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Monday, June 26, 2006

Gainesville Workshops: IEP and IDEA

Rapid Brain Growth Seen Linked to Autism

ISLAMABAD: Infants whose heads suddenly begin to grow rapidly appear to be at risk of autism, perhaps indicating the increasingly common disorder may be traced to missed connections in fast-expanding brains, researchers said.

The report also appeared to offer further proof that childhood vaccinations are not a cause of autism as some have suggested.

In a study involving 48 autistic subjects, 59 percent had accelerated skull growth -- and presumably brain expansion -- beginning around the age of 2 months and ending between four months and a year.

The study, published in this week Journal of the American Medical Association, found autistic children’s skulls went from being smaller than 75 percent of children to larger than 84 percent of them at the end of the growth spurt, wrote lead author Eric Courchesne of the University of California, San Diego, in La Jolla.

"This burst of overgrowth takes place in a brief period of time, between about two months and six to 14 months of age," Courchesne said. "So, we know it cannot be caused by events that occur later, such as vaccinations for mumps, measles and rubella or exposure to toxins during childhood."

Vaccinations and exposure to environmental poisons such as mercury have both been thought to be possible causes of autism. A study earlier this year pointed to a genetic component in some cases traced to chromosome 15.

The key question for researchers is whether rapid brain growth -- which in theory is too fast for vital neurological connections to form -- is the cause or just a symptom of autism. Autism is only diagnosed later, as early as age 2.

While the study was small it "is the first ... to our knowledge to find a potential early warning biological sign for autism and to link it to a later brain abnormality," Courchesne wrote. He agreed there is a need for a larger study.

U.S. autism cases tripled in the 1990s and it affects as many as six in 1,000 children, with four times as many boys as girls developing the condition.

Autism is defined by a wide range of symptoms. British scientists recently suggested Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton may have had mild forms after assessing their unsociable personalities; but it usually involves unusual social and emotional reactions and distancing from the environment.

Clue to development of autism found in placenta

A CLUE to the developmental problems that lead to autism has been found in a study by scientists in the United States.

They compared the placentas from babies who went on to develop autism with those from normal children, and found that a characteristic pattern was three times more common in the former. The team, led by Dr Harvey Kliman of Yale School of Medicine, examined placentas from 13 autistic children and 61 without the disability. In each case, tissue samples from the placentas had been stored at birth.

The abnormality the team was looking for was unusual folding of the surface layers of the placenta, that tends to trap a class of cells called trophoblasts as “inclusions” within the layers. These inclusions can easily be seen by looking at cross sections of the surface layers, mounted as slides, in a microscope.

In normal development, the team hypothesised, such inclusions do not occur; but, when development is abnormal, they do.

In 27 slides from placentas of babies who went on to develop autism, inclusions were found in 6; but in 154 slides from normal babies, only 12 were found. This means that the inclusions were three times as common in autistic babies as in normal ones, the team reports in Biological Psychiatry.

“We knew that trophoblast inclusions were increased in cases of chromosome abnormalities and genetic diseases, but we had no idea whether they would be significantly increased in cases of autism spectrum disorder,” Dr Kliman said.

The test, however, is not specific enough to serve as an early warning of autism. Even in the autistic children, inclusions appeared only in a minority of slides, and they were also found in normal children, albeit in smaller numbers; so using the presence of inclusions as a test would lead to false positives and false negatives.

Brain Inflammation Found in Autism

Saturday, June 10, 2006

Music Helps Special Needs Children Reach Out

Music can move people in ways that are difficult to explain. And for the children at the Nordoff-Robbins Center, many of whom have been diagnosed on the autistic spectrum, music is opening up a world of possibilities.

Michelle Ritholz, a senior music therapist at the center, said the idea is to help the children reach out past the isolation that can come with special needs.

"Often they are isolated and play by themselves," said Ritholz. "They have no means of communicating with another peer, especially. But song, the music, the rhythm, pulls them together.

And they start to look at one another, and they start to share an instrument, and call each other by name."

Maria Rahmen, mother of 7-year-old Daniel, said her son has difficulty socializing with other children. But she's noticed changes.

"He's welcomed other people into his life, and I just notice a big difference in his behavior," she said. "And I think it has to do with the music therapy."

The goals of the therapy may sound simple, but they are also profoundly meaningful, helping children understand how to wait for a turn, listen to others, and express joy.

Mark Kaufman, a parent, said the music has also changed his son.

"He loves to sing," said Kaufman. "He'll often make up his own songs and we'll be home and will sing, 'Andy, what do you want for dinner?' And he'll sing back what he wants for dinner. Music really reaches him and gives him a way to express himself."

For more information, or to support the work of the Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy at New York University, please log on to: http://www.education.nyu.edu/music/nrobbins.

© 2006 by WNBC.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Autism Support Website Launches Friend Finder Program

New system allows parents to connect with others in their local area.

(PRWEB) June 7, 2006 –- As autism prevalence rates continue to rise nationwide, there has been an ever-growing demand for support at the local level. Parents, family members and caregivers of autistic children are often turning to others in their community for support and friendship.

For this reason, Autism Key (www.autismkey.com) has announced the launch of their Autism Friend Finder program. This unique system will allow visitors to submit basic contact information through a web based portal. The data will then be shared with anyone residing within a 35 mile radius of their postal zip code. The information will allow individuals facing similar challenges to connect with others in their community.

“Local support is critical for parents and family members facing these disorders,” said Gary Greaves, webmaster and operator of AutismKey.com.

“Some of our best friends are other parents of children with special needs. Lifelong friendships are often formed with others who understand your challenges. With this program, I wanted to create a vehicle where users can connect with people in their own back yard,” he added.

