Consumer Health
The Age of Autism: Question of the year
By DAN OLMSTED
UPI Senior Editor
This was the year Big Media pitted parents against experts over whether vaccines cause autism -- and decided the experts are right. But they may have forgotten to ask an embarrassingly obvious question.
In its new issue on medicine in 2005, Time weighs in: "The idea that childhood vaccinations might lead to autism has gained currency among some concerned parents, fueled by unsubstantiated reports on the Internet. ... Most scientists are convinced that the shots are safe."
There you have it -- a more telling summary perhaps than Time intended. This was the year of "Parents vs. Research," as the equally estimable New York Times put it in a front-page headline in June.
But beneath this seemingly intractable fault line, the earth has been shifting. One major temblor: The April book "Evidence of Harm" by David Kirby, which painted those parents as armed not just with eyewitness accounts but their own critique of the experts' conflicts and flaws.
In our last column we summarized our take on the issue this way: If you're going to tell those parents it's time to shut up and leave the science to the scientists, where is the simple, straightforward study of autism in never-vaccinated U.S. children?
Given the sheer certitude of federal health authorities and mainstream medical groups such as the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, we were surprised we couldn't find comparisons between real-live American kids who've gotten vaccines, and those who haven't. Officials say such a study would be hard to do, in part because so many kids are vaccinated that you couldn't find a "control group" of kids who aren't.
We found tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands.
Our search started among the mostly unvaccinated Amish in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana; moved on to homeschooling families who choose not to vaccinate for religious religions, and wound up in Chicago, where we reported on a medical practice with thousands of unvaccinated children.
We didn't find much autism.
That "finding" -- we use quotes because we know it's not scientific -- has fallen on deaf ears, at least as far as the rest of the media is concerned. Time, the New York Times, the Washington Post -- no major newspaper or magazine has so much as paused to wonder whether never-vaccinated Americans have autism at anywhere near the rate of the rest of the population.
Two exceptions: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., in an article in Rolling Stone and on Salon.com, cited the Amish. And Daniel Schulman, in a groundbreaking piece in the Columbia Journalism Review, did the same thing while portraying the media as perhaps too willing to treat what the "experts" say as revealed truth.
While most journalists seem oblivious to the issue, it continues to resonate with those who suspect vaccines -- perhaps via the mercury-based preservative thimerosal -- triggered an autism epidemic:
-- "Those of you who have been following me over the years know that my mantra has always been that there are almost no vaccine safety or efficacy studies using never vaccinated children as controls," wrote Sandy Mintz at vaccinationnews.com. "It has long been my hope that I would somehow be able to make that point to the right person or persons, to appeal to someone who might have the ability to seriously address the problem."
Mintz got her chance at a congressional hearing in 2002.
"Hi. My name is Sandy Mintz. I am from Anchorage, Alaska. I am lucky enough not to have a child who has been injured by a vaccine. My question is, is NIH (National Institutes of Health) ever planning on doing a study using the only proper control group, that is, never vaccinated children?"
Dr. Steve Foote of NIH responded: "I am not aware of -- but note carefully what I said, that I am not aware of -- a proposed study to use a suitably constructed group of never vaccinated children. Now CDC would be more likely perhaps to be aware of such an opportunity."
Responded Dr. Melinda Wharton of the CDC: "The difficulty with doing such a study in the United States, of course, is that a very small portion of children have never received any vaccines, and these children probably differ in other ways from vaccinated children. So performing such a study would, in fact, be quite difficult."
In her Web posting, Mintz disagreed:
"1) There are more than enough never vaccinated children in the states which allow philosophical exemptions to conduct a proper study.
"2) If children who have not been vaccinated are different in ways that prevent them from getting autism, wouldn't we want to know that?
"Well, wouldn't we?"
-- "There have never been any large, prospective, long-term studies comparing the long-term health of highly vaccinated individuals versus those who have never been vaccinated at all," Barbara Loe Fisher of the National Vaccine Information Center wrote in Mothering Magazine last year.
"Therefore, the background rates for ADHD, learning disabilities, autism, seizure disorders, asthma, diabetes, intestinal bowel disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, and other brain and immune-system dysfunction in a genetically diverse unvaccinated population remains unknown."
-- "Why hasn't the most obvious research been done -- that is, assess the incidence of autism in unvaccinated children?" wrote Illinois autism activist Dr. David Ayoub this fall.
