Bonding with your future child begins before conception! Life is in love with itself. As William Blake said, "eternity is in love with time." What we call bonding is just that, which begins with mother and her infant and expands to embody the entire universe. - M. Mendizza
April is Autism Awareness Month. Find out how other parents are managing their children's transitions, learn about resources and proposed legislation in Congress, read Q & A, a new documentary about autism, and share your own story -- all at Parade.com/autism.
Autism's First Child, by Donovan & Zucker. (2010). Brain in the News. Children with autism is already an epidemic, but what about adults with autism? An estimated 500,000 children diagnosed with autism will become adults during this decade. Meet Donald Gray Triplett, age 77, the first person to be diagnosed with autism. Read and learn about this first child who was called "odd" as a child. That was 67 years ago. A medical article written in 1943 described this condition as "unlike anything reported so far."
For more Clinical Research Studies on Autism please refer to UC Davis Mind Institute..
View a video featuring the two authors discussing their research + finding Donald Triplett + some of the myths they discovered about autism syndrome. View video at http://bit.ly/aUPvAG
The Autism Spectrum Disorders are comprised of:
Pervasive Developmental Disorders including Asperger's Syndrome (AS), Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), and Autism Disorder.
The word "Autism" is defined as including all Autism Spectrum Disorders.
From the website: http://www.feat.org
Families for Early Autism Treatment, is a non-profit organization of parents, family members and treatment professionals dedicated to providing the best outcome for children in Education, Advocacy and Support for the Northern California Autism Community. Check for FEAT websites in your region.
The Autism File , is a quarterly publication that presents current research, data and information covering Autism, Asperger's, ADHD, ADD and other related disorders. Written by parents, doctors, consultants, teachers. Covers topics on: vaccination coverage, diet & nutrition, books, videos, etc. The founder & Editor-in-Chief, Polly Tommey, from the UK, features many noted authors from the US and Great Britain, like Temple Grandin.
Subscribe:
P.O. Box 144 Hampton, TW12 2FF United Kingdom. Check it out at: www.autismfile.com
Every year, the once obscure diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome, is given to significantly more children.
Byron Rourke feels that the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has reached epidemic proportions. Rourke is the author of, Nonverbal Learning Disabilities.
The reason we are looking at the figures for 2007, in 2009, is this disorder can take from two to three years to detect and diagnose.
Odds of a child performing at Carnegie Hall: 1 in 73,000
Odds of a child being diagnosed with autism: 1 in 110
(This figure from December 22, 2009.)
Note:This diagnosis is handed out to four times as many boys as girls.
Experts who are revising psychiatry's diagnostic manual have proposed to eliminate Asperger's Syndrome from the new edition, due out in 2012. If these experts create a change they will merge Asperger's Syndrome with another mild form of autism,
Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified. (P.D.D.-N.O.S.)
Taking Asperger's out of the manual, known to experts as D.S.M.-V for the fifth edition of the, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, does not mean the term will vanish. Some experts are concerned the diagnosis has become a catch-all diagnosis on overload. One might ask why so many have recently been diagnosed, or re-diagnosed, with the above mentioned Asperger's Syndrome.
To read more about this controversy go to: The Dana Foundation's, Brain in the News. December 2009.
Lancet Retracts Study Tying Vaccine to Autism. article by Shirley Wang. appeared in The Wall Street Journal, February, 2010.
It is important to note that the British study that first linked the development of autism to MMR vaccines (1998) consisted of only 12 children. A retraction to the original article recently appeared. "I hope this brings closure to this controversy. My fear, unfortunately, is that this won't totally allay the fear of parents" qoute Fred Volkmar, professor Yale Child Study Center.
A Child's Journey Out of Autism, One Family's Story of Living in Hope and Finding a Cure, by Leeann Whiffen. NOTE: The author is active in the autism community, particularly in the state of Utah. She is working on Caly's Law, a Bill requiring insurance companies pay for the treatment of autism. The Bill is set to go to the Utah State Senate this year. (2010)
For more information on the Bill: http:/autismcoalition.blogspot.com.com/
TRP Wellness. www.trpwellness.com DVD series that is beneficial to parents who desire more than their insurance company provides. Hosted by Rachel Hunter and instructed by Britt Collins, MS, OTR/L. This series is used in therapy with ADHD, ADD, Cerebral Palsy, MR, Multiple Sclerosis, sensory processing disorder, spinal muscular atrophy and developmental delays.
