ICare4Autism

Minnesota Reforms Autism Insurance Coverage, Next Step for The Nation?

ICare4Autism — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:05:48 +0000

The Minnesota Legislature has proposed the first bill of 2013 to reform insurance coverage for autism. The health care bill encompassing autism coverage reform was approved by the House of Representatives on Friday and by the Senate on Saturday. It is estimated that the changes would benefit 750,000 Minnesota residents who are insured by state-regulated large group health plans, which will be required to cover speech, occupational, physical, and behavioral therapy for residents diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The changes will begin January 2014 and are effective until the insured party turns 18 years of age. Similar reform is being considered in North Carolina, Oregon, and Nebraska.

Minnesota’s success is a step in the right direction, but we still have strides to take in supporting the large subset of our nation’s population living with autism. The insurance coverage accounts for autistic youth, but estimates suggest that 60% of the reported costs related to ASD are in adult services and, due to the rapidly rising occurrence of autism, annual costs are anticipated to reach $200-$400 billion in the next ten years. Individuals with autism, on average, account for $3.2 million over their lifetimes, totaling $60 billion annually.[i] Greater insurance coverage for early intervention strategies for youth with autism will help to alleviate the daunting figures above by making a portion of our population with autism more independent and able to participate in society, but for those whose symptoms prohibit sustainable income or self-reliance, extended support is necessary. With the rate of autism diagnoses rising, we need to create a sustainable system of care. Greater, continued insurance coverage for our adults with autism is a necessary part of that process.

What changes would you like to see with your insurance coverage?

[i] Autism Society estimates based on UK study by Jarbrink K, Knapp M, 2001, London School of Economics: “The economic impact on autism in Britain,” Autism, 5 (1): 7-22; Arch Pediatric Adolescent Med. 2007;161:343-349.

ICare4Autism Conference Autism: An Update on Genetic and Clinical Aspects Convenes Pediatricians For A Critical Dialogue On Autism Intervention

ICare4Autism — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:02:10 +0000

On May 19^th, 2013, The International Center for Autism Research and Education held a conference for pediatricians on “Autism: An update on genetic and clinical aspects,” convening experts in the field of autism for a critical and comprehensive look at the most contemporary findings and practices pertaining to autism spectrum disorder. The conference was held at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in conjunction with The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine.

The conference opened the floor for discussion on the various approaches to autism intervention and facilitated international collaboration. Emanuel Tirosh M.D., of the Hannah Khoushy Child Development Center, The Bnai Zion Medical Center, and the Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, addressed the congregation on drug treatment for autism, balancing benefits with expectations, and discussing avenues for progress among pharmaceutical research for autism spectrum disorder. Pediatric Neurologist Michael Davidovitch M.D. of Maccabi Health Services presented expert opinion and strategy for early detection of autism. Tali Gev, Ph.D. presented a critical review of non-medical intervention approaches for autism. Hakon Hakonarson, M.D., Ph.D., of the Center for Autism Research, The Joseph Stokes Jr. Research Institute, and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, presented novel therapeutic development to aid autism and the most current review of the role of genetics for autism spectrum disorder. Dov Inbar, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics at The Albert Einstein School of Medicine, presented epidemiological aspects of autism.

Joshua Weinstein, Ph.D., M.B.A., Founder and CEO of The International Center for Autism Research and Education (ICare4Autism), commenced the conference with a statement on the integral role of pediatrician in the diagnosis and management of autism spectrum disorder. Dr. Weinstein commented on the outcome of the conference saying,

I feel blessed to be among such a diverse group of intellectuals approaching this autism puzzle from every angle. I believe events like this are important intersections for the various avenues of autism research and efforts. I have faith that collaboration and critical review, like we saw here today, will lead us to a complete understanding of the etiology of autism and subsequently able us to better cope with the complexities of the disorder.

