A recent paper in Child Development has caused concern by alleging a causative connection between non-ionizing radiation (W-Fi) and a host of conditions, including autism and cancer. In this work, we outline why these claims are devoid of merit, and why they should not have been given a scientific veneer of legitimacy. We also outline some hallmarks of potentially dubious science, with the hope that authors, reviews and editors might be better able to avoid suspect scientific claims.
Read the paper here.
Friday, October 27, 2017
Archived Webinar - Intersections Between Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health and Autism: Identification and Intervention
This webinar will focus on the intersection between infant and early childhood mental health and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in young children, with a focus on clinical practice.
We will explore a model for interdisciplinary assessment and diagnosis of ASD in young children within an infant mental health framework. A brief introduction of infant and toddler mental health, the early start Denver model, and floor time will be introduced along with some key guidance to ensure that the focus remains on the parent child relationship while assisting young children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder develop skills necessary to fill in gaps in developmental areas.
View the archived webinar here, look to the right of the page for the:
We will explore a model for interdisciplinary assessment and diagnosis of ASD in young children within an infant mental health framework. A brief introduction of infant and toddler mental health, the early start Denver model, and floor time will be introduced along with some key guidance to ensure that the focus remains on the parent child relationship while assisting young children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder develop skills necessary to fill in gaps in developmental areas.
View the archived webinar here, look to the right of the page for the:
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Archived Webinar - Autism in Girls and Women: A Rcorded Panel Discussion
The NIMH Office of Autism Research Coordination (OARC) and Office of Research on Disparities and Global Mental Health (ORDGMH) have coordinated efforts to invite three speakers who will talk about the neuroscience of ASD in girls, phenotype/clinical presentation, and challenges and needs faced by girls and women on the autism spectrum.
View the recording and slides here.
View the recording and slides here.
Friday, October 20, 2017
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Unmasking anxiety in autism
Anxiety can assume unusual forms in people with autism — turning uncertainty, or even a striped couch, into a constant worry. New tools may help identify these hidden fears.
There are many reasons it took nearly six years for Kapothanasis to get the help he needed. Doctors may have assumed that his aggression and tendency to hurt himself were part of his autism, Siegel says. Traits that characterize autism — including social deficits, stereotyped movements and restricted interests — can mask or mimic symptoms of anxiety. During a visit to an outpatient clinic, for example, Siegel points out a nonverbal young woman with autism who repeatedly traces a pattern in the air with her hands. At first glance, her gestures resemble ‘stimming,’ the repetitive behaviors often seen in autism. But she does it at specific times, Siegel says, suggesting a ritual related to obsessive-compulsive disorder — a form of anxiety.
Compounding the problem, many people on the spectrum, like Kapothanasis, cannot tell their caregivers or doctors what they are feeling or thinking. Those who can may still struggle to identify and understand their own emotions — a phenomenon called alexithymia — or to articulate them to others. Because of these factors, the clinical questionnaires designed to ferret out anxiety traits in neurotypical individuals are woefully inadequate for many people with autism. The tests may also miss children with autism, who can have unusual phobias, such as a fear of striped couches or exposed pipes.
Read more here at Spectrum.
There are many reasons it took nearly six years for Kapothanasis to get the help he needed. Doctors may have assumed that his aggression and tendency to hurt himself were part of his autism, Siegel says. Traits that characterize autism — including social deficits, stereotyped movements and restricted interests — can mask or mimic symptoms of anxiety. During a visit to an outpatient clinic, for example, Siegel points out a nonverbal young woman with autism who repeatedly traces a pattern in the air with her hands. At first glance, her gestures resemble ‘stimming,’ the repetitive behaviors often seen in autism. But she does it at specific times, Siegel says, suggesting a ritual related to obsessive-compulsive disorder — a form of anxiety.
Compounding the problem, many people on the spectrum, like Kapothanasis, cannot tell their caregivers or doctors what they are feeling or thinking. Those who can may still struggle to identify and understand their own emotions — a phenomenon called alexithymia — or to articulate them to others. Because of these factors, the clinical questionnaires designed to ferret out anxiety traits in neurotypical individuals are woefully inadequate for many people with autism. The tests may also miss children with autism, who can have unusual phobias, such as a fear of striped couches or exposed pipes.
Read more here at Spectrum.
Monday, October 9, 2017
Missoula Friends and Family of Autism
Missoula Friends and Family of Autism is a collective of individuals from Northwestern Montana (and beyond!) who have come together to support individuals and families in our community who have Autism Spectrum Disorder.
We are working in collaboration with BASE Missoula and Sunburst Mental Health Missoula to offer both Family Support Groups and Children Support Groups in the Missoula Community.
Suicidal tendencies hard to spot in some people with autism
The statistics around suicide in people with autism are startling: Up to 50 percent of adults with the condition have considered ending their own lives, a rate two to three times that seen in the general population1.
Adults newly diagnosed with autism are particularly at risk, having spent decades feeling atypical without knowing why2. Rates of suicide attempts and death are also elevated among individuals on the spectrum3,4.
In the general population, we often think of suicidality as going hand in hand with depression. Although depression does emerge as the leading predictor of suicidality in people with autism, there is mounting evidence that a substantial proportion of people on the spectrum who contemplate suicide would not meet the criteria for depression3,5,6.
Despite dearth of data, firms sell brain training as autism antidote
There’s no solid evidence that neurofeedback works as a treatment for autism. Most studies of neurofeedback have significant flaws. Still, its lofty promises spell big business: Apart from Neurocore, there are hundreds of centers offering neurofeedback as a therapy in the United States and elsewhere. (The brain-training market, which includes neurofeedback, is worth an estimated $2 billion worldwide.)
So far, the only moderately promising results for autism come from small studies. For example, the results of one trial, published in February, involved 10 children with autism and 7 controls, but no placebo group1. Another study, published in September, involved 17 people with autism and 10 controls2.
Read more here at Spectrum.
So far, the only moderately promising results for autism come from small studies. For example, the results of one trial, published in February, involved 10 children with autism and 7 controls, but no placebo group1. Another study, published in September, involved 17 people with autism and 10 controls2.
Read more here at Spectrum.
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