Online Survey for Mothers

A mother's perspective (autism stories)

Autism in the news (updated wkly)

A Clinician's Protocol for Treating Autism

ABA Blog

Testimonials

What to do when your child is diagnosed

Links to resources

more free information >>

Contact us at:
Gary Brown, Ph. D

Licensed Psychologist/HSP

The Children's Treatment Center

302 Broadway

Martin, TN 38237

gbrown@utm.edu

Go to Treatment Options

For Today's Autism News Go to http://autismretort.com

Autism in the News July 15, 2008

Vaccine schedule linked to Autism in Monkeys

Laura Hewitson, from the University of Pittsburgh, is studying the effect of vaccine overload in monkeys. The vaccine schedule is comparable to that of human children in the 1990’s when autism rate exploded.

The authors noted that although macaque monkeys are commonly used in pre-clinical vaccine safety testing, the combined childhood vaccine regimen has not been studied. They believe that it may not be the single vaccine but the interaction of different vaccines or the schedule in which they are given that is the problem.

Research tested 13 monkeys, with 10 of them receiving doses of the vaccines according to the recommendations made between 1994 and 1999. Three monkeys served as controls and were not given any vaccines.

Assessment of primate development, cognition, and social behavior was done using standardized tests developed at the Washington National Primate Research Center. Also MRI and PET scans looked for brain changes after administration of the MMR.

Findings of the study found developmental delays, behavior problems, and brain changes in the vaccinated animals that are similar to specific neurological abnormalities commonly found in children diagnosed with autism. Vaccinated animals scored lower in tests of survival reflexes, color discrimination and reversal, and learning sets.

Scientists also found signs of severe chronic active inflammation in the gastrointestinal tissue in the vaccinated animals but not in the unexposed monkeys. This finding has been reported in the literature. Often children with regressive autism report severe GI ailments.

The studies address a major concern of parents and some health professionals concerning a possible link between the greatly stepped-up immunization schedule in the 1990s, including higher exposure to the mercury preservative, and autism.

Angie MacKewn, PhD

Assistant Professor of Psychology

University of Tennessee at Martin

Martin, TN

amackewn@utm.edu

+++

Autism in the News May 15, 2008

Clean Rooms Being Explored as Novel Treatment for Autism

www.post-gazette.com/pg/08132/880873-52.stm

An environmental pediatric clean room is a new treatment concept being explored at the Children's Institute in Squirrel Hill. Here young patients will stay in a pollutant-free "clean room," in an attempt to detoxify their bodies. This clean room plan will be the first of its kind in the American hospital system.

Dr. Scott Faber, a pediatrician with several hundred autistic patients and a waiting list six months long, is a believer that invading toxins cause autism.

The clean rooms were developed with help from Duquesne University. Patients with autism will stay in a 1,000-square-foot room kept mostly free of harmful chemicals and pollutants, using special air-filtering systems, ultraviolet lights, and air locks on doorways.

In addition, doctors would flush any chemicals out of the child’s body and boost their immune systems through nutritional supplements and dietary changes.

"What we would like to do is have kids live in this wonderful environment where they are exposed to almost none of the Industrial Revolution. And we wonder, if the chemicals come out and the heavy metals come out, will the children start improving?" Dr. Faber said. "Will they start showing signs of clinical improvement, such as language improvement and socialization improvement? Will they become less obsessive? Less fascinated?"

The Alcoa Foundation recently awarded the initial $200,000 in grant monies but this project will require an estimated $500,000 to fully design and at least $1 million in yearly operating support its first three years.

Clean rooms have been used in hospital settings for patients struggling with infectious diseases and transplants. They have also been used to treat children with autism, but only in patients' homes, largely in work by Virginia researcher and nutritionist Karen Slimak. Dr. Faber plans to make Ms. Slimak’s work more mainstream as it will be staged in a hospital setting.

"We're not saying this is the full cause" of autism and related illnesses, Dr. Faber said. "Obviously there are multiple causes, and there are going to be found many genetic causes, many environmental causes and many genetic-environmental interactions.”

Angie Mackewn, PhD

Assistant Professor of Psychology

University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News May 2, 2008

Mercury Emissions Linked to Autism

tinyurl.com/6ao84s

Researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio found a relationship between pounds of industrial release of mercury and rates of autism as measured by distance from emission soure.

Dr. Palmer, Stephen Blanchard, Ph.D., of Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio and Robert Wood of the UT Health Science Center found that prevalence rates of autism in a community decreases by 1 percent to 2 percent with each 10 miles of distance from the emission source.

“This study was not designed to understand which individuals in the population are at risk due to mercury exposure,” Dr. Palmer said. “However, it does suggest generally that there is greater autism risk closer to the polluting source."

These results are consistent with other findings confirming greater amounts of mercury are found in plants and animals living closer to the pollution sources. For pregnant women exposed to constant low dose exposure to these pollutants during the critical window of neural development this may increase the risk for autism in her child.

The current study in Texas examined the mercury release from 39 coal-fired power plants and 56 industrial facilities and the rates of autism across 1 040 school districts throughout the state over a period of time. For every 1,000 pounds of mercury released by all industrial sources in Texas into the environment in 1998, there was a corresponding 2.6 percent increase in autism rates in the Texas school districts in 2002. These rates dropped by 1-2 percent for every 10 miles away from the source.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated environmental mercury releases at 158 million tons annually nationwide in the late 1990s, the time period studied by the Texas team. Most exposures were said to come from coal-fired utility plants (33 percent of exposures), municipal/medical waste incinerators (29 percent) and commercial/industrial boilers (18 percent). Cement plants also release mercury.

Implications from this study suggest that more attention be paid to mercury emissions and that more research is needed to find non-mercury polluting technologies. Further research is also needed on the effects of mercury on fetal development.

Palmer, R.F., Blanchard, S. Wood, R. (2008). Proximity to point sources of environmental mercury release as a predictor of autism prevalence. Health & Place.

+++

Autism in the News April 2, 2008

EPA Fails to Protect Children from Dangerous Chemicals

tinyurl.com/2qhhgh

Most people think that the Environmental Protection Agency is an advisory committee set up to protect the private citizen against compounds and products harmful to them. One of the EPA’s pilot committees, called the Voluntary Children's Chemical Evaluation Program (VCCEP), is set up to specifically protect children from these dangerous chemicals. The main method that the VCCEP uses to determine what is dangerous is through reports and recalls from companies that produce them. As ineffective as this may seem it was better than nothing, which is what is currently the case. Funding was pulled last year and key members of this group don’t know what is going on because they have not met.

Disbanding of this protection committee doesn’t stop the EPA administrators from making suggesting that this committee is proof that the government is concerned with children’s safety and protection.

After some research into this federally funded program and its committee members, The Journal Sentinel found several indiscretions including:

• Some panels deciding on the safety of chemicals were disproportionately staffed with scientists who had financial ties to chemical makers.

• Industry scientists often downplayed the risks that their chemicals posed. In one case, scientists underestimated by nearly 40 times the amount of a certain chemical found in the blood of people tested for the compound - a substance suspected of interfering with behavior and brain development.

• When pressed for more information about the chemicals they made, companiesoften refused or ignored requests by the EPA.

• The EPA did not keep a budget for the program and couldn't say how much was spent over the past eight years.

• The program's Web site describing the dangers of chemicals to children is so riddled with jargon that even pediatricians specializing in environmental health say they can't make sense of it.

Jay Berkelhamer, past president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, in a letter to EPA administrator Stephen Johnson last year, "The EPA should consider terminating this pilot and replacing it with a mandatory program with stricter deadlines and a more transparent, accountable review system."

Angie Mackewn, PhD

Assistant Professor of Psychology

University of Tennessee at Martin

Martin, TN 38238

amackewn@utm.edu

+++

Autism in the News March 25, 2008

Vaccine Skeptics Cause may have Caused Measles Outbreak

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/21/us/21vaccine.html?hp

In San Diego 12 children not vaccinated for measles fell victim to the illness. Of the 12, 9 did not receive the inoculation because of parent refusal and 3 were too young for the vaccination. A growing number of parents are refusing some or all vaccinations for their children, not out of religious freedoms, but out of fear that vaccinations cause autism and other neurological disorders.

To date, twenty states allow exemption from inoculation for personal reasons. In 1991, less than 1 percent of children in those 20 states with personal-belief exemptions went without vaccines; by 2004, the most recent year for which data are available, the percentage had increased to 2.54 percent, said Saad B. Omer, an assistant scientist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. These numbers have health officials worried.

“If you have clusters of exemptions, you increase the risk of exposing everyone in the community,” said Dr. Omer, who has extensively studied disease outbreaks and vaccines. Worldwide, 242,000 children die every year from measles, but it used to be near one million. The deaths have dropped 68% from 2000 to 2006 because of vaccination, say health officials. Dr. Mark Sawyer, a pediatrician and infectious disease specialist at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego says that, “Most of these parents have never seen measles, and don’t realize it could be a bad disease so they turn their concerns to unfounded risks. They do not perceive risk of the disease but perceive risk of the vaccine."

Angie MacKewn, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Psychology

University of Tennessee at Martin

Martin, TN

+++

Autism in the News March 15, 2008

Vaccine Court Rules in Favor of Family

For the entire article go to: http://tinyurl.com/34ba8j

After hearing the Poling’s case in the federal vaccine court, medical evaluators at the Department of Health and Human Services concluded that vaccines were responsible for aggravating brain damage that resulted in autism spectrum disorder in 9-year old Hannah Poling. There are almost 5000 more families waiting for their day in court.

Hannah Poling was developing normally until about age 19 months when she received several vaccines and fell ill. After recovering from the illness she lost her words, didn’t make eye contact and withdrew socially, and exhibited repetitive behaviors.

In Hannah’s case there were two factors that made her case different from other children. First, Hannah had suffered from ear infections earlier so she was behind in her vaccine schedule and had 5 inoculations for 9 diseases in one day. Also, Hannah suffered from a mitochondrial disorder where basic cell metabolism does not function properly. The vaccine court believed this condition put her at in a high-risk group when vaccines were introduced.

This case has many people concerned for different reasons. Dr. John Shoffner, the neurologist who identified Hannah Poling's mitochondrial disorder, is puzzled by the court's judgment because there have been no studies suggesting that childhood vaccinations cause mitochondrial diseases or worsen mitochondrial disease symptoms.

Also, public health officials want to reassure parents that vaccines are safe and beneficial. Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), insisted that "the government has made absolutely no statement about indicating that vaccines are the cause of autism, as this would be a complete mischaracterization of any of the science that we have at our disposal today." Gerberding also pointed out that thimerosal (the mercury in vaccines) was eliminated from routinely administered childhood vaccines manufactured after 2001, and yet autism rates have continued to climb

Experts on autism spectrum disorders believe that a combination of genetic vulnerabilities and environmental factors cause autism. There is also agreement that autism is such a variable disorder in that there are a number of combinations of genes and external factors responsible for the disorder to appear.

“Younger children have an immature immune system that may not be equipped to handle an overload, says Dr. Judy Van de Water, an immunologist who works with Pessah at U.C. Davis. "Some vaccines, such as those aimed at viral infections, are designed to ramp up the immune system at warp speed," she says. "They are designed to mimic the infection. So you can imagine getting nine at one time, how sick you could be."

These events reinforce the reality that more research is needed in the area of autism because of its variability and interactive nature with genetics and environmental triggers.

The report was taken from the Schafer report. To see other articles on autism go to www.sarnet.org.

Angie MacKewn, PhD

Assistant Professor of Psychology

University of Tennessee at Martin

Martin, TN

amackewn@utm.edu

+++

Autism in the News February 13, 2008

Regressive Autism May be Linked to Mothers Immune System During Pregnancy

http://tinyurl.com/2c6an6

Researchers at the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute and Center for Children's Environmental Health, led by Judy Van de Water, professor of rheumatology, allergy, and clinical immunology has been studying the effects of the prenatal environment on development.

Blood samples were taken from 61 mothers of children diagnosed with autism and 62 mothers of typically developing children. The IgG antibodies were extracted then exposed to fetal brain tissue through western blot analysis, which detects antibody reactivity to proteins.

Results revealed a highly specific reactivity pattern to 2 fetal brain proteins for 7 of the 61 samples in the autism group. Of the 7 that showed reactivity, 6 of them were diagnosed with regressive autism. No similar reactivity patterns appeared in the control sample.

Says Van de Water, "We're not entirely sure why the IgG response against fetal brain proteins was so specific for later onset autism. It's possible that early exposure to maternal antibodies sets in motion a biological path to autism with the behavioral outcomes not apparent until much later. It's also possible that an environmental exposure sometime after birth could be required to set this process in motion. We are hopeful that this study will help build our understanding of the foundations of the regressive form of the disorder."

This study will be continued on women who are pregnant and already have a child with autism, because such women are much more likely to have another child with the disorder.

"If women in this next phase of the study give birth to a child eventually diagnosed with autism, blood analyses from all stages of her pregnancy will give us a clear picture of the immune system factors that were in play during gestation and could have altered her child's neurodevelopment," Van de Water said. Van de Water suggests that combining a prenatal test with intervention preventing IgG exposure could protect some children from getting autism.

