Autism related Links

Autism News - Links

Here is a list of our favourite autism related links to help you navigate Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Aspergers and other developmental disorders. Please view our links below.

In Autism, the Importance of the Gut

The connection between autism and gut issues have been known about for over a decade, yet we still have much to learn about this connection. Challenging behavior can be a result of severe gut issues, as was the case with Michael – a boy with autism from New York City. It wasn’t until the family met Dr. Kara Margolis. Margolis, 36, pediatric gastroenterologist at New York Presbyterian Hospital and a researcher at Columbia University Medical Center, that any cause for Michael’s self-injurious behaviors surfaced. Psychiatrists have always received the referrals for challenging behavior.

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The Mission Project iPad Initiative

iPads are becoming increasingly popular with the special needs population. We are discovering that using this accessible technology opens the door for increased communication, learning and independence. There is a new project called the Mission Project which has launched an iPad Initiative. It is an innovative program designed to teach adults with developmental and cognitive disabilities how to use an iPad to: increase independence in their daily lives, connect socially within & outside of their community, find new & appropriate activities of leisure, further their education with new & meaningful information, and improve management of their health.

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Six Toys & Play Products To Help Develop Gross Motor Skills

The development of gross motor skills is essential to be able to run, walk, jump, climb, and play sports. Children with special needs require supported opportunities in which to develop these skills. This article lists six items that can be used to develop gross motor skills. To source products in Canada, visit FDMT’s website.

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Ten Toys And Household Items To Help Develop Fine Motor Skills

Parent of special needs children are often placed on waiting lists for occupational therapy services. Educators can also be in the same boat, having OT consults only 2 – 3 times a year. Development of fine motor skills is important for lifelong success. They form the foundation for writing, eating, cooking, typing – even putting in a contact lens. How do you work on these skills without the help of an OT? Author Ahren Hoffman shows us how to develop fine motor skills using toys and household items.

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The Next Attention Deficit Disorder?

With a teacher for a mom and a physician’s assistant for a dad, Matthew North had two experts on the case from birth, but his problems baffled them both. “Everything was hard for Matthew,” says Theresa North, of Highland Ranch, Colo. He didn’t speak until he was 3. In school, he’d hide under a desk to escape noise and activity. He couldn’t coordinate his limbs well enough to catch a big beach ball.

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In Autism, Hope at Any Age

What does last month’s news from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — that autism incidence is now 1 in 150– mean to me, a mother of a 17-year-old severely autistic boy?

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Autism Affects All of the Brain

Autism does not simply affect how people relate to others but has a wide range of effects, a study suggests. US researchers compared 56 children with autism with 56 who did not have the condition. Those with autism were found to have more problems with complex tasks, such as tying their shoelaces, suggesting many areas of the brain were affected.

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