Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder MMR Vaccine Studay A fraud?

2011-01-06T14:01:00.002-06:00

The Associated Press
LONDON - The first study to link a childhood vaccine to autism was based on doctored information about the children involved, according to a new report on the widely discredited research.

The conclusions of the 1998 paper by Andrew Wakefield and colleagues was renounced by 10 of its 13 authors and later retracted by the medical journal Lancet, where it was published. Still, the suggestion the MMR shot was connected to autism spooked parents worldwide and immunization rates for measles, mumps and rubella have never fully recovered.

A new examination found, by comparing the reported diagnoses in the paper to hospital records, that Wakefield and colleagues altered facts about patients in their study.

The analysis, by British journalist Brian Deer, found that despite the claim in Wakefield's paper that the 12 children studied were normal until they had the MMR shot, five had previously documented developmental problems. Deer also found that all the cases were somehow misrepresented when he compared data from medical records and the children's parents.

Wakefield could not be reached for comment despite repeated calls and requests to the publisher of his recent book, which claims there is a connection between vaccines and autism that has been ignored by the medical establishment. Wakefield now lives in the U.S. where he enjoys a vocal following including celebrity supporters like Jenny McCarthy.

Deer's article was paid for by the Sunday Times of London and Britain's Channel 4 television network. It was published online Thursday in the medical journal, BMJ.

In an accompanying editorial, BMJ editor Fiona Godlee and colleagues called Wakefield's study "an elaborate fraud." They said Wakefield's work in other journals should be examined to see if it should be retracted.

Last May, Wakefield was stripped of his right to practise medicine in Britain. Many other published studies have shown no connection between the MMR vaccination and autism.

But measles has surged since Wakefield's paper was published and there are sporadic outbreaks in Europe and the U.S. In 2008, measles was deemed endemic in England and Wales.

Temple Grandin With Autism Spectrum Disorder Wins Emmy Award

2010-08-30T02:23:00.003-05:00

Temple Grandin has won Outstanding Made for Television Movie Emmy Award. Claire

Claire Danes as Temple Grandin: Photo HBO Films

Danes also won for Lead Actress for her portrayal of Temple Grandin

Wonderful news for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder, to have
a role model like Temple Grandin

Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder Jumps in River

2010-08-24T21:31:00.002-05:00

A special needs child who jumped into the Red River was saved Tuesday thanks to some quick-thinking water taxi crews and a courageous cop.

But there's no happy ending for the autistic boy's mom, who says her son has been cast adrift by the province.

Noah Falk may not be aware of the commotion he caused at The Forks. The autistic 12-year-old suddenly abandoned his care giver, and jumped into the Red River.

"We threw him life rings from the shore line," said Gord Cartwright, the owner of Splash Dash Tour Boats.

"He won't take our hand, he won't take a life ring, he won't do anything but he's swimming and the currents taking him away right in the middle of the river," said Cartwright.

A jogger noticed the commotion and got into another boat.

"I hooked him once or twice but he was fighting it," said Barry Horan, who was jogging along The Forks walkway when he rushed to help.

When emergency crews arrived, Noah had already floated to the Provencher Bridge with the two tour boats by his side.

"We left one boat with him, a second boat my boat went off to the shoreline to pick up a police officer, he came onto our boat," said Cartwright.

"One of our officers then jumped in the water, grabbed the boy, from there they were able to hook onto the officer and the boy and bring him to one of the boats for safety," said Sergeant Ken Ehmann.

While the hero cop was sent to warm up, Noah was checked over in hospital and sent home.

His mother doesn't blame anyone, but fears it could happen again. Noah's autism makes his behaviour unpredictable and difficult to control, also adding to the difficulty of the situation, he does not speak.

"As grateful as I am for the people that helped, I'm really disheartened that this behaviour is returning, because we haven't seen it for about four and half years," said Kalyn Falk, Noah's mother.

Noah has had three years of specialized therapy but provincial funding ran out in June.

"He's losing his team and he's consultant so it's been a really hard summer for him because a lot of the things that were built in are gone," said Kalyn.

And without proper help, his mother losses sleep, worried about what will happen next.

"It's just a matter of time that someone isn't there at the right place," said Kalyn.

This story is from Winnipeg,Manitoba, Canada

We have two children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and live in Winnipeg.

The Red River is a very dangerous river that can suck even the best swimmers

under water.

Jenny McCarthy To Close Her Autism Spectrum Disorder School

2010-04-09T14:40:00.000-05:00

Hard on the heels of her split from actor Jim Carrey, Jenny McCarthy is closing her well-known school for autistic children, Teach2Talk Academy.

“Jenny and her partner at the Academy, Sarah Scheflen, had different visions for the school and made a decision to go their separate ways," Jenny’s rep told the entertainment site HollywoodLife.com.
"Both intend to continue on in this important mission. Sarah and Jenny really enjoyed their time working at the Academy and feel honored that they were able to provide such high quality early intervention services to so many children with autism and other developmental disabilities.”

Despite the news, McCarthy's image (above) is still on the school's web site home page.

McCarthy's son Evan was diagnosed with autism in 2005 when he was two years old. Since then the actress has become an outspoken and controversial autism activist. Just last year she told KidsLA magazine “I’m proud to say [the school] is an absolute success in terms of the amount of progress children with autism are making. We do have a goal to open more schools around the country. If I had Bill Gates‘ money, I would have them in every state.”

A source also told Hollywoodlife.com that she may have been in line to gain total control of the school with Jim Carrey's help.

“Before the school fell apart Jim was going to possibly buy out Jenny’s partner so the school would be all Jenny’s," the source said. "Then, next thing I heard, [Jenny] was moving out [from Carrey's house].”

Carrey announced the couple's split via Twitter on April 6.

Vaccine Study On Autism Spectrum Disorder Retracted

2010-02-02T11:15:00.000-06:00

British medical journal The Lancet says it has retracted a flawed study linking the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine to autism and bowel disease.

The Lancet published the controversial paper by Andrew Wakefield and colleagues in 1998. British parents abandoned the vaccine in droves, leading to a resurgence of measles. Subsequent studies found no proof the vaccine is connected to autism.

Ten of the study's 13 authors renounced the study's conclusions, and The Lancet has previously said it should never have published the research.

"We fully retract this paper from the published record," its editors said in a statement on Tuesday.

Wakefield and two colleagues face being stripped of their right to practise medicine in Britain.

1 Of Every 110 Children In United States Has Been Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2009-12-19T10:06:00.002-06:00

Roughly 1 of every 110 children in the United States has been diagnosed with autism, with boys at least four times more likely than girls to suffer from the developmental disorder, according to a federal study released yesterday that served as a rallying cry for scientists and activists.

The new estimates from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were based on a painstaking review of the 2006 medical and educational records of 8-year-olds in parts of 11 states and produced the most comprehensive portrait of the disease’s impact. No New England states were included in the study.

The autism rates in the report were significantly higher than figures gleaned from a review of 2002 records. But much as autism is a black box for its victims and their families, it remained unclear yesterday whether the increase in cases reflected better diagnosis and tracking or a true upswing in the condition’s prevalence.

“Some of the increases are due to better detection, particularly among children who may not have come to attention in the past,’’ including girls and Hispanic children, said Catherine Rice, lead author of the CDC study. “However, a simple explanation is not apparent. And a true increase in risk cannot be ruled out.’’

The findings in the CDC report mirror a study that appeared in the journal Pediatrics earlier this year that analyzed data gathered in a 2007 national survey of parents. That report found that about 1 percent of children between ages 3 and 17 had been diagnosed with the disorder. Recently published international studies have reported similar rates.

And the new federal report, much like previous studies, found that autism strikes boys with greater frequency: 14.5 of every 1,000 boys had autism, compared with 3.2 per 1,000 girls.

In recent years, few medical conditions of childhood have stoked deeper concern - and ignited greater controversy - than autism, which produces a wide spectrum of symptoms that can compromise learning and impair social interaction.

Unlike conditions such as obesity, diabetes, or and asthma, which can be identified with a scale, a blood test, or a breathing exam, diagnosing autism involves subtle and sophisticated assessments of behavior. As a result, rates of diagnosis can vary, sometimes depending on who performs the review and where.

In the federal study, for example, children in Miami were diagnosed with autism at a rate of 4.2 per 1,000. But in Phoenix, the rate was 12.1 per 1,000.

“Does that really mean three times as many children in Arizona have autism spectrum disorders as in Florida? Not necessarily,’’ said Dr. William Barbaresi, director of the Developmental Medicine Center at Children’s Hospital Boston.

One possible reason for the difference: In Miami, researchers had access only to medical records, while in Phoenix, medical and educational records were made available.

“It provides additional evidence,’’ Barbaresi said, “of the impact of identification strategies on the number you estimate for children affected by autism.’’

That number, based on earlier CDC studies, had stood at about 1 of every 150 children.

Advocacy groups seized on yesterday’s report as proof that scientists and the agencies that pay for research need to redouble efforts to better understand the roots of autism.

“The point is that we need to better explore both the role of genetics and environment and how they may interact with each other,’’ said Geraldine Dawson, chief science officer for the advocacy group Autism Speaks. “This study does underscore it’s a large increase, and we’re continuing to see this increase, and we don’t have answers for it.’’

Dr. Elizabeth Caronna, who directs Boston Medical Center’s autism clinic, said she suspects that much of the increase is attributable to heightened awareness of autism and more careful tracking of the disease by physicians.

Regardless of the reasons for the increase, said Dr. Ann Neumeyer of Massachusetts General Hospital, the finding should highlight the deep - and expensive - impact the disease will have.

“It helps us in understanding the amount of resources that are going to need to be set aside to help educate those children,’’ said Neumeyer, medical director of the Lurie Family Autism Center/LADDERS at Mass. General. “It also underscores the importance of making plans 20 years down the road when 1 percent of the population becomes adults.’’

Abilify Approved For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2009-11-23T18:16:00.000-06:00

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (BMS) got some good news this weekend when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its top-selling Abilify to treat children for autism-related irritability.

BMS and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. of Tokyo are collaborators in both the development and distribution of Abilify in the U.S. and Europe, reports Business Week.

Abilify is given to children, ages six through 17 to treat aggression toward others, self-injury, moodiness and temper tantrums associated with autism. The companies say the drug should be used as part of a comprehensive treatment plan including psychological counseling, education and socialization.

An article in the December 2009 Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry says any medication should be accompanied by a structured training program for parents to reduce serious behavioral problems in autistic children.

Autism Spectrum Disorder & Bullying

2009-11-13T13:35:00.000-06:00

By Shaun Heasley

November 13, 2009

Nine in 10 Massachusetts parents of kids with autism say their child has been a victim of bullying at school, a new survey finds. In over half of the cases, the bullying included being hit, kicked or chased.

The results come from an online survey conducted by Massachusetts Advocates for Children of nearly 400 parents of children with autism across the state. Findings indicate that 88 percent of children with autism have been bullied at school ranging from verbal abuse to physical contact.

Though widespread, parents indicated that schools were doing too little to address the bullying. Just one in five parents said they learned about the bullying their child experienced from the school. And, in two out of three cases, the bullying lasted for several months with most parents saying their child’s school didn’t do enough to respond.

“Children with autism spectrum disorder are especially vulnerable targets because of the nature of their disability,” says Julia Landau, senior autism center director at Massachusetts Advocates for Children. “Children on the spectrum are often viewed as atypical or different by their peers, and are generally unable to understand bullying incidents and protect themselves like other students due to the nature of ASD, which impacts communication, social and behavioral skills.”

A bill being considered in the Massachusetts legislature would address this problem by requiring individualized education plan (IEP) teams to address bullying faced by students with autism.

New Study On Autism Spectrum Disorder And Mercury Levels

2009-10-21T20:52:00.000-05:00

Melton Shire Council Australia

Exposure to high levels of mercury can cause brain damage, and many have tried to establish a link between mercury and the development of autism and other persistent developmental disorders in toddlers and preschoolers.

New research, however, has revealed that young children who test normal for mental and social development tend to have equivalent or higher levels of mercury in the bodies than do children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome or another developmental disorder.

Analyses of blood samples drawn from 452 children between the ages of 2 years and 5 years reported in the online version of the journal Environmental Health Perspectives showed that "blood mercury levels had similar means and overall distributions across diagnostic groups. The geometric mean for typically developing children, 0.28 mcg/L, was significantly higher than for autism/autism spectrum disorder (0.19 mcg/L) or developmentally delayed (0.17 mcg/L) children; after adjustment for demographic factors and mercury sources and application of weights, the geometric means for autism/autism spectrum disorder, developmentally delayed and typically developing children were 0.26, 0.16, and 0.24 mcg/L, respectively,"

The research, led by Irva Hertz-Picciotto of the Department of Public Health Sciences and M.I.N.D. (Medical Investigations of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute at the, University of California--Davis, Davis, was funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the M.I.N.D. Institute.

The vaccine preservative thimerosal has drawn particular attention from individuals and groups that make a link between mercury and autism. Thimerosal does contain mercury, but the amount of the element in vaccine doses is lower than the amount of mercury in most servings of fish. Hertz-Picciotto and her colleagues found the most mercury in children who ate the most fish. Additionally, Hertz-Picciotto told HealthDay, few childhood vaccines still contain thimerosal and almost none of the children she and her team assessed "had vaccines that would have or could have contained thimerosal."

Beyond any physical cause of autism that may be identified, the growing numbers of developmental disorder diagnoses may be due merely to increased recognition of the conditions by health care providers. After estimating that about 1 of every 100 U.S. children has some autism spectrum disorder, authors of an October 2009 Pediatrics article wrote, "The observed point-prevalence is higher than previous U.S. estimates. More inclusive survey questions, increased population awareness, and improved screening and identification by providers may partly explain this finding."

Boy With Autism Spectrum Disorder Saves Teachers Life

2009-10-14T20:14:00.000-05:00

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A local ten-year-old boy is being hailed as a hero. He says he used what he learned in Cub Scouts to save his teacher's life. The amazing young man explained to Eyewitness News how he reacted in an unusual situation with maturity well beyond his years.

Kyle Forbes, 10, is no ordinary kid. Most everyone will agree upon that. But now he's being honored by his school and his Scout troop for springing into action Tuesday to save his teacher's life.

For Hyde Elementary School teacher Sheri Lowe, every day teaching art class now is a gift.

"He saved my life," said Lowe.

Story continues below

It was about 10am Tuesday when she and Kyle were alone in her class. Lowe was eating an apple and choked. They showed us how he reacted.

"And I was choking and he squeezed me like that twice. The first time it didn't work, so he goes, 'I got it, Mrs. Lowe.' And he does it again, and he does it exactly the right way and the apple came out," said Lowe.

Kyle says he learned the Heimlich maneuver last year in Cub Scouts and that his dad reinforced the teaching.

"I just knew what to do immediately and I just like hurried over there and did it exactly right," said Kyle.

Lowe calls Kyle her hero, and it's a title he's happy to accept.

"Let's get back to the interview about the hero thing," said Kyle. "I mean that was the first time I've ever saved someone's life, in an accident. That's the first time I've ever done it."

Kyle is autistic. He has a passion for learning and like any child he wants to fit in.

"Before I was just like a normal kid, always being picked on. Then I was like a superhero. Everybody was cheering me when I came down to the office to get an award. Everyone clapped at me when I got back," said Kyle.

Lowe wonders what would be today had Kyle not been with her.

"He's in my prayers, and um, (to Kyle) tell me not to cry," said Lowe. "He is my hero."

Kyle's father is quite proud of his son. He says this is proof that children with autism can do anything others can do and that they should never think otherwise.

Can Home Kit Tell You If You Child Has Autism Spectrum Disorder ?

2009-09-16T12:50:00.001-05:00

Want to know if your child has autism? You may not need a doctor anymore. Makers of a new kit say they can screen for autism by monitoring just 16 hours of voice data taken at home.

Here’s how it works: Parents outfit their child in specially designed clothing that includes a slot for an audio recorder. Then, the recorder is placed in the slot and left on for 16 hours so that it can document a full day’s worth of sound. Once complete, parents send the recorder and completed questionnaire back to the kit’s makers for analysis and within a few weeks receive the results.

The kit, called LENABaby, relies on the fact that children with autism make different sounds than their peers.

The results from the screening kit are said to be 91 percent accurate in children as young as 24 months. The system is successful, the makers say, because children are assessed in their natural environment over the course of an entire day, reports Technology Review. To read more click here.

Woman Charged In Death Of Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2009-08-20T21:58:00.001-05:00

Kimberly Noyes has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of 12-year-old John Fulton, an autistic boy found dead a few doors from his home in the community of Grand Forks, B.C.

John's body was found in Ms. Noyes's home Monday evening after a desperate, wide-ranging search by his family, community members and police that began on Saturday, when he disappeared.

Police quickly declared the boy's death a homicide, although no other details about the cause of death have been released.

The victim and suspect lived two doors apart in a 25-unit housing complex called the Gables that offers subsidized housing for low-income families.

John lived with his mother, Christal, and two sisters.

The Crown approved the second-degree murder charge Wednesday, a day after the 42-year-old mentally ill woman was arrested when she was spotted near a high school.

Ms. Noyes appeared before a justice of the peace via video link from the Grand Forks' RCMP detachment.

Ms. Noyes, a divorced mother of three who had recently left her job as an accountant at a local manufacturer of roof trusses for reasons that have not been disclosed, is to appear in court Thursday.

In a statement, an RCMP spokesman said the force would continue to assist and support the Fulton family.

“This has been an emotionally exhausting and tragic ordeal for all to comprehend and accept,” Corporal Dan Moskaluk said in a statement.

But the debate continued Wednesday over family criticisms of the way the Mounties handled the case, which has shocked residents of this quiet community of about 4,000 near the Washington border in the Kootenay Mountains, about 500 kilometres east of Vancouver.

The RCMP had to apologize because the family learned through a reporter of John's death, after news on the matter was posted on the RCMP website.

And the family has said in a statement that they are concerned no Amber Alert was employed in this case.

The RCMP and municipal police forces use the alerts in some child abductions, activating a process that generates special announcements on radio and TV so all members of the public can look for a missing child.

Since 2004, B.C. has had eight such alerts involving 11 children. All were quickly recovered.

“We do not know if this could have saved Johnny's life, nor do we wish to speculate. However, we feel strongly that any child with autism should automatically qualify as an Amber Alert,” they said.

Police Wednesday continued to defend the decision not to use an alert, noting that the case did not meet criteria for the tool, which include reasonable grounds to believe an abduction has occurred and that the victim is in imminent danger.

“I can only say the current Amber Alert criteria in B.C. were not met in this case,” said Corporal Annie Linteau of Vancouver. “In this case, we had no reason to believe John was abducted.”

The family has said John's case was not typical because of his autism, and that police need to work with the Canadian Autism Society to educate themselves on the realities of autism.

Society president Michael Lewis said some of that work has already occurred.

He said in an interview that police should have paid more attention to assertions by John's mother that it was unlikely that her son would have run away.

Mr. Lewis, who is also president of the B.C. autism society, said in this case, and others, parents have a special expertise that should be considered.

He said his organization was waiting for further developments, including a possible future coroner's inquest, that would provide an opportunity for recommendations.

Grand Forks mayor Brian Taylor acknowledged that this case did not meet Amber Alert standards, which might be a cause for reflection.

“Maybe we should modify that to take into account the vulnerability of such a child,” he said.

Autism Spectrum Disorder Gene Study

2009-04-28T17:40:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A research team has connected more of the intricate pieces of the autism puzzle, with two studies that identify genes with important contributions to the disorder. One study pinpoints a gene region that may account for as many as 15 percent of autism cases, while another study identifies missing or duplicated stretches of DNA along two crucial gene pathways. Significantly, both studies detected genes implicated in the development of brain circuitry in early childhood.

"Because other autism researchers have made intriguing suggestions that autism arises from abnormal connections among brain cells during early development, it is very compelling to find evidence that mutations in genes involved in brain interconnections increase a child's risk of autism," said study leader Hakon Hakonarson, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Center for Applied Genomics at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He is on the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, as is his main collaborator, neuroscientist Gerard D. Schellenberg, Ph.D.

"This comprehensive research opens the door to more focused investigations into the causes of autism disorders," said Philip R. Johnson, M.D., chief scientific officer at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "It moves the field of autism research significantly ahead, similar to the way oncology research progressed a few decades ago with the discovery of specific genes that give rise to cancers. Our extensive pediatric genomics program has pinpointed particular genes and biological pathways, and this discovery provides a starting point for translating biological knowledge into future autism treatments." The hospital's Center for Applied Genomics, launched in 2006, is the world's largest facility dedicated to the genetic analysis of childhood di
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SOURCE The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Copyright©2009 PR Newswire.
All rights reserved

Let's Cheer For Andy Bryant Who Has Autism Spectrum Disorder At The Boston Marathon

2009-04-19T08:47:00.002-05:00

Jerry Brewer

Autistic runner is one of the guys — only faster

Seattle's Andy Bryant doesn't let autism get to him and will run in his second Boston Marathon on Monday

By Jerry Brewer

Seattle Times staff columnist

PREV of NEXT

THOMAS JAMES HURST / THE SEATTLE TIMES

Andy Bryant, an autistic 27-year-old, will compete in his second Boston Marathon on Monday. He was recently honored by his former high school, Ingraham.

His coach says he moves as if he's in another world, weaving a little, defying textbook running strategy. If he could learn to maintain a straight line and pace himself, Bryant might be an elite marathoner.

Instead, he must settle for being an inspiration.

It's a consolation only because, with Bryant's unceasing thirst to race, there's rarely time to reflect. Besides, his mind doesn't work that way. He survives on routine, so a distance runner's detailed training schedule matches him perfectly. It fulfills his foremost desire: to be accepted.

"I don't want to have autism," Bryant says often. "I want to be one of the guys."

In a pack of runners, he is. In fact, he's more than accepted. He's admired. And it's not for fighting autism, either.

Two years ago, Bryant finished in the top 6 percent of all participants in the Boston Marathon and did it with a personal-best time of 3 hours, 5 minutes, 36 seconds.

On Monday, he will run in the world-famous event again, with a goal of breaking the three-hour mark.

"I want to get a '2' as the first number this time," the 27-year-old says.

If he paces himself, he might be able to do so. But he doesn't understand pacing. He prefers to dash at the start and will himself the rest of the way. Somehow, he's strong enough to handle it.

Bryant has always been a natural runner. When he was 13, he joined his mother and stepfather, Colleen and Jerry Engle, in a family 5K fun run. They planned to walk the course. When the gun went off, however, Bryant took off sprinting, wearing jeans and a T-shirt. The parents grew nervous. They thought the crowd would make him panic, or he would get scared after he reached the finish line and realized he was alone.

But after they crossed the finish line, they saw Andy holding three sports drinks, four cookies and a hot dog.

"Andy, you OK?" Colleen asked.

"Yeah, there are lots of snacks," he said.

Since then, he's been a distance runner. They knew he was special when he started beating Jerry in races.

"We used to do these 3-mile circuits, and at first, Andy would ask me, 'Can we walk now?' " Jerry said. "And I'd say, 'No, we're almost done.' Now, I ask if we can walk, and he says almost done."

Jerry works as a pilot, so the family moved around a lot before settling in Seattle seven years ago. While living in San Diego in 1999, Andy ran his first marathon with one of his teachers. It took him about 4 ½ hours. Then he competed in half-marathons until 2005, when he ran the Portland Marathon.

After posting a time of 3:18, Bryant started dreaming of the Boston Marathon. He needed to shave eight minutes off his time to qualify, and he came in 10 minutes faster in the 2006 Portland Marathon.

In 2007, on an icy, wet and windy Boston day, he achieved his dream. He stepped in ankle-deep mud at the staging area and endured 50 mph wind gusts throughout the race. The conditions were so bad that officials considered canceling the marathon, but Bryant was undeterred. He accomplished his personal best and placed 1,372nd out of more than 20,000 runners.

Now, after recovering from a broken foot in 2008, he wants to do better.

"I feel great," he says. "I feel happy and confident."

Colleen marvels over her son. He can't read or write functionally. When he broke his foot, he had trouble figuring out how to use crutches. But he can bench-press 170 pounds, and his muscular body almost protects him from his brain's limitations.

"He has an IQ of 75 maybe," Colleen says. "Maybe. But what he does with the deck of cards he's been dealt is amazing, really. Amazing. He just figures out a way. His life revolves around running."

Every month, Bryant puts his training regimen on the refrigerator and follows it to the letter. He can't read most sentences, but he can comprehend that schedule.

Once a week, he cleans a QFC grocery store to earn some money. He loves puzzles and model airplanes and painting. Colleen and Jerry proudly display his artwork throughout their home.

He's made great progress from his childhood, when he would throw temper tantrums and bite his hand because he didn't know how to communicate.

"It's just a different path," Colleen says. "When we have a newborn, as parents, it's like we have this blueprint in mind. With an autistic child, what happens as time marches on, that plan unravels more and more. You give up some things, but you redirect and you reset your goals. Running has given him a new life plan."

On Friday, that plan included a celebration. Bryant went to Ingraham High School after he moved to Seattle (special education students are allowed to continue high school after they turn 18). So Ingraham treated Bryant to a send-off.

As Bryant entered the auditorium, the student body stood and clapped, the drum line delivered thunderous beats, and the cheerleaders waved their pompoms. Mayor Greg Nickels declared it Andy Bryant Day. Chants of "An-dee! An-dee! An-dee!" filled the room as Bryant took the microphone following a few presentations.

"Thank you everybody!" he yelled.

The students broke into a "Let's go, Andy!" cheer.

"I think he puts the message out there to everyone that regardless of any disability, you can do anything," said Mary Ellen Eagle, Bryant's Special Olympics coach.

"You can walk downstairs. You can work. You can run in the Boston Marathon. So parents should not give up. Anything can happen if they believe in their sons and daughters."

Soon after Eagle spoke, a student walked over and asked Bryant to sign his cast.

Acceptance? No, adoration.

Just one of the guys? No, he's so much better.

He's so much faster.

Autism Spectrum Disorder Linked To Vinyl Floors ?

2009-03-31T15:03:00.001-05:00

Children who live in homes with vinyl floors, which can emit chemicals called phthalates, are more likely to have autism, according to research by Swedish and U.S. scientists published Monday.

The study of Swedish children is among the first to find an apparent connection between an environmental chemical and autism.

