www.aspie-editorial.com

First Published Friday, 22 May 2009

First Published Monday, 25 May 2009

Ask any autistic/AS teen what it’s like to be where they’re at right now, you’ll get a mixed response.  Let’s face it, aspies are unique individuals, no two are the same.  Some are having a much harder time than others navigating their way through on a daily basis.  Many are struggling with depression, anxiety and identity issues and simply trying to fit into a world that is confusing enough for any teen.  On the social front, finding acceptance among peers via shared interests and activities can make all the difference.

Autistic/AS teens are growing stronger in voice so far as advocating for themselves.  They’re speaking out on issues that affect them and their families.  Many wish for better acceptance, equal opportunities to utilise their skills in the workforce, greater understanding.  They’re sharing their talents, lending a voice through their art, their poetry, their literature, their music, their films, their sporting achievements, their blogs, now more than ever.  While friendships and relationships are not so easy to develop and maintain for the vast majority, autistic/AS teens are utilising the internet to their advantage and creating links with others via websites and meet-ups/support groups both online and off.

For those struggling right now, remind yourself that this is but one phase of your life.  This is not ‘forever’. There are a great many adults on the spectrum who have been where you are now, and you have the potential to make a difference, to live a good life, if you believe in yourself.   Things don’t always go to plan in life, but it’s about making the most of where you’re at.  Some have a tendency to just put their heads down and get on with it in life, regardless of the obstacles.  In many ways, that’s a good thing, but, for others, that can lead to misery, and in some cases, poor health.  Let your voice be heard if things are not as they should be.  Do not suffer in silence.

Be kind to yourself, develop your talents, even if it seems as though no-one else wants to know.  Mood swings and turbulence are a part of the teen years.  Exercise and good, healthy food can make a genuine difference to your state of mind and overall health.  Focus on your hopes and your dreams.  Never lose sight of them.  Know you are not alone in your darkest days.  For those who manage to make it through the teen years relatively unscathed and with positive connection to the past, wonderful!!  For many, as secondary school draws to a close, the realisation that this is it, can be something of a rude shock.  Transitions may be difficult, endings may seem abrupt for some.

The following articles and books provide some fine examples of what our autistic/AS teens are doing with their lives, employment-wise, advocacy-wise, creativity-wise etc.  If you’re a teen who wishes to share a book you’ve written, your artwork, or simply your words of wisdom for others, please feel free to share.

Articles

“Teen on the Spectrum: AS From An AS Perspective”
https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/10/teens-on-the-spectrum-as-from-an-as-perspective/

“Dean Beadle: AS From An AS Perspective”:
https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/19/dean-beadle-as-from-an-as-perspective/

“New Online ASD Teen Group”
https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/05/fwd-new-online-asd-teen-group-asan-teens/

Zac Smith (Australian-American English Junior & Columnist for the Oklahoma Daily)  “Autism Speaks Promotes Hysteria, Ignorance”
http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/fwd_oklahoma_daily_autism_speaks_promotes_hysteria_ignora.htm

“Autistic Students Self Represent”
http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/fwd__autistic_students_self_represent.htm

“AS Teenager Sought for BBC Production”
https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2010/12/20/as-teenager-sought-for-bbc-production/

“Update on “Dustbin Baby” Role – Breakthrough for AS Actress”
https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2010/12/20/update-on-dustbin-baby-role-breakthrough-for-as-actress/

“UK Screening Date – Lizzy plays girl with Asperger syndrome in Dustbin Baby”
https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/09/uk-screening-date-lizzy-plays-girl-with-asperger-syndrome-in-dustbin-baby/

“ASAN in Social Work Today: Autism into Adulthood – Making the Transition”
https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2010/12/20/fwd-asan-in-social-work-today-autism-into-adulthood-making-the-transition/

“Northern Virginia Magazine – Am I On The Wrong Planet?”
https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/17/northern-virginia-magazine-am-i-on-the-wrong-planet/

Rex Lewis-Clack “Rex: A Musical Savant’s Remarkable Strides”
https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/12/rex-a-musical-savants-remarkable-strides/

“Artist Kim Miller: The Girl Who Spoke With Pictures”
https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/05/artist-kim-miller-the-girl-who-spoke-with-pictures/

“Katie Miller – Local Artist is Positively Influenced By Autism”
https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/12/katie-miller-local-artist-is-positively-influenced-by-autism/

“Building Brainpower: AS Teen Turns Computer Skills Into Business”
https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/09/building-brainpower-as-teen-turns-computer-skills-into-business/

