Autism presentation highlight of brain workshop
February 8, 2009
By PHIL WRIGHT
The East Oregonian
LA GRANDE – This year’s brain awareness workshop for K-12 teachers, health professionals and community members will feature the autism work of Dr. Garet Lahvis, assistant professor at Oregon Health & Science University’s Department of Behavioral Neuroscience.
The Northeast Oregon Area Health Education Center and OSHU will hold the workshop Friday, March 7, from 8:30 am to noon at Eastern Oregon University, Inlow Hall 013. The workshop costs $15 and requires advanced registration. To register, contact Brenna Hines, education coordinator at 962-3801 or bhines@eou.edu.
Wondering if your child has the symptoms of autism? What Autism treatments Work Best? Save your child from a challenged future by spotting the signs of autism early and learn the therapies that can dramatically improve your child’s quality of life at Autism Symptoms & Treatments
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Extreme Preemies Might Have Higher Risk of Autism Symptoms
February 8, 2009
Babies Born Too Early Twice as Likely to Score Positive on Autism Test
By AUDREY GRAYSON
ABC News Medical Unit
Jan. 29, 2009
Among the many serious health risks faced by babies born extremely prematurely, an increased risk of autism may confront moms-to-be, a new study suggests
Autism is characterized by difficulty with social interaction, problems with all forms of communication and repetitive behaviors or obsessive interests. Depending on where a patient falls on the autism spectrum, the severity of these behaviors can range from mild to disabling.
Using a special questionnaire, researchers from Boston University and Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem in North Carolina found that even among children with no pre-existing impairments, the chances of developing autism were about twice as high in those born three months early compared to children born within the normal range of gestation.
Lead study investigator Dr. Karl Kuban, chief of the Division of Pediatric Neurology at Boston Medical Center, cautioned that the test is not conclusive in determining whether a child will develop autism.
“You have to acknowledge that a positive screen isn’t the equivalent of autism,” Kuban warned.
Wondering if your child has the symptoms of autism? What Autism treatments Work Best? Save your child from a challenged future by spotting the signs of autism early and learn the therapies that can dramatically improve your child’s quality of life at Autism Symptoms & Treatments
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Center helps autistic patients learn
February 8, 2009
Parents, teachers of kids also can receive training
By Elaine Marsilio (Contact)
Originally published 12:00 a.m., February 8, 2009
Updated 12:43 a.m., February 8, 200
CORPUS CHRISTI — Zoe knew the routine. The 5-year-old autistic girl needed to communicate what she wanted, but had difficulty saying she wanted to look inside her plastic backpack toy.
Jamie Hughes, her therapist and the executive director of Autism Consulting Services, took the child’s hands at a session last month and placed them over each other.
Zoe, who was diagnosed with autism at 22 months old, needed to focus and make eye contact.
“Come on, let’s try again,” Hughes said. “O … pen.”
Zoe puckered her tiny lips and attempted to make out the last part as she mimicked the hand motion, “Pah.”
“Good try,” Hughes said, smiling.
Zoe is one of about 430 children younger than 14 living with autism in Corpus Christi, Hughes said.
Autism is a developmental disability usually causing delays in speech and socialization. According to 2008 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 150 people younger than 21 nationwide has autism spectrum disorder.
Autism Consulting Services opened in October to work with autistic children and adults up to 21 years old, by helping them improve their behavioral skills and giving them a unique setting in which to receive therapy. People with Down syndrome and other developmental disabilities also can use the service.
The service has helped a total of 90 children and an equal number of parents in about 15 counties, mostly in South Texas. Hughes also visits families in counties such as Hidalgo and El Paso.
The new service helps to meet their patients’ needs through consultations, trainings and one-on-one therapy sessions for clients. Parents and teachers also can receive training on how to implement children’s therapy skills into everyday life.
Marsha Coulter, executive director and volunteer at Hannah’s Hope, said Autism Consulting will be beneficial to people with higher functioning disabilities because they wouldn’t need full-day programs like those offered at her establishment, which also caters to autism patients.
