For parents of preschoolers with autism, finding a classroom program for their child may have just gotten a little easier. A new study has found that it's the quality of a teaching program -- not the model of instruction -- that seems to be most important to a student's success. That means parents shouldn't fret when the local or available program is not a particular type, as long as it is considered good, said Samuel Odom, a co-author of the study and director of the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Autism spectrum disorder occurs in about one in 88 children in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with boys more likely to have the condition. Symptom severity can vary widely, but kids with autism typically have a hard time communicating and interacting with others. The new research, recently published online in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, showed that two widely used comprehensive treatment models -- called LEAP and TEACCH -- were no better than high-quality special education preschool programs. When quality factors were present in a classroom, the children's performance improved … Continue reading →

Induced labour may boost risk of autism Lindsey Tanner (AP) / 17 August 2013 The biggest study of its kind suggests autism might be linked with inducing and speeding up labour, preliminary findings that need investigating since labour is induced in increasing numbers of US women, the authors and other autism experts say. Its possible that labour-inducing drugs might increase the risk or that the problems that lead doctors to start labour explain the results. These include mothers diabetes and fetal complications, which have previously been linked with autism. Like most research into autism causes, the study doesnt provide conclusive answers, and the authors say the results shouldnt lead doctors to avoid inducing labour or speeding it up since it can be life-saving for mothers and babies. Simon Gregory, lead author and an associate professor of medicine and medical genetics at Duke University, emphasised, We havent found a connection for cause and effect. One of the things we need to look at is why they were being induced in the first place. Government data suggest 1 in 5 US women have labour induced twice as many as in 1990. Smaller studies suggested a possible tie between induced labour and autism, … Continue reading →

VEAZIE, Maine (NEWS CENTER) - We recently did a story about a fairly new procedure some veterinarians are using on animals, called Stem Cell Therapy. Not everyone is sold on the procedure though. The way it works, is vets remove the stem cells from the animal's fatty tissue and re-inject them into the area that needs treatment. It takes about a day and experts who do it say it's less evasive than knee or hip replacement. Not everyone agrees though. Dr. David Cloutier, from the Veazie Vet Clinic, has chosen not to perform Stem Cell Therapy on his patients. He says that it poses little risk of harm, but is a costly procedure that has yet to be supported by any peer review journals veterinarians commonly refer to. "It's certainly going to make a lot of us skeptical and I need to see how that's really happening and see how you're providing that these cells can go off and do other things that we need them to do," said Cloutier. Foxcroft Veterinary Services in Dover Foxcroft, Coastal Cat and Feline in York and the Yarmouth Veterinary Center already offer this type of one-day stem cell treatment. Cloutier expects it to … Continue reading →

DISCUSSION. DOH Secretary Enrique Ona discusses the conduct of regulation for stem cell treatments in the country. Photo from the DOH Facebook page MANILA, Philippines - The medical community has been divided by the stem cell therapy issue, with practitioners disagreeing on whether treatments should be allowed without clinical trials being approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For Health Secretary Enrique Ona, to encourage medical innovations, local clinical trials or thorough drug testing prior to a drug's release to the market can be foregone in the meantime for stem cell and stem cell-based products. In his speech during the mid-year convention of the Philippine Society for Stem Cell Medicine (PSSCM), Ona acknowledged that "predetermined adherence to a protocol might be a fatal rigidity." But 21 medical and surgical societies found the health secretary's stand problematic, prompting them to issue a position statement calling for stricter regulation. The National Insitute of Health of the University of the Philippines Manila supported the dissenting doctors. Dr Antonio Dans, an epidemiologist and the president of the Philippine Society of General Internal Medicine, believes it is unethical to charge patients for treatments that are not proven and have not undergone clinical trials. Stem … Continue reading →

Baton Rouge, LA (PRWEB) August 16, 2013 World-renowned autism expert/clinical psychologist, and CARD founder/ CEO Doreen Granpeesheh, Ph.D., BCBA-D will give the keynote address at the CARD Louisiana Autism Conference on Saturday, August 24, 2013, at the Oak Lodge Reception and Convention Center in Baton Rouge. The free conference, hosted by Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD), Inc., is designed for parents, practitioners, educators, and caregivers. We are very excited to be able to bring such a comprehensive, no-cost conference to Louisiana, says Dr. Granpeesheh. We believe everyone should have access to effective autism intervention, and those affected by autism should have the opportunity to lead healthy, happy, and productive lives. Dr. Granpeesheh, who has recovered thousands of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) over the past 30 years, will present Creating a Comprehensive and Individualized Treatment Program for a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The presentation will focus on treatment approaches grounded in applied behavior analysis (ABA) that are considered the gold standard of behavioral interventions for children with ASD. Attendees will learn about effective, individualized treatment programs that teach necessary skills and maximize skill acquisition, specifically for children with ASD. CARD, founded by Dr. Granpeesheh, is one … Continue reading →