Dr. Angie MacKewn

Assistant Professor of Psychology

University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News January 7, 2008

New Study Tries to Prevent Autism in High Risk Infants

Researchers at the University of Washington have launched an 11.3 million dollar study into the prevention of autism. The autism center is currently looking for infants, 6 months or older who have siblings diagnosed with autism. This group is of particular interest to researchers because the rate of incidence increases from 1 in 150 to 1 in 20 when a sibling is diagnosed.

Those infants selected to participate in the study will be given a preliminary assessment and divided into two groups. Half of the infants will be monitored by specialists and referred for community treatment. The remaining infants will participate in a relationship intervention protocol with their mothers at the Autism Center. These mothers will be trained to engage their infants in eye contact and each mother and child will be videotaped interacting once a week for nine weeks. All infants will be evaluated at 12 months. Those in the treatment group will get to participate in an early intensive intervention program and reevaluated at 24 months.

Annette Estes, associate director of the Autism Center will head the clinical assessment component of the study. Estes is excited about the research because they will be able to look for early risk factors of autism and the children will be exposed to early intervention

The National Institute of Child Health and Development is funding this research project.

Angie MacKewn, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Psychology

University of Tennessee at Martin

Martin, TN 38238

amackewn@utm.edu

+++

Autism in the News December 4, 2007

Families Being Recruited for Largest Study on Risk Factors of Autism

In California, a research project called the Study to Explore Early Development, sponsored by the Department of Public Health and Kaiser Permanente, are currently enrolling families of children diagnosed with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders and a control sample of typically developing children for comparison. Researchers will be studying several genetic and environmental factors potentially related to developmental disorders. This is a 5-year study of 2700 children, born between September 2003 and August 2005 and their families.

The principal investigator, Dr. Lisa Croen, an epidemiologist at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland hopes that this study will provide vital information about how genes and the environment work to affect child development. She is hopeful that the results of the study will lead to the development of preventive strategies as well as enhance services and treatments for affected children.

Scientists will closely examine factors like family medical history, genetics and socio-demographic, lifestyle and environmental factors. Some data will be collected through interviews and exams, and by reviewing medical records, while biological data will be obtained through cheek swabs, and blood and hair sampling.

Since autism and other developmental disorders are on the rise, health professionals are concerned with early screening. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently indicated that all children are to be screened for autism between the ages of 18 and 24 months, even if there are no concerns from parents. It is thought that earlier detection paired with studies such as this one will help to minimize the effects of developmental disorders.

Dr. Angie MacKewn

Assistant Professor of Psychology

University of Tennessee at Martin

Martin, TN 38238

amackewn@utm.edu

+++

Autism in the News August 27, 2007

Techology in the News

Use of Magnetoencephalography Promising Diagnostic Tool

University of Minnesota scientist, Dr. Apostolas Georgopoulas, is investigating the use of a technology known as MEG, or magnetoencelophalography, which tracks magnetic signals in the brain. In a study published Wednesday in the British Journal of Neural Engineering, six types of disorders could be identified based on differences in magnetic signals with 100% accuracy. The disorders included Alzheimer’s, chronic alcoholism, schizophrenia, facial pain, multiple sclerosis, and Sjougren’s syndrome (an autoimmune disorder). Currently, there are 700 MEG’s across the world, mainly used in research. If the technology continues to do what is being reported it may be developed and marketed as a diagnostic tool.

Accelglove Developed for Language Impaired

Electrical engineer, Josy’ Hernandez – Rubollar, at George Washington University in Washington has designed a glove which translates American Sign Language into text. Accelglove, may allow communication for deaf and others with language barriers. Researchers are also working to design a glove to translate sign language into speech. The glove should be available on the market in about one year. For more information you can contact Hernandez-Rubollar at 202-994-9425.

Denise Jones, BCBA

Lecturer in Psychology

University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News August 7, 2007

Sarcasm

Children are able to detect sarcasm at about age 6, but don’t begin to see the humor intended until about age 10. Sarcasm is often perceived as mean-spirited by children. Sarcasm involves considering the literal meaning of words being spoken, then suppressing an urge to respond to the literal meaning, then finally looking for the true intent of the words based on facial expressions, intonation, and familiarity with the person speaking the words. Melanie Glenwright and Penny Pexman at the University of Calgary are exploring how children come to understand sarcasm and will explore whether children of different cultures and children with autism respond differently to sarcasm.

A Meta-Analysis of Social Skills Programs for Children with Autism

A study conducted at Indiana University will be published in this month’s Journal of Remedial and Special Education. The meta-analysis of 55 published studies on social skill programs for children with autism indicates that outcomes for social skills training were poor overall, but were more likely to result in positive changes than programs held in other environments. The review of studies focused on programs aimed at addressing skills such as group play, joint attention and language usage, or to improve performance of social behaviors, such as initiating interactions, responding to communication and maintaining interactions. The programs resulted in little change in the targeted behaviors.

Students receiving social skills in their usual classrooms have more favorable outcomes than those who received services in another setting. The authors suggest improvements in the design and implementation of programs including increasing intensity and frequency of programming, matching programs to skill deficits, and ensuring proper implementation.

+++

Autism in the News 8/2/07

Early Diagnosis of Autism

Dr. Rebecca Landa, Director of Kennedy Krieger Center for Autism and Related Disorders recently published a study in Archives of General Psychiatry support early diagnosis of autism. Through monitoring of social interaction and communication in infants at risk for autism she reports that about half of children with autism can be diagnosed around their first birthday. She identified signs of developmental disruptions which parents and pediatricians can look for:

Abnormal communication with others. Rather than requesting help through gestures or vocalizations and eye contact, the infant may struggle with a task themselves without looking at another person.
Compromised ability to initiate and share experiences with others. Infants will often follow parents gaze to a mutual object and then interact around that object. Children at risk for autism do not.
Not using toys for purposes they were intended.
Reduced variety of sounds, words, or gestures to communicate.

Landa hopes to standardize criteria for diagnosis of infants in order to initiate early intervention to maximize the child’s developmental abilities.

Instructions Increase Brains Response to Facial Expressions and Voice Tone

Children with autism often have difficulty understanding the intentions of others. Recent literature attributes some of this to an inattention to facial expressions and voice tone of others. Dr. Mirella Dapretto studied the brain of autistic children while they were instructed to pay attention to facial expression and tone of voice in discerning sarcasm in a speaker. The study, published in Archives of General Psychiatry, indicates that the brain can be trained to increase it’s response to the subtle cues of communication which allow us to understand other’s intentions. When children with autism were given these instructions, an area of the brain known as the medial prefrontal cortex which process what others intentions are is active. When no instructions were given, the area was not active in children with autism.

Denise Jones, BCBA

University of Tennessee at Martin

Psychology Department

+++

Autism in the News 7/ 16/07

Math and Autism Linked

Professor Simon Baron-Cohen of Cambridge University will publish findings of a recent study suggesting an association between math and autism in the Journal of Human Nature. Talented mathematicians are at least twice as likely as the general population to have the disorder. Baron-Cohen compared undergraduate students in math with other disciplines (law, medicine) and found that those in math were more likely to have a sibling or parent with autism, pointing to genetics.

His theory is that there is a group of genes which codes for mathematical ability and autism. Finding the math genes could lead to a finding of genes associated with autism. He is currently gathering DNA from those good at English, but who are mathematically challenged.

IDEA Report Card Issued

Last week, the U.S. Department of Education published IDEA Report Cards for the 50 states and 8 territories. Only 9 states met the standards for educating children with disabilities. 41 states and 8 territories fell into the “needs assistance” or “needs intervention” categories. If these states do not significantly improve how children with disabilities are educated, they face sanctions, including loss of federal funds.

Weaknesses cited by the U.S. Department of Education include:

States fail to ensure that local school districts comply with the law.

States fail to comply with requirements about the transition from school to college or work. To look at your own state and how it did go to: http://www.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/monitor/factsheet.html. To learn more about how this process works and what your state is required to do, read IDEA Report Cards: Did Your State Pass or Fail? http://www.wrightslaw.com/news/07/idea.report.cards.htm

Denise Jones, BCBA

+++

Autism in the News 6/25/07

Children with Autism can be Trained to Attend to Visual and Vocal Cues

http://www.physorg.com/news101739453.html

Research shows that children with autism spectrum disorders do not examine facial expressions or listen to vocal intonations during interactions. They often fail to pick up these communicative cues therefore missing the subtle intent of the interaction. Neuroimaging studies support this finding with evidence that the brain regions responsible for picking up these cues are not active.

A new study by UCLA researchers are finding that children with ASD can in fact be trained to pay more attention to facial expressions and vocal intonation. This training increase the activity of the medial prefrontal cortex, the area related to discerning intention in others.

This is one of the first studies of this kind and shows positive promise that training could minimize some of the social interaction deficits.

Higher Levels of Growth Hormone found in Autistic Boys

http://www.news-medical.net/?id=26691

Researchers from the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Cincinnati Children's Hospital and the University Of Cincinnati College Of Medicine have found that boys diagnosed with ASD have higher levels of growth hormone than boys without the disorder.

The elevated levels of hormone may help to explain the greater than normal head circumference of boys diagnosed with ASD. The boys diagnosed with autism also had a greater body mass index than the control group.

The study compared the weight, height, head circumference, and levels of growth-related hormones to growth and maturation in 71 boys with autism and with ASD to a group of 59 boys who did not have these conditions.

Angie MacKewn

Assistant Professor of Psychology

University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News 6/19/07

Rise in Autism Increases Demand for Educational Training

Jan Blacher, faculty chair of UC Riverside's Graduate School of Education, tells her students that years ago autism was considered a designer disease and it was studied because it was rare but interesting. Today Blancher remarks that every public school teacher will have to deal with a child diagnosed with autism at one time or another.

Schools are struggling to provide proper services for those diagnosed with autism but professionals say there is a need for educators to receive even more training with teaching children with autism.

Blacher says UC Riverside is looking at the feasibility of a Masters of Education program that would focus on autism, taking classes and conducting research related to the disorder.

“Junk” Genes Prove to be Useful

http://tinyurl.com/yt8pns

An international study in cellular function indicates that genes may play a minor role in a vastly complex system. A large amount of DNA once thought to be useless and labeled “junk DNA” now appears to play a key regulatory role in cellular processes. Also, the area of DNA found between genes could be triggers for disease.

More than 80 research institutions in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia have participated in the four-year, $42 million study, analyzing just 1 percent of the entire human genome and creating an inventory of the biologically functional elements.

The project is called the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements, or ENCODE.

Angie MacKewn

Assistant Professor of Psychology

University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News 5/21/07

Technology Helps Autistic Children

Dr. Gillian Hayes, a recent graduate of Georgia Tech College of Computing designed software during his PhD work to help improve data collection for behavior therapists working with children with autism. The device looks similar to a car’s keyless remote. You push the button which activates a recorder which captures the minutes immediately before, during and after the behavior.

Behavior therapists often have to count the number of behaviors occurring over a period of time. Sometimes these behaviors can occur very frequently. Taking time to mark each behavior manually takes away valuable time for intervention. This device allows the therapist to continue to work with the child while capturing the behavior of interest.

The device is currently being piloted at Haven Academy in Cobb County Georgia, but could be available commercially soon.

Autistic Behavior Seen in Infant Siblings

Researcher, Leslie Carver from the University of California, San Diego presented results of a study at the 2007 International Meeting for Autism Research in Seattle indicating that infants with older siblings who are diagnosed with autism fail to seek emotional cues from adults as other toddlers do.

“Social referencing” refers to checking the emotional displays of others and regulating our own emotions and behavior in response. Social referencing begins at age 1, but is impaired in individuals with autism. Siblings are at a higher risk for autism because of the genetic component to autism.

Denise Jones, BCBA

University of Tennessee at Martin

Department of Psychology

+++

Autism in the News 5/14/07

Oxytocin Eases Symptoms of Autism

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003692973_autism04m.html

Evodokia Anagnostou, of Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York was one of the researchers present at the International Meeting for Autism Research. In Anagnostou’s study 23 adults diagnosed with autism either received injections or a nasal spray of oxytocin or a placebo, or inactive ingredient.

Oxytocin is a hormone that is released during childbirth to stimulate contractions and during breastfeeding to help with milk secretion.

They found that the oxytocin eased some of the repetitive behavior, such as rocking, and improved their ability to identify emotions, such as anger and happiness, and helped them to relate to people better. Results of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have supported the findings that oxytocin improved regions of the brain that are affected by autism.

"There are still a lot of questions, such as how to administer it daily," said Anagnostou. "But this is probably a promising avenue to pursue."

Facial Expressions not Processed by Those Diagnosed with Autism

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/529462/

Mari Davies, a UCLA graduate student in psychology, and Susan Bookheimer, a professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA.

This study compared the brain activity of 16 typically developing children with 16 children diagnosed with high-functioning autism. Both groups of children were asked to examine a series of facial expressions, like angry, fearful, happy, and neutral. In half of the faces the eyes were averted away from the child and in the other half of the pictures the face stared at the child.

