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Autism was in the news so much last week, that I’m going to try to bring you the highlights! When referencing studies, I’ve tried to link the actual study (when possible), or at the very least, the press release from the research organization.
Autistic Girl Bullied at Mardi Gras, Then Receives Own Parade
An eleven-year-old girl who was cruelly made fun of by drunken college students received her own special performance by her favorite parade group, the Krewe of Muses. After reading Amy Mueller’s heartbreaking blog post about her daughter Emily being called “a retard” while in what was supposed to be a family-friendly parade-watching zone, members of the all-female krewe invited the girl to a massive special performance, which they dubbed “Emily Gras.” At the performance, Emily was showered with gifts, souvenirs, and love.
Flame Retardant Products Linked to Increased Autism Risk
Using genetically-engineered mice, researchers at University of California Davis have shown that a common flame retardant is linked to neurodevelopmental changes. The mice were genetically engineered to be susceptible to Rett Syndrome, a a disorder that occurs primarily in females and causes regression in expressive language, motor skills and social reciprocity in late infancy. The condition affects about 1 in 10,000 children. Continue reading »
You know what? Everyone who thinks that the autism or Asperger diagnosis is being handed out like candy can suck it, suck it, suck it. Because I am 100 percent sure anyone who says that has never tried to get a child evaluated, diagnosed, and treated for something like autism. It takes months, people. Months and sometimes years. And paperwork. And appointment, after appointment, after appointment.
In an op-ed piece entitled “History of Asperger’s Overdiagnosis” in the February 1 edition of The New York Times, psychiatrist Paul Steinberg criticizes the diagnosis of Tim Page, a former music critic for The Washington Post. Mr. Page has written in his book Parallel Play of the sense of relief he felt after being diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome as an adult, finally being able to understand a lifetime of social difficulties.
Dr. Steinberg says Mr. Page is “able to compensate more completely than a truly autistic child or adult whose language deficiencies and cognitive deficits can often put him at a level of functioning in the mentally retarded range.”
Photo Credit: Sura Nualpradid. Link below
I will confess, I didn’t do the research ahead of time. My doctors told me to vaccinate my children and so I did. So, I never experienced the fear many parents associate with the MMR vaccine. Could it potentially cause Autism in my child?
Many parents believe it could. And yet many in the medial community say otherwise. This latest study from Missouri Medicine, the medical jourmal of the Missouri State Medical Associal falls into that category. They are urging parents to vaccinate their children saying the risk from vaccines is very small, but the risk from your child getting sick from something that could be prevented by one of these vaccines is high.
Though the doctors encourage pediatricians to listen to parent’s concerns…. they are also encouraging parents to vaccinate their children, saying the evidence is clear the vaccinations are safe.
Even the local chapter of Autism Speaks released a statement suggesting parents go for the vaccines. (hear the statement in the video)
Have you had your children vaccinated? If not, do studies like these convince you otherwise?
Read more from Danielle on Strollerderby and her personal sites ExtraordinaryMommy and DanielleSmithMedia.
You can also follow her on Twitter.
More from Danielle on Strollerderby:
Will You Teach Your Kids To Give Like The Anonymous Kmart Donors?
McDonalds Outsmarts San Francisco Happy Meal Ban
Sticks and Stones: My Son Cut His Hair So Another Child Would Stop Calling Him A Girl
Photo Credit: Sura Nualpradid
Families in the Ottawa area have an unusual option when it comes to helping their autistic children relate to police: they can register their children with the police as part of a database that gives cops some insight into a child’s condition before the interaction starts.
This has some clear and basic advantages: the police know the child may not be able to respond to verbal cues, and may be easily triggered by the noise and light of sirens.
“Finally, some research that makes sense.”
This is what parents of autistic kids are saying, as new research validates my “DNA of crap” theory is suggesting that higher-than-normal levels of a protein element in the blood provide a link to both autism and immune system abnormalities, such as allergies.
The study, from the University of South Florida‘s Laboratory for Developmental Neurobiolgoy, used a mouse model to show that elevated levels of amyloid precursor protein (APP) circulating in the blood could explain immune system issues in the autistic population.
“Autism affects one in 110 children in the United States today,” said research team leader Jun Tan, MD, PhD. “While there are reports of abnormal T-cell numbers and function in some persons affected with autism, no specific cause has been identified. The disorder is diagnosed by behavioral observation and to date no associated biomarkers have been identified.”
The amyloid precursor protein is typically the focus of research related to Alzheimer’s disease. However, recent scientific reports have identified elevated levels of the particular protein fragment, called sAPP-α, in the blood of autistic children. The fragment is a well-known growth factor for nerves, and studies imply that it plays a role in T-cell immune responses as well.
Oh, T-cells. You crafty little buggers.
Retro illnesses making a comeback?
More parents are sending their kids to school without vaccinating them.
As Jezebel reports, doctors are worried that the growing resistance to vaccinations could lead to a comeback from a variety of illnesses that were virtually non-existent after years of vaccinations.
A study conducted by the Associated Press found that in eight states more than 1 in 20 public school kindergarteners aren’t getting all their shots. Not only that, but half of America is seeing more parents request exemptions. Parents can opt out for medical or religious reasons. Some states even let parents opt out for philosophical concerns, which, let’s face it, means anyone can opt out. As Jezebel reports, in some areas as many as 20 to 50 percent of children aren’t getting the required shots. Continue reading »
![Picture 13 300x225 Your Inspiration for the Day: An Autistic Basketball Hero [VIDEO]](http://cdn.babble.com/strollerderby/files/2011/11/Picture-13.png "Jason McElway")
Team manager Jason McElway showed his basketball team what else he could do at the end of one game
After devoting his time to managing his high school’s basketball team, Greek Athena High School’s Jason McElway — who is autistic — was sent into the game at the end.
Jason was known for fetching water and toweling off other people’s sweat. But when he hit the court, he showed his team, coach and the crowd what else he was capable of.
Just imagine what he could have done if they had sent him into the game even sooner.
The video is a few years old, but inspiration like this deserves a second (and third) viewing:
Lori Garcia 
Joslyn Gray 
Amber Doty 
Julianna Miner 
Monica Bielanko 
Sierra Black 
Meredith Carroll 
Carolyn Castiglia 
Sunny Chanel 
Madeline Holler 
Rebecca Odes 
Danielle Smith 
Danielle Sullivan 
Katherine Stone 
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