Autism Symptoms

Autism Symptoms Revealed in Brain Test?

2010-08-12T11:12:00.002-05:00

A snapshot of the brain may be able to reveal if someone has autism.

British scientists say they have developed a rapid test that would take only about 15 minutes and could help doctors diagnose the disorder cheaply and more accurately.

Experts at King's College London tested the scan on adults. They say it was able to identified tiny but crucial signs of autism only detectable by computer.

The new scanning method picks up on structural changes in the brain's gray matter.

The research team is now looking at whether the test will be effective on children.

Symptoms Of Autism

2009-09-19T10:39:00.000-05:00

Autism symptoms

Autism symptoms can vary among those who have the condition. Not everyone that has autism will suffer from the same symptoms or the same severity. There are however a few symptoms that seem to be considered “core symptoms” which means that almost every person with Autism has them to some extent.

Some of the core symptoms will include problems with interacting and having relationships with others, trouble with verbal and nonverbal communication and limited interest in play or activities. Having problems in social situations and relationships is very common. People with autism tend to avoid eye contact. They do not make facial expressions to show emotion and their body language usually remains the same. Children with autism do not show interest in interacting with other children and do not know how to play. They show no desire or interest in activities. They do not get excited or share in the joy of others achievements. They also do not show empathy for others. They cannot relate to another person’s sorrow or pain.

In about 40% of autistic people, speech is never learned. For others the speech is delayed and hard to understand. They lose interest in conversation or often repeat words that are being said to them instead of engaging in conversation. It is also common for one to use the same words over and over. Autistic people also have a hard time understanding emotion used behind language. If someone is joking or using humor or laughing, an autistic person may be confused and not understand the conversation.

Autistic people often find certain objects or activities interesting. An obsession can form around particular items or interests. As children this can be noticed as an obsession with parts of a toy rather than using the toy as it normally would be played with. Collecting items can become a favorite pass time with an autistic person thinking or talking about the items often. Routines become crucial for people with autism. They expect things to go the same way every day. Rituals can become habit forming and tough to break. Without the rituals, one may become upset or confused. Autistic people can also participate in soothing techniques to comfort themselves during times of stress. This can include rocking, spinning, hand flapping or other repetitive behaviors.

Autism can be noticed by parents at a very early age. Behaviors can lead one to believe the child is suffering from some sort of mental or physical handicap but leave parents baffled as to what the diagnosis really is. A lot of babies can show signs of the disorder although it is not until the child reaches the toddler years or preschool that the diagnosis is actually made. A symptom of autism in children can include the child not enjoying the closeness of his parents. Often those with autism to not enjoy physical contact and a small child that does not like to be held, hugged or cuddled by his or her parents may have a form of autism. The child may also avoid eye contact with the parents, avoid playing games and not play with other children. Lack of speech development or learning to speak then suddenly stopping is another sign of children with autism.

Once autism is suspected or a parent sees any of these signs in their child, the child should be evaluated by a pediatrician as soon as possible. With early intervention and the beginning of treatment and therapy, a child can improve their social skills greatly. By starting the therapy early, a child with autism can grow up with much better chances of becoming a successful and integrated part of society.

Autism Symptoms Different In Boys And Girls

2008-09-18T13:36:00.000-05:00

Girls with mild autism are less likely to be identified and diagnosed than boys, a study suggests.

Researchers examined 493 boys and 100 girls with autistic spectrum disorders.

They found the girls showed different symptoms, and fewer signs of symptoms traditionally associated with autism, such as repetitive behaviour.

The researchers, who presented their work to a Royal College of Psychiatrists meeting, said this might mean cases among girls are missed.

"We shouldn't assume autism or Asperger syndrome will look the same in both sexes

Professor Simon Baron-Cohen
University of Cambridge

Autism is thought to affect four times as many boys as girls - but the latest study suggests this might not be the case.

Most of the children featured in the study had been seen at the Social and Communication Disorders Clinic at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. Additional cases came from Sunderland and Finland.

All the children were classified as "high-functioning". They did not have classic autism, but did have difficulties with socialising and communication.

Relationship obsessions

The researchers, who have yet to publish their research, found that the girls were more likely to have obsessional interests centred around people and relationships.

However, these interests were more likely to be acceptable to their parents, and therefore tended not to be reported to doctors.

Characteristics such as shyness and over-sensitivity, common to people affected by autism, are sometimes deemed to be typically female traits

Judith Gould
National Autistic Society

In addition, these types of obsessions were less likely to be discovered using standard diagnostic questionnaires.

The investigators said more research was needed to analyse how autism spectrum conditions manifest differently in the sexes.

Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, an autism expert at the University of Cambridge, agreed.

He said: "This is an important clinical issue and there are too few studies addressing it.

"We shouldn't assume autism or Asperger syndrome will look the same in both sexes.

"There may be many factors leading to these conditions either being underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed in females, or leading females to require a diagnosis less often."

Judith Gould, of the National Autistic Society, said: "We hear from many women who have been diagnosed later in life.

"The way autism is presented in women can be very complex and so can be missed.

"It might be that due to misconceptions and stereotypes, many girls and women with autism are never referred for diagnosis, and so are missing from statistics.

"This may mean that many women who are undiagnosed are not receiving support, which can have a profound effect on them and their families."

Ms Gould said it was also possible that girls were better at masking difficulties in order to fit in with society.

"Characteristics such as shyness and oversensitivity, common to people affected by autism, are sometimes deemed to be typically female traits.

"However if a boy were to display such characteristics, concerns may be raised."

Early Autism Symptoms

2008-02-21T14:55:00.000-06:00

Early Signs of Autism:
At 6 months:
Not making eye contact with parents during interaction.
Not cooing or babbling.
Not smiling when parents smile.
Not participating in vocal turn-taking (baby makes a sound, adult makes a sound, and so forth).
Not responding to peek-a-boo game.
At 12 months:
No attempts to speak.
Not pointing, waving or grasping.
No response when name is called.
Indifferent to others.
Repetitive body motions such as rocking or hand flapping.
Fixation on a single object.
Oversensitivity to textures, smells, sounds.
Strong resistance to change in routine.
Any loss of language.
At 24 months:
Does not initiate two-word phrases (that is, doesn't just echo words).
Any loss of words or developmental skill.

Great Article On Autism Symptoms

2008-01-21T14:08:00.000-06:00

For parents of a child with autism - this article takes an important look at autism's early signs and the benefits of early intervention.The article is by Caroline Eggerding, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President of pediatric and adolescent programs for Bancroft NeuroHealth in Haddonfield, NJ., a facility founded in 1883, which annually serves more than 1,300 children and adults with developmental disabilities, brain injuries and other neurological impairments. (www.bancroftneurohealth.org)
As a developmental pediatrician, Eggerding is board certified in pediatrics and a diplomate in neurodevelopmental disabilities. She is also a strong advocate on behalf of children with autism, and served a member of the NJ State Special Education Advisory Council, the American Academy of Pediatrics New Jersey Chapter Committee on Children with Disabilities and the New Jersey State Task Force on Education of Students with Autism. She earned her medical degree from Washington University in St. Louis, performed her residency at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and received post-graduate training at The Hospital for Sick children in London. She is staff physician at Voorhees Pediatric Facility in Voorhees, NJ and Weisman Children's Rehabilitation Hospital in Marlton, NJ.
Autism's early signs and the benefits of early intervention
According to recent statistics, nearly 1 in 166 of newborns will retreat into a world that is hard to penetrate — the world of autism. Although autism is usually diagnosed when a child is three to four years old, you may sense that something is wrong much earlier, sometimes as early as 18 months. Some parents report the change as being sudden, and that their children start to reject people, act strangely, and lose language and social skills they had previously acquired. In other cases, there is a plateau, or leveling, of progress so that the difference between the child with autism and other children the same age becomes more noticeable.As a parent who is in tune to your child’s actions and reactions, you may “feel” that your child’s language or social development is just not quite where you perceive it should be. You watch as emerging skills seems to stall or come to an abrupt halt. If you have voiced your concerns to your pediatrician, the physician knows that early childhood development varies and may be unwilling to label a problem too early thereby reducing expectations for your child. So a "wait and see" stance may be adopted not only by physicians, but also by daycare providers and teachers, delaying diagnosis and ultimately preventing early intervention.If there is one thing on which virtually everyone in the autism community today agrees, it is that early intervention is valuable and the earlier the better. Many professionals now believe that the benefits of an early diagnosis and intervention far outweigh the risk of an early ‘misdiagnosis.’ Even with so many media headlines about autism, many people are still wondering what the condition is, what causes it and what the cure is. Essentially, autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. Children and adults with autism have difficulties with verbal and non-verbal communication, social interaction and leisure or play activities. What causes autism is unknown but what is known is that the reported incidence is on the rise and presently, there is no cure.Early indicators include:• no babbling or pointing or other gesture by 12 months;• no words by 16 months;• lack of two-word phrases by 24 months;• using language in an unusual way, such as repeating what others say; • an apparent regression in language or social skills;• indifference to or disconnect from others (e.g. avoiding eye contact as they get older);• overly sensitive to sensations such as sounds, touch, brightness; • reacts negatively to changes such as new foods, new clothes, different schedules or changes in plans; and• engages in repetitive movements (bouncing, flapping hands, rocking), especially when excited.Studies have shown that children who receive educational intervention before the age of four years significantly improve their chances of learning new skills and adapting to their environment, when compared with children who begin intervention at a later age. Early and appropriate intervention can be the key to greater independence, better social interaction, and, ultimately, a more productive and fulfilling life as an adult. Additionally, early intervention can impact positively on the entire family, reducing some of the anxiety and stress that plagues parents of children with disabilities.It has become clear that there is no single best treatment package for all children with autism. So how do you as a parent start down the right path? There are multiple resources for you to explore. For example, the Autism Society of America and the National Institute for Mental Health can help you ask the right questions about any proposed treatment plan for your child. There are also schools that provide the structured programs that can help shape your child’s ability to handle everyday life as they grow.With a need-based, structured program, every child with autism can have the opportunity to grow to his or her maximum potential. That is a wonderful thing.

Scientists Hoping To Reverse Autism Symptoms In Some Patients

2007-12-19T20:05:00.000-06:00

Scientists could be on the verge of a new treatment for autism, if the results of animal research hold up in people. A study in mice suggests that several drugs, including one that is poised to enter trials in human patients as soon as next year, could improve brain function and reverse the symptoms of some autistic patients.
So far, the research indicates the drugs will only be effective for one form of autism that is caused by a mutation of a gene on the X chromosome, a condition known as fragile X syndrome. But the researchers think there's a possibility the medications could also work for other cases of autism where the cause is unknown.
“I really hope that we can go beyond fragile X and see significant improvement in children with other types of autism,” said Mark Bear, a neuroscientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who led the mice research.

Autism disorders strike 1 out of every 150 children. Currently there is no cure for autism, a complex developmental disorder that impairs a person’s ability to communicate and relate with others and is associated with a range of unusual repetitive behaviors, such as obsessively arranging objects.
The exact cause of the disorder remains elusive but it has been linked to a variety of genes, including the fragile X mutation that can lead to both mental retardation and autism. Most patients with fragile X will show some autism symptoms and about 20 percent will meet the criteria to be considered autistic. The mutation is thought to lead to mental problems because it causes hyperactivity of a brain protein called metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) that normally plays a role in learning and memory.
A team led by Bear wondered if reducing levels of mGluR5 protein could restore normal brain function. The researchers used a combination of genetic engineering and selective breeding to produce a line of mice that had both the fragile X mutation and toned down levels of the mGluR5 protein in their brain. The intent was to get an idea of what would happen when the protein was suppressed using a drug in human patients.
In a finding that the researchers described as “remarkable” in Thursday’s issue of the scientific journal Neuron, the mice — which should have had mental retardation and autism-like symptoms due to the fragile X mutation — instead showed near-normal brain function and memory.

Pill in the worksThat was exciting in and of itself, because it indicated that blocking the mGluR5 protein could lead to improvements in some forms of autism and mental retardation. But Bear said the even more provocative implication is that a compound that does just that already exists. A few years ago, he founded Seaside Therapeutics, a small pharmaceutical firm in Cambridge, Mass., that is developing a mGluR5-blocking drug called STX107. The agent, which would be taken as a pill, has passed all the safety studies required for beginning studies in people.
Autism drugs in the pipeline
Three drugs are being developed for treating Fragile X/autism by blocking a brain protein called metabotropic glutamate receptor 5:
Drug: STX107 Firm behind it: Seaside TherapeuticsStatus: Company anticipates trials in patients starting in 2008
Drug: LithiumFirm behind it: Rush UniversityStatus: Currently in clinical trial in patients
Drug: FenobamFirm behind it: FRAXA/NeuropharmStatus: Already studied in humans for anxiety; slated to enter trials in Fragile X patients in 2008
Randall Carpenter, Seaside's president and chief executive officer, said he's “cautiously optimistic,” about STX107's potential to reverse autism symptoms in people. “These are really exciting findings, but we really don't know how helpful it's going to be until we test it in humans,” he said.
Seaside now plans to meet with the Food and Drug Administration to request approval to begin clinical trials involving people with fragile X syndrome and autism. Carpenter anticipates starting the initial human studies sometime next year.
Outside researchers also were enthusiastic about the potential of the compound.“It seems very promising indeed,” said Matthew Belmonte, a neuroscientist at Cornell University's Department of Human Development. He said the study in mice suggests that drugs that suppress mGluR5 can restore brain function without causing any other ill effects. That bodes well for human trials, Belmonte said, but he noted that suppressing a gene in an animal study is not the same as using a drug in people so there could be unforeseen risks that may turn up. Not everyone is on board, however. Sophia Colamarino, a neurobiologist and vice president of research for the advocacy group Autism Speaks, which helped fund Bear's research, said the finding “give us hope” that this could be a viable strategy for treating autism, but she added that it's too early to tell whether STX107 will improve autistic behaviors in people. The drug could reduce mGluR5 levels, but autism is such a complex disease, this may not be enough to restore normal behavior in patients, Colamarino said.
Two other drugs in the worksIf the drug does fail, there still may be hope for patients and their families. The Fragile X Research Foundation (FRAXA), which co-funded STX107 research, is supporting investigations involving two other drugs that block the same protein.
Lithium, which is used for treating depression and bipolar disorder, is being investigated for its potential to treat autism and fragile X by researchers at Rush University in Chicago.
And another compound called fenobam — initially developed as an anti-anxiety medication in the 1970s and then abandoned — is being revitalized for fragile X by Neuropharm, a Surrey, UK-based pharmaceutical company. “We believe that drugs which block mGluR5 have enormous potential for the treatment of fragile X and related developmental disorders, including many cases of autism,” said Katie Clapp, president and executive director of FRAXA.