-- Kennedy, in a white paper called "Tobacco Science and the Thimerosal Scandal," quotes University of Kentucky chemistry professor Boyd Haley as saying, "If the CDC were really interested in uncovering the truth, it would commission epidemiological studies of cohorts who escaped vaccination, most obviously the children of Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Scientists or the Amish."
Instead, Kennedy said, the CDC has "worked furiously to quash such studies" and prevent access to its own vaccine safety database -- a charge the CDC denies. Kennedy said he asked an official at the Institute of Medicine -- which last year rejected a vaccines-autism link -- why it didn't encourage those studies rather than recommend research money be redirected.
"That's a great idea, no one has ever suggested it before," Kennedy quoted the official as saying. Kennedy commented: "That statement is incredible. ... The idea of finding an uncontaminated U.S. cohort is Science 101. ... In fact, Dr. Boyd Haley has repeatedly urged IOM and CDC to conduct such a study, including at two public and tape-recorded meetings."
All these people are saying the same thing: Given the stakes, where's the study? This winter the government wants all pregnant women and 6-to-23-month-olds to get flu shots, most of which contain thimerosal.
What's more, as we pointed out in our last column, tens of millions of children worldwide are being injected with thimerosal-containing vaccines every year, largely due to the reassurances of U.S. public health authorities and allied experts like the IOM.
Maybe 2006 will be the year journalists ask them about the autism rate in never-vaccinated American kids. That would be the question of the year.
--
E-mail: dolmsted@upi.com
© Copyright 2005 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Monday, November 14, 2005
Court Rules Against Special Ed. Parents
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051114/ap_on_go_su_co/scotus_schools
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
While I'm on my soapbox...
Playworks
http://www.temeculavalleynews.com/story.asp?story_ID=2920
Lake Elsinore school’s Autism Program under investigation
http://www.temeculavalleynews.com/story.asp?story_ID=2920
Lake Elsinore school’s Autism Program under investigation
Temecula--Trustee blames problems on autism
I rarely use this blog as my soapbox, but check out this commentary re. a Temecula Valley USD board member's recent comments on children with autism. According to this commentary (and I hear there are some fascinating audio clips), Ken Ray stated that "the unwanted stepchildren" are the reason the board must "steal" from band programs, teacher raises, etc. How can a board member possibly be supported for villifying a group of children? 1 in 166 of OUR children whose lives can be changed with intensive intervention.
This commentary is from the North County Times.
By: Brian Hulihan - Commentary
The Temecula Valley school board is facing increased pressure and scrutiny for financial problems and program cuts. Board member Ken Ray has identified autism, a developmental disability, as a "huge hunk" of the problem, and as an answer to the question of where the money is going.
At a board meeting on May 3 of this year, Ray made a public comment about the money spent on autistic children, calling for a separate state agency to take responsibility for them, and calling the children themselves "the unwanted stepchildren under the public schools."
At a public meeting on Sept. 20 he did it again, telling the audience that the board is "stealing" from their kids to pay for autism, and that the results are cuts to band programs, physical education programs and raises for teachers.
He added that students with autism deserve services, but not from the public schools. He urged the audience to "get on Sacramento" so that the state assumes responsibility for all autistic students.
The Temecula Valley Unified School District has an annual budget of $150 million, and their financial problems are on the order of millions of dollars. In coming years their revenues will stagnate, their new schools will age and their mounting debt will, along with other factors, turn millions into tens of millions.
They are currently dealing with a grand jury investigation, harassment and wrongful termination lawsuits, and a growing morale crisis among their employees. The administration and board continue to deny that the situation is bad or that they have any problems at all. The position they take makes it impossible for them to improve, and they blame Congress, the state of California, special education, the grand jury, whatever they can find that is not themselves.
Ken Ray told the audience on May 3 that they "are not the bad guys here." In other words, they're the good guys, but that doesn't mean much. Perhaps he can tell us where the responsible guys are. The stand-up guys.
Perhaps Ken Ray sees the writing on the wall and is concerned as to what will be the legacy of the current board. However, publicly blaming a minority of children and setting the community against them into the bargain is an irresponsible act for an elected official. His naive suggestion that we just change California law shows he does not understand how discrimination has been outlawed over decades.
His actions shed light on the problems associated with autism, but they also raise the big question of whether he and the rest of the board have the judgment needed to realistically deal with their growing responsibilities. By singling out a small group of disabled children as the cause of widespread and systemic problems, he gives himself the appearance of a man who is in over his head.
