Autism, Aspergers, PDD, ASD Awareness Necklace

Dichroic Glass Puzzle Piece Necklace for Autism, Aspergers, PDD, and ASD Awareness by RocknBauble Beautiful Dichroic glass puzzle piece pendant .Truly a spectacular piece. A sterling silver bail is securely attached to the back. Comes with an 18 in sterling silver box chain. Puzzle piece measures approx. 3/4 inch x 3/4 inch, and is signed by the artist on the back. 10% of proceeds will be donated to the Autism Society of Greater Orlando. Comes in a hand decorated cotton filled gift box. 1 out of every 150 children will be diagnosed with some form of Autism. Our son is one of these wonderful children. Purchase this Awesome Autism Awareness Necklace HERE

Famous People and ASD

Daryl Hannah has said that early in her career she would not go on talk shows or to premieres and that attending the Academy Awards was painful for her.

Daryl Hannah – actress known for her roles in  Blade Runner, Kill Bill and Splash was diagnosed as a child as being borderline autistic, Christopher Knowles – poet,  Matthew Laborteaux – actor on Little House on the Prairie, Jasmine O’Neill- author of Through the Eyes of Aliens, Sue Rubin – subject of documentary Autism Is a World, Birger Sellin – author from Germany, Robert Gagno – actor from Vancouver, Craig Nicholls – frontman of the band The Vines, Gary Numan – British singer and songwriter, Dawn Prince-Hughes – PhD, primate anthropologist, ethologist, and author of Songs for the Gorilla Nation, Judy Singer – Australian disability rights activist , Vernon L. Smith – Nobel Laureate in Economics, Satoshi Tajiri – creator of Pokémon, Liane Holliday Willey – author of Pretending to be Normal, Asperger Syndrome in the Family, Asperger syndrome advocate, education professor, Michelle Dawson – autism researcher and autism rights activist who has made ethical challenges to Applied Behavior Analysis, Temple Grandin – a designer of humane food animal handling systems, Hikari Oe – Japanese composer, Bhumi Jensen – Thai prince, grandson of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, Dylan Scott – Pierce, wildlife illustrator, Jim Sinclair – autism rights activist, Donna Williams – Australian author of Nobody Nowhere and Somebody Somewhere, Stephen Wiltshire – British architectural artist, Axel Brauns – German author of the autobiographical bestseller Buntschatten und Fledermause and filmmaker.

Possible ASD Suspects:

Albert Einstein – “suspect” – died before autism and Asperger’s Syndrome were recognized as conditions, so the possibility that he had Asperger’s Syndrome is speculation. Einstein had difficulties with social skills, which is a characteristic of Asperger’s Syndrome, but that would not be enough to diagnose Asperger’s Syndrome. Einstein could not speak fluently at the age of nine (language delays are common in children with high functioning autism) and he had some other characteristics of Asperger’s Syndrome. Albert Einstein provided the theory of relativity and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.

Benjamin Franklin “suspect” -  considered to be one of the most important of the founding fathers of our country.  He was a theorist, author, politician, scientist, activist, and diplomat.  His scientific contributions included physics, discovery of electricity, and theories regarding electricity as well as the first head of the post office.  Indicating the potential need for rigid rule and order, with sorting tendencies.  Benjamin Franklins peers did not give him the assignment of writing the Declaration of Independence because they feared that he would conceal a joke in it.

Isaac Newton “suspect” – dropped out of school as a teenager.  A person with Asperger�s may not be able to accept rules in school if they appear illogical, pursuing a point or argument as a matter of principle, which can lead to a significant conflict with teachers and school authorities.

1 Out of Every 91 Children Autistic

According to the Department of Health and Human Services National Survey of Children’s Health, 1 out of every 91 children — 1% of American kids today — has an autism spectrum disorder.

• That’s up from 1 child in every 150, just a few years ago in 2007!
• These statistics don’t include adult prevalence or those children who remain undiagnosed

What do we do now?

