Families dealing with autism

To all those with young autistic children (12 years and under...the younger the better essentially), I am completing an internship with the sister program to this one and it is definitely worth looking into: Kalamazoo Autism Center
"For information about the Kalamazoo Autism Center or to discuss enrolling a child, contact Richard Malott at dickmalott@dickmalott.com or (269) 372-1268. Those interested also may contact him at WMU:

Richard Malott, (269) 387-4481
Department of Psychology
Western Michigan University
1903 W. Michigan Ave.
Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5439"

Sensory Integration Dysfuction is in the spectrum of autism. I have much info to share about this. Does anyone in this group have any experiences to share about this? Thank you for your help.

Hi! My name is Lily and I just posted some pictures to an album I created and named for my son Matthew. He is our eldest (mine and my husband's whose name is Sam); He was born June 26, 1987. He is mildly autistic. He has a younger brother, Jack, born December 18, 1989. He communicates beautifully and is a high school graduate (2005). I worry that he just stays home and doesn't have any friends. He collects movies and loves to watch TV, shop, and walk in the garden. and he loves his cats. He is a joy and a blessing to us. He is always willing to help out with chores and always accompanies me everywhere to help me with the grocery shopping, do laundry, etc. I know the Lord has a special purpose for him. Please pray for him and for all people with disabilities. Thank you.

Subject: Saints for Autism
********Their is no assigned saints specifically for autism , but these two (St,Bartholomew & St. Dymphna
are close
Saint Bartholomew the Apostle
Also known as
Bartolomé
Nathanael bar Tolomai
Memorial
24 August (Roman calendar)
11 June (Orthodox calendar)
Profile
One of the Twelves Apostles. Probably a close friend of Saint Philip; Bartholomew's name is always mentioned in the Gospels in connection with Philip, and it was Philip who brought Bartholomew to Jesus. May have written a gospel, now lost; it is mentioned in other writings of the time. May have preached in Asia Minor, Ethiopia, India and Armenia; some one did, leaving behind assorted writings, and local tradition says it was Bartholomew. Martyr.
Born
Galilee
Died
flayed alive at Albanopolis, Armenia
relics at Saint Bartholomew-on-the-Tiber Church, Rome, Italy, and in the cathedral in Canterbury, England
Patronage
against nervous diseases
against neurological diseases
against twitching
bookbinders
butchers
cobblers
Florentine cheese merchants
Florentine salt merchants
leather workers
plasterers
shoemakers
tanners
trappers
whiteners
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saint Dymphna
Also known as
Dympna
Dimpna
Memorial
15 May
Profile
Daughter of a pagan Irish chieftain named Damon, and a beautiful devoted Christian woman whose name has not come down to us. Her mother died when Dymphna was a teenager. Her father searched the Western world for a woman to replace his wife, but none could. Returning home, he saw that his daughter was as beautiful as her mother, and maddened by grief, he made advances on her. She fought him off, then fled to Belgium with Saint Gerebernus, an elderly priest and family friend. Dymphna's father searched for them, and his search led to Belgium. There an innkeeper refused to accept his money, knowing it was difficult to exchange. This told Damon that his daughter was close - it would be unusual for a village innkeeper to know a lot about foreign currency, and his knowledge indicated that had recently seen it. The king concentrated his search in the area. When he found them in Gheel, he beheaded Gerebernus, and demanded that Dymphna surrender to him. She refused, and he killed her in a rage.
The site where she died is known for its miraculous healings of the insane and possessed. There is now a well-known institution on the site, and her relics are reported to cure insanity and epilepsy. Canonized
Pre-Congregation
Patronage
against sleepwalking
against epilepsy
against insanity
against mental disorders
against mental illness
epileptics
family happiness
incest victims
loss of parents
martyrs
mental asylums
mental health caregivers
mental health professionals
mental hospitals
mentally ill people
nervous disorders
neurological disorders
possessed people
princesses
psychiatrists
rape victims
runaways
sleepwalkers
therapists
Readings
Lord, our God, you graciously chose Saint Dymphna as patroness of those afflicted with mental and nervous disorders. She is thus an inspiration and a symbol of charity to the thousands who ask her intercession. Please grant, Lord, through the prayers of this pure youthful martyr, relief and consolation to all suffering such trials, and especially those for whom we pray. (Here mention those for whom you wish to pray). We beg you, Lord, to hear the prayers of Saint Dymphna on our behalf. Grant all those for whom we pray patience in their sufferings and resignation to your divine will. Please fill them with hope, and grant them the relief and cure they so much desire. We ask this through Christ our Lord who suffered agony in the garden. Amen.
Quote from Mother Teresa:
To keep a lamp burning we have to keep putting oil in it.
Shalom:
Ed Fisher
St Lukes Studio :http://www.webspawner.com/users/slstudio/index.html