The scientists were surprised by their finding, calling it "far from conclusive." Because their research was not designed to focus on autism, they recommend further study of larger numbers of children to see whether the link can be confirmed.

Bernard Weiss, a professor of environmental medicine at University of Rochester and a co-author of the study, said the connection between vinyl flooring and autism "turned up virtually by accident." He called it "intriguing and baffling at the same time."

Experts suspect that genetic and environmental factors combine to cause autism, a neurodevelopmental disorder that has increased dramatically in children over the past 20 years.

In the new study, Swedish families were asked questions about flooring as part of research investigating allergies and indoor air pollutants. Phthalates, used to make soft plastic, have in previous studies been connected to allergies and asthma.

The study was based on surveys that asked a variety of questions related to the indoor environment. Of the study's 4,779 children between the ages of 6 and 8, 72 had autism, including 60 boys.

The researchers found four environmental factors associated with autism: vinyl flooring, the mother's smoking, family economic problems and condensation on windows, which indicates poor ventilation.

Infants or toddlers who lived in bedrooms with vinyl, or PVC, floors were twice as likely to have autism five years later, in 2005, than those with wood or linoleum flooring.

"A greater proportion of children with autism spectrum disorder were reported to have PVC as flooring material in the child's and the parent's bedroom in 2000 compared to children without autism spectrum disorder," the scientists wrote in the journal Neurotoxicology. "Furthermore, children with autism spectrum disorder were reported to live in homes with more condensation on the inside of the windows, which...may be seen as an indicator for deficient ventilation."

Children in the study also were twice as likely to have autism if their mothers smoked cigarettes. The autistic children also were more likely to have asthma.

The lead investigator was Carl-Gustav Bornehag of Karlstad University in Sweden, who in 2004 found a high rate of asthma and allergies among children living in households with dust containing phthalates.

The scientists reported that they do not know if asthma and autism are related, or whether phthalates contributed to the risk of autism by some other mechanism, such as disruption of hormones. Phthalates in animal tests interfere with male hormones and sexual development.

"The data are far from conclusive. They are puzzling, even baffling, and not readily explicable at this time," the scientists wrote in their study. "However, because they are among the few clues that have emerged about possible environmental contributions to autistic disorders, we believe that they should be weighed carefully and warrant further study."

Several scientists who did not participate in the study cautioned that it has too many limitations to draw conclusions, but they suggested that new studies be designed to look for a connection between autism and indoor air pollutants.
Dr. Philip Landrigan, a pediatrician who is director of the Children's Environmental Health Center at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, called the results "intriguing, but in my mind preliminary because they are based on very small numbers." Landrigan said he has "no doubt that environmental exposures are involved in causation of autism," but he suspects the most significant exposures occur not in childhood, but early in pregnancy, "when the basic architecture of the brain is still being established."

The researchers relied on questionnaires and did not measure any chemicals in the homes, which limits the reliability of the findings because they do not know for certain that the children were exposed to phthalates. Previous studies have found that phthalates are common in household dust.

Phthalates are used as softeners in plastic for vinyl flooring as well as other building materials, toys and medical equipment. The chemicals have become increasing controversial in recent years, with Congress last year banning their use in children's products.

The American Chemistry Council, representing chemical companies producing phthalates, said in a statement Monday that the new study does not prove a link between the chemicals and autism. "No other means for assessing these children existed except for the questionnaire and the parent's responses, making this finding rather insignificant," said Chris Bryant, the group's managing director. Autism, he said, "was not systematically analyzed, but just happened to be a question asked five years into the study."

The industry group has said flooring emits "extremely low" levels of phthalates. Because the compounds are heavy molecules with low volatility, they do not tend to evaporate, and wear and tear that might release particles into dust is slight, they said.

Vinyl flooring is commonplace in Sweden, where only about 1 percent of homes have carpeted floors. But it is uncommon in U.S. bedrooms, so it may not be related to autism among American children. However, carpeting contains other contaminants, including pesticides and brominated flame retardants, which have been found to harm brain development in animal tests.

The scientists said their new finding "suggests that studies of other chemical contaminants with endocrine disruptor properties might yield useful insights into the genesis of" autism.

Previously, three studies in California have found a connection between children's exposure to household or agricultural pesticides and autism.

Rates of autism in California have increased seven-fold since 1990, a recent study found. Because genetics do not change that quickly, scientists suspect that chemical pollutants are probably playing a role. But there have been few studies attempting to pinpoint which chemicals, or combination of chemicals.

This article originally ran at Environmental Health News, a news source published by Environmental Health Sciences, a nonprofit media company.

This article is from Scientific American

No MMR and Autism Spectrum Disorder Link- U.S. Court

2009-02-12T14:45:00.000-06:00

An American court has ruled that there was no proven link between the MMR vaccine and autism.

The Special Court of Federal Claims, reviewing three test cases, said the petitioners had "failed to demonstrate" that the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine could contribute to autism.

Referring to one of the cases, special master George Hastings said the parents of a child with the disorder had been "misled" by physicians who were guilty in his view of "gross medical misjudgment".

In another of the rulings, the theories of causation were described as "speculative and unpersuasive".

Concern over the MMR vaccine first surfaced in the late 1990s following a report by Andrew Wakefield and others in the Lancet.

Largely discredited by the scientific community, Mr Wakefield's claims have since seen him being called before a disciplinary hearing of the General Medical Council.

Fears in the US have seen a rush of parents seeking compensation, resulting in the three test cases being ruled on.

But the court's rulings emphatically restated the belief that there is no proven link, and as such the families involved were not entitled to compensation.

In one case, special master Denise Vowell ruled that to conclude that the child's condition was the result of the MMR vaccine "an objective observer would have to emulate Lewis Carroll's White Queen and be able to believe six impossible (or, at least, highly improbable) things before breakfast".

The rulings referred to both MMR jabs and vaccines containing the preservative thiomersol. It was also ruled that the MMR jab does not contribute to gastrointestinal dysfunction.

DVD Teaches Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder What A Smile Means

2009-01-15T13:10:00.000-06:00

LONDON (AP) — It wasn't until Jude met Jenny that the 3-year-old autistic boy understood what happy people look like.

Jenny, a green tram with a human face, had a furrowed brow when her wheel buckled and she got stuck on a track. But after being rescued by friends, she smiled broadly — and that's when something clicked for little Jude Baines.

"It was revelatory," his mother, Caron Freeborn told AP Television News in Cambridge, England. Before watching the video, Jude didn't understand what emotions were and never noticed the expressions on people's faces, even those of his parents or younger brother.

Jenny's adventures are part of a DVD for autistic children released this week in the United States called The Transporters.

The DVD teaches autistic children how to recognize emotions like happiness, anger and sadness through the exploits of vehicles including a train, a ferry, and a cable car.

It is the brainchild of Simon Baron-Cohen, director of the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge University. He also happens to be a cousin of Sacha Baron-Cohen, the comedian behind the characters Ali G, the aspiring rapper, and Borat, the crass Kazakh reporter.

Baron-Cohen first became interested in autism in the 1980s while teaching autistic children. "Why should social interaction be so difficult for a child who has very good skills in other areas like memory or an attention to detail?" he wondered.

About a decade ago, Baron-Cohen suggested that autism — which is much less likely to afflict girls — might be an extreme version of the typical male brain. Men tend to understand the world via patterns and structure, whereas women are more inclined to understand emotions and sympathize with others.

Autism, Baron-Cohen believes, is a condition where people perceive systems and patterns while remaining almost oblivious to other people and their feelings.

To help autistic children understand emotions, Baron-Cohen and his team use eight track-based vehicles in their DVD. The vehicles have human faces grafted onto them, making focusing on human features unavoidable. The video was financed by the British government.

"To teach autistic children something they find difficult, we needed an autism-friendly format," Baron-Cohen said. Autistic children are particularly drawn to predictable vehicles that move on tracks like trains and trams.

"Autistic children are often puzzled by faces, so this video helps focus on them in a way that makes it very appealing and soothing," said Uta Frith, an emeritus professor of cognitive development at University College London, who was not involved in developing the video.

Frith said the DVD was a way for autistic children to learn social skills the way other children might learn math or a foreign language.

In a small study of 20 autistic children between ages 4 and 7, Baron-Cohen and colleagues found that autistic children who watched the video for at least 15 minutes a day for one month had caught up with normal children in their ability to identify emotions.

But Baron-Cohen cautioned that while autistic children might be able to recognize emotions better after watching the DVD, that would not necessarily change their behavior at home or on the playground.

"This is not some kind of miracle cure," he said. "It just shows that if you have the opportunity to practice these social skills, you can improve."

Other experts said the video was not a replacement for working and playing with real people.

"You can't just park your child in front of this for hours and go to the other room," said Catherine Lord, director of the Autism and Communication Disorders Center at the University of Michigan. "This will hopefully start interactions or play sequences that kids can then play with real people."

When the DVD was released in Britain in 2007, Baron-Cohen and colleagues distributed 40,000 copies free to families with an autistic child or to doctors working with them.

The DVD sells for $57.50 and includes interactive quizzes and a booklet for parents and teachers. It is available online at http://www.thetransporters.com. Half of the profits go to autism charities and research, and the other half goes to Changing Media Development, the company Baron-Cohen launched with colleagues.

Similar videos have been produced, but Lord said those have struggled to capture children's attention. In Baron-Cohen's study, some parents reported that their children watched the DVD hundreds of times within a month.

Freeborn said The Transporters DVD has made a "massive difference" for Jude and their family.

"(Jude) now understands what disgusted is, which is quite important if you have a younger brother," she said.

On the Net:

http://www.thetransporters.com

Research Shows Distinction In Saliva Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2009-01-09T18:09:00.001-06:00

Italian researchers have noted a distinction in the saliva of some children with autism.

The study included saliva samples from 27 children with autism and 23 children without.

Two-thirds of the children with autism had abnormal proteins in their saliva.

It's unclear whether that could be caused by autism, or may be used as a marker to help test for the condition in some cases.

Much more research needs to be done before it's used in a clinical setting

Good Story On Success With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2008-12-21T09:20:00.001-06:00

CUMBERLAND — Because of his autism, 22-year-old Andrew Pegg of Frostburg has not spoken a single word since he was 2 years old. Yet, he owns Andilla Designs & Graphics, a home-based business that personalizes gifts and advertising products.

The Maryland Division of Rehabilitation Services and the Maryland Rehabilitation Association recently presented Pegg with its annual Personal Achievement Award at a statewide conference in Ocean City. Andilla Designs & Graphics is evidence that individuals with severe disabilities can build a future with the right mix of community programs and family support.

The award honors a former consumer of the Division of Rehabilitation Services who has overcome barriers to reach personal and economic independence.

Pegg has received assistance from his DORS counselor, Erin Shahan, and his family. Since certain aspects of his business are difficult due to his disability—marketing and driving, for example—he is assisted by Derrick Swandol, a job coach from Spectrum, a local non-profit agency.

A part of the Maryland State Department of Education, DORS, with initial consultation from its Reach Independence through Self-Employment Program, assisted Pegg with his start-up costs and purchase of the equipment he utilizes to make his creations. He continues to acquire new business from individuals as well as organizations.

Pegg communicates well in writing and brings a prepared slide presentation to numerous events, informing and teaching others what individuals with disabilities can accomplish.

Denis Leary Slams Autism Spectrum Disorder

2008-10-15T17:33:00.000-05:00

DENIS Leary should brace himself for hate mail from the parents of
kids diagnosed with autism.

In his new book, "Why We Suck: A Feel-Good Guide to Staying Fat,
Loud, Lazy and Stupid," the joke-slinging "Rescue Me" star writes
about the brain disorder:

"There is a huge boom in autism right now because inattentive mothers
and competitive dads want an explanation for why their dumb-ass kids
can't compete academically, so they throw money into the happy laps
of shrinks . . . to get back diagnoses that help explain away the
deficiencies of their junior morons. I don't give a  what
these crackerjack whack jobs tell you - yer kid is NOT autistic. He's
just stupid. Or lazy. Or both."

The Autism Society of America responded: "For Mr. Leary to suggest
that families or doctors conspire to falsely diagnose autism is
ridiculous . . .  remarks reflect the same misconceptions of
autism being caused by bad or unemotional parenting that were held
over 50 years ago."

Autism Spectrum Disorder To Be Featured Storyline On Days Of Our Lives

2008-06-10T21:23:00.000-05:00

Earlier in the month, Soaps.com broke a groundbreaking story within an interview with Days of Our Lives' James Reynods, who portrays Abe Carver, the father of Theo Carver, who we'll soon to find out has Autism. In a recent interview, Renee Jones discussed the storyline briefly. Based on the experiences of the show's new head writer, Dena Higley, and her autistic son, NBC joins with Autism Speaks, which is the nation’s leading autism advocacy organization, to help convey a message of hope and useful information during the course of the storyline. This storyline will progress well into the summer, when Dr. Lexi Carver (Renee Jones) and Commissioner Abe Carver (James Reynolds), are told their 3-year-old son, Theo, has autism. The news is difficult for the couple to comprehend, but through the love and support of family and friends, and the love for their son, they learn a lot about their family and how to cope with this new challenge.The Higleys’ son, Connor, was diagnosed with Autism at age three. At19 years old, he recently graduated from high school. Higley and her husband’s personal struggles and triumphs of raising a son with autism, plus three other children, are why she is so passionate about sharing her story with hundreds of thousands of others.Higley says,“We're telling the profound and life-altering story of a child with autism from his parents' point of view, their pain, their struggle and ultimately, their ability to find life-affirming hope in the midst of learning how to live day to day with this disability. This is a personal story for me...as my husband and I have walked in the shoes Abe and Lexi are now about to walk in.”NBC’s Senior Vice President of Daytime and Drama Programming. Bruce Evans says, "I am thrilled that ‘Days’ has decided to take on this very important topic. We are hopeful that this storyline will serve as a resource for our viewers, many of whom have already been touched by this critical issue." “This storyline realistically portrays the emotional trauma that every family faces when a child is diagnosed with autism, yet it also opens a window for viewers to see the hope and achievements that are possible as a family pulls together," said Alison Singer, Executive Vice President of Communications and Awareness for Autism Speaks. "We are honored to work with ‘Days of our Lives’ and applaud the show's commitment to shine a bright spotlight on the autism crisis and its effects on the whole family."In order to share the storyline responsibly, “Days of our Lives” has joined with Autism Speaks, the nation's leading nonprofit organization devoted to autism. The partnership between “Days of our Lives,” whose loyal audience extends across generations for over 42 years, and Autism Speaks will help promote awareness about a disorder that is diagnosed in one in every 150 children in the United States.Seven-time Emmy-nominated writer, Dena Higley, actually began her career at Days of Our Lives' in 1985, where she was a staff writer for 19 years. She returned in 2008 as head writer.Higley is married to husband of 21 years, Mark, and they've raised four children - two biological and two adopted. As stated previously, their eldest, son Connor, was diagnosed with autism at the age of 3. Now 19, Connor drives his own Mustang, has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, recently graduated from high school and is preparing to go to college in Florida in the fall. Jensen, their second oldest, now 18 years old, is about to enter USC as a theater major. Helio, their third eldest, was adopted in 2003 from Ethiopia at age 8, and is now 13 years old and going into 7th grade. Adelle, the youngest, was adopted from Vietnam at 17 months in 1997 with her right leg missing below the knee and her fingers fused together. She is now a cheerleader, plays volleyball and is graduating from sixth grade.Still unsure what Autism is about? Autism is a complex brain disorder that inhibits a person's ability to communicate and develop social relationships, and is often accompanied by extreme behavioral challenges. Autism spectrum disorders are diagnosed in one in 150 children in the United States, affecting four times as many boys as girls. The diagnosis of autism has increased tenfold in the last decade. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have called autism a national public health crisis whose cause and cure remain unknown. Autism Speaks is dedicated to increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders, to funding research into the causes, prevention and treatments for autism, and to advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. Suzanne and Bob Wright, who are the grandparents of a child with autism, founded Autism Speaks in February 2005. Bob Wright is Senior Advisor at Lee Equity Partners and served as vice chairman, General Electric, and chief executive officer of NBC and NBC Universal for more than twenty years. Wright also serves on the board of directors of the Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation, RAND Corporation and Mission Product, LLC. To learn more about Autism Speaks, please visit Autism Speaks.

CNN To Feature Reports On Autism Spectrum Disorder

2008-03-28T14:49:00.000-05:00

In recognition of World Autism Awareness Day April 2, CNN reports on the global impact, latest science and controversies related to the brain disorder. Watch for expanded coverage on CNN.com and CNN TV.

Picture Sequences For Autism Spectrum Disorder

2008-03-17T14:34:00.000-05:00

Vibrant and colorful picture sequences, when combined with simple text, can be effective for increasing conversation in those on the autism spectrum. Natural Learning Concepts (http://www.NLconcepts.com) has an acclaimed line of therapeutic cards, books and products for autism that has helped thousands of kids to improve their language and social skills. Latest in its series of successful products are the "Picture Dialogues," card sets specifically created by Natural Learning Concepts to boost communication, and at an affordable price of just $12.95 per set.
To celebrate the new products, and for a limited time only, customers can now buy three Picture Dialogues sets and get the fourth set free, for a combined purchase price of just $38.85. This offer is available immediately at http://www.nlconcepts.com/autism-dialogue.htm. Please use the coupon code 2408169 to redeem this offer, which is valid for the first 300 customers only.
"With the Picture Dialogues, the child learns conversation in two stages," comments Natural Learning Concepts Co-Founder Jene Aviram. "He learns how to respond appropriately to questions, and also learns to initiate by asking the questions first. Each card has a question with a picture on the front. As you flip it over, the child is prompted by another picture and the beginning of the answer on the back, inspiring a dialogue. As children begin to learn to initiate conversations, the cards can also be worked with in reverse, so that the child initiates the questions and their partner must come up with the answers."
The fill in-the-blank method offered by the Picture Dialogues encourages children to converse spontaneously. "Picture Dialogues are a highly effective way to teach your child conversation skills with pictures," comments Natural Learning Concepts Co-Founder Jocelyn Blum. "Each set visually shows how a conversation takes place between two people. At the same time, kids learn how to stay on topic when conversing with adults and peers."
The Picture Dialogues from Natural Learning Concepts come in four available and highly portable sets, with each bound on a metal ring that can be easily opened or closed, and with each focusing on a different activity or side of life. The sets are entitled "Out and About," "Having Fun," "Birthday Parties" and "Daily Living Skills," with each offering six vivid and interconnected dialogues of eight separate picture cards, helping to spark conversations relevant to the theme of the set. Each new topic is separated by colored cards, making the dialogues easy to find and flip to. The ring sets can easily be clipped to a key ring or backpack, and are also easy to fit within a purse or pocketbook, to be quickly accessed and used for spontaneous conversations throughout the day.
Response to the Picture Dialogues has been enthusiastic from many Natural Learning Concepts customers: "As an SLP, the Picture Dialogues are perfect for peer conversation," was one customer's comment. "I pair up the children, and they take turns asking and answering the questions. Then we practice without the cards. Thank you for a really great item!" Meanwhile, Sherri comments, "I highly recommend the picture dialogues. Please let me know when you bring out more!" Adds Merrily, "The 'Daily Living Skills' Picture Dialogue is my favorite set, and has helped my son greatly. He likes doing the actions while we practice the conversations. It has helped his independence, too."
About Natural Learning ConceptsNatural Learning Concepts is committed to the acceptance, celebration and understanding of people with autism exactly as they are. Their range of outstanding books, materials and inspirational content is designed to facilitate communication, increase speech, language and comprehension while having fun in the process. All of the materials on the Natural Learning Concepts website are used for teaching children at all levels of the autism spectrum as well as those diagnosed with PDD-NOS, Asperger's, ADHD and speech and language delays. The company's critically acclaimed materials are routinely used for ABA therapy, social storybooks for autism, early intervention and verbal behavior analysis. Parents, teachers, and other loved ones enjoy using these tools to celebrate and work with that special child in their life who has autism.
Please visit the Natural Learning Concepts website to learn more, as well as to take part in its diverse and enthusiastic online community, at http://www.NLconcepts.com. Also, don't miss its exciting and successful Job Community, at http://www.nlconcepts.com/autism-jobs.htm.
For more information on Natural Learning Concepts or its products, please contact publicist Angela Mitchell, at (904) 982-8043. Meanwhile, to contact founders Jene Aviram or Jocelyn Blum directly for interviews, please call 1-800-823-3430 or (631) 858-0188. Review copies of the Picture Dialogues and other superb NLC products are gladly provided upon request.

Jenny McCarthy Asks For Your Help With Largest Rally Ever For Autism Spectrum Disorder

2008-02-21T19:46:00.000-06:00

Actress and parent of a child with autism Jenny McCarthy is organizingthe largest rally ever conducted in front of the CDC headquarters inAtlanta, GA this summer and is asking for your help. June 28-29, 2008Atlanta, GA Watch this video:http://www.talkaboutcuringautism.org/video/cdc-rally-video.htm

A National Autsim Spectrum Disorder Group Demands Apology From CBS

2008-02-18T16:02:00.000-06:00

A national autism advocacy group is demanding an apology from CBS over a disparaging remark a contestant on the reality show "Big Brother" made about people with the disorder.
John Gilmore, executive director of Autism United, said Monday that his group has been trying to speak with CBS executives since last week's broadcast.
On that episode, a contestant named Adam, who claims to work for an autism foundation, said he would spend his winnings on a hair salon for people with developmental disabilities "so retards can get it together and get their hair done."
His partner, Sheila, told him: "Don't call them that."
Adam responded: "Disabled kids. I can call them whatever I want. I work with them all day, OK?"
The show's Web site describes him as a 29-year-old public relations manager from Delray Beach, Fla.
There was no immediate response Monday to a call seeking comment from CBS.
"Big Brother" also has been condemned for contestants' remarks on incest, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. Some contestants have been removed following incidents that were deemed violent or racist.
The premise of the show is that contestants — or "houseguests" — are isolated from the outside world while under constant surveillance. Once a week, they vote to evict a member of the group.
When just two people remain, a jury of voted-off contestants picks the "Big Brother" winner of the $500,000 grand prize.
Autism is a complex disorder featuring poor social interaction and communication skills

Autism Spectrum Disorder To Be Featured On Larry King Live Tonight

2008-02-14T06:53:00.000-06:00

Larry King Live is running a new program about autism tonight. The show will feature the young man known as "J-Mac", whose basketball prowess catapulted him from the bench to the spotlight.

Melatonin For Autism Spectrum Disorder

2008-02-09T20:05:00.000-06:00

Melatonin well-tolerated sleep aid in children with autismVanderbilt Sleep Disorders Center researchers are reporting that melatonin, an over-the-counter and relatively inexpensive dietary supplement taken for insomnia and jet lag, shows promise in treating children with autism who have difficulty falling asleep. The results are published in the February issue of the/Journal of Child Neurology/ <http://jcn.sagepub.com/>. The study is the largest of its kind, looking at the medical recordsof 107 children with autism, ages 2-18, who had tried varying dosagesof melatonin for insomnia. Twenty-five percent of parents reportedthey no longer had sleep concerns after using melatonin, 60 percentof parents reported the sleep problems had improved, 13 percent stillhad major concerns and only 1 percent (one child) had worse symptoms.Only three of the 107 children studied reported mild side effects.

Does it work? My child with Autism Spectrum Disorder is on Melatonin and usually falls
asleep within 15-20 mins of taking it. We give it to him in a syringe mixed with a little bit
of juice. He now will fall asleep at 9Pm on school nights when in past it was after 11 PM,
sometimes later.

Autism Spectrum Disorder ON ABC

2008-01-23T13:48:00.000-06:00

ABC is running a drama called "Eli Stone" at 10pm (EDT) on January 31st. The story line takes on Autism Spectrum Disorder and vaccines.

Different Studies Suggest A Flaw In A Single Gene Raise The Risk For Autism Spectrum Disorder

2008-01-10T14:58:00.000-06:00

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Three U.S. teams of scientists using different research approaches said on Thursday that different flaws in a single gene raise the risk of autism.
It is the second study published this week to find new genetic causes of autism, a complex and poorly understood set of disorders.
"We hope this means that this gene really does influence risk and that is why different labs all landed on it at the same time," said Dr. Matthew State of Yale University.
Two of the studies pointed to a genetic variation in the gene that is found commonly, and a third found a rare mutation of this same gene. All appear to be inherited.
"This convergence of rare and common variants in autism is unusual but reinforces the growing consensus among genetics researchers that both types of changes in DNA sequence are going to be important contributors," State said in an e-mail.
Autism includes a range of disorders, from the mild Asperger's syndrome to profound mental retardation and lack of ability to socialize. It affects as many as 1 in 150 children in the United States -- up to 1.5 million children and adults.
The three studies, published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, all point to contactin associated protein-Like 2 or CNTNAP2 -- a gene that makes a protein that allows brain cells to communicate.
Because speech delays are a hallmark of autism, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, studied the age when a child first speaks. A prior study of families with autistic children linked a specific region of chromosome 7 to autism.
The researchers scoured every gene in this region using DNA samples from 172 families. Four promising genes, including CNTNAP2, turned up. They cross-checked their findings on a new group of 304 families and the CNTNAP2 gene turned up consistently.
LANGUAGE GENE
The findings not only point to the CNTNAP2 gene, but suggest the gene is important for language development.
"The fact that we found CNTNAP2 concentrated in the brain's structures that are involved in higher cognition gives us strong clues about how its disruption might adversely shape brain development, including speech and language," UCLA's Brett Abrahams said in a statement.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Illinois at Chicago used genome-wide screening techniques on families that had two or more children with autism.
They found that a single change in CNTNAP2 made children vulnerable to developing autism.
"It clearly suggests there is this very common factor that plays a role in autism," said Aravinda Chakravarti of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
For the Yale study, State started with a patient with autism who had a rare chromosomal abnormality that disrupted CNTNAP2.
He looked at the entire DNA code of the gene in 635 people with autism as well as 942 healthy volunteers and found multiple rare changes in the sequence of CNTNAP2 in patients with autism, including one change in three families with autism that was not found in 4,010 chromosomes from healthy people.
State said researchers now need to gain a better understanding of the gene's role in normal brain development, and how genetic changes alter this process.
On Wednesday a team of researchers found a stretch of DNA on chromosome 16 that they said may cause 1 percent of autism cases.

