Maureen Bennie curates a news blog for Autism Calgary called "What in The World is Going On About Autism". Her blog often mines and expands on the articles and events that she has detailed in that news feed, as well as looking at current best autism resources, news stories, and events on a variety of topics about autism and ASD.
Sleep deprivation is a common complaint among parents of those with autism. Children can have difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early in the morning. Lack of sleep can affect a family’s quality of life, lessen a child’s ability to cope and focus, and fray nerves. A new study from the Archives of Disease in Childhood compared information…
Great strides have been made in reducing the number of nonverbal people with autism from 50 percent to 25 percent. This decline is more than likely due to early intervention programs and the diagnosis of milder forms of autism. Early intervention programs have been promoting language development. Researchers are now saying to better understand and treat this subgroup of nonverbal…
Verbal communication can be an area of difficulty for people with autism. Using a camera can be an alternate way of communicating and most children love to use them. Looking at what they take pictures of, angles, colours, and details can give you a peek into how the person with autism sees the world.
School children with special needs have an IEP or IPP in order to choose appropriate educational goals and assessments. Parents are part of this process and should be working with teachers in creating their child’s IEP.
Every human being ages. As we age, our needs changes. Approaching the senior years can mean changes in housing, health, and daily care. Policymakers have concentrated on these concerns for neurotypical seniors when designing social supports and models of care. What about the needs of those growing old with autism or other related disabilities? Timothy Baron, one of the first…
Tania Marshall, Autism Studies PhD. student, has compiled a working list of traits women with Asperger Syndrome have. She compiled this list after working with many women on the spectrum. The list is based on her clinical anecdotal evidence and research by other well-known professionals. She will be modifying and/or updating this list from time to time. This list is…
The Journal of American Medical Association Psychiatry has just published a study that revealed children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience a distinct chemical change in their brain that contributes to developmental delays. “Between ages three and 10, children with autism spectrum disorder exhibit distinct brain chemical changes that differ from children with developmental delays and those with typical development,”…
Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is prevalent in those with an autism diagnosis; however, it’s never been recognized as a distinct disease. In a new study from UC San Francisco, researchers have found that children affected with SPD have quantifiable differences in brain structure, for the first time showing a biological basis for the disease that sets it apart from other…
Fidget toys are a great way to keep hands busy, soothe nerves, help improve focus and occupy an active mind. What exactly are they?
Receiving a diagnosis for your child is a life-changing experience. Raising any child is challenging, but those who have special needs have other struggles to contend with. Many families look to family members for support but don’t always get it. Well-meaning family members can say hurtful things, share outdated information, and have their own myths and prejudices around a diagnosis.…
One of the most common questions about autism is what causes it. There has been a considerable amount of research done in the field of genetics, hoping to find the cause. A new study has identified genetic risk in 50 per cent of autism cases. To read more about this new groundbreaking research, click here.
Epidemiological studies of autism prevalence does not happen often in low to middle income countries; nor is much known about how autism symptoms vary from culture to culture. A major barrier to diagnosis in countries outside of North America and Europe is the cost of assessments. “There are glaring disparities globally, and even within the U.S., in terms of where…
Author Brenda Kosky Deskin has made some great suggestions on how to modify household chores so a child with special needs can handle them. It’s important to practice chores to work towards greater independence. Some chores can also be worked into a sensory diet. Having a child do household chores makes them feel they are contributing members of the family.…
There have been numerous theories on what causes autism. The latest US research is now saying women who live near busy roads are twice as likely to have a child with autism. Lead scientist of this research Dr Andrea Roberts, of the Harvard School of Public Health, said: “Our findings raise concerns since, depending on the pollutant, 20% to 60% of the women in our study lived in areas where risk of autism was elevated.”
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.