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