Voice our concern at government inaction and we ask our elected officials to explain why though autism prevalence is skyrocketing, investment in treatment, services and support is stagnant.

Realize that this fight is up to us

How can I help?

• Donate now to help the Autism Society get the word out and continue their ever-more-vital programs to confront the autism crisis.
• Urge Congress to provide more funding for autism
• Raise Autism Awareness by sharing this information

What’s the bottom line?

Autism is treatable | We can make a difference now | Take Action

Additional Information from the DHHS Survey:

The weighted current ASD point-prevalence was 110 per 10,000. We estimate that 673,000 US children have ASD. Odds of having ASD were 4 times as large for boys than girls. Non-Hispanic (NH) black and multiracial children had lower odds of ASD than NH white children. Nearly 40% of those ever diagnosed with ASD did not currently have the condition; NH black children were more likely than NH white children to not have current ASD. Children in both ASD groups were less likely than children without ASD to receive care within a medical home.

$60 Million to Support Autism Research

Rising to the Challenge: NIH Will Use $60 Million in Recovery Act Funds to Support Strategic Autism Research

The National Institutes of Health will commit roughly $60 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to support autism research and meet objectives set forth earlier this year by a federal advisory committee. The Request for Applications is the largest funding opportunity for research on autism spectrum disorders (ASD) to date and, combined with other ARRA initiatives, represents a surge in NIH’s commitment to finding the causes and treatments for autism.

Four grant announcements, sharing a single title, “Research to Address the Heterogeneity in Autism Spectrum Disorders,” will use different funding mechanisms to support a range of research topics over the next two years. Examples of research topics include developing and testing diagnostic screening tools for different populations; assessing risk from prenatal or early life exposures; initiating clinical trials to test early interventions; or adapting existing, effective pediatric treatments for older children, teens, and adults with ASD. For a full listing of possible study topics, see the grant announcement listing in the NIH Guide (http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/index.html). While few trials can be completed in two years, ARRA funds will be important for jumpstarting projects and building the infrastructure or foundation for longer-term autism research efforts.

These topics correspond directly to short-term research objectives detailed in the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee’s (IACC’s) Strategic Plan for Autism Spectrum Disorder Research (http://iacc.hhs.gov/reports/2009/iacc-strategic-plan-for-autism-spectrum-disorder-research-jan26.shtml), released earlier this month. Comprising representatives of federal agencies and members of the public, the IACC coordinates efforts within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services concerning ASD. The group’s strategic plan, created with the input of the scientific community, service providers, advocates, parents, and people with ASD, is organized around six critical questions asked by people and families living with ASD:

• When should I be concerned?
• How can I understand what is happening?
• What caused this to happen and can this be prevented?
• Which treatments and interventions will help?
• Where can I turn for services?
• What does the future hold?

Targeting Recovery Act funds toward objectives identified in the IACC strategic plan will help move the science forward sooner than anticipated in addressing some of the most significant challenges to understanding and treating ASD.

As part of the ARRA, these autism grants will promote economic recovery by creating and maintaining biomedical jobs, as well as supporting innovative projects to serve as platforms for future, longer-term research efforts. Beyond those who will receive direct funding for their work, these new grants will also benefit allied health workers, technicians, students, and other groups affiliated with the scientific research community. All grants funded by the ARRA and their outcomes will be posted on a new Web site, www.recovery.gov, providing transparency and accountability.

“The Recovery Act comes at an opportune time for autism research,” said Thomas R. Insel, M.D., NIMH director and IACC chair.” As reflected in the IACC strategic plan, we have a growing sense of urgency to help the increasing number of children being diagnosed with ASD. With the arrival of new funds, we can immediately start on many of the short-term objectives in the plan and use Recovery Act funds to support science that will facilitate the best possible outcomes for people with ASD and their families.”

