How'd I Miss this?

I blame the United States Post Office for not bringing me last month's Wired Magazine which had an excellent article on the use of vaccines on children and the possible link to Autism (spectrum disorders). It does not focus on the autism question but instead looks at the debate from a public health standpoint and posits the following: The decision to NOT vaccinate is driven by FEAR and not understanding and, in addition to putting YOUR child at risk, the decision not to vaccinate puts MANY children at risk. The article is told through the lense of a lengthy interview with Dr. Paul Offitt.
While a very important article I have two critiques. One, it was not very balanced. It does children no good to characterize anyone who is concerned about vaccines as kooks and two, the author is not a science writer with a history of covering complicated scientific issues. This leaves her in a position wherein she relies too heavily on her interview subjects and less so on her own understanding and research.
Still...a MUST READ.

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Merry Christmas Me Hermano Negro...

You are my sunshine...
My only sunshine...
You make me happy...
When skies are gray...
If you only knew Dear...
How much I loved you...
Oh please..don't take my sunshine away...

You are as loved as love can get my chunky monkey brother from the same mother. Enjoy this little movie and know that everyone you've ever touched is thinking about you today...especially the ones you touched naughty-style:)

Love and Christmas...

Adam

From the 'Obvious' files...

The more alcohol expectant mothers drink, the greater the effects on their children. Research from Perth's Telethon Institute for Child Health Research has found evidence that the amount and timing of alcohol consumption in pregnancy affects children in adverse ways.

“Mothers who reported what we would classify as heavy drinking in the first trimester of pregnancy were nearly three times as likely to report that their child suffered with anxiety and/or depression or somatic complaints,” Lead author Colleen O'Leary said.

“Those who drank moderately during that first trimester were twice as likely to report those types of behavioural issues for their child."

So drinking while pregnant is not a good idea. Who would have guessed it?
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Cigarette smoke and air pollution cause people to cough...I know, it sounds silly but they've actually discovered exactly how this occurs on the hopes they can help people with chronic coughs...

In another story, exposure to metals and diesel emissions linked to respitory problems in children...

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving

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Science notes from the Frontline.

Babies language learning starts in the womb.

I love this research as it reminds me that children with ASD need thousands of opportunities to come into contact with language in order to learn. We must babble with them, talk to them, read to them and constantly 'immerse' them in language.

Research suggest that learning to talk makes it easier to understand the speech of others.

This is fascinating news coming out of Haskins Laboratories (and if you are not familair with those guys, definitely check them out: Haskins Laboratories)...

Dr. David Ostry:

"Our study showed that speech motor learning altered the perception of these speech sounds. After motor learning, the participants heard the words differently than those in the control group...One of the striking findings is that the more motor learning we observed, the more their speech perceptual function changed."

I read material like this and think "I know nothing":) So much to learn...

Stay learning...

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British Journal of Psychiatry: Sugar causes violence?

A very interesting study that came out recently. I've cut n pasted a nice article on About.com from Elizabeth Hartney.

"A study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry has shown a link between the daily eating of sweets and violence later in life.

Based on a study of 17,500 ten-year-old children in 1970, the research found that of those who went on to commit violent crimes in adulthood, nearly 70% ate candy every day, compared to 42% who did not go on to commit violent crimes.

The study took many different factors into account, including parenting style, and found that the candy-violence relationship remained when these factors were included in the analysis.

The study authors speculated that the cause of this phenomenon may be the use of candy by parents to control children's behavior. This prevents children from developing the ability to delay gratification, which has been found in other studies to be related to delinquency. Candy also contains additives which have been found to promote aggression.

This is scary news for parents. So what should you do if you think your child is addicted to food or a chocoholic? Obviously, limiting sugar will do no harm, and may do a lot of good. Saving sugary treats for special occasions, rather than allowing them to become a daily expectation may be helpful. And avoid the use of candy to control your child's behavior -- it may seem like a "quick fix" at the time, but in the long term, it may lead to greater problems.

Encouraging children to enjoy healthy alternatives, such as fruit, will have numerous short and long term health benefits, as well as psychological benefits. And parents should remember that their most powerful tool is role modelling, so hold off on eating candy in front of your kids, and let them see you munching a banana or apple as a healthy snack. "

'The Horse Boy'

By now, I am sure most of you have heard of the 'Horse Boy' (That's a link to the website). The story is simple. Boy is 'autistic'. Father is overwhelmed by treatment options. Boy gets on horse and talks!!! Father takes boy to Mongolia to be with horses and shamans and boy improves fairly dramatically. I love these types of stories and fear them...I love them because they reinforce my belief that each child is unique and that only be spending time with them and 'listening' to them can we really reach them. (I can hear my behaviorist colleagues howling already;)...on the other hand, I fear parents suspending treatments that are proven and efficacious and rushing off to Mongolia...I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Here is a wonderfully diverse series of response to 'The Horse Boy' printed up in the NY Times.