“Employment: Autistic Menasha Student’s Skills Shine On The Job At Ferguson In Appleton”
https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/17/employment-autistic-menasha-students-skills-shine-on-the-job-at-ferguson-in-appleton/

“Autistic Pupil Who Was Expelled Becomes Malmesbury’s Young Citizen of the Year”
http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/autistic_pupil_who_was_expelled_becomes_malmesburys_young_c.htm

“Autism Asperger’s Digest: Animal Crossing Creating Connections via Video games”

Sandi Busch is a freelance writer and single mom who home-schools her son. Ben is a 15 year old who is learning to build on the strengths of Asperger’s Syndrome and who looks forward to a vocation saving animals.

https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/12/autism-aspergers-digest-animal-crossing-creating-connections-via-video-games/

“Teen Uses Experience To Become Autism Advocate”:

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

Health/Research

“Most Depressed Adolescents Go Untreated”

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

“Summer Jobs May Help Prevent Suicidal Tendencies In At-Risk Teens”

https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/14/summer-jobs-may-help-prevent-suicidal-tendencies-in-at-risk-teens/

“School-Based CBT for Adolescent Depression(Abstract)”

https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/06/school-based-cbt-for-adolescent-depression-abstract/

“Study: Third of Teen Cannabis Users Self-Medicating Health Problems”

https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/18/study-third-of-teen-cannabis-users-self-medicating-health-problems/

“Anorexia Nervosa in Autistic Women/Disorders Are Common In Adults Who Have Had Anorexia/Milkshakes for Anorexia”

https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/14/anorexia-nervosa-in-autistic-womendisorders-are-common-in-adults-who-have-had-anorexiamilkshakes-for-anorexia/

“The Internet Helps Teenagers with Social Relationships”

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

“Feel Upset?  Writing It Down Helps You To Calm Down, Scientists Say”

https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/12/feel-upset-writing-it-down-helps-you-to-calm-down-scientists-say/

“Pets Can Help College Students Cope With Stress & Loneliness”

https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/11/pets-can-help-college-students-cope-with-stress-loneliness/

“Feeling Stressed?  Call Pooch Over”

https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/18/feeling-stressed-call-pooch-over/

Fears & Phobias  “Study: Half Of Group Free Of Phobia After A Single Treatment/Biochemical Pathway For Blocking Worst Fears”

https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/14/study-half-of-group-free-of-phobia-after-a-single-treatmentbiochemical-pathway-for-blocking-your-worst-fears/

“Teens: Nocturnal Teens Need Sunlight, Teen Driving, Focus on Fun Gets Teens Active”:

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

Books

Asperger Syndrome in Adolescence

Living with the Ups, the Downs and Things in Between

Edited by Liane Holliday Willey

Foreword by Luke Jackson

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/1-84310-742-2

The Feeling’s Unmutual: Growing Up With Asperger Syndrome (Undiagnosed)

Will Hadcroft

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843102649

Freaks, Geeks and Asperger Syndrome: A User Guide to Adolescence

Luke Jackson

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843100980

Crystalline Lifetime: Fragments of Asperger Syndrome

Luke Jackson

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843104438

Asperger Meets Girl: Happy Endings for Asperger Boys

Jonathon Griffiths

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843106302

The Love-Shy Survival Guide

Talmer Shockley

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843108979

Autistics’ Guide to Dating: A Book by Autistics, for Autistics and Those Who Love Them

Emilia Murry Ramey and Jody John Ramey

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843108818

How To Be Yourself In a World That’s Different: An Asperger Study Guide for Adolescents

Yuko Yoshida M.D.

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843105046

Aquamarine Blue 5: Personal Stories of College Students with Autism

Dawn Prince Hughes

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0804010544

Autistic Authors Booklist and Facts

http://www.autistics.org/library/booklist.html

First Published Tuesday, 26 May 2009

Urgent Action Required

Efforts are underway to establish an enquiry into issues relating to Autism Spectrum Disorders in Australia.  If you support improved funding, employment assistance, supports and services for Australians affected by these issues, please email Jenny Macklin today at JMacklin.MP@aph.gov.au

Tomorrow,  Wednesday, May 27, Jenny Macklin MP  will be considering the many voices of Australians who seek an overhaul of current services and supports for those on the autism spectrum and their families.   It’s not too late to make a statement.

Examples of Messages Sent:

The following was written by an Australian advocate who has long been the driving force behind this enquiry.

Members,

I am writing to you to strongly recommend an enquiry into the issues relating to all aspects of Autistic Spectrum Disorders. This takes in not only Autism but also other like conditions including ADD, ADHD, Aspergers Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS).