Fever May Briefly Aleviate Autism Symptoms

2007-12-07T14:10:00.000-06:00

The behavior of children with autism may improve during a fever, according to a first-of-kind study, “Behaviors Associated With Fever in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders,” published Nov. 30 in Pediatrics.
Researchers hypothesize that fever may restore nerve cell communications in regions of the autistic brain. The restoration may help children improve socialization skills during a fever.
The study was based on 30 autistic children between ages 2 and 18 who were observed during and after a fever of at least 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit. More than 80 percent of the children showed some improvement in behavior during a fever and 30 percent showed significant improvement, researchers said. Behavior changes included longer concentration span, increased amount of talking and improved eye contact.
The study was written by Craig J. Newschaffer, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Drexel University, and Laura K. Curran, Ph.D., an epidemiology doctoral degree graduate who Newschaffer advised before he joined Drexel from Johns Hopkins University.
“Any leads that suggest new biologic mechanisms that could be acted on through treatment are welcomed,” Newschaffer said.
Study data suggest that behavior changes may not solely be the byproduct of sickness and, consequently, could be the byproduct of a biologic response to fever. More research, however, is needed to prove fever-specific effects, researchers say.
Autism can limit social interactions and disable verbal and nonverbal communication. About 1.5 million Americans have some form of autism, according to the Autism Society of America. The cause of autism is unknown.
The study was co-written by Stephen O. Crawford, M.H.S., predoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University; Michael V. Johnston, M.D., research scientist in the Kennedy Krieger Institute; Li-Ching Lee, Ph.D., assistant scientist at Johns Hopkins University; and Dr. Andrew W. Zimmerman, M.D., pediatric neurologist and research scientist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute

Pediatricians push for screening of Autism Symptoms

2007-10-29T13:50:00.001-05:00

Pediatricians push for autism screening
The American Academy of Pediatrics is urging all children to be screened for autism by age 2, according to news reports. Warning symptoms include babies who don't babble at 9 months and 1-year-olds who don't point to toys.
There's no cure for autism, but if it's spotted early enough--some say before the window closes--therapy can lessen its severity.
What parents still don't know, however, is exactly what therapy they should be seeking should they get the devastating diagnosis. What works? What doesn't? And are pediatricians equipped to help answer this hotly debated question?
In two new reports released today, the AAP recommends early intervention for children younger than 3 years old, which includes "behavioral methods, early developmental education, communication, occupational and physical therapy, highly structured social play interventions, and extensive parent training."
Parents can also consider medication, since certain drugs can target behavior associated with autism spectrum disorders.
But while medication is OK--even though all drugs come with potential side effects and risks--something as simple and safe as changing a child's diet is not among the recommendations because it lacks evidence, according to the two new AAP reports.
In fact, putting a child on a gluten-free, casein-free (wheat-and dairy-free) diet is considered an "alternative" treatment. And even though it's endorsed by celebrities such as Jenny McCarthy, who touts it in her best selling book "Louder than Words" (Dutton, $23.95), the AAP warns parents that there's no proof it works.
Some parents of autistic children, who have dietary changes in conjunction with mainstream approaches say they're not waiting for double-blinded, placebo-controlled studies, especially since removing wheat and dairy can't hurt.
And pediatricians like Sandy Newmark, director of the Center for Pediatric Integrative Medicine, say the diets can work with for some children.
"Many children with autism have food sensitivities, especially to gluten and casein, which cause inflammation in the gut," Newmark said. "This results in what is known as a "leaky gut" or increased intestinal permeability. This means that substances, especially proteins, that shouldn't cross into the bloodstream can cross.
These proteins elicit various immune and autoimmune responses that contribute to autistic behavior.
We don't yet understand all the mechanisms involved (in what seems to bring about improvement)," said Newmark. "But I can tell you from my own experience that the GFCF diet can result in remarkable results in some, but not all autistic kids."
Don't be afraid to ask your pediatrician what he or she thinks about alternative treatments, also known as a "biomedical" approach. Doctors are, after all, now supposed to "become familiar with the more popular (alternative therapies) and approach the issue objectively and compassionately," according to the AAP report.

New Web site launched with Autism Symptoms videos

2007-10-16T18:09:00.000-05:00

On Alex Weisman's first birthday, his picture showed the face of a kid, his parents now say, on which autism was obvious. Though obvious now, they missed it back then.
Missing indications of autism is, unfortunately, a common problem; one that a leading advocacy group for Autism, Autism Speaks, wants to change.

To aid in doing this, it has launched a Web site contrasting typical behavior with autistic behavior in children. The Web site, called Red Flags of Autism, shows specific examples of behaviors in children 2 years and younger that may indicate autism.
Some of these red flags include lack of eye contact, lack of language and lack of interest in two-way communication with those around the child. These were symptoms that Alex Weisman, an autistic 7-year-old, exhibited as early as a year old.
Though Alex Weisman has now been diagnosed with autism and is being treated, his parents missed the subtle warnings when he was younger. His mother, Jody, recalls Alex appearing disconnected at his first birthday party.
"It struck me as odd that he wasn't very involved in his own birthday party because there was cake. He loved cake, he loved presents. Our family was there, and he was always connected to family but for some reason, he just wasn't there that day. It struck me as odd that he was disconnected," she recalled.
Though it struck her as odd, she didn't realize that this disconnection indicated autism.
Autism is often not diagnosed until the age of 4 or 5, because the symptoms can be quite subtle and resemble behaviors of nonautistic children. Oftentimes, behaviors of autistic children are simply labeled "fussy" or "quirky."
This is why Dr. Amy Wetherby, co-director of the First Word Project, a research project that tests young children for autism, began collecting the video that would become part of the Red Flags of Autism Web site.

San Diego study to look at Autism Symptoms in infants

2007-08-03T22:32:00.000-05:00

One-hundred local pediatricians, 25 scientists and more than 50 researchers will kick off the first and only study that tests for autism and treats children that are less than a year old, NBC 7/39 medical correspondent Peggy Pico reported.

A $10 million research grant to the UCSD Autism Center for Excellence could be the key in finding the cause of the brain disorder that affects one in 150 children, said lead researcher, Dr. Eric Courchesne.
"It's a developmental disorder that affects the way the brain grows -- gene abnormalities -- we need to get to the real cause of this disorder, which is genetic," Courchesne said.
In the study, children 12 months or younger will first be screened by dozens of local pediatricians. If a baby is found to have autism symptoms, the child will get more tests, including brain scans.
Mother Traci Tasto has an autistic son. She said he was diagnosed when he was 2-and-a-half years old. Intense therapy helped him some, but Tasto said the earlier the diagnosis, the better the odds of improving autistic behavior.
"It's huge for parents to be able to diagnose their children and at 12 months old -- it's huge," Testo said.
For more information, visit the Web site for the Center For Autism Research

Early Autism Symptoms can be spotted in first 14 months

2007-07-04T08:55:00.000-05:00

According to a new study autism can be spotted as early as 14 months which is much earlier than previously thought.
Autism spectrum disorders affect about one in 150 children and the disability is characterized by problems with social interaction and communication and is not usually confirmed until between 2 and 3 years of age.
Experts agree that an early diagnosis is critical, since it can lead to earlier intervention and better outcomes and this latest research reveals valuable information about the onset of autism.
The study by researchers from Baltimore's Center for Autism and Related Disorders suggests that children can exhibit signs of the disorder much earlier than previously thought and some symptoms can be evident before a child reaches their second birthday.
The researchers analysed 107 high-risk children whose siblings had autism and a control group of 18 low-risk children with no family history of autism.
They monitored the children until their third birthday and they noticed subtle signs of the disorder in children as young as 14 months old.
Dr. Rebecca Landa, a speech pathologist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and author of the study, says children with poor eye contact,who are unresponsive when people call their name, or do not initiate social interaction, suggests their communication development is quite delayed.
Dr. Landa says until now, researchers thought autism couldn't be diagnosed until about two years old but recognizing the signs of autism as early as possible is important because children who get early medical intervention tend to have better outcomes.
Early intervention can prevent certain behavioural aspects of the disorder autism becoming a major problem and can teach autistic children how to interact with people, how to play, and how to learn to learn.
Autistic children's attention often becomes over focused on things that are incidental and needs to be redirected and engaged on the matter at hand.
They also need to be taught how to pay attention to really important social signals such as people's eyes and faces.
The study is published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Autism Symptoms reversed in mice

2007-06-26T14:39:00.001-05:00

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 26 (UPI) -- U.S. medical scientists have reversed symptoms of mental retardation and autism in mice.
Researchers at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said the mice were genetically manipulated to model Fragile X Syndrome, the leading inherited cause of mental retardation and the most common genetic cause of autism. The condition causes mild learning disabilities to severe autism, with no effective treatment yet developed.
"Our study suggests that inhibiting a certain enzyme in the brain could be an effective therapy for countering the debilitating symptoms of FXS in children and possibly in autistic kids as well," said co-author Mansuo Hayashi, a former Picower postdoctoral fellow currently at Merck Research Laboratories in Boston.
The research is reported in the online early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Copyright 2007 by United Press International. All Rights Reserved.

Seminar to be given on Autism Symptoms

2007-04-26T18:55:00.000-05:00

A treatment believed by some to reduce the symptoms of autism will be the topic of seminars in Springfield and Nixa on May 1 and 3.
The first seminar will be 7-9 p.m. May 1 at Campbell United Methodist Church, 1747 E. Republic Road in Springfield. The May 3 seminar will be 7-9 p.m. at the Nixa Senior Center, 404 S. Main St.

Scientists at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and Immunotec Research Ltd. have launched a study of a specially formulated whey protein isolate, Immunocal.
It will be used to raise glutathione levels in an effort to lessen symptoms of autism, a neurological developmental disorder that affects children's ability to socialize normally, impairs language skills and causes other behavioral abnormalities.
The causes of autism have not been clearly identified, but some research suggests that chronic biochemical imbalance plays a role, according to Immunotec. A press release by the company says that studies have shown that levels of the major intracellular antioxidant, glutathione, is typically about 50 percent lower in children with autism.
When glutathione levels reach a critically low degree, people are more vulnerable to toxins and immune dysfunction, according to Immunotec.
Sandi Walper, an Immunotec Research representative, Branson-based performer Barbara Fairchild and Opal Erickson, coordinator, will co-host the two seminars about glutathione. Walper works with the research doctors and oversees education seminars. Fairchild will share her story about how Immunocal changed her mother's life while she was suffering from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

They will talk about how the company believes raising glutathione in the cells can have a positive impact on other diseases including HIV/AIDS, cancer, hepatitis, multiple sclerosis, diabetes and Crohn's disease.
For details or reservations, call Opal Erickson at 743-2427.

Autism Symptoms in Toddlers

2007-04-24T19:30:00.000-05:00

The signs of autism in toddlers
Vancouver Sun
A decade ago, autism diagnosticians developed CHAT -- the Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, designed to flag symptoms of autistic behaviour.
If the majority of answers to the questions are ‘no’ it is suggested parents talk with their family doctor or pediatrician. Here they are:
Does your child enjoy playing word/action games with others, such as peek-a-boo?
Does your child show emotions that fit the situation?
Is your child interested in what’s going on around him or her?
Does your child enjoy playing with many different toys, in many ways?
Is your child beginning to enjoy pretend play, taking turns and imitating other people’s play?
Is your child interested in approaching other children and joining a group?
Can your child easily indicate his or her interests and needs through words or sounds?
Is your child talking as you would expect?
Does your child point to, ask for, or try to show you something?
Does your child look at you when you talk to him or her?
Does your child imitate words or sounds?
Does your child imitate gestures and facial expressions?
Is your child comfortable with changes in routine?
Does your child hear and react to sound as you would expect?
Does your child enjoy being touched and touching other things?
Does your child move his or her hands like other children?
Does your child see and react to things as you would expect?
Does your child eat and drink a variety of foods and beverages?
Point to a toy and say, “Look, there’s a ------.” Does your child look in the right direction?
Use two cups and spoons. Invite your child to make juice with you -- mix, pour and drink. Does your child participate?
Ask your child to show you something in the room. “Show me the ———— ?” “Where’s the ———— ?” Does your child turn and point or touch the items?

