Tag Archives: autism

Moving for autism care

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Published by: Spectrum
Written by: Marta Zaraska

After their son Jett was diagnosed with autism, Sarah Harris and James Shilling found the local care wanting in West Virginia, where they live. They faced long waitlists for the standard autism therapy, applied behavior analysis (ABA), and local schools were either too expensive or lacked programs appropriate for their son. Harris and Shilling envied the options they found in the neighboring state of Ohio, such as ABA-centered curricula designed for children with learning and sensory differences. “I got really frustrated that we couldn’t do something like that,” Harris says. They wanted to move — but felt they could not afford to do so. Shilling’s unionized job as a truck driver was not easily transferable, and the family feared losing their health insurance.

David and Michelle Lane, who live in Kentucky, were also eyeing better care across state lines. When their son Aaron, who has autism, became aggressive as a pre-teenager, nothing they tried seemed to help. Appropriate therapy and schooling seemed elusive where they lived, Michelle recalls. So by the time Aaron was 17, the family felt they had exhausted all local options, and they decided to move. “We looked all over the whole country,” David says. In the end, they decided on Boston, Massachusetts, after friends with a daughter on the spectrum raved about the great schools there.

No one knows exactly how many families move, or want to move, for better autism services in the United States, but some evidence suggests that the desire to do so is common. Unpublished findings from a 2004 survey of 969 caregivers of people with autism suggest that about 1 in 5 moved to get higher quality services, according to David Mandell, associate professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Local U.S. autism organizations, including the Autism Society of Colorado and AutismUp in Rochester, New York, say that just about every week they hear from a family wanting to move to another state in search of superior care. And autism forums on sites such as BabyCenter, Facebook and Reddit are rife with questions from parents about autism-friendly states. Click here to read the rest of the story.

Brain’s sensory processor may prompt memory problems in autism

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Published by: Spectrum News
Written by: Lauren Schenkman

Silencing several autism- or schizophrenia-linked genes in the thalami of mice increases neuronal excitability there and leads to memory problems reminiscent of those seen in people with these conditions, a new study shows. A drug that reverses the hyperexcitability boosts the animals’ recall, suggesting an avenue for future therapies, researchers say.

“It’s exciting to see how different genetic changes can converge onto the same circuits in the brain, and even onto the same physiological mechanism,” says Audrey Brumback, assistant professor of neurology and pediatrics at the University of Texas at Austin, who was not involved in the research. “We’re really then getting toward the final common pathway that could be a target for treatment.”

Mice lacking the high-confidence autism-linked gene PTCHD1 in the thalamic reticular nucleus, a subregion of the thalamus, are hyperactive and have attention deficits, according to a 2015 study. In the new work, the same team eliminated PTCHD1 expression and the expression of four other genes linked to either autism or schizophrenia in a different subregion, the anterodorsal thalamus. Click here to read the rest of the story.

Treating ‘Fragile X Syndrome’ autism symptoms

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Published by: ABC News

Holly is her mom’s little princess. But this girl’s fairy tale started with a scare. While pregnant with Holly, Vicki Davis found out she was a carrier of Fragile X Syndrome.

“I had never heard of it. I had no clue what it was,” said Vicki.

It’s a mutation of a gene on the X chromosome that leads to a lack of protein production, critical for development. It’s one of the most common causes of mental retardation.

“Thirty percent of individuals with Fragile X Syndrome have full autism. Another 30 percent have an autism spectrum disorder,” said Dr. Randi Hagerman, UC Davis MIND Institute.

Hagerman says she first met Holly when the girl was just a few months old. The infant’s Fragile X Syndrome was subtle.

But, “She was extremely delayed,” said Hagerman.

As part of a clinical trial, Holly started taking a serotonin medication. Then, minocycline, a common antibiotic normally used to treat acne, was added to her regimen.

“Her developmental testing just improved remarkably,” said Hagerman.

Holly didn’t start talking until she was 2 and a half years old. Vicki says additional minocycline treatments around that time helped her catch up to other kids, and even excel. At just 4 she started reading.

“The medication really helped her create some of those pathways that taught her how to learn,” said Vicki. Hagerman hopes the treatments that helped Holly could do the same for kids with autism. And that could mean a lot more children living happier and healthier lives.

The drugs Holly was treated with have a few side effects, mostly involving the stomach. Hagerman says the drug treatment can be used in older kids with Fragile X Syndrome. However, the results might not be as dramatic. The UC Davis MIND Institute is currently testing other drugs to improve the symptoms of Fragile X for patients up to 25 years old.  Click here to read the rest of the story.

Helping autistic young people take control of their own futures

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Published by: Telstra Exchange
Written by: Natalie Falzon

For disadvantaged communities, workplace doors may be frequently found to be more closed than open. The statistics tell us this is likely the case for those on the autism spectrum. Unemployment and underemployment rates for this cohort reveal an uncomfortable truth: there are barriers to autistic young people finding work.

Enter Autism CRC, a partner backed by Telstra Foundation’s Tech4Good Challenge program and driven to empower autistic people to use their strengths and realise their potential. Based on six years of foundational research, they arrived at the conclusion that self-determination is key to improving autistic young people’s employment prospects. So, Autism CRC set out to create a service to encourage and enable this cohort to make informed choices and take definitive action around their own career and education paths.

From the start, myWAY Employability has been designed for and with the autistic community. Initial research indicated that early engagement would be key to establishing a truly relevant service that could factor for a literal spectrum of user requirements. And so, myWAY Employability was developed via a collaboration between Autism CRC and Curtin University that involved more than 300 people (including young people aged 14–30), parents, allied health professionals, disability service providers and educators. A collaborative Human-Centred Design approach, built on learnings and skills imparted by the Tech4Good Challenge’s educational phases, helped the team to explore needs and preferences, identify potential solutions and develop the concept that became myWAY Employability. Click here to read the rest of the story.

ADHD, autism and dyslexia: How companies can help neurodiverse job applicants

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Published by: nzherald.conz
Written by: Katie Harris

Neurodiverse Kiwis contribute significant value to the workforce, but structural problems within the interview process mean many can be locked out of the job market. Katie Harris speaks to those on the ground about how to improve interviews for neurodiverse Kiwis.

“Tell me what you’re most proud of?”

For some, this may seem like a simple question to answer, but for many neurodiverse Kiwis its vagueness can throw off even the most well-prepped applicant.

Neurodiversity encompasses neurological differences including dyslexia, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia and Tourette’s syndrome.

The neurodiverse can bring a wealth of creativity, hyperfocus and out-of-the-box thinking that many organisations need, but often interviews can pose as a barrier to success for some.

Autism NZ chief executive Dane Dougan told the Herald the whole recruitment process isn’t set up for neurodiverse people.

Autism NZ employment facilitator Megan McNeice told the Herald a big roadblock for the neurodiverse in interviews is open-ended questions. Click here to read the rest of the story.