Easy At-Home “Sensory-Motor Enrichment Exercises” Proven Advantageous for Autistic Boys

ICare4Autism — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:46:04 +0000

A recent study published in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience shows significant effects of in-home sensory-stimulating practices for autistic children. Researchers at University of California, Irvine, followed the behavioral changes of 28 autistic boys, ages 3-12, for six months. The study population was divided into two groups based on age and severity of autism symptoms. All of the boys continued standard behavioral therapy, but 13 of the boys underwent daily “sensory-motor enrichment exercises” designed by the researchers. The exercises were designed to provide multi-sensory stimulation through smell and touch. The parents of the experimental group were given kits containing essential oil fragrances and various materials (smooth foam, aluminum, sponges, sandpaper, carpet, bubble wrap, etc.) and instructed to lead 15-30 minute sessions, twice daily, utilizing a combination of the kit items in at least 4 activities designed by the researchers. The children’s behavior was monitored throughout the six months and after assessment, the researchers concluded that 42 percent of children in the enrichment group showed marked improvements in social behavior and response to sights and sounds, while only 7 percent of the standard therapy group improved in these ways.

These findings hold great promise for the future of early intervention and therapy for autism, because the strategies tested by the researchers at University of California, Irvine are affordable and easy caregivers to implement, and thus sustainable.

“Sensory-motor Enrichment Effective Therapy for Boys with Autism.” UPI. N.p., 19 May 2013. Web. 20 May 2013. .

Birth Order Linked to Autism Severity & IQ

ICare4Autism — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:41:27 +0000

A recent study conducted by Loren Martin, Ph.D., professor and director of research for the Department of Graduate Psychology at Azusa Pacific University, links birth order to the severity of autism. Drawing from more than 300 sibling pairs diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder from the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange database, the study presents the largest analysis of birth order and interval effects on autism. Using the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) to compare symptoms and severity between siblings, Martin found both birth order and interval to be associated with autism. Children born within two years of siblings with autism were found to have more severe symptoms than their older siblings. The study findings show that IQ is similarly associated with birth order, with the second born population showing generally lower IQ than first born among the autistic sibling pairs. Martin explains the significance of his findings saying, “The findings suggest a dosage-type effect in some cases of ASD in which genetic and/or environmental factors accumulate across pregnancies, leading to a more severe manifestation of ASD symptoms.”[i] The study was published in the November 30, 2012 issue of the scientific journal PLOS ONE.

[i] “APU Articles.” Psychology Professor Provides Clues about Autism Causality through Birth Order Study. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2013. .

Researchers Find That Autistics Perceive Motion At Twice The Typical Rate

ICare4Autism — Mon, 13 May 2013 13:14:44 +0000

New research published in the Journal of Neuroscience this April demonstrates how children with autism spectrum disorder perceive motion at twice the rate of typically developing children, suggesting that perception of motion may be responsible for autism symptoms such as painful sensitivity to noise and bright lights, as well as social, behavioral deficits. The study compared the motion perception processes of 20 children diagnosed with ASD with 26 typically developing children, with a population age range of 8 to 17. The subjects were made to watch videos of moving black and white bars and distinguish which direction the bars were sliding—left or right. When subjects indicated the correct direction the video clips were shortened to increase difficulty, and conversely if subjects answered incorrectly the clip duration was lengthened. The researchers adjusted the contrast of the bars, finding that when the distinction between bars was less visible the two groups performed identically. When the contrast was increased, both experimental groups performed better, but children with ASD performed significantly better. The worst performing child for the heightened contrast portion of the test, performed on par with the combined average of the typically developing study population. Researchers concluded that children with ASD perceive motion at approximately twice the rate of typically developing children. As stimulus size increases, typical observers perception is impaired, while autistics’ perception is improved.

Study author Jennifer Foss-Feig, a postdoctoral fellow at the Child Study Center at Yale University, suggests that the neurological responses of an autistic brain increase congruently with sensory stimulus, which can be advantageous until it is overwhelming. The researchers suggest that the pain and disturbance that autistics often experience with sensory dense situations—like crowded malls—may be attributed to this heightened perception of motion. Additionally, many of the social and behavioral symptoms of autism—like communicative ability and face recognition—could be understood through the lens of motion perception.

