USA: Second Circuit Rules That Child From Italy With Severe Autism May Remain In The U.S. To Avoid The “Grave Risk of Harm”

By bobb |

Relying heavily upon the expert testimony of a noted behavior analyst in the context of a hearing held in the federal district court under the Hague Convention, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals has held that, despite a father’s wishes in an international custody dispute, a young boy with “severe” autism may remain in the United States with his mother and his brother so that he might continue to receive ABA therapy and thus avoid the “grave risk of harm” that he would face if he were to return to Italy, a country where such services are not readily available.

Raising an Autistic Child: Coping With the Costs

By bobb |

 

Chris Taylor / Reuters June 24, 2014

A new study pegs the lifetime cost of caring for a child with autism at $1.4 million. For parents, there are no easy solutions.

When Linda Mercier’s son Sam was around two years old, she knew something wasn’t right.

That was the beginning of a very long road, one that has involved significant time, effort — and money, plenty of it. Hundreds of thousands of dollars so far, Mercier estimates, on tutors, therapists and lost wages.

US CDC reports autism rate is 1 in 68 (2010 data)

By bobb |

A recent media release (see http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2014/p0327-autism-spectrum-disorder.h… ) says

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 in 68 children (or 14.7 per 1,000 eight-year-olds) in multiple communities in the United States has been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This new estimate is roughly 30 percent higher than previous estimates reported in 2012 of 1 in 88 children (11.3 per 1,000 eight year olds) being identified with an autism spectrum disorder. The number of children identified with ASD ranged from 1 in 175 children in Alabama to 1 in 45 children in New Jersey.

Note that recent (2012) Australian data on the prevalence of ASD shows 1 in 62 children in this country have a diagnosis ... see http://a4.org.au/a4/node/695 and http://a4.org.au/a4/node/622 There is nothing to celebrate in rising autism rates because people who are properly diagnosed with autism have significant disability that "requires support".

employ people with a disability - can you afford not to?

By bobb |

This video is worth watching. It discusses the substantial benefits of employing people with a disability.

Benefits include more productivity and profitability. Proponents appearing in the video are serious businesses.

Can businesses afford to not employ people with a disability? Really!

Why can't Australian employers see this? How much damage is employer short-sightedness doing to this nation's economy?

research: use of complimentary/alternative treatment

By bobb |

Utilization Patterns of Conventional and Complementary/Alternative Treatments in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Developmental Disabilities in a Population-Based Study

... A higher level of parental education was associated with an increased CAM use in ASD and DD. Families who used >20 hours per week of conventional services were more likely to use CAM, including potentially unsafe or disproven CAM. Underimmunized children were marginally more likely to use CAM but not more likely to have received potentially unsafe or disproven CAM.

Conclusion

UC Davis MIND Institute Study Finds That Children Who Have Autism Far More Likely to Have Tummy Troubles

By bobb |

Sacramento, CA (PRWEB) November 06, 2013

The gastrointestinal problems are linked to problem behaviors in children with autism, developmental delay.

Children with autism experience gastrointestinal (GI) upsets such as constipation, diarrhea and sensitivity to foods six-to-eight times more often than do children who are developing typically, and those symptoms are related to behavioral problems, including social withdrawal, irritability and repetitive behaviors, a new study by researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute has found.

Training Program Helps Students With Autism Land Jobs

By bobb |

New research suggests schools should build on these students' strengths

By CAROLYN T. GEER

Schools are typically tasked with ferreting out what students can't do and teaching them how to do it.

But for students with autism, perhaps the focus should be on what they can do.

Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University recently published the first study of its kind to demonstrate that the strengths of youths with autism can be parlayed into gainful employment given the right educational program.

With Training, Most With Autism Land Jobs

By bobb |

By Shaun Heasley, August 5, 2013

When offered intensive, specialized training, a new study finds that young people with autism — even those with challenging behaviors — can be highly successful on the job.

Researchers followed a group of high school students, some of whom received traditional special education offerings while others were provided with specialized training and internships through a program called “Project SEARCH with Autism Supports.”