www.aspie-editorial.com

Jennifer Beal

Psychological interventions intended to prevent the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the early stages after a traumatic experience have not been shown to be effective, Cochrane Researchers have concluded. This systematic review focused on multiple-session treatments for everyone involved, irrespective of the presence of symptoms. Two previous reviews found single session interventions to be ineffective.

“It is important to note that these interventions were for everyone involved in a traumatic event rather than just those who had symptoms, which may account for the results. We found no benefit associated with any of the multiple session interventions studied, and there was some evidence that multiple session interventions may result in worse outcome than no intervention for some individuals,” says lead researcher Neil Roberts of the Traumatic Stress Service at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, UK. “Our recommendation is, therefore, that these interventions should not be used as a blanket approach for everyone involved in traumatic events.“

PTSD is a condition that affects people who undergo extremely stressful experiences, such as earthquakes, violent crimes and military combat. They may suffer long-lasting psychological difficulties as a result. Experts have been trying to develop effective treatments to prevent PTSD from developing for 25 years, but there is little evidence that those used routinely offer any benefit.

The review encompassed people of all risk levels. Researchers looked at data from eleven studies involving a total of 941 people exposed to traumatic events. These studies offered interventions, which included cognitive behavioural therapy and individual and group counselling, to people whether or not they were experiencing symptoms of PTSD. None of these was effective at preventing PTSD. Patients given the treatments were more likely to report symptoms of PTSD after three to six months than patients who were not.

The reviewers are keen to emphasize that this review should not be read as suggesting that psychological intervention has no role in treating PTSD. “The current study was looking at the ability of psychological interventions to prevent onset of symptoms, and deliberately excluded targeted interventions where therapy was only offered to people who were already displaying symptoms of PTSD,” says Roberts. “We are currently evaluating the success of similar interventions when given as treatment to people who have already developed early symptoms.“

“We urgently need more research on the most effective ways of giving psychological help to people who suffer traumatic events,” says Roberts. “Coupled with the results of earlier reviews, our research indicates that there is currently no effective option for early stage prevention of post traumatic stress disorder.“

Roberts NP, Kitchiner NJ, Kenardy J, Bisson J. Multiple session early psychological interventions for the prevention of post-traumatic stress disorder. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2009;3:CD006869 [Full text]

 

Brian Rafferty at his bookshop in Edinburgh   Photo: DEREK BLAIR

Brian Rafferty has Asperger’s syndrome, but it doesn’t stop him running a bookshop. By Judith Woods

By Judith Woods
Published: 7:00AM BST 13 Jul 2009

WHEN customers step into the Broughton Street Book Shop in Edinburgh, a high-ceilinged, wood-panelled room enticingly crammed with shelves of second-hand books, the rather gangly young man behind the counter hands them a pamphlet, without making eye contact.

The leaflet explains that his name is Brian Rafferty, he is the shop’s proprietor and he suffers from both Asperger’s syndrome – a form of autism – and cerebral palsy.

“With the help of my family and friends I have opened this second-hand bookshop and intend to support myself, and give a purpose to my life,” it reads. “I don’t think I am unemployable.”

But it was Brian’s apparent unemployability that led his parents to take the extraordinary step of leasing the shop, appealing online for book donations – they received thousands of volumes – and setting their son up in business. After sending out 70 CVs and applications for IT jobs, inputting data or stock control last year, the 21-year-old failed to get a single interview.

Read Full Article:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/5795952/Who-says-Aspergers-sufferers-are-unemployable.html

 

HEADLINES

“Mass. Mom pleads not guilty to denying son meds”:

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=104&sid=1711086

“Autistic boy in Tulsa dies after being hit by car”:

http://newsok.com/autistic-boy-in-tulsa-dies-after-being-hit-by-car/article/3383495?custom_click=headlines_widget

“Rwanda denies sterilisation plans”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/rwanda_denies_sterilisation_plans.htm

“HOPE welcomes Autism Bill’s progress following first reading in The Lords, UK”:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155778.php

“Teenager with learning difficulties is victim of police inadequacy”:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/humanrightsandwrongs/teenager-learning-difficulties-victim

“Disability hate crimes unseen”:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/8135066.stm

“Criminals with a mental illness need a prison break … As the first specialist mental health court opens its doors, Sean Duggan says it could provide a valuable solution to the often senseless incarceration of those with a mental illness”:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/joepublic/2009/jul/02/prisons-mental-health-illness

“NAS announces major new strategy”:

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=253&a=19987

“NAS – What do you think about the special educational needs system?”:

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1380&a=19738

“Those affected by autism can have their say”:

http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/4473379.Those_affected_by_autism_can_have_their_say/

“Fears autism staff will go in cash cuts”:

http://www.yourswale.co.uk/kent-news/Fears-autism-support-staff-will-go-in-cash-cuts–newsinkent25057.aspx?news=local

“Gary McKinnon Updates: In the name of compassion, Britain must reverse this shameful decision”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/gary_mckinnon_updates_in_the_name_of_compassion_britain_mu.htm

