Conor's Water Balloon Therapy

Conor seemed a bit worn out driving home from school yesterday, at the end of the week, until he got home and found some water balloons!

autism

Fredericton in June

autism

Autism Therapy: Autistic Man Benefited From ABA

If you listened to many of the anti-ABA ideologues in the Neurodiversity club you would not want ABA therapy for your child. If you are the parent of a newly diagnosed autistic child and you listened to thef promotoers of the Alleged Autism Rights Movement you would not seek ABA therapy for your child. If you listen to these ideologues you would pass on the only proven effective healt treatment AND education intervention for autistic children.

Many of the anti-ABA ideologues have no actual experience with ABA themselves and yet they dismiss the conclusions of responsible agencies such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Maine (MADSEC) Autism Task Force, the New York State Department of Health, the US Surgeon Generals Office, the Association for Science in Autism Treatment, the May Institute, and five decades of research pointing to the effectiveness of ABA in helping autistic children. Of course the ideologues who believe that autism is not truly a disorder, because their mild version of autism poses few restriction on their enjoyment of life, also dismiss, the views and efforts of hundreds of thousands of parents across North America who are seeking to treat, educate or otherwise help their autistic children with ABA intervention.

If you are the parent of a newly diagnosed autistic child seeking therapy for your child read the responsible authorities referenced above, the latest being the 2007 report of the American Academy of Pediatrcs, Management of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. ABA is not a "cure" for autism. But it is have been proven effective at helping autistic children as stated by the American Academy of Pediatrics:

The effectiveness of ABA-based intervention in ASDs has been well documented through 5 decades of research by using single-subject methodology21,25,27,28 and in controlled studies of comprehensive early intensive behavioral intervention programs in university and community settings.29–40 Children who receive early intensive behavioral treatment have been shown to make substantial, sustained gains in IQ, language, academic performance, and adaptive behavior as well as some measures of social behavior, and their outcomes have been significantly better than those of children in control groups.31–40

You may also want to read the NBC10 feature Autism Therapy Proves Effective For Bucks County Teen which tells the story of A.J. Corless diagnosed with low-functioning autism whose family sought ABA intervention for their son, now a thriving adult:

"I learned how to do current events, English, spelling, proofreading. I'm learning how to cook, take inventory, put pictures on scrapbook and upload pictures," Corless said.

But his life wasn't always that way.A short time after his second birthday, Corless was diagnosed with low-functioning autism."I was told to go home, worry about my other children. He wouldn't amount to anything," Joanne Corless, A.J.'s mother, said.The Corless family chose to ignore the bleak diagnosis from doctors and were determined to help A.J. reach his full potential.That's when they turned to an intense, one-on-one therapy, called applied behavioral analysis or ABA.

"The ABA is just constantly keeping them on task, constantly reinforcing them, making them learn," Joanne Corless said.The Corless family saw change instantly."He's come a lot further than we've ever dreamed he's come," Joanne Corless said.Joanne said shortly after beginning ABA therapy, A.J. began to speak and follow directions.Now at 18, he plays classical piano, volunteers at a library and excels in many sports."I have a red belt in karate. I like going to the special Olympic games," A.J. Corless said.

He also can get you anywhere you need to go."I like to get my mom directions to places so she doesn't get lost," A.J. Corless said. Everyday, he works to overcome the obstacles of autism and his family said specialized therapy makes it possible."I look at A.J. and I think that he is a child that has learned to live with his disability. He has a great life. He really does," Joanne Corless said.




autism

Autism Reality - Missing Autistic Teen Found Safe in Pennsylvania

A 17 year old autistic teen reported missing from his home Columbia, Maryland has been found safe and in good condition in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania where he and his family are originally from. The young autistic man left his home on May 27 but the The Columbia Flier, Howard County Times article on ExploreHoward.com reports that police did not release the date on which he was located.

