In the News
New Genetic Link Tied to Autism
One of our biggest worry as parents is “WHY” our children have fallen on the spectrum. What caused something to happen to our child? Was it genetics, vaccinations, or could it have been something environmental?
Well, scientists at UCLA have recently published their findings that links a specific genetic variant to the disorder. The test focused on the speech delay of children, as the most common early symptom Autism is the lack of speech.
UCLA scientists have used language onset the age when a child speaks his first word as a tool for identifying a new gene linked to autism. The team also discovered that the gene is most active in brain regions involved with language and thought. Interestingly, evidence for the genetic link came from the DNA of families with autistic boys, not those with autistic girls.
Their findings have suggested that this gene, called contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CNTNAP2), likely plays a “key role in the development of autism.” They also found that the gene was most prevalent in families with autistic boys.
“Autism strikes boys three times as often as girls,” said Maricela Alarcon, first author and UCLA assistant professor in residence of neurology. “This finding may partly explain why.”
I’m very excited by this research, and will be following it closely. I highly suggest that you read through the entire article, which was written by UCLA Health Services.
Walk Now For Autism
I’m very happy to hear that Autism Speaks and Cure Autism Now have combined efforts this year, and together they are organizing the Walk Now For Autism event! If you haven’t been to one of these before, I highly recommend it. You will be amazed at how many resources are available in your area that you never knew about.
I have created a “team” and will be fundraising for the Minneapolis walk. My goal is $200 from this site, and all proceeds of any kind will go towards the fundraiser. If you can’t make it to the event, but you’d like to donate, please CLICK HERE. We’ll be doing some fundraising in the next few weeks to try and earn our worth, haha.
Seriously, if you are a parent of a newly diagnosed child, don’t miss this event. Your pediatricians only know so much, and chances are.. they don’t know about half of the resources that are available to you. They are holding them throughout the US, check the schedule to see when it will be held in your area. If any of you plan on going, I’d love to meet you! Please contact me via email, and we’ll try to hook up before the walk.
For additional information, here is the official letter template that they gave me, which outlines why the walk is so important.
MTV True Life: I Have Autism
MTV has featured 3 young people who have continued their struggle with Autism through their teenage years. As a father of a 4-year-old, I can’t help but feel sad when I think about the struggles that my son will have to go through later in his life. It’s very hard to watch, but I am happy that the awareness is continuing to grow, and hope that this type of coverage will help other children realize why our kids act the way they do.
I really have no idea when this will air on TV, but you can see snippets of the shows on MTV.com, click here to check it out!
Possible Link Between Autism and Pesticides
EDIT: After doing some additional research on this subject, it seems that the correlation between the pesticides and autism is pretty weak. If you’d like to read a great post by a skeptic, AutismDiva, click here. She gets into the fine details of the study, and even has a link to the paper itself.
When people ask me what I think is causing the sudden increase of Autism in our country, and I tell them that if I had to take a guess, Autism is increasing because of some kind of environmental factors that we’re exposing ourselves to. The cases are just so random and unbiased, and the numbers continue rising so much, that it’s hard for me to think that it could be anything else.
I just read this short article from NBC San Diego, stating the following:
Researchers for the California Department of Public Health say two pesticides used on cotton and some other crops may be linked to autism.
Apparently the researchers studied a group of women who lived near fields that were sprayed with pesticides, and their results were pretty scary. Obviously it’s not conclusive by any means, but hopefully it will help motivate further research.
NBC San Diego: “Study Finds Possible Link Between Pesticides, Autism”
The Members Project – A Cure for Autism
I saw this American Express advertisement on TV a few weeks back, explaining their new website “The Members Project.” The idea is that cardholders can vote on which projects are important to them, and the winning projects will receive substantial funding from American Express. For every cardholder that registers, they are donating $1, up to $5 million dollars.
Why do I bring this news here? Guess which fund is currently in the running? A Cure for Autism! So if you have an American Express card, please take the 2 minutes to register and check out the charities. It’s all for a good cause, and is definitely good mainstream exposure.
I’m happy to see that the awareness of the general population is continuing to grow!
Official Details:
Presenting The Members ProjectSM. Join Cardmembers to vote for one incredible idea. On August 7, American Express® will fund it with anywhere from $1 million to $5 million. Which idea will it be? The decision is yours. Visit membersproject.com.
Dad’s Walk for Autism Stopped
Gary Kuhre has cut his trek to Washington D.C. short due to family problems. His goal was to walk across the country to raise awareness and money for a national health reform for children with disabilities.
