The YAI Network Autism Community

HBO’s biopic of Dr. Temple Grandin won several statues at last night’s Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie (Claire Danes), Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie (Julia Ormond), and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie (David Strathairn).

The film, in which Claire Daines portrayed Temple Grandin,  chronicles the life and research of the world’s most famous autism advocate.  Last night’s Emmy accolades have once again put the film and Dr. Grandin herself back in the spotlight.  The Atlantic, Entertainment Weekly and the L.A. Times all revisited Dr. Grandin, her work and the autism topic in general.  Read their stories and share your thoughts in the comments!

A recent study from Tufts University neuroscientists, published in the August issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, finds that autism may be detectable in the synapses of the brain.  Synapses, a kind of drawbridge between the brain’s neurons and the conduit along which electrical impulses pass, allow for the flow of information – essentially the pathways of memory and learning.

The researchers concluded that imbalances of a key synapse protein are linked to the development of autism and developmental disabilities.   Blockage or disruption of this key protein on one side of the synaptic “drawbridge” caused blockage and disruption on the other side, not only of this one key protein, but of others as well.  When this occurs, it is tantamount to a neurological traffic jam, and the flow of information across synapses is disturbed – as is the learning process itself.  This, the researchers feel, not only explains the chemical process of how autism works in the brain, but also how it may be predicted.

Read more about the Tufts University study at Science Daily.

A study published in the September issue of Pediatrics suggests that it may be possible to detect signs of autism in children as young as a month old.  Researchers at the New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities followed the physical and neurological development of 140 babies who had been in the NICU immediately after birth – 28 of whom were later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders.  The researchers found that the 28 babies with autism were found, almost from birth, to have abnormalities in muscle tone, visual processing and motor skills.   This study suggests that there are a number of physical clues to an autism diagnosis that go beyond the more traditional ones like facial expressions and avoidance of eye contact.

USA Today features a full-length article on the forthcoming study.   Do you think it’s possible to detect autism at one month old?

A recent Psychology Today blog post addresses a study done by researchers at the University of Wisconsin regarding household income and autism.  The study seems to indicate a correlation between high-functioning autism and wealth, in fact almost a 3:1 ratio of autism in the highest socioeconomic group versus the lowest group.  The author of the blog post believes that there is a greater connection than simply “people with more money and education are more likely to notice and act upon symptoms of higher-functioning autism than people with less money and education.”  The post seems to suggest that there may be some biology,  not just sociology, behind the phenomenon.  For the Psychology Today blog, as well as a link to the full University of Wisconsin study, read on.

Eric Duquette delivers the salutatorian address at his Rhode Island high school's commencement ceremonies.

This event passed nearly a month ago, but it is still worth reading about.

A Rhode Island high school senior, class salutatorian, gave the traditional salutatory address at commencement.  Not all that remarkable, until you consider the fact that Eric Duquette has autism and did not speak before age 5.

Duquette’s speech was both humorous and serious, drawing on the ways autism was expected to hold him back in life.  His ultimate message, however, was not about autism or disabilities, but how each of us must define for ourselves our futures.

To read the full article and watch the video of Duquette’s speech, please click here.

Andrea Thomaz, right, and Nick DePalma in 2009 with Simon, a robot being developed at Georgia Tech. Above left, Simon evaluating objects.

This past weekend, the New York Times featured a very interesting article on robotics, and how the nascent technology is being used in classroom settings to assist students on the spectrum.

To read the full piece, click here.

Jeff Stimpson

Today’s post is by Jeff Stimpson, author of the books Alex: The Fathering of a Preemie and Alex the Boy: Episodes From a Family’s Life With Autism.The convenience store is a dangerous place to take Alex. I should’ve remembered that the other day as he shot past me and his little brother Ned into the pretzel aisle.

“Pretzels?” he said.

Not the big bag, I tell him, pointing to the $3 bag of Utz dark specials. He can go through one of these bags in about an hour, one after the other, the crumbs and salt raining at his feet as every cockroach in our apartment building perks up his or her antennae. Not to mention there’s little nutrition in even a big bag of Utz dark specials.

“No big bag,” I tell him.

“Pretzels! Pretzels! Pretzels!” He reaches for the big bag; each of his “pretzels!”’ ricochets off the walls of the store with more force.

I came in here making it crystal that he could get a little bag of pretzels. Perfectly clear, over and over, and Alex replied each time that he understood. I told myself that even if I had a typically developing 11-year-old, I’d probably still be laying down the law to a head just nodding me out.