As the father of a 12 year old boy with Autistic Disorder, and profound developmental delays, it is always good to read a "missing autistic person" news story that ends well.

autism

Autistic Children Study in Mice Infested Trailers in New York City

The New York Post reports in MICE INFEST QNS. SCHOOL that about 80 autistic school kids in Queens, New York City, study and go to school in trailers overrun by mice that leave their droppings on workstations and cabinets where lunch supplies are stored. The Department of Education spokesperson said "pest management had inspected and baited the trailers three times.".

The Post article does not indicate whether the Department of Education intends to take further action such as moving the autistic students to a more sanitary school environment. It is hard to believe that in the United States of America ANY children would be educated under such filthy conditions. All children, including autistic children, deserve much better.

autism

Autism Rising in Newfoundland and Labrador

The Telegram, St. John's Newfoundland, reports in Autism on the rise that a new, as yet unpublished, study by Queen's University says Newfoundland and Labrador has higher-than-normal rates of autism. Newfoundland Health Department officials have taken part and seen the study findings which, according to Health Minister Ross Wiseman, "suggest that the incidence in this province would be higher than in other jurisdictions, and that's obviously something that has gotten our attention."

The article goes on to report the same issue that some provinces, including New Brunswick, have already come to grips with is still a problem in Newfoundland and Labrador - the continuation of ABA services for autistic children in the school system. The truth is that ABA can be used in schools. My son has received ABA instruction here in Fredericton, New Brunswick for the past 4 years. New Brunswick to its credit has taken a focused, practical approach to providing ABA training in school environments. Teacher aides and resource teachers have been, and are being, trained at the University of New Brunswick - College of Extended Learning Autism Intervention Training Program. The location of instruction is evidence based. My son receives Discrete Trial based ABA in a quiet environment outside the classroom - at out request. He enters common areas for engagement in other activities according to his ability to handle the task involved and the location.

Newfoundland and Labrador should consider various models in trying to solve their "ABA in the schools" issues. But they should not fail to consider what their fellow Atlantic Province of New Brunswick has been doing right for a few years now.

autism

Run the Dream Voices For Autism Fredericton Update

Run the Dream runner Jonathon Howard is now in the Fredericton area and will be presenting the Fredericton fundraiser, Voices for Autism! on June 5th, beginning at 7:00pm at the Delta Fredericton!

Supporters, government and business leaders and community members are invited to gather for Voices for Autism, featuring musical guests:

- Steve Waylon & Rebel Ridge
- Tore Down
- Cathy Hutch & B.J. McKelvie’s Autism song, “I’m in Here”

The evening will be lots of fun with:

- Raffle draws, 50/50 and a fantastic silent auction
- New Brunswick’s ‘Their Stories’, which are video stories highlighting personal experiences with Autism and the effect it currently having on some families,

- Keynote speakers will be Dr. Paul McDonnell, who has worked with and helped so many autistic children and their families in New Brunswick and has been the person behind much of New Brunswick's Autism Services Model, Brian Rimpilainen, who has worked tirelessly toward establishment of a National Autism Strategy, and me (Harold Doherty).

- Appearances by Jonathan Howard and Chairman of Run the Dream, Bill Robertson.

The evening is designed to be supportive with the goal of raising money for Autism Spectrum Disorder support groups in New Brunswick through a variety of different voices.

Purchase your tickets online at Ticket Atlantic, Voices for Autism and visit Run the Dream for more information.

autism

Conor's Fancy Footwork Beats A GFCF Autism Diet!

I don't know if peppers are part of an autism gfcf diet but Conor loves eating them and likes to show off some fancy footwork at the same time!

autism

Autism Speaks Finish Line at Dover

The finish line at Dover International Speedway this Sunday will feature blue Autism Speaks puzzle pieces inside the white squares. Autism Speaks is beyond compare in its abillity to find new ways to promote autism awareness.

Autism Awareness: Run the Dream in Fredericton on June 5, 2008

Jonathon Howard will soon be in Fredericton.