Coulter said Hannah’s Hope can work with the new service by referring older children there, as Hannah’s Hope only serves 3- to 9-year-olds.
Wondering if your child has the symptoms of autism? What Autism treatments Work Best? Save your child from a challenged future by spotting the signs of autism early and learn the therapies that can dramatically improve your child’s quality of life at Autism Symptoms & Treatments
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Fundraising group to get gaudy for autism
February 8, 2009
By ANN MARIE FRENCH, The Saratogian
SARATOGA SPRINGS — A volunteer organization providing recreational activities for teens and young adults with autism spectrum disorders is hoping a party with badly dressed guests will result in the funding necessary to expand their programming.
ASPIRe NY Inc. has been named as the recipient of the money to be raised from the sixth annual Gaudy Gala, an event that encourages guests to dig out their tackiest and ugliest formal wear for a night of good food, good times, and fundraising for a local nonprofit organization. To date, the Gaudy Gala has raised more than $14,000 for four local charities.
“Whatever we make on this gala is going to be the difference of running programs or not,” said Julie Marks, vice president and treasurer for the organization. Marks and the founder of ASPIRe, Deb Garrelts, are the brains and labor behind the group’s mission and accomplishments.
Autism Spectrum Peer Integration and Recreation is the full name of the not-for-profit. Garrelts started it in 2003 as a support group for parents with autistic children. She wanted them to have an outlet to voice concerns, seek advice and enjoy the company of others who had a set of parenting struggles different from most. Eventually, the parents in the group began to wonder why they weren’t getting their children together to experience a similar sense of camaraderie.
“They thought they should get the kids out and do normal things,” Marks said. “The kids isolate themselves and are often lonely or depressed.” So in 2005 the “lunch bunch” was born.
Marks moved into the area soon after and was one of many who had begun to discover the group. Few social support groups exist, which resulted in members joining from all over the Capital Region. As the group expanded, the responsibilities and workload grew. Garrelts, a full-time occupational therapist, was feeling overwhelmed. So Marks, who holds a teaching certification from New Jersey, offered to help.
“There are over 30 participants and a mailing list of over 150 people,” Marks said. “We’re it. There is an unbelievable need out there. People come from Lake George to Albany.”
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Autism: Growing challenge for parents and teachers
February 8, 2009
Autism: Growing challenge
‘It’s time that people learn about it’ — mother
By KIM BARTO – Bulletin Staff Writer
Sharon Mullen wears a T-shirt that reads “1 in 150 American children” on the front.
The back of the shirt says, “If 1 in 150 American children were being kidnapped, we would have a national emergency. WE DO. It’s autism.”
Mullen, who lives in the Carver area, wants to increase awareness about the neurological disorder that affects her 5-year-old daughter, Emily. Her T-shirt reflects the growing number of children diagnosed with autism.
Autism is a complex developmental disability that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impairing a person’s ability to communicate and interact with other people.
No two people with autism have the exact same symptoms, and they range from mild to disabling. There is no cure, only therapies that, when started at a young age, can help a child reach his or her full potential.
Evidence is everywhere that the disorder is becoming more widespread. The waiting lists to see autism specialists in Richmond and Charlottesville are several months long. This year, the New College Institute and Averett University both launched series of classes to help teachers and school administrators educate students with autism. Legislation was presented to a state House subcommittee last week that would have mandated health insurance coverage for certain autism treatments.
But although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that more and more cases of autism spectrum disorders are being recognized, public awareness has yet to catch up. Mullen and other parents say they face constant misunderstandings about their children who have autism and the daily challenges that face them.
“Most people just don’t understand, and I think it’s time that people learn about it,” Mullen said.
EARLY SIGNS
From day one, Sharon Mullen knew Emily was different.
When her son, Wesley, was born, he cried all the time. But when Emily arrived two years later, she was quiet and did not cry much.
“I thought maybe it was just a difference between boys and girls,” Mullen said, but then other red flags appeared.