“Terror law boss backs Gary McKinnon’s fight”:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1197702/Terror-law-boss-backs-Gary-McKinnons-fight-New-support-Aspergers-victim-facing-extradition.html

“In England, girls vulnerable to Islamic law … In March of last year a severely autistic man with the mental age of three married a woman in Bangladesh, via the telephone. Three of Britain’s most senior judges intervened, ruling the marriage could not be legal under English law, as the man was unable to give his consent.”:

http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/3998

“Ten people banned from Britain”:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124586719017648795.html

“Clear vision to tackle sight problems among disabled … According to NHS figures 30% of people with a learning disability have a diagnosed visual impairment. But astonishingly, a further 50% of people with learning disabilities have undiagnosed sight problems, according to the RNIB, and may be losing their sight unnecessarily.”:

http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/features/display.var.2518486.0.Clear_vision_to_tackle_sight_problems_among_disabled.php

RESEARCH & HEALTH

Fragile X “Measuring intellectual disability”:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090624093309.htm

“Single test can identify any genetic disorder in utero … Parents who have children with special needs have often mentioned the blessing that their children have been to them and the life lessons they have learned from raising a child who does not fit the societal norm.”:

http://www.examiner.com/x-9474-Baltimore-Special-Education-Examiner~y2009m6d30-Single-test-can-identify-any-genetic-disorder-in-utero

“Scientists uncover patterns of genetic changes in MR/Learning Difficulties”:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156115.php

“Autistic kids learn new behaviours differently than others”:

http://www.thelondonnews.net/story/516090

“Catastrophic Epilepsy caused by single gene mutation”:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156783.php

“Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder share many common genetic variants says International Research Consortium”:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156114.php

“Brain’s immune system may cause chronic seizures”:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156611.php

“A combination of common genetic variations can lead to schizophrenia”:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156095.php

“Treating sleep disorders may ease anxiety & mood disorders”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/treating_sleep_disorders_may_ease_anxiety__mood_disorders.htm

“Abstract: Antidepressants and Sleep: A review”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/abstract_antidepressants_and_sleep_a_review.htm

“Depression, anxiety bad for the heart”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/depression_anxiety_bad_for_the_heart.htm

“How adolescent girls manage stress”:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155060.php

“Finding Fear: Neuroscientists locate fear encoding neurons”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/finding_fear_neuroscientists_locate_fear_encoding_neurons.htm

“Anxiety-prone people find distractions hard to ignore”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/anxietyprone_people_find_distractions_hard_to_ignore.htm

“Gambling is male stress release”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/gambling_is_male_stress_release.htm

“Trichotillomania: Amino acid may curb compulsive hair pulling”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/trichotillomania_amino_acid_may_curb_compulsive_hair_pullin.htm

“Abstract: A pilot study of telephone CBT for OCD in young people”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/abstract_a_pilot_study_of_telephone_cbt_for_ocd_in_young_pe.htm

“The Special Issue spotter”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/the_special_issue_spotter.htm

“Children’s Hospital launches health blog”:

http://boston.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2009/07/06/daily22.html

“Sign O’ the neuro times”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/sign_o_the_neuro_times.htm

“Virtual Hospital”:

http://www.uihealthcare.com/vh/

EDUCATION

“Court requires districts to pay for special education”:

http://www.columbian.com/article/20090623/NEWS02/706239946/Court+requires+districts+to+pay+for+special+education

“U.S. Supreme Court rejects autism school appeal”:

http://www.10tv.com/live/content/onnnews/stories/2009/06/30/autism_supco.html?

“The curious incident of the straight-A student with Asperger’s syndrome”:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/jul/04/autism-asperger-s-education-society

“Berkeley students find bridge to college”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/berkeley_students_find_bridge_to_college.htm

“Exam pass in jeopardy claims college student”:

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/cardiff-news/2009/06/12/exam-pass-in-jeopardy-claims-college-student-91466-23851225/

“There’s no education like home schooling”:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article6492580.ece

“Facts about Home Schooling: Information for those considering teaching their children at home”:

http://homeschooling.suite101.com/article.cfm/facts_about_home_schooling

“First steps to homeschool your child”:

http://www.examiner.com/x-9474-Baltimore-Special-Education-Examiner~y2009m6d29-First-steps-to-homeschool-your-child

“Autistic kids should be taught in smaller groups, say experts”:

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-67005.html

“A computerised learning tool helps boost study effectiveness”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/a_computerised_learning_tool_helps_boost_study_effectiveness.htm

EMPLOYMENT

“Autelligent Laboratories

We believe all people have a contribution to make and deserve an opportunity to be productive.

With your caring and excellent help, we are creating jobs for the 40 million people worldwide who are diagnosed with Autism and Asperger Syndrome. Today less than one in five of us are currently employed. We are motivated and competent and we deserve equal employment. Help make this a reality.

