"To say we understand autism is such a complex discussion because the continuum is so varied." - Lorraine Sunstrum-Mann, Grandview Children's Centre DURHAM -- Just a few years ago autism was a dirty word, something parents refused to utter unless confronted with a definitive diagnosis. Now parents are actively seeking the diagnosis in order to access crucial government-funded services for their families. Dr. Carolyn Hunt, medical director at Grandview Children's Centre, which provides publicly-funded autism assessments and therapy for children with autism spectrum disorder, is one of three developmental pediatricians serving Durham. There is currently no medical test that can diagnose ASD. Instead, specially trained medical professionals, including developmental pediatricians and psychologists, can conduct autism-focused behavioural analysis. Dr. Hunt says she has seen a 10-per cent increase in assessment referrals every year for the last five years, bringing the total from about 200 referrals annually to 350. Currently families wait about six months for an assessment at Grandview. "There's been a huge shift in parents' reactions and understanding of autism coming in," Dr. Hunt said. "Fifteen years ago I was often the first one bringing up the idea; now the majority of cases I see are families coming to me … Continue reading →

Raleigh, NC (PRWEB) May 07, 2013 State lawmakers have an opportunity to right an unfortunate injustice this legislative session. Currently in North Carolina, the nearly 60,000 individuals with autism and their families face unfair financial hardship because of an inequality in their health insurance coverage. To correct this inequality for North Carolina families, House members from both sides of the aisle have introduced House Bill 498 which requires private health insurance companies and the North Carolina State Health Plan to cover the diagnosis and treatment of autism. Thirty-two states currently require autism insurance coverage, while eight more are considering similar legislation. This legislation has afforded thousands of families in other states access to autism treatment that until now was only available in select corporations and through the federal governments TRICARE insurance program. The 40 House sponsors of HB498 have taken an important step towards assuring this same access to autism treatment for North Carolina families. Today one in 88 Americans are born with autism, a non-curable but treatable neurobiological disorder that impacts communication, social interaction and behavior. The National Center for Disease Control describes autism as one of the nations most critical health issues and its incidence is on the … Continue reading →

Why do boys get diagnosed with autism four times as often as girls? New research, including some of the latest data from the International Society for Autism Research annual conference last week, addresses this question, one of the biggest mysteries in this field. A growing consensus is arguing that sex differences exist in genetic susceptibility, brain development and social learning in autismand they are meaningful to our understanding of the disorder and how it will be treated. Yale University researchers presented results showing that being female appears to provide genetic protection against autism. Meanwhile, scientists at Emory University showed in preliminary work that boys and girls with autism learn social information differently, which leads to divergent success in interactions with other people.The new data, together with previously published studies, suggest that sex should be taken into account in diagnosing and in creating individualized treatment plans, according to experts. Autism, a developmental disorder characterized by deficits in social skills and repetitive behaviors, affects more than 1 percent of the population. It has long been known to be diagnosed more often in boys. Yet girls often appear to have more severe autism. The ratio, about four boys to every one girl overall, … Continue reading →

Tuesday, May 7, 2013 10:10 PM EDT NEW BRITAIN The Hospital of Central Connecticuts Stroke Center has earned national recognition for providing excellent, timely care that can help reduce damage caused by stroke. HOCC received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Associations Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for meeting specific stroke care quality measures for two or more consecutive years. The measures include aggressive use of clot-dissolving and cholesterol-reducing medications and other activities aimed at reducing death and disability and improving the lives of stroke patients. In addition, the Hospital of Central Connecticut received the associations Target: Stroke Honor Roll recognition for improving stroke care. Target: Stroke aims to have hospitals provide t-PA clot-dissolving medication within 60 minutes of a stroke patients arrival. By administering t-PA within 60 minutes, were reducing the amount of time a clot can block blood flow to the brain, and were helping to preserve brain cells, said Kristen Hickey, registered nurse and the HOCC Stroke Center coordinator. If given intravenously in the first three hours after the start of stroke symptoms, t-PA has been shown to significantly reverse the effects of stroke and reduce permanent disability, added Dr. Timothy Parsons, the HOCC … Continue reading →

MONTEREY PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Garfield Medical Center has received the Get With The GuidelinesStroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award from the American Heart Association. The award recognizes Garfield Medical Centers commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted guidelines. This marks the third year in a row that Garfield Medical Center has been recognized with a quality achievement award. Get With The GuidelinesStroke helps Garfield Medical Centers staff develop and implement acute and secondary prevention guideline processes to improve patient care and outcomes. The program provides hospitals with a web-based patient management tool, best practice discharge protocols and standing orders, along with a robust registry and real-time benchmarking capabilities to track performance. The quick and efficient use of guideline procedures can improve the quality of care for stroke patients and may reduce disability and save lives. Recent studies show that patients treated in hospitals participating in the American Heart Associations Get With The Guidelines-Stroke program receive a higher quality of care and may experience better outcomes, said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., chair of the Get With The Guidelines National Steering Committee and director of the TeleStroke and … Continue reading →