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| Monday, December 15, 2008 Reader Supported | ||
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TREATMENT Girls' Autism Signs Miss Early Diagnosis By Emma Downs for The Journal Gazette. is.gd/bHuc There’s nothing unusual about Emily Disher. Not at first glance, anyway. In many ways, the Fort Wayne 12-year-old is a typical sixth-grader. She does her homework. She plays with her Wii (probably more than her parents wish she would). And, of course, she worries. Usually about ordinary stuff. Grades, friends, fitting in. But spend a little more time with Emily, and you begin to notice there is something different about her. She stands a little too close, for instance. If she’s looked at for too long, she gets angry. And when she is excited or happy, she rocks – rhythmically bending back and forth and repeatedly putting her hand to her lips and yanking it away again. “Emily’s struggles are social,” her mother Angie Disher says. “If you met my daughter, unless you spent a day or two around her, you wouldn’t know anything is wrong with her, except she’s a little odd.” In 2001, Emily was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified, or PDDNOS, a condition on the autism spectrum in which some – but not all – of the features of autism are present. The diagnosis took the Dishers two years – and countless visits, evaluations and observations by doctors – to receive. At the time, the family lived in Muncie. “No one could see it,” Disher says. “Emily met all her milestones, but I knew something was wrong. The doctors, the school, all they saw was a hint of this and a hint of that. It was a late diagnosis, but I was almost relieved when it happened.” Autism – and disorders, like Emily’s, on the autism spectrum – is generally considered a boy’s health issue, in part because it’s nearly four times more likely in boys than in girls, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Of the 560,000 people younger than 21 who have autism in the United States, only about 140,000 are girls – a small group – which makes data and research about autism in girls (and whether or not autism manifests itself differently in boys and girls) pretty scant. One thing, however, is apparent. On average, girls are diagnosed with autism later than boys, says Renee Buskirk, special education specialist for Fort Wayne Community Schools. Frequently, girls are not diagnosed until middle or high school, when social nuances become more complicated. Until then, girls with disorders on the autism spectrum are often perceived as just being shy, Buskirk says. “Before middle school, a girl’s symptoms may be masked, in part, because of how girls are socialized in our society,” she says. “We raise them to avoid outward behaviors like aggression. Instead, they’re quiet and polite. It’s only later that we notice it goes beyond shyness. That these girls are not picking up on teenage girl talk. That they’re becoming socially isolated.” This was the case with Maureen Johnson, 37, who was diagnosed with PDDNOS only two years ago. Johnson, an assistant professor of public health at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, was surprised by her diagnosis, she says. “It shocked me, honestly,” she says. “I tried to deny it at first, tried to argue that I didn’t have it.” Looking back, the signs were all there, she says. Her sensitivity to noise and light, for instance. Her lack of eye contact. And even as a college student, she continued to walk on her tiptoes like a toddler. “In most of the pictures of me as a child, I’m crying,” Johnson says. “Because the flash from the camera would physically hurt my eyes. And that’s one of those pervasive things you don’t outgrow when you have an autism spectrum disorder. For instance, right now I’m on the phone with you in my office and I have the lights off. I’m still really sensitive to light.” Johnson’s sensitivity to light and sound – along with her other symptoms, such as an inability to pick up on certain social cues – were written off as “odd behavior” when she was younger. But during the 1970s and ’80s, autism was not a diagnosis people looked for, especially in girls, she says. “I’d guess there are a lot of people born before 1990 who are being misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all,” she says. “If a girl is quiet, if she’s not disruptive and has more subtle symptoms, she’s less likely to be taken to a doctor. That’s how I wasn’t noticed. I got good grades. I was never taken to the principal’s office. I often wonder how things would be different if I’d have been diagnosed at 3. If it would’ve helped or hindered me.” Generally, early detection and intervention is preferred, for both boys and girls, Buskirk says. + Read more: is.gd/bHuc DO SOMETHING ABOUT AUTISM NOW  . . . Read, then Forward the Schafer Autism Report. $35 for 1 year - or free! www.sarnet.org • • • Autism Treatment Program Faces Elimination in SC Agency says unused funds that were carried over may be needed elsewhere By Ben Szobody for the Greenville News. is.gd/bHFV Hundreds of autistic children could