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Friday, November 12, 2010

For Autistic Children, Therapy on Four Legs




?e are hearing more and more from families we serve that therapy dogs have had an overall positive effect on their children,?said Marguerite Colston, vice president of constituent relations at the Autism Society, a national grassroots organization.

Because each person with autism experiences it differently, there is no certainty a therapy dog will help, she said, but for certain individuals, a dog ?as eased their anxiety and has even helped some to open up to others, as individuals with autism are typically more withdrawn and less likely to socialize.?

Click here for full article.

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Study: Chromosome change points to autism

People who possess a specific change in one of their chromosomes are nearly 14 times more likely to develop an autism spectrum disorder or schizophrenia than those without this change, according to a new study. The change, which is called a deletion, happens when a section of chromosome 17 is missing. The deletion is found only in people who have an autism spectrum disorder, a developmental delay or schizophrenia, said study researcher David H. Ledbetter, a genetics professor at Emory University."This is just adding one more to that rapidly growing list of genetic mutations" associated with autism that doctors could use to measure autism and schizophrenia risk in children, Ledbetter told MyHealthNewsDaily. Not all people with autism, a developmental delay or schizophrenia have this deletion. But all people who have the chromosome change will develop some form of the disorders, whether it's mild or strong enough for a diagnosis, he said.

 Click here for full article.


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Thursday, November 4, 2010

Wrong Planet

Wrong Planet is the web community designed for individuals (and parents / professionals of those) with Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, ADHD, PDDs, and other neurological differences. We provide a discussion forum, where members communicate with each other, an article section, with exclusive articles and how-to guides, a blogging feature, and a chatroom for real-time communication with other Aspies. Asperger's Syndrome, a pervasive development disorder, is a form of autism.
 Click here to see more information.

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Making Sense of Death and Autism

It’s been three years since Liane Kupferberg Carter lost her father. While time has dimmed the pain, it hasn’t really helped her explain things to her son, Mickey, who misses his grandfather. Mickey is 18 and has autism. She has written often on Motherlode of the distinct challenges of parenting an autistic adult. Talking about death, as she writes in a guest blog today, is one of those challenges. Especially when you really don’t understand it yourself.
 Click here for full article.

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Wednesday, November 3, 2010

For Families With Children Who Have Special Needs, a Little Break

Thursday is the best day because that is the day Catalina Lopez — cheerful, well trained and all of 17 years old — comes to watch Spencer and Logan, each for an hour, separately, and peace descends on the family’s two-bedroom apartment in western Queens. Competent, reliable baby sitters are closely guarded treasures for most parents; for families who have children with special needs (but who do not qualify for state-supported respite care), such baby sitters may exist only in the realm of fantasy. Those who need a break the most, then, are often the least able to find someone they trust to provide it. Several such parents expressed that sentiment several years back to Joy Levitt, the executive director of the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan. And so, since 2004, the center has been offering, occasionally, a six-week training class for young people interested in caring for children with autism or other developmental disorders. Catalina is one of 34 graduates of the class.
 Click here for full article.

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Patient Voices: Autism

The autism-spectrumdisorders encompass a wide range of symptoms, from social awkwardness to a complete inability to interact and communicate. Here, six men and women speak about living with an autism-spectrum disorder.
 Click here to view the video.

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