Help With Autism

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.

The latest autism news coming out of Ohio is, unfortunately, not good.

As AP is reporting, a state advocacy group for people with disabilities has filed a complaint asking a federal court to prevent the enforcement of new rules that would reduce or eliminate services for autistic children.

The Ohio Legal Rights Service filed the complaint in U.S. District Court Friday on behalf of the Parents’ League for Effective Autism Services, a group of families receiving Medicaid services.

The complaint requests a temporary restraining order and injunctive relief prohibiting the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and the Ohio Department of Mental Health from enforcing rules proposed by Gov. Ted Strickland.

A state legislative panel approved the rules in February to bring Ohio’s program into compliance with federal Medicaid regulations.

The changes are to take effect July 1.

As reported by Reuters, scientists have found a link between children who are diagnosed with autism and parents who suffered from schizophrenia.  According to the study, schizophrenic parents or mothers with psychiatric issues doubled a risk of autism for their children.  The study was conducted for Swedish children born between 1977 and 2003. 

Like autism, mental illnesses can come in varied forms and also a differing number of treatments.  Also like mental illness, the exact causes of autism are unknown. 

Yesterday, Oklahoma House Speaker Chris Benge (R – Tulsa) decided to not put a bill that would require health insurance providers to autistic children. 

Though the bill had previously passed the state Senate, Benge stated that autism mandate would increase the cost of insurance for other citizens and instead offered to form a task force that would research rising health care costs and uninsured people.

Parenting a child with autism is not easy or affordable, as most parents take time off of work to properly care for their children; currently, in Oklahoma, insurance carriers can deny coverage of autistic children.  Several states including Florida and Texas have passed similar mandates.

Elected officials in New York’s Nassau County are delving into the controversial issue that a autism vaccination could cause autism in children. Legislator David Mejias and assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg met with the parents of children who claim that their children’s autism was caused by vaccinations.

This is the latest news in state government stepping into autism research and support. Last week, the Florida state senate passed SB 1291, a bill that would mandate autism coverage by major health insurance carriers.

Asperger Syndrome is one of several Autism Spectrum Disorders.  It is characterized by a lack of social interaction, repetitive behavior and speech abnormalities.

Kids who suffer from Asperger Syndrome have difficulty interacting in social settings and are often skilled at memorizing numbers, facts or puzzles; they’re also unable to pick out metaphors and literal interpretations in speech.   Like other forms of ASD, there is a treatment for autism in the case of Asperger’s.  Helping a person develop their skills is the most popular and overtime, further practice can assist a child into sharpening their focus in areas that were lacking before.  

CANADA – Several groups are openly criticizing the government for stalling on the amount of autistic children waiting for therapy.

Studies show that nearly 1,200 children are currently waiting for therapy, an increase from 985 from the previous year.

Though this particular news is new, it’s a story that has been very common, particularly in recent months, as autism awareness gains steam in mainstream media.

A study released today by the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, claims that there is a link between the release of mercury and rates of autism.  It’s the first time that a report suggests that there is a statistically significant association between autism risk and distance from a source of mercury.

Among the many facts in the article, for every 1000 lbs. of mercury released by power plants in Texas during 1998, there was a 3.7% increase of autism rates in Texas school districts in 2002. 

Though the findings aren’t completely definitive, it adds to the continuing evidence between the effects of mercury poisoning and autism.

The entire article can be found here.

It’s being reported this week that the Autism Awareness Campaign UK is pushing for their government to help families who cannot afford treatment for their loved ones who suffer from autism. 

I applaud the group’s effort to take heed of the needs of their disenfranchised citizens.  During a time when most peoples’ worries are centralized on increasing gas and food prices, we tend to forget the have-nots who spiral further down, particularly with how expensive health care can get in the U.S.  Perhaps the news brought on by this group will inspire folks stateside.

As any likeminded adult could repeat, parenting a child with autism is a taxing journey.  Parenting in itself isn’t easy, but watching your child unable to express themselves due to a factor that is beyond their control is heartbreaking. 

There are times when I’m trying to help my child out with a puzzle or play with them and they get extremely frustrated and stomp away.  After that, it takes a long time to calm them down.  Recently, we’ve been treating their autism with PCM-Rx, which not only has detoxification elements, but it also has a calming affect.  There’s been a change in my child within the last few weeks that we’ve been using PCM-Rx.  Obviously, we will have to work together to treat their autism, but to let them know that everything will be alright and that a hug can actually get them to stop from destroying things is a wonder in itself.