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Archive for June, 2011

 

ScienceDaily (June 2, 2011) — A recent study has shown that cognitive impairment is evident early on in preschool children with epilepsy, consistent with results of similar studies in older children. Age of onset of first seizure is a significant predictor of cognitive impairment according to this study — the first to evaluate cognitive impairment in children age three to six. The report is available in Epilepsia, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE).


Epilepsy is characterized by recurrent seizures that range from mild staring spells to major convulsions, and frequently develops in early childhood. Studies have found that in the U.S. alone there are more than 325,000 children under the age of 15 who are diagnosed with epilepsy, with 45,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Medical evidence further suggests that early onset of seizures is a significant factor contributing to cognitive impairment in children.


For the present study, researchers reviewed medical data and psychological evaluations for 64 preschool children (3 to 6.11 years old) with active epilepsy in order to determine the frequency of cognitive impairment and the epilepsy-related factors contributing to the impairment. Children in the study group had a mean age of five, with seizure onset between 0 and 75 months. “Our study is the first to examine cognitive performance in preschool children with epilepsy,” said lead researcher Kati Rantanen, a PhD candidate at the University of Tampere in Finland.


The study showed that the prevalence of epilepsy was roughly 3 per 1,000 children, which is consistent with prior studies in Finland and other developed countries. The team identified 27 children with focal seizures, 31 with generalized seizures, and 6 with unclassified seizure types. More than half of the children (64%) were receiving monotherapy of an anti-epileptic drug for seizure control. The seizures were well-controlled in 37% of children, partially controlled in 16%, and poorly controlled in the remaining 47% of participants.


Read in Full:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110602095420.htm



 

Article Date: 02 Jun 2011 – 3:00 PDT


Commenting on the Panorama investigation into abuse at a unit for people with learning disbailities (Undercover Care: The Abuse Exposed, shown on BBC1 on 31 May 2011), Dr Ian Hall, chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Faculty of the Psychiatry of Learning Disablity, said:


“The practices shown in the Panorama documentary are appalling, and must never be used when supporting people with learning disability. People with learning disability should always be treated with dignity and respect. If they talk about being treated badly, then this must always be taken seriously, by everyone, including hospital managers and regulators.


“People with learning disability do sometimes behave in a way that challenges services and carers. Treating people with dignity and respect goes a long way to preventing such behaviour. Where such behaviour does occur, there are established good practice therapeutic guidelines for managing it. There is absolutely no place for punishment, or inhuman or degrading treatment in the management of such behaviour.”


In June 2007, the Royal College of Psychiatrists published a College Report detailing good practice guidelines for supporting people with learning disabilities who are at risk of receiving abusive or restrictive practices: CR144 – Challenging Behaviour: A Unified Approach.


Source:
Royal College of Psychiatrists

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/227229.php


 

NAS: More Regular Independent Inspections Of Care Services Needed


In response to BBC One’s Panorama investigation into the abuse of vulnerable adults in care, broadcast at 9pm on Tuesday 31 May, The National Autistic Society (NAS) is calling on the Government to recognise the failings in the current system of inspection. Please sign our petition to call on the Government to take urgent action to address the failings in the current system of inspection.


The Government must ensure that inspecting bodies are properly resourced to ensure care providers are held to account for the services they provide to vulnerable adults. The NAS is concerned that under the current ‘light-touch’ inspection system, which has seen a reported 70% drop in inspections over the past year,  early identification of care quality issues is not guaranteed.


Carol Povey, Director of the NAS Centre for Autism, says:


I and my colleagues at the NAS found last night’s programme shocking and deeply upsetting. It is completely unacceptable that any form of abuse by care support staff takes place in any care service. Careful recruitment, regular inspections and detailed staff training plans are essential but organisations also need to ensure they have a culture where abuse is never tolerated, and this needs to come from the top.


She continues:


We all have a duty of care to protect vulnerable adults from harm and to ensure they have the opportunity to live life to the full with dignity and respect. This programme demonstrates that the current system is failing some of our most vulnerable people but we have concerns that it has taken yet another undercover investigation to bring this particular instance of abuse to the attention of the authorities. We believe that full accountability of services is required to end abuse of this kind now and in the future.


The NAS is calling for immediate safeguarding procedures to be implemented throughout adult care services under a robust and rigorous inspection system.


  • *All organisations have to create working cultures where abuse is unacceptable and clear polices and procedures are in place to report abuse and wrongdoing.
  • *It is vital that individuals working in adult social care have the right attitude to work with vulnerable adults and that they are trained in safeguarding and managing challenging behaviour.
  • *Robust and rigorous recruitment procedures are essential.
  • *Specific on-the-job training should be regularly assessed and refreshed.
  • *Staff must have relevant and specific knowledge of the disabilities they are dealing with to help support individuals appropriately.

