Autism/PDD – The News You Need This Week (3/12/12)

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Autism isn’t always obvious, but it’s always there

It’s hard to describe the feeling, as a dad, when people who mean well — and who you know mean well — look at you as if you’re some kind of bungling incompetent, who has jeopardized your child’s future by turning to the label-obsessed medical establishment instead of letting your kid be, well, himself.

Building a Transition Plan

Transition services are a coordinated set of activities that promote movement from school to such post-school activities as post-secondary education, vocational training, employment, adult services, independent living and community participation. They must be based on the individual student’s needs, taking into account his or her preferences and interests. Transition services must include instruction, community experiences, and development of employment and other post school adult living objectives. If appropriate, daily living skills and functional vocational evaluation may also be included.

Acetaminophen and its Possible Connection to the Rise in Autism

Why is the autism rate in Cuba so much lower than in the US and is there a single environmental factor that is causing the rise in autism?” We couldn’t wait to find out! The following is a summary of what we learned…

 NBC’s Parenthood Explores Autism

Sarah astutely pointed out that students aren’t ever allowed to simply “not participate” in math class. This, of course, is true: if either boy had a math disability, the math lesson would be modified to allow their full participation at a level appropriate for them, and they would be expected to participate. The time wouldn’t simply be wasted. The boys wouldn’t simply be left to their own devices, literally.

10 Reasons not to Discuss Child Sexual Abuse

Jill has presented ten myths that prevent us from talking to our children about it. All children, especially those with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, need to be armed with the knowledge necessary to protect themselves so please read this post, read her book, then read her book to your child and start talking. An informed child is a safe child.

The Brain – The Troublesome Bloom of Autism

 At the time, Courchesne was investigating how children’s brains respond to new pieces of information. “I encountered a clinical psychologist who studied children with autism,” he says. “She told me, ‘Autistic children aren’t interested in novelty. They’re interested in routine.’ ” Yet the young man Courchesne met showed more range. At first he responded to Courchesne’s questions only with short answers, “but when I talked with him further, I discovered he had a tremendous wealth of knowledge,” the neuroscientist recalls. “He had calendar memory. He just wasn’t interested in being sociable.”

Parenting Adults With Autism 

With just a bit of tweaking, my son, and growing numbers like him, can truly be beneficial to our society in ways people have not even begun to consider. And the “trick” for me is finding someone to give them a chance.

What the UK High Court’s Ruling on John Walker-Smith Means and Doesn’t Mean

It’s important to be very clear about what this ruling means. Mr. Justice Mitting did not find that Professor Walker-Smith’s actions were medically necessary or ethical. The ruling does not exonerate Walker-Smith. That was not what the hearing was about. Mitting was only ruling on the conduct, the decision-making, of the GMC’s Fitness to Practice panel. More broadly, Mitting found aspects of the GMC’s procedures to be flawed.

What Do School Personnel Know about Autism? 

There is a critical need for more coordinated efforts among community and school professionals for the training of teachers in evidence-based instruction and behavioral management practices for children with ASD.

Special-needs restraint called means to safety

“Disability advocates like to say that somehow schools are conspiring to hurt children and they’r e using seclusion and restraints as a tool to do this. That is not the case,” said Pudelski, government-affairs manager at the Alexandria, Va.-based group. “No school administrator that we represent believes that these techniques should be used as a means of punishing students. It should never be commonplace.”

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Autism/PDD – The News You Need This Week Autism/PDD – The News You Need This Week Autism/PDD – The News You Need This Week

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What Does Authenticity Look Like?

This is a very thought provoking article…

As easy as it is to say that everyone should “just be themselves” — the world doesn’t really make it possible for autistic people to do so. In fact, there’s a whole industry built around ensuring that autistic children become “indistinguishable from their peers.”

The Easy Way to Tell a Child They Have Autism

Should the time come when your child really wants to know what his brain style is called then you need to let him know the label society gives it. But if you began early in his life to lay the affirmative groundwork discussed above then the label is apt to be just another piece of factual information rather than a devastating blow to your child’s sense of self. Always remember that the most important message will be in the descriptors you use rather than the label itself.

 Majority Confused By Autism Insurance Laws

“The results of this survey clearly indicate that passing autism insurance reform… is just the first phase of helping families access the services and treatments their children need,” said Peter Bell, executive vice president of programs and services at Autism Speaks. “Once a bill is enacted, we must turn our attention to implementation and enforcement.”

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Autism/PDD – The News You Need This Week (2/27/12)

 

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Autism Treatment Network – Tools you can Use

Some really excellent tools here – including help for parents whose ASD kids don’t sleep well!

Since its inception the ATN has been about helping parents and professionals to manage the wide range of health related concerns that are commonly associated with autism spectrum disorders.

There’s just so much we don’t know…

Study Compares Traits of Autism, Schizophrenia

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia are distinct disorders with unique characteristics, but they share similarities in social dysfunction. For many years, this similarity resulted in confusion in diagnosis. Many young people with ASD were thought to have a childhood version of schizophrenia, said Dr. Noah Sasson, assistant professor in the UT Dallas School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.

Meds for Autism Not Well Understood: Study

“Also striking are the high rates of antipsychotic, antidepressant/anti-anxiety and stimulant medication use in these youths,” Shattuck said. “Additional studies examining the treatment of core and associated [autism spectrum disorder] symptoms are needed to guide the treatment of these kids.”

Training parents is good medicine for children with autism behavior problems

Based on these findings, Scahill and his team are now conducting a study that uses parent trainingas a stand-alone strategy in treating younger children with autism spectrum disorders. This study is being conducted at Yale and four other medical centers across the country. The investigators also plan to publish the parent training manuals as a way to share this intervention with the public.

Brain of infants with autism differs

“The difference in the trajectory of brain development between the two groups was dramatic between six and 24 months,” Piven said in a statement. “This suggests that the period from 6 to 24 months — when behavioral studies suggest the symptoms of autism are first appearing — is a period of dramatic brain changes in autism spectrum disorders.”

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