Mom, creates teaching tool for Autism Spectrum Disorder

2007-12-27T12:35:00.000-06:00

Local Georgia mom, Susan Ellis,struggling to help her frustrated five-year-old son with Autism learn towrite the alphabet, finally created her own solution. After two years ofoccupational therapy, she realized she must teach her son, Ryan, throughthe tool he responds to best: television. Together with her son'soccupational therapist, Marnie Danielson, they made a three-minute videoand Ryan began to write a letter in minutes! "I videotaped Marnie reciting a rhythmic letter chant she had used intherapy before, but it was the accompanying visual demonstration thatfinally made the 'connection'," says Ms. Ellis. "We added props and skitsto make it fun, and that's what made it a winner!" Ms. Danielson and Ms. Ellis became business partners and created The TVTeacher, LLC(TM). They produced a professional DVD writing program that isnow being used by parents, school systems and therapy clinics from Floridato California. "We receive the most incredible testimonials!" says Ms.Danielson. "Children with Autism, Down syndrome, ADD, etc -- all strugglingfor years, now enjoy writing because of what we created." "When we began our company," says Danielson, "giving back to thecommunity was always a priority for us. We are proud to donate 5% of ourlast year's proceeds to great companies like Autism Society of America(ASA)." Cindy Pike, Executive Director of ASA-Greater Georgia Chapter,stated, "We are honored to be the first recipient of The TV Teacher'scharity donation program. Susan and Marnie have developed an innovativeproduct that is adorable and effective -- it's sure to benefit manychildren." "ASA's Greater Georgia Chapter has been a terrific supporter of ourAlphabet Beats videos," says Ms. Ellis. "This year, ASA-GGA began a newconference called 'Autism 101' for parents receiving the initial diagnosisof Autism for their children. It's a great resource opportunity that I wishwas available when my son was first diagnosed. We hope this money will helpsupport this project and others the chapter is organizing. As The TVTeacher grows, we look forward to helping more charities in the future." To see a demonstration of their Alphabet Beats video, and appearanceson NBC, CNN.com, Advance Magazine, and more, visithttp://www.thetvteacher.com

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy & Autism Spectrum Disorder

2007-11-15T14:25:00.000-06:00

There is new hope for parents of autistic children in Hawaii. It has to do with a groundbreaking study on Oahu involving hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The results were released and doctors say they are amazing.
The study evaluated the effects of 20 hours of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on 20 children from 3 to 7 years old. One of them was Sarea Beckett's 9-year-old son.
"I felt like someone turned on the light in him," Beckett said. "He was more aware, he was more talkative, he was more open."
Each session, she and her son laid inside the blue tunnel together. The changes she saw in her son's behavior were astonishing and quick.
"After about 4 hours of treatment it was a flood of words," Beckett said. "The length of his sentences increased from 4-word sentences to 10-word sentences."
The results of the study showed significant improvement in 100% of the children in communication, social interaction and creativity.
"The first few kids that came back, I was like 'wow,'" said psychologist Dr. Jan Fitzgerald, "I was just amazed because the kinds of changes I saw you can't teach."
Doctors have discovered that children with autism have chronic inflammation of the brain. The hyperbaric therapy treats that.
"Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a very powerful anti-inflammatory, and works to stop that inflammation, grow new blood vessels." said Dr. Maryellen Markley, of the Hyperbaric Center. "So the inflammation doesn't return."
The best part doctors say, is the results seem to be permanent.
"The overall improvement was in him being more of a normal kid, a normal boy it was fabulous," The study is so important to parents here because Hawaii has one of the largest percentages of autistic children per capita of any state in the United States.

Melatonin and Autism Spectrum Disorder

2007-11-07T14:50:00.000-06:00

Vanderbilt sleep researchers are reporting a relationship between good sleep and how much melatonin the body produces – the first in a series of research studies intended to help children with autism spectrum disorders sleep through the night.More research is needed before recommending that the medication-free children studied begin taking over-the-counter and inexpensive melatonin supplements to benefit their sleep patterns. But initial findings are promising, according to lead author Beth Malow, M.D., director of the Vanderbilt Sleep Disorders Center.
Malow presented results of the study “Nocturnal urine 6-sulfatoxymelatonin levels are related to sleep parameters in children with autism,” Nov. 3 at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in San Diego.“This suggests that children with ASD who have decreased melatonin levels have decreased levels of deep sleep,” Malow said. “We didn’t actually give the supplement, we measured natural levels of melatonin in the body. One could infer, based on what we found, that a supplement might be good.”
“Rather than just giving melatonin to children with autism ‘willy nilly’ we want to have some scientific rationale for what we are doing and this study provides that scientific rationale because it is showing that there is a relationship between the amount of melatonin these children are naturally producing and sleep patterns.”Melatonin affects sleep rhythms and brain development, and is released during sleep by the pineal gland of the brain. Low levels of melatonin have been reported in children with autism, although whether these levels are related to sleep problems has not been well studied.The Vanderbilt melatonin study – which is the first to look at sleep parameters - examined 26 children with autism who were medication-free and without a history of epilepsy or mental retardation, and seven age-matched controls, studying the relationship between a by-product of melatonin found in the urine, urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (6-SM), and the sleep structureof children with autism, ages 4-9 years.Malow and her Department of Neurology colleagues Liya Beyderman and Emmanuel Botzolakis analyzed the overnight rate of 6-SM in the urine during two nights of sleep studies. Levels of 6-SM were compared with sleep study findings, which showed that children with higher levels of 6-SM had higher amounts of deep sleep, a portion of sleep involved in memory andgrowth.
The results support an emerging area of treatment -- using melatonin supplements to improve sleep in children with autism spectrum disorders.“In a nutshell there seems to be a relationship between the level of sleep you are getting and how much melatonin you produce,” Malow said.“If you are not a good sleeper part of that could be due to not making sufficient melatonin and taking supplemental melatonin might help but obviously this is something that would have to be explored. Before we embark on a trial of supplemental melatonin for children with autism it is important to have some preliminary data on kids who sleep well or sleep poorly and what their melatonin level is like.”It was also important to have very clear diagnosis of ASD in the children and to have “medication-free” participants, because melatonin can be affected by medication, she said.Children with autism spectrum disorders frequently suffer from irregular sleep patterns that can result in a variety of sleep problems, including insomnia. Although there are many causes of these sleep problems, the natural hormone melatonin may play a role, Malow said

First genome scan for Autism Spectrum Disorder

2007-10-24T14:22:00.000-05:00

A U.S. group of scientists has completed and released the first genome scan for autism spectrum disorders for use by researchers around the world.The Autism Consortium, a group of researchers, clinicians and families dedicated to radically accelerating research and enhancing clinical care for autism, said the scan was conducted using new, high-resolution technology on genetic data from more than 3,000 children with ASD and their families.The release of genetic and phenotypic autism data marks a significant achievement, said Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute for Mental Health."Progress in finding the causes and cures for autism spectrum disorders rests in large part on improving the rapid access and sharing of data and resources," said Insel. "That the consortium is making the data available to the scientific community even before its own researchers have fully analyzed the information, demonstrates their high degree of commitment to and leadership in advancing autism research."Officials said the new data provide the most detailed look to date at the genetic variation patterns in families with autism.Researchers conducted the genome wide study using GeneChip microarray technology made by Affymetrix Inc, of Santa Clara, Calif.

Autism Spectrum Disorder on Larry King

2007-09-25T14:09:00.000-05:00

Jenny McCarthy and Holly Robinson Peete speak about Autism Spectrum Disorder on CNN's Larry King Live on Wednesday, September 26, 2007 at 9 p.m. ET.

Oprah Winfrey Show to feature biomedical treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorder

2007-09-18T14:19:00.000-05:00

Parents of autistic children who have been trying to publicize a biomedical treatment approach have hit the jackpot. Actresses Jenny McCarthy (left) and Holly Robinson Peete will be talking about their fight to save their autistic sons on today's "The Oprah Winfrey Show.
McCarthy the former Playboy Playmate of the Year from Chicago who has written several lighthearted books on pregnancy and motherhood, has a new book called "Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism." And Robinson Peete has started the HollyRod Foundation.

Man charged with spanking a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2007-09-14T14:58:00.000-05:00

A Franklin man has been charged withassault, accused of spanking an autistic 5-year-old boy who wanderedinto his yard.Witnesses told police Michael Evans scolded some children who cameinto his yard from a neighboring park on Saturday.Police say all of them left, except for the five-year-old.A witness said Evans held the boy by an arm and spanked him.A news release from the police states Evans acknowledged swattingchild on the buttocks.After a warrant was issued for his arrest, Evans surrendered and isfree on $5,000 bond.Experts say autism affects how people communicate with and understandother people.

Hidden camera captures employees abusing women with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2007-08-21T16:31:00.000-05:00

As Nassau police continued to search for two health aides whoallegedly joined in the abuse of an autistic woman at a Uniondalegroup home, authorities said yesterday that investigators don'tbelieve any other residents of the home were victims of such anattack. A hidden camera captured the beating of a 50-year-old woman at PLUSGroup Home Inc. with a shoe and a wooden hanger, and the footage ledto the arrests Friday of two of the home's employees, authoritiessaid. "At this time, we are satisfied that there are no other victims,"Nassau police Det. Sgt. Michael Williams said at a news conference inBaldwin. He said that if anyone suspects others have been abused atthe home, they should call Nassau's Crime Stoppers hotline at800-244-TIPS. PLUS Group Home released a statement yesterday, saying it was amessage from a parent of the victim. "As a parent of a child who has resided and will continue to residein a residence operated by PLUS, I have full confidence in thisagency and its handling of this situation," said the parent, whorequested anonymity. Terri Cancilla, the home's executive director, said she hadsuspected staff members were abusing the autistic woman, who isunable to communicate her needs and had visible bruises. Two weeksafter noticing the bruises, Cancilla said, she installed the camerain an air conditioning vent of the woman's room. The alleged instances of abuse were caught on tape from Aug. 9 toThursday. The tape was handed over to police the next day. Arrested on charges of endangering an incompetent person andsecond-degree harassment were Johny Djhon-Felix, 33, of St. Albans,Queens, and Nelly Gedeon, 20, of Uniondale. Djhon-Felix also wascharged with fourth-degree larceny for allegedly stealing the cameraafter he noticed it. Both have pleaded not guilty to the charges. Neither could bereached for comment yesterday. Images from the camera were stored on other equipment and handedover to police for the investigation. Police have said two other employees were involved in four instancesof abusing the woman. Police declined to release their namesyesterday. All four workers were fired. The group home, which has 10 residents, has been open since 1986. Signs of abuseTelltale signs of physical, sexual or psychological abuse of theelderly, according to the National Center of Elder Abuse, funded bythe federal Administration on Aging: Bruises, black eyes, welts, lacerations, rope marks, broken bonesand fractures and sprains. Bruises around the breasts or genital area, unexplained venerealdisease or infections, and torn, stained or bloody underclothing. Odd behavior such as biting, rocking or sucking, or a tendency tobecome agitated. Anyone who suspects elder abuse should contact police or New YorkState's program of Protective Services for Adults at 800-342-3009.

Film Camp for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2007-08-14T11:52:00.000-05:00

BY GINA DAMRON
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
"OK," the director said. "Roll camera."
"Scene 1, doctors walking into building, Take 1," announced the kid in charge of the scene marker as he slapped down the black and white slate, hopping in and out of the camera shot.

"And action!" yelled young director Eddy Alvarez-Petit.
But the pint-sized actors -- standing outside Oakland University's soccer dome Friday wearing hospital smocks and doctors' masks -- didn't move.
"And cut," said director Joey Travolta, who for the second year is running a film camp for children and teens with autism at the university for the organization Jack's Place for Autism.
"Guys, on action you gotta move," Travolta implored.
Participants at the two-week camp, which ends Thursday, are making a version of "American Bandstand," with music videos and commercials, like the doctors scene, a spoof on Geico ads.
Because autism is a neurological disorder that affects socialization and communication skills, the camp helps participants improve verbally and socially, said Lisa Price, founder of Jack's Place for Autism in Southfield.
"The beauty of film camp is, even though it's still structured, they have to live outside the box," said Price, who named the organization after her 12-year-old autistic son, Jack.
Outside the soccer arena Friday, Jared Weinberg attempted to put on blue latex gloves for the commercial.
"Hey guys, hang on, I'm not even ready," the 13-year-old from Troy said. "Oh boy, here goes nothing."
"Eddy?" Travolta asked as he searched for the 11-year-old junior director, who had a tendency to wander off to talk to friends or to play with grass or water pooled in a nearby tarp.
"Here," said Eddy of Shelby Township.
"Come on, you gotta be in on this, buddy," Travolta said, pulling in his protégé.
Travolta -- older brother to John -- is a special education teacher-turned director, who has held five camps across the country for kids with autism this summer.
About 50 students are participating in the camp at OU. Most have autism. Some campers are attending with brothers, sisters or friends who have the condition. In November, all of the young filmmakers will reunite for a red-carpet unveiling of the 20-minute film at OU.
But, first they have to finish the commercial.
"Take 2," Eddy called out, as the actors moved back into position. "Scene 1, doctors walking into building, Take 2," the kid with the scene marker said, snapping the slate.
"Action."

Different IQ test for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2007-08-13T19:49:00.000-05:00

By Sharon Begley
Newsweek
Aug. 20-27, 2007 issue - Even their parents struggle to draw the tiniest hint of emotion or social connection from autistic children, so imagine what happens when a stranger sits with the child for hours to get through the standard IQ test. For 10 of the test's 12 sections, the child must listen and respond to spoken questions. Since for many autistics it is torture to try to engage with someone even on this impersonal level, it's no wonder so many wind up with IQ scores just above a carrot's (I wish I were exaggerating; 20s are not unknown). More precisely, fully three quarters of autistics are classified as having below-normal intelligence, with many deemed mentally retarded.

It's finally dawning on scientists that there's a problem here. Testing autistic kids' intelligence in a way that requires them to engage with a stranger "is like giving a blind person an intelligence test that requires him to process visual information," says Michelle Dawson of Rivière-des-Prairies Hospital in Montreal. She and colleagues therefore tried a different IQ test, one that requires no social interaction. As they report in the journal Psychological Science, autistic children's scores came out starkly different than on the oral, interactive IQ test—suggesting a burning intelligence inside these kids that educators are failing to uncover.
That failure has lifelong implications. "If we label these children as below-normal in intelligence, that is how they're treated," says Laurent Mottron, who led the study. The disparity between scores on the two IQ tests also makes you wonder who else the tests, which are used for everything from screening military recruits to filling "gifted" classes, are mislabeling.
For the study, children took two IQ tests. In the more widely used Wechsler, they tried to arrange and complete pictures, do simple arithmetic, demonstrate vocabulary comprehension and answer questions such as what to do if you find a wallet on the street—almost all in response to a stranger's questions. In the Raven's Progressive Matrices test, they got brief instructions, then went off on their own to analyze three-by-three arrays of geometric designs, with one missing, and choose (from six or eight possibilities) the design that belonged in the empty place. The disparity in scores was striking. One autistic child's Wechsler result meant he was mentally retarded (an IQ below 70); his Raven's put him in the 94th percentile. Overall, the autistics (all had full-blown autism, not Asperger's) scored around the 30th percentile on the Wechsler, which corresponds to "low average" IQ. But they averaged in the 56th percentile on the Raven's. Not a single autistic child scored in the "high intelligence" range on the Wechsler; on the Raven's, one third did. Healthy children showed no such disparity.
The Wechsler measures "crystallized intelligence"—what you've learned. The Raven's measures "fluid intelligence"—the ability to learn, process information, ignore distractions, solve problems and reason—and so is arguably a truer measure of intelligence, says psychologist Steven Stemler of Wesleyan University.
That presents a puzzle. If many autistics are more intelligent than an IQ test shows, why haven't their parents noticed? Partly because many parents welcome a low score, which brings their child more special services from schools and public agencies, says one scientist who has an autistic son (and who fears that being named would antagonize the close-knit autism community). But another force is at work. "We often think of intelligence as what you can show, such as by speaking fluently," says psychologist Morton Ann Gernsbacher of the University of Wisconsin. "Parents as well as professionals might be biased to look at that" rather than dig for the hidden intellectual spark.
The challenge is to coax that spark into the kind of intelligence that manifests itself in practice. That is something autism researchers are far from doing. Worse, much of the expert advice might be counterproductive. Many experts dismiss autistics' exceptional reading, artistic or other abilities as side effects of abnormal brain function, "not a reflection of genuine human intelligence, which it is likely to be," says Mottron. They advise parents to steer their child away from what he excels at and obsesses over, such as letters and words and details, and toward what he struggles with, such as faces and the big picture. Dawson, who is autistic, thinks that's a prescription for intellectual failure; autistics should be encouraged to build on their strengths, as everyone else is. The problem of a lurking intelligence that won't be coaxed out by the usual education and parenting methods is not necessarily unique to autistics. It makes you wonder how many other children, whose intellectual potential we're too blind to see, we've also given up on.

Discovery Toys to help children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2007-08-12T08:39:00.000-05:00

For 28 years, Discovery Toys has focused on learning through play, delivering countless products specifically designed to maximize learning moments across age groups and skill categories. The most effective learning environment for any child is one tailored to that child’s specific needs at each stage of development.Discovery Toys has interfaced with the famous Princeton Child Development Institute (PCDI) to raise hope and skill levels of children with Autism with a comprehensive development support program, helping parents of children with Autism understand the most commonly shared learning difficulties and select the most appropriate playthings and activities to support tailored development programs.Is your family touched by autism? Very possibly.Facts and figures about autism:1 in 150 children are diagnosed with autism;A new case of autism is diagnosed nearly every 20 minutes;Autism receives less than 5% of the public funding contributed each year to fight all major childhood diseases;There will be more cases of Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosed each year than all major childhood diseases combined.Discovery Toys can help.For children with autism, the diversity and breadth of learning opportunities offered by Discovery Toys® products supports the basic skill needs of the child with autism and builds bridges to the next skill level, regardless of the child’s age. Dr. Patricia Krantz, Ph.D., Executive Director of PCDI, attests to the value of the company’s playthings in treatment programs. “Toys are a vital component of many intervention programs. Children with autism learn best when learning is wrapped up as fun. We have incorporated Discovery Toys® products into our teaching strategies for many years.” This collection of product, along with resources to guide parents in selecting the right toys and understanding how to use them, is now available directly to families of children with Autism for use in the home.All Discovery Toys customers now have the opportunity to join the company’s initiative to assist children with autism by purchasing a dual set of Discovery Toys gift wrap, called “It’s a Wrap! Special Moments Wrap”. For each set purchased, the company will donate 50 cents to a non-profit organization benefiting children with autism.For more detailed information on how Discovery Toys playthings can benefit children with autism, contact Christie Jarvis at 1-866-945-TOYS or DiscoveryToys@christiejarvis.comAbout Discovery ToysDiscovery Toys, Inc. is the leading direct seller of educational toys, books, and games for children, personalizing the toy purchase experience through a network of over 26,000 Educational Consultants in the U.S. and Canada. Founded in 1978 with a two-fold mission, Discovery Toys strives to enhance the lives of children by providing developmentally appropriate products that make learning fun and to offer parents flexible home-based businesses as Educational Consultants that allow them to spend more time with their children. Discovery Toys was founded in 1978 by Lane Nemeth, who created the company’s signature products, such as the volumetrically correct MEASURE UP!® Cups – a bestseller for over 25 years, with more than 2 million units sold. The company has received 172 awards from nationally recognized educators and parenting organizations. Discovery Toys, Inc., based in Livermore, California, is a subsidiary of EOS International, Inc. Educational Consultant, Christie Jarvis can be found by calling 1-866-945-TOYS (8697) or visiting www.christiejarvis.comAbout Dr. Krantz and the Princeton Child Development Institute.The Princeton Child Development Institute, founded in 1970, is a private, nonprofit program offering a broad spectrum of science-based services to children, youths, and adults with autism. The Institute not only provides quality treatment, education, and professional training and mentoring in New Jersey, but also through its research, has pioneered comprehensive intervention models that are used nationally and internationally for the benefit of persons with autism. Dr Krantz, Executive Director of PCDI, has published many journal articles and book chapters and co-authored the books, “Activity schedules for children with Autism: Teaching Independent Behavior” and “Teaching Conversation to Children with Autism: Scripts and Script-fading.”

White Matter and Autism Spectrum Disorder

2007-08-01T13:14:00.000-05:00

A study published in the August issue of the journal Brain demonstrates, for the first time, an association between increased white matter volume and functional impairment in children with autism. Findings from researchers at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Md. reveal that in children with autism, increased white matter volume in the motor region of the brain predicts poorer motor skills. Conversely, in typically developing children, increased white matter volume predicts improved motor skills, with a similar association observed in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The relationship between increased white matter volume and functional impairment, which appears to be specific to autism, may be representative of global patterns of brain abnormality in autism that not only contribute to motor dysfunction, but also to deficits in socialization and communication that define the disorder. Children with autism are typically motorically clumsy and awkward, similar to how they are socially clumsy and awkward. They often experience difficulties with basic motor control and with learning more complex motor skills, such as riding a tricycle, pumping their legs on a swing or buttoning, zipping and tying shoe laces. Additionally, high-functioning children with autism often excel in academic areas, such as math, as opposed to athletic activities, such as baseball. Because measures of motor function are highly quantifiable and reproducible, they are much easier to study than measures of social and communication behavior. Motor signs can serve as markers for deficits in parallel brain systems important for control of socialization and communication. Researchers utilized anatomic magnetic resonance imaging (aMRI) measures to study 76 children ages 8-12 years, including: 20 high-functioning children with autism; a control group of 36 typically developing (TD) children; and a clinical control group of 20 children with ADHD, a developmental disorder which, like autism, has been found to be associated with impairments in motor execution and control. Findings show a robust association between increased white matter volume and basic motor skill impairment in children with autism, which suggests that it may be a defining biological feature of the disorder. Results demonstrate that the association of increasing white matter volume and poor motor function appears to be specific to autism, as this association was not observed in the TD or ADHD groups.“Carefully examining systems responsible for controlling simple aspects of behavior, such as basic motor control, can provide a window into understanding the systems that are responsible for control of more complex social and communicative behavior,” said Dr. Stewart H. Mostofsky, lead study author and a pediatric neurologist in the Department of Developmental Cognitive Neurology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. “This finding is an important step forward and will guide future research into the abnormalities associated with socialization and communication that define the disorder.” Motor impairments, such as those seen in autism, offer valuable insight into the neurologic basis of developmental disorders. This is especially critical for autism and other disorders where the neurologic basis is not well understood. The most consistent neuroimaging finding in children with autism is increased brain volume, which has been primarily attributed to an increased volume of white matter (white matter consists of the connections between brain regions). To address the current lack of evidence showing that increases in white matter volume are associated with functional impairment in children with autism, researchers in this study examined associations between motor skills and white matter volume. Researchers assessed participants’ basic motor skills using a standardized motor examination for children, the Physical and Neurologic Examination of Subtle Signs (PANESS), which has been used in past studies to demonstrate basic motor skill impairments in children with autism and ADHD. With the PANESS, higher scores indicate poorer performance. Consistent with previous findings, children with autism had significantly poorer motor performance (higher PANESS scores) than TD controls. Researchers identified a strong positive correlation between total PANESS score and white matter volume, revealing that increased white matter volume predicted poorer motor skills in these children. In contrast to the children with autism, TD children showed a significant correlation in the opposite direction, with increased white matter volume predicting better motor skills (lower PANESS scores). The correlation in children with ADHD was considerably different from the children with autism and similar to the TD group. In the future, Dr. Mostofsky and his colleagues hope to examine correlations of brain structure with motor performance using imaging techniques, such as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), which can provide additional information about white matter connections. Upcoming studies may also extend this research to younger children and investigate, from a developmental perspective, what contributes to impaired acquisition and learning of motor skills in children with autism. Additionally, the brain systems involved in motor skill learning appear to be important for learning aspects of socialization and communication, including language. Future research that examines how these learning systems are affected in children with autism could therefore provide crucial information about the brain basis of the disorder and prove very valuable in guiding, and ultimately improving, therapy. About AutismAutism spectrum disorders (ASD) is the nation’s fastest growing developmental disorder, with current incidence rates estimated at 1 in 150 children. This year more children will be diagnosed with autism than AIDS, diabetes and cancer combined, yet profound gaps remain in our understanding of both the causes and cures of the disorder. Continued research and education about developmental disruptions in individuals with ASD is crucial, as early detection and intervention can lead to improved outcomes in individuals with ASD. About the Kennedy Krieger InstituteInternationally recognized for improving the lives of children and adolescents with disorders and injuries of the brain and spinal cord, the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, MD serves more than 13,000 individuals each year through inpatient and outpatient clinics, home and community services and school-based programs. Kennedy Krieger provides a wide range of services for children with developmental concerns mild to severe, and is home to a team of investigators who are contributing to the understanding of how disorders develop while pioneering new interventions and earlier diagnosis. For more information on Kennedy Krieger Institute, visit http://www.kennedykrieger.org/index.jsp.

Autism Spectrum Disorder linked to certain pesticides?

2007-07-30T12:59:00.000-05:00

A study by California state health officials links farm fields sprayed with certain pesticides to an increase in the number of autistic children. The study, which targets organochlorine pesticides, is to be published on Monday, The Los Angeles Times reported. The rate of autism among children who lived near the fields was very high, suggesting exposure in the womb could play a role. The study is the first to link pesticides to autism, which affects one in every 100 children, the Times reported. The study suggests that the farther the women lived from the fields, the less likely they were to give birth to children with autism. Scientists warn that they are dealing with a small population, so the results could be highly preliminary. The pesticides in the farm fields are older generation compounds created in the 1950s to kill mites, the newspaper said.

Thomas the Tank Engine top toy for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2007-07-28T12:34:00.000-05:00

Thomas the Tank Engine characters are the favourite toys among children with autism, according to a survey by the U.K. National Autistic Society.
In the survey, 748 parents of children with autism -- 99 per cent -- ranked the Thomas & Friends character top among toys, according to a release posted yesterday on the society's website.
Bob the Builder was next at 77 per cent.
The survey, commissioned by the society to explore the strong positive relationship between children with autism and Thomas & Friends, also found parents felt their child had learned a lot about colours, numbers and language and speech from the characters.
Parents identified the clear facial expressions and simple stories presented by Thomas & Friends as critical for their kids.
Catherine Lewis said her autistic son, six, started liking Thomas at two years old.
"I actively encouraged him to engage with Thomas as I could see the benefits including helping him to understand facial expressions."

