Archive for the ‘Awareness’ Category

Free Conference on Autism, May 25-29 Lombard, Il

Monday, January 31st, 2011

Finally a conference that helps those affected by Autism and is FREE.

Picky Eating, Autism Link

Monday, July 19th, 2010

Its amazing how an Autistic child continues to grow and develop considering how their diets are so limited at times. Is this a cause of Autism or a clue to what lies ahead? The more clues the better, the earlier the better as well. this article points to being able to identify children at one month who MAY have an ASD, this would be welcome news as the best remedy for Autism right now is getting the right therapy in Early Childhood.

New research on the finicky eating habits of children with autism finds that while autistic children do tend to eat a less varied diet than other kids, their feeding preferences have little negative effect on their height, weight and growth.

Researchers at the University of Bristol began with a database of all children who were born between 1991 and 1992 and enrolled in a long-term study in Avon, England. The children’s caregivers completed detailed food questionnaires describing the kids’ eating habits at five intervals, beginning at 6 months and continuing to age four and a half. Since autism is generally not diagnosed until after age 2, when children begin speaking, the study captured feeding habits in children well before parents were even aware their children may be affected with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). That means their answers to the questionnaires were less likely to be biased by knowledge of their child’s eventual autism status.

By the end of the study, when the children were 7 years old, 79 had been diagnosed with an ASD, compared with 12,901 who had not.

Researchers found that by the time they were 1 month old, autistic children were already 35% more likely than unaffected children to be slow feeders. By 1 year, their diets were considerably less varied – they ate fewer vegetables and fruits, but they also consumed less sweets and carbonated beverages. By that age, parents also reported that children with ASD were nearly twice as likely to be choosier about their food than unaffected children.

However, the scientists found no significant differences in the total energy intake or overall carbohydrate, fat and protein consumption between the autistic children and the controls at 18 months. All the children were similar in height, weight and body mass index (or BMI, a ratio of height and weight used to measure obesity). “For parents of an autistic child, these data suggest they needn’t be too concerned about their child’s eating habits,” says Pauline Emmett, a nutritionist and one of the authors of the paper published in Pediatrics. “In general, these children are not going to end up malnourished. I think it’s a hopeful message for parents.”

Read more at Time.com

Temple Grandin Movie on HBO

Monday, February 8th, 2010

For the past year or so, I have tried to watch every movie with an Autism link in it in hopes of learning or as a source of inspiration. And for the most part, this has worked in providing insight and further understanding. Recently, I watched the Temple Grandin movie starring Claire Danes on HBO last night. All I can say is very well done and impressive. I highly suggest making time to view this movie which to me was dead on.

Here is a speech given by Temple Grandin that is sure to educate and inspire. Here are some insights from Temple on what to do as soon as you know or see an indication of Autism. “When I was a little kid, I had all the symptoms – no speech and really severe autism,” she says. “You’ve gotta work with the kids really young … My mother made sure I had my first job when I was 13, working for a seamstress. When I was in college, I had internships at a research lab and at a school for autistic kids.” Early intervention is key.

There are a wealth of great tips and insights in this video for anyone who is in contact with an autistic person- Focus on strengths, Don’t punish sensory issues, The Autistic brain is highly detailed and constantly at work, limit surprises. Thinking in pictures- a mind that works like Google search engine for images and more…

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Insurance Coverage for Autism Related Services

Thursday, February 4th, 2010
Help Make Autism Insurance Coverage a Reality in

New York State

Bills have been proposed in both the New York State Assembly (A.6888-B) and New York State Senate (S.6123), which would provide better coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of individuals with autism in New York State.

The bills propose amendments to the Insurance Law to provide coverage in every policy, group policy, and/or medical indemnity, hospital service or health service corporation, for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders.  They further provide that treatment of autism spectrum disorders shall include psychiatric care, including direct, consultative and diagnostic services; habilitative or rehabilitative care; pediatric and developmental pediatric care; anesthesiological care and anesthetic services; neurological care; gastroenterogical care; endocrinological care, including behavioral, speech, occupational and physical therapies as well as social skills education training.