As with all Recovery Act funds, NIH is required to obligate the $60 million within two years. Answering this mandate will entail a highly streamlined process for reviewing grant applications and allocating funds by Sept. 30, 2010. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of NIH, will lead this effort, with participation from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute on Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), and the National Institute on Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

Researchers funded through these new autism grants will be expected to contribute to the National Database for Autism Research (NDAR). NDAR was established to serve the autism research community as a common platform for exchanging data, tools, and research-related information, as well as to serve as a portal to and for the broad autism research community. For more information about NDAR or data sharing policies, please refer to the funding opportunity announcements or see http://ndar.nih.gov.

In addition to the NIMH-led effort, NIH will allocate another portion of its ARRA funds for autism research and related programs through the NIH Challenge Grants in Health and Science initiative and other potential programs. These grants will be announced in the coming weeks.

The mission of the NIMH is to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research, paving the way for prevention, recovery and cure. For more information, visit www.nimh.nih.gov.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation’s Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

The activities described in this release are being funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). More information about NIH’s ARRA grant funding opportunities can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/recovery/. To track the progress of HHS activities funded through the ARRA, visit www.hhs.gov/recovery. To track all federal funds provided through the ARRA, visit www.recovery.gov.

Florida Family Participates in The Learning Channel’s Autism Program

A family in Florida’s Port Charlotte will be featured in a Learning Channel special about autism airing Wednesday. Eve Walker, whose 6-year-old daughter, Camryn, is autistic, responded to an online advertisement asking for families to participate in the program. Though her daughter’s condition has been a struggle for the family at times, Walker said she sees the bright spots as well. “I see there is beauty, too,” she said. “I want people to see the good side of autism.”

For most of her life, Eve Walker tried to stay out of the spotlight. Self-conscious and shy, she dwelled on what other people thought of her. After she had a daughter with autism, she felt like people stared at her when she went out and judged her child’s behavior. But six years of dealing with supermarket meltdowns and accidental injuries have helped Walker overcome her insecurity. Now, she wants to share what she has learned about children with autism and help people understand the disability.

On Sept. 16, she and her family will be featured on a special about autism on The Learning Channel. “I see there is beauty, too,” Walker said. “I want people to see the good side of autism.”

Walker saw an ad to apply for the show on The Learning Channel Web site about six months ago, and put together a letter explaining how the disability had affected her family. The Charlotte mother knew early on that something was not right with Camryn, who is now 6. As a baby, she never learned to hold her head up. Doctors had to give her a neck brace to help her. At 6 or 7 months, she was not babbling like other children. When her mother tried to hold Camryn, she arched her back like she did not want to be touched. By the time she was 3 years old, doctors made the official diagnosis: autism. The diagnosis hurled the Walkers out of a typical family life, forcing them to give up family vacations and dinners out with each other. Their oldest daughter, 8-year-old Mason, finds herself often defending her sister to other children who do not understand her behavior. “I tell people that she can’t control how she acts,” said Mason. “She acts differently when she gets excited, and other kids don’t understand that. She can’t help it.” Over time, the whole family has come to see the good of her daughter’s disability, how her life somehow seems so peaceful and happy. “She doesn’t worry that she’ll get picked for the team,” Walker said. “She doesn’t worry that a boy won’t like her. I think that’s awesome for her to never have to worry about those things.” A few months after she applied for the show, the producers called and told her they wanted to feature the family. So for nearly a week, the camera crews followed her all around Port Charlotte, to a pet store, to school, to the carnival rides by the Town Center Mall. It was a stark contrast to just a few years ago, when Walker used to avoid going out in public and broke down at dirty looks. Now, she has learned to just ignore them. Instead of worrying about what other people think, she buys her daughter T-shirts with a special messages: “Please be patient with me, I have autism.” (Source Herald-Tribune Sarasota, Fla.)

Activities for Kids with Autism

You’ve probably seen bumper stickers that look like puzzles calling for the cure for autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), as well as hundreds of books, articles and news pieces on what causes them. It’s called a spectrum because some kids function at a high level while others barely function at all.

Estimates of how many children have autism vary — the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke puts it at three to six kids out of every 1,000, while other statistics say that it strikes 1 out of 150 kids.