There are a number of reasons why I believe this should be done. Firstly, the financial requirements associated with these conditions is over and above what is presently available, and are being underestimated to a degree by the states. This varies from state to state, with Victoria for example only assisting with ASD’s that have an intellectual incapacity (usually applicable to Low Functioning Autism only). This is despite their efforts with the Autism State Plan. The Disability Support Pension has no hope of keeping up with these needs.

Secondly, issues with employment (the usual way one would supplement income or fund the needs of the condition). This relates to the changes over the last decade to the work place that has in effect pushed those on the Spectrum out. My own experience would be of interest to the committee and I am certain I am not the only one.

Thirdly, the issue of information about the condition – especially over the Internet. There is a growing feeling in the United States that the Spectrum is not genetic in origin and can be “cured”. This is causing problems for many parents who believe this false information and I believe Australia is in a position to take a lead and deflect this nonsensical view as strongly as we can. Speaking for myself I feel very threatened by this growing attitude, and my ability to act is restricted.

Such are the variations on the Spectrum even within conditions like Aspergers it is a complicated situation to resolve. We have adults like myself, and children with parents who needs support, correct information and understanding. With the Americans calling us “brain damaged” and refusing to accept the concept of “neurodiversity” (recognition of the different way our brains work) the hating on the condition is threatening to envelope the whole issue and prevent real assistance to people like myself.

It should also be noted that the haters may cause vaccines to be targetted as a cause of the Spectrum, which would threaten the vaccination process – something I would assume the committee would be keen to prevent in a bipartisan manner.

I have been trying to get this enquiry off the ground since October 2002, and it has been too long.

Dear Ms Macklin,

I am writing to you in order to support the request by fellow Australians of an enquiry into issues relating to Autism Spectrum Disorders. It is hoped that an enquiry will be established by the Committee on Family, Community, Housing and Youth in the House of Representatives, Canberra. As the mother of three children on the autism spectrum, two of whom are now adults, I fully support and encourage a thorough review of current services and supports for families including all who find themselves on the Autism Spectrum, inclusive of the following conditions – ADD, ADHD, Aspergers Syndrome and PDD-NOS.

Those on the spectrum have a great deal to offer society, but often find themselves underemployed, if employed at all. There are some wonderful employment models(eg, “Prospects” in the UK) that are proven to assist individuals toward sustained employment, reducing the financial burden overall and benefiting society enormously. Additionally, parents are all too often struggling with the financial requirements that go hand in hand with raising a child with additional needs and increased assistance would make a huge difference in their lives.

Parents are often fed harmful information in regard ‘cures’ and ’causes’ of their child’s condition rather than being informed of the facts. The vaccine myth has clearly been dispelled as a cause of autism by the medical profession, and yet many parents are continuing to place others at risk by way of refusing the immunisation programme for their child. The National Autistic Society in the UK clearly recognizes that autism cannot be cured. They collectively support and embrace autism as a different way of being which in turn promotes a more positive outlook for all concerned. They are working with it, rather than against it and parents and those on the spectrum are benefiting enormously from this particular stance. My adult children are examples of how positive representation can and does work, here in the UK. They are extraordinarily hard-working contributors to society. My son is working full-time after obtaining an Honours Degree in Music, while my daughter is studying toward becoming a clinical psychologist. Like many on the autism spectrum, they are high achievers who once given a chance, have proven themselves very capable.  Many Australians on the Autism Spectrum are not being granted the same supports and opportunities sadly.  An enquiry with an enthusiastic team at the helm, could make an enormous difference to a great many lives.

In closing, dispelling myths, increasing positive awareness, establishing supportive employment programmes and increasing funding where it’s so desperately needed in areas of assisting parents and those on the spectrum, benefits Australian society both in the long and the short term. Australia has always been a nation that cares. An enquiry that creates much needed change, boosts morale, increases employment and productivity, ensures parents will receive the support they require, would be heralded by the disability sector and the nation as a whole. A great many Australian families and adults on the autism spectrum wish to meaningfully contribute to society but require support and government investment in order to do so.

I urge you to please consider this enquiry as a matter of importance.  Thankyou for your time.

Previously, the Committee Chair deferred any decision on the subject of their next enquiry, stating that they will not act without a direction from the Minister – Jenny Macklin.

First Published Tuesday, 26 May 2009

First Published Tuesday, 26 May 2009

Rucklidge JJ.

Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) affects 0.5-2% of young people many of whom are resistant to conventional treatments.

This case study describes an 18-year-old male with OCD who first underwent cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for a 1-year period with a modest response (his OCD had shifted from severe to moderate). Within a year, his anxiety had deteriorated back to the severe range and he now had major depression.