Historically, autism has been misidentified as a psychiatric disorder, and has been excluded from coverage by health insurance carriers.  New York State Insurance Law was significantly changed in 2006, by requiring insurers to provide all medical services to people with autism that would be provided to people without autism.  This law has helped ameliorate the problem, but it does not specify health care services specific to the treatment and diagnosis of autism.

Please support A.6888-B and S.6123 by contacting your local representatives, Assemblymember Koon and Senator Huntley.

CONTACT INFORMATION
A brief letter, fax or telephone call to you local representatives in support of these bills could help ensure that our friends, family, and children with autism are properly diagnosed and provided with the treatments they so desperately need…

  • Assemblyman Koon :( 518) 455-5784; Address: Legislative Office Building, Room 643, Albany, New York 12248.
  • Senator Shirley Huntley :( 518) 455-3531; Fax: (518) 426-6859; Address: Legislative Office Building, Room 803, Albany, New York 12248.
  • Your own Assembly Member.  To find your Assembly member, call (518) 455-4100 or go to www.assembly.state.ny.us/mem/
  • Your own State Senator.  To find your State Senator, call (518) 455-2800 or go to www.nysenate.gov.
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How is Autism treated and what reserach is being done?

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

There is no cure for ASD.  Therapies and behavioral interventions are designed to remedy specific symptoms and can bring about substantial improvement.  The ideal treatment plan coordinates therapies and interventions that meet the specific needs of individual children.  Most health care professionals agree that the earlier the intervention, the better.

Educational/behavioral interventions:  Therapists use highly structured and intensive skill-oriented training sessions to help children develop social and language skills, such as Applied Behavioral Analysis.  Family counseling for the parents and siblings of children with ASD often helps families cope with the particular challenges of living with a child with ASD.

Medications:  Doctors may prescribe medications for treatment of specific ASD-related symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, or obsessive-compulsive disorder.  Antipsychotic medications are used to treat severe behavioral problems.  Seizures can be treated with one or more anticonvulsant drugs.  Medication used to treat people with attention deficit disorder can be used effectively to help decrease impulsivity and hyperactivity.

Other therapies:  There are a number of controversial therapies or interventions available for people with ASD, but few, if any, are supported by scientific studies.  Parents should use caution before adopting any unproven treatments.  Although dietary interventions have been helpful in some children, parents should be careful that their child’s nutritional status is carefully followed.

What research is being done?

In 1997, at the request of Congress, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) formed its Autism Coordinating Committee (NIH/ACC) to enhance the quality, pace and coordination of efforts at the NIH to find a cure for autism (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/autism-spectrum-disorders-pervasive-developmental-disorders/nih-initiatives/nih-autism-coordinating-committee.shtml). The NIH/ACC involves the participation of seven NIH Institutes and Centers: the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders,  the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the National Institute of Nursing Research, and the National Center on Complementary and Alternative Medicine.  The NIH/ACC has been instrumental in the understanding of and advances in ASD research.  The NIH/ACC also participates in the broader Federal Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) that is composed of representatives from various component agencies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as well as the U.S. Department of Education and other government organizations.

In fiscal years 2007 and 2008, NIH began funding the 11 Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE), coordinated by the NIH/ACC.  The ACEs are investigating early brain development and functioning, social interactions in infants, rare genetic variants and mutations, associations between autism-related genes and physical traits, possible environmental risk factors and biomarkers, and a potential new medication treatment.


Where can I get more information?

For more information on neurological disorders or research programs funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, contact the Institute’s Brain Resources and Information Network (BRAIN) at:

BRAIN
P.O. Box 5801
Bethesda, MD 20824
(800) 352-9424
http://www.ninds.nih.gov

Information also is available from the following organizations:

Association for Science in Autism Treatment
P.O. Box 188
Crosswicks, NJ   08515-0188
info@asatonline.org
http://www.asatonline.org
Autism National Committee (AUTCOM)
P.O. Box 429
Forest Knolls, CA   94933
http://www.autcom.org
Autism Network International (ANI)
P.O. Box 35448
Syracuse, NY   13235-5448
jisincla@syr.edu
http://www.ani.ac
Autism Research Institute (ARI)
4182 Adams Avenue
San Diego, CA   92116
director@autism.com
http://www.autismresearchinstitute.com
Tel: 866-366-3361
Fax: 619-563-6840
Autism Society of America
7910 Woodmont Ave.
Suite 300
Bethesda, MD   20814-3067
http://www.autism-society.org
Tel: 301-657-0881 800-3AUTISM (328-8476)
Fax: 301-657-0869
Autism Speaks, Inc.
2 Park Avenue
11th Floor
New York, NY   10016
contactus@autismspeaks.org
http://www.autismspeaks.org
Tel: 212-252-8584 California: 310-230-3568
Fax: 212-252-8676
Birth Defect Research for Children, Inc.
800 Celebration Avenue
Suite 225
Celebration, FL   34747
betty@birthdefects.org
http://www.birthdefects.org
Tel: 407-566-8304
Fax: 407-566-8341
MAAP Services for Autism, Asperger Syndrome, and PDD
P.O. Box 524
Crown Point, IN   46307
info@maapservices.org
http://www.maapservices.org
Tel: 219-662-1311
Fax: 219-662-0638
National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities
U.S. Dept. of Education, Office of Special Education Programs
P.O. Box 1492
Washington, DC   20013-1492
nichcy@aed.org
http://www.nichcy.org
Tel: 800-695-0285
Fax: 202-884-8441
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
National Institutes of Health, DHHS
31 Center Drive, Rm. 2A32 MSC 2425
Bethesda, MD   20892-2425
http://www.nichd.nih.gov
Tel: 301-496-5133
Fax: 301-496-7101
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Information Clearinghouse
1 Communication Avenue
Bethesda, MD   20892-3456
nidcdinfo@nidcd.nih.gov
http://www.nidcd.nih.gov
Tel: 800-241-1044 800-241-1055 (TTD/TTY)
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
National Institutes of Health, DHHS
111 T.W. Alexander Drive
Research Triangle Park, NC   27709
webcenter@niehs.nih.gov
http://www.niehs.nih.gov
Tel: 919-541-3345
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
National Institutes of Health, DHHS
6001 Executive Blvd. Rm. 8184, MSC 9663
Bethesda, MD   20892-9663
nimhinfo@nih.gov
http://www.nimh.nih.gov
Tel: 301-443-4513/866-415-8051 301-443-8431 (TTY)
Fax: 301-443-4279

“Autism Fact Sheet,” NINDS. Publication date September 2009.

NIH Publication No. 09-1877

Prepared by:

Office of Communications and Public Liaison
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD 20892

NINDS health-related material is provided for information purposes only and does not necessarily represent endorsement by or an official position of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke or any other Federal agency. Advice on the treatment or care of an individual patient should be obtained through consultation with a physician who has examined that patient or is familiar with that patient’s medical history.

All NINDS-prepared information is in the public domain and may be freely copied. Credit to the NINDS or the NIH is appreciated.

Last updated October 19, 2009

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An App for Autism – New twist on PECS “Grace”

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

A new twist on the PECS system of communication and a great way to start off the new year. An app for Autistics that could one day morph into a bluetooth enabled device that offers voice prompts? Need more innovation and courage in developing new solutions to help those with Autism, and this is a great start.

What is most appealing to me is you can easily upload a photo of anything you want and add it to the picture library for future reference and use or for use right now! Its very close to spontaneous communication. Its a great app and sure to be a smashing success.Thanks Hammie and your developer for a new ray of hope to Unlock Autism.