We have produced a Q&A for families who are concerned about the issues raised in the Panorama programme and want to know more about how people in adult services should be well-supported and kept safe.


Source:

http://www.autism.org.uk/news-and-events/news-from-the-nas/more-regular-independent-inspections-of-care-services-needed.aspx



 

The National Autistic Society has launched new telephone numbers for the following services:


Education Rights Service: 0808 800 4102
Autism Helpline: 0808 800  4104
Parent-to-Parent Service: 0808 800 4106


Calls to these numbers are free from landlines and most mobiles.


This is an important development as it will support more people to access the information, advice and support that they need; one in seven calls to our Autism Helpline are now from mobile phones. The new numbers also offer enhanced confidentiality as the mobile networks will not itemise calls to these numbers on bills.


Our Autism Helpline is for people with an autism spectrum disorder, family members and carers. It offers impartial, confidential advice, information and support around autism and related issues, including diagnosis, early intervention, therapies, behaviour management, education, housing, benefits and community care. Our helpline advisors can also search for local support in your area or direct you to appropriate services.


People who wish to book a telephone appointment with our Welfare Rights Service and Community Care Service can do so via the Autism Helpline.


Our Parent to Parent Service is a confidential telephone service providing emotional support for parents and carers of an adult or child on the autism spectrum. A parent or carer can call the service at any time and leave a message on the 24-hour answer phone. A volunteer will then call them back as soon as possible, at a time which suits them, including evenings and weekends


Finally, our UK-wide Education Rights Service provides information, advice and support on educational provision and entitlements to help guide parents and carers through education law and through what can often be a complex and difficult process. Our trained volunteers also help parents prepare appeals to educational tribunals.


Source:

http://www.autism.org.uk/news-and-events/news-from-the-nas/new-phone-numbers-for-nas-helplines.aspx




 

 

In the series Born To Be Different, Channel 4 has, for the last 11 years, been following the lives of six remarkable children all born with a disability. Zoe, Emily, Hamish, Shelbie, Nathan and William all face different challenges as they pass the milestone of their tenth birthdays.


William, 11, has tuberous sclerosis and also has complex epilepsy, severe learning difficulties, autistic spectrum disorder, challenging behaviour and ADHD. During the three programmes he has the joy of his tenth birthday, a huge milestone for the whole family. Finally the family are able to adapt their home to make it more suitable for William, who has variable mobility due mainly to his epilepsy. His behaviour then shows significant deterioration, his SEGA brain tumour has grown and is causing headaches and irritability. The family face the trauma of invasive brain surgery to remove the tumour. William has spent so much time in hospital over his life he has a significant fear of any medical procedure.


William has very high care needs and two years ago Paula (his mother and main carer) was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Family life goes on regardless and the documentary shows the joy and challenges of raising a child who was ‘Born to Be Different’. As Paula says,


With MS you are advised to get lots of sleep and avoid stress, I guess whoever gave this advice had never met William.


The Davises admit that life with William can be really tough but his winning smile always carries them through.


Programme 1 Thursday 9 June 9.00pm
Programme 2 Thursday 16 June 9.00pm
Programme 3 Thursday 23 June 9.00pm

Source:

http://www.autism.org.uk/news-and-events/news-from-the-nas/born-to-be-different-channel-4.aspx



 

The news (25 May 2011) reports that four police officers now face misconduct hearings for failing to identify Fiona Pilkington and her family as vulnerable, which resulted in the death of both her and her disabled daughter, Francecca.


The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has published a report saying there were policies in place that could have identified the level of harassment the Pilkington family were subjected to, but that these had not been followed properly. The report also shows that, despite contacting the police more than 30 times over ten years of abuse, Leicestershire Police failed to pick up on the events as ongoing harassment.


Tragically, the situation that the Pilkington family found themselves in is one that far too many people with disabilities experience. Over half of people with autism (56%) have found themselves either bullied or harassed as an adult.


The National Autistic Society believes this is wrong and has to stop. We are working with Mencap to tell the Government that more needs to be done to stop disability hate crime in its tracks. All too often, instances of disability hate crime are not being picked up and, when perpetrators are put on trial, sentences are failing to take account of that motivation of hate. While it is too late for the Pilkington family, we are working to make sure that abuse and harassment are no longer part of a disabled person’s life.


