Clinic Notes: Dr Browns App review

Kida (Kids institute for development and advancement) reviews two of our apps, DTT letters and DTT Words Apps. http://www.kida.com/2012/06/investigating-the-apps-early-literacy-apps/

Autism Speaks Expands

Autism America Radio Becomes Official Radio Program of National Nonprofit Autism Speaks http://www.execdigital.com/press_releases/personal-carefitness/autism-america-radio-becomes-official-radio-program-of-national-nonprofit-a

Autism and Flying

Major airlines' "Wings for #Autism" is a new program to helps children on the spectrum with sensory issues associated with flying http://www.westhartfordnews.com/articles/2012/06/13/news/doc4fd6804ee03bc226881910.txt

Autism and iPad apps

Apple announces that children with #autism cannot opt out of apps with IOS^ update. This is great news for those of us who develop and use apps with these special children everyday.

Clinic Notes: SSRI's in Water Supply?

#Autism caused by SSRI's (Proxac etc) in water supply? I practice in rural area and autism rates up but well water. http://blogs.plos.org/blog/2012/06/08/fish-antidepressants-autism-and-a-problematic-research-premise-2/

Clinic Notes: Weak Head and Neck Control and Autism

Weak head and neck control in babies has always been a red flag for developmental delays. But a new study at the Kennedy Krieger Institute finds weak head and neck control could also signal autism.

Clinic Notes: Autism Causes Problems for Young Adults in School and Workplace

A recent study published in the journal “Pediatrics” finds that Young adults with autism do not do well in school or the workplace. These adults with autism were a product of special education programs. Most were unemployed and were not able to attend college or find a job. A good case for keeping children with autism mainstreamed it seems to me.

Clinic Notes: Where does Geek end and Asperger’s Begin?

Since I have published studies on the etiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders, have a clinical practice of mostly children with Autism, develop apps for children with Autism, I am know as an, “Autism Expert.” (I am reminded of a song lyric from an old Eagles song- “The more I know, the less I understand.”) And one thing, among many others, that I don’t understand is where does Geek end and Asperger’s begin? Asperger’s has been linked with scientific genius and many speculate that Einstein, Bill Gates, and most of Silicon Valley have Asperger’s. There are many children that I see who are diagnosed with Asperger’s and do well in a specific area, but are socially inept and often lack “common sense.” We have all had professors who pontificated on their subject in the classroom as well as social gatherings oblivious that they were boring their “audience.” Well the short answer is I don’t know. But I am dismayed that the new version of DSM will do away with Asperger’s as a diagnostic category and just label these special, often wonderful people, as high functioning Autism.

Clinic Notes: Autism and Poverty Redux

Children from low-income families are less likely to be diagnosed with autism and therefore less likely to receive treatment. In large cities like New York City there are program like the NEST program, which try to help identify how children with autism might behave. In Harlem schools are recruiting high functioning children for inclusion into the regular curriculum. Something nice.

Clinic Notes: Being Poor and Having Autism

A California study found that being poor and having autism sucks. Again money talks and children of higher income parents progressed where those of lower income parents did not. It’s all about having money for services and it is not fair. But providers like myself cannot keep a clinic open without money.

Clinic Notes: Hope for Children with Autism

The American Academy of Pediatrics finds in a new study that children with autism, even those who are low functioning, ten percent improve significantly over time. The key is early intervention and an acceptance of the differences between normally developing children and children with autism..

Clinic Notes: Autism Epidemic a National Emergency

I see 40 or so kids in my clinic weekly most of whom have autism. I am overwhelmed. According to Autism Speaks, a child diagnosed with autism will cost $3.2 million for medical services, long term care, and lost income. They tally up annual cost if 1 child in 88 has autism to be a staggering $126 billion. Now I am really overwhelmed.

Clinic Notes: Increase in Autism: Real or Better Diagnosis?

With the new CDC figure saying that 1 child in 88 now has autism a controversy has started hat we have heard before. Is the increase real or is diagnosis getting better? Every time I hear this I get a little irritated. What difference does it make? We don’t know what causes autism so we can’t change the numbers. Perhaps the increase generates new hypotheses, but unless we can correlate the increases with something else and then prove a causal relationship the increase is not meaningful. No government planning is going on. And as far as therapy if a child has problems you treat those problems no matter the diagnosis. My waiting list is always getting longer no matter what the number say.