Jonathon is raising awareness of autism across Canada, and raising funds for children's charities supporting autism, by running across the country, beginning on March 25 when he dipped his toe in the waters at St. John's Newfoundland. On June 5, 2008 from 7 to 9:30 he will be at the Delta Fredericton for an event which will feature "Their Stories", online video interviews of family members, caregivers, and persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders who share their personal stories of living with autism.

Keynote speakers will include Brian Rimpilainen of Fredericton. Brian is the Autism Society New Brunswick representative with the Autism Society Canada and he has worked tirelessly toward development of a National Autism Strategy and inclusion of Autism in Medicare. He will be running with Jonathon from Oromocto to Fredericton on June 2. The evening at the Delta Fredericton will be filled with music by Steve Waylon and Rebel Ridge, Cathy Hutch and BJ McKelvie. Cathy and BJ will be performing their autism song "I'm In Here".

In New Brunswick we have accomplished much with hope - and with hard, focused, work. Our focus has been on ensuring that autistic children in New Brunswick receive evidence based interventions and education both preschool and during the school years. Much has been accomplished although much remains to be done. Adult care for persons with autism in New Brunswick is abysmal and requires a massive overhaul. Efforts to provide decent residential care for autistic adults in New Brunswick will be successful only with hard, focused, work and determination. And with hope. Jonathon Howard's Run the Dream spreads the message of hope for persons with autism and those who love and care for them and hope is invaluable in fueling our efforts to make gains for autistic persons as preschoolers, students and adults.

Although I was aware of Jonathon Howard's Run the Dream since he began in late March the impact of what he was doing to raise autism awareness in Canada did not hit me until I spoke at the Medicare for Autism NOW! event in Oakville, Ontario on April 19. I had the privilege of meeting Norah Whitney, president of FEAT Ontario and her son Luke. Luke is a very smart young man and I enjoyed talking with him. One of the first things Luke said to me was to ask if I knew Jonathon Howard. At the time I couldn't say that I did, although I knew about Run the Dream. After June 5 I should be able to give Luke a different answer.

I urge everyone who can to attend the Run the Dream evening at the Delta Fredericton on June 5. Tickets are available at ticketatlantic.com. For more info contact Mike at 902‐444‐3887. Admission is $25 and will go towards children's charities that support autism.

It should be a lot of fun and a good evening for autism.

autism

Autism Media Breakthrough

A major autism media breakthrough has occurred with the publication of Julie Deardorff's blog on several sites including the Chicago Tribune and the BradentonHerald.com. In Autism's road to recovery full of questions, few answers Ms Deardorff comments on debate over whether autistic children should be "recovered". She presents the perspective of Alex Plank, a high functioning person with Aspergers, attending college, and otherwise functioning very well in society. But the breakthough occurs when Ms Deardorff also presents the perspective of David Royko who tells the story of his autistic son Ben, who, at age 14, is not toilet trained and will never live independently:

Plank has a point, but he also is a functioning member of society. A film and video major at George Mason University in Virginia, Plank speaks on neurodiversity at conferences. He has a girlfriend and friends. His interests include computers, writing and acting.

Autism, however, encompasses a range of individuals, from quirky, socially awkward geniuses to those such as Ben Royko, who is still not completely toilet trained at 14, has to live in a residential school setting, has very limited functional language and will never be able to live independently.

It is rare for an article, column or blog, whether published in hard copy or online, to mention and describe a severely autistic person and the grim realities some of them face.

Full marks to Ms Deardorff, the Chicago Tribune, and other sites which publish her blog for daring to consider and discuss the invisible autistics, the severely autistic, who do not get discussed by Neurodiversity bloggers at the "Autism" Hub and are not invited, and re-invited, to appear on CNN and other feel good, ratings driven, news sources.

autism

Alleged Autism Rights Movement and Severe Autism: Autistic Boy Goes Missing, Struck and Killed by Train

The Alleged Autism Rights Movement isn't much help for the severely autistic, the truly severely autistic, not the former students of colleges for gifted youths, but those, like my son Conor who wondered across a busy main street oblivious to the dangers of traffic; or those like the 10 year old severely autistic boy in North Carolina who was struck by a train and killed Saturday half an hour after police received a report he was missing from his home.

