Trained Peers Better at Aiding Autistic Kids with Social Skills | Psych Central News

Trained Peers Better at Aiding Autistic Kids with Social Skills Psych Central News: A new study suggests training peers can help children with autism spectrum disorder improve their social skills, even more than a direct adult-led intervention

Supporting Families and Caregivers in Everyday Routines

Supporting Families and Caregivers in Everyday Routines: Incorporating intervention into daily life can enhance a child's development. Early-intervention clinicians are key to teaching parents and other caregivers how to provide opportunities for children to practice and expand language abilities as they play, get dressed, eat, and take part in other daily activities.
The charge of early intervention is to provide supports to help families and caregivers enhance their children's learning and development through everyday enrichment opportunities (IDEA, 2004). Children are thus able to practice skills throughout the day, every day, in meaningful ways.

Couple who meet at work have autistic babies? - The Times of India

Couple who meet at work have autistic babies? - The Times of India: Previous studies have suggested that the condition is more prevalent among people who are 'systemisers' - those who do jobs relating to systems and how they work, such as computer programmes or machines.
People who 'systemise' are often obsessed with making sense of complex topics, and can achieve great things, but have difficulty empathising with people.
Professor Baron-Cohen has said that being a systemiser may be a symptom of an 'extreme male brain' due to high levels of testosterone.

CDPH Publishes Study on Autism and Maternal and Paternal Age

CDPH Publishes Study on Autism and Maternal and Paternal Age: Reviewing a larger population than in any other study of its kind, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has found that as parents age their risk of giving birth to a child with autism increases modestly.

Published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, the new CDPH study shows that for each 10-year increase in a mother's age, the risk of autism increased by about 38 percent. For each 10-year increase in a father's age, the risk of autism increased by about 22 percent.

Neurofeedback and Autism

Click on the link below for scholarly articles.

Click here

Airway abnormality may point to autism - USATODAY.com

Airway abnormality may point to autism - USATODAY.com: While examining children with autism who came in for a persistent cough, Dr. Barbara Stewart used a bronchoscope -- which can see down into the windpipe and the airways that branch into the lungs -- and noticed something different about those branches.
In a typical lung, the windpipe, or trachea, branches into two main stems. From there, airways branch off the stems much like tree branches in a random, asymmetrical pattern, said Stewart, a pediatric pulmonologist at Nemours Children's Clinic in Pensacola, Fla.

Autistic children have 'too many brain cells in region for emotional development' | Mail Online

Autistic children have 'too many brain cells in region for emotional development' Mail Online: Children with autism appear to have too many cells in a key area of the brain needed for communication and emotional development, scientists said today.The find helps to explain why young children with autism often develop brains that are larger than normal.
The study by U.S. researchers suggests the condition starts in the womb because brain cells in this area known as the prefrontal cortex typically develop during the second trimester of pregnancy.

Potential Link Found Between Type 2 Diabetes and Autism | Psych Central News

Potential Link Found Between Type 2 Diabetes and Autism Psych Central News: Emerging research suggests a possible link between autism and Type 2 diabetes, two disorders on the rise in the United States.
Investigators base their hypothesis upon a review of genetic and biochemical abnormalities associated with autism.

Doctors Find Link Between Lyme Disease, Autism | Fox News

Doctors Find Link Between Lyme Disease, Autism Fox News: Although the mystery of autism continues to puzzle the medical community, some doctors are finding a link between autism and Lyme disease, which is called “Lyme-Induced Autism,” FOX40 Sacramento reported.

Keeping People With Special Needs Safe | Fox News

Keeping People With Special Needs Safe Fox News: A number of products and advancements in technology have brought more sophisticated options to these worried families. For people who know they can't supervise those with special needs every second of the day, some products have let them breathe a little easier.


I don't usually comment on these articles; but this is very cool!

US researchers' discovery promises answers on autism | The Australian

US researchers' discovery promises answers on autism The Australian: RESEARCHERS have for the first time identified two biologically different strains of autism in a major breakthrough being compared with the discovery of different forms of cancer in the 1960s.