Brian Hulihan lives in Temecula.
This commentary is from the North County Times.
By: Brian Hulihan - Commentary
The Temecula Valley school board is facing increased pressure and scrutiny for financial problems and program cuts. Board member Ken Ray has identified autism, a developmental disability, as a "huge hunk" of the problem, and as an answer to the question of where the money is going.
At a board meeting on May 3 of this year, Ray made a public comment about the money spent on autistic children, calling for a separate state agency to take responsibility for them, and calling the children themselves "the unwanted stepchildren under the public schools."
At a public meeting on Sept. 20 he did it again, telling the audience that the board is "stealing" from their kids to pay for autism, and that the results are cuts to band programs, physical education programs and raises for teachers.
He added that students with autism deserve services, but not from the public schools. He urged the audience to "get on Sacramento" so that the state assumes responsibility for all autistic students.
The Temecula Valley Unified School District has an annual budget of $150 million, and their financial problems are on the order of millions of dollars. In coming years their revenues will stagnate, their new schools will age and their mounting debt will, along with other factors, turn millions into tens of millions.
They are currently dealing with a grand jury investigation, harassment and wrongful termination lawsuits, and a growing morale crisis among their employees. The administration and board continue to deny that the situation is bad or that they have any problems at all. The position they take makes it impossible for them to improve, and they blame Congress, the state of California, special education, the grand jury, whatever they can find that is not themselves.
Ken Ray told the audience on May 3 that they "are not the bad guys here." In other words, they're the good guys, but that doesn't mean much. Perhaps he can tell us where the responsible guys are. The stand-up guys.
Perhaps Ken Ray sees the writing on the wall and is concerned as to what will be the legacy of the current board. However, publicly blaming a minority of children and setting the community against them into the bargain is an irresponsible act for an elected official. His naive suggestion that we just change California law shows he does not understand how discrimination has been outlawed over decades.
His actions shed light on the problems associated with autism, but they also raise the big question of whether he and the rest of the board have the judgment needed to realistically deal with their growing responsibilities. By singling out a small group of disabled children as the cause of widespread and systemic problems, he gives himself the appearance of a man who is in over his head.
Brian Hulihan lives in Temecula.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
LUAU
Hi. We’re going to have a LUAU and would love for you to come. The party is for Playworks kids and their siblings who are younger than about 6-8 years old. Older siblings are welcome to come and HELP us if they arrange a job with Playworks staff prior to the party. The party is geared toward younger kids and we don’t want anyone to mow down the little ones in the kiddy pools or bounce house. The kids should wear swim suits and bring a towel and change of clothes. Hawaiian print is encouraged. A parent (or other adult caregiver) must remain present at all times to supervise their child(ren). Please prep the kids that they won’t be playing inside the clinic that day. The party will be in our parking lot.
There will be no therapy appointments later than 1:00 that day.
WHAT: LUAU
WHEN: WED. 8/24/05 3:00-5:00
WHERE: PLAYWORKS parking lot
PARKING: Please don’t park in our lot or the drycleaner’s lot next door. Try State Street.
RSVP: Please email reanna@playworks.cc by August 17th.
There will be no therapy appointments later than 1:00 that day.
WHAT: LUAU
WHEN: WED. 8/24/05 3:00-5:00
WHERE: PLAYWORKS parking lot
PARKING: Please don’t park in our lot or the drycleaner’s lot next door. Try State Street.
RSVP: Please email reanna@playworks.cc by August 17th.
Article - Doing Battle With Your Insurance Company
http://www.additudemag.com/additude.asp?DEPT_NO=504&ARTICLE_NO=31&ARCV=1
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
DIR segment on KVCR program Wed. April 13th
Playworks
Dr. Greenspan will be featured on a segment of the show, followed by Kelli taking questions re. the DIR model from 9-9:30. The program schedule is as follows:
KVCR
Vision for the Future!
TUESDAY, APRIL 12 AT 9:00AM KVCR-FM 91.1 WILL HOST A RADIO CALL-IN SHOW TAKING LISTENERS' CALLS.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13 KVCR-TV (CH 24) WILL PRESENT AN EVENING OF PROGRAMMING ON THE SUBJECT OF AUTISM.
