to rush us down to the children’s section. I was pleased to receive a message from a friend who is a librarian regarding INFOLINK, the Eastern New Jersey Regional Library Cooperative, which is seeking information about libraries that successfully created programs for children and adults with autism: There is a strategic need for libraries to provide services in proactive and ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=931175 Fri, 05 Oct 2007 18:00:45 +0100 931175 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=927923&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F165424192%2F Autism is one of the “increasingly prevalent” diseases that will be studied in the planned National Children’s Study, the largest ever study of children’s health in the US to be undertaken. The study will be conducted at 105 research centers primarily located at major research universities around the country. Researchers hope to enroll 100,000 children from before birth to age 21, and to start enrolling pregnant women in the upcoming year. Locations for the centers were chosen by using …. a probability-based method to ensure that children and families across the nation—from diverse ethnic, racial, economic, religious, geographic, and social groups—are fairly represented in the Study. Criteria for location selection included demographics, number of births,... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=927923 Thu, 04 Oct 2007 23:55:49 +0100 927923 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=927924&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F165285674%2F I was not alone in recently receiving an enigmatic, and (if I may so), sinister-toned email from one “Adam Smith,” making the claim that the rise in the prevalence of autism is caused by the “the mixing of different ethnic groups.” “Smith” even asserts that “Autism is caused by the mixing of different ethnic groups.” Orac at Respectful Insolence makes it clear that “‘Smith’ has it all wrong”: What’s almost certainly bothering this “Adam Smith” is not the “mixing” of Russians with Dutch or Spanish with Irish or French with British. What is almost certainly really bothering “Adam Smith” is the influx of all those nasty dark-skinned races into Europe and the increasing acceptanc... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=927924 Thu, 04 Oct 2007 16:50:58 +0100 927924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=926263&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F165127314%2F Studies that indicate that autism is genetic are often roundly decried by those who believe that autism is caused by vaccines, or thimerasol, or other environmental, “extra-genetic” factors. Remarks such as “there can’t be a genetic epidemic” and “what is causing genes to mutate” are frequently offered. On the other hand, such statements suggest that more education in genetics and its terminology would be helpful in understanding why it is highly unlikely that some single “autism gene” can be found, and even some one factor that is causing genes to “mutate.” Epidemiologist and biotech consultant Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei notes how a recent article on cancer risk in the LA Times confused the terms “gene” and “gene... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=926263 Thu, 04 Oct 2007 09:47:42 +0100 926263 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=925348&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F164879631%2F 13-year-old Jonathan Carey died on the evening of February 15. He was on an outing with another child from the O.D. Heck Developmental Center in Schenectady, NY, when health worker Edwin Tirado, 35, restrained him; Jonathan stopped breathing. According to police, the driver of the van, Nadeem Mall, 32, continued driving the van around Colonie, in upstate New York, all while “doing errands, shopping and buying beverages, instead of seeking medical. Both men have been charged with second-degree manslaughter. Tirado is on trial today. Mall has pleaded guilty and it is expected that he will testify against Tirado. Opening arguments concluded this morning; Jonathan’s mother, Lisa Carey, is the prosecution’s first witness. WYNT news notes: Jonathan’s parents have said the... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=925348 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 21:00:41 +0100 925348 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=925349&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F164800876%2F 3 years old—a child ages out of Early Intervention: When Rockwell “Rocky” McCloskey turned three years old, his parents, Alison and Patrick McCloskey of Huntington Beach, California, were told that he was no longer eligible for services, as reported in today’s OC Register. Rocky, who has autism, had been receiving behavioral intervention via the Regional Center’s Early Start program for children under age 3 and had been making “some progress.” The McCloskeys hired an advocate, Debra Borden, of We Are Kids First Inc. in Irvine, to challenge the decision and were successful. 5 years old—is your child ready for kindergarten, perhaps with an aide, and only for part of the day? (My son never went to kindergarten; he is in the fifth grade now.) 8 y... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=925349 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 17:40:48 +0100 925349 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=923751&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F164558565%2F Is language (like tying knots) unique to humans—is being able to talk and think in language part of being human? I might have answered this question with an “of course” in what seems like another life now, a life I lived before I became the mother of a boy with minimal language. My husband Jim and I are both very verbal—big (and rather fast) talkers and early, self-taught readers. Charlie, now 10 and some months, has more to say with each day. I refer frequently to music here as it seems more and more to be a “language”—a mode—-that channels communication among the three of us. Learning to read has been a process of many years for Charlie (in the past year and a half, he has slowly memorized not quite 30 nouns on flashcards), whereas he has ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=923751 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 06:05:57 +0100 923751 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=918029&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F163899531%2F “It’s okay. It’s okay!” That is a direct quote from my son Charlie. He has said it several times over the past week after being nervous, and wringing his features and looking distressed, and moving about in an agitated way. He has been one moment repeating certain words—foods he likes, the names of a teacher—-and then pausing, and then saying “it’s okay, it’s okay” and looking up at Jim or me. If it’s okay by Charlie, it certainly is by me. Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=918029 Mon, 01 Oct 2007 21:37:04 +0100 918029 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=916150&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F163642061%2F Costs for special education are rising twice as fast for regular education Massachusetts, the October 1st BostonNOW notes. Private school tuition for special ed students can range from $50,000 to $240,000 per year, with transportation costs ($190 million/year) being cited as the biggest expenditure: “Sometimes it costs more to transport a special-education student than it does to educate them.” At issue is not getting all students the education they deserve, but who should foot the bill: ….. the debate among educators is not whether special-needs students deserve a good education. It is about who should bear the burden of the cost. “Communities have been left with two choices: cut back service to regular education students or raise additional revenue through a propo... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=916150 Mon, 01 Oct 2007 10:04:12 +0100 916150 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=915062&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F163235209%2F The notion that divorce is “ever-increasing” is a “great myth” and also “plain wrong,” Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers, assistant professors of business and public policy at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, write in an op-ed in the September 29th New York Times. Responding to the release last week of new statistics on divorce and to the New York Times itself reporting that “the latest numbers suggest an uptick in the divorce rate among people married in the most recent 20 years covered in the report, 1975-1994,” Stevenson and Wolfers argue that the divorce rate has been decreasing at a steady rate over the past quarter-century: [The divorce rate] is now at its lowest level since 1970. While marriage rates are also de... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=915062 Sun, 30 Sep 2007 10:49:00 +0100 915062 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=915063&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F163123279%2F Andrew Seong Nam Chan was 11 years old and had moved a few years ago from China to New Zealand with his family. Andrew has autism and attended the Fairhaven Special School in Hawke’s Bay. NZPA news reports that, on Friday night, Andrew had gotten out of his house and was running along the middle of State Highway 50 when he was struck by a car about 6.45 pm. Police had been alerted about a boy running along the road shortly before Andrew was killed. I always call out “CHARLIE” too loud and race after him if he even seems to be heading for the edge of the sidewalk—-he is learning to “stay on the sidewalk” and to cross the street. But vigilance is a way of life for Jim and me. Many, many condolences to Andrew’s family. Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=915063 Sun, 30 Sep 2007 02:55:54 +0100 915063 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=914134&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F163022865%2F Jenny McCarthy, Autism Mother Regan writes on On the “high-functioning” and “low-functioning” “labels”: “My perspective is that in a single year my daughter was observed and defined as LFA, HFA and ModerateFA. So that’s how much that is worth, in my book. It is much more useful to us to consider specifics relating directly to my daughter and simply go with that.” Mandy writes: “Jenny McCarthy’s son is NOT autistic. More and more, we find kids who are developmentally delayed for a plehtora of complex reasons otherwise NOT related to autism—diagnosed with autism! This must stop. This is hurting familes who are raising with truly autistic children.” Jenny, We Hardly Knew Ye Marcie writes in response to a suggestion to send McC... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=914134 Sat, 29 Sep 2007 20:36:54 +0100 914134 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=913617&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F162859443%2F “Did you give him any cough medicine?” was the question the school nurse left on my voice mail. I was teaching when she called and hastily responded after packing up books and papers. Charlie’s teacher had noted that he had gotten off the bus congested and really, really tired, and rubbing his face over and over. No fever, no swelling, the nurse noted. In answer to her question, I quickly said that I try to avoid giving Charlie any over-the-counter cough medicine and sending him to school: I have never been able to figure out whether these make him hyper or drowsy, or rather, extra-drowsy. Once, a few summers ago, I gave Charlie Benadryl and, while he did not bounce off the walls, he ran up and down the hallways and the house, completely wide awake far past midnight&#8212... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=913617 Sat, 29 Sep 2007 11:20:54 +0100 913617 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=911918&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F162660443%2F Officials from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta did not interfere with reviews of vaccines safety by the Institute of Medicine, nor did they cover up alleged findings linking thimerosal to autism, as reported by Reuterstoday. The report did fault the FDA for “inappropriately using Environmental Protection Agency mercury guidelines in evaluating the safety of mercury in vaccines”; it was also noted that childhood vaccines shipped to developing countries still contain thimerasol. Not surprisingly, Safe Minds, which links autism to vaccines, is cited as a dissenting voice. Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=911918 Fri, 28 Sep 2007 23:00:20 +0100 911918 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=911920&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F162553015%2F After teaching my Greek history class, I ran into two friends, both of whom also teach at the same college as I do, and both of whom each have three children, ranging in age from about 10 like Charlie, to teenagers. “Surviving” was how they both described how they were doing. “I have to show you something,” said one. She went into her office and came back with a piece of paper, on which was printed out two paragraphs of text in a small font. Her son had been given an assignment to find something online about a person who inspires them; as her son is very fond of roller-blading, he had gone to the website of a well-known roller blader (who I have no clue about) and downloaded something from his blog. “ALCOHOL…….vodka…….. keg…&#8230... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=911920 Fri, 28 Sep 2007 18:03:26 +0100 911920 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=908631&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F162186021%2F An earlier post today asked whether or not celebrity autism mother Jenny McCarthy might herself have Asperger Syndrome; this became a bit of a virtual parlor game. This same question—-”does this person have Asperger Syndrome?”—is being considered in a Brunswick, Georgia, courtroom, and the answer has much more serious ramifications. 34-year-old Stacey Ian Humphreys was convicted of malice murder on Tuesday, September 25th. As reported by WTLV.com today, The [jury of] 10 women and two men must now decide if Humphreys will be sentenced to life in prison or death by lethal injection. Prosecutors say Humphreys staked out the women at their sales office in a Powder Springs subdivison north of Atlanta [on November 3, 2003]. Humphreys used a handgun to force them to stri... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=908631 Thu, 27 Sep 2007 22:06:02 +0100 908631 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=907102&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F161818425%2F A new study published in the September 27th New England Journal of Medicine does not support a link between early thimerasol exposure and neuropsychological deficits in children. Epidemiologist William V. Thompson, PhD, of the CDC’s National Center for Immunizations and Respiratory Diseases and others, conclude that: Our study does not support a causal association between early exposure to mercury from thimerasol-containing vaccines and immune globulis and deficits in neuropsycological functioning at the age of 7 to 10 years. 1047 children between the ages of 7 and 10 were administed standardized tests assessing 42 neuropsychological outcomes (autism spectrum disorders were not assessed). The children were from four HMOs that participate in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention&... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=907102 Thu, 27 Sep 2007 06:01:38 +0100 907102 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=906115&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F161667446%2F Marcie Pickelsimer, who blogs at My Two Boys and also Discussing Autism, writes on the Chicago Moms Blog about autism and the adopted child. In her post about her son, “Little Pickel,” who was adopted from Russia in the summer of 2005, Marcie writes that he has Institutional Autism, which is distinguished from “organic autism.” Regarding Institutional Autism Dr. Ronald S. Federici writes: The child from the post-institutionalized setting does not fall into any of the classic definitions of classical autism, Rhetts disorder or even childhood disintegrative disorder, although there is certainly a “disintegration” once a child has remained in an institutional setting. While there is no actual “equation” as to how long it takes for a child to bec... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=906115 Wed, 26 Sep 2007 20:06:40 +0100 906115 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=906116&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F161587612%2F Kev asks this in a comment on the post on Jenny McCarthy, Autism Mother. This is the DSM-IV’s criteria. Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=906116 Wed, 26 Sep 2007 16:18:38 +0100 906116 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=900914&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F160891216%2F Tuesday, September 25th: It’s another day at school for my son Charlie, as it is for many other children. For 6-year-old Nathan Darnell, September 25th is a day in court. On September 7th, at Taylor Elementary School in Bracken County, Kentucky Nathan allegedly pushed an aide, Glenda Schlitz. He has been charged with fourth-degree assault, with the charges brought at the instigation of Schlitz. (Go here and here for more information, and also to the Autistic Self Advocacy Network; commentary can also be found in the comments to an earlier post). If this seems like an overreaction to you—or even if you have concerns and are (as I am) puzzled at criminal charges addressed to a six-year-old with autism, you might express your concern by contacting some of the parties involved. Sh... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=900914 Tue, 25 Sep 2007 04:57:43 +0100 900914 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=896085&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F160765090%2F A three-year-old autistic boy was found floating in a swimming pool in a house in Morgan County, Indiana and is near death. The September 24th Reporter-Times reports: he boy was at a home next to 3976 Henderson Ford Road, according to information gathered at the scene. He was outside playing with other children and adults. At some point, the boy wandered away from the family. A search was done and the boy was found in the swimming pool. According to the radio log from the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department, a call for help was received from the home at 4:35 p.m. The caller reported a child was found in the pool and they needed help. Officers from the Brooklyn and Mooresville police departments and deputies from the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department quickly arrived at the scene... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=896085 Mon, 24 Sep 2007 20:35:29 +0100 896085 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=896086&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F160603373%2F 100 women get naked for autism?—–that is, as far as I can tell from this photo, 100 naked women (naked autism mothers, perhaps?) appear to be lying on the grass to spell out the word AUTISM. It certainly is another way to “raise autism awareness.” In light of recent TV appearances by celebrity autism mothers, it appears that we may be hearing, or rather seeing, more of such “naked truths,” or even some half-naked ones. Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=896086 Mon, 24 Sep 2007 13:18:48 +0100 896086 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=894231&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F160335269%2F How perfect should our children be? asks an article originally published in the St. Paul Pioneer Press about prenatal genetic testing and Down Syndrome (85% of women choose to end their pregnancy when they find out their fetus has tested positive for Down Syndrome.) So many more children are diagnosed with autism that it feels (feels) to many that there is an “epidemic of autism”; an article in today’s Peoria Journal-Star notes that there are so many more students with autism that the school district is having an “autistic overload.” Autism consultant Lisa Bowe is quoted as saying “Autism used to be a sentence in a textbook, then a paragraph, then a chapter. Now it’s a whole book.” And a book that, I hope, will keep growing as we learn more a... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=894231 Sun, 23 Sep 2007 21:00:24 +0100 894231 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=894232&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F160251120%2F We are now living in a second-story condo. It’s only two short flights of stairs up but—the real concern—we have no view of the parking lot below from the front door landing. If Charlie runs out on his own, he is most likely going to the car and he gets in if the door is open—-but “most likely” does not mean “always” and it’s that sliver of doubt that leads me to run up and down the stairs really really fast. Charlie has been getting accustomed to my saying “wait for Mom to get her stuff” and slumping in a chair. Two reports today of missing autistic persons remind me of why vigilance is essential: Kyle Stevens, a 40-year-old autistic man who had been missing since Thursday was found today dead about an hour from his house i... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=894232 Sun, 23 Sep 2007 16:01:11 +0100 894232 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=892864&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F159908030%2F The trial of Karen McCarron, the former pathologist who is charged with killing her three-year-old autistic daughter, Katherine McCarron, has again been postponed, and Tazewell County judge Stephen Kouri is displeased. McCarron is accused of killing her daughter in May of 2006 by suffocating her with a plastic bag. Defense attorney Marc Wolfe asked to postpone the trial, which had been set for October 1, because (as noted in today’s Peoria Journal-Star), “he said his expert medical witness has yet to examine McCarron for a mental evaluation.” The trial has now been set for December 3—which means that Katherine’s family will have to wait even more months. The article continues: Kouri berated Wolfe for not having the exam done in the more than one-year time per... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=892864 Sat, 22 Sep 2007 15:31:37 +0100 892864 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=891634&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F159619973%2F A little noise is not necessarily a bad thing: Some noise, even high intensity broadband noise can help children with ADHD focus better. Today’s Developing Intelligence reports on a newly published study about stochastic resonance and ADHD by Göran B. W. Söderlund. My son Charlie does not have a diagnosis of ADHD in addition to autism; my husband Jim does have ADHD and he and I have noted some similarities in sensory and cognitive processing and attention. 42 children (21 with ADHD) between 9 and 12 years of age were tested in Söderlund’s study: Interpreted loosely, the idea is that those with ADHD are chronically understimulated by both their environment and their internal cognitive representations, leading them to search almost incessantly for more stimulating things (en... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=891634 Fri, 21 Sep 2007 20:31:22 +0100 891634 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=891635&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F159538147%2F The United Autism Foundation hopes to build the first dental hospital for autistic children, the September 19th CBS4.com news (Florida) reports. South Florida businessman Olaf Hampel, who played tackle for the Denver Broncos has made it his mission to build the nation’s first dental facility designed for children with disabilities, especially autistic children. Hampel explained, “For instance, we need certain equipment for children in wheelchairs.” He added, there’s also “special equipment needed to open their mouths, and to leave them open.” …….. The foundation’s ultimate goal is to raise $10-million for a full-fledged dental and medical facility though, initial plans call for a smaller $1-million facility to meet the immediate needs o... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=891635 Fri, 21 Sep 2007 16:46:15 +0100 891635 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=888622&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F159248771%2F That’s what Charlie has been saying, all on his own, everytime someone walks into his classroom (he also names the person). His teacher noted to me that he has been very much aware of everyone and everything around him, and that he’s been having great, great days. That’s all I need. Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=888622 Fri, 21 Sep 2007 00:43:22 +0100 888622 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=888623&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F159164651%2F Charges have been filed against an autistic 6-year-old, Nathan Darnell, of Brooksvile, Kentucky, by a teacher’s aide, Glenda Schlitz. As reported in the September 19th Ledger Independent, According to his parents — Catherine and Anthony Darnell — on Sept. 7, 6-year-old Nathan had allegedly refused to eat his breakfast at school and was told by the teacher’s aide in the cafeteria he could lay his head down if he ate his breakfast. When he did not do it, the aid started to leave the area. Nathan then allegedly pushed the aide, Glenda Schlitz and caused her to fall to her knees. Schiltz’s alleged injuries are unknown to the family and according to official information, the aide did not seek medical attention. According to the family, school officials offered a o... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=888623 Thu, 20 Sep 2007 20:20:50 +0100 888623 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=886297&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F159016377%2F That’s what Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the Orange County (California) sheriff’s department said in defense of sheriff’s deputies use of a Taser stun gun on a 15-year-old Taylor Karras. Karras, who has autism, had fled from his parents during a visit to the Regional Center of Orange County in Westminster about 11:30 a.m. Monday. Karras had gone there for counseling, which he did not want. From today’s LA Times: About nine hours later, his mother saw him about one block from their home — 16 miles from the center — on the ground and handcuffed by deputies. Amormino said Tustin police called the Sheriff’s Department after a pedestrian reported a suspicious person. Taylor was pushing a shopping cart down Newport Avenue near La Loma Drive, near his ho... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=886297 Thu, 20 Sep 2007 13:35:54 +0100 886297 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=885408&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F158598926%2F Autism father and writer Michael Goldberg has started the Autism Schools Map Project, to show where schools around the US that are designed for autistic students are located. If you know of any such schools or programs, you can email the information (name, address, website) to michaelsgoldberg AT yahoo DOT com (or just click here). Goldberg notes that For many kids with autism spectrum disorders, a quality educational program is the best prescription for helping them grow as people and can make a positive difference in their quality of life. I can’t agree more. We have moved four times in the past six years to provide my son with the right kind of education. It has been quite a journey, and Charlie grows and learns each step of the way. Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=885408 Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:01:23 +0100 885408 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=883763&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F158387984%2F “Pool,” was Charlie’s request and so, with “suit on” (as in swimsuit) off we went. It was just after 6pm and something was going on in every room of our YMCA: Men in suits hurrying to get in a workout, five girls of varying heights concentrating as they faced a dance instructor, moms in sweats chatting together and watching their kids at swim practice. Charlie was eager and smiling. I knew that Charlie would only be able to swim in the “family pool,” an L-shaped 3 1/2 feet deep pool connected to two water slides, and merging into a wading pool with a slide for preschoolers. I had checked the pool schedule: All during the week, only this pool was open; there are two pools for swimming laps and the swim teams were using both. I explained this to Char... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=883763 Wed, 19 Sep 2007 04:46:13 +0100 883763 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=882663&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F158146623%2F Carmen McCullough is 13 years old, non-verbal, and receives (according to the September 17th WIFR (News 23), “receives 30 minutes of speech therapy 4 times a year.” That would be two hours of speech therapy for an entire school year—-that does not seem right, to me, at any rate. My son Charlie, who is minimally verbal and ten years old, receives 30 minutes of speech therapy 3 times a week at school. Lial and Doreen McCullough, Carmen’s parents, are seeking to have her attend a new autism school in Rockford, Illinois, the Autism Therapeutic School—I hope they can prevail. Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=882663 Tue, 18 Sep 2007 16:56:04 +0100 882663 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=880240&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F158010556%2F Being an autism mother these past ten years, I have learned a lot of things I would not otherwise have: epigenetics, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), what “stimming” is, why bread without wheat just isn’t the same, how to have a conversation with a tall 10-year-old using less than a dozen words (”Farm Families,” “tape,” “iPod,” “give,” “pig,” “meow,” “baby,” “two more”). With Charlie teaching me and challenging me, my education continues. There is one more item to add to the list of “what I know because of autism.” I know who Jenny McCarthy is. She’s an autism mother, same as myself. She has a website (well, this is a blog, technically, but I also have a webs... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=880240 Tue, 18 Sep 2007 10:35:26 +0100 880240 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=877687&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F157706871%2F Ruth Kieffer, whose 21-year-old son has Asperger Syndrome, writes about his difficulties finding long-term employment in a letter in today’s Appleton Post-Crescent: After many, many job applications, there were two places that seemed eager to hire him — until someone in higher management positions decided they didn’t want to hire someone with an autism disorder. Do they not understand that this is discrimination? Is there a fear of what they don’t understand? [my emphasis] Here is a young man with a genius IQ who wants to work, was never late to his job experiences, never called in sick, is honest to a fault — yet is not given a chance because of prejudice, plain and simple. Adults with autism are a fact of life.[my emphasis] Would we prefer they live on disability in... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=877687 Mon, 17 Sep 2007 18:29:38 +0100 877687 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=876076&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F157408408%2F A rose by any other name might smell as sweet—-or maybe not. It’s a world of sensory difference out there, Gene Expression notes in a post today, citing Genetic variation in a human odorant receptor alters odour perception in Nature. Today’s Science Daily explains how urine can smell like vanilla to some, and vanilla like urine to others: But androstenone, a derivative of testosterone that is a potent ingredient in male body odor, can smell like either - depending on your genes. While many people perceive a foul odor from androstenone, usually that of stale urine or strong sweat, others find the scent sweet and pleasant. Still others cannot smell it at all. New research from Rockefeller University, performed in collaboration with scientists at Duke University in North Car... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=876076 Mon, 17 Sep 2007 02:38:05 +0100 876076 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=874955&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F157096069%2F Mindful of what I’ll call the side effects of transitions on Charlie, I was careful that Saturday was well-stocked with familiar activities with definite endings, and in which Charlie was an active player. We went grocery shopping and Charlie carried his share of bags (including the one with the watermelon). He eyed the racks of Entenman’s and Tastycakes and pulled out the bag with gluten-free brownie mix soon as we got home; he stirred the batter and licked both bowl and spoon. There was an old blue chair—a small Ikea armchair—that I had put in my office and have now determined that we need in our new place, so we drove into Jersey City. Charlie really wanted just to stay in the car but I didn’t think that the best idea and, while smileless, he held the door... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=874955 Sun, 16 Sep 2007 06:56:35 +0100 874955 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=872180&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F156629913%2F Dance about autism: Actor Taye Diggs and his co-choreographer Andrew Palermo have created “beyond.words,” which “was inspired by the idiosyncratic gestures often made by those with autism,” as noted in Kansas.com. (Estée has a link, too, to videos by the Autistic Pride Dancers.) Sing about autism: Is Autism: The Musical coming to a theater near you? As for us, there’s always something to swim about! Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=872180 Fri, 14 Sep 2007 23:07:57 +0100 872180 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=872181&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F156493023%2F The New Jersey State Supreme Court has ruled that an insurer for state employees must pay for “intensive therapies” for an autistic five-year-old. The therapies (ABA, speech therapy, occupational therapy) “go beyond what a school district must provide for his education.” As reported in today’s Bergen Record, Joseph Micheletti, a deputy attorney general who handles employment discrimination matters, argued on behalf of his son, Jake. “It makes a huge difference to us,” Micheletti said. The family had taken a second mortgage on its Hunterdon County house to pay for additional behavioral, speech and occupational therapy beyond what its school district provided for Jake. The Michelettis had nearly exhausted their financial resources and were preparing ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=872181 Fri, 14 Sep 2007 16:30:41 +0100 872181 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=870467&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F156370967%2F So your state university signs a $7.8 million contract with the Simons Foundation to create a collection of genetic samples taken from blood, to “explore a new theory” of autism, as reported in the September 13th Star-Ledger. The new theory is about autism genetics and about spontaneous (de novo) mutations: Under geneticist Michael Wigler of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Long Island, NY, researchers studied families who have two or more autistic children and considered what the chances were for families whose first two children were autistic to have a third autistic child. Wigler and his research found that mothers spontaneously acquire genetic mutations that are specific for autism. While the mothers themselves do not have autism, there is a 50% chance that they will transi... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=870467 Fri, 14 Sep 2007 10:53:03 +0100 870467 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=870468&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F156219514%2F Autism caused by nasal spray? (One assumes it is not this type of nasal spray.) A Kentucky man spanks an autistic child who goes into his yard? A correlation between teenage pregnancy and autism? I’d rather hear about fewer speculative causes of autism—-as for the spanking by the neighbor, enough said. Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=870468 Fri, 14 Sep 2007 01:41:30 +0100 870468 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=869561&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F156073869%2F Long Island pediatrician, allergist and immunologist, Dr. Marvin Boris, has been using two diabetes drugs, Actos and Avandia, to treat autistic children. As noted in today’s Newsday, researchers in the Journal of the American Medical Association have found that one of the medications, GlaxoSmithKline’s “controversial diabetes drug” Avandia, appears to raise patients’ risk of heart risk. The Wall Street Journal has the full story about the study on Avandia, and also another study on Actos, made by Takeda Pharmeceutical Company, which suggests that this medication is safer on the heart. Nonetheless, both medications carry the Food and Drug Administration’s toughest warning. Notes Newsday: Dr. Sonal Singh, who led one of the studies reported today, said bot... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=869561 Fri, 14 Sep 2007 00:23:39 +0100 869561 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=867331&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F155675675%2F New Jersey Governor Joseph Corzine signed a package of seven bills relating to autism today. Previous posts on Autism Vox about the legislation: 6 Autism Bills to go to NJ State Assembly I can assure you that no one knows the autism spectrum better than someone on it (testimony by ASAN (Autistic Self Advocacy Network) President Ari Ne’eman) 9 Autism Bills in New Jersey lists the package of bills My Testimony on the New Jersey Autism Bills (I didn’t give the testimony because Charlie had the flu and I had to stay home) NJ Autism Bills Advance to Senate My husband Jim is a New Jersey native and I am glad that we gave up our jobs and moved back here from St. Louis, Missouri some six years ago, to get Charlie the school he needed and a whole lot more. Share This (Source: Autism V... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=867331 Wed, 12 Sep 2007 21:45:46 +0100 867331 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=863791&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F155106582%2F Since we moved to a different part of our town, Charlie has not been able to take the school bus and Jim has been driving him and dropping him off. The bus is scheduled to come tomorrow—-this story about how the bus for a 15-year-old autistic boy in Queens did not come for the entire first week of school is definitely not the way to start the school year. From today’s New York Daily News: Four days in a row, Joshua Garcia cried and nervously bit his hands (a symptom of autism) when the bus failed to pick him up at his Richmond Hill home and take him to the High School for Construction Trades in Ozone Park, said his mom, Yolanda Rodriguez. “He’s used to schedules, daily routines,” Rodriguez said. “They should learn that they can’t be leaving kids on... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=863791 Tue, 11 Sep 2007 16:46:16 +0100 863791 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=858401&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F154780657%2F In Greek mythology, Icarus is the son of the master craftsman Daedalus, who makes wings out of wax. Father and son fly away from the palace of King Minos but Icarus flies too close to the sun and his wings melt, and he falls into the ocean. Icarus rises again in a play entitled “Izzy Icarus Fell Off the World” by 15-year-old Aliza Goldstein of Jacksonville, Florida. Goldstein got the idea for her play from volunteering at the Mt. Herman Exceptional Student Center in Jacksonville, a center for students with developmental disabilities. Here is a summary of the plot: Teenage Izzy is fascinated by birds. With beach season fading, he loves to stand on the sand, flap his arms, and watch the gulls take flight for winter. His curious movements have attracted the eye of budding photogra... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=858401 Mon, 10 Sep 2007 22:43:22 +0100 858401 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=858402&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F154650878%2F 2pm to 5pm has never been an easy time for Charlie. It’s the transition period between school and dinner, a hump to get over when he and I are feeling low-energy. The day goes by more easily when Charlie has something structured, such as speech therapy or ABA; if not, we usually go on a walk or (if the pool is open for “family swim”) a swim, or an “outing in public” (a store, the library). After-school programs have been off-limits: Charlie would need an aide and the activities, level of possible chaos due to a lot of children and not so many staff, and general “looseness” all end up to a phone call to me, frantically trying to go pick him up after rushing away from work. Charlie briefly went to a daycare after school when he was five years old for... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=858402 Mon, 10 Sep 2007 16:37:28 +0100 858402 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=853571&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F154360813%2F The Autism Research Institute (ARI) and Defeat Autism Now! (DAN) are asking for “notes of support” to be left on their website for Dr. Andrew Wakefield, the British doctor who first reported a link between the MMR vaccine and autism and who seems, in the face of evidence disputing such a link, unable to admit that he was wrong. Dr. Wakefield has been charged with misconduct that he undertook “research between 1996-8 without proper ethical approval” and that he allowed “investigations such as colonoscopies and lumbar punctures to be carried out on children, against the patients’ interests.” In July, he was called before the General Medical Council for a disciplinary hearing. The ARI’s appeal for messages of support for Dr. Wakefield is not the fi... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=853571 Mon, 10 Sep 2007 00:04:12 +0100 853571 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=853572&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F154275316%2F In the wake of yesterday’s post about Educational Services of America, a Nashville-based for-profit company and the issues raised—-who most “profits” when a private entity owns and operates schools for special needs children—is this post, about a public school that works. The Anthony Carnevale Elementary School in Providence, Rhode Island, has four autism classsrooms, and its student population is 64 percent Hispanic; 24 percent of the students receive special education services, and some 25 percent receive English as a Second Language services. A September 9th column attributes the school’s success in large part to the extent to which the students’, and the staff’s, families work in “partnership” with the district and with each o... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=853572 Sun, 09 Sep 2007 18:28:36 +0100 853572 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=853150&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F154155372%2F If you thought from reading the title that this blog has become, for one post, a travelogue, I am afraid that you thought wrong: This is a post about a two-fold “miracle cure” for autism, via horseback riding and shamans. While both of these are described (in today’s Times Online and on a website) as the latest, newest, breakthough in “reaching” autistic children, some assumptions of autistic children as being “trapped” in a private shell and unreachable, and as being in need of getting autism out of them, are implied, and raise questions about these therapies’ efficacy. 5-year-old Rowan Isaacson started talking not, as noted in the Times Online, after the “usual prescription” of therapies and treatments (”speech and occupat... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=853150 Sun, 09 Sep 2007 10:56:43 +0100 853150 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=852559&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F153992551%2F Well of course, we all know that, you think……while people cannot agree on what causes autism, autism is not something a child “catches” like the common cold. You don’t “get” autism through contact with an autistic person: We know this. But sometimes one feels a bit otherwise, as Lisa Dowler writes today in Newsday. Dowler’s 10-year-old son, Jeffrey, is autistic and “plays baseball, loves to go bowling, and is a happy child.” Dowler describes a recent attempt to set up a play date for her son with another boy who “seemed to be very kind to my son and always acknowledged him, even around his peers.” A phone call to the other boy’s mother gives Dowler the sense that she ought not to have tried: I gathered up my cou... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=852559 Sat, 08 Sep 2007 22:16:16 +0100 852559 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=852560&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F153909797%2F Should a private, for-profit firm run special education schools? Mark Claypool founded Educational Services of America in Nashville in 1999; ESA is, according to the September 8th New York Times, “one of the few companies even attempting to make money by running special education private schools.” ESA has programs in more than 16 states and owns and operate 120 private and charter schools for students with learning disabilities and developmental or behavioral issues. The company generated $75 million in revenue this year. It hires its own teachers (who do not have to have state teaching licenses). [National Education Association special education policy analyst Patti] Ralabate said she didn’t know anything specific about ESA schools, but said parents sacrifice their righ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=852560 Sat, 08 Sep 2007 17:00:08 +0100 852560 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=850133&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F153612137%2F A few days ago, I asked, What is ‘best’ when there’s autism in the family?, in regard to an article in the September 2nd Arizona Republic is specifically about a family’s decision to place one of their six children, Colin Abernethy, in a group home to “save” their family. A similar story appears in today’s Mercury: The Voice of Tasmania about a family with a single mother, a 16-year-old son with “severe autism,” a teenager daughter with Asperger’s syndrome, and a baby brother. The article focuses on one aspect of the 16-year-old son’s behavior, sexual assault, and the family’s situation—-the mother has abandoned her son to the state government—seems, among much else, to testify to a pressing need to think about how to... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=850133 Fri, 07 Sep 2007 21:31:01 +0100 850133 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=847336&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F153165351%2F Science writer David Bradley takes a close look at the MMR vaccine and statistical manipulation in a September 6th post on Science Base. With reference to the recent Times Online article about a rise in cases of measles as parents, fearful of a link between vaccines or something in vaccines and autism, have chosen not to vaccinate their children or have requested to have the vaccines given separately, Bradley notes the following: The incidence of measles began to fall in the mid-1970s. “The MMR vaccine was not introduced in the UK until 1988 (although it had been in use elsewhere since 1957), thereafter incidence of measles has pretty much fallen to levels close to zero.” Other reasons for a “pre-vaccine drop” in measles include, he suggests, “reduced overcro... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=847336 Thu, 06 Sep 2007 22:10:33 +0100 847336 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=845787&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F152834838%2F It was not a fairy-tale start to Charlie’s school year as a fifth grader: Due to our recent, and rather sudden, move of our household, Charlie is not able to take the yellow schoolbus until next week. In the meantime, Jim is driving him (and my parents, who are visiting, are picking Charlie up). Today being the first day of school, Jim and Charlie encountered monster traffic en route to the school parking lot (the lines of cars snaked far past the school parking lots and off towards a main road). When they finally parked in an adjacent parking lot and made their way to a certain door, Charlie was all smiles to see familiar faces: His teacher was an aide last year and a few of the aides are the same. He had a great first day, incluing soccer in the gym for my sportsminded boy. I&#8217... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=845787 Thu, 06 Sep 2007 11:23:35 +0100 845787 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=843786&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F152559968%2F 20-year-old John Yasment was suspended for one semester from Adirondack Community College back in April for repeatedly typing the words “must die” on a college computer and then printing out five pages with those words on them. The September 4th Post-Star (NY) notes that the discovery of those five pages occurred on April 18th, two days after the shootings at Virginia Tech. Yasment was also charged with second-degree aggravated harassment, a misdemeanor, but these charges were dropped. His lawyer, Richard Moran, notes that Yasment is a part-time student in the college accessibility program for those with disabilities (Yasment has Asperger’s Syndrome). The Post-Star provides further details of what happened. Yasment types his feelings as a means of therapy to deal with fru... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=843786 Wed, 05 Sep 2007 15:39:32 +0100 843786 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=841768&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F152356311%2F I love the sound of Charlie’s voice. Expressing himself using the spoken word continues to be one of his biggest struggles: Charlie still has traces of apraxia and has to try hard to articulate each word and syllable. I suspect that he is overly familiar with people saying “what did he say?” after he has spoken. Charlie could not talk prior to being diagnosed with autism in July of 1999 just after he turned two years old; sign language and lots of speech therapy especially helped him to talk. Charlie used PECS when he was 3-7, but often found this frustrating: It was so much faster, he had discovered, to talk. Charlie also had a lot of difficulty learning what many PECS cards—with their line drawings and puzzling graphics—-meant. Charlie, I think, likes to tal... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=841768 Wed, 05 Sep 2007 05:04:53 +0100 841768 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=838105&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F151790144%2F Learning how to fold laundry—-shirts and towels, for a start—is on Charlie’s IEP goals amid those for reading and counting and speech, et alia. Having “folding laundry” on a 10-year-old self-contained special needs classroom fifth grader’s educational plan smacks of nothing less than “pre-vocational skills”: No, it’s not that we’re thinking “job training not academics” for Charlie’s education. Charlie seems to enjoy doing things (”chores,” some would call them) around the house, from taking out the garbage to carrying in groceries and putting them away. (He does tend to put a number of food items in the refrigerator that don’t really need to go there, but it is a big help to have everything unl... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=838105 Mon, 03 Sep 2007 22:00:51 +0100 838105 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=838106&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F151704436%2F An 11-year-old boy with “mild autism” in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, told police that after “the school bus dropped him off on Friday he followed a stranger into the desert.” The boy was missing for two days and is now home with his mother. Notes KOAT news: Rio Rancho police say when the boy was found he was showered, hydrated and showed no signs of being out in the elements. The boy’s mother said she is still convinced their is a threat in the neighborhood. Police say they are not looking for any suspects and there[sic] investigation is almost complete. It seems to me that their investigation is only beginning: There’s more to tell here about one of my greatest fears than the five paragraphs of the KOAT news report contain. Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=838106 Mon, 03 Sep 2007 17:23:51 +0100 838106 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=836658&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F151097372%2F A lawsuit has been filed against a teacher’s aide and his employer, Education Queensland: In 2005, now 13-year-old Cale Doffiny, who has autism, was kicked at by the aide, David Smith. Cale fell from his chair and suffered post-traumatic stress disorder as a result. An investigation found that Smith kicking Cale was an “act of retaliation,” after Cale had kicked him. Notes the September 2nd News.com.au, The departmental investigator recommended Mr Smith be disciplined, according to documents obtained by lawyers Quinn and Scattini. Instead, Mr Smith was cautioned and allowed to remain in his job at the school, now called Currumbin Community Special School. A later review confirmed the findings. “Our son has suffered and he continues to suffer,” Julie Blinco, fr... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=836658 Sun, 02 Sep 2007 01:15:38 +0100 836658 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=836450&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F150960667%2F On the first day of the class on ancient Greek history that I am teaching this semester, I asked my students, What is history? Then I passed out the opening lines of the 8th-century poet Hesiod’s Theogony, which details the birth of the gods of Greek mythology. Why, I asked my students, are we reading mythology—traditional stories and legends including those found in Homer’s epic poetry and the Greek tragedies—at the start of a history class? Isn’t history about “what really happened“—about facts, about reality, the truth? Why read about the birth of Aphrodite and how the titan Prometheus stole fire to give to humans? The ancient Greek word for “history” is historia,” which means first of all an “inquiry,” and al... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=836450 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 16:12:27 +0100 836450 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=835495&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F150628316%2F New York Times theater critic Jason Zinoman reflects on the September 2007 Vanity Fair article about Arthur Miller and his son Daniel in A New Stage for Arthur Miller’s Most Private Drama of Fathers and Sons. While Zinoman notes that Daniel had been “something of an open secret for years,” he also says in the same sentence that “most people did not learn” about Daniel until the recent Vanity Fair article—but not included in that phrase “most people” would be the disability community, who had indeed been aware of Daniel’s existence. Zinoman records the reactions of those who knew Miller—”It’s a subject that most people who knew Miller would rather not discuss”—and of others, such as James Kirchick in a blog on Comm... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=835495 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 18:00:12 +0100 835495 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=833438&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F150482804%2F It is the last day of August: September signals the start of school (and Charlie must be looking forward to it—-he stands still and up straight when I mention the name of any of his teachers or therapist, and he has been making sure he knows exactly where his backpack and lunchbox are). Mary Ramsay, a consultant epidemiologist for the Health Protection Agency (HPA), advises parents to include vaccinations for their children along with other back-to-school preparations such as buying school uniforms: “‘parents should think about adding the MMR vaccine to their back to school ‘to do’ list,’ ” Ramsay is quoted as saying. “’It is never too late to get vaccinated,’” she adds. Indeed: measles cases are up in some parts of the UK, the August 3... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=833438 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 10:58:54 +0100 833438 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=830982&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F149949459%2F Speculation that Seung-Hui Cho had autism circulated after last April’s shooting massacre. On August 20, the Wall Street Journal reported that Cho had been diagnosed with selective mutism while in high school in Fairfax County, Virginia. The Report of the Virginia Tech Review Panel on what happened on April 16th is now available: The August 30th Washington Post notes: The [8-member] panel [appointed by Virginia governor Tim Kaine] found that Cho showed signs of mental health problems from childhood and was treated by both counseling and medication at different times through high school. In 1999, after the shootings at Columbine High School, Cho began to write about suicide and homicide, the panel reported. When he was preparing to go to college, his family and high school guidance c... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=830982 Thu, 30 Aug 2007 05:35:35 +0100 830982 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=830019&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F149860743%2F LifeHack offers a post with tips on How to Live Mini-Adventures. For a most excellent mini-adventure (or just plain old adventure), a few hours with Charlie—in the grocery store walking down the street, swimming in the ocean, discovering a lose tooth (the 3rd in a week)—-does the trick for me, and provides ample material for yet another story. Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=830019 Thu, 30 Aug 2007 00:00:38 +0100 830019 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=830020&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F149752105%2F Two grandmothers—Gillian Hutton, a former headteacher at Foresters Primary School, and Vail Sale, a former speech and language therapist—-have mortgaged their own homes to open an independent school for autistic children in Tadworth, in the UK. As described in today’s Surrey Mirror, Hutton and Sale founded the school, Papillon House, on seeing the lack of placements for autistic children who cannot be mainstreamed and who needed a school tailored to their learning needs. While the article does not clearly refer to what kind of teaching methodology that the school will use, the new school is said to have “state-of-the-art equipment [that] is designed to help the children”: This is described as a “mood room where a child can calm down” and also a &#8... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=830020 Wed, 29 Aug 2007 18:40:28 +0100 830020 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=828182&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F149631503%2F My son Charlie starts school in a week: He is in the (gulp) 5th grade, and has one more year to go before entering middle school. Reading has long been hard for Charlie. He does Edmark and Distar at school, has a special reading curriculum with his Lovaas program at home, and I’ve started doing online programs like Headsprout with him. It is slow-going for Charlie, who never showed signs of hyperlexia. Indeed, Charlie often seems to have to work really hard to see the letters of a word as one unit and to distinguish between “B” and “D,” and he is only sporadically interested in being read to, and then only for a few minutes. Some recently noted articles about autism and reading have helped me to further reflect on Charlie’s learning-to-read odyssey. In L... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=828182 Wed, 29 Aug 2007 12:32:51 +0100 828182 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=828183&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F149416499%2F “Le packing” is a treatment for autistic children used in France where, the August 25th Lancet notes, it is causing an “outcry.” “Outcry” strikes me as a bit of an understatement, personally speaking: When I hear the word “packing,” the associations that come to mind are about sending some not welcome person “packing,” or about a certain industry involving meat, and keeping it refrigerated. “Le packing” involves something similar. According to The Lancet (with some editorial comments by me): The therapy, called packing, involves wrapping a child tightly in wet sheets that have been placed in the refrigerator for up to an hour. When children are encased in this damp cocoon—with only their head left free—-psy... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=828183 Tue, 28 Aug 2007 23:34:19 +0100 828183 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=828184&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F149298685%2F 45 years ago, playwright Arthur Miller institutionalized his infant son, Daniel Miller, at a state facility in Connecticut. Miller did not mention his son in his own autobiography and did not visit him. 40 years ago, Lena DeRose gave birth to her sixth child, Randy who, like Daniel Miller, has Down Syndrome. Notes the August 28th Daily Herald (Utah): [Now 84-year-old Rose] has had her son by her side since the day four decades ago when she told off a doctor for suggesting she leave her newborn in the care of the state. “I said ‘How can you insult me like that?’ ” Facing the ravages of age, including death, groundbreaking parents like Lena [sic] are among the first who have to ask themselves what will happen to their 40 and even 50-year-old mentally disabled sons or... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=828184 Tue, 28 Aug 2007 17:30:14 +0100 828184 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=825474&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F149021136%2F G. Thomas Kattouf, special education director at Altoona Area School District (Pennsylvania), states that “”We have established what we believe to be a rather rigorous program to support autistic students in our district.’” Kattouf is quoted in an August 26th article about a new autism school that is opening in State College. The school has six students enrolled so far and is run by Northwestern Human Services. I am wondering at Kattouf’s refrence to a “rather rigorous program”: Why not simply a “rigorous” one—-why the “rather”? And what is the type of program that Kattouf refers to? Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=825474 Tue, 28 Aug 2007 01:30:06 +0100 825474 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=824710&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F148889685%2F Is Mild ADHD a Favorable Evolutionary Adaptation to Technology? asks Russell Shaw in the August 27th Huffington Post: I think what he was trying to get at is that video games, texting, and other online applications are best performed by minds with the circuitry to jump at a nanosecond’s notice back and forth from screen to screen and application to application. Following this proposition forward, the seeming inability of some younger folks to concentrate on just one thing, one thought, one application, could be attributed to a rewiring of neurons to keep up with the herky-jerky pace of life. I don’t know how the ability of so many young people to shut themselves up in a room for hours with a Harry Potter book plays into this hypothesis, but I could see how minds now wired for f... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=824710 Mon, 27 Aug 2007 18:20:16 +0100 824710 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=823044&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F148582078%2F Back in June, 7-year-old Benjy Heil was found in Ten Mile Creek, less than a mile from his house in Saratoga, Wisconsin; he was last seen playing in the basement. Rescuers searched for five days before finding him on June 19th. Last week, 11-year-old Justin Menezes of Northampton, PA, was missing for 13 hours before he was found unharmed. Sadly, such reports of autistic children missing seem all too frequent. The August 26th Morning Call asks if an “Amber Alert“—first created in Texas in 1996 after 1996 after 9-year-old Amber Hagerman was abducted and murdered—should be issued when autistic children are missing? Should there be a “Justin Alert”? Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=823044 Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:02:39 +0100 823044 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=823045&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F148494506%2F An op-ed in today’s Newsday notes that autism rates vary widely on Long Island, and that an accurate count is necessary to best plan and provide services. The highest rate (13 autistic students per 1,000) in Nassau County is found in Roslyn; in Valley Stream, the lowest rate among districts that report cases is in Valley Stream, with one student per 1,000. In Suffolk County, the rate in the Half Hollow Hills school district is 14.5 students per 1,000, while the lowest is in Brentwood, with two students per 1,000. Newsday cites these possible factors for the varying rates: The discrepancies in reporting raise questions that have no easy answers: Do parents and school officials in some districts have a better knowledge of the range of symptoms that appear in the spectrum of autistic d... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=823045 Sun, 26 Aug 2007 18:32:03 +0100 823045 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=821395&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F147803151%2F Classes at the college where I teach begin next Wednesday. I’ve been teaching for some sixteen years and, over the years, have more and more received forms from the Office for Students with isabilities requesting accommodations. Many students have also told me themselves that “I was in a self-contained classroom”; “I’d like to record your class”; “I didn’t read till I was seven.” Charlie inevitably comes into the conversation and from then on, I keep an extra eye on the student, just as I would wish that a teacher might do for Charlie. Some of these “formerly IEP students” (their diagnoses vary—-ADHD, Asperger’s, LD, are some) have learned very well to advocate for themselves, to organize their time, to keep trac... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=821395 Fri, 24 Aug 2007 18:02:43 +0100 821395 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=817647&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F147269066%2F French fries, chicken nuggets, pizza: What do these three foods have in common? They are what is called “fast food.” They are not exactly “healthy,” being deep-fried in oil or (in the case of the pizza) dripping oil and grease. They taste really good (to the general population). They are all that your child eats. Picky or fussy eating—-”neophobia“— is a phenomenon not at all unknown to parents of many autistic children; my friend Whitterer on Autism writes often on this (and well conveys the parental anxiety over “should I make a stab at getting two of the four food groups into my child today” or “fine, just eat something.”) A child not eating the broccoli or the Brussel sprouts, or turning up her or his nose at anyt... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=817647 Thu, 23 Aug 2007 10:44:32 +0100 817647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=816693&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F147006699%2F Yesterday, on August 21st, NPR ’s Talk of the Nation, aired a story on autism and education, Schools Strive to Meet Needs of Autistic Students. An accompanying blog post is entitled Mainstreaming Autism—-though a more accurate title might be “Mainstreaming Autistic Children,” as the NPR story was focused on how schools might best educate autistic children, in an age when more and more children are being diagnosed with autism. My 10-year-old son Charlie attends a public school autism program. He is in a self-contained ABA classroom with other autistic children and receives speech therapy, occupational therapy, and adapted physical education through the school district. Charlie has been in the district’s program since June 2006 and has never liked—even lo... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=816693 Wed, 22 Aug 2007 18:14:38 +0100 816693 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=815203&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F146777741%2F Acceptance is the most important quality that a parent of an autistic child needs to have, according to Bryna Siegel, director of UCSF’s autism clinic at the Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute. Suzanne Leigh, the reporter who wrote the August 19th San Francisco Chronicle of Siegel, notes her surprise at this: …… I ask her which parental qualities work best with an autism diagnosis, expecting persistence, advocacy and resilience to be on that list. But Siegel likes to surprise. “Parents who do well just accept their child for who they are,” she says without pause. “That doesn’t mean you don’t try to do the best for your child. But it means you have to have a cup-is-half-full approach. Because when the cup is half empty, you’re always ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=815203 Wed, 22 Aug 2007 05:05:57 +0100 815203 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=814245&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F146697182%2F Says Tufts University philosophy professor Daniel Denett: Words are “like sheepdogs herding ideas” Prof. Dennett is quoted in the August 21st New York Times in regard to the “science of magic.” In noting the role of words on the brain Prof. Denett notes that “Learn a bit of wine speak — “ripe black plums with an accent of earthy leather” — and you are suddenly equipped with anchors to pin down your fleeting gustatory impressions.” And what if language is not exactly the primary mode of communication, as in the case of my son Charlie? Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=814245 Tue, 21 Aug 2007 23:24:26 +0100 814245 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=811935&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F146403948%2F Theories abound that link some thing—such as mercury in vaccines, as one autism mother notes—to the “onset” of autism in a child. When asked “when did you think your child had autism,” many parents tell a narrative of familiar elements: A child is born, a child develops normally until—one day, and overnight—the child changes drastically. Language is lost, gastrointestinal problems arise, behaviors of lining up toys and screaming at small changes in routines arise. Experts are sought, and the child is diagnosed with autism. And on of the billion dollar questions in autism discussions may well be, did something cause a sudden change or was a child always autistic, from birth, genetically? What caused the changes? What can make the child better?... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=811935 Tue, 21 Aug 2007 07:06:19 +0100 811935 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=811207&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F146204026%2F On this vacation at the beach 2007, my son Charlie has become such a good swimmer that for the first time ever, Jim and I can (for a time) stand on the sand and watch him swim in the mighty waves: This is the first major difference from last year’s visit. The other? Charlie is no longer head-banging regularly. Charlie’s self-injurious behavior lessened gradually over the past year of being in a highly structure school setting that uses ABA. Both his teachers at school and his therapists at home did a functional analysis and figured out “replacement behaviors” to teach him to do, that would not involve him hurting himself. Sensory needs as well as some wish for escape were among the reasons—head-banging used to be one of Charlie’s strongest ways of commun... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=811207 Mon, 20 Aug 2007 18:21:15 +0100 811207 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=809626&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F146015113%2F The mother of Clay, who is 23 years old and has autism, cerebral palsy, and hydrocephalus and is legally blind in both eyes, asked this very question—–”what about the adults”—–in a comment on If There’s No Autism Epidemic, Where are all the Adults with Autism?. It is a questions that, I suspect, more parents of autistic persons who are children think about constantly; yesterday’s report about the 50 year old autistic woman who was beaten by workers in a group home is yet another news story that brings home so many fears and worries and that, perhaps, is somewhat behind some wishes for a “cure” for autism: How will a child like my son Charlie be able to have a good life—indeed, to survive—when he is older? when my husband J... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=809626 Mon, 20 Aug 2007 06:42:32 +0100 809626 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=807349&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F145694637%2F I was watching the news with friends who are visiting us down here at the beach. Charlie was up in his room, listening to (per his request) Jimi Hendrix; I had forwarded the CD to one of his favorites, “Little Wing.” The TV had been turned on to the Mets playing the Nationals and our friend flipped the station to the news: a building on fire in lower Manhattan and two firefighters dead; Hurricane Dean; the continuing investigation in the killings at a school in Newark; the weather. Autistic woman beaten in group home, flashed the next headline. A 5o-year-old autistic woman was beaten with a wooden coat hangar and a shoe by at least four workers at the PLUS Group Home Inc in Uniondale, Nassau County, on Long Island. The room was silent, aside from the sound of the TV. Commercial... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=807349 Sun, 19 Aug 2007 04:44:58 +0100 807349 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=806973&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F145550937%2F How’s this for a burning question of the summer? What is the generic name for soft drink in your part of the country? (This color-coded map shows where pop, coke, soda, or “other” are used.) Whatever, you might say. A soda is a coke is a drink: What does it matter; shouldn’t be worrying over how we are throwing away 38 billion plastic water bottles each year ? Well…… Charlie, for the record, calls soda/pop/coke/other “drink.” Some are “brown drink” and others are “clear drink”—think of the linguistic confusion that can result, and the real confusion for him to be asked if he wants “pop” which I think he might first equated with the sound of a balloon popping. After an hour and a half session of swimm... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=806973 Sat, 18 Aug 2007 17:29:31 +0100 806973 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=801422&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F144450959%2F Today’s NPR has a story on autism education and on public schools preparing themselves to educate kids with autism. The Boston-area May Institute is profiled along with public school programs in Newton, Massaschusetts. My son Charlie has been in both private and public school placements and both have their pros and cons. I like that Charlie attends school in our town and, while in a self-contained classroom, is able to see and have occasional interactions with his peers. I also like that our school district has made a commitment to educating autistic children by providing training, supervision, and support for the teachers, aides, and therapists—-this is essential. We were very fond of the ABA-based private school that Charlie attended from December 2005 - June 2006; he only c... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=801422 Wed, 15 Aug 2007 16:11:56 +0100 801422 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=797976&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F144013185%2F Back on July 18th, Victoria Elizaga left a comment on the post Autism Consciousness Week in the Philippines. Victoria, I regret it has taken me so long to respond—-here is the comment: “Hello everyone! I’m marrid to a Phillipeno and our youngest has just been diagnosed with ADHA. My mother and I both have dyslexia to some some exent, and I know it is all related. I work with children and know them with ADHA, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and Autism’s of all sorts. My problem is…my husband says there’s no such thing. When he grew up in the Phillipeans no-one had them…it’s all in the head…they are just lazy! Everyone can spell, and our child ’s just a bit naughty…How can I convince him that this does not mean our child is unitelligent…far from it, or that he has a “d... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=797976 Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:02:08 +0100 797976 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=797119&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F143738684%2F A district diagnositician from the Forth Worth public school district said that Sam Peters was not autistic—-he was later diagnosed with PDD-NOS by the Child Study Center in Fort Worth and Mental Health Mental Retardation of Tarrant County. According to the August 13th Star-Telegram, his parents, Jon and Jessica Peters, decided to move to the Keller school district where Sam initially did well in a four-student classroom, with a teacher trained to work with autistic children. But then, another “district diagnostician” said that “Sam doesn’t have autism. The family’s request for an independent evaluation was refused; the Peters sued the school district but lost their due process hearing. Sam will not receive special education services in the Keller distri... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=797119 Mon, 13 Aug 2007 18:22:15 +0100 797119 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=794235&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F143422022%2F Rahul K. Parikh is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a pediatrician in Walnut Creek, California. Back in June, his op-ed, The Truth About Autism: Amid cries of an epidemic and parental fears that childhood vaccines may instead be poisoning their kids, doctors try to put a rapid increase in diagnoses of the learning disability in perspective appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle and made the case that a link between vaccines and autism has been “soundly disproved,” yet parents seek out what might be referred to as “their own truth,” in doing their own research and in seeking out treatments other than those offered by mainstream medicine. Another op-ed by Dr. Parikh appears today in New America Media, which again argues that parents have been “duped b... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=794235 Sun, 12 Aug 2007 20:06:16 +0100 794235 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=794236&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F143384008%2F This video of Hector and Achilles fighting before the walls of Troy (as related in Book 22 of the Iliad) has nothing to do with autism. My students in my summer school class on “Epic, Ancient and Modern,” wrote the scripts, made costumes, and acted out scenes and filmed them, and presented them to the other students in the program. But there is that matter of the rage of Achilles and the rage a parent can feel………. “Achilles” is on the left and “Hector” is on the right. Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=794236 Sun, 12 Aug 2007 17:04:17 +0100 794236 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=793954&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F143243102%2F Kurt Thometz is a rare book dealer in New York and the father of 16-year-old Adam, who has autism. Thometz is profiled in the August 11th New York Times (subscription only) about his search for a home for his family of three and for his 400 cartons containing some 10,000 books. Jim Dwyer relates Thometz’s longstanding passion for books with Adam’s beginning to use words himself: ……By the age of 5, Adam had not yet spoken an intelligible word — not Mommy, not Daddy, not milk or no. Mr. Thometz read to him every night for two and a half years. With Adam in the crook of his arm, the weight of the day on him, Mr. Thometz was reading Thomas the Tank Engine for the 200th time. “Henry the engine,” he read. “Green,” Adam interrupted. Yes: the proper name was Henry... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=793954 Sun, 12 Aug 2007 04:44:14 +0100 793954 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=788233&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F142172814%2F There is much that I don’t understand when it comes to autism: How exactly the genetics work, the role of synapses, why belief continues in some theories of autism causation in the face of scientific evidence to the contrary, what Charlie means by “next time.” But why Shianne Verness, former treasurer of the RT Autism Awareness Foundation, would transfer $36,555 in funds for the group to her personal checking account—-she is charged with six counts of felony for embezzlement in Olmsted District Court (Minnesota)—this I do not understand. Olmsted County Attorney Mark Ostrem is quoted in the August 8th Postbulletin.com: While the actions of Ms. Verness did not physically injure any particular person, the allegations nonetheless are quite alarming…. Taking ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=788233 Thu, 09 Aug 2007 00:00:34 +0100 788233 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=783950&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F141421193%2F The August 7th Guardian has a long article about autistic persons, families with autistic children, Autscape, and the “autism rights movement.” The title gives away the perspective: It’s not a disease, it’s a way of life. Yes, neurodiversity is mentioned, a lot, and many friends and bloggers from and not from the Autism Hub are quoted. I await the usual round of critique from mentioning the ND word, along with clipped remarks from the usual suspects, inveighing against the notion of autism as a “lifestyle choice” rather than denouncing it as a devastating train wreck of a disorder. Such responses are par for the course when mentioning neurodiversity and questioning the notion of curing autism. I also await remarks “aut“-ing me as a (gasp) ne... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=783950 Tue, 07 Aug 2007 01:44:40 +0100 783950 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=782999&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F141339607%2F Friends from the Midwest have been visiting: They stayed overnight on Saturday and then went onto New York City, and will be back later this week. They have two children, both teenagers, and the son is autistic. When the family first came int eh door, Charlie sat back atop his blue blanket and held onto his iPod; he did not mind when the other boy touched him and, by the end of evening, Charlie was chattering in his semi-worded patter and running his usual back and forth circuits as his new friend, lying on the floor, drew. Yes, friend: I think Charlie sees him as such. Ever since Sunday afternoon, he has been saying “boy here!” And looking around expectantly. “He’s went to New York with his parents and sister,” Jim and I respond. “He’ll be back on... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=782999 Mon, 06 Aug 2007 20:46:35 +0100 782999 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=781371&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F141096450%2F This article is about whether the use of a 3 1/2-hour timeout was an appropriate procedure for the Waukee Community School District (Iowa) to use with 8-year-old autistic Isabel Loeffler. No, was my immediate response on reading the headline. Then I read more—and I saw the video of Isabel in the room—and it got worse. The August 5th Des Moines Register has photos of Isabel in the concrete “timeout” room and describes the use of restraints and physical prompting by teachers. The word “physical battle” is used to describe one occasion when three aides held Isabel in a chair and “a fourth teacher forced her hand to color.” If that is not troubling enough, here is Kevin Took, a psychiatrist at Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines, comme... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=781371 Mon, 06 Aug 2007 05:42:04 +0100 781371 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=780412&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F140845985%2F They’re doing it, and they’re doing, and they’re doing it, so what about us, why don’t we—–I heard about it the other day…….. Might thinking such as this be a reason to account for the increase in the prevalence rate of autism, which is now 1 in 150 in the US, and 1 in 94 among children in the state where I live, New Jersey? That is, after one parent hears that some other parent has had a child with XY and Z “issues” (not talking? obsessive about certain toys? shrieking on hearing certain sounds—high-pitched ones, perhaps?), does that parent then take the child to a specialist for an evaluation? After one person hears that someone she knows has certain traits and has been diagnosed with Asperger’s, might that person th... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=780412 Sun, 05 Aug 2007 09:07:35 +0100 780412 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=780413&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F140770221%2F From the August 5th New York Times, an article entitled www.FriesWithThat?.com: Small and large chains, even individual restaurants, are now enabling customers to order without speaking: They can order online before pulling into a drive-through; they can text-message an order, and soon, they will be able to experience one-click ordering on their cellphones, for pickup or delivery. Push a button, and a hoagie is on the way. [my emphasis] I’m not sure if the NY Times realizes the full meaning of that statement, of customers being able to “order without speaking.” My son Charlie has gone on many a field trip with his class to a restaurant (of the fast food sort) and, try as we practice, the response after he gives his “hamburger and French fries” order is most o... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=780413 Sun, 05 Aug 2007 01:29:56 +0100 780413 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=780010&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F140666335%2F The confession that Dr. Karen McCarron made in a Peoria hospital in May of 2006 has been ruled admissable to use during her trial, the Peoria-Journal Star reports today. In the videotaped confession, McCarron is alleged to have said that she was overwhelmed, that she “wanted a life without autism,” and “wanted to take the autism out” of her three-year-old daughter, Katherine McCarron. Karen McCarron’s attorney, Marc Wolfe, had previously argued that the videotape, made while she was on suicide watch after overdosing on Tylenol, should not be shown because of her “questionable emotional state”; in May of this year, doctors ruled that she seemed “lucid.” Wolfe has also argued that showing McCarron’s taped confession would be a viol... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=780010 Sat, 04 Aug 2007 16:32:36 +0100 780010 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=778661&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F140534404%2F It was Charlie’s teacher’s last day at his school today: She has been with him, first as the aide assigned to him, since his first day in the new school district; she became his teacher last fall. As I’ve been beyond grateful to note here, Charlie has had his best school year ever, to the point that he talks constantly about his teachers on the weekend and can hardly wait for the yellow school bus to pull up. Charlie’s teacher has carefully prepared the transition: Another aide who has been in the classroom since December, and who has worked a lot with Charlie, will be the new teacher. And another change will come in the fall: Charlie’s current ABA consultant is taking a leave of absence. She has her own family; she first worked as a therapist with Charlie st... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=778661 Sat, 04 Aug 2007 05:01:42 +0100 778661 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=777765&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F140377563%2F Over a year ago, Betsy Loiacono’s 7-year-old autistic son was assaulted on a school bus. He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); an extended absence and a gradual return to school were recommended by the doctor, and Loiacono requested home instruction from the Houston School District. Terri Mauro at Parenting Special Children notes that this then happened: The district countered with two choices for his mother: Get him back into school full-time now, or sign him out for good and homeschool him yourself. When she agreed to neither, she was arrested for violating truancy laws. Loiacono was arrested on May 18th by the Houston County Sheriff’s office; her case against the Houston School District has been going on for over a year. She presents her case on her w... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=777765 Fri, 03 Aug 2007 17:14:49 +0100 777765 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=776151&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F139831395%2F Mercury rising: Parents of autistic children are mounting a vicious campaign against scientists who refute the link between vaccines and autism is an article in the August 1st Nature Medicine. Writer Virginia Hughes “takes the temperature of the escalating debate”—and finds things have risen to, indeed, a fever pitch as those who are “against mercury” and specifically, “against mercury” in the form of thimerasol in vaccines, and who (like the Moms Against Mercury) protest against those they see as the arch-enemy: (1) Scientists like Paul Offit, Professor of Pediatrics and Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), who has been referred to as a “devil” and a “TERRORIST&#82... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=776151 Fri, 03 Aug 2007 04:51:22 +0100 776151 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=775427&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F140068262%2F This is earth as a mere pale blue dot, photographed from 4 billion miles away, by Voyager 1 on June 6, 1990. What is “normal” and what is not? When is the world turned upside down? It all does depend on where your feet are standing……. One thing is for sure for me: Life with autism, with my son Charlie, is not like this at all. It may not be “heaven on earth” but it is a garden or at least a beach of earthly delights many provided by my lovely boy. Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=775427 Thu, 02 Aug 2007 20:36:39 +0100 775427 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=775428&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F139970122%2F You can “determine your Asperger’s quotient” by taking this 50 question online multiple-choice test. (The test is, of course, no substitute for an actual diagnosis by a trained professional.) Dr. Joan Bushwell’s Chimpanzee Refuge notes that The most interesting thing about Asperger’s syndrome is that its “discoverer” decided he had it and named it after himself, which he might have done even if not “suffering” from this “disorder.” Maybe. and asks if is AS simply an “almost whimsical diagnosis of exclusion”: I would say, I think not; saying that one’s child has Asperger’s is more than just a way of saying that child is “quirky” or “anti-social” or is shy or has difficulty makin... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=775428 Thu, 02 Aug 2007 14:55:32 +0100 775428 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=774183&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F139831395%2F Mercury rising: Parents of autistic children are mounting a vicious campaign against scientists who refute the link between vaccines and autism is an article in the August 1st Nature Medicine appears. Writer Virginia Hughes “takes the temperature of the escalating debate”—and finds things have risen to, indeed, a fever pitch. Here is the full text: In June 2006, on the first day of the summer meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, more than 100 protesters crowded the sidewalks outside the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta. Organized by a nonprofit called Moms Against Mercury, the mob was made up mostly of people who believe that thimerosal-a mercury-based vaccine preservative-is responsible for the dramatic rise in auti... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=774183 Thu, 02 Aug 2007 05:56:35 +0100 774183 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=774184&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F139829705%2F Those are dolphins but, in their slick ease in the water, they remind me of Charlie—-or perhaps it is rather that Charlie, who glides back and forth atop and under the water and often with a smile of simple delight (as if to say “eureka!“—”I found it!”), makes me think of dolphins. It is not for nothing I once called him The Kingfish on seeing him execute backwards and frontwards flips in the deep end, and sink oh so slowly to the bottom and let himself float leisurely back up to the surface, limbs loose as a rag doll’s. I have written before of the ocean as Charlie’s natural element and, more recently, reflected on the water and the pool as the particular place for inclusion for Charlie: In the water, his swimming skills are as good as those... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=774184 Thu, 02 Aug 2007 05:47:04 +0100 774184 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=773387&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F139760377%2F 100,000 children with intellectual and developmental disabilities were housed in 162 state facilities—some say as many as 200—-across the US in 1967. This was the “height of institutionalization,” notes today’ s CNN.com. The CNN.com story, Families get help finding loved ones lost in institutions, focuses on the efforts of some families seeking to reconnect with relatives who were sent to institutions many, many years ago. Jeff Daly, who last saw his sister, Molly, when he was six years old in 1957, has made a film about his efforts to reconnect with his sibling, Where’s Molly?. Molly, born with a club foot and a lazy eye, was three when she was sent away to live at Fairview; the CNN.com story notes that “When she was around 2, records show, docto... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=773387 Thu, 02 Aug 2007 00:37:21 +0100 773387 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=773388&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F139661354%2F How to Predict the Weather Without a Forecast - wikiHow: Many has been the time that Charlie has been humming more and nervous and only post hoc propter hoc have I realized that the barometer has droppped; that something is up with the weather. So maybe it would be good to do a little weather predicting in advance… In the “not on your life!” category: 10 Reasons To Throw Away Your Cell phone (my lifeline to Charlie when I’m at work and he’s at school) Gene for left-handedness is found: Oxford University researchers discover the gene, LRRTM1, and that it can also increase the risk for schizophrenia Need a clock and/or an alarm: Here’s an online alarm clock, with switchable colors (I have thought of using this clock as a time for Charlie to “co... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=773388 Wed, 01 Aug 2007 18:23:12 +0100 773388 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=773389&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F139583754%2F 4 autism limericks courtesy of the Omnificent English Dictionary In Limerick Form (OEDILF). Three speak of autism and “rotten,” “grisly reflection,” and “despair”; one ends with Autism’s taught us “as is”-m. I am working on my own attempt…….. There once was a great kid named Charlie…… Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=773389 Wed, 01 Aug 2007 14:28:00 +0100 773389 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=771647&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F139431000%2F 22-year-old Edward Uyesugi II of Paoli, an usher at the Cherry Hill Christian Center in in Bloomington, Indiana, faces charges of confinement and misdemeanor battery with bodily injury in the wake of an attempted exorcism of an autistic 14-year-old. The July 31st IndyChannel reports that the exorcism occurred in May in the boy’s bedroom in his family’s house. The boy’s family attended the Cherry Hill Christian Center; Uyesugi is said to have told the boy’s family that he could cure him of autism. “(Uyesugi felt that) the boy could be prayed over and the demons could be cast out of him,” Detective Brad Swain told 6News’ Ben Morriston. ……… [In the exorcism,] Swain said Uyesugi “forced the boy down, punched him in the face seve... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=771647 Wed, 01 Aug 2007 03:32:32 +0100 771647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=770749&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F139278990%2F Some items saved on del.icio.us: Newborn Genetic Screening vs Right to Privacy raises ethical questions in Minnesota as noted on Eye on DNA: Autism is not mentioned but if you need your would have an autistic child what might you have done….. Heavy Metal Filter Made Largely from Air: scientists have created a pinkish-brown “aerogel” that can filter out heavy metals—mercury included—from water: What autism “professional” might be thinking that this is the next chelating agent…….. Gene Genie #12 aka The Dozen hosted by My Biotech Life: AutismVox gets a mention! PI to 4 Million (4194304) Decimals (I guess I am getting read for the next Pi day) Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=770749 Tue, 31 Jul 2007 19:51:31 +0100 770749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=769003&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F139075016%2F “I just love it when they’re at this point when they understand everything you say but they haven’t learned all the words themselves yet,” said a mother at the pool today to me. She was talking about her younger daughter, who was not quite two, with curls and highly attentive to all around her. Charlie was humming while splashing and kicking his way round the pool. I thought about how long it has been, and very likely will be, that he will understand so much more—everything, even—than he has words to respond with. The other mother’s elder daughter, aged 5, was having a swimming lesson. I had mentioned a few minutes before that my son has autism; I had also noted, in the course of chatting, that I had grown up with only an older sister and that, whi... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=769003 Tue, 31 Jul 2007 05:29:44 +0100 769003 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=765014&cid=t_318997_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F138643781%2F In February of 2006, 17-year-old Tim Whattler hung himself from a doorknob in his room in a psychatric unit Beech Court in Bridgwater, in England, just six hours after he had been admitted. Whattler had Asperger’s syndrome and had a history of difficulty with both educational and psychiatric placements; he had attempted suicide before and had several self-inflicted cuts on his arms. The coroner, Michael Rose, ruled that staff were not guilty of neglect but needed more training in Asperger’s Syndrome, as reported by the May 10 BBC News. The July 30th Telegraph chronicles Whattler’s life. He was ten years old, his parents, Dean and Elizabeth Whattler note, when “his life started to go badly wrong.” The Whattlers behave with extraordinary control, but there is no... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=765014 Mon, 30 Jul 2007 00:34:27 +0100 765014