“When she started sitting up, I’d say something to her, and she’d keep playing like she didn’t hear me,” she said. “She wasn’t making any sounds.”
Thinking it could be a hearing problem, a doctor checked Emily’s hearing and eyesight when she was 18 months old, but the diagnosis turned out to be a developmental delay.
The family was living in Texas at the time. At age 2, Emily was referred to the school system there and set up with a speech therapist. Meanwhile, a committee of 12 people from different disciplines assessed her for autism.
“She was in this big room playing as people walked around taking notes. We met with a speech therapist, speech pathologist, did hearing tests,” Mullen said.
“I kept thinking, ‘How many of these assessments do we have to do before we know what’s going on?’” she said. “I was just kind of spinning around, not knowing what to do.”
When doctors told Mullen her daughter showed nine out of 10 signs of an autism spectrum disorder, “I was kind of relieved,” she said. “A lot of people are devastated (at the diagnosis), but I never went through that.”
Children with autism often keep the “developmentally delayed” label until age 9, and although doctors at the University of Virginia confirmed Emily has autism, her diagnosis has not officially been changed to reflect this. Her school Individual Education Plan (IEP) classifies her as “developmentally disabled — speech and language delay,” her mother said, and so far this has entitled her to get the services she needs.
Wondering if your child has the symptoms of autism? What Autism treatments Work Best? Save your child from a challenged future by spotting the signs of autism early and learn the therapies that can dramatically improve your child’s quality of life at Autism Symptoms & Treatments
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Autism 911 and missing gaps
February 7, 2009
A piece running on CNN this week details the 13-year-old Marissa Bilson’s autism and the family’s “transformation” after undergoing a 5-day intensive in-home ABA therapy program provided by Autism Partnership (and paid for by CNN, in exchange for taping the family).
As those of us who live with autism in their lives, the familiar scene of tantrums and repetitive behaviors strikes a chord. But the piece misses some key take aways.
Firstly, Marissa was diagnosed “as a toddler” as documented by CNN, but roamed without any boundaries or limitations around her home. She had free reign for her thirteen years – which of course severely impacted the family’s dynamics, from her parents to her two siblings. It was only recently, during the CNN-sponsored week-long therapy session, that Marissa underwent intensive ABA therapy during which time the therapist established ground-rules and initial performance incentives.
It is well documented that early therapeutic intervention plays a key role in helping build the tools for children with autism to interact more fluidly in mainstream society. But one must wonder, what kind of guidance did the family pursue over these years to inform the parent’s decision to “let her do whatever she wants”?
Wondering if your child has the symptoms of autism? What Autism treatments Work Best? Save your child from a challenged future by spotting the signs of autism early and learn the therapies that can dramatically improve your child’s quality of life at Autism Symptoms & Treatments
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Why public school doesn’t work for kids with autism (part one)
February 7, 2009
Why doesn’t public school work for kids with autism? Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, and some kids really do thrive. But in this series of blogs, I want to lay out some of the basic problems that underlie the attempt to provide kids with autism with a quality public education. This first blog looks at just some of the issues that have been created by the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act).
Don’t get me wrong: the IDEA was a critically important measure for children with disabilities. The problems lie, not so much with the IDEA in general, but with the IDEA as it relates to what we now call Autism Spectrum Disorders.
So, in no particular order, here are some of the basic problems we face in working with the IDEA to educate kids with autism spectrum disorders in the public schools:
1. Parents of children with autism believe that they can and should demand an educational package for their child with autism which could easily cost their district $50,000 or more per year – per child. In fact, according to the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ) our kids are legally entitled to just that type of education. Yet the costs make it literally impossible to provide such an education for every child with special needs. Thus, the schools and the parents must be at odds, if only for budgetary reasons.
2. The IDEA requires that special ed programs be developed based on kids’ needs rather than on diagnoses or available resources. But the reality is that such a system is expensive, impractical, and extremely difficult to implement. From an administrative and budgetary perspective, creating an “autism program” makes much more sense. But legally, it’s not the right way to manage the needs of kids with autism.