Autelligent Laboratories is dedicated to creating a space where autistic software engineers can more than contribute, we can excel.”:

http://www.autlabs.com/

Luxury Quality Scented Candles “Humbolt Candles – Autism & Disability Employment Company”:

http://www.humboldtcandles.com/index.html

“Auties.org”:
Individuality, Diversity, Equality, Achievement

Auties..org is an Aspie & Autie friendly site for all people on the Autistic Spectrum who are ready to dare reach out to occupation and employment, open the doors to the community and market their abilities directly to the public and for those interested in supporting these pioneers.

http://www.auties.org/

“Prospects”:

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=473&a=2348

“AutismJobs”:
Linking job seekers with vacancies in work related to autism, Aspergers and ASDs

http://www.autismjobs.org/?section=00010009

“Current job vacancies within the NAS”:

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=170

For further employment information, please view”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/employment_on_the_autism_spectrum.htm

GENERAL/HUMAN INTEREST

“The Voices & Choices of Autism”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/fwd__the_voices_and_choices_of_autism.htm

“Beware the misconceptions, discriminations, and rhetoric bombarding the autism community”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/beware_the_misconceptions_discriminations_and_rhetoric_bo.htm

“Mother’s appeal to help little Millie, 7”:

http://www.stamfordmercury.co.uk/news/Mother39s-appeal-to-help-little.5425352.jp

“Josh Muggleton and Year Dot”:

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=2122&a=17583

“Family go on dream hol thanks to airport”:

http://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/free/Family-go-on-dream-hol.5361046.jp

“Plan to extend Nelson home for autistic child gets go ahead”:

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/4433745.Plan_to_extend_Nelson_home_for_child_with_autism_gets_go_ahead/

NAS “Raising awareness of autism on Trafalgar Square’s fourth plinth”:

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=253&a=20015

“NAS restructures”:

http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/Channels/Management/login/916882/

“In the saddle with Hoofbeats”:

http://www.dnj.com/article/20090707/LIFESTYLE/907070303/In+the+saddle++Special+kids+riding+tall+with+Hoofbeats

“Daniel Radcliffe: Dyspraxia”:

http://www.examiner.com/x-6955-Nashville-Special-Needs-Kids-Examiner~y2009m7d7-Celebrities-with-special-needs-Daniel-Radcilffe-Dyspraxia

SOUTH AFRICA

Autism South Africa
P.O. Box 84209
Greenside. 2034
JOHANNESBURG
SOUTH AFRICA
Tel: +27 11 486 3696 / 0122
Fax: + 27 11 486 2619
e-mail: autismsa@iafrica.com
Website: http://www.autismsouthafrica.org

 

Autism Western Cape
P.O Box 60375,
Tableview, 7439,
Cape Town
SOUTH AFRICA
Tel: +27 21 557-3573
Fax: +27 21 557-3573
Mobile: 083 707 1611
e-mail: julie@autismwesterncape.org.za
Website: www.autismwesterncape.org.za

 

Association for Autism (Pretoria)
P.O. Box 35182
Menlo Park.0102
SOUTH AFRICA
Tel: +27 12 46 6539
Fax: +27 12 46 6324
e-mail: autism@mweb.co.za

 

Association for Autism (Pretoria)
P.O. Box 35833
Menlo Park. 0102
SOUTH AFRICA
Tel and fax: +27 12 346 2376
e-mail: autism@mweb.co.za

 

Society for Children and Adults with Autism (Johannesburg)
P.O. Box 84611
Greenside. 2034
SOUTH AFRICA
Tel: +27 11 726 2445
Fax: +2711 726 7901
e-mail: keyschool@iafrica.com

 

Parents of Autistic Children Kwazulu Natal (P.A.C.K)
P.O. Box 535
New Germany. 3620
SOUTH AFRICA
Tel: +27 31 701 0355
Fax: +27 31 701 7830
e-mail: nphuntpp@kaymac.co.za

 

Eastern Cape Association for Autism (E.C.A.A)
P.O. BOX 2948
Riebeekhoogte.
Uitenhage. 6231
SOUTH AFRICA
Tel: +27 41 463 1166 (w)
Fax: +27 41 463 1326 (w)
Home: +27 41 73 3190
E-mail: (ECAA) ecaasa@hotmail.com

Eastern Cape Association for Autism (E.C.A.A)
P.O. Box 2948
Riebeekhoogte. Uitenhage. 6231
SOUTH AFRICA
Tel & Fax: +27 41 922 9347
E-mail: quest@netactive.co.za

“Cape Town, Places of a Lifetime, Travel, Photography”:

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/places/places-of-a-lifetime/capetown.html

 

“Cape Town Quiz”:

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/places/places-of-a-lifetime/capetown-quiz.html

 

“South Africa – A Photo A Day”:

http://www.travelphoto.net/a-photo-a-day/wordpress/category/photos/south-africa/

 

“South Africa Tourism: Official Website”:

http://www.southafrica.net/sat/content/en/za/home

 

“The South Africa Website – The aim of the site is to act as a guide for visitors of South Africa”:

http://www.south-africa.me.uk/

ADD/ADHD

“Genes that may play a role in etiology of ADHD identified – The suspect genes already have been implicated in autism, schizophrenia and Tourette syndrome”:

http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/Pathology/Genes-That-May-Play-a-Role-in-Etiology-of-ADHD-Ide/ArticleNewsFeed/Article/detail/606821?contextCategoryId=40133