Sigourney Weaver stars in movie about Autism Spctrum Disorder

2007-07-26T21:59:00.000-05:00

It has been a decade since Sigourney Weaver appeared in her final incarnation as Ellen Ripley in Alien: Resurrection. During that suspenseful series, the tall, composed actress displayed natural authority as she battled hordes of aliens. That self-assuredness came in handy with her portrayal of high-functioning autistic Linda in Snow Cake.
Not since Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man has a character with autism been so endearing. In fact, can we remember another Hollywood film about the subject?
"I don't think there has been," says Weaver, who researched intensely for the role. "If anything, I think there's an avoidance of the issue. Rain Man was 20 years ago. One of the things that I've heard constantly from people on the autism spectrum is they're so tired of people referring to Rain Man - as if one movie would define the disorder for decades to come.
"As good as that movie was I think people have so many misconceptions.
You see someone with autism and you see all that physical behaviour but you don't realise that on their own terms some of them can be as high functioning as you or I."
Weaver was determined to make Linda funny.
"I'm much more comfortable in comedy," she says, "but what I've come to discover is that like life, a good script is both funny and dramatic. You don't have to be serious about the movie, it's OK to laugh. There are so many things that are funny in the script and it's certainly funny when you're with someone with autism."
The snow of the title refers to that wonderful white stuff Linda rolls around in at home in her small Canadian town. She has a wild and woolly young adult daughter who appreciates her mother's eccentricities and we meet her just before she is killed in a car crash with a man who has picked her up hitchhiking.
That man, played by Alan Rickman, has his own set of troubles. He feels compelled to visit Linda to tell her what happened - only she seems hardly upset at the news and invites him to stay. She has a new playmate.
Weaver was invited to be in the film by Rickman, her co-star in the underrated Galaxy Quest. She says she doesn't think she was an "obvious choice" but Rickman's backing gave her confidence.
Weaver is married to theatre director Jim Simpson, who is six years her junior, and they have a 17-year-old daughter, Charlotte, who is a constant consideration as to the jobs she accepts. For a long while she would only work in New York and she greatly enjoyed her recent stint as Babe Paley in Infamous.
However, there will be no more Alien for the actress. "You know, they wanted to do parts four and five together like The Lord of the Rings, but I didn't want to do that ... Of course, then they did Alien v. Predator, which sort of killed the whole thing.''
SNOW CAKE
Director Marc EvansStarring Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Carrie-Anne Moss

Another Autism Spectrum Disorder study

2007-07-24T11:49:00.000-05:00

Science Daily — A new model for understanding how autism is acquired has been developed by a team of researchers led by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) and Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Autism is a developmental disorder, characterized by language impairments, social deficits, and repetitive behaviors. The researchers analyzed data on autism incidence and found a previously unrecognized pattern.
The pattern can be explained by assuming that spontaneous germ-line mutation is a significant cause of the disorder. Parents, especially women, who acquire the mutation – but do not exhibit severe symptoms of the disorder – have a 50% chance of passing the mutation on to their children. Sons often show the most severe symptoms.
Spontaneous mutations are changes in a chromosome that alter genes. Germ-line mutations are newly acquired in a germ cell of a parent, and sometimes are transmitted to offspring at conception. Men and women are equally as likely to acquire a spontaneous mutation that can cause autism, but autism is three times more likely in men, making women the more likely carriers of new mutations. “The fact that germ-line mutations increase with age places older parents at a higher risk of having children with autism, explaining a pattern that has been recently observed,” said CSHL co-author of the study Michael Wigler, Ph.D.
The model proposes two prominent risk classes for families affected by autism. Low risk families give rise to sporadic autism, the more common form, by spontaneous germ-line mutation. The children, mostly female, who receive such a mutation, but do not display the disorder, are the source of the high risk families.
The data show that the transmission pattern to boys in high risk families is often of a dominant pattern that may account for a quarter of autism. Although the data does not answer whether there is a gradation of lower risk, the model builds on recent CSHL findings that spontaneous mutation is frequent in sporadic autism and less frequent in children from high risk families.
Wigler suggests that “what we now know about spontaneous mutations and autism offers an alternative to traditional thinking about genetic disorders as purely heritable from a parent. This has implications for other disorders such as morbid obesity, schizophrenia, and congenital heart disease.”
The full citation of the paper published in the July 31, 2007 print edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences is: "A unified theory for sporadic and inherited autism," by Xiaoyue Zhao, Anthony Leotta, Vlad Kustanovich, Clara Lajonchere, Daniel H. Geschwind, Kiely Law, Paul Law, Shanping Qiu, Catherine Lord, Jonathan Sebat, Kenny Ye and Michael Wigler.
The research was funded by the Simons Foundation and utilized databases from the Autistic Resource Exchange (AGRE) Consortium, the University of Michigan, and the Interactive Autism Network (IAN). IAN is an on-line national autism registry and database launched in April by the Kennedy Krieger Institute.
Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

New Social Storybooks for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2007-07-22T01:25:00.000-05:00

For many children on the autism spectrum, the world is full of questions. It's tough to figure out what's expected and to know how to respond appropriately. Luckily, Natural Learning Concepts (http://www.nlconcepts.com/) clarifies daily routines and teaches children to navigate the social rules with its popular set of "Now I Get It!" Social Storybooks. The demand for these increasing popular books has grown, and with repeated requests from schools and parents for additional titles, the company is now proud to announce the latest titles in the series, 'Getting Ready for School' and 'Getting Ready for Bed' and 'I Don't Understand!' and 'Getting Help, Giving Help.'
The "Now I Get It!" series illustrates, addresses and explains everything from playtime activities to difficult concepts such as anger management, transitions, public behavior and more. "Routine activities can feel overwhelming to children with autism," comments Natural Learning Concepts Co-Founder Jene Aviram, "so these carefully designed stories prepare a child to effectively deal with situations ahead of time, thus reducing the challenge of everyday life for children on the autism spectrum." Each Social Storybook is clearly presented, with delightful illustrations featuring a child protagonist with an autism-spectrum point of view, as he navigates a world that is sometimes confusing or intimidating. Yet in each situation, he encounters patient and caring adults and peers who helpfully explain how things work, and why. As he learns new social and coping skills, he gains a better understanding of how to react to or behave in specific situations -- common hurdles for children with autistic challenges.
"Our books cover topical issues that most children on the autism spectrum struggle with every day," says Aviram. "Our goal is to help children. With the volume of feedback we receive every day from parents and professionals, we know we are achieving our goal," adds Co-Founder Jocelyn Blum. "Teachers need quality resources, and we are proud that our 'Social Skill Stories' are now a common fixture in many classroom libraries."
A perfect addition to the books is the section of comprehension questions included at the end of each story. This ingenious idea reinforces learning and helps the reader thoroughly understand what's expected. "I just spoke to a customer today who told me that her son had needed new shoes. She bought the shoes, but he just refused to wear them," comments Aviram. "Days went by, and in desperation, she went online and searched for 'shoes and autism.' Our Social Storybook 'Talking About My Day' and 'When Things Change' came up, and she ordered it, as well as a few other titles. Her son related instantly to the story. It took one day and just a few readings of the story, and the problem disappeared! He understood, and wore his shoes. She called back today to place an order for additional Social Storybooks."
Each Social Storybook costs just $9.95, and includes two social skill stories that address typical daily challenges in the life of a child with autism. The upcoming title 'Getting Ready for School' and 'Getting Ready for Bed' teaches independence skills and removes stress from the early morning and evening routine for parents and children. The other exciting new Social Storybook title, 'I Don't Understand' and 'Getting Help, Giving Help' guides children in asking for assistance, and also how to give it in return. "Many children find it difficult to ask for clarification, and they relate instantly to this story," comments Aviram.
The two new titles are just the latest in its highly successful Social Storybook line from Natural Learning Concepts, which were written by Natural Learning Concepts founder Jene Aviram and Jocelyn Blum themselves. With friendly, simple text, and charming illustrations by artist Peter Orr, it's no wonder the books are widely used by parents, professionals and kids across the autism spectrum. Most of all, they help to beautifully and realistically explain many of the daily social rituals and interactions that can be so mystifying for those on the autism spectrum.
"We attribute the success of the social storybooks to children with autism," says Blum. "We follow their lead and produce books according to their needs and daily challenges." A prototype of each storybook is created, and its appeal and effectiveness is tested by children on the autism spectrum. The story is modified as many times as necessary until all the kids enjoy it and learn from it. Then, and only then, does the story go into production as the latest Social Storybook title from Natural Learning Concepts.
"We already know that people with autism think differently from us," comments Aviram. "So we feel that, clearly, they should be the ones to tell us if the product works for them or not." She adds, "In my early days, I bought far too many products that just sat on the shelf. I realized these products appealed to me, and to parents and professionals, but not to the children themselves. I'm insistent on producing materials with an 'autism perspective' so that we can reach children in a realistic way. We're proud of our products, and we pour our heart and soul into their creation."
About Natural Learning Concepts 'Social Storybooks'Natural Learning Concepts offers a terrific array of Social Skill Stories titles available now, including Saying Excuse Me, Please and Thank You, 'Talking About My Day' and 'When Things Change', 'The Playground' and 'The Beach', 'Getting Angry' and 'Sharing', 'Answering Questions' and 'Saying "Hi" and "Bye"', 'The Restaurant' and 'The Movies', and 'Fire Drills' and 'Assembly'. The new Social Storybook titles 'Getting Ready for School' and 'Getting Ready for Bed' and 'I Don't Understand' and 'Getting Help, Giving Help', will be released in mid July 2007. Each Social Storybook is priced at just $9.95. Right through the end of August, Natural Learning Concepts is offering a 25% discount on the purchase of these two new titles. This great savings is available for immediate and secure purchase from the Natural Learning Concepts website (http://www.nlconcepts.com/).
About Natural Learning ConceptsNatural Learning Concepts is committed to the acceptance, celebration and understanding of people with autism exactly as they are. Their range of outstanding books, materials and inspirational content are designed to facilitate communication, increase speech, language and comprehension while having fun in the process. All of the materials on the Natural Learning Concepts website are used for teaching children at all levels of the autism spectrum as well as those diagnosed with PDD-NOS, Asperger's, ADHD and speech and language delays. The company's materials are routinely used for ABA therapy, social storybooks for autism, early intervention and verbal behavior analysis. Parents, teachers, and other loved ones enjoy using these tools to celebrate and work with that special child in their life who has autism.
Please visit the Natural Learning Concepts website to learn more, as well as to take part in its diverse and passionate online community, at http://www.nlconcepts.com/ Also, don't miss its exciting new Job Community, at http://www.nlconcepts.com/autism-jobs.htm
For more information on Natural Learning Concepts or its products, please contact publicist Angela Mitchell, at (904) 982-8043. Meanwhile, to contact founders Jene Aviram or Jocelyn Blum directly for interviews, please call 1-800-823-3430 or (631) 858-0188.

Very sad article about a wonderful angel with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2007-07-12T11:20:00.000-05:00

Williamson County--It's been nearly a month since four-year-old Kedan Seagraves of Herrin drowned in a pond in his backyard.The parents of the young boy say his autism may have contributed to his death.Statistics show one in 150 children in America today has autism.Kedan's parents say there are a lot of families who could learn something from their child's death.It's a situation that could happen to any parent. Sandra and Greg Seagraves of Herrin say while they were distracted, their four-year-old son Kedan escaped from their home.Kedan was only missing five minutes before dad found him in the backyard pond. But it was too late he had drowned. Kedans parents say Kedan was diagnosed with autism at 18 months. Children with autism are marked by impaired social interaction, communication, and restricted and repetitive behavior. His mother Sandra says Kedan had all of the typical traits. "He started spinning and turning, he quit talking, he wasn’t very verbal, as far as no fear goes, he wasn't afraid of anything, he didn't understand dangers."Living with a child who has autism has its challenges. Even eleven-year-old brother Jaden was aware of them. "We had to really care for him because lot's of things he didn't want, he only liked certain things so we had to be really careful and do what he wanted."The family says they will miss Kedan always. Mom is dedicated to keeping his memory alive. "Kedan was a very bright child, he had the biggest blue eyes you ever seen, he could melt your heart and he was a really good kid. Sandra also wants others to know about the tragedy. "There's a lot of people with ponds and with pools and there's even more people with autism and people don't think this could happen to them but it can and I don't want to see this happen to anyone else."The family claims they had no insurance coverage for Kedan and can’t afford his funeral expenses. Loved ones and friends are hosting a benefit to raise six thousand dollars on August 26th at Aces Catering in Herrin. There’s also a trust fund set up for Kedan at the Herrin Bank.All proceeds will go towards funeral cost.By: Staci BuntonTo learn more about Kedan and his life affected by autism click on the link below.
Additional Links:
Family Tribute Video For Kedan Seagraves

Parents of boy with Autism Spectrum Disorder suing for wrongful death

2007-07-09T14:40:00.000-05:00

The parents of a 5-year-old autistic boy who died after receiving a chemical treatment sued the doctor who administered it for wrongfuldeath. Mawra and Rufai Nadama, who live in Britain, accused Dr. Roy Kerryof causing their son, Tariq, to die of cardiac arrest at Kerry's office immediately after the boy received chelation therapy on Aug. 23,2005. Chelation removes heavy metals from the body and is approved by the Food and Drug Administration only for acute heavy-metal poisoningthat has been confirmed by blood tests. Some people who believe autism is caused by a mercury-containing preservative once used in vaccinessay chelation may also help autistic children. Kerry, of Greenville, did not immediately return a message left athis office today. The Nadamas are also suing ApotheCure Inc., of Dallas, which they contend supplied the chelation solution but allegedly did notprovide appropriate warnings and instructions about its use. The company did not immediately return a call for comment. Chelating agents are chemical compounds, injected or given orally, that latch on to metals in the body and carry them out through urine or feces. Chelation is commonly used for lead poisoning. Some doctors have used chelation to treat autism, believing mercuryor other heavy metals cause the condition's symptoms. However, medical evidence does not support that belief, and the drug is not approved for that use, officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. In February 2005, a 2-year-old girl with lead poisoning was treated with three chelating agents and died at a hospital hours later from what an autopsy concluded was cardiac arrest due to depleted levelsof calcium.

New study on Autism Spectrum Disorder

2007-06-30T12:01:00.000-05:00

A new study has revealed that individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) including autism, pervasive developmental disorder and Asperger's syndrome can be trained to understand the subtle meanings conveyed by a person's face and tone of voice.

UCLA researchers have shown that ASD children can be trained with explicit instructions to pay more attention to facial expressions and tone of voice elicited an increased response in the medial prefrontal cortex, part of the brain's network for understanding the intentions of others. "That's significant. The fact that you can 'normalize' activity in this region in the ASD group by directing their attention to these important social cues clearly indicates there's nothing ntrinsically wrong with this region in the autistic brain," said Mirella Dapretto, associate professor of psychiatry and bio-behavioural sciences at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA and a member of the UCLA Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center. Dapretto co-authored the study with her former graduate student Ting Wang, who is now a postdoctoral fellow at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. "This is a very positive thing because these findings have implications for future interventions - they suggest that you could train the autistic brain to make use of the information conveyed by the human face and voice to successfully navigate social interactions," Dapretto added.
The authors wanted to examine the neural circuitry in the brain that underlies the problems ASD children face in interpreting communicative intent. They also wanted to determine whether explicit instructions to pay attention to facial expressions and tone of voice would elicit more normal patterns of brain activity in these children.

While undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), 18 ASD boys between the ages of 7 and 17, as well as a control group of 18 typically developing (TD) boys, viewed cartoon drawings of children in conversational settings while listening to short vignettes that ended with a potentially ironic remark. Researchers found that, compared with the TD control group, the ASD children had reduced activity in two areas of the brain - the medial prefrontal cortex and right superior temporal gyrus. But when the researchers gave both groups explicit instructions to pay attention to the speaker's facial expression and tone of voice, only the ASD children showed a significant increase in activity in the medial prefrontal cortex. "The typically developing kids recognized and interpreted these cues automatically when trying to infer if a speaker's remark was sincere or sarcastic, so their brains were already responding appropriately," said Dapretto. "But not so with the ASD kids, who did not show activity in this area when specific instructions weren't provided. This is the first study to show that you can normalize activity in a key region of the so-called 'social brain' in individuals with autism by simply directing their attention to these important social cues," Dapretto said. The study, that is available online, is published in the current issue of the journal Archives of General Psychiatry.

Autism Spectrum Disorder reversed in mice

2007-06-26T14:37:00.000-05:00

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 26 (UPI) -- U.S. medical scientists have reversed symptoms of mental retardation and autism in mice.
Researchers at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said the mice were genetically manipulated to model Fragile X Syndrome, the leading inherited cause of mental retardation and the most common genetic cause of autism. The condition causes mild learning disabilities to severe autism, with no effective treatment yet developed.
"Our study suggests that inhibiting a certain enzyme in the brain could be an effective therapy for countering the debilitating symptoms of FXS in children and possibly in autistic kids as well," said co-author Mansuo Hayashi, a former Picower postdoctoral fellow currently at Merck Research Laboratories in Boston.
The research is reported in the online early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Copyright 2007 by United Press International. All Rights Reserved.

Vaccines and Autism Spectrum Disorder hit the court room

2007-06-11T17:58:00.000-05:00

The parents of 12-year-old Michelle Cedillo asked a federal court Monday to find that their child's autism was caused by common childhood vaccines, a precedent-setting case that could pave the way for thousands of autistic children to receive compensation from a government fund set up to help people injured by the shots.
Wearing noise-canceling headphones, Michelle, of Yuma, Ariz., was brought into the courtroom in a wheelchair at the start of the proceedings before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. She stayed only a short time.

Her parents, Theresa and Michael Cedillo, allege a preservative called thimerosal that had been used in vaccines weakened their daughter's immune system and prevented her body from clearing the measles virus after she was immunized for the disease at age 15 months.
Today, Michelle suffers from a litany of health problems, including severe autism, inflammatory bowel disease, glaucoma and epilepsy.
"We hope to find out what happened and hopefully get the help she needs," said Theresa Cedillo, who takes care of her daughter full time at home.
Special Master George Hastings Jr. thanked the family for allowing theirs to be the first of nine test cases that will help guide the resolution of some of the nearly 5,000 similar claims lodged with the government.
"Clearly the story of Michelle's life is a tragic one," Hastings said in pledging to listen carefully to the evidence presented during the three-week hearing.
The burden of proof is easier than in a traditional court. Plaintiffs only have to prove that a link between autism and the shots is more likely than not, based on a preponderance of evidence.
Large scientific studies have found no association between autism and vaccines containing thimerosal.
But many parents say their children's symptoms did not show up until after their children received the vaccines, required by many states for admission to school.
"These are families who followed the rules. These are families who brought children in for vaccines. These are families who immunized their children," said the Cedillos' attorney, Thomas Powers.
Powers said that the science regarding a possible vaccine-autism link is in dispute.
Government attorney Vincent Matanoski dismissed much of what the plaintiffs are expected to present as conjecture or speculation.
"You'll find their hypotheses untested or, when tested, have been found false," Matanoski said.
Since 1999, more than 4,800 families have filed claims with the government alleging their children developed autism as a result of routine vaccinations. Most contend that a preservative called thimerosal is to blame for the impaired social interaction typical of the disorder.
The court is being asked to decide whether there is a link between autism and childhood vaccines. If it finds one exists, the families could be eligible for compensation under the Vaccine Injury Compensation Fund, a program established by Congress to ensure an adequate supply of vaccines by safeguarding manufacturers from lawsuits. Under the program, people injured by vaccines receive compensation through a special trust fund.
Autism is characterized by impaired social interaction. Those affected often have trouble communicating, and they exhibit unusual or severely limited activities and interests. Classic symptoms of mercury poisoning include anxiety, fatigue and abnormal irritation, as well as cognitive and motor dysfunction.
Monday's case addresses the theory that the cause of autism is the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine in combination with other vaccines containing thimerosal. The preservative, about 50 percent mercury by weight, is no longer found in routine childhood vaccines but is used in some flu shots.
In July 1999, the U.S. government asked vaccine manufacturers to eliminate or reduce, as expeditiously as possible, the mercury content of their vaccines to avoid any possibility of infants who receive vaccines being exposed to more mercury than is recommended by federal guidelines.

Wonderful story about four year boy with Autism Spectrum Disorder and his Macaw

2007-05-23T21:12:00.000-05:00

Up until recently, Dylan Hargreaves, a 4-year-old boy with autism, had never spoken an understandable word. That all changed when he met Barney. Barney, the family's blue and gold Macaw, apparently was able to reach the boy when humans could not, according to Ananova. Since receiving the bird from Rob Hargreaves in January, Dylan has learned to say several words including "night night", "dad", "hello" and "goodbye".Dylan is even able to say "night night mum" before going to sleep at night.Every time Michelle taught Barney a new word, Dylan made an attempt to say it too. He is even beginning to utter two syllable words, which he has never attempted in the past. What two syllable word is he trying to master? Why "Barney", of course and rightly so. After all, this bird has brought more to Dylan's life than a simple pet. Barney has brought Dylan the means to begin his journey into verbal communication with the world.Dylan's mom, 33-year-old Michelle, believes that it is because Barney speaks slower than people do and it allows her son to understand and repeat the words more easily. She says that every time she teaches Barney a new word, Dylan learns it too."If there's some enjoyment, a child is more likely to learn. And presumably this parrot has attracted the boy's attention," speech therapist Dr Hazel Roddham of the University of Lancashire said, according to Ananova.Autism effects 3.4 out of every 1000 children between 3-10 years of age in the United States and causes significant difficulties with communication and social development. Although autism rates appear to be increasing in recent years, it is unclear if the rates themselves are increasing or if we are becoming better at diagnosing such disorders.Research continues to be done on autism. Scientists have identified several conditions considered to be on the autism spectrum that range in severity from being almost totally incapable of communication to impairments in understanding the fine nuances of language and social cues, such as; being unable to read body language and facial features.Barney has brought new hope and joy into the lives of the Hargreaves family. Sources:Parrot teaches boy of 4 to talk.Emma Morton. The Sun. URL: (http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007180324,00.htmlBoy Learns Parrot Fashion. ANANOVA. URL: (http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_2296371.html?menu=news.quirkies.heartwarmers

Autism Spectrum Disorder & mercury study from University of Missouri-Columbia

2007-05-16T12:18:00.000-05:00

The increase in the number of diagnosed casesof autism in recent years has sparked concern that environmentaltoxins may cause this complex disorder. However, a new University ofMissouri-Columbia study concludes that exposure to Rh immune globulinpreserved with mercury-containing thimerosal before birth was nohigher for children with autism."This study adds to the evidence that there is no casual associationbetween thimerosal and childhood autism," said Judith Miles, who isthe William S. Thomson Endowed Chair of Autism and professor ofpediatrics and pathology in the MU School of Medicine. "We concludethat there is no indication that pregnancies resulting in childrenwith autism were more likely to be complicated by Rh immuneglobulin/thimerosal exposure."The study investigated thimerosal exposure during pregnancies thatresulted in the birth of a child subsequently diagnosed with autism.Although experts anticipate that autism will be the firstbehavioral/psychiatric disorder for which major genes will beidentified, there is still fierce debate that thimerosal, apreservative commonly used in vaccines and is almost 50 percentethylmercury, is responsible for the rise in the disorder. Rhnegative women are routinely treated with Rh immune globulin (RhIg)during the third trimester to prevent hemolytic disease, in which themother's immune system attacks fetal blood cells. Like many vaccines,RhIg manufactured in the United States contained thimerosal prior to2001. Since young fetal brains are more susceptible to neurotoxiceffects, researchers led by Miles, of the MU Thompson Center forAutism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, assessed Rh status andthimerosal exposure of mothers of children with autism.The study included 214 mothers of 230 children diagnosed with anautism spectrum disorder. Rh status, RhIg with thimerosal exposureand Rh incompatibility (in which the mother's Rh status is differentthan the fetus's) were established by reviewing medical records. Theresults showed that in children with autism, Rh negative status wasno higher in their mothers than in the general population, thatexposure to RhIg (preserved with thimerosal) before birth was nohigher and that pregnancies were not more likely to be Rhincompatible."We hope this report of no association between autism, Rh negativityand thimerosal exposure during pregnancy will offset some of thedecreased compliance with immunization recommendations which is knownto increase morbidity and mortality from childhood infectiousdiseases," Miles said. Autism diagnoses have increased significantly during the past twodecades, which coincides temporally with the addition of fivepediatric vaccines to the immunization schedule, exposing children toincreasing doses of ethylmercury, a known toxin. Though the vastmajority of studies indicate no association between vaccines andautism, the FDA, CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics recommendedthat thimerosal be removed from all routinely recommended earlychildhood vaccines; this was accomplished by 2002. Miles points out that even though RhIg and childhood vaccines are nowfree of thimerosal in the United States, it is important to analyzequestions of safety since thimerosal continues to be used in manyplaces around the world to preserve vaccines to help make themaffordable. Miles said that few studies have focused on pregnancies of Rhnegative mothers who received RhIg during pregnancy, probably becausethe thimerosal is diluted before reaching the fetus and has beenassumed to be innocuous. Nevertheless, there is a concern that evenvery small doses delivered when the brain is especially sensitive canbe toxic. Numerous Internet sites and one research study assert thatRhIg causes autism and that a high percentage of mothers of childrenwith autism are Rh negative, neither of which was shown to be true inthe current study. In addition, a recent study hypothesized that Rhincompatibility itself could disrupt fetal neurodevelopment, thusplaying a role in autism, but the current study found no increase inthe proportion of Rh incompatibility in mothers of autistic children.In response to the claim that only certain groups of children are atrisk, the authors also analyzed specific autism spectrum disordersubgroups and found that none had significant increases in either Rhnegativity or thimerosal exposure during pregnancy.The study -- "Lack of Association Between Rh Status, Rh ImmuneGlobulin in Pregnancy and Autism" -- was published in the May 2007issue of the American Journal of Medical Genetics.Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued byUniversity of Missouri-Columbia.

