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The Autism Connection Newsletter
March 2004
Can Enzymes Help your Child with Autism? --Excerpts from Exceptional Parent Magazine/Feb 2004
A warm glass of milk has long been a comfort to sleepless people everywhere, but for children with an autism spectrum disorder, it may contribute to some of the classic symptoms of their condition. Many parents over the years have noticed that their children with autism tend to have strong, negative reactions to foods containing dairy and wheat. For these reasons, a gluten free-casien free (GFCF) diet is a somewhat popular treatment for children with autism. While this diet does not help all children with autism spectrum disorders, many parents have noticed a marked difference in their children after beginning a GFCF diet.
However, the GFCF diet is by no means an easy answer. Anyone who has tried to adhere to this kind of routine knows how difficult it can be to sustain. Gluten is found mostly in wheat and soy products, while casein is found in dairy. Cut out wheat, soy and dairy, and not many food choices remain. Added to this is the social and practical hardships that can result. It is nearly impossible to eat out at a restaurant or accept dinner invitations with so many forbidden food elements. This can make teaching social skills to children with autism very difficult.
A possible solution? Devin Houston, PhD, has been studying the use of enzymes as a treatment for autism for several years. Enzymes are natural catalysts that help break down food proteins, such as those found in wheat and milk products. They are found in the digestive system, as well as in fresh fruits and vegetables, which is part of the reason that such foods are recommended as part of a balanced diet. Dr. Houston found that certain combinations of enzymes when taken with food at meals can help break down food proteins including casein and gluten.
For more information contact Houston Nutraceuticals Inc. (866)757-8627 or www.houstonni.com. (Products have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not meant to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any illness.)
Friends For Youth – Bridges Advocacy and Outreach Center Mentoring Program. Seeking Mentors for youth and young adults with disabilities ages 16-24. The goal is to create a fun and meaningful relationship for both, helping strengthen the skills and talents guiding them towards employment. If you are interested in becoming a Mentor, please contact Julie Miles, Mentor Coordinator at 297-7328 or Julie@bridges-advocacy.org.
Autism Conference – Life After High School (Making a successful transition to adult life for all students in the autism spectrum) May 15, 2004, 8:30 am–6:30 pm, 519 15th Street, Oregon City. General sessions and break out sessions on two tracks (one for classic autism, one for Aspergers). Sponsored by Northwest Autism Foundation, the Washington Initiative for Supported Employment and Oregon PTI. Suggested donation of $20 includes the conference and lunch. Contact Joe Taylor, Northwest Autism Foundation 503-557-2111 director@autismnwaf.org or Shelley Joyce, Oregon PTI at 503-581-0018 (sjoyce@orpti.org) to register or for more information.
Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) 2-day Workshop June 10 & 11, 2004. Presented by Susan L. Peterson, PhD and Anne Hoffman, M. Ed at the Holiday Inn Portland Airport Hotel. For registration information, visit www.pecs.com or call 888-732-7462. For general information, contact Sarah Moore at smoore@pecs.com or call 302-368-2515.
OrPTI Training Available
The following trainings are being offered around the state for parents of children with disabilities.
-Early Intervention and the IFSP
-IEP Basics for Parents
-IEP Advocacy and Parents Rights
-Behavior in the IEP
-IEP Workshop
-What Parents and Students with Disabilities need to know about the Statewide Assessment
-Transition to Kindergarten
-Transition from High School
-Transition Basics for Students with Disabilities and their Families, Planning for Life after High School
-Resolving Disputes
OrPTI is willing to come to our area and provide trainings for parents if there is an interest. If you are interested in any of the above titles, contact Vicki at 269-9099.
The Week of the Young Child The Coos County Chapter of the Oregon Association for the Education of Young children cordially invites you to participate in the 33rd annual celebration of the Week of the Young Child at Pony Village Mall in North Bend. The goal is to assist parents, service providers and elected officials to become better acquainted with the many fine resources available in our community (such as Bridges Advocacy Center and Autism Parent Group.) Come join the fun on April 17th!
Analysis of Hair Samples for the Identification of Autism – Research Abstract from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.