Autism May Be Linked to Mutation in the STRAD-Alpha Gene
Though Autism is often considered to be the incurable condition, there are researchers all over the world studying and making connections between Autism and other psychological disorders. Most recently, a team at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine discovered a connection between a rare disease affecting Amish children and the commonly diagnosed Autism and Epilepsy disorders.
The researchers found that a mutation in the STRAD-alpha gene can cause a rare but severe brain disorder known as Polyhydramnios, megalencephaly, and symptomatic epilepsy (PMSE). Characterized by abnormally increased brain size, PMSE also affects sufferers with its cause of difficulties with cognitive function and epilepsy that is not responsive to medication or treatment.
In animal case studies, animals that lacked the STRAD-Alpha (also called: STRADA) protein,Â* the pathway for another protein called mTOR is opened. In humans, this opening may promote abnormal cell growth that leads to cognitive impairments especially in children. It's been found thatÂ* STRADA and mTOR are proteins that make up the complicated molecular structures that are often found in Autism and other behavioral conditions.
Mutations of the mTOR proteins are found in several disorders including uberous sclerosis complex (TSC) and other conditions that feature brain tumors. Unlike PMSE, it's not STRADA but a different protein is affected by the pathway opening. TSC is a much more common disorder with approximately 1 million sufferers worldwide. Researchers find it to be very interesting that a rare disorder like PMSE and a not-so-rare TSC are comparable by their molecular pathways.
Adding PMSE to the list of disorders that is affected by the mTOR pathway is a great advancement in the treatment of Autism. Because PMSE shares some of the same symptoms and characteristics of Autism, it sheds a bit more light on Autism and other similar disorders. The more information that researchers find about possible causes and sources of Autism, the more that they can work towards successful treatments

For Teens With Autism, Handwriting Problems May Persist
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Deficits in reasoning skills more than motor skills likely to blame, researchers say



MONDAY, Nov. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Poor handwriting among children with autism tends to persist well into the teen years, a new study finds.
Unlike with younger children, the reason for the poor handwriting among teens seems to have less to do with motor skills issues than with problems in "perceptual reasoning," or the ability to reason through problems with nonverbal material.
The study, by researchers at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, is published in the Nov. 16 issue of Neurology.
In the study, 24 girls and boys aged 12 to 16, half of whom had an autism spectrum disorder, were asked to write a scrambled sentence ("the brown jumped lazy fox quick dogs over") as neatly as they could.
IQ tests showed all of the teens, both with autism and typically developing, scored within the normal range of perceptual reasoning. Researchers also tested teens' motor skills, including balance and timed movements.
The handwriting sample was scored on five measures, including legibility, form, alignment, size and spacing.
On average, kids with autism had poorer handwriting than kids without autism. The average score for autistic kids was 167 out of 204 possible points, and normally developing teens scored an average of 183.
While teens with autism were also more likely to have motor skill impairments, problems in that area were not associated with sloppier handwriting.
Yet scoring worse on the test of perceptual reasoning was associated with worse handwriting among children with autism.
"The importance of this research was not 'if' children and adolescents with autism struggle with handwriting, which many individuals can already attest to, but rather to document the extent of the challenge and determine if we could reveal anything about 'why' it is the case," senior study author Amy Bastian, director of the Motion Analysis Laboratory at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, said in an institute news release.
Handwriting problems may offer clues about how the brains of kids with autism function and what types of interventions could help overcome such difficulties, the study authors explained.
Handwriting is important for success in school, in social life and on the job, said Geraldine Dawson, chief science officer at Autism Speaks. Being able to write clearly is even more important for people who have difficulty communicating verbally, as many with autism do.
"Almost every subject taught in school requires handwriting skills, so if a child or adolescent has writing difficulties, this can be very frustrating," Dawson said. "Kids with autism may need more time to complete their tests and homework."
An occupational therapist can determine why a child or adolescent is having difficulty writing and offer help, Dawson said.
"Handwriting requires many skills, including visual skills, hand strength, memory, and good posture," Dawson said. "Different kids have different problems, so it is important to individualize the methods used to improve handwriting."
Therapies that may work include using special pencil grippers, lined paper and exercises to improve posture, coordination and strength. Some kids find that using a computer or other keyboard is much easier than writing.
"Using an alternative form of communication, such as a keyboard, can make a world of difference for some kids," Dawson said.
More information
The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has more on autism.
-- Jenifer Goodwin
SOURCES: Kennedy Krieger Institute, news release, Nov. 15, 2010; American Academy of Neurology, news release, Nov. 15, 2010; Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D., chief science officer, Autism Speaks, New York City

