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Archive for January, 2011

 

By Lauren Joos
Correspondent

Published: Sunday, September 19, 2010 at 11:42 p.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, September 19, 2010 at 11:47 p.m.
 
Blue’s Clues is one of Jacob’s favorite shows even though it’s for “little kids.” The 10-year-old shows a visitor his coloring that looks like the familiar notebook used on the Nickelodeon children’s program.
 
Then he shows another coloring. And then another, all of them on the same theme.

Jacob has a mild version of autism, which makes him focus on certain subjects and exclude others.

He is one of two children at Autism Oasis for Kids who communicates verbally. The other five children attending High Spring’s new private school are non-verbal, even at 7 and 8 years old.

Autism Oasis for Kids opened in a small house right off Main Street on Aug. 23, just in time for the 2010-11 school year. While seven children currently attend the school, three more are expected to join in the coming months.

Marie Trempe and her husband, Rob Cecil, founded the school. The couple’s inspiration: their 10-year-old son, Narottam, who has autism.

Read in Full: http://www.gainesville.com/article/20100919/ARTICLES/100919362/-1/news?Title=School-uses-unique-methods-to-teach-those-with-autism



 

An autism charity has called on the Department of Health to identify the exact number of families currently waiting for a carer’s assessment.

Autism NI says social services are ignoring the needs of parents whose children have autism and only an audit will reveal the true extent of the problem.

The BBC has learned that official figures fall short of the number of carers who say they need help.

Earlier this month, a High Court judge found the Western Health Trust had breached its duty to carry out assessments and provide services to carers of children with autism.

The case triggered hundreds of calls to local charities and the Children’s Law Centre.

According to most of these families, they were either unaware that as carers they were entitled to an assessment, or if one had been carried out, services such as respite care were not provided.

The Western Health Trust said on Monday that it was doing its best to meet the needs of families with autistic children.

Read in Full:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-politics-11348181

 

 NAS – Carer’s Rights

This page explains the financial and service support carers of people with disabilities are entitled to. It also provides guidance on flexible working and parental leave.

There are about 855,000 carers in Britain who provide more than 50 hours of care a week. Over half of these carers are in full-time or part-time employment and a quarter of them are retired. Providing such care has led to half of these carers developing their own health-related concerns.1

Since 1986, the UK Government has passed three acts that have increased the rights and recognition of carers:

  • Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986
    Says that where a disabled person is living at home and receiving regular care from someone who is not paid to do so, the local authority should look into whether they can provide any services to the disabled person. When making this decision, the local authority should consider the ability of the carer to continue providing care on a regular basis.
  • Carers (Recognition and Services) Act 1995
    Acknowledges that carers are essential providers of services in the community. The act calls for an assessment of the ability of carers to provide care, allowing carers to express their views and concerns to social services about their caring needs. However, carer’s assessments are not carried out automatically; they must be requested by the carer. There are no age restrictions on who can have a carer’s assessment, so young carers can also be assessed.
  • Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000 (CDCA 2000)
    Introduced the right for carers to have an assessment even where the person they care for has refused an assessment for themselves or refused services following an assessment. If the carers assessment identifies that the carer has an eligible need, the carer could receive services such as holiday trips, driving lessons, training courses, equipment such as a computer and help with laundry and housework. These services are usually provided to help the carer continue caring, and social services can place a payment charge or contribution for them.


1 UK Department of Health (1999). Caring about carers: A national strategy for carers.

How is a carer’s assessment carried out?

A carer’s assessment can been requested by speaking to the social worker of the person you care for, or by contacting your local authority social services department if you don’t have a specific social worker to contact. You can also request a carer’s assessment in writing (see Appendix 1 for a letter template).

Carer’s assessments can be carried out at the same time as the community care assessment of the person you care for.

The assessment looks at a carer’s ability and willingness to continue assisting a disabled person. It should look into any difficulties the carer experiences, either with actual tasks or due to their own health concerns etc, and whether the carer has work, education or leisure commitments that they want to continue with.

Once the social worker has completed the carer’s assessment, they will then decide what services need to be provided to (a) the individual and (b) the carer (under the Carers and Disabled Children’s Act 2000)

The social worker will then write up a care plan for the individual, outlining exactly how their care needs will be met by social services. If services are to be provided to meet the carer’s needs as well, this will be outlined in the care plan.

What type of services can a carer get?