7:30 IT’S YOUR CALL [LIVE/PHONE-IN]; “Autism: Update”; First of two live call-ins tonight. Erin O’Toole moderates this program taking calls from the public in the field of autism.
8:00 AUTISM – OH, THE POSSIBILITIES; The third documentary produced by KVCR-TV on this disorder which is having increased influence in our health and educational systems and our families. The show is split into four segments: Early Signs and Signals, Possible Intervention, Possible Causes and Possible Futures. Educators, physicians, health care experts, and parents are all included in this update.
9:00 AUTISM – ON CALL [LIVE/PHONE-IN] As a live follow up to the 8 pm documentary, this live call-in is hosted by Lillian Vasquez. Others on the show take calls reacting to the documentary.
9:30 CHILDREN AND AUTISM: TIME IS BRAIN; A sensitive and engaging portrait of two families faced with the daunting challenge of raising an autistic child.
Dr. Greenspan will be featured on a segment of the show, followed by Kelli taking questions re. the DIR model from 9-9:30. The program schedule is as follows:
KVCR
Vision for the Future!
TUESDAY, APRIL 12 AT 9:00AM KVCR-FM 91.1 WILL HOST A RADIO CALL-IN SHOW TAKING LISTENERS' CALLS.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13 KVCR-TV (CH 24) WILL PRESENT AN EVENING OF PROGRAMMING ON THE SUBJECT OF AUTISM.
7:30 IT’S YOUR CALL [LIVE/PHONE-IN]; “Autism: Update”; First of two live call-ins tonight. Erin O’Toole moderates this program taking calls from the public in the field of autism.
8:00 AUTISM – OH, THE POSSIBILITIES; The third documentary produced by KVCR-TV on this disorder which is having increased influence in our health and educational systems and our families. The show is split into four segments: Early Signs and Signals, Possible Intervention, Possible Causes and Possible Futures. Educators, physicians, health care experts, and parents are all included in this update.
9:00 AUTISM – ON CALL [LIVE/PHONE-IN] As a live follow up to the 8 pm documentary, this live call-in is hosted by Lillian Vasquez. Others on the show take calls reacting to the documentary.
9:30 CHILDREN AND AUTISM: TIME IS BRAIN; A sensitive and engaging portrait of two families faced with the daunting challenge of raising an autistic child.
Thursday, March 17, 2005
More jobs
Tutors
Families of our clients are seeking early childhood teachers or bright college students majoring in fields including communicative disorders, occupational therapy, psychology, and early childhood education to provide 1:1 tutoring to their young children (2-8) diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. The children participate in home-based intervention programs based on a Developmental, Individual-Difference, Relationship-Based (DIR) model. The home programs serve to supplement and reinforce the children’s primary educational placements and therapeutic programs.
Applicants must be reliable, patient, organized, and energetic, with excellent communication skills. The positions require a general understanding of typical child development and experience working with young children. A background in child development would be more important than experience with autism. Although tutors are not employed by or affiliated with Playworks, our agency does provide consultative services and support to the families and tutors.
Positions are currently available in Redlands, Riverside, LaVerne, and Palm Desert. In addition to working with a child 4-12 hours per week, tutors are also expected to attend at least one therapy session per week and a team meeting once a month. The therapy sessions and team meetings with Playworks staff are at our clinic in downtown Redlands.
The positions offer flexible hours, ongoing training/support with Playworks staff, and excellent experience for students majoring in related fields. Hourly rate is $10-12 commensurate with education/experience. Interested applicants are requested to submit a letter of interest and resume with three professional references to Kelli Wilms, M.S., CCC-SLP. Our contact info is as follows:
Playworks
112 Eleventh Street
Redlands, CA 92374
(909) 792-0543
(909) 792-0546 FAX
www.playworks.cc
Families of our clients are seeking early childhood teachers or bright college students majoring in fields including communicative disorders, occupational therapy, psychology, and early childhood education to provide 1:1 tutoring to their young children (2-8) diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. The children participate in home-based intervention programs based on a Developmental, Individual-Difference, Relationship-Based (DIR) model. The home programs serve to supplement and reinforce the children’s primary educational placements and therapeutic programs.
Applicants must be reliable, patient, organized, and energetic, with excellent communication skills. The positions require a general understanding of typical child development and experience working with young children. A background in child development would be more important than experience with autism. Although tutors are not employed by or affiliated with Playworks, our agency does provide consultative services and support to the families and tutors.
