Help With Autism

As I was winding down on Sunday evening I had “60 Minutes” playing in the background. My ears perked up when the interviewer started a segment about Jake Barnett, a math prodigy who is proud of his autism. At only 13 years of age he attends college – he began auditing classes when he was 8 – and does paid scientific research.

In the interview he seemed very outgoing, like a typical 10 year-old, albeit with an incredible gift. This belies the fact that at age two he began regressing and was diagnosed with autism. His parents got him all sorts of autism treatments, but what helped most was allowing him to follow his math and science passions. In the interview Jake said, “I believe [autism] is the reason why I am in college and I am so successful. It is the rise as to my love for math and science and astronomy. And it’s the reason why I care. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have gotten this far.”

Though thimerosal usage in vaccines has largely been discontinued, there are some adult sprays and prescriptions that contain the bacteria killing preservative. Some adults are allergic to thimerosal. Some of the symptoms of a thimerosal allergy include swelling, redness, itching, burning, and discomfort at the site of the injection.

A test known as Thin-Layer Rapid Use Epicutaneous (TRUE) is used to see if an adult has a thimerosal allergy. Topical and oral antihistamines can relieve some of the symptoms. If an adult knows that they have a thimerosal allergy, then they can request alternative vaccines that use Cipro, Afrin or Fluzone.

Applied behavior analysis, a form of autism therapy, will now be covered by Blue Shield of California and Anthem Blue Cross, at least in the short term. The two insurers had long argued that ABA therapy was not a medical treatment. Rather, they insisted, ABA is a form of educational or social service, thus exempting the companies from providing coverage. Under pressure from regulators, the two insurers have settled disputes with patients, as well as agreed to cover a minimum of six months of treatment for HMO patients. Kaiser Permanente HMO is also working on an agreement.

ABA is the most popular form of autism therapy. It teaches young children skills that are the benchmark of development. These skills include making eye contact and identifying colors. The therapy is expensive, costing upwards of $70,000 a year for one child. Many school systems offer ABA therapy, but with budget cuts many people see the insurance companies helping to pick up the tab a step in the right direction.

Thanks to an increased understanding of heavy metals and their dangers, mercury and other forms of metal poisoning are becoming increasingly rare. However, cases of heavy metal poisoning do arise, and when they do, it’s nice to know that we now have effective treatment measures in place. In the past, people used to work with heavy metals on a regular basis and suffer severe poisoning that often went undetected and untreated.

Today chelation therapy is the most common treatment for those who acquire heavy metal poisoning, which comes from overexposure to lead, arsenic or mercury and can create a glut of symptoms. Chelation is simply the act of adding chelating agents to the bloodstream, which then work to eradicate the heavy metals. Many different chelating agents are used today depending on the patient, metal and preference of the clinician.

There are many misconceptions about autism. First, some people believe that those who suffer from autism can’t express emotion, don’t smile or laugh, won’t make eye contact and never show affection. These are all myths, but unfortunately the majority of Americans aren’t educated about autism or autism therapy. Autistic people do however; suffer from impaired communication skills that may include; delay in speaking, trouble expressing needs and wants, repeating words or phrases, and inability to sustain conversation.

Behavioral therapy can help improve the communication skills of those who suffer from autism. The basis of this therapy is to reinforce desired behavior and remove unwanted behavior. A person is more likely to repeat behaviors that they are rewarded for. Learning more about autism therapy can help people gain a better understanding of autism.

In an unprecedented act, the federal government has granted Pennsylvania permission to spend Medicaid money on services that will allow autistic adults to live independently.

The previous Medicaid and Medicare services were focused on targeting autistic children, but not adults. 

Pennsylvania’s program will allow for respite care and crisis intervention.  This latest autism news is a highly positive note for people who have no services or aid once they cross the age threshold of 21.

The number of adults who suffer from autism in England will be counted for the first time.

Care Services Minister Ivan Lewis unveiled the project, which aims to include adults who have not yet been diagnosed.

The information will be used to devise the first Government strategy on adults with autism and Asperger’s syndrome, due to be published next year.

Mr Lewis said: “Adults with autism and Asperger’s syndrome are too often abandoned by services with their families left to struggle alone.

“We still don’t know enough about autism, but we do know that, left unsupported, it can have a devastating impact on those who have the condition and their families.”

As many as one in 100 children are believed to have autism, and the new study will partly focus on their transition into adult life.

The autism research is being led by a team from the University of Leicester.

A recent survey by the National Autistic Society revealed 63% of adults with autism feel they do not get enough support. The charity has welcomed the new study.

Education and information about the austistic spectrum is a critical starting point for anyone parenting a child with autism.  

The autism spectrum, also called autism spectrum disorders (ASD) or autism spectrum conditions (ASC), with the word autistic sometimes replacing autism, is a spectrum of psychological conditions characterized by widespread abnormalities of social interactions and communication, as well as severely restricted interests and highly repetitive behavior.

The three main forms of ASD are autism, Asperger syndrome, and PDD-NOS. Autism forms the core of the autism spectrum disorders. Asperger syndrome is closest to autism in signs and likely causes. Pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) is diagnosed when the criteria are not met for a more specific disorder. Some sources also include Rett syndrome and childhood disintegrative disorder, which share several signs with autism but may have unrelated causes. Unlike autism, Asperger’s has no significant delay in language development.

The terminology of autism can be bewildering, with autism, Asperger’s and PDD-NOS sometimes called the autistic disorders instead of ASD, whereas autism itself is often called autistic disorder, childhood autism, or infantile autism. ASD, in turn, is a subset of the broader autism phenotype (BAP), which describes individuals who may not have ASD but do have autistic-like traits, such as avoiding eye contact.

One review estimated a prevalence of at least 1.3 per 1,000 for autism and 6.0–6.5 per 1,000 for ASD; PDD-NOS was the vast majority of ASD, Asperger’s was about 0.3 per 1,000 and the atypical forms childhood disintegrative disorder and Rett syndrome were much rarer.

We have a lot of friends with Asperger’s children, especially in the Bay Area.  Something the parents of these Asperger’s children tend to discover is the Asperger’s symptoms can be genetic, meaning the parents find out later in life that they may be suffering from Aspergers or autism as well.  We’ve found that lots of parents also use your natural autism remedies and products to improve the quality of their own lives as well as their childrens.

It’s nice to find a product line that’s versatile enough to help parents, too.  Although most of us with autistic children know it’s not a genetic disease it’s still comforting to know that such high qulity products exist when we need them.  Your selection and prices make the perfect blend of accessibility, convenience and value.  Thanks again!