Link to the original site

Thimerosal Cause Neurological Damage Like Autism in Rats

Monday, December 7th, 2009



Written By Lourdes Salvador of www.americanchronicle.com

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disability characterized by social withdrawal, communication deficits, and repetitive behaviors. Both genetic and environmental factors have been implicated as causes of autism, moreover a high body burden of mercury and other toxic metals from vaccinations and environmental exposures has been increasingly given more attention.
Thimerosal is mercury containing vaccine preservative added to many childhood vaccines. It is widely suspected as a cause of an increasing widespread epidemic of childhood neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism.
Now, a new study shows that administration of thimerosal leads to long lasting neurological impairment in rats, specifically by altering the neural process of handling noxious stimuli.
Analysis also shows that significant amounts of mercury from thimerosal accumulates in the rat brain and remains long term. The mercury is not readily cleared, as was previously believed. Though mercury readily leaves the blood stream, it does not leave the body. It is now recognized to accumulate in brain tissue.
Additionally, this research is supported by various prior studies which show that children with autism suffer from a weak ability to excrete mercury and that the weaker the ability, the more severe the symptoms of autism.
Now, two new research studies investigating the effects of chelation therapy on the health and behavior of children with autism spectrum disorders have discovered that children receiving chelation to reduce mercury levels had significant improvements.
It appears that mercury may produce they symptom set recognized in the autism spectrum disorders as a form of autism.


How to minimize the H1N1 Flu risk

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009
This is not advice only a public service announcement on how to avoid being infected or infecting others with H1N1 aka Swine Flu.
The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat.  In a global epidemic of this nature, it’s almost impossible not coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions.  Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):
1.   *Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).
2.   “Hands-off-the-face” approach.  *Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe.)
3.   *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don’t trust salt).  *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms.  Simple gargling prevents proliferation.  In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one.  Don’t under estimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.
Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water.  *Not everybody may be good at using a Neti pot, but *blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton swabs dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.*
5.    *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C.  *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption. *Vitamin A and D3 can also help prevent flu due to their anti-viral properties. (email me back if you want me to give you the Vitamin A and D3 protocol)
6.   *Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can.  *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction.  They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

New Study Indicates More Have Autism. 1 in 91

Monday, October 5th, 2009

Not good news on the research front.

A study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics indicates about 1% of children 3 to 17 have autism or related disorder

Results based on national telephone survey of more than 78,000 parents
CDC official: “This is a significant issue that needs immediate attention”
Researchers saying finding could reflect heightened awareness of disorder

Today, 1 in 91 have Autism.  Boys were four times as likely as girls to have ASD, and non-Hispanic black and multiracial children were less likely than non-Hispanic white children.

The question on everyone’s ,mind is where will these children go to school and what will become of their lives as they enter adulthood.

The Educational system and job market is already overburdened. We need to act quickly on all fronts, Quickly with intervention, quickly with therapy and services and in providing a better Education opportunity.

Now I must go and update my User Name to 1 in 91, down form 1 in 150 children have Autsim today.

PS – I am not liking what I am hearing about candles recently. Cheap candles are horrible to burn inside. The wick may contain lead and the wax is filled with nasty stuff… So many things correlate with the rise in ASD- computers and the web, cellphones, plastic bottles, Korean cars it could be anything and everything…

Recruit Autistics for the right job and its Magic

Thursday, October 1st, 2009

Finally a positive article about Autism and why not, the attention, focus and commitment to detail found in most Autistics would make anybody a more productive worker, and they probably wont gossip too much either.

Radical Ideas from

Thorkil Sonne: Recruit Autistics

By Drake Bennett

Most occupations require people skills. But for some, a preternatural capacity for concentration and near-total recall matter more. Those jobs, entrepreneur Thorkil Sonne says, could use a little autism.

Sonne reached this conclusion six years ago, after his youngest son was diagnosed with the mysterious developmental disorder. “At first I was in agony and despair,” he recalls. “Then came the thought of what happens when he grows up.”

In Sonne’s native Denmark, as elsewhere, autistics are typically considered unemployable. But Sonne worked in IT, a field more suited to people with autism and related conditions like Asperger’s syndrome. “As a general view, they have excellent memory and strong attention to detail. They are persistent and good at following structures and routines,” he says. In other words, they’re born software engineers.

In 2004, Sonne quit his job at a telecom firm and founded Specialisterne (Danish for “Specialists”), an IT consultancy that hires mostly people with autism-spectrum disorders. Its nearly 60 consultants ferret out software errors for companies like Microsoft and Cisco Systems. Recently, the firm has expanded into other detail-centered work-like keeping track of Denmark’s fiber-optic network, so crews laying new lines don’t accidentally cut old ones.  Read more at WIRED.com