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AUTISM FIRST STEPS
AUTISM DAILY NEWSLETTER
Friday December 21, 2001
INDEX:
* Garlic Extract Helps
Ward Off Drug-Resistant Bugs
* Streptococcal Infection
Linked to OCD in Children
* Interest in attending the Inaugural World Autism Congress
* National Association of Developmental Disabilities Council
COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2
FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0">NADDC
Mid-Week Review
* Presentation
for Parents of Children in the Autism Spectrum
* CAN Orange County Chapter Presents Parent Education Seminars
* The Little Girl Who Dared to Wish
******************************
Garlic Extract Helps Ward Off Drug-Resistant Bugs
[Intestinal
disorders are frequently present in children with autism.
This report says garlic has some remedial effect on some colon bacteria. By
Anne Harding, Reuters Health.]
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2001/12/20/eline/links/20011220elin018.html
Garlic might be able to ward off more than vampires, reports
presented
here Wednesday show--it may also fight two types of drug-resistant bacteria.
The new reports, presented here at the Interscience
Conference on
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, suggest that garlic's active
ingredient, allicin, could be useful in the battle against infection that
does not respond to antibiotic drugs, a serious and growing problem.
Dr. Ronald Cutler of the University of East London, UK,
reported on
his research using a cream containing allicin, garlic's active compound, to
fight methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). MRSAs infect
hospital patients, and are also a danger for healthcare workers and people
with weakened immune systems.
About half of people carry MRSAs in their noses, he said. A
topical
drug, mupirocin, was released in 1985 to help wipe out nasal MRSA
carriage--which is where most infections originate--but the bug has already
begun to develop resistance to it, he added.
Cutler and his colleagues developed creams that were able to
carry
allicin in a stable, effective form and mask its odor. They tested the
creams against 30 different samples of MRSA taken from patients and grown in
the laboratory. An allicin concentration of 32 parts per million (ppm)
inhibited the growth of all of the bacteria samples, and all were killed by
allicin at 256 ppm.
A topical treatment for MRSA infection is sorely needed,
Cutler told
Reuters Health; he said he has seen patients with extensive, weeping lesions
caused by MRSA infection that don't respond to treatment and have lasted for
months.
There's probably little danger that bugs will develop
resistance to
allicin, Cutler said. While allicin is not effective against certain species
of bacteria, bugs that are susceptible to allicin have never been seen to
develop resistance to it, he explained.
Cutler told Reuters Health that he and his colleagues will
begin
clinical trials of the allicin cream for MRSA infections next year. Nopex
Ltd., the company that is developing the allicin creams, participated in the
research.
Dr. Jaya Prakash of the National University of Health
Sciences in
Lombard, Illinois, reported on her research on allicin's effects on another
drug-resistant bug, vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). She and her
colleagues conducted laboratory tests of allicin's effect on VRE samples
taken from patients with the infection.
Allicin did not kill the VRE, but it did hold their growth in
check.
This suggests, Prakash told Reuters Health, that an allicin preparation
could be given to patients when they enter the hospital to prevent VRE from
taking hold in their digestive tracts. She explained that garlic would be
especially effective against bacteria living in the colon, because up to 20%
of the garlic is not absorbed in the body but excreted in the feces.
"This was a very important first-step study,"
Prakash told Reuters
Health.
She noted that patients may enter the hospital with VREs in
their
digestive tracts, or they may contract the infection in the hospital. Once
the bug takes hold, she explained, it can spread to the bladder and to
catheters, resulting in a serious and very difficult-to-treat infection.
Both Prakash and Cutler noted that the garlic preparations
are very
safe.
"There's a huge margin of safety," said Prakash.
"That's why it may be
the ideal candidate."
The next steps in her research, Prakash said, will be to try to figure out
allicin's mechanism of action against VREs and to conduct clinical trials.
This study was partially funded by Phytopharmica, a company that makes
garlic-containing products.
Copyright © 2001 Reuters Limited.
******************************
FACE="Arial"
LANG="0">Streptococcal Infection Linked to OCD in Children
[By Anne Harding, Reuters Health].