When the normally developing children viewed the direct gaze faces a part of the brain called the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex(VLPFC)was activated, a brain region known for evaluating emotion. When they viewed the averted gaze face the brain activation in this same region was greatly reduced. In the children diagnosed with autism the VLPFC did not show activity for either face suggesting that this group do not process visual cues from another person’s eyes.

Researchers believe these findings suggest an explanation why someone diagnosed with autism have trouble picking up on social cues like body language and gestures.

Angie MacKewn

Assistant Professor

Department of Psychology

University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News 5/3/07

Autistic Toddlers Study Photos of Faces

Avoiding eye contact is one of the characteristic features of Autism. A recent study from Yale University School of Medicine reveals that toddlers diagnosed with Autism have little trouble looking at photographs of faces. The results were presented at the May 3rd Meeting for Autism Research in Seattle.

The research used eye-tracking system to measure visual scanning patterns and their recognition of faces as well as abstract patterns. The findings may indicate that avoidance of eye contact in natural settings may be due to the complexity of stimuli associated with faces which results in heightened arousal. Further study in the area is needed.

Increased IQ with Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention

A research team from the University of Southampton, UK completed a two year study on the impact of early behavior intervention. The team found that the IQ’s of children who participated in the program showed substantial improvements and none regressed. Three quarters of the 23 children studied were able to be mainstreamed into school, compared with half of the 21 receiving other therapies.

The intervention consisted of 25 hours of intensive in home behavior interventions carried out by parents under the direction of a behavior consultant. The programs focused on improving eye contact and concentration as well as copying words or actions. Parents in the group who delivered the in home interventions report no higher level of stress than those in the parent group who did not deliver the therapy.

Sperm Mutation Lined to Autism

University of Iowa researchers have isolated a gene mutation in sperm cells of a father who does not have Autism, but passed the condition on to his two female children. The gene is neurexin 1. Thomas Wassink, M.D. reports that the deletion in the father’s sperm cells occurred while he was in gestation, therefore he was not affected, yet the children inherited a chromosome that was missing a small piece of DNA containing neurexin 1.

The deletion means that certain proteins which contribute to the synthesis of glutamate synapses do not form normally. This case will allow researchers to look in other families at this specific gene and its contributions to Autism.

Submitted May 4, 2007

S. Denise Jones, BCBA

UT Martin Psychology Department

+++

AUTISM IN THE NEWS APRIL 16, 2007

Autism and Law Enforcement

Experts say a person with autism is seven times more likely than the average person to come in contact with a police officer — and far less adept at handling the encounter. “It’s education on all fronts,” said Kim Hetherington, an Autism Society board member. “People with autism need to learn how to cope, family members need to learn how to prepare them, and first responders need to know what to expect and what to look for. They need to know how to deal with someone with autism."

Dennis Debbaudt, who has worked with law enforcement, families, teachers and caregivers across the country and in Canada and the United Kingdom, has geared training to three groups: law enforcement; firefighters and first responders; and families, educators and care providers.

The first two sessions will focus on helping officials recognize autistic behaviors and characteristics; respond to autistic individuals; evaluate options for restraint, arrest and interviews; and work with families, organizations and schools. The final session will teach families, educators and caregivers to assess and manage risk, prepare for emergencies, create safe environments at home and away from home, and create support networks.

“It’s so easy for both sides to misinterpret actions during an encounter,” Hetherington said. “And the results can be tragic."

Many autistic people, for example, dislike being touched and are sensitive to shouting and stern, authoritative voices. A police officer’s demand to stop or to answer questions could trigger an autistic person’s “fight or flight” response, Hetherington said. “All reasoning shuts down. A person with autism might try to run from the officer, which could escalate the officer’s reaction."

Not Responding To Name May Be Sign of Autism

A child's failure to respond to his or her name at one year of age may be an early warning sign of autism or other developmental problems, researchers reported on Monday. The study, conducted at the University of California Davis in Sacramento, published in the April issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, involved 101 children age one whose older siblings had autism, and who were therefore considered at risk. They were compared to 46 infants of the same age who were not believed to be at high risk of developing the disorder. With each child seated at a table with a small toy, a researcher walked behind and called his or her name in a clear voice. If the child did not respond after three seconds, the name was called again no more than twice.

All of the infants in the low-risk group responded to their name on the first or second call, the study said, compared to 86 percent in the at-risk group. For up to two years afterward the researchers followed 46 of the infants from the at-risk group and 25 from the low-risk group. They found that three-quarters of those who did not respond to their name at age 12 months had developmental problems at age 2. Of the children later diagnosed with autism, half had failed the test at one year, and of those who were identified as having any type of developmental delay, 39 percent had failed the name recognition test, the report said.

While the test will not find all children at risk for developmental problems, it is easy to administer, takes few resources and doctors might want to include it in child check-ups at age one, the study said. The finding is significant because earlier identification of autism offers the possibility of early intervention, which holds promise for improving outcomes.

+++

Autism in the News April 10, 2007

Paternal Link to Autism

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070125/asp/frontpage/story_7308461.asp

Scientists at the Manovikas Biomedical Research and Diagnostic Centre and other city institutions have found a possible paternal genetic link with autism. It has been long suspected that the cause of autism is complex and that several genetic and environmental factors are related to increased susceptibility to the disorder.

The researchers analyzed sequences of a gene called reelin in a group of 58 autistic children and a control group of 80 children with no neurological disorders as well as their parents. Italian scientists have shown that reelin, a gene related with brain development, may play a role in the susceptibility to autism. They found a significant transmission of a variant of the gene, reelin, from the father.

“The reelin variant we’ve observed is very common in India, but by itself, it does not lead to autism,” says Usha Rajamma, a geneticist and the principal investigator in the project. “Autism is a multi-factor disorder and only when the right combination of all the susceptibility genes and the environmental factors are present does a person get autism.”

International studies indicate that 1 in 500 to 1 in 1,000 people in India have autism. According to these numbers, India may have nearly two million autistic persons.

This study is based on a small sample size and more research has to be done using greater numbers. You will find the original article in this month’s American Journal of Medical Genetics: Neuropsychiatric Genetics.

Angie MacKewn

Assistant Professor

Dept. of Psychology

University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News April 2, 2007

Video Modeling Effective Intervention with Autistic Children

Two studies led by Scott Bellini at Indiana University show that videos which show exemplary behaviors can help children with Autism Spectrum Disorders develop social and daily living skills. The first study was an analysis of 23 studies on video modeling and video self-modeling (children are shown footage of themselves performing desired behaviors). Improvements in areas of behavioral functioning, social-communication skills, and functional skills were seen as well as improvements being maintained after the program ended and improvements which transferred to other settings not found on the videos.

In a second study, two preschool children with ASD viewed footage of themselves interacting positively with peers. The videos were effective in increasing social interaction. The second study, the videos were implemented in a classroom setting by teachers. Bellini suggests that this intervention can be carried out with minimal disruption to the teacher or classroom.

Autistic Children Able to Read Eyes- Infer Intentions of Others

Autistic children can infer others mental states based on a person’s eyes. University of Nottingham researcher, Dr. Elisa Back found that using moving images of faces, autistic children were able to identify the mental state of others. This is contrary to previous research, likely due to a procedural variation in which moving images were used rather than still images, which have been used in previous studies.

Submitted by

Denise Jones

Lecturer in Psychology

University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News March 26. 2007

Three States Report Increases in Those Diagnosed with Autism

Statistics say that the rates of autism increased in New Jersey, Oregon, and Minnesota in 2006/2007. Numbers from the Vaccine Autoimmune Project for Research and Education (VAP). http://www.vaproject.org/ and the department of education for the three states report that in NJ there is an increase of 965 children diagnosed from ages 6-21 and an increase of 93 children between 3-5 years of age. This puts NJ’s numbers to 7, 663 diagnosed with autism. In Minnesota the numbers are now 8, 613, up 1, 163 children age 6-21 and up 82 between the ages 3-5. Oregon numbers went up 649 from 6-21 and up 66 for those between the ages of 3-5 to an overall rate of to 5, 459. It is not suggested that the upsurge in diagnosed children was due to vaccination or mercury.

Parents Convinced the DAN! Alternative Approach Will Bring Their Children Back

http://www.bangornews.com/news/t/news.aspx?articleid=147858&zoneid=500

The DAN! (Defeat Autism Now) approach apparently grew out of an international meeting in 1995 attended by medical specialists and scientists. This approach is based on the premise that autism develops in individuals with a genetically heightened intolerance of certain foods and common environmental toxins. Prenatal exposure to toxins through the mother’s diet, medications, dental fillings and other sources, along with vaccines, antibiotics and other substances commonly experienced by babies and young children, set off a self-perpetuating metabolic storm. The result in these children with low tolerance comes in the form of neurological symptoms and behaviors associated with autism-related disorders.

DAN! Health practitioners try to eliminate the toxins that triggered the drastic behavior and cognitive changes so that individuals can regain their neurological health. Children in this program are put on special diets and are given supplements and other remedies. Many parents also use interventions such as Applied Behavioral Analysis and special education programs in their public schools.

Parents can spend up to $12, 000 or more on this 2-year treatment plan for practitioner visits, special foods and nutritional supplements for their child, and laboratory testing. Mainstream physicians warn parents that this program is not scientifically tested and may be giving parents false but expensive hopes. Many parents that subscribe to the DAN! Protocols feel it is a gamble they are willing to take if it brings their child back to them.

Angie MacKewn

Assistant Professor

Department of Psychology

University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in News March 5, 2007

Autism Gene Identified

The Autism Genome Project began in 2002 when 120 scientists from over 50 institutions began to work together and share their samples, data and expertise to aid in identifying autism susceptibility genes. The project was funded by Autism Speaks, a national non-profit organization dedicated to increasing awareness of autism and raising money for research, and the National Institutes of Health.

The preliminary findings from the first phase of the project will be published online in Nature Genetics and in the journal’s March print edition. The research group used “gene chip” technologies to look for similarities and differences in DNA of autistic individuals within 1,200 families. The researchers found a specific gene called neurexin 1 which plays a role with the neurotransmitter glutamate. They also identified a section of chromosome 11, but no specific gene has been found.

The discovery of genes associated with autism and their interactions sets in motion a stronger effort to develop pharmacological treatments to change the course of the disorder. Researchers suspect that there may be five or six primary genes and as many as 30 other involved in autism. This is still a very early model. The next phase will be a continued 3 year effort to identify genes associated with autism.

Language Development Toy for Autistic Children

Helma van Rijn has developed a toy for teaching language to autistic children as part of her graduation project at Delft University of Technology’s Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering. Her electronic toy, called LINKX, consists of blocks that a child must place against a specific object. If the children place the block against the object, the block lights up in the same color as the object and the child hears the word of the object (pre-recorded in the child’s parents voice).

In developing the toy, Van Rijn familiarized herself with these children and based on her experience, created the design. She also worked closely with the parents of children diagnosed with autism. Van Rijn’s design for difficult-to-reach groups opens the door for designers who have very little understanding of such groups.

Denise Jones

Lecturer Psychology

University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News March 2, 2007

Is the “Paternal” Biological Clock Ticking Too?

Evidence suggests that males may have a biological clock similar to that of the female. Until recently the age of a father was rarely questioned as a contributing factor in developmental and mental disorders in their offspring. Currently, studies are finding higher rates of schizophrenia and autism in children born to males in their middle 40’s and older. It is also suggested through research that male fertility may also decrease with age, although this drop rate differs greatly within males and is not as drastic as seen with females.

The male biological clock is not as clearly defined as the female’s clock. When she turns 35, she may have A.M.A. stamped on her file which says she is in an “Advanced Maternal Age” but physicians are not so quick to label males yet because research is limited and fertility levels are variable.

“The problem is that the data is very sparse right now,” said Dr. Larry Lipschultz, a specialist in the field of male infertility and a past president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. “I don’t think there’s a consensus of what patients should be warned about."

Pediatricians Feel Ill-Prepared to Diagnose Autism

Surveys given to pediatricians indicate that their medical schools did not prepare them for practicing medicine in a rapidly changing society.

"Even though we had trained in some of the best pediatric training programs in the country, we were seeing a new population of kids that we knew nothing about, and we were learning from parents about kids with a variety of disorders that we had never heard of before in our pediatric training," Dr. Eileen Costello said at an autism conference sponsored by the Brookings Institution in Washington.

Costello graduated over 15 years ago and since then the diseases she was taught to diagnose, like meningitis and other infectious diseases have all but disappeared with immunization programs. A new generation of childhood ailments and problems are on the rise and doctors are checking for different symptoms and they have to educate themselves on what they are diagnosing.

New research is starting to identify a variety of behaviors that appear early to predict autism. High-risk infants -- those with siblings with autism -- show language deficits, make unusual sounds, and are less likely than normally developing babies to respond to their own name at around 12 months. There may also be abnormalities in gesturing, eye contact and body or limb posturing as well as how they spend time playing. Children with autism may spend a great amount of time manipulating objects.

One thing that is agreed upon by researchers and health professionals – earlier detection of autism and intensive intervention at the earliest age possible is both essential and effective for most children. Treatment is best started before age 2 or 3, and no later than 5, to take full advantage of a flexible brain, specialists advised.

