Children With Autism Have Extra Synapses In Their Brains

www.iflscience.com | by Lisa Winter

Photo credit: (Left) Excess synapses in the brain of a child with autism (Right) Properly pruned synapses of a developmentally typical child. Credit: Guomei Tang/Mark S. Sonders/Columbia University Medical Center

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects about 1 in 68 children born in the United States. In an effort to find out why, a group of researchers led by David Sulzer at Columbia University Medical Center examined the synapses in the brains of children with autism. They discovered that during childhood, children with autism do not undergo regular synaptic pruning, resulting in having an excess. This also identified a potential conversion of genetic targets that could be used to create a new treatment for ASD. The paper was published in the journal Neuron. 

Throughout childhood development, regular cellular processes get rid of about half of the synapses the child was born with. Synapses allow neurons to communicate with one another through chemical or electrical signaling. Though some have speculated that excess synapses could be a sign of autism, there had not been any studies on the matter until now.  Read more

How Do I Tell My Son Everything About His Autism?

Carrie Cariello | Huffington Post

So, we've got this guy in middle school now. And he is all sorts of cool. Savvy. Phrases like let's play have been replaced by let's hang out. He makes egg sandwiches for himself in the morning and wants to walk home from the bus stop alone in the afternoon. There is swagger in his neon-sneakered step.

I imagined we would sit our 10-year-old son, Joey, down when the time came and have the Sex Talk. But about six months ago I realized he knows way more than we think; juicy details and tidbits gleaned from the back of the school bus and movies and music. Every once in a while he'll ask something like, "So you and dad had sex five times?" And I will say, yes, just five.

I figured we'd sit our other son, Jack, down at some point and have a similar discussion, about him and autism. And I've been dreading this talk, the You Have Autism talk, much more...

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Signs of Autism Poster

What in the World Is Going On May 2013 Edition

Autism Awareness Centre Inc.

A story that’s grabbing headlines this month is the Telford’s struggles with their adult son who has severe autism. Amanda Telford left her son at the Ottawa offices of Developmental Services Ontario, the Ontario government agency that connects adults with disabilities to services in the community because she said she can no longer care for him. Phillipe has complex needs and requires 24 hour supervision. The long waiting list for residential placements leaves families like the Telfords trying to manage on their own at home. Amanda Telford, social worker, said she and her husband ... more »

AT-HOME FITNESS TIPS FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

More than half of the nation’s children with Autism are overweight. Being overweight can cause numerous problems such as: bone and joint issues as well as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. This has influenced Suzanne M Gray, a fitness expert, to create exercise programs for individuals with autism.

Gray is the CEO of Right Fit Sport and Wellness Center in Willowbrook, IL, and has been creating fitness programs and working with individuals who have special needs for more than 30 years. She has seen how exercise improves an individuals’ motor skills, muscle tone, and socialization skills. Exercise is also beneficial in eliminating self-destructive and self- stimulating behaviors in children with Autism.

Her latest program, “Five to Stay Alive,” consists of at-home activities recommended for children with autism to help fight obesity. They include:

1. Around the Block. Create a neighborhood path for children to follow and have your child run this path a designated number of times per day. He/she could wear a pedometer to measure steps and calories and track progress.

2. Raise the Bar! You’re a Star! Start with a dowel rod and raise it over head and back down. Eventually this can be substituted for weight bars.

3. Chair Squats. This movement is required for most power moves of the lower extremities and most athletic events.

4. Push-ups. If your child is able, have them do a designated number of push- ups every day.

5. Jumping Jacks. Again, depending on where children are on the spectrum, will make a difference in how many they can do.

Chart all progress on a chart and keep track of repetition and loads. Offer incentives as motivators such as stickers or a fat-free dessert.

Kids with Autism benefit greatly from exercise. A structured routine is essential to see results. Another fitness tip is to combine music and play with exercise because it enhances the child’s sensory response while boosting independence, happiness and self-esteem. “The biggest benefit”, says Gray “is weight loss”. Be sure to check out Suzanne’s book, “101 Games and Activities for Youth with Autism”, and her DVD “Raising the Bar: Exercises for Youth and Adults with Autism”, for more information on fitness for individuals with Autism. To learn more about Suzanne Gray log on to www.right-fit.com.

Air travel made easier for children with autism

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (KARE) — Travel can be stressful for anyone, but for kids with autism, crowded airports and security screenings can be downright scary.

Since the beginning of the year, Minneapolis-St. Paul International has been part in a new program to help the kids prepare for air travel.