“Blue and green Smarties purged”:

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/life/food/Blue+green+Smarties+purged/1743805/story.html

“Placebo effects in caregivers may change behavior of children with ADHD”:

http://www.physorg.com/news165514095.html

“Hypofrontality in Attention deficit Hyperactivity Disorder during Higher-Order Motor Control: A Study with Functional MRI”:

http://www.citeulike.org/user/Whyking/article/2857707

“Council cuts: The true cost … A SIX-YEAR-OLD girl with severe learning difficulties has been told funding is no longer available for her to attend a holiday club.”:

http://www.berrowsjournal.co.uk/news/4474903.Council_cuts__The_true_cost/?ref=rss

ADRES “Adverse Drug Reaction Electronic System(Adverse Drug Reactions Website)”- This website provides patients, doctors, and other medical professionals with a comprehensive examination of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), side effects, and other safety information for both prescription and over-the-counter medications.. Our goal is to allow users of our website make informed decisions when taking (patients) or prescribing (doctors) drugs. We are providing unmatched information and analysis tools.

http://www.adverse-drug-reaction.net/

 

“adders.org”
Our objective is to promote awareness to AD/HD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) and to provide information and as much free practical help as we can to those affected by the condition, both adults and children, their families in the UK and around the World via this website.

http://www.adders.org/

“ADDISS” The National Attention Deficit Disorder Information and Support Service…

http://www.addiss.co.uk/index.html

“ADDA”:

http://www.add.org/index.html

“hi2u ADHD Pages”:

http://www..adhd..org.uk/

“CHADD”:

http://www.chadd.org/am/CustomPages/home/CHADD_Home.htm?CFID=2282059&CFTOKEN=38105335&jsessionid=f2303343221169802693562

SPORT

“Beale beats off adversity to become first female ‘master’ in the UK … Sandra has been practising karate for 18 years. As well as being the national director of operations to NAKMAS she is the joint chief instructor to the Kent Karate Schools (www.kentkarateschools.co.uk), teaching her classes in Ashford and Canterbury, specialising in teaching children, including those with Asperger Syndrome and those with other special needs.”:

http://www.responsesource.com/releases/rel_display.php?relid=48816

 

“Worthing seafront train walk”:

http://www.bognor.co.uk/worthing-news/PICTURE-Worthing-seafront-train-walk.5345291.jp

“Eating to fuel exercise”:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/eating-to-fuel-exercise/?em

“Turning exercise into data”:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/06/running-by-the-numbers/

“Join our Racecourse Bike Ride this summer”:

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=2116&a=18586

“Racecourse Bike Ride – 12 July, 2009”:

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=2116

“Trek Hadrian’s Wall – 7-9 August, 2009”:

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=2088

“Trek Jordan 2009 – 10-14 September”:

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1833

“Cycle India – 27 November – 6 December, 2009”:

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1832

“Sky Diving”:

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1726

MUSIC

“Children and music”:

http://www.examiner.com/x-6955-Nashville-Special-Needs-Kids-Examiner~y2009m6d18-Children-and-music

“The AutisMusic Project”:

http://www.autismusic.com/

ART

“James Henry Pullen (1835-1916)”:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Henry_Pullen

http://www.spamula.net/blog/archives/000267.html

http://www.wisconsinmedicalsociety.org/savant_syndrome/savant_profiles/james_pullen

GLIMPSE – the talents of the autism community

They are painters, sculptors and photographers; poets and storytellers; musicians and creators of amazing video games. They are kids, teens and adults. Last year, a new online publication arose to celebrate the talents of autistic individuals and other developmental disabilities: GLIMPSE, offered by ICDL (The Interdisciplinary Council of Developmental and Learning Disorders). In late 2008, Volume 2 of GLIMPSE was released, and was expanded into a print book and notecards. The works are serious, humourous, deeply personal and illuminating. See it for yourself, share it with others, submit your own/your child’s work for inclusion in Volume 3, to release later this year. Find information and ordering details at www.icdl.com

“ARTROOM ………where under 17s can make and display art online”:

http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artroom/index.php

MOVIES/ENTERTAINMENT

“Theatre review: Something in the Air … Long before the vogue for site-responsive theatre and shows that are ever more interactive, multisensory and intimate, there was Oily Cart, a remarkable and pioneering company whose work with children and those with complex disabilities has always been way ahead of the theatrical game.”:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2009/jul/07/something-in-the-air-review

Australian Band, Rudely Interrupted “New film features band whose members are autistic/AS”:

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=2122&a=19944

KOREA “Rain Man”: The play adaptation of the same-titled hit movie from 1988 starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise is staged for the first time in Korea. The piece features Charlie, a self-made businessman, who meets his autistic brother Raymond after his parents die. Charlie, who first only cared about his parents’ inheritance, starts to genuinely love and care for Raymond. Well-known screen and television actor Lee Jong-hyuk plays Charlie. The play runs through Aug. 2 at SM Arts Hall in Daehangno, Seoul. For details, call (02) 2051-3307.