Angie MacKewn

Assistant Professor

Department of Psychology

University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News February 12, 2007

Reversal of Symptoms in Rhett Syndrome Sparks Hope

Rett Syndrome (RTT) is one of the more physically disabling autism spectrum disorders, striking primarily girls in early childhood. This disease affects speech and normal movement and hand use, leaving many in wheelchairs or with stiff legged gaits. In 1999 scientists discovered that RTT is caused by mutations in the MECP2 gene.

Scientists wanted to test whether or not they could reverse the MECP2 mutations so they created mouse models with the mutations, producing mice with RTT-like behaviors, then gave them a drug to reverse the mutation. Over a four-week period breathing was normalized and mobility and gait in mice that had previously been fully symptomatic and, in some cases, only days away from death, improved. Brain functions related with learning and memory were also normalized, much to the surprise of the researchers.

Results of this study have sparked promise in the research community and more aggressive studies are being considered. The project was funded by the Rett Syndrome Research Foundation (RSRF), the Wellcome Trust, and the Rett Syndrome U.K./Jeans for Genes.

Toxicants Lead to Mental and Medical Problems

Toxicants, like mercury and lead, even low amounts can damage developing brain cells and lead to mental and physical problems. A new study is trying to identify methods of prevention and treatment of toxicant damage.

"There is a huge problem in toxicology," said Mark Noble, a professor of biomedical genetics and neurobiology at the University of Rochester, "There are 80,000 to 150,000 environmental toxicants about which we know nothing. Nobody knows how to screen for them or even where to start."

Scientists previously thought that 5 to 6 parts per billion were safe levels for mercury in humans but Noble suggests this is just not true. Noble is studying progenitor stem cells, the brain's support cells key in brain development because they are affected by low levels of lead, mercury, and possibly other toxicants.

During testing, Noble and his colleagues found that 25 percent of a rat’s progenitor cells shut down when they were exposed to low levels of lead or mercury. By exploring the toxicant’s pathway Noble hopes to find a treatment for the damage. His laboratory is currently testing a chemical called n-acetyl-cysteine, an antioxidant that works to protect this pathway. If this antioxidant works it could prevent this cell damage and its later consequences.

Submitted by Angie MacKewn

Assistant Professor of Psychology

University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News February 5, 2007

Housing For High Functioning Autistic Adults

Dr. Carolyn Garver, director of Autism Treatment Center in Northeast Dallas is seeking federal funding to build a secure apartment for high functioning autistic adults who can live independently with occasional assistance from staff. Dr. Garver says there are many needs in the adult population. Although many parents may disagree, children have a lot more services through school based services. It is when they leave the school that services are not as readily available, says Garver.

The expectation is that children will receive an education, grow up and leave home and be able to make it on their own. Individuals with high functioning autism, or Asperger’s Syndrome may be able to do just that, but need some assistance. Rent for housing, under Garver’s plan, would be subsidized for residents with low-paying or intermittent jobs. Garver believes that this would be a first. Housing is currently available for adults with severe forms of autism, but none is available for adults at the other end of the spectrum.

NIH Report on Neurological Disorders Released

The National Institutes of Health has released new statistics on the number of people in the U.S. with diseases and disorders of the nervous system. The report indicates that 1 in 1000 people have multiple schlerosis (MS), 67 of every 1000 have Alzheimer’s Disease, 1 in 1000 have Parkinson’s, 4 in 100,000 have ALS or Lou Gerhig’s, 6 in 1000 have autism, and 2 in 1000 have Cerebral Palsy.

While some of these numbers reflect increases, as much as 50% in the case of MS, researchers with the NIH caution people not to misinterpret. They indicate that rising rates may mean better diagnosis of the disorder or it may mean treatments have improved allowing people to live longer.

Antipsychotic Drug Controls Some Symptoms of Autism

The drug Risperdone used to treat symptoms of schizophrenia may help some with autism spectrum disorders. Dr. Ora Jesner, University of Bristol, England reviewed 3 randomized, placebo-controlled studies which included 211 participants, 31 of whom were adults. Benefits of the medication included decreased irritability, repetitive behavior, and hyperactivity. Dr. Ora says that the benefits need to be weighed against the side effects of the drug, chiefly weight gain.

Submitted 2/5/2007 by

Denise Jones

Lecturer in Psychology

University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News January 30, 2007

Paternal Link to Autism

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070125/asp/frontpage/story_7308461.asp

International studies indicate that 1 in 500 to 1 in 1,000 people in India have autism. According to these numbers, India may have nearly two million autistic persons.

Angie MacKewn

Assistant Professor

Dept. of Psychology

University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News January 23, 2007

Research on Treatment for Asperger’s Disorder

Asperger’s Disorder is a high functioning form of autism which is characterized by a lack of social skills, a focused, narrowed obsessive interests, and an inability to recognize emotional states of others. Unlike children with other forms of autism, children with Asperger’s often have a high intelligence, superior language skills, but may lack pragmatic language. These children are often not recognized until second grade when more advanced social interaction is required in peer relations. Asperger’s has only been recognized by the American Psychiatric Association since 1994. Although it is widely accepted that social skills training used in treatment with other forms of autism works as effectively with Asperger’s, research is only beginning to evaluate these interventions.

Members of the Autism Spectrum Disorders Research Consortium are evaluating the effectiveness of an intervention called “Connections Research and Treatment Program” in six – 13 year old children with Asperger’s Disorder.

The program facilitates the social development and communicative skills of AD children, through the use of highly structured and targeted activities. Children attend the six-week program for six hours a day, five days a week. Even though the program is extensive, the activities are designed to engage the children and hold their interest. The program involves skillstreaming which was developed by the late Syracuse University Professor Arnold Goldstein, PhD, and involved instruction, modeling, role-playing and feedback. The last 50 minutes of each treatment cycle consists of a therapeutic activity in which the children practice social skills and emotion recognition, or work on expanding their interests.

“The preliminary results of the study appear to provide tentative support for interventions that incorporate cognitive-behavior strategies targeting social skills deficits for children with AD,” said Dr. Robert Nida.

Special Ed Advocate

The Special Ed Advocate is a free online newsletter about special education legal and advocacy issues, cases, and tactics and strategies. To subscribe, please go to http://www.wrightslaw.com/subscribe.htm

Top 10 Articles in 2006 from the Wrightslaw Website

      From the Special Ed Advocate.

      #1. Tests and Measurements for the Parent, Teacher, Advocate and Attorney by Pete Wright and Pam Wright (Note: This has been the #1 article every year since 1998) http://www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/articles/tests_measurements.html
      #2. SMART IEPs (Chapter 12 in From Emotions to Advocacy) http://www.wrightslaw.com/bks/feta2/ch12.ieps.pdf
      #3. Who is Eligible for Protections Under Section 504 but Not Under IDEA? http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/sec504.who.protect.htm
      #4. Functional Behavioral Assessments: What? Why? How? Who? by Stephen Starin, Ph.D.
http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/discipl.fab.starin.htm
      #5. IDEA 2004: Specific Learning Disabilities: Discrepancy v. Response to Intervention Models http://www.wrightslaw.com/idea/art/ld.rti.discrep.htm
      #6. Roadmap to IDEA 2004: What You Need to Know About IEPs & IEP Meetings http://www.wrightslaw.com/idea/art/iep.roadmap.htm
      #7. How to Get Good IEP Goals and Objectives: A Tactics & Strategy Session with Pete & Pam Wright http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/ieps.tactics.session.htm
      #8. A Parent's Guide to No Child Left Behind by Sue Heath http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/nclb.parent.guide.heath.htm
      #9. Art of Writing Letters by Pam Wright http://www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/articles/DRAFT_Letters.html
      #10. 10 Tips: How to Use IDEA 2004 and NCLB to Improve Your Child's Special Education Program by Wayne Steedman http://www.wrightslaw.com/idea/art/10.tips.steedman.htm

Submitted by

Denise Jones

University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News January 17, 2007

Health Experts to Examine the Link between Autism and Lyme Disease

There are a vast number of factors linked with the prediction of autism. Lyme disease is being investigated more thoroughly as a potential cause of autism. At the end of January, specialists in Lyme disease and Autism will be brought together by the newly founded group, Lyme Induced Autism Foundation, to investigate the link between the two disorders.

Tami Duncan, one of the co-founders of this newly developed foundation is excited about this opportunity but warns the public, “We are not saying that Lyme disease is the exact cause of autism for every single child. Let me clarify; what we are saying is that Lyme Disease could be an inciting factor that is suppressing the child’s immune system, which would make them more susceptible to heavy metal toxicity, environmental factors, etc…”

Dr. Warren Levin of Vienna, found that of the 10 children with autism he tested for Lyme disease, 100% of them tested positive, suggesting that the two disorders should be examined more closely. Lyme disease is generally caused by a tick bite and symptoms include achy joints, confusion, slurring words or word retrieval problems, brain fog, and sensitivity to light and sound. Lyme disease in its late stage can be fatal, causing MS like symptoms and debilitating its victims.

The Lyme Induced Autism Foundation was started by concerned parents and its purpose is to educate families and physicians on thecorrelation between Lyme and autism, bring health professionals together to form a consensus for testing and treatment options, and to provide funding for research.

For more information on Lyme Induced Autism, please log onto www.lymeinducedautism.com.

Angie MacKewn
Assistant Professor of Psychology
University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News December 20, 2006

Proposed Autism Subtypes based on Genetic Research

Researchers and clinicians are finding that autism is not one disorder with a common set of behaviors, but a class of disorders that do not stem from a similar cause. Dr. Judith Miles, professor of pediatrics, Thompson Endowed Chair of Child Health and Pathology and director of the Medical Genetics Division at the University of Missouri-Columbia believes that understanding the autism subtypes could be instrumental in earlier intervention and counseling.

Based on her research, Miles recommends autism should be broken down into at least two different subtypes. One subtype she calls “complex autism”, can be characterized by their unusual physical symptoms, including a malformed ear or hand or an abnormal head size. This group may also have a lower IQ and no speech after 8 years of age and may suffer from seizures.

The second subtype of autism, Miles calls “essential autism”, tend to be male with siblings at high risk for autism and other family members with the disorder but do not display the physical malformations.

www.upi.com/ConsumerHealthDaily/view.php?StoryID=20061215-112905-2724r

Angie MacKewn

Assistant Professor

Department of Psychology

University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News November 27, 2006

Adult Stem Cell Research

A study appearing in the November edition of the Journal, Neuroscience suggests potential for using adult stem cells to treat illness such as Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s, and MS by replacing cells damaged by disease or injury. Stem cells are master cells which produce various tissues and cell types and are found in the adult human.

The adult brain does try to repair itself by stimulating its own neural stem cells. Researchers Paul Patterson and Sylvia Bauer say, it’s just not enough. Their research used mice to inject a natural protein from the body – leukemia inhibitory factor – LIF, into a part of the brain of the adult mice where stem cells reside. Reports in Neuroscience indicate that this boosted production up to 6 times the usual count of adult neural stem cells. Research continues to try and direct these stem cells into specific cell types.

While the research was conducted in animals, the possibility of boosting stem cell production and specificity in adults is possible. Patterson does indicate that human therapies which may develop from this remain years away. By using a persons own stem cells, rather than foreign ones they may have a greater chance to survive. Debates over use of embryonic stem cells for research have also limited progress so other avenues have to be explored. This offers one such possibility.

Denise Jones

Psychology Department

University of Tennessee at Martin

November 28, 2006

+++

Autism in the News November 13, 2006

When Two Minds Think Alike

Simon Baron-Cohen, Cambridge University has proposed that mothers and fathers of children with autism spectrum disorders share similar characteristics with their autistic children, in a milder form. His idea, based in “Assortive Mating Theory” is that the mother and father share a common characteristic and are attracted to each other for mating because of their psychological similarity.

According to Assortive Mating Theory, mate selection is not random, we do not mate with just anyone. Mating is most likely when two people share a common or similar trait. Baron-Cohen has observed four physical and psychological characteristics of parents who have children with autism. First, both parents are fast on attention tasks in which they are to spot a detail. Second, both parents have an increased likelihood of having a father who is in engineering. Both parents also score higher on subtle measures of autistic traits and both have a more male pattern of brain activity in MRI studies.

Baron-Cohen believes that both parents display systematizing, an ability to analyze details of a system. For instance, a father who insists on watching the weather nightly may be a subtle trait of autism. In the autistic child this might be a hyper-systematizing may be an exaggeration of the father’s interest whereby they watch the weather for hours on end.

Baron-Cohen’s idea points to a genetic explanation of autism. Autism does tend to run in families. Baron-Cohen indicates need for further research in this area.

When Nerve Cells Can’t Make Contact

Using an animal model, brain researchers in Gttingen have examined the effects of mutations that cause autism in humans. These are mutations in the genes which carry the building instructions for proteins in the neuroligin family. The study published in the scientific journal Neuron (September 21, 2006) shows that neuroligins ensure that signal transmission between nerve cells functions. In the brain of genetically altered mice without neuroligins, the contact points at which the nerve cells communicate, the synapses, do not mature. The researchers assume that similar malfunctions are experienced by autistic patients.