Antidepressants Show Signs Of Countering Alzheimer’s - Science News

Antidepressants Show Signs Of Countering Alzheimer’s - Science News: Widely used antidepressants may reduce the ominous brain plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease, a new study in mice and humans finds.
Brain scans of people who have taken antidepressants reveal fewer clumps of the protein amyloid-beta, a target of Alzheimer’s prevention strategies, when compared with people who have not taken the drugs.

New method to detect autism in kids - The Times of India

New method to detect autism in kids - The Times of India: "For the first time, scientists have found a method that can accurately identify a biological sign of autism in very young toddlers.
Until know the biological causes of autism were not understood and diagnosis of autism was only possible after ages three or four; and the tests are subjective, based on behavioural symptoms."

Ockham's Razor and autism: the case for developmen... [Neurotoxicology. 2009] - PubMed result

Ockham's Razor and autism: the case for developmen... [Neurotoxicology. 2009] - PubMed result: "Much professional awareness regarding environmental triggers for ASD has been narrowly focused on a single possible exposure pathway (vaccines). Meanwhile, empirical support for environmental toxins as a broad class has been quietly accumulating. Recent research has shown that persons with ASD have comparatively higher levels of various toxins and are more likely to have reduced detoxifying ability, and, that rates of ASD may be higher in areas with greater pollution. This report documents that within the state with the highest rate of ASD, the rate is higher for schools near EPA Superfund sites, t (332)=3.84, p=.0001. The reasons for the rise in diagnoses likely involve genetically predisposed individuals being exposed to various environmental triggers at higher rates than in past generations."

Some children have some predispositions and are susceptible to various environmental influences. This is why cause and effect research is so difficult and often misleading.





Read the entire article here.

Out of Sync Brain May Be a Clue to Autism

Out of Sync Brain May Be a Clue to Autism: "Toddlers with autism are more likely to have abnormal synchronization between certain brain areas than other kids the same age, even those with language delays, according to a new study.
''There seems to be impaired or reduced synchronization between the right and left hemispheres, specifically the areas involved in language and communication,' says researcher Ilan Dinstein, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel."

Do Tech-Rich Regions Have More Autism? - Ideas Market - WSJ

Do Tech-Rich Regions Have More Autism? - Ideas Market - WSJ: "The hypothesis that there’s a link between autism and minds oriented toward math and technology just grew stronger: A new study has found that a region of the Netherlands known for high-tech industry has substantially higher levels of autism-spectrum conditions than two other regions."

'Face blind' sufferers see world like this. But now there's hope - Scotsman.com

'Face blind' sufferers see world like this. But now there's hope - Scotsman.com: "A SCOTTISH eye expert has developed what he says is the first treatment in the world for people who suffer from face blindness.
The condition, also known as prosopagnosia, impairs the ability of people to recognise faces and facial expressions and is common in people with autism.

Now optometrist Ian Jordan has developed a system using coloured lenses to help people overcomADVERTISEMENT
e the disability, which can have a serious impact on their lives."

How common is autism?

"Earlier this month, a press release from Yale University announced: "Prevalence of Autism in South Korea Estimated at 1 in 38 Children". This estimate was considerably higher than recent UK studies (Baird et al, and Baron-Cohen et al). There are three possibilities: either children in South Korea are at unusually high risk of autism; previous studies have dramatically underestimated the prevalence of autism; or this new study gives an overestimate.

The authors reject the first option and plump for the second. Their estimate, they maintain, is so high because they looked for children in mainstream schools, doing their own assessments of children detected on an initial screening questionnaire, rather than relying on existing diagnoses."

To read the rest of the article, click below.



Baron-Cohen et al

Who Will Be Autistic in 2013? Learn More About the New Diagnostic Criteria

Who Will Be Autistic in 2013? Learn More About the New Diagnostic Criteria: "As many of you know, the American Psychiatric Association is in the process of revamping the DSM - the diagnostic manual that names and describes the symptoms of mental, neurological and developmental disorders for practitioners in the United States and, to some degree, in other nations. The present criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorders are in for some huge changes if the proposed criteria are approved. Some of these changes include the removal of the categories Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) and Asperger Syndrome. The new criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder are quite different, too: many people who were once included in that group will no longer fit the criteria."