For the Nielsen family, the already overwhelming adventure at the airport brings additional worries... more >

One-of-a-kind model for autism services

Marc Bennie, 15, and his sister Julia, 13, have autism and are receiving support services at The Ability Hub. They are with their parents Maureen and Ron Bennie in Calgary on November 10, 2012.

Photograph by: Christina Ryan , PostMedia News

BY PAULINE TAM, OTTAWA CITIZEN

CALGARY — In 1999, when Maureen Bennie’s son, Marc, was diagnosed with autism at age two, she and her husband were left to cope on their own.

No one referred them to any support services for Marc, or even told them where they could find help. “I was given five pamphlets and I had one meeting with a social worker. That’s all the help I got,” Bennie recalled.

"The Child Development Centre, located at the crossroads of the University of Calgary campus and the Alberta Children’s Hospital, houses an array of autism services for all ages."

Instead of being steered immediately toward interventions that could have given Marc a fighting chance at blunting autism’s devastating course, Bennie wasted valuable time struggling to find speech and behavioural therapy — as well as ways to pay for those expensive services.

“It took me six months to figure it out on my own,” she said.

Still reeling from the shock of the diagnosis, Bennie felt so overwhelmed that she spiralled into a depression.

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Autism therapy activates brain’s social side

UC SANTA BARBARA / YALE (US) — Researchers have documented positive changes in brain activity in children with autism after they received a type of behavioral therapy.

"There's a social deficit in autism, so any improvement toward social interaction really helps with development. That's what makes this very exciting," says Avery C. Voos, a graduate student at UC Santa Barbara.

The team used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure the effect of Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) on both lower- and higher-functioning children with autism receiving the therapy for the first time.

The brain images allows researchers to see what areas are active while processing certain stimuli—in this case human motion. Comparing pre- and post-therapy data from the fMRI scans of their 5-year-old subjects, the researchers report seeing marked—and remarkable—changes in how the children were processing the stimuli.

“The cool thing that we found was that these kids showed increased activation in regions of the brain utilized by typically developing kids,” says Avery C. Voos, first-year graduate student at the Koegel Autism Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Voos co-led the study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

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Straight from the Source: Read the original study
DOI: 10.1007/s10803-012-1683-9

New Gene Variants Linked to Autism

In one of the largest-ever studies of genetics and autism, researchers have identified 24 new gene variants associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The work also confirms that 31 variants previously linked to the developmental disorder may serve as useful genetic markers for identifying those with the condition.

Understanding autism’s genetic roots is a priority, researchers say, since it may lead to earlier diagnosis and behavioral intervention, which can improve patient outcomes.

“Oftentimes findings like this get published in academic journals, but they don’t get translated into clinical use,” says Chuck Hensel, an author on the new research study, published in PLoS ONE, who is the senior manager of research at the genetic diagnostics company Lineagen. “Our goal,” Hensel says, “is to try to get these markers into the clinic.”

Read more >

Farewell to Aspies: Some families reluctant to let go of Asperger's diagnosis

Linda Federico-O'Murchu
TODAY.com

The news that the term “Asperger’s syndrome” will soon cease to exist has some parents concerned – especially parents raising “Aspie” children.

Starting May 2013, the American Psychiatric Association’s new diagnostic manual, known as the DSM-5, will go into effect, stripping the well-known condition – a condition sometimes associated with loner geniuses like Albert Einstein and Andy Warhol -- of its name.

Instead, Asperger’s syndrome will simply be known as ASD-Level 1 (mild), a top rung in the ladder of autism spectrum disorders. For those who viewed an Asperger’s diagnosis as light-years away from clinical autism, this new classification may feel like a fall from grace...
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How and when do you tell a child about their ASD diagnosis?

Autism Awareness Centre Inc. 

Answer: There are a number of frequently asked questions around when you should tell a child about their ASD diagnosis. How do you tell a child about their diagnosis of ASD? Is there a right age? How do you know when the child is ready to hear the information? It is recommended not to start this process before the age of 7. Children under that age generally don’t have enough understanding to grasp what autism is all about. When parents feel anxious about wanting to talk to their young child about autism, I usually suggest they begin with celebrating differences and building pos... more »

What in the World is Going On January 2013 Edition

Written by Maureen Bennie  |  Autism Awareness Centre Inc. 