Nerve cells communicate with each other at specialized contact points, the synapses. When stimulated, a transmitting nerve cell emits neurotransmitters. These signal molecules reach the receiving cell and affect its activity status - provided the receiving cell has "aerials" on its synapses - receptors that bind the chemical signals. The scientists speculated that this process could be disrupted if the nerve cells have no neuroligins.

From the point of view of the geneticist, the scientists in Gttingen have the best known animal model for autism worldwide. However, there is a limitation: only very few cases of autism are caused by neuroligin mutations and, with few exceptions, nobody knows which genetic defects are present in the abundance of other autism patients.

Original work: Varoqueaux, F., Aramuni, G., Rawson, R.L., Mohrmann, R., Missler, M., Gottmann, K., Zhang, W., Sodhof, T.C. and Brose, N. Neuroligins determine synapse maturation and function
Neuron 51, 741-754 (2006)

New National Institute Of Mental Health Research Program Launches Autism Trials

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has launched three major clinical studies on autism at its research program on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland. These studies are the first products of a new, integrated focus on autism generated in response to reported increases in autism prevalence and valid opportunities for progress. Initial studies will define the characteristics of different subtypes of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and explore possible new treatments.

One study will define differences--both biological and behavioral--in autistic children with diverse developmental histories. Increasingly, scientists are considering the likelihood of "autisms," that is, multiple disorders that comprise autism. These studies seek to better define the subtypes within autism. Children with regressive autism appear to develop normal language and social skills but then lose these with the onset of autism before age 3. Non-regressive autism, the more common form of the disorder, begins early in life, possibly before birth, with evidence of subtle deficits throughout development. Children with these two forms of autism will be compared with those who have other developmental disorders, including various forms of developmental delay, as well as children with typical development. In addition, researchers will study a subset of the children in this study to investigate environmental factors that may trigger symptoms of autism.

In another study, NIMH researchers will examine the use of the antibiotic minocycline to measure its usefulness in treating regressive autism. Past research suggests that autism may be linked with changes in the immune response that cause inflammation in the brain. Minocycline has known anti-inflammatory effects and has been shown to be helpful in other brain disorders such as Huntington's disease.

The third study seeks to address the widespread but unproven theory that autism may be treated successfully by chelation therapy, which seeks to remove heavy metals from the blood. Chelation is more commonly used to treat lead toxicity, but currently, many families seek the treatment to try to remove mercury and other metals from their autistic children's blood. This practice is based on the belief that many cases of autism were caused by exposure to thimerosol, a mercury-based preservative previously used in childhood vaccines.

For more information on NIH and it’s program, visit www.nih.gov.

+++

Autism in the News September 18, 2006

Health Professionals can’t keep up with Demand for Autism Help in California

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=politics&id=4559052

Autism, once a rare disorder, has now doubled since 2001 to 36, 000 children in California from 3-11 years of age. Autism is devastating and is now more prevalent than diabetes, Down syndrome, and childhood cancer.AIN_October_2_2006

More time seems to be spent advocating for more funding and resources to deal with the increasing demand. For some, healthcare providers are the biggest obstacle in getting timely help.

The state's Blue Ribbon Commission on autism met recently to discuss their goals, including some policy recommendations that would help diagnose and treat autism earlier and help the public school system deal with the increasing number students with autism.

Basic Research in Brain Functioning Defecits in Autism

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-09-17-autism_x.htm

Results of a study published in Cerebral Cortex, an online journal, found abnormalities in the area that connects the two hemispheres of the brain called the corpus callosum. Participants in this study were asked to complete a task requiring both sides of the brain to work in conjunction with one another.

Brain scans indicated that people with autism tended to use only one hemisphere of their brain to complete the task, suggesting an impaired ability in transferring information from one brain area to another.

Research still needs to be done to find out what the basic problems are in brain processing in those diagnosed with autism.

The previous information came from the Schafer report. For more information go to http://www.sarnet.org/.

Angie Mackewn
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology
University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News September 11, 2006

Low Cholesterol Levels In Subgroup of Autistic Children

Elaine Tierney, M.D., Director of the Autism Metabolic Research program at Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore recently published findings from research in the American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B (Neuropsychiatric Genetics) suggesting a certain subset of children diagnosed with autism have low levels of cholesterol.

The researchers believe this may play some role in the cause of some cases of autism. The low levels were due to an inability to make cholesterol, not from a lack of cholesterol in their diets. Normal levels of cholesterol for children are 165 mg/dL. Of 100 children in the study, 19 had cholesterol levels below 100 mg/dL, which is lower than that found in 99 percent of all children.

Of the 19 individuals in the low cholesterol group, 13 (68%) met criteria for autism diagnosis and 6 (32%) met criteria for a different disorder on the autism spectrum, such as Asperger’s or PDD-NOS.

People can tolerate low cholesterol, Tierney says, so researchers suspect that low cholesterol plus some genetic mutation could play a factor in autism development. Children in the study had to meet four criteria: 1)member of a family with two or more individuals with ASD, 2)over 2 years of age, 3)slow development of set of developmental milestones, and 4)standardized assessment of autism in which diagnosis was confirmed.

Only a very small portion of those diagnosed with autism come from families with 2 or more affected children, these children are more likely to have a genetic cause of autism and less likely to have autism related to some environmental cause or early brain injury.

Pro-Biotic Thought to Restore Normal Intestinal Functioning in Autistic Children

Glen Gibson, a microbiologist at Reading University conducted a research project in which he administered a pro-bacteria to 40 autistic children age four to eight. Autistic children sometimes suffer from bowel conditions. Previous studies have reported high levels of a “bad” bacteria called clostridia in the bowel of some autistic children. The pro-bacteria acted to decrease clostridia and promote “friendly” bacteria. Parents administered the powder in a powder form and recorded subjective impressions of the child’s mood and behavior.

Participating parents reported positive feedback, reports Gibson. Many participants dropped out of the study, however, when they were realized that they were receiving the treatment and not the placebo and were coming to the part of the study where they had to reverse treatments and receive the placebo. Parents became concerned over losing the positive changes they had seen in their children by stopping the treatment. Participants were initially signed to either a treatment, “pro-biotic” or placebo, the sequence of the treatment condition was randomly assigned, so participants did not know what they were receiving first. Because of the changes in the children, parents suspected they had been receiving the treatment “pro-biotic” and refused to switch to the placebo.

Due to this, conclusions from the study cannot be drawn, but Gibson hopes to continue his research in this area.

Denise Jones

Department of Psychology

University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News August 1 2006

Behavior Change

Problem behaviors such as hitting, screaming, or throwing things may be exhibited by children with autism. Dealing with these problems in the home is often difficult for parents. Often parents must rely on others such as behavior specialists who are trained in applied behavior analysis to help structure the home to decrease these problem behaviors.

Behavior specialists trained in applied behavior analysis use functional analysis to determine what might be causing these behaviors. Typical causes include: to get attention from other people, to get preferred food or toys, to escape demands placed on them, or to obtain sensory stimulation.

Parents may have a difficult time following behavior plans if they are too complex and make too much of a demand on their time. The following suggestions are made regarding typical components of behavior plans to deal with these behaviors.

Define the problem behavior in simple terms that can be measured and seen. For example, screaming may be defined as loud vocalizations lasting 15 seconds or longer. This is important because you want to keep a record of how often this is occurring.
Give positive rewards for periods of time when this problem behavior is not present. For instance, if screaming occurs to obtain preferred food or toys, give those food or toys when the problem behavior is not present, and preferably during times when desirable behavior is occurring, like the child is sitting quietly.
Identify 1 to 2 specific skills the child can learn as an alternative to the problem behavior. If screaming is a way to get a preferred food item or toy, teach the child to ask for the food item or toy, or use a sign to obtain the food item or toy. Give verbal praise or attention when they do use their sign or ask for the item.

Some parents try to change too much at once or change it too quickly. Behavior change takes time and consistency. Remember to choose only 1-2 problem behaviors to deal with at a time. For help in establishing a behavior plan contact a behavior specialist in your area.

Female and Male Autism May Differ

A recent report in the Journal of Molecular Genetics indicates that different genes are responsible for male and female autism. This may account for the fact that males more than females are diagnosed with autism, 4:1. Researchers also note different behavioral symptoms for males and females. The report also found that different genes play a role in onset of autism. Autism may be diagnosed early, by 18 months or may be regressive, where the child develops normally up to age 2 or 3 and then goes back to an earlier stage of functioning. Autism may also be diagnosed as late onset, not occurring until ages 3-4. Researchers have identified 4-6 major genes and up to 20 others which may contribute to the range of autistic behaviors. The hope is to develop early genetic screening for susceptibility genes to autism as well as developing effective medical treatments. Similar research in Alzheimer ’s disease, where there is an early and late onset, as well as childhood leukemia, which also follows different patterns have been determined to be regulated by different genes and have led to more effective treatments.

For more information on autism go to www.sarnet.org

S. Denise Jones

Psychology Department

University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News July 24, 2006

Single Women Bear Responsibility of Caring for Disabled Children

Research published Friday in the quarterly Journal of Marriage and Family reports a majority of disabled children are cared for by single women, including mothers, grandmothers, or female foster parents. Phillip Cohen, associate professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill used 2003 census data, 2.3 million children age 5 to 15, 130,000 of those had some form of mental disability, physical disability, or both. Sixty-two per cent of children without disabilities live in 2 parent homes while only 46% of disabled children do. Fewer than 5% of disabled children live with a single father, the same percent as children without disabilities.

Theater Founder Teaches Social Skills Through Acting for Aspergers

Todd Cardin, an accomplished playwright in the Philadelphia area, is using his writing ability to help teach social skills to children with Aspergers Syndrome. Since memory is often a strength, he utilizes that for learning lives and acting out a script. Children with Aspergers have good language skills, but may not understand irony or metaphor. Speech may also lack inflection and sound rhythmic or robotic. Todd says, “Any parent can write out a script of how a conversation should go.” Through repetition of the script in a practice setting such as a theater, the child can master the skill before tackling it in real life situations. The script can even be varied for possible “what if” situations so that other scenarios can be rehearsed. For more information go to www.toddcardin.com.

Denise Jones

Department of Psychology

07/24/2006

+++

Autism in the News July 14, 2006

Brain Stimulator is the Next Step in Research Project

http://www.wave3.com/Global/story.asp?S=5146301&nav=menu31_3

Dr. Manuel Casanova, a neuroscientist at the University of Louisville, is part of a 3-year study involving scientists from around the world. Dr. Casanova's research team analyzed tissue from 12 brains -- six of them taken from people with autism. The team found that the brain strands or minicolums of autism patients have more cells, but they are smaller and more densely packed, thus limiting the brain's ability to send messages. There doesn’t seem to be enough energy to power long connections in the brain.

Dr. Casanova's wants to develop a brain stimulator to bulk-up the brain strands, potentially wiping out autism. Casanova is so excited about this breakthrough that he is willing to pay for this equipment out of his own pocket, although he has asked the University to match the funds for the $40,000 machine he needs for preliminary studies.

Autism is More Common Than Estimated

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5174144.stm

UK researchers have suggest that Autism, and similar disorders, may affect up to one in 100 children. This number suggests that the condition is more common, as prior to the 1990s when experts said there were 4-5 cases per 10,000 people in Britain.

Experts say there is no evidence to link the increase in cases to the measles, mumps and rubella needle or thimerosal, a vaccine preservative which uses mercury.

Professor Simon Baron Cohen, of the Autism Research Centre in Cambridge, believes this new study establishes that autism spectrum conditions are no longer rare. Baron Cohen suggests, "Service planning is needed to adjust to these new prevalence rates, so that the education, health, and related systems can meet the needs of people on the autistic spectrum."

The previous information came from the Schafer report July 14th, 2006. For more information go to http://www.sarnet.org/.

Angie Mackewn
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology
University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News June 26, 2006

Placenta may hold the Key to Early Detection of Autism

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=45476&nfid=rssfeeds

Harvey J. Kliman, M.D., senior researcher in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at the Yale School of Medicine compared placentas from 13 children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to those from 61 unaffected children for the presence of trophoblast inclusions. It was found that the placentas from ASD children were three times more
likely to have the inclusions. Trophoblast inclusions are reflections of abnormal folding of microscopic layers in the placenta and seem to result from altered cell growth.

Kliman indicated that trophoblast inclusions were increased with chromosomal abnormalities and genetic disorders, suggesting agreement with other studies that have shown that ASD has a
definite genetic basis. Kliman’s team plans to study the inclusions in more detail and try to replicate the findings of this study in a larger sample.

Emotionally Aware Computers May Help Those with Autism

http://tinyurl.com/pd4gn

A prototype computer has been developed at the University of Cambridge and will be unveiled at the Royal Society science exhibition in London. The computer receives data from a camera to locate and track several facial "feature points", like the edge of the nose, the corners of the mouth, and the eyebrows.

So far, 20 key facial movements, like a nod or shake of the head, a raise of the eyebrow or pull on the corner of the mouth, have been linked to underlying emotions. Prof Robinson said: "The system can cope with the variation in people's facial composition, for example if you have a round or thin face or if you wear glasses or have a beard.”