Severely autistic people like that poor North Carolina boy, like my son Conor, like the 50 year old autistic woman who could not communicate to tell the world she was being abused by staff in the residential care facility in which she lives in Long Island, are not likely to be posing for fashion photos in New York Magazine any time soon. The severely autistic people and the conditions they suffer with are not to be mentioned in polite company for fear that a realistic description of THEIR autism might offend those who pose in the New York Magazine, the internet divas and the former elf realm dwellers of the Alleged Autism Rights Movement.

To the Alleged Autism Rights leaders if you want to pretend to speak on behalf of all persons with autism then start speaking about those with actual Autistic Disorder who do not share all your gifts and good fortunes. And stop trying to suppress and obscure candid discussion of THEIR autism, not YOUR's, which is so different.

autism

Conor Has Fun At The Saint John River

autism

Autism Treatment and Autism Advocacy in Canada: God Bless America!

Canada shares a border with the United States of America and we can not escape the influence of our giant neighbor and our American cousins. We absorb American news and popular culture every time we turn on our televisions. From American Idol to CSI Miami we get it all, every day. American political decisions, from war in Iraq to border crossing security changes, can have a dramatic impact on Canadians and we often follow their politics closely. Why is Hillary staying in? Does John McCain have the support of the Republican base? For Canada's autistic children, and their families who seek effective autism treatment for them, the United States and credible America autism authorities, have also had a huge influence. They have filled a vacuum by providing credible, well researched knowledge and information about the effectiveness of autism treatments.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, the Maine Autism Task Force, the Office of the US Surgeon General, and state authorities in New York and California, have all played critically important roles in educating Canadian parents about the scientific, evidentiary basis in support of the efficacy of autism treatments particularly ABA. The input of these US authorities has helped many Canadian parents and autism advocates counter the often lacking and misleading information provided to them by Canadian bureaucrats and the anti-ABA biases of some influential members of the Montreal scientific community.

With such credible sources providing reliable, substantiated, information parents and autism advocates in Canada have had the tools we needed to help educate public decision makers and to obtain evidence based, effective ABA intervention for our autistic children. A great deal remains to be done to provide effective help for autistic children, in Saskatchewan, Ontario, Nova Scotia, in every province and territory in Canada, but we do have the tools to help us, courtesy of our American neighbors. With the guidance they have provided, and with our own will and determination, we can succeed in our struggle to help our autistic children.

YES WE CAN!

autism

A Questionable Autism Partnership, Has Autism Speaks Sold Its Voice?

Autism Speaks has made tremendous contributions in raising autism awareness to a world level including helping to establish the first annual World Autism Awareness Day, April 2 by UN General Assembly Resolution. It's promotion of autism research has been a significant factor in spurring an Autism Knowledge Revolution. It has used the first class media savvy and connections of Bob and Suzanne Wright to help inform and educate citizens and public authorities around the world. I have been an admirer of Autism Speaks. My Camry even sports a blue Autism Speaks magnetic puzzle piece. But now comes news of a partnership between Autism Speaks and Nutricia North America, a company which produces hypoallergenic medical foods. "Under the partnership, Nutricia will sponsor 26 Walk Now for Autism events nationwide. The grassroots program is a signature fundraising for Autism Speaks". For me this raises questions and causes me to ask - has Autism Speaks sold its voice?