Positions are currently available in Redlands, Riverside, LaVerne, and Palm Desert. In addition to working with a child 4-12 hours per week, tutors are also expected to attend at least one therapy session per week and a team meeting once a month. The therapy sessions and team meetings with Playworks staff are at our clinic in downtown Redlands.
The positions offer flexible hours, ongoing training/support with Playworks staff, and excellent experience for students majoring in related fields. Hourly rate is $10-12 commensurate with education/experience. Interested applicants are requested to submit a letter of interest and resume with three professional references to Kelli Wilms, M.S., CCC-SLP. Our contact info is as follows:
Playworks
112 Eleventh Street
Redlands, CA 92374
(909) 792-0543
(909) 792-0546 FAX
www.playworks.cc
Jobs-OTR/L and/or COTA
Playworks
Occupational Therapist (OTR/L) and/or Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA)
We are seeking an experienced Occupational Therapist to join our team on an hourly or half-time basis. We would consider an exceptional COTA. Our practice is growing and there is the potential for a full-time position in the future.
The position is based in our pediatric clinic near downtown Redlands. Scheduling is relatively flexible, with afternoon availability preferred. Challenging pediatric caseload comprised of young children (2-10) with diagnoses including autism spectrum disorder, dyspraxia, seizure disorders, and sensory integrative dysfunction. The therapist will be responsible for direct treatment and parent training.
Playworks is a local private practice providing assessment, intervention, and consultative services to families of young children (infancy through early school age) with complex developmental issues. We are committed to developmentally appropriate practices and specialize in the use of Greenspan and Wieder’s Developmental, Individual-Difference, Relationship-Based (DIR) model in our work with families of young children with autism spectrum disorders. The directors of the practice are two of the four professionals from southern California who are faculty with the DIR Certificate Program (www.icdl.com).
The ideal candidate would be bright, playful, and creative with a background in child development and sensory integration. The position requires experience in the implementation of developmentally-appropriate sensorimotor activities. Required skills include clinical reasoning abilities, an interest in transdisciplinary treatment, and excellent communication skills. Experience working with young children and families is essential. Experience with oral-motor/feeding issues would be helpful. The person must be organized, dependable, flexible, and sincerely interested in learning.
Qualified applicants are requested to submit a letter of interest, resume, three references, and an expected salary range to Kelli Wilms, M.S., CCC-SLP. Our contact info is as follows:
Playworks
112 Eleventh Street
Redlands, CA 92374
(909) 792-0543
(909) 792-0546 FAX
www.playworks.cc
Occupational Therapist (OTR/L) and/or Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA)
We are seeking an experienced Occupational Therapist to join our team on an hourly or half-time basis. We would consider an exceptional COTA. Our practice is growing and there is the potential for a full-time position in the future.
The position is based in our pediatric clinic near downtown Redlands. Scheduling is relatively flexible, with afternoon availability preferred. Challenging pediatric caseload comprised of young children (2-10) with diagnoses including autism spectrum disorder, dyspraxia, seizure disorders, and sensory integrative dysfunction. The therapist will be responsible for direct treatment and parent training.
Playworks is a local private practice providing assessment, intervention, and consultative services to families of young children (infancy through early school age) with complex developmental issues. We are committed to developmentally appropriate practices and specialize in the use of Greenspan and Wieder’s Developmental, Individual-Difference, Relationship-Based (DIR) model in our work with families of young children with autism spectrum disorders. The directors of the practice are two of the four professionals from southern California who are faculty with the DIR Certificate Program (www.icdl.com).
The ideal candidate would be bright, playful, and creative with a background in child development and sensory integration. The position requires experience in the implementation of developmentally-appropriate sensorimotor activities. Required skills include clinical reasoning abilities, an interest in transdisciplinary treatment, and excellent communication skills. Experience working with young children and families is essential. Experience with oral-motor/feeding issues would be helpful. The person must be organized, dependable, flexible, and sincerely interested in learning.