If a carer is found to be eligible for services, the types of services they can receive include:

  • Respite (short break) so that the carer can take a break from their caring responsibilities. The individual may spend some time away from the home or the carer may spend time away, knowing that the person they care for is being looked after at home by care attendants provided by social services.
  • Under the CDCA 2000, social services will provide vouchers to the carer that can be redeemed for respite and short breaks when the carer wants or needs a break. The vouchers will normally be accepted by a number of agencies that are suggested by the local authority.
  • Carers can also receive direct payments to help pay for additional care services. If an eligible care need has been identified, these services could include:
    • trips (eg holidays or special events)
    • driving lessons
    • travel assistance (eg help with taxi fares)
    • training
    • laundry
    • gardening
    • help with housework.

What is Carer’s Allowance?

‘Carer’s Allowance’ is a benefit for people who spend at least 35 hours a week caring for a severely disabled person. The carer does not have to live with or be related to the individual being cared for. It is not means-tested and does not depend on National Insurance contributions but it is taxable.

Find out more about Carers Allowance and how to apply at: www.autism.org.uk/19043

What is a carer’s grant?

As part of the 1999 National Strategy for Carers, the government created a carer’s grant that would be given to local authorities to improve and develop services that would give carers a break. The carer’s grant can be used in many ways by local authorities, such as by creating a carers centre or by awarding the carer with a lump sum of money that can then be used by the carer to arrange respite, a holiday for themselves or paying for leisure and education classes. Carer’s grants can be applied for through the social worker of the person being cared for.

Is there any help for carers who work?

Working and caring for someone can be difficult and stressful at times. Therefore whatever support an employer can give is always much appreciated. It’s up to you if you want your employer to know that you are a carer but in some instances telling them can lead to more support being offered, such as access to a telephone, a car parking space near work, unpaid or paid leave and the option of working from home. Some companies also offer counselling services to their employees. It is worth speaking to your line manager or personnel manager to see what services are available to carers.

As a legal right, carers of children or adults can now request flexible working hours from their employers to help them manage working and caring responsibilities.

Flexible working could be:

  • working from home or teleworking
  • job sharing
  • flexible start and finishing times (flexi time)
  • compressed hours (where you work your total number of agreed hours over a shorter period)
  • part-time work.


In order to request flexible working, you have to meet the following criteria:

  • be an employee who has worked for the same employer for at least 26 weeks
  • be a parent of a child(ren) under six or a disabled child(ren) under 18 or
  • be a carer to a spouse, partner, civil partner or adult child, parent or relative. (Relatives include parents-in-law, adopted adult children, siblings (including in-laws), uncles, aunts, grandparents and step-relatives.


Although you have the right to request work flexibility, this does not mean your employer has to agree to it. However, they must seriously consider your application and can only refuse it if there are good reasons for doing so.

Read in Full:  http://www.autism.org.uk/living-with-autism/benefits-and-community-care/care-and-benefits-for-parents-and-carers/carers-rights.aspx



Pride: Stevie and Jerry with their five-year-old son Joss

Pride: Stevie Lee and husband Jerry with their five-year-old son Joss 

By Stevie Lee

Last updated at 1:30 AM on 20th September 2010

Some things really shock you to the core, like the time I was having lunch with my five-year-old son Joss in the local Giraffe restaurant, a favourite because it is so child-friendly.

After finishing eating, Joss got up from the table and began switching the lights on and off, a regular pastime of his, which can be vaguely annoying, but is hardly in the same league as kicking and screaming.

Within minutes, a woman sitting at another table with her two daughters, said in a loud voice: ‘That child is a monster.’ I could not believe my ears. What gave her the right to describe my son in this way? Is he a feral child? Does he have an ASBO?

No, he is autistic. I stormed up to her and told her: ‘He’s not a monster. He’s autistic.’ But our lunch was ruined. She just looked down and ignored me and we left the restaurant, feeling like pariahs.

More than half a million people in the UK now have autism, a lifelong developmental condition which affects the way they relate to the world. But those with autism do not look disabled  -  and consequently there is a real hostility from the public towards them.

Both my husband, Jerry, and I have been astounded at the vitriol levelled at us, and towards our son. We are stared at in the streets, whispered about behind our backs and treated like second-class citizens in hospitals, restaurants and supermarkets.

We are deemed bad parents  -  and our son is a monster. Joss was born on December 2, 2004, and was a joy of a baby  -  big, healthy and very happy. We were adoring new parents  -  I am a 42-year-old drama-producer and my husband, 47, a TV documentary-maker  -  and Joss made our lives complete.

