http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154336.php
Pretty cool! This Harvard study used brain mapping to study Autistics and non-Autistics doing the Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices (RSPM) test. It measures learning skills, problem-solving and hypothesis-testing. The Austistics were faster and seemed to have reasoning skills based on perception-based strengths.
I’ll admit, this isn’t exactly “news,” but I thought it would be nice for mothers of kids with autism to read that they’re not alone (or crazy!)
As the parent of a toddler and preschooler, I can tell you that parenting is tough enough. Add in any behavioral problems from the autism spectrum and, well…one can only imagine.
We can only hope that the work on finding a cure for autism – and support for families coping with it – comes soon.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156959.php
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155046.php
Here’s an article about the launch of a new Web site “empowering families and professionals w/science-based techniques to confront the daily challenges of autism.” It’s called Rethink Autism and the Web site is www.rethinkautism.com
It offers parents and pros access to treatment tools including methods based on Applied Behavior Analysis.
There’s video-based curriculum w/ exercises and training modules and a tracking system so you can follow the learner’s progress.
The site addresses things like language and motor skills, play and leisure, problem behavior, social and emotional learning, and daily living.
The June issue of Pediatrics has a study showing a “clear link” between attention problems in kindergarten and lower test scores in high school.
The study says that this is regardless of IQ (though part of IQ is attention), and has to do more with the relationship b/n aggressive, inattentive and depressive behaviors.
The 5- and 6-year-olds w/ attention problems performed (on average) worse on math and ready by high school.
The experts say inattentiveness can be caused by ADHD, poor nutrition, anxiety or lack of sleep.
Before you put your kids on stimulant meds for attention issues, please try the following:
1. Increase sleep
2. Decrease food dyes in diet
3. Try cognitive skills training or at LEAST get your kid tested to see which skills are weak (Sometimes brain training centers offer free testing. check learningrx.com to call a center near you to ask)
4. Increase good brain foods like fish oils, nuts, veggies, etc.
5. Decrease exposure to toxic elements – like metals and cleaning supplies
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/151377.php
http://news.aol.com/article/fda-urges-caution-in-weighing-risks-of/527380
Seems like a bit of a showdown: the FDA is urging parents to weigh the risk of ADHD meds vs. the risks, saying that a new study about the tie b/n the two may be inaccurate.
The study, which was partially funded by the FDA itself, suggests a link b/n the use of stimulant drugs and sudden death in kids and adolescents. But the FDA is saying that the study relied too much on interviews with parents and physicians years after the deaths, and therefore may be faulty.
Try everything else (cognitive skills training, change in diet, increase in sleep) before stimulant meds!
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153677.php
Although I wish they’d have gone into detail about the possible cause of cognitive fatigue (in patients with TBI), it’s still an interesting study.
Essentially, cognitive fatigue is one of the most challenging symptoms of TBI and they’ve had problems measuring it really accurately until they started using function MRI. Basically, when they studied people with TBI and people without it doing the same behavioral tasks, the ones with TBI showed increased brain activity – which means their brains were working harder.
Now that they can see this, they will start looking for the best methods to train the brains of people with TBI (and stroke, MS, etc.) Then they can do more fMRIs to confirm what’s working.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608071814.htm
This is yet another reason that I’m glad my kids nap!
Sleep experts say that napping can have a significant positive impact on young children’s functioning. Kids b/n 4 and 5 who don’t take daytime naps tend to be more hyper and have higher levels of anxiety and depression.
Even if you can’t make your kids sleep, they recommend at least giving them a quiet rest time during the day.
I probably could have come up with at least SOME of the same results just based on observation of my 3 year old. When she misses a nap she gets hyper and crazy – not sleepy!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/31167721#31167721
Here’s a video from the Today Show about a little boy named Jack whose parents didn’t want to put him on stimulant medications for his ADHD. Instead, they are using some parenting modeling behavior (supervised through a child psychologist) to try to change/modify his hyperactive behaviors.
I applaud them for not using meds, but I also wonder why they seem to not entirely be addressing the problem itself completely (lack of attention skills) through cognitive skills therapy instead of behavior modification therapy.
They do seem to be making some progress, but the band around the base of his chair to make him stop wiggling so hard seems like it’s not really addressing the problem, but rather a symptom.
What do you think?
A new study at Seattle Children’s Hospital found that Citaloram (Celexa) is no more effective on repetitive autistic behaviors than placebos.
Citalopram is an SSRI (a type of antidepressant) and they thought it would work because it’s also prescribed for patients with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorders). But now brain researchers are thinking that perhaps the repetitive behaviors of OCD are not caused by the same thing in Autism, which would explain why Citalopram didn’t work in Autistic kids.
Plus, the Citalopram caused side effects in almost all the kids: increased energy, itchy skin, insomnia, diarrhea, decreased concentration and impulsiveness.
Yes, I’d love a drug that helped kids with autism, but for now at least diet, cognitive skills training and reduced exposure to metals, etc. can help without side effects!
http://www.mcolblog.com/kcblog/2009/3/25/serious-games-health-plans-and-health-games.html
Not sure how I missed this article – or more importantly, this statistic!
These numbers came from the CEO of HAPPYneuron, Inc., a company that works with Humana to design brain games to help their patients maintain mental health.
There’s actually an entire community of health care pros, researchers (and of course, game developers) who created an initiative based on what brain-training can do for brain health. It’s called “Games for Health” and they’re having their 5th annual conference in June.
Humana’s online brain-game Web site has exercises to build specific skills, like attention and memory. It’s not as intense as one-on-one professional cognitive skills training, but it’s a start. Which also makes me wonder, if the game developer is saying that a 1% increase in cognitive activity = a 33% in risk of Alzheimer’s, what percent would intense professional brain training be equivalent to? Would a 2% increase be a 66% decrease in the risk of Alzheimer’s? How great would that be??
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