Monday, April 23, 2012

Autism and Bullying

A new survey was discussed on NPR. This study identified how children on the Autism Spectrum may be victims of bullying. The ususal childhood meanness, but with unconsidered consequences...

Q: What happens to a child with limited social skills, when trying to be social results in abuse and ostracization?

A: ___________________ [fill in the blank.]

Therefore, the solutions revolve around education. There are no  easy answers but one needs to make sure schools are prepared to address the questions.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

A Spring Cleaning For My [Blog] House...And Why I Write

I have made a few changes to 'freshen up' the visual appearance of my blog. I have also puttered around Google and noted some of the new changes [mostly good] and have checked out the new dashboard [basement wiring/plumbing] and was pleasantly surprised at my readership.

Especially around the big news story yesterday on Autism and weight.

There is an old adage, "To those who much is given, much is expected."So, Researching Readers, I will make sure of all the new technology [Smart Phones, emails forwarding, etc.] to make sure I am posting more frequently, as pertinent news and information about Autism Spectrum Disorder populates our world.

My youngest, whom my college buddy correctly characterizes as 'leaning on the Asperberger fence" is doing well in an 11th grade charter school. We have 'compromised' on SAT special subjects prep by him playing  Free Rice  instead of reviewing the Kaplan book. [He gets to have a school break week filled with Wii.]

He is aware that he is differently able, and is learning to be both patient with those not as bright/witty and insightful as himself [Sheldon Cooper is a greater Anti-Role Model for the importance of social skills].

And he is what got he started on gleaning all sources for information, strategies, Old Wives Tales, etc. on Autism Spectrum Disorder. [I am glad it has evolved to be  spectrum-- not so sure how I feel about the disorder...]

So, we are [somewhat] patient with the DVD recording EVERY SINGLE EPISODE of The Big Bang Theory but I am also a little excited about Stephen Hawkins appearing on the episode tonight.

...and maybe Cal Tech or MIT may be entered in my GPS next year...or Unknown U., where my ASD son may get to have his own lab and research something I cannot spell or understand.

Here's to hoping!

Autism Linked to being Overweight



Yet another reason to lose weight...


Here is the article from US News and World Report...
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Children Born to Obese Moms May Face Higher Autism Risk: Study
Maternal obesity, overweight also linked to other developmental delays
April 9, 2012 RSS Feed Print
By Jenifer Goodwin
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, April 9 (HealthDay News) -- Children born to obese or very overweight mothers are at higher risk of having autism or developmental delays, new research suggests.

The study of more than 1,000 children found that the offspring of obese mothers had a 67 percent higher risk of autism than the children of normal-weight moms, and more than double the risk of having developmental delays, such as language impairment.

"The odds of autism and other developmental delays were significantly higher in the children of moms who were obese versus those who weren't," said lead study author Paula Krakowiak, a biostatistician and doctoral candidate at the University of California, Davis.

The research included more than 500 children aged 2 to 5 with mild to severe autism, about 170 children with another type of developmental disability, and 315 typically developing children, all taking part in the Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and the Environment, conducted between 2003 and 2010.

Children were assessed by experts from the university's MIND Institute to confirm their autism diagnosis, while mothers were interviewed about various aspects of their health before and during pregnancy. Information about weight came from either medical records or mothers' recollections of their weight before and during pregnancy.

Obesity is defined as a body mass index of 30 and up. Body mass index, or BMI, is a measure of body size based on height and weight.

While diabetes was also associated with increased odds of developmental delays in offspring, there wasn't a statistically significant association between diabetes and autism.

The research is in the May issue of Pediatics, published online April 9.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder in which children have difficulties with social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication such as reading facial expressions and understanding other social cues, and restricted interests and behaviors.

About one in 88 U.S. children has a so-called autism spectrum disorder, which includes milder forms of the disorder, such as Asperger syndrome, according to updated figures from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One in six U.S. children has a developmental delay, such as a speech or language impairment or other intellectual disabilities, the CDC says.

Considering that about one-third of the women of child-bearing age in the United States are obese and almost 9 percent have diabetes, the findings could have serious public-health implications, said Krakowiak.

Dr. Andrew Adesman, chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York, said the findings "should not be ignored." However, he noted that other genetic or environmental factors are likely contributing to autism. Many parents of autistic children are of normal weight, while many obese parents don't have autistic kids.

"Although the results of this study suggest obesity is a risk factor for developmental problems in offspring, one cannot assume that developmental problems in the offspring are due to obesity, and many other factors may be involved or responsible," Adesman said.

Indeed, other research published last week identified several spontaneous genetic mutations as the cause of a fraction of autism cases. Parents' ages, especially fathers older than 35, were also associated with autism in those recent studies, published online in the journal Nature.

The reasons for the link between obesity and autism/developmental delays are unknown, though some research suggests that obesity unleashes inflammatory proteins, some of which may be able to cross the placenta into the fetus. It's possible the inflammatory proteins, known as cytokines, may harm a fetus's developing brain, Krakowiak said.

She also noted that while the research found an association between obesity and autism/developmental delays, it did not prove that being obese causes autism or other brain problems in the fetus. The link may be indirect.

"It may not be the obesity itself, but other things that lead to obesity, such as genetics, or lifestyle, or diet," Krakowiak said.
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More information

The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has more on autism.

More from MSN Health:

Mealtime with An Autistic Child
Symptoms of Autism
What Do We Know About Autism?
Bing: Find an Autism Support Group
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SOURCES: Paula Krakowiak, Ph.D. candidate, University of California, Davis; Andrew Adesman, M.D., chief, developmental and behavioral pediatrics, Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York, New Hyde Park, N.Y.; May 2012 Pediatrics
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