No link between Autism Spectrum Disorder and Celiac disease

2007-05-02T13:46:00.000-05:00

Contrary to previous studies, autistic children are no more likely than other children to have celiac disease, according to new research that presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 59th Annual Meeting in Boston, April 28 -- May 5, 2007.
Researchers compared blood samples of 34 children with autism to samples of 34 children without autism who had been referred to an outpatient clinic of the same hospital. They looked for two antibodies used to help detect celiac disease--anti-gliadin antibodies and anti-endomysial antibodies. Biopsies of the small intestine were offered to children who tested positive for either antibody to confirm the diagnosis. Each group contained 18 boys and 16 girls between the ages of four and 16.
The study found autistic children were no more likely than children without autism to develop celiac disease. Anti-gliadin antibodies were found in four children with autism and two without autism. Biopsies on all six children came back negative for celiac disease.
"This study shows food allergies often associated with autism may have no connection to the gluten intolerance experienced by people with celiac disease," said study author Samra Vazirian, MD, with Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, Iran.
Autism is a developmental disability that impairs social interaction and communication. People with autism often experience food sensitivities, particularly to certain grains. Celiac disease is a disorder that can damage the intestines when gluten, which is found in many grains, is ingested.
The study also found no link between the level of antibodies and the severity of autism. "Further research to determine the relationship between the levels of these antibodies in autistic children and the severity of autism would be beneficial," said Vazirian.
The study was supported by Tehran University of Medical Sciences

Study on Autism Spectrum Disorder focusing on Chromosome 11

2007-05-01T14:45:00.000-05:00

NASHVILLE, TN Every Year.. Thousands Of Familes Learn One Or More Of Their Children.. Has An Autism Spectrum Disorder. For Years.. Not Much Was Understood About The Biology Of Autism.But Genetic Researchers Have Zeroed In On Some Clues.Autism Gene Study/Nashville, TNIt's A Genetic Treasure Hunt.. Finding The Biological Roots Of Autism.Jonathan Haines, PhD/Vanderbilt University"What We're Trying To Identify Are The Few, The Very Few Of Those Several Million Simple Changes That Make The Difference Between Someone Who Has Autism And Someone Who Doesn't Have Autism."With Access To Thousands Of D-N-A Samples From Familes With Two Or More Kids With The Condition.. The Autism Genome Project Is Making Breakthroughs.Jonathan Haines, PhD/Vanderbilt University"The Findings On Chromosome 11 Are Particularly Promising. We Feel Like We've Got A Strong Lead, So We Are Actively Trying To Weed Through The Genes In That Region To Find That Proverbial Needle In A Haystack."Another Needle In That Haystack Is A Gene Called Neurexin One.It's Within These Areas.. That The Loss Or Gain Of Genetic Material.. Alters The Function Of The Gene.James Sutcliffe, PhD/Vanderbilt University"The Mutations That We See Are Not Present In A Large Number Of Normal Individuals, Therefore There Is Significant Evidence Then, That They Are Likely To Be, If Not Causal, Then Significant Risk Factors."Ultimately.. The Result Of This Continuing Project May Be A Predictive Test.James Sutcliffe, PhD/Vanderbilt University"We Are Hoping That At Some Point, And This Will Be A Number Of Years Into The Future, That We Will Be Able To Take A Blood Sample Perhaps, And Predict Whether Somebody Is, Not If They're Going To Get Autism Or Not Get Autism, But If They're Likely To Develop Autism."In The Meantime.. Phase Two Is Getting Underway.. Inspired By The Families.Jonathan Haines, PhD/Vanderbilt University"There's So Much Urgency In The Part Of These Families, Especially Those With Multiple Affected Children, That Uh, It Really Inspires Us To Really Wanna Push These Studies Forward As Quickly As Possible."Because The Genetic Changes Within These Genes Can Be Very Slight.. The Researchers Aren't Hopeful That A So-Called "Genetic Engineering" Treatment For Autism Will Be Possible. But They Do Think The Development Of A Blood Test In The Future Is Likely.. As Well As Finding Better Drug Therapies.. All Based On These Genetic Breakthroughs.

New report claims a link between cell phones and Autism Spectrum Disorder

2007-04-22T15:16:00.000-05:00

A new report is claiming to have found a link between the rise in autism in the USA, and the rise of the use of wireless technologies, specifically mobile phones. Tamara Mariea, founder of Internal Balance, is releasing findings from more than five years of research on clients with autism, and other membrane sensitivity disorders which claims electromagnetic radiation stress is one of the potentially major root causes of the explosion of autistic cases in the past two decades.

People who visit the Internal Balance clinic are "detoxed" in an electromagnetic radiation clean environment.
In simple terms, Mariea explains to parents struggling to help their children that what her research is pointing to is with more cell phone towers being erected, more cell phones in use globally and more WiFi technology utilized, the risk for autism continues to rise. She says that Thimerosal - the mercury containing preservative in scheduled children's vaccines - has for the most part been eliminated from regularly scheduled childhood vaccines, according to public record and that the incidence of autism should be decreasing based on progress made in that area in recent years. But, it is not decreasing, she says. This is where Mariea and Dr. Carlo began to collaborate in the search to find what the larger contributor to the increase in autism is.
They say that the epidemiologic curve of autism parallels too closely with the increase usage of wireless devices to not look at it. Mariea's soon to be published paper will include her research which explores electromagnetic radiation as a cohort effect with heavy metals as a strong component of the etiology of autism.
We shall have to wait and see if the report has any credible findings when it is published.

From Reuters: Review of the movie "Thomas" a look a life with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2007-04-20T14:43:00.000-05:00

This inspiring BBC America film about child autism is often excruciatingly difficult to watch.
Those who produce made-for-TV movies in the U.S. could learn a thing or two from the British production team that crafted "After Thomas," which is billed as a true story.
The film details the struggle of Nicola (Keeley Hawes) and Rob Graham (Ben Miles) to break through and communicate with their autistic 6-year-old son, Kyle (Andrew Bryne in an astonishingly good turn). Kyle suffers from one of the more extreme forms of the debilitating condition: He is incapable of responding to, or dispensing, affection to most external stimuli, which frustrates and devastates his parents while putting an incalculable strain on their crumbling marriage.
Seemingly the only thing that captures Kyle's interest is the children's TV show "Thomas the Tank Engine" and the train toys featured on the series. But it isn't nearly enough to mitigate what becomes an increasingly desperate situation. Rob wants to send Kyle to a boarding school for autistic kids, while Nicola fights it, giving up her life to communicate with her wholly unresponsive son. At their breaking point, the Grahams buy a Golden Retriever in the hope that a pet could help unlock the bolted doors to Kyle's psyche. They name the pooch Thomas (after Kyle's favorite TV character), and the results of the canine companionship would exceed with their wildest hopes.
Indeed, the dog has a miraculous impact, turning on the light of awareness in a way thought unfathomable. Today, the actual Kyle (named Dale in real life) is 18 and virtually unrecognizable from the shut-off lad we see throughout much of "Thomas."
Yet despite that shamelessly uplifting story line, the film proves revelatory in a way that's anything but sappy and maudlin. It earns its tears honestly, with scribe Lindsey Hill infusing the dialogue with genuine heartache and heart in equal measure and director Simon Shore inspiring magnificent, poignant work from his players. In particular, young Bryne is simply phenomenal in a role that called for such raw emotion

Dr. Kenneth Bock says Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Asthma and Allergies may be all connected

2007-04-16T14:42:00.000-05:00

(CBS) The number of children diagnosed with autism, ADHD, asthma or allergies has been skyrocketing in recent years, and they may all be connected, according to Dr. Kenneth Bock. He and writer Cameron Stauth contend that environmental factors and nutritional deficiencies trigger the conditions in kids who are genetically predisposed to them, and intervention can be effective in treating those youngsters, intervention involving "detoxifying" them and changing their diets, among other things. They've penned a book called "Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies: The Groundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders," in which they describe Bock's approach, and the results he's been getting at a facility he heads, results some consider quite impressive. Bock is co-founder and co-director of the Rhinebeck Health Center and the Center for Progressive Medicine, and a clinical instructor in family medicine at the Albany Medical College. Bock notes that he may be the first doctor to put the four conditions together. On The Early Show Monday, Bock and co-anchor Harry Smith focused on Bock's work with autistic kids. To see the segment, click here. To read an excerpt of "Healing the New Childhood Epidemics,"click here. There's a 36-minute documentary on Bock's work with autistic children, and it is available by clicking here. The documentary was done by an independent party. For much more on autism, go to the Web site of the Autism Society of America, by clicking here.

Autism Spectrum Disorder to be featured on the Today Show

2007-03-31T11:41:00.000-05:00

A segment about autism marking April as Autism Awareness month will be featured on
the Today Show on NBC on Monday.

New study on Autism Spectrum Disorder released

2007-03-30T21:18:00.000-05:00

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) scientists Jonathan Sebat, Lakshmi Muthuswamy, and Michael Wigler have found a distinction between heritable and “sporadic” forms of the autism. It is thought that the study, published in the March 16th, 2007 edition of Science, may influence future autism research and testing. "We found that many children with autism have spontaneous mutations in their DNA. This occurs more often in the sporadic cases than in either familial cases or in healthy children," said Sebat. The study indicates that at least 10 percent of children with autism carry an alteration in their DNA that is not found in either parent. Most genetic studies on autism, the CSHL researchers say, have focused on families with multiple autistic children. "Our findings suggest that sporadic autism is genetically distinct from the type that runs in families, and that we must use different approaches for studying them," Sebat said. "Sporadic autism is the more common form of the disease, and even the inherited form might derive from a mutation that occurred in a parent or grandparent," said Wigler. The researchers used microarray technology – a high-resolution method for analyzing DNA – and found that spontaneous copy number mutations occur primarily in sporadic cases. Their findings were that these new mutations were found less frequently in families that have more than one child with autism. The findings could help to determine the risk of having a second child with autism, and the knowledge of which genes are involved may lead to the development of new therapies. "This work received the vast bulk of its funding from the Simons Foundation, which generously supported the research when it was little more than an idea and a technique," Wigler said. Supporters of the research included the Simons Foundation, the National Institute of Mental Health, Autism Speaks, Cure Autism Now, and the Southwestern Autism Research and Resource Center. "This discovery sets a new framework for understanding, diagnosing and potentially treating autism," said CSHL President Bruce Stillman. CSHL is pursuing a $200 million capital campaign to fund such ventures as the construction of new research facilities dedicated to the study of autism.

Issues parents face with children who have Autism Spectrum Disorder

2007-03-23T14:23:00.000-05:00

Marvie Ellis, a pediatric speech-language pathologist and author of two award winning children's illustrated autism books has spoken with several families of children with autism spectrum disorders about the various challenges they encounter. Five main issues, listed in random order, were discussed most often: insurance, social isolation, high quality therapy, school support and social support systems. The issues addressed were from families of children with severe to moderate functioning autism disorders. Families reported encountering difficulties getting their insurance plans to cover specific treatments. Treatment examples are speech-language therapy, hippotherapy (horseback riding), music, and art. Some plans offer limited number of visits per calendar year. These visits involve a combination of speech-language, occupational and physical therapy services. Many plans will not cover speech-language services if a child is over the age of three unless due to brain injury, not developmental delay or autism. Insurance companies also limit the number of providers within a given area. Consequently, if there are two providers in an area using a family's insurance, only one may service children with ASD. The waiting list could be several months long. The problem of obtaining coverage for services and finding providers is even worse if a family has Medicaid as their only coverage.
Social isolation results if family & friends avoid opportunities to engage a family with a child who is diagnosed with ASD, possibly due to fear or lack of education. In addition, some parents of typically developing children don't know how to engage the child with ASD or the child's parents. Why? Because the child with ASD does not have a visible syndrome, so the expectations of social engagement are misleading to others. Another issue for families is finding qualified therapists. Not all therapists are trained in the various techniques used to enhance the skills of the child with ASD. Parents need to know that is always appropriate to ask therapists about their level of interest and training in working with this population. Well trained speech-language pathologists should be familiar with sensory integration, oral motor therapy, augmentative devices, sign language, muscle tone development, and play-based therapy, as well as Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) and applied behavioral analysis (ABA). They should also know the importance of additional treatment via referral options to other specialists. Families also have difficulty with adequate and appropriate school support. Some school districts provide special courses in autism training for their teachers and have certified autism specialists to oversee the population. Districts that do not provide this important training may place children with ASD in an inappropriate school setting with little to no social engagement with typically developing children during their school day. Teachers and aids with no knowledge of the importance of a sensory diet can give a child with ASD foods that may cause adverse reactions and aggressive or non-responsive behaviors. Finally, families stated needing better social support. Parents of a child with ASD rarely have the opportunity to go to a public park and experience relaxed play dates with other parents and their children. Mother Morning Out and child day programs usually do not permit youngsters with ASD due to a lack of assistance, staff, liability issues, and/or training. Children with ASD often are not able to join gym groups or karate classes or go to the movies or the mall. Parents do not have places where they can take their child without it becoming an expensive outing or unless an event is offered by a nonprofit organization. One parent told Marvie, "We get to have a date every year and a half." As a disclaimer, Marvie stated, "These are the opinions of many families I know personally and do not represent all families and their opinions." Parents interested in giving their opinions regarding issues they have may go to Marvie's blogsite at www.kidsautismbooks.blogspot.com and post their comments.
About Marvie Ellis: Marvie Ellis is a national consultant for parents and educators regarding autism and other communication disorders, a certified pediatric speech-language pathologist, and an author of two award winning children's illustrated autism books, "Keisha's Doors: An Autism Story Book One" (ISBN 1-933319-00-3), 2006 Benjamin Franklin Finalist & " Tacos Anyone? An Autism Story Book Two" (ISBN 1-933319-02-X), 2005 Barbara Jordan Media Award winner.

Larry King special on Autism Spectrum Disorder

2007-03-21T14:19:00.000-05:00

Tune in to CNN's Larry King Live tonight at 9 p.m . EST Subject: AutismSpecial Guests: Toni Braxton, Erika Krueger, parents of children with autism spectrum disorder

Toys R Us to help promote awareness for Autism Spectrum Disorder

2007-03-13T18:48:00.000-05:00

This weekend, Toys "R" Us and theToys "R" Us Children's Fund will kick off a nationwide fundraising campaignto benefit Autism Speaks, the world's leading organization devoted toautism awareness, advocacy and research. From March 18 through May 4, all586 Toys "R" Us stores across the country will accept cash donations tosupport Autism Speaks in its efforts to help solve the puzzle of autism.Online shoppers can also contribute by visitinghttp://www.Toysrus.com/autismspeaks. The program coincides with Autism AwarenessMonth, which is officially designated as April each year. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070313/NYTU032-a http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070313/NYTU032-b ) As part of the campaign, Toys "R" Us will offer customers valuableinformation about autism, both in stores and online, to increase publicawareness about the disorder. Toys "R" Us engaged the National LekotekCenter, an independent organization dedicated to children withdisabilities, to create a special edition of the Toy Guide forDifferently-Abled Kids that identifies "Ten Toys That Speak to Autism." Theten toys selected promote language, creativity and social skills that aidan autistic child's development. This unique list features toys thatchildren with autism can play with alongside their siblings and friends andalso includes early warning signs of autism. The list will be available atall Toys "R" Us stores and online at http://www.Toysrus.com/autismspeaks. "Through our 'Ten Toys That Speak to Autism' initiative, we are pleasedto provide an authoritative resource to help anyone who knows and loves anautistic child," said Jerry Storch, Chairman and CEO of Toys "R" Us, Inc."Bringing smiles to all children through the simple act of play is at thevery heart of our business, and we are proud to partner with Autism Speaksin its efforts to advocate for the needs of children and families affectedby this disorder." All money raised during the seven-week campaign will go directly toAutism Speaks to fund research into the causes, prevention and treatmentsto ultimately find a cure for autism. "With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently releasingrevised statistics that the prevalence of autism has increased to one in150 children, this campaign could not come at a more crucial time," saidSuzanne Wright, co-founder of Autism Speaks. "We are extremely grateful toToys "R" Us for its help in raising much-needed funds and generatingawareness for this disorder that affects so many families." In addition to the fundraising and awareness program, Toys "R" Us andthe Toys "R" Us Children's Fund proudly serve as the national sponsor ofthe Autism Speaks Walk Now for Autism program, a series of more than 60fundraising walk events across the country. Toys "R" Us employees arejoining in the walks and the fight against autism by forming regional teamsin their communities. All money raised at Toys "R" Us stores, online at http://www.Toysrus.com andthrough the Walk Now for Autism program will benefit Autism Speaks. TheToys "R" Us Children's Fund launched the partnership last month byproviding a $250,000 grant to Autism Speaks. About Toys "R" Us, Inc. Toys "R" Us is the world's leading specialty toy retailer. Currently itsells merchandise through more than 1,500 stores, including 586 stores inthe U.S. and 680 international toy stores, which includes licensed andfranchise stores, and through its Internet site at http://www.Toysrus.com. Babies"R" Us is the largest baby product specialty store chain in the world and aleader in the juvenile industry, and sells merchandise through 251 storesin the U.S. as well as on the Internet at http://www.Babiesrus.com. About Autism Speaks Autism Speaks is dedicated to increasing awareness of autism spectrumdisorders, to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments andcure for autism, and to advocating for the needs of affected families. Itwas founded in February 2005 by Suzanne and Bob Wright, the grandparents ofa child with autism. Bob Wright is Vice Chairman and Executive Officer,General Electric, and Chairman and CEO, NBC Universal. Autism Speaks hasmerged with both the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR) and CureAutism Now (CAN), bringing together the nation's three leading autismadvocacy organizations. To learn more about Autism Speaks, please visithttp://www.autismspeaks.org

Animal-assisted therapy for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2007-03-01T20:01:00.000-06:00

To an animal lover, it seems obvious that the presence of an animal would encourage healing. We feel a sense of comfort and calm as we stroke the soft fur of a quiet cat or feel the gentle nudge of a dog's nose.
But can an animal be used as a form of treatment in traditional medicine?
Jennifer Baról, a graduate student in the New Mexico Highlands University School of Social Work, headed up a research project to study whether animal-assisted therapy is a valid treatment tool.
Between July 2006 and November 2006, Baról conducted a 15-week study titled "The Effects of Animal-Assisted Therapy on a Child with Autism". The study's purpose was to determine whether there is evidence that animal-assisted therapy helps increase social skills in children with autism.
The results were dramatic. Prior to working with Henry, an 8-year-old Australian cattle dog, 5-year-old Zachary struggled to communicate. He covered his eyes and his ears, he withdrew into corners and he threw tantrums when he couldn't get people to understand him. New activities stressed him out. He didn't know how to play with other people. He had never spoken a complete sentence.
After meeting Henry and building a bond with him, Zachary has transformed into a different child. He's more self-assured. He takes on new activities with curiosity. He is more aware of his surroundings and the needs of other people.
Most astonishing is how, halfway through the research project, Zachary spoke his first sentence.
It seems that for Zachary, animal-assisted therapy has opened up a new world.

Watch CNN tonight for Amanda's story with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2007-02-21T14:26:00.000-06:00

'Anderson Cooper 360°'A woman who can't speak, but has lots to say. Go inside autism with Amanda's story. Tonight 10 ET.

New research on Autism Spectrum Disorder

2007-02-18T15:20:00.000-06:00

By Joi Preciphs and Reg Gale
Feb. 18 (Bloomberg) -- When Michael Giangregorio's sons grow up, their father wants to be able to tell them that the autism now affecting the younger of the two, 5-year-old Nicholas, won't be handed down to their children.
Doctors have long known autism runs in families. Now, scientists have scanned DNA from 1,168 families with multiple cases, the largest such group ever assembled, and identified gene variants that could one day spur treatments for a disorder that leaves about 1 in 150 U.S. children uncommunicative, cut off emotionally from the world around them.
The findings, announced today, include a deleted gene, called neurexin 1, that enables communication between neurons, the nerve cells in the brain that transmit information to the body through chemical and electrical signals. The researchers also found variants in two chromosomes that have never before been linked with the spectrum of similar disorders that includes autism and Asperger's Syndrome.
``This is the most ambitious effort yet to find the locations of genes that may confer vulnerability to autism, revealing clues that will likely influence the direction of autism research for years to come,'' said Elias Zerhouni, director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, in a statement today.
The NIH helped sponsor the work done by 120 scientists and 50 institutions in l9 countries, a group known as the Autism Genome Project Consortium. Their findings will be published in the journal Nature Genetics.
The hope is that by mapping genetic flaws tied to the disorders, scientists will be able to better understand how they work and determine whether they can be fixed, said Bernie Devlin, associate professor of psychiatry and human genetics at the University of Pittsburgh and an author of the study.
`A Ways Away'
``We'd like to think that eventually we'll be able to pinpoint individual genes that affect certain symptoms and treat them, sure'' Devlin said in a telephone interview yesterday. ``That's a ways away, of course, but it's something we're working toward.''
Devlin said a report earlier this month showing that manipulation of genes in mice ended symptoms of Rett Syndrome, a rare genetic disease related to autism, suggests they may be on the right track, even though the spectrum of autism disorders seen in humans offers a much tougher target.
``The finding we're announcing is just a first step,'' he said. ``We have funding to continue working, and I'd be surprised if we don't have another big announcement within a year. While we're looking at 10,000 snips now, we will be looking at 500,000 or a million going forward.'' Snips are the variations in DNA that make each individual unique.
Two Methods
The new findings combined two scientific methods, said Andy Shih, the chief science officer for Autism Speaks, a New York- based nonprofit advocacy group that also helped fund the study.
This included traditional inheritance studies and new technology that searches for changes in the ``architecture of chromosomes,'' the long strings of genetic and other material that make up the human genome, Shih said in a telephone interview yesterday.
The study pinpointed previously unknown links to the disorders on chromosomes 11 and 15, and long-suspected connections in other chromosomes known to carry so-called neurotransmitter genes. That included deletion of the neurexin 1 gene that's involved in communication between so-called glutamate neurons in the brain.
``That part wasn't a surprise,'' Shih said. ``It makes sense that genes might be implicated that effect cell-to-cell communication, given what we know about autism.''
The fact that a spectrum of similar disorders exists speaks to how complicated the genetic aspects may be, Shih said.
`Varied Deficits'
``Deficits can be quite varied from child to child, which means that genes in certain pathways might be affected in different ways,'' he said. In some cases, the deficits can lead to severe developmental disability. While other children can communicate at a higher level, they often don't socialize easily with others and exhibit learning disabilities.
``There might be different genetic combinations among families that affect the disorder in terms of the severity or nature of the deficits,'' Shih said. ``That means it could be a while before we sort out anything resembling a treatment.''
There are also environmental factors involved, he said, adding, ``It's really quite a puzzle.''
For Michael Giangregorio, it is a puzzle his family lives with every day.
Giangregorio, who resides in Merrick, New York, said his son Nicholas was diagnosed with autism at about 16 months. His son Michael, who is 7, doesn't have autism, he said.
When Nicholas was first diagnosed, health officials said that about 1 in 250 children had autism. This month, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta released new figures acknowledging the prevalence has increased to 1 in 150. Giangregorio said there also a growing awareness about autism in the community at large.
`Awareness'
``It used to be you didn't know where to go, what to do, who to talk with,'' Giangregorio said in a telephone interview yesterday. ``Awareness has grown 100-fold. There's a national understanding that this is something we need to solve.''
That increased awareness is leading to a raft of new studies on the disorders, now largely treated with behavioral rather than biological therapies. While Michael has made progress with behavioral therapies, there is much work to be done in the future, Giangregorio said.
``Right now, the success of the biological treatments are largely anecdotal; we're not sure what's happened there yet,'' said Shih. ``There has been success with behavioral treatments, particularly when intervention is early.''
Giangregorio said he's looking forward to a day ``when my oldest, Nicholas, comes to me and tells me he wants to get married. I'm hopeful that the work being done right now will enable me to tell him that everything is going to be all right. We've figured this thing out.''

Watch 60 mintues on Sunday for a report on ongoing Autism Spectrum Disorder research

2007-02-16T10:26:00.000-06:00

(CBS) With no known cause or cure for autism yet, researchers are trying to detect the earliest signs of the disorder so they can begin treatment earlier, giving parents some hope against a condition the government now says affects about one in every 150 children. 60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl reports on ongoing research this Sunday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m. ET/PT. Dr. Sally Ozonoff is the vice chairman of research at the M.I.N.D. Institute of the University of California at Davis. The acronym stands for Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders. She has begun studying 200 babies from birth to try to determine the earliest signs of autism in order to diagnose it and begin treatment before 12 months. So far, she has found that early signs of autism include less interaction, less eye contact and the child paying more attention to objects than people. Ozonoff's most reliable test is a response-to-name check. Most normal children will respond to their name called from behind them; about half of the children she sees who do not turn out to be autistic. In another test, babies are shown toys that a normal child would reach for and make eye contact with the person holding it. Autistic children seldom show interest in toys held out to them and rarely look people in the eye. Ozonoff thought she might be able to see the outward signs of the disorder as early as six months, but "the truth of the matter is, we cannot," she tells Stahl. Ozonoff is hoping to learn much more in the 18 remaining months of the study. A colleague of Ozonoff's at the M.I.N.D. Institute, psychologist Sally Rogers, is a pioneering autism researcher who sees hope in early diagnosis. It's not a cure, but she believes early treatment with younger and younger children — while the brain is still developing — can make a big difference in the life of an autistic child. "[By using early treatment] we are certainly creating new connections in the brain," she tells Stahl. "We don’t know how to touch the biology of autism. But I do think that the behaviors associated with autism can be reduced to the point where they are not obvious anymore." Autism runs in families, so the work to detect autism at an early age at the M.I.N.D. Institute and the seven other participating research centers in Canada and the U.S. is especially important to people like Valerie Arias. She has four children: two of them have been diagnosed as autistic, and a third, a toddler named Haydn, may or may not be — at 12 months, he failed the name-response test. "I knew my son wasn’t hearing me…[and] it’s not a hearing issue. He can hear," she tells Stahl. But Ozonoff thought it was too early to make a sure diagnosis. "I would hate to cause the pain and anguish of having another child diagnosed on the [autism] spectrum and be completely wrong," says Ozonoff. Two months later, however, Haydn, changed. At 14 months, he laughed, he showed interest in a toy and looked the researcher in the eye. He also exhibited some repetitive behavior, another sign of autism. "There are some encouraging signs," says Ozonoff, "but there are some mildly concerning signs," meaning Ozonoff probably won’t be able to tell Arias if Haydn has autism for another six to 10 months. Says Arias, "I’m still leaning for optimism because…he's such a good boy…a good kid."