If you would like to support our call to the Government to ensure sentencing for disability hate crimes is taken as seriously as for other hate crimes, please sign our petition.


Source:

http://www.autism.org.uk/news-and-events/news-from-the-nas/police-failed-pilkington-family-as-victims-of-harassment.aspx



Photo: a classic John Swannell fashion shoot

 

John Swannell, world renowned fashion, beauty and royal photographer, appeared on Sunday’s ITV Tonight programme to talk about a lecture he will be giving in aid of The National Autistic Society (NAS).


During the programme, John discusses his experiences raising his son, Charlie, who has Asperger syndrome, and some of the famous faces he has photographed through the course of a fascinating career. John hopes that the lecture, which takes place at The Royal Geographical Society on 7 June, will help to raise funds for the NAS and awareness of autism and some of the struggles families can face, particularly during the stage of transition to adulthood.


The lecture entitled ‘My World in Pictures’ will take the form of a journey through John’s photographic career, from his first days as an assistant at Vogue Studios through to his time working for publications such as Harpers & Queen, The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Times and Tatler. John will talk about his experiences of photographing some of the world’s most well-known faces, how fashion has changed over the years, and the amazing places across the world John has visited throughout his career.


The lecture will take place at The Royal Geographical Society on 7 June. Tickets will cost £15 with all proceeds going to charity. Find out more about the event, including how to buy tickets.


 

Source:

http://www.autism.org.uk/news-and-events/news-from-the-nas/john-swannell-discusses-photography-lecture-for-autism-on-itv-london.aspx



Fun world: The ‘Taking Flight’ bronze sculpture at Morgan’s Wonderland in San Antonio, Texas, a 10ha theme park that caters to people with physical or mental disabilities.


Thursday June 2, 2011

By PAUL J. WEBER


Morgan’s Wonderland is a fun park designed for children and adults with special needs.


THE carousel has chariots for wheelchairs. Braille games decorate side panels on the jungle gym. And table-high sandboxes allow just about any kid to build a castle.


Morgan’s Wonderland in Texas aims to offer everything a special needs guest might enjoy at a theme park, while appealing to non-disabled visitors, too.


“If it wasn’t for searching Google,” founder Gordon Hartman said, “it would’ve taken me a lot longer to put this together.”


The result is both inventive and heartwarming: a 10ha, US$34mil (RM102mil) park catering every detail to people with physical or mental disabilities, down to jungle gyms wide enough to fit two wheelchairs side-by-side, a “Sensory Village” that’s an indoor mall of touch-and-hear activities, and daily attendance limits so the park never gets too loud or lines too long.


Since opening last year, Morgan’s Wonderland has attracted more than 100,000 guests, despite almost no national marketing by the non-profit park. Admission for people with special needs is free, and adults accompanying them pay US$10 (RM30). Three out of every four visitors do not have disabilities.


The park is the first of its kind in America, according to Hartman, a San Antonio philanthropist who named the place after his 17-year-old daughter, who can’t perform simple maths and struggles to form sentences because of cognitive disabilities. A map in the lobby entrance, where adults with special needs volunteer as greeters, offers a more visual way to gauge the park’s early popularity. The 49 US states and 16 countries which visitors have come from are marked in purple.


Persons with autism, orthopaedic impairments, mental disabilities or seizure disorders are among the most regular visitors. Tifani Jackson’s 11-year-old son, Jaylin, has Williams syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes learning disabilities and developmental delays.


Jaylin was showing off his new hat from the gift shop, before coaxing his mum towards the off-road adventure ride, where rugged-looking jeeps that are wheelchair accessible twist and turn through a short track.


“It’s so nice to have a place like this,” said Jackson, who lives in nearby Austin.


Built on the site of an abandoned quarry, Morgan’s Wonderland is one-tenth the size of SeaWorld, the destination mega-attraction on the other side of San Antonio.


Morgan’s Wonderland is deliberately designed so that visitors do not have to go through an exhausting trudge from one overcrowded ride to the next.


Generously spread out, the park has about 20 attractions from active (Butterfly Playground) to easy-going (a train circling a 1.6km-long loop through the park and around a lake). Even more tranquil is the Sitting Garden, a quiet and almost meditative enclave that’s a favourite among parents with autistic children.


Read in Full:

http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2011/6/2/lifeliving/8764514&sec=lifeliving



 

9:01 PM, May. 31, 2011

Great Falls Public Schools discriminated against an autistic boy at North Middle School when it did not take adequate action after hearing that two teaching aides had abused him in a special education classroom, according to a ruling by the Montana Human Rights Bureau that was released today.