Nutricia's food products are used in gluten-casein free diets for autistic children. On a personal level I do not know if such diets are of any value in treating autistic children. I am not dismissive of Jenny McCarthy, or any parent, who asserts that such diets have helped their autistic children but to my knowledge such diets do not, at present, enjoy a solid professional evidence basis for their effectiveness in treating autistic disorders. In an October 29, 2007 press release for its report Management of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders the American Academy of Pediatrics stated:

“Many parents are interested in CAM treatments such as various vitamin and mineral supplements, chelation therapy, and diet restrictions. It’s important for pediatricians to maintain open communication and continue to work with these families even if there is disagreement about treatment choices, ” said co-author of the reports Scott M. Myers, MD, FAAP. “At the same time, it’s also important to critically evaluate the scientific evidence of effectiveness and risk of harm and convey this information to the families, just as one should for treatment with medication and for non-medical interventions.”

Although use of the gluten-free/casein-free diet for children with ASDs is popular, there is little evidence to support or refute this intervention. More studies are in progress, and it is anticipated that these studies will provide substantially more useful information regarding the efficacy of the gluten-free/casein-free diet.

Studies may eventually provide the evidence to support the claims of effectiveness of gluten-free/casein free diets but those studies should be as independent and objective as possible if they are to be persuasive. On this blog site you will not see any of the commercial advertising that is featured on larger, better known, autism/neurodiversity blogs such as Autism Vox and About.com:Autism. I choose to comment on autism free of the need to keep up visitor totals, Google or Technorati rankings, in order to generate advertising revenue. Such considerations can influence the content of what is posted.

Studies of the effectiveness of glutein/casein free diets in treating autism represent positive developments in seeking more treatment options for autism IF those studies remain free of undue influence. And IF the association in the public mind of such diets with Autism Speaks does not give them a free pass to acceptance as effective autism treatments without the evidence.

autism

Another Open Autism Letter to the Honourable Stéphane Dion

May 21, 2008

The Hon. Stéphane Dion, P.C., M.P.
Leader of the Official Opposition
Liberal Party of Canada

Dear Mr. Dion

It has now been almost one full year since I emailed you asking whether a Liberal government led by Stéphane Dion would act promptly to include autism treatment in Canada's national health care scheme. To my great disappointment I received no reply. In almost 10 years of autism advocacy in New Brunswick and Canada you are the only politician or public decision maker who has not replied at all. I assume the fault lies with me, perhaps that I failed to observe some protocol with which I am unfamiliar, in posing my question to you. I apologize for whatever shortcoming I may have exhibited and ask you again, with respect, will a Liberal government led by you act promptly to include autism treatment in medicare?

In the year since I first posed this question thousands of autistic children across Canada have gone without effective evidence based treatment for their autistic conditions. Thousands have languished on waiting lists for treatment even in Ontario with all its many resources. Politicians can no longer credibly claim that there are many opinions about effective treatments. There have been several responsible reviews of the professional literature and studies of the effectiveness of various autism treatments. The most recent such review was by the American Academy of Pediatrics, Management of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, (Nov 1, 2007) which stated that:

The effectiveness of ABA-based intervention in ASDs has been well documented through 5 decades of research by using single-subject methodology21,25,27,28 and in controlled studies of comprehensive early intensive behavioral intervention programs in university and community settings.29–40 Children who receive early intensive behavioral treatment have been shown to make substantial, sustained gains in IQ, language, academic performance, and adaptive behavior as well as some measures of social behavior, and their outcomes have been significantly better than those of children in control groups.31–40

In the year since I first posed this question a frustrated father of a 15 year old autistic son, Stefan Marinoiu, of Toronto, has twice put his life on the line to draw attention to the need for treatment for all Canadians with autism. Children like his son Simon are literally going without the proven treatment that could help so many. Stefan walked for 11 days in mid-winter cold and blizzards to meet with Health Minister Tony Clement. More recently Stefan endured a 2 week hunger strike outside the Ontario legislature to impress again upon political leaders the need to take action to help autistic people in Canada. Federal financing could eliminate waiting lists for autism treatment in this country. That is a big part of the message Stefan Marinoiu has delivered in cold and hunger.