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2009/07/04/200907040012.asp

“Adam Review”:

http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/features/display.var.2516515.0.Dodgy_dealings_in_the_art_world.php

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=2122&a=19888

“Actors for Autism”:
http://www.actorsforautism.com/

BOOKS

Jodi Picoult “Picoult’s next novel will be about a boy with Asperger’s syndrome who becomes obsessed with crime scenes – so obsessed that he ends up a murder suspect. (You can’t deny the brilliance of this idea.) She has said that, for her, her books represent a kind of magical thinking: she puts herself through the emotional wringer while she writes them in the hope of conferring a degree of immunity on her family.”:

http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090706/ART/707059976/1007

“Cabins, Canoes and Campfires: Guidelines for Establishing a Camp for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders”

Author: Jill Hudson

http://www.asperger.net/bookstore_9949.htm

“Multisensory Rooms and Environments: Controlled Sensory Experiences for People with Profound and Multiple Disabilities”

Author: Susan Fowler

Foreword by Paul Pagliano

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843104629

“Sensory Stimulation: Sensory-Focused Activities for People with Physical and Multiple Disabilities”

Author: Susan Fowler

Foreword by Hilary Johnson

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843104551

“Encouraging Appropriate Behavior for Children on the Autism Spectrum: Frequently Asked Questions”

Author: Shira Richman

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843108252

“Guiding Your Teenager with Special Needs through the Transition from School to Adult Life: Tools for Parents”

Author: Mary Korpi

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843108740

“Understanding Nonverbal Learning Disabilities: A Common Sense Guide for Parents and Professionals”

Author: Maggie Mamen

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843105930

“Let’s All Listen: Songs for Group Work in Settings that Include Students with Learning Difficulties and Autism”

Author: Pat Lloyd

Foreword by Adam Ockelford

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843105831

“Making Music with the Young Child with Special Needs: A Guide for Parents – 2^nd Edition”

Author: Elaine Streeter

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781853029608

“Pied Piper: Musical Activities to develop Basic Skills”

Authors: John Bean and Amelia Oldfield

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781853029943

MOVIE

“G-Force” Rated PG

Release Date July 24

Synopsis: Producer Jerry Bruckheimer brings his first 3-D film to the big screen with G-Force, a comedy adventure about the latest evolution of a covert government program to train animals to work in espionage…”

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Steve Buscemi, Will Arnett, Penélope Cruz

http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/10009462-g_force/

Official Site:

http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/gforce/

VIDEO GAME

“Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (Nintendo DS) 12+

Release Date October 9, 2009

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kingdom-Hearts-358-Days-Nintendo/dp/B002DR4B1C/ref=pd_nr_vg_h__58?ie=UTF8&s=videogames

“Wii Fit Plus”

Release Date 25^th September 2009

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wii-Fit-Plus-Game-Only/dp/B002BS47JE/ref=pd_nr_vg_h__9?ie=UTF8&s=videogames

“Want to appear in your favourite movies?”

Forget Guitar Heroes, a new computer software has been launched which allows you to star in your favourite movies.

YooStar allows you to appear in scenes from several classic films such as Terminator, Beverly Hills Cop 2, Rocky Balboa and Double Indemnity…

http://uk.movies.yahoo.com/30062009/5/want-appear-favourite-movies-0.html

“Physios recommend a healthy dose of gaming”

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20227145.700-physios-recommend-a-healthy-dose-of-gaming.html

“The world’s most expensive video game?”

Old game sells at record price – A collector has paid over £10,000 for a Nintendo video game from 1990 that only lasts for six minutes.

http://uk.videogames.games.yahoo.com/blog/article/5985/

SPACE

“Interplanetary Internet Gets Permanent Home In Space”

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17416-interplanetary-internet-gets-permanent-home-in-space.html

TECH

 

“Computer Learns Sign Language By Watching TV”

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17431-computer-learns-sign-language-by-watching-tv.html

Take Care,

Julie

 
Alex Goodenough talks about his autistic spectrum disorder, Asperger’s. Photograph: Fiona Mersh

Decca Aitkenhead

The Guardian  

Alex Goodenough was the cleverest kid in his school – so why didn’t he get a sixth form place? Decca Aitkenhead talks to his family about the impact of Asperger’s

When Alex Goodenough was 13, his English teacher asked his class to write the first chapter of a novel. Alex began writing his, and after chapter one he thought he might as well carry on. He kept writing and writing – about space-faring aliens killing each other – and when the day came to submit his work, he handed in 97,000 words. An entire novel.

“I noticed it was bigger than anyone else’s,” he says today. He thought the teacher would like it. “I judge books by how many aliens get shot – and everyone died in the end.” Instead, he got “a thinly veiled comment about how important it is to wrap things up nicely – to write only what you can write in the duration of a Sats exam.”