The Canadian Press: Brain structure, gene expression differ dramatically in autistic brain: study

The Canadian Press: Brain structure, gene expression differ dramatically in autistic brain: study: "'If you randomly pick 20 people with autism, the cause of each person's disease will be unique,' said principal investigator Dr. Daniel Geschwind, chair of human genetics at the University of California, Los Angeles. 'Yet when we examined how genes and proteins interact in autistic people's brains, we saw well-defined shared patterns. This common thread could hold the key to pinpointing the disorder's origins.'"

New Research Study on Most Effective Seizure Treatments for Children with Autism... -- SAN DIEGO, May 24, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --

New Research Study on Most Effective Seizure Treatments for Children with Autism... -- SAN DIEGO, May 24, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --: "A study just published in BMC Pediatrics by Dr. Richard E. Frye from the University of Texas in Houston and Dr. James B. Adams from the Arizona State University in Tempe has now provided insight into which traditional and non-traditional medical treatments are most beneficial for individuals with autism spectrum disorder and seizures. These researchers surveyed 733 parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and seizures, epilepsy and/or subclinical seizure-like brain activity to rate the effectiveness of 25 traditional and 20 non-traditional medical treatments on seizures. The survey also assessed the effect of those treatments on other symptoms (sleep, communication, behavior, attention and mood)and side effects."

Health News - Women who start prenatal vitamins early are less likely to have children with autism

Health News - Women who start prenatal vitamins early are less likely to have children with autism: "Women who reported not taking a daily prenatal vitamin immediately before and during the first month of pregnancy were nearly twice as likely to have a child with an autism spectrum disorder as women who did take the supplements — and the associated risk rose to seven times as great when combined with a high-risk genetic make-up, a study by researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute has found."

New study claims 83 autism cases caused by vaccinations - ksl.com

New study claims 83 autism cases caused by vaccinations - ksl.com: "A study scheduled for publication in the Pace Environmental Law Review closely examined public information on 1,300 cases in which the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program compensated families. Significant brain injuries were found in compensated patients as a direct result of vaccinations. Eighty-three cases specifically resulted in autism and are being called, “the tip of the iceberg.”"

Pediatric Massage: A Nurturing Intervention for Autism

Pediatric Massage: A Nurturing Intervention for Autism: "Researchers have found that children with autism spectrum disorders show less stereotypical autistic behavior, are more social and attentive after receiving massage therapy and have less anxiety. Pediatric massage might provide relaxation, stress reduction and calm muscle spasms. Over time, the child typically becomes more accustomed to tactile stimulation and the regular intervention of pediatric massage might be beneficial in reducing inattentiveness, touch aversion and withdrawal."

Developmental Disabilities on the Rise in U.S.

Developmental Disabilities on the Rise in U.S.: "Most of the increase occurred in autism and ADHD, but it is not clear if the incidence of these disorders is substantially rising or if the numbers reflect an increased emphasis on early diagnosis and treatment, greater awareness of the conditions by parents and teachers, and a broadening of the diagnostic criteria.
Boule says the fact that more women are having babies later in life and more babies are being born preterm may be contributing to the rise."

Fever during pregnancy, diabetes and obesity may raise autism risk - USATODAY.com

Fever during pregnancy, diabetes and obesity may raise autism risk - USATODAY.com: "giving birth by Cesarean section isn't associated with autism in offspring, but having diabetes or high blood pressure or being obese while pregnant seems to be."

Joint Attention, Social Reciprocity, Mand Training, Mothers as Behavior Analysts

Page 252: Parent Implemented Joint Attention Intervention for Preschoolers


with Autism - Emily A. Jones and Kathleen M. Feeley

Page 269: Teaching Imitation to Children with Autism: A focus on Social

Reciprocity - Brooke Ingersoll

Page 278: Comprehensive Analysis of Mand Training - Michele D. Wallace

Page 287: The Experiences of "Autism Mothers" who become Behavior

Analysts: A Qualitative Study - Mary L. Barbera.
 
http://www.baojournal.com/SLP-ABA%20WEBSITE/SLP-ABA-VOL-2/SLP-ABA-2-3.pdf

Functional Categories of Immediate Echolalia

Functional Categories of Immediate Echolalia: "Immediate echolalia refers to replicated utterances that are produced or echoed immediately or almost immediately after they are heard. Many individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may repeat utterances as a temporary step prior to or while they are developing fluent generative or creative spoken language."