Foss-Feig, Jennifer H., Duge Tadin, Kimberly B. Schauder, and Carissa J. Cascio. “A Substantial and Unexpected Enhancement of Motion Perception in Autism.”Journal of Neuroscience 33.19 (2013): 8243-249. Http://www.jneurosci.org/. 8 May 2013. Web. 10 May 2013. .

“Why Some Autistic Kids Are Painfully Sensitive to Noise and Bright Lights.” DNA. Www.dnaindia.com, 9 May 2013. Web. 10 May 2013. .

New Research Shows World’s Most Popular Herbicide Among Causes of ASD & Numerous Other Health Concerns

ICare4Autism — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:49:36 +0000

A new research study published in the journal Entropy this April examines the long-term health effects of the popular herbicide RoundUp^®, a product of Monsanto, finding significant associations with a variety of conditions “associated with the western diet”[i] including Autism Spectrum Disorder, gastrointestinal disorders, ADHD, and other developmental malformations. The study holds glyphosate—the active ingredient of RoundUp^®—accountable for inhibiting the body’s natural detoxifying processes, making it more susceptible to other food born herbicidal/pesticidal residues and environmental toxins. The research bears evidence that glyphosate inhibits cytochrome P450 (CYP), an enzyme necessary for detoxifying xenobiotics (foreign chemical compounds like pesticides and carcinogens). Researchers Anthony Samsel and Stephanie Seneff, chart glyphosate’s interference with CYP enzymes, gut microbiota, biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids, and serum sulfate transport, concluding that “glyphosate is the “textbook example” of exogenous semiotic entropy: the disruption of homeostasis by environmental toxins.”i The researchers insist that the biological mechanisms that the popular herbicide inhibits “remarkably explain a great number of diseases and conditions that are prevalent in the modern industrialized world,” including autism, ADHD, Alzheimer’s, developmental malformations, infertility, inflammatory bowel disease, depression, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, and cancer, many of which share symptoms. The observed effects of glyphosate increased when combined with dietary deficiencies and insufficient sun exposure. Because glyphosate exposure builds over time, causing inflammation that disturbs cellular systems, the consequences of the long-used herbicide are becoming more and more evident. The study authors emphasize the significance of these findings and encourage further action to restrict the use of glyphosate saying it is “likely to be pervasive in our food supply, and, contrary to being essentially nontoxic, it may in fact be the most biologically disruptive chemical in our environment.”i

[i] Samsel, A.; Seneff, S. Glyphosate’s Suppression of Cytochrome P450 Enzymes and Amino Acid Biosynthesis by the Gut Microbiome: Pathways to Modern Diseases. Entropy 2013, 15, 1416-1463.

Reed, Genna. “Study Links Monstanto’s RoundUp To Autism, Parkinson’s And Alzheimer’s.” Prison Planetcom Study Links Monstantos RoundUp To Autism Parkinsons And Alzheimers Comments. N.p., 6 May 2013. Web. 09 May 2013. .