The case was filed in June 2009 by Tifonie Schilling, acting on behalf of her son Garrett. Garrett Schilling, 16, was a student at North Middle School in 2008 when two aides, Julie Parish and Kristina Kallies, allegedly used abusive methods of punishment against him by running his head under running water during class. Criminal charges against the two women were dropped earlier this year.


Garrett Schilling has Fragile X syndrome, a genetic condition on the autism spectrum, and has the cognitive abilities of a 3-year-old.


The district is now required to submit its policy for reporting abuse for the bureau’s review. The ruling states that the district should have a policy that requires any discrimination to be reported immediately and that all special education employees be trained in the policy. If the policies are not up to par, the district may have to hire an outside expert to review them and recommend new policies.


Superintendent Cheryl Crawley said that the district already changed its policies ahead of the ruling and had no reason to think it would not be accepted by the bureau.


Tifonie Schilling’s requested damages of $4 million were not awarded.


Source:

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011110531010



Greater Shepparton, Australia

 

A chronic shortage of approved service providers in regional areas such as Shepparton means desperate families are often faced with long waiting lists before they can access help for their children with a disorder on the autism spectrum.


The Federal Budget included an additional $29 million for the Helping Children With Autism program and has been welcomed by eligible families in the Goulburn Valley.


But Scope Victoria is the only approved provider in the Greater Shepparton region.


Kerry Newman’s son Jarryn , 7, was diagnosed with…


Read More(Registration Req’d):

http://www.sheppnews.com.au/members/login.aspx?noaccess=1&from=/article.aspx?id=1218636



 

May 30, 2011


Teenagers and children with Asperger’s syndrome and autism often have problems in one or more sensory areas. These include tactile, oral, visual, olfactory, auditory and the general ability to balance and control the body. In the book, Asperger Syndrome in Adolescence, Mark Willey and Liane Holliday Willey describe forms of occupational therapy that can be carried out at home.


Recognizing Sensory Problems in Teens with Asperger’s Syndrome

 

Young people with Asperger’s Syndrome often have difficulties with gross and fine motor control as well as over or under-sensitivity to sounds, touch and smell. While these weaknesses should be diagnosed by a professional, here are some warning signs to look out for:


  • *clumsiness
  • *problems with hand-eye coordination
  • *balance problems
  • *poor posture
  • *sensitivity to sound, light, smell and touch
  • *difficulties in social situations
  • *learning disabilities
  • *anxiety
  • *poor eating habits

 

Simple Steps to Overcome Sensory Weaknesses in Teens with Asperger’s Syndrome

 

An occupational therapist will often recommend simple exercises that can be practised at home. Here are some ideas to experiment with:


Help for over and under-sensitivity to tactile experiences:


  • *Encourage and offer tight squeezes and hugs.
  • *Use tactile-rich decor such as cork, sisal rugs and furry blankets.
  • *Supply a bag of different textured items such as feathers, leather, silk, tinfoil, sandpaper and sponge and encourage the child to rub them and feel the different surfaces.
  • *Cook meals with different size pieces of vegetables and different texture foods.
  • *Encourage gardening and patting down soil and working with sand.
  • *Provide clothing the child is comfortable in.

 

Help for over and under-sensitivity to oral experiences:


  • *Offer chewing gum, lollipops and hard candy.
  • *Supply straws or cups with built in straws.
  • *Ensure the child is on a multivitamin to make up for any dietary deficiency.
  • *Encourage bubble blowing.
  • *Supply simple wind instruments such as recorders and harmonicas.

 

Help for children with auditory sensitivity:


  • *Supply earplugs or earmuffs when at a loud event or sports match.
  • *Expose the child to a variety of music and see which is most enjoyed.
  • *Teach the child how to cope with or move away from loud noises such as a passing train or screaming children.
  • *Take the child to quiet places on outings such as the library, art galleries, coffee shops and parks.

 

Help for children with olfactory sensitivity:


  • *Supply a small vial of a perfume the child likes that he can sniff if he needs to.
  • *Give permission for the child to leave the room if an odour is too strong and try and make the same provision at his school.
  • *Don’t bring home magazines with perfumed pages.
  • *Teach a child to breathe through his mouth to minimize unwanted smells.

 

Help for children with visual sensitivity:


  • *Work with an ophthalmologist as different color and strength lenses can help.
  • *Do jigsaw puzzles with the child.
  • *Encourage activities where the child sorts items into shapes and sizes.
  • *Work on collages.
  • *Build 3D models.

 

Read in Full:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/8103021/aspergers_syndrome_and_sensory_difficulties.html?cat=5