NEWS
Developmental Disabilities, Including Autism and ADHD, Are on the Rise
EDUCATION
Validating Preschool Programs for Children With Autism
RESEARCH
Most Effective Seizure Treatments For Children With Autism Spectrum
Disorder
New Method to Localize the Epileptic Focus in Severe Epilepsy
TREATMENT
Methylphenidate (Ritalin) May Reduce ADHD Symptoms in Autism
RESOURCES
iPad Holds Promise For Dealing With Autism
FREE Live Video Streaming AutismOne/Generation Rescue Conference
COMMENTARY
The Attack on Mark and David Geier
NEWS
Developmental Disabilities, Including Autism and ADHD, Are on the Rise
By Meredith Melnick Time
Magazine.
Mom hugging autistic son and
guide dog
Victoria Yee / Photographer's Choice via Getty Imges
One in six American children now has a developmental disability — a 17%
increase over the past decade, driven largely by increases in autism
and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)according to
government researchers.
The new study, published in Pediatrics, found that 15% of U.S. children
aged 3 to 17 were diagnosed with a developmental disability in 2006-08
— about 10 million children in all. In 1997-99, that rate was 12.8%, or
8 million children.
While researchers saw increases in a
wide range of developmental
problems, including stuttering and learning disabilities, the most
significant increases were seen with autism and ADHD. Autism rates
nearly quadrupled over the study period, from 0.19% of children in
1997-99 to 0.74% in 2006-08. But, overall, ADHD accounted for the
greatest number of developmental disability cases; rates rose by 33%,
from 5.7% of children in 1997-99 to 7.6% by 2008.
Nearly twice as many boys as girls had a
disability. ... This
might be because some genetic disabilities are more likely to be
inherited by males, although it could also be that the symptoms of ADHD
and other disabilities are more obvious in boys, and are therefore more
likely to be diagnosed, the study notes.
Rates were also substantially higher
than average among children
from low-income families and children on Medicaid. Hispanic children
had lower rates of disabilities than white or black children, which
perhaps reflects language difficulties and other barriers to accessing
health services rather than the true rate of disability.
The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) study was
based on data from the National Health Interview Surveys, which
included in-person interviews with nearly 120,000 children. Researchers
asked parents across the country to report their kids' diagnoses of
autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, mental retardation, cerebral
palsy, seizures, stuttering or stammering, hearing loss and blindness.
The reasons for the increases are not
clear, but the researchers
suggest they may be due in part to increases in preterm birth and the
older age of parents. Data show that children who are born prematurely
are 30% to 60% more likely to develop ADHD. And a 2010 study found that
mothers older than 40 were 50% more likely to have a child with autism
than mothers in their 20s (although even among the high-risk group, the
odds were still less than 4 in 1,000).
Other key reasons for increases in
diagnosis, particularly with
autism, are better screening, more awareness and less stigma, and
increased vigilance among parents, teachers and pediatricians, the
researchers said.
The more children are diagnosed with
developmental disabilities,
the more demand there is for health and educational services.
Particularly with disorders like autism, research suggests that early
diagnosis and treatment may be crucial for improving symptoms or even
preventing the condition before it develops.
"We are more aware that early
intervention is the key to the
greatest success in these kids, [but] we need the resources to do
that," Alan Hilfer, the director of psychology at Maimonides Medical
Center in New York City, told Health.com.
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•
• •
EDUCATION
Validating Preschool Programs for Children With Autism
ScienceDaily
— Researchers from the University of Miami (UM) Department of
Psychology participated in a multi-site study to examine different
teaching models for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The
study is one of the first to look at the fidelity of treatment models
for preschoolers with autism. The findings are published online in the
current issue of the journal Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders.
The report concludes the first phase of
a four-year project to
analyze the comparative efficacy of preschool programs for children
with ASD. It involves developing and validating assessment measures to
demonstrate that the classrooms in the study are actually implementing
the teaching models at high levels of adherence.
The researchers found that the
assessment instruments they
developed accurately measured how well the models were executed in the
classrooms and that these measurements were able to discriminate
between diverse teaching approaches. The goal is for these tools to
provide an evaluation method for intervention programs for children
with autism, all over the country, explains Michael Alessandri,
clinical professor of Psychology, in the College of Arts and Sciences,
executive director of UM/Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism
and Related Disabilities, (UM-NSU CARD), director of the Division of
Community Outreach and Development at UM and principal investigator for
the UM component of the project.
"This is an important first step. We
hope that the utilization of
these kinds of fidelity tools will enable schools to more closely
monitor the degree to which intervention methods are being delivered,
relative to what the model intends," he said. "If these useful methods
are adopted, parents will have a way to assess the quality of their
child's treatment."