3. The IDEA also requires that kids be included with typical peers as much as is possible. What does that mean? There are no benchmarks to measure what “as much as possible” means. Some parents want their child with autism included even when his behaviors disrupt the class. Others want their child in a specialized, small program – even when they can be included in a typical classroom without causing a disruption. Where should the child be placed? There’s no simple or equitable way to make a determination.
4. The IDEA requirement for inclusion means that a great deal of each day is spent in teaching “typicalness” to the child with autism. While social skills, transition skills, etc. are important, the skills required will change from year to year as the child progresses. What’s learned in kindergarten may be irrelevant in first grade. Meanwhile, “typicalness” lessons wind up taking the place of academics, art, music, library – precisely those areas where a child with autism is most likely to shine.
Wondering if your child has the symptoms of autism? What Autism treatments Work Best? Save your child from a challenged future by spotting the signs of autism early and learn the therapies that can dramatically improve your child’s quality of life at Autism Symptoms & Treatments
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Unsafe Gluten-Free Food List (Unsafe Ingredients)
February 7, 2009
Unsafe Gluten-Free Food List (Unsafe Ingredients)
Abyssinian Hard (Wheat triticum durum)
Alcohol (Spirits – Specific Types)
Amp-Isostearoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Barley Grass (can contain seeds)
Barley Hordeum vulgare
Barley Malt
Beer
Bleached Flour
Blue Cheese (made with bread)
Bran
Bread Flour
Brewers Yeast
Brown Flour
Bulgur (Bulgar Wheat/Nuts)
Bulgur Wheat
Cereal Binding
Chilton
Club Wheat (Triticum aestivum subspecies compactum)
Common Wheat (Triticum aestivum)
Couscous
Dextrimaltose
Disodium Wheatgermamido Peg-2 Sulfosuccinate
Durum wheat (Triticum durum)
Edible Starch
Einkorn (Triticum monococcum)
Emmer (Triticum dicoccon)
Farina
Farina Graham
Filler
Flour (normally this is wheat)
Fu (dried wheat gluten)
Germ
Graham Flour
Granary Flour
Groats (barley, wheat)
Hard Wheat
Hydrolyzed Wheat Gluten
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein Pg-Propyl Silanetriol
Hydrolyzed Wheat Starch
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Kamut (Pasta wheat)
Malt
Malt Extract
Malt Syrup
Malt Flavoring
Malt Vinegar
Macha Wheat (Triticum aestivum)
Matzo Semolina
Mir
Oriental Wheat (Triticum turanicum)
Pasta
Pearl Barley
Persian Wheat (Triticum carthlicum)
Poulard Wheat (Triticum turgidum)
Polish Wheat (Triticum polonicum)
Rice Malt (if barley or Koji are used)
Rye
Seitan
Semolina
Semolina Triticum
Shot Wheat (Triticum aestivum)
Small Spelt
Spirits (Specific Types)
Spelt (Triticum spelta)
Sprouted Wheat or Barley
Stearyldimoniumhydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Strong Flour
Suet in Packets
Tabbouleh
Teriyaki Sauce
Textured Vegetable Protein – TVP
Timopheevi Wheat (Triticum timopheevii)
Triticale X triticosecale
Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Flour Lipids
Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Extract
Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil
Udon (wheat noodles)
Unbleached Flour
Vavilovi Wheat (Triticum aestivum)
Vegetable Starch
Wheat, Abyssinian Hard triticum durum
Wheat amino acids
Wheat Bran Extract
Wheat, Bulgur
Wheat Durum Triticum
Wheat Germ Extract
Wheat Germ Glycerides
Wheat Germ Oil
Wheat Germamidopropyldimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Wheat Grass (can contain seeds)
Wheat Nuts
Wheat Protein
Wheat Triticum aestivum
Wheat Triticum Monococcum
Wheat (Triticum Vulgare) Bran Extract
Whole-Meal Flour
Wild Einkorn (Triticum boeotictim)
Wild Emmer (Triticum dicoccoides)
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EU Debuts New Standards for Foods with ‘Gluten-Free’ Label
February 7, 2009
Celiac.com 02/06/2009 – The European Union’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued new rules for foods carrying the ‘gluten-free’ label. Under the new rules, foods labeled ‘gluten-free’ must have less than 20 parts of gluten per million. This new standard represents a ten-fold reduction over the prior rules, which set the gluten limit at 200 parts per million.
