Holiday tunes act as a soundtrack for shopping. Strings of lights twinkle in trees and hang from high ceilings. And lines of parents wait with children dressed in cute Christmas outfits for the chance to take pictures with Santa and whisper in his ear. The hustle and bustle at malls this time of year can quickly become overwhelming for anyone as the holidays loom closer. But for the nearly 2 million children nationwide with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other developmental disabilities, a trip through the mall to visit Santa's workshop can be downright traumatic. "They simply cannot often handle a loud, noisy, bright environment like at the mall," said Catherine Hughes, Director of Family Support Services for Family Behavioral Resources, headquartered in Greensburg. To make sure children with sensory challenges can also share in the holiday tradition, a number of malls, businesses and other organizations are hosting special autism-friendly Santa events each season without the crowds and chaos. "I remember as a child going to see Santa and getting to sit on Santa's lap and I know that for some of these kids, they'll never be able to experience that because of the setting that Santa's in," said Holly Maust … Continue reading →

ScienceDaily (Nov. 27, 2012) Autism is a poorly understood family of related conditions. People with autism generally lack normal social interaction skills and engage in a variety of unusual and often characteristic behaviors, such as repetitive movements. While there is no specific medical treatment for autism, some success has been shown with early behavioral intervention. Understanding the importance of early diagnosis, researchers at Women & Infants' Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk in collaboration with researchers at University of Pittsburgh have been studying the cry acoustics of 6-month-old infants. Their research has recently been published in Autism Research. "Because we can measure various aspects of babies' cries from the earliest days of life, it may be possible to use this technique to identify risk for neurological problems such as autism long before we can detect behavioral differences," said Stephen J. Sheinkopf, PhD, lead researcher, psychologist at the Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, and assistant professor (research) in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. The study examined ways in which infants at risk for autism produced cries as compared to the cries of low-risk … Continue reading →

HealthForumOnline (HFO), a nationally-approved provider continuing education (CE) for mental health professionals, nurses and allied healthcare workers, announces updates to their online course, Effective Therapy Techniques for Persons Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Their Families. The number of persons diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disorders (IDD) is steadily increasing, largely due to the rising notoriety of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). There are many maladaptive behaviors associated with IDDs and ASDs that are routinely treated with evidence-based behavior management techniques. Additionally, families of these persons likely benefit from Family Therapy methods. This online CE course provides practitioners an understanding of how these 2 modalities, along with psychoeducation, can prove beneficial within this population. All of HFOs over 80 online CE courses are fast, convenient and especially cost-effective as health professionals have free ongoing access to course updates beyond completion of the CE activity. Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) November 27, 2012 After reviewing diagnostic patterns in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently estimated that 1 in 88 U.S. children (11.3 per 1,000) have an Autism Spectrum Disorder. This is a 23% increase since the 2009 report and a 78% increase since the 2007 report (1). The CDCs most … Continue reading →

Information provided by Holy Spirit Health System. Physicians at The Ortenzio Heart Center at Holy Spirit performed Pennsylvanias first minimally invasive procedure using the Lariat Suture Delivery Device to significantly reduce the risk of stroke in a patient suffering from atrial fibrillation. The Ortenzio Heart Center at Holy Spirit is the currently the only location in Pennsylvania where this procedure has been performed and one of just a few locations on the entire East Coast. Drs.David Man,Safwat Gassis and Rajesh Dave, of Capital Cardiovascular Associates, performed this specialized procedure which essentially seals off the left atrial appendagea tissue sac located in the upper portion of the heartfrom the rest of the heart. Atrial fibrillation, or A-fib, is an irregular rhythm in the top chambers of the heart that can cause blood to pool and form clots in the atrial appendage," says Stacey Solomon, RN-BC, Atrial Fibrillation Program Coordinator. This minimally invasive procedure will reducethe risk of stroke in our patients, says Safwat Gassis, MD, Medical Director of the Holy Spirit Atrial Fibrillation Center. Its estimated that 90% of blood clots that cause stroke in patients with A-fib come from the left atrial appendage. Normally, physicians will put patients on blood … Continue reading →

Readmore: Local, Health, Community, Your Health Matters, Munson Medical Center, Stroke Unit, Stroke Awareness, Dr. Kersti Bruining In an instant Stanley Waggoner's life was changed. "Sometime around 4 o'clock in the morning I had a charlie horse. I got out of bed, I went down, hit the side of the bed," says Waggoner. What seemed like a simple leg cramp had 9-1-1 on the phone and Waggoner on his way to Munson Medical Center's stroke unit. "I was admitted, spent a few days up there and then rehab. I look forward to it every day because I see myself improving," says Waggoner. It was confirmed that Waggoner suffered a stroke; something he knew as soon as it happened. "I said I had a stroke when I was at home. We took tests and verified it was. I was well aware of what happened to me," says Waggoner. Now several weeks later, Waggoner is going through speech and physical therapy all to regain what he lost from the stroke. Munson's stroke rehab is only part of the reason, the Joint Commission, using guidelines from the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association, certified Munson Medical Center as a primary stroke center. … Continue reading →