The big news this past month was the finalizing of the DSM-V which will be published May 2013. There was much discussion around the possibility of Asperger Syndrome no longer being classified as a separate diagnosis. Asperger Syndrome will now be a part of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a new term added to the manual. ASD is a term already used by many experts in the field. The new category will include individuals with severe autism, who often don't talk or interact, as well as those with milder forms. Catherine Lord, an autism expert at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York... more »

Characters with autism getting prime spots on major TV series

NICK PATCH  |  The Canadian Press

When Parenthood creator Jason Katims created the character Max Braverman – an intelligent, inscrutable, insect-obsessed youngster with Asperger’s – he had in mind his own son, Sawyer, who was similarly diagnosed.

But while many are absorbed in the travails of the mop-topped Max on the generously open-hearted family TV drama, Katims’s own teenaged son isn’t among them.

“Everybody else in the family watches it but he doesn’t,” the Emmy Award-winner said in a recent telephone interview, chuckling softly.

Fortunately for Katims, millions of other people are playing close attention – particularly those with a loved one on the autism spectrum.

And those numbers are growing. One in 88 American children has an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and – while no federal monitoring system exists in Canada to provide a similar rate of prevalence – ASD is the most common childhood neurological disorder or severe developmental disability here. (A controversial decision was recently made to fold Asperger syndrome, a type of high-functioning autism, into an umbrella diagnosis for autism spectrum disorder, but the families interviewed for this story largely used the terms interchangeably.)

Television can often be painstakingly slow to adapt to such shifts in demographics. But it’s clear that some of the challenges faced by the autistic population have captured the imagination of TV writers, who are increasingly penning eccentric characters whose quirks would seem to align with typical characteristics of ASD on shows including The Big Bang Theory and Bones.

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In autism, there's no such thing as a simple shave and a haircut

Liz Becker

I tried taking my autistic son, Matt for professional hair care, but I soon found that there was no such thing as a simple haircut. Matt, not wanting to sit in the chair, put on the apron, or watch a pointed object approach his head, would struggle and fight through the entire process. I finally decided I would have to attempt to cut his hair myself. I hoped that maybe being in the comfort of familiar surroundings of home, that maybe, just maybe, we could be successful.

I talked him into sitting in the chair and even in wearing the plastic drape, but all that cooperation disappeared when I got out the scissors. As I tried to trim his hair Matt would unexpectedly jut his fingers up between the blades of the shears in an attempt to stop the process: he squirmed, twisted, his hands in constant motion the entire time. He especially hated the sound of his hair being trimmed around his ears - his hands again flying upward to cover and protect them. It was exhausting, for both of us.

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Autism and the ultimate goal: independence

Liz Becker

Navigating autism takes time – lots and lots of time. It took until Matt was almost 5 years old for speech to come, and then it was very few words for years after. It took almost 7 years to get out of diapers and almost 9 to completely be potty trained without the occasional accident. It took until he was almost 7 years old to get use to a change in routine, to age 12 to agree to try a new food item, and he was somewhere in his early teens when he started to pick out his own clothes. Autism slows down progress, but the good news is that it doesn’t stop progress. Doing something new just takes more time to learn.

I was never in a hurry – except for speech. Speech has a window of opportunity, so we pushed him to speak. Matt saw a speech therapist from his diagnosis at two and a half years old to his day of graduation from high school at 19 years old. Everything else was mostly accomplished with a bit of steady pressure and a great deal of time. Matt was given equal time to flap his hands and spin his toys and time to focus on learning something new.

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Occupational therapy, autism and tactics of self-regulation

Brian Field

Occupational Therapy, or “OT,” is frequently incorporated into autism therapy regimens to help, among other things, stimulate a balance between the body and mind that can help focus the child. For example, a child may be easily distracted while sitting in a regular classroom chair. When the chair is replaced by a large exercise ball and the child now needs to maintain his balance while sitting, the child’s mind becomes more attuned – focused in part on balancing, more aware of the environment around him, and able to concentrate and focus on other learning.

Exposure to OT and developing awareness to self-regulate one’s body and the body-mind connection can help children – and adults – focus when distracted, and energize oneself when feeling depleted. For younger children, talking about one’s body as an “engine” that’s performing slowly, or “hot/too much energy” is a good visual to use. The following are some OT tactics that can help get your child (or you) out of a “hot zone” and into a calmer physical-mental state.

“On high” at home: too much energy and running all over the house? Some ways to ground yourself are animal walking, learning a few simple yoga postures to do, stopping and taking a few deep breaths.

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Autistic Kids Deserve Some Santa Time, Too

With "Quiet Santa" And "Sensitive Santa," They Get It

Visiting Santa at the mall is a big part of the Christmas season for a lot of kids - it's a chance to sit down with the big guy and get a few requests in before Christmas morning comes along.