Qualified applicants are requested to submit a letter of interest, resume, three references, and an expected salary range to Kelli Wilms, M.S., CCC-SLP. Our contact info is as follows:
Playworks
112 Eleventh Street
Redlands, CA 92374
(909) 792-0543
(909) 792-0546 FAX
www.playworks.cc
Sunday, February 27, 2005
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Dr. Greenspan on the Today Show Wed. 2/23/05
Playworks
"Today" Show to Feature Dr. Greenspan, DIR/Floortime in Autism Series
Beginning Monday, February 21st, the Today Show will spend a week "looking at autism from all angles." Tune in on Wednesday, February 23, when Dr. Stanley Greenspan and others discuss the DIR/Floortime approach to intervention. "Today" will air two segments each morning, at approximately 8:10 and 9:10am EST. Joining Dr. Greenspan will be Barbara Guterman, mother of two boys who have benefitted from DIR/Floortime; and Pat Stacey, author of The Boy Who Loved Windows, who speaks about the extraordinary role Floortime played in her son's recovery. Also, on Monday, February 21, Nancy Wiseman, founder of First Signs, will speak about Early Detection and Intervention. On Friday, February 25, Dr. Ricki Robinson, pediatrician and Floortime Foundation co-founder, is scheduled to appear live on "Today" to answer email questions.
For the NBC press release and description of the complete NBC network coverage of autism, please go to www.floortime.org and click on the NBC headline in the News and Events section.
"Today" Show to Feature Dr. Greenspan, DIR/Floortime in Autism Series
Beginning Monday, February 21st, the Today Show will spend a week "looking at autism from all angles." Tune in on Wednesday, February 23, when Dr. Stanley Greenspan and others discuss the DIR/Floortime approach to intervention. "Today" will air two segments each morning, at approximately 8:10 and 9:10am EST. Joining Dr. Greenspan will be Barbara Guterman, mother of two boys who have benefitted from DIR/Floortime; and Pat Stacey, author of The Boy Who Loved Windows, who speaks about the extraordinary role Floortime played in her son's recovery. Also, on Monday, February 21, Nancy Wiseman, founder of First Signs, will speak about Early Detection and Intervention. On Friday, February 25, Dr. Ricki Robinson, pediatrician and Floortime Foundation co-founder, is scheduled to appear live on "Today" to answer email questions.
For the NBC press release and description of the complete NBC network coverage of autism, please go to www.floortime.org and click on the NBC headline in the News and Events section.
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
NY Times article
Focus Narrows in Search for Autism's Cause
By SANDRA BLAKESLEE
February 8, 2005
There comes a point in every great mystery when a confusing set of clues begins to narrow. For scientists who study autism, that moment may be near, thanks to a combination of new tools for examining brain anatomy and of old-fashioned keen observation.
Within the last year, several laboratories have reported finding important new clues about the mysterious syndrome that derails normal childhood brain development.
For the first time, they say, a coherent picture is emerging.
In autism, subtle brain abnormalities are present from birth. Infants and toddlers move their bodies differently. From 6 months to 2 years, their heads grow much too fast. Parts of their brain have too many connections, while other parts are underconnected.
Moreover, their brains show signs of chronic inflammation in the same areas that show excessive growth. The inflammation appears to last a lifetime.
"Autism is still a confusing disorder, but one thing is now clear," said Dr. Pat R. Levitt, a neuroscientist who is the director of the Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. "There is a specific disruption of circuitry in brain development. We can really dig in and begin to explain the splintered brains of autistic children."
To that end, Dr. Levitt and two dozen leading brain researchers held a three-day "autism summit" in Malibu, Calif., sponsored by the Cure Autism Now Foundation, to discuss this emerging view and to plan collaborative studies. The meeting ended Sunday.
"Up to now, there was no theory to link one anatomical study to the next," said Dr. William T. Greenough of the University of Illinois, an expert on brain development. "We now have a theoretical framework that can generate predictions to test."
People with autism have great difficulty with social interaction. Some cannot speak. Many are clumsy. A common trait is obsessive attention to certain details. Symptoms can be severe to mild.
Diagnoses of the disorder have increased in recent years, although no one knows why. One child in 166 born today may fall on the autism spectrum.
Researchers agree that an unknown number of genes interact with unidentified environmental factors to produce the disorder. The new clues focus on brain development and circuitry, and especially on the brain's white matter. White matter contains fibers that connect neurons in separate areas of the brain, whereas gray matter contains the neurons themselves. "You can think of this distinction as analogous to that between cables, or white matter, and circuit boards, or gray matter, inside a computer," said Dr. Matthew Belmonte, an autism researcher at the University of Cambridge in England. "Even though each individual circuit board may be intact, if the cables are disrupted then the computer can't function."
Using a new technique called morphometric analysis, in which post-mortem brain tissue is divided into tiny parcels and examined, Dr. Martha Herbert, a pediatric neurologist at Harvard Medical School, found an anomaly in the white matter of autistic brains - it is asymmetrical.
