Autism in Love Like Autism Live on Facebook at http://facebook.com/autismlive Director Matt Fuller along with producer Carolina Groppa talk with Nancy Alspaugh-Jackson abou... By: AutismLive … Continue reading →

By Kathleen Doheny HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, May 1 (HealthDay News) -- An experimental drug for autism did not improve levels of lethargy and social withdrawal in children who took it, but it did show some other benefits, a new study finds. Children on arbaclofen did improve on an overall measure of autism severity when compared to kids taking an inactive placebo, said lead researcher Dr. Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele, an associate professor of psychiatry, pediatrics and pharmacology at Vanderbilt University. He is to present the findings Thursday at the International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR) in Spain. One of 88 children in the United States is now diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, the umbrella term for complex brain development disorders marked by problems in social interaction and communication. Veenstra-VanderWeele focused on evaluating the social improvement with the drug because earlier research had suggested it could help. However, one of the earlier studies did not compare the drug to a placebo, but simply measured improvement in those who took the drug. In the new study, Veenstra-VanderWeele and his team assigned 150 people with autism, aged 5 to 21, to take the medicine or a placebo, without knowing which group they were in, … Continue reading →

This week, we've seen the potential for autism treatment to help children in our state and the problems many still have accessing it. A parent-training program could help fill some of the gaps until a more permanent is available for families. Twins Tristan and Autumn Hinebaugh receive treatment at West Virginia University's Center for Excellence in Disabilities, and their family was part of a pilot program to take some of the treatment home. The Parent Implemented Training for Autism through Telemedicine (PITA-T) program is funded by a five year grant to expand professional autism treatment to remote or rural areas. Mom Tina Hinebaugh learned the basics then recorded her sessions with Tristan and Autumn. The videos were reviewed by Board Certified Behavioral Analysts (BCBAs) at West Virginia University who provided feedback. "It gave me structure to know where they were developmentally and how to help them," Tina said, "How to break down the skills that they needed into little pieces that helped them get the whole skill eventually." More than 50 families have participated over the last four years. The program's administrators found that parents need structure around the treatment too and plan to provide more training up front in … Continue reading →

NOIDA (Uttar Pradesh), May 2 (ANI): Autism is a developmental disorder of a child characterized by severe deficits in social interaction and communication and by abnormal behavior patterns, such as the repetition of specific movements or a tendency to focus on certain objects. Autism is prevalent worldwide and a child may show indications of autism as early as in the first year of life. To create an awareness on how to deal with Autism Mr. Vincent Strully, Founder- New England Children's Centre (NECC), Boston, USA delivered special lecture at Amity University Campus, Sector-125 Noida. Aseem Chauhan, Chancellor - Amity University Rajasthan and Addl. President - Ritnand Balved Education Foundation and Dr. Alka Mudgal, Head - Amity Institute of Education welcomed Mr. Vincent Strully. While delivering his talk, Mr. Vincent Strully said that autism is a neurological disorder that appears due to variety of reasons. He said people often mistake autism as a mental disorder. People suffering from autism may be slow learners, but as Albert Einstein has proven, they do have brilliant minds. Around 1 in 150 people in the world and 1 in 88 children in USA are autistic. Strully said that there is no blood test to detect … Continue reading →

When it comes to autism treatment in West Virginia, a law mandating insurance coverage opened a new door for some, but not all, children in the state, and the ones who are may not be near someone who's certified to treat them. More are coming into the state, but there is a long road ahead. At West Virginia University's Center for Excellence in Disabilities, it's not hard to find students or volunteers willing to work with autistic children, like Tristan and Autumn Hinebaugh. "To the point where they come in as students, and then they stay another year," said Dr. Susannah Poe, the director of the autism clinic. "Once you do this work, it's hard to walk away from it. There's not too much that's more rewarding." The students, volunteers, and basically anyone who works with the children light up whenever they see or talk about them. "They are extremely fun, wonderful kids," mom Tina Hinebaugh said. "They're a child first. They just happen to be autistic." The clinic is a training ground for WVU's applied behavioral analysis program, but there hasn't been a market for their skills until now. "We don't tend to retain a lot of the students … Continue reading →

When it comes to autism treatment in West Virginia, a law mandating insurance coverage opened a new door for some, but not all, children in the state, and the ones who are may not be near someone who's certified to treat them. More are coming into the state, but there is a long road ahead. At West Virginia University's Center for Excellence in Disabilities, it's not hard to find students or volunteers willing to work with autistic children, like Tristan and Autumn Hinebaugh. "To the point where they come in as students, and then they stay another year," said Dr. Susannah Poe, the director of the autism clinic. "Once you do this work, it's hard to walk away from it. There's not too much that's more rewarding." The students, volunteers, and basically anyone who works with the children light up whenever they see or talk about them. "They are extremely fun, wonderful kids," mom Tina Hinebaugh said. "They're a child first. They just happen to be autistic." The clinic is a training ground for WVU's applied behavioral analysis program, but there hasn't been a market for their skills until now. "We don't tend to retain a lot of the students … Continue reading →

R.N. Sara Dick, cardiac mechanical support coordinator, gives her patient a test used to measure the brain capacity of possible stroke victims at University Hospital. Mike Terry, Deseret News Enlarge photo SALT LAKE CITY While a stroke can be scary and debilitating, Utahns can rest easier knowing that they'll likely receive the best immediate care. At least 62 percent of stroke patients in the state received clot-busting medication within an hour of arriving at emergency departments statewide during 2012 the highest percentage in the country, according to a new study by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association. Results were dramatically better than the national average of 43 percent, and significantly better than any other state. "You never want to experience a stroke, but the data suggest that if you're going to have one, Utah is the best place to be in the nation," said Dr. Kevin Call, a stroke neurologist with Intermountain Healthcare. Call said the result is directly tied to the fact that hospitals in the state work toward the same common goal, which is "to provide the fastest, best possible care for patients." The study, released Thursday, measured "door-to-needle" time, or the amount of time it … Continue reading →