Tasks Galore.www.tasksgalore.com Offers a three part series filled with tasks difficult for children on the spectrum. Transitions them through adulthood. Set one for pre-K through elementary.
Tasks Galore for the Real World. the second part in the series. It is geared for older students and transitions them through adulthood. Students learn everyday life skills based on a functional approach.
Tasks Galore Making Groups Meaningful. is designed for the classroom. Provides step-by-step color pictures and helpful checklists without relying on visual cues and prompts. The series is recommended by the editor of the Autism File, Kimberly Linderman.
One study suggests the key may be found in the mother's womb. Mothers of children with autism might produce immune proteins that react with and potentially harm their babies' brains during pregnancy. Harvey Singer, a pediatric neurologist at Johns Hopkins University and his colleagues do not know yet, however, Singer speculates, "the role the brain proteins play during development or whether the maternal antibodies actually influence their function. The team plans to investigate by injecting human maternal antibodies into pregnant mice to see if their offspring show developmental problems." Scientific American Mind June/July 2008.
What Experts Are Saying
Kathryn Stewart, Ph. D. is a leading expert in neurocognitive disorders and executive director of the Orion Academy, in Orinda, California. It is the first college-prep high school for children with NLD (Nonverbal Learning Disorders) or Asperger's Disorder. Dr. Stewart has written.
A Parent's Guide, Helping a Child with Nonverbal Learning Disorder or Asperger's Disorder. Dr. Kathryn Stewart's book is clear and concise. She provides strategies and tools to help, not only the students with ASD, but their parents cope as well. Stewart helps readers understand that children with NLD and Asperger's Disorder possess an information processing disorder.
NOTE: Developing social and organizational skills is crucial for helping students overcome their disability.
Autism Spectrum Disorders, by Chantal Sicile-Kira. Selected in 2005 as the Autism Society of America's Outstanding Literary Work of the Year. Frustration and guilt entraps the parents of children with autism. Advising parents, from the author's experience as the father of a young son diagnosed with PDD-NOS. This father advises us to remember,
"You are raising a child, not a disability. Most books give you information on autism. This book gave me hope and encouragement."
The Early Start Denver Model is devised for early treatment of autism. ESDM has been reported to improve IQ, adaptive behavior, and autism diagnosis in a study of 48 children (ages 18-30 months) diagnosed with ASD. This study reported in The American Academy of Pediatrics, published online November 30, 2009.
The Encyclopedia of Dietary Interventions. by Karyn Seroussi and Lisa Lewis, Ph.D. www.autismndi.com The authors began research thirteen years ago into dietary interventions for ASD autism--this book is the end results. Written for the busy family who needs an easy manual to follow. "Dietary intervention is one of the most powerful tools we possess."
Protecting Parents of Children with the Autism Spectrum from Others and Themselves. Often parents, whether biological or adoptive, of children who suffer from the autism spectrum become isolated from others and may feel alone within their community. This article suggests that parents find reliable sources of information about their child's illness and appropriate treatments. This may come as a therapeutic alliance with a clinician with expertise in ASDs. Whether parents communicate with the clinician in person or via email, it is important to vent concerns and ask questions concerning each stage of their child's development. Autism Counseling Points. July 2008. Also visit web sites such as, www.autism-society.org and www.autismspeaks.org
Recommended Reading:
Louder than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism, by Jenny McCarthy, NY Times bestselling author of Baby Laughs. Trace this mother's personal experience with medicine, diet and early intervention that helps bring her son "out of the cloud" of autism.
Imaging Sheds Light on Autism:Many children and adults with autism lack, to a greater or lesser degree, the innate ability to grasp and interpret the meanings of gestures, body movements, tone of voice, and facial expressions. Now researchers are using brain-imaging technologies to discover why the brains of children with autism fail to process social inputs. By Faith Hickman Brynie, freelance science and medical writer based in Bigfork, Mont..She can be reached at:fbrynie@centurytel.net.
People with autism can often think the way animals think, which puts them in the perfect position to translate "animal talk." In this groundbreaking book, Temple Grandin draws on her own experiences with autism as well as her distinguishedcareer as an animal scientist to deliver an extraordinary message about how animals think, act, and feel. Funny, informative, and full of incredible insight, Animals in Translation Animals in Translation will forever change the way we look at our fellow creatures. Temple Grandin and CatherineJohnson, national bestseller.
Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals, by Temple Grandin. She lists five essential freedoms that perhaps we all share, animals and people alike. They are: Freedom from fear and distress, Freedom from hunger and thirst, Freedom from pain, injury and disease, Freedom from discomfort and lastly, Freedom to express normal behavior.
"Indifference to music's emotional power may occur in people with Asperger's syndrome. Temple Grandin, the brilliant autistic scientist I described in, An Anthropologist on Mars, is fascinated bymusical form and is particularly attracted to music by Bach." More in, Musicophilia, Tales of Music and the Brain by Dr. Oliver Sacks.
Extraordinary People: Understanding Savant Syndrome by Darold A. Treffert, M.D. "Lucid, exciting, tinged with mystery. 26 years of research on the mindboggling phenomena of the savant.., superiorscience writing." Kirkus Review. Genius; Music; Calendar Calculators; The Brilliant and the Backward; The Mnemonists are some of the topics. Loves and Logic- Getting Special Needs Kids Ready For TheReal World, by David Funk. This book is a brilliant blend of experience born from thousands of interactions with kids, their parents and other educators and solid psychologically relevant research. Through hundreds of stories and examples gathered over three decades as an educator, Dave gives a clear picture of special needs kids for who they are, not for who we are afraid they might be.
Engaging Autism by Stanley I. Greenspan, M.D. & Serena Wieder, Ph.D. Covering all types of ASD, including Asperger's Syndrome from the early signs in infancy through the school years - and on into adulthood. "This is a valuable book and valuable for parents without worry about their child, valuableto professionals who are consulted, valuable to the learners who are looking for interventions, for this frightening disorder. Floortime and the DIR programs are exciting innovations and dramatically effective."
T. Berry Brazelton, M.D. Clinical Prof. of Pedicatrics, Emeritus, Harvard Medical School.
The Autism Source Book:Everything You Need To Know About Diagnosis, Treatment, Coping and Healing. From a mother whose child recovered, by Karen Siff Exkorn.
The Autistic Spectrum by Lorna Wing, M.D. The Autistic Spectrum Parents' Daily Helper Workbook for You and Your Child.
The Out-of-Sync Child Has Fun - Activities for Kids with Sensory Processing Disorder by Carol Stock Kranowitz, M.A.,
This book is great. It is a real contribution to the parents of many children who are so hard to understand. It will help parents off the hook of blaming themselves...and will help them get onto the job of addressing the child's underlying difficulties.
Parents are enthralled while watching their new babies imitate and learn the 'rules' of communication and speech learning. Children discover the world. This book shows how. The Scientist in TheCrib, Minds, Brains, and How Children Learn by Alison Gopnick, Ph.D. Andrew N. Meltzoff, Ph.D. Patricia K. Kuhl, Ph.D.
Your Baby's Mind-Intellectual growth is nearly completed before a child enters school - by Dr. S.H. Jacob. This book features: How Do Babies Learn? Why Are The First To Years Critical? Approaches to Enriching Baby's Mind; The Stages of Babyhood...and Glossary.
"All seeds contain life, but those dropped among rocks and thorn simply stand far less chance of expressing that life than those falling on fertile soil. When that environment provides the appropriate model-stimuli, the young spirit will flower. If environmental nurturing is not there, that same young spirit wilts...This book stands as an urgent reminder that parents are the first and foremost environment, the fundamental determinant not just in conception and pregnancy, but through the developmental years." Joseph Clinton Pearce'spraise for, And the Skylark Sings With MeAnd the Skylark Sings with Me, by David H. Albert.
"Children have a secret spiritual life. They have spiritual capacities and experiences--profound moments that shape their lives in enduring ways. These are sometimes stunning, often tender, and reveal a remarkable spiritual world that has been kept largely secret.... I will show some of this secret world that lies within our own households, classrooms, and, perhaps, our own childhoods." TheSecret Spiritual World of Childrenby Tobin Hart, Ph.D.
Being the Other One. Growing Up with a Brother or Sister WhoHas Special Needs, by Kate Strohm. "A wonderfully readable and practical contribution. Kate does a marvelous job of weaving her personal experiances with useful advice for parents, service providers and siblings themselves." Don Meyer, Director Sibling Support Project of the Arc of the United States.