Medication for Autism Symptoms

2007-04-22T01:01:00.001-05:00

UPI) -- An estimated one-third of youngsterswith autism are prescribed psychotropic drugs to control theirbehavior and outlook, scientists report.The more common pharmaceutical aids include anti-depressants likeProzac for anxiety and depression, stimulants like Ritalin forhyperactivity and impulsivity, anti-convulsants for seizures andanti-psychotic drugs, usually reserved for schizophrenia, foraggression.In certain cases, these medications can quell such behavioraloffshoots of autism as self-injury and severe tantrums, but they donot alter the underlying condition and can wreak havoc with somechildren's moods and pose other potential risks, doctors say."There is no great drug for autism," said Texas psychologist StevenGutstein, developer of a behavioral treatment called relationshipdevelopment intervention."Children with autism can have other problems that require medicationlike attentional problems or medical problems," he added. "It's acomorbid disorder, but there's no Ritalin for autism, and thereprobably never will be because it's a disorder with multipleetiologies."The drugs that are used are the same as those prescribed for similarsymptoms in children without autism, but doctors often find thedisorder affects the response, at times making the side effects muchmore pronounced or the medicine much less effective or both.Most of these pharmaceuticals are not backed by sufficient science tobe approved for such use, and the government acknowledges "much moreresearch is needed" to determine what risks they pose to children andadolescents over the long haul.The drugs' usual aftereffects may be so exacerbated in children withautism, health authorities urge doctors to give them the lowestpossible dose and monitor their reaction closely.In a rare study of drug treatments for minors with autism, sponsoredby the federal government, the anti-psychotic risperidone was foundto control tantrums, aggression, repetitive behaviors, severehyperactivity and/or self-injury for up to six months in childrenages 5 to 17.The survey of 82 boys and 19 girls, conducted at several U.S. medicalcenters, showed the medication -- which was donated by its makerJensen Pharmaceuticals -- produced only limited side effects.However, when the drug was discontinued, symptoms rapidly returned in62 percent of the cases.Because the study lasted only eight months, "our data may beinsufficient to estimate precisely the long-term risks of risperidonein children," the authors concluded.Although a variety of pharmaceutical and behavioral treatments isused to restrain violent behaviors in autistic youngsters, fewscientific studies have looked into their effects, the authors noted.Previously, the largest long-term studies of autism medicationstested haloperidol, an older anti-psychotic that proved light oneffectiveness but heavy on neurological and other ill effects.In another recent study, reported in the Archives of GeneralPsychiatry, researchers found methylphenidate, the No. 1 drug choiceof doctors treating attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, mayalso be effective for calming hyperactivity in children with autismspectrum disorders.There is a caveat, however, according to the Research Units onPediatric Psychopharmacology Autism Network, a consortium funded bythe National Institute of Mental Health, which conducted the study.The bad news is that the percentage of takers gaining benefits fromthe stimulants and the level of those benefits are lower, while thefrequency of unwanted effects scientists call "adverse events" ishigher in autistic children than in ADHD youngsters without thedisorder, the authors reported.Seven of the 72 participants ages 5 to 14 withdrew from the study dueto intolerable reactions to the drugs, including irritability, loss ofappetite, sleep problems, anxiety, depression, upset stomach,diarrhea, fatigue, self-injury and social withdrawal.Even among the children who could stomach the medicine, only halfshowed any improvement in symptoms, and it was modest at best, theresearchers said.Nevertheless, the authors deemed methylphenidate "a reasonable choiceto target hyperactivity in the context of PDDs (pervasivedevelopmental disorders)," although they warned caregivers to "becautioned about the strong possibility of adverse effects" andpractitioners to "be prepared to suspend treatment if considerableadverse effects are reported."Although no causative association has been proven, reports of someADHD children medicated with Ritalin and other stimulants sufferingstrokes and heart problems and seeing snakes and other hallucinationsprompted two federal regulatory advisory panels last year to urge thatparents and physicians be informed of the potential risks.The Food and Drug Administration has obliged, ordering drug makers torevise the labels for doctors and insert medical guides for patientsto alert them about the adverse cardiovascular and psychiatric sideeffects.Other researchers, experimenting on mice, have come up with a waythat may help alleviate the debilitating effects of Rett's disorder,a type of autism that primarily affects girls.The investigators found deactivating a certain gene produced therodent equivalent of the ailment, but turning it back on in animalspredisposed to the syndrome forestalled its onset. The researchclears the path toward developing therapies for humans, thescientists said.Some currently available treatments may ease certain symptoms, butthey fail to address the condition at a more fundamental level. Theresearchers from the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research inCambridge, Mass., and Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass., saidonce they learn the molecular mechanisms underlying the disorder,they may be able to design more effective strategies against it.(Note: In this multi-part installment, based on dozens of reports,conferences and interviews, Ped Med is keeping an eye on autism,taking a backward glance at its history and surroundingcontroversies, facing facts revealed by research and looking forwardto treatment enhancements and expansions. Wasowicz is the author ofthe new book, "Suffer the Child: How the Healthcare System Is FailingOur Future," published by Capital Books.)

New study sugests that infants not responding to their name is one of the Autism Symptoms

2007-04-18T17:23:00.000-05:00

Infants who don't respond to their name by 1 year of age appear to be more likely to be diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder or other developmental problem by the age of 2, the results of a new study suggest.
Autism spectrum disorder refers to a group of developmental disabilities, characterized by impaired social, emotional, and communication skills. Many people with autism spectrum disorder also have different ways of learning, paying attention, or reacting to things. The condition typically begins in early childhood and lasts throughout a person's life.
"In current practice, autism is not diagnosed until the third or fourth year of life, although parents tend to have concerns about their child's development much earlier, with 30 percent to 50 percent reporting initial concerns before the first birthday," according to Dr. Aparna S. Nadig, of the University of California Davis M.I.N.D. Institute, Sacramento, and colleagues.
"Earlier identification of autism offers the possibility of early intervention, which holds promise for improving outcomes in children with autism," they write in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
The researchers examined the accuracy of decreased response to name at age 1 year as a possible screening test for autism spectrum disorder and other developmental conditions.
The study included 55 six-month-old and 101 twelve-month-old infants at risk for autism, and 43 six-month-old and 46 twelve-month-old children with no known risk. At-risk infants had an older sibling with autism spectrum disorder.
The team assessed the number of repetitions it took for a child to respond to his or her name. While the child sat playing, a researcher walked behind the child and called his or her name in a normal voice. The name was called again up to two more times if the child did not respond after 3 seconds.
At age 6 months, there was a trend among the infants with no know risk to require a fewer number of calls to respond to their name compared with the at-risk infants. Overall, 82 percent of controls and 66 percent of at-risk infants responded to their name on the first or second call.
Among the 12 month-olds, 86 percent of the at-risk infants responded to their name on the first or second name call, compared with 100 percent in the other group.
Overall, 46 at-risk infants and 25 low-risk infants were followed for up to 24 months.
Of the 12 children who failed to respond to their name at 1 year, 9 were diagnosed with developmental problems at age 2.
Because this test is easy to administer and requires few resources, Nadig's team suggests it could be incorporated into regular pediatric visits.
"If a child fails to orient to name, particularly reliably over time," they advise, "this child has a high likelihood of some type of developmental abnormality and should be referred for more frequent screening, comprehensive assessment, and, if indicated, preventive early intervention."

One of the country's leading Autism centers say they can now detect Autism Symptoms earlier than ever

2007-03-13T18:34:00.000-05:00

Doctors at Maryland's Kennedy Krieger Institute, one of the country's leading autism centers, say they can now identify symptoms in children younger than ever before.
Children with autism withdraw into their own private worlds. Most children are not diagnosed until they are 3 to 5 years old, but the signs can appear as early as 6 months. The problem is those signs often go unnoticed or are ignored.
"Most people use the rule of thumb that if a child is showing developmental delays before the age of 3 that they'll catch up," said Rebecca Landa, a researcher at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. "But children with autism usually don't," Landa said.
Researchers at the institute are documenting in video just what symptoms to look for, even in an infant.
In one video, Landa points out how a baby does not look into his mother's face. "He's very unengaged with her," Landa said.
Regressive Autism In about 30 percent of autism cases, researchers are now documenting what they call "regressive autism."
A child appears to develop perfectly normally for about a year, then something happens.
One boy documented by the Kennedy Krieger Institue is engaged and smiling at his mother at 6 months, with no signs of a problem.
When he reaches one year, he appears a little shy, but again, there is no reason for concern.
But at age 2, Landa says the signs in the boy are more obvious.
"Now you can really see autism in its full form. This child is not speaking. He's not paying attention to any social cue. He's totally fixated on the objects," she said.
Different children will develop autism at different ages. What's critical, say therapists, is to detect it when the first signs appear, because that's when treatments are most effective.
Chloe was diagnosed with autism when she was 2 years old. At the time, she could not speak or interact with the children around her, and she did not want to be touched.
But after four months of intensive daily therapy, Chloe's behavior improved significantly.
"She is talking now," Landa said. "She looks to the teacher and shares enjoyment. She looks to others to know what she should be doing."
Chloe will still require many more years of treatment, but Landa's research has shown these early gains do last.

60 minutes to look at early Autism Symptoms

2007-02-16T10:24:00.000-06:00

(CBS) With no known cause or cure for autism yet, researchers are trying to detect the earliest signs of the disorder so they can begin treatment earlier, giving parents some hope against a condition the government now says affects about one in every 150 children. 60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl reports on ongoing research this Sunday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m. ET/PT. Dr. Sally Ozonoff is the vice chairman of research at the M.I.N.D. Institute of the University of California at Davis. The acronym stands for Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders. She has begun studying 200 babies from birth to try to determine the earliest signs of autism in order to diagnose it and begin treatment before 12 months. So far, she has found that early signs of autism include less interaction, less eye contact and the child paying more attention to objects than people. Ozonoff's most reliable test is a response-to-name check. Most normal children will respond to their name called from behind them; about half of the children she sees who do not turn out to be autistic. In another test, babies are shown toys that a normal child would reach for and make eye contact with the person holding it. Autistic children seldom show interest in toys held out to them and rarely look people in the eye. Ozonoff thought she might be able to see the outward signs of the disorder as early as six months, but "the truth of the matter is, we cannot," she tells Stahl. Ozonoff is hoping to learn much more in the 18 remaining months of the study. A colleague of Ozonoff's at the M.I.N.D. Institute, psychologist Sally Rogers, is a pioneering autism researcher who sees hope in early diagnosis. It's not a cure, but she believes early treatment with younger and younger children — while the brain is still developing — can make a big difference in the life of an autistic child. "[By using early treatment] we are certainly creating new connections in the brain," she tells Stahl. "We don’t know how to touch the biology of autism. But I do think that the behaviors associated with autism can be reduced to the point where they are not obvious anymore." Autism runs in families, so the work to detect autism at an early age at the M.I.N.D. Institute and the seven other participating research centers in Canada and the U.S. is especially important to people like Valerie Arias. She has four children: two of them have been diagnosed as autistic, and a third, a toddler named Haydn, may or may not be — at 12 months, he failed the name-response test. "I knew my son wasn’t hearing me…[and] it’s not a hearing issue. He can hear," she tells Stahl. But Ozonoff thought it was too early to make a sure diagnosis. "I would hate to cause the pain and anguish of having another child diagnosed on the [autism] spectrum and be completely wrong," says Ozonoff. Two months later, however, Haydn, changed. At 14 months, he laughed, he showed interest in a toy and looked the researcher in the eye. He also exhibited some repetitive behavior, another sign of autism. "There are some encouraging signs," says Ozonoff, "but there are some mildly concerning signs," meaning Ozonoff probably won’t be able to tell Arias if Haydn has autism for another six to 10 months. Says Arias, "I’m still leaning for optimism because…he's such a good boy…a good kid."

Treating Autism Symptoms with chiropractics?

2006-10-22T15:17:00.000-05:00

Treating autism symptoms with chiropractics?
The College of Chiropractors, in study results released in its publication, "Clinical Chiropractic," found that adjustments to the spine can alleviate some of the symptoms associated with autism, which afflicts 1 million to 1.5 million Americans. One in every 166 American children is born with the condition, the Centers for Disease Control reports.
Now, according to some chiropractors, including Kerry Woods of Whittier, their spine-adjusting techniques can improve the nervous system, which in the case of people with autism can help improve their reflexes, increase the range of motion in the neck and improve other health problems.
"Most people think chiropractics treats pain and it doesn't," he said. "It improves the nervous system."
A complex developmental disability, autism can impair an individual in areas of social interaction, communication and understanding of emotional expression. The disorder affects each person differently and has varying degrees of severity, according to officials.
While Woods stressed that chiropractic care is not a cure for autism, he believes that spinal adjustments, especially upper cervical adjusting, could

help children with the disorder.
"It gets the nervous system to improve, which could help their situation," Woods said. "The most basic thing we're trying to do is get their nervous system to be less irritated."
Although Pico Rivera parent Ruth Villaneda is not completely sold on that idea, she believes it might help in some cases.
"I would assume it has something to do with the child feeling more relaxed after a session," said Villaneda, 33, whose 8-year-old son, Nicolas, who was diagnosed with autism at age 2. "That would be something parents would have to observe over time in order to reach an educated conclusion."
She recommends parents of autistic children research their options for early intervention, whether or not those options include chiropractic therapy. In her own case, Villaneda said, she found early help for her son through speech therapy and muscle dexterity therapy.
Nicolas also attended an autism-focused preschool program at Maizeland Child Development Center in Pico Rivera.
Since then, Nicolas' degree of autism has improved, she said.
"He understands directions like any other student. He is extremely articulate, and he's able to express his needs and wants with his peers and here at home," Villaneda said. "Where he has challenges is when it comes to the pragmatics of speech. Every now and then he may start a conversation with you assuming that you know what he's talking about."
Each case is different, Villaneda said, and requires a program tailored to the child's needs.
"There are some interventions or therapies that will be successful with some children, but not with others," Villaneda said.

Can Autism Symptoms be reduced by diet?

2006-10-18T13:53:00.000-05:00

London researchers have found a link between food and autism, a discovery that's creating a buzz in the world of medical research.
Their study is giving clout to a long-held claim by many parents who say they can alter their children's behaviour -- and lessen autistic symptoms -- by altering their diets.
"What parents are telling us about the digestive system complaints of these children has a great deal of merit," research director Dr. Derrick MacFabe said yesterday from Atlanta.
"But I want to show that there is some hope. This study allows us to examine things which have the potential to reduce the risk of the disease and possibly treat it.
"There is something common to diet, digestive system, immune system, behaviours and to brain function of autistic children."
The neuroscientist is director of the Kilee Patchell-Evans Autism Research Group at the University of Western Ontario.
Named after the 10-year-old autistic daughter of David Patchell-Evans, the team was established three years ago to search for causes of the disease affecting one in 166 children.
Autism is a mental condition characterized by failure to communicate, difficulty in learning and self-stimulating or aggressive behaviour.
"I'm excited because for a long time, parents have said that what their kid eats makes a difference," said Patchell-Evans, the chief executive of GoodLife Fitness who established the research team with a sizable donation.
"Now we've moved from gossip to science and when you stop gossiping and move to a scientific foundation . . . then you can start some real progression because the medical community needs a scientifically rigorous study."
Like many parents of autistic children, Patchell-Evans took his daughter off wheat and dairy about a year after she was diagnosed on the basis of anecdotal evidence that it could help.
The difference, he said, was "night and day. She learns better, she pays better attention, her hyperactivity decreases, her sociability increases . . . and she sleeps through the night."
The research team began looking into a possible link between autism and diet after hearing many accounts from parents claiming their children had digestive problems.
Patchell-Evans' findings were similar to those of thousands of parents, said MacFabe, who studied whether digestive upsets could worsen autistic symptoms such as repetitive behaviours, social isolation and poor impulse control.
The team focused on a compound called propionic acid, present in some foods such as refined wheat and dairy products.
The acid is also produced by many types of digestive bacteria, particularly those associated with antibiotic-associated diarrhea, MacFabe said.
Scientists put the compound into the brains of lab rats, which became hyperactive and repetitive, showing signs of social impairment that resembles that in autistic patients.
Repeated exposure showed worsening behavioural effects, said MacFabe, and brain changes that resemble seizures that often co-exist with autism.
Then analysing the brains of these animals, researchers showed an inflammatory response closely resembling those found in a recent John Hopkins study on autistic brain material.
The UWO research team includes MacFabe, psychology chair Dr. Klaus-Peter Ossenkopp, Dr. Donald Cain, Dr. Martin Kavaliers, Dr. Elizabeth Hampson and Dr. Fred Possmayer.
MacFabe and other team members are in Atlanta to present their study at a major neuroscience conference.
Soon to appear in the prestigious biomedical journal Behavioral Brain Research, the study is garnering international attention for the team.
Some of the team's work has already been well received at a Montreal conference, the International Meeting of Autism Researchers.
The paper has also attracted the attention of the Brain Development and Disorders Project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
"We need this kind of integrative research to understand what is going on in autism and how the gut-brain axis is involved," said project director Dr. Martha Herbert, who will be collaborating with MacFabe to further examine this in human patients.
The next step for the UWO group is to work with Queen's University's Dr. Jeanette Holden, director of the Canadian-American Autism Research Consortium

Dr. Jennifer Elder, Autism researcher explains early Autism Symptoms

2006-10-14T14:24:00.000-05:00

One in 166 kids born today will have autism, but some autistic children don't show signs as a baby. Many times, the child is 2 or even older before signs of the disorder are noticeable.
Little Trevor Schwarzkopf loves to swing just like any other 4-year-old. But Trevor isn't like every other little boy. He has autism.
"Trevor couldn't hold his own head up until he was 10 months old," his mother, Lin, said.
Just months after Trevor was born, his mother knew something was wrong -- she saw the signs early.