He then entered an ABAB design trial using a nutritional formula consisting mainly of minerals and vitamins (together, known as micronutrients). After 8 weeks on the formula, his mood was stabilized, his anxiety reduced, and his obsessions were in remission. The treatment was then discontinued for 8 weeks, during which time his obsessions and anxiety worsened and his mood dropped. Reintroduction of the formula again improved the symptoms.

This case illustrates the importance of considering the effect micronutrients have on mental illness.

Source…

First Published Tuesday, 26 May 2009

First Published Wednesday, 27 May 2009

Cindy Fox Aisen

Pain complaints account for more than 40 percent of all symptom-related outpatient visits, and depression is present in 10 percent to 15 percent of all patients who receive primary care.

Pain and depression frequently co-exist (30-50% co-occurrence), effect the treatment responsiveness of each, and have adverse effects on quality of life, disability, and health care costs.

Researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Regenstrief Institute report in the May 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that a strategy they developed of closely monitored antidepressant therapy coupled with pain self-management can produce substantial improvements in both depression and pain.

“Treating depression these days is like treating high blood pressure. There are many effective drugs out there. To control high blood pressure, the physician closely monitors the patient to determine the most appropriate drug and the proper dosage. Often with depression treatment, the patient is prescribed one of the many effective antidepressants but is not closely followed to see if it’s the best choice and the proper dosage, which means the patient’s depression is not being effectively managed,” said the study’s principal investigator, Kurt Kroenke, MD, professor of medicine at the IU School of Medicine and a Regenstrief investigator.

“There are more significant challenges in treating patients with persistent pain. Ironically research on effective pain treatment has lagged a couple of decades behind work on depression and the drug choices are not as good. More study on the basic science and clinical levels needs to be done on both pain and the link between pain and depression, which may share common biological pathways, to develop better options,” said Dr Kroenke, an Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Chancellor’s Professor.

The 250 study participants had low back, hip, or knee pain for three months or longer and at least moderate depression severity. They were randomized into two groups. The control group of 127 received usual care from their internists for both depression and pain. The other 123 had 12 weeks of optimized antidepressant therapy (actively managed by a nurse care manager); followed by 6 sessions of a pain self-management program over 12 weeks (during each session, the nurse care manager introduces new strategies for patient self-management, assists the patient in choosing strategies, and supervises the patient as he/she practices the chosen strategy – this included muscle relaxation and deep breathing exercises as well as coping, distraction and other tactics.); and a 6-month continuation phase, in which symptoms were monitored and treatments reinforced, with a focus on preventing relapse.

Those whose depression medications were closely monitored and who were trained in pain self- management were two to three times more likely to have decreased depression (46 of 123 intervention patients [37.4 percent] vs. 21 of 127 usual care patients [16.5 percent]) than those in the control group and nearly 4 times as likely to experience complete remission (17.9 percent vs. 4.7 percent) at 12 months, corresponding to a much lower number of patients with major depression (40.7 percent vs. 68.5 percent). Pain severity and disability also lessened. These benefits continued for the six months after optimizing antidepressant therapy and pain self-management had been completed.

In terms of the trial’s primary outcome, the intervention group was significantly more likely to experience a composite response, defined as a reduction of 50 percent or greater in depression and a reduction of 30 percent or greater in pain. This difference in composite response rates was significant at both 6 months (23.6 percent for intervention patients vs. 7.9 percent for usual care patients) and 12 months (26.0 percent vs. 7.9 percent).

“It is possible that pain improvement in our trial reflected a main effect of improved mood (i.e., an antidepressant effect on mood rather than an analgesic effect), and that as depression lifts, patients may experience pain as being less intense and less disabling. Conversely, it is also possible that the improvement in depression was mediated by an improvement in pain (i.e., as pain improves, patients feel less depressed) or that both depression and pain lessened as a result of treatment effects on a common pathway,” the researchers write.

“We were pleased to see the patients whose antidepressants were closely monitored and who practiced self-management improved, but we think we can lessen pain and depression even more. In our next studies we plan to investigate cognitive behavior therapy as well as optimizing pain medications to see if even greater improvements in pain can be achieved. Because pain and depression are among the leading causes of decreased work productivity, a strategy that is effective for both should be attractive not only to patients and their physicians. Health insurers and the business community will be interested as well,” said Dr Kroenke, an internist who is a former president of the Society of General Internal Medicine.

The study was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health.

Kroenke K, Bair MJ, Damush TM, et al. Optimized Antidepressant Therapy and Pain Self-management in Primary Care Patients With Depression and Musculo-skeletal Pain. JAMA. 2009 May;301(20):2099-2110   [Full text]

First Published Wednesday, 27 May 2009

Warwick Ashford

Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour is to produce a new recording of the song Chicago by Graham Nash in support of London UFO fanatic and computer hacker Gary McKinnon.