Clinic Notes: More Evidence for Faulty Serotonin Genes

Another recent study in a mouse model finds that the level of the neural transmitter serotonin in the brain, which is under genetic control, reduces the serotonin levels at the synapse and may be responsible for Autism. This make since because medication which raise serotonin levels, the selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI’s) are helpful in children with autism.

Clinic Notes: Military Pilot Program for Autism Treatment Extended

Good news for military families with children. The Pentagon is extending Tricare’s insurance plan, which pays for 10 hours of ABA each week. Several members of Congress want to extend the coverage to military retirees and those on leave for medical reasons. Certainly a benefit they deserve after their sacrifice for our country.

Clinic Notes: As Society Adjusts to the Autism Epidemic

Those of us who work with children on the Autism Spectrum in clinical setting everyday sometimes forget that children with autism miss our on a lot of activities that other children find rewarding. I was delighted to see that Broadway offered an autism friendly production of “The Lion King” and many popular restaurant chains are having staff training to make eating out with a child with autism more enjoyable. Now I read that churches, synagogues, and mosques are also doing what they can to include families with autism and other special needs. Recently, a minister I knew called me and asked if iPads would keep children with autism occupied so their families could worship. I told him that should work and he brought five and is now interested in finding apps on religious topics the kids on the spectrum could use. Interestingly, public schools seem to have the most difficulty adapting to the autism epidemic. But then it is not really fair to require them to treat a neurological disorder without providing the resources.

Clinic Notes: Autism Diagnosis and Treatment Plan App

The majority of parents and other caregivers who bring their children to my clinic are drowning in a sea of autism information and misinformation. I have seen countless children diagnosed and misdiagnosed with autism and treated and mistreated by different therapies. I have watched children with autism grow into adulthood; and know how the story ends for children who get the recommended therapies and those who do not. So I have developed an app that covers issues with diagnosis and treatment. What works and what doesn’t and what parents have to do to give their child the best chance at being mainstreamed. Go to iTunes and find my Autism Dx and Treatment .

ABA Programs for Kids with Autism

My ABA eBook in now available on iTunes for your iPad with iBooks and on your computer with iTunes.
Description
This book contains 25 ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) programs, plus many more helpful tips for helping your child with Autism. These ABA programs are designed as guidelines for parents and caregivers of children with behavioral problems and developmental delays associated with neuropsychological disorders, such as autism.

Clinic Notes: Do iPads Apps Really help Children with Autism?

Recently a number of blog posts and online articles have asked if iPads apps really do help children with autism. These authors correctly point out that there are no empirical studies comparing the progress of children with autism who have the opportunity to use the many programs available to those who do not have the opportunity. At the same time many parents of children with autism are holding fundraisers to buy an iPad for their children with the idea that the iPad will help their children well beyond any other methodology currently available. Well, it would be hard to do empirical studies. Of course the control group would not get an iPad while the experimental group would. So the question could be asked is that ethical? Also these studies would be difficult for other technical reasons and after the studies were completed I don’t know if we would know more than we do now.
At the Children’s Treatment Center we use iPads with all of our kids with autism as well as other disorders. I bought iPads for all my grandchildren for Christmas and they are normally functioning. I am an app developer for Apple and do have a vested interest in the sale of apps, but I personally am convinced, as are many others, that the positive effect that I see with children who come to our clinic as well as my own grandchildren is overwhelming. The iPad holds the child’s attention like nothing else I have seen in my forty years of practice. Learning is fun as it should be. Yes the evidence is anecdotal not scientific, but much like asking the question is eating good for you. Do we need a scientific study?

Clinic Notes: A Drop in the Number of Children Diagnosed with Autism

In my clinic 80-90% of the children I see each week have a diagnosis of autism. And I have a wailing list that I can’t get to. I’m sure many of the kids on the waiting list will also have an autism diagnosis, too. The American Psychiatric Association is in the process of redefining the diagnostic criteria for autism for the new edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders to be released in May 2013. This is the fifth edition of the “bible”, which is used by doctors to diagnose, study and treat “mental” illnesses. I’m not sure how many of the children that I see will loose their autism diagnosis under the new guidelines, and possibly loose services. Asperger’s is going to disappear and the kids with Asperger’s are not happy with that. They say that they do not have high functioning autism and I agree with them. So what’s the upside to the change in diagnosis? Beats me.