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 'education health'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:58:21 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4976238&cid=t_405308_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F29%2Fblack-and-white-thinking-must-be-abolished%2F Black and white thinking, for those readers unfamiliar with cognitive distortions, refers to the tendency to reduce complex ideas and situations into simple, dichotomous, and mutually exclusive categories. Think of good or bad, yes or no, all correct or all wrong, acute pain or chronic pain, neuromatrix or peripheral mechanisms, cure the pain or manage the pain. It’s a way of simplifying arguments or decisions that can work well when the situation requires very fast decision-making, or where the options are very limited. It doesn’t work at all in the messy and complicated worlds of clinical reasoning, theory development, or in discussions to broaden understanding. I’m pondering this because of the way various aspects of pain management and the science of pain are misrepre... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4976238 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 19:15:22 +0100 4976238 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4775392&cid=t_405308_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcardiologists-not-needed-a-nurse-and-a-computer-will-do%2F2011.05.02 Wait… Before reading any further, I would like to issue a warning. If your ideas about healthcare delivery are of an older ilk; if you cling white-knuckled to past dogma, please stop reading now. What follows may cause your atria to fibrillate. Last month I wrote that the best tool for treating atrial fibrillation (AF) was to give patients information—to teach them about their AF, its complications, role of lifestyle factors and the many treatment options. I didn’t say this was easy. In fact, thoroughly explaining AF takes nearly the same time it takes me to isolate the pulmonary veins–a lot longer than the 10 minutes allotted for a typical office visit. (Remember: of a 30 minute office visit, I have to review your chart, listen attentively to your story, examine you, and complete ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4775392 Mon, 02 May 2011 12:00:46 +0100 4775392 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4747574&cid=t_405308_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FO_d4wDe_0Uw%2Fmoral-imperative-address-costs-training-doctors.html by Andrew M. Ibrahim and John A. BrockmanDespite the landmark progress of recent healthcare reform, it missed the mark on long term cost control by failing to address medical education.Radical changes are needed in the way we finance tuition and how we teach our students.(...)Read the rest of A moral imperative to address the costs of training our doctorsCategory: Education | Tags: Health reform, Medical school | No comment (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4747574 Mon, 25 Apr 2011 17:00:59 +0100 4747574 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4742479&cid=t_405308_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.drmalpani.com%2F2011%2F04%2Finteractive-health.html " Interactive health is about making health knowledge, supportive care, and motivation available to us, anytime and anywhere, so that we can integrate this wisdom into our daily actions to live longer, healthier, happier lives. Welcome to the new era of Interactive Health."We are very nearly there now ! Everyone will have their PHR in the cloud; doctors and other medical professionals will use their EMRs to upload your medical data to this PHR, so that the medical information is automatically updated and complete. You can share portions of your PHR with others - and your doctor can prescribe Information Therapy to you, tailored to your needs ! (Source: The Patient's Doctor) The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4742479 Fri, 22 Apr 2011 17:17:00 +0100 4742479 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4664180&cid=t_405308_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcrowd-sourcing-for-medical-diagnoses%2F2011.03.31 The Times ran an intriguing experiment on its Well blog yesterday: a medical problem-solving contest. The challenge, based on the story of a real girl who lives near Philadelphia, drew 1379 posted comments and closed this morning with publication of the answer. Dr. Lisa Sanders, who moderated the piece, says today that the first submitted correct response came from a California physician; the second came from a Minnesota woman who is not a physician. Evidently she recognized the condition’s manifestations from her experience working with people who have it. The public contest – and even the concept of using the word “contest” – to solve a real person’s medical condition interests me a lot. This kind of puzzle is, as far as I know, unprecedented apart from the somewhat removed d... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4664180 Thu, 31 Mar 2011 14:00:56 +0100 4664180 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4653278&cid=t_405308_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2F7MvQuszkGhQ%2Fmedical-education-affordable.html by Edwin Leap, MDI was talking to a young man who is starting medical school this fall. His tuition at one of South Carolina’s newer schools will be $40,000 per year. That’s admittedly on the high end. On the low end, it runs a paltry $33,000 per year.(...)Read the rest of Why medical education needs to be more affordable on KevinMD.com6 comments | Tags: Health reform, Medical school | Category: Education (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4653278 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 11:00:02 +0100 4653278 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4450240&cid=t_405308_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FabaVe_ld9hU%2Fcheck-scientific-paper-plagiarism.html by George Lundberg, MDWe were taught in grammar school that plagiarism is wrong. It is stealing someone else’s property.Imagine in high school asking your mother to buy you “Cliff Notes” so you can copy it word for word. Mother would not have liked that, and it wouldn’t have been right.To write an essay today, you’ll probably start with a search engine. Instantly, Mr. Google delivers many intelligent commentaries on anything, probably better than you would write. You can copy them piece by piece, paste them into your paper, and, voila!, you’re done!Except, you stole.(...)Read the rest of How to check your scientific paper for plagiarismNo comment | Tags: Health reform, Medical school | Category: Medical education (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4450240 Tue, 08 Feb 2011 19:00:48 +0100 4450240 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4445739&cid=t_405308_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2F-wzq3Mf0wnk%2Fmedicine-politics.html by Nicholas J. RohrhoffEach generation of physicians has no choice but to take on the responsibility of learning the science of medicine – how best to care for patients.  But current circumstances dictate that we must also bear the burden of developing policy that creates the best system in which to provide that care.Creation of a 21st century American healthcare system will require engagement and effort from everyone.  In this endeavor, the role of physicians is special.  We are, first and foremost, the chief advocates for patients.  Far too often, this role absconds when we leave the exam room, hospital or clinic.No more.(...)Read the rest of If you’re in medicine, you’re in politics4 comments | Tags: Health reform, Medical school | Category: Medical education (Source: Kevi... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4445739 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 19:00:02 +0100 4445739 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394656&cid=t_405308_130_f&fid=34938&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEvidenceInMotion%2F%7E3%2FoKvGAx7qfBc%2Femergency-response-course-offered-by-eim.html Hello! EIM’s Emergency Response Course for PTs, taught by me, Teresa Schuemann, starts on February 14, 2011.  This course is a pre-requisite for the EIM Sports PT Residency Program and Emergency Response Course participants will receive a Sports Residency application fee waiver.  However, all therapists are welcome to enroll in the Emergency Response Course.  This course integrates the objectives set forth by the American Red Cross and the Department of Transportation for Emergency Response and is designed specifically for the physical therapist seeking to provide athletic venue coverage and respond appropriately to acute injury.  The class includes instruction and discussion of assessment, management and prevention of cardio-respiratory emergencies, musculoskeletal injury, enviro... MyPhysicalTherapySpace.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394656 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 18:14:56 +0100 4394656 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4266159&cid=t_405308_136_f&fid=39026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcarolinemfr.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fin-coulda-shoulda-woulda-category.html Here's a new one on me. People who do better in school, are healthier. So if I had been a better student, would I be healthier?In high school, I was not the academic. Can I just leave it at that? I didn't correlate the 'go to class' part with the 'get good grades' part. Well, not all the time. But I did relatively well on my SATs. It was actually a highly ranked public high school. I studied overseas twice in the summers. I did graduate, barely. The barely part was my failure to like wearing one of those nasty gym suits and attending gym class. Then I took a year off - one of the smartest things I did and worked in a restaurant - where I really decided I wanted to do more with my life. I did go to a small college in the midwest which less than half the size of my high school. I actually st... Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4266159 Fri, 17 Dec 2010 10:41:00 +0100 4266159 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4200610&cid=t_405308_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F11%2Flooking-for-patient-information.html HELP is India's largest patient education resource center. We want to establish patient education resource centers all over India, to promote Information Therapy. We are now looking to recruit doctors to spearhead this initiative. You will need to create India-specific relevant information for patients; build closer relationships with physicians, pharma and health insurance companies; and help to set up patient education centers at hospitals and train patient information officers.This is an exciting and unique opportunity with helps to Put Patients First !Please send your resume to : helplibrary@gmail.com (Source: The Patient's Doctor) The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4200610 Thu, 25 Nov 2010 05:17:00 +0100 4200610 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4167909&cid=t_405308_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FbckrwKmmOCk%2Fphysicians-government.html by Edwin Leap, MDI was talking with a pre-med student recently.  He had completed his very first medical school interview and was, understandably, excited.  But he told me the interviewer had asked him what he thought would be the outcome of the current health-care reform measures.I laughed to myself.  After 17 years in practice, even I don’t know the outcome, though I have my suspicions.  It seemed a loaded, almost unfair question.  After miring students in biology, physics, chemistry and every known application-padding activity, after expecting volunteerism and activism, I’m not sure why they would expect this young man to have any earthly idea about the reform measures from his current position in the medical biosphere.(...)Read the rest of Physicians the government wan... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4167909 Mon, 15 Nov 2010 14:00:51 +0100 4167909 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4155201&cid=t_405308_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2Fc2_KTPLO9AU%2Fmedical-students-improve-health-system.html by Aaron J. StuppleMany fellow medical students are eager to improve “the system.”However, an overeager attitude offers both promise and peril — promise that budding physicians are inspired to improve the inner workings of their chosen field, peril in that our naiveté may simply clutter the very complexities we seek to improve.How do we strike a balance between getting involved and getting in the way?(...)Read the rest of How medical students can improve our health systemNo comment | Tags: Health reform, Medical school | Category: Medical education (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4155201 Thu, 11 Nov 2010 12:00:41 +0100 4155201 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4074314&cid=t_405308_130_f&fid=34938&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEvidenceInMotion%2F%7E3%2FU89_9-cBVag%2Fnational-student-conclave-cherry-hill-nj-october-29-31-2010.html National Student Conclave is right around the corner and EIM will be there, giving away a free iPad! Stop by our booth - #207- to pick up a tee shirt (first come, first serve basis). Wear the tee-shirt during both days of the conference and you have a chance to be picked out of the crowd to win an iPad! Jessie Dugan, Brett Neilson, and myself (Rob Wainner) will be at the EIM booth.  You should stop by to learn more about EIM’s Residencies (Sports and Ortho) and Manual PT Fellowship. I will also be a part of The Residency and Fellowship Education: The Fast Track to Clinical Specialization from 4:05-5:05pm and 5:15-6:15pm on Saturday October, 30.  Tara Jo Manal and Robin Meyers will be speaking at these sessions.  Would love to see you there! Rob Wainner PS- Can’t make it to NSC,... MyPhysicalTherapySpace.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4074314 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 13:47:38 +0100 4074314 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4018150&cid=t_405308_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FzYr6vZlUB4Y%2F About 33 million uninsured Americans are expected to enter the health-care system because of the new law. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4018150 Thu, 30 Sep 2010 19:38:30 +0100 4018150 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4018127&cid=t_405308_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F09%2Fsocial-justice-matter-choosing-medical-students.html by James Gaulte, MDShould medical student applicants be chosen less for their demonstrated ability to master large amounts of knowledge and solve problems and more for their social consciousness and desire to push forward with social justice?That appears to be the suggestion of a panel of experts from the AMA in a project called the Initiative to Transform Medicine (ITM) who believe an altruism deficiency underlies the migration to certain more lucrative medical specializations at the expense of forsaking primary care causing a shortage of primary care doctors.Yes, it does depend to a significant degree on income, but there is more to it.(...)Read the rest of Should social justice matter when choosing medical students?No comment | Tags: Health reform, Medical school | Category: Medical e... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4018127 Thu, 30 Sep 2010 19:00:48 +0100 4018127 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4018154&cid=t_405308_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FUw6vuvVEEEI%2F Also: more research on mammography; a push for more E. coli testing; medical intern work hours are shortened. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4018154 Thu, 30 Sep 2010 12:44:06 +0100 4018154 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3965423&cid=t_405308_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2F6if1ILt-cpk%2F Sir Keith Robinson, TED, education and the death of creativity. (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3965423 Sun, 12 Sep 2010 06:30:22 +0100 3965423 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3960030&cid=t_405308_130_f&fid=34938&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEvidenceInMotion%2F%7E3%2FIK9eNvAX1SQ%2Fneed-help-with-ocs-exam-studying.html Hey there!  David Browder here to talk about EIM’s OCS prep course.  We first launched this much needed course in January 2010 and it was very popular – by all reports, our participants really enjoyed this different method of studying for this challenging exam.  Our online OCS Prep Course helps students work through the challenges of studying for the exam by ensuring that every hour spent studying is a productive one.  A pre-test helps each student to identify their individual weaknesses.  Understanding which areas need the most work, in conjunction with a test taking strategies lecture, helps our students to get the most out of their study time. The straightforward online format makes the course easy to use and flexible – it is not an orthopaedic text – it’s ... MyPhysicalTherapySpace.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3960030 Sat, 11 Sep 2010 11:00:00 +0100 3960030 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3924943&cid=t_405308_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F09%2F01%2Fthe-r-word-sticks-stones-and-rosas-law%2F “What you call people is how you treat them. What you call my sister is how you will treat her. If you believe she’s ‘retarded’ it invites taunting, stigma. It invites bullying and it also invites the slammed doors of being treated with respect and dignity.” –14-year-old Nick Marcellino, Rosa’s brother, in testimony to the Maryland General Assembly Say what you will about New Jersey. Yeah, we are called the Soprano state, and, yeah, everyone in Jersey is rumored to have an attitude. You got a problem with that? But I couldn’t be more proud of its recent legislation. The U.S. Senate passed the bill known as Rosa’s Law in August 2010, and in September it goes before the House. Terms such as “mental retardation” and “mentally retarded” will... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3924943 Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:55:39 +0100 3924943 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3827368&cid=t_405308_180_f&fid=38610&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.productivity501.com%2Fsolving-the-wrong-problems%2F6562%2F Conclusion My point was to show that we often try to solve the wrong problems and put a tremendous amount of effort in to fixing the wrong things. If your car doesn’t drive well because the wheels need aligned, you can change the oil all you want with out fixing the real issue. When you are trying to solve problems, make sure you don’t jump so quickly to the solution stage, that you skip the part where you identify the actual problem that needs solved. photo credit car photo credit airport Everything you wanted to know about money from the Debt Free Dude. If you liked this, please consider sharing it with others: --- at Productivity501:Worry vs. Problem-solvingFire (or keep) the WorkaholicsRecommended BookThe Difficult ThingsMichigan’s Big Bet (So... Productivity501 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3827368 Thu, 05 Aug 2010 15:00:30 +0100 3827368 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3603754&cid=t_405308_131_f&fid=35008&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceroll.com%2F2010%2F05%2F27%2Finternet-in-medicine-elective-course-summary%2F In 2008, I launched the world’s first university elective course focusing on internet and medicine for medical, dentistry and pharmacy students. Now the 4th semester is just over and I thought I would share the material again. Over 130 students, 10 weeks, 20 slideshows. I tried to cover all the important topics in this area. 2010 Spring Semester Week 1: Web 2.0 in Medicine 2010 Spring Semester Week 2: Medical blogging 2010 Spring Semester Week 3: RSS and Microblogging 2010 Spring Semester Week 4: Wikipedia and Medical Wikis 2010 Spring Semester Week 5: E-patients and Medical Communities 2010 Spring Semester Week 6: Virtual Reality in Medicine 2010 Spring Semester Week 7: Social Media in Healthcare 2010 Spring Semester Week 8: New Media in Medicine and Education 2.0 2010 Spri... ScienceRoll blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3603754 Thu, 27 May 2010 15:58:26 +0100 3603754 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3533780&cid=t_405308_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F05%2F05%2Fcancer-awareness-and-early-diagnosis-programme-funding%2F Title: Cancer Awareness and Early Diagnosis Programme funding Skinny: Dear Collegue letter announcing  funding for 2010/11 to develop or build on existing services/interventions that aim to promote early diagnosis of cancer, and inviting proposals from primary care trusts by 28 April 2010.  It supplies project examples and a proposals proforma. Publisher: DH Size of Publication: 4p. Published: 08/03/2010 Filed under: Cancer, Financial Management, Grey Literature, Primary Care Tagged: Cancer, Dear Colleague Letters, Diagnosis, Financial Management, Health Education, Health Promotion, Primary Care (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3533780 Wed, 05 May 2010 06:38:06 +0100 3533780 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3483045&cid=t_405308_131_f&fid=35008&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceroll.com%2F2010%2F04%2F19%2Fmedicine-in-the-virtual-world-molecules-and-training%2F If you are looking for healthcare support groups in Second Life, click here. Learning in a Virtual World: Experience With Using Second Life for Medical Education: Most comprehensive overview ever. Molecular visualisation (Metaverse Journal) One of the best blogs about information dedicated to virtual worlds: john-norris.net R.I.S.E. U.P. – lymphoma information in Second Life The Elucian Islands Village: An Introduction Medical Training in Second Life (Wall Street Journal) (Source: ScienceRoll) ScienceRoll blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3483045 Mon, 19 Apr 2010 02:02:13 +0100 3483045 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3370401&cid=t_405308_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F0ai6lc-z1W8%2F By Chris Moody Alan Reynolds: The truth about health insurance premiums and profits. An overview of the many hurdles the health care bill still faces in the House. Study: Public schools dishonest about the true cost of education. This video explains it all in less than three minutes. Will conservatives ultimately oppose the war in Afghanistan? Join us for a lively discussion this Thursday at Cato featuring Joe Scarborough, Grover Norquist, Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA) and more. Registration free. Will be broadcast online live Thursday at the link. Podcast: “Documenting Human Rights Abuses in Venezuela” featuring Ian Vásquez. (Don’t tell Sean Penn.) (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3370401 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:41:55 +0100 3370401 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3298510&cid=t_405308_130_f&fid=34938&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEvidenceInMotion%2F%7E3%2FYBdiAGyfKv8%2Feim-sports-physical-therapy-residency-program.html EIM and Sports Medicine: The EIM Sports Physical Therapy Residency Program EIM is excited to introduce its new Sports Physical Therapy Residency Program(SPTR)!  Dr. Teresa Schuemann has joined the EIM team as the SPTR content developer and director.  She is an experienced Program Director who has been Chair of the APTA Residency and Fellowship Credentialing Committee and now serves as one of seven members on the APTA American Board of Residency and Fellowship Education.  “Going through a residency program was the best decision of my professional career”, states Dr. Teresa Schumann, SPTR director.  “I am thrilled to provide such and experience for other Physical Therapy clinicians.” The SPTR is an 18-month program of post-professional clinical and didact... MyPhysicalTherapySpace.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3298510 Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:00:07 +0100 3298510 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3236125&cid=t_405308_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F03%2Fa-wish-list-for-a-pain-management-programme%2F As I review the last few people I’ve had the privilege to assess, I can see numerous factors that have lead them down the road to chronic disability from their persistent pain.  One of the most common would have to be multiple medical assessments with medical management that has failed to address the person’s disability, while in some cases actually increasing the person’s beliefs that they are not in control of their lives.  An example? A man I saw who, four years after the initial event firmly believes the annular tears must ‘heal’ before he can return to work.  Two orthopaedic surgeons indicated to him that surgery wasn’t an option (and he didn’t want it anyway) but also advised him ‘these things take time to heal’ – or at l... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3236125 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:33:21 +0100 3236125 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3175816&cid=t_405308_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F01%2Fsimply-adding-doctors-save-health-system.html It’s no secret that without a stronger primary care foundation, the current reform efforts are unlikely to be successful. If anything, it will only delay the inevitable. I wrote last month that one discussed solution, adding more residency slots, won’t help: it would simply perpetuate the disproportionate specialist:primary care ratio. A recent op-ed in The New York Times expands on that theme. The authors suggest that not only does primary care need to be promoted, specialist slots should be limited. Simply building more medical schools, or adding more residency slots, without such restrictions will only add to the number of specialists. Already, many primary care residency slots go unfilled – what’s the point of adding more? You have to solve the root cause that ... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3175816 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 12:00:40 +0100 3175816 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3153329&cid=t_405308_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F01%2F08%2Fswine-flu-information-sheet-for-asylum-seekers-refugees-and-other-foreign-nationals-in-the-uk%2F Title: Swine flu information sheet for asylum seekers, refugees and other foreign nationals in the UK A summary of current information on swine flu in a variety of languages that can now be accessed for or by people who cannot speak or read English and who may not have access to a regular flow of news, i.e., an asylum seeker or refugee, a temporary worker in the UK or even a member of an established migrant group. Information sheet in Arabic Information sheet in French information sheet in Chinese (Simplified) information sheet in Chinese (Traditional) information sheet in Gujarati information sheet in Hindi information sheet in Krio information sheet in Kurdish Kurmanji information sheet in Kurdish Sorani information sheet in Latvian information sheet in Lingala information sh... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3153329 Fri, 08 Jan 2010 04:24:12 +0100 3153329 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3089474&cid=t_405308_131_f&fid=35008&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceroll.com%2F2009%2F12%2F15%2Fmedicine-and-web-2-0-university-course-end-of-3rd-semester%2F I’m really proud that I can organize and run the world’s first university credit course focusing on Web 2.0 and medicine at a medical school. This was the third, and so far most successful, semester with 115 students who filled a survey before and after the course. I hope I can publish the results in a peer-reviewed paper soon with the help of real experts in this field. In the final lecture, I used Prezi.com again and talked about the future of medicine as well as the results of the surveys. I’ve already got some invitations to do at least a part of the course at other international universities. What is sure is that the next semester will launch in February in Debrecen with assignments and tests because I would like to engage students even more. See you there! Cours... ScienceRoll blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3089474 Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:09:18 +0100 3089474 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2963275&cid=t_405308_134_f&fid=35187&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDiabetesDaily%2F%7E3%2Fy8EyqpogpGk%2Fsix-steps-to-a-great-marriage.php I worked in the medical field for years before my husband and I got married. I didn't anticipate the work it would take, and I certainly didn't know as much as I thought I did about diabetes. Living and working with diabetes are two very different things. My husband and I came up with six steps to living and having a great marriage with alittle bit of diabetes thrown in to the mixture. While it's mainly for those just getting married, the advice is applicable for all married couples. 1. Educate Yourself...One of the best things my spouse did when we first got married is include me in one of his exams to see what goes on during a typical exam for him. The minute we walked into the office, he was very proactive on introducing me to the staff he worked with and telling them that I... Diabetes Daily blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2963275 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:15:28 +0100 2963275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2939230&cid=t_405308_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F29%2Fbirth-to-five-2009-edition%2F Title: Birth to Five 2009 Skinny: Birth to Five gives parents information on: becoming a parent taking care of yourself and your child finding practical help and support Birth to Five aims to: introduce parents to the Healthy Child Programme for the first years of life, explaining issues like immunisation as part of the universal service provided for all children provide a guide to the early years of life, ensuring mother, her partner and baby have support throughout this time explain, in an encouraging and engaging manner, the different aspects of the first five years of life, ensuring optimal health and wellbeing of all involved reinforce and act as an addition to the advice from midwives and health visitors, ensuring they have support in their profession. Publisher: DH Size of Publi... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2939230 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:02:59 +0100 2939230 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2934622&cid=t_405308_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F27%2Fhealthy-child-programme-pregnancy-and-the-first-five-years-of-life%2F Title: Healthy Child Programme: pregnancy and the first five years of life Skinny: The Healthy Child Programme for the early life stages focuses on a universal preventative service, providing families with a programme of screening, immunisation, health and development reviews, supplemented by advice around health, wellbeing and parenting. Publisher: DH Size of Publication: 97p Published: 27/10/2009 Posted in Children, Grey Literature, NHS, Parenting, Primary Care Tagged: Children, Grey Literature, Health Education, Health Promotion, Immunisation, Parenting (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2934622 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:01:11 +0100 2934622 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2902908&cid=t_405308_131_f&fid=35008&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceroll.com%2F2009%2F10%2F17%2Fweb-2-0-in-medicine-university-course-pictures%2F This is the third semester of my university credit course, Web 2.0 in Medicine, that I launched at the Medical School and Health Science Center, University of Debrecen. We are at week 4 out of the 10 and I’m very happy to announce that we just passed the 100 milestone which means now more than a hundred students attend the course. The course has recently become an obligatory one at the Public Health Institute of Debrecen. I really enjoy the lectures because students are very responsive and have questions. They also have to fill a survey before and after the course so I can see whether their attitude changes during the course. Next Thursday, I will talk about e-patients and doctor communities. (Source: ScienceRoll) ScienceRoll blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2902908 Sat, 17 Oct 2009 19:49:32 +0100 2902908 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2823915&cid=t_405308_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F23%2Fkeep-warm-keep-well-a-guide-for-people-over-60%2F Title: Keep Warm, Keep Well: A guide for people over 60 The Skinny: Aims to help older people maintain good health during winter and take advantage of the financial help and benefits available. Publisher: DH Size of Publication: 16p Published: 18/09/2009 Similar Materials: Keep Warm, Keep Well: A guide for families Keep Warm, Keep Well: A guide for people with disabilities or long-term health conditions Keep Warm, Keep Well: Supporting vulnerable people during cold weather Posted in Grey Literature, Older People Tagged: Chronic Diseases, Disabilities, Families, Grey Literature, Health Education, Health Promotion, Hypothermia, Older People, Patient Information, Winter Pressures (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2823915 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:00:53 +0100 2823915 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2807739&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F6hiu_s-gcV8%2F Title: The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness - Practical Advice to Keep Your Brain Sharp - Two community-based book talks hosted by New York Public Library and supported by the Einstein Aging Study at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Description: A fit brain? Can you exercise your brain and become mentally fit? Can you continue to learn and increase your brain’s capacity at any age? Alvaro Fernandez, CEO and Co-Founder of SharpBrains, says Yes!, and in this program he will show you how. Based on research compiled from leading scientists in fields of Neuroscience, Gerontology, and Cognitive Science, and presented in his book “The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness”, Alvaro Fernandez will provide ways to maintain and improve your cognitive health. He will: - Debunk 10 Myths of Br... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2807739 Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:08:07 +0100 2807739 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2778617&cid=t_405308_131_f&fid=35008&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceroll.com%2F2009%2F09%2F08%2F3rd-semester-new-mission%2F To be honest, I’m very proud of this university course (this is the first of its kind that is launched at a medical school) and now I’m ready to launch the 3rd semester. The new semester will be centered around a new structure (see below) and a new form of slideshows (Prezi.com). And I’m happy to announce that the whole course will get a brand new website in January where I will publish the content and other details as well. Here is the new structure: 1st week: Web 2.0: An introduction into a world of possibilities Web 2.0 in medicine: Practical examples, an overview of the whole course 2nd week: The medical blogosphere (why to blog; success stories, advantages; examples) From the first comment to blog carnivals: Step by step (how to start and maintain a medical blog) ... ScienceRoll blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2778617 Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:14:30 +0100 2778617 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2774734&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FaAd-hGE1Cbc%2F Here you have the September edition of our monthly newsletter covering cognitive health and brain fitness topics. Please remember that you can subscribe to receive this Newsletter by email, using the box at the top of this page. In the current edition of The Journal on Active Aging, I discuss why we need to Retool "Use it or lose it", and why routine, doing things inside our comfort zones, is the most common enemy of the novelty, variety and challenge our brains need. You can read the full article for free Here. Book Tour We are glad to report that The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness continues to obtain excellent endorsements: "This is the only book that I know of that seamlessly integrates latest information about cognitive health across the lifespan. Very useful to any... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2774734 Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:26:03 +0100 2774734 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2774735&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FT6qWkjZpDtg%2F Have you already read The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness? Let's see... 1. Pick the only part of your body that does not contain fat: a. Arm b. Thigh c. Brain d. None Answer: d) Fats are also present in the brain: in neurons’ membranes to keep them flexible. These fats are the omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids molecules. (Page 32 of the book) 2. Pick the only food product that doesn’t contain Omega-3 fatty acids a. Tuna b. Walnut c. Kiwi d. Jelly Beans Answer: d) Fatty acids can be found in cold-water fish (such as mackerel, herring, salmon, and tuna), kiwi, and walnuts. (Page 33) 3. Pick the only food product that doesn’t contain antioxidants a. Olive oil b. Milk c. Nuts d. Berries Answer: b) Antioxidants can be found in vegetable oils, nuts, green leafy vegetables (e.g., spinach),... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2774735 Tue, 08 Sep 2009 04:41:31 +0100 2774735 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2762004&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FYWJmrAaDs8I%2F (Editor's Note: we are pleased to bring you this article thanks to our collaboration with Greater Good Magazine.) Changing our Minds By imagining many possible worlds, argues novelist and psychologist Keith Oatley, fiction helps us understand ourselves and others. -By Keith Oatley For more than two thousand years people have insisted that reading fiction is good for you. Aristotle claimed that poetry—he meant the epics of Homer and the tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, which we would now call fiction—is a more serious business than history. History, he argued, tells us only what has happened, whereas fiction tells us what can happen, which can stretch our moral imaginations and give us insights into ourselves and other people. This is a strong argument for schools to c... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2762004 Wed, 02 Sep 2009 22:27:46 +0100 2762004 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2699730&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F-JW8Doxud-I%2F Here you have the August edition of our monthly newsletter covering cognitive health and brain fitness topics. Please remember that you can subscribe to receive this Newsletter by email, using the box at the top of this page. Scientific publication Frontiers in Neuroscience recently published a special issue on Augmenting Cognition, and invited me to contribute with an article titled Preparing Society for the Cognitive Age. Groundbreaking brain research has occurred over the last 20 years. The opportunity to improve brain health and performance is immense, but we need to ensure the marketplace matures in a rational and sustainable manner, both through healthcare and non-healthcare channels. Click Here to read my article. Announcements In May 2009 SharpBrains published The State of the Bra... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2699730 Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:18:24 +0100 2699730 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2625933&cid=t_405308_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F07%2Fshould-health-policy-be-mandatory-for-medical-students.html With health reform upon us, it would be helpful if future doctors knew a bit more about health policy. Although some schools give some token courses on the subject, the majority don’t. For instance, everything I learned about health policy was from reading medical and policy-related blogs over the past few years. This piece from Slate gives one reason: medical students are too busy. Indeed, “Faced with a choice between learning about a high-paying specialty like radiology or gastroenterology or cardiology—all of which have limited residency slots—and public policy, there is no choice.” Some schools, like Harvard Medical School, are taking steps to change that, by forcing students to take semester-long courses in health policy. And that’s a good thing. Doctors ne... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2625933 Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:00:56 +0100 2625933 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570895&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F0Nz1fWRE5Ic%2F (Editor's note: Daniel Goleman is now conducting a series of audio interviews including a great one with Richard Davidson on Training the Brain. We are honored to bring you this guest post by Daniel Goleman, thanks to our collaboration with Greater Good Magazine.)  --- Yes, You Can: New research suggests we can build our willpower -- By Daniel Goleman Those of us who struggle to resist junk foods or otherwise suffer a lack of willpower will be heartened by some good news from neuroscience. But there's some bad news, too. First, the bad news. A slew of studies suggest that we each have a fixed neural reservoir of willpower, and that if we use it on one thing, we have less for others. Tasks that demand some self-control make it harder for us to do the next thing that takes willpower. In ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570895 Sun, 05 Jul 2009 10:52:45 +0100 2570895 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2517306&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FeZwOQE_mWYI%2F Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg and I, co-authors of The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness, will cover the main highlights from our new book and address the questions submitted by readers. When: Tuesday July 21st, 10am Pacific Time; 1pm Eastern Time. How to Register: Click HERE for more information and to Register. Title: The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness: 18 Interviews with Scientists, Practical Advice, and Product Reviews, to Keep Your Brain Sharp Book description: While most of us have heard the phrase “use it or lose it,” very few understand what “it” means, or how to properly “use it” in order to maintain brain function and fitness. The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness is an invaluable guide that helps readers navigate growing brain research and identify the lifestyle factor... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2517306 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:42:25 +0100 2517306 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2511974&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FUYUQquNqJ8Y%2F Discussion Guide Alzheimers Association, book club, Brain Fitness, brain fitness guide, Club One, Elizabeth Edgerly, fitness centers, kindle, kindle edition, mental exercise, Physical Exercise, Robin Klaus, stay sharp, Twitter (Source: SharpBrains) SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2511974 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 04:34:39 +0100 2511974 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2473873&cid=t_405308_131_f&fid=35008&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceroll.com%2F2009%2F06%2F11%2Ficpr-lite-cardiopulmonary-resuscitation-training-on-iphone%2F Federico Semeraro shared iCPR Lite, a great iPhone application, with me. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is a crucial procedure and everyone, I mean everyone, should be trained to be able to perform CPR any time when needed. This iPhone application helps you how to do it. More about it on D-Sign… (Source: ScienceRoll) ScienceRoll blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2473873 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 20:00:41 +0100 2473873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2447832&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F3XvIPyfyaWA%2F Discussion Guide: The goal of our just published book, The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness, is to inform you, but also to open a much needed debate to contribute to our collective brain fitness. We encourage book clubs to read and discuss the book, and suggest 10 questions to kickstart the conversation. Please do send us your answers and impressions! Education & Learning 10% Students may have working memory problems: Why does this matter?: A recent study screened over 3,000 school-aged students in schools in the UK and found that 1 in 10 was identified as having working memory difficulties. Working memory is our ability to store and manipulate information for a brief time, and difficulties in this brain function may lead into difficulties in reading and mathematics. Dr. Tracy Allo... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2447832 Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:53:26 +0100 2447832 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2442121&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FOjLwzbhn3DQ%2F Games for Health and SharpBrains have partnered to bring you the first Cognitive Health Track in a Games for Health Conference, June 11-12th in Boston. If you are interested, in attending the conference, you can learn more and register Here. To get a 15% off registration fees ($379), you can use discount code: sharp09, when you register Here. --- Cognitive Health Track, Powered by SharpBrains Thursday, June 11th 10.20 (50m) Bird's Eye View of Cognitive Health Innovation Speaker(s): Alvaro Fernandez, SharpBrains Scientific, technological and demographic trends have converged to create a new $265m market in the US alone: serious games, software and online applications that can help people of all ages assess and train cognitive abilities. Alvaro Fernandez will provide a Bird’s Eye View of t... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2442121 Mon, 25 May 2009 20:17:12 +0100 2442121 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2442242&cid=t_405308_130_f&fid=34938&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEvidenceInMotion%2F%7E3%2FJic6X50BI50%2Fcheck-out-eims-handson-evidencebased-continuing-education-courses.html EIM offers over 25 online and hands-on CE courses that enhance practical skills while granting flexibility so you can maintain your competitive position in the marketplace.    You will benefit from EIM’s CE courses if you: ·         Desire to make evidence-based practice an immediate reality in your clinical practice. ·         Want to enhance your critical thinking and psychomotor skills to improve decision-making and outcomes of care. ·         Desire to learn from faculty who are widely published in the peer-reviewed literature. ·         Appreciate user-friendly online,... MyPhysicalTherapySpace.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2442242 Thu, 21 May 2009 18:31:54 +0100 2442242 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2415668&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F3RI0pBJPI-Q%2F Here’s a national awareness day I’d like to see. Or perhaps it should be a freedom-from-awareness day. We’re not a family who does biomedical interventions (although there are all those things Jeff loves to dissolve in water). But we live with and think about autism every day. Am I the only one who finds this exhausting, especially when you throw in the occasional broken night of sleep? Photo by Elsie Esq. (flickr.com) If Autism Awareness increases others’ understanding of this disorder, Freedom from Autism Awareness helps people to recognize the burden on families living with autism so they can support them with sympathy and understanding. So I’d love one day of the year that proclaimed freedom from thinking about, worrying about, reading about autism. Instea... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2415668 Sun, 17 May 2009 14:38:45 +0100 2415668 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2380959&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FzzLOqwG8cs4%2F Round-up of April articles and news on neuroscience, brain development and cognitive health: Games for Health Conferences to host new Cognitive Health Track: For the first time, a new Cognitive Health track -Powered by SharpBrains- will cover eleven brain fitness and cognitive health topics during the 5th Annual Games for Health Conference. The current price is $379, with a 15% discount if you use code "sharp09" (without quotation) when you register Here. Details: June 11-12th at the Hyatt Harborside Hotel in Boston, MA. Bilingual Babies Get Head Start --- Before They Can Talk: - "Unlike the monolingual group, the bilingual group was able to successfully learn a new sound type and use it to predict where each character would pop up...The bilingual babies' skill applies to mo... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2380959 Thu, 30 Apr 2009 03:59:32 +0100 2380959 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2367655&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FzBtmD4uGBe8%2F You may be reading all about brain fitness and brain training. It seems every week brings a new barrage of articles and studies which often contradict what you read the month before: Does Gingko Biloba help delay Alzheimer’s Disease? Can physical exercise help you stay sharp as you age? Which computer-based “brain fitness programs”, if any, are worth your money? All this coverage reflects very exciting scientific findings but also poses a key dilemma: How to become an informed lifelong learner and consumer when there are few and contradictory authoritative guidelines? The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness (to be published in May 2009; $24.95) aims to fill that void. This guide is the result of over a year of extensive research including more than a hundred interviews with scientists... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2367655 Fri, 24 Apr 2009 22:19:12 +0100 2367655 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2353955&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2Fz-myvW1TxG4%2F My wife and I just came back from an inspiring Goldman Prize Award ceremony, where seven grassroots environmental changemakers were recognized for their work and resiliency, and shared their passion and purpose with everyone attending the event. We did hear too from Al Gore, Tracy Chapman, Robert Redford, and the founder of the awards 20 years ago, Richard Goldman.  The BBC recently published an Op-Ed by Mr. Goldman on the story behind the Awards themselves: article Here. He explains how... - "One morning in 1989, as I sat with my daily breakfast and newspaper, I read about the most recent Nobel laureates and wondered if there was a comparable award for environmental work." - "We asked a staff member at our foundation to do some research and he found that nothing yet e... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2353955 Tue, 21 Apr 2009 04:27:08 +0100 2353955 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2349069&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F24WEO4FpkcE%2F Round-up of recent articles on neuroscience, brain development and cognitive health: Encephalon 68: A carnival of neuroscience: Chris hosts a great collection of neuroscience and psychology posts in his signature Q&A style. Bilingual Babies Get Head Start --- Before They Can Talk: - Unlike the monolingual group, the bilingual group was able to successfully learn a new sound type and use it to predict where each character would pop up. - The bilingual babies' skill applies to more than just switching between languages. Mehler likened this apparently enhanced cognitive ability to a brain selecting "the right tool for the right operation"—also called executive function. - In this basic process, the brain, ever flexible, nimbly switches from one learned response to another as ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2349069 Tue, 14 Apr 2009 03:20:11 +0100 2349069 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2320467&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FOo0Lb0x7KHw%2F Here you have the March edition of our monthly newsletter covering cognitive health and brain fitness topics. Please remember that you can subscribe to receive this Newsletter by email, using the box at the top of this page. I know I am biased - but do believe this Newsletter issue might well be our best so far. I hope you find the time to enjoy it! Bird's Eye View Top Articles and Resources in March: Highlights - a) great articles in SciAm Mind and the Wall Street Journal, b) new resources (book and free DVD) by the Dana Foundation, c) research studies on how our cognitive abilities tend to evolve as we age, the impact of physical exercise on the brain, the lack of long-term effectiveness of ADHD drugs, and how working memory training may benefit math performance. Brain Fitness Survey: O... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2320467 Tue, 31 Mar 2009 04:07:56 +0100 2320467 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2293093&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F9cU2befET5I%2F A person who helped reinvent "aging", "retirement" and "learning", contributing to the cognitive health of millions of individuals as a result: Martin P. 'Marty' Knowlton dies at 88; co-founder of Elderhostel (Los Angeles Times) - "Martin P. "Marty" Knowlton, a world traveler who fought ageism by co-founding Elderhostel, a program that pioneered learning vacations for mature adults, has died. He was 88." - "Knowlton died Thursday of natural causes at a nursing home in Ventura, said David Bianco, who started Elderhostel with his friend in 1975." - "When he was about 50, Knowlton became highly annoyed by two things: the prevailing wisdom that "as you got older, your mind automatically began to fail" and the government... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2293093 Sun, 22 Mar 2009 20:43:05 +0100 2293093 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2284420&cid=t_405308_87_f&fid=34925&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbestyoucanbe.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F03%2Fbeyond-bowling-obama-goof-is-good-news.html We now know who will be front and center at the next Special Olympics ... Barack Obama indulges in armchair politics with Leno | World news | guardian.co.uk ... It was all going perfectly, in fact, until Leno eased the conversation away from the economy and onto sports, asking Obama if he enjoyed bowling. The president said he found time to practise, but had only managed a score of 129. "That's very good," Leno interjected mockingly, at which point Obama became sufficiently amused, it seemed, to forget, for one cringe-inducing second, that he was on television. "It's like the Special Olympics, or something," he replied, in what seemed meant as a self-deprecating joke – and from the expressions that flickered across both men's faces it was clear they both knew Obam... Be the Best You can Be blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2284420 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:29:00 +0100 2284420 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2281926&cid=t_405308_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F03%2F19%2Fhow-often-do-you-turn-to-journals-for-information%2F If you’ve been a browser through my blog you’ll see that I’m an information junkie.  I just can’t help myself - if there’s information out there, I want to look at it!  I regularly get journal contents pages sent to me, browse the ‘article in press’ sections of e-journals, use MedWorm RSS and generally get immersed in research. I’m lucky in a way, because I can access the medical library from my laptop at home or at work, so it’s easy to keep up - what would it be like without this ease of access? Anyway, the thought crossed my mind that I’m not sure how often other clinicians do this foraging around to find out what is going on in the literature.  So today’s post is really about the reasoning loop that I use and when I h... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2281926 Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:19:57 +0100 2281926 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2259392&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F9WOt6UhIGBg%2F Neurofeedback - also known as EEG Biofeedback - is an approach for treating ADHD in which individuals are provided real-time feedback on their brainwave patterns and taught to alter their typical EEG pattern to one that is consistent with a focused, attentive state. This is typically done by collecting EEG data from individuals as they focus on stimuli presented on a computer screen. Their ability to control the stimuli, for example, keeping the smile on a smiley face, is contingent on maintaining the particular EEG state being trained. According to neurofeedback proponents, learning how to do this during training generalizes to real world situations and this results in improved attention and reduced hyperactive/impulsive behavior. Neurofeedback treatment for ADHD has been controversial in... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2259392 Wed, 11 Mar 2009 17:47:45 +0100 2259392 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2201696&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F543532638%2F Last week, in this article's first part, we discussed the importance of actually teaching children how to get themselves into a physical state of being relaxed, explored several suggestions I hope you found useful. Let's continue. Teachers can help student overcome stress by teaching them to identify the impediments they might encounter in doing a certain task. The teacher can ask: What's going to get in the way of you doing this work? He or she may have to jump-start the students’ thinking by suggesting such things as: - competing events (family activities, friends call, IM-ing, new video game, etc.) - lack of adequate place to study - inadequate prior preparation or skills - a negative attitude (this is not necessary, I can't do math, I’ll never need to know this, etc). - health fac... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2201696 Thu, 19 Feb 2009 22:12:45 +0100 2201696 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2190688&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F02%2Fnot-eunuch.html I've written a post as part of Dave Hingsburger's Blogging on Sexuality carnival.I've often heard other parents of autistic children lament that their child will "never marry or have children of their own."My response:How do you know?So what?I didn't have children so they would provide me with the opportunity to wear a fabulous hat at their wedding or to ensure a supply of grandchildren when I'm older. I've given them life and it's now theirs to live as they choose.In raising these 3 children, I aim to teach them about relationships and sexuality. I hope they will develop the ability to make safe, healthy and wise choices. I want them to feel empowered, to have fun, to have respect for themselves and others. Their lessons started early: they have always had their questions on bodies and li... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2190688 Sun, 15 Feb 2009 05:13:00 +0100 2190688 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2188484&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F539678504%2F Eric Jensen alerted me to a research study published in the February 4th Journal of Neuroscience --- Transgenerational Rescue of a Genetic Defect in Long-Term Potentiation and Memory Formation by Juvenile Enrichment. We both had the same initial WOW! feeling that we had experienced when we first read about the discovery of mirror neurons a decade+ ago. The study's findings seemed to suggest that acquired characteristics can be genetically transmitted, a Lamarckinan belief that had long been discarded by biologists. This seemed improbable, so we decided to check out what the scientific community thought. It's the kind of research that educators certainly need to understand because the potential educational implications are profound, no matter how this particular study sorts out. I've thus a... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2188484 Sat, 14 Feb 2009 16:21:17 +0100 2188484 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2188072&cid=t_405308_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2F538988238%2Fhealth-literacy-cry-for-universal.html Health care is now a business that rivals the industrial complex. Its major consumers are victims of lopsided capitalist principles that exploit weaknesses within our educational systems – mainly literacy. If literacy is at an all-time low in this country, health literacy must be virtually non-existent. But what does this mean? And more importantly, why should anyone care? These questions are made complicated by arguments that weave a moral blanket of hypocrisy which does not provide comfort – let alone security - to those most impacted by a poor health infrastructure. That is, too often we blame the sick for having sickness and the uneducated for not knowing when the real cause of either or both is mis-education combined with quests for power and, ultimately, control. Literacy is not... Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2188072 Fri, 13 Feb 2009 16:21:49 +0100 2188072 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2169839&cid=t_405308_131_f&fid=35008&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceroll.com%2F2009%2F02%2F08%2Fmedical-education-in-2009%2F How should medical education change in 2009? Unfortunately, I don’t have the answer but am trying to find sites and projects that could probably answer the question soon. First, I will re-launch my university credit course focusing on web 2.0 and medicine in 2 weeks. I will also publish all the slideshows and try to persuade students to participate actively in this movement. I hope I can generate some discussions about how to reform medical education with this initiative. Second, according to a Medscape article we will see a few changes in the near future at least in medical publishing: Why is it, then, that medical publishers can retain copyright and limit access? Recently, pressure from proponents of the open-access concept has resulted in the emergence of some open-access publicat... ScienceRoll blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2169839 Sun, 08 Feb 2009 18:45:53 +0100 2169839 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2117336&cid=t_405308_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F01%2F20%2Fquality-assessment-of-diagnostic-accuracy%2F I was taking a moment or two to looked through some of my RSS feeds, and came across this post on the quality of diagnostic accuracy.  QUADAS stands for: Q – Quality A – Assessment of D – Diagnostic A – Accuracy S – Studies It’s especially developed for people who use physical assessment, and in this post written by physiotherapist Harrison Vaughan, PT, DPT who has a business called In Touch Therapy. I found the post on Mike Reinold’s blog which has a heap of information on physical rehabilitation written for occupational therapists, physiotherapists, exercise physiologists etc. Back to the QUADAS - it’s always worth asking good questions of any study, and this approach has been developed to evaluate the quality of evidence.  I won’t go through the que... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2117336 Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:01:01 +0100 2117336 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2096033&cid=t_405308_131_f&fid=35008&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceroll.com%2F2009%2F01%2F11%2Fsecond-life-health-news-2009-predictions-and-the-map%2F Attending medical school in virtual reality (Student BMJ) How big is Second Life? (Metaverse Journal): The official full map of Second Life. Second Life @ the University of Michigan: News and updates for the Wolverine Island community in Second Life Ten virtual worlds predictions for 2009 (Metaverse Journal): 2009 will open the way for other virtual worlds. I tried Reaction Grid myself a few days ago. Do you remember my post focusing on the NHS London project in Second Life? Now here are 2 other articles on the subject. NHS in virtual reality: second sight and  Virtual hospitals - the NHS’s future.        (Source: ScienceRoll) ScienceRoll blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2096033 Sun, 11 Jan 2009 22:32:15 +0100 2096033 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2079023&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F501446374%2F Here you have The 10 Most Popular Brain Fitness & Cognitive Health Books, based on book purchases by SharpBrains' readers during 2008. Enjoy! 1. Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School (Pear Press, March 2008) - Dr. John Medina, Director of the Brain Center for Applied Learning Research at Seattle Pacific University, writes an engaging and comprehensive introduction to the many daily implications of recent brain research. He wrote the article Brain Rules: science and practice for SharpBrains readers. 2. The Beck Diet Solution: Train Your Brain to Think Like a Thin Person (Oxmoor House, March 2007) - Dr. Judith Beck, Director of the Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy and Research, connects the world of research-based cognitive therap... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2079023 Sat, 03 Jan 2009 02:59:43 +0100 2079023 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2079024&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F499744733%2F Dear reader and member of SharpBrains' community, We want to thank you for your attention and support in 2008, and wish you a Happy, Prosperous, Healthy and Positive 2009! Below you have the December edition of our monthly newsletter. Enjoy: Best of 2008 Announcing the SharpBrains Most Important Book of 2008: Neuroscientist Torkel Klingberg has written a very stimulating and accessible book on a crucial topic for our Information Age: The Overflowing Brain: Information Overload and the Limits of Working Memory. We have named it The SharpBrains Most Important Book of 2008, and asked Dr. Klingberg to write a brief article to introduce his research and book to you. Enjoy it here. Top 30 Brain Fitness Articles of 2008: We have compiled SharpBrains' 30 most popular articles, written by thirteen... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2079024 Wed, 31 Dec 2008 21:25:51 +0100 2079024 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2074255&cid=t_405308_131_f&fid=35008&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceroll.com%2F2008%2F12%2F31%2Fmedical-education-evolution-looking-forward-to-2009%2F This July, Jen McCabe Gorman, Ted Eytan, and me created a Ning community for those who are interested in changing medical education. We’re working on a new concept and plan to find a medical school that would use it. Feel free to join us and let us know your thoughts. The community now has 95 members and 22 ongoing discussions. As some of us organize university courses about medicine 2.0 or health 2.0 (e.g. my course in Debrecen) and as the Google Document containing the database of useful medical links is still growing, I can’t wait to see the results in 2009. This document features now almost a hundred sites, services and projects. Include your favourite websites! I hope we can build a concept on how to reform medical education worldwide with the tools of web 2.0. Let’s wo... ScienceRoll blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2074255 Wed, 31 Dec 2008 09:31:44 +0100 2074255 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2065359&cid=t_405308_131_f&fid=35008&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceroll.com%2F2008%2F12%2F25%2Fmedical-education-in-second-life-presenters-wanted%2F First, Merry Christmas to you all, dear readers! Second, we plan to do many more medical simulations in Second Life at the Ann Myers Medical Center. If you are a doctor, a nurse or a healthcare worker interested in virtual education and would like to give a slideshow about your field of interest, please send me an e-mail (berci.mesko at gmail.com). To see a few examples, please check these posts and screenshots. Live Blogging Today: First Medical Simulation in Second Life! Unique Medical Simulation in Second Life! Everything about Second Life and Medical Education Virtual Medical Center: the Future of Medical Education Take Part in Constructing the Future of Medical Education: Join the Virtual Medical Center Scientific Research and Medicine in Second Life     &nbsp... ScienceRoll blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2065359 Thu, 25 Dec 2008 16:25:56 +0100 2065359 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2056135&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FJ0IxVrYoaWA%2F You could call 2008 a year of autism legislation, with bills proposed and (in Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas) passed for insurance coverage for children with autism (of varying ages; for instance, Texas’ House Bill 1919 calls for coverage for autistic children between two and six; efforts are being made to pass House Bill 451, to require certain insurance plans coverage to autistic individuals up to age 18). Via the National Council of State Legislatures, you can access the NCSL Autism Legislation Database, which provides information about legislation in different states. Autism Bulletin also has a map of autism legislation, and here are various posts I’ve written on legislation concerning autism and disabilities. Military famil... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2056135 Sun, 21 Dec 2008 20:30:20 +0100 2056135 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2040117&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FwDPuBSUJEMI%2F Yes, it’s today, Tuesday, Dec 16th  – 9AM, 12:30 PM and 8 PM (Pacific Standard Time). Autism Twitter Day is open to Twitter members, specifically those who are members of the autism community, whether you’re a parent, sibling or relative, and too those on the spectrum. Prizes will be given out, most geared to children and young adults with autism or Asperger syndrome; lots more information about the day is here. The hashtag to be used for autism twitter day is #ASD. So, if you post a tweet today on the topic of autism / positive autism awareness, please use the hashtag, either in front or at end of the tweet. You can open up a window at www.summize.com and input #ASD to follow along with the conversation at the specified times; conversations may well run longer than one hour... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2040117 Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:48:13 +0100 2040117 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2040118&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F7QBg4H8cu4U%2F While I’m contemplating where to locate twinkling bike lights and as it’s the holiday season, I thought I’d make a confession: Charlie’s never sat on Santa Claus’s lap. We have tried, when he was much younger and we found ourselves in a mall in New Jersey, the land of malls and mallrats. Or maybe we had gone to the mall that day for that sole purpose. Something about “mall air” and the deliberately smiling velvet-clad elves/Santa’s helpers, and the line of overly excited, bored, or wandering about children, led Jim to say, quite wisely: “Let’s get out of here.” We never really brought up the matter after that. Charlie was around 4 or 5 then and he wasn’t too inclined to sit on anyone’s lap for too long, and we wo... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2040118 Tue, 16 Dec 2008 06:48:34 +0100 2040118 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2040119&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FIY_IiAIUdGM%2F There’s been studies about older parents, both fathers and mothers, being more “at risk” of having an autistic child, and especially if it’s their first-born child—-now, a study published in Oxford University’s Schizophrenia Journal is suggesting that being a younger dad means you’ll have healthier children. From today’s Science Daily: “There is a growing body of data showing that an advanced age of parents puts their kids at risk for various illnesses,” says Dr. [Mark Weiser from Tel Aviv University’s Sackler School of Medicine]. “Some illnesses, such as schizophrenia, appear to be more common the older parents get. Doctors and psychologists are fascinated by this, but don’t really understand it. We want to know how it works.” To... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2040119 Tue, 16 Dec 2008 01:33:13 +0100 2040119 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2035854&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F6a5FhWI7D8M%2F So says 15-year-old Roderick Robertson, who takes care of his younger brother, Tim, every day. Tim has autism and his older brother is his regular caretaker, today’s Courier-Mail reports: Roderick, who also lives with his stepfather, two stepsisters and stepbrother, describes home life as “hectic” but says it with a smile. There are times when he misses out on social outings with friends because he looks after Tim and school holidays aren’t always as fun and carefree as they are for many of his peers. “I have a roster of when I need to be at home to look after Tim over the school holidays,” he says. “I take him to the park, muck around with him - that sort of thing.” Sounds like how I spend many any afternoon with Charlie, and many moments th... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2035854 Mon, 15 Dec 2008 01:05:45 +0100 2035854 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2035855&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F7CpE78ha8Ms%2F Sports “tap into an autistic person’s basic needs for social and physical interaction and participation in purpose-driven tasks,” according to Chantal Sicile-Kira, whose autistic son is an adult and who’s written three books on autism. Sicile-Kira is quoted in an article in today’s Orange County Register about the first school-district sponsored sports league for autistic children. The league was started by Kathy Murphy, a speech language pathologist at Harbor View Elementary in Newport Beach; soccer, T-ball, and track are offered. No one keeps score and, during a soccer game, “……everybody, no matter what team they were aligned with, cheered when a player found the back of the net.” My son Charlie’s been in Challenger league t-bal... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2035855 Sun, 14 Dec 2008 22:04:29 +0100 2035855 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2035856&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fnq3q-zLkyuk%2F The terrible two’s are really just another name for “regressive autism spectrum disorder”?????—-so suggests a professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Temple University. From yesterday’s UPI.com: Gerry A. Stefanatos of Temple University in Philadelphia said regressive autistic spectrum disorder describes children who have been diagnosed with autism who demonstrate a history of a regression. The regression refers to a marked loss of previously acquired developmental skills such as language or social ability. “Often children with regression aren’t being seen by professionals at the time of the loss of skills,” Stefanatos said in a statement. “The parents are aware of a problem, but not sure what it is so they don’t seek ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2035856 Sun, 14 Dec 2008 18:00:36 +0100 2035856 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2036114&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F484009728%2F This article was written by Pascale Michelon, Ph. D., for SharpBrains. Dr. Michelon has a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology and has worked as a Research Scientist at Washington University in Saint Louis, in the Psychology Department. She conducted several research projects to understand how the brain makes use of visual information and memorizes facts. She is now an Adjunct Faculty at Washington University, and teaches Memory Workshops in numerous retirement communities in the St Louis area. A few related articles: - Build Your Cognitive Reserve- Interview with Yaakov Stern - Physical Exercise and Brain Health - Social Connections for Cognitive Fitness No Tags (Source: SharpBrains) SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2036114 Sat, 13 Dec 2008 21:53:49 +0100 2036114 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2027195&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FpQubl1wZPHo%2F 12-year-old Joshua Wilson has made it all the way to the base camp of Mt. Everest, the highest mountain in the world, today’s Bournemouth Echo reports. Wilson, who’s autistic, is believed to be the youngest ever to trek that far. Talk about climbing every mountain………. Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, base camp, bournemouth, climbing, disabilities blog, disability, Education, Health, mt everest, nepal, parenthood, special needsShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2027195 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 23:15:52 +0100 2027195 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2027200&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FiL1ipKgmG44%2F Experimental drugs that are said to “correct” symptoms of Fragile X, Rett Syndrome, and tuberous sclerosis complex are now in early-stage human trials, the MIT Technology Review reports. The drugs reduce the activity of a receptor called metabotropic glutamate receptor 5, or mGluR5, and have previously been tested on mice, as reported in the June 25-29 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. From the MIT Technology Review: People with fragile X, the most common form of heritable mental retardation and a leading cause of autism, have a mutation in the FMRP gene, which normally inhibits protein synthesis stimulated by a receptor called metabotropic glutamate receptor 5, or mGluR5. Last year, [lead researcher and MIT neuroscientist Mark Bear] and Gul Dolen, al... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2027200 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:59:01 +0100 2027200 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2021578&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fq7WzIwVwu68%2F Those with savant syndrome have “quite remarkable, and sometimes spectacular, talents”—such as being able to recite prime number after prime number or to draw the city of Rome with photographic precision—while also having “serious mental or physical disability” (according to one website). Garrett Heaney in Wishtank describes an exchange two individuals who have been diagnosed with savant syndrome, Kim Peek (the model for Raymond in the movie Rain Man, though Raymond is referred to as “autistic” and as an “autistic savant”) and Daniel Tammet, the author of Born on a Blue Day). In particular, Heaney considers this exchange of words between Peek and Tammet: Towards the end of their first encounter, Kim hugs Daniel and says to him “... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2021578 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 00:35:49 +0100 2021578 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2021580&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FcOAoIKZVBG0%2F In the December 8th Bangalore Times, the need to research ayurvedic treatment for autism is noted: For children identified with autism spectrum disorders, ayurveda has a range of internal medications and external treatments that are done for an average of 21 days and repeated periodically. These contribute significantly to improved social interaction, improved eye-to-eye contact, reduced hyperactivity, improved communication and also improvement in metabolism and other associated complaints….. Many ayurvedic medicines can contain dangerous quantities of heavy metals, including lead, mercury, thallium and arsenic, a recent study in the International Journal of Environment and Health reported. Be careful what you “treat” autism with. Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2021580 Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:49:00 +0100 2021580 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2021584&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FfTz9KniIb6s%2F , also known as the Kennedy-Brownback bill, authorizes the use of federal funds to train doctors to inform parents about Down syndrome or other prenatally and postnatally diagnosed conditions with up-to-date information on child development and life expectancy. If funded at the recommended $25 million over five years, the bill would provide for referral networks, to connect parents who’ve recently received a diagnosis with parents of older children, as reported in today’s Eagle Tribune (North Andover). Dr. Brian Skotko of Children’s Hospital Boston—who has a nephew with Down syndrome—published a study of the results from a survey of more than 1,000 mothers (2005): The central question was about how medical support could be improved for mothers who received a D... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2021584 Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:08:47 +0100 2021584 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2017835&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FlKiExNLGdI4%2F Emmett Doyle and Michael Wesely are students—a senior and a junior, respectively— at Apollo High School in Minnesota and are both acting in a school production of A Christmas Carol. Doyle is playing Scrooge and Wesely is playing Marley, who visit Scrooge in ghostly form. As noted in the December 6th St. Cloud Times, both have Asperger’s Syndrome and have found acting a way to work on their social and communication skills. Elements of theater such as following a script (which enforces turn-taking in conversation), interpreting body language, developing empathy for their characters and working as a team all help with their everyday lives. Through acting, they are memorizing social cues, which can in turn become more instinctive to them offstage. “One of the cool things ab... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2017835 Sun, 07 Dec 2008 02:58:43 +0100 2017835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2017839&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FbvEx_R7Iqp8%2F An article in the November Journal of the American Medical Association by researchers at the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute calls for Fragile X testing throughout the lifespan. The genetic mutation that is linked to Fragile X, fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1), also gives rise to a “family of disorders occurring throughout the entire life span, including the most common heritable form of intellectual disability, fragile X syndrome, and premature menopause (primary ovarian insufficiency).” Further mutations of the gene also are the cause of fragile X–associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS), which is “one of the most common single-gene, late-onset neurodegenerative disorders.” Researchers note that, while it might be thought that these disorders are rare, such an... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2017839 Sat, 06 Dec 2008 00:06:44 +0100 2017839 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2017841&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FltH-dwmThgc%2F Next Wednesday, on December 10, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET, there will be a meeting of the Services Subcommittee of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), to review public comments received in response to a completed Request for Information. When I attended the November 21st IACC meeting, a good part of the agenda was devoted to discussing services and the many needs of adults. You can view the meeting agenda and also see who is on the committee. The meeting is being held here: National Institutes of Health 9000 Rockville Pike Building 31 Conference Room 7 Bethesda, MD 20852 You can attend the meeting virtually via a webinar; to register and access it, go here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/563207085 Or, to attend via a conference call, here’s the numbers: ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2017841 Fri, 05 Dec 2008 17:59:00 +0100 2017841 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2013667&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FD5jeIaqdAdc%2F While it’s often frustrating trying to find some time at our YMCA pool for Charlie to swim in—-because, in the late afternoon and evening, the pools are primarily for the use of the numerous swim teams—-on Wednesday night, Charlie and I found ourselves by the “family pool,” with its water slides and 3 1/2 foot pool. He had asked to swim and then gotten his swimsuit on. At the pool, his eyes drifted towards the big pool. It was filled with lines of teenagers swimming up and down and up and down and (as I had done in the car en route to the YMCA), I carefully explained why we would not be able to swim in that pool. Charlie sat on a bench for a few minutes with his head down, before taking off shoes, socks, blue coat, and blue sweatshirt. At the far end of the po... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2013667 Fri, 05 Dec 2008 07:36:01 +0100 2013667 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2013669&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FnBJ5rrnzdsg%2F Majority of Local Authorities [in the UK] Failing Adults with Autism, as noted in Medical News Today. The National Autistic Society’s Think Differently campaign has found that 148 out of 149 local authorities do not know how many adults with autism are in their area; 27% are planning to “address this issue,” that’s 73% who still need to. A long long way to go………… Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, disabilities blog, disability, Education, Health, Legislation, local authority, think diferentlyShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2013669 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:35:06 +0100 2013669 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2011192&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FYUR4HtQYKtc%2F Via Cynthia Samuels On Special Education blog at EdWeek, I found this Autism Legislation Database on the National Conference of States Legislatures website. You can also access a state-by-state database on autism legislation here. Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, database, disabilities blog, disability, Education, Health, Insurance, Legislation, policy, statesShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2011192 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:01:14 +0100 2011192 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2011194&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F7N4v9CZX5V4%2F An audit of the South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs has reported numerous oversights including failures to follow up on up on safety violations and insufficient efforts to keep abusers off facility payrolls, yesterday’s Associated Press (via the Courier Post) reports. The audit recommends Disabilities and Special Needs require fingerprinting and FBI national background checks for caregivers, not just a check through the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division. The agency said it would consider the feasibility of fingerprint checks. Meanwhile, the agency isn’t doing enough to check references. It “does not have an adequate system to ensure that direct caregivers who are dismissed for consumer safety-related disciplinary infractions are not reh... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2011194 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 18:00:29 +0100 2011194 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2005912&cid=t_405308_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=1999138&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fz4h8rbFHQXM%2F Autistic children responded to sounds one-fiftieth of a second slower than a group of non-autistic children in research conducted at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. 64 autistic children aged 6 to 15 listened to a series of rapid beeps through headphones while wearing a helmet-like device. The device recorded their brain’s response to the sounds and their brain waves were then compared with responses in a group of non-autistic children. From the Associated Press via First Coast News: “We tend to speak at four syllables per second,” said Timothy Roberts, the study’s lead author and the hospital’s vice chairman of research. If an autistic brain “is slow in processing a change in a syllable … it could easily get to the point of being overloa... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1999138 Sun, 30 Nov 2008 22:07:08 +0100 1999138 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2006974&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F470489968%2F Great article in the New York Times on Obama's emotional self-regulation abilities: The Cool Factor: Never Let Them See You Sweat - "We even elevate such equilibrium to the superhuman: calm, as applied to No Drama Obama, often comes linked to the modifier “preternatural.” - "But the calm temperament is not so superhuman, nor is it entirely the gift of the chosen few. It can be cultivated, even as the world cleaves around us." - "So how do we get there without a steady diet of beta blockers and Xanax? Calm, per se, doesn’t appear in the taxonomy of those who study personality and temperament." As the article later discloses, this ability is often called "emotional self-regulation" by cognitive scientists, and its development can assisted with tools s... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2006974 Sun, 30 Nov 2008 18:34:09 +0100 2006974 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1999531&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F469469130%2F Karolinska Institute's Dr. Torkel Klingberg has just released in the US his excellent book The Overflowing Brain: Information Overload and the Limits of Working Memory  The title was first released in Sweden with great success, and our co-founder Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg gave a Foreword to the new US edition. Dr. Klingberg will be writing an essay for SharpBrains readers soon, so we can discuss the importance of this topic and his work in depth. Let me now link to two thought-provoking reviews of the book: Attention Must Be Paid (Inside Higher Ed) - "The weak link in the information age seems to be our human hard-wiring. So one gathers from The Overflowing Brain: Information Overload and the Limits of Working Memory (Oxford University Press) by Torkel Klingberg, who is a professor of d... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1999531 Sat, 29 Nov 2008 17:05:18 +0100 1999531 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1996403&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FsWxXyd387vE%2F 15-year-old Christophr Transue has been missing since yesterday, KOLD news reports. He was last seen around noon at Catalina High School in Tucson, AZ, and has autism and diabetes. Another teenager, 11-year-old Jack Engalade, who has autism, went missing from Sunday till Wednesday night, WWLtv in New Orleans reported. Hope good news about Christopher Transue can be heard soon, too. Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, disabilities blog, disability, Education, Health, missing children, new orleans, Safety, tucsonShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1996403 Thu, 27 Nov 2008 21:56:10 +0100 1996403 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1990891&cid=t_405308_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=1990894&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FvY0m3AXwqIM%2F In many states (such as Virginia), families of autistic children have been seeking legislation to provide for insurance coverage for treatment (usually ABA therapy) for their children. A recent decision involving insurance coverage for eating disorders in New Jersey might be of interest: As reported in today’s Star-Ledger, Horison—the state’s largest health insurer—has agreed to cover claims stemming from eating disorders. Some 500 patients will receive $1.2 million when their previously denied claims are reprocessed; the decision settled a class action lawsuit brought by parents of children with anorexia. In a statement, Horizon spokesman Tom Rubino said the company “believes the settlement is in the best interest of all the parties involved and in line with ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1990894 Wed, 26 Nov 2008 02:56:30 +0100 1990894 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1992276&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F465573115%2F Here you have the November edition of our monthly newsletter covering cognitive health and brain fitness topics. Please remember that you can subscribe to receive this Newsletter by email, simply by submitting your email at the top of this page. Thank you for your interest, attention and participation in our SharpBrains community. As always, we appreciate your comments and suggestions. Summit of the Global Agenda How can we persuade business leaders, policy-makers and researchers of the urgency to develop and promote an integrated "Healthy Living" agenda focused on maintaining lifelong physical and cognitive health, vs. the usual mindset focused on dealing with specific diseases and problems once they arise? In The Future of the Aging Society: Burden or Human Capital?, I summariz... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1992276 Tue, 25 Nov 2008 23:41:47 +0100 1992276 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1992277&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F465275826%2F We all have heard "Use It or Lose It". Now, what is "It"? how does "it" work? why is "it" our best (and too often unrecognized) friend? The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) has just released a user-friendly publication titled Neuroscience Core Concepts, aimed at helping educators and the general public learn more about the brain. Description: "Neuroscience Core Concepts offer fundamental principles that one should know about the brain and nervous system, the most complex living structure known in the universe. They are a practical resource about: - How your brain works and how it is formed. - How it guides you through the changes in life. - Why it is important to increase understanding of the brain." You will enjoy reading the web page ex... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1992277 Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:47:54 +0100 1992277 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1984961&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FIoNmg44k5ks%2F Rainbow is a parrot: Last week he was stolen from his owner, Mitchell Chareunsouk, of Sacramento. Mitchell and his family are asking for the safe of Rainbow. From KERO 23: “Every time (Mitchell) sees the picture, he cries, and he doesn’t want to eat,” Toune Chareunsouk said. Mitchell got Rainbow three years ago and would like to see his best friend again. “It’s not fair. What if someone stole your best friend?” Mitchell said. Bev at Asperger Square 8 is offering a reward for the return of Rainbow: If you live in the Sacramento area and know anything about this, please contact me. Asperger Square 8 is offering a reward for the safe return of Rainbow to the Chareunsouk family. To the person who took the parrot: Please reconsider. Parrots bond very strongly... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1984961 Mon, 24 Nov 2008 18:39:19 +0100 1984961 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1984715&cid=t_405308_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F11%2F24%2Fnational-mapping-survey-of-on-site-sexual-health-services-in-education-settings-provision-in-fe-and-sixth-form-colleges%2F The National mapping survey of on-site sexual health services in education settings: provision in FE and sixth form colleges found that the majority of FE colleges in England, working with their local PCTs, are now providing their students with quick and easy access to advice and support on contraception and sexual heath. At a minimum, these services include providing young people with confidential advice, condoms and/or pregnancy testing. The report suggests that providing high quality sexual health information and services during further education is particularly important, as this is clearly the time when many young people become sexually active. Posted in Grey Literature, Health Promotion, Primary Care, Sexual Health   Tagged: Education, Further Education, Grey Literatur... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1984715 Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:14:41 +0100 1984715 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1968952&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fh1-TOl5doUM%2F I wasn’t feeling well yesterday (better today). I put together a very perfunctory dinner for Charlie—-vegetables, shrimp, and some rice—and sat beside him while he ate. Once done, he put all the dishes into the sink and then stood with one elbow bent, looking towards me. I surmised (correctly, as it turned out) that he wanted more to eat. As I felt woozy, it seemed best to stay in my chair and, after finding out that Charlie did indeed want to eat more, I requested him to: get out some rice that was in the refrigerator, put it in the microwave, turn it on for a minute (he did 1.23 seconds), get a plate, get a spoon, get the rice out. .All of which he did, and fluidly, readily. And then he shut the door to the microwave and closed the cabinet doors and sat down at the tabl... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1968952 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 22:00:15 +0100 1968952 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1964129&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fb-JG1JsBYEU%2F “Young, gifted, and autistic”: That’s how the November 16th Independent profile describes New Zealand-born singer-songwriter Pip Brown of Ladyhawke: recently, she revealed to a British newspaper that she has Asperger’s syndrome (a form of autism) which suddenly shifted media interest from her music to her autism……… But it’s not the story that the singer wants to be defined by. “I really regret talking about it,” she says. “There’s a kid with Asperger’s who wrote to me on MySpace, saying I was a liar. It was really hurtful. I was like, you have no idea what I’ve been through. Yeah, I’m a bit weird. I do weird things. I’ve been really wary since then.” Not that it shows. Brown is chatty, war... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1964129 Sun, 16 Nov 2008 21:36:42 +0100 1964129 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1960732&cid=t_405308_130_f&fid=34938&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.myphysicaltherapyspace.com%2F2008%2F11%2Feim-sports-residency-interest-surveyoops.html (Source: MyPhysicalTherapySpace.com) MyPhysicalTherapySpace.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1960732 Fri, 14 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1960732 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1955843&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F451083984%2F I first discovered Norman Doidge’s book, The Brain That Changes Itself, in a May, 2007 review in the New York Times. Intrigued, but caught up in myriad end-of-school-year responsibilities, the book was put out of my mind until later that summer, when our school’s learning specialist emailed to say she had just finished a fascinating book. The Brain That Changes Itself: Stores of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science, is a compelling collection of tales about the amazing abilities of the brain to rewire, readjust and relearn after having a slice of itself rendered dysfunctional. The first seven chapters captivated me for their personal stories; the final four chapters for the science and philosophy. Part of what makes Doidge’s writing so accessible is he tells stories, ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1955843 Thu, 13 Nov 2008 01:13:46 +0100 1955843 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1943414&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FamX_XXAABOI%2F How to characterize services/”treatment” that’s educational in nature (like speech therapy; like ABA, in some ways): How to argue that it’s “medically” necessary? In a November 6th ABC local news report about how a Fremont (CA) mother took on the health care policy of the HMO Kaiser, Kristin Jacobsen of the Alliance of California Autism Organizations says: “I think one of the biggest tragedies is the health plans are for profit businesses. They make a lot of money, they collect premiums, these families pay premiums and they expect to get health insurance coverage,” said ….. Jacobsen ……….. She says Kaiser is not alone in passing off responsibilities for treatment to school districts and regional centers. “This is ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1943414 Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:03:59 +0100 1943414 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1933329&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FuuWARbou32g%2F Yesterday ABC News reported on the difficulty of diagnosis and featured Jason Ross. Today’s ABC New looks at life after an autism diagnosis and interviews three mothers of autistic children to describe how families adjust after learning that a child is autistic. “‘There isn’t one stream that families find themselves in where they get carried along…….Life after diagnosis is normally a haphazard unfolding and everything is learning as you go,’” Dr. Jon Markey, a child psychiatrist at William Beaumont Hospitals is quoted as saying. Families—as Judith Ursitti, Kim Stagliano, and Jennifer Wood note—too experience “physical, emotional and financial meltdowns”; marriages are strained (one mother interviewed is divorced); par... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1933329 Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:52:39 +0100 1933329 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1930301&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fcb9yc4DJfGA%2F Today’s ABC News reports on the difficulty of getting a diagnosis of autism. 29-year-old Jason Ross was 25 when he was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome; his mother, Lois Ross, describes how he was first said to have speech delay, attention deficit disorder, “psychosis not otherwise specified,” obsessive compulsive disorder and schizophrenia. You can also read Ross’s own words on his blog, Drive Mom Crazy. Tags: abcnews, asd, asperger, attention deficit disorder, autism, autism blog, disabilities, disabilities blog, disability, Education, Health, jason ross, ocd, Psychiatry, psychosis, schizophrenia, speech delayShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1930301 Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:33:12 +0100 1930301 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1924541&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F1efolAjM-MY%2F “Special”—as in “special needs”: It’s a term used primarily (exclusively?) in regard to children. Sometimes, just saying “special children” means the same thing. But one wouldn’t use the word to refer to adults with disabilities. Consider this example: At at an October 30th rally in Rush Limbaugh’s hometown of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, McCain-Palin campaign representative Senator Kit Bond (R-Mo) mocked Presidential candidate Senator Barak Obama for saying that he’s looking to nominate judges who empathize with “the disabled.” Sen. Bond was joining Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin at the rally. As noted in a press release from ADA Watch and the National Coalition for Disability Rights: “It’s Halloween and it se... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1924541 Fri, 31 Oct 2008 21:30:29 +0100 1924541 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1918437&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F436389196%2F In this study, 72% of the students had a My Space account, 76% had a cell phone, and 68% had an IM address. Those who had a MySpace account had significantly lower grades than those without an account. The same was true for those that used IM, compared with those who did not. Cell phone use was also associated with lower grades and the effect was magnified if text messaging was used on cell phones. Not surprisingly, if these devices were used during homework, the grades were even lower than for students who used these technologies outside of homework. Almost half reported text messaging during class time, and their grades were lower than the students who only used IM outside of class. These are correlational data and do not prove that using these devices causes lower grades. But it is a go... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1918437 Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:33:50 +0100 1918437 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1911390&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FYgMZkZq5mxc%2F The dotted lines being on a wall (as shown here): Sometimes that’s what I’ve felt I’ve had to do to make things work out for Charlie, to let the sunshine through via places that no one else could see a way through. Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, design, disabilities blog, disability, dotted line, dwell, Education, Health, wall, windowShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1911390 Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:46:30 +0100 1911390 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1908838&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FZgMXwYL-iAY%2F I’ve been teaching some of my Latin students how to scan Latin poetry—-how to figure out the meter by identifying long and short syllables, elisions of vowels, when there’s a pause for a breath (caesura). One student commented that he likes scanning more than translating and it is a different sort of way of dealing with a language, looking at the sounds and syllables of words and not so much their meanings. I talk about scanning as attending to the music of the poetry, to its sounds, more than to its sense. I’ve often noted that Charlie’s always had an affinity for music. That’s the impetus behind efforts to teach him to play the piano and the cello. While Charlie’s long struggled to learn to read words, he figured out how to read notes and the bas... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1908838 Mon, 27 Oct 2008 07:06:14 +0100 1908838 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1908842&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FE5VlvU6v1es%2F Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds—–that’s the unofficial creed of the US Postal Service, courtesy of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus. I was thinking of it today while Charlie, with the wind picking up and a few drops of moisture fluttering around in the air, ran to get his bike. He’d woken at 7.30, and ran around while Jim and I called out that we’d be “up soon.” Charlie waited on the couch, peering out the window, while Jim got him his favorite weekend breakfast at the (very excellent) local bagel store. After that, with the sky getting not only gray but dark, I mentioned a bike ride and Charlie first got his bike, then his helmet, and then came back ins... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1908842 Sun, 26 Oct 2008 08:42:33 +0100 1908842 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1907711&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%3A80%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FAstUfKIKdZo%2F “Figuring out his signs, it’s like watching a third-base coach.” Says Brian Rattner about his oldest son, Jarrett, who is 13 years old and does not talk or walk. An October 23rd New York Times article describes Jarrett’s bar mitzvah last Sunday, and how his parents came to focus on “who Jarrett was and what he could do”: When he wanted a ball, he would pound his chest until he got it. “Sometimes, he wants to communicate so badly, you can hear him from the other room pounding his chest,” Mr. Rattner said. “There’s a lot of emotion there.” He is good at making eye contact, and his mother noticed that if she asked what he wanted for lunch — turkey? tuna? chicken? — he would say yes by blinking his eyes and then holding them closed an extra second.... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1907711 Sat, 25 Oct 2008 17:00:37 +0100 1907711 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1907712&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%3A80%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FSkyEfs9HItA%2F As we were leaving a subway station on Friday night in Manhattan, Jim paused for a moment, pointed to a dingy wall, and said “here’s the sign to the PATH.” On a pale green piece of paper PATH train ————> was written in black marker, with the arrow pointing toward a staircase. Someone had carefully placed four long strips of masking tape like a picture frame around the edges of the makeshift sign. Yes, there’s a lot you can do with tape. Charlie’s had a longstanding fondness for the sticky stuff, or perhaps a better word to use is intrigue. I guess there is some magic in something that can put back together what gets ripped or torn (like some of his favorite photos). It’s been found that just unrolling tape can produce X-rays; a... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1907712 Sat, 25 Oct 2008 07:15:19 +0100 1907712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1901609&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FqK24juzSMGE%2F From the October 23rd The Swamp, the Chicago Tribune’s Washington Bureau, is the transcript of an interview with Sarah Palin, the Republican nominee for vice president. Here’s some of what she said about families of children with special needs (Palin is to give a speech today in Pittsburgh—her first on policy—about special needs children): “the federal government can play a very appropriate role in making this country a more welcoming country to those children with special needs to really make manifest our commitment to these children to provide them with equal opportunity with education, equal opportunity as they grow up to good employment and a chance to contribute and be quite productive and fulfill, and I think we can do a better job than where we’ve... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1901609 Fri, 24 Oct 2008 05:43:53 +0100 1901609 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1901610&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FOw91xubrfZo%2F 12 moving walkways of note (one with an aquarium): A few rids on each of these would be quite a way to spend an afternoon out and about with Charlie……… Tags: airport, asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, disabilities blog, disability, Education, Health, lights, moving walkway, people mover, Sensory, tunnelShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1901610 Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:00:41 +0100 1901610 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1901612&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FER-3HveHxMQ%2F ABC News lists, and debunks,10 myths about autism—–the discussion of the first myth (”autism is an emotional or mental health disorder”) contains this not quite correct assertion: “Autism is a biological illness.” Autism isn’t something you can catch (like measles) and it is not (as ABC News points out) something that can be cured. Myths have a way of persisting…….. Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, disabilities, disabilities blog, disability, Education, Health, illness, Myth, PsychiatryShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1901612 Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:53:26 +0100 1901612 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1901614&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FCdZCCHZ0Moc%2F It’s the question of the day at Gizmodo: Do you ever turn off your cell phone? Myanswer is an immediate obviously of course never!. Being a mother/working mother of a special needs child, that slender metal and plastic device is a lifeline. Ok, I do turn the ringer to “silent” when I’m teaching but I really appreciate that the screen lights up to show me who’s calling……… Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, cell phone, disabilities, disabilities blog, disability, Education, Health, parenthood, phoneShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1901614 Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:07:39 +0100 1901614 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1892047&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F1Q4ib2yeABY%2F Regardless of whether or not BitTorrent founder Bram Cohen has Asperger’s Syndrome as reported in the October 16th Business Week, this post about Cohen in Valleywag—according to which Asperger’s is “a sort of autism lite thought to be common among geeks” and a “mental condition”—might lead you to at least raise an eyebrow or sigh in annoyance. Or exasperation. Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, bittorrent, bram cohen, disabilities, disabilities blog, disability, Education, Health, jobs, silicon valley, software, Technology, WorkShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1892047 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 22:00:02 +0100 1892047 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1892048&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fhkqo8UGVQCE%2F My son Charlie is 11 and just started middle school. I think a lot about what he’ll do when he’s older; about what kind of job he might have and what kinds of supports will need to be in place to assist him. Today’s Birmingham News notes some of the challenges facing autistic adults seeking to enter and remain in the workforce. In order to qualify for community-based services under the Alabama Medicaid Agency, individuals with ASDs must currently also qualify with a diagnosis of mental retardation and, while some do, many do not. The Birmingham News describes how a non-profit agency, Triumph Services, helps to fill in the gap. Two-thirds of Triumph’s 36 clients do not qualify for medicaid services, but still “struggle with life’s minor problems - how to ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1892048 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:00:11 +0100 1892048 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1889038&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FiOGcriU9HC8%2F That’s a quote from 18-year-old Quentin Krummel, a senior on the Manitowoc Lincoln cross country team. Diagnosed with autism as a child, Krummel went from being one of the slowest runners to a “consistent contributor to Lincoln’s varsity squad,” the October 18th WisInfo.com reports. The article recounts Krummel’s gradual progress as a runner and his acceptance as a member of his high school’s cross country team. He now runs a 5K in 18 minute. Go Quentin……. And also check out the RunMan blog and “running for autism, not against it.” Tags: 10k, 5k, asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, disabilities blog, disability, Education, Health, race, runningShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1889038 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 01:02:46 +0100 1889038 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1889209&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F424916302%2F Michael I. Posner is a prominent scientist in the field of cognitive neuroscience. He is currently an emeritus professor of neuroscience at the University of Oregon (Department of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive and Decision Sciences). In August 2008, the International Union of Psychological Science made him the first recipient of the Dogan Prize "in recognition of a contribution that represents a major advance in psychology by a scholar or team of scholars of high international reputation." Dr. Posner, many thanks for your time today. I really enjoyed the James Arthur Lecture monograph on Evolution and Development of Self-Regulation that you delivered last year. Could you provide a summary of the research you presented? I would emphasize that we human beings can regulate our ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1889209 Sat, 18 Oct 2008 21:28:03 +0100 1889209 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1888284&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FYEfWnByzvnQ%2F Police were called on Friday morning when a 16-year-old autistic student did not want to leave a school bathroom, the Orlando Sentinel Reports: The teen was washing his hands when he suddenly swung around, punched the officer in the face and then struck his hand, authorities said. The cop tased the student, who police said was uninjured. Police said they would ask the State Attorney’s Office to prosecute the student on a battery charge. But what of the use of the taser? Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, battery, disabilities blog, disability, Education, Health, police, taserShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1888284 Sat, 18 Oct 2008 19:41:49 +0100 1888284 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1883394&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F6Yb_Xrp9DtU%2F Forgotten is the name of a report about autistic adults by Autism Ontario: The report says that the province has a “piecemeal” approach to addressing the issues facing an estimated 50,000 autistic adults and calls on the government to create a framework to assist them. With this guy making the news about autism somehow I’m not surprised that what we need to talk and do something about gets “forgetten.” You can read the Autism Ontario report here. Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, Comedy, denis leary, disabilities blog, Disability Rights, Education, Health, michael savage, ontatioShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1883394 Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:37:48 +0100 1883394 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1879947&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fzg0rjCiKwdY%2F We won’t be jumping in these abandoned pools any time soon—-this one is in a “modernist mental institution“—-more than glad I am able to take Charlie to our YMCA pool to swim with everyone else. Tags: abandoned pool, asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, disabilities blog, disability, Education, Health, mental institution, modern, parenthood, swimming poolShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1879947 Thu, 16 Oct 2008 08:54:28 +0100 1879947 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1879949&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fh-GyPb2ixXw%2F After her 3-year-old son, Alec, was diagnosed with autism in April of this year, he and his mother, Andrea Nicholson, moved from their home in Bracebridge to another place where the waiting list for services (specifically Intensive Behavior Intervention or IBI, or ABA in the US) was not dauntingly long. Today’s Gravenhurst Banner notes that Alec’s father and 5-year-old brother, Ayden, have remained in Bracebridge. We’ve moved so many times for the sake of Charlie’s education that I’ve just left some thing in suitcases—no wonder I think so often of life raising Charlie as a journey. Frankly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. So many great adventures and it’s good to be ever ready to get back on the road. Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blo... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1879949 Wed, 15 Oct 2008 22:37:47 +0100 1879949 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1879951&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F6WKkt-i-zeg%2F From the New York Post: In his new book, “Why We Suck: A Feel-Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid,” the joke-slinging “Rescue Me” star writes about the brain disorder: “There is a huge boom in autism right now because inattentive mothers and competitive dads want an explanation for why their dumb-ass kids can’t compete academically, so they throw money into the happy laps of shrinks . . . to get back diagnoses that help explain away the deficiencies of their junior morons. I don’t give a [bleep] what these crackerjack whack jobs tell you - yer kid is NOT autistic. He’s just stupid. Or lazy. Or both.” I know Leary’s a comedian but some things just aren’t funny. Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, Comedy, de... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1879951 Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:52:20 +0100 1879951 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1880647&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F420552891%2F Have you ever wondered how we can maintain SharpBrains website, blog and newsletter without selling any product and with only limited advertising? People often ask us that question, especially once we explain that we don't sell products (selling products would present a conflict of interest given our mission to "provide individuals, companies and institutions with high-quality, research-based, information and guidance to navigate the growing cognitive and brain fitness market".) The answer is, we offer proprietary market research and advisory services to organizations such as these. They want to fully understand emerging Brain Fitness and Cognitive Health trends, opportunities and challenges, in order to make better-informed decisions. Examples: - leading healthcare providers eva... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1880647 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:51:38 +0100 1880647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1873109&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FnZDAe0tweKo%2F Says Janice Nodvin, program director of the adult Down syndrome program at the Institute for the Study of Disadvantage and Disability, a nonprofit advocacy organization based in Atlanta, about her now 29-year-old son Evan in today’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “Evan is a man, and he should always be treated as a man, even though we sometimes have to help him out.” While doctors predicted that Evan would not live until adulthood, he now works at a senior adult day care center, lives on his own, takes public transportation, votes. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution article is about the issues facing the aging parents of developmentally disabled adults and also notes that ….Nodvin said, transitioning her son into the community has been a tricky dance. Without a persona... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1873109 Mon, 13 Oct 2008 21:03:41 +0100 1873109 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1870900&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FgCcByaTWylk%2F Deborah Lipsky was in her 40s when she found out that has autism, today’s Carroll County Times notes. Others have described getting diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome in their 50s; Nicky Gottlieb was 21 when he was diagnosed, after his sister, Lizzie Gottlieb, started to make a documentary about him, Today’s Man. When claims of a recent and dramatic increase in the autism rate are used as evidence for an “epidemic of autism,” the question is asked about where are all the adults with autism. Psychology professor Simon Baron-Cohen has written about the very late diagnosis of autism: Baron-Cohen describes a “lost generation” of adults with AS who did not know what diagnosis they have—who did not know that what they have even existed. It was 25 years ago tha... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1870900 Sun, 12 Oct 2008 17:34:56 +0100 1870900 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1868571&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FMtGveHxDPFg%2F The escalators in the PATH station at the WTC site are very, very long. Charlie paused and touched the black plastic rail before getting on and standing on the left side of a stair. I followed and then Jim and as we were going down I looked behind to see if anyone was trying to walk down the left-hand side of the escalator. At first I saw no one then I realized that a woman with short brown hair was standing in the step behind Charlie and looking confused when she asked him to move and he did not. I quickly asked Charlie to climb down to the right and stand in front of me. “There’s no need to get excited,” said the woman. I murmured something. Jim pulled out his MetroCard and Charlie went through the turnstile, or attempted to: Jim discovered this his card was empty and I... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1868571 Sat, 11 Oct 2008 07:32:00 +0100 1868571 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1868573&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F3_Xf9dfnxMw%2F Disability historian Paul Longmore writes about Sarah Palin as “talking about special needs children” and Obama as having substantive plans for all people with disabilities” in the October 3rd Huffington Post: Even though 90% of the 54 Americans with disabilities are adults, Palin, John McCain, and the news media have talked almost exclusively about children. And that talk has been mostly about “compassion” not “issues.” The McCain-Palin campaign website has a single page on “Americans with Disabilities for McCain,” but it says nothing about policy positions. Other pages mention autism and disabled veterans but no other issues. In contrast, Barack Obama and Joe Biden have said little on the campaign trail about disability issues but th... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1868573 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:35:40 +0100 1868573 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1862817&cid=t_405308_131_f&fid=35008&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceroll.com%2F2008%2F10%2F08%2Fwebicina-free-e-lessons%2F Yesterday, we launched Webicina, an online service that can help medical professionals and patients enter the web 2.0 era. Now I would like to share some e-lessons we provide for free. Note that, you only see the lessons you have access to. The first lessons are freely available after logging into your account: What is Second Life? Inside the medical blogosphere How to keep yourself up-to-date? I described in each of the above lessons, what kind of content you can get when purchasing a full e-course. I hope you will find these useful.        (Source: ScienceRoll) ScienceRoll blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1862817 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 18:19:33 +0100 1862817 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1859609&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FW5Cq2Hqi0P4%2F The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal has upheld a complaint against Canada post by Michelle Dawson, a former mail carrier in Montreal and—in the words of the October 6th Leader-Post—an “internationally known researcher and writer on autism issues.” The details are on Dawson’s The Autism Crisis blog; her post (and the comments) need to be read in full. I quote from the end: …..this Tribunal decision, for all its faults with respect to the facts of the specific case, is instead a step in the right direction. It’s a step towards human rights for autistics in Canada, and towards all the possibilities human beings have, when we are regarded and treated as equals, and can proceed in society as fully human beings with human rights and dignity. Congratulati... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1859609 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:33:39 +0100 1859609 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1856121&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FpZejz9cOq08%2F A new study from Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics asks What Can We Learn about Autism from Autistic Persons? Is that a question that needs to be asked? Over at Science Daily, a review of the study is given the title “What Happens When We Ask Autistic Persons What Is Wrong With Them?“ I kind of think that’s the wrong question to be asking. Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, civil rights, disabilities blog, disability, Disability Rights, Education, Health, human rightsShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1856121 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 05:56:41 +0100 1856121 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1853664&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FPBJoLN7IVxw%2F Charlie’s an only child and we’ve plenty going on: In Michigan, the Johnson family have four daughters, all of whom are autistic. An article (dated January 28th) in MLive.com describes the family and each daughter. The Kirton family have six children and all are autistic. “Autism X 6,” a documentary about the Utah family, recently aired on the Discovery Channel; at the Autism Bites blog, John Kirton explains why they decided to be in the documentary, to put his family “out there,” and how “the average Joe out there has NO idea what it is like to raise children like we have.” Tags: , asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, disabilities blog, disability, Education, Family, Health, Parenting, pdd-nos, twins, utahShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1853664 Sun, 05 Oct 2008 16:36:10 +0100 1853664 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1845423&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F407729982%2F Here you have the twice-a-month newsletter with our most popular blog posts. Please remember that you can subscribe to receive this Newsletter by email, simply by submitting your email at the top of this page. Quick, Are videogames good or bad? That's an impossible question. Good or bad for what? What  specific games are we talking about? More importantly, what are they substituting for, given time is a limited resource?  Contributor Jeremy Adam Smith, managing director of Greater Good magazine, offers an in-depth review on the trade-offs videogames present in: Playing the Blame Game. News Round-Up Math Innovation in UK Schools: a recent (and unpublished) study seems to support the potential role for "Serious Games" in education. Learning and Teaching Scotland reports signific... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1845423 Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:01:38 +0100 1845423 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1837915&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F405734124%2F A round-up of interested news during the month: 1) Training Young Brains to Behave (New York Times) 2) Head Games (OpEd in New York Times) 3) Will Gerontology recognize the Brain? (American Society on Aging event) 4) Brain function gets a boost from walking (Los Angeles Times) 5) An idea whose time has (finally) come (McKnight's Long Term Care News) 6) Train your brain (Financial Times Germany) 7) Toman auge ejercicios que adiestran la mente (Milenio, Mexico) 8) Trois nouvelles études IDATE : Serious Games (Publi-News, France) Links and commentary below.  --- 1) Training Young Brains to Behave (New York Times) - "But just as biology shapes behavior, so behavior can accelerate biology. And a small group of educational and cognitive scientists now say that mental exercises of a certai... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1837915 Sun, 28 Sep 2008 23:21:41 +0100 1837915 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1833698&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F403898526%2F Here you have the latest editions of two excellent blog carnivals. Pay a visit if you are interested in meeting some great education and health bloggers. - Carnival of Education #190, by Steve Spangler. - Grand Rounds: this time, hosted by KevinMD and Kim on behalf of Dr. Val. Enjoy! blogs, Education, health, medicine (Source: SharpBrains) SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833698 Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:16:09 +0100 1833698 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1811648&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F397681689%2F - "There are these two young fish swimming along, and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says, "Morning, boys, how's the water?" And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes, "What the hell is water?" - "If at this moment, you're worried that I plan to present myself here as the wise old fish explaining what water is to you younger fish, please don't be. I am not the wise old fish. The immediate point of the fish story is that..." Keep reading the masterful commencement speech given by David Foster Wallace to the 2005 graduating  class at Kenyon College, published in the Wall Street Journal today: David Foster Wallace on Life and Work (WSJ). The who... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1811648 Sat, 20 Sep 2008 00:17:03 +0100 1811648 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1791670&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F-68Poq4J5Co%2F The September 13th St. Paul Pioneer Press notes this about Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s “track record” on spending for special needs: In the budget she signed into law earlier this year, Palin approved a dramatic raise in spending on children who have what Alaska officials call “intensive needs,” including children who need nurses full time or cannot breathe without ventilators. When Palin took office, the state was spending $27,000 a year on each such child. The budget she signed this year raises funding to $49,000 per child. In three years, the amount will rise to $74,000, roughly equal to the $75,000 a year cost of educating such children. The public school teachers union in Alaska, the National Education Association-Alaska, has lauded Palin&#8... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1791670 Mon, 15 Sep 2008 06:05:23 +0100 1791670 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1770620&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F_yuautKfH1E%2F Here’s what readers have been saying in a very busy week in which we learned, or learned again, that the MMR vaccine does not cause autism: Norah on whether the term “mild autism” is still in use and Larry on the “pop psychology typical of wired [magazine].” Ongoing discussion about stem cell therapy as an autism treatment, and about the death of Shirley Meade at a camp after being given the wrong medication. Jaz on what it’s been like in Illinois on a 49-year-old younger brother who was “on a waiting list for a home for 20 years after contacting an advocate he got one of the two places that 52 people were waiting for.” Regan adds to a discussion on the MMR controversy and notes an interview with Ben Goldacre. Bonnie Sayers on school security... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1770620 Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:36:32 +0100 1770620 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1747361&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F378197185%2F Here you have the twice-a-month newsletter with our most popular blog posts. Please remember that you can subscribe to receive this Newsletter by email, simply by submitting your email at the top of this page. Major Implications from Brain Research Should Social-Emotional Learning Be Part of Academic Curriculum?: It is clear by now that our brains are more than cognitive machines. For example, emotions can either enhance or inhibit our ability to learn. Daniel Goleman explores the implications of "new studies that reveal how teaching kids to be emotionally and socially competent boost their academic achievement." Brought to you in partnership with Greater Good Magazine. Retain older workers beyond retirement: BusinessWeek covers a best practice in a topic of growing importance: ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1747361 Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:07:55 +0100 1747361 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1734635&cid=t_405308_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn3.libsyn.com%2Fpdtogo%2FSMARTepisode131.mp3%3Fnvb%3D20080826191507%26nva%3D20080827191507%26t%3D0e70c50cd4dd296bc8133 As promised in my previous post on Neurogenesis and Brain Plasticity in Adult Brains, I will now list some interviews, video, articles, and books that go hand-in-hand with these fascinating topics we are discussing. Please comment below if you have favorite additional resources! NEUROGENESIS MIT news – Picower researcher finds neuron growth in adult brain Society for Neuroscience brain brief – Adult Neurogenesis BRAIN PLASTICITY Neuroscience for Kids – Brain Plasticity: What Is It? Society for Neuroscience brain brief – Brain Plasticity, Language Processing and Reading Brain Science Podcast – Ginger Campbell interview with Norman Doidge, MD, discussing Neuroplasticity, and his book The Brain That Changes Itself CBD Radio – Interview with Norman Doidge Carol Dweck discussing &qu... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1734635 Wed, 27 Aug 2008 02:34:33 +0100 1734635 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1730716&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FIaxqy4tAvxQ%2F On the one hand, you have to give the “anti-vaccine/pro-vaccine-safety” folks some credit for, it seems, disseminating their belief that autism can be linked to vaccines or something in vaccines. As noted in numerous news sources last week, it seems that many parents are opting out of vaccinating their children. The result has been hardly surprising: Measles has returned, as an August 24th New York Times editorial states. According to a CDC report, 131 cases of measles have been reported from January-July of this year. Noting that health officials had declared measles eliminated in the US in 2000, the New York Times continues: Nearly all of the outbreaks this year were triggered by a mere 17 travelers or foreign visitors who contracted the virus abroad. The alarming wrinkle thi... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1730716 Mon, 25 Aug 2008 07:00:51 +0100 1730716 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1720392&cid=t_405308_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FCMVyfgFq-Ck%2F The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) coordinates research and efforts pertaining to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). On August 11th, the National Institute of Mental Health issued a Request for Information (RFI): Priorities for the IACC Services Subcommittee for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD): The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to seek input from Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) stakeholders including individuals with ASD and their families, autism advocates, State officials, scientists, health professionals, therapists, educators, and the public at large about what they consider to be high-priority issues and concerns surrounding services and supports for children, youth, and adults with ASD. The IA... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1720392 Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:00:52 +0100 1720392 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1709230&cid=t_405308_131_f&fid=35008&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceroll.com%2F2008%2F08%2F17%2Funique-medical-simulation-in-second-life%2F We organize medical exercises and meetings at the Ann Myers Medical Center in Second Life. Now the e-Learning Faculty of Imperial College London created a spectacular and useful Second Life tool in medical education. Here are some screenshots that can describe what the learning process looks like. After teleporting to their virtual hospital, at the reception, you have to ask permission to see a patient. Wash your hands or you cannot even touch the patient. Find the room of that particular patient you got access to. Check the patient’s profile (history) through a text file. If you answer the test question regarding differential diagnosis, you can purchase investigations (somewhy you have to pay for it). I mean with real money. While it’s not the best way to educa... ScienceRoll blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1709230 Sun, 17 Aug 2008 08:57:31 +0100 1709230