The scientists looked at two comprehensive programs for autistic
children in preschool: the Treatment and Education of Autistic and
Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH) and the Learning
Experiences and Alternative Programs for Preschoolers and Their Parents
(LEAP). The two models were chosen because they are well established
and widely used in public school systems in the U.S.
The study took place in 34 classrooms,
during four months of the
school year. A maximum of four observations were made in each class.
The findings may help explain differences in children's responses to
different intervention treatments, explains Anibal Gutierrez, assistant
scientist of UM-NSU CARD and co-author of the study.
"If we can ensure that the different
programs are all good
programs, implemented at a high level of fidelity, then we may be able
to attribute differences in outcomes to individual child differences,"
said Gutierrez. "We could explain why children with a particular
profile may benefit from one program over another."
Understanding how closely an
intervention model adheres to its
intended plan may also help to scale up programs within the broader
community, explains Drew Coman, Ph.D. student in the Department of
Psychology at UM and co-author of the study.
"I believe these measure not only
provide a brief guide to
implement one of these treatment programs, but they also provide a way
to see the strengths of a particular classroom as well as identify the
features that may need a bit more support and improvement," said Coman.
"Ultimately, these measures provide a means to conduct such
evaluations, and will hopefully lead to more support for teachers,
better classrooms, and ideally improved student outcomes for students
with ASD."
The study was funded by U.S. Department
of Education Institute Of Education Sciences.
• • •
RESEARCH
Most Effective Seizure Treatments For Children With Autism Spectrum
Disorder
Roughly 25-35% of individuals with
autism eventually develop
seizures and many of the remainder have subclinical seizure-like brain
activity. However, little is known about which traditional epilepsy
treatments and commonly used non-traditional alternative treatments are
effective for treating seizures or epilepsy in children and adults with
autism spectrum disorder. A study just published in BMC Pediatrics by
Dr. Richard E. Frye from the University of Texas in Houston and Dr.
James B. Adams from the Arizona State University in Tempe has now
provided insight into which traditional and non-traditional medical
treatments are most beneficial for individuals with autism spectrum
disorder and seizures. These researchers surveyed 733 parents of
children with autism spectrum disorder and seizures, epilepsy and/or
subclinical seizure-like brain activity to rate the effectiveness of 25
traditional and 20 non-traditional medical treatments on seizures.
The survey also assessed the effect of those treatments on other
symptoms (sleep, communication, behavior, attention and mood) and side
effects. Overall, antiepileptic drugs were reported by parents to
improve seizures but worsened other symptoms. Overall,
non-antiepileptic drugs were perceived to improve other symptoms but
did not improve seizures to the same extent as the anti-epileptic
drugs. Four anti-epileptic drugs, valproic acid, lamotrigine,
levetiracetam and ethosuximide, were reported to improve seizures the
most and, on average, have little positive or negative effect on other
symptoms. Certain traditional non-anti-epileptic drug treatments,
particularly the ketogenic diet, were perceived to improve both
seizures and other symptoms.
“The information gained from this study
will help physicians more
effectively manage children with autism spectrum disorder and seizures”
says Dr Frye. Prof. Adams states that “This study suggests that several
non-traditional treatments, such as special diets (ketogenic, Atkins,
and gluten-free, casein-free), are worth further investigation as
adjunctive treatments for treating seizures.” The full study is
published in BMC pediatrics, and is now available at here.
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•
• • New Method to Localize the Epileptic Focus in Severe
Epilepsy
ScienceDaily
— The first two stereo-EEG explorations in Finland were carried out by
neurosurgeons of the Epilepsy surgery team in Helsinki University
Central Hospital this spring. The method reinforces other examination
methods already in use and opens an excellent opportunity in the
exploration of the electric activity of both the surface and the deep
brain structures during epileptic seizures. The examination also
enables exact localization of the functionally important areas of the
brain and improves safety of epilepsy surgery at a later stage.
The stereo-EEG examination was developed
already in the 1960's,
but the recent modifications of the method in the last few years have
made it safer and more feasible. The introduction of the method at HUCH
benefits particularly patients with severe, drug resistant epilepsy
For the patient, the stereo-EEG is a
considerably more pleasant
experience than the earlier-used intracranial recording methods: no
large craniotomy is required as thin recording electrodes are placed
into the brain through small holes. The recording time can also be
increased with the new method from one to as many as four weeks.
Epilepsy surgery in Finland has been
centred in two university
hospitals. In Helsinki University Central Hospital about 30 epilepsy
surgery operations are performed each year, and the results are
extremely good: more than half of the patients will be completely
seizure-free thanks to the operation.
The new stereo-EEG method will be in
active use.