Alex had always been out of sync. At six months he was talking; by 14 months he was constructing full sentences. He began studying German at 13, sat his GCSE at 14 and got an A; by 15 he had four more GCSEs – he and his mother were already planning his Cambridge application. But at 16 his local school flatly refused to give him a place in the sixth form. Alex ended up teaching himself from textbooks at home, isolated, nocturnal, seldom leaving the house. “It was just the word ‘Asperger’s’,” his mother Jan says. “Once they heard ‘Asperger’s’, they didn’t want to know.”

To read more …
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/jul/04/autism-asperger-s-education-society 

Raquel Schott – Harvard Health

Chronic sleep problems affect 50 percent to 80 percent of the patients in a typical psychiatric practice, compared with 10 percent to 18 percent of adults in the general population. Doctors have traditionally viewed insomnia and other sleep disorders as symptoms of depression and other mental health problems. But recent studies suggest that sleep problems may raise risk for, and even contribute to, the development of some psychiatric disorders. That means treating a sleep disorder may also reduce symptoms of a mental health problem, reports the July 2009 issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter.

The type of sleep disorder and its impact on mental health vary by psychiatric diagnosis. But the overlap between sleep and psychiatric disorders is so great that researchers have long suspected both types of problems may have common biological roots. Dr Michael Miller, editor in chief of the Harvard Mental Health Letter, notes that sleep disruption affects levels of neurotransmitters and stress hormones, many of which are implicated in depression and other psychiatric disorders. In addition to impairing thinking and emotional regulation, insomnia may amplify the effects of psychiatric disorders, and vice versa.

• *Depression: An estimated 65 percent to 90 percent of adults with major depression experience some kind of sleep problem. Sleep problems also increase the risk for developing depression.
• *Bipolar disorder: During a manic episode, 70 percent or more of individuals experience insomnia or report less need for sleep. Studies suggest that insomnia and other sleep problems worsen before an episode of mania.
• *Anxiety disorders: Sleep problems affect more than half of individuals with generalized anxiety disorder. Insomnia may also be a risk factor for developing an anxiety disorder, and can worsen symptoms or prevent recovery.

Read the full-length article: “Sleep and mental health“

 

 

Fear is a powerful emotion and neuroscientists have for the first time located the neurons responsible for fear conditioning in the mammalian brain. Fear conditioning is a form of Pavlovian, or associative, learning and is considered to be a model system for understanding human phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder and other anxiety disorders.

 

Using an imaging technique that enabled them to trace the process of neural activation in the brains of rats, University of Washington researchers have pinpointed the basolateral nucleus in the region of the amygdala as the place where fear conditioning is encoded.

 

Neuroscientists previously suspected that both the amygdala and another brain region, the dorsal hippocampus, were where cues get associated when fear memories are formed. But the new work indicates that the role of the hippocampus is to process and transmit information about conditioned stimuli to the amygdala, said Ilene Bernstein, corresponding author of the new study and a UW professor of psychology.

 

The study is published in PLoS One, a journal of the Public Library of Science.

 

Associative conditioning is a basic form of learning across the animal kingdom and is regularly used in studying how brain circuits can change as a result of experience. In earlier research, UW neuroscientists looked at taste aversion, another associative learning behavior, and found that neurons critical to how people and animals learn from experience are located in the amygdala.

 

The new work was designed to look for where information about conditioned and unconditioned stimuli converges in the brain as fear memories are formed. The researchers used four groups of rats and placed individual rodents inside of a chamber for 30 minutes. Three of the groups had never seen the chamber before.

 

When control rats were placed in the chamber, they explored it, became less active and some fell asleep. A delayed shock group also explored the chamber, became less active and after 26 minutes received an electric shock through the floor of the chamber. The third group was acclimated to the chamber by a series of 10 prior visits and then went through the same procedure as the delayed shock rats. The final group was shocked immediately upon being introduced inside the chamber.

 

The following day the rats were individually returned to the chamber and the researchers observed them for freezing behavior. Freezing, or not moving, is the most common behavioral measure of fear in rodents. The only rats that exhibited robust freezing were those that received the delayed shock in a chamber which was unfamiliar to them.

“We didn’t know if we could delay the shock for 26 minutes and get a fear reaction after just one trial. I thought it would be impossible to do this with fear conditioning,” said Bernstein. “This allowed us to ask where information converged in the brain.“

To do this, the researchers repeated the procedure, but then killed the rats. They then took slices of the brains and used Arc catfish, an imaging technique, which allowed them to follow the pattern of neural activation in the animals. 

 

Only the delayed shock group displayed evidence of converging activation from the conditioned stimulus (the chamber) and the unconditioned stimulus (the shock). The experiment showed that animals can acquire a long-term fear when a novel context is paired with a shock 26 minutes later, but not when a familiar context is matched with a shock.

“Fear learning and taste aversion learning are both examples of associative learning in which two experiences occur together. Often they are learned very rapidly because they are critical to survival, such as avoiding dangerous places or toxic foods,” said Bernstein.

