Autism Behaviors in Mice Decrease with Probiotics, New Study Finds

Probiotics seem to decrease autism-like symptoms in mice, according to a new study.When California Institute of Technology (Caltech) researchers treated mice bred to display autism-like behaviors with a probiotic therapy, they found that the mice were more communicative, less anxious and less likely to engage in repetitive digging behavior. The findings are published online in the Dec. 5 issue of the journal Cell.

Maybe There Is No 'Autism Recovery'

I have been hearing the words "autism recovery" for over 13 years now. Truth be told, when my son was initially diagnosed 11 years ago, I too latched on to these words and held on for dear life. I mean, who wouldn't? If your child received a diagnosis of autism and you later hear the possibility of recovering from it, wouldn't you grab this thin strand of hope and at least try? I did. If autism recovery was possible, then we would achieve it.

Drug May Help Social Withdrawal in Autism

An experimental drug showed promising results in treating the key symptom of social withdrawal in people with Fragile X syndrome, the most common known inherited cause of autism with intellectual disability, according to a recent clinical trial.
The drug, known as arbaclofen or STX209, is a derivative of the FDA-approved drug, baclofen, which is primarily used to treat muscle spasticity in conditions like cerebral palsy and is being studied as a treatment for alcoholism and other addictions.

Supplement May Treat Autism in Some

A widely-available nutritional supplement may be key to treating select cases of autism, according to a new study.
Researchers identified a specific gene mutation responsible for a small number of cases of autism accompanied by epilepsy and intellectual disability. Those with the gene mutation experienced a low level of certain amino acids known as branched chain amino acids or BCAAs.

Antioxidant Therapy Holds Promise for Autism

A new pilot study suggests a specific antioxidant supplement may be an effective therapy for some features of autism.
Researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital studied 31 children with the disorder.
The antioxidant, called N-Acetylcysteine, or NAC, effectively reduced irritability in children with autism and moderated repetitive behaviors. The researchers emphasized that the findings must be confirmed in a larger trial before NAC can be recommended for children with autism.

Latino Families with Autistic Children Facing Major Hurdles

Few people take advantage of
Fiesta Educative meeting
in Spanish held in February.

LINCOLN HEIGHTS, Calif. -- Josefina Nieves is nervous. Her son Nestor is graduating from high school this semester and will soon be leaving for college. Nestor was diagnosed with autism at age two and half.
For Spanish-speakers, accessing information and resources is difficult and making time for therapies can be a challenge, yet Nieves, a single mother, is managing to raise not only one son diagnosed with autism, but two. Her teenage son Daniel also has the disability.

In France, Autism Treatment Debate Brews

LONDON - In most developed countries, children with autism are usually sent to school where they get special education classes. But in France, they are more often sent to a psychiatrist where they get talk therapy meant for people with psychological or emotional problems.
Things are slowly changing, but not without resistance. Last month, a report by France's top health authority concluded there was no agreement among scientists about whether psychotherapy works for autism, and it was not included in the list of recommended treatments

Why Some Children with Severe Autism 'Bloom'

A small number of children with severe autism "bloom" over time and progress to a high-functioning state, and a new study may reveal part of the reason this happens.
In most cases, children with autism who show severe symptoms at diagnosis improve very little as they age, while those who are least impaired improve more rapidly in their social and communication skills, the study showed.
However, about 10 percent of autistic children are so-called bloomers, the researchers said, and the study showed that one factor that distinguished these children was higher socioeconomic status. Bloomers tended to have white mothers with more education.

Awaiting Word From Cuomo on Autism Bill

ALBANY -- Former Gov. David Paterson vetoed legislation last year that would have required health-care coverage for medically necessary autism treatment, saying it could cost the state and municipalities $70 million a year.
Now, a similar bill for screening, diagnosis and evidence-based treatment awaits action by Gov. Andrew Cuomo after passage by the Legislature.

Checklist Can Help Diagnose Autism Earlier

A single piece of paper is helping diagnose kids with autism and other developmental disorders at a much earlier age.
Filling out a quick questionnaire in your pediatrician's waiting room, could help determine if your child has autism.
Researchers say the infant-toddler checklist can help kids who have it, and other development disabilities get on track for treatment much earlier than the norm. And that could make a big difference as they grow.

A Mother's Message

An interesting blog post from the Huffington Post--a mother's message to the President about the rise in autism.

Dear Mr. President:

I received a form letter from Vice President Joe Biden recently -- one of those mass emails one gets but rarely reads. I read that if I were to make a donation of $5, my name will be thrown into a hat for a chance to have dinner with you. Alone.

I imagined what I would say to you, Mr. President, if I had the opportunity to have dinner with you. And of course I knew what the answer was without hesitation. I would speak with you about the rising number of children diagnosed with autism. In 20years there has been a 600-percent increase in diagnosed cases of autism. I would direct you to the countless news stories regarding the rampant abuse of those same children and adults living in group homes and institutions. I would ask you to help set up communities where individuals with autism were treated with respect and would have more control over how they lived, allowing them to pursue their interests and encouraging them to follow their dreams.

Mr. President, I would tell you about our trips to Central America with our daughter Emma for stem cell treatments. I would encourage you to put more funding into stem cell research, umbilical cord stem cells, using the patient's own stem cells and any other form of stem cells that might prove viable in restoring the lives of hundreds of thousands, even millions.

Autism and Family Life: A Delicate Balance

AVON PARK, Fla. - Boat captain Rick Buell pilots yachts and boats to the Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale, and his wife, Nanette, is a flight attendant for American Airlines, but they have temporarily relocated to Avon Park where their 7-year-old son, Blake, is receiving treatment for his behavioral problems and autism.
Behavior outbursts in his elementary school led to Blake being suspended for a total of 20 days in kindergarten and first-grade, Rick Buell said.
Before receiving therapy, Blake's excitement would start to build, prompting someone to try to help by touching or grabbing him, Buell said. That intervention would cause Blake to blow up.
He would go underneath tables kicking and throwing books in class, and as he got older, his behavioral outbursts became more intense, but the school system was doing very little therapy and doing little to try to determine what was wrong with their son, he said.
In front of Blake's school in Fort Lauderdale, Rick and Blake ran into a special education advocate who recommended forensic psychologist Susan L. Crum, who has a practice in Avon Park.

Study Scrutinizes Autism Treatments

Three new studies conclude that many widely used behavioral and medication treatments for autism have some benefit, one popular alternative therapy doesn't help at all, and there isn't yet enough evidence to discern the best overall treatment.
Parents of children with autism-spectrum disorder often try myriad treatments, from drugs to therapy to nutritional supplements. The studies being published Monday and funded by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, were part of the effort to examine the comparative effectiveness of treatments in 14 priority disease areas, including autism-spectrum disorders.

Father Sues Doctors Over Autism Treatment

CHICAGO -- The father of a 7-year-old Chicago boy who was diagnosed as a toddler with autism has sued the Naperville and Florida doctors who treated his son, alleging they harmed the child with "dangerous and unnecessary experimental treatments."
James Coman and his son were featured last year in "Dubious Medicine," a Tribune series that examined risky, unproven treatments for autism based on questionable science.
The defendants — family-practice physicians Dr. Anjum Usman of Naperville and Dr. Daniel Rossignol of Melbourne, Fla. — are prominent in the Defeat Autism Now! movement, which promotes many of the alternative treatments the Tribune scrutinized. Both have spoken to groups of parents at autism conferences and trained other physicians in their methods.