Mother says Colo. marijuana laws benefiting daughter's condition A young girl from the Kansas City area is making big improvements after taking advantage of Colorados new marijuana laws, according to her mom. KMBC 9 News reported about Sydni Yunek in February. VIDEO Yunek, 10, moved to Colorado from Kansas City with her mom, Holli Brown, for a special form of cannabis oil called Charlottes Web.Sydnis seizures, sometimes 125 per hour, have reduced by about 75 percent since Sydni started taking Charlottes Web last year, according to Browns observation. "It seems to do something that the pharmaceuticals can't do," Brown said. Brown first heard of Charlottes Web from other parents giving the treatment to their kids. It is a low-THC version of cannabis. Parents and patient advocates claim it has no psychoactive side effects on kids, though there is a lack of significant controlled studies on the cannabis oil. The treatment is not yet legal in Missouri or Kansas. Thats why Brown and her daughter moved from Missouri to Colorado last year to try and stop Sydni's seizures. More: Mom: Colo. marijuana laws benefiting daughter's condition … Continue reading →

Gov. Rick Scott and his surgeon general are balking at a proposal headed to the House floor that would open the door for a strain of marijuana that doesn't get users high but is believed to dramatically reduce seizures in children with a rare form of epilepsy. Instead, Scott wants a more limited approach that would put children with "intractable" epilepsy, as well as children and adults with other diseases, into clinical trials for the drug. The trials would require cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or drug companies. A plan approved by the House Judiciary Committee on Monday includes language proposed by Scott that would create an "Office of Compassionate Use" within the Department of Health that would "enhance access to investigational new drugs for Florida patients through approved clinical treatment plans or studies." "Investigational new drug" studies are the first step in laboratory testing of drugs not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Florida Surgeon General John Armstrong told the House committee Monday that he has concerns about other areas of the bill but that his approach is "patient-centered and provides access to medications of known content and dose" and could be operational within … Continue reading →

By Eric Garcia | Published 04/21/14 4:16pm A behaviorial treatment for students on the autism spectrum has been praised for its effectiveness but its not required to be covered by health insurance in North Carolina. Applied behavioral analysis is a form of therapy that helps people with autism reduce problematic behaviors and acquire skills such as language learning through the use of reinforcement. Legislators, educators and health officials hope to soon see a mandate that the treatment be covered by insurers. Applied behavioral analysis has a broad definition and is used in settings outside of psychological treatment, said Victoria Shea, a professor of psychology at UNC who works with TEACCH, a UNC-based service organization that works with people with autism. Its a way of applying learning principles and seeing the effect of that application, she said. And its effective, said Kristin Yonkers, clinical supervisor at the Mariposa School for Children with Autism in Cary. Its really the only approach that shows success time and time again, she said. A recent by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 1 in 68 U.S. children are on the autism spectrum. Last summer, the N.C. House of Representatives passed a bill … Continue reading →

As parents detail their plight, insurers counter that services would cost too much POSTED: 03:47 a.m. HST, Apr 22, 2014 LAST UPDATED: 10:47 a.m. HST, Apr 22, 2014 For Gerilyn Pinnow, every dollar that goes to treat her son's autism is one less she's able to save for her daughter's college education. That choice is one reason Pinnow and other parents are pushing the Hawaii Legislature to pass a bill that would require insurance companies to cover treatments for autism, a move opposed by some insurers, who say it could lead to higher costs for people seeking coverage. The bill is named after Pinnow's 12-year-old son, Luke, who was diagnosed with autism at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. Traveling to get Luke diagnosed cost the family about $10,000, she said. Pinnow, a teacher who lives in Ewa Beach, said she had to tap into her retirement and short-sell her family's house to cover treatment costs. "No other family should have to go through that," she said in an interview Monday. Hawaii lawmakers continue to work out the details of Senate Bill 2054, which would require insurance companies to cover applied behavioral analysis and other treatment options. Applied behavioral analysis is … Continue reading →

HONOLULU (AP) For Gerilyn Pinnow, every dollar that goes to treat her son's autism is one less she's able to save for her daughter's college education. That choice is one reason Pinnow and other parents are pushing the Hawaii Legislature to pass a bill that would require insurance companies to cover treatments for autism, a move opposed by some insurers, who say it could lead to higher costs for people seeking coverage. The bill is named after Pinnow's 12-year-old son, Luke, who was diagnosed with autism at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. Traveling to get Luke diagnosed cost the family about $10,000, she said. Pinnow, a teacher who lives in Ewa Beach, said she had to tap into her retirement and short-sell her family's house to cover treatment costs. "No other family should have to go through that," she said in an interview Monday. Hawaii lawmakers continue to work out the details of Senate Bill 2054, which would require insurance companies to cover applied behavioral analysis and other treatment options. Applied behavioral analysis is widely viewed as the most effective treatment for autism spectrum disorders. But the Hawaii Medical Services Association, one of the state's largest insurance companies, opposed the … Continue reading →