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 'family blog'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:53:18 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3176069&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F01%2Fcomplicated.html I've been thinking for years about how to deal with some difficulties I face. This has taken so much of my time and energy, it's drained me. I've had no desire to blog while this was foremost in my mind. But thankfully now I have reached a decision I can be...well not happy about, but confident that it's the right one. It's a huge relief to know for certain and to start now making plans to move on with a new phase in my life.I have missed blogging. I enjoyed keeping this record of my children's development and the silly stuff we get up to as well as sharing my opinions on autism/disability/home education issues with anyone who chooses to read them. It's been an important outlet; writing posts here has often concentrated my mind, forcing me to research issues to be able to write with some k... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3176069 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 12:27:00 +0100 3176069 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2912395&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F10%2Fforge-ahead.html I've neglected to blog much over the past 2 months, and have been thinking about what I want to write here. I feel like I share too much sometimes, but also that there's much that I keep hidden. The past few months have been a time of personal reflection on what it is I need and want and how I can raise my children in an atmosphere of love and possibility. In recent years I have reconsidered many of my values and ideas about the world and with new insight, have discarded many assumptions and taken new notions on-board. This is the real voyage, it's scary and exciting but it will continue as long as live. I hope.Photo owned by wili_hybrid (cc) (Source: The Voyage) The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2912395 Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:16:00 +0100 2912395 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2594600&cid=t_180933_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fthe-connection-between-sleep-and-cancer%2F The one thing I don’t take for granted is my ability to sleep. I think I am gifted with a sleep gene. I can sleep in the car, on a plane, in the airport, in the rain… well you get what I mean. Even bad news and worry don’t usually interfere with my sleep. I think I handled chemotherapy pretty well in part because no matter how I felt I got a good night’s sleep the night before and the night after. The down side is that if something like noise or circumstance interferes with my sleep I get really cranky. I have always believed that good sleep was a huge part of staying healthy. I instilled good sleep habits in my boys and even made sure the dog knew when to go to sleep. After marrying my husband I got him off the habit of falling asleep with the TV on. My house has t... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2594600 Mon, 13 Jul 2009 04:17:16 +0100 2594600 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2276180&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F03%2Fhappy-st-patricks-day-and-another-new.html Happy Paddy's Day to each and every one of you who read what I spew forth onto this blog via my cracked laptop every so often.Photo owned by Irish Philadelphia Photo Essays (cc)I guarantee I will not be mixing with his type at any stage of the day.I'd say the parade in Dublin will be good, but I've never been to the Belfast one and have no intention of changing that habit. Our trip to a local parade last year ended in mixed success. Since I'm at home with just the boys, we're just going to make some little cakes and cover them with green icing before devouring with a nice cup of tea.We'll go out to see the my dad and step mum later and I think it's much wiser way to share the day with people who care for us and who won't tut at non-normal children.Also, I've been encouraged/persuaded/force... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2276180 Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:56:00 +0100 2276180 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1943411&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F8HLcADb0D9I%2F What a week—–I guess that is kind of an understatement. There was a new, and frustratingly improbable theory of autism causation: Rain. The Times Online reminds us that, as has often been said, a correlation does not mean you’ve got a cause and notes that there’s indeed doubt as to “whether the paper deserved to be published and reported.” The line of reasoning followed by the paper’s author, Michael Waldman of the Johnson School at Cornell University is that living in a wetter climate leads children to stay inside more, and to be exposed to less sunlight and so produce less Vitamin D, and to spend more time on indoor activities such as watching TV—and to become autisitic. Theorizing that TV might cause autism was the topic of an earlier pape... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1943411 Sat, 08 Nov 2008 07:37:35 +0100 1943411 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1939212&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FxmQa1vCCJ_8%2F Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is (per the November 5th Huffington Post) under consideration by President-Elect Barack Obama to head the EPA? The Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who, in June of 2007, equated those people criticizing mothers of autistic children who believe that thimerasol in vaccines causes autism with those who “once blamed autism on ‘bad parenting,’ and ‘uninvolved’ moms”—with those who believe that”bad parenting” causes autism? Being myself (as I wrote back in June of 2007) an “involved mother” of an autistic child, I appreciate this concern about public perceptions of mothers of autistic children. Once upon a theory of autism causation, mothers were held accountable for being cold “refrigerator mothers” whose extreme emotional reserve ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1939212 Thu, 06 Nov 2008 04:10:12 +0100 1939212 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1892049&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FXmewqKxjFIs%2F I was interviewed by Claudia Kalb in a web exclusive for Newsweek: Spotlight on Autism: The mother of an autistic son reacts to John McCain’s recent pledge to help families like hers. Was it just rhetoric? More about McCain’s comments about autism in the debate last week here. Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, barack obama, disabilities blog, disability, down's syndrome, employment, Family, family blog, Health, jobs, john mccain, Parenting sarah palin, pdd-nos, WorkShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1892049 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 14:31:56 +0100 1892049 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1883392&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FF2EHRdCSaHk%2F Palin has experience with special needs kids, says an October 16th Associated Press article which I discussed some in the previous post. Says the Associated Press: Sarah Palin is frequently seen at campaign stops cradling her infant son Trig, who has Down syndrome. Her decision to give birth to Trig even after learning her fifth child would have the condition has burnished her anti-abortion views with conservatives. So viewers of Wednesday night’s presidential debate might have been somewhat taken aback when John McCain said his running mate understands “what it’s like to have an autistic child.” Palin, it’s noted “does have a 13-year-old nephew with autism”: Karcher is the son of her sister and brother-in-law, Heather and Kurt Bruce and the family... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1883392 Fri, 17 Oct 2008 07:14:32 +0100 1883392 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1883393&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FZ5U7hwNCnVQ%2F At last night’s Presidential debate, Senator John McCain said this about Governor Sarah Palin: And by the way, [Sarah Palin] also understands special-needs families. She understands that autism is on the rise, that we got to find out what’s causing it and we’ve got to reach out to these families and help them and give them the help they need as they raise these very special needs children. She understands that better than almost any American that I know. And also: And I just said to you earlier, town hall meeting after town hall meeting, parents come with kids, children, precious children who have autism. Sarah Palin knows about that better than most. That’s what Sen. McCain said—-and here’s the Associated Press on Gov. Palin’s “mixed” record a... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1883393 Thu, 16 Oct 2008 23:50:06 +0100 1883393 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1879948&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FZBpq_CbN0Js%2F Did Senator John McCain conflate Down Syndrome and autism during the debate tonight? As Andrew Sullivan just blogged: I was curious about McCain’s apparent conflation of Down Syndrome and autism. They are very different ways of being human, but they do come under the same umbrella of “special needs” according to Wiki. Here’s what McCain said about autism (go here for a transcript of the debate from the New York Times): And by the way, [Sarah Palin] also understands special-needs families. She understands that autism is on the rise, that we got to find out what’s causing it and we’ve got to reach out to these families and help them and give them the help they need as they raise these very special needs children. She understands that better than almost any... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1879948 Thu, 16 Oct 2008 03:12:30 +0100 1879948 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1876128&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FfxdT0RmXCVA%2F CBS3 looks briefly at the presidential candidates’ stance on disabilities and highlights some of what Senator John McCain and Senator Barack Obama have to say about autism: McCain: “John McCain is a co-sponsor of the Combating Autism Act of 2006. John McCain believes this legislation will increase awareness and public screening of autism spectrum disorder, and will promote the use of evidence based interventions and also create centers for research.” Obama: “Barack Obama supports the Combating Autism Act which was signed into law in December 2006. As a U.S. Senator, Obama has worked to fully fund the Combating Autism Act. And, as president, Barack Obama will work toward full funding of the Combating Autism Act and work with Congress, parents and ASD experts to deter... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1876128 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 21:52:00 +0100 1876128 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1852671&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F1Qj4HTBMNi0%2F A study of autism among 378 Cambridge University students has found that autism is up to seven times more common among mathematicians than among students in other disciplines, and that it was also five times more common in the siblings of mathematicians, according to the October 5th Times. The genes that are thought to cause autism may also give mathematical, musical and other skills to those without autism. The study was led by Simon Baron-Cohen, director of the Autism Research Centre, who is quoted as saying: “It seems clear that genes play a significant role in the causes of autism and that those genes are also linked to certain intellectual skills.” Seven of the students in the Cambridge study were found to have autism, while only one in a control group of 414 had autism. Baron-Coh... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1852671 Sun, 05 Oct 2008 00:01:41 +0100 1852671 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1852672&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FR2XrfqH8kmQ%2F A 14-year-old boy, Gerwyn Morgan, has been missing from his home in Merthyr Tydfil, today’s BBC News reports. Morgan has Asperger’s Syndrome and there have been several reports of sightings of him; officers are worried that he has run away and residents have been asked to check “such places as outbuildings, garages and sheds.” Definitely hope he is found and home soon, and safe. Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, bbc, disabilities blog, disability, Family, family blog, Health, Parenting, pdd-nos, runaway, sleeping rough, south walesShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1852672 Sat, 04 Oct 2008 20:04:40 +0100 1852672 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1851055&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F3cJA4x2747E%2F Late Friday afternoon Charlie and I take the PATH train from Journal Square into Manhattan to meet Jim. A young man in a backwards baseball cap moves his stuff out of a seat so I can sit beside Charlie. Charlie gently taps the woman sitting beside him. She’s busy texting and looks up, smiles, and says “I understand. I have about it.” She gets off at 23rd street and we exchange good-bys. At the 33rd subway station, only two of the Metrocard machines are working and of course my card has $0.00 on it. Charlie in his blue hoodie is not the easiest to see in a crowd of commuters and I grab the hem of the hoodie and we try to find the end of the line, get into one line that is “cash only,” get back in the original line. A man in a corduroy jacket who was originally ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1851055 Sat, 04 Oct 2008 10:37:47 +0100 1851055 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1847986&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Ft4e2TJcodAY%2F Hoodies banned at some NJ schools, the September 12th NJ.com reported. Fortunately, not Charlie’s school: What would one do without a soft blue hood to pull over one’s ears and head, whatever the weather? And now that it’s gotten fall crisp and cool, a hooded sweatshirt isn’t just fashion, it’s necessary, especially while waiting for the schoolbus on a misty morning. We’ve gotten Charlie a new blue hooded sweatshirt as the sleeves on the one he wore up till July are now “bracelet length” on him. The new sweatshirt’s big and floppy and not quite the right fit. But a little room to grow into is good too. Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, clothes, disabilities blog, disability, Family, family blog, fleece, Health, hoodie, New Jerse... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1847986 Fri, 03 Oct 2008 07:00:33 +0100 1847986 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1844802&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fq3wdySY-X9Y%2F Size 7 1/2. That’s the size of bowling shoes I got for Charlie on Wednesday afternoon, when we go to a local bowling alley with a group of kids like Charlie and their families. I loosened the laces and pulled out the shoe’s tongue so Charlie could slide his feet in and as he did I remembered how, last week, he’d had to struggle to shove and, really, jam his heels into a size 7—a size that was simply too (duh, Mom!) too small for him. No wonder he’d been on edge last Wednesday, told me “no bowling,” sat unmoving on a bench with his head adamantly down, and swiped at a plate of fries. Too tight shoes and smashed toes and trying to let me know by his asking to leave: I didn’t get it and Charlie’d gotten more and more frustrated until there... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1844802 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 08:03:22 +0100 1844802 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1844803&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FSY9CVgRnEss%2F Every day as I drive to and from work I see the buses: Little yellow schoolbuses like the one Charlie rides; minivans with faded lettering (”Angeline’s Transportation”; “school children inside”; “this vehicle stops at ALL train tracks”), sometimes with a rather jalopy quality and lots of dents in the fenders. We’re fortunate that Charlie is able to attend school in our town and rides a bus with his classmates, but a couple of years ago, when he was in a private school, he rode in one of those minivan buses. It was 45 minutes each way (depending on traffic). The aide and driver were kind-hearted, and quite honest about how limited their English was. More recently, a friend related the terrifying start to her son’s first day at school, wi... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1844803 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:04:58 +0100 1844803 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1844804&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FMxCcK_UymaU%2F Tuesday afternoon I got into a long conversation with a friend about race and a sociology class she’s teaching and had to run out to my car. I made it home with five minutes to spare, Charlie looked at me intently through the window as the bus pulled up and the aide said “hurry Charlie time to go and get a snack,” he indeed ate a (large, as usual) snack, we went the pharmacy to pick some things up, we came home and we went to the pool. Charlie went right to the pool’s edge smiling and stood looking into the water, then sat with his feet in. He often likes to start slow—a change from when he was younger and would hurl himself into any body of water that he came across—and my coaxing, which probably feels more like coercing, is not helpful. So I went to th... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1844804 Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:20:07 +0100 1844804 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1825838&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FM9ePNQUWUJM%2F Routine routine routine. Schedule schedule schedule. That’s what life raising an autistic child is like, or is often said to be like: You’re locked in a vise of always doing the same old same old, lest the proverbial “all hell” should break loose. So Monday school, Tuesday school and pool, Wednesday school and bowling, Thursday……. Yesterday, without thinking about it too much, Charlie and I stepped right out of the ol’ routine. On the one hand, he loves it, needs it, craves The Routine: All of our Sunday was punctuated with Charlie stopping to catch Jim’s or my eye, pausing, and intoning “school tomorrow.” We would reply “yup” or “yes, school” or “school tomorrow!” and he’d repeat the phra... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1825838 Tue, 23 Sep 2008 17:12:48 +0100 1825838 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1815383&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FF7UWIEZgCIE%2F 13-year-old Austin Large, who is autistic, is missing, according to the September 22nd New Durham Region. Austin and his father, Elias Large, were to return from a fishing trip on Monday. When they did not, Austin’s mother contacted police. Police say they could be traveling in a white 1999 GMC Sierra extended truck with a large green tool box. The licence plate number is NE7 917. Austin is described as white, 5′5″ tall, and weighing 160 pounds. He has a heavy build, brush cut, light brown hair and blue eyes. The boy and his father were supposed to have spent the weekend fishing on Lake Nipissing but when they did not return home Monday as planned, Austin’s mother called police. “They did not go to the lake,” said Hamilton Police Detective Sergeant Chris Kiriakopoul... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1815383 Tue, 23 Sep 2008 04:53:29 +0100 1815383 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1815384&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F-EqkUSjC1-w%2F From a November 16, 2006, post on autistic adults in relationships, a couple of questions and comments from readers: A suggestion about a dating agency—–queries from mothers—-and some comments on those who are dating or married to autistic individuals. Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1815384 Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:36:08 +0100 1815384 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1815386&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F0X63Wy908Kw%2F In recognition of National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, b5media bloggers on the Health and Wellness Channel are blogging about the 12 step program of Alcoholics Anonymous. (For a list of the 12 posts on the 12 steps, check out Healthbolt.) This is Step 10: Step 10 - Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it I don’t know a lot about the 12 steps; the call to self-scrutiny and to reexamination of oneself stated in Step 10 have been important for me to apply in figuring how to help Charlie. Parents today frequently note how overwhelmed they feel by the sheer range of treatment—educational, biomedical, and otherwise—options that they hear about for autism. Should one try the special diet? Try brushing or a therapy dog or mu... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1815386 Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:00:19 +0100 1815386 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1812829&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FeHoE4cXgOOg%2F 20-year-old Kevin Brinegar, who has autism, stabbed his mother, Karen Brinegar, twice in the back last Monday, the September 21st Miami Herald reports. He is charged with aggravated battery charges and is being held on a $50,000 bond at North Broward Bureau (FL), a minimum-security facility for the mentally ill and medically infirm. Expert and legal opinions vary about what Kevin Brinegar faces: Dr. Stephen Edelson, director of the Autism Research Institute, expressed concern about the level of care Brinegar has received, and will receive in the future. ”There’s a general feeling that in the criminal justice field, there’s some discrimination going on,” Edelson said. “They are not treated fairly.” Also, police often don’t understand those with auti... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1812829 Mon, 22 Sep 2008 05:52:14 +0100 1812829 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1812830&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F2NjYyw3eglk%2F Something to watch: The September 16th New York Times reports on Reabilities: The First Annual NY Disabilities Film Festival, which will be held from September 21-23. Among the films is Ben X, a Belgian film about an autistic boy who “hides from the harsh reality of being bullied in school by escaping to his favorite online computer game.” And somethings more on the West Coast: Creativity Explored is a San Francisco-based non-profit visual arts center where “artists with developmental disabilities create, exhibit, and sell art.” Go here to see an online gallery of artwork. The colors and forms on this painting of cakes by Camille Holvoet draw me in. At Back to School night, Charlie’s teacher had mentioned that she was trying to work out an arrangement with the... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1812830 Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:36:13 +0100 1812830 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1812831&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F3a6tTnd2D8Y%2F Simon Baron-Cohen, professor of developmental psychopathology at Cambridge University and director of the Autism Research Center in today’s Independent: The word ‘disorder’ is too negative. I use the word “condition” – autism can be disabling, but not all of its features involve disability. Some of them are strengths. The majority of people with autism have exceptional attention to detail. Sometimes that’s also expressed as a talent in drawing, music or in spotting patterns in mathematics. It’s important to value those aspects of autism that are special, which can sometimes give rise to talents. The highlight of my career has been meeting students who I’m meant to be teaching, but they teach me just as much, if not more. It worries me sligh... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1812831 Sun, 21 Sep 2008 19:00:18 +0100 1812831 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1812832&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FxxBPQWjcaXk%2F 5-year-old Kaitlin Bacile went missing Saturday and was found dead in a pond behind her home Sunday, WPLG reports. Kaitlin had autism and lived in Wellington (FL). A couple of days ago, AutismParents.net asked if the water rescue of a 13-year-old autistic boy and his father “downplayed the risk of autistic children drowning. Learning to swim is more than necessary, and perhaps all the more so as many autistic children are drawn to water—-the mother of an autistic boy who drowned, founded an organization, Christopher Connections, whose goals include “promoting the important of swimming lessons for autistic children, creates “opportunities for affordable swim lessons for children with ASDs from qualified, certified swim instructors.” Thinking a lot about Kaitlin and her... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1812832 Sun, 21 Sep 2008 16:07:45 +0100 1812832 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1811351&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fg--GFyEjtAE%2F A recent post asking if autism is different in girls led to an interesting discussion; Sullivan also noted that the IACC Strategic Plan specifically mentioned “research on females with ASD to better characterize clinical, biological and protective features.” Back in August of 2007, the Telergraph, Charlotte Moore (author of George and Sam and the mother of three sons, two of whom are autistic) interviews four autistic women—one of whom (Lauren) was only diagnosed at the age of 23—-and asks whether the rate of autism in women is lower than that in men is due to women being better able to pretend to be “normal.” The women whom Moore interviews are very much aware of being different and of struggling to “conform to normal social expectations of female... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1811351 Sun, 21 Sep 2008 06:08:46 +0100 1811351 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1811353&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FwBgIDRW4Wdc%2F The Extreme Kindness Project was created to provide Dan and Brenda Harris, whose 8-year-old triplet daughters all have autism, with a much needed makeover for their home in upstate New York, WTVH reports. Donations have poured in from the community and plans are underway to break ground in two weeks to build an addition to the Harris’ house. (Currently, their 12-year-old son, Sam, sleeps in the basement.) You can also see a video. Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1811353 Sat, 20 Sep 2008 20:11:11 +0100 1811353 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1811354&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FXLbtdpuVjxc%2F Performing Arts Studio West provides training and management for developmentally disabled individuals. The September 18th KNBC features PASW and some of the actors who train there (with video, too). It’s noted that founder and director John Paizis would “like to see the industry begin to cast disabled actors in non-disabled parts, and PASW will continue to provide training and — perhaps more importantly — encouragement.” A couple of weeks ago, it was announced that actress Claire Danes is to play Temple Grandin in an HBO biopic: But maybe some other actress (an autistic actress?) ought to take the part? Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1811354 Sat, 20 Sep 2008 17:15:24 +0100 1811354 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1809831&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FRKl78YBclGo%2F Charlie and I caught the PATH train in Jersey City and got off at 23rd Street in Manhattan. We usually take it all the way to the end at 33rd Street where we catch a subway up to where Jim’s office is near Lincoln Center and get some dinner together but Friday night was different. Philosopher Ian Hacking, Professor Emeritus of the College de France, was giving a lecture on How We Have Been Learning to Talk About Autism as a keynote lecture for a conference, Cognitive Disability: A Challenge to Moral Philosophy. The conference’s stated aim was to explore philosophical questions about three specific populations — people with autism, Alzheimer’s disease, and those labeled “mentally retarded” with those questions specifically being: Personhood: Should individua... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1809831 Sat, 20 Sep 2008 06:53:25 +0100 1809831 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1809832&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FS3iHJBzYpJE%2F I’ve noted frequently that Charlie is taller than me. But several months (maybe even a year) before I started to find myself looking up to him, I realized that Charlie’s were longer than mind. He’s always had long, tapering fingers since he was born; he  never has a problem reaching an octave on the piano. According to a recent study noted in Science Daily, those long fingers are also a marker for voluntary exercise: According to a joint University of Alberta/ University of California- Riverside research study, there is a direct correlation between digit length and voluntary exercise. The study also casts some doubt on a previously released study which linked digit length and male aggression. While both situations were first thought to have been caused by exposure to ele... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1809832 Sat, 20 Sep 2008 01:14:57 +0100 1809832 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1809833&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fhjsu_SzlCgI%2F A theatre production of the 1988 movie Rain Man opens this week at the Apollo Theatre, today’s 24dash reports. The National Autistic Society has been involved with the production from the script and even rehearsals, and Caroline Hattersley, head of information, advice and advocacy, says: “For many people, the film of ‘Rain Man’ was where they gained their first knowledge of autism, so we are very excited to be so involved in this production and we’re delighted that they were so keen to represent autism accurately. “A lot has changed in our knowledge of this serious, lifelong condition in the 20 years since the film was released. We now have much more knowledge about autism and how people can be supported to live more independently. “One thing we are keen to emphasise is t... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1809833 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 21:22:33 +0100 1809833 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1809834&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fe7nf17uBF6I%2F A school bus driver in West Ashley (SC) is accused of striking an 11-year-old autistic boy who was getting on the bus, today’s Post and Courier reports. The alleged incident occurred on September 11. According to a police report, a school employee saw the child hit the child with his hands “after the child was being uncooperative while getting on the bus.” The driver has been suspended without pay. From the Post and Courier: The officer wrote in his report that he interviewed the child and did not observe any signs of abuse. He also spoke with the child’s teacher, who said she had not observed any signs of abuse or abnormal behavior, the report said. “It should be noted that (the child) suffers from autism,” the officer wrote. The boy’s family decl... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1809834 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:00:56 +0100 1809834 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1809835&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FGQkDOYKaDiw%2F The September 18th New York Times reports that Congress has passed the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act, a “major civil rights bill” that expands protections for disabled individuals and makes it easier for workers to prove discrimination. The bill also expands the definition of disability and restores the promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act: The bill declares that the court went wrong by “eliminating protection for many individuals whom Congress intended to protect” under the 1990 law. “The Supreme Court misconstrued our intent,” said Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, the House Democratic leader. “Our intent was to be inclusive.” In an effort to clarify the intent of Congress, the bill says, “The definition of disability in this act ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1809835 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:17:22 +0100 1809835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1806350&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F7VXXmp38rJQ%2F It was Back to School night for Charlie’s school Thursday. As we have one car, and had no babysitter, Jim and I decided that I’d go first and he’d get Charlie some dinner and then I’d call him and Jim’d go in and meet Charlie’s teacher. This plan indeed worked, and proved prudent. As we neared the streets surrounding the middle school—several streets away from the middle school—-both sides of the street were packed with solid lines of cars and SUVs and minivans. At one point, Jim and I reached out and folded in the mirrors of the black car, so an SUV could slowly ease its way past us. I had also read that parents could take buses from the high school and an elementary school and so avoid having to fend for a parking place. Needless to say, I ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1806350 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 05:11:25 +0100 1806350 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1806352&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F0Be03fkf_q0%2F A new study highlighted in the September 16th Scientific American looks at eye tracking to investigate the “unusual social preferences and behaviors in people with Williams syndrome and autism.” Just as autism is associated with “social withdrawal,” so is Williams syndrome characterized by a “propulsion towards social stimuli and interactions with people” and towards being “hyper-social.” Psychologist Deborah Riby and Peter Hancock at Newcastle University found that the eye tracking movements of autistic persons and of those with Williams syndrome differ significantly from the norm: Previous work has shown that people with autism pay less attention to socially relevant parts of scenes. For example, a person with autism who is viewing a movie ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1806352 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:09:31 +0100 1806352 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1806353&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F2IJ08HQLgKg%2F From an ABC News report today about autistic children being handcuffed in a public school in North Carolina: According to the complaint, one parent of a child attending the school reported that her son had allegedly been handcuffed around his ankles to prevent him from kicking during a temper tantrum, said John Rittelmeyer, a lawyer who represents the DRNC, and another parent claimed his son had bruised arms from teachers grabbing him. One parent said the school had a “WWF room” — a reference to the former World Wrestling Federation — in which students were encouraged to wrestle with one another, according to the claim. “Specifically, these allegations include claims that the wrestling was done with the classroom teacher’s knowledge and that the classroo... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1806353 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:35:37 +0100 1806353 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1802768&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F5Kb-he4Y444%2F My son Charlie has, for most of his life, been a hands-down good eater. As a baby, while he did have more than a few gross motor delays), he had no difficulty learning to nurse. We’re not always or, indeed, often sure about what Charlie might be thinking due to his limited language, but we’ve generally been able to assume that he’s ever ready to eat. And then, this summer—-amid various other changes—a most curious thing happened. Charlie (who is definitely an adolescent) must be in the throes of a growth spurt. He’s needed new shoes after only a few months and shirts that seemed loose and baggy now are just the right length. He’s gotten decidedly lanky and lean. And he’s been eating less than he usually has, and left fries and burgers uneaten... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1802768 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 07:38:37 +0100 1802768 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1802770&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FwHjfmA5I21o%2F Kamila and Henry Markram of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne have developed a theory that autism is caused by a “supercharged” brain, today’s Telegraph reports. The Markrams posit that autistic individuals—far from earlier notions that they were without emotions and the capacity to feel—-”‘perceive, feel and remember too much’” and very intensely: Faced with this “intense world”, autistic infants withdraw, with serious consequences for their social and linguistic development, she added. Repetitive behaviours such as rocking and head-banging, meanwhile, can be seen as an attempt to bring order and predictability to a “blaring world”. Most of the theories surrounding autism involve the idea of ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1802770 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:50:32 +0100 1802770 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1798228&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FauMaWLlPSLM%2F Help needed for autistic children in Puerto Rico: Please contact Maria. And a mother recently wrote about her 7-year-old daughter in a post on autism being underdiagnosed in girls and women: i have a 7 year old daughter that i know is autistic. she has every sign. she is seeing therepists and has seen diff doctors since the age of 3. she dont like clothing touching her skin, she struggles to fit in with other children, she used to keep washing her hands, obsesed with routine and would get very anxiouse and upset if things was different. ……………….there are so many things i could go on forever. is there help out there for girls as she is falling through the cracks and nobody is helping me as a mother. i feel like i,m failing my little girl Suggestions and su... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1798228 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 23:40:41 +0100 1798228 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1798229&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FTVSYBOlAPYw%2F Handcuffs? The “WWF room”—a vacant classroom, “used to encourage students to wrestle with one another and teaching assistants to release aggression”? As reported in WRAL today, these were methods used to improperly restrain autistic children in the Wake County School District in North Carolina. This morning, Disability Rights North Carolina, a disability rights groups, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court against the Wake County Board of Education. Here’s more about restraints and about timeout rooms. And handcuffs. Small wonder that parents and school districts become adversaries. Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1798229 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 19:52:22 +0100 1798229 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1798230&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FobdxULquTbY%2F Last week, a bill calling for insurance coverage of autism did not pass the Illinois General Assembly, as reported in the September 12th Daily Journal. An article in today’s Boston Globe looks at recent and ongoing efforts in many US states to get insurance companies to cover treatment for autism, often in the form of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Currently, many families seek ABA and other educational therapies and services from school districts. Noting that some school districts are currently spending more than 20 percent of their budgets exclusively on special ed students, Paul Andrews, director of government services for the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, says: “Special-needs costs have escalated so high that it has reduced the amount of funding we ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1798230 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:37:29 +0100 1798230 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1794451&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FOygORNTW29M%2F Muggy and hot on Sunday so—-after a morning of typing and working and Charlie getting up, piling his laptop and a blanket and a couple of old toys and his Leapster on the couch, with a layer of breakfast crumbs underneath, and dozing off so soundly that my vacuuming some of the crumbs didn’t wake him—we packed up the car and went to the beach. In the past, there’s no lifeguards after Labor Day but we’d learned there would be some at certain beaches, so to one of those we went. Also in the past, we have been hesitant to go to the beach once Charlie has started school. The transition from beach mode to school mode seemed too jarring: Charlie would be excited, would be thrilled, to be back at the beach and swimming and eating his fries and burger. Then, he’... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1794451 Mon, 15 Sep 2008 22:32:59 +0100 1794451 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1794453&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FrP4_jcRG9Hw%2F At the risk of being repetitive: Be sure to get your feedback in to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC). Send in what you think about comments about autism services by September 19, and also your comments about the draft of the Strategic Plan for ASD Research by September 30. Also, you can go here to review the NIH’s Autism Spectrum Disorder Research Portfolio. Last year (FY 2007), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) devoted $127 million to research autism spectrum disorders through “grants, contracts, research projects conducted as part of the NIH Intramural Research Program, and other mechanisms of support.” In addition, NIH invested $3.9 million in the development of the National Database for Autism Research (NDAR). In FY 2006, $108 million was dev... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1794453 Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:42:30 +0100 1794453 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1791671&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F8FbyPas01rQ%2F Public education has changed in many respects since the 1960s, but in no single area more than special education. So an article in today’s Crescent-News (Ohio) opens. More than 22 percent of the students—530 in all—-in the Defiance City School District received special education services in 2007-2008, it’s noted. Out here in New Jersey, Thursday is Back to School night at the middle school my son Charlie attends. He’s in a self-contained autism classroom with a 1:1 teacher:student ratio and his educational programming is 100%+ individualized to his needs, to where he’s at—and he is a student of my town’s middle school, a member of the community. And I know that would not have been the case were it 50 or 40 years ago, and maybe even only 10. S... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1791671 Sun, 14 Sep 2008 23:18:23 +0100 1791671 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1791672&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F-WkTPGs5OWw%2F Will Cupcakes Be the Next Krispy Kreme? asks the New York Times last week in reference to the “cupcake craze” that has been endemic in the New York City for the past decade plus. Charlie, who’s not exactly anymore on the gluten-free casein-free diet (without dire results), used to make a beeline for cupcakes. Years of being told “no, you can’t have that” led to him being something like obsessed with bakery display cases and to running a finger through technicolor birthday cake frosting whenever we looked the other way. Now that we’ve started saying “sure, you can get whatever you want,” he seems to have become more picky in his food choices and cupcakes have been left in the dust for brownies. See what a little choice can do. Share This... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1791672 Sun, 14 Sep 2008 20:37:15 +0100 1791672 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1791673&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FpfHHQZZ3bas%2F I wrote a few days ago about a new study about how parenting disabled children can become less taxing over time. This has been our experience in many ways over the years with Charlie, though he has yet to have any really serious medical issues (he has certainly had some very serious behaviors problems). Today’s Guardian about the “financial ruin, stress and exhaustion”—about the difficulties faced by carers of adult disabled children and relatives, especially as they (and the carers) grow older. One thing that keeps me going is mentioned at the end of a quote from Henrietta Spink, whose two sons, 20-year-old Henry and 16-year-old Freddie (who has “profound autism”), are both “profoundly disabled”: ‘Families and friends do fade away when... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1791673 Sun, 14 Sep 2008 17:02:57 +0100 1791673 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1790349&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FSogY8kT65-k%2F On Saturday night, we took Charlie to see a student variety show at the college where I teach. I’ve taken Charlie to these shows before. We sit in the back—the auditorium’s not very large so every seat is good—and it’s a very relaxed and homey atmosphere. A lot of my students were in the production and they had given me an idea of some of the program: A couple of songs from Disney movies and Broadway musicals, and some improv acts. The show was almost an hour and a half, with an intermission, and Charlie sat through it all. We got there just as it was starting. A couple of students were clustered at the back and then the opening lines of “The Circle of Life” from The Lion King rang out. The students (or rather, animals) trooped in, with us behind, ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1790349 Sun, 14 Sep 2008 07:06:44 +0100 1790349 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1790350&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FbRJm2qr634Q%2F It’s back to school and we’ve been noting the time and date for Back to School Night (this Thursday), how to explain to the bus aide and driver that Charlie needs a little extra time to get out of his seat after the bus pulls up, what afterschool activities to pursue. Tomorrow’s New York Times has an article about traveling with autistic children on planes, trains, and airplanes, and cruise ships—-one family in particular does what we do, renting a house at the Jersey Shore. The NY Times mentions a couple of places, too, that have programs for special needs kids: Adam’s Camp at Snow Mountain Ranch, in Granby, in Colorado; Smugglers’ Notch Resort in Vermont; and the Autism on the Seas cruises. We’ve already purchased our tickets to go to California to see m... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1790350 Sun, 14 Sep 2008 00:30:27 +0100 1790350 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1790352&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F7wmxEVmZqzA%2F A Venice, California, school aide, Richard Green, has been charged with aggravated child abuse after grabbing a 17-year-old autistic student and shoving his head into a wall last Monday, today’s Herald Tribune reports. Green had worked with special needs students for the past nine years, but this was the first time he had worked as an aide for autistic students, and he was not scheduled for training in crisis intervention procedures until next week. The father of the autistic student is quoted as saying, “”In general I don’t think that is the type of behavior they expect from a teacher’”—–yes indeed. Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1790352 Sat, 13 Sep 2008 17:00:45 +0100 1790352 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1790353&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FrNTg2nsEL5M%2F So after that much-mentioned too long wait, Charlie just finished his first week back in the classroom, for the 2008-2009 school year. He’s now at the middle school in our town, which is in a bigger, 70s-ish type building with lower ceilings and not as much natural light as his old school. (And no more playground.) The bus has been coming at 7.20am which is a godsend to Jim and me—-we put Charlie on and off we go to work; as Charlie is home before 3pm, the earlier starting time is more than appreciated. 7.20 is a lot earlier than the time Charlie’s bus used to come—-8.35am—-so that’s been a bit of a rude awakening (kind of literally). The bus driver and bus aide are very punctual (yay) and a bit more, shall we say, insistent that Charlie hop on and, soon... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1790353 Sat, 13 Sep 2008 12:26:58 +0100 1790353 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1788758&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FSrDBXqSx054%2F 13-year-old Jacob Grabe, who had autism, was shot by his father, Allen Lee Grabe, on Thursday night, the September 12th Rocky Mountain News reports. Grabe was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death. Jacob was an eighth-grader at Grand Mesa Middle School. Rest in peace, Jacob. Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1788758 Sat, 13 Sep 2008 03:47:40 +0100 1788758 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1788760&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FMj1-xUy_K4o%2F Julian and Thal Wendrow of West Bloomfield (MI), who were cleared of all charges of abuse in a case involving their autistic daughter, are filing a lawsuit against Oakland County Circuit Court, today’s Detroit Free Press reports. They are alleging 38 counts of wrongful imprisonment, invasion of privacy, violation of their due-process rights, malicious prosecution and other misdeeds. Lawsuits on behalf of their daughter and her 13-year-old brother, who was repeatedly interrogated by police, are expected to be filed today. They are seeking unspecified damages. After their daughter was said to have typed statements about being abused via facilitated communication, Julian Wendrow spent 80 days in jail. His wife was imprisoned for five days. Their daughter was placed in a foster care home... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1788760 Fri, 12 Sep 2008 19:09:56 +0100 1788760 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1786016&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FmoZdM1tDAuk%2F I haven’t been able to get Christopher Marino and his father, Walter Marino, off my mind; I keep thinking of what was it like to be in the water, treading the water, for hour upon hour? And in the dark, throughout the night, first together via the call-and-response of lines from Disney movies Toy Story in particular)? And I have to say it: What happened to Christopher—being caught in a rip tide and and swept out to sea—-is something that I have thought could happen to Charlie. Swimming in the ocean is one of Charlie’s most favorite things to do and he’s very often the farthest out. Jim’s always with him, though this year was the first that it became quite apparent that we can’t really keep up with Charlie in the water. I know that if Charlie ever... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1786016 Fri, 12 Sep 2008 07:04:33 +0100 1786016 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1786017&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FQ0wLIT_1eOk%2F A mother just commented about her 5-year-old autistic son getting suspended from school for the day. He is, she writes, able to keep up academically—-support and suggestions? Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1786017 Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:43:07 +0100 1786017 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1786018&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FcQ4sozJNL6Q%2F Two families are suing the Waukee (Iowa) school district for the way that timeout rooms were used to “discipline” their children. Today’s Des Moines Register notes that one child was locked in timeout 64 times during his first-grade year at Waukee Elementary School in 2006; his grandparents were informed about only 17 of those instances. Isabel Loeffner was locked in a timeout room for 3 1/2 hours; while Isabel and her parents, Doug and Eva Loeffler, have moved to California, the family has continued their legal fight “for the sake of [their] daughter’s alleged suffering.” Go here to read more about how families are speaking out against restraint and seclusion—-both not what I’d called effective teaching practices. Share This (Source: Autism ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1786018 Thu, 11 Sep 2008 20:07:01 +0100 1786018 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1782712&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F-U8-z3qll9s%2F This study, the authors said, adds 1q21.1 as a chromosomal locus to the growing list of structural variants that might eventually be included in genetic screening panels for people with developmental delays or neuropsychiatric diagnoses. “Clinical diagnosis in patients with these lesions may be most readily achieved on the basis of genotype rather than phenotype,” as the study’s authors conclude. The study both shows the “importance of rare structural variants in human disease” and also reveals some of the challenges, namely: First, large samples of patients and controls are required to show that a specific variant is pathogenic. Although there have been several reports of patients with 1q21.1 deletions in studies of specific diseases, our study shows that rec... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1782712 Thu, 11 Sep 2008 07:13:31 +0100 1782712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1782713&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FEvHQ7P5FYG8%2F A new study by sociologists and social work researchers from the University of Chicago and University of Wisconsin-Madison has found that parenting children with disabilities becomes less taxing over time. From today’s Science Daily: …….over time, parents learn to adapt to the challenges of caring for a disabled child. As these parents age, the study shows, their health more closely mirrors the health of parents with children who don’t have disabilities. The study, Age and Gender Differences in the Well-Being of Midlife and Aging Parents with Children with Mental Health or Developmental Problems: Report of a National Study, is published in the September 2008 Journal of Health and Social Behavior. Am only speaking for myself—-but, for Jim and me, parenting has gott... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1782713 Wed, 10 Sep 2008 22:27:35 +0100 1782713 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1782714&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FlZaR4I5_ZkE%2F If you haven’t read the story on CNN (and also check out MSNBC; thanks, Linda!) of 13-year-old Christopher Marino who treaded water for 15 hours after being caught in a rip tide and swept out to sea eight miles off the coast of Volusia County in Florida—-go here. Christopher and his father, Walter Marino—who treaded water for 12 hours before being found by the Coast Guard—stayed together after darkness fell by calling out phrases from Disney movies: “To infinity,” Marino shouted, referencing one of Christopher’s favorite lines from the movie “Toy Story.” “And beyond,” Christopher shouted back, pumping his fist in the air like movie character Buzz Lightyear. But after an hour, Christopher’s voice faded and his father fe... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1782714 Wed, 10 Sep 2008 19:06:01 +0100 1782714 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1782715&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FCg6S5Iebn9E%2F Who should choose where 8-year-old Arron Collins, who has Asperger Syndrome, goes to school—his parents or the school district? The August 9th MyFoxAtlanta notes: While the superintendent [of the Oconee County school district’ wouldn’t discuss Aarons [sic] case he does say in a statement that “there is no documented reason that the needs of students cannot be met at any of our schools, I have not been presented with any reason for any student to be transferred.” The Collins said a 2007 Georgia law, Senate Bill 10 is on their side. In part it says the general assembly finds “parents are best equipped to make decisions for their children, including the educational setting that will best serve the interests and education needs of their children.” &#82... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1782715 Wed, 10 Sep 2008 17:00:48 +0100 1782715 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1779309&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FeeUwWuk3QSk%2F How to avoid being bankrupt by autism, is the topic of another NPR story on autism. We’ve skirted the bottom of our checking account on more than a few occasions; when we moved to the town my in-laws have been living in so Charlie could attend the autism program there in June of 2006, one reason we lived with them was because it was easier on our finances (though not on “family relations,” I guess you could say). One of the main reasons that there’s constant talk about “costs of autism” is because a lot of therapies, treatments, and schools, and more for autistic children come with a hefty price tag; the question is, of course, how do you what’s money well spent or not? Does any “result” justify handing over the dollars? There have been... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1779309 Tue, 09 Sep 2008 23:07:55 +0100 1779309 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1779310&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FtXBijDT507A%2F We’ve been through a lot of challenges with Charlie over the past several years but the one thing we’ve never had to argue about is his diagnosis. While the St. Paul Public School District initially wrote down “communication disorder” as Charlie’s diagnosis on his first Individual Family Services Plan (IFSP; we were living in Minnesota at the time), it was soon evident that Charlie had autism, and that’s been his diagnosis ever since. I think it’s been Charlie’s limited language—-when he was two, the only thing he said was “dah”—that especially stood out (he also had some “challenging behaviors”—some bouts of hitting himself on the head). But once we got the report saying that he had autism, there&#82... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1779310 Tue, 09 Sep 2008 18:17:06 +0100 1779310 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1775593&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FgWBa2_I7DGU%2F The body of an autistic 2-year-old was found Friday in the trunk of his mother’s car, some six weeks after the car had been towed to a wrecking yard. The Associated Press reports that the body of the boy, James, may have been in the trunk for months as his mother, Summer ManyWhiteHorses, drove around town. Deputy County Attorney Joel Thompson said authorities have yet to determine how or when the boy died. An autopsy is being conducted. According to court records, ManyWhiteHorses told police the boy’s death was an accident, and that she placed his body in the car’s trunk on May 29. ManyWhiteHorses was charged with deliberate homicide on Monday and is being held on $250,000 bail. She had first been arrested on July, when authorities attempted to pull her over for driving e... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1775593 Tue, 09 Sep 2008 06:02:02 +0100 1775593 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1775595&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FkUB_hcJiw_Y%2F 21-year old Darren Browne’s family must make a 600-mile roundtrip to visit him. He lives in a residential facility in Birmingham because, according to the Evening Times, there are no specialist facilities for him in his own country, Scotland. While Browne has had a history of self-injurious and other behaviors, did authorities have to transport Browne to his new Birmingham home in a Reliance prison van without windows? Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1775595 Mon, 08 Sep 2008 20:44:06 +0100 1775595 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1775596&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FvNzGHlFa0uo%2F And so, on the final night of summer vacation 2008, what did Charlie say but….. “No school.” Yes, having made it clear since school ended back in August that he’d rather be in school, the night before the big First Day, Charlie got opening day jitters. I waved his lunchbox, packed with paper-wrapped chicken (courtesy of PoPo), rice, watermelon, a bagel, and a Capri Sun. “No lunchbox.” “The schoolbus is coming tomorrow,” Jim said cheerily. “No schoolbus.” “Ok, no schoolbus,” we said. “No schoolbus,” said Charlie and “no school” (just to remind us). “Yeah, no school,” I said with a shrug. “No school,” Charlie repeated, eyes wide and face set. Then I mentioned the speech the... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1775596 Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:00:19 +0100 1775596 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1775597&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FWzPUvEiUjuQ%2F Without Trig, Governor Sarah Palin’s infant son who has Down Syndrome, what might discussions about her being Senator John McCain’s running mate be like? Gov. Palin’s older sister, Heather Bruce, has an autistic child, an article in today’s New York Times notes: Before her son was born, Ms. Palin went to extraordinary lengths to ensure that his arrival would not compromise her work. She hid the pregnancy. She traveled to Texas a month before her due date to give an important speech, delivering it even though her amniotic fluid was leaking. Three days after giving birth, she returned to work. But with Trig in her arms, Ms. Palin has risen higher than ever. Senator John McCain, the Republican nominee for president, says he selected her as his running mate because of h... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1775597 Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:00:47 +0100 1775597 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1773253&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F0lbcmLN65ZA%2F Yes, 15 hours. That’s how long 13-year-old Chris Marino treaded water eight miles off the coast of Volusia County in Florida, after he and his father, Walter Marino, were swept out to sea Saturday night, First Coast News reports. Walter Marino was rescued by the Coast Guard after treading water for 12 hours. He was dehydrated; Chris Marino’s condition was not immediately known. “The family said they’re still in shock both father and son survived,” says the First Coast News. It really seems miraculous but, needless to say, I’m very glad to be reporting that Walter and Chris are safe, and back on land. Very. Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1773253 Mon, 08 Sep 2008 04:56:45 +0100 1773253 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1773254&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FMvuT2QYXJLM%2F An autistic man, Karl Tilcock, who also has two autistic children, lost his job at Foster’s brewer in Queensland (Australia) over YouTube videos made under the name AustDingo that offended his employer. The September 8th News.com.au describes Tilcock as an “online comedian” and notes that he has removed the offensive videos when contacted via letter by his employer. It’s contested whether the videos presented “untruths” about Foster’s and whether they were made while Tilcock was at work: [Tilcock] denied any of the videos communicated untruths or were produced on his employer’s time. “They never argued the facts on me, just that it didn’t make the company look good. “I’ve had to fight a lot more (because of the autism)... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1773254 Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:00:18 +0100 1773254 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1773255&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FqUGn74HqsSc%2F Hurricane Hanna meant rain and heavy, humid air on Saturday and I suggested a trip to the YMCA pool. There’s a long-running association between changes in barometric pressure and Charlie having “thunderstorm” moments of unhappiness, of seeming unsettled and with a kind of worried, frenetic energy and expression. Just getting in the water has long proven to be a good antidote to all that unsettledness in the sky and in a certain boy, and a little exercise workout does not hurt. The pool was jam-packed when we arrived and four lanes, instead of the usual three, were marked off for lap swimmers. Four boys were kicking and splashing on the red and blue foam boat; one girl was explaining, with quite a bit of fervor, why nothing else would do for her to play with except the boa... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1773255 Sun, 07 Sep 2008 20:14:28 +0100 1773255 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1773256&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fr_xU3Wx-wMo%2F “An Amerian medical guru.” That’s how today’s Scotsman describes Raun Kaufman, the director of the Autism Treatment Centre of America. Raun Kaufman was cured of autism through the “Son-Rise” method, according to a book by his parents, BarryNeil Kaufman and Samahria Lyte Kaufman. The Scotsman quotes a number of autism experts who express something more than doubt about Kaufman: Carol Povey, head of adult services with the National Autistic Society, said: “I have spoken to Raun Kaufman and told him there is no cure for autism. To claim otherwise is to mislead families who are extremely vulnerable.” Dr Katie Cebula, of Edinburgh University, has conducted research into the impact of Son–Rise on families. The committee member of the Scottish Aut... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1773256 Sun, 07 Sep 2008 16:14:12 +0100 1773256 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1770621&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FAwCc7CtzSKw%2F Police officers in Freehold, New Jersey, rescued 6-year-old Jahmir Mayfield from biking into traffic. Jahmar has autism and ADHD and had just learned to ride a bike; today’s Asbury Park Press noted that he has a tendency to wander for home and wears a “global positioning tracking device around his wrist.” I have to keep knock on wood, but so far Charlie not been once inclined to take his bike out and strap on his helmet (yes, he always insists on wearing it) and head for the streets on his own. He seems to equate bike-riding with Jim going with him too and I think for now, best he keep thinking that. It’s the downside of freedom of movement. Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1770621 Sat, 06 Sep 2008 21:00:35 +0100 1770621 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1770622&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FrpY_mzYTAKw%2F Stopped at a Dairy Queen from seeing Charie’s neurologist. Charlie stood very close to a woman who was ordering at the window and moved towards us when I called him, and certainly experienced nothing like a Canadian woman, Erica Gosselin, did while recently taking two autistic boys to a DQ. Another reader referred to the (unhappy) reaction of another customer in a letter to the Alliston Herald: Erica explained that she has a summer job working with these two autistic boys. They are brothers, and the younger one has a more serious form of autism than his sibling; for one thing, he has less physical control. At least once a week, Erica takes them to the Dairy Queen as a special treat. On this particular occasion, the one she writes about, a man sitting behind them started yelling at he... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1770622 Sat, 06 Sep 2008 18:00:11 +0100 1770622 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1770623&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F_yPKt4LO14w%2F It’s late late Friday night (/early early Monday morning) as I’m writing this and feeling. I think we made it through another summer. Monday will be Charlie’s first day back to school, after an extra-long summer vacation: Due to school construction in our school district, summer vacation started extra early and is ending extra late. “That’s his world,” someone at work said to me when I noted how chaotically Wednesday started in our house. Looking back, I’ve realized that Charlie may have woken up early because he sensed that, Labor Day having passed, it was time for him to be back in the classroom—-and then he realized that he wasn’t going and panicked. Now there’s only a weekend to get through. Charlie is starting middle school. ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1770623 Sat, 06 Sep 2008 12:53:46 +0100 1770623 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1768967&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fk-0AzB31coY%2F Courtesy of Wired magazine, a wiki about how to deal with your mild autism. Tips include: 1 Interrupt party chatter 2 Time yourself 3 Be honest at work 4 Look ‘em in the eye 5 Make it work for you 6 Know thyself 7 Reminders, Reminders, Reminders 8 Reduce Distractions 9 Find an Editor From item #5,  Make it work for you: Asperger’s isn’t an illness, it’s a set of characteristics, and you can turn these to your advantage. Find roles where your relentless curiosity can be a plus. Become an expert in your company or field, the go-to guy* for details, but learn to offer only what’s needed when asked. (* more than 95% of Aspies are male) I appreciated the positive outlook here and emphasis on using Asperger’s to one’s advantage, and the small Socratic... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1768967 Sat, 06 Sep 2008 06:14:00 +0100 1768967 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1768968&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FaNxrOBR1c-Y%2F What do you do when your income is less than the cost of therapy for your autistic child? That’s the situation facing Dan and Sharon Springer, the parents of 8-year-old Joy Springer, in Nevada. According to KRNV today, Joy’s family also faces the loss of $1000 from Acumen, a state-funded program, due to a state budget crisis. And, Joy’s father is facing unemployment when the branch of Citibank that he works at shuts down. He says: “We just try to take it one day at a time…..There’s lots of programs out there that stress one day at a time and that’s what we are doing.” Words to reflect on, one day at a time. Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1768968 Fri, 05 Sep 2008 21:10:40 +0100 1768968 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1763984&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fm-Th91tWY2o%2F Laughter is the best and possibly the oldest medicine, as recently noted on BrainBlogger: Laughter is a naturally occurring response to humorous stimuli and is a rather easily implemented and cost-effective clinical tool. Some lay publications even report that laughter is equivalent to aerobic exercise. It is true that laughter can increase blood flow, stimulate circulation, contract muscle groups, and improve respiratory function. But, these effects are short-lived and laughter is followed by a period of muscle relaxation, decreased heart rate, slowed respiration, and decreased blood pressure. This period may last as long as 45 minutes. Some research has shown laughter causes a decrease in the levels of the stress hormones epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol. This may explain the re... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1763984 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 23:37:01 +0100 1763984 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1763985&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FBakXa_1gb28%2F The Wisconsin camp, Trade Lake, from which Keith T. Kennedy went missing from in June, now faces closure after 49-year-old Shirley Meade died there after being given the wrong drug, Clozapine. Yesterday’s TwinCities.com describes Meade as “severely mentally challenged” and a ward of the state of Minnesota, as her parents are deceased. Peggy Hjelseth, the camp founder’s daughter, gave Meade the incorrect medication: When Hjelseth was interviewed by investigators afterward, she said: “I screwed up.” Hjelseth realized her mistake within 30 minutes of administering the drug, [Burnett County Sheriff Dean] Roland said. Hjelseth told investigators she did not seek medical assistance and chose to have Meade “sleep it off.” Meade slept most of the day... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1763985 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:47:16 +0100 1763985 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1759944&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FxHYqlz-f-38%2F So on Wednesday morning it was chaos in our house. Only for about 15 minutes, but any minutes of Not Fun is Not a Great Way to Start the Day. Charlie had woken early and got up and smiled and wanted a shirt; he was pulling it on backwards (it’s an Oakland A’s t-shirt with numbers on both sides) and I gestured wordlessly to turn it around and his eyes clouded and he made a low noise. I stepped away and then heard thump cry and the chaos ensued. But I don’t mean the chaos of a crowd of a massive throng of humanity in a crowded space and someone yells “fire.” Chaos is from the ancient Greek word chaos, which means a “gaping [hole],” an emptiness, a vast void. Really, chaos is what I feel when Charlie has a tough moment: Things happen both quickly and ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1759944 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 05:42:00 +0100 1759944 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1759947&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FfLoud1Evflk%2F Back to the issues after discussing Governor Sarah Palin et al: In a post on Obama and McCain on Autism, Regan noted that Mike Strautmanis, Barack Obama’s Chief Counsel and a personal friend of the Obama family, is the father of an autistic child. In a January 29 conference call on Obama’s disability policy, here’s some of what Strautmanis said: Barack Obama and I met, and Michele, when I talked my way into a job to be Michele’s paralegal, just about before I was going to graduate from college. Since then we have all been friends. I am married, have three children, one of whom has autism, on the autism spectrum, has autism spectrum disorder. The struggles I have had with my son as we worked through the healthcare system, education system, through all the services in our... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1759947 Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:16:11 +0100 1759947 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1754774&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fx7BUrH3HJiQ%2F So as you may not, or may, have noticed, there is still some wonkiness going up with this blog. The good folks who handle are matters technological, software-related, and the like, have been working hard to migrate b5media’s blogs over to a new server and all should be well, webpages should load and updates occur, very soon. One (”adverse effect?“) of the server migration has been that the sidebar (to your right) has not been updating with recent posts and recent comments. So if a comment is left on a post written a couple weeks or months ago, unless you’ve decided to sit down and read every single post (which I don’t recommend; some posts are more post-worthy than others), some good comments will go missed. I’ve rounded up a few of them below, with a bi... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1754774 Wed, 03 Sep 2008 05:00:45 +0100 1754774 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1754775&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F4bIUiSasUcY%2F Body ownership is the feeling that your body belongs to you and is there constantly; vision, and other sensory signals, contribute to it. A sense of body ownership is often disrupted, the September 2nd Science Daily notes, in “a range of different neurological, psychiatric and psychological conditions, such as after a stroke, in autism, epilepsy, anorexia, and bulimia.” Body awareness and body ownership are two things that, I suspect Charlie has not always had, or had in the way that a “typical” child might. We had to teach him to put his hands in front of him to catch his fall and I’ve wondered if, when Charlie (as he rarely does now) bangs his head, he’s sometimes trying to remind himself that it is his own head. An experiment involving a rubber hand h... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1754775 Tue, 02 Sep 2008 22:10:30 +0100 1754775 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1754776&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FshnLFASdqu8%2F A couple of weeks ago a friend sent me an ad on Craigslist for an HBOT chamber. The price for this presumably used piece of equipment was steep and I wondered how the family felt about having bought it, and why they were selling it. Had the child “recovered”? Or had the promised effects not occurred? An article in today’s OC Register notes that n the past four years, hyperbaric oxygen therapy [HBOT]– in which patients breathe almost pure oxygen in a pressurized environment – has become a source of hope for thousands of parents looking for a way to treat their children’s autism. That new market has provided a jolt to an industry that had served mostly scuba divers, stroke victims and people recovering from wounds. HBOT was not a treatment suggested for autistic c... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1754776 Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:53:17 +0100 1754776 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1750247&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FPGK3i28rNhg%2F Forgive me for writing another post about Governor Sarah Palin and her family. Her selection as Senator John McCain’s running mate, and the recent reporting of her 17-year-old daughter, Bristol Palin, being pregnant, have cast her thoroughly into the public eye and, one suspects, in more than unexpected ways. What first piqued my interest about Sarah Palin was that she’s the mother of a (very young) special needs child and, too, a working mother. The September 1st New York Times describes the uproar over Palin as “Mommy Wars: Special Campaign Edition”: With five children, including an infant with Down syndrome and, as the country learned Monday, a pregnant 17-year-old, Ms. Palin has set off a fierce argument among women about whether there are enough hours in the da... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1750247 Tue, 02 Sep 2008 07:35:51 +0100 1750247 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1750249&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FDpslXqtqJ5s%2F There’s discussion all over about Senator John McCain’s choice of Alaska governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. There’s the highly speculative rumor via Daily Kos that Palin is not the mother of Trig Paxson Van Palin (born in April), who has Down Syndrome, but that her 17-year-old daughter, Bristol Palin, is. And it was recently reported in the New York Times that, to rebut rumors, Palin has announced that Bristol Palin is indeed  five months pregnant and is planning to have the child and marry her or his father. Moving beyond the rumors, one thing that is clear is that the Palin family is going to have not one, but two young children in it soon; due to the attention newly directed to Sarah Palin, it’s likely that these young children will be under more than a b... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1750249 Mon, 01 Sep 2008 18:25:04 +0100 1750249 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1750250&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FT7Wve6urULE%2F Not that it matters—does it matter?—or not, might this (future) chess grandmaster, 17-year-old Magnus Carlsen, be on the autism spectrum? “Magnus’s parents have not had their son tested for developmental disorders because he is well-enough adjusted socially,”, the New York Times writes. And: Henrick Carlsen said his son’s progress in chess was typical for him. “Sometimes, he’s been thought to be slow,” he said. But when he gets interested in something, “then he accelerates.” He added, “I don’t think he is conscious of this approach. It is innate.” He said that his son, from a young age, exhibited an ability to focus single-mindedly. One day, the father recalled, when Magnus was 4, he spent six hours building a train out of Legos. A half-hour afte... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1750250 Mon, 01 Sep 2008 16:00:06 +0100 1750250 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1750251&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F5UM2PTfX_dM%2F Labor Day today and everyone seems to be talking “back to school.” I’ve been back to teaching at my college for a week and Jim starts this week. Charlie, however, doesn’t go back to school till next Monday, September the 8th. He perked up on saying “school tomorrow!” yesterday night—I hated to tell him, “one more week.” So if I’m still in sort of vacation mode here for another week, believe me, we’re all just waiting to see the yellow schoolbus pull up next Monday morning. The reason (or the reason we’re being told) that school is starting late for Charlie is because of “new construction.”" One the projects mentioned a couple of times has been some new classrooms at the high school, including a kitchen and ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1750251 Mon, 01 Sep 2008 07:16:59 +0100 1750251 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1750253&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FYFtEhovRxTw%2F Two images of Charlie from the past two nights. We’re at the Journal Square PATH station in Jersey City with my parents. We get slowed down walking through the turnstiles. My mom and I look towards the up escalator and there’s Charlie’s going up up up, all by himself. “Wait, we’d better hurry and get on”…………… Second image is from Saturday night. Charlie’s showered and lying in bed, and Jim and I are talking about what the mayor of New Orleans and Hurricane Gustav, how the Pittsburgh Pirates had their ninth loss in a row, what was said in a scene from the movie On the Waterfront involving the exchange of a coat. Enter Charlie, stage left. He’s spent the summer wearing floppy outdoors-y shorts. I had heard some rus... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1750253 Sun, 31 Aug 2008 22:00:01 +0100 1750253 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1750254&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F4MbIntEYf6M%2F Effie Linares is 11 years old like my son Charlie. Effie lives in Modesto, California and is mainstreamed in a fifth-grade class; today’s Modesto Bee reports on how far Effie’s come from the time he was 3 years old and started doing intensive ABA under the Lovaas Institute. At 5, at the suggestion of the founder of the institute, psychologist Dr. Ivar Lovaas, the BBC filmed Effie for a 2002 program. There’s a photo of Effie and three friends accompanying the Modesto Bee’s story, and it’s noted that he’s not only mainstreamed, but also “plays sports at church, is learning sign language through Lakewood’s Sign Club and sings in the school choir.” The Modesto Bee notes some reasons for Effie’s progress: First, his level of autism is ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1750254 Sun, 31 Aug 2008 17:06:01 +0100 1750254 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1746380&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FczwBN7B752I%2F Some software and other updates have been going on behind the scenes here, so if this blog loads slowly or (alas and argh) a comment does not go through, please bear with us. Over in the sidebar, the lists of comments and recent posts have not been updating (Learning All the Time (Whether You Know It Or Not) was posted on Friday morning) and I’m hoping that will get fixed soon. In the meantime, I wanted to point out discussions about the YouTube video of an autistic teenager getting beat up—about how autism, unlike measles, is not an infectious disease—–about the luxury of being able to choose to vaccinate or not—-whether hacker Gary McKinnon is a scapegoat or a public enemy. Also: Tara on an idea for housing for disabled adults in New Jersey on Sued: New Jers... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1746380 Sat, 30 Aug 2008 20:27:16 +0100 1746380 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1742804&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F-s4socx25m0%2F Gary McKinnon allegedly hacked his way into 97 computers belonging to NASA, the Department of Defense and several branches of the military, shortly after 9/11 occurred. The Associated Press says that the European Court of Human Rights has cleared the way for McKinnon, who is British, to be extradited to the US where he would face eight charges of computer fraud. McKinnon allegedly shut down the U.S. Army district responsible for protecting Washington, D.C., and cleared logs from computers at the Naval Weapons Station Earle in New Jersey, which “tracks the location and battle-readiness of U.S. Navy ships.” McKinnon was recently diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. According to the July 30th Wired, McKinnon’s hacking activity was “a search for evidence of a milit... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1742804 Sat, 30 Aug 2008 04:30:19 +0100 1742804 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1742805&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F6EYmfCPbXR0%2F Since coming home from the beach on Saturday, Charlie’s seemed more in need of deep pressure, especially on his hands and feet. He’s been twisting his hands into his shirt all summer, and he’s now also burrowing his feet deep within the couch cushions (it’s a soft, blue, quite beat u couch). At night, as ever, he sort of self-swaddles himself all the way down to his feet in his fleece blanket. He wasn’t doing as much of the hand and feet wrapping while were on vacation and last night it occurred to me that, when we’re at the beach, so many more of Charlie’s sensory needs are readily met. Endless amounts of sand, warm in the sun and squishy lovely wet and what equals the ocean, water in constant motion, cool or warmed, washing up every possible curi... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1742805 Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:00:25 +0100 1742805 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1742806&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FbFKTmO582JM%2F Both Senators Barack Obama and John McCain have statements on their websites about autism. Obama’s is in a section on healthcare and is entitled Support Americans with Autism; he also has a plan on Autism Spectrum Disorders in his section on disabilities. McCain’s statement is also in a section on health care, with a statement about Combating Autism in America on a separate webpage. Back in November, Senator Hillary Clinton’s website was the comprehensive about autism issues. Obama’s current two-paragraph statement on autism is the same as it was in November, as was his plan to empower Americans with disabilities. McCain’s website did not yet contain a section on autism. McCain made his entrance into autism politics with a February reference to thimerosal and ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1742806 Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:01:19 +0100 1742806 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1739251&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FbHCYEZyZaNc%2F As of this Wednesday, the fall semester is underway at my college and I’m explaining how to pronounce v as w in Latin to one class, and leading another in reciting and writing the 24 letters of the Greek alphabet. I’m teaching early in the morning thanks to Charlie being in middle school, which starts much earlier than his elementary school. I’m a quite energetic teacher, a necessary feature (I think) if you’re going to instruct college students in “dead languages” with complicated grammatical systems. At some point, some student’s attention will seem to waver, as indicated by eyes focused out the window rather than on the dry erase board, by a student saying “huh” when I call on their name. I used to just think, ok, this student’... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1739251 Fri, 29 Aug 2008 07:28:36 +0100 1739251 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1739253&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FqFP19ytiFC0%2F Be warned. This post contains a disparate slew of references to martial arts (kind of in a Kung Fu Panda vein); chocolate (M & M’s, even); the use of the r word in Tropic Thunder; Thailand; lots of flies. (And autism, but you knew that.) No, we didn’t once again see Po the Panda executing his moves against an opponent to get that last pad thai noodle or chocolate bar, with insects buzzing in the background. All the items listed in the first paragraph appear in Chocolate, a martial arts movie from Thailand with an autistic heroine who really knows how to kick her way around. From a review on Film School Rejects: [”Tattooed hottie”—that’s a quote, please note—Zin] gives birth to an autistic girl she names Zen, and we’re treated to another monta... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1739253 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:00:06 +0100 1739253 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1739254&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FmDdayWTBpuY%2F A Bay Area woman was sentence to seven years in prison for posing as a school volunteer or teaching assistant—-and, in one case, the sister of an autistic sibling—-to gain access to classrooms, where she stole teachers’ wallets and, in some cases, opened up credit cards under their names. It’s estimated that the woman, Tynesha West, stole about $100,000. The August 28th Contra Costa Times quotes a special education teacher who says that West “harmed us more than the money, credit cards, gift cards and identities she stole,” a Lafayette teacher wrote. “She stole all that we stand for: working hard, playing fair and square, following the rules, kindness to others, honesty, being a good citizen — just to name a few.” I can’t say this wou... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1739254 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:57:05 +0100 1739254 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1739256&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F8w90b5rtMkY%2F Yesterday I wrote about a study on ultrasonic vocalizations in BTBR mice, who are one “mouse model” of autism. The August 27th Science Daily describes another study that looks at how babies respond to words and vocalizations with repeated sounds. University of British Columbia post-doctoral fellow Judith Gervain and researchers from Italy and Chile documented the activity of 22 newsborns (2-3 days old) on hearing recordings of made-up words. The researchers mixed words that end in repeating syllables – such as “mubaba” and “penana” – with words without repetition – such as “mubage” and “penaku.” They found increased brain activities in the temporal and left frontal areas of the newborns’ brain whenever the repetitious ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1739256 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 07:58:20 +0100 1739256 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1739257&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FdvKfgDKq6bw%2F This past June, a 16-year-old with autism is punched in the face and bullied by a teenager who attends the same high school—-and the whole attack is videotaped and posted on YouTube. The 16-year-old’s family saw the video and was able to identify the attacked. WSBT (South Bend, Indiana) interviewed Joyce Vermillion and Amber Fairchild, the mother and sister of the boy who was attacked: “First it was bad enough that they did it. Then they videotaped it. Then they made it into a joke. They did it in slow motion and they replayed it frame by frame,” Fairchild said. “It hurts my feelings so bad, it hurts my heart.” The family says the boy’s face was swollen after the attack, but since then he has been doing well. The video helped the family identify his attack... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1739257 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 02:58:02 +0100 1739257 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1739259&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FL0Vxb1G0DhI%2F Sitting here in my office with one student after another coming in and out the door to try to change their schedules for fall classes and remembering that just last week was Charlie’s surfing lesson, I was pretty pleased to note this film about Clay Marzo, a 19-year-old surfer who has Asperger’s Syndrome. Today’s Star Bulletin has a few more details and the trailer for Just Add Water is here. Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, disabilities blog, disability, Family, family blog, Health, jersey shore, New Jersey, ocean, Parenting, pdd-nos, surfing, WaterShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1739259 Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:44:34 +0100 1739259 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1739260&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F2AjGSSXiYjM%2F BTBR mice are an inbred mouse strain that provide a “mouse model of autism.” BTBR mice are transgenic (their DNA contains an extra human gene thought to be involved in autism) and display “social abnormalities and repetitive behaviors” that correspond to the first and second diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorders. A recent study in PLOS One by Maria Luisa Scatton et al. investigates ultrasonic vocalizations in BTBR mice, in order to look at the second diagnostic criterion for ASDs, communication deficits. Scientists separately baby mice of different strains from their mothers and hypothesized that ultrasonic vocalizations might be a measure of social communication in the mice. As The New Scientist notes: The pups, which had not yet opened their eyes, made... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1739260 Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:03:09 +0100 1739260 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1734064&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FgGmZKaVCvxg%2F The high point of my Monday occurred around 8.45am. I was one of four adults standing around Charlie, who was reclining in a chair with a certain glint in his eye as he followed, and didn’t follow, our requests to “open your mouth” and “put your hands down” and “just a little longer!” “Say aaahhh!” Charlie added his own request to himself and showed off his pearly whites—-the metaphor is very fitting, as Charlie had his six month dentist check-up yesterday morning and it was his best ever. And we barely practiced. For the past two years, “going to the dentist” has been something we’ve been working on regularly with Charlie. His home ABA therapists taught him to keep his mouth open and his hands down (two very bas... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1734064 Tue, 26 Aug 2008 19:32:05 +0100 1734064 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1734065&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fghr62-l5nQM%2F An autistic 10-year-old wanders away from his elementary school in Lantana, Florida, on Monday and no one notices; he walks home alone in the rain. More details are at WPTV.com: Needless to say, his mother, Tatrisha Williams, is more than concerned. The response from the Palm Beach County School District spokesperson is that a mistake was made and “‘it won’t happen again.’” Or rather: It shouldn’t have happened in the first place. About.com has a recent post about autistic children who wander. Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, disabilities blog, disability, Family, family blog, florida, missing children, palm beach, Parenting, pdd-nos, schoolShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1734065 Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:43:34 +0100 1734065 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1734067&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FE8BOLKoaW7I%2F Abuse, neglect and humiliation: Not exactly words that are generally associated with education, school, students, you’d think. But that’s not been the experience of some 100 parents of autistic children in Florida, according to today’s Scripps News. They’ve been calling the state attorney general and two Port St. Lucie families—including Melissa Barton, whose son Alex Barton was voted out of his kindergarten class—have filed notice that they intend to sue the school district. Parents are raising concerns about autistic children being restrained or secluded and about a lack of sufficient training and of teachers of autistic children in general. “They’re just not prepared for some of these kids,” said Musumeci, who says her then-12-year-o... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1734067 Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:01:17 +0100 1734067 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1734068&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FbwkCNGcw3EQ%2F Autism and Dolphins, Is There a Connection?—-I’m not inclined to speculate too much, aside from noting that a dolphin is the best metaphor I can find to describe Charlie swimming in the ocean. (As for taking better photos of him swimming—I’d need a camera like this, and hope it can withstand sand, surf, and salt water!) Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, camera, disabilities blog, disability, dolphin, Family, family blog, Health, ocean, Parenting, pdd-nos, photos, swimming, WaterShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1734068 Mon, 25 Aug 2008 20:28:25 +0100 1734068 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1734069&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FVc2kGhclFOg%2F The National Autistic Society has launched a Creativity Competition, “My life with autism or Asperger’s syndrome.” Autistic adults are invited to express their experiences living with autism; nine winning entries will be chosen, today’s Coventry News notes. Adults with autism or Asperger’s over the age of 18 can enter; the deadline is September 30th. More information can be found at Think Differently. September 30th is also the deadline to submit a comment regarding the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) Draft Strategic Plan for ASD Research. Feedback is sought from ASD stakeholders—individuals with ASD and their families, autism advocates, scientists, health professionals, therapists, educators, officials of state and local programs for AS... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1734069 Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:00:22 +0100 1734069 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1730717&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FnRqTiPI48gE%2F Classes start Wednesday at the Jersey City college where I teach: It’s a small college in a very urban setting. I’m not sure what the percentage of students on the spectrum at my college might be. (The noise level—-the college is on a major thoroughfare, Kennedy Boulevard—-was one reason that one Asperger’s student told me he did not find the college right for him.) More and more students with Asperger’s are attending, and will be attending, college, today’s MSNBC reports: Many students with Asperger’s or other autism-like disorders face new challenges in a college setting. The syndrome hampers communication and social skills, so along with difficulties staying on top of their studies, these students may struggle with making friends and livin... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1730717 Sun, 24 Aug 2008 23:22:33 +0100 1730717 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1730718&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FoF0kedvJ_vs%2F Has lugging loads of (soaking wet) laundry led to your developing the muscles in your arms (though not as much as this Olympian mom)? Imagine if you had an iBasket, a combination laundry basket/washing machine, rendering the lugging-laundry-basket step unnecessary—-now, how about automating the next step, hoisting the cleaned but still wet items into the dryer……… Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, clothes, disabilities blog, disability, Family, family blog, Health, housework, ibasket, invention, laundry, melanie roach, olympics, Parenting, pdd-nos, Technology, washing machineShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1730718 Sun, 24 Aug 2008 21:17:04 +0100 1730718 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1730719&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F8A46v-EQ3DA%2F Now another countdown begins: Two more weeks before Charlie starts school. He knows exactly where he’s going and who the teacher is and has a tag on his backpack with his bus number and locker number on it, and the postcard from the Board of Ed announcing when the bus is coming is prominently displayed on our refrigerator. Charlie’s been at several schools and classrooms over the years and one reason he’s looking forward to September 8th so much is because he knows what to expect and where he’s going—-not so for 9-year-old Tyler Baker, who was assigned to attend Reagan Elementary School, his fifth school since 2004. Tyler has Asperger’s Syndrome and his mother Stephanie Baker has filed a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights on the grounds of discri... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1730719 Sun, 24 Aug 2008 17:11:15 +0100 1730719 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1729479&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FcjhzijRv8vU%2F I mean, what do you expect? We spend two whole weeks in a house with a lovely big open room one block from the ocean (and are able to piggyback on someone’s internet server so Charlie is able to discover the pleasures and perils of YouTube) and (after a very anxious start) fall into a fine routine of late morning and late afternoon ocean swims, punctuated by plenty of beach food (i.e., seafood and fries, though Charlie was not too interested in the latter—a first—but wanted sushi again and again; good thing it’s become a fixture at the Jersey shore along with the crabcakes). We overpacked, meaning that all that I should have packed was three shirts, one pair of shorts, and three swimsuits for Charlie (because he rotated wearing those few items). A few years ago, Cha... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1729479 Sun, 24 Aug 2008 06:49:09 +0100 1729479 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1729480&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FQke96WwyP2E%2F Two weeks ago, we went back to the beach house. At first Charlie was not happy to be there. But the third day was the charm and we had some interesting meetings. Charlie discovered YouTube and its cache of Barney videos (especially the really old ones, which he seems to prefer). He got very upset after a fun visit with friends. He swam worthy of an Olympian. He worked on the concept of “swimming flag to flag” and ate his share of ketchup. He had a super surfing lesson. And on the last day, we (i.e., Jim and Charlie) went kayaking in the bay. Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, barney, disabilities blog, disability, Family, family blog, Health, jersey shore, New Jersey, ocean, Parenting, pdd-nos, surfing, Water, youtubeShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1729480 Sat, 23 Aug 2008 22:00:55 +0100 1729480 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1726414&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F6MPo5NYM0VE%2F Should physical and recreational activity be part of an “overall treatment theme” for autistic children? Dr. Joachim Hallmayer asks this in a San Jose Mercury News article about “Autism Nights” at Pump It Up, an “inflatable private party franchise.” Unscientifically, I would have to say, oh yes. We always make sure Charlie gets some sort of exercise—walking, swimming, biking—every day. One reason we try to vacation at the beach because it’s a vacation with a very heavy dose of (very fun) physical activity, ocean swimming, walking and running on the sand, and surfing. (Just my “mommy instinct” at work here.) Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, disability, exercise disabilities blog, Family, family blog, Health, inflatab... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1726414 Sat, 23 Aug 2008 01:20:18 +0100 1726414 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1726415&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Ftk_X18bZ1P0%2F “Doesn’t make eye contact”: It’s often noted that autistic individuals don’t do this. Science Daily reports on new research that it’s society and cultural norms that influence how people recognize each other’s faces: Lead researcher Dr Roberto Caldara [of the University of Glasgow] said: “In a series of eye-movement studies, we showed that social experience has an impact on how people look at faces. Specifically we noticed a striking difference in eye movements in Westerners and East Asian observers. We found that Westerners tend to look at specific features on an individual’s face such as the eyes and mouth whereas East Asian observers tend to focus on the nose or the centre of the face which allows a more general view of all the featu... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1726415 Fri, 22 Aug 2008 20:35:08 +0100 1726415 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1726416&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FfepgZeMOD5E%2F Retired Fort Myers physician John R. Agnew goes a step beyond the argument attributing the increase in autism to better diagnosis and awareness in today’s News-Press—–it’s also due to families increasingly seeking “government money.” Writes Agnew, “Once the government gets involved, money follows, along with rules and some bureaucratic thinking.” He does not specify what form “government money” for autistic children might take; he references Thomas Sowell’s argument that the increase in autism is too many children who are really “late-talking” are being given an autism diagnosis. Considering the emotional and other resources that are expended in seeking services for an autistic child, and in getting an official d... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1726416 Fri, 22 Aug 2008 16:41:03 +0100 1726416 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1723508&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fai92Q4NHT7I%2F The prevalence rate for autism among children in the US is 1 in 150, according to the most recently released figured from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2007. The 1 in 150 figure is based on data from the CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network (ADDM); the figure represents an average of ASD prevalence among states participating in the project. On its website about ASD prevalence, the CDC states: In 2006, 224,594 children ages 6-21 and 35,111 children ages 3-5 were served under the “autism” classification for special education services[2]. Not all children with an ASD receive special education services under the classification of “autism,” so the education data underestimate the actual prevalence of ASDs [my emphasis]. For more inform... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1723508 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:49:31 +0100 1723508 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1720389&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F6ZgSqfkHFAc%2F Last year Charlie had his first surfing lesson. He swam out into the ocean with a 9-foot-surfboard attached to his ankle and was able, after coaxing, to get into a kneeling position, hands grasping the sides of the board. What I remember most from that first lesson was not the long, lazy rides he had after the surfing teacher gave him a good push and Charlie rode the board in like a boat. It was the way Charlie and the surfing teacher, automatically ducked under each wave almost at the same moment, and how Charlie was completely nonchalant about swimming with the surfboard attached to him. Jim scheduled another lesson for Charlie on Wednesday afternoon at 4pm, with the same teacher. I watched Jim and the teacher out in the waves with Charlie, pulling him up on the yellow surfboard, and too... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1720389 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 06:26:39 +0100 1720389 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1720391&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FTAt7BJV0Mg0%2F This is the year (and this is, in particular, the summer) that Charlie took a huge liking to ketchup. At home, the proportion of the red stuff on a plate is, at times, significantly less than that of the food it’s meant to accompany, and Charlie has watched patiently as I’ve done what I can to shake those last drops out. Down here at the beach, he’s mostly had ketchup in those little packets; he tends to eat them first (before the hot dog or burger and fries).  Given that there’s more ketchup than actual tomatoes consumed around here, I was interested to know that “the cheap, mass-produced processing tomato yields more concentrated nutrients than the fresh-market varieties that are picked green,” in a recent article on tomatoes in Smithsonian Magazine b... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1720391 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:30:51 +0100 1720391 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1720392&cid=t_180933_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=1720393&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FdiRpG6WR9yo%2F “Autistics” simply do not exist. writes journalist Dan Olmsted in an Age of Autism post on the use of the word “retard” in the movie Tropic Thunder. He “really can’t stand” it when the “people with autism” are referred to as “autistics,” and he sees the word as a “corollary of ‘retards’.” Olmsted refers here to an ongoing debate in the autism community, about whether to use the adjective “autistic” or the preposition/noun phrase “with autism.” Some prefer to say “autistic” to suggest that autism is part of a person; others prefer “with autism,” as it’s thought that this phrase suggests that autism is separate from a person. More recently, autistic ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1720393 Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:00:32 +0100 1720393 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1717243&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FGj8BrmY3U8c%2F Darn, I thought it was my own state of New Jersey that does: According to the most recent figures released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2007, about 1 in 150 8-year-old children in multiple areas of the United States had an ASD, and New Jersey has the highest prevalence rate, 1 in 94. An article in the August 20th CityPages in Minnesota suggests that it’s rather the North Star state that has the highest rate, 1 in 81. The CityPages article mentions a 2001 CDC study but not the more recent one in 2007, though it does cite the 1 in 150 figure. For the 1 in 81 figure, the article relies on a chart made up from data from public school districts around the country. (You can see the chart here via a parent’s website.) The parent of an autistic child, Dan Hollen... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1717243 Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:30:15 +0100 1717243 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1717244&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FPnb7z0mCmgM%2F A Tennessee high school student, Eric L died on August 18th after suffering head trauma at the Byington-Solway Career and Technical Center last Wednesday. Law was autistic and a special education student. From VolunteerTV.com Oaks says two employees are on paid administrative leave pending an investigation. Oaks says the student fell from a vehicle, but would not elaborate on the details because of the ongoing investigation into the incident. Attorney Greg Isaacs identifies the student as Eric Law. Isaacs is representing Law’s family, and says Eric was a special education student with autism. Isaacs says, according to his investigation, a teacher got permission from the school’s principal to move some tables, and Eric was in the bed of a student’s truck when he fell and s... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1717244 Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:13:05 +0100 1717244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1717245&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FmG-05c1NTK4%2F Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia are studying how to use 3-D imaging to analyze the facial structures and brain abnormalities of autistic children, in the hopes of developing a formula to identify autism in young children. From a press release: “When you compare the faces and head shapes of children with specific types of autism to other children, it is obvious there are variations. Currently, autism diagnosis is purely behavior based and doctors use tape measurements to check for facial and brain dissimilarities. We are developing a quantitative method that will accurately measure these differences and allow for earlier, more precise detection of specific types of the disorder,” said Ye Duan, assistant computer science professor in the MU College of Engineering. “O... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1717245 Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:15:55 +0100 1717245 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1713979&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FizzERyCOROE%2F Yet another report of an autistic individual—Angel Brooke McKinnley, a 22 year old woman in Provo—-who is missing. There’s been numerous stories about autistic children and adults missing this summer, and Project Lifesaver has been mentioned a couple of times. A friend’s son has one of the Project Lifesaver devices and I was surprised at how big it is; it’s a lot of plastic strapped onto a small boy’s wrist. He’s okay wearing it but I don’t think Charlie would tolerate it at all and would probably try to get the device off his wrist, and not be too happy when he was not able to. Impossible these days not to look at Charlie and think, big kid. Standing on the edge of the ocean, deeply tanned and with strong shoulders, he’s (as Jim likes ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1713979 Tue, 19 Aug 2008 07:21:58 +0100 1713979 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1713980&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FoSiZpbG6gvU%2F Earlier this summer, Charlie and I had a very good time watching Kung Fu Panda. We went after the movie had been out for awhile and sat in the back. The movie itself was noisy and Charlie wasn’t the only child talking during the movie and moving around some. Sensory Friendly Films is a pilot program that, it’s hoped, will make the movie-going experience more friendly for families with autistic children. The program is a team venture of AMC Entertainment (AMC) and the Autism Society of America (ASA). From the ASA website: In order to provide a more accepting and comfortable setting for this unique audience, the movie auditoriums will have their lights brought up and the sound turned down. Additionally, AMC’s “Silence is Golden®” policy will not be enforced unless the safe... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1713980 Tue, 19 Aug 2008 01:08:04 +0100 1713980 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1713981&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FiF3PQCC1hHg%2F Besides watching Charlie pick up his red boogie board and walk out into the waves, lie down on it and turn around to catch a wave—last year he hadn’t quite gotten the knack of this—-and the general benefits of being at the beach (and I say this as a person who, until knowing Jim, had zero desire to swim in the ocean), a “side benefit” of vacationing herer is that it makes it possible for us to be social and, in particular, to do something that we rarely/never do at home: Entertain guests. Tuesday friends came with their son who’s Charlie’s age; Thursday another friend came with her two sons (and Charlie communicated his distress at their leaving wordlessly, and sadly). From Friday afternoon till Monday morning our friend from Philadelphia has been ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1713981 Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:09:36 +0100 1713981 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1713982&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FUyZJm72zRB8%2F Gluten-free doesn’t have to mean flavor-free: the ultimate guide to wheat-less eating trumpets a recent post on Epicurious. Who don’t you know (sister-in-law, aunt, close friend from college) who hasn’t noted to you, “I’ve been going gluten-free and I feel so much better….”. As long as my son’s been diagnosed, the gluten-free casein-free diet has been touted as a potential “treatment” for autism. Once we were fanatics; now he has the occasional bun with his hot dog and I pack his lunchbox with sushi and spring rolls and other gluten-free casein-free eats. And I keep finding more and more gluten-free items in the local grocery stores and hear about more and more people trying “the diet,” which was most recently promoted... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1713982 Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:00:20 +0100 1713982 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1711780&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FibOiCSSRncs%2F We tried a new Mexican restaurant Saturday night. Charlie was initially game to try the rice and beans and licked up some guacamole, then put his hands over his ears (classic rock soundtrack playing) and moaned. I finished up my burrito and took him back to the black car, which is so much a comforting space. He was hunched over, but calmed. Charlie loves to be in motion (hence, his love of the ocean’s waves) and so we’re often at home in the road, in the car. Maybe we’re not exactly living out of a motor home, but sometimes the black car (often with Charlie’s backpack and my overstuffed bag) feels the equivalent. Small wonder, then, that getting home (with the beach house a surrogate for our actual home; we’ve one more week here) feels like we’ve won som... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1711780 Sun, 17 Aug 2008 22:09:26 +0100 1711780 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1711782&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FyuGljrjApwA%2F Today’s New York Times weighs in not so much about the movie Tropic Thunder’s use of the r-word, as on the more general phenomenon of certain Hollywood movies seeking to top levels of tastelessness and crassness, and un-PC-ness, all in the name of box office revenues. The r-word is kind of r-rated around here and, indeed, just simply rude. And a sign of a rube? Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, beats, ben stiller, disabilities blog, disability, dream works, Family, family blog, films, Health, hollywood, intellectual disabilities, jack black, jr., Language, Movies, new york, parenthood, Parenting, pdd-nos, r-rated, robert downey, special olympiShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1711782 Sun, 17 Aug 2008 16:06:47 +0100 1711782 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1709266&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FWiZDziskVDY%2F It being the “dog days of August”; us being on vacation at the beach house; the 2008 Olympics taking place; Charlie being a boy who loves loves loves to swim—-I am indulging in making a bit of an Olympic (”citius altius fortius“). More than a few people have said to me that life raising an autistic child is not so much a sprint as a marathon. In the beginning, after you first get the diagnosis, it feels that you have to run to your utmost abilities, until you’ve drawn your last breath and then still have to give it your all: So parents race to find out and try so many treatments and therapies for their child, so parents hurry hurry hurry and “give their all” to “recovering a child from autism.” You can read many an online (and boo... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1709266 Sun, 17 Aug 2008 06:37:15 +0100 1709266 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1709268&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F0-S1Mrt1w2M%2F A pilot daycare program for special needs children is being launched at the Kalamazoo Autism Center, under Professor Richard Malott, a psychology professor at Western Michigan University, the August 15th MLive reports. It will offer daycare services from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, as well as supplemental behavioral-based instruction will be offered to children from age 18 months to 12 years; tutors and tutor supervisors will be Malott’s WMU students. Standard full-day tuition for day care will be $189 per week for infants and $157 per week for older students, and half-day care is also available. All I can say is: I think I’ve been needing such a center for the past, oh, 8 or (to tell the truth) 11 years. Charlie was in a daycare when he was 16 months old an... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1709268 Sat, 16 Aug 2008 20:27:38 +0100 1709268 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1709269&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fa1f0hZqGe9g%2F First, I must confess: I was very fond of My So-Called Life, the TV show that brought actress Claire Danes to fame, and that only lasted (sigh) one season. For better and for worse, I still channel “Angela Chase” and hear that voice of teenage girl discontent on seeing Danes’s name—-so now I’m not quite sure how to think of Danes playing autistic scientist Temple Grandin in an HBO biopic. A commenter offers some leading questions about Danes in this role and the August 15th New York Magazine asks about how she’ll be “playing the autistic” in the context of the movie many of us are not so happy about for its used of the r-word, Tropic Thunder. Here’s what New York Magazine has to say: In Tropic Thunder’s most talked-about — both ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1709269 Sat, 16 Aug 2008 15:13:42 +0100 1709269 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1709271&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FWFg-WXCI_JA%2F 16-year-old Andy Beattie has been missing since August 10; he was last seen in Tacoma, Washington. He has Asperger’s Syndrome and has, according to a post by his mother on an online forum, “run off in the past and [was] sleeping in public parks and in street bus stops.” You can find more information here, including contact numbers for his mother, Samantha Underwood. Tags: andy beattie, asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, disabilities blog, disability, Family, family blog, Health, missing children, Parenting, pdd-nos, tacoma, washingtonShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1709271 Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:18:12 +0100 1709271 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1709272&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fu-yuPYW3BrU%2F I read about Jenny, a “special-needs elephant” (per the New York Times; she has, among much else, “crippling depression”). In the midst of discussions about the “r-word” in the Tropic Thunder movie, the words we use to refer to “kids who are different” or “academically challenged” or “special ed/special needs” resonate. When did “special” come to mean “needs SPECIAL education,” with undercurrents of, “not the most academically gifted student; not even average”? It’s not an academic question to me. My son Charlie’s academic abilities are “way way below” those considered “average” for his grade and age. And yet Jim and I, and his teachers too, aren&#... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1709272 Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:28:07 +0100 1709272 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1709273&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FeNdk2BC57O4%2F HBO is planning a biopic of autistic author and animal expert Temple Grandin starring……….Claire Danes, Reuters reports, who would follow in the footsteps of Sigourney Weaver (Snowcake) and Dustin Hoffman (Rain Man) in playing an autistic character. The movie has been nine years in the making. My so-called autistic life? Tags: actors, asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, claire danes, disabilities blog, disability, Family, family blog, hbo, Health, Movies, my so called life, Parenting, pdd-nos, rain man, sigourney weaver, temple grandinShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1709273 Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:11:14 +0100 1709273 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1709275&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FFGWO1oBphGQ%2F What do you get when you combine bubble wrap and numbers, and a need to keep track of time for your eager-to-return-to-school 11 year old? The Bubble Calendar, a “poster-sized calendar with a bubble to pop every day.” Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, bubble wrap, calendar, disabilities blog, disability, Family, family blog, Health, Parenting, Sensory, TimeShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1709275 Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:30:35 +0100 1709275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1704767&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FgKt8DHukbZw%2F Change of scenery, change of routine—-that’s all part of vacation and, as recounted here, why Charlie’s first three days at the beach house were full of more sorrow than smiles. We’re back in the swim (big-time—-Jim’s been calling Charlie “the torpedo” for the way he propels himself through the water, in the moving waves and all). We came down here with a minimum of “stuff”; just enough clothes (mostly swimsuits, of course!) and beach towels; laptops (Jim is in the final, final stages of finishing his book and I am trying to dig into mine); a few books (wish I could say “a nice stack,” but going to the beach with Charlie means being as active as him; no relaxing in a beach chair with something cold to drink and “... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1704767 Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:00:15 +0100 1704767 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1704769&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FZjuIHAQA3-E%2F Today’s WFAA.com reports that 15-year-old Kati Jo Hazlett, who is 5′ tall, has dark blonde hair and blue eyes, was last seen at her McKinney home. Go here to see her photo. And hope she is found and home, soon. Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, disability, Family, family blog, Health, kids blog, mckinney, missing children disabilities blog, Parenting, pdd-nos, texasShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1704769 Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:04:38 +0100 1704769 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1704770&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FcHtQ07CYw9M%2F Regarding this boycott of the movie Tropic Thunder over its use of the term “retarded” and director and star Ben Stiller’s portrayal of “a weak-minded character named Simple Jack” : It’s starting to seem that, really, Hollywood’s got the “developmental delays”—is being “a little slow to get it”—-at least when it comes to understanding why mocking the “retarded” may be the last acceptable prejudice. And, why they should stop doing it. Here’s an article on the Special Olympics website about the boycott. Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, beats, ben stiller, disabilities blog, disability, dream works, Family, family blog, films, Health, hollywood, intellectual disabilities, jack black, jr.,... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1704770 Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:00:04 +0100 1704770 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1700794&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fp5XhFLLd0Eo%2F Gerald Guay, who formerly worked in a Bloomfield (CT) state-run group home for mentally disabled people, was banned from working in the health care industry after pleading guilty to negligent cruelty to a person, the August 11th Hartford Courant reports. Guay tormented and abused 38-year-old Christopher Stockton, who has severe autism, developmental disabilities, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, and does not speak. Stockton’s mother, Alice Stockton, suspected the abuse more than two years ago when her son started to have seizures, around the time that Guay started to work in the home: Alice Stockton was told [by Connecticut’s Department of Developmental Disabilities] there was nothing that could be done because there was no proof of abuse, according to the affidavit. Eventual... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1700794 Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:00:12 +0100 1700794 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1700795&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FK4R_6e7FjN8%2F Third time, or day’s, the charm? Monday the sun shone, we got in two swims in the ocean, and Charlie seemed a bit more, and even much more, relaxed about being at the beach house. He tried the boogie board briefly and smiled when he shoved his feet far underneath the squishy wet sand. He didn’t seem too inclined to swim too far out and liked teasing the waves, running in up to just above is knees and getting right back up after a wave knocked him over. Quite unlike himself, Charlie was minimally interested in eating. At dinner time, he asked for “white rice” and we ended up getting him a dish of jambalaya. Not exactly plain old white rice—red, with spices and peppers and sausage and chicken and shrimp—-Charlie dug right in and ate small bites. After ten ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1700795 Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:00:12 +0100 1700795 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1696275&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FsgDchoT5qt0%2F 6-year-old Grayson Sherrell drowned in a backyard swimming pool last Friday, today’s Gaston Gazette reports: Police say Grayson wandered off from the backyard of his grandparents, Robert and Betty Saunders of the 3600 block of Raven Hill Drive, Gastonia. They realized he was gone after three or four minutes and began searching for him. When they didn’t find him after several minutes they called police, according to a press release. A resident of 1105 Colony Court found him in the pool after coming home and began CPR. The boy was taken to Gaston Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Grayson was to start first grade in the fall. He was diagnosed with autism at the age of three and, as his mother Donna Sherrell says, “‘was a very loving little boy.’&#82... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1696275 Tue, 12 Aug 2008 01:47:03 +0100 1696275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1696277&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FB2zLI4YP7zI%2F Maybe you’ve heard about 9-year-old Lin Hao—-a survivor of the Sichuan earthquake who dug himself out of the rubble and then went back and got two of his classmates out—who appeared in the super-spectacular Opening Ceremony of the Oympics and about whom, as Grace Ibay at Kids Health Notes, writes, Chinese bloggers are talking about: Not by accident, the tiny flag that Lin Hao is waving is upside down. It’s an international nautical distress signal. It’s a cry for help. And someone thought of sending that message out at the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. Just an accident, maybe not quite an incident? What if cars bearing puzzle magnets chose to turn them upside down to indicate distress; a particularly bad day? We don’t, by the way, have any sort of ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1696277 Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:20:15 +0100 1696277 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1696278&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FImdqiyCyYLQ%2F A CBS News story on No help for autistic children in Baghdad asks, what if you think you detect the symptoms of autism in your child but there’s no doctor—because he’s fled the country—-to even give you a diagnosis, let alone any services? Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, baghdad, child, disabilities blog, disability, doctor, Family, family blog, iraq, iraq war, Parenting, pdd-nos, warShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1696278 Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:00:00 +0100 1696278 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1696279&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F7MNQZvp8DDQ%2F Two days at the beach and it’s turning out to be a bit different from our previous vacations. We’ve gone to the same beach—the same spot on the Jersey Shore—since Charlie was a baby; for the past three years, to the exact same beach house. Jim used to vacation on this beach as a kid and I first came here soon after we’d met. I had never liked the beach until coming here and it’s been where Jim and I, and then Jim and Charlie and I, have vacationed nearly every year since the late 1990’s. Ever since the first time he came here, Charlie’s been drawn to the water and the waves. Many years followed of Jim and me carrying him into the waves and holding Charlie while the water came in and out around him, and then of Jim piggybacking him into the wa... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1696279 Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:33:27 +0100 1696279 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1696280&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FgShimX5nu7o%2F More than a dozen disabilities groups—including the Arc of the United States, the National Down Syndrome Congress, the American Association of People With Disabilities—-are calling on Monday for a boycott of the movie Tropic Thunder, which is to be released this Wednesday. The film is directed by actor Ben Stiller and is, according to the August 10th New York Times, a “movie-industry spoof”: A particular sore point has been the film’s repeated use of the term “retard” in referring to a character, Simple Jack, who is played by Mr. Stiller in a subplot about an actor who chases an Oscar by portraying a mindless dolt. ….. DreamWorks and Paramount have shown “Tropic Thunder” in more than 250 promotional screenings around the country since April, but sign... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1696280 Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:33:25 +0100 1696280 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1696281&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FCNg-jH_gnRc%2F In light of stories earlier this summer about autistic children being removed from airplanes and the skies being less than friendly for autism assistance dogs too, this story is, well, a bit more uplifting. Today’s San Jose Mercury News reports on Take Flight for Kids, which was held yesterday at the San Jose Reid-Hillview Airport and whose sponsors included Guide Dogs for the Blind: The stated goal of the festival, which provided free, 20-minute, small-plane rides to about 150 disabled or critically ill youngsters and their parents, is to show them that “the sky is literally the limit to reaching out and overriding their perceived limitations.” ….. The opportunity to get his hands on one of the single-engine plane’s controls was an unexpected and invigorating... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1696281 Sun, 10 Aug 2008 20:21:12 +0100 1696281 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1693717&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FRIviHLmhCl0%2F I’ve not been surprised that Charlie’s been calling for home and so uncertain about vacation, although it’s a very familiar vacation, in the same beach house that we’ve rented for a couple of years and at the same time of year, and with the same families renting houses on the same street. He likes his regular routine that centers around school, because he likes school, and packing up the car and going somewhere else may suggest to him that we’re not going back. We went to a take-out place for dinner and Charlie insisted that we sit down instead of taking the food home. Every picnic table was filled and Charlie stood close by one table and then another while I beckoned him to stand with me. We went into the building; Jim was just getting our food. The tables we... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1693717 Sun, 10 Aug 2008 05:40:35 +0100 1693717 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1693718&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FLKLqMQYeVzU%2F Made it down to the beach house with the usual traffic and Charlie making it clear, he’d rather be somewhere else. I unloaded the car while Jim picked up two rental bikes, and Charlie came in to the beach house (this is the fourth year we’ve rented the same one), eventually. Charlie used to get really upset when we left the beach and now I maybe he’s  transferring his worry about leaving a special place to the beginning of the trip. Off to the beach while the lifeguards are still out. Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, beach, disabilities blog, disability, Family, family blog, Health, jersey shore, New Jersey, ocean, Parenting, pdd-nos, WaterShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1693718 Sat, 09 Aug 2008 20:33:51 +0100 1693718 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1692212&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F6-Zvc5bEfdU%2F There’s been lots of reports of autistic children benefiting from therapy dogs and of the dogs even attending school as “four-footed aides.” But there’s also been at least one account of a specially trained therapy dog being excluded from a school setting. And, this past July, Karen Shirk, the director of 4 Paws for Ability, and three trained autism assistance dogs were blocked from boarding a Qantas flight at the Los Angeles Airport, en route to traveling to Waikato in New Zealand. Three families there had spent two years fund-raising for the dogs and now have an additional $33,000 to pay for the transport of the dogs and the 4 Paws staff. Shirk had booked American Airlines tickets online and confirmed that service dogs were allowed in the cabin with passengers, bu... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1692212 Sat, 09 Aug 2008 07:50:08 +0100 1692212 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1692213&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FS9IXk1byrH0%2F “It’s the media’s fault.” How often do you hear that, or even say it to yourself, on hearing some tired myth or piece of misinformation about autism stated yet again? Michael Savage’s over-the-top “99% of kids are no autistic but brats” comments is but one example. An article by a team of bioethicists and available online August 6th in Neurology examines media coverage in America about the Terry Schiavo case. In 1990, Schiavo had a cardiac arrest that led to irreversible brain damage and a “persistent vegetative state” diagnosis. From Science Daily: “In the course of our research, we were surprised by the amount of medical inaccuracies that these newspapers had published, said Dr. ÉricRacine [of the Institut de recherches cliniqu... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1692213 Fri, 08 Aug 2008 22:44:37 +0100 1692213 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1692214&cid=t_180933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FJD_rBDts0dc%2F So we come home from an hour swimming at the pool and Charlie says, “Carrots, lunchbox.” And after I give the “yeah, sure,” he opens a cabinet and takes out a Ziploc. As we have no carrots, I suggest grapes, and go to empty the laundry from the dryer. When I come back to the kitchen, Charlie is zipping up his lunchbox and talking about the schoolbus and the names of his OT and some teachers, and then puts the lunchbox in his backpack after taking out the stuff he likes to have in the backpack but that he doesn’t take to school: The photo bucket, some photo albums, picture books, the Leapster, and one of my shirts. In goes the lunchbox and he finds his red homework folder and, grinning, puts it in. “Good night!” Off to bed. As you know, it’s t... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1692214 Fri, 08 Aug 2008 19:00:59 +0100 1692214