Read in Full:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1313232/My-child-monster-He-autistic.html?ITO=1490



 

‘Self-Embedding’ Takes Teen Self-Injury to the Extreme

Radiologists recommend minimally invasive procedure to remove staples, paper clips and more

TUESDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) — The 16-year-old went to the emergency room because of a painful infection in her arm. When doctors used ultrasound on the area, they were shocked to see about 20 foreign objects under her skin, including a paper clip, a screw from a pair of eyeglasses and multiple pieces of pencil lead.

The teen had engaged in “self-embedding,” an extreme form of self-injury, in which people — often adolescents — deliberately hurt themselves or mutilate their bodies without intending suicide. Self-embedders insert objects made of glass, wood, metal or other materials under the skin.

Determining how many teens “self-embed” is difficult, doctors say. As with other forms of self-harm, such as “cutting” or burning, many teens are ashamed of what they’re doing and take steps to conceal their behavior, said William Shiels, a pediatric interventional radiologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

Between 13 percent and 23 percent of U.S. teens have reported intentional self-injury, according to background information in a study by Shiels and colleagues that was released online Sept. 7 in advance of publication in the October print issue of the journal Radiology.

Read in Full:  http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/642862.html?campaign_id=rss_topStories

More information

The Center for Young Women’s Health has more on teens and self-harm.



 

Article Date: 21 Sep 2010 – 2:00 PDT

What happens after a teenager or young adult experiences his or her first psychotic episode? It can be an isolated instance, never to recur; become a life-long, continuous battle against a ferocious illness; or symptoms may emerge periodically for years.

Research shows that, on average, there is a lapse of one to two years between the onset of psychotic symptoms, such as paranoia, delusions, loss of motivation for many everyday activities, and hallucinations, and the start of treatment, typically an in-patient hospitalization. Rates of suicide, noncompliance, and denial of treatment are high in first episode patients, but few services are specifically tailored for this population.

Starting this month, state-of-the-art treatment will be available to these young people as inpatients. The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)-University Behavioral HealthCare (UHBC) and UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School have teamed up to create FIRST — Fostering Individual Recovery Through Supportive Treatment.

Read in Full:  http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/201819.php



 

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on September 21, 2010 

Despite a remarkable track record of resiliency, Holocaust survivors still present various psychiatric symptoms.

The findings come from an analysis of 44 years of global psychological research.

Jewish Holocaust survivors living in Israel also have higher psychological well-being than those who live in other countries, which suggests living in that country could serve as a protective factor.

Researchers from Israel and the Netherlands analyzed Holocaust survivors of Jewish ancestry.

Their findings are published in the American Psychological Association’s Psychological Bulletin.

“Six decades after the end of World War II and we are still learning how a mass genocide like the Holocaust is affecting its victims,” said the study’s lead author, Efrat Barel, PhD, a psychology professor at the Max Stern Academic College of Emek Yezreel in Israel.

“What we’ve found is that they have the ability to overcome their traumatic experiences and even to flourish and gain psychological growth, but it may not be as easy as it seems.”

The central question of this analysis was how the Holocaust affected survivors’ general adjustment, according to Barel. General adjustment levels were determined by examining the participants’ psychological well-being, post-traumatic stress symptoms, cognitive functioning, physical health, stress-related symptoms and psychopathological symptoms.

Read in Full:  http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/09/21/holocaust-pain-persists/18490.html

 Holocaust Monument

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By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on September 21, 2010 

Some would argue that our ability to self-control is on the wane as increasing ranks of obesity and substance abuse permeate our society.

However, a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research says there’s hope — we just need a little help to see self-regulation as fun.

“Self-control failures depend on whether people see activities involving self-control (e.g., eating in moderate quantities) as an obligation to work or an opportunity to have fun,” says University of Miami’s Juliano Laran and Chris Janiszewski, University of Florida, Gainesville.

According to the authors, approximately one in five U.S. citizens over the age of 12 admits to binge drinking at least once per month, and nearly 10 million people suffer from clinical eating disorders. These epidemics make it critical to examine what can be done to encourage people to regulate consumption.

Read in Full:  http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/09/21/new-perspective-improves-self-control/18481.html



 

By Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S.

For you the idea of sleeping well might be as far-fetched as a unicorn sighting. And in our productivity-driven society, sleep is usually the first thing to get sacrificed.

So many of us believe we need to focus on our priorities that we forget sleep is actually one of them.

“Prioritizing sleep is important to overall health and quality of life,” said Mary Rose, Psy.D, clinical psychologist and behavioral sleep specialist at Baylor College of Medicine.