"We have a large number of patients at
the examination stage, and
the ability to localize their epileptic foci through stereo-EEG is very
beneficial. About a quarter of the presurgical patients will need an
intracranial evaluation," neurosurgeon Atte Karppinen from HUCH
Neurosurgery department informs.
Getting ready for Deep Brain Stimulation
HUCH neurosurgery clinic is also getting
ready to introduce the
so-called deep brain stimulation therapy. The equipment and methods
used in the DBS and in the stereo-EEG follow the same basic principles.
In HUCH they have several decades' experience and expertise in DBS
surgery regarding other illnesses, such as Parkinson's disease.
"Starting DBS therapy in the treatment
of epilepsy is
well-founded at the stage when we have sufficient, reliable
research-based information on the results of the method in the
treatment of epilepsy," Dr Karppinen says.
"The methods we use complement each
other, and our team's
technical research facilities, expertise and results achieved by
surgery represent the cutting edge in the whole world. We have all the
knowhow and capacity for DBS surgery, but we proceed with patience."
+ Read more.
• • • TREATMENT
Methylphenidate (Ritalin)
May Reduce ADHD Symptoms in Autism
By Norra MacReady Medscape
Extended-release methylphenidate (ER-MPH) appears to elicit a
dose-dependent improvement in hyperactivity symptoms in children with
autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and comorbid
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), new research suggests.
Presented here at the International
Meeting for Autism Research
10th Anniversary Meeting by investigators at the University of Texas
Medical School at Houston, the randomized, controlled, crossover study
showed ER-MPH in these children was associated with significant
improvement in ADHD symptoms, particularly in the realms of
hyperactivity and impulsivity, with no increase in irritability or
decline in social function.
Comorbidities are common in children
with ASD, Dr. Pearson told Medscape Medical News.
"Many of these children have the core
ADHD symptoms of inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsivity," she
said.
Depending on the research methods,
studies estimate ADHD occurs
in 14% to 80% of this patient population and may be even more
troublesome than the core symptoms of autism.
Lack of Research "Left untreated,
patients with ASD and ADHD have
a high risk of suboptimal outcomes, first as children, then later as
adolescents and adults," Dr. Pearson told meeting delegates.
Stimulants are frequently used to
control ADHD symptoms in these
patients, yet efficacy data from randomized controlled trials are
scarce.
Of the few studies conducted, perhaps
the best known is the 2005
trial conducted by the Research Units on Pediatric Psychopharmacology
(RUPP) Autism Network, which showed that immediate-release
methylphenidate (IR-MPH) decreased hyperactivity, improved attention
span, and possibly enhanced communication skills in ASD and ADHD
children.
However, IR-MPH also was associated with
an increased risk for
irritability and corresponding social withdrawal, and response rates
varied widely, Dr. Pearson noted.
Using the RUPP study as a model, the
investigators conducted the
double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial on 19 boys and 5
girls with ASD who also had significant symptoms of ADHD.
The study goals included examining the
effect of ER-MPH on
behavior and determine whether increasing doses were more effective or
whether the initial gains associated with higher doses were followed by
lesser improvements or even behavioral declines, as had been reported
by some studies from the 1980s.
The subjects had a mean age of 8.9 years
and were considered high
functioning, with an average IQ of 80. All the children had significant
symptoms of ADHD as rated by parents and teachers. The study began with
a week-long placebo washout period.
Then the children received 4 different
dosing regimens on 4
successive weeks: placebo on week 1, low-dose MPH on week 2,
medium-dose MPH on week 3, and high-dose MPH on week 4. Throughout the
study, the children took the ER-MPH at 8 am, followed by IR-MPH at 4
pm. The medication doses ranged from 10 to 40 mg in the morning and 2.5
to 10 mg in the afternoon, depending on the subjects’ weight and the
study week.
+ Read more.
• • • RESOURCES
iPad Holds Promise For Dealing With Autism
Computer developers at Apple didn’t design the iPad with autism in
mind, but it seems like it, according to parents of children with the
disorder.
By Randy Hanson, Hudson
Star-Observer
Brandon Fellrath plays
a matching game on his iPad with some guidance from special needs
teacher Melissa Blake. Photo by Randy Hanson
Computer developers at Apple didn’t
design the iPad with autism
in mind, but it seems like it, according to parents of children with
the disorder.
After hearing about how other autistic
children had benefitted
from iPads, Kendra Wiesemeyer purchased one for her 15-year-old son
Elliot at the beginning of the school year.
Elliot has been using the touch-screen
computer tablet for
entertainment and to speak for him. It also is increasing his word
recognition.
“We have a lot of hope in this
technology for breaking through to
these boys,” said Wiesemeyer. She hopes the iPad improves his language
skills, behavior and enjoyment of leisure time.