The program is free of charge and only requires a first name, valid email address and zip code. Optional options also allow users to provide more detailed information.

Greaves, who is the father of an autistic child, says the idea for the program was hatched from requests he received through his website.

“People emailed me wanting to locate others in their area. I thought this would be a great way for parents and family members to get connected if they’re not currently plugged into a local support group or autism chapter.”

“Additionally, with the school year coming to an end, many parents are looking for summer programs and activities for their children. Participation in the Autism Friend Finder program can be a valuable resource to learn about different things to do for the summer,” he added.

Autism Key is a website that also provides resources, news, message boards and support. More information is available on conditions such as Asperger Syndrome, Fragile X, Hyperlexia and other Autism Spectrum Disorders.

To learn more or to enroll in the Autism Friend Finder program, visit www.autismkey.com

Autism Can Be Detected at 14 Months, Research Shows

Monday, June 05, 2006

Autism in children can be detected as early as age 14 months, a new study shows.

Autism is rarely diagnosed before a child is 3 years old. Cutting that time in half means less precious time lost in getting autistic children the treatment they urgently need -- when it's likely to do the most good.

The new finding comes from researchers including Rebecca Landa, PhD, director of the center for autism and related disorders at Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore. Landa tested motor, language, and visual skills in the younger siblings of autistic children. Such children are 100 times more likely to be autistic than other children.

"At 6 months of age, babies with autism were no different than anybody else," Landa tells WebMD. "By 14 months, though, kids with autism are different in both language development and motor control. They are not globally mentally retarded. Whatever is wrong with them, it influences their motor system as well as the development of their language system."

Using tests of motor and language development at age 14 months, Landa says, allowed her to predict autism in 70 percent of children ultimately diagnosed with the condition. The prediction isn't the same as a diagnosis. But it offers these children a chance for early treatment. And the earlier a child enters autism treatment, the better that child's ultimate outcome.

Autism expert Jana Iverson, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh, calls the Landa finding "a huge step forward."

"This is a huge improvement in our ability to pick up kids who might be at risk and get them involved in early intervention," Iverson tells WebMD. "Right now, it is hard to get a reliable diagnosis before age 3. Parents feel they are missing really valuable time in getting kids involved in early intervention."

Landa and colleague Elizabeth Garrett-Mayer, PhD, of Johns Hopkins University, report their findings in the June issue of the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.

Parent: Child Seemed Normal …
Jennifer Maloni's already had a child with autism. Dominic's odd behavior -- instead of playing with his toy cars, he'd line them up in order of size -- led to a relatively early autism diagnosis at age 21 months. At that time, her second son, Dylan, was 6 months old.

Knowing Dylan was at increased risk of autism, the Mt. Airy, Md., resident enrolled him in Landa's study when he was 13 months old. His first evaluation indicated he had autism. By age 18 months, he was diagnosed.

"Dylan was very different from Dominic -- his signs of autism were very, very subtle," Maloni tells WebMD. "If I hadn't had him in a study where they watched him for hours on end, they would not have picked up on it. I was able to get early intervention for him right away."

Autism clearly has a strong genetic component. But genes aren't destiny, Landa says.

"Your brain development isn't just engineered by your genetics. Your experience plays a role in your outcome," Landa says. "So if a toddler isn't attending to social cues and develops these patterns of behavior that make it hard to engage with others, the child isn't getting learning opportunities. It becomes a vicious cycle. We want to disrupt this cycle, to teach children how to engage with objects in diverse ways. We teach them to have joint interactions with people that are rewarding."

It isn't easy. Maloni says she tries to engage her sons in social play "every waking moment." But the results are more than rewarding.

"Normal kids, when a parent walks out the door, the child is screaming, and when they come back they are glad to see them. But our children didn't even notice we were gone," Maloni says. "Now we walk through the door and they run over to us. They are happy when we are there and know when we are not there. It is very gratifying."

Spotting at-Risk Kids
Landa says every parent with a family history of autism -- or who suspects that a child may not be developing normally -- should have that child screened for autism by age 18 months if not sooner.

"Parents usually just look at whether their child walks on time and talks on time," she says. "They might not pay attention to the kinds of objects a child gravitates toward, or lack of diversity in play, or failure of a child to give and show objects. But if you specifically ask parents about certain behaviors, it can be a wake up call for the parents. That is why I advocate screening."

Autism strikes 1 in every 166 children -- it is not rare. A simple one-page, 23-item questionnaire called the M-CHAT helps identify toddlers who need further testing. The test can be found on the Internet, but Landa warns parents to take the completed test to a health care professional for evaluation. The test is not meant to be scored by the person taking it.

Identifying a 14-month-old child as at risk for autism is not the same as an autism diagnosis, Landa warns. Children vary widely in their speed of development.

"Kids who aren't talking or walking or have developmental delays; children who have problems with social reciprocity, who are not very responsive to having their name called, who are not responsive to silly little teasing games, who are not giving objects to you and giggling with you and playing turn-taking games -- those things are really big red flags," she says. "But developmental fluctuations at this age are not uncommon. So when we talk to parents of children under 24 months of age, we should be talking about social communication delays and risk for autism, rather than laying out a diagnosis at this time."

By Daniel J. DeNoon, reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

SOURCES: Landa, R. and Garrett-Mayer, E. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, June 2006; vol: 47 pp. 629-638. Rebecca Landa, PhD, director, center for autism and related disorders, Kennedy Krieger Institute; and associate professor, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md. Jana Iverson, PhD, assistant professor of psychology, University of Pittsburgh. Jennifer Maloni, Mt. Airy, Md.

Thursday, June 01, 2006

June 4: Dateline NBC- Autism Recovery