Stats on Autism Spectrum Disorder show higher rates then expected

2007-02-09T10:54:00.000-06:00

The largest U.S. study of childhood autism to date has found that about 1 in 150 have the disorder — a higher prevalence than previous national estimates.
The autism rate was about 6.6 per 1,000 in the new study based on data from 2002. It was released Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last year, the agency had estimated the rate was about 5.5 in 1,000.
The research involved an intense review of medical and school records for children in all or part of 14 states and gives the clearest picture yet of how common autism is in some parts of the country, CDC officials said.

However, those states are not demographically representative of the nation as a whole, so officials cautioned against using the results as a national average.
Also, the study does not answer whether autism is increasing — a controversial topic, driven in part by the contention by some parents and advocates that autism is linked to a vaccine preservative. The best scientific studies have not borne out that claim.
“We can’t make conclusions about trends yet,” because the study’s database is too new, said Catherine Rice, a CDC behavioral scientist who was the study’s lead author.
Autism is a complex disorder usually not diagnosed in children until after age 3. It is characterized by a range of behaviors, including difficulty in expressing needs and inability to socialize. The cause is not known.
Scientists have been revising how common they think the disorder is. Past estimates from smaller studies have ranged from 1 out of every 10,000 children to nearly 1 in 100.
Last year’s estimate of 5.5 out of every 1,000 U.S. children was based on national surveys of tens of thousands of families with school-age kids. That fit into a prevalence range found in other recent studies.
More accurate countThe CDC also has been developing an alternate way of measuring autism prevalence, building a network of university and state health departments for ongoing surveillance of autism and developmental disabilities. The study released Thursday is one of the first scientific papers to come out of that effort.
“This is a more accurate rate because of the methods they used,” said Dr. Eric Hollander, an autism expert at New York’s Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

Autism Spectrum Disorder to be featured on the View

2007-01-28T13:54:00.000-06:00

On Monday Jan. 29, 2007 ABC television will be doing a story on THE VIEW on Autism
Spectrum Disorder including a feature on storyboards.

New study from India indicatesthat a gene passed on by fathers may result in Autism Spectrum Disorder

2007-01-26T13:40:00.000-06:00

A study of autism in India has found that a gene passed on by fathers may be at least a contributing factor.
Scientists at the Manovikas Biomedical Research and Diagnostic Centre in Kolkata, the former Calcutta, called their findings "a possible paternal effect." But they warned their work is based on a small sample of autistic children.
Autism is a brain disorder marked by difficulties in communication and problems with language and social skills.
"We're seeking clues to unravel the cause of autism -- this is important for science and for parents with autistic children," Swagata Sinha, a psychiatrist and member of the research team told The Telegraph. "Every parent wants to know the exact cause. And, at the moment, we have no answer to give them."
The findings were published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics: Neuropsychiatric Genetics.

New Autism Spectrum Disorder DVD available from AutismLink

2007-01-20T22:02:00.000-06:00

Rebecca Klaw, MsEd, nationally renowned speaker and author has comeout with a fabulous new DVD on Relationship Based Interventions forsmall children with autism. There are video clips of children withautism working with therapists so you can receive hands-on trainingof how to work with your child!!!This DVD is now available for a limited time in the AutismLink store:http://www.autismlink.com/storeThis three-part presentation is designed for anyone who works withyoung children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The informationpresented is an eclectic blending of personal philosophy based on along history of working with individuals with ASD, Dr. StanleyGreenspan's work (Floortime), Dr. Richard Solomon's work (The PLAYProject), and Susan Sonders work (Giggletime). The information issupplemented by current and informative research. Rebecca Klaw addspertinent anecdotes from over 20 years of experience working in thefield of developmental disabilities and illustrates clinicaltechniques with interesting and informative video clips.Part 1:Why building relationships is so important in working with youngchildren with Autism Spectrum DisordersPart 2:Basic strategies for building relationships with young children withAutism Spectrum DisordersPart 3:Combining the basic strategies to create effective and therapeuticsocial routines for young children with Autism Spectrum DisordersCD-ROMContains downloadable slides and eight supplementary handoutsincluding Thought Provoking Research, Self-Stimulatory Behavior, (asseen through the eyes of a developmentalist), Engaging theHard-to-Engage Child, and more.Cost: $95.00 (Shipping is free)

New DVD to help children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2007-01-09T09:20:00.000-06:00

Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, Director of the Autism Research Centre (ARC)at Cambridge University and David Lammy, Culture Minister, today launch anovel animation DVD to help young children with autism.The Transporters DVD, commissioned by Culture Online, part of the Departmentfor Culture, Media and Sport, aims to help children with autism to look atthe human face and to learn about emotions. The series of 15 five-minuteepisodes features the adventures of eight lovable toys with human faces,each focusing on a different human emotion. Stephen Fry is the narrator.Behind the fun and colourful world of The Transporters lies some of thelatest Cambridge research. The Autism Research Centre has been working withCulture Online and Catalyst Pictures to find new ways to help children withautism learn about emotions. Children with autism tend to avoid looking athuman faces and find it hard to understand why facial features move in theway that they do. This inability to read emotions on the human face impairstheir ability to communicate with other people. Professor Simon Baron-Cohencomments: "Just as a child with dyslexia can be helped significantly byusing tailored educational methods to ease them into reading words, so achild with autism can be helped significantly by using tailored educationalmethods to ease them into reading faces."Research by Dr Ofer Golan and Professor Simon Baron-Cohen from ARC foundthat following a four-week period of watching the DVD for 15 minutes a day,children with high-functioning autism caught up with typically developingchildren of the same age in their performance on emotion recognition tasks.One parent who took part in the clinical trials said of their son with autism:"We have noticed a change in his behaviour, speech and range of emotionalexpressions since he started watching The Transporters. It's a bit likesomeone's flicked a switch in his head."Children with autism are often fascinated by rotating wheels, spinning tops,rotating fans, and mechanical, lawful motion. They prefer predictablepatterns. For this reason all the toy vehicles featured in the TheTransporters run on tracks or on lines. The 15 key emotions portrayed inThe Transporters aimed at 2 to 8-year-olds are: happy, sad, angry, afraid,excited, disgusted, surprised, tired, unfriendly, kind, sorry, proud, jealous,joking and ashamed. Each episode has an associated interactive quiz to helpthe child learn about the featured emotion.Jane Asher, President of the National Autistic Society, said: "This is sucha wonderful initiative and is going to make a huge difference to the livesof some very vulnerable children. Both the concept and the execution ofThe Transporters are excellent, and I'm very proud and grateful that theNAS is able to distribute 30,000 free copies of the DVDs to the people whoneed it. Having worked in the field of autism for over 20 years, I knowthat a sensitive approach like this is exactly what's needed, and I wish itthe success it deserves."The DVD will be sent out with a booklet for parents, teachers andcarers. Copies can be requested via the website at www.transporters.tv.David Lammy, Culture Minister, said: "The Transporters is the latestinteractive project from the Culture Online team, which has an enviablereputation for creating fun and engaging learning experiences. Imagine what aconfusing world it must be for a child who cannot understand the significanceof a smile or a frown. This project aims to make a very real difference tochildren with autism in helping them to understand human emotions."Claire Harcup, commissioning executive at Culture Online, said: "TheTransporters exemplifies what Culture Online projects are all about: it's funand engaging but has a serious intent. The Transporters uses ground-breakinganimation techniques to place human faces on the vehicles."Stephen Fry, who narrates The Transporters, said: "The Transporters is afun yet educational animation series that I am pleased to have been a partof. It is an important and worthwhile creation to help children with autismunderstand emotions."Notes to editors:1. The Autism Research Centre (ARC), directed by Professor Simon Baron-Cohen,is at the forefront internationally in developing new methods of interventionfor people with autism, as well as carrying out research into causes of thecondition. www.autismresearchcentre.com2. Culture Online was set up by the Department for Culture, Media and Sportin 2002. The Culture Online team work with partner organisations to createhighly targeted interactive resources. Culture Online projects are designedto encourage participation in the arts and culture through the innovativeuse of technology. Culture Online has produced 26 interactive projects whichhave won 22 major industry awards. www.cultureonline.gov.uk3. In an open tender, Catalyst Pictures Ltd was selected as the productioncompany to make The Transporters. With over 20 years' experience producinganimated films for TV, they have brought considerable expertise to the project.4. The National Autistic Society (NAS) is the UK's leading charity forpeople with autistic spectrum disorders and their families. The NAS providesa range of services to help people with autism and Asperger syndrome livetheir lives with as much independence as possible. For more information aboutautism and for help in your area, call the NAS Autism Helpline on: 0845 0704004 10am-4pm, Monday to Friday, or visit the NAS website www.autism.org.ukFor press information:* Sally Cryer, Kinetix Events Ltd, on behalf of the Autism Research Centre,University of Cambridge, tel: 01234 328330 sally@kinetixevents.co.uk* Sean Connolly, Office of Communications, University of Cambridge, tel:01223 339671 sean.connolly@admin.cam.ac.uk* Graham Thomas, Culture Online, tel: 020 7487 7215 / 07917 261591graham.thomas@culture.gsi.gov.uk* Kelly Brito, National Autistic Society, tel: 020 7903 3539kelly.brito@nas.org.ukThe story behind The TransportersProfessor Simon Baron-Cohen, Director, Autism Research Centre, Universityof Cambridge, talks about the science behind The TransportersChildren with autism love watching films about vehicles because, according toone theory, children and adults with autism spectrum conditions are strong'systemisers'. They are drawn to predictable, rule-based systems, whetherthese are repeating mathematical patterns, or repeating electrical patterns(e.g. light switches), or repeating patterns in films. They love lawfulrepetition. At the core of autism is an ability to deal effortlessly withsystems because they do not change and they are the same every time, and adisabling difficulty in dealing with the social world because it is alwayschanging unpredictably and is different every time.Vehicles whose motion is determined only by physical rules (such as vehiclesthat can only go back and forth along linear tracks) are much preferred bychildren with autism over vehicles like planes or cars whose motion can behighly variable, moving at the whim of the human driver operating them. TheTransporters is based around eight characters who are all vehicles suchphysical, rule-based motion. Such vehicles grab the attention of bothpreschoolers with autism and even those with 'low-functioning' childrenwith autism with significant learning difficulties. Onto these vehicles wegrafted real-life faces of actors showing emotions, and contextualised themin entertaining social interactions between the toy vehicles.The Transporters aims to teach not just some basic emotions (happy, sad,angry, disgust, fear, surprise) but also some more complex ones (ashamed,joking, jealous, proud, tired, sorry, kind, excited, worried, unfriendly, andgrumpy). The aim is that through hours of repetitive TV watching, childrenwith autism, instead of turning away from faces as they usually do becausethey are so unpredictable, thus missing out on crucial experience in learningabout emotional expressions, will tune into faces without even realizing theyare doing so. If you are a child who has difficulties with 'empathy', suchthat it is puzzling why a person's facial expression has suddenly changed,the hope is that you could become familiar with how people look when theyare surprised or afraid or proud through massive exposure to these patterns.Our team has conducted an evaluation of The Transporters as anintervention. One group of 25 children with autism (aged 4-7 years old)were given copies of the animation series to use over a four-week period,for 15 minutes per day. They were assessed prior to the intervention and atthe end of it. A typically developing control group (matched on age, sex, IQ,handedness, language, and parental educational level) were simply assessedat two time-points with the same four-week interval in between. Resultsindicate that children with high-functioning autism caught up with typicallydeveloping children on each task they were given. Notably, they caught up intheir ability to recognise emotional expressions tested using characters' facesthat had not appeared in the films themselves, thereby showing some degree ofgeneralisation as well. Generalising is something that children with autismtypically find difficult. This suggests that even with a relatively shortintervention period, gains are possible. This study is under review witha peer reviewed journal and will be made available in full via our websiteat www.autismresearchcentre.com. The next stage is to conduct research withchildren with low-functioning autism.Claire Harcup, Commissioning Executive, Culture Online, talks about how TheTransporters came to be commissioned:When Culture Online was set up in 2002, one of our remits was to use ourprojects to engage the hard-to-reach. Twenty six projects later, we've achievedwhat we set out to do. In 2004, we thought we might be able to do somethinginteresting and useful for people with autism so we actively pursued thisaudience. With this in mind, we approached the National Autistic Society,who put us in touch with the Autism Research Centre and Professor SimonBaron-Cohen's team.It turned out to be a happy meeting. They quickly understood what we weretrying to do and put forward the idea of using animated characters withreal human faces to help young children with autism learn about facialexpressions and emotions. We could, they argued, create a world that wasdesigned specifically to appeal to the autistic brain, an experience socompelling that the children might engage with emotions, something theytypically find difficult.We liked the idea as a novel way of reaching out to an under-servedaudience. It also allowed us to bring the scientific and animation worldstogether in an unusual but potentially very productive partnership. Once DrOfer Golan had advised us on what elements would appeal to children withautism, we wrote the brief. After an open tender, we appointed CatalystPictures to develop the series.This was new territory - it was exciting but there were uncertainties. Therewas, of course, the possibility that the children wouldn't love the world wehad so carefully designed for them. What if we sent them screaming from theroom? What if they loved the series but didn't engage with the emotions? Wedecided to commission two pilot episodes and ask ARC to test them with ourtarget audience before we committed ourselves to the full series.The results were very encouraging. We made a few minor tweaks then commissionedthe next thirteen episodes. The preliminary results of the more extensiveresearch on the full series are equally promising and we're delighted to beable to distribute The Transporters free to families of children with autismbetween the ages of two and eight. The story doesn't stop there, however.Over the next few months, ARC will be continuing its research into thepotential benefits of the series. We hope that's there's equally good newsto come.Nik Lever, Managing Director, Catalyst Pictures, talks about the challengesof putting real faces on animated toy vehiclesWith over 20 years' experience producing animated films for TV, CatalystPictures won the open tender to produce The Transporters. It was importantto create an engaging environment for The Transporters and after muchdeliberation we settled on the idea of an elaborate vehicle play set ina child's bedroom. From the outset the most important - and in productionterms the most challenging technically - aspect of the entire series wassomething else that sets it apart from any other animated series, the useof real live action actors' faces on the animated characters.So how was it done? The Transporters series was produced using 3D computergraphic techniques. Putting the actors' faces onto the moving vehicles isunusual and caused the production team some early headaches. The actors werechosen after a casting session to represent a wide cross section of age andethnicity, and feature male and female characters with an emphasis on malecharacters that reflects the male-to-female ratio in autism. The actors hadto suffer the indignity of having their heads put into what was effectivelya vice! This was so that their faces could be filmed using the latest highdefinition cameras without any motion in the end of the nose.Although the actors appear to move in the show, their image is effectivelyprojected onto the front of the vehicle and then they move with the vehicle. Toachieve this, it was essential that the end of their nose stayed in oneplace. They could move their eyes and mouth, but they couldn't nod. Afterselecting the shots that best suited the emotion in the story this wasfurther processed to ensure that the 'end of the nose' stayed absolutely still.During the course of production the virtual models that were built to createthe animations got bigger and bigger, eventually getting up to over 11million polygons. At a critical stage, the whole scene refused to render -create the final images that are seen on the DVD. This was due to the memoryrequirement for the shot going over the limit set for a Windows applicationof 2GB. This caused the production team some anxious moments and was fixedby moving from 32-bit Windows onto 64-bit Windows. It was very fortunatethat this was released at just the right time to get the team over this veryworrying hurdle. The final memory requirement for a complete load was 8GB.Having created the films the production team still had the problem of creatingthe interactive DVD. This uses all the interactive features that are availableon a DVD video. The DVD was created using Sonic Scenarist software and usesa remarkable 275 different menu screens.

A families struggle with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2007-01-02T22:24:00.000-06:00

BY BILL LOHMANN
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Jan 2, 2007

Mike Burke used to tell people he hadn't had a decent night's sleep in 10 years.
They thought he was kidding.
He didn't tell them about his failing health, his falling income or his wife's nervous breakdown. He didn't talk about being choked by his young son as he drove down the highway or cleaning up after the boy following yet another out-of-control outburst at 2 o'clock in the morning -- or simply trying to comfort a child who couldn't be comforted.
He didn't say much about the living hell his home had become as he and his wife, Pam, tried to raise a child with severe autism.
"It was horrible," said Burke, who works as an investment adviser. "We just tried to stick it out."
However, the sleepless nights and unending days finally wore them down. Eventually, the Burkes, who live in Henrico County, did what years before would have seemed unthinkable to them: They placed their only child, Ryan, in a youth group home shortly after his 16th birthday in 2003. It was a terrible heartbreak and a major relief.
"As much as we love him," said Pam Burke, "I couldn't do it anymore.
"It was like, Can't somebody just do something to help? We had to have a break. We wouldn't have made it; we were running on empty. It came down to survival."
The Burkes' bleak story provides a glimpse into the lives of families raising children with the most serious cases of autism and other mental disorders. It is a story that often goes untold because of a fierce sense of privacy or even embarrassment by those living it and a lack of awareness by others.
"People don't really want to think and talk about this stuff," said Mike Burke.
The Burkes' situation is an acute example, but they are far from alone. Dr. Carol Schall, director of the Virginia Autism Resource Center, said an estimated "10 to 20 percent of families with autism" have a child with extreme needs in the range of Ryan's.
"Those families really, really struggle," said Schall. "That's the minority, but it's a bigger minority than people think."
An increasing number of families could face circumstances similar to the Burkes' in the coming years as the prevalence of autism continues to grow. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, of the estimated 4 million children born in the United States every year, approximately 24,000 will eventually be diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. The number of children diagnosed with autism continues to rise at a rate of 10 percent to 17 percent per year, according to the Autism Society of America.
Autism is a complex developmental disability that is the result of a neurological disorder. It affects the normal functioning of the brain in the areas of social interaction and communication skills, according to the Autism Society of America. As a "spectrum" disorder, it affects each individual differently and at varying degrees.
A major problem for families of children with autism is a shortage of support services and a disjointed system that makes it difficult for those seeking help to figure out what's available, said Bradford Hulcher, information and referral specialist for the Autism Society of America, Central Virginia chapter.
"Families lose jobs, split up, give their kids up," said Hulcher. "All kinds of horrible things happen because supports aren't in place for families."
Hulcher has a son with autism. Sam, 16, has made remarkable strides over the years and now attends school and participates in numerous social activities. Having Sam in her life, she said, has been "the greatest gift I have ever known." However, she works with families with children on the more severe end of the spectrum and fully understands how they "truly are just living day to day."
As for the Burkes, she said, "They obviously have tremendous devotion to their child and to each other to have survived what they have."
A Richmond-area woman who has walked in the Burkes' shoes knows all about devotion and survival. She also has a son with severe autism, and her family experienced similar episodes with him.
"He'd put his hand through the window when he was upset," said the woman, who asked that her name not be published. "There was a time he pulled me up a flight of stairs by my hair. There were times when my husband and I and our other child locked ourselves in our bedroom. We could hear him smashing things downstairs. We were scared of him, but at the same time we really loved him."
Her family wound up getting support and services, through state and federal funding, but even that wasn't enough. The family finally made the difficult decision to put the boy in a group home, where he's doing well. He comes home for occasional visits.
"When you're living it, you're under so much incredible stress that you look back on it and wonder, How in the world did we make it?" she said.
The Burkes know the feeling.
They knew early on that Ryan was different. He had trouble sleeping -- he would often cry and scream through the night -- and experienced frequent ear problems. He didn't socialize well with other kids and he was slow in developing his verbal skills. By the time he was 4, he'd been diagnosed with autism.
As he grew bigger and stronger, he became more violent and destructive. Eventually, the Burkes, to eliminate the temptation to break things, furnished their bare-walled home with little more than a couch, a table and a single lamp.
In public, Ryan would throw horrible fits and act inappropriately, so the Burkes stopped going out. At home, he would do the same, but at least he wasn't on public display. Ryan, who speaks little, couldn't communicate with his parents -- "It was heart-wrenching to know he was trapped inside that body," said his mother -- and they couldn't even hug him because he was overly sensitive to touch, a common characteristic of autism.
"It was like having your hands tied behind your back," said Pam Burke.
The Burkes saw numerous doctors, traveled to other states, tried experimental procedures, did seemingly everything they could. Nothing changed. Ryan was always a threat to wander off; he almost never slept more than a few hours at a time. His outbursts continued, and he required attention 24 hours a day. He attended special education classes, an after-school program and, on occasion, there was respite care, but otherwise the Burkes were on their own. They found it almost impossible to find anyone capable or willing to take Ryan for even an hour or two.
They felt very alone.
When people would suggest placing Ryan in a group home, the Burkes were defensive, viewing that option as "a scary thing to think about," said Pam Burke.
But it came to the point where the Burkes viewed placement as their only "salvation."
It's been more than three years since Ryan went to live in a group home a few miles from where his parents live. He seems to be doing well and enjoying living with other kids, his parents said. He seems more at peace.
Ryan comes home for weekly visits. He and his parents usually watch TV or just hang around the house. They eat pizza for dinner.
Why did the Burkes decide to make public a private, often painful period of their lives? They described the process as therapeutic. They also hope it might help other families going through the same thing and that it might enlighten those who've never experienced such heartache.
"If you know of a family, don't be shy about asking to help them out," said Pam Burke. "Pick up [the child]. Take them to the park for a couple of hours. Anything would help."
Ryan may live in the youth group home until he turns 22, when he will have to move to an adult home. Mike Burke still doesn't sleep well.
"It's been almost four years," he said, "but I still wake up in the night."
Contact staff writer Bill Lohmann at wlohmann@timesdispatch.com or (804) 649-6639.

Teen with Autism Spectrum Disorder left brain dead

2006-12-19T10:21:00.000-06:00

The family of an autistic teen is suing the MiamiPolice Department because they say officers used so much excessiveforce to restrain him that they left him brain dead on Tuesday.The family of Kevin Colindres had to call police on their autisticson because he had become aggressive something that had alreadyhappened before. However, family members say that the officers, whoare specially trained with the mentally ill, responded to the call byhaving three officers sit on top of Colindres until he stoppedbreathing.Colindres now lies brain dead and in a coma at Coral Gables Hospital.Melvin Colindres, his father, says their family, including hissiblings, havenýt been able to work or go to school because they havebeen by his side around the clock.The police department says they are investigating the actions of theCrisis Intervention Team, which handled the call.The police department has not made the incident report public yet.

Landmark bill passed for Autism Spectrum Disorder

2006-12-07T21:03:00.000-06:00

WASHINGTON - The House passed a landmark bill Wednesday to fight autism with nearly $1 billion in federal research dollars, and the Senate is poised to approve it, giving activists hope that heightened federal attention is within reach.
"I am proud that we have seized this historic opportunity to enact legislation that could significantly affect the lives of the 1 in 166 individuals who are diagnosed with autism; and the parents, siblings, extended family and other caregivers who provide unwavering support," said Rep. Mary Bono, R-Calif., the bill's House sponsor.
Autism is a spectrum of disorders that impair social interaction and are diagnosed by the time a child is 3. The five-year $945 million bill passed on a voice vote.
"This bill is a federal declaration of war on the epidemic of autism," said Jon Shestack, co-founder of Cure Autism Now.
The emotional debate over the legislation centered in the last few months on House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton, R-Arlington, who wanted to modify the Senate-passed version of the bill. Barton encountered hostility from some in the autism community and became a household name after radio personality Don Imus, whose show is broadcast on MSNBC, began blasting him for holding up the bill.
Barton reached a compromise with autism activists on the bill's funding structure and removed the Senate version's stipulation that $45 million in funding be directed to research environmental causes of the disease. Instead, the compromise bill includes environmental factors in the list of research that federal agencies should pursue.
The Senate is expected to vote on the bill before Congress adjourns Friday.