soon lose the early treatment that activist mothers secured 18 months ago in part because the state agency for people with disabilities said it will no longer ensure that $6.8 million in appropriated funding will stay with the program as it grapples with budget cuts. State Sen. David Thomas said the state Department of Disabilities and Special Needs appears to be "raiding" special programs funded with specific appropriations to protect the core agency from mandated budget cuts, a move he said is a "form of theft" that raises "serious legality questions.” "They just don't want to cut any of their programs," he said. DDSN spokeswoman Lois Park Mole said, "That program is not being raided," and that other services have been eliminated entirely as the agency tries to protect its most vulnerable consumers with the most complex needs. Thomas said he intends to call a January hearing and could seek an attorney general's opinion. He said a new audit that shows $9 million of $10.5 million appropriated for the autism program unused or diverted by DDSN adds to his frustration. Last week, Mole disputed the audit's findings, saying $6.8 million in unused autism appropriations had been carried forward but wouldn't be diverted from the program. This week, Mole said a new round of state budget cuts meant she could no longer guarantee that the unused funds won't be spent elsewhere. Thomas said, "This is beginning to sound like money was diverted and this is a post-hoc explanation.” Lorri Unumb, a mother who said she made 50 to 60 lobbying trips to Columbia to push for the autism program and insurance coverage, has said she would be "very upset" to find that funds they secured were being spent elsewhere on a service vital to hundreds of children now waiting in line. Thomas said if cuts to programs funded with "flow-through" money -- such as the autism program -- are steeper than the agency-wide budget cuts, then it could be a sign that DDSN is using those programs as a cushion against true budget reductions. The Legislature initially appropriated $7.5 million for the autism program in 2007-2008, an amount that Mole said has already been cut by 40 percent, to $4.5 million in nonrecurring funds, as part of the agency's overall budget reductions. That reduced the number of children who can participate from as many as 550 to 370, she said. + Read more: is.gd/bHFV • • • Play Therapy finds Its Way Into Schools Arleah Difebbo for the Cleveland Banner, TN. is.gd/bHMm When Kathy Johnson and Sandy Cohl visit elementary schools, they come armed with dolls, toys, paint and puppets. However, the two Lee University students aren't coming just to entertain. They are engaging at-risk children in a concept called Play Therapy. "Play Therapy is a mode of treatment or counseling for children ages 4 to 12," said Lee University Play Therapy Center Clinical Director Dr. Kim Eckert. "The basic premise is that play is a child's natural language just as talking is an adult's natural language. Kids are best served by using their natural language of play to work through their issues.” Dr. Eckert said her staff treats children with a wide range of social and behavioral issues either at the eight public schools they visit or at the Play Therapy Center facility on Blythe Avenue. "We see children with anger management or impulse control problems, ADHD and autism. We see children who are experiencing divorce or a death in the home, and we also see kids who have been abused or have witnessed domestic violence and are depressed or have anxiety," said Eckert. She said they receive referrals from schools, the Head Start program, foster care and by word of mouth. "In play therapy, we use what is called 'prescriptive-eclectic' therapy. That means we match the intervention with the problem. We don't assume there is only one type of therapy. This is good for the parents because it gives kids what they need," said Eckert. The Play Therapy Center facility, headed by Lee University, opened in January 2003 in the building formerly known as Blythe Avenue School. The staff has been working in city and county public schools for nearly two years, thanks to funding from the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative. The staff consists of two licensed psychologists -- Dr. Eckert and Dr. Trevor Milliron -- and three interns -- Johnson, Cohl and Heather Scherr. The supervised interns are Lee University graduate students who complete a one-year unpaid internship. Johnson said she has seen positive results in the children she works with at the schools. "Overall, our trips to the schools mean 30 minutes of a child's day where they can come and relax and let things out. It's time just for them to talk about what's on their mind. Especially for kids with ADHD, it's hard to sit still all day," said Johnson. "It can be challenging at times because, unlike adults, kids who are in therapy don't make that decision. Someone has made it for them," said Johnson. "It's always good when you see a kid buy into the work we are doing and when he or she realizes, 'This person is for me.'