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 'developmental disabilities'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:17:44 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4580893&cid=t_105353_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpregnant-women-and-exposure-to-paint%2F2011.03.13 I came across an article the other day about paint and pregnancy. Yes, that paint — the kind that you put on a canvas or slap on your walls. Did you know that paint is made of pigment particles in a liquid base called a medium? Oil paints are thinned or cleaned with paint thinners. Latex paints are thinned or cleaned with water. Most paint that’s used in the home is latex. Can environmental forces affected pregnancy? The short answer is “yes,” according to the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS), whose mission is to study malformations of the unborn. Regarding paint and pregnancy, the amount of exposure is important. A one-time household exposure causes fewer problems than ongoing exposure through a work setting. And there have been medical stu... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4580893 Sun, 13 Mar 2011 22:00:06 +0100 4580893 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4360982&cid=t_105353_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fkids-with-dyslexia-predicting-their-reading-skills-with-mri%2F2011.01.17 An international team of researchers has developed a rather reliable test that predicts the future improvement of reading abilities in kids with dyslexia. The method uses functional MRI (fMRI) and diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTI) to scan the brain, and data crunching software to interpret the data. The researchers hope that the finding will help parents and therapists uniquely identify which learning tools are best for each child. From the announcement by Vanderbilt University : The 45 children who took part in the study ranged in age from 11 to 14 years old. Each child first took a battery of tests to determine their reading abilities. Based on these tests, the researchers classified 25 children as having dyslexia, which means that they exhibited significant difficulty le... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4360982 Tue, 18 Jan 2011 00:00:02 +0100 4360982 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4230156&cid=t_105353_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fan-interview-with-a-developmental-disability-nurse%2F2010.12.05 For my first interview, I thought I’d interview someone who would tolerate my novice interviewing abilities — my mother. Ginny, RN, BS, DDRN has been a nurse for over 30 years, most of that time in the Intensive Care Unit. (The apple did not fall far, did it?) She currently works as Developmental Disabilities Nurse and has done so for nine years. A developmental disability is defined by Wikipedia as “a term used in the United States and Canada to describe life-long disability attributable to mental and/or physical impairments, manifested prior to age 18.” Ginny says that her clients have a range of mental and physical disabilities including cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, mental retardation, and autism, with autism being the most prevalent. Her clients live in normal houses a... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4230156 Sun, 05 Dec 2010 22:00:12 +0100 4230156 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3969052&cid=t_105353_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F09%2F14%2Fintroducing-autism-aspergers-and-beyond%2F In this day and age, we seem to increasingly medicalize mental disorders and their treatment, even in very young children. I believe this has significant repercussions in a child’s development, when parents turn to a psychiatric drug as the sole remedy for their child’s concerns. While no parents wants to see their child suffer needlessly, medications have become the “go to” treatment despite the efficacy and greater safety of other treatments. I’m pleased to welcome you to Autism, Asperger’s and Beyond, a blog by Diane Yapko, MA. Diane is a speech-language pathologist who for the past 30 years has specialized in working with the pediatric population in the areas of autism spectrum disorders and other developmental and neurological disabilities. After listening to her speak on ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3969052 Tue, 14 Sep 2010 13:08:00 +0100 3969052 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2695490&cid=t_105353_122_f&fid=34755&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneuropsychological.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F08%2Feunice-kennedy-shriver-nih-statement.html From a National Institutes of Health (NIH) press release:Statement of Duane Alexander, M.D., DirectorEunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human DevelopmentNational Institutes of Health On the Contributions of Eunice Kennedy Shriverin Advancing Research in Child Health, Human Development, and Intellectual DisabilityThe entire world owes a debt to Eunice Kennedy Shriver for her foresight in calling for an institute at the National Institutes of Health to study the myriad aspects of human development, both as it unfolds without problems and when medical and environmental factors prevent it from doing so.In 1961, Mrs. Shriver persuaded her brother, then-President Kennedy, to include in his first health message to Congress the proposal for an NIH institute focusing on c... BrainBlog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2695490 Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:14:00 +0100 2695490 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2691621&cid=t_105353_122_f&fid=34755&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneuropsychological.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F08%2Fin-wide-world-two-kennedy-centers.html The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human DevelopmentBethesda, MDhttp://www.nichd.nih.gov/The Rose F. Kennedy University Center for Excellence in Developmental DisabilitiesBronx, NYhttp://www.aecom.yu.edu/cerc/kennedy.htm (Source: BrainBlog) BrainBlog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2691621 Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:08:00 +0100 2691621 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2688784&cid=t_105353_122_f&fid=34755&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneuropsychological.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F08%2Fobit-eunice-kennedy-shriver.html Eunice Kennedy Shriver, 88; member of Kennedy clan, founder of Special OlympicsBy Bryan MarquardBoston Globe Staff / August 11, 2009"Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who planted the seeds for the Special Olympics when she launched Camp Shriver on the lawn of her Maryland home, and then with force of will and the clout of her family name spread her vision of lifting the developmentally disabled "into the sunlight of useful living," died this morning at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis."Read full article (Source: BrainBlog) BrainBlog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2688784 Tue, 11 Aug 2009 11:19:00 +0100 2688784 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2094715&cid=t_105353_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F01%2Fdeath-by-indifference-medically.html Regular SHSers will recall the horrific case of Martin Ryan, an adult with Down syndrome who, after a stroke left him unable to talk, was allowed to starve to death over 26 days in a UK hospital. I have done some Googling, and found some more on the story. Martin's and other deaths came to light because of a campaign by MENCAP, an NGO, to bring to light abuses in the medical context against people with developmental disabilities.There is apparently something of a pattern in this and other appalling deaths of people with developmental disabilities. From the Telegraph coverage: The six cases were raised by Mencap in a report entitled Death By Indifference. A spokesman for the charity said last night: "These people were completely and unacceptably failed by the treatment they received. " It w... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2094715 Sat, 10 Jan 2009 17:10:00 +0100 2094715 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2073795&cid=t_105353_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F12%2Frhode-island-developmental-disabilities.html The Rhode Island Developmental Disabilities Council has picked up on my call to defend human exceptionalism. Here's the link. I am most pleased. (Source: Secondhand Smoke) Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2073795 Tue, 30 Dec 2008 02:45:00 +0100 2073795 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2052844&cid=t_105353_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=2005912&cid=t_105353_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F7O5AhJ55fMY%2F There’s a new study by Molly Helt et al. out about recovery from autism in the December Neuropsychology Review. Kev at Left Brain/Right Brain has an overview; here’s the abstract: Although Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are generally assumed to be lifelong, we review evidence that between 3% and 25% of children reportedly lose their ASD diagnosis and enter the normal range of cognitive, adaptive and social skills. Predictors of recovery include relatively high intelligence, receptive language, verbal and motor imitation, and motor development, but not overall symptom severity. Earlier age of diagnosis and treatment, and a diagnosis of Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified are also favorable signs. The presence of seizures, mental retardation and genetic synd... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2005912 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 07:32:15 +0100 2005912 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1999136&cid=t_105353_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FomE9MKGDkYA%2F An article in the December Pediatrics examines the health care experiences of families with autistic children in the US. Researchers looked at a nationally representative 2005-06 survey of nearly 40,000 children with special health care needs; the children’s needs were “physical and mental,” and required medical care that was more than usual, yesterday’s Associated Press (via AZ Central) reports. 