Archive for April 2012

Monthly Archive

Sensitivity in Terms We Use To Describe People with Autism

Do any of these scenarios sound familiar to you?

• Parents in a support group are introducing themselves and sharing a bit about their child with autism. One parent begins with this, “I have a high-functioning child; he isn’t retarded”, and goes on to describe the very challenging behaviors that are impeding his son’s activities of daily living at home and school.

• At a social gathering for parents of kids on the spectrum, one parent of a boy is observing a girl with autism. She says to the girl’s mom, “I heard that girls with autism are much lower-functioning than boys. Is that true?” Read full post »

Metabolic Conditions and Risk for Autism

If you’ve been watching the news today you’ve probably heard something about the study out of UC Davis, released today, entitled “Maternal Metabolic Conditions and Risk for Autism and Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders”. The study looked at the link between obesity, diabetes and autism and found an association between metabolic conditions during pregnancy (diabetes, obesity and hypertension), and developmental delays. Please see what Dr. Bryan King, director of Seattle Children’s Autism Center, says are the take away messages: Read full post »

Continued Coverage on the DSM-5

Several weeks ago Dr. Bryan King gave us an update from the front lines on how the DSM-5 would be modified. Please see his piece on CNN for continuing coverage of this.

What are your thoughts on the changes?

New Guidelines for Birth to Three Services in Washington State

The Washington State Department of Early Learning recently released new guidelines that are designed to provide direction for birth to three centers to better support children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Washington State. Importantly, the guidelines also include children who are suspected of having ASD not just those with a formal diagnosis. This is critical because many children have not been eligible for autism-specific services until they have a formal diagnosis and the wait list at specialty diagnostic clinics is often months long. These guidelines are a result of a collaborative effort by the Early Support for Infants and Toddlers at the Department of Early Learning and the Haring Center for Applied Research and Training in Education at the University of Washington. Read full post »