March 29, 2010
The March issue of OAR’s monthly newsletter, The OARacle, has been released. In it, find articles about what’s new at OAR, the RUN FOR AUTISM, and the autism community. Also, you can also read an informative article about keeping your child safe, a review of Relationship Development Intervention, and updates...
Autism’s Earliest Symptoms Not Evident in Children Under 6 Months
February 19, 2010
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — A study of the development of autism in infants, comparing the behavior of the siblings of children diagnosed with autism to that of babies developing normally, has found that the nascent symptoms of the condition — a lack of shared eye contact, smiling and communicative babbling —...
When to Worry if a Child Has Too Few Words
February 11, 2010
There is nothing simple about speech, and there is nothing simple about speech delay — starting with the challenge of diagnosing it. Every pediatrician knows the frustration of trying to quantify the speech and language skills of a screaming toddler. How many words can he say? Can she put two...
Support Arrives for Military’s School Kids
December 28, 2009
When her husband, a Marine Corps colonel, was transferred last summer from the Pentagon to a base in southern California, Karen Driscoll was forced to confront her autistic child’s new school district and the intricacies of federal special education law. The Poway Unified School District near San Diego offered Driscoll’s...
November 20, 2009
Treatment that includes medication plus a structured training program for parents reduces serious behavioral problems in children with autism and related conditions, according to a study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The study, which was part of the NIMH Research Units on Pediatric Psychopharmacology (RUPP) Autism...
Going to Battle Against Autism
November 18, 2009
Any parent of an autistic child will tell you that their life is forever changed by their child’s condition. A recent study in The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders quantifies exactly how different that life can be. Researchers from the University of Wisconsin at Madison followed a groups of...
Military Families Battle Against Autism
November 10, 2009
Military families get their medical benefits through a government-run program called TRICARE. TRICARE refused FOX 5’s request for an on-camera interview, but says its coverage is competitive with other commercial insurance providers. Karen Driscoll says TRICARE isn’t telling the truth. She says she and her husband paid for their son’s treatment...
November 05, 2009
The “Randomized Trial of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Children with Autism” study reveals that HBOT, consisting of 24% oxygen delivered at 1.3 atmospheres of pressure, does not have a significant effect on symptoms of autism. This study was led by Doreen Granpeesheh, PhD, BCBA-D; Jonathan Tarbox, PhD, BCBA-D; Dennis R....
NIH Awards More than 50 Grants to Boost Search for Causes, Improve Treatments for Autism
November 04, 2009
The National Institutes of Health has awarded more than 50 autism research grants, totaling more than $65 million, which will be supported with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. These grants are the result of the largest funding opportunity for research on autism spectrum disorders (ASD) to date, announced in...
How To Tell How Severely Autistic a Student Is
October 30, 2009
Not every child with autism will have the same level of severity. For some, the symptoms are barely noticeable. For others, it is all too apparent. Abnormal responses to certain sensations, inability to communicate, and lack of empathy are a few things autism will cause. Sometimes, the condition is so...
IACC research summary points to positive outcomes for children with autism spectrum disorders
October 26, 2009
The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) has documented a number of positive findings about what the future holds for children with autism spectrum disorders. According to its Annual Summary of Advances in Autism Spectrum Disorder Research, the IACC reports that a number of children may even lose their autism diagnosis. Although some researchers remain skeptical that recovery...
Statement on reported increase in autism prevalence
October 26, 2009
A study was released in yesterday’s online Pediatrics journal, which reported an increased prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders for children in the US. The numbers came from a 2007 national phone survey of families called the National Survey of Children’s Health. Read the full article here....