The Liberal Party of Canada could well form the next government of this great country. I ask you again sir, and with great respect, will you as Prime Minister act to include autism treatment in medicare to help the 1 in 150 Canadians and their family members who are struggling with the realities of autism disorders?

Parents across Canada have made their positions known asking, advocating, begging if necessary, to get their autistic children the treatment they need. Stefan Marinoiu has made his position known. He has twice risked his life to make it known that Canadians must act on behalf of autistic Canadians. Will you, the Honorable Stephane Dion, please make your position known?

Respectfully,


Harold L Doherty
Father of a 12 year old boy with Autistic Disorder
63 Alder Avenue
Fredericton NB E3A 1T1



dohertylaw@rogers.com wrote:

Date: Tue, 5 Jun 2007 16:16:24 -0700 (PDT)
From:
Subject: An Open Letter, An Autism Question
To: "The Hon. Stéphane Dion"


2007-06-05
The Hon. Stéphane Dion, P.C., M.P.
Leader of the Official Opposition
Liberal Party of Canada

Dear Mr. Dion
An Open Letter, an Autism Question
I am the father of two sons one of whom has classic Autism Disorder, with profound developmental delays, and I have been an autism advocate for the last eight years. This year I watched hopefully, but with no illusions, as Liberal MP Shawn Murphy of Charlottetown introduced Bill C-304, a Private Member’s bill, which would called for amendment of the Canada Health Act to provide coverage for autism treatments. As expected, Bill C-304 was defeated by the governing Conservative Party and its partner, the Bloc Québécois. The Liberal Party and the New Democratic Party both voted, by and large, in support of Bill C-304. You personally cast a vote in support of the Bill.

Autism is a serious neurological disorder which affects 1 in 150 Canadians, including 1 in 94 male Canadians. Persons with an autism disorder can display a wide range of deficits including intellectual, communication, behavioural and social deficits. While no known cure exists, a treatment which has been empirically demonstrated in hundreds of studies to decrease the negative autism deficits, and in some cases virtually eliminate, these deficits exists. Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) has been demonstrated to improve the abilities in all these areas and improve the quality of life of autistic persons in hundreds of studies. Effective, early and intensive intervention with ABA, in addition to being effective in treating autistic children, has also been shown to save governments very substantial sums of money in provision of government services over the life of an autistic person.

Despite these facts, governments in Canada have an atrocious record in dealing with the Autism Crisis which confronts Canada and in helping these very vulnerable people. In British Columbia and Ontario governing parties reversed election campaign promises to provide medicare coverage for autism choosing instead to spend hundreds of thousands of tax payer dollars to fight in court the parents of autistic children they had pledged to help. Mr. Dion I hope that you will not follow these shameful precedents, I hope you will not forget your vote in support of Bill C-304.

Mr. Dion, will you tell me, and other parents and caregivers of autistic children and persons, if the Liberal Party of Canada will, once elected, introduce legislation in the first year of your taking office as Prime Minister, to include autism treatment in medicare for all Canadians with autism regardless of residence and regardless of income?

Respectfully,

Harold L Doherty
Fredericton
New Brunswick
cc The Canadian Public

autism

Autism Hunger Strike Has Ended

Autism hunger striker Stefan Marinoiu ended his two week hunger strike yesterday. Stefan's efforts brought much attention to the cause of autistic persons and their families in Canada and impressed upon public decision makers in Ottawa and Toronto the seriousness of the Autism Crisis in Ontario and Canada.

It is a relief to me, and I am sure to his family and many friends and admirers, that Stefan has decided to end this stage of his autism advocacy and move ahead with other efforts. The determination that Stefan has demonstrated with his 11 day mid-winter Autism Trek from Toronto to Ottawa and his two week Autism Hunger Strike will come in handy in the continuing effort to obtain proper autism treatment, education and residential care in Ontario and elsewhere in Canada.

autism

Professor Pushes Prozac for Autistic Children in the UK

Professor Eric Hollander, chairman of psychiatry at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, is recommending that more doctors in the UK consider prescribing drugs known as SSRI's, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, including fluoxetine, or Prozac, for autistic children as part of an overall treatment program.