“ Eckert recalls one autistic child's "breakthrough" while attending the Play Therapy Center. "Several years ago, we had an autistic child who wouldn't speak to us or make eye contact. After eight months of coming to us, he not only would engage verbally but also would initiate the conversation! It was very exciting. It's amazing to watch us make an impact on children and how much it helps kids with their self-esteem," said Eckert. Cohl said the "little changes" are what she appreciates most in working with the children. "The little changes are important, too. Those small week to week improvements are made by a therapist connecting with a child," said Cohl. "Everyone does make progress at a different rate," agreed Eckert. Cohl said in addition to helping children in an important way, she feels she is gaining valuable experience as a student. "I like that we have a varied experience. We work at the facility, where we are seeing clients and making appointments, and we get to visit schools, which allows us to see how counselors work in the academic setting. I feel I will be very prepared for a school or professional setting," she said. Eckert said anyone interested in learning more about the Play Therapy Center or possibly enrolling their child into the program, can call the facility at 728-3551. The facility is located at the Blythe Neighborhood Safe Haven and Resource Center at 1075 Blythe Ave. Center fees are on a sliding scale based on family income. • • • Trained Therapists Make Difference For Las Vegas Autistic Children is.gd/bHS3 The controversy over whether vaccines trigger autism will likely continue, until science determines the facts. In the meantime, families of autistic children often turn to specially- trained therapists for help. The day-to-day challenges of raising an autistic child can be draining on the entire family. But a new local facility has opened that's specially designed to meet those challenges. Touro University in Henderson is now an option. Las Vegas resident, Amanda Nivea noticed changes in her son Austin when he was 18 months old. At one point, she even feared for the safety of his sister Hailey, then a baby. "He had no emotion. He couldn't care less if we were there, if we weren't. And he was constantly beating his head on the walls, on the floors. He was just miserable. He went from being what seemed to be a happy, perfectly normal little boy to miserable and crying and violent," said Nivea. Austin was diagnosed as autistic, and the family needed to learn to cope. They were among the first families to turn to Touro University's new Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities. There, therapist Cathy Patten specializes in teaching autistic children how to interact with others. "There was no motivation to play. His only mode of playing was to do things repetitiously, to sit sedentary and play with one toy without any exploration or joy," said Patten. Pediatrician and educator, Andrew Eisen also works with autistic children at Touro. He does not believe that a link has been conclusively found between vaccines and autism and believes it would be a big mistake to do away with vaccines. "Nobody wants to see outbreaks of diphtheria again or to see widespread rubella. Those are major problems. I understand people's fear about this and I think -- but because autism is so common and so serious, and frustrating for people, that they're searching for something," said Dr. Eisen. Nivea, though, like thousands of other parents, says the timing of Austin's symptoms was suspiciously close to his vaccinations. "I felt like he was a normal happy healthy loving little boy. And at 18-months-old, he was gone. And he wasn't the same," said Nivea. The severity of autism varies greatly among children. And behavioral therapy is often needed to teach the child even the most basic social skills. • • • When 'Terrible 2s' May Be Signs of Autism is.gd/bHYL UPI - A U.S. researcher says a setback in child development may not be the "terrible 2s," but regressive autistic spectrum disorder. Gerry A. Stefanatos of Temple University in Philadelphia said regressive autistic spectrum disorder describes children who have been diagnosed with autism who demonstrate a history of a regression. The regression refers to a marked loss of previously acquired developmental skills such as language or social ability. "Often children with regression aren't being seen by professionals at the time of the loss of skills," Stefanatos said in a statement. "The parents are aware of a problem, but not sure what it is so they don't seek medical or psychological help until the symptoms persist for over a year.” Children with regressive autistic spectrum disorder seem to develop normally until about 18 months to 24 months, acquiring small vocabulary and acting social, but then over the course of weeks or months, they lose their speech and no longer use words they had previously learned, Stefanatos said. These children have problems comprehending speech they used to understand and no longer follow commands. "If you have suspicions, go and see a pediatrician and explain what you're seeing in your child," Stefanatos said. "If