In autism, white matter grows normally until 9 months, Dr. Herbert said. Then it goes haywire. By 2 years, excessive white matter is found in the frontal lobes, the cerebellum and association areas, where higher-order processing occurs.
The right side of the brain, the nonverbal hemisphere, is especially encased in white matter. The two sides of the brain are poorly connected. Moreover, small functional regions in each hemisphere tend to be prematurely insulated by excess white matter.
Another clue was reported last year by Dr. Eric Courchesne, a neuroscientist at the University of California, San Diego. Using a simple tape measure, he found that newborns who later developed autism had smaller head circumferences than average. From 1 to 2 months of age, their brains suddenly begin to grow rapidly. Another spurt occurs between 6 months and 2 years, giving rise to exceptionally large heads.
By SANDRA BLAKESLEE
February 8, 2005
Within the last year, several laboratories have reported finding important new clues about the mysterious syndrome that derails normal childhood brain development.
For the first time, they say, a coherent picture is emerging.
In autism, subtle brain abnormalities are present from birth. Infants and toddlers move their bodies differently. From 6 months to 2 years, their heads grow much too fast. Parts of their brain have too many connections, while other parts are underconnected.
Moreover, their brains show signs of chronic inflammation in the same areas that show excessive growth. The inflammation appears to last a lifetime.
"Autism is still a confusing disorder, but one thing is now clear," said Dr. Pat R. Levitt, a neuroscientist who is the director of the Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. "There is a specific disruption of circuitry in brain development. We can really dig in and begin to explain the splintered brains of autistic children."
To that end, Dr. Levitt and two dozen leading brain researchers held a three-day "autism summit" in Malibu, Calif., sponsored by the Cure Autism Now Foundation, to discuss this emerging view and to plan collaborative studies. The meeting ended Sunday.
"Up to now, there was no theory to link one anatomical study to the next," said Dr. William T. Greenough of the University of Illinois, an expert on brain development. "We now have a theoretical framework that can generate predictions to test."
People with autism have great difficulty with social interaction. Some cannot speak. Many are clumsy. A common trait is obsessive attention to certain details. Symptoms can be severe to mild.
Diagnoses of the disorder have increased in recent years, although no one knows why. One child in 166 born today may fall on the autism spectrum.
Researchers agree that an unknown number of genes interact with unidentified environmental factors to produce the disorder. The new clues focus on brain development and circuitry, and especially on the brain's white matter. White matter contains fibers that connect neurons in separate areas of the brain, whereas gray matter contains the neurons themselves. "You can think of this distinction as analogous to that between cables, or white matter, and circuit boards, or gray matter, inside a computer," said Dr. Matthew Belmonte, an autism researcher at the University of Cambridge in England. "Even though each individual circuit board may be intact, if the cables are disrupted then the computer can't function."
Using a new technique called morphometric analysis, in which post-mortem brain tissue is divided into tiny parcels and examined, Dr. Martha Herbert, a pediatric neurologist at Harvard Medical School, found an anomaly in the white matter of autistic brains - it is asymmetrical.
In autism, white matter grows normally until 9 months, Dr. Herbert said. Then it goes haywire. By 2 years, excessive white matter is found in the frontal lobes, the cerebellum and association areas, where higher-order processing occurs.
The right side of the brain, the nonverbal hemisphere, is especially encased in white matter. The two sides of the brain are poorly connected. Moreover, small functional regions in each hemisphere tend to be prematurely insulated by excess white matter.
Another clue was reported last year by Dr. Eric Courchesne, a neuroscientist at the University of California, San Diego. Using a simple tape measure, he found that newborns who later developed autism had smaller head circumferences than average. From 1 to 2 months of age, their brains suddenly begin to grow rapidly. Another spurt occurs between 6 months and 2 years, giving rise to exceptionally large heads.
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Steep Rise in Inland Autism
Playworks
Steep rise in Inland autism
HEALTH: Experts are puzzled by the increase, and worried about the strain on resources. http://www.pe.com/breakingnews/local/stories/PE_News_Local_autism205.a0ab3.html
Steep rise in Inland autism
HEALTH: Experts are puzzled by the increase, and worried about the strain on resources. http://www.pe.com/breakingnews/local/stories/PE_News_Local_autism205.a0ab3.html
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