Click Here to see article published by the Reno Gazette.
My family has unfortunately dealt with the “red tape” involved in getting Colton medical evaluations and treatments, so I applaud Mr. Kurhe for his passion and efforts. It’s one thing to come up with an idea on paper, but it’s another to actually get it started. We all can imagine how difficult the absence must have been for his family so I don’t think anyone could fault him for going home. His website, Stride4Autism.com states that he does plan to continue the walk later this year. I wish him and his family the best!
Dads Helping Dads
I just read a great article about a group of fathers in Washington who have formed a support group named “Dads Supporting Dads,” specifically created for fathers of children with special needs. The group is unique because it was formed specifically for fathers, by fathers.
Click Here to see the article: Some Dads have Special Knowledge of Special Needs Kids
It’s a great idea, and it’s given me some inspiration to look for something similar in this area. I’m not sure why it’s difficult for us Dads to get out there and talk with other men in similar situations, but it is. The idea of getting together with fathers who can sympathize, and probably provide a lot of suggestions and ideas, makes a lot of sense. I often find myself complaining that my wife and I learn everything “the hard way,” maybe this is the kind of resource where I could help others, and they could help me.
Do you remember the transition in your social status when you had kids? How suddenly it was weird hanging out with your friends who haven’t experienced overflowing diapers and sleepless nights? Having a child diagnosed with special needs seems like a similar “transition,” to a lesser extent. Very few of our friends truly understand the intense life that we live, and honestly.. I don’t think that they care to hear about the difficulties of raising a special needs child. So my wife and I support each other, and try to keep the heavy talk to a minimum when we’re at social events. The idea of meeting up with Fathers who live similar lives, sounds pretty darn good.
If I’m not able to find an existing group, I think I’m going to have to start one. And who says that it needs to be boring? The gatherings could be a night at the bar, bowling alley, or even a round of golf! Just a place for people of similar circumstances and interests to get together and bounce ideas off of each other. Let’s face it, as soon as our kids were diagnosed, all of our priorities in the world changed. I find it hard to believe that there are more dedicated and passionate parents out there, than those who have special needs children, and I want to meet you.
So let’s hear it, do any of you go to support groups? I’d love to hear any experiences that you’ve had, good or bad.
Alarming New UK Study
I am trying to catch up on all of the latest news, and was very saddened to read this story come out of the United Kingdom. According to a Cambridge University study,
“A study has found that as many as one in 58 may have some form of the condition – well above the widely-accepted existing estimate of one in 100.
If so, it would mean that around 210,000 children under 16 in the UK have autism or a related disorder.”
When my son was first diagnosed, I remember reading that 1:210 children were diagnosed with a form of Autism, and in 4.5 years we’re seeing the numbers jump to 1:58? This is very sad news for everyone.
I haven’t found the original study yet, but if I do I will post the link here. Click Here to read article posted by DailyMail.co.uk.
Communities Realizing Autism Is a Real Problem
More and more I’m seeing that different communities throughout the United States (and even Canada and the UK), gathering together to discuss the “epidemic” of Autism. The sad part, is that these communities are holding these meetings because they are already 10 steps behind, and now they’re overwhelmed with the number of children and families that are effected by the disorder.
We actually moved into this school district because it had a full-time “Autism Specialist” on staff, which is not very common in the midwest states right now. I expected a lot of great things to be in place for my child, to include additional resources available for my son tailored towards the Autism spectrum. Unfortunately, what I found is that the specialist is absolutely swamped! She has too many children that she’s responsible for, and even though she’s doing the best that she can, there is really only so much that she can do. It’s hard for me to imagine how a school district handles all of the special needs without dedicated staff on board?
- Autistic Children Need More Services at East Penn
- UNM and the city of Albuquerque host first Autism meeting for the state of New Mexico
- Bismark Tribune reports on the rise of Autism in Schools
I often wonder who the people are that initiate these large discussions. Is it a group of worried parents that have successfully stirred the pot enough to finally be noticed? Or was it that someone “important” in these communities (mayor, governor, school official) was affected personally and then all of the sudden it became a priority? Maybe the teachers have had enough? Whatever it is, obviously it’s a good thing that awareness is at an all-time high. I just hope that as a country we can see that this is a nation-wide problem, not just specific to certain states or communities.
Having to fight tooth-and-nail for the additional resources for our children is ridiculous.