Nash authorised a reworking of the song written for the “Chicago Seven”, who went on trial after the violent Democratic Party convention in that city in 1968, according to the Guardian.

Gilmour contributed to the backing track for a sing-in protest in April featuring the revised version of the song written by Gary’s mother, Janis Sharp.

Gilmour and Nash are among the celebrities still campaigning to halt McKinnon’s extradition to the US to stand trial for hacking into 97 US federal and military computers.

McKinnon is accused of causing at least £350,000 damage, but the hacker claims he broke into the computers only to find evidence of extra-terrestrial life.

Supporters, including Boris Johnson, David Blunkett, and several other MPs, say McKinnon should not be extradited because he is suffering from Asperger’s syndrome, an autistic condition.

Boyzone singer Keith Duffy has also expressed support for McKinnon. He said that as a parent of a child with autism, he knows that getting support at the right time can be crucial.

If convicted in the US, McKinnon faces up to 60 years in a high security prison. A conviction under the UK’s Computer Misuse Act carries a maximum penalty of five years.

Time is running out for McKinnon, who is likely to get his final shot at standing trial in the UK next month at a judicial review of home secretary Jacqui Smith’s decision to send him to the US.

McKinnon won the review after a judicial review in January ruled that Smith had failed to take adequate consideration of the hacker’s medical condition.

If next month’s bid fails, McKinnon could be sent immediately to the US.

Source:   http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2009/05/26/236170/pink-floyd-guitarist-sings-in-support-of-gary-mckinnon.htm

Related Articles

“Gary McKinnon Updates: Supporters Rally at U.S. Embassy in London”
https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/19/gary-mckinnon-updates-supporters-rally-at-u-s-embassy-in-london/

“Latest Round in Extradition Battle Lost/Sting Supports Fight for UK Trial”
https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/12/gary-mckinnon-updates-latest-round-in-extradition-battle-loststing-supports-fight-for-uk-trial/

“Ongoing Updates: Gary McKinnon: Extradition Judicial Review Hearing Set For Jan 20”
https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/10/ongoing-updates-gary-mckinnon-extradition-judicial-review-hearing-set-for-jan-20/

“Ongoing Updates: Dan Aykroyd, Peter Howson, Politicians Rally Behind Gary McKinnon/”Only A Fool” Music Video”
https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/07/ongoing-updates-dan-aykroyd-peter-howson-politicians-rally-behind-gary-mckinnononly-a-fool-music-video/

First Published Wednesday, 27 May 2009

“You’ll feel better after a good night’s sleep.” We’ve all heard those words, but have we ever stopped to wonder about the mental health of people who just aren’t able to sleep well?

Rachel Manber has, and the Stanford University School of Medicine researcher is trying to identify the best way to treat patients suffering from both depression and insomnia.

Manber, Ph.D, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is seeking volunteers for a first-of-its-kind study on the benefits of combining the treatments of medication for depression and psychotherapy for sleep difficulties.

Depression and insomnia, defined as having difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, are very much linked.

“Insomnia is certainly a risk factor for depression: studies show that having insomnia increases a person’s risk of developing depression in one to three years,” Manber said.

At the same time, Manber pointed out, depressed patients with sleep problems don’t respond as well to standard depression treatments as other patients. This is a problem because between 60 and 84 percent of patients with major depression also sleep poorly.

In addition, if a sleep disorder goes untreated, a patient is at a greater risk for a future relapse of depression.

The multicenter study, which will involve 255 people, aims to determine whether combining antidepressant medications and insomnia therapy will improve the lives of people who experience both conditions simultaneously.

Manber plans to enroll 85 patients at Stanford; participants must be between the ages of 18 and 75, suffering from insomnia and depression, and not currently receiving treatment for either disorder.

During the study, participants will receive free evaluations of their sleep, including an at-home, all-night sleep study.

Participants will also receive 16 weeks of one of three FDA-approved antidepressant medications (Lexapro, Zoloft or Pristique) and will be randomized into receiving seven sessions of one of two forms of sleep-focused psychotherapies for insomnia.

Interested men and women should contact Rachel Wells at (650) 723-2641 for a free telephone screening.

The study is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and led by the Stanford site. Other centers participating in the study are Duke University and the University of Pittsburgh.

Source: The Stanford University School of Medicine

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http://psychcentral.com/news/2009/05/25/does-a-goods-night-sleep-really-help/6076.html

First Published Wednesday, 27 May 2009