Autism currently affects sixty children out of 10,000. This represents a dramatic rise from the rate of five per 10,000 that was observed a decade ago. The causes of autism are not known.
One possible factor may be an inability to eliminate heavy metals from the body and in particular the central nervous system. A hypothesis is being tested at MIT where instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) has been used to measure the concentrations of mercury and other heavy metals in hair from both children without autism and children with autism. MIT’s focus has been on regressive autism – cases where the child appears to be developing normally and then, over an interval of months, begins to show autistic-like behavior.
One suspected cause of such transitions is metal poisoning. Healthy humans have a mechanism that eliminates metals from the body. This mechanism may not be fully functional in a small fraction of young children. For these individuals, the result is a buildup of metals in the body. Certain of these metals, mercury in particular, may affect functioning of the central nervous system and cause autistic-like behavior. There has been much speculation but very little scientific work to either verify or discredit this hypothesis. MIT’s research group has been conducting studies in an effort to resolve or at least further clarify this question.
US Will Pay for Study to Seek Cause of Autism - USA Today. A major US financed study designed to unearth the roots of autism will track 100,000 babies in Norway to identify biological and environmental factors that could combine to cause autism and other disorders.
The Autism Birth Cohort will follow kids and their parents for five years, beginning during the mother’s pregnancy. Ultimately the work could produce the kind of risk factors for developmental disorders that the landmark Framingham Heart Study did for stroke and heart disease, says W. Ian Lipkin of Columbia, the autism study’s lead investigator.
Researchers will collect information on exposures to toxins, including mercury, which has been suspected as a factor in autism, as well as diet, vaccines, babies’ birth weight and head circumference, and volumes of other data that can be analyzed to compare children who develop autism with those who do not.
The initiative began recruiting pregnant women in 1999 for a long-range study to track a variety of childhood and adult diseases. Mothers and fathers answer questionnaires on their health habits and nutrition, and blood samples are taken periodically from parents and child. By partnering in the Norwegian study already in progress, the project can begin gathering and analyzing data right away, Lipkin says. He expects the first significant data to be available as early as next year.
Federal Panel Hears Testimony on Vaccinations and Autism – New York Times
Medical experts squared off February 9th before a federal panel trying to determine whether a mercury based preservative once common in routine childhood vaccines was behind the rising rates of autism in the United States. Most of the epidemiologists who testified said they doubted that the preservative, Thimerosal, was responsible. But a few toxicologists said they had become more and more convinced of a potential link.
Special Olympics – Track & Field and Softball
Special Olympics is now preparing for summer sport season 2004, which includes track and field and softball. Both sports are practicing at Sunset Middle School.
Track practice will be every Monday and Wednesday from 5:30 to 6:30 PM beginning April 5th. The first two weeks are conditioning and weight training.
Softball practice begins April 14 and will be on Wednesday and Sunday from 5:30 to 7:00 PM. Special Olympics will have one unified team, a traditional team and the individual skills. Contact Assu Cassarotti at 572-2758.
Fairview Housing Trust Grant Available!
How to apply for the Fairview Housing trust Funds for home modifications for people with developmental disabilities (this is only for non-licensed housing such as your own home, family home or apartment and can be used for adults or children).
Applications are due by April 15, 2004.
What kinds of things qualify for a grant award? All kinds of housing modifications and equipment qualify such as a ramp, modifications to a bathroom, assistive technology for an alarm or intercom system or to help you use the telephone, making doorways wider, making a kitchen more accessible, etc.
What kind of things do not qualify for a grant award? Help with rent, normal maintenance and repair and things that do not contribute to the health, welfare, safety or independence of the person applying are not eligible.
Who can apply? If you are a person with a developmental disability or have a child with a disability who is not living in a licensed facility, you are eligible to apply for a grant.
What is the maximum dollar limit of the grant? The Trust Advisory Committee decided that the initial maximum amount of a single grant would be $5,000. That may change later if the Trust has more to spend.
How do I apply? An initial application form is available online at http://www.dhs.state.or.us/disabilities/. You should fill out the form as completely as you are able and return it by April 15, 2004. You will be notified by May 15th about your application. Contact information: Gerald Stolp 503-945-9785 gerald.stolp@state.or.us.
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