But at this time of year, standing in line at the mall is a noisy, crowded, bright experience. And that means it's basically off limits for many kids with autism - the stimulation is too much for them to handle.

Well, some places in the U.S. and Canada have introduced programs that offer kids who are diagnosed on the autism spectrum a calmer, more soothing way to meet Santa Claus.

In Madison, Wisconsin, an event called "Quiet Santa" gave kids a chance to meet Santa in a friendly environment.

READ MORE >  CBC, Strombo, Social-issues

Autism and small victories

Lena Rivkin

“Phillip made that!” I proudly exclaimed. Then I instantly wondered who exactly I had become. A friend had come over with her 5-month-old baby. After we cooed over her baby’s latest accomplishments, I suddenly pointed to a neon pink, incredibly long legged creation with green ears, round black eyes and a glittering necktie, taped to my refrigerator door. I instantly worried aloud if I had just sounded too parental. My friend reassured me. “You’re not just Phillip’s sister. You’re his parent as well. So why not be proud of his accomplishments!” She’s right. I am proud. As an adult with severe autism, my brother Phillip doesn’t use words. He speaks with his art.

My brother and I were equally lucky in different ways to have an artist for a mother. Everything our mother did, she did with creativity and her own personal flair. Termed severely retarded at the age of three, my parents were told to expect nothing of Phillip, advised to put him in a mental hospital and to move on with their lives. Even though Phillip was born long before autism was considered common, my parents instinctively saw their son as more than just a dire diagnosis. So they did just the opposite.

My mother and father were very involved and dedicated parents. They fully immersed him in their fun and busy lives. They were proud of everything he accomplished. After I was born, my parents skillfully raised me to know that my older brother was special and he was my family.

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Developing long-term relationships between school and parents

Melissa Dubie

The process involved in establishing a student’s individualized education program (IEP) can nurture a climate of trust if certain steps are followed. Ideally, the annual case conference is a systematic process that ultimately leads to effective programming for students on the autism spectrum. In order for the case conference to run smoothly, certain preliminary steps should be taken that involves setting up the meeting, gaining input from all involved, and creating meeting cultures that promote collaboration.

Let’s start by setting up the annual case conference meeting. The annual case conference must be set up at a “mutually agreed upon time.” This means the school can suggest times. However, parents have the right to say when they can attend if the stated time does not work for them. Each party needs to be reasonable about their request. Attempt to meet during lunch hour, before school, or after school. Give sufficient notice for parents to make arrangements with their employers to get off of work. If a parent does not respond, it is essential to keep trying to meet with them for the conference. Offer to provide transportation to and from school for the parent. If there are extreme health or other circumstances, school staff may need to consider meeting parents at their home. If these attempts don’t work, then conduct the meeting over the phone. School districts must make three attempts to contact parents for a case conference meeting. Be sure these attempts are sensitive and responsive to events surrounding the family member’s life. Parents are an essential member of their son or daughter’s educational team. Also, be sure to let the parent know they can bring a friend, an advocate, or anyone else they feel comfortable with. Being outnumbered by the numerous professionals that typically attend these meetings can be overwhelming to some parents.

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Love the gift of who you are and love yourself

Kristi Sakai

My 8-year-old daughter, Kaede, is warm, friendly, caring, empathetic, has a wonderful sense of humor … and she has Asperger Syndrome. We’ve often heard, “She’s too social to have autism.” Her personality and delight in pleasing adults has sometimes overshadowed the black-and-white diagnostic criteria of autism spectrum disorder. Yet, even as she fluttered around like a little social butterfly she has faced challenges. For years she has had periods of excelling as she is highly focused on pleasing others, followed by an inability to manage in the school environment and deterioration of her behavior. She seems to be driven by high expectations of herself and the desire to please others – until she reaches her limit and hits overload. Yet throughout her struggles, Kaede continued to maintain her optimistic view, “Everyone is my friend,” she exclaimed cheerfully. She carried a seemingly unshakable sense of who she was, “I’m really smart!” and “I am great at drawing!” … until this year!

It has been painful to watch my daughter lose both her rose-colored glasses and her sense of self. A new Kaede emerged: wary, uncertain, anxious and depressed. And very, very sad. Initially it didn’t show up at school: she continued to do well academically and to generally be cooperative. Meanwhile at home there were daily morning meltdowns before school, which grew to include nightly meltdowns due to her anxiety over school the next day. She’d sleep fitfully, tossing and turning.

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