Parent’s Guide to ABA

Assistive technology is defined on AccessIT as “technology used by individuals with disabilities in order to perform functions that might otherwise be difficult or impossible. Assistive technology can include mobility devices such as walkers and wheelchairs, as well as hardware, software, and peripherals that assist people with disabilities in accessing computers or other information technologies. For example, people with limited hand function may use a keyboard with large keys or a special mouse to operate a computer, people who are blind may use software that reads text on the screen in a computer-generated voice, people with low vision may use software that enlarges screen content, people who are deaf may use a TTY (text telephone), or people with speech impairments may use a device that speaks out loud as they enter text via a keyboard.”

Excerpt: This week, three new studies have found some revealing links between certain gene mutations and the development of autism. One even showed a strong connection between the age of the father, more than the mother, and the spontaneous mutations that are linked to autism. Still, it’s important to keep in mind that the genes indicated in these studies only account for a small percentage of the number of kids with autism – and it is this very fact that may tell us as much about the disorder as finding the genes involved.

The studies, all released in the journal Nature, looked at the genes of families in which the parents did not have ASD but their child did. This means that there was no long genetic history of autism, so if gene mutations were involved, they were probably due to de novo mutations – those that occur spontaneously, around the time of conception. Click here to continue reading the article

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Light It Up Blue, in its third year, is a unique global initiative to help raise awareness about the growing public health concern that is autism. Iconic landmarks around the world will Light It Up Blue to show their support.

Join us now and help shine a light on autism. Visit Autism Speaks website for more information.

Via: Online College Advice

Dear friends,

These findings have profound implications, and they would not have been possible without your support for Autism Speaks and its Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE). AGRE is the world’s largest private genetic database for autism. AGRE staff, who were co-authors on the study, helped recruit the twins for this research, flew to their homes and spent days with each family conducting evaluations and collecting DNA and then provided this information to the researchers for analysis. Their findings are already catalyzing further research on environmental contributions to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), an area of research in which Autism Speaks continues its considerable investments.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Written by: Allison Shelley
Originally posted at: Medscape News Today

December 8, 2011 (Baltimore, Maryland) — Despite problems, many children with epilepsy are not evaluated for autism or developmental delay.

More than a third of patients had not been previously diagnosed as having developmental delay or autism and were referred for confirmatory evaluation.

Click here to read the rest of the article