“People have phobias that often are set off by cues from something bad that happened to them, such as being scared by a snake or being in a dark alley. So they develop an anxiety disorder,” she said.

“By understanding the process of fear conditioning we might learn how to treat anxiety by making the conditioning weaker or to go away. It is also a tool for learning about these brain cells and the underlying mechanism of fear conditioning.“

Barot SK, Chung A, Kim JJ, Bernstein IL. Functional Imaging of Stimulus Convergence in Amygdalar Neurons during Pavlovian Fear Conditioning. PLoS One 2009 Ju 6;4(7):e6156   [Full text]

 

Nick Hanson

University of Minnesota Medical School researchers have discovered that a common anti-oxidant, widely available as a health food supplement, may help stop the urges of those with trichotillomania, a disorder characterized by compulsive hair-pulling.

Fifty people enrolled in a double-blind 12 week study; half were given N-Acetylcysteine, an amino acid commonly found in health food supplements. The average age of patients who enrolled was about 34, and most started pulling hair compulsively by the age of 12. Patients were given 1,200 mg of N-Acetylcysteine every day for six weeks. For the following six weeks, the dosage was increased to 2,400 mg per day. After nine weeks, those on supplement had significantly reduced hair-pulling. By the end of the 12 week study, 56 percent reported feeling much or very much improved, while only 16 percent on the placebo reported less pulling.

The study is published in the July, 2009 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.

“Trichotillomania is compulsive in the sense that people can’t control it. People feel unable to stop the behavior even though they know it is causing negative consequences,” said Jon Grant, MD, J.D., a University of Minnesota associate professor of psychiatry and principal investigator of the study. “Some people don’t even know they are doing it.”

Those who have trichotillomania compulsively or habitually pull their hair to the point of noticeable loss. It is most commonly associated with women, but men can also be affected, and pulling can occur anywhere on the body. Grant believes 2 to 4 percent of the general population is impacted by trichotillomania on some level.

“These are people who have tried all kinds of things that have never worked,” Grant said. “The reality is that if you pull hair and it is on a noticeable part of the body, people are really disabled by this. It’s not easy to go out in public if people are noticing your bald spots. Self esteem is a huge problem. This supplement may offer hope.”

The study is significant on another level because it’s one of the first studies of compulsive behaviors to look at lowering levels of glutamate – a chemical that triggers excitement – in the brain to curb harmful behavior rather than serotonin, a naturally occurring chemical most commonly linked to compulsive behavior. This supplement affects levels of glutamate in a specific area of the brain, making it easier for patients to put the breaks on their harmful behavior.

For that reason, Grant believes glutamate modulators such as N-Acetylcysteine may be applicable to other disorders, addictions, and compulsive behaviors.

The study is funded by The University of Minnesota Medical School.

Grant JE, Odlaug BL, Kim SW. N-Acetylcysteine, a Glutamate Modulator, in the Treatment of Trichotillomania: A Double-blind, Placebo-Controlled Study. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2009 Jul;66(7):756-763   [Abstract]

 

‘A change is as good as a rest’ – a phrase clearly not penned by the parent of a child with autism! Change is not something enjoyed by many people with autism and so arranging a family holiday to include that person can seem a daunting prospect. This can seem especially hard when you are trying to take into account the needs of neurotypical brothers and sisters and get some kind of break in for yourself.

The lead feature in the Summer 2009 issue of our NAS members’ magazine, Communication (out on 29 May), includes an extended feature on holidays, with tips, advice and recommendations from people with autism, their parents and carers, and NAS staff and members – all of whom have developed a ‘Yes, we can!’ attitude to getting away from it all.

In the same issue…

Transition from primary school to secondary school is a big move for many children with autism. We’ve got advice on planning and managing that change.

We also look at what has been achieved so far on the journey towards Britain’s first autism law, the Autism Bill, and we hear from a mother, Rachel Littlewood, who looks back at her life with her 43-year-old daughter, Lucy, who has autism. There’s also advice on sleep and how to get it! Plus news, reviews and comment.

Communication is received by all NAS members every three months. Join the NAS now to get your copy of the summer edition, and future issues.

Related resources

Relevant areas/articles elsewhere on this website

• Communication: our members’ magazine
  
• Families: ideas for days out

Source:  http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=253&a=19615

 

Carol A. Ranney 

New Year’s Day.  Valentine’s Day.  St. Patrick’s Day.  Memorial Day.  Independence Day.  Those special days through the year come with painful regularity.  Added to those are the special days we all remember as families—birthdays, anniversaries, the expected date of arrival of the new baby who came too early, summer vacation, the traditional trip to the mountains, the ocean, or to visit grandparents, and of course, Thanksgiving and Christmas, Hanukah, and other celebrated days.

These days which used to bring anticipation and joy now loom on the horizon as events to be endured.  Your mind is filled with memories of how things used to be, or remembering anticipated joy that was cut off before it happened.  The days leading up to the special day are stressful, and the day itself seems to stretch much longer than 24 hours.  The only pleasure is relief when it is past.