"The children just don't seem to be developing normally," Autism researcher Dr. Jennifer Elder, of University of Florida in Gainesville, said.
Elder says the younger the child, the harder the diagnosis. Early warning signs include if your 1-year-old doesn't babble or coo. And if they don't gesture by then, that's also sign. Children should say single words by 16 months and two-word phases by 24 months.
"There is another group that starts to develop normally and for some reason its like the light switch is turned off," Elder said.
That's what happened to 13-year-old David McCormac. He was 3 when his parents noticed something wrong.
"I noticed him saying certain words, and then he wouldn't say them anymore," his mother, Virginia, said.
Loss of language is one of the primary warning signs of autism. More red flags: If the child doesn't respond to their name and can't explain what they want.

Autism researcher Dr. Jennifer Elder says the younger the child, the harder the diagnosis.
"Rather than asking the parent for something, will take the parent's hand and use it like a tool to get something," Elder said.
Other signs: If your child can't follow directions, if they walk on their toes, avoid eye contact, and don't smile when smiled at.
"Go with your gut feeling," Elder said. "If they feel like something is wrong, get the help."
Children can be diagnosed as early as 6 months old, but normally autism is detected closer to 18 months of age.

Risperdal approved for Autism Symptoms in children and teens

2006-10-07T13:23:00.000-05:00

Johnson & Johnson won U.S. approval to market its best-selling schizophrenia drug Risperdal for autism symptoms in children and teens.
The medication can be prescribed for children ages 5 to 16 to relieve signs of autism including aggression, temper tantrums, deliberate self-injury and rapid mood swings, the Food and Drug Administration said today in an e-mailed statement.
Risperdal, which had worldwide sales of $3.55 billion last year, is the first medication approved in the U.S. to treat autism symptoms, New Brunswick, New Jersey-based J&J said. It cannot cure autism. The market for antipsychotic treatments also includes Eli Lilly & Co.'s Zyprexa, AstraZeneca Plc's Seroquel, Pfizer Inc.'s Geodon and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.'s Abilify.
``Having FDA approval means more physicians will have clear instructions on the label for how to use Risperdal for autism symptoms,'' said Peter Bell, president and chief executive officer of Cure Autism Now. ``It also means some patients who haven't been able to get insurance to pay for the treatment will now have an easier time getting the drug covered for autism.''
Doctors have been using Risperdal ``off label'' to treat autism symptoms in children for more than a decade, said Bell, whose Los Angeles-based advocacy group funds autism research.
Health insurers often limit prescription-drug coverage to uses of medications specified in FDA's approvals, which define how companies can market a treatment. Before, Risperdal was only approved for use as an antipsychotic and patients with autism didn't get coverage, Bell said.
Previous Approvals
``Insurance companies had argued that efficacy was not proven,'' Bell said. ``Now that Risperdal is approved for autism, they can't keep doing that.''
Shares of J&J fell 5 cents to close at $65.06 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. They've risen 5.7 percent in the past 12 months.
Risperdal has been approved since 1993 for the short-term treatment of adults with schizophrenia, and since 2003 as a short-term therapy for adults with acute manic or mixed episodes associated with extreme mood swings. Once the FDA grants approval to a medicine for one use, doctors can prescribe it for other, so-called off-label indications.
The most common side effects of the use of Risperdal include drowsiness, constipation, fatigue and weight gain, the FDA said.
The antipsychotic medication can also reduce mood swings in autistic children, as well as tendencies toward self-injury and temper explosions, said James McCracken, professor of child psychiatry at the Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, in a telephone interview today.
Prospective Remedies
``There is active interest in exploring other antipsychotics for this use,'' said McCracken. ``There have been some studies on Zyprexa and I have seen some reports of research starting on Abilify.''
About 1.5 million Americans have autism, a developmental disability that often appears in the first three years of life, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Children and teens with autism typically have difficulty with communication and social interaction.
Between three and six of every 1,000 children have the condition, and boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed with it, according to the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Most therapies and interventions for autism are designed to address specific problems, such as improving speaking and other communication skills or breaking obsessive and repetitive routines.
Research Results
Risperdal eased aggression by more than 50 percent in a study published in the Aug. 1, 2002, edition of the New England Journal of Medicine. No drugs are approved in the U.S. for calming children with autism, and their behavior can make it difficult for them to benefit from educational and therapeutic programs, the researchers said.
The drug helped children who tried daily to harm themselves, as well as those with symptoms such as severe tantrums, agitation, unstable moods and aggression. The drug didn't treat the autism itself.
Doctors often prescribe an antidepressant medication to handle symptoms of anxiety, depression, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Anti-psychotic medications are used to treat severe behavioral problems.
Other Treatments
Seizures can be treated with one or more anticonvulsant medications. Stimulant drugs, such as those used for children with attention deficit disorder, or ADD, are sometimes used effectively to help decrease impulsivity and hyperactivity.
``This approval should benefit many autistic children as well as their parents and other care givers,'' said Steven Galson, M.D., director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. ``Our agency strongly encourages the development of appropriate pediatric labeling for adult drugs, and Risperdal is a welcome addition to the growing number of such products that have been shown to have an appropriate risk-benefit profile when tested in children.''

The pupils of a child's eyes may indicate Autism Symptoms

2006-09-30T15:09:00.000-05:00

It may be possible to detect autism by studying the pupils in a child’s eyes, according to research conducted at Kansas University and reported in the October issue of the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology.
KU psychology professor John Colombo and doctoral student Christa Anderson conducted a study in which they showed children, including a group of children with autism, various 4-inch images on a computer screen.
The researchers gauged each child’s level of attention by measuring how much their pupils dilated or constricted. They found that children with autism spectrum disorder showed the strongest response to images of other faces, especially other children’s faces.
Colombo is associate director for cognitive neuroscience at the Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies.

Early Autism Symptoms

2006-08-30T14:34:00.000-05:00

Signs of autism include: your child does not babble or coo by 12 months of age, does not gesture (point, wave, grasp, etc.) by 12 months of age, does not say single words by 16 months of age, does not say two-word phrases on his or her own by 24 months of age, has any loss of any language or social skill at any age, does not respond to his/her name, cannot explain what he/she wants, language skills or speech are delayed, the child doesn't follow directions, at times, the child seems to be deaf, the child doesn't point or wave bye-bye, the child throws intense or violent tantrums, the child doesn't smile when smiled at, the child seems to be in his/her own world, the child walks on his/her toes and the child spends a lot of time lining things up or putting things in a certain order.

Autism Symptoms Checklist

2006-08-20T20:58:00.000-05:00

Here is checklist for Autism Symptoms:
This is just a guide, not all of these will occur in all children that have Autism.

-Indifferent to surrondings

-reactions to sensory can be under or over stimulated

-does not responded to name

-content to be alone ( parents often state their baby was very quiet)

-plays with toys in a non-traditional way

-little or no eye contact

-may line-up toys or other objects in straight lines

-hand-wiggling (flapping motion)

-lack of response to others

Autism Symptoms can be detected by new software for children ages 3-5

2006-07-24T15:13:00.000-05:00

An experienced team of educators, psychologists and technology professionals have teamed to develop the first computer-based games designed to help educators and parents identify children ages 3-9 with early signs of dyslexia, and children ages 3-5 with autism. Based on thousands of hours of development, Learning for Children (http://www.LearningforChildren.com) -- The Diagnostic Gaming Company® -- today announced the inaugural set of games in its innovative Early Detection Diagnostic Gaming® series. The first two games in the series are the Early Detection -- Dyslexia CD®, and Early Detection -- Autism CD®. Reviewed by prominent health care and educational professionals, and leading autism and dyslexia advocacy organizations, the entertaining, interactive games are suitable for parents to test individual children or for teachers to use in classroom settings. Feedback on a child's performance, as well as how to interpret results, is instant and confidential.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates one in ten children have dyslexia. Seventy-four percent of undiagnosed children in the second grade remain so into adulthood. The NIH also predicts that one in every 166 children suffers from autism. Early detection of these disorders, and intervention, is key to building effective treatment programs. With help early in life, children can progress through traditional educational experiences with fewer problems.
Children dislike tests -- especially if they know they are being tested. Thus, Learning for Children's series of computer games, divided into six levels, are based on low stress, low anxiety, fun and rewarding exercises in which a child is totally unaware they are being tested. This method results in a true measurement of a child's ability or disorder. Each level measures the age-appropriate developmental skills required to complete a game -- all through playing entertaining computer games that children love.
"Learning for Children has combined fun games with tools to help parents and educators detect possible developmental issues in children early on," says Dr. Candace R. Anderson, Ph.D., Boston University. "My three year-old triplets, and my five year-old daughter, love playing the games."
A key sign of autistic behavior is the inability to deal with random sequences. Therefore, the arrangement in our games is changed each time they are played. The analysis of play pays particular attention to the number of attempted answers made by a child, as well as their performance in games, which can reveal specific inabilities. As children play, the system tracks the number of incorrect and correct answers, as well as attempts made, in a private, password-protected record. A parent or teacher then uses this information to decide if further testing is warranted.
"Our son seemed unable to focus in preschool or follow instructions," reports Nicole B. of Lutherville, Maryland. "Playing the games from Learning for Children indicated he might have signs of autism. This spurred us to get him diagnosed professionally, and now he is getting the help he needs."
Learning for Children is proud to donate 10% of all sales to the International Dyslexia Foundation (http://www.interdys.org) and a leading autism organization. The Early Detection -- Autism CD® and Early Detection -- Dyslexia CD® may be purchased individually for $49.95, or together for just $89.95. The classroom version CD is only $89.95, and can test up to 25 children. The games run on any PC and all versions of Microsoft Windows, or on any Windows-compliant Mac. No computer skills are required to play our games. A sample game may be played in the Product Review section at http://www.LearningforChildren.com.
"We developed our Diagnostic Games® because millions of children with autism and dyslexia go through our school systems undetected," says Bernard F. McCrory, Senior Partner of Learning for Children, who has a very personal motivation for helping children with developmental issues. "The result is they struggle through school and life, and get help too late -- or never. We want to improve the lives of children with these disorders by providing an affordable way to detect them when they're young."
Most other autism and dyslexia diagnostic tools are based on board games, other hard copy materials, or expensive testing. They are not fun, interactive computer games that children will enjoy playing repeatedly. Other diagnostic tools can cost over $150.00 and do not provide instant feedback.
Importantly, Learning for Children's games are not a substitute for professional testing and evaluation. Any positive results should be treated only as an indicator of autism or dyslexia, not a diagnosis. Parents with children testing positive should consult a health care professional.
About Learning for Children, LLC
Learning for Children is The Diagnostic Gaming Company®. The company develops affordable and fun computer-based Diagnostic Games® that help parents and educators quickly identify young children with developmental issues. Through playing entertaining computer games that children love, our interactive system assesses child's developmental level appropriate to their age. If a child's performance suggests signs of developmental issues, diagnosis by a trained health care professional is strongly encouraged. The first games in Learning for Children's revolutionary Diagnostic Gaming series are the Early Detection -- Autism CD®, and Early Detection -- Dyslexia CD®. The games are suitable for parents to test individual children, or for use by educators in classroom settings. Learning for Children donates 10% of all sales to non-profit advocacy groups. The company is privately held and funded. Learning for Children is located at 1416 Clarkview Road, Baltimore, Maryland, 21209. We can be reached at (888) 717-6717, via email at sales@learningforchildren.com or on the Web at http://www.LearningforChildren.com.

Can Autism symptoms be detected in the womb?

2006-06-27T23:04:00.000-05:00

DIAGNOSING AUTISM FROM THE WOMB? A new study from researchers at the Yale School of Medicine offers a provocative idea: Doctors may be able to predict autism in a baby by testing the placenta at birth. Researchers tested the placentas of 13 children with autism and compared them with placentas from healthy children. They found a microscopic abnormality that was three times as common in children with autism, suggesting a possible way to test for an increased likelihood of autism in new babies. However, such a test remains hypothetical at this point. Next, researchers plan to do a larger study to see whether their results are confirmed in a bigger sample of children. These results were published this week in Biological Psychiatry.

New tool to help detect early Autism Symptoms

2006-01-24T21:51:00.000-06:00

Program a breakthrough in autismVerity EdwardsJanuary 25, 2006
AN Adelaide psychologist who has developed a world first early detection tool for autism is receiving international recognition for her work, with interest shown in Mexico, China, Norway, the US and Britain.Local practitioners, however, are not yet using the test.
Flinders University senior lecturer Robyn Young, whose diagnostic tool looks at 16 behavioural symptoms of autism, hopes there will be local interest once she has finalised yet-to-be-published psychometric data.
Autism is a genetically inherited neurological disorder.
Dr Young's unique diagnostic tool screens children aged from 18 months and identifies characteristics that need monitoring, including responding to names, gaze switching, lack of social reciprocity, imitation and play.

"If a child isn't responding as expected they should be referred for a thorough diagnostic assessment," DrYoung said.
But some families with autistic children faced delays of close to a year for diagnoses, with waiting lists blowing out at Adelaide's major hospitals.
"This is unacceptable when we know that early intervention leads to a better prognosis for these children," Dr Young said.
She said the diagnostic tool and her Flinders University early intervention research program helped parents kick-start treatment by recognising the signs of autism; it also trained them in appropriate strategies, to allow them to start home-based programs.
"Although the program is supported by the university, it receives limited external funding and much of our time is spent trying to attract money to support the free program," DrYoung said.
As part of the program, therapists spend 15 hours per week one-on-one with autistic children for two weeks. The program then becomes home-based, with support for a further 18weeks.
The early intervention is already showing results, with 108 children having been through the program since it began in 2003. Although some children have made significant improvements, in other cases the changes have not been as impressive.
"We are currently trying to identify the characteristics of the individuals who have been most responsive to the intervention," Dr Young said.
Annette Totani's son James, 6, was among the first to take part in the program.
She noticed her son had stopped speaking and responding at 18 months, and feared that he had gone deaf. James underwent 18 months of testing, including audiology, ophthalmology and occupational therapy. The Women's and Children's Hospital then diagnosed James with autism.
"James was really bad at the time, there was a lot of screaming, he wasn't responding, it was awful," Mrs Totani said. After she took part in Dr Young's program and learned how to treat James's symptoms at home, his level of autism dropped significantly.
"My son is in a mainstream class now and he can read and write," she said. "At the time I thought we had lost him forever."