there is in fact a regression, it helps to have another set of eyes to confirm suspicions.” • • • RESEARCH New Study Backs Parent Age-Autism Link is.gd/bHWT Reuters Health — Advanced parental age does indeed appear to boost autism risk in children, and the risk is seen with both mothers and fathers, new research shows. "What we found was that actually it's both parents age, and when you control for one parent's age you still see the effect of the other parent's age, and vice versa," Dr. Maureen Durkin of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, the lead researcher of the study reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology, told Reuters Health. The findings may offer clues to understanding the causes of autism and why it's on the rise, but they shouldn't be used to guide family planning decisions, Durkin said. Even though the oldest child born to two older parents is three times as likely to be autistic than a middle or youngest child with younger parents, she explained, there's still a 97 percent chance that the higher-risk child will be perfectly fine. "The vast majority of children don't develop autism," she emphasized. Several studies have suggested links between a father's age or the age of both parents and a child's likelihood of having autism. The current study included twice as many autism cases as any other research on this issue to date, which made it possible to tease out the effects of both maternal and paternal age. The researchers looked at 253,347 children born in 1994 at 10 sites included in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network. There were 1,251 children who met standard criteria for an autism spectrum disorder at age 8 for whom information on both parents' age was available. After the researchers accounted for factors that might influence the results, they found that children born to mothers aged 35 and older were 30 percent more likely than those whose mothers were 25 to 29 years old to have been diagnosed with autism. Having a father who was 40 or older boosted risk by 40 percent. The effects of parental age were additive; firstborn kids with two older parents were at more than triple the risk of autism compared to third or later children born to mothers 20 to 34 years old and fathers under 40. Past studies have suggested that more educated moms are more likely to have autistic kids, but Durkin and her team found this was because these women were older than less educated women, not because they had more years of schooling. There are several possible explanations for why older moms and dads are at greater risk of having autistic children, the researchers say. Older parents have had a longer time to sustain genetic damage to their sperm or egg cells, as well as to store up environmental contaminants in their bodies. They are also more likely to have used assisted reproduction technologies, which have been tied to poor pregnancy outcomes. And there could just be something about the behavioral traits or psychological makeup of people who wait to have children that boosts autism risk in their offspring. The findings could also help explain why autism appears to be on the rise in the US, the researchers add, since the percentage of children who are born to mothers 35 and older and fathers 40 and older has risen steadily since 1980. • • • PUBLIC HEALTH Federal Agencies At Odds Over Fish Consumption FDA report argues people should eat more; EPA calls study `inadequate' The Associated Press. www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28200156/ For years, the federal government has recommended that pregnant women and young children limit their consumption of fish to avoid exposure to potentially harmful amounts of mercury. Now, two top consumer protection agencies are at odds on whether that advice should be reconsidered to encourage all people to eat more fish, in order to promote healthy hearts. The Food and Drug Administration has been circulating a draft report within the government that argues the health benefits of eating fish outweigh the potential ill effects of mercury. But the Environmental Protection Agency has fired off a memo to the White House calling the 270-page FDA study "scientifically flawed and inadequate" and an "oversimplification" lacking analytical rigor. Environmental groups are crying foul. They say it's a sneak attempt to undercut important public health advice in the waning hours of a Bush administration that has treated science as a stepchild. "The FDA was once a fearsome protector of the public health. Now it's nothing more than a patsy for polluters," Richard Wiles, executive director of the Environmental Working Group, said in a statement. The food industry is praising the FDA's shift. One organization, the Center for Consumer Freedom, called it "long overdue and a huge public-health victory" that "just might be the best Christmas present health-conscious Americans could hope for.” The interagency feud spilled into the open Friday when the Environmental Working Group released copies of the dueling memos. The dispute was first reported by the Washington