I wasn’t embarrassed in the store. I modeled myself on Jill’s behavior in the middle of one recent night, when at about 3 o’clock I heard her firmly and quietly telling Alex to get back to bed. I wasn’t embarrassed. I’m too far gone in retail settings to be embarrassed.

Alex keeps insisting on the big bag. I must take him out. “I told you no big bag!”

He sprawls twice, once actually laying his head down in front of the skyscrapers of Kleenex, and once right in front of the security guard. “Hey,” says the guard;  I can tell by his tone he means, “Behave!” and not “I’m calling social services.”

Courtesy Hypnotic Aubergine via Flickr

“Alex,” I say outside, while typically-developing Ned looks on silently and shuffles his feet as if he wants to evaporate. “Do you understand why we left the store?”

“Left the store…”

“Do you understand why I took you out of the store?”

“Out of the store…”

“I took you out of the store because you were having a fit. And you knew we were going in there and not getting the big bag of pretzels. You may have a little bag of pretzels.”

“The little bag is yellow,” Ned says. “Tell him he can have ‘the yellow bag.’”

“You can have the yellow bag, Alex.”

“Yellow bag,” he says. What does this mean? Since I’m such a big believer in getting right back on the store after something like this, we head back in. As we pass the security guard, he smiles at us.

The same thing happens. Big surprise. Out we go. The guard doesn’t look at us.

Ned is even quieter on the walk home. “Ned, what do you want me to say?” I ask.  “That you have no right to be embarrassed? That you every right to be embarrassed?

“You were telling him two different things,” Ned says. “He doesn’t understand ‘big bag’ and ‘little bag’.”

I think he does. I think he lured me into the store by appearing to agree with the idea of buying a small bag of pretzels when he really was planning to just get the bigger bag. Meltdowns in the autism world aren’t quite the same as meltdowns outside that world, and even as he sprawled in front of the tissues and heads began to pivot, I understood Alex, and I was in a tiny way kind of proud.

Our very own Dr. Charles Cartwright, Director of the YAI Autism Center, appeared on the CW to discuss this vitally important issue. Let us know what you think!

Jaden rallies with his parents in front of City Hall.

Jaden, the little boy with autism who is raising awareness about the 2010 Central Park Challenge, has his work cut out for him.

Though only 3-years-old, Jaden joined his parents and YAI Network staff, at a rally on Tuesday on the steps of City Hall urging the New York City Council to continue its $1.575 million city-wide autism initiative serving families not eligible for other public support. Staff from more than 20 other service providers, parents of children with autism, individuals of all ages and New York City Councilman Mark Weprin also participated in the rally.

Because autism has reached epidemic proportions, the YAI Network must plan ahead to meet the needs and services of this ever-growing population. The Central Park Challenge is one way that we do this. While research continues for a cure, there’s evidence that early intervention, detection and treatment enhance the quality of life of children on the spectrum. Parent education and awareness is critical to ensure that these children receive the appropriate services.

Thanks to the funding, the YAI Network over the last year was able to host free autism family support and training programs for parents of children on the spectrum, a full-day conference on autism, featuring some of the nation’s most prominent authorities, a full-day conference entirely in Spanish to train families, caregivers and professionals in the field, and many other programs.

Jaden takes to the microphone!

“I feel so lucky to be involved with YAI and have access to these great conferences and workshops,” said Sandra Vasquez-Lugo, Jaden’s mom. “This initiative lets people know there’s help out there and that’s so important for families dealing with autism.”

“The City Council’s autism initiative funding has been so critical in ensuring that parents learn about and gain access to the services that can make a tremendous difference in their child’s quality of life,”  said Marco Damiani, Senior Director of Clinical and Family Services for YAI/National Institute for People with Disabilities, a member of the YAI Network. “Until there’s a cure, this funding is important to assure families that there is hope.”

Support Team Jaden’s fundraising efforts today!

Yesterday, the Huffington Post featured a great opinion piece by Neil Greenspan, a clinical pathologist from Cleveland. It is a critique of many of the Autism Awareness Month stories that were featured in the popular press during April. And not just any critique. Greenspan definitely has perspective and real-world experience with people who have autism. Read his piece and let us know what you think!

In the United States, April was National Autism Awareness month. Whether or not media coverage of autism increased over the past few weeks, there was already a great deal of coverage. Unfortunately, much of that coverage has been focused more on raising awareness than advancing understanding. A recent interview on National Public Radio (NPR) illustrates some of the recurring weaknesses of many of these articles, radio segments, and television features. Read more…