Autism Symptoms questionnaire

2005-12-01T09:48:00.000-06:00

The 12 questions that can detect autism in your child
By Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor
Published: 01 December 2005
Is your child autistic? The question strikes fear into the hearts of parents but scientists have now developed a screening test for autism which they say could detect the condition.
The 12-point questionnaire was more than 90 per cent accurate in identifying children who had been independently diagnosed with autism and could help identify other children with "functional impairment," researchers said.
The test could also be used to detect the condition in dysfunctional professors, train-spotters and others with eccentric habits who are popularly thought to share autistic traits.
In a trial run of the test at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, the mothers of more than 400 children, half of whom were autistic, filled in the questionnaire, which has a maximum score of 24. The autistic children on average scored 16 to 17, compared with two to three for other children.
A third group of children, referred to the hospital's clinic for social and communication disorders but not diagnosed as autistic, scored between 11 and 12.
The questionnaire was developed by Professor David Skuse and colleagues at the Institute of Child Health, London, and the findings are published in the British Journal of Psychiatry. Professor Skuse said there was disagreement among scientists about whether autism was a distinct abnormal condition or one end of the normal spectrum of behaviour. The test could help settle that dispute.
Between 60 and 100 children in 10,000 are thought to have autistic spectrum disorder, of whom 20 to 25 are diagnosed with classical autism. The condition normally develops in children before the age of two and leads to severe difficulties in communicating and forming relationships.
Professor Skuse said: "Autism probably isn't a separate condition. It is probably on a continuum with normal behaviour. The boundaries are not distinct - it is not a precipice but a gentle slope. If you have enough of these symptoms [identified on the questionnaire] you are likely to have social and educational difficulties that could affect your ability to fit in. You can't draw a line and say people with a score above have autism because it will depend on other factors. But, the higher your score, the more likely you are to have functional impairment."
Traits seen in autism were also seen in other conditions, lending support to the theory that the condition is on a continuum with normal behaviour.
"A lot of kids with conduct disorder who appear to be just naughty also have problems with language, leaping from subject to subject. We are increasingly recognising that these symptoms are not confined to autism," Professor Skuse said.
Current methods of identifying children with autism depend on GPs or health visitors recognising signs of the disorder and referring children for assessment. But many parents believe the condition is under-diagnosed as the assessment is expensive and too few children are referred.
"If this screening test were applied across a community of school-age children, we could get a sense of how many had autistic traits. The checklist could be used to establish its prevalence in the population," Professor Skuse said. The incidence of autism in Britain has been rising for more than a decade.
Is your child autistic? The question strikes fear into the hearts of parents but scientists have now developed a screening test for autism which they say could detect the condition.
The 12-point questionnaire was more than 90 per cent accurate in identifying children who had been independently diagnosed with autism and could help identify other children with "functional impairment," researchers said.
The test could also be used to detect the condition in dysfunctional professors, train-spotters and others with eccentric habits who are popularly thought to share autistic traits.
In a trial run of the test at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, the mothers of more than 400 children, half of whom were autistic, filled in the questionnaire, which has a maximum score of 24. The autistic children on average scored 16 to 17, compared with two to three for other children.
A third group of children, referred to the hospital's clinic for social and communication disorders but not diagnosed as autistic, scored between 11 and 12.
The questionnaire was developed by Professor David Skuse and colleagues at the Institute of Child Health, London, and the findings are published in the British Journal of Psychiatry. Professor Skuse said there was disagreement among scientists about whether autism was a distinct abnormal condition or one end of the normal spectrum of behaviour. The test could help settle that dispute.
Between 60 and 100 children in 10,000 are thought to have autistic spectrum disorder, of whom 20 to 25 are diagnosed with classical autism. The condition normally develops in children before the age of two and leads to severe difficulties in communicating and forming relationships.
Professor Skuse said: "Autism probably isn't a separate condition. It is probably on a continuum with normal behaviour. The boundaries are not distinct - it is not a precipice but a gentle slope. If you have enough of these symptoms [identified on the questionnaire] you are likely to have social and educational difficulties that could affect your ability to fit in. You can't draw a line and say people with a score above have autism because it will depend on other factors. But, the higher your score, the more likely you are to have functional impairment."
Traits seen in autism were also seen in other conditions, lending support to the theory that the condition is on a continuum with normal behaviour.
"A lot of kids with conduct disorder who appear to be just naughty also have problems with language, leaping from subject to subject. We are increasingly recognising that these symptoms are not confined to autism," Professor Skuse said.
Current methods of identifying children with autism depend on GPs or health visitors recognising signs of the disorder and referring children for assessment. But many parents believe the condition is under-diagnosed as the assessment is expensive and too few children are referred.
"If this screening test were applied across a community of school-age children, we could get a sense of how many had autistic traits. The checklist could be used to establish its prevalence in the population," Professor Skuse said. The incidence of autism in Britain has been rising for more than a decade.

Autism Symptoms Story

2005-11-08T09:54:00.000-06:00

Diagnosing and coping with autism
MATT TREADWELL, The Huron Daily Tribune
11/07/2005

COMMERCE TOWNSHIP — The clock on the wall reads five minutes to 4 p.m. as 3-year-old Kaitlyn Lempert runs to her family's living room window asking, "Where's Logie?"

She has her answer about 10 minutes later when her 6-year-old big brother steps off the school bus that stops in front of the Lempert's home.
"Sissy. Cuddle. Please," requests Logan Lempert before his mother can help him take his coat off after he enters his home.
"See," his mother, Donna Lempert says. "Every day, it's the same thing."
Logan's three-word demand has become a Lempert family tradition after he returns home from a long day of kindergarten. It's the cue for the family to retire to the upstairs parent's bedroom for a 15-minute cuddle session.
"It's how he unwinds from the stress of his day," Donna Lempert said. "We all lay in bed together and he burrows underneath all the pillows."
"He's like a bear," little Kaitlyn added.
That daily tradition is just one of many signs of Logan's every day struggle with autism.
"It's not uncommon for kids with autism to like to stand on their heads for a long time or burrow under things like pillows," Donna Lempert said. "They like to feel pressure. It makes them comfortable for some reason."
What Is Autism?
Logan is one of an estimated 166 children born in the United States each year to be affected with the neurological disorder known as autism.
"Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills," according to the Autism Society of America's website, www.autism-society.com.
"Autism is hard to describe because there is such a wide spectrum of what autism is," said Sara Vanmullekom, president for the ASA's Saginaw Bay Area Chapter.
"(People with autism) tend to be in their own little world. That is where they feel comfortable. Anything that is going on around them in the outside world is difficult for them to deal with — it's uncomfortable."
Like Donna Lempert, Vanmullekom has a 6-year-old with autism. And both women said an inability to speak was the tell-tale sign of the toddler's disability. They said instead of speaking, the young boys would make grunting noises and point for things they wanted.
"Noah was our fourth child, and when he wasn't starting to speak, I knew something was going on," Vanmullekom said.
But for Donna Lempert, the problem wasn't so obvious.
"Logan was our first child, we just thought he was developing a little slower than the other babies," she said. "You read in pamphlets that kids are supposed to do such and such at such and such an age, we just thought he was a late bloomer.
"When he was 3 and still not talking, I knew something more had to be going on, but I didn't know anything about autism ... That's why it's so important for people to know the signs."
Some of autism’s most common symptoms can include a child’s tendency to spin objects, insistence on sameness, sensitivity to textures, use of gestures instead of vocal language to express needs or wants, preference to be alone, or extreme emotional and physical displays.
Or, the child could appear to be deaf, Vanmullekom said.
"I used to bang on the table as hard as I could with my fist and scream Noah's name," she said. "He wouldn't even acknowledge me."
Regardless of whatever symptom an autistic child might display, his or her actions — or inactions — are the best clues.
"When people think of a special needs person, they expect to have something that they can point to and say, 'Look, that's what's wrong.' But autism isn't like that," Vanmullekom said.
"To look at my son, for example, he doesn't look like anything is wrong with him ... Children with autism look like any other children except for when they have a sensory overload. That's when they throw a tantrum — they just can't help it."
It's those tantrums that Donna Lempert said often make it difficult to take family outings — not because of her son, but because of the looks from others.
"People look at you like, 'Ugh, can't you control your kid, lady?'" she said. "They just don't know. They don't know that the child can't help it — their senses have just been overloaded by what's going on around them. You can't always predict when that is going to happen."
For example, Donna Lempert said she once took her children to ride ponies at a fair.
"I didn't know if Logan would get up there and freak out when he touched the pony or not," she said. "So, I explained his situation to the man running the ride just in case he might need to stop early ... But Logan loved it. He didn't want to stop. He kept saying, 'Horse. Again. I hoped he'd like it, but I couldn't predict it ... Every experience is like a whole new adventure."
Twenty-Four, Seven
For parents like Donna Lempert, there is nearly no time off helping her son.
"From the time he gets up until he goes to bed at night, it's a constant battle to keep him engaged," she said. "If I let up for even a few minutes, he slips right back into his own little world."
"It's easy to see," added his father, Tony Lempert. "It's just so obvious. You almost can't believe it."
With Logan in full-time kindergarten classes this year, Donna Lempert admits she welcomes the break she now gets during the day.
But while Logan is home, she spends the morning helping him get ready for school, and the evening reading with him, building puzzles, playing with educational toys, or any other therapeutic activity designed to engage his mind. And that's on top of helping to take care of meal preparation and other duties for the other two members of her family.
"Good old fashioned family meals stopped happening around here a long time ago," she said. "There just isn't the time."
And time isn't the only demand of autism, it takes its toll on family finances, too.
Each week, Logan attends two one-hour professional therapy sessions designed to help manage his autism. He goes to the Abilities Center in Commerce Township for occupational therapy aimed at his motor skills and sensory issues, and a speech therapist visits his home once a week.
His therapy bills add up to about $880 a month — none of it covered by health insurance as Michigan law doesn't require companies to pay for autism-related treatments.
Before he began attending school full time, he was enrolled in more than $1,300 worth of therapy each month to help him prepare for that major life step.
"It's like making a second house payment," Donna Lempert said. "This family is drained — we've taken out a second mortgage and our credit cards are maxed ... But like Tony says, 'We will find a way to make it happen.' We will take care of our kids no matter what the costs."
In May, residents of Huron County donated about $10,000 to help with Logan's autism treatments during a benefit fish fry at the Rapson Sportsmen's Club. It was the second such event co-organized by the boy's grandparents, Dolores and Leonard Goniewicha — a former Harbor Beach city councilman.
The Lemperts say they now are considering moving to one of the reported 17 states that require insurance to help with autism related expenses.
"It's sad, but I just don't know how much longer we can manage to get by here," she said.
Such a move would be the family's second relocation because of their children's health needs.
After Kaitlyn was born and diagnosed with cystic fibrosis in 2002 following Logan's autism discovery, the family moved from its newly constructed home in northern Michigan to Commerce Township near Novi to be closer to medical care.
Fortunately, Kaitlyn's treatments are covered by health insurance.
"It's a little funny because we waited several years to have kids after we got married. We thought we had planned pretty well," Donna Lempert said.
"Yeah, we had all the toys," Tony Lempert added. "We thought we were all set."
Still, both parents agree they'd give up everything they've had to part with all over again to see their children receive the treatments they need. And both say they are thankful to have one another's support through all the stresses life throws their way.
"I've read several places that the divorce rate for couples with an autistic child is like somewhere around 80 percent," she said. "That's scary ... It's really hard. Thankfully, Tony is so supportive. I couldn't imagine going through this alone."
Early Intervention
Despite the future hardships that might be in store, the sooner a parent can get a suspected autistic child diagnosed, the better chance pursued therapies will have to help him or her manage the disorder through life, according to the Autism Society of America.
"Discovering that your child has autism can be an overwhelming experience ... While there is no cure for autism, there are treatments and education approaches that may reduce some of the challenges associated with the disability," according to ASA's website.
Just as is the case with the numerous symptoms and severity spectrum, autism's treatments vary, too," said Vanmullekom from the group's Saginaw Bay chapter.
"That's just another one of the many mysteries of autism," she said. "We learn more and more as we go. You just have to hold on to what works best for your individual child."
The AMA reports the learning curve of autism has grown exponentially among professionals in the field as compared to a generation ago, when "many people with autism were placed in institutions."
During the 1990s, the number of documented autism cases in the United States grew 172 percent while the American population only increased 13 percent, according to the organization.
And while options on the right treatment approaches may vary for each individual person with autism, Vanmullekom said professionals agree that the earlier a child is diagnosed, the better.
"Ages 2 to 7 are the most important to begin intervention treatments," she said. "That is when the best chance is to reprogram these children because their brains are still forming. After that, habits start to really sink in."
As for the Lemperts, they say they wish they could have had Logan diagnosed sooner than age 3.
"We just didn't know about it soon enough," Donna Lempert said. "He's been doing very well with the therapies he has received ... I'd hoped he'd be able to enter full-time kindergarten by now, and he has met that goal. But still, you always wish you could do more for your kids."
She and Tony Lempert said despite how much the news your child is autistic can hurt, having him or her diagnosed as soon as you suspect the disorder is best.
"Some parents are afraid to have their children tested because they don't want their kid to be labeled as having a problem," she said. "That's just not fair to the child. They need help."
"It is hard to swallow — no question," Tony Lempert added. "I wanted a little boy who I could play sports with and who could help me with projects around the house, but Logan just can't do that. I wish he could, but he can't ... I still love him just as much. That stuff doesn't matter that much."
Donna Lempert said she hopes every day that she makes the best choices for her son's therapies so that life will become easier with each passing day.
"Sometimes I wish I could just climb inside Logan's head to see the world how he sees it," she said. "I just want to understand."