Here are 14 ways you can improve the quantity and quality of your sleep.

  1. Go beyond the eight-hour rule. We often hear that eight hours is a must. However, it’s actually an average, and you might need more or less to function optimally, according to Allison T. Siebern, Ph.D, a clinical instructor and sleep specialist at the Sleep Medicine Center at the Stanford School of Medicine. Interestingly, it’s not uncommon for Siebern to see patients at her clinic who sleep five to six hours and whose family or friends are worried that they’re not getting enough sleep. But in reality, “The individual has no daytime impairments, feels optimal during the day, has slept this amount of hours most of their adult life and if they try to stay in bed longer to sleep they don’t.” The takeaway? Pay attention to the amount of sleep that’s best for you.
  2. Stop trying. Many people try to force themselves to fall sleep, especially if they have insomnia. However, because sleep is a biological process, Siebern said that it can’t be forced. In fact, “oftentimes short-term strategies of ‘trying to achieve’ sleep may actually maintain insomnia in the long-term.” Instead, focus on rest. Siebern suggested engaging in an activity that helps you relax, “rather than doing something with the expectation that it will put you to sleep.”
  3. Don’t compensate for sleep loss. According to Siebern, avoid trying “to ‘catch up’ on sleep by going to bed earlier or staying in bed later than [you] typically do when the insomnia is not present.” That’s because “this can work against how sleep is regulated and can lead to more frustration.”
  4. Take inventory of your habits. There are some essential rules for sleeping well such as keeping a “routine, with regard to a set wake and sleep time,” and “finding ways to relax at least one hour prior to bedtime,” according to Rose.

    And then there are the rule breakers, which sabotage your sleep. These include drinking caffeine before bed, working in bed and watching TV in your room. If this sounds familiar, try to banish these sleep stealers.

  5. Understand that sleep changes. Bad habits aren’t always to blame — even if your sleeping problems are recent. “Our sleep needs and the quality of our sleep changes over time,” and we “may become more sensitive to disruption at different times in our life,” Rose said. Many factors can trigger this, including age, hormones, (e.g., menopause), illness, injury, stress and environmental changes, she said.
  6. Cultivate healthy habits. According to Rose, there are various ways you can “build your sleep drive,” such as avoiding naps, exercising during the day and keeping your room dim at bedtime.
  7. Zero in on daytime worries. We tend to take our daily troubles to bed with us. If you’re experiencing anxiety during the day, it’s likely that this angst is affecting your sleep. “Many of my patients have daytime anxieties with work and their families which they have not resolved in the daytime,” Rose said.

    At first, though, your worries might not be so obvious. “Often patients report that they are thinking about unimportant things while trying to sleep — but when they reconsidered and monitor their thoughts more proactively — they often discover that larger issues they have not yet resolved are at play,” she said.

    So try to dig deeper to “identify and manage worrisome thoughts that may be magnifying nighttime anxiety and inability to wind down.”

Read in Full: http://psychcentral.com/lib/2010/14-strategies-for-sleeping-better/



 

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on September 20, 2010 

New research provides further clues as to why Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects four times more males than females.

Scientists from the Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) discovered that males who carry specific alterations of DNA on the sole X chromosome they carry are at high risk of developing ASD.

The research is published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

ASD is a neurological disorder that affects brain functioning, resulting in challenges with communication and social interaction, unusual patterns of behavior, and often, intellectual deficits. ASD affects one in every 120 children and a startling one in 70 boys.

Though all of the causes of ASD are not yet known, research has increasingly pointed towards genetic factors. In recent years, several genes involved in ASD have successfully been identified.

Read in Full:  http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/09/20/male-autism-linked-to-dna/18437.html



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Article Date: 20 Sep 2010

The National Autistic Society (NAS) welcomed the publication of the Kennedy review of how the NHS treats children, which recommends investment in mental health support. The charity says thousands of children with autism in England are needlessly facing a future of mental health problems, because the NHS does not know how to help them.

Mark Lever, chief executive of the NAS said; “This important review crucially recognises the need for improvements in mental health as evidenced by the findings of our You Need To Know campaign. Our research found services failed to help two thirds of children with autism and in some cases even made their mental health worse.

“Too many children with autism are developing preventable mental health problems and find themselves up against a broken system that doesn’t understand them or their needs. All too often they receive inappropriate, ineffectual and sometimes harmful treatments. This has a devastating effect on families many of whom develop their own mental health problems as a result.

Read in Full:  http://www.medilexicon.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=201723