Autism Spectrum Disorder & immune system

2006-11-29T21:19:00.000-06:00

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, United States (UPI) -- Scientists trying to dig up the roots of autism are unearthing mounting evidence of the immune system`s involvement in the intractable disorder.
Scientific hints that the body`s disease-fighting mechanisms play a role in autism first surfaced in 1986, researchers said.
However, for the most part, these studies were small and the results inconclusive so that what now appears a logical concept didn`t catch on until more recently, said David Amaral, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine and Medical Center and M.I.N.D. research director.
'You cannot have a normal neurodevelopment without having a normal immune system,' said Judy Van de Water, an immunology specialist at the UC Davis Center for Children`s Environmental Health.
'We know when these kids are faced with particular environmental agents, such as certain bacteria, they don`t respond as rigorously as the control kids do.'
Among other projects, she`s looking into whether children with autism show signs of autoimmunity, a phenomenon in which the body`s protective system goes haywire, turning on the very tissues and organs it`s supposed to safeguard from attack.
'This is important because a lot of investigators have suggested that patients with autism have auto-antibodies, so we`re looking at whether these kids have auto-antibodies to brain tissue,' she told an international meeting on autism research in Boston.
Indeed, when Van de Water probed the brain`s disease-deflecting armor in 30 autistic children ages 2 to 5 and 26 without the disorder, she detected a variation in the way specialized messenger molecules called cytokines react to bacteria and other health threats in the two groups.
These immune proteins, which normally get into gear when a response is needed to injury or irritation, instead appear to be constantly 'switched on,' or inflamed, in individuals with autism, reported another team, which veered off the beaten path to study the issue.
Rather than taking the more common approach of looking at the immensely complex immune system as a whole, the investigators from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore and the University of Milan in Italy decided to narrow their field of inquiry to just a few components within the relatively restricted environment of the central nervous apparatus.
They confined their search to the cell-coordinating cytokines, measuring their levels in brain tissue samples taken from 11 children and adults ages 5 to 44 who had died by accident, illness or injury.
They observed the abnormal patterns of inflammation, reinforcing the view that immune activation in the brain is involved in autism. However, the authors noted, it is not yet clear whether the irregularity is destructive or beneficial, or perhaps both, to the developing brain.
Wanting to see if their findings would hold up, the investigators followed up with an analysis of cerebrospinal fluid from six children with autism ages 5 to 12.
As in the previous studies, they once again detected elevated cytokine levels, raising the possibility that ultimately doctors might be able to use these anomalies to diagnose autism or even that they might be able to treat the inflammation, thereby preventing or reversing the disorder.
But that`s a long time and many studies away.
First, they must deal with such challenges as figuring out the chicken-and-egg quandary that can sabotage attempts to definitively get at the source of an ailment.
In the case at hand, the scientists were uncertain whether the abnormality they observed is a cause or consequence of the disorder.
Just as the body`s first-aid response to a skinned knee is to protectively wall off the injury and ward off the agent of harm with heat, redness and swelling, so, too, it may be that the inflammation detected by the researchers may represent the brain`s efforts to combat some other cell-damaging process.
The finding 'backs up what we`re seeing in the peripheral blood, that perhaps there is a change in these kids and the cytokine production in the brain is altered,' said Van de Water, who plans to conduct her own investigation into what those changes mean, whether they affect brain function and how they might be related to some of the classic symptoms of autism.
For example, cytokines are known to affect slumber, and sleep disorders are a common complaint of individuals with autism.
Among the next steps, scientists are looking into what role heredity may play in the development of immune abnormalities in the brain that may stir up a susceptibility to autism.
To get a clue, Van de Water and other researchers are looking back, sifting through tens of thousands of medical histories for any patterns in the rates of earaches, colds and other infections in autistic youngsters.
Although still preliminary, results of one study -- of 88,000 babies born between 1995 and 1999 in Northern California -- hint at an increased risk of autism in the offspring of mothers with psoriasis, a chronic condition that runs in families.
Some 3 million American women of child-bearing age have the disorder marked by itchy, scaly, inflamed skin on the elbows, knees, back and/or scalp, according to the patient advocacy group Psoriasis Cure Now!
The early findings also indicate expectant mothers suffering from asthma and allergies -- particularly during the second trimester -- may face double the typical risk of giving birth to a child with autism.
However, the presence during pregnancy of 45 other autoimmune diseases that turn the body against itself -- including rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, rheumatic fever, certain heart complications, lupus and multiple sclerosis -- appear to have no bearing on the baby`s autism status, the study authors reported.
These maladies are under scrutiny because they affect primarily women -- who account for 78 percent of all cases -- and because chemicals produced in response to their presence often are found at high levels in the bloodstream of autistic children.
That would suggest a possible link between autism and pre-birth exposure to an autoimmune ailment, scientists said.
The authors speculate a common genetic cause may underlie such conditions as asthma and autism. Or, because the mother`s illness was frequently diagnosed in the second trimester of pregnancy, the flare-up may have triggered her immune system to produce more inflammatory cytokines, which, in turn, might have disrupted brain development in the fetus, the researchers proposed.
(Note: In this multi-part installment, based on dozens of reports, conferences and interviews, Ped Med is keeping on eye on autism, taking a backward glance at its history and surrounding controversies, facing facts revealed by research and looking forward to treatment enhancements and expansions. Wasowicz is the author of the forthcoming book, 'Suffer the Child: How the American Healthcare System Is Failing Our Future,' to be published by Capital Books.)
Next: Some autism study results point in genetic directions
UPI Consumer Health welcomes comments on this column. E-mail: lwasowicz@upi.com

Industrial chemicals linked to Autism Spectrum Disorder

2006-11-08T13:10:00.000-06:00

Industrial chemicals have caused a "silent pandemic" of brain disorders, according to a study published Tuesday in the British medical journal, the Lancet.
One in every six children has some kind of developmental disability, and most of these affect the nervous system.
Exposure to toxic chemicals during fetal development can be linked to autism, attention deficit disorder, cerebral palsy and developmental delays, say the study's authors.
"The human brain is a precious and vulnerable organ. And because optimal brain function depends on the integrity of the organ, even limited damage may have serious consequences," said Philippe Grandjean, adjunct professor at Harvard School of Public Health and the study's lead author.
Grandjean and his team described how industrial chemicals like lead, mercury, PCBs, arsenic and toluene are causing brain injury in developing babies.
The largest groups of chemicals that cause such problems are metals, solvents and pesticides. The team identifies 201 chemcials with toxic effects.
Developing babies are much more susceptible to brain injury caused by toxic agents than adults are. During the nine months of prenatal life, the human brain is developing from a strip of very sensitive cells.
The blood-brain barrier, which protects the adult brain from many toxic chemicals, is not fully formed until an infant is six months old.
Also, certain pesticides and industrial compounds accumulate in breast tissue. They are passed to an infant through its mother's breast milk. The result is infant exposure to these chemicals is 100 times the mother's exposure levels.
The study points out that damage caused by industrial chemicals is preventable; however the toxic effects of industrial chemicals are not regulated in a way that protects children.
Research showed preschool children living in agricultural communities and exposed to pesticides had more brain development problems than kids in urban communities.
Toxic exposure can also have delayed consequences as well, including Parkinson's disease or other neurodegenerative diseases in adults.
Recognizing the sensitivity of the developing brain has led to successful prevention programs in the past, such as eliminating lead additives in gasoline.
The study identifies roadblocks to more of such prevention programs.
Grandjean and his team say regulators need to test commonly used chemicals for their effects on the developing brain. The study says of the thousands of chemicals on the market, "fewer than half have been subjected to even token laboratory testing for toxicity."
The study also says new chemicals should be tested specifically for neural effects before they are allowed to be sold. Finally, the researchers say too much proof is required to demonstrate a chemical is risky.
Many scientists are speaking out in support of the research. One critic, however, says it does not take into account that many children affected by chemicals are exposed to much higher than average amounts of toxins, and that safe amounts do exist.
Warren Foster, director of the Centre of Reproductive Care at Ontario's McMaster University, cautions that these findings do not mean a ban on chemicals is necessary or helpful.
"We still need coolants, we still need plasticizers, we still need flame retardants, we still need solvents,'' Foster said. "So if we ban these, they're going to be replaced with something else. And just because something else comes along that we know nothing about doesn't mean it's safer.''

New Autism Spectrum Disorder study concludes Measles Mumps Rubella (MMR) a non-factor?

2006-10-22T15:22:00.000-05:00

A new MUHC study provides conclusive evidence that the Measles Mumps Rubella (MMR) vaccine is not associated with the development of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). The study, published in the scientific journal Pediatrics, reveals fundamental errors in previous molecular studies that falsely implicated the MMR vaccine as a risk factor for autism. This study arose from a cross-disciplinary collaboration between Dr Brian Ward, Chief of Infectious Diseases at the MUHC, and Dr Eric Fombonne, Director of Pediatric Psychiatry at the Montreal Children's Hospital of the MUHC "The hypothesis linking the MMR vaccine to autism was initially supported by molecular studies that found the measles virus persisting in certain biological tissues of children with autism who had received the MMR vaccination," says Dr. Eric Fombonne. Yasmin D'Souza, a graduate student in Dr. Ward's laboratory, used a carefully-structured approach to uncover errors in the techniques that had been used in these earlier studies which led to the false identification of the measles virus. "The reluctance of parents to inoculate their children due to widespread fear of the MMR vaccine generated by these early studies has resulted in measles outbreaks, likely contributing to the deaths of several infants in the United Kingdom," says Dr. Brian Ward. "We hope that our investigation of these earlier studies will finally clear the MMR vaccine of its link to autism and give parents confidence in their choice to accept vaccination their children against this potentially fatal disease." The biological evidence from this new MUHC study correlates with the epidemiological evidence from another previous MUHC study that also proves that the MMR vaccine has no link to autism. The previous study, led by Dr. Fombonne, was published in the July 5 issue of Pediatrics. All well-conducted epidemiological studies have found no association between the MMR vaccine and autism at the population level. The MUHC team's new data now demonstrate that the putative MMR-ASD link can no longer be argued even at the level of the individual child with autism. ### Funding for this study was provided by the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada and the Fonds de Recherche en Sante du Quebec. The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI MUHC) is a world-renowned biomedical and health-care hospital research centre. Located in Montreal, Quebec, the institute is the research arm of the MUHC, a university health center affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University. The institute supports over 500 researchers, nearly 1000 graduate and post-doctoral students and operates more than 300 laboratories devoted to a broad spectrum of fundamental and clinical research. The Research Institute operates at the forefront of knowledge, innovation and technology and is inextricably linked to the clinical programs of the MUHC, ensuring that patients benefit directly from the latest research-based knowledge. For further details visit: http://www.muhc.ca/research. The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) is a comprehensive academic health institution with an international reputation for excellence in clinical programs, research and teaching. The MUHC is a merger of five teaching hospitals affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University -- the Montreal Children's, Montreal General, Royal Victoria, and Montreal Neurological Hospitals, as well as the Montreal Chest Institute. Building on the tradition of medical leadership of the founding hospitals, the goal of the MUHC is to provide patient care based on the most advanced knowledge in the health care field, and to contribute to the development of new knowledge. hthttp://www.muhc.ca/

New software tools for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2006-10-18T13:50:00.000-05:00

Animated Speech Corporation (ASC), pioneering creator of software-based learning tools for children with autism and other language delays, will show its new suite of programs at Closing the Gap, Oct. 19-21, 2006, in Minneapolis.
The programs feature the inventive use of an engaging animated tutor, Timo, who provides children with a supportive, fun, and motivating environment to build vocabulary, listening comprehension, language, and story sequencing and retelling skills. The three Timo software programs, which run on Windows and Macintosh computers, work together or individually:
Timo's Lesson Creator lets parents, teachers and speech pathologists quickly and easily develop vocabulary lessons targeted to the individual needs of children with autism. Authors rapidly build lessons with any type of image, including 3,500 Mayer-Johnson's Picture Communication Symbols(TM).

Team Up With Timo: Vocabulary helps children learn and practice new vocabulary for K-4th grade curriculums and covers a range of subjects.
Team Up With Timo: Stories helps children practice their syntax, story comprehension, vocabulary and social thinking skills with six scaffolded stories and six activities.
The software series was developed by authorities in speech pathology, clinical speech therapy, developmental psychology, and vocabulary and reading pedagogy. The lesson system's unique proprietary technology centerpiece is exclusively licensed from the University of California and based on more than 20 years of research. Timo reads any text with accurate speech, and reveals how sounds are formed with precise face, lip and tongue movements.
"Children rely on both auditory and visual cues to learn new language. Our tutor has been shown to be extremely effective in helping children with autism learn to new vocabulary and language skills," said Dan Feshbach, co-founder of Animated Speech. "We're looking forward to getting our animated tutor into classrooms, clinics and homes, where it's needed the most."
About Animated Speech Corp.
ASC's mission is to create easy-to-use, customizable software that can be tailored to the highly individual needs of children with autism and other language delays. ASC was co-founded by University of California at Santa Cruz psychology professor, Dr. Dominic Massaro, and entrepreneur Dan Feshbach, whose son has autism.
(C)2006 Animated Speech Corp., All rights reserved. www.animatedspeech.com
Contacts:Animated Speech Corp. Dan Feshbach,(Chairman and Co-Founder) 415-536-3501 (Work) 415-971-1977 (Cell) Walter Schwartz,800-701-9025 walter@animatedspeech.com

Autism Spectrum Disorder gene mutation research

2006-10-17T19:30:00.000-05:00

For the first time, researchers have identified a specific gene mutation that increases the risk of autism.
And while scientists are hailing the discovery as significant, they add that it will be many years before the research has medical applications.
The study of more than 700 families with autistic children found that a mutation that decreases the production of a protein designated MET more than doubles the risk of the disorder.
The report, led by researchers at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., was published in this week's issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"Rare changes in genes have been identified before this as contributing to the risk of autism," said Dr. Matthew W. State, director of the Yale University School of Medicine's program on neurogenetics, who wrote an accompanying commentary in the journal. "Conversely, there have been a number of instances where a gene has been implicated, but where the functional change that led to the finding was not found."
"This time, they have gone all the way, identifying the gene and the mechanism. It is tremendously important because it tells you what the biological processes might be," State added.
Autism is a disorder that causes social deficits, language impairment and repetitive behavior. Its reported incidence has increased sharply in recent years, perhaps because of more awareness of the condition. The incidence of autism itself is estimated at one in every 500 American children, and the rate of autism-related conditions is as high as one in 166.
The MET protein studied by the researchers has many roles in the body. It is best known for promoting metastasis, the spread of a variety of cancers. But it also has been found to contribute to immune function and gastrointestinal repair. Recent studies, by the Vanderbilt group and others, have shown that the protein contributes to development of the cerebral cortex and cerebellum, parts of the brain that can be abnormal in people with autism.
This study found that a mutation of the portion of the MET gene that governs the production of its protein was associated with the risk of autism. The strongest association of the mutation to autism was found in families with more than one affected child. Overall, the presence of the mutation raised the risk of autism by 2.27 times.
An essential step now is to verify the finding, said Andy Shih, director of research at the National Alliance for Autism Research.
"Maybe 100 candidate genes have been identified before this, and most of them have not been replicated," Shih said. "But what distinguishes this particular paper is that it involves the biology associated with this condition."
Now that a mutation has been identified, Shih said, "we must try to understand how this functional variant is related to behavioral manifestations."
State said: "The first thing always is that this absolutely must be replicated in other laboratories. Second, in terms of understanding the biology better, we have to take a look at what happens in vivo," meaning in physical function.
One possible method of verifying the finding would be to bioengineer animals such as mice so their production of MET protein is reduced, to see how that affects their behavior, State said.
But, Shih added, any medical application of the finding is many years away.

Largest US study of Autism Spectrum Disorder is under way

2006-10-09T14:30:00.000-05:00

The largest US study ever of the causes of autism, the poorly understood developmental disability that affects more than one million Americans, is under way. The five-year, 5.9 million-dollar study will involve 2,700 children and five separate research institutes aiming to identify causes of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in young children, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday. "We hope this national study will help us learn more about the characteristics of children with ASDs, factors associated with developmental delays, and how genes and the environment may affect child development," said CDC assistant surgeon general Jose Cordero. Autism usually does not appear in infants before the age of three, though it can be diagnosed as early as 18 months. Children who suffer from it display impaired social skills and communications abilities throughout their lives, and their families bear a substantial financial and emotional burden in caring for them. According to the Autism Society of America, the affliction has been growing rapidly at a rate of 10 percent to 17 percent a year. Between one child in 500 and one in 166 may be diagnosed with a disease on the autism spectrum, according to the CDC. The CDC study will focus on factors that might lead to autistic-type disabilities such as early infections in the child or the parents; genetic factors; abnormal hormones in the child or his parents; family histories; socio-demographic and professional factors; smoking, alcohol and drug abuse; and the mother's reproductive history. "By conducting the study in six different geographic areas across the country with diverse populations ... we hope to have a study sample that more closely represents children with ASDs," Cordero said. Also on Friday the US Food and Drug Administration approved the antipsychotic drug Risperdal for treatment of irritability in autistic children and adolescents. The Johnson and Johnson drug is also known by its generic name risperidone.

17-year -old boy with Autism Spectrum Disorder elected homecoming king

2006-09-30T15:06:00.000-05:00

A 17-year-old Mesa boy with autism was elected Mountain View High School's homecoming king last night.Spencer Allen was crowned amid cheers in Toros' stadium.
Jackie Allen is Spencer's mother and says he gained popularity among the school's students with his outgoing personality that puts everybody at ease.
Autism impairs a person's communication and social skills. Jackie Allen says her son has helped many of his classmates understand and accept children with autism.
Spencer says his classmates think he's witty, and admits he's usually the force behind school parties.

Autism Spectrum Disorder linked with bacteria in gut

2006-09-04T13:29:00.000-05:00

A study linking autism with bacteria in the gut today raised hopes that the condition could be treated using probiotics.
The result are very preliminary, but the scientist responsible, Professor Glenn Gibson of the University of Reading, said he was "cautiously optimistic" about them. He added that the study did not suggest any connection between autism and childhood vaccinations.
Prof Gibson told the annual British Association Festival of Science in Norwich that autistic children often suffered with bowel problems such as diarrhoea and constipation, suggesting that they may not have a normal collection of microbes in their guts.

His team compared the bacteria in faeces samples taken from 50 autistic children with those taken from 50 non-autistic subjects, and found that the samples from autistic children had raised levels of the bacterium clostridium.
"Whatever is going on there, [it] is not doing these children any good, and I think almost certainly explains their gastro problems," said Prof Gibson.
More speculatively, he said that some species of clostridium could produce toxins that affected the brain, possibly causing autistic symptoms. But he warned: "The problem with these kinds of studies is, you never know whether it is cause or effect."
To find out, the team set up a trial of a probiotic treatment to reduce the level of clostridium. The trial involved 40 autistic children aged between four and eight. Half were given a harmless bacterium naturally present in the gut, called lactobacillus lantarum; half were given a placebo.
The probiotic was administered as a gramme of powder each day containing around 1bn bacteria. Without being told which group their children were in, parents were asked to record their symptoms.
The results are inconclusive because around half of children dropped out. Some parents withdrew their kids because they did not want them to be swapped on to the placebo.
"Some of the parents worked out that their child was on the [probiotic] and didn't want to move on to the placebo because they were seeing some positive results," said Prof Gibson.
Parents reported that their child's concentration and behaviour had improved, and one mother said it was "heartbreaking" to be told to move on to the placebo.

New study has evidence that Autism Spectrum Disorder affects the entire brain

2006-08-16T20:07:00.000-05:00

A U.S. study has provided evidence that autism affects the functioning of the entire brain, not just communication, social behavior and reasoning.
The National Institutes of Health research found autism also affects a broad array of skills and abilities, including those involved with sensory perception, movement and memory.
The senior author of the study -- Dr. Nancy Minshew of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine -- said people with autism tend to display three characteristic behaviors, which are the basis of the diagnosis of autism. The behaviors involve difficulty interacting socially, problems with verbal and non-verbal communications, and repetitive behaviors or narrow, obsessive interests.
Traditionally, Minshew said, researchers studying autism have concentrated on those behavioral areas.
"Our paper strongly suggests that autism is not primarily a disorder of social interaction, but a global disorder affecting how the brain processes the information it receives -- especially when the information becomes complicated," Minshew said.
The study appears in the journal Child Neuropsychology.

Autism Spectrum Disorder linked to sperm donor?

2006-08-13T16:22:00.000-05:00

KIM NGUYEN, Associated Press Writer
NEDERLAND, Colo. — Michelle Jorgenson thought it was odd that her 8-year-old daughter Cheyenne _ conceived with sperm from a mystery man known to Jorgenson only as Donor 3066 _ was extremely sensitive to sound and walked on her toes.
Jorgenson started checking on the Internet and soon learned of at least six other children around the country who were fathered by 3066. And of those seven, she discovered to her alarm, two have autism, and two others, Cheyenne included, show signs of a sensory disorder tied closely to autism.
The children's mothers located one another beginning a year ago through the Donor Sibling Registry, a Web site run out of this Colorado mountain town. It enables mothers artificially inseminated by the same donor _ and children fathered by the same man _ to find each other.
In this case, the women all used 3066, whose sperm was provided by the California Cryobank, based in Los Angeles.
"Pretty much you're thinking this person has a perfect medical history,"said Jorgenson, who lives in Sacramento, Calif."And then later I find out that some of the other siblings have other disabilities that are or are not attributed to the donor. I wouldn't have chose him had I known this had existed."
The Web site that brought them together is run out of Wendy Kramer's home in Nederland. Kramer started the registry so her son Ryan could find his siblings, and she said it has led to family reunions and brought joy to people who send out e-mail inquiries that typically begin,"Hi, you don't know me, but we're related."
But the site has also become a clearinghouse for those seeking answers about everything from potentially dangerous medical conditions to personality quirks. Often, they come away with more questions than answers because most sperm banks and clinics refuse to share confidential files about donors.
"There are people on our Web site seeking siblings because their kids have medical issues, for sure, and even in a medical emergency the sperm banks won't facilitate any contact, which is kind of frustrating,"Kramer said.
So far, the mothers who were impregnated with 3066's sperm have been frustrated in their attempts to find out more about the man and confirm their suspicions that their children inherited their medical problems from him.
But they have formed a support group of sorts, comparing notes on their youngsters and arming themselves with medical information they might need someday.
Researchers do not know whether autism, a disorder that affects the ability to form normal social relationships and communicate with others, is a hereditary disease or an acquired illness, according to the Autism Society of America. It affects one in 175 children ages 4 through 17, the society said.
The Web site helped Jorgenson find Jenafer Elin, whose 9-year-old son Joshua, another offspring of 3066, is also sensitive to noise and hates wearing clothing with tags. Cheyenne, Joshua and their 7-year-old half-sister Allyson and their mothers met in Fresno, Calif., this summer for a reunion.
"They got along well and they hit it off immediately,"said Allyson's mother, Dawn Warthen of Taneytown, Md."They referred to each other as brother and sister. They all looked very similar with their blond hair and the girls both had shocking blue eyes."
Donor 3066 _ a man of Norwegian and German descent and a member of the Screen Actors Guild _ filled out a medical profile and reported only that his paternal grandmother had high blood pressure, Jorgenson said.
"Now I've learned more and more history about the other siblings, so you kind of say, `Hey, maybe the donor did know something but didn't mention it,'"Jorgenson said. She said she called the sperm bank for more information about 3066 and was turned down.
Cappy Rothman, medical director and co-founder of the California Cryobank, said 3066 has been put on"restricted"status _ meaning women can still use his sperm, but are warned that problems could arise in their children _ because a child fathered by him was diagnosed with what Rothman described only as a"metabolic problem."Rothman said no clients have told the cryobank their child had autism.
Rothman said the sperm bank tests for major infectious illnesses such as hepatitis and HIV, but not more exotic medical conditions, and it is not required by law to do so. The sperm bank relies on donors to fill out medical histories extending back three generations.
As for its policies on privacy, Rothman said it does not disclose its donors'identities without their consent.
Arthur Caplan, a University of Pennsylvania bioethicist, said the sperm bank field exists"somewhere between the Wild West and chaos,"with no regulations regarding privacy or screening for noninfectious diseases.
"The doctors don't want regulations. The couples who want the treatments don't want regulations. And politicians don't want to go in and regulate because it puts them right smack in the middle of discussions of things like embryos,"he said.
The mothers who used sperm from 3066 said they want more information from sperm banks, not just for themselves but for other mothers trying to figure out why their child is falling ill or acting differently.
"They want to know: `Why did this happen to my child?'"Jorgenson said.

Huge rise in Autism Spectrum Disorder linked mobile phone batteries?

2006-07-18T12:16:00.000-05:00

LEADING scientist claims that a huge rise in autism in the UK is because of old mobile phone batteries.
Dr Richard Lathe, a molecular biologist, who specialises in research into autism and other brain disorders, says that metals found in the batteries are full of toxic metals which are not properly cleaned up.
Autistic children have been shown to have problems getting rid of toxic metals from their bodies, Dr Lathe said.
If the batteries are buried in landfill, the mercury in the batteries leaks out when it rains, and if they are burned it goes straight up into the atmosphere, he said.
He said that there is a rise in autism pointing to an environmental factor, with mercury and other toxic metals playing a crucial role.
Lathe surveyed hundreds of children in France and found that more than half those who were autistic were found to have a marker of heavy metal in their urine. He pointed to a study published last month showing a link between mercury release into the environment and autism rates in Texas

Canadian study casts doubt to link to vaccines and Autism Spectrum Disorder

2006-07-08T20:52:00.000-05:00

A new Canadian study is casting doubt on the theory that mercury-based vaccines and childhood immunizations lead to an increased risk of autism.
"There is no relationship between the level of exposure to MMR vaccines and thimerosal-containing vaccines and rates of autism," said Dr. Eric Fombonne, lead investigator of the new study, which will be published Wednesday in the journal Pediatrics.
The MMR vaccine is a three-in-one needle that protects against measles, mumps and rubella.
The findings suggest that autism rates continued to increase even after reductions in MMR jabs and the elimination of thimerosal, a controversial mercury-based vaccine preservative.
"According to our data, the incidence of autism was higher in children who were vaccinated after thimerosal was eliminated from vaccines," said Fombonne, director of pediatric psychiatry at The Montreal Children's Hospital of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC).
Thimerosal was used to prevent bacterial and fungal contamination in the manufacture of various vaccines until it was phased out of such formulas in 1996 in Quebec.
Currently in Canada, some influenza and hepatitis B vaccines are the only thimerosal-containing products that might be offered to children as part of the routine immunization schedule.
While high doses of mercury can cause neurological damage, there has been no evidence that this type of damage causes the symptoms specific to autism.
"In the past, concern about a potential link between MMR vaccinations and autism led some parents to take the drastic step of refusing to inoculate their children against dangerous childhood diseases like measles," said Fombonne.
"This action resulted in resurgence of the measles, which caused the deaths of several young children in Europe."
Concerns were raised in the late 1990s when a leading medical journal published a study that claimed a link between childhood vaccinations and autism.
Though the 1998 research published in the Lancet has since been discredited, medical officials have noted a drop in immunization rates.
Fombonne's study found:
After thimerosal was eliminated, the autism rate rose from 59.5 per 10,000 to 82.7 per 10,000.
The findings also reveal that after MMR immunizations declined in the late 1990s, the rate climbed to 102.5 per 10,000 compared to 40.6 in the late 1980s.
"And that is consistent with many studies which have been done in the UK and in the U.S. showing a relationship between MMR and autism," Fombonne told CTV Montreal.
But Mario Provost, a Montreal parent of a seven-year-old severely autistic child, said no study will convince him that his son's autism was not caused by a vaccine.
Provost said when his son Sean received the MMR vaccine at 20 months, he appeared to be in perfect health. But within 48 hours, Provost said his son began to change.
"After (he took) the vaccine, no more," Provost told CTV Montreal. "(There was) no more speaking out, nothing. We lost the kid completely."
He is convinced the mercury used as a preservative in the vaccine is to blame.
But numerous studies conducted since the British one that raised alarm bells a decade ago have found no such link.
Common disorder
Autism is a common neuropsychiatry disorder that impairs a child's ability to communicate and interact with others.
About one child in 155 is diagnosed as autistic, the study says, making autism one of the most common childhood disorders.
The Montreal Children's Hospital sees about 350 new cases of autism each year. However, Fombonne stresses that there is no autism "epidemic."
He attributes the rise in autism rates to a broader definition of autism and greater awareness of the disorder.
The MUHC study examined the link between childhood immunizations and the development disorder in 28,000 Quebec children between 1987 and 1995.
With a report from CTV Montreal's Caroline van Vlaardingen

New Program for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2006-07-05T20:12:00.000-05:00

There is comfort in friendship, Peace in understanding. Puppets help establish roots for special understanding.After witnessing firsthand the social isolation of her son because of his autism spectrum disorder, Heather McCracken recognized the absolute necessity for bridging the gap between neurotypical children and their peers with autism. After an exhaustive search McCracken realized "there was no program, no expert, no one to help support the one thing that my son desired above everything else - friends." After years of research she developed the Friend 2 Friend puppet program, ultimately helping tens of thousands of children just like her young son. What started as a 10-line puppet play shown to local schools has developed into "That's What's Different About Me!: Helping Children Understand Autism Spectrum Disorder", an autism demystification program that confronts the basic lack of understanding within the classroom about autism and more importantly, about children with autism.The program centres around the story of three friends - Crystal, Angela and Freddie and illustrates how they implement the "seven basic friendship tips" with the guidance of their teachers. Included in the program kit is:
an interactive DVD of the puppet play with a "What Did Crystal Learn?" review
an implementation manual
five children's colouring/story booksUnlike anything else on the market "That's What's Different About Me!" is designed for use in classrooms and homes and is specifically targeted to children ages 3 -10. It provides children with information about autism in an age-appropriate and sensitive manner, creating a truly inclusive school environment while teaching a respect for diversity.

