Does A Baby's Placenta Reveal Autism Risk?; Ways To Communicate With A Non-Verbal Child; Apps For Children With Autism

Don't Underestimate People With Autism. Try To Understand Them Instead. Author Unknown

Autism Risk In Baby's Placenta?

Yale University researchers reported they now have a tool that can tell who is at risk of autism. They reported "abnormal" folds in the baby's placenta may be the key. Researchers claimed that finding a signature in the placenta may hep them better identify the genetics that set the stage for autism and environmental factors that activate it. USA TODAY


Ways To Communicate With A Non-Verbal Child

Just because a child can't speak does not mean he/she has nothing to say. Even children with special needs who have poor communication skills have the same communication needs as other children. Let's examine some of the strategies we can use to increase communication skills.

• Ensure every communication involves direct eye contact.
• Experiment with other means of expression such as drawing, music, dance, painting, singing, use of puppets, etc.
• Use flash cards and social stories.
• Encourage play and social interaction.
• Focus on what interests your child.
• Use non-verbal communication games that are fun.

Friendship Circle and Autism Speaks


Apps For Children With Autism

After asking many parents of children with autism, they suggested the following apps for helping increase social and communication skills as well as being entertaining and fun.

• Injini: Child Development Suite. $30. Apple
• Talking Larry. .99 cents. Apple
• Look Into My Eyes 1. $2.99 Apple
• Dr. Panda, Teach Me. $1.99 Apple
• Autism My Voice Communicator.  Android. $2.99
• IConverse. Iphone + IPad $9.99
• Stories2Learn. Iphone + Ipad $13.99

For Your Bookshelf

Autism Speaks offers a free Employment Tool Kit to help individuals search, find and keep a job. To access the toolkit, go to: http://www.autismsupportnetwork.com/.



 

World Autism Day: What Have We Learned This Past Year?

April 2nd World Autism Day

This week marks the 6th Annual World Autism Day on April 2, 2013.

The intention of designating April 2 is to bring autism to the attention of the world. Events will be taking place across the globe raising awareness. In addition, the designation is also meant to encourage early diagnosis and intervention.

What Have We Learned Since The Last World Autism Day In 2012?

 

As I've written often, the puzzle pieces keep falling into place when it comes to better understanding autism. So what have we learned in just the past year? Some of these include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Just this past week, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that now 1 in 50 U.S school children has autism. This translates into about one million children with autism.
• The Journal of the American Medical Association reported last month that women who took folic acid four weeks prior to conception and eight weeks during pregnancy were 40% less likely to have a child with autism.
• The Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry reported antiepileptic drugs taken during pregnancy increases the risk of autism.
• More and more airports are making every effort to make the skies friendlier for people with autism, especially children. Air Tran, Continental, Frontier, Emeriates, and Southwest now offer "mock" boarding experiences for individuals with autism. These programs help allay the anxiety associated with the flying experience. In addition, many airports are now involved in these programs.
• Recently, New York University reported that yoga is beneficial in reducing behaviors in children with autism.
• Law enforcement officials throughout the country are now training their officers in how to approach individuals with autism.
• Researchers at the University of SC reported brain imaging may catch autism earlier.
• Studies from CDC and Harvard Medical School suggest women abused in childhood are more likely to have children with autism.
• A study just published by the Journal of Pediatrics reported that there is no evidence of a link of autism to vaccines. To date, approximately 20 studies have shown no such link. For those parents who have concerns regarding vaccines, we urge them to consult with their pediatrician for advice.
• U.C. Davis reported if parents have one child with autism, the risk of having a second child with autism is approximately 20%.
• Prematurity and low birth weights have been associated with autism.
• Autism Speaks reported the cost of raising one child with autism is now $1.4 million over the child's lifetime.
• More and more studies (most recently the University of Queensland in Australia) are now finding that pet therapy significantly increases positive behaviors in children with autism.
• We have seen an explosion in Apps for autism helping children better communicate.

For Your Library

 

The Puzzle Pieces Keep Falling Into Place

"See the person not the label."... Dr.Temple Grandin

List Of Recent Developments In Autism Research And News

Folic Acid: One Answer To the Puzzle + Eat Your Spinach; Sodium Valproate Linked To Autism; Flying High With Autism Conference

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." Plato

Folic Acid--One Answer To Lower Risk Of Autism

The Journal of the American Medical Association reported women who took folic acid four weeks before conception and through eight weeks into their pregnancy were 40% less likely to have a child with autism. And 27% were less likely to have a child with any autism spectrum disorder.