The FSA also established a separate labeling category for cereals that have been specially processed to reduce gluten to levels below 100 parts per million. These foods may not be labeled ‘gluten-free,’ but must carry some other label such as ‘gluten-reduced,’ or ‘very-low gluten.’ The FSA indicates that the exact labeling for such products should be undertaken at the national level.
Foods that are naturally gluten-free and acceptable for a gluten-free diet cannot be labeled as ‘gluten-free,’ or ‘special-diet,’ but may say that they are ‘naturally gluten-free.’ The rules require the term ‘gluten-free’ or ‘very-low gluten’ to appear prominently on the package label in a way that indicates the “true nature of the food.” These rules are designed to help people with celiac disease make more informed decisions about the gluten content of the food they eat.
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Moms sign deal with Whole Foods to provide gluten-free cookies
February 6, 2009
JACKSONVILLE — Armed with their own special brand of homemade cookies, schoolteachers Lynn Yeager and Janice Copley marched onto the Whole Foods Market Inc. construction site a week before the store opening to pitch their new business venture — Cookie Momsters Inc.
It didn’t take long for the cookies to disappear and a deal to be inked, and when Whole Foods (Nasdaq: WFMI) opened its Jacksonville location Dec. 10, Yeager and Copley were there to sample their product — a gluten-free, casein-free, frozen cookie dough that fits into a diet for those with intestinal issues and children with autism.
Although Whole Foods does not release product sales data, Regional Marketing Director Russ Benblatt said the product, which is only being sold in the Jacksonville store, is already selling well.
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Attacking Autism with earlier diagnosis
February 6, 2009
Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that typically lasts throughout a person’s lifetime. It is part of a group of disorders known as autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
Today, 1 in 150 individuals is diagnosed with an ASD, making them more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined.
Autism was first identified in 1943 by Dr. Leo Kanner of Johns Hopkins Hospital. At about the same time, a German scientist, Dr. Hans Asperger, described a milder form of the disorder that is now known as Asperger’s Syndrome.
The earliest signs of autism are usually seen by parents and typically include unusual behaviors and failure to reach appropriate developmental milestones. Some parents describe a child that seemed different from birth, while others describe a child who was developing normally and then regressed.
Lack of eye contact, repetitive behaviors and delayed or unusual speech patterns are just a few symptoms that are common in most ASD cases.
There is no medical test for autism. The Centers For Disease Control has set guidelines that suggest all children be screened for autism during their 18-month, 24-month and 30-month well checks. During the screening, doctors look at behavioral symptoms, ask parents specific developmental questions, perform speech and language tests as well as utilize various other screening techniques.
This screening cannot be used alone to make a diagnosis, but a positive screening should be followed up by further assessment.
Researchers at Yale University are studying detailed eye tracking technology as a means to diagnose autism at an earlier age.
Ami Klin, Ph.D., and his research partner Warren Jones, believe through their research they will be able to put together a better picture of how a child with autism perceives the world.
Their research began with toddlers whom they showed video clips from the movie Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf? The children watched the screen while a hidden camera captured their eye movements.
Wondering if your child has the symptoms of autism? What Autism treatments Work Best? Save your child from a challenged future by spotting the signs of autism early and learn the therapies that can dramatically improve your child’s quality of life at Autism Symptoms & Treatments
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Autism treatment funds: Nevada lawmakers hear emotional pleas
February 6, 2009
Nevada lawmakers had an emotional day of testimony Friday, as families affected by autism pleaded with legislators to continue funding treatment for the developmental disease.