The key to making it through these days is planning.  When your mind is occupied ahead of time with constructing a plan for the day, you have much less time to dread its coming.  There are some holidays on which families may decide to leave town.  Christmas is one of those; it may seem much easier to be gone than to deal with invitations, festive events, and the celebrations going on around them.  If you do leave town over some painful holiday, be sure to put your efforts into planning what you will do as soon as you get home.

Most days, it’s not practical to pack up and leave.  Planning for what to do on an approaching holiday or other special time is as individual as bereaved parents are.  Working on a project, alone or with your spouse or surviving children, writing your memories, writing other grieving parents, scrapbooking, constructing a webpage in your child’s memory, planting a memory garden or buying a few plants for the garden you have already started, decorating your child’s grave with flowers, balloons, or something special to the occasion, releasing balloons (latex, not mylar), perhaps with notes in your child’s memory attached, doing an activity your child enjoyed, renting a movie that was special to your child, taking a family bike ride to a place your child liked to go, having a dinner of his or her favorite foods, only scratch the surface of what you might plan.  If you have other children, remember to include in your plans their desire on holidays to celebrate and have fun as well.  If you are interested in putting together a web page in memory of your child, Remembered By.Us is a Christian site that offers free hosting of memorial web pages.

One of the most helpful things I did for the first anniversary of my son’s death was to plan and submit a small notice to the local paper.  I debated for a long while about exactly what to say in it, and finally decided on his picture and the words from his favorite book, “Love You Forever, mom” and underneath, “xxoo.”  On the morning I had been dreading, I woke up with the thought that my son’s picture was on every kitchen table in the city, and wondered how many people who knew him would see it, remember him, and know that he was not forgotten by those who loved him.  Over the next few weeks a number of people mentioned seeing it.  That little notice turned a day I had anticipated with dread into a really pleasant and peaceful day.

Another year, we were at Disneyland on the anniversary date, so we bought a bunch of balloons, wrote messages on them with markers, and released them in an area of the park that my son had especially enjoyed.  He was buried on July 2, when there are a lot of “star” balloons in the stores, so I always try to take a bunch of star balloons to the cemetery around July 4th.

Don’t leave the decision as to how to spend the day until the last minute; the time and thought you put into making your plans, assembling what you will need, thinking of how you will remember your child through whatever you choose to do, will help calm your anxiety, fill your time and give you a positive focus.  You may not happily anticipate the day, but you will have the tools you need to spend the time in a meaningful way that honors your child and leaves you with peaceful memories.

Broken Hearts, Living Hope is a free newsletter distributed worldwide to families who have lost a child of any age, to any cause.  Publish your story, link up with others who have had a similar loss, read helpful articles and comforting poems.  Download a subscription form from the website.

Resources for Grieving Families

• GriefShare
• Griefnet.org
• Compassionate Friends/Salem, OR
• Compassionate Friends/Portland, OR
• Compassionate Friends Chapter Locator
• Crisis, Grief and Healing (for men)
• Lamenting Sons: Fathers and Grief
• Grief Watch
• Silent Grief
• Alive Alone (loss of only child)
• AGAST (grandparent grief)
• Books for grieving families

Resources for Siblings

• The Dougy Center (Portland, OR)
• Me, Too. & Company (Portland, OR)
• Adult Sibling Grief
• Sibling Survivors of Suicide
• KIDSAID (part of Griefnet.org)
• Centering (books for bereaved children and teens)

Infant Loss

• M.E.N.D.
• Hannah’s Prayer
• Brief Encounters (Oregon)
• MISS Foundation
• First Candle (SIDS loss)
• CLIMB (Center for Loss in Multiple Births)
• Multiplicity (Loss of twins or other multiples)
• After the Loss of Your Baby, a book for teen mothers
• Someone Came Before You (book for subsequent siblings)

Miscarriage Loss

• A Place to Remember, inc. birth/death announcement cards
• The Forgotten Grief
• La Belle Dame memorial jewelry
• My Forever Child memorial jewelry

Child Death: Specific Causes

• First Candle (SIDS loss)
• SUDC (Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood)
• SADS (Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndrome)
• Parents of Suicide
• Suicide.org
• POMC (Parents of Murdered Children)
• Victim Assistance: National Center for Victims of Crime
• The Hope Foundation (homicide survivors)

Military Death Resources

• Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)
• Military OneSource
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) bereavement counseling
• American Gold Star Mothers, Inc.
• Gold Star Wives of America, Inc.
• Society of Military Widows
• United Warrior Survivor Foundation
• Travis John by Kate Power, free mp3 download
• Operation Remembrance free Memory Boxes
• GriefNet war and combat losses email support groups
• Kids-to-Kids, GriefNet’s child and teen survival support

Survival Resources for Those in Crisis

• Alcoholics Anonymous group finder
• Sober 24
• Narcotics Anonymous group finder
• National Suicide Hotlines USA
• Befrienders Worldwide suicide support

Source:
http://www.examiner.com/x-9432-Family-Grief–Bereavement-Examiner~y2009m7d3-Loss-on-holidays-and-special-days