A joint project with American scientists has been to develop a headset version of the system to help individuals who have problems reading others' facial expressions and emotions, as with autism and Asperger's syndrome. The headset could interpret other people's moods and communicate them to the wearer.

The previous information came from the Schafer report June 26th and June 20th , 2006. For more information go to http://www.sarnet.org/.

Angie Mackewn
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology
University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autims in the news July 19, 2006

Brain Inflammation Present in Children Diagnosed with Autism

http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=98438

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore and the University of Milan found inflammation in the brain tissue from 11 patients with autism who had died and active immune responses in the spinal fluid from six living children with autism. It is not known whether this inflammation and immune system elevation is helpful or harmful.

Pardo and colleagues found increased signaling of chemicals called chemokines in the brain of the individual diagnosed with autism. The cells responsible for releasing these chemicals are called microglia and astroglia and are found throughout the brain.

Other studies indicate that the immune system may be related to autism but results are inconclusive. The current study wanted to isolate the immune system to the central nervous system, specifically the brain. Pardo said more research is needed to study whether the inflammation is a factor of autism, or whether it is a reaction to something else that causes the condition.

Childhood Diagnosis of Autism Stays with the Child
http://tinyurl.com/kx46x

Children who are diagnosed with autism at age 2 will still have that diagnosis by age 9, but those diagnosed with severe conditions like PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder not Otherwise Specified and Autism Spectrum Disorder) later have their diagnosis changed to autism.

Dr. Catherine Lord, from the University of Michigan Autism and Communication Disorders Center in Ann Arbor, and her associates examined the reliability and stability of a diagnosis of autism. Her research team followed 192 children referred for an evaluation for possible autism before 36 months of age, plus 22 children with developmental delays between ages 13 and 35 months. At age 9, 172 of these children were available for reevaluation.

The researchers found that at age 9, most of the changes in diagnosis were from ASD/PDD-NOS to autism. More than 50 % of those initially diagnosed with PDD-NOS later met the criteria for autism but only one of the 84 children diagnosed with autism at age 2 years was found to not have autism at age 9. Dr. Lord cautions that health care professionals should be careful of telling parents that their young children do not have autism.

The previous information came from the Schafer report June 15th, 2006. For more information go to http://www.sarnet.org/.

Angie Mackewn
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology
University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News June 13, 2006

Vaccination Link to Autism Still Being Debated

Dr. David Ayoub, is a part-time radiologist at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield and assistant professor at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. He is also the unpaid medical director of the immunization watchdog group, Prairie Collaborative and is a self-taught expert in the area of mercury to Autism Spectrum Disorders. Ayoub travels the country to Defeat Autism Now conferences, lecturing for free; paying expenses out of his own pocket.

Ayoub’s critically studies the literature and the organizations conducting the research looking for conflicts of interest and results that may have been spun. "You can do so much with studies to make them say anything you want them to," he says. "I try to get behind the numbers and statistics to find what a study is truly saying."

One example he gives is a study in Denmark that is often cited as counter-argument of the autism-mercury link. Results of this study reported new cases of autism did not decline after thimerasol was removed from all vaccinations in 1992, indicating a weak or nonexistent relationship between the two. After studying this study, Ayoub concluded that the authors of the study didn't sample a consistent sample of patients, thus the results are skewed and not representative of the population.

Ayoub believes, as many scientists do, that there are a number of paths to the autism spectrum. He points out that there are people who have received vaccinations with thimerasol but did not develop autism and others who had no exposure to thimerasol but developed autism. There are also genetic and other environmental causes and either one might work in conjunction with the introduction of even small amounts of mercury into a child's system. Dr. Ayoub knows he does not have all of the answers so he suggests researchers not rule out possibilities but continue to test them.

The previous information came from the Schafer report June 13th, 2006. For more information go to http://www.sarnet.org/.

Angie Mackewn
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology
University of Tennessee at Martin
+++

Autism in the News May 29, 2006

Rates of Neurodevelopmental Disorders Decreasing with Removal of Thimerosal from Vaccines

http://tinyurl.com/mx2qs

The rates of neurodevelopmental disorders reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) were analyzed from 1991 through 2004 by date of receipt and by date of vaccine administration. Those disorders examined included autism, mental retardation, and speech disorders. There was a peak in the proportion of disorders reported between in 2001–2002 and from vaccine administration from 1998. In mid-1999, Thimerosal was being removed from childhood vaccines in the US. The present study is correlational and not causational but it provides the first epidemiological evidence suggesting that as Thimerosal was removed from vaccines, rates of neurodevelopmental disorders decreased.

Genetically Altered Mice Act like One with Autistic Spectrum Disorder

http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-05-29-voa16.cfm

Researcher Luis Parada and his team at the University of Texas Southwestern have found that they could create mice that act like individuals with autism spectrum disorder by deleting a gene called P-ten in certain parts of the mouse brain. Some of the behaviors they exhibit include walking on their toes, flapping their arms, and a decreased interest in other mice, socially. These mice also do not want to be picked up and mothers are not interested in their offspring.

The next step in this project says Parada, is to treat the genetically altered mice with drugs to see if it is possible to reverse or decrease the severity of the condition. This research might eventually lead to a cure for autism spectrum disorder and similar genetic abnormalities in people.

The previous information came from the Schafer report May 30th, 2006. For more information go to http://www.sarnet.org/.

Angie Mackewn
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology
University of Tennessee at Martin

Autism in the News May 15, 2006

Earlier Detection of Autism Soon to be Focus of Study

http://tinyurl.com/nw9bf

A new study in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada will search for early signs of autism using children having an older sibling with autism. Dr. Lonnie Zwaigenbaum, currently at McMaster University in Hamilton, will set up an autism research centre at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital. Last year Dr. Zwaigenbaum announced the results of a study suggested it’s possible to detect signs in a baby just 12 months old that help to predict whether the baby will develop autism.

Siblings of children who have been diagnosed with autism are at 50 times higher risk of being diagnosed with autism than other children. Currently, his research team is tracking 250 babies with siblings diagnosed with autism, watching for indicator signs like lack of eye contact, lack of responsive smiling, and lack of participation in engagement games. This study hopes to quantify the suggestion that parents knew all along their child was different.

Lack of Daydreaming in Those Diagnosed with Autism

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4751075.stm

Daydreaming provides a “rest” for the brain’s intellectual processes, allowing for emotional and reflective thoughts. Brain scans indicate that these reflective rest periods are absent in those diagnosed with autism. This Universty of California study examined the brains of 15 individuals diagnosed with autism and 15 controls while completing a counting task. Between the 30 second test periods were several 21-second rest periods where participants were asked to look at a fixed image.

During this rest period several regions of the brain are normally highly active, including the medial prefrontal cortex, the rostral anterior cingulate and the precuneus. These areas were not active during the rest periods in the brains of those diagnosed with autism. This study provides more information on the neurological factors involved in autism and the behavioral and social implications.

The previous information came from the Schafer report May 15th, 2006. For more information go to http://www.sarnet.org/.

Angie Mackewn
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology
University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News May 9, 2006

Animal Model For Autism Spectrum Disorders

Luis Parada and his colleagues report a possible mouse model of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in an article published May 4, 2006 in the journal, Neuron. Parada says the mouse model resulted from the alteration of a gene associated with brain disorders in mice known as Pten. In Parada’s work the mouse was genetically altered to effect only the regions of the brain associated with learning and memory, the hippocampus and the cortex.

The mouse showed abnormal social interactions including being less likely to approach and sniff new mice in genetically altered mice than in normal mice. The mice were also found to be deficient in nest-forming and sexual and maternal behavior. They also showed increased hyperactivity and anxiety in environments which were highly stimulating, bright light, noisy. There was also an abnormal overgrowth of neurons and their connections seen in people with ASD that have enlarged brains and bigger heads.

One behavior which is typical of ASD, stereotypical repetitive behaviors, were not seen in the animal model. Since the genetic alteration was done after birth, rather than during development when autism’s damage is likely done, some variations from the disorder were expected. While the genetically altered mice are not a perfect animal replication of ASD’s , they come closer to giving researchers a way to study the disorder and test new treatments.

Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) Technology Offers Social Cues

Eight teenagers with Asperger’s syndrome are participating in an innovative research project to test the effectiveness of PDA’s in helping with the unwritten rules of social interaction. The PDA is customized to offer social and organizational reminders. Ron Calvanio, a Harvard Medical School neurologist who created the software and is helping to conduct the research, likens the software to quarterbacks who write summaries of plays on their wristband to help them make quick decisions in a fast-paced, confusing environment. "It's a reminder that helps them read the defense," he said.

The software has been used in other clinical populations including depressed and stroke patients. The PDA offers prompts, such as, “Wait until someone else has stopped speaking before speaking yourself”. These social interactions involved in everyday communication are difficult to people with Asperger’s. The prompt, when followed offers positive feedback, or reinforcement, thus increasing the chance that the person will follow the cue the next time they are in the same or similar situation.

http://tinyurl.com/my8kn

Submitted by:

Denise Jones

Department of Psychology

University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News May 1, 2006

Examining Social Behavior of Humor and Laughter

A researcher out of the University of Ballarat, in Australia, is conducting a study comparing the social behavior of humor and laughter in children with Autism, Aspergers, Downs Syndrome, and those who are typically developing.

Errin Jones, a Doctor of Psychology student, hopes to further the understanding of communication and interaction in children with neurological disorders. Jones is appealing to parents in smaller communities to participate so they could gain knowledge into the development of their children.

The study is for children between the ages of 5 and 12 and will consist of three one-hour visits, including home observations, parent interviews and short assessments.

Any families interested in participating in the research can contact Ms Jones on 0409 799 039 or email ejones@students.ballarat.edu.au.

Alternate Therapies Undergoing Clinical Testing

Arizona State University chemistry professor Jim Adams and pediatrician Dr. Sanford Newmark of Tucson are collaborating on several clinical trials on two new autism treatments.

A clinical trial is already underway testing the effects of potent vitamin and mineral supplements on children with autism.

A second trial will soon begin to measure the effectiveness of a treatment designed to safely remove heavy metals like mercury from children's bodies. Mercury is suspected of being a potential cause for autism. Chelation therapies already being used have been questioned as to their effectiveness and safety.

The previous information came from Aspires online resources and can be viewed at http://www.aspires-relationships.com/Research%20Projects.htm

Angie Mackewn

Assistant Professor

University of Tennessee at Martin

Dept. of Psychology

There is no commitment to participate in the project and families have the right to withdraw at any stage.

+++

Autism in the News April 24, 2006

Neurofeedback Can Change Autistic Behavior

http//tinyurl.com/jlxh9

In a pilot study using neurofeedback practice on eight children diagnosed with autism, University of California, San Diego scientist Jamie Pireda found improvement on imitative behavior. Imitative behavior is typically difficult for autistic children. Whether or not these changes are long term are Myet to be seen. Results are reported in New Scientist, April 22, 2006.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome May Result From Disturbances in Serotonin Levels

Serotonin, a chemical which helps regulate a set of pacemaker neurons in the brain helps signal the body to reflexively gasp when depleted of oxygen. Researcher Jan-Marino Ramirez, University of Chicago, believes that SIDS may result from a disruption in this system in which serotonin is blocked or can’t be used in the pacemaker cells in some infants. “When gasping doesn’t occur, these babies don’t wake up”. Results of the study are reported in the march 8 Journal of Neuroscience.

Denise Jones

Department of Psychology

University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News April 17, 2006

Weak Brain Links Explains Poor Relating Skills in Those With Autism

Researchers from the University of London found that specific weak brain links might help to explain why those diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulties relating to others. The research team compared brain scans of 16 people with ASD and above-average IQs, with 16 volunteers unaffected by ASD. Participants were asked to view images on a screen- two pictures of houses and two of faces. They were then asked to concentrate on either the faces or the houses and decide if they were identical.

Paying attention to pictures of faces caused a significant increase in brain activity for the control group but not for the ASD individuals, perhaps explaining their lack of interest in faces. Both groups showed similar brain activity patters when viewing the houses.

Researchers concluded that, “for people with ASD, paying attention to a face is much harder to do and doesn't have the same effect”

The previous information came from United Press International (UPI) at the following address: http://www.psycport.com/showArticle.cfm?xmlFile=comtex%5F2006%5F04%5F10%5Fup%5F0000%2D2315%2Dbc%2Dbritain%2Dautism%2Eew%2Exml&provider=United%20Press%20International

New Mind Reader Helps Analyze Emotional States

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/medtech/1,70655-0.html

Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers demonstrated a mind reader called the Emotional Social Intelligence Prosthetic, or ESP, at the Body Sensor Networks 2006 international workshop. Mounted video cameras captured facial expressions and head movements of individuals and fed this information to a desktop computer that analyzed the data and gave real-time estimates and feedback of the individuals' emotional states. Feedback could be visual or auditory messages describing the target person's mental state. It could also be tactile, like a vibration that cues the user to ask a question or move on to a new topic of conversation.