Autism Symptoms

2005-11-04T10:21:00.000-06:00

USU program helps kids prepare for school, world
Kassi Bryner said she first started noticing something might be wrong with her son when Sam wouldn’t make eye contact with her.
At 18 months, the Logan toddler wasn’t starting to speak, unlike other kids his age. Sam was her first child, Bryner said, so she wasn’t sure what to expect.
Shortly after the initial symptoms were noticed, Sam was diagnosed with autism. Two-and-a-half years later, after more than a year of intense autism sessions, Sam “is a different kid,” Bryner said.
“If you would have seen him a year ago ...” she trailed off, shaking her head.
Sam, now 4 and expected to be able to attend regular kindergarten next year, is diagnosed with “pervasive developmental disorder — not otherwise specified” (PDD-NOS), a disorder that falls into autism’s wide spectrum.
He attends an autism preschool program at Utah State University — now with seven other children — to prepare for school and the world. Bryner and another parent, Sean Benson, met at the Autism Support Services: Education, Research and Training, or ASSERT, center Wednesday to be there when state schools Superintendent Patti Harrington visited.
“This place has just been so fabulous we’ll do whatever it takes to help it,” Benson said.
Sam is just one of several children in Utah and nationwide who have been diagnosed with a varying degree of autism. In the past few years the rate of diagnosis has virtually skyrocketed. In 1997, about 230 Utah students were served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act for autism. In 2003, the most available data from the Department of Education, more than 1,000 students fall into the same category. In the Logan City School District, there are 24 students with some form of autism confirmed, as of last month.
Since the summer of 2003, ASSERT has helped local children, ages 3-6, who have forms of autism. The center has been operating from grants and some state funding, and is looking to receive about $217,000 from the Legislature to continue the program. Harrington toured the facility as part of her visit with the state Board of Education to Logan this week.
“ASSERT is not something that is well-known,” she told ASSERT staff and other university employees.
She encouraged the two parents present to call local legislators — especially Sen. Lyle Hillyard — to vouch for the program’s necessity, and made it clear she was on ASSERT’s side.
“We’re moving forward together,” she said. “We are some of your best cheerleaders.”
ASSERT not only helps the eight local children who now benefit from the structured preschool atmosphere; the center has trained eight special education teachers and three related-service providers in Washington, Weber, Morgan, Ogden, Alpine, Carbon and Sevier school districts. Two classrooms have been set up in Washington and Weber districts. Karl Wilson, Utah’s State Office of Education special education director, said ASSERT’s influence in other places in the state is what may make it the most important characteristic when legislators decide what to fund.
“It’s a valuable investment because of that,” he said.
ASSERT director Tom Higbee, also an assistant professor in the department of special education, led the mini-tour, explaining how the day goes for the children and each of their student teachers. Five of the instructors are doctoral students, and each of the eight children have individual teachers who meet with them in separate cubicles throughout the day.
“The difference between these kids and the others is the amount of active instruction,” Higbee said. “It’s highly structured for a reason.”
The USU site is the “model” site, he said, but others can definitely be developed around the state. Several of the ASSERT instructors, studying either special education, speech language and pathology and psychology, go and help other children in the state after their time at USU.
Higbee said he isn’t sure if the recent spike in autism cases is due to what may be called an “epidemic,” or just the fact that doctors and educators are aware of the disorder and more able to diagnose.
“There’s a lot of disagreement among professionals about the cause of that growth,” he said. “The answer probably lies somewhere in between.”
Benson’s son, Conner, is one of ASSERT’s success stories. The first-grader is in a regular school class with minimal aid throughout the week. He’s near the top of his class in several subjects, but still struggles with communication and social interactions, Benson said.
“This has been fantastic for us,” Benson said of ASSERT. “He’s progressed so much; we didn’t know if he’d ever get this far.”
Sending a child to school is probably the best success the program could have, but not the only. As Higbee said, helping a child progress, even progressing from utter silence to being able to request items, is a success for ASSERT.

Autism Symptoms discussed

2005-10-02T08:54:00.000-05:00

The Association Casablancaise des Pédiatres Privés (ACPP) has organized recently in Casablanca a round table on autism, in collaboration with the Secretary of State in charge of family, childhood and disabled persons, Yasmina Baddou.

About 22% of disabled persons in Morocco suffer from autism.
The meeting, presided by Baddou, gave the participants the opportunity to debate on the definition of autism, its diagnosis and symptoms and the role of paediatricians in the treatment of the disease.The round table was held within the framework of “2005 activities: the year of autism in Morocco”. It aimed at discussing the relation between autism and other neurological diseases and, and determine and educational approach to the results of the national colloquium on the premature diagnosis of autism.In her intervention, Baddou stressed the necessity guarantee fundamental rights to disabled people, noting that her department is making of this meeting a starting point to scientifically diagnose the phenomenon of autism.The organisers of the meeting requested the establishment of specialized centres and appropriate schools to integrate people suffering from autism. Scientifically, the anomaly is defined as a serious disorder appearing in childhood and characterized by the child's refusal to establish relations with other people and a severely limited use of language. The cause of children's autism is unknown, but researchers generally feel that it lies in a malfunction of the central nervous system, not in the way parents have treated them or in other aspects of their environment. Autism is also defined as a psychiatric disorder of children, characterized by marked deficits in communication and social interaction, preoccupation with fantasy, language impairment, and abnormal behaviour, such as repetitive acts and excessive attachment to certain objects. It is usually associated with intellectual impairment.The persons suffering from autism range from severely impaired individuals to those who have abnormal social interactions but normal intelligence, Asperger's syndrome. The ways in which autism is exhibited can differ greatly. Mildly affected individuals may appear very close to normal. Severely afflicted individuals may be extremely retarded and unable to function in almost any setting. Autism can also be linked to other disorders such as mental retardation.The current Fourth Edition Diagnosis and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders- (DSM-IV) identifies three features that are associated with autism, impairment in social interaction, communication, and behaviour. First, people suffering from autism fail to develop normal personal interactions in virtually every setting. This means that affected persons fail to form the normal social contacts that are such an important part of human development.This impairment may be so severe that it even affects the bond between a mother and a child. It is important to note that, contrary to popular belief, many, if not most, autistic children are capable of showing affection and do demonstrate affection towards their mothers or other caregivers.

early autism symptoms

2005-08-09T09:10:00.000-05:00

Just before his first birthday, Marilyn Filley took her son, Damien, to buy some shoes. The gregarious toddler waved and smiled at everyone he saw.
"I was kind of embarrassed," Filley said. "I said, 'He thinks he's a celebrity.' "
A few months later, he stopped waving altogether.
Damien's other burgeoning efforts to communicate receded as well. He started avoiding eye contact. "Ma ma ma ma ma" was replaced by a string of incomprehensible noises. During a later trip to the mall, he appeared not to notice other shoppers and concentrated instead on twirling his wrists around.
The boy with blond curls who once danced to his dad's funky guitar riffs was drifting away.
"It didn't look like he was exploring his world anymore," Filley said.
An estimated 20 percent of autistic children follow the same regressive pattern as Damien, losing skills they'd acquired as seemingly normal babies. By contrast, children with early onset autism (the majority of cases) typically haven't made progress in key areas of development by age 1.
Experts have recognized autistic regression for at least a decade, but they've previously relied on parents' recollections of a child's backslide.
Now, a new study from the University of Washington documents regression using videotapes of children's behavior during their first and second birthday parties.
"We were pretty sure there was a phenomenon of regression, but this (study) documents it in a much more objective way," said Sally Ozonoff, an autism researcher at the MIND Institute at the University of California, Davis.
Researchers reviewed homemade videotapes and talked to the parents of 56 children, including 15 with regression, 21 with early onset and 20 children without autism.
On their first birthdays, the children later diagnosed with autism had reached the same developmental milestones as those never diagnosed. They babbled in long strings of sounds, used single words, pointed out objects and people and responded to their names.
By their second birthdays, the same children looked very different when compared to their peers without autism.
"We found that what parents have been telling us all along was true," said Geraldine Dawson, a psychologist and director of the University of Washington Autism Center. Dawson is the lead author of the study, which appears in this month's issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
The study also found that children with regression had difficulty sleeping, eating and being soothed during their first year. Those symptoms could be precursors of autism, said Dawson.
In a surprising turn, children with autistic regression were actually using more complex babbling, words and pointing than children who were not later diagnosed with autism.
"That was an unexpected finding, and we don't know what to make of it," Dawson said.
It remains unclear if autistic regression is a biologically distinct form of autism.
And, like all types of disorders on the autism spectrum, no one knows yet what causes regression.
The study comes as parents, public health officials and physicians continue to debate whether thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative used in vaccines since the 1930s, contributed to the rapidly rising rates of autism seen in the past decade.
Between 1994 and 2003, the number of children with autism enrolled in special education programs nationwide increased from 22,664 to 141,022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Some trace the steep upturn to more children being diagnosed. But many parents believe their children were developing normally until receiving multiple vaccines as toddlers.
Pharmaceutical companies stopped producing most childhood vaccines with thimerosal in 2001.
A number of studies, including a report from the Institute of Medicine, have failed to find a link between autism and thimerosal.
The long-simmering controversy heated up this summer after an article written by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared in the online magazine Salon and Rolling Stone magazine. Kennedy claimed that federal health officials attempted to conceal initial findings implicating thimerosal in the rising number of autism cases.
Last month, public health officials and scientists held a news conference to reinforce the importance of vaccinations and reiterated that there's no evidence of thimerosal causing autism.
Dawson declined to comment on the debate, pointing out that her study does not address the source of autism regression.
"Until we really understand what causes autism, I think we need to fully investigate all possibilities," Dawson said.
She added that if a genetic distinction between early and late onset autism is discovered, it could eventually help researchers pinpoint potential environmental triggers.
"That's still something we're trying to understand and sort out -- the degree to which genetics play a role and the environment interacts with genetics," Dawson said.
For Filley and her husband, Daniel Pitt, it seems Damien was snatched away before their eyes.
"We get a glimpse of our children's personality, and we get a glimpse of what could be, and then all of the sudden it's gone," said Pitt, a computer programmer for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The Seattle couple doesn't know for sure what happened to Damien. But they suspect vaccines and other environmental factors played a role.
"He wasn't locked in to this pattern of regression," Filley said.

Autism Symptoms

2005-08-02T09:38:00.000-05:00

From WebMD

Home videos of children's birthday parties may validate what many parents of autistic children have suspected in retrospect: Children who seemed normal in their first year of life may regress and develop symptoms of autism by their second birthday.
A new study analyzed home videos of first- and second-year birthday parties and showed that some autistic children began displaying symptoms of the disorder by their first birthday, such as less frequent use of words or babbling.
Meanwhile, other autistic children who behaved normally at age 1 appeared to regress and showed typical symptoms of autism by age 2.
Researchers say it's the first objective evidence of autistic regression, a form of autism that accounts for about 25% of all autism cases in the U.S.
"Once again, this study provides an important lesson that parents are good reporters on what is happening with their children," says researcher Geraldine Dawson, PhD, director of the University of Washington's Autism Center, in a news release. "And it certainly suggests that in early screening for autism that we need to screen at 18, 24, and 36 months to find children who develop normally at first, but then experience a regression."
The study did not look at the cause of the autistic regression, nor any possible links to childhood vaccines. The timing of childhood vaccinations and the emergence of autism symptoms in early childhood has prompted some to suggest that the two may be related, but scientific research has largely rejected this theory.
Home Videos Document Autistic Regression
In the study, researchers analyzed first and second birthday party home videos provided by the parents of 36 young children with autism and 20 normally developing children. Of the autistic children, 15 were diagnosed with autism after the parents reported a worsening of social and/or communication skills during the second year of life. The parents of 21 of the children with autism reported that they had impairments before age 1, known as early-onset autism.
Researchers noted the frequency and duration of several behaviors seen in the videotapes, such as language, looking at other people, repetitive behavior, emotion, and playing with toys. They were unaware of the diagnosis that the children had.
They also interviewed the caregiver about the child's early development.
Their results appear in the August issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
By the children's second birthday, both groups of autistic children vocalized and used words less frequently, pointed less often, looked at people less often, and didn't respond when their name was called more often than the normally developing children.
Children whose parents reported autistic regression used more complex babble and words at their first birthday than normal children, while children with early-onset autism used the fewest words and least amount of babble.
In addition, children with the early-onset form of autism pointed less at their first birthday and showed more communication impediments than the other two groups at this age.
Researchers say the results of this study show that at least some children don't develop the typical symptoms of autism by the end of their first year of life, and these symptoms may emerge in the following year.
They say that by ages 3 and 4, there were no differences in the severity of autism between the two groups of autistic children in this study. But more research is needed on whether autistic regression is different than other forms of the autism.

Early Autism Symptoms

2005-06-03T09:10:00.000-05:00

Kids with autism are usually diagnosed around age three, but what if you could detect the brain disorder before a baby's first birthday? Some researchers say it's possible because long before babies utter their first words, they speak by the way they move.Osnat and Phillip Teitelbaum watch home videos of babies with expert eyes. Their research shows it may be possible to see early signs of autism by reading the language of movement. The University of Florida researchers say abnormalities in an autistic baby's nervous system cause reflexes to go astray. "And once we are able to compare them to the movement of normal babies, we very early on can see the differences and the neurological damage very early,” said Osnat Teitlebaum, Ph.D.Phillip Teitlebaum said the earlier the better."The earlier the detection, the earlier the intervention and the nervous system is the most plastic in the earliest period,” said Phillip Teitlebaum, Ph.D. One tell-tale move of autism is how a baby turns over. "When a baby wants to turn over, he will turn his head in one direction or the other and then he will roll in that direction. But if his arm is outstretched, he can't roll that way so he has to go over the other way. And that's a clear abnormality,” Phillip said. They recommend parents perform a tilt test - gently tilting a baby six months or older at a 45 degree angle each way. They say most babies will keep their head upright as the body tilts, but an autistic child's head will go with the body. "It indicates that there is a disturbance in the vestibular system which is in the brain stem and that's shows either in the ear or in the brain stem itself, there is some damage,” Phillip said. Since babies move fast, only video can capture this special first language. In a study last year, the Teitelbaums found babies with Asperger's Syndrome, a milder form of autism, had movement disturbances that are indistinguishable from children with more severe autism. They also say swinging with autistic babies in a backyard or playground swing may help because it stimulates the inner ear.