Birth Weight & Gestation Age Associated with Autism

ICare4Autism — Tue, 07 May 2013 15:10:08 +0000

New research published in The American Journal of Psychiatry reveals a significant association between fetal growth and autism. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Manchester in the U.K., utilized early ultrasound data from Sweden’s Stockholm Youth Cohort, which yielded a population of 589,114 children under the age of 17. The population included 4,283 children ultimately diagnosed with ASD, 1,755 with intellectual disability, and 2,528 without. Utilizing the Swedish Medical Birth Registry, study authors charted the populations’ deviance from normal fetal growth, finding that significant deviance from mean birth weight in either direction is associated with risk of ASD. Findings showed that risk increased with fetal growth 1.50 standard deviations below and 2.00 standard deviations above the mean for gestational age, which supports earlier research regarding the association between premature birth and risk for autism. Babies born weighing over 9 pounds 14 ounces had 60% higher risk for developing autism, while those born weighing 5.5 pounds or less had 63% higher risk. These associations are strong, leaving ample space for inference and a great foundation for future research. Study author Professor Kathryn Abel elaborated on findings saying, “Risk appeared particularly high in those babies where they were growing poorly and continued in utero until after 40 weeks. This may be because these infants were exposed the longest to unhealthy conditions within the mother’s womb.” Abel asserts that, because “fetal growth is influenced by genetic and non-genetic factors,” we can infer that “the processes that leads to ASD probably begin during fetal life.” In addition to the evidence of the relationship between fetal growth, or birth weight, and risk of ASD, the study found specific significance in the association between below average fetal growth and ASD with intellectual disabilities.

Wood, Janice. “Extremes in Birth Weight Tied to Greater Risk of Autism | Psych Central News.” Psych Central.com. N.p., 4 May 2013. Web. 07 May 2013. .

Nonverbal Autistic Teen Masters Written Communication & Advocates For ASD Education

ICare4Autism — Mon, 06 May 2013 16:32:07 +0000

If I told you a 16 year old wrote a book that is being assigned in university classrooms, would you believe me? Maybe. What if I told you that 16 year old is a nonverbal autistic? Ido Kedar, a California teen with Autism Spectrum Disorder, has escaped the “solitary confinement”[i] of his body through mastering the motor skills necessary for communication tools like IPad apps. Ido is now able to express his feelings, opinions, and self-interest—insisting on inclusion in a regular education program and challenging experts’ assumptions about his condition. Ido describes the difficulty of his silent half-life saying, “It was terrible having experts talk to each other about me, and to hear them be wrong in their observations and interpretations, but to not be capable of telling them.” i

Ido advocates for integrated education through his blog and book, “Ido In Autismland,” and leads by example as an honor roll student. In his blog post Truth Over Theory, Ido describes his conversation with an open-minded professor as refreshing because, “more often, I think, people get used to their theories and stay there their whole professional careers.”[ii] Ido’s book has been assigned to college classrooms and is available on Amazon. In the personal statement of Ido’s Blog, he states his intent is to “help other autistic people find a way out of their silence too.”

Ido’s story was featured as an NBC News special, in which Ido was interviewed and able to respond via IPad, more articulately, in fact, than many people his age. The insight Ido has provided into the mind and condition of nonverbal autistics is monumental for the future of education and intervention strategies. Ido’s literary voice is unique and engaging—a true joy to read. Through his advocacy efforts and personal successes, Ido is altering the stigmas associated with autism. In an interview with NBC News Ido asserted, “I want people to understand that not speaking is not the same thing as not thinking.”i

[i] Lin, Daisy, and Bruce Hansel. “Autistic Teen Uses Tech to Break Silence: “I Escaped My Prison”" NBC Southern California. N.p., 35 Apr. 2013. Web. 06 May 2013. .

[ii] Kedar, Ido. “Truth Over Theory.” Ido In Autismland. N.p., 13 Feb. 2013. Web. 06 May 2013. .

Gender Discrepancy In Manifestation of Autism May Necessitate Varied Treatment Strategies & Further Research

ICare4Autism — Fri, 03 May 2013 17:14:48 +0000

The gender distribution of autism spectrum disorder has raised flags for researchers for years. Males are 4 to 5 times more likely to be diagnosed with ASD than females. Recent studies approach the discrepancy through various lenses, propelling the dialogue on gender as a mediating factor for autism. The current diagnostic criteria for ASD were designed primarily from symptoms in boys, so if symptoms manifest differently in girls, then some girls may be slipping through the diagnostic cracks. Concurrently, we have a weaker understanding of girl’s symptoms because the discrepancy in incidence leaves most research populations with imbalanced gender distributions. Neuropsychiatries have informed this dialogue with the discovery that symptoms can be different in girls, which implies the need for varied treatment. This week, at the International Meeting for Autism Research in Spain, two new studies are slated to present results—prior to official publication—on the association between autism and gender.