Temple Grandin: "I have had a number of parents tell me that when their child was in a therapeutic riding program, their child spoke their first words. It’s rhythm and balance. These activities are really good for the autistic brain."

Simon-Baron Cohen: "Children often do develop in leaps and bounds rather than having some kind of steady, linear increase, and that’s true for any child — for typically developing children as well as children with a disability. Sometimes it is a change in environment or usual surroundings or input."

Paul Offit: "Obviously these are anecdotal experiences without a control group. The natural history of mild to moderate autism is that it does get better over time. You’re worse between 2 and 5, and you tend to get better between 5 and 10. You mature, and you get better. If you take a child who is screaming uncontrollably and put them in a car, they calm down."

adam

A ‘Dose of Nature’ for Attention Problems

From a 10/2008 NY Times article:

Parents of children with attention deficit problems are always looking for new strategies to help their children cope. An interesting new study suggests that spending time in nature may help.

A small study conducted at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign looked at how the environment influenced a child’s concentration skills. The researchers evaluated 17 children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, who all took part in three 20-minute walks in a park, a residential neighborhood and a downtown area.

After each walk, the children were given a standard test called Digit Span Backwards, in which a series of numbers are said aloud and the child recites them backwards. The test is a useful measure of attention and concentration because practice doesn’t improve the score. The order of the walks varied for all the children, and the tester wasn’t aware of which walk the child had just taken.

The study, published online in the August The Journal of Attention Disorders, found that children were able to focus better after the “green” walks compared to walks in other settings.

Do you have a child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder who has a younger infant sibling?

The Infant Brain Imaging Study (IBIS) at the Center for Autism Research, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is looking for participants!

Twin and family studies have shown that younger brothers and sisters of children with autism are at a higher risk of developing autism than those children who do not have relatives with this condition. Information gained about early brain development in children with autism may improve methods of early detection and intervention for infants who may be at risk for developing autism. Earlier identification and treatment may lead to better outcomes for these young children and their families.

At the Center for Autism Research, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, we aim to identify very early brain features that may be characteristic of infants at risk for autism. To do this, we are actively seeking to enroll families who have a child with an autism spectrum disorder and an infant sibling 6 months old or younger for the Infant Brain Imaging Study (IBIS). Developmental evaluations and MRI scans of your infant’s brain will be completed at 6, 12, and 24 months of age. Compensation for participation will be provided, and travel arrangements can be made for families traveling from further distances.

To learn more about participating in this study, please contact our study coordinator at 1-866-570-6524 (toll free) or autism@email.chop.edu.

Students With Disabilities More Likely To Face Physical Punishment In School

Human Rights Watch and the ACLU just put out a report on how children with disabilites are treated in public schools. It's not pretty reading but necessary...

"In this 70-page report, the ACLU and Human Rights Watch found that students with disabilities made up 18.8 percent of students who suffered corporal punishment at school during the 2006-2007 school year, although they constituted just 13.7 percent of the total nationwide student population. At least 41,972 students with disabilities were subjected to corporal punishment in US schools during that year. These numbers probably undercount the actual rate of physical discipline, since not all instances are reported or recorded."

Read the report HERE.

Adam

Number of children diagnosed with Autism now 1:100

The numbers continue to climb and answers seem elusive at best. Two recent studies from the M.I.N.D. Institute at UC Davis link abnormal antibodies in maternal blood to increased rates of autism. In one study, six of the seven affected children had 'regressive autism', the type that manifests after a year or two of typical development. The scientists isolated a form of antibody called 'Immunoglobuliin G' (IgG)and discovered it bound to two proteins in fetal brain tissue.


















In the second study, scientists at UC Davis and the California National Primate Research Center injected rhesus monkeys with IgG at the end of their third trimester of pregnancy. These monkeys demonstrated higher rates of emitting stereotypy (pacing, arm-waving, back-flipping)
which suggests a behavioral link.



Thanks to Age of Autism and Kent Heckenlively for this story.

adam

Wonderful google program that helps ASD kids...

Kids on the spectrum think visually...we need to pound this into our heads.