**
WHAT IS AUTISM
Autism is a developmental disorder which is being diagnosed much more frequently today than it was ten years ago. Previousl,y autism was thought to be a rare condition, occurring in two to five out of every ten thousand births. Currently, the CDC estimates the incidence to be approximately one in one hundred and fifty births. It is not clear*why there is such a large increase in the percentage of new cases every year since the early nineties. Some theorize that it is because the diagnostic criteria has been broadened, or that there is a better awareness and identification of new autism cases, while others theorize that there is a true increase in the actual incidence, related to some environmental factor. Autism is frequently referred to as a "spectrum disorder," meaning that someone can be afflicted severely or mildly, or to any degree in between. A mild form of autism is called Asperger's Syndrome, in which a person has relatively normal cognitive and language abilities. In Asperger's Syndrome,*a person's social abilities*are impaired. Even people with the mildest forms of autism can be severely handicapped by the disorder without appropriate treatment.* For example, many people with Asperger's syndrome have great difficulty in daily living skills, relationships, and employment. The diagnosis of autism is made based on testing and observation by a specialist such as a Developmental Pediatrician, a Child Psychologist, or a Pediatric Neurologist. Children with autism exhibit a series of abnormalities and delays--typically in communication, social, self-help, cognition, and play. They often display self-stimulatory behaviors such as rocking, hand flapping, spinning, toe-walking, and lining up of objects. Sometimes they engage in repetitive and ritualistic behaviors, and have odd body movements. Autistic children often appear to be far more interested in things than people. Parents frequently think their child with autism is deaf because he or she will not answer when called. Some children with autism are aggressive to others, throw frequent severe tantrums, or display self-injurious behaviors. Children with autism often do not understand facial expressions or gestures and often display non-typical eye contact. About a third of all children with autism appear to develop normally or nearly normally in infancy, only to regress during the toddler months. Certain rare diseases can cause autistic behaviors, such as Rhett's syndrome,*Fragile X,*or Tuberous Sclerosis.* However, in the vast majority of cases of autism, there is no discernable cause. One thing researchers do know is*that there is a strong genetic predisposition towards the disorder. There is a greater (though relatively small) likelihood of having a second child with autism if you already have one child with the disorder. To date, there is no cure for autism, though researchers are coming closer to determining what goes wrong in the developing child's brain, which might give us clues as to possible medical treatments in the future. In the meantime, many children are benefiting from a form of therapy known as Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention, to the point that they are achieving normal or near-normal functioning; something that was never thought of as possible ten or fifteen years ago. Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder, which means that for most of those afflicted, autism is lifelong. However, with early intensive behavioral intervention, some children have actually had their autism diagnosis removed; something that was once thought of as impossible.