Autism demystification is central to fostering mutual friendships between children with autism and their peers, siblings and classmates. As McCracken states, "All children, regardless of their unique challenges or gifts, have the intrinsic need to play and make friends. Children with autism are no different - they just express this need differently."This full-packaged program for promoting autism awareness in young children not only cultivates successful social interactions, it gives families the confidence that their son or daughter with ASD can go to school, make friends and just play with other children.Heather McCracken is a mother of three children. Her son Iain was finally diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at 18 months after countless visits to doctors, spurred on by McCracken's maternal intuition. Through her experiences with her son's ASD, she was motivated to create the Friend 2 Friend programs and became the founder and executive director of the Friend 2 Friend Social Learning Society - www.friend2friend.org - a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering friendships for children with ASD. She has received recognition for her work which has been featured on radio and television broadcasts, as well as in print media. McCracken who was born in New Brunswick, currently resides in British Columbia with her family. Kathryn Robbins is McCracken's 14-year-old daughter. Kathryn is a wonderful big sister to her two younger siblings. She is a talented artist, writer and musician who has devoted many hours to illustrating the That's What's Different About Me! story and colouring book.That's What's Different About Me!: Helping Children Understand Autism Spectrum Disorder is published by the Autism Asperger Publishing Company at www.asperger.net .

Rice Krispies to featue Autism awareness

2006-06-27T23:00:00.000-05:00

Autism Speaks, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing awareness of autism and raising money to fund autism research, announced today that it is partnering with Kellogg to bring its message of autism awareness to the side panels of more than five million Rice Krispies cereal boxes. The special Autism Speaks cereal boxes will hit store shelves beginning this month and will appear throughout the summer. In addition to explaining what autism is and that it is increasing in prevalence, the side panel describes some of the most common early signs of autism and encourages parents to talk to their pediatrician if they suspect something might be wrong.
Note: Electronic versions of the cereal box images are available upon request.
The Kellogg's Rice Krispies awareness initiative coincides with a multi-year Autism Speaks/Ad Council PSA campaign launched in April. Aimed at the general public, the ads stress that autism is more common than people think (1 in 166 children is now diagnosed with autism) and encourages families to learn the signs of autism and talk to their doctor if they suspect their child is not meeting developmental milestones. The campaign was created pro bono by advertising agency BBDO and is running across all media platforms, including print, broadcast and cable TV, radio and the internet.
"We are incredibly grateful to Kellogg for helping us to reach millions of parents with this critically important information about the early signs of autism," said Suzanne Wright, co-founder of Autism Speaks. "Parents need to be aware of these 'red flags' and talk to their doctor as soon as possible if they suspect a developmental delay. Early intervention is our best weapon against autism."
"Kellogg has a long history of offering information on health and wellness on product packaging. We're pleased to be able to share this important information about autism with consumers," said Jose Alberto Duenas, director, marketing Kellogg Company.
About Autism
Autism is a complex brain disorder that inhibits a person's ability to communicate and develop social relationships, and is often accompanied by extreme behavioral challenges. Autism spectrum disorders are diagnosed in one in 166 children, affecting four times as many boys as girls. The diagnosis of autism has increased tenfold in the last decade. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have called autism a national public health crisis whose cause and cure remain unknown.
About Autism Speaks
Autism Speaks is dedicated to increasing awareness of the growing autism epidemic and to raising money to fund scientists who are searching for a cure. It was founded in February 2005 by Suzanne and Bob Wright. Bob Wright is Vice Chairman and Executive Officer, General Electric, and Chairman and CEO, NBC Universal. Autism Speaks and the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR) recently combined operations, bringing together two of the leading organizations dedicated to accelerating and funding biomedical research into the causes, prevention, treatments and cure for autism spectrum disorders; to increasing awareness of the nation's fastest growing developmental disorder; and to advocating for the needs of affected families. To learn more about Autism Speaks, please visit www.autismspeaks.org
About Kellogg Company
With 2005 sales in excess of $10 billion, Kellogg Company (NYSE: K) is the world's leading producer of cereal and a leading producer of convenience foods, including cookies, crackers, toaster pastries, cereal bars, frozen waffles, and meat alternatives. The company's brands include Kellogg's, Keebler, Pop-Tarts, Eggo, Cheez-It, Nutri-Grain, Rice Krispies, Special K, Murray, Austin, Morningstar Farms, Famous Amos, Plantation, Ready Crust and Kashi. Kellogg products are manufactured in 17 countries and marketed in more than 180 countries around the world. For more information, visit the Company's web site at www.kelloggcompany.com.

Tragic accident claims child with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2006-06-14T10:24:00.000-05:00

The haunting sounds of a violin solo filled the chapel at Moser's Funeral Home in Warrenton on Sunday afternoon. As the last notes faded away, Dr. Decker Tapscott, a senior pastor from the Faith Christian Church International Outreach Center in Warrenton, searched for words to help Ashton Freidline's parents cope with the loss of their preschool son.
"Even though Ashton's life was cut short and he left us in such a tragic way, this is a temporary separation. You and I will be able to see Ashton again," Tapscott said. "You will be able to hug him and laugh and play with him again. The hard part is not being able to do it here and now. But the great consolation is that this is not the end."

Ashton was just 4-1/2 years old when he died in a tragic accident last week. Police and family members have said that the little boy, who had autism, was found in a pond near his Morrisville house last Wednesday. The accident occurred after he apparently ran away from his mom, Vicki Freidline, who was watching him outside their house that night. He died at Fauquier Hospital. In addition to family and friends, dozens of people attended his funeral on Sunday afternoon. They began to arrive 20 minutes before the service. Some went to greet Vicki and Wade Freidline immediately. Others filed into pews and chatted quietly until the service began.The service itself lasted just half an hour. Afterward, mourners drove to Midland Cemetery to witness a graveside service and burial. As they arrived, a plane soared high overhead. An American flag in the cemetery fluttered in a steady breeze. While the family was seated, mourners gathered around the tent set up to shelter the little boy's grave. The sounds of "Amazing Grace" played on a bagpipe sounded across the cemetery as Ashton was laid to rest. 'A happy little boy...'Less than a day after the accident, Vicki Freidline shared memories of her son. "He was a very happy little boy, a wonderful, sweet little boy," she said. "He had a wonderful disposition."Ashton was born early and had brain damage, according to his mother. He was diagnosed with autism before he was 2 years old.But he was bright, Vicki Freidline stressed. He loved puzzles and blocks. He had attended preschool at Mary Walter Elementary School near his house in Morrisville. He would have started kindergarten in the fall. She also recalled how Ashton loved to use his dad, Wade, as a "human jungle gym." Ashton loved to be outside, and he loved to run, his mother added."Children with autism don't understand fear, pain or danger. That makes it very difficult to protect them. On the bright side, they will never be hateful, mean or cruel. They are all such beautiful children and they all have so much to give," Vicki Freidline said. "I don't want anything like this to happen to anyone else's child."Contributions in Ashton's name may be made to Faith Christian Church International Outreach Center, 6472 Duhollow Road, Warrenton VA 20187.

Autism Spectrum Disorder & PDA Project

2006-05-27T09:51:00.000-05:00

A school is using a high-tech device to help students with neurological disorders such as autism and Asperger's Syndrome better manage their lives.
NewsCenter 5's Heather Unruh reported Friday that personal digital assistants are part of class for some students at The League School in Walpole.
"We're helping them with the social pragmatics of language and communication," The League School spokeswoman Clare O'Callaghan said.
People with Asperger's or autism often have a normal IQ but follow obsessive routines and have trouble communicating socially. They rely on visual cues to get them through the day.
Palm Pilots equipped with special software help students stay organized in class and remind them of basic social skills -- to look people in the eye, respond in a timely manner and even keep good posture when speaking.
Tim McLaughlin, 16, has been using a PDA for three years.
"It really helps you with your organization skills and your awareness of where you are, what you're doing at the time and what you need to be doing," McLaughlin said.
Information is uploaded to a Web site where students, teachers and parents can print reports charting their progress.
"Most of the kids are doing much better in the classroom -- aren't interrupting, aren't bringing up extraneous topics, are staying on topic, so for all of the kids the positive aspects of their communication have improved," The League School's Minna Levine said.
"I've seen him being more understanding of his challenges in communicating and using the PDA being able to enter a conversation a little more appropriately than before. I've seen him be more independent and grow from a little boy to a young man," McLaughlin's mother, Joan McLaughlin, said.
The PDA project was funded with a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health. The next phase is to use the Palm Pilots to help train students with autism and Asperger's for the working world

Great Autism Spectrum Disorder story

2006-05-17T14:25:00.000-05:00

Ron Schrage may not know the names of all his 360 or so fellow workers at Belleville Shoe Manufacturing Co., but they all know him.
"Everybody loves Ron," said Cindy Jansen, who helped organize a big 50th lunchtime birthday bash for the autistic worker on Tuesday.
"He's the most popular guy here," said Eric Weidmann, president of the company.
Ron started work at the company Jan. 27, 1979, despite his autism, a disorder that leaves people without normal social skills and a need for strict order and routine.
Some autistic people can't function in normal society but Ron's need for routine doesn't affect his work at the shoe company. His favorite job is pulling lasts, or plastic manufacturing forms, out of finished shoes.
He also fills in for other workers and does whatever is needed.
For Ron's milestone birthday, fellow workers brought in dishes or chipped in cash to buy chicken and a large decorated cake.
Everyone obviously knows about his love of bubbles and drawing. Many of his birthday gifts were some sort of bubble device, crayons or paper to draw on. Ron triumphantly held up each for the crowd to admire.
Ron draws pictures for everyone. For the party, workers had about 50 T-shirts made up of one of his self-portraits.
His dad, Art Schrage ("Arthur," Ron reminded him), drives Ron to work every day from their home between Waterloo and Hecker and picks him up in the afternoon. Work begins at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m.
"He stays until they're done with him and he would stay longer if necessary," Art said.
"I love my job," Ron said. "Eric hired me."
Weidmann said the company tries to hire handicapped workers. He had asked Art if he thought Ron would be a good worker and they agreed he should try.
"He tried out and he has turned out to be a great worker," Weidmann said.
For his three weeks of vacation, Ron flies to Pennsylvania in July to visit his sister, Patty Bradish.
Art said Ron was such a regular that the flight attendants would come and get him and let him sit in the cockpit. New Sept. 11 security measures put an end to that, however.
Wendell Moore, one of his lunch buddies at the plant, said there is "Ron Time," kind of like "Curt Time" in downtown Belleville. Ron always knows when it is time to go back to work and sets the example.
Everyone had kind words and congratulations for Ron on his birthday.
"He's a part of us," Moore said.

Autism Spectrum Disorder & Daydreaming

2006-05-09T20:02:00.000-05:00

From WEBMD Medical News

May 8, 2006 -- People with autismautism may not daydream like most people do.

A new study suggests that the brain activity found in most people while at rest or "daydreaming" is absent in people with autism.

Researchers say the brain regions normally active while at rest or daydreaming are important for processing emotional and social issues. The lack of this activity in the brains of people with autism may help explain some of the antisocial behavior and emotional problems found in people with the disorder.

Measuring Brain Activity

In the study, which appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans to compare brain activity while at rest in a group of 15 people with autism spectrum disorders (including autism and related conditions such as Asperger's syndrome) and 14 people without autism or related disorders.

Researchers say activity in certain areas of the brain is suppressed while performing mentally demanding tasks, like solving a puzzle. But when a person is at rest or performing nonstimulating tasks, these areas become very active, triggering daydreams and other introspective thoughts.P>

The scans showed that this type of daydreaming brain activity found in nonaustistic participants was missing in those with autism.

Researchers say these self-directed thoughts are important for processing emotional and social issues. In fact, they found that the more socially impaired the autistic individuals were, the less of this brain activity they had.

The researchers say the results of the study suggest that although some of the emotional and social symptoms found in people with autism seem to be associated with inability of this network to function properly, they cannot say that autism is caused by a neurological abnormality or vice versa.

Autism Spectrum Disorder gene study

2006-05-03T18:42:00.000-05:00

By deleting a gene in certain parts of the brain, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have created mice that show deficits in social interaction that are reminiscent of humans with autism spectrum disorders.The investigators also found physical abnormalities in the brains that mimic some cases of autism, showing that the research animals can be useful in studying the mysterious condition. The finding – to be published in the May 4 issue of the journal Neuron – confirms recent indications that a mutation in this particular gene could cause at least some forms of autism, said Dr. Luis F. Parada, director of the Center for Developmental Biology and the study’s senior author. Dr. Parada also directs the Kent Waldrep Center for Basic Research on Nerve Growth and Regeneration. “The exciting thing about this mouse is it helps us to zero in on at least one anatomic location of abnormality, because we targeted the gene to very circumscribed regions of the brain,” he said. “In diseases where virtually nothing is known, any inroad that gets into at least the right cell or the right biochemical pathway is very important.”Autism is a brain disorder in which people have trouble with communication and social interaction and engage in repetitive movements. Usually manifesting in childhood, it affects about one in every 250 people, primarily males. The researchers focused on a gene called Pten, which is also known to suppress cancers in humans. Some people with autism have mutations in Pten, but it has been unclear if that’s what causes the disease, Dr. Parada said. To test that hypothesis, the researchers deleted the gene in the front of the mouse brain and in areas of the hippocampus, a structure involved in memory and other functions.Mice, which are social animals, are a good model for studying the disease, Dr. Parada said. Their behavior can be studied when they are exposed to other mice, when they are provided with inanimate objects and material for making nests, and when they are placed in unfamiliar environments. In each of those conditions, the mutant mice were distinctly different from normal mice that came from the same litter. Mice lacking the Pten gene were generally uninterested in unfamiliar mice, while normal mice approached the strangers. When mutant mice were exposed to both an inanimate object and another mouse, they showed about equal interest in each – echoing the way children with autism prefer toys to people – while the normal mice preferred the other mouse.When given raw material for nesting, the mutants ignored it, while the normal mice teamed up to build nests. And the pups of mutant females often died from lack of maternal care.The genetically altered mice were also hypersensitive to stressful stimuli, such as being picked up, being subjected to a sudden noise, or being put in a lighted or open area. People with autism are similarly overly sensitive to sensory stimuli. The mutant mice’s brains were also noticeably altered in the areas where the gene was deleted. The nerve cells were thicker than normal and had a higher-than-normal number of connections to other nerve cells. This may lead to the sensory overload that people with autism experience, Dr. Parada said. “It would be really exciting if it turned out that we’ve zeroed in on the anatomical regions where things go wrong in autistic patients, regardless of how the autism occurs,” he said, adding that the next step in the research is to treat the mice with drugs to see whether it’s possible to reverse the condition. Autism-like syndromes are being studied at UT Southwestern from another angle through the work of Dr. Lisa Monteggia, assistant professor of psychiatry.Her investigation of the role of a gene called MeCP2 in mediating autistic-like behavior has been published recently in the journals Biological Psychiatry and Current Biology. Mutations in MeCP2 occur in a pervasive developmental disorder called Rett syndrome, a human disease that shares many clinical features with autism. Mutations in MeCP2 also have been identified in autism patients.In Biological Psychiatry, she described how the selective deletion of MeCP2 in the brains of mice – in similar areas as those targeted by Dr. Parada – creates many of the features of Rett syndrome that are also observed in autism patients, including reduced social interaction, abnormal repetitive behavior and increased anxiety. Current Biology reported her collaborative study with Dr. Ege Kavalali, associate professor in the Center for Basic Neuroscience, in which recorded signals from nerve cells in the mouse brain showed that in those lacking MeCP2, there was an imbalance between signals that excite nerve cells and those that inhibit neural activity. Such an imbalance in nerve transmission has been hypothesized as a feature of human autistic disorders; however, this is the first report demonstrating such an imbalance. Lead authors in the Pten study from the Center for Developmental Biology were Dr. Chang-Hyuk Kwon, postdoctoral researcher; former graduate student Bryan Luikart, now at Oregon Health & Science University; and Dr. Craig Powell, assistant professor of neurology and psychiatry at UT Southwestern. The work was supported by the American and Lebanese Associated Charities, the National Institutes of Health and the American Cancer Society.UT Southwestern scientists participating in the MeCP2 research were Erika Nelson, student research assistant in psychiatry, and Terry Gemelli, former research associate in psychiatry. Dr. Monteggia’s research is supported in part by the National Alliance for Autism Research, Once Upon A Time …, and the Rett Syndrome Research Foundation

Stars helping out with Autism Spectrum Disorder auction

2006-04-27T11:13:00.000-05:00

Donald Trump, Britney Spears, Heidi Klum are big name celebrities helping to fight autism, a crippling childhood disorder.
They're signing and designing puzzles for auction.
Donald painted a mini trump chopper. Sarah Jessica Parker put her heart into a design and Britney Spears added a burst of color for a project.
The online auction is a partnership of TJ Maxx and Autism Speaks.

"TJ Maxx sells lots of educational toys which are very therapeutic for children with autism. It's a natural fit also - the research for autism is looking to put the pieces of the puzzle for autism together," said Gaby Alban, TJ Maxx spokesperson.
The bidding at www.charityfolks.com ends May 3.
Or you can buy a paper puzzle for a dollar donation at TJ Maxx stores.
Autism Speaks was co-founded by Bob Wright - Chairman and CEO of NBC Universal

New Autism Spectrum Disorder research

2006-03-31T22:58:00.000-06:00

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MESA, Ariz. -- Researchers have identified a genetic cause for epilepsy, which could lead to the development of medicines to treat epilepsy and autism, the Translational Genomics Research Institute announced Thursday.

"This is the first step" in finding a cure for the childhood-onset diseases, said Dr. Dietrich Stephan, director of the neurogenomic division of TGen, the Phoenix-based research group that focuses on treatments and cures for genetically related illnesses.

"It allows us to better understand what causes the diseases," Stephan said of the discovery of a genetic mutation in Old Order Amish children in Pennsylvania.

TGen and the Clinic for Special Children in Strasburg, Pa. made the finding together.

Currently, medications treating epilepsy don't work on about 40 percent of the varying types of the disease, Stephan said. And the only treatment for autism are behavioral therapies - working with kids extensively on a daily basis to teach them life skills, he said.

Most epileptic symptoms, including recurring seizures, have been traced to abnormalities of the brain structure or chemistry that alter the electrical activity in nerve cells.

Autistic traits also are believed to be caused by disrupted nerve networks.

An estimated 2 million Americans are affected by epilepsy, while autism occurs in about 1.5 million, including about 100,000 school-age children. Seizures are the primary symptoms of epilepsy while autism can affect speech and the ability to interact with others.

The new finding was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. It describes a mutated gene that causes an epileptic disorder in Old Order Amish children in Pennsylvania. All of the affected children had relatively normal development until the onset of frequent seizures in early childhood.

They later developed language regression and other features of autism, which implicate the gene as a cause of autism in the general population, as well, Stephan said.

The next step for TGen researchers will be to develop drugs to prevent the disease by changing the way the brain reacts to the broken gene, he said.

Physicians at the Pennsylvania clinic isolated DNA from four of the affected children and their six parents and, in collaboration with TGen, identified a mutation that causes the gene to abnormally produce a protein called CASPR2.

For the first time, researchers showed that the protein plays an important role in early human brain development, said Dr. Erik Puffenberger, laboratory director at the Clinic for Special Children.

"Although these patients were from an isolated population, we anticipate that CASPR2 mutations will be found in children from other populations with mental retardation, seizures and autism," he said.

The discovery of the protein-related mutation in the clinic's Amish patients has already allowed doctors to identify at-risk newborns before they show symptoms, said Dr. Holmes Morton, the clinic's medical director.

"Our hope is that early treatment and prevention of prolonged seizures in these infants will lessen the effects of the disorder upon the lives of the children and their families," he said

Surfing & Autism Spectrum Disorder

2006-03-18T10:44:00.000-06:00

Music, Fun, Food, Drinks. Everyone is invited to our annual event. Please come out and show your support for our community. Children with autism are admitted free. To buy tickets call 949-370-1083
Surfers Healing-A free surf camp for children with autism. Surfers Healing was founded by Israel and Danielle Paskowitz. Their son, Isaiah, was diagnosed with autism at age three. Like many autistic children, he often suffered from sensory overload-- simple sensations could overwhelm him. The ocean was the one place where he seemed to find respite.
A former competitive surfer, Israel hit upon an idea--with Isaiah on the front of his surfboard, and Izzy steering from the back, the two spent the day surfing together. Surfing had a profound impact on Isaiah. Israel and Danielle decided they wanted to share this unique therapy with other autistic children. They began to host day camps at the beach where autistic children and their families could be exposed to a completely new experience of surfing.

Autism Spectrum Disorder test for adults

2006-03-02T14:12:00.000-06:00

http://www.msnbc.com/modules/newsweek/autism_quotient/default.asp
Here is a test Adults can take to see where they fit on the Autism Spectrum Disoder

Great Autism Spectrum Disorder story

2006-02-28T20:36:00.000-06:00

By BEN DOBBIN The Associated Press

GREECE, N.Y. (AP) — Alone in the gym after practice, Jason McElwain went through his elaborate pregame ritual.
The 17-year-old senior, manager of the Greece Athena High School basketball team, drained a 3-pointer, a double-pump layup and a free throw, kissed the back of his ring finger at center court and sped off to the dressing room to exhort and amuse his teammates.
"You've gotta give it everything you got!" McElwain sang in rap verse. "The winner goes home all happy/The loser goes home and says/`Mommy we lost the game, wah wah wah!'"

McElwain, who is autistic, was back in his role as an all-around motivator on the eve of a sectional semifinal game Tuesday night — handing out water bottles, dispensing tips, helping run drills. Two weeks earlier, he suited up for a game and delivered a jaw-dropping performance.
His play drew national attention, and a flood of calls from Hollywood. His parents have received inquiries from about 25 production companies ranging from The Walt Disney Co. and Warner Bros. to independent documentary filmmakers.
"I don't know what I'm walking into," McElwain said.
In his team's final home game of the season, McElwain entered with four minutes to go. It was his first and only appearance for the Athena varsity team in this Rochester suburb. The 5-foot-6 manager hit six 3-point shots and a 2-pointer and was carried off the court on his teammates' shoulders.
His triumph was captured on a student video that made the rounds of the television networks. The school was besieged with calls and e-mails from parents of children who have autism, a little-understood developmental disorder.
"We have an obligation as a society to find a way to include people with different abilities," said the school's athletic director, Randolph Hutto, whose 12-year-old son, Joshua, is autistic. "This, hopefully, will help open doors for some people, or open some eyes."
McElwain, who didn't begin talking until he was 5, still lacks social skills but has learned to cope well in his teens, said his special-education teacher, Diane Maddock.
He might talk a little loud, laugh a little too long or not be able the read the body language or even the tone of voice of a person, but it's not a big difficulty," Maddock said. "If you call him on it, he will acknowledge it, say 'OK, you're right, I shouldn't have said that or laughed when I laughed.'"
"This couldn't happen to a nicer kid," she added.
Considered too small to make the junior varsity, McElwain signed on as manager, then took up the same role with the varsity to stay near the sport he loves. Amazed at his dedication, coach Jim Johnson had him suit up for the home finale. There was no guarantee he would play — Athena was battling for a division title — but he got in when the Trojans opened a large lead.

"It was like a big old bucket and I was just hitting them like they were free throws," McElwain said. "I just felt relaxed."
The coach couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"He's been my right-hand man, he's there every day and just getting him the opportunity to suit up was emotional enough for me," he said. "For him to come in and seize the moment like he did was certainly more than I ever expected. I was an emotional wreck."
Because he played in just one regular-season game, McElwain was ineligible for sectional play. But he's not bothered.
"I just want to win as a team, not individually," he said.
What's more, he prides himself on having a lot of friends.
"I'm not really that different," he said. "I don't really care about this autistic situation, really. It's just the way I am. The advice I'd give to autistic people is just keep working, just keep dreaming, you'll get your chance and you'll do it."

Hand-held device can help non-verbal children with Autism Spectrum Disorder communicate

2006-02-22T20:59:00.000-06:00

Andrea Moore - All Headline News Staff Reporter
Virginia (AHN) - University of Virginia neurolinguist Filip Loncke has the only research site in the United States which creates a hand-held device that speaks for those who are unable to speak for themselves, a barcode reader called the B.A. Bar™ that was developed in Switzerland by the Federation Suisse des Teletheses and made available in that country in 2001.
The barcode reader provides auditory feedback when passed over the same kind of black-and-white strip used on grocery store products.
Loncke's device is first used to program the barcodes with words or phrases; the barcodes can then be fixed to objects, pictures or places. The user scans the barcode with the device, and it says the word or phrase. Loncke's research shows that it is more helpful than simple pictures.
One of the advantages of the B.A. Bar is its versatility. It has been used with people from the ages of 2 to 89 and has helped them learn or relearn how to speak and become more independent. Loncke and his research team are using it for several research and clinical applications.
There are two million Americans are not able to communicate easily or not at all with words, from children with autism and Down's syndrome to adults who have speech loss due to a stroke.
Loncke says the barcode reader is easy to use - an adult can learn it in one session, and a child with Down's syndrome can become confident with it in six or seven.