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2001/12/19/professional/links/20011219clin011.html
Group A streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis, if it occurs
repeatedly and
is untreated, can lead to the development of obsessive compulsive disorder
(OCD) and Tourette's syndrome, according to study findings presented on
Tuesday at a major infectious disease meeting..
OCD and Tourette's have been linked to infection with group A
streptococcus in the past, but this is the first prospective study to
confirm the link and demonstrate that antibiotic treatment can resolve the
symptoms, study co-author Dr. Michael Pichichero, from the University of
Rochester Medical Center in New York, said. He presented the findings at the
Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy..
Dr. Pichichero and Dr. M. Lynd Murphy, from the Elmwood
Pediatric
Group in Rochester, have identified 25 cases of the condition, known as
Pediatric onset, Neuropsychiatric Disorder (PANDAS). At the meeting, they
reported on findings in 12 children..
The children's mean age was 7 years. Parents usually brought
the
children for medical attention after they began exhibiting "severe OCD
behavior," Dr. Pichichero said. Tests confirmed that the children had
group A streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis, he added..
Once the children received antibiotic treatment, with either
penicillin or a cephalosporin, their psychiatric symptoms disappeared. When
symptoms reappeared in six children, another course of antibiotics cleared
them up..
Dr. Pichichero believes that
such infections might account for a
significant number of OCD and Tourette's cases in children. He proposes that
repeated group A streptococcal infections could lead to "kindling" in
the
brain. Once neural damage occurs, a permanent case of OCD or Tourette's
syndrome may be the result. For this reason, he noted, rapid treatment of
these infections is vital..
Drs. Pichichero and Dr. Murphy have begun a National
Institutes of
Health-funded study to investigate the relationship between strep A and OCD in
800 children..
Copyright © 2001 Reuters Limited
******************************
Interest in attending the Inaugural World Autism
Congress
The Inaugural World Autism Congress to be held 10 - 14 November 2002, at the
Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre, Australia.
I am pleased to advise full details and online registration is now available
on the Congress website www.autismcongress.com
For speed and convenience, we recommend that you register on-line. This
is a
secure site and your credit card details will be encrypted and securely
forwarded to our office at The Meeting Planners. A confirmation email
will
then be forwarded to you within seven days.
We look forward to hearing from you and your participation in this important
international event.
Yours sincerely
Anne Docherty
Congress Manager
on behalf of the Organizing Committee
Inaugural World Autism Congress
******************************
National Association of Developmental
Disabilities Council NT COLOR="#400080" SIZE=2
FAMILY="SCRIPT" FACE="Comic Sans MS" LANG="0">
NADDC Mid-Week Review
Legislative:
Appropriations - The Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related
Agencies Appropriation Conferees have completed their work and reported FY
2002 appropriations in House Report 107-342. It is still too early to get
a
copy of the Report, but the following figures are confirmed as the
appropriations for each of the DD Act programs for FY 2002. DD Councils
and
Protection and Advocacy systems will receive a $2 million increase. The
University Centers of Excellence will receive an increase of $2.2 million.
FY
2002 FY 2001
DD Councils $69.8 million $67.8 million
P&As
$37
million
$35
million
UCEDs $24 million $21.8 million
PNS $11.7 million $10.7 million
As we "go to press" the House has accepted the Conference Report. A
Senate
vote is expected as early as this afternoon.
Election Reform - Talks continue on the voting reform legislation, but there
is no way yet to know if it will make it through this session. The issues
negotiated are too elusive to report on. One rumor is that the funding
for
voter education by DD Councils and Protection and Advocacy is still on the
table, but nothing will be confirmed until there either is or is not a bill.
It is doubtful that this issue will be completed this year, but we will
report to you as soon as we have more information
Economic Stimulus - The disability community continues to watch the debates
on economic stimulus with great interest. While there is little in there to
directly impact on most of our programs, the final decisions on additional
tax cuts and funding to assist those hurt by the economic downturn could
have a very clear impact on future funding availability for all social
programs. The latest information is that the House will pass the
Republican
stimulus package today, but there will be no action in the Senate.
Debates
to be continued next year.
Family Opportunity Act - We are sad to report that it appears the
legislators will go home without passing FOA. It will be high on the
disability agenda for 2002.
