The director of an Etobicoke home for teens with autism says she is disappointed that Councillor Doug Ford thinks the treatment program has ruined the community. Speaking last week at a meeting between residents and staff from the Griffin Centre, Ford backed neighbours who are concerned about mental health treatment at a home in their midst, according to a report in the Etobicoke Guardian. My heart goes out to kids with autism. But no one told me theyd be leaving the house, Ford was quoted as saying. If it comes down to it, Ill buy the house myself and resell it. Ford did not respond to requests for comment from the Star on Saturday. The Ward 2 councillor was the target of ire on social media, with many taking to Twitter to express their opposition to Fords reported comments. Some also said they would donate to the Griffin Centre, a mental health agency with five residential treatment programs in the GTA for youth and adults with autism and developmental disabilities. Former MP and Ontario premier Bob Rae was among those to slam Ford on Saturday. This is the opposite of leadership on mental health, he wrote on Twitter. Doug Ford … Continue reading →

IN a classroom at the National Autism Society of Malaysia (Nasom) in Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur, an autistic student is imitating the actions of a child-sized robot in front of him. When the robot, named NAO, lifts its right arm, the student follows suit and so on. This behaviour is totally the opposite of an autistic student in a regular classroom setting, which shows that under certain circumstances (in this case, the presence of a robot), autistic children can respond to whats in front of them. This helps in their learning process. The students also mimic what the robot says and respond to its movements. Dr Hanafiah Yussof, a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Universiti Teknologi Mara, is trying to introduce the use of robots in the rehabilitation process of ASD patients in the local Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) rehabilitation initiative. He says one of the challenges in the rehabilitation of autistic children is getting them to concentrate in class. On one hand, says Hanafiah, autistic children may possess an apparent deficiency in social and communications and be mentally challenged, but on the other hand, they may have the ability to do math and writing. But they … Continue reading →

In about the time it takes you to read this column, three people will have suffered a stroke. Stroke which occurs when a clot or ruptured vessel interrupts the flow of oxygenated blood to the brain attacks someone every 40 seconds, according to the American Stroke Association, which is celebrating National Stroke Awareness Month during May. Stroke causes brain cells to die at a rate of two million per minute and the longer one waits to receive treatment, the less likely it is that available treatment options will help, said Dr. Samson Mebrahtu, director of neurodiagnostic medicine at South Shore Neurologic Associates in Riverhead. People ignore signs and symptoms, he said, or think that they are going to go away. They usually tell us I had the symptoms yesterday and I ignored them, and then they woke up and were paralyzed on one side. Time is of the essence, Dr. Mebrahtu stressed. Time equals brain. Often, however, people dont know what indicators to look for, he said, recommending that patients and those with friends and relatives at risk learn to think FAST literally. Check for any of the following: Does one side of the Face droop? Does one Arm drift … Continue reading →