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from nurspractitionerschools.org

Autism and its lesser-known relatives in the autism spectrum of disorders has found itself on the receiving end of a generous amount of attention lately. Affecting around 3.4 out of every 1,000 children between the ages of 3 and 10 every year, the controversies surrounding autism usually involve the mysteries behind the staggering rise of diagnoses over the past five years as well as its heavily disputed origins. Not surprisingly, a number of myths and misconceptions drown out the realities of individuals and families who confront autism on a daily basis. A proper understanding of what constitutes and how to work with and against autism and autism spectrum disorders allows patients to seek the necessary treatment and move on to live happy, productive, and stable existences.

1. Autism is a form of mental retardation.

Individuals with autism and autism spectrum disorders actually harbor average to above average intelligence. The conditions are considered neurodevelopmental in origin, and diagnostic criteria include communication issues, difficulty in social situations, and repetitive behavior patterns. At no point does mental retardation ever factor into an autism diagnosis – any possible cases where both conditions are present have nothing to do with one another. Some patients with autism perform excellently in some academic areas and very poorly in others, which some mistake as full mental retardation. (continue reading…)

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On Monday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Maternal & Child Health Bureau of Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) released a new report on the prevalence of autism and autism-spectrum disorders in the United States. The results of the HRSA phone poll indicates that autism and ASD are more widespread than previously thought. The last estimates put the autism rate at roughly 1 in 150, but the new study indicates that the rate is 1 in 91 children. In boys, autism was even more common, with a parental-reported rate of 1 in 58 boys. Autism was slightly more prevalent in older children than in those born around the turn of the millennium.

This new study shows a drastic jump in the officially recognized rate of autism in the U.S.; however, it brings the estimate of American autism cases in line with the prevalence of autism seen worldwide. Other countries that have rigorously studied their own autism rates have all converged at a rate of about 1% of children with autism or ASD. (continue reading…)

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The Open University has a free online course, The Autistic Spectrum, From Theory to Practice, which provides an overview of psychological research into Autism Spectrum Disorders. The course is written at a college undergraduate level.  Units focus on:

• Identifying autism and autism spectrum disorders
• Mapping the spectrum (continue reading…)
  

Green Diva Mom founder Eleni Prokopeas was recently featured on NaturalNews.com. In an interview podcast and profile article. Eleni discusses her efforts to cure her son’s autism, including the 10-step protocol she used. Read all about the protocol in Healing Autism Naturally.

Click here to read the profile of Eleni on NaturalNews.com.

Listen to the NaturalNews.com podcast with GreenDivaMom founder Eleni Prokopeas here. The DRM-free podcast can be loaded onto any mp3 player or listened to on your computer.

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Hey Green Diva Moms!  This week’s featured article isn’t even from our own website, but is such a great read, that we had to share.  Earlier this month, the federal “Vaccine Court”  in Washington gave a rulings to three families stating that they had failed to prove their cases that their children’s autism spectrum disorders were caused by vaccines.  These rulings were widely covered in the media as confirming that vaccines do not cause autism  However, another ruling in February, receiving much less media coverage, found in favor of the family. In that ruling, the Vaccine Court admitted that the child’s autism spectrum disorder would not have developed if it had not been for an injury caused by the MMR vaccine. The Vaccine Court is still reluctant to pin the cause of autism directly on vaccines, but this under-reported decision is a step forward.  Noted environmental advocate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and journalist David Kirby, author of Evidence of Harm, penned an editorial in the Huffington Post discussing what this win means for families dealing with autism.  Please check out the link below for the full story.  It is a long read, but positive news for families dealing with vaccine-induced autism.

ANOTHER AUTISM CASE WINS IN VACCINE COURT
By Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (Huffington Post)

WebMD recently reported that children living in areas with high precipitation may be more likely to have autism spectrum disorders. In a study published in the November 2008 issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, Cornell University researchers found that rates of autism increased as amounts of precipitation increased.

“If there were no rain, the autism rate would be a third lower according to our analysis,” said co-author of the study Sean Nicholson, Ph.D.

Does this mean that rain could be a cause of autism? No, not quite - but the study certainly suggests that a child’s environment plays a role in the development of autism. Children who live in rainy areas spend more time indoors, where they’re exposed to less sunlight, more chemicals, and other potential environmental triggers.

(continue reading…)

Information provided by TACA Foundation, www.talkaboutcuringautism.org

Not a day goes by that a family with a beloved child affected by autism wonder “How will I afford what my child needs?” The costs of raising, educating, treating and caring for a child with autism can be $10,000 to $100,000 or more annually. Lifetime costs vary from $3,000,000 to $7,000,000 depending on the unique issues to the individual. That is a lot for any one family to shoulder. The goal of this outline is to provide information to parents by parents on where to start with funding options available to a family with a special needs child.

The process of navigating the “system” of services and assistance in place to support families with special needs children can be frustrating and extremely time consuming. Financial planning is crucial to the process. What is also frustrating is (continue reading…)