The results of the study confirmed earlier findings. Doctors have long encouraged women to take folic acid before and during pregnancy to reduce the risk of birth defects.  In addition, other findings have found that children whose mothers took folic acid were less likely to have language delays.

For these reasons, physicians recommend all women of childbearing age take 400 micrograms of folic acid a day. Folic acid (Folate) is also found in lentils, spinach, black beans, peanuts, orange juice, romaine lettuce and broccoli.

Reuters, LA Times, USA TODAY


Sodium Valproate, An Antiepileptic Drug, Linked To Autism

Yes Parents, There's An App For That; Resources I Discovered On Social Media

Extraordinary circumstances should not prevent you from living an extraordinary life.

"My Socius" An App For Parents Of Children With Autism

"My Socius," an app designed for parents of children with autism, was designed by Keith Allen, professor of psychology at the University of Nebraska.

"My Socius" is designed to be a digital tutor for parents seeking ways to help motivate their child who is uncommunicative to begin using words. Professor Allen makes it clear this app is not designed to replace professional therapies. It's designed to reinforce and add to them.

"My Socius" helps to get children communicating themselves not letting the app communicate for them. In fact, it's a coaching tool not a communication device.

Those interesting in obtaining this app should call 402-423-2444. The present cost is $24.99.


Social Media's Resources For Autism

How To Support People With Autism?; iSTAR; Can Do Canines

Never allow any diagnosis to define who you are...Jerry Komar, editor, Autism News and Views

How To Support People With Autism?

That question is often asked when any parent, teacher, advocate, etc. is faced with supporting and serving an individual or individuals with autism.  The following will help answer that question:

• Explain at every stage what you are about to do, what will happen next and why.
• Give the individual enough time to understand the information you are sharing. Wait for a response if you do not get one immediately.
• Questions must be clear and direct using language that is easy to understand. Use photos and/or pictures when needed.
• People with autism will often take what you say literally. Be careful with words that have double meanings. Be careful with using humor.
• Maintain a routine.
• Repetitive behaviors may be coping mechanisms.
• People with autism are particularly sensitive to their environment such as lighting, sounds, smell and touch.
• Try to keep the immediate environment as calming as you can.
• Always ask the person/parent or advocate what support they might need.

University of Oxford

The iSTAR Program: University of Utah

How Safe & Secure Is Your Child's School?

Ensuring Your School Is Safe From Unwanted And Perhaps Dangerous Intruders


On the heels of the tragedy at the Connecticut elementary school last week, parents have a responsibility to ask school officials how they ensure their school is safe from unwanted and perhaps dangerous intruders. This is not a debate about gun control. That issue will be debated in the public forum. This is specifically about security (or lack of security) at the school your child or children attend.  As a parent, you should do the following immediately (and don't do it alone. Approach your school's administration with a group of parents or call for a meeting with the school in a larger forum) asking your school administrator some of the following:

• Have they ever completed a security assessment.? If they haven't, ask why not? And ask them when they plan on completing one. If they have one, when was it last updated? When was staff trained in the plan?
• Do they have a school safety plan or a crisis response plan? If not, why not? And when do they propose to draw one up. I believe they are mandated by the Department of Education. Regardless, every school should have one. Make sure you ask for a copy of the security plan. If they do not have a plan, tell them you want to give input into that plan (e.g., a parent committee on school safety and security).
• Who is responsible for this plan?
• Is there a crisis response team at the school? If not, why not?And when do they propose having one?  If they do, what type of training do staff have in ensuring school security?
• Does the school have a plan in dealing with troubled youth, especially those with specific mental health issues? This should include identifying youth at risk of psychological trauma.
• Do local law enforcement authorities and First-Responders have information regarding your specific school such as a map of the school including surrounding streets, campus layout, a blueprint of the facility or facilities, keys to the entrances, phone numbers of administrators and staff security personnel, up-to-date student roster, list of students with special needs, designated evacuation sites at the facilities, etc.?
• In this day and age, schools should also give serious attention to having professional security personnel in the school (at a minimum, if I were a parent of a child at school, I would demand police presence on the perimeter of the school to ensure any dangerous intruder does not ENTER the school in the first place. Yes, there will be an additional cost associated with this, but it's a cost I am certain most school districts and taxpayers would be willing to assume).
• The school should also have a crisis-aftermath plan.

This is by no means a comprehensive approach, but it's a start. Remember: School safety is up to all of us.