2,088 children of those children had autism. The article is entitled A National Profile of the Health Care Experiences and Family Impact of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children in the United States, 2005–2006, by Michael D. Kogan, Bonnie B. Strickland, Stephen J. Blumberg, Gopal K. Singh, James M. Perrin, Peter C. van Dyck. The Associated Press notes that Compared ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1999136 Mon, 01 Dec 2008 07:36:54 +0100 1999136 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1999139&cid=t_105353_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FPFKbscC6jug%2F A new national strategy for screening for Down syndrome in Denmark has halved the number of Down Syndrome births and led to a 30% increase in infants diagnosed with the condition. The Danish National Board of Health issued guidelines for prenatal screening and diagnosis for Down Syndrome in 2004; these guidelines (from Science Daily) included the offer of a combined test for Down Syndrome (based on combination of maternal age, plus serum and nuchal screening) in the first trimester. This test gave women a risk assessment for Down Syndrome at an early stage in the pregnancy. Women whose risk was higher than a defined cut off were referred for invasive diagnostic tests (chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis). The study is published in the November 27th British Medical Journal.It was rec... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1999139 Sun, 30 Nov 2008 18:32:37 +0100 1999139 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1999140&cid=t_105353_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FXiM59l6LYbM%2F Actually, that title should read, “It’s just like I thought it would be,” as said by Jim. It was Saturday night and we were having dinner at a restaurant on Mott Street, in Chinatown in New York. We’d avoided the whole Black Friday business/madness and decided also to avoid the crowds going to see the Christmas tree on Rockefeller Plaza near Radio City Music Hall. We’d spent the day around home, with a late breakfast and midday nap for Charlie, and then a bike ride. And then, we drove to Jersey City and took the PATH train into the World Trade Center site—there’s construction going on all the time and you can see some of it—-and then walked past City Hall and into Chinatown. Charlie had said no to any snacks, even after an hour-long bike ride... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1999140 Sun, 30 Nov 2008 06:38:57 +0100 1999140 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1990891&cid=t_105353_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FuVlMHfSgK80%2F I have been thinking more than ever about where Charlie will live as an adult since hearing about the services offered in different states at last Friday’s IACC meeting. The pressing, pressing, pressing need for staff with appropriate training, for facilities, and for much much more was more than made apparent—the November 10th death of 28-year-old Tara O’Leary highlights just how pressing these needs are. Tara O’Leary had severe developmental disabilities and was a client in a community care residence in Hunterdon County in central New Jersey. Her death is being investigated by both the state Department of Human Services and the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office. According to yesterday’s FOX News, O’Leary had brain deformities, scoliosis, and o... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1990891 Wed, 26 Nov 2008 22:02:12 +0100 1990891 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1984963&cid=t_105353_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FfrkLG4oBxc4%2F Six deep-sea divers have been enlisted by the city of New York to repair a valve at the bottom of a 700-foot shaft in Dutchess County, yesterday New York Times reports. The shaft is located in the Rondout-West Branch tunnel, which is 45 miles long, 13.5 feet wide, up to 1,200 feet below ground” and which brings half of the water supply to New York city from reservoirs in the Catskill Mountains. For more than a month, the six divers have to live in a sealed 24-foot tubular pressurized tank complete with showers, a television and a Nerf basketball hoop, breathing air that is 97.5 percent helium and 2.5 percent oxygen, so their high-pitched squeals are all but unintelligible. They leave the tank only to transfer to a diving bell that is lowered 70 stories into the earth, where they work... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1984963 Mon, 24 Nov 2008 07:48:20 +0100 1984963 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1984964&cid=t_105353_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FaS2BWKrGbMw%2F I think this is, potentially, the perfect t-shirt for Charlie. Yes, I’ve ordered him one. Tags: asd, asperger, australia, autism, autism blog, condiments, developmental disabilities, Diagnosis, disabilities blog, disability, food, ketchup, mustard, relish, shirt, t-shirtShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1984964 Mon, 24 Nov 2008 01:11:21 +0100 1984964 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1984966&cid=t_105353_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F5_OLxvYYeok%2F Connecticut’s Pilot Program For Autistic Adults which “adults of normal intelligence with diagnoses on what is called the autism spectrum” is in danger due to budget cuts. Today’s New Haven Register reports that Governor M. Jodi Rell has ordered all state government agencies to submit proposals that will cut up to 10 percent from their upcoming budgets. Prior to the program’s inception in 2006 (with $1 million from the state), no services were provided to autistic adults of normal intelligence (adults with diagnoses of both autism and mental retardation did receive services). The program received an additional $500,000 in July 2008 and is financed through June 2009. Currently, 52 people with autism and Asperger’s syndrome in in the greater New Haven and Hart... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1984966 Sun, 23 Nov 2008 18:43:37 +0100 1984966 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1975223&cid=t_105353_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FdS5nKtPQNo8%2F So what is autism? Chances are, if you’re reading this, you know, and are quite prepared to explain at the drop of the hat “what autism is.” But what if you’re asked: Why is there this separate term, “PDD-NOS”? What is child disintegrative disorder and what does that have to do with autism, plain and simple? (as if there is such a “plain and simple autism”) If a child has Fragile X, that means they don’t have autism……right….no….which? Does “high-functioning autism” mean “Asperger’s Syndrome” only? What’s the connection between autism and ADHD? Can you have both? Can where you are and what culture a child is raised in influence diagnosis? Is autism necessarily a life-long diagno... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1975223 Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:21:24 +0100 1975223 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1968957&cid=t_105353_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FcS4aI67rjkI%2F While studying drug abuse and addiction, researchers at the Ohio State University College of Medicine have found a link between nicotine addiction and autism. Neurexins are proteins that, along with neurologins, are thought to play a key role in the formation and functioning of synapses, of connections between nerve cells. In the new study, a protein made by the neurexin-1 gene was found to have a very particular role, as noted in today’s Science Daily: The discovery identified a defining role for a protein made by the neurexin-1 gene, which is located in brain cells and assists in connecting neurons as part of the brain’s chemical communication system. The neurexin-1 beta protein’s job is to lure another protein, a specific type of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, to the synaps... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1968957 Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:20:37 +0100 1968957 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1968959&cid=t_105353_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fkwz1kNK1OR0%2F The November 13th Newsweek has an article, More Than Just Quirky, about girls and women with Asperger’s Syndrome: Are girls and women sometimes not diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum because they do not have the same symptoms as boys and men do? Girls, it’s noted, have more “socially acceptable” obsessions—”horse and books,” perhaps, rather than “vacuum cleaners or oscillating fans”: “Girls tend to get obsessed with things that are a little less strange,” says Elizabeth Roberts, a neuropsychologist at the Asperger Institute at the New York University Child Study Center. “That makes it harder to distinguish normal from abnormal.” That observation is consistent with a 2007 study of 700 children on the spect... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1968959 Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:22:45 +0100 1968959 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1964133&cid=t_105353_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FdxMo7-zXLW8%2F The woman I spoke to at the birthday party yesterday told me that her brother had been institutionalized at the Cambridge State Hospital. Originally called the Minnesota Colony for Epilectics, it became a state hospital for the developmentally disabled and for those with “mental deficiencies” in 1949; it reached its peak population of 2008 in the 1960s. In 1972, a class action suit was filed against the state’s six State Hospitals by the parents of some of the residents ” who felt that the conditions, care, treatment and training did not meet constitutional standards” (this photo says why). This started a movement to move individuals with developmental disabilities into community settings such as group homes where they might live as independently as possible,... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1964133 Sat, 15 Nov 2008 21:43:10 +0100 1964133 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1964135&cid=t_105353_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FH2nOs6vw9sI%2F Neurologist Oliver Sacks wrote about animal scientist professor Temple Grandin as an “anthropologist on Mars” and she has referred to herself as an anthropologist from Mars“—-last night, we went to Mars. Ok, it was Mars 2112 on 51st and Broadway in Manhattan, a “space-themed restarant” that is (according to its website) a “spectacular mingling of fantasy and reality, a 35,000-square-foot, bi-level, multi-dimensional, immersive environment that catapults travelers to a completely new world.” That is: A below-ground restaurant in midtown Manhattan with the usual kidfood and a lot of glowing red lights emanating from the floor via grills and out from behind some clearly synthetic Mars-sort of rock formations on the walls, and a couple of Martian... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1964135 Sat, 15 Nov 2008 08:03:46 +0100 1964135 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1955301&cid=t_105353_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F3yhgrsgYScQ%2F Yes, I overparent. It often seems to me that it’s harder than not to do this when you’ve a child with a disability. In yesterday’s Arizona Daily Star Johanna Eubanks writes about the ongoing difficulties that she, and other mothers of autistic children, have to take time for themselves; to take care of themselves. Of course, there are marked differences in the overparenting I’m talking about, and the “helicopter”/”hothouse”/”death-grip” parenting parents who aim every effort from pregnancy on to making sure their child will be material for the Ivies as described by Joan Acocella in the November 17th New Yorker. Overparenting is kind of a way of life around here, whether in directing your every energy to taking care of a disabled s... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1955301 Thu, 13 Nov 2008 08:36:55 +0100 1955301 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1955302&cid=t_105353_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FU0JXO9naSBA%2F As I note regularly here, finding the right school and teachers for Charlie, and making sure the education he’s receiving is appropriate, challenging, tailored to his needs, are our constant concern. ABC News visits the Community School in Decatur, Georgia; the school was the subject of a recent article in the New York Times magazine. The school doesn’t seem quite suited to what Charlie might need, but the focus on educating older—adolescent, teenaged—autistic students really interests me. Sometimes it seems the last time that most of us felt sort of confident that we had an idea about the right sort of educational setting and programming for Charlie was when he was preschool age—–elementary and now middle school remain territory for which there’s ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1955302 Thu, 13 Nov 2008 01:57:14 +0100 1955302 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1955304&cid=t_105353_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FT-CElDbvRR4%2F Teachers need autism training, as Cam Ward writes in the November 11th Shelby County Reporter (Alabama). Ward suggests that one way to provide teacher training is by making use of ACCESS, a distance learning infrastructure. Yesterday’s Guardian also highlighted why there’s an immediate and seemingly ubiquitous need for training teachers about teaching autistic students. A report from the University of Birmingham’s Autism Centre for Education and Research “shows that too many teachers and support staff are unfamiliar with the needs of autistic children and struggle to teach them effectively”: …….instead of recognising the atypical development of children and young people on the autistic spectrum, teachers tend to view them through a “typical l... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1955304 Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:16:10 +0100 1955304 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1951987&cid=t_105353_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FGJcL7nX_Gww%2F No question that the prevalence of autism has increased significantly in the past couple of years. Rod Welford, the education minister of Queensland (Australia) attributes the rise in his state—which is, according to the Australia Broadcasting Corporation, “much higher” than in other states—–to “over-” and “mis” diagnosis. Parents, says Winter, are seeking an autism diagnosis falsely, so their children may “receive more resources from the Education Department.” Talking about “over-” and “mis” diagnosis of autism seems quite opposed to the argument that rise in the prevalence rate is due to a better understanding and identification of autism, and to better diagnosis—-somehow I don’t think f... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1951987 Wed, 12 Nov 2008 03:20:59 +0100 1951987 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1951989&cid=t_105353_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FPFNDJmYLcX0%2F In just about one month, I turn 40. Charlie is 11 1/2—-so when I’m 50, he’ll be 21, and when I’m 65, he’ll be 36, almost as old as I am now. Where will he be living? (With us?) What will he be doing? (School will be long over.) What opportunities will there be for him, or not? Yesterday’s Bergen Record describes Debbie Legutko, whose two adults sons—24-year-old Derek and 21-year-old Frank—live with her and her husband. Derek is autistic and holds two part-time jobs. Frank requires intensive medical care and is on a ventilator and oxygen. The Bergen Record notes that some 8,000 individuals with developmental disabilities are on the waiting list for residential supports and services at New Jersey’s Department of Human Services’ Division... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1951989 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:31:27 +0100 1951989 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1927853&cid=t_105353_109_f&fid=35088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fqw88nb88.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F11%2F02%2Ffruit-flies-like-a-banana%2F “Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.” Some of my special interests are insects, science and special education. The three subjects rarely intersect, but you can bet that when they do, it’s going to be interesting! Populist politics is once again — or rather — still degenerating into vast bogs of anti-intellectualism.  As [...] (Source: Andrea's Buzzing About:) Andrea's Buzzing About: blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1927853 Sun, 02 Nov 2008 16:11:34 +0100 1927853 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1870895&cid=t_105353_109_f&fid=35088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fqw88nb88.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F10%2F11%2Fthe-sum-of-good-intentions%2F Feel free to insert the more familiar or acceptable word of your choice.  But regardless of your word choice, the equation stands: Good Intentions plus Bullshit still equals Bullshit It doesn’t matter if you are a parent earnestly trying to help your child improve lagging developmental skills — if the information you are disseminating to newbies or [...] (Source: Andrea's Buzzing About:) Andrea's Buzzing About: blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1870895 Sat, 11 Oct 2008 12:55:21 +0100 1870895 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1696268&cid=t_105353_109_f&fid=35088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fqw88nb88.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F08%2F11%2Fwhen-humor-is-not-a-laughing-matter%2F When we watch old movies or programs, read old books, listen to old audio recordings, it quickly become apparent that tastes in humor change, mostly due to evolving senses of what is appropriate for being laughed at. There are racist and sexist and disableist jokes that are only painful to hear, because it is embarrassing [...] (Source: Andrea's Buzzing About:) Andrea's Buzzing About: blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1696268 Mon, 11 Aug 2008 04:49:43 +0100 1696268 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1692208&cid=t_105353_109_f&fid=35088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fqw88nb88.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F08%2F09%2Fnot-flapping-my-lips%2F (”Flapping one’s lips” is American slang meaning to stand around talking, usually about nothing important, or gossiping, e.g., the disdainful address, “Don’t you just be standing around there flappin’ your lips.” ) “All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.” ~Edmund Burke “It is very tempting to take the side of [...] (Source: Andrea's Buzzing About:) Andrea's Buzzing About: blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1692208 Sat, 09 Aug 2008 05:08:23 +0100 1692208 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1689058&cid=t_105353_109_f&fid=35088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fqw88nb88.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F08%2F07%2Fthe-crystal-ball-crackd%2F The Kid recently took the ACT test, which like the SAT, is frequently used by colleges to determine scholastic abilities, and in his case helped place him for which college writing class he needed.  He had to ask his sister what the test was like, and her impressions about its difficulty level.  I could not [...] (Source: Andrea's Buzzing About:) Andrea's Buzzing About: blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1689058 Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:42:44 +0100 1689058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1605961&cid=t_105353_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F332514633%2F I’ve started teaching summer school, in a special program for local high school students and a course on translating Virgil’s Eclogues. The Eclogues are pastoral poems about shepherds and poetry and…….ok, that’s a bit too far from the usual discussion on this blog. The other class is on Psychology and Literature and, as of today, we’ve read this, this, and this, and discussed Freud’s theories of psychosexual development (the oral stage, the anal stage…..) and Erik Erikson’s 8 stages of psychosocial development—-and I’ve been reflecting on how different Charlie’s development has been. I know that these theories are “just” theories; that they’re grids for stages and norms that no actual human being can ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1605961 Fri, 11 Jul 2008 07:51:57 +0100 1605961 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1250214&cid=t_105353_109_f&fid=35088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fqw88nb88.