Adjournment - There is no date for adjournment of the First Session of the
107th Congress. We have heard Thursday and we have heard Friday.
With the
lack of agreement on the stimulus package, there will be little reason to
stay beyond completion of the appropriations bills.
Olmstead Report - The Olmstead Report has not yet been issued. According to
White House Staff Member, Jennifer Sheehey, it is still in the
"review"
process but should be released soon. In addressing the Olmstead issues,
Ms.
Sheehey also indicates that the White House will not stop with the first New
Freedom Report. They are beginning to consider issues for a "New
Freedom
Two" and invite the disability community to share their thoughts on
potential issues
Social Security Commission Report: The draft final report of the
President's Commission to Strengthen Social Security can be found at
www.csss.gov <http://www.csss.gov> . Please note this is the draft
and not
final report.
Publications
Presentation Files from the NASDDDS "Quality"
Conference (8/27 - 29/01)
In late August, NASDDDS sponsored a conference in Chicago themed "Quality
-
It's Everybody's Business." Organized as part of the "Reinventing
Quality"
grant project, funded by the federal Administration on Developmental
Disabilities, the conference was carried out in collaboration with the
Association's two grant partners, the University of Minnesota Research and
Training Center on Community Living (UMN/RTCCL) and the Human Services
Research Institute (HSRI).
Presentation files from the August 27-29 conference are now available on the
Quality Mall website at: <http://www.qualitymall.org/qualconf.html>
http://www.qualitymall.org/qualconf.html. The website is administered by
UMN/RTCCL staff as part of the Association's ADD grant project. If you
haven't visited the Mall recently, this is a good excuse to do so. Scores of
new products have been added to the Mall over the past few months.
Conferences
Presidents Commission on Excellence in Special Education: The President's
Commission on Excellence in Special Education public meeting will be held on
January 15, 2002. For more information, the Federal Register link is:
<http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2001_register&doc
id=01-31259-filed>
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2001_register&doci
d=01-31259-filed
The Arc, AAMR & AUCD Governmental Affairs/Public Policy Seminar: February
R>10-12, 2002, The Mayflower Hotel, Washington, DC. For additional
information contact AAMR at registration@aamr.org
<mailto:registration@aamr.org> or AUCD at dlmeltzer@aucd.org
<mailto:dlmeltzer@aucd.org> or The Arc at GAOinfo@thearc.org
<mailto:GAOinfo@thearc.org> . Updates will be available on each of
their
websites.
******************************
Presentation for Parents of Children in the
Autism Spectrum
MONDAY NIGHT, JANUARY 7, 2002
7PM – 9PM
Support Group for Parents of Individuals with Asperger's Syndrome,
PDD NOS, High Functioning Autism, hosts a presentation for all
parents regarding:
What You Need To Know If Your Child…
-Is overly sensitive to some sounds.
-Is tuning sound out.
-Is overwhelmed by too much sound stimulation.
-Is easily distracted.
-Is Speech/Language Delayed.
-Learns better one-on-one rather than in a group
If any of the descriptions above describe your child, you should know
about Auditory Integration Training (AIT)…a ten-day program that
helps sound perception and processing problems. AIT has helped many
individuals, including many in the autism spectrum, improve their
quality of life.
On January 7, (Monday night), from 7pm-9pm, our special guest will be:
Cindy Bazell Wilson, MA CCC-A/FAAA…the Audiologist who brought
Auditory Integration Training to Children's Hospital of Michigan in
1991 and is now in private practice in Berkley at Innovative
Therapies and Hearing Services.
Cindy Bazell Wilson will demonstrate what Auditory Integration
Training is, how it works and explain how it has made a dramatic
difference in the lives of many individuals in the autism spectrum.
There will be time set aside for a question and answer session.
Cindy Bazell Wilson's credits include:
Master of Arts in Audiology/Wayne State University School of
Medicine, 1980
BA in Audiology & Speech Science and Psychology/Honors
College/Michigan State University, 1977
Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) in Audiology through
American Speech-Language Hearing Association
Fellow of the American Academy of Audiology (FAAA)
Certified Berard AIT Practitioner
Pediatric Audiologist for over 18 years at Children's Hospital of
Michigan
Team member of the Cleft Palate/Craniofacial Disorders Clinic of CHM
for 12 years.