The SSRIs are aimed at reducing anxiety and disruptive behaviors. The article Autistic children 'should be given Prozac to control their symptoms at Checkbiotech.org appears to reference Dr. Hollander as stating that 37% of children in the US are currently taking SSRIs; many more than in the UK. Dr. Hollander claims that clinical trials with autistic children at low doses have shown improvements such as "fewer "endless ritual" behaviours, less anxiety and better social interaction" Recruitment of children for a "phase three" clinical trial is currently under way.

With respect to potential conflicts of interest the Checkbiotech article notes that in 2006, Neuropharm acquired the rights to develop fluoxetine for use in autism from the Mount SinaiSchool and that Professor Hollander is a consultant to the company.

I am not opposed to the use of medications in treating autism or symptoms of autism although we have never resorted to their use for Conor. I do believe that considerable care and caution must be exercised before their use. There is little discussion in the Checkbiotech article of possible negative effects of Prozac and other SSRI's on autistic children. The popular media and internet are full of articles alleging serious harmful side effects of Prozac. As a matter of intuition, and based on my son's own sensitivity to various environmental elements, I suspect that autistic children may be more vulnerable to any side effects that may be presented by Prozac and other SSRI use.

I also find it a little curious that a consultant for the company developing Prozac for use with autistic children is recommending greater use of Prozac for autistic children in the UK. This push is being made before completion of clinical trials. It is being pushed before assessment of the trial results by independent objective experts. How does Professor Hollander know that such products are effective and safe for autistic children before the studies are complete?

autism

Autism and the Role of Neurologists

ABC News has an interesting online feature The Answers to Autism May Be Inside the Mind in which neurologist Dr. Fernando Miranda argues that neurologists should be more involved in the diagnosis and treatment of autism disorders. The feature includes parent input, including an interview with Sarah Kavanaugh, whose son had been diagnosed with an autism disorder but who sought Dr. Miranda's assistance. An MRI disclosed that Beckett's corpus colusum, "the brain freeway that connects the two hemispheres, was a bit thin. That is crucial in any sort of diagnosis because it can affect language."

An EEG indicated signs of seizures which were not necessarily visible to observers. After more tests and a sleep EEG it was determined that her son did not in fact have an autism disorder. He " has a version of Landau Kleffner syndrome, a brain seizure disorder that can masquerade as autism." Since that diagnosis Kavanaugh's son has benefited substantially from anti-seizure medication.

The ABC feature also points out that it is not clear that all children would benefit from anti-seizure medication or that anti-seizure medication is always appropriate in cases where there are indications of limited seizure activity. Research is not currently advanced enough to indicate which children with seizure like symptoms might benefit from such medication. The drugs, in the view of some doctors, can be harmful. There is a risk that such medications could become over prescribed as some feel has happened with ADHD medications.

The children featured in this article benefited from the intervention of neurologists and ABC has done a service to children with autism and autism like conditions by highlighting that fact.

autism

Autism Reality - Missing Autistic Girl Found Safe in Michigan

The Grand Rapids Press reports that a 9 year old autistic Michigan girl who doesn't speak was found Thursday May 15 on the front porch of a residence following a two-hour search by officers and neighbors and reunited with her parents. The girl was reunited with her parents, who called authorities about five minutes after she slipped out of their house.

The "autism is beautiful, autism is a culture" ideologues of the Neurodiversity cult don't say much when autistic children go missing or otherwise place themselves in harm's way. Of course common sense and extremist ideology rarely go hand in hand. And it is hard to blather about the "joy of autism" when an autistic child who can not speak has gone missing.

Thankfully this story had a happy ending and the girl is safe at home with her parents.

autism