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F02%2F22%2Fnot-so-lucky%2F The other day at the college I was waiting for an elevator (lift). It’s rather slow, but a sleet storm was heading in and I was especially achy. Just a few feet away was a bulletin board for a program the college runs, including a series of non-credit weekend classes for people [...] (Source: Andrea's Buzzing About:) Andrea's Buzzing About: blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1250214 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 16:31:10 +0100 1250214 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1119291&cid=t_105353_109_f&fid=35088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fqw88nb88.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F12%2F27%2Fepidemiology-bass-ackwards%2F Again. A short news item caught my attention today. Unfortunately, it looks like a fabulous example of bad science, with lousy sampling methods, correllation trying to equal causality, and a heavy dose of confirmation bias. Add in a big dose of well-connected media personalities, and it’s absolute chum-bucket for indiscriminate news sharks. Dr Lawrence Rosen thinks [...] (Source: Andrea's Buzzing About:) Andrea's Buzzing About: blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1119291 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 18:23:36 +0100 1119291 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=939820&cid=t_105353_109_f&fid=35088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fqw88nb88.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F10%2F10%2Fm-f-na%2F Wow. Here I was ready to comment on one piece of news, when several more caught my attention. They all revolve around social ideas of gender rôles, and marginalised or disabled people. This first one struck close to home: Khadijah Farmer was kicked out of women’s toilet of a Manhattan, NY, restaurant because [...] (Source: Andrea's Buzzing About:) Andrea's Buzzing About: blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=939820 Wed, 10 Oct 2007 04:59:15 +0100 939820 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=928815&cid=t_105353_109_f&fid=35088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fqw88nb88.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F10%2F05%2Ffor-no-reason%2F (Coffee-spew warning) “I don’t know; he just started biting the other kid for no reason. But you know, children-with-autism just do those things.” “We were just going over the lesson when alla-sudden she just BLEW UP for no reason, and started cussing and calling me an F-ing B and threw her folder papers all over and [...] (Source: Andrea's Buzzing About:) Andrea's Buzzing About: blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=928815 Fri, 05 Oct 2007 02:21:52 +0100 928815 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=811204&cid=t_105353_109_f&fid=35088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fqw88nb88.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F08%2F21%2Flearning-nothing%2F “I don’t know what to do with my son. You don’t understand what it’s like. He CAN’T LEARN. He’s been in school for FIVE YEARS and has learned NOTHING! I’ve been to all these meetings. It took him MONTHS of therapy to teach him how to sit down! [...] (Source: Andrea's Buzzing About:) Andrea's Buzzing About: blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=811204 Tue, 21 Aug 2007 00:55:20 +0100 811204 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=676172&cid=t_105353_109_f&fid=35088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fqw88nb88.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F06%2F13%2Frainbow-cracking%2F The other week after my blogging about dyspraxia and such, hubby found an article in wired blogs (“Hacking My Child’s Brain”) and a recent article in the New York Times, “The Disorder Is Sensory; the Diagnosis, Elusive”. Although sensory integration remains a vaguely-defined albeit real disorder, treatments are highly varied and disputed. Some [...] (Source: Andrea's Buzzing About:) Andrea's Buzzing About: blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=676172 Wed, 13 Jun 2007 03:22:05 +0100 676172 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=487603&cid=t_105353_109_f&fid=35088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fqw88nb88.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F01%2F12%2Fdevils-and-angels%2F Reading the morning news is dreadful for the happy digestion of my breakfast. Everywhere I look there are devils and angels, pantheons and freak shows, all in the name of disability. It’s hardly not a new trend. But this millennia-old attitude does a terrible disservice to disabled people everywhere to be cast as either [...] (Source: Andrea's Buzzing About:) Andrea's Buzzing About: blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=487603 Fri, 12 Jan 2007 05:43:29 +0100 487603