Current Board Member for the Michigan Academy of Audiology.
Meeting Location: 27211 Lahser in the Detroit Medical Center
Southfield Education Center. One block north of 11 mile road on the
west side of Lahser.
The building is in the DMC complex behind the 5/3 bank.
Please RSVP by 1/06/02 stating how many you will have in attendance
so we have enough seating available.
RSVP: Lecia Macryn (248)288-2242 or
Suzanne Rossi
(248)628-6066 or (248)408-3356
******************************
CAN Orange County Chapter Presents Parent Education SeminarsCRIPT"
FACE="Comic Sans MS" LANG="0">
Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) Advanced Workshop
Taking the Next Step in Enhancing Your Child's Program
January 5, 2001 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Newport Beach, CA
What is ABA?
Based upon the work of Dr. Ivar Lovaas, behavior therapy or Applied
Behavioral Analysis (ABA) is a methodology used to maximize learning
for children within the Autism spectrum. ABA incorporates two
components; teaching, utilizing discrete trial therapy, and behavior
modification. Research has shown that the most appropriate education
for children with autism includes early, intensive behavioral
therapy. Every program is individualized according to the child's
specific strengths and deficits. The goal is always to improve
deficit areas and decrease or eliminate the inappropriate behaviors
often associated with Autism.
Seminar Guest Speaker
Jessica Postil, MA - founder of Autism Spectrum Consultants (ASC).
Ms. Postil founded ASC in June of 1998. She obtained her BA in
Psychology from USC where she worked with schizophrenic adults and
adolescents. She received training in ABA and worked as a therapist,
Senior Therapist, and Supervisor for nearly seven years in Los
Angeles and Orange County while simultaneously completing her Masters
in Psychology at Pepperdine University. Currently, she is working on
her doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Seminar Description. (NOTE: Parents who are new to ABA should NOT
attend this course)
This ADVANCED one day seminar will provide parents the following:
¾A brief history on ABA ¾Tips & Tricks for trouble shooting drills
when a child is not responding ¾ Drill structures: the building
blocks for success ¾ Case studies: video samples of existing ABA
programs - looking at the individual child's need ¾ Important
components of a program: ABA, Socialization and other therapies ¾
Team members: finding them, encouraging them, training, and keeping
them ¾ Funding options for short or long term in-home programs ¾ Much
more TIPS & TRICKS!! ¾ Important materials and book(s) will be
provided w/ seminar fee
Seminar Information:
Date: Saturday, January 5, 2002 9:30 am - 4:00pm
(breakfast & lunch will be served)
Location: Newport Beach, CA (Location directions to be mailed
with seminar confirmation)
How to Register:
For Current CURE AUTISM NOW (CAN) members: $10.00
For Non-members: $50.00
(includes registration and CAN membership)
Note: If you cannot afford the registration fee, please contact CAN
regarding scholarship opportunities at
(888) 8-AUTISM. Please speak with Elizabeth Kilpatrick.
For more information, please contact Trascee Wilson at
twilson@cureautismnow.org or by calling
888-8AUTISM
Send registration information to: CAN - OC Chapter
Parent Seminar Registration
5455
Wilshire Blvd, #
715 Los Angeles, CA 90036
Seating is LIMITED and available on a FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS -
REGISTER EARLY!!!!!
WALK-INS will not be accepted, please register through the CAN office.
Elizabeth Kilpatrick
Director of Development
CURE AUTISM NOW
ekilpatrick@cureautismnow.org
5455 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 715
Los Angeles, CA 90036
tel:(323) 549-0500
fax:(323) 549-0547
www.cureautismnow.org
******************************
The Little Girl Who Dared to Wish
[By Alan D. Shultz from Chicken Soup for the Kid's
Soul. From the
FEAT Daily Newsletter archive published two years ago today: December 21,
1999. Rated: two-tissues.]
As Amy Hagadorn rounded the corner across the hall from
her classroom,
she collided with a tall boy from the fifth grade running in the opposite
direction.