The ESP is programmed to analyze simple as well as complex mental states, like agreeing, disagreeing, thinking, confusion, concentrating and interested. The MIT researchers want to go beyond the abilities of the machines currently in use to monitor facial expressions. “Our goal is to help people with autism learn about emotions and facial expressions in the context of their daily lives, using faces that are meaningful to them”, said a member of the research team. In addition to the psychosocial possibilities, the ESP system could help autism researchers collect data from the real world and quantify aspects of social behavior, such as how long a person with autism looks at other people's faces. More testing will be done on the ESP and its capabilities.

The previous information came from the Schafer report April 14th, 2006. For more information go to http://www.sarnet.org/.

Angie Mackewn
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology
University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News April 10, 2006

ADHD Drugs are Highly Addictive and Dangerous

http://www.sierratimes.com/06/04/08/75_8_36_9_51180.htm

The drugs prescribed for ADHD are highly addictive and dangerous for children. Although there is no approved drug for autism, drugs are often prescribed off-label for children. The National Center for Health Statistics indicates that the rate of ADHD increased from 3.3 million to 4.4 million between 1997 and 2002. During this same period prescriptions for ADHD drugs also increased and the annual value is estimated to be around of 3.1 billion dollars, with North America paying 90% of the costs. A large area of increase is for children under the age of 5. Spending on children’s medications has now exceeded those for antibiotics and asthma.

There is an ongoing debate as to whether or not North Americans are overmedicating the children. Schools often pressure parents to have their children labeled and drugged with some even providing lectures on how to do this, says Dr. Mary Ann Block, a pediatrician.

Dr. Fred Baughman, author of The ADHD Fraud - How Psychiatry Makes Patients of Normal Children, argues that the medical practice of ADHD is a fraud and blames the FDA for its contributions. He goes on to point out that ADHD is not a disease so medications can not be a treatment.

Some of the statistics on ADHD drugs include:

Between 1999 and 2004, there were 25 deaths, including 19 children.
FDA reported 50 cases of cardiovascular problems (stroke, heart attack and arrhythmia)
In 1990, there were 271 Ritalin-related emergency room visits and 1478 visits in 2001.
The National Institute of Drug Abuse recorded 165-Ritalin related poison calls in Detroit and 419 cases in Texas and only 114 cases were intentional abuse or misuse.
From 2000-2005 the FDA reported nearly 1000 reports of psychosis or mania linked to ADHD drugs (Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta, and Strattera).
One in 10 teenagers or 2.3 million young people had tried ADHD medication without a prescription and 29% knew someone who abused them.

Besides the side effects, doctors are worried about the high addiction rates of stimulants. In 2004, the results a study on non-medicinal use of amphetamines showed that 4.9% of 8th graders had used stimulants in the previous year; 8.5% of 10th graders had used the drugs, and 10% of seniors had admitted to non-medicinal use of amphetamines

The previous information came from the Schafer report April 8th, 2006. For more information go to http://www.sarnet.org/.

Angie Mackewn

Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology
University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News April 3, 2006

Slow Brain Development in Children with High Intelligence

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland have found that the brain of children with above average intelligence does not develop at the same rate as those children who have average to below average intelligence. Researchers there studied MRI of 307 children. They found that an area of the brain known as the cortex, which carries out complex thinking, did not reach maximum thickness in children with above average intelligence (IQ 121-149) up to about age 11. Children with slightly lower IQ reached maximum thickness at age 9 and those with average intelligence by age 6.

At this time, it is not understood what could be driving the changes, but environment may play a role in superior intelligence. By tracing patterns of normal development, scientists come closer to also understanding what goes wrong. Results will appear in the journal Nature on Thursday.

Revised Amygdala Theory in Asperger’s Syndrome

The amygdala theory suggests an important role for the amygdala in development of autism spectrum disorders. A recent MRI study of 17 Asperger’s Syndrome adults and 17 adults without AS was conducted to measure the volume of the amygdala. The study suggests that in the AS group, smaller amygdala volume was associated with restrictive behavior interest, but no association between amygdala volume and emotional social understanding. Researchers from the New York School of Medicine suggest a revised theory for the role of the amygdala in autism spectrum disorders.

http://tinyurl.com/hx6gd

Denise Jones

Instructor of Psychology

University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News March 27,2006

Allergic Responses in Children

A study published in the January edition of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology showed that European children who followed the anthroposophic lifestyle which severely restricts the use of such medicines as antibiotics and fever reducers have a lower risk of developing allergies.

The press release regarding the article reads: “Early use of antibiotics and fever reducers, along with the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination were also associated with increased risks of several allergic symptoms and doctor’s diagnoses.”

Hypothesis Examines Genes' Brain War
http://tinyurl.com/zjy7n

     Researchers from Britain and Canada have devised the so-called "imprinted brain hypothesis" they say explains the evolutionary genomic causes of autism.
      The hypothesis suggests that competition between genes from an autistic child's parents leads to a brain imbalance that results in poorer social skills while often boosting mechanical abilities.
      "The imprinted brain hypothesis underscores the viewpoint that the autism spectrum represents human cognitive diversity rather than simply (a)disorder or disability," said researcher Bernard Crespi of Simon FraserUniversity.
      "Indeed, individuals at the highest-functioning end of this spectrum may have driven the development of science, engineering and the arts through mechanistic brilliance coupled with perseverant obsession," he said. Crespi and Christopher Badcock of the London School of Economics published their hypothesis in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology.

The Schafer Report

Many of the stories for autism in the news are reported in the Schafer Report written by Lenny Schafer. The report is issued weekly to its subscribers and offers up to the minute information on autism. The Shafer Report has for its 10 year history been supported financially from Lenny’s 17 year old autistic son’s adoption assistance disability money. On March 10th, Lenny announced that he would continue the Schafer report for 1 more year. You can read his entire statement at http://tinyurl.com/o6urd. Needless to say, the report would be greatly missed by parents, educators, researchers, and others. He is currently considering financial support through subscriptions to the newsletter, but has made no promises as to the future of the Schafer Report.

For more information go to www.sarnet.org for now!

Submitted by

Denise Jones

University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News March 20, 2006

http://interactive.snm.org/index.cfm?PageID=4971

Can Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Potentially Regenerate Brain Tissues?

A Japanese research team are one step closer to knowing how transplanted bone marrow stromal cells restore lost neurological functions of animals exhibiting central nervous system disorders. A stromal cell is a specific kind of stem cell found in bone marrow that generates bone, cartilage, fat, and fibrous connective tissue.

How the regeneration process works is not known at the time but studies show that cells taken from adult human bone marrow may possibly be converted into neural cells. Neural cells have the ability to convert to any type of cell found in the body. These converted neural cells could then be transplanted into the brain.

Researchers have tested this process in animals suffering from a cerebral infarction or stroke. It is explained that the transplanted cells work by traveling to the “periinfarct” area and then assume the function of the specific neuronal receptor.

Satoshi Kuroda, M.D., Ph.D, one of the researchers in the department of neurosurgery at Hokkaido University School of Medicine in Sapporo, Japan, stresses the importance of understanding how this mechanism works before using it on humans. Kurodo stresses, “When the efficacy, mechanism and safety of cell transplantation therapy are established, we will be able to apply it to clinical situations.”

The original article, Improved Expression of γ-Aminobutyric Acid Receptor in Mice with Cerebral Infarct and Transplanted Bone Marrow Stromal Cells: An Autoradiographic and Histologic Analysis, can be found in the March issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine

The previous information came from the Schafer report March 16th, 2006. For more information go to http://www.sarnet.org/.

Angie Mackewn

Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology
University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News March 13, 2006

M.I.N.D. Institute to Launch Autism Study

University of California, Davis M.I.N.D. Institute has launched the nation’s largest comprehensive assessment of children with autism to detect the biological and behavioral patterns that define subtypes of the disorder. The project called, the Autism Phenome Project is a longitudinal study which will assess 1800 children; 900 with autism, 450 with developmental delay, 450 developing typically.

The evaluation will include immune system functioning, brain structures/functions, genetics, environmental exposures and blood protein analysis. David G. Amaral, research director says, “the tremendous variation leads us to believe that autism is a group of disorders rather than a single disorder.”

For further information go to www.mindinstitute.org.

Pica Can Lead to Health Problems

Pica, an eating disorder characterized by persistent and compulsive cravings to eat items other than food for at least one month. “Pica” comes from the Latin word for magpie, a bird known to eat almost anything. The disorder is most common in 2-3 year olds and in those with developmental disabilities such as autism and mental retardation.

Children with the disorder may eat items such as dirt, clay, paint, chips, plaster, chalk, baking soda, toothpaste, glue, or soap. Pica can lead to health problems such as worm or parasitic infections, lead poisoning, intestinal obstruction and iron-deficiency anemia. The causes of pica are unknown, but some situations increase the risk of the disorder including:

Mineral deficiencies

Malnutrition

Cultural factors

Parental neglect, lack of supervision or food deprivation

Developmental problems

Mental health conditions

Pregnancy

Pica is normally a condition children grow out of. If you suspect your child has pica, contact your pediatrician or physician for more information.

Denise Jones

Instructor of Psychology

University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News March 6th, 2006

ABA’s Role in Earlier Identification/Prevention of Autism

Children with autism tend to be diagnosed by a professional around the age of 18 months to 2 years of age when “autistic-like” behaviors are more difficult to change through modification techniques. There is evidence to suggest that behavioral factors exist at early ages which are related to a later diagnosis of autism. These behaviors can be detected as early as 8-12 months, suggesting that the factors related to language and social delays are present during the first year of life or earlier. Applied Behavioral Analysis early intervention has shown to be effective and can begin as early as 6-8 months. Dick Malott suggests that ABA professionals should play a major role in early detection/prevention of autism and has outlined three important step in this goal.

Malott’s three recommended steps to early identification/prevention:

The first step would be to establish ABA Autism Prevention/Early Intervention Task Force to be responsible for the development of an early intervention plan. This task force would outline the steps needed to establish ABA prevention and early intervention centers and programs and assist in overseeing the development of such a screening network.

The second step is related to short range prevention/intervention techniques that could be implemented immediately. This step includes having ABA service providers develop a Prevention/Early Intervention program. Screening programs could be established for those at high risk for Autism, for example, younger siblings of children diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder or young children with serious language delays that have not been identified with autism.

A third step suggested the formation of an ABA Autism interest group for the exchange of information on early detection, funding, and new research development.

The previous information came from http://dickmalott.com/autism/preventing/page2.html

In 2002, Dick Malott received ABA’s Award for Public Service in Behavior Analysis.

Angie Mackewn
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology
University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News February 27, 2006

Social Impairment of Siblings of Children with Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder

Siblings of children with autism run an estimated 10% chance of also being diagnosed with autism. A recent study reported in the American Journal of Psychiatry by researchers at Washington University report increased social impairment in siblings of autistic and Pervasive Developmental Disordered (PDD) children. The study found the greatest social impairment in siblings with multiple incidences of autism, followed by siblings of those diagnosed with PDD, then siblings of those diagnosed with psychopathology unrelated to autism.

The study reveals that siblings display some of the social impairments found in autism and PDD even when not diagnosed with the full syndrome.

Taken from the Schafer Report Friday, February 24

www.sarnet.org

Protein Molecule Isolated

Researchers have isolated a protein molecule that may lead to an understanding and potential drug treatments of learning and memory problems seen in autism. The protein, myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2), present in the nucleus of neurons (cells in the brain) work to promote or inhibit growth at the synapse. Changes at the synapse could turn out to be important in a range of neurodegenerative disorders including autism.

For more information go to http://tinyurl.com/gm81t

Denise Jones

Instructor of Psychology

University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News February 20, 2006

Ten Things The Student with Autism Wishes You Knew

Ellen Notbohm, author of the book called, Ten Things Every Child With Autism Wished You Knew, has recently expanded her audience to teachers and has written an article, Ten Things The Student With Autism Wishes You Knew.

Ellen can be reached at ellen@thirdvariation.com

1. Behavior is communication. All behavior occurs for a reason. It tells you, even when my words can't, how I perceive what is happening around me. Negative behavior interferes with my learning process. But merely interrupting these behaviors is not enough; teach me to exchange these behaviors with proper alternatives so that real learning can flow.

2. Never assume anything. Without factual backup, an assumption is only a guess. I may not know or understand the rules. I may have heard the instructions but not understood them. Maybe I knew it yesterday but can't retrieve it today.

3. Look for sensory issues first. A lot of my resistant behaviors come from sensory discomfort. One example is fluorescent lighting, which has been shown over and over again to be a major problem for children like me. The hum it produces is very disturbing to my hypersensitive hearing, and the pulsing nature of the light can distort my visual perception, making objects in the room appear to be in constant movement. An incandescent lamp on my desk will reduce the flickering, as will the new, natural light tubes. Or maybe I need to sit closer to you; I don't understand what you are saying because there are too many noises "in between" - that lawnmower outside the window, Jasmine whispering to Tanya, chairs scraping, pencil sharpener grinding.