Functional Categories of Delayed Echolalia

Functional Categories of Delayed Echolalia: "Delayed echolalia is the repetition of verbal messages that were previously heard and which are repeated after a time delay of a few minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or years. It is sometimes more difficult to recognize delayed echolalia since the listener (the one to whom an interactive delayed echolalic message is directed) may not have been present when the original utterance or model message was uttered or, if present, the person may have forgotten"

Five-minute questionnaire identifies subtle signs of autism in one-year olds - Telegraph

Five-minute questionnaire identifies subtle signs of autism in one-year olds - Telegraph: "Researchers said the checklist, which could be filled out in the waiting room of doctor's surgery, could help catch the condition earlier and lead to more effective treatment.
Identifying Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at an early age allows children to start treatment sooner, which can greatly improve their later development and learning."

The Development of an Effective Applied Behavioral Analysis... : Infants & Young Children

The Development of an Effective Applied Behavioral Analysis... : Infants & Young Children: "Research indicates that applied behavioral analysis can make significant improvements in the skills of young children with autism. A shortage of trained professionals need not keep a family from developing an effective program for a young child with autism. The key to implementing an appropriate treatment plan lies in consistency, simplicity, intensity, and precision. Home programming for a young child with autism can achieve positive results; however, a parent-driven, center-based model provides more creative use of resources by allowing for shared training, supplies, space, and fundraising. It also allows for strong mutual support and the opportunity for a greater pool of data from which to advocate."

Autism: Behavioral Therapy Trumps Medication, Studies Say - ABC News

Autism: Behavioral Therapy Trumps Medication, Studies Say - ABC News: "While there is no cure for autism, there is no shortage of purported treatments to manage the range of symptoms associated with the wide spectrum of the disorder. And, like Penrod, many parents of newly diagnosed children find themselves inundated with overflowing and at times conflicting treatment recommendations."

A Controlled Trial of a Training Course for Parents of Children with Suspected Autism Spectrum Disorder

A Controlled Trial of a Training Course for Parents of Children with Suspected Autism Spectrum Disorder: "Taking into account scores at recruitment, child's level of ability, diagnostic grouping, and the interval between assessments, a significant advantage was found for the intervention group in parents' observed use of facilitative strategies and in children's vocabulary size.
Conclusions
The training course is well received by parents and has a measurable effect on both parents' and children's communication skills."

Interest in toys predicts autism treatment`s effectiveness in toddlers

Interest in toys predicts autism treatment`s effectiveness in toddlers: "A new study has found that toddlers with autism who played with a limited number of toys showed more improvement in their communication skills following parent-guided treatment than those receiving other community-based treatments.
The study is the first to examine this autism treatment - called Hanen's More Than Words - for children younger than 2 showing early signs of an autism spectrum disorder."

Educating the Spectrum | MontereyCountyWeekly.com

Educating the Spectrum MontereyCountyWeekly.com: "About six years ago, Katie (not her real name), who is autistic, couldn’t read “Don’t Walk.” Her mom worried she’d never develop basic comprehension to keep her safe while crossing the street.

“She was using some of the best curricula out there, and yet she still wasn’t mastering it,” remembers Colleen Davis, a Monterey County Office of Education board-certified behavior analyst.
"

Serotonin plays role in many autism cases, studies confirm

Serotonin plays role in many autism cases, studies confirm: "Mouse models are yielding important clues about the nature of autism spectrum disorders, which impact an estimated one in 110 children in the U.S.[1] In labs at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio, researchers are studying strains of mice that inherently mimic the repetitive and socially impaired behaviors present in these disorders.
Georgianna Gould, Ph.D., research assistant professor of physiology in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, is eyeing the role that serotonin plays in autism spectrum disorders."