"Watch it, Squirt," the boy yelled, as he
dodged around the little
third grader. Then, with a smirk on his face, the boy took hold of his right
leg and mimicked the way Amy limped when she walked.
Amy closed her eyes for a moment.
Ignore him, she told herself as she headed for her
classroom.
But at the end of the day, Amy was still thinking about
the tall boy's
mean teasing. It wasn't as if he were the only one. It seemed that ever
since Amy started the third grade, someone teased her every single day. Kids
teased her about her speech or her limping. Amy was tired of it.
Sometimes, even in a classroom full of other students,
the teasing
made her feel all alone.
Back home at the dinner table that evening Amy was
quiet. Her mother
knew that things were not going well at school. That's why Patti Hagadorn
was happy to have some exciting news to share with her daughter.
"There's a Christmas Wish Contest on the radio
station," Amy's mom
announced. "Write a letter to Santa and you might win a prize. I think
someone at this table with blond curly hair should enter." Amy giggled.
The
contest sounded like fun. She started thinking about what she wanted most
for Christmas.
A smile took hold of Amy when the idea first came to
her. Out came
pencil and paper and Amy went to work on her letter. "Dear Santa
Claus," she
began.
While Amy worked away at her best printing, the rest of
the family
tried to guess what she might ask from Santa.
Amy's sister, Jamie, and Amy's mom both thought a
3-foot Barbie Doll
would top Amy's wish list. Amy's dad guessed a picture book. But Amy wasn't
ready to reveal her secret Christmas wish just then. Here is Amy's letter to
Santa, just as she wrote it that night:
Dear Santa Claus,
My name is Amy. I am 9 years old. I have a
problem at school. Can you
help me, Santa? Kids laugh at me because of the way I walk and run and talk.
I have cerebral palsy. I just want one day where no one laughs at me or
makes fun of me.
Love, Amy
At radio station WJLT in Fort Wayne, Indiana, letters
poured in for
the Christmas Wish Contest. The workers had fun reading about all the
different presents that boys and girls from across the city wanted for
Christmas.
When Amy's letter arrived at the radio station, manager
Lee Tobin read
it carefully. He knew cerebral palsy was a muscle disorder that might
confuse the schoolmates of Amy who didn't understand her disability. He
thought it would be good for the people in Fort Wayne to hear about this
special third grader and her unusual wish. Mr. Tobin called up the local
newspaper.
The next day, a picture of Amy and her letter to Santa
made the front
page of The News Sentinel. The story spread quickly. All across the country,
newspapers and radio and television stations reported the story of the
little girl in Fort Wayne, Indiana, who asked for such a simple, yet
remarkable, Christmas gift-- just one day without teasing.
Suddenly the postman was a regular at the Hagadorn
house. Envelopes of
all sizes addressed to Amy arrived daily from children and adults all across
the nation. They came filled with holiday greetings and words of
encouragement.
During that unforgettable Christmas season, over two
thousand people
from all over the world sent Amy letters of friendship and support. Amy and
her family read every single one. Some of the writers had disabilities; some
had been teased as children. Each writer had a special message for Amy.
Through the cards and letters from strangers, Amy glimpsed a world full of
people who truly cared about each other. She realized that no amount or form
of teasing could ever make her feel lonely again.
Many people thanked Amy for being brave enough to speak
up. Others
encouraged her to ignore teasing and to carry her head high. Lynn, a sixth
grader from Texas, sent this message: "I would like to be your
friend," she
wrote, "and if you want to visit me, we could have fun. No one would make
fun of us, cause, if they do, we will not even hear them. "Amy did get her
wish of a special day without teasing at South Wayne Elementary School.
Additionally, everyone at school got an added bonus. Teachers and students
talked together about how bad teasing can make others feel.
That year, the Fort Wayne mayor officially proclaimed
December 21st as
Amy Jo Hagadorn Day throughout the city.
The mayor explained that by daring to make such a
simple wish, Amy
taught a universal lesson.
"Everyone," said the mayor, "wants and
deserves to be treated with
respect, dignity and warmth." Copyright 1998 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor
Hansen, Patty Hansen and Irene Dunlap
******************************
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