Post. More controversy The FDA is embroiled in another controversy over the science of food safety. Recently, a panel of outside advisers challenged the agency on bisphenol A, or BPA, a chemical used to make plastic for food packaging and other consumers goods. The independent experts said that FDA's conclusion that low doses of BPA are safe was scientifically flawed. The battle over mercury is now attracting the interest of Congress. "FDA should not change anything it cannot back up with the best science, because we know that mercury can cause brain and cardiovascular damage," said Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., who chairs the Environment and Public Works Committee. "FDA should not play politics with the health of our families.” At the FDA, officials sought to tamp down the controversy and dispel concerns that the agency is about to toss out the government's current mercury guidance. "It would be a mistake to assume that this draft report represents the FDA's official position because a final determination on these matters has not been reached," said spokesman Michael Herndon. "Following the discussion among government agencies, FDA intends to seek public comment. This will all be done in a very public and transparent manner, and the FDA will make no final determination until all the relevant comments and scientific analysis has been carefully considered.” + Read more: www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28200156/ • • • Autism a Factor In Swallowing Magnets is.gd/bHym UPI -- U.S. researchers said a child's medical or psychological status -- such as autism -- was a factor linked to swallowed magnets. Not all children will be inclined to swallow magnets, but if a particular child displays tendencies to eat or swallow inappropriate objects, flags should be raised and special attention should be paid to ensuring that toys do not contain any type of magnetic components, study author Dr. Alan Oestreich of the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center say in a statement. The study, published in Pediatric Radiology, found a child's medical or psychological status was a factor linked to magnets swallowed by children. While many children in the study were under the age of 3, it should not be perceived that the problem is restricted to toddlers, Oestreich said. Magnets can look like chocolate. Although swallowing magnets can be fatal, the flu-like symptoms can be deceptively mild at first -- nausea, vomiting, cramps or abdominal pain. If a magnet is swallowed the child should be treated immediately, Oestreich says. • • • MEDIA Conference Call: How to Prepare Families for the Holidays Learn tips on how to create meaningful holidays with children on the spectrum by Autism File Magazine. Moms Fighting Autism, a social network on the internet that connects moms of children with autism, will host a free web conference call about Creating Meaningful Holidays with Children on the Autism Spectrum, on Monday, December 15, 2008, from 6pm to 8pm PST (9pm to 11pm EST.) Register for the call here www.momsfightingautism.com/teleseminar and get a free download of an article from the US / Canada premiere issue of The Autism File magazine entitled The Autism Research Institute & Defeat Autism Now!. The Autism File is an international autism magazine available in many major bookstores and by subscription at www.autismfile.com. “In this time of economic hardship, MomsFightingAutism.com and The Autism File wanted to give an early and useful holiday present to those families impacted by autism,” explained Chantal Sicile-Kira, author of Autism Life Skills, and ‘Ask Chantal’ columnist for The Autism File, who will be moderating this event. “Web conference calls and magazines are a great way for the parent and professional who feels isolated or cannot make it to conferences to stay connected.” The speaker on December 15th will be Lisa Lieberman, MSW, LCSW, an psychotherapist in private practice in Oregon with over 30 years experience, and author of A Stranger Among Us: a comprehensive guide to hiring one-to-one providers for children and young adults with disabilities. Mrs. Lieberman and her husband are blessed with a 20-year-old son, Jordan, who has autism. “With the holidays fast approaching, parents with children on the spectrum will face unique challenges and pressures – including how to balance everyone's needs,” explained Lisa. “We hope this two-hour free autism web conference call will help keep the ‘happy’ in Happy Holidays,” said Chantal. This conference call is part of an interactive series that Ernest Priestly, founder of MomsfightingAutism.com, has been providing and will continue through the new year. Listeners on the webcasts are able to post a question live while the speaker is presenting. “This interactivity always brings out more in the speaker and moderator,” said Ernest, “It helps those who are listening, and searching for answers, to get the information they really need.” Today's SAR is provided through the support of paid subscription readers. - THANK YOU - |
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