Study finds many children with autism improve social skills over time - Columbia Missourian

Study finds many children with autism improve social skills over time - Columbia Missourian: "COLUMBIA — A clinical child psychologist has found that many children with autism gain more verbal and social skills over time.
Catherine Lord, who is the head of the University of Michigan’s Autism and Communication Disorder Center, said that while some previous studies stated 50 percent of 9-year-old children with autism were mostly nonverbal, her study found that 14 percent were nonverbal. Lord presented the findings of her study Monday night at a lecture at MU."

Learn the Signs. Act Early.

Here you can view or download the various materials for the "Learn the Signs. Act Early." Campaign designed for parents and health care professionals. All downloads are available in the Adobe® Portable Document Format (PDF).
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/downloads.html

Autism Screening Quiz

According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 'there are a number of things that parents, teachers, and others who care for children can look for to determine if a child needs to be evaluated for autism.' This autism quiz asks about 'red flags' that could be a sign that a Pediatrician or other health professional should evaluate a child for autism or a related communication disorder.
http://pediatrics.about.com/od/autism/l/bl_autism.htm

PEDS and PEDS:DM

PEDS and PEDS:DM are two highly accurate, valid developmental-behavioral screening and surveilance tools. Used alone or together, they comply with AAP policy and offer the best solution for early detection. We also offer PEDS ONLINE that also includes the Modified Checklist of Autism in Toddlers. PEDS ONLINE offers error-free scoring, ICD-9 and procedure codes, generates summary reports for parents, and referral letters when needed.

http://www.pedstest.com/default.aspx

Ages and Stages Developmental Screening

ASQ-3™ and the NEW ASQ Online products are here—now the #1 developmental screener is better than ever! With a NEW research sample of more than 15,000 children and careful attention to user feedback, the experts behind ASQ have made dozens of enhancements to help identify delays as early as possible, save time and money, and make your job easier. Join the thousands who trust ASQ today, and you’ll have the most accurate, valid, and parent-friendly way to screen children from one month to 5 ½ years.
http://www.agesandstages.com/

Closely Spaced Pregnancies Linked to Increased Autism Risk - ABC News

Closely Spaced Pregnancies Linked to Increased Autism Risk - ABC News: "The rising prevalence of autism in the United States suggests that environmental risk factors growing in prominence are at play. New research adds to a growing body of evidence that the risk is conferred well before affected children show symptoms, such as impairments in communication and social interaction -- during pregnancy."

Asperger syndrome - Google Books

Asperger syndrome - Google Books: "Asperger syndrome By Ami Klin"

Freaks, geeks and Asperger syndrome ... - Google Books

Freaks, geeks and Asperger syndrome ... - Google Books: "Freaks, geeks and Asperger syndrome: a user guide to adolescence By Luke Jackson"

Written by a young man with Aspergers

SpringerLink - Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Volume 38, Number 10

SpringerLink - Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Volume 38, Number 10: "LEGO® therapy and the Social Use of Language Programme (SULP) were evaluated as social skills interventions for 6–11 year olds with high functioning autism and Asperger Syndrome. Children were matched on CA, IQ, and autistic symptoms before being randomly assigned to LEGO or SULP. Therapy occurred for 1 h/week over 18 weeks. A no-intervention control group was also assessed. Results showed that the LEGO therapy group improved more than the other groups on autism-specific social interaction scores (Gilliam Autism Rating Scale). Maladaptive behaviour decreased significantly more in the LEGO and SULP groups compared to the control group. There was a non-significant trend for SULP and LEGO groups to improve more than the no-intervention group in communication and socialisation skills."