One study,[i] conducted by Yale University researchers, examines the interaction between genetics, gender, and autism, hypothesizing that the extra X chromosome of females provides protection from genetic mutations associated with autism. The study assesses the gender distribution of rare variants in ASD probands, finding that female probands have more variants than males. The expression of these high-risk mutations in females with autism supports the hypothesis that the female extra X chromosome serves to protect women from autism spectrum disorders by suggesting that women who have autism have such because higher-risk mutations “overwhelmed” their “protective mechanism.”[ii] The mutations found are referred to as “de novo” mutations, which are epigenetic, changes occurring in the sperm or egg, as opposed to genetically transferrable.

The second study[iii] pertaining to gender discrepancies presented at IMFAR was designed to study the ‘Effects of a Targeted Face-Processing Intervention On Visual Attention to Naturalistic Social Scenes,’ but found that significantly different results contingent on gender, suggesting the need for varying treatment strategies, research studies, and ultimately diagnostic criteria. The study, conducted by the Marcus Autism Center of Emory University, assessed changes in processing abilities—such as identity recognition with changes in expression, viewpoint, features, face process strategies, and attention or ability to ascertain information from eyes—by using a computer-based intervention called Let’s Face It! (LFI!). Researchers concluded that after a concentrated intervention with LFI! children with ASD paid grater attention to faces and less to background regions. However, the chief of the division of autism and related disorders at Emory University School of Medicine asserts, that when the data was displayed by gender, “In boys, the more they looked at the eyes, the less socially disabled they are. In girls, the more they looked at the eyes, the more disabled they are… we have to take gender as a mediating factor.”

Both studies confirm speculation that autism spectrum disorders manifest diversely between genders, necessitating new approaches to treating females with ASD. Further, the study conducted by Yale University suggests that while incidence of autism for females is lower, the manifestation of autism may be of higher-risk. Finally, the protective mechanism occurring in females could offer insight regarding the development of autism spectrum disorder in general.

[i] Whole-Exome and CNV Data for ASD Sex Bias. S. J. Sanders* and M. W. State, Yale University School of Medicine

[ii] “Girls with Autism May Need Different Treatment | Health24.” Health24. N.p., 2 May 2013. Web. 03 May 2013. .

[iii] Effects of a Targeted Face-Processing Intervention On Visual Attention to Naturalistic Social Scenes. P. Lewis*1, J. M. Moriuchi1, C. Klaiman1, J. Wolf2, L. Herlihy3, W. Jones1, A. Klin1, J. W. Tanaka4 and R. T. Schultz5, (1)Marcus Autism Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta & Emory University School of Medicine, (2)Yale Child Study Center, (3)University of Connecticut, (4)University of Victoria, (5)Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Autism Brain Bank Collaboration Announced Today

ICare4Autism — Thu, 02 May 2013 17:49:01 +0000

Today, four prominent autism research organizations announce their collaboration with the formation of Autism BrainNet, a national “brain bank,” to acquire brain tissue of recently diseased persons with autism spectrum disorder and disseminate for research purposes. The culmination of the Autism Tissue Program’s preexisting efforts in conjunction with the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI), the University of California’s MIND Institute, and others will greatly expand reach and impact. Autism BrainNet will launch this fall, under the direction of David Amaral, Ph.D., of the MIND Institute. A web portal will provide access to research results and track the progress of the numerous ventures that Autism BrainNet is supporting.

Brain tissue provides valuable information for research into neurological disorders, such as autism, that are difficult to assess. The Autism BrainNet organizations are sensitive to the fact that many people are uncomfortable with the concept of brain donation, and commend families who have donated to the Autism Tissue Program for their courage.

Rubinstein, Jane E. “Autism Speaks and the Simons Foundation Announce New Brain Tissue Network.” Autism Speaks and the Simons Foundation Announce New Brain Tissue Network. EurekAlert!, 2 May 2013. Web. 02 May 2013. .