4. Provide me a break to allow for self-regulation before I need it. A quiet, carpeted corner of the room with some pillows, books and headphones allows me a place to go to re-group when I feel overwhelmed, but isn't so far physically removed that I won't be able to rejoin the activity flow of the classroom smoothly.

5. Tell me what you want me to do in the positive rather than the imperative. "You left a mess by the sink!" is merely a statement of fact to me. I'm not able to infer that what you really mean is "Please rinse out your paint cup and put the paper towels in the trash." Don't make me guess or have to figure out what I should do.

6. Keep your expectations reasonable. That all-school assembly with hundreds of kids packed into bleachers and some guy droning on about the candy sale is uncomfortable and meaningless to me. Maybe I'd be better off helping the school secretary put together the newsletter.

7. Help me transition between activities. It takes me a little longer to motor plan moving from one activity to the next. Give me a five-minute warning and a two-minute warning before an activity changes

8. Don't make a bad situation worse. I know that even though you are a mature adult, you can sometimes make bad decisions in the heat of the moment. I truly don't mean to melt down, show anger or otherwise disrupt your classroom. You can help me get over it more quickly by not responding with inflammatory behavior of your own. Beware of these responses that prolong rather than resolve a crisis.

9. Criticize gently. Be honest - how good are you at accepting "constructive" criticism? The maturity and self-confidence to be able to do that may be light years beyond my abilities right now. Should you never correct me? Of course not. But do it kindly, so that I actually hear you.

10. Offer real choices - and only real choices. Don't offer me a choice or ask a "Do you want...?" question unless are willing to accept no for an answer. "No" may be my honest answer to "Do you want to read out loud now?" or "Would you like to share paints with William?" It's hard for me to trust you when choices are not really choices at all.

The previous information came from the Schafer report February 16th, 2006. For more information go to http://www.sarnet.org/.

Angie Mackewn
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology
University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News February 13th, 2006

FDA Advises Warnings for ADHD Drugs

The Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted in favor of a “black box” warning to be placed on labels of Ritalin and other stimulant drugs. This comes after the panel heard 25 deaths, including 19 children who had taken the drug.

While the FDA does not have to follow the advisory panels recommendations, it likely will place the label on drugs including Ritalin, Concerta, Methylin and Metadate. Adderall and Adderall XR have carried this label since 2004. Currently, Ritalin and other stimulant medications are prescribed to 2 million children and 1 million adults per month.

Schaffer Report Friday, February 10, 2006

Treatment of Down Syndrome in Mice

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University report restoring normal growth in the area of the brain known as the cerebellum in a mouse model of Down Syndrome (DS). The cerebellum controls signals from muscles to coordinate balance and motor learning.

This finding might someday be used to treat human infants with DS. DS is caused by an extra chromosome 21 and results in slowed growth, abnormal facial features and mental retardation. The brain of a person with DS has a greatly reduced number of neurons. Other underdeveloped areas of the brain may also benefit from similar treatments.

Shaffer Report Friday, February 3, 2006

For more information go to www.sarnet.org

Denise Jones

Instructor of Psychology

University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News February 6th, 2006

Aspergers Labeled as a Disability

U.S District Judge D. Brock Hornby ruled that a York County girl diagnosed with Aspergers is entitled to special education services even though she is well-behaved in class, scores well on tests, and completes her homework.

The lawyer for the family demonstrated that the girl’s lack of social and communication skills, two key symptoms of Aspergers, is affecting the girl’s educational performance and is therefore eligible for special education under federal law.

The impact of this ruling could be very important to a number of parents because it suggests that education is about more than just academic success, but about developing a child’s social skills and ability to communicate.

The previous information came from the Schafer report February 3rd, 2006. For more information go to http://www.sarnet.org/.

Dietary Changes Linked With Psychological Disorders

http://tinyurl.com/ddt3h

Sustain, an alliance for better food and farming based in Britain along with the Mental Health Foundation recently published a study of the foods we are eating. The researchers concluded that the vitamins, minerals and essential fats we consume have altered dramatically over the past 50 years.

The meat industry changes, including the processed feed, antibiotics, pesticides, and industrial farming have altered their nutritional contents. We are eating 1/3 less vegetables and 2/3 less fish, a once main source of good omega-3 fatty acids. Our growing intake of processed and ready-to-eat meals along with the saturated fats they are made from work to slow down our mental processes.

This study suggests there may be a link between diet and depression, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and even Alzheimer’s. While some scientists are skeptical of the link between diet and psychological disorders, others, like Dr. Andrew McCulloch, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation, said that sometimes changes in the diet have better results than drugs or counseling.

The previous information came from the Schafer report January 27th, 2006. For more information go to http://www.sarnet.org/.

Angie Mackewn
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology
University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News January 23, 2006

Father’s Age Related to Neurological Disordershttp://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/520009?src=mp

Since the 1950’s studies have been conducted on the link between the father’s age and genetic diseases. In 2001, the relationship between paternal age and schizophrenia was reported by Dolores Malaspina, MD, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University and Research Psychiatrist at New York State Psychiatric Institute in New York City.

Dr. Malaspina believes that there are many variants of schizophrenia and has been studying the disease since the 1980s. She examines the cases of schizophrenia where there is a genetic history and compares them to cases that have no family history of psychosis. According to Malaspina, when a new case shows up in a family with no history of the disease it is almost always due to a mutation during spermatogenesis.

A scientist named Penrose found paternal age to be the key factor in predicting genetic diseases and proposed the Copy Error Theory to explain why. According to his theory each time the spermatozoa are copied there is a chance for a new mutation to occur. Since sperm cells divide every 16 days after puberty, the DNA in the sperm of a 20-year-old male has been copied 100 times, but sperm DNA from a 50-year-old father has been copied more than 800 times. Egg cells from the mother divide few dozen times so the opportunities for mutations from the mother are limited.

Dr. Malaspina’s finds that paternal age can explain over 25% of the risk for schizophrenia. These findings have been replicated by other scientists and not one study has failed to find this relationship. Further research is being conducted on other neurological disorders and paternal age as well as other environmental factors.

The previous information came from the Schafer report January 19th, 2005. For more information go to http://www.sarnet.org/.

Angie Mackewn
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology
University of Tennessee at Martin

+++

Autism in the News January 16, 2006

Seafood Consumption Guidelines For Pregnant And Nursing Women

Backed by compelling science that links seafood consumption to reduced
risk of disease, the U.S. government is recommending that all Americans -
especially pregnant and nursing women and children - eat two seafood meals
per week that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. This recommendation is
included in USDA's 2005 dietary guidelines and is being reiterated by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Seafood cuts the risk for heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, stroke, diabetes,

and inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Further, studies show that

nutrients found in fish and shellfish help the body heal after cancer treatments, and

ward off auto-immune conditions, allergies, asthma, migraines, skin conditions, and

Crohn's disease. Studies have found that people with omega-3 fatty acid deficiencies

are at greater risk for sleep problems, depression, stress, schizophrenia and aggressive
behavior.
By eating the right kinds of seafood, pregnant and nursing women pass to their

baby important nutrients that aid in brain development and may
lessen the effects of dyslexia, autism, hyperactivity and attention deficit
disorder, according to scientists presenting at an international science conference in

Washington D.C. Studies also have presented a link between these nutrients and increased

intelligence in infants and young children. Species that are rich in these nutrients -
omega-3 fatty acids, iodine, iron and choline - include wild and farmed
salmon, shrimp, pollock, cod, canned light tuna and catfish.
Women will not put their baby at risk if they avoid eating shark,
swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel, tuna steaks and whale meat until after
they have delivered and stopped breast feeding, scientists said. Exposure to
mercury found in those species during the sensitive stages of fetal brain
development may cause neurological damage. As an extra precaution, women who
plan to become pregnant should avoid those species for six months before
conception. These are conservative guidelines, with a 10-fold safety margin
built in for precaution.
Mercury is a naturally occurring element that has always been present
in the environment as well as in many foods. Emerging science presented this
week indicates that the high amount of selenium present in ocean fish
neutralizes the toxic effects of mercury in the human body. This provides a
possible explanation for why there has never been a documented epidemic of
child developmental problems in coastal populations whose diets have been
comprised mainly of seafood for generations.
+ Full report here:
http://www.amonline.com/article/article.jsp?siteSection=1&id=15090

Autism One Radio Web-Based Radio Station for the Care, Treatment, and Recovery of Children with Autism http://www.autismone.org/radio

+++

Autism In The News

2005 Year in Review

The year 2005 has been a big year in autism research and public awareness about the disorder. While a search for causes and treatments for the disorder is always at the forefront of research, new public awareness of the disorder this year seems to have intensified the search and the public debate about the disorder’s causes.

Autism is a neurodevelopment disorder characterized by impairments in social, emotional, language and behavioral functioning and likely results from a genetic susceptibility to certain environmental triggers. Autism is more typical in males than females occurring at a rate of 4:1 and diagnosis typically occurs before age 3. There is also a 1 in 20 chance that subsequent children will develop autism in a family with a child diagnosed with autism. There is no cure for autism.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/autism.cfm

In February 2005, NBC’s Today Show along with Newsweek Magazine ran series entitled “Autism: The Hidden Epidemic.” The series and articles suggested an epidemic rise in cases of autism. The Center for Disease Control reports that 1:166 children will be diagnosed with autism. This number is significantly more than that purported by the National Institute of Mental Health at 1:1000.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6901860/

Rates of autism have been reported as being increased over the last ten years and there has been debate as to whether these are “real” increases or just an artifact of early detection and diagnosis as well as changes in how states report cases of autism. There is no conclusion as to which is true, although both have real implications for funding of future research. If cases of autism are really on the rise, this may help support or initiate more funding for research into environmental factors. If autism, however, is not on the rise, but is just being better diagnosed, funding for research may follow the researchers looking for genetic factors involved in development of autism.

While the media has increased public awareness of autism, the year’s most heated debate was the role of vaccinations in the development of autism. This idea was originally proposed by Andrew Wakefield in a 1998 published paper in The Lancet. Wakefield suggested a possible link between autism and the MMR vaccine. Later research did not support this and Wakefield later recanted his publication’s conclusions.

In a controversial article in June 2005, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, a senior attorney for the National Defense Counsel suggested a potential government cover up of the relationship between thimerosol (a mercury based preservative used in preparation of some vaccines, but not the MMR vaccination) and neurological disorders, like autism. www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8243264/

www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/_/id/7395411?md=1118876085895&has-player=tru

David Kirby’s book Evidence of Harm published this year brought the possible cover up to the public’s attention. The public debate continues over this issue, although the scientific community seems to largely accept that vaccinations role in autism is not supported by the research.

http://www.evidenceofharm.com/

http://tinyurl.com/7wld4

Publications on MRI and fMRI studies to identify differences in brain structure and function have revealed several areas of interest in the brain. Reported findings of dysfunction in the mirror neuron system of the brain as well as differences in the caudate nucleus, amygdala, and motor cortex of the brain support some of the behavior deficits seen in the autistic. When and how these brain structures and systems are altered is unclear.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=21971

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4397269.stm

http://tinyurl.com/8e9en

A meta-analysis of studies on head circumference in 2005 suggests that head circumference is normal at birth, but increases to above average between the ages of 2 – 5 years in autistics. This difference is not seen in adult comparisons.

http://tinyurl.com/b3rut

This year also resulted in a Supreme Court Ruling on interpretation of Individuals With Disabilities Act (IDEA) on burden of proof in special education for the autistic. The 6-2 court ruled this year that parents who demand better special education services for their child have the burden and proof (thus, burden of financing). When schools challenge a program, they have burden of proof (and financing it). This ruling has huge implications for parents with children with disabilities, including those with autistic children.

http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/05pdf/04-698.pdf

School systems have seen an increase of children who qualify for disabilities under IDEA and the cost associated with providing access to Free Public Education. That financial burden to schools may have been eased somewhat under this ruling, but there are many challenges for financially strapped educational systems to provide services to disabled children.

New suggested therapies for autism include medications typically used for other psychiatric disorders, including some used for depression, seizure, and psychotic disorders. In addition, research into the effectiveness of behavioral interventions suggests that the earlier treatment begins, the more likely the child benefit.

http://tinyurl.com/9lvh4

While the media has brought attention and some increased funding to the search into autism’s causes and possible treatments, many families still struggle with the challenges of raising one or more autistic families. Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in September, and the autistic community was hard hit. AutismCares, a multi-agency partnership, formed a national relief effort to aid victims of families with autism in the Katrina disaster area. An estimated 53 thousand families effected by autism were also hit by the three hurricanes of the season. The money raised has gone to effected families for housing and other needs.

http://www.autismcares.com/

As the year 2005 has demonstrated, many challenges exist, both seen and unforeseen, in the search for answers about autism. Special thanks to the Schafer Report for continuing to bring up the minute review of the diverse nature of this disorder.

http://www.sarnet.org/

Denise Jones

Instructor of Psychology

University of Tennessee at Martin

January 27, 2006

Ordering Information >>

Help >>

Translation of this page into languages other than English can be performed here:
http://www.google.com/language_tools?hl=en

Copyright @ 2005 aba4autism.com. All rights reserved. webmaster@aba4autism.com.
Site design by www.definingdesigns.com