The Out-of-Sync Child. Carol Stock Kranowitz, M.A. Group. "The Out-of-Sync Child does a masterful job ofproviding detailed practical help for children with sensory integration problems." Stanley I Greenspan, M.D, child psychiatrist and author (with J. Salmon) of The Challenging ChildThe Challenging Child."The Out-of-Sync Child, the best bookever written on Sensory Integration Dysfunction. Has been the salvation of parentseverywhere. This sequel will help them evenmore." Marguerite Kelly, the syndicated family of columnist and co-author,The Mother's Almanac.
The Autism Book, Answers To Your Most Pressing Questions. S. Jhoanna Robledo and Dawn Ham-Kucharski. "A very informative and compassionately written book that delivers straight forward answers to many of the most compelling questions about autism. This is a must-read for parents of newly diagnosed children as well as healthcare professionals. I only wish we had this book nine years ago when my son was diagnosed withautism." Peter Bell, CEO, Cure Autism Now.
The Sensory Sensitive Child. Karen A Smith Ph.D., Karen R. Grouze, Ph.D. "Unidentified sensory processing problems often cause heartache in families struggling to understand their child's behavior. Children with sensory problems overreact or under-react to everyday sensory experiences. The resulting behaviors range from battles over dressing to difficulty functioning in a busy classroom. Now, two psychologists who are parents of children with sensory processing difficulties show how to recognize sensory processing problems and evaluate treatment options, view the child's world through a "sensory lens," and implement strategies for handling sensory challenges at home, at school, and in 21st-century kid culture."
Tourette Syndrome Gene Defect Identified. "Scientists have identified a gene defect unique to a small percentage of people with Tourette syndrome, the complex brain disorder that triggers involuntary movement and speech. The discovery, detailed today inThe Journal of Science, was led by researchers at Yale Univ. and included contributions from a San Diego expert on the condition." By Bruce Lieberman.
A Summary of Ways to Optimize Brain Function and Break Bad Brain Habits - Brain Dos and Brain Don'ts from Change Your Brain Change Your LifeChange YourBrain Change Your Life by Daniel G. Amen, M.D., N.Y. Times Bestseller.
What could be done to overcome dyslexia? There were as many opinions as there were specialists, and all kinds of therapies and tutoring sessions were recommended. They were all alike to me and they all meant more work after school or during the holidays...with no results. "An unusual, fascinating work, educational, eminently practical, and a valuable addition to our knowledge of the development of children and adults. Something in it for everyone." says Joseph Chilton Pearce, author of The Magical ChildaboutWhen Listening Comes Aliveby Paul Madaule.
Kids in the Syndrome Mix of ADHD, LD, Asperger's, Tourette's, Bipolar, and More! Written by Dr. L. Martin, M.D. 1- Stop guide for parents, teachers, and other professionals. Concise, scientifically up-to-date, all-in-one guide to the whole range of often co- existing neuro-behavioral disorders in children from ADHD, obsessive- compulsive disorder and bipolar disorder to autistic spectrum disorders, non-verbal learning disabilities, sensory integration problems and executive dysfunction.
Asperger's Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals, by Tony Attwood, Ph. D. Providing a description and analysis of the unusual characteristics of Asperger's Syndrome, with strategies to reduce those that are most conscipcuous or debilitating, this guide brings together the most relevant and useful information on all aspects of the syndrome, from languauge and social behavior to motor clumsiness.
Born On A Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant, by Daniel Tammet. "This is an astonishing book, written in first person. It is the memoir of the author's life with the "synaesthsia and savant syndrome," a rare form of Asperger's syndrome. People with this syndrome can multiply and divide numbers with astonishing speed. They see numbers as forms with color and texture, and days asvivid colors"..... writes Yesh Prabhu, author of The Beech Tree.
Parents Guide to Asperger's Syndrome and High Functioning Autism. How To Meet The Challenges And Help Your Child To Thrive by Sally Ozonett, Ph.D, Geraldine Danson, Ph.D, James McPartland, Ph.D. If you are the parent of a child with Asperger's Syndrome or high-functioning autism this is the book for you. The Oasis Guide to Asperger's Syndrome by Pat Romanowski Bashe and Barbara I. Kirby.
Parenting Your Asperger Child. Alan Sohn, Ed.D.,& Cathy Grayson, M.A 375. "Dr. Allan Sohn's and Cathy Grayson's Social Integration Therapy (CSIT) offers practical solutions that enable parents to prepare their children for a fulfilling life of social interactions and success outside the confines of their syndrome." Asperger's Support Group: AspergersSyndrome@listbot.com