Last session, the legislature allocated $2 million to treat children with autism. One hundred children have benefited from that treatment, but 200 more are still waiting for treatment due to lack of funding. The money allocated for autism treatment will run out all together on June 30, 2009.
“We didn’t think we’d be back here begging for money,” Jan Crandy of the Autism Coalition of Nevada (ACON) said. “We thought we’d be asking for case growth at this point, so we could serve some more kids. We’ve seen IQ gains. Some of the kids have made such a significant difference, that they’re on the road to not needing services in the future.”
Parents testified Friday before a joint committee meeting concerning the state’s health and human services budget. Some thanked legislators for the funding they’ve already provided, saying it has helped change their children. Others stood up and told lawmakers that funding for autism to be permanent.
One of the most powerful testimonials came in the form of a letter from a nine-year old girl named Cierra. She wrote to lawmakers about her three-year old brother who has autism. She said he’s gotten better because of the treatment.
At least one lawmaker promised to work to get funds to treat children with autism.
“It’s such a sad thing to know that over 200 kids are on the waiting list and not even getting the services the need, and knowing that they’re not going to get better,” Assemblywoman Shelia Leslie said. “As a parent I cannot imagine what those families must be feeling. So it’s not just kicking off the kids who are getting the services now, it’s all the kids who are on the waiting list. So we’re going to work very hard. I thought the testimony today was very to the point, and we’ll be working on this all session.”
Legislators are facing many tough budget decisions this session, with the state of Nevada facing drastically declining revenues. The estimate for revenues for fiscal 2009-2010 is $5.8 billion. Governor Jim Gibbons, factoring in some new revenue, will propose spending just over $6 billion. That’s much less than the $6.8 billion approved in 2007 for the current two-year budget period.
Wondering if your child has the symptoms of autism? What Autism treatments Work Best? Save your child from a challenged future by spotting the signs of autism early and learn the therapies that can dramatically improve your child’s quality of life at Autism Symptoms & Treatments
Original article here.
Why my child with autism is NOT going back to public school
February 6, 2009
Last night, at a friend’s invitation, I went to a meeting of our local school district’s special education parents’ group. We had moved recently, and while I’m homeschooling now I thought “why not learn more?”
I did.
Perhaps not surprisingly, our new special ed program is just like the old one. The administrator’s job, in essence, is to keep costs down… parents quiet…. and teachers submissive. If the special ed kids do well, that’s great. If they don’t… that’s life.
Meanwhile, parents are in a panic, trying to manage IEPs that don’t include the accomodations, therapies, supports or social skills programs they asked for. Should they sign the IEP, so their child can get at least SOME services right now? Or hold off, hire an advocate, and demand what they’re entitled to – meanwhile leaving their child in legal limbo for months?
And, while parents want a terrific education for their kids with autism, they’re meanwhile facing a serious dilemma relative to their kids who are typically developing. It’s a fine thing to fight “like a mother lion” for your child with autism. But do you then earn a reputation as a “difficult parent?” And if you do – how will that affect the district’s response when your other children develop a special need, behavior problem, or other issue? Will they suffer the consequences of your actions?
What makes the whole process even worse is the knowledge that whatever you work out with the district, the teacher and the school this year – will fall apart completely next year when you child is in a new classroom, new school, or new group of students. The elementary school principal may be a huge inclusion advocate, while the middle school principal doesn’t get it at all. The middle school may have a terrific lunch bunch peer group with a top notch therapist – while the high school may have no peer social program at all.
Bottom line, there’s no doubt in my mind: my son with autism will NEVER go back to public school!
Wondering if your child has the symptoms of autism? What Autism treatments Work Best? Save your child from a challenged future by spotting the signs of autism early and learn the therapies that can dramatically improve your child’s quality of life at Autism Symptoms & Treatments
Original article here.
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February 6, 2009