Here are a few activities that may benefit kids with autism in the areas that are tough for them:

Face it: Face games are a way to work on social interaction. Like in an acting class, you can try “mirroring” with an autistic child: Touch your nose or stick out your tongue and have him or her imitate you. Make funny faces that the child can copy. Kids with autism often have trouble reading expressions and interacting socially, so activities that get them more comfortable with these situations are a great idea.

Make some noise: For a lot of kids with ASDs, communication is frustrating for both child and adult. Music can bridge the gap. Something as simple as maintaining the rhythm on a drum can be satisfying for a lower-functioning kid, while someone on the other end of the spectrum might be interested in learning to read music. (For a child who’s sensitive to sensory experience, you might want to choose an instrument that’s limited in the number of sounds it produces.) With instruments, you get the added benefit of practicing motor skills. Singing is another way to communicate — for some kids with autism, singing has shown to help with speech issues such as echolalia. Experts say that repetitive lyrics and sounds are the way to go.
(Source The Learming Channel http://tlc.discovery.com/family/special-families/special-needs-autism-activities.html)

Autisic Children and Sense of Motion

Autisic Children Heightened Sense of Motion
How a new action feels is more important than how it looks for children with autism. This could be why they find imitation tough. Reza Shadmehr and colleagues at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, trained children with and without autism to “catch” a virtual animal using a cursor controlled by a robotic arm. The arm resisted movement in certain directions, and the kids learned to use the required extra force. The researchers then switched off the resistance and asked the children to reach for two new targets. One required them to make the cursor move in the same direction as in the training task, while the second required the same action as the training task but produced different cursor motion.

Those without autism applied compensatory force in both cases, indicating that they expected the resistance to be there. But the children with autism only applied the extra force to the second new target. Shadmehr concludes that they focus on the sensation rather than visual consequences of an action and so likened only the second new task to the training task (www.nature.com).

Autistic Brain Builds a Stronger Than Normal Association
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have deficits in motor control, imitation and social function. Does a dysfunction in the neural basis of representing internal models of action contribute to these problems? We measured patterns of generalization as children learned to control a novel tool and found that the autistic brain built a stronger than normal association between self-generated motor commands and proprioceptive feedback, furthermore, the greater the reliance on proprioception, the greater the child’s impairments in social function and imitation.

Please Encourage Autsim Awareness !

Second Autism Congressional Briefing

Federal Autism Research And Treatment Initiatives:
Dear President Obama, White House Members, and Staff, I am extremely concerned about the ever growing autism epidemic, causes of autism, and beneficial treatments and therapies for our children and adults with autism. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ) are hosting a special briefing for The White House, Members of Congress and their Staff, to discuss issues related to autism research and treatment.

WHEN: Friday, July 17, 2009 at 9:30 AM

WHERE: 210 Cannon House Office Building Independence Avenue, Washington, DC.

PRESENTING: David Kirby, investigative journalist and author of The New York Times bestseller Evidence of Harm, Mercury in Vaccines and the Autism Epidemic – A Medical Controversy, will inform Members and their staff about developments regarding environmental factors in autism and the “Seven Studies to Watch” – Plus, changing ASD demographics post-thimerosal reduction. Mark Blaxill, Editor-at-Large of Age of Autism, Director of the Coalition for SAFE MINDS and co-author of a forthcoming book on the roots of the autism epidemic, who will address the policy and public health implications of the autism crisis. I respectfully request that you will attend the briefing to learn about the changing dynamics of the autism debate, as you will find many in government and science believe this debate is far from settled.  Extracted from www.congress.org

Please visit this site and submit your message, you can also use their  “Find and contact your federal, state, and local officials” search tool – the site provides the ability to send a message to the government concerning your Autism Awareness issue. We submitted our message and hope that you do the same, this is an issue that is close to our hearts as our son has Autism.

This link will take you to their post about Autism; http://www.congress.org/congressorg/issues/alert/?alertid=13706531&content_dir=ua_congressorg