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Thursday, November 29, 2018

Archived Webinar - Research updates on transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for ASD

For more than 20 years, researchers have been studying TMS as a potential therapy for a number of neurological and psychiatric conditions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the use of TMS for the treatment of depression in adults who haven’t been helped by medication. The use of TMS for autism is an emerging area of research.

Watch the webinar here. 

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

How history forgot the woman who defined autism

In 1925, Sukhareva published a paper describing in detail the autistic features the six boys shared. Her descriptions, though simple enough for a nonspecialist to understand, were remarkably prescient.
“Basically, she described the criteria in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5),” says Irina Manouilenko, a psychiatrist who runs a clinic in Stockholm, Sweden. Manouilenko translated Sukhareva’s original descriptions from Russian to English in 2013 and then compared them with the diagnostic criteria described in the DSM-5. The similarities between the two left Manouilenko in awe. “When you start looking at it all systematically, it’s very impressive,” she says.
For example, what the DSM-5 describes as social deficits, Sukhareva wrote about as a “flattened affective life,” “lack of facial expressiveness and expressive movements” and “keeping apart from their peers.” What the diagnostic manual portrays as stereotyped or repetitive behaviors, restricted interests and sensory sensitivities, Sukhareva explained as “talking in stereotypic ways,” with “strong interests pursued exclusively” and sensitivities to specific noises or smells. In her analysis, Manouilenko was able to match each of the manual’s criteria to one or more of Sukhareva’s observations.
Historians are beginning to ponder why it took nearly a century for the DSM-5 — published in 2013 after years of debate — to arrive back at something so close to Sukhareva’s list. They have found that Sukhareva isn’t the only clinician whose research was overlooked or lost before autism was described in the DSM-III. As more archival material is digitized, it’s becoming clear that Kanner and Asperger may need to share credit for the ‘discovery’ of autism — and that the condition’s history could be as complex as its biology.

Monday, November 26, 2018

Sesame Street's Julia Attended The Macy's Parade Prepared for Sensory Overload



“Sesame Street’s” float for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade caught the attention of people on the autism spectrum and their families. Julia, Sesame’s Street first autistic character, participated in the float, and she wore noise-canceling headphones.
Noise-canceling or noise-muffling headphones help people on the autism spectrum handle sensory overload. As “Sesame Street” explained, “With the help of her friend Rosita and the comfort of her noise-canceling headphones, Julia is ready for a fun and festive day in NYC!”

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

THE NEGLECTED END OF THE AUTISM SPECTRUM: PEOPLE WITH LITTLE SPEECH

Despite a surge in research and public interest in autism in recent decades, we still do not know why functional speech remains elusive for some people with autism. "Little is known about this group because they are rarely the focus of research," according to a 2013 article by some of the top U.S. experts in autism.1
As a result, misperceptions may linger about these children and adults, about how much language they understand, how they learn, and the best ways to help them communicate. "When someone is nonverbal," Mrs. Drebing said, "people tend to think they're lower-functioning than they actually are. We need more data on the true intellectual level of people who are nonverbal."
In this article: 

THE SPECTRUM OF SPEECH IN AUTISM

THE COMMUNICATION-BEHAVIOR LINK

COMMUNICATION AS A BASIC HUMAN NEED

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AUGMENTATIVE AND FACILITATED COMMUNICATION?

THE CHALLENGES OF BEING MINIMALLY VERBAL

THE PROGRESSION OF SPEECH, INTO ADULTHOOD



Archived Webinar: Evelina Fedorenko discusses language processing in autism

The Facts In The Case of Dr. Andrew Wakefield"



Click here for full article.

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Thursday, November 15, 2018

Diagnostic Criteria for Autism through the Years

Note: the APA did not publish separate criteria for autism until 1980

DSM I (1952)
000-x28 Schizophrenic reaction, childhood type
Here will be classified those schizophrenic reactions occurring before puberty. The clinical picture may differ from schizophrenic reactions occurring in other age periods because of the immaturity and plasticity of the patient at the time of onset of the reaction. Psychotic reactions in children, manifesting primarily autism, will be classified here.

DSM II (1968)
[autism was not mentioned; the word appears only under the following category]

295.8  Schizophrenia, childhood type
This category is for cases in which schizophrenic symptoms appear before puberty. The condition may be manifested by autistic, atypical and withdrawn behavior; failure to develop identity separate from the mother's; and general unevenness, gross immaturity and inadequacy of development. These developmental defects may result in mental retardation, which should also be diagnosed.

Read more here.

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Archived Webinar - Sensory Smart™ Strategies for Real-Life Challenges

 

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Archived Webinar - School Engagement and Avoidance: What to do When Your Child is Struggling


This training will help parents and others consider positive approaches to working with a child’s school to increase school engagement when attendance becomes a concern.

View the webinar here at PACER. 

Archived Webinar - Using Smartphones, Watches, and Wearables to Support Executive Function for All Ages

This workshop will explore ways that smart phones, smart watches, and other wearable can support executive function skills for people of all ages. Participants will learn ways to increase time awareness and focus, how to use reminders, explore tools to organize and prioritize, and discuss task initiation and completion. The tools and strategies demonstrated will benefit people with disabilities such as ADHD, executive function disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and blind or low vision.

View the archived webinar here.

Most Psychoactive Drugs Taken During Pregnancy Do Not Increase Risk of Autism

New research finds that a mother’s use of antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs while pregnant does not place the baby at risk for autism.
But the rates of autism were higher among children of mothers with worse general health before pregnancy, suggesting that the mother’s health plays a more critical role in a child’s development than the medications she takes.
Investigators from The Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York discovered babies exposed in the womb to most of the medications that target neurotransmitter systems, including typical targets of antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs, are not any more likely to develop autism than non-exposed babies.

New Bozeman Group

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Please join us for our next
Autism Support Group and Family Training!
Pediatric Therapy Clinic would like to invite family members who have a child or loved one diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder to a new support group and parent/family training opportunity.

The 2nd Wednesday of every month at 6pm!
Upcoming meetings:
November 14th
December 12th
January 9th
February 13th

This group will provide an opportunity for families to meet and support each other as they face the challenges of raising a child with ASD.
In addition, general topics associated with Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) will be addressed at each meeting by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.

Please email or call Rachel Bradford, BCBA at rachel@ptcbillings.com;(406) 624-6669, if you have any questions or are interested in being added to the autism support group email list.

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LOCATION:Pediatric Therapy Clinic 270 West Kagy Blvd, Suite B Bozeman, MT 59715

Large Danish study finds autism prevalence rises with age

The rising prevalence of autism shows no sign of leveling off, according to a new study that accounts for every diagnosis made in Denmark over 32 years1.
That may be in part because more adolescents and adults are being diagnosed with the condition than before, the researchers report. The results were published today in JAMA.
“We don’t see any evidence that the prevalence increase is plateauing or stabilizing,” says Diana Schendel, professor of psychiatric epidemiology at Aarhus University in Denmark, who led the work. The findings highlight the need to expand support and services for adults with the condition, she says.
The study found an autism prevalence of 1.65 percent in 10-year-olds in Denmark in 2016. This broadly matches estimates from studies in the United States. However, the researchers tracked people into adulthood and found that autism prevalence seems to increase with age.