Autism Symptoms may be present with difficult birth

2005-05-18T09:10:00.000-05:00

Difficult birth or a history of mental illness in a parent may put a baby at greater risk for autism, according to a study that may provide clues to the causes of the devastating neurological disability.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Monday that in a study of 698 Danish children with the developmental disorder, researchers found a disproportionately high number had been born before the 35th week of pregnancy, had suffered from low birth weights and were in a breech position at birth.
The children, all of whom were born after 1972 and diagnosed with autism before 2000, also were more likely to have a parent who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia-like psychosis before the autism was discovered.
The study was partly funded by the CDC and published in the most recent issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Previous research had suggested that perinatal factors, parental psychiatric history and socioeconomic status might represent or include risk factors for autism. The CDC, however, noted that the latest findings did not indicate a definitive link between autism and troubled births or other possible risk factors.
"At this point we don't know for sure if these events are causes, but it certainly points us to look more closely at what happens during pregnancy as a possible opportunity for future prevention," said Diana Schendel, a CDC epidemiologist and one of the authors.
The study came amid growing debate in the United States over the causes of autism, which permanently impairs development of those areas of the brain that control verbal and nonverbal communication as well as social interaction.
About one out of every 250 babies in the nation is born with the disability, which usually appears in the first three years of childhood, according to the Autism Society of America.
Some parents have claimed that their children developed autism due to exposure to childhood vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal, an organic compound that is 49 percent mercury.
Thimerosal was used routinely in the United States between the 1930s and the 1990s to prevent bacterial and fungal contamination of a wide range of infant vaccines, including those for hepatitis B.
Thimerosal is no longer used in childhood vaccines in the United States, but remains in the influenza vaccine and in vaccines in other countries.
The CDC, which launched a campaign earlier this year to make doctors and parents more aware of the need for early diagnosis of autism and other developmental disorders, said it had found no proof of a link between autism and vaccines.

Autism Symptoms leading to boys chromosome

2005-05-06T09:10:00.000-05:00

UCLA scientists pinpoint region of autism gene on chromosome 17 Geneaffects boys only -- May explain autism's low incidence ingirls*CONTEXT*Autism is a complex disease caused by the interaction of multiplegenes and environmental influences. As a result, scientists' previousattempts to locate a genetic risk factor have proved inconclusive. Noresearchers have been able to pinpoint a predisposing gene and thenduplicate their efforts – a key piece of proof required forscientific validity. *FINDINGS*For the first time, a team of UCLA geneticists have isolated thelikely region of an autism gene on chromosome 17 and thensuccessfully duplicated their efforts in a separate population. In anearlier discovery, the scientists were surprised to find that the genecontributes to autism only in boys, perhaps explaining why girls havea dramatically lower risk of developing the disease. *IMPACT*After twice linking the risk gene to band 17Q21, the UCLA team is nowconducting DNA testing to identify the precise site on the chromosome,which will bring them closer to finding the gene mutation. This is thefirst step to providing better screening and potential treatments forautism. *AUTHORS*Dr. Dan Geschwind, associate professor of neurology; Rita Cantor,adjunct professor of human genetics; Stan Nelson, professor of humangenetics; Jennifer Stone, graduate student researcher, at the DavidGeffen School of Medicine at UCLA. *JOURNAL*The American Journal of Human Genetics, June 2005

Autism Symptoms early signs study

2005-05-01T09:10:00.000-05:00

TORONTO (CP) - Jodie Kushneryk has already gone through the devastation of learning that her first child is autistic. Now she's facing the possibility her second son may also have the disabling neurological disorder. But the Brantford, Ont., mom hopes groundbreaking Canadian research that has identified early signs of possible autism in siblings could help two-year-old Landon - by giving him a head-start with behavioural therapy even before a definitive diagnosis is made.
"It's really too early yet to see if, in fact, Landon does have autism or not," said Kushneryk, noting that he's far ahead of where her seven-year-old son Lukas was at that age, but is behind in language development.
"I'm just concerned. I want some help as soon as I can."
To that end, she agreed to have Landon participate in a multi-centre study that has enrolled 200 Canadian families with an autistic child and a younger sibling. So far, the researchers have found that even at six to 12 months of age, there are certain behaviours that distinguished siblings who were later diagnosed with autism.
"Quite a significant number of children who can be diagnosed at the age of two to three do have early behavioural clues that one can detect by the age of 12 months," said Dr. Lonnie Zwaigenbaum, a developmental pediatrician at McMaster Children's Hospital in Hamilton and co-lead author of the study.
Those early signs include decreased eye contact, diminished social smiling and low social response, "so when you're playing peek-a-boo, for example, the child is not as responsive," he said Thursday. "It takes more effort to get a response."
Other signs include extreme reactivity, with the child becoming "very distressed" by people approaching or a new toy. Some children may be under-reactive, not exploring the room with their eyes or not making typical facial expressions when playing.
The researchers also found the children have a tendency to fixate on objects and have trouble with language and communication.
Zwaigenbaum said the ultimate goal of the research is to better understand the early development of autism in children within the general population and to develop interventions to help restrict disability. (Families with an autistic child have a five to 10 per cent higher risk of having another child with the condition, a rate of recurrence about 50 times higher than the general population.)
"Most of what we know about the early signs of autism at this point comes from parents looking back at what their children were like earlier in life or looking at home videotape studies," he said.
"But being able to observe for ourselves . . . allows us to get a better picture of what autism might look like earlier in life. And because siblings are at higher risk, it allows us to have the opportunity to identify some children who have autism, whereas in the general community, one would need to work with thousands of children even to identify a small number."
Autism, an incurable condition believed to be genetic in origin, affects about one in 500 individuals worldwide and is four times more common in boys than girls. Intense behavioural therapy has been found to help improve social and learning abilities, but experts say that for most autistic people, the condition continues to have some impact throughout life.
Dr. Jessica Brian, a psychologist at the Hospital for Sick Children and one of the researchers, is working with Toronto-area families in the study, assessing their youngsters for possible signs of autism.
Once specific areas of concern are determined, she and her hospital colleagues work with the child to change behaviour. For instance, if a child is wary of eye contact, they might tempt the child with a favourite toy or a tickle game, then pause to prompt visual communication.
"We would try to solicit eye contact by putting our face close to theirs and making our face animated, and as soon as the baby looks, we continue the game," said Brian, calling the therapy a form of positive reinforcement.
Much is still to be learned about autism. If children are genetically predisposed to the disorder, they're likely born with a different way of perceiving the world and interacting with people, she said.
"So we feel that if we get in sooner and teach them the most typical ways of understanding the world, we can help change the developmental trajectory they're headed on."
Researchers at Dalhousie University's IWK Health Centre in Halifax are also collaborating on the study. Preliminary results dealing with 70 children are published in this month's International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience.

Mother speaks out on Autism Symptoms

2005-04-19T09:10:00.000-05:00

-- Simple signs may be the key to detecting autism at an early age.
It can be as simple as a child not having warm, joyful expressions by 6 months old, not gesturing by 9 months old or not speaking by 16 months old.
These red flags don't mean the child will have autism, but it means he is at risk, said Nancy Wiseman, the mother of an autistic child and founder of First Signs -- a national, nonprofit dedicated to educating doctors, educators and parents about the early signs.
Any child displaying signs that deviate from healthy development needs to be evaluated, she said.
"Screening can be simple, taking no more than five minutes. Through observation, screening and sharing with parents, you can ensure each child's healthy development," Wiseman said. "The key is early detection."
In the midst of the national month of awareness for autism, Delaware is launching the First Signs training program to inform physicians and health care professionals how to detect the early warning signs of autism.
The state-wide program coincides with a national effort to also educate parents about healthy development, urging them to "Learn the signs. Act early."
If physicians can recognize an autistic child early in his life, Delaware Lt. Gov. John Carney said, it can help improve the child's and his family's quality of life.
"Our education, social service and health care systems are not effectively identifying ASD (autism spectrum disorders) during the early years, under age 3, when interventions are most effective," he said. "In fact, by kindergarten enrollment, only 30 percent of children with developmental delays have been identified. Pediatricians and other medical practitioners lack the training, tools and time."
Through Delaware First Signs, physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants can receive training, screening kits and Continuing Medical Education credits.
By heightening awareness, Delaware hopes the program will improve the frequency and quality of screenings, facilitate timely referrals and lower the average detection age.
Autism is not only a personal battle for Carney, whose niece is autistic, but as chairman of the Delaware Health Commission, he knows early detection can be positive for families and clinically beneficial.
"In the long run," Carney said, "early detection can save time, money and heartache."

New Autism Symptoms

2005-04-10T09:10:00.000-05:00

The clinical onset of autism appears to be preceded by two phases of brain growth abnormality, according to a study published in the July 16, 2003, issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
"Behavioral signs and symptoms during the second and third years of life, including delayed speech, unusual social and emotional reactions, and poor attention to and exploration of the environment, raise warnings that a child might have autism," the authors provide as background information in the article. "Autism is a neurobiological disorder, and neurobiological abnormalities must necessarily precede the first behavioral expressions of the disorder. However, such neurobiological early warning signs have not yet been discovered for autism."
Eric Courchesne, PhD, from the University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, and colleagues analyzed data, including head circumference (HC), body length and body weight measurements, from the medical records of 48 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) aged two to five years. The children had previously participated in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies reporting age-related changes in the brain in autism.
Of the 48 participants with ASD, 15 (12 males and 3 females) had pediatric HC measurements at four age periods: birth, one to two months, three to five months, and six to 14 months, and were termed the longitudinal group. The remaining 33 children (29 males and 4 females) were termed the partial HC data group because they had HC measurements at birth and six to 14 months (n=7) and at birth only (n= 28). Two of the participants did not have a birth HC measurement, but did have an HC measurement at two weeks of age.
"This is the first study to our knowledge to find a potential early warning biological sign for autism and to link it to a later brain abnormality," the authors write. "Specifically, we found a rapid and excessive increase in HC measurements, and therefore, presumably, brain size, beginning several months after birth. This abnormally accelerated rate of increase in HC measurements in infants with ASD was evident in comparisons to two nationally recognized normative databases, one a national cross-sectional survey and the other a longitudinal study of growth patterns in healthy infants. In our study, head size increased from the 25th percentile based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) averages of healthy infants to the 84th percentile in six to 14 months. This excessive increase occurred well before the typical onset of clinical behavioral symptoms," the authors report.
The researchers add that only six percent of the individual healthy infants in the longitudinal data showed accelerated HC growth trajectories from birth to six to 14 months; 59 percent of infants with autistic disorder showed these accelerated growth trajectories.
"Although an abnormally large increase in HC in an infant cannot be viewed as a certain and unique marker of autism, it nonetheless does appear to be an important signal that an infant is at significantly heightened risk for the disorder," the authors write in conclusion

Autism Symptoms

2005-03-28T09:10:00.000-06:00

This picture represents well the fact that symptoms of Autism are not always obvious but a certain combination of them make it easier for specialist to identify a child's needs if affected by ASD.

Early Autism Symptoms.

2005-03-26T09:10:00.001-06:00

Like many new mothers, Tina Fougere kept a diary after her twins were born. With great joy, she traced their tiny feet. She diagramed their sprouting teeth. And she diligently chronicled first steps, first words and first birthdays.
What Fougere didn't know at the time was that her son, Nathan, was autistic. The personal journals, which detailed everything from sleep patterns to facial expressions in the two children, have become illuminating scientific documents that show autism can be seen in children as young as 6 months.
Autism, a devastating and confounding neurological disorder, is rarely diagnosed before age 2 and often not until age 3 or 4. The findings generated from the diaries, which were published in last month's scientific journal Neurocase, offered an unprecedented glimpse at the early warning signs.
The information can be crucial to early intervention. But these red flags also give parents even more to worry about if a child isn't developing precisely on schedule. Boys and girls are notorious for reaching milestones at different times.
Now, in addition to tracking a child's height and weight, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention want parents to note when their child smiles, how often, when the child starts to speak, when he learns to play and how he interacts with others.
Specific therapies haven't yet been designed for children who show autistic-like symptoms under a year of age. And there is growing concern that pediatricians aren't adequately trained to diagnose children with neurodevelopmental disorders in the first place.
"It's a new area, and we're still asking the question: Are the signs reliable enough to predict?" said Mel Rutherford, an assistant professor of psychology at Ontario's McMaster University, who studied the Hamilton, Ontario, mother's journals. "The danger is not whether we (diagnose) too early. The danger is not being accurate."
The number of children who have a condition in the autism spectrum is staggering. In the 1980s it was thought that 1 in 2,500 had one. It's now 1 in 166, according to recent CDC estimates. Yet no one can explain why.
Instead, the effort is focused on early diagnosis. Last month, the CDC launched its "Learn the Signs. Act Early" campaign (www.cdc.gov/actearly) to teach parents the signs of normal development.
By 15 to 18 months, for example, a child should be able to say several single words, according to the guidelines. But what parents should know is that autistic children have delays in all forms of communication, verbal and non-verbal. A lack of words at 15 to 18 months isn't necessarily cause for concern as long as he can point and grunt to show parents what he wants.
"If a whole suite of skills is not coming or is late, then you should start to wonder what is going on," Rutherford said.
In Fougere's case, the twins appeared to develop normally for the first six months. Both smiled, were vocally responsive and showed a preference for family members over other people, Rutherford said. Nathan even crawled and walked before his sister.
By age 1, however, Nathan showed less eye contact, less verbal communication and less affection toward others than his sister. In hindsight, a telling moment for Fougere was when Nathan seemed uninterested in his own 1st birthday party.
Still, warning signs are rarely obvious. Betsy Marks' 3-year-old son, Jonah, developed normally for the first year and began speaking. At 13 months the eight words he knew vanished from his vocabulary. But the changes were subtle. "We thought he wasn't talking and he was fussier because he broke his leg (about that time)," said Marks of Highland Park, Ill. "It happened really slowly. Even though it was my fourth child, there was never one minute where I said, `You know what, he's lost every single word!'"
In addition, her oldest child, who does not have autism, didn't start speaking until he was 2. "The thing about autism is no one kid fits a particular profile," Marks said. "Jonah had fantastic eye contact and loved his brothers and sisters. Our regular pediatrician told us his eye contact was too good for autism. But that's just one component."
Marks found pediatrician Alan Rosenblatt, a specialist in neurodevelopmental pediatrics. Since then, over the last year, she said her son has made extraordinary gains. "He's on track to be indistinguishable from his peers by kindergarten," Marks said, her voice full of hope.

Autism Symptoms Study

2005-03-19T09:10:00.000-06:00

A raft of recent reports in professional and mass media has refocused the spotlight on the devastating effects of autism. Autism is a vexing problem with a ten-fold increase over the past 20 years in the number of children afflicted with it. Now, one in every 166 children is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disease (ASD), a cluster of conditions commonly known as autism. It is for good reason that researchers, advocacy groups and the government are striving to improve the lives of children and their families, which exacts a heavy emotional, psychological and financial toll.
Autism is a complex disease in which cellular debris is not promptly removed from the brain. Since autism presents itself in a variety of ways, it is not surprising that the treatments are just as varied and numerous. Drugs ranging from anti-psychotics to stimulants to anti-convulsives have been used with unsatisfactory results. More recent investigations have emphasized afresh that factors other than what causes autism are responsible for the afflicted children. Therefore, a greater emphasis is now being placed on the management of secondary conditions common in autism sufferers.
Among the notable conditions autistic children suffer from are gastrointestinal maladies, food allergies, and heavy metals -- all of which cause anxiety, rashes, bellyaches and aggression. Hence, primary management of these conditions is gaining popularity. In fact, increasing evidence suggests that amelioration of these symptoms significantly improves quality of life of autistic children and their families.