When educators saw how Elliot responded
to the iPad, the school
district purchased devices for other students with intense autism.
They include Brandon Fellrath, a
13-year-old student at Hudson Middle School.
Brandon’s mother, Angie, also is
optimistic about the potential for the iPad to improve her son’s social
skills.
Through the Proloquo2Go application,
students are able to touch a picture on the screen and have the iPad
speak for them.
Brandon has a vocabulary of 1,000 words,
but rarely uses them.
Now he can touch a picture to express his wishes — for example, when he
wants to order a cheeseburger from a fast-food restaurant.
“A tool like this will help him in those
situations,” Fellrath said.
Autistic children are hyper-sensitive to
sensory inputs, she
explained. Having a conversation with someone is so stimulating that
the child is unable to speak.
“They may know in their heads what they
want to say, but are
unable to get it out. So something like this (the iPad) is going to do
the communicating. They are going to be able to express that using this
basic tool,” Fellrath said.
Autism is a general term used to
describe a group of complex
developmental brain disorders. It affects the brain areas controlling
language, social interaction and abstract thought, and is characterized
by a lack of response to other people and a limited ability or desire
to communicate.
Families usually begin to notice their
children’s communication problems around the age of 3.
“We definitely felt like one day there
was something different,”
said Fellrath, speaking for herself and husband Brady. “One day he just
didn’t respond. We actually brought him in for hearing tests because we
thought he had a hearing loss overnight. And he got clumsy overnight."
Brandon had been using at least five
words before becoming non-verbal.
Elliot never talked. “That was our key.
He just never talked,” said Wiesemeyer.
Both boys have what is sometimes termed
intense autism.
“Articulation is very difficult. Word
retrieval is very difficult
— especially when they are under stressful circumstances,” Wiesemeyer
said. “They cannot hold a conversation with you. This is a
low-incidence autism."
Wiesemeyer and Fellrath met 10 years ago
through the Wisconsin
Early Autism Project, a home-based therapy program for children with
the disorder.
“That kind of started our journey,” said
Wiesemeyer.
“We’ve been very supportive of each
other because we can understand each other and relate,” added Fellrath.
+ Read more.
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• • • COMMENTARY
The Attack on Mark and David Geier...
Opinion by Consumer Advocate Tim Bolen
Bolen
Report
An attorney friend of mine, Bob Reeves,
a mainstay in the mercury
in health care wars, called me last April 28th, 2011 and asked me to
look into some strange occurrences regarding Mark Geier MD
and his son David Geier.
As everyone knows, the Geiers are severe critics of the fact that
Thimerosal (mercury - deadly toxic to humans) has NOT, despite false
claims and misrepresentations from the vaccine industry, been removed
from vaccines.
Bob asked me, as a Crisis Management
Consultant, to analyze the
situation and give him, and the Geiers, my Opinion and make some
Recommendations. This, below, is the Public Version. The Private
Version is much grittier.
Who are these Geier guys?
In short, they are the nemesis of the world-wide vaccine industry.
(1) Last January 27th, 28th, 29th, 2011
the Geiers, along with
their colleague Lisa Sykes attended, by invitation as an official NGO
, the United Nations Environment Programme - Intergovernmental
Negotiating Committee to prepare a global legally binding instrument on
Mercury (INC2)
. There, they officially presented, to the shocked international
delegates, convincing evidence that mercury in vaccines, HAS NOT
actually been removed, and represents a serious threat to the people of
Planet Earth. The Geiers have since been invited to present again at
the next conference in Nairobi, Kenya, in October, 2011.
(2) The Geiers have been a mainstay in
the State legislative
actions banning Thimerosal in vaccines across the US, and the world.
More than half of the States are involved in Thimerosal ban
legislation. Already, New York, Delaware, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois,
California, and Washington state have legislated those bans.
(3) The Geiers, through their non-profit corporation CoMeD recently
sued the FDA for, as attorney Bob Reeves say "The failure of the FDA to
follow their own regulations and require testing for the safety of
vaccines."
(4) Press Releases - the Geiers, through
their organizations,
have issued Press Releases documenting mercury in vaccine issues. There
are five of them. You can read them by clicking on each one: One
, Two
, Three
, Four
, Five.
(5) Their peer reviewed studies,
over a hundred, cover a broad range of Thimerosal
caused issues including two extremely shocking revelations: (a)
Thimerosal in vaccines is 300 times more toxic to the human brain than
the bacteria in the vaccines it is designed to destroy, (b) there is a
Thimerosal substitute that is twenty times more destructive to bacteria
and it has NO affect on the human brain. You can find many of these
published papers here .
+ Read more.
Note: The opinions expressed in COMMENTARY are those of the author and
do not necessarily represent the views of the Schafer Autism Report.