Oct 5, 2007 *
Autism Symptoms Shown To Improve Into Adulthood
Hallmarks of
autism are characteristic behaviors --
repetitive motions, problems interacting with
others, impaired communication abilities -- that
occur in widely different combinations and
degrees of severity among those who have the
condition.
But how those
behaviors change as individuals progress through
adolescence and adulthood has, until now, never
been fully scientifically documented. In a new
study, published in the September Journal of
Autism and Developmental Disorders,
researchers have found that symptoms can improve
with age.
"On average, people are getting better," says
Paul T. Shattuck, an assistant professor of
social work at Washington University in St.
Louis who worked on the study as a graduate
student and post-doctoral fellow at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison's Waisman Center
and is the first author of the paper. "It is a
hopeful finding, but the fact remains that those
with severe autism will depend on others for
their everyday needs and care for the rest of
their lives."
Read More...
15 Sep 2007 *
Autism 101 – Free Seminar and Resource Fair
Sponsored by Autism
Society of America – Greater Georgia
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Stone Mill Church
855 Northbrook Parkway
Suwanee, GA 30024
Directions: go to
http://www.stonemillchurch.org
Please pre-register on our website
http://www.asaga.com or call
the ASA-GGC office at 770-904-4474.
Schedule
8:30am-9:00am Check in and receive materials
9:00am-9:30am What is autism and how is it diagnosed?
9:30am-10:00am Services, Funding, and Advocacy
10:00am-10:30am Autism's impact on the family
10:30am-11:00am Sleeping, Feeding, and Toileting Issues
11:00am-11:30am Using Visual Supports
11:30am-Noon Biomedical and Diet Interventions
Noon-1:00pm Lunch Break (on your own)
1:00pm-1:30pm The Basics of Applied Behavioral Analysis
1:30pm-2:00pm Behavior Strategies and Positive Behavior
Supports
2:00pm-2:30pm The Sensory Connection
2:30pm-3:00pm Promoting Language Skills
3:00pm-3:30pm Enhancing Social and Play Skills
3:30pm-4:00pm Accessing Educational Services
4:00pm-6:00pm Resource Fair
Topics and/or presenters subject to change without
notice.
ASA-GGC is working collaboratively with many of the most
respected individuals and organizations in the Georgia
autism community. They include: Dr. Steve
Hobbs-Psychologist, Stacey Ramirez - Georgia
DHR-Department of Developmental Disabilities, Jason
Cavin - Southern Behavioral Group, Margaret Kuneyl -
Peach State Pediatric Therapy, Stefanie Smith - Eating
Away Autism, Drs. Coby and Janet Lund - Integrated
Behavioral Solutions, Jade Fraiser - MaySouth, Dr.
Robert Montgomery - Reinforcement Unlimited, Karen
Barineau - Autism Specialist for Dekalb County Schools,
Sharon Hynes - Emory Autism Center, Mary O'Connell and
Nan Britt - S.P.E.C.T.R.U.M.
20
Aug 2007 * SIGN WITH ME! Sign Language Instructions at
All Kids First!
Click here
for more info.
19
Aug 2007 * New Research Discovers Children With Autism
Spectrum Disorder Are Not Susceptible To Contagious
Yawning
New research by Birkbeck
researcher Dr Atsushi Senju, in the Centre for Brain and
Cognitive Development has shown for the first time that
children with Autism Spectrum Disorder are not
susceptible to contagious yawning. Autism Spectrum
Disorder is a developmental disability that severely
affects social interaction and communication including
empathy. Contagious yawning is when yawning is triggered
by perceiving others' yawns and is thought to share
similar cognitive and neural mechanisms as empathy.
Read More ..
03
Aug 2007* In
Autism, Link Found Between Increased White Matter And
Poor Motor Skills In Children
A study
published in the August issue of the journal
Brain demonstrates, for the first
time, an association between increased white
matter volume and functional impairment in
children with autism. Findings from
researchers at the Kennedy Krieger Institute
in Baltimore, Md. reveal that in children
with autism, increased white matter volume
in the motor region of the brain predicts
poorer motor skills. Conversely, in
typically developing children, increased
white matter volume predicts improved motor
skills, with a similar association observed
in children with attention
deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The
relationship between increased white matter
volume and functional impairment, which
appears to be specific to autism, may be
representative of global patterns of brain
abnormality in autism that not only
contribute to motor dysfunction, but also to
deficits in socialization and communication
that define the disorder.
Read More...
06/18/2007 * Structure Of Protein Altered In
Autism Revealed By Researchers
As a result of
mapping the structure of the protein complex
implicated in autism spectrum disorders, a
research team led by scientists at the
University of California, San Diego (UCSD)
Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical
Sciences has discovered how particular
genetic mutations affect this complex and
contribute to the developmental
abnormalities found in children with autism.
Their work, published as the cover article
in the June issue of the journal
Structure, should help scientists
pinpoint the consequences of other genetic
abnormalities associated with the disorder.
Read More...