A nutritional regimen that has shown to help restore gastrointestinal balance is inulin, a soluble fiber isolated from the root of Jerusalem artichoke. Inulin is a prebiotic that promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria in the colon, and thus restores balance in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. "When intestinal floral ecology is in healthy balance, the body produces a host of substances that offset adverse events in the GI tract that aggravate symptoms of autism," says Gloria Gilbère, ND., D.A.Hom, Ph.D., who has been at the forefront of advocating the use of nutritional means to help restore intestinal balance. "Inulin is not simply a prebiotic but it also has the advantage that it can help rid the body of heavy metals as well," continued Gilbère. Dr. Gilbère has a long-term interest in detoxification of the body, and is the author of several publications, such as Invisible Illnesses and Pain/Inflammation Matters.
Inulin is marketed by Marlyn Nutraceuticals, Inc., a leading nutraceuticals manufacturer based in Phoenix, Arizona. Inulin from the root of Jerusalem artichoke is superior to that isolated from other sources. It has longer chains, which sustain growth specifically of beneficial intestinal bacteria for extended periods of time. "Initially, we developed InuFlora, our branded inulin prebiotic for intestinal floral balance," said Joe Lehmann, CEO/President, Marlyn Nutraceuticals. "We quickly realized that it also helps remove cellular debris and heavy metals from the body as well. InuFlora can be a far more effective nutritional support to remove heavy metals than drug-induced chelation," said Lehmann. Chelation (or removal) of heavy metals with drugs can cause liver problems, exacerbate gastrointestinal problems, suppress bone marrow compromising the immune response, and strip the body of zinc, an essential mineral. "The driving force of our product development is first and foremost to support the body's own defenses rather than further compromising them," said Lehmann. "As with our other products such as Wobenzym, InuFlora strengthens the body's response to metabolic attrition and helps it heal itself. Therefore, the nutritional management is a viable approach to offset the harsher realities of the disease processes." InuFlora is produced from organically grown Jerusalem artichoke by a proprietary method that retains the natural benefits of inulin.
Whereas autism has a complex clinical spectrum and requires competent clinical attention to mitigate neurological symptoms, it is becoming increasingly clear that secondary effects of the disease are just as devastating. Since the choices to manage secondary conditions are limited, especially those without side effects, nutritional management is a preferable regimen to bolster the body's healing potential.

2005-02-28T09:10:00.000-06:00

Dr. Pauline Filipek sizes up her tiny patient in her toy-strewn clinic in Orange, Calif. As the 22-month-old boy enters the room, he doesn't look at Filipek or anyone else. He plows into a pile of toys on the floor, sometimes walking or crawling over them, but doesn't speak.
He could easily pass as a good-natured child who needs little attention. But Filipek, a neurologist, sees something else. Most toddlers will carry a toy in only one hand — this child clutched a toy in each fist when entering the room. And children this age typically will scope out a room full of strangers warily, sticking close to mom or dad for reassurance.
At the end of a 90-minute exam, she gently tells the child's mother and father — first-time parents in their 30s — their son has autism.
Filipek is among a growing number of child-development experts who say that autism often can be identified much younger than is typically done today, and that early treatment can alter, sometimes dramatically, the course of the brain disease that affects about one in 500 U.S. children.
Geraldine Dawson, director of the Autism Center at the University of Washington's Center on Human Development and Disability, says doctors now can reliably diagnose autism by age 2 and researchers are developing screening tools to identify kids as young as 18 months. "The long-range goal," she says, "is to be able to detect autism at birth or in very early infancy."
Troubling symptoms
What to look for The criteria used to diagnose autism are designed for 3-year-olds. Recent research shows certain behaviors in younger children may indicate a higher risk for developing the disorder. No single factor indicates a child may have autism; the presence of several symptoms could be cause for concern.
Possible symptoms at 6 months:
• Not making eye contact with parents during interaction
• Not cooing or babbling
• Not smiling when parents smile
• Not participating in vocal turn-taking (baby makes a sound, adult makes a sound, and so forth)
• Not responding to peekaboo game
At 14 months:
• No attempts to speak
• Not pointing, waving or grasping
• No response when name is called
• Indifferent to others
• Repetitive body motions such as rocking or hand flapping
• Fixation on a single object
• Oversensitivity to textures, smells, sounds
• Strong resistance to change in routine
• Any loss of language
At 24 months:
• Does not initiate two-word phrases (that is, doesn't just echo words)
• Any loss of words or developmental skill
Source: Rebecca Landa, Center for Autism and Related Disorders at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore
Early recognition is one of the most hopeful developments in the sobering world of autism, a neurological disorder in which people have difficulty communicating and interacting socially with others.
Autistic children often speak little, ignore others and display repetitive behavior, such as spinning in circles or focusing on one object for hours. They may excel at something in detail, such as spelling or playing a musical instrument, but become overwhelmed when trying to navigate the world at large.
The disorder is also known as "autism spectrum disorder," reflecting the wide range in severity of cases and the various subtypes of autism, such as Asperger's disorder and pervasive developmental disorder.
Many doctors see the effort to diagnose autism earlier as a significant development that could yield clues to what causes autism and how best to treat it.
But the trend in early diagnosis has also created a backlog of parents who are demanding diagnostic evaluations earlier — often for babies. Doctors and insurers frequently deny these services for several reasons: Evaluations are costly, there is a lack of trained therapists and some health-care providers say autism can't reliably be identified before age 3 or 4.
Continuing study "Research on early diagnosis is coming off the press as we speak," says Rebecca Landa, director of the Center for Autism and Related Disorders at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore. "People are just starting to list what the red flags are in infants and toddlers."
Those lists are beginning to make their way into the hands of parents and pediatricians. This month, the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will launch a campaign to promote earlier diagnosis of autism.
At about 8 months, Dawson says, babies should babble and pay attention when their names are called. By 12 to 14 months, they should point, wave, gesture, imitate others and play peekaboo.
"This is the age when the child points at something and looks at the mother to see if she sees it," she says. "They show things to their parents. Even before kids are using formal words, they are using their bodies for pointing and showing. This is important because with a child with autism both the verbal and nonverbal systems are affected."
In a 1994 study, Dawson and colleagues examined videotapes of the birthday parties of year-old children later diagnosed as autistic and compared them with videos of normal children. Researchers watched for four behaviors: looking at others, gesturing and pointing, showing things, and responding when their names were called. They weren't told which children were later diagnosed as autistic. Nevertheless, they were able to correctly identify 10 out of 11 normal children and 10 out of 11 autistic children.
Other potential signs of the disorder can emerge between the first and second birthdays, experts say. While most toddlers will be speaking at least a few words by 14 to 18 months, autistic children often do not. Delayed language development may not by itself indicate that a child is autistic, but a delay combined with other autism symptoms is reason for concern, doctors say.
Also, an estimated 20 percent of children with autism appear to develop normal speech, but then begin to regress, no longer speaking words they once spoke, growing silent, shunning others, becoming isolated.
A big "maybe" Doctors can only identify symptoms that may indicate autism in very young children, says Filipek, noting that the earlier the diagnosis is made, the greater the chance of misdiagnosing a child. Still many experts say they feel it's better to recognize any developmental delay and address it as early as possible.
While doctors look for specific developmental signposts, many parents are relying on their own awareness.
Cindy Bluth of San Clemente, Calif., had read about autism in women's magazines and knew enough about the disorder to begin worrying when her daughter, Juliette, was 7 months old. Cindy had three older children when she married her husband, Jon, in 2000.
"I know a little bit about babies," says Bluth. "I realized that Juliette never really looked at Jon and that my face should be her favorite 'toy,' but she did not want to look at me." Juliette was also not babbling.
When her daughter was 10 months old, Bluth called the pediatrician — telling herself she was being silly. But the pediatrician agreed that Juliette's silence and avoidance of eye contact was unusual and said he wanted to see the baby again in two months. By then, Juliette was walking on her toes (a characteristic of autism) and spent hours engrossed in the same Disney videotape.
For Bluth, the clincher came one day when she sat in the park and watched as Juliette sifted through gravel for 40 minutes, engrossed.
Juliette was diagnosed with autism shortly after her first birthday.
Vigilant parents Filipek says most early diagnoses result from parents' concerns, not pediatricians' referrals. In one 1997 study of 1,300 families, children were diagnosed with autism, on average, at age 6. However, many of the parents had sensed something was wrong when their children were about 18 months old, and they had sought medical assistance, on average, by age 2.
"Parents say, 'I have known something is wrong since they were 12 months old, and I've been from physician to physician to physician and they always say not to worry,' " Filipek says. "If you think something isn't right, 85 percent of the time you are on the money as a parent."
The CDC's new campaign aims to educate pediatricians about symptoms while urging parents to reject "wait and see" advice from a doctor.
"I think doctors are afraid of misdiagnosing this," says Bluth, who credits her pediatrician for listening to her early concerns.
Although there is little research to support its usefulness, most autism experts say that intensive therapy — which usually includes 20 or more hours a week of behavioral, speech, physical and occupational therapies — can improve a child's functioning. The earlier such therapy begins, the better, they say.
Diagnosed as autistic shortly after his first birthday, Kai Viruleg underwent extensive therapy and was able to converse, look at strangers and enter preschool by his third birthday last September. But because he no longer exhibited autistic behaviors, the school district denied Kai access to several of his previous therapies.
His mother, Jennifer Damian, had to fight to restore his services, hiring a lawyer at one point. Meanwhile, some of Kai's autistic behavior re-emerged.
"It has taken me about three months to line up new services, and he has lost a lot of ground," says Damian, of Northridge, Calif.
"Regression comes very quickly. It only takes a week of missed therapies."
Damian's determination — she quit her job to become his full-time advocate — has given Kai a chance he might not have had. Most days, Damian shuttles her son to therapy appointments, doctors' visits and school from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. After almost two years of intense intervention he is on track to enter a normal elementary school.
"I remember the day he was diagnosed, after I finished bawling I said, 'I'm going to cure him of his autism,' " Damian recalls. "Well, autism is not a curable disorder. But he would have been severely autistic at this point if we had done nothing."

Motor Skills and Play Time

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This section will introduce the symptoms that affect both the motor skills and the behavior during play time.

You can observe a lack of interest in activities and toys.

A child might focus on a parts of toys rather than the whole toy, giving the impression to be mesmerized by it.

Someone might focus on a specific subject that fascinate him such as: a schedule, special patterns, brand of cars, etc.

A routine must be followed during any activity and what is said to come next or how many times it is to be done must be followed literally.

Some behaviors might be observed such as hand flapping, rocking, spinning, etc/

Both gross and fine motor skills might be showing some delay. While some motor skills might be good, some might be delayed or not developed as well.

Some excitement may be displayed while observing intensely some objects such as a ceiling fan, a light, etc.

Showing odd behavior or unusual ways during play time.

Developing a special or sometimes inappropriate attachment to certain objects.

Matching toys, lining up things while following a certain pattern, spinning objects, etc.

Hyperactivity or a diminution of activity level might also be present.

Repetitive play can be observed as well.

You may also notice a certain amount of clumsiness due to uneven motor skills.

Now that you are aware of the symptoms that affect the motor skills and the play of a child that is affected by the Autism Spectrum Disorder, it will be easier for you to understand and explain it to others so instead of judging, they might be more sensitive to the needs of a person with Autism.

Communication Skills

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This section will introduce the symptoms that affect both the verbal and nonverbal communication skills.

You can notice either a delay in speaking or a lack of vocabulary. The child may also begin to speak and then there may be a gradual loss of language. Always keep in mind that close to half the children affected by Autism will never speak a word or might have just a few words.

Starting, following or participating to a conversation might appears to be challenging for that person.

Echolalia is often observed in people with Autism, especially in children. Echolalia is when someone repeats sounds, words or phrases that were heard previously.

Someone with Autism will tend to interpret literally a conversation which will explain why he may not understand the humor displayed, the listener point of view or read between the lines.

Expressing his needs or what he wants might be difficult.

Now that you understand the challenges that affect the communication skills of someone affected by Autism, you should be able to adapt more easily to his needs. For example, listen, look, take the time to pay attention and act on it right away so it will be eventually understood that communication is very important. Also, wait for his reaction or his reply which will highlight the importance of taking turns and listening well during a conversation. Impatience and judgment should never be part of your interaction with someone that has Autism.

Social Skills

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This section will introduce to you the symptoms that affect the developmental problems concerning both interactions and the relationships.

Eye contact is difficult and can vary from occasionally to rarely established with others.

Body language and facial expressions are challenging to analyze and understand for someone affected by Autism.

Interacting and building relationship with peers is a challenging experience in itself. That explains what appears to be a lack of interest in others and that a preference for being alone might be noticed on occasions or even on a regular basis.

There is a lack of interest in sharing interests, achievements and feelings.

Understanding other people feelings is very difficult as it is so abstract and there is a lack of empathy that is experienced by someone with Autism.

Some aggressiveness can be displayed towards others as well himself.

Throwing tantrums can vary from occasionally to frequent.

Avoiding physical contact or the display of affection can also vary according to the mood and the need of the person.

Emotional reactions such as laughing can also be difficult to understand for someone who cannot seem to identify the source of this reaction.

Someone with Autism seems to be oblivious to the danger of some situations.

Educational approaches must often be adapted as the person might not respond to them otherwise.

Change provides insecurity as routine is safer which explains why someone might be lost without the same activities, the same order to do things, etc.

Oversensitivity or undersensitivity may also be affecting the life of a person with Autism in the following areas: pain, touch, taste, smell, sounds and sights.

An inappropriate or strong attachment to some objects may also be observed in some people.

Ignoring, being unresponsive to verbal communication can also be observed occasionally or more frequently.

Some indifference to the environment may be noticed at times.

The use of pointing to objects or people to indicate something might be absent or may not be displayed often.

Now you it will be easier for you to understand the challenges of someone being affected by the Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Introduction

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Autism is often considered to be a mysterious disorders as facts and myths are mixed together as there are not many people who are actually well informed about it. A big part of the population believes that people who are affected by Autism are unable to express feelings, affection or are incapable of communicating with others at all. That does not reflect the reality. Autistic people do have feelings but are having difficulty to interpret them and are having problems to communicate appropriately and effectively which make them seem awkward and misunderstood.

The symptoms severity level vary from a person to another. Nonetheless, each person affected by the Autism Spectrum Disorder displays some of the following areas: social interactions, communication and play. That is why this disorder is evaluated on a spectrum as it displays such variations. The main symptoms that will be shared with you can be all or partially present depending of the person's individual condition.