SUMTER, S.C., June 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Early Autism Project, Inc., (EAP), a leading provider of Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy to children who have autism spectrum disorders, today announced that founders Susan A. Butler and Ann Eldridge have received the 2013 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the Southeast Region in the services category in recognition of their vision, leadership and achievement. EAP provides ABA therapy, which is widely recognized as an effective, evidence-based treatment for autism and is covered by many private and government insurance providers, for children between the ages of 20 months and 21 years who have an autism spectrum disorder. EAP provides comprehensive services to children and their families in their homes, in EAP clinics and in schools throughout the country. The business was born out of necessity in 1995, after Butler struggled to find an effective and convenient treatment program for her son, Collin, who was diagnosed with autism that year. Eldridge, who was then a special education instructor at Collin's school, was encouraged to create a custom ABA treatment program after Collin showed dramatic improvements from participating in a workshop with the Wisconsin Early Autism Project (WEAP). Butler and Eldridge, now … Continue reading →

Midlife women are twice as likely as men to have strokes, an alarming fact in and of itself. But what's even more alarming is that if you crunch the numbers, it just doesn't make any sense. Men smoke more, drink more, and see their doctors lessprobably to avoid confessing their sins. Cigarettes and alcohol up the risk of stroke, yet each year, about 55,000 more women than men suffer from them. Part of the reason these numbers are so out of whack: babies (not directly of course, though some moms might beg to differ). Being pregnant ups your risk, as does pregnancy-related complications, like preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. Prebaby birth control pills also increase your chancesso do hormone replacement therapies to relieve menopause symptoms later in life. Mood might factor in as well: new research suggests depression could boost women's stroke risk; and women are 70 percent more likely than men to get depressed. If you quit smoking, limit alcohol, eat more fruits and vegetables, and keep your weight, blood pressure, and blood sugar in check, you lower your likelihood of stroke. Here are eight lesser-known ways to protect yourself, based on the latest research: Lower Your Risk Of Heart … Continue reading →

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Covidien (COV), a leading global provider of healthcare products, recently brought together six of the worlds prominent thought-leaders in stroke at the 2013 European Stroke Conference (ESC). At a Covidien-sponsored symposium, the stroke experts presented and discussed data underscoring the benefits of endovascular therapy in treating acute ischemic stroke and, particularly, the important role that new devices play when this procedure is performed to remove blood clots from large vessels in the brain. Shorter time from onset of symptoms to restoration of blood flow and degree of reperfusion were crucial elements necessary to achieve better outcomes for patients with endovascular treatment in the IMS-III trial, said Andrew Demchuk, MD, Director of the Calgary Stroke Program and Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Radiology at the University of Calgarys Foothills Medical Centre. This bodes very well for new endovascular devices, such as the SolitaireTM FR revascularization device, where short procedure times and high rates of reperfusion have been seen in recent studies. There is a very bright future for endovascular devices in the acute treatment of stroke. It is absolutely essential we focus attention on reducing all delays in our health system structure to dramatically reduce … Continue reading →

Recovery can continue for years, with survivor family and friends playing essential role OTTAWA, June 10, 2013 /CNW/ - More Canadians are surviving strokes due to advances in awareness and medical services but a new report by the Heart and Stroke Foundation reveals that more than one-third of Canadians mistakenly believe that the recovery period is limited to a few months. Stroke recovery is a journey that can continue for years or a lifetime, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation 2013 Stroke Report, which outlines the importance of family caregivers in the process. A poll* carried out for the report reveals that half of Canadians are directly touched by stroke and even more striking, that one in five Canadians have been involved in the support and care of a stroke survivor. "Our poll confirmed what we have long suspected - that stroke touches the lives of many Canadians, and family members and friends play an important role in the recovery journey," says Ian Joiner, Director, Stroke, Heart and Stroke Foundation. "Obviously the best story is when a stroke is prevented, but we need to pay more attention to every aspect of stroke - prevention, recognition, treatment, and rehabilitation and … Continue reading →