Promoting social behavior with oxytocin in high-functioning autism spectrum disorders — PNAS

Promoting social behavior with oxytocin in high-functioning autism spectrum disorders — PNAS: "Social adaptation requires specific cognitive and emotional competences. Individuals with high-functioning autism or with Asperger syndrome cannot understand or engage in social situations despite preserved intellectual abilities. Recently, it has been suggested that oxytocin, a hormone known to promote mother-infant bonds, may be implicated in the social deficit of autism. We investigated the behavioral effects of oxytocin in 13 subjects with autism. In a simulated ball game where participants interacted with fictitious partners, we found that after oxytocin inhalation, patients exhibited stronger interactions with the most socially cooperative partner and reported enhanced feelings of trust and preference. Also, during free viewing of pictures of faces, oxytocin selectively increased patients’ gazing time on the socially informative region of the face, namely the eyes. Thus, under oxytocin, patients respond more strongly to others and exhibit more appropriate social behavior and affect, suggesting a therapeutic potential of oxytocin through its action on a core dimension of autism."

The relationship between executive functioning, central coherence, and repetitive behaviors in the high-functioning autism spectrum — Autism

The relationship between executive functioning, central coherence, and repetitive behaviors in the high-functioning autism spectrum — Autism: "This study examined the relationship between everyday repetitive behavior (primary symptoms of autism) and performance on neuropsychological tests of executive function and central coherence (secondary symptoms). It was hypothesized that the frequency and intensity of repetitive behavior would be positively correlated with laboratory measures of cognitive rigidity and weak central coherence. Participants included 19 individuals (ages 10—19) with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (ASD group) and 18 age- and IQ-matched typically developing controls (TD group). There was partial support in the ASD group for the link between repetitive behavior and executive performance (the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task). There was no support for a link between repetitive behavior and measures of central coherence (a Gestalt Closure test and the Embedded Figures Test). Further research on repetitive behaviors in autism may benefit from a focus on narrow behavioral and cognitive constructs rather than general categories."

SpringerLink - Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Volume 37, Number 5

SpringerLink - Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Volume 37, Number 5: "Abstract
Altered visual exploration of faces likely contributes to social cognition deficits seen in autism. To investigate the relationship between face gaze and social cognition in autism, we measured both face gaze and how facial regions were actually used during emotion judgments from faces. Compared to IQ-matched healthy controls, nine high-functioning adults with autism failed to make use of information from the eye region of faces, instead relying primarily on information from the mouth. Face gaze accounted for the increased reliance on the mouth, and partially accounted for the deficit in using information from the eyes. These findings provide a novel quantitative assessment of how people with autism utilize information in faces when making social judgments."

The Complete Guide to Asperger's ... - Google Books

The Complete Guide to Asperger's ... - Google Books: "The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome By Tony Attwood"

A cognitive behaviour therapy intervention for anxiety in children with Asperger's syndrome - UQ eSpace

A cognitive behaviour therapy intervention for anxiety in children with Asperger's syndrome - UQ eSpace: "A cognitive behaviour therapy intervention for anxiety in children with Asperger's syndrome"

Asperger Syndrome Guide

Asperger Syndrome Guide: "Definition
Asperger syndrome is often considered a high functioning form of autism. People with this syndrome have difficulty interacting socially, repeat behaviors, and often are clumsy. Motor milestones may be delayed.
Alternative Names
Pervasive developmental disorder - Asperger syndrome; Autistic spectrum disorder - Asperger"

Asperger's Syndrome-Symptoms

Asperger's Syndrome-Symptoms: "Although there are many possible symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome, the main symptom is severe trouble with social situations. Your child may have mild to severe symptoms or have a few or many of these symptoms. Because of the wide variety of symptoms, no two children with Asperger's are alike."

Health Buzz: Autism Study Was an 'Elaborate Fraud' - US News and World Report

Health Buzz: Autism Study Was an 'Elaborate Fraud' - US News and World Report: "A British doctor committed an 'elaborate fraud' by faking data in a since-retracted 1998 study that linked autism to childhood vaccines. That's according to a report published Wednesday by the British Medical Journal that accuses Andrew Wakefield of misrepresenting or altering the medical histories of the 12 children he studied. Published in the journal Lancet, Wakefield's study, which linked the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine to autism, prompted thousands of parents to skip the shot. Some experts say immunization rates have never fully recovered. Reported U.S. measles cases hit a 12-year peak at 140 in 2008, and the majority of sick children were unvaccinated, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."