Abstract
Objective To review the effectiveness of applied behavior intervention (ABI) programs for preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in their cognitive, adaptive behavior, and language development. Study design Systematic reviews, randomized or quasirandomized controlled trials (RCT) of ABI delivered to preschool children with ASD were reviewed. Quantitative data on cognitive, language, and behavior outcomes were extracted and pooled for meta-analysis (RevMan 4.2). Results Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Six of these were randomized comparison trials with adequate methodologic quality (PEDro ≥ 6). Meta-analysis of 4 studies concluded that, compared with standard care, ABI programs did not significantly improve the cognitive outcomes of children in the experimental group who scored a standardized mean difference (SMD) of 0.38 (95%CI −0.09 to 0.84; P = .1). There was no additional benefit over standard care for expressive language; SMD of 0.37 (95%CI −0.09 to 0.84; P = .11), for receptive language; SMD of 0.29 (95%CI −0.17 to 0.74; P = .22) or adaptive behavior; SMD of 0.30 (95%CI −0.16 to 0.77; P = .20). Conclusions Currently there is inadequate evidence that ABI has better outcomes than standard care for children with autism. Appropriately powered clinical trials with broader outcomes are required. Abbreviations: ABA, Applied behavioral analysis, ABAI, Applied behavior analysis intervention, ABI, Applied behavior intervention, ASD, Autism spectrum disorder, IBT, Intensive behavioral treatment, PDD, Pervasive developmental disorders, PEDro, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, SMD, Standardized mean difference
Source:
http://www.citeulike.org/group/12599/article/9524707
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Melbourne schoolgirl Holly Bligh, aged 9, has albinism which is a genetic condition that affects not only the pigment in her skin, hair and eyes, but also her vision. Normally for Holly to read, she would require a hefty magnifying glass, and work sheets given out by her teachers would have to be magnified when photocopied specially for her. Well now thanks to the iPad, it seems that most of her reading problems have been solved, as all she would have to do is swipe and pinch to flip through pages and to enlarge text. Her attention span reportedly has also increased and her “visual fatigue†now apparently takes twice as long before it sets in.
Just to point it out, this could have easily be achieved on an Android tablet, or any other tablet too for that matter, it just so happens that Holly and her parents decided to go for Apple’s iPad instead.
Apparently Holly’s mother was so grateful for what the iPad has done for her daughter, that she sent an email to Steve Jobs, thanking him for “completely changing†her daughter’s life. She was not expecting a reply, but he did. We guess it’s kind of Steve Jobs’ M.O. to surprise. He replied her email saying, “Thanks for sharing your experience with me. Do you mind if I read your email to a group of our top 100 leaders at Apple?†He then proceeded to sign off with “Thanks, Steve†and asked for a photo of Holly with her iPad. We guess this is probably a use of the iPad that maybe Steve Jobs did not foresee.
Research has also shown that school students with a range of physical and mental challenges, including autism and deaf-blindness, show an average of 20 percent improvement in communication abilities from using devices like the iPad.
Source:
http://www.ubergizmo.com/2011/06/apples-ipad-helps-a-9-year-old-girl-with-eyesight-problems/
Last week we held a hugely successful conference in London on ‘Understanding and Managing Challenging Behaviour’.
The conference was attended by over 130 professionals, who heard about the latest research and good practice on topics including causes, early intervention and planning.
Speakers included leading experts John Clements, Dr Juli Crocombe, Dr Helen Pearce and Geoff Evans. Attendees also heard from Steve McGuinness and Jackie Edwards, who talked about their own experiences of anxiety and how it can lead to behaviours that some people may find challenging to deal with. (Download presentations from the conference here.)
We were also fortunate to have keynote speaker John Clements (pictured above right) do a book signing during the event. He is the author of Assessing behaviors regarded as problematic for people with developmental disabilities and People with autism behaving badly: helping people with ASD move on from behavioral and emotional challenges.
Responding effectively to challenging behaviour is a huge concern for people working in the care and education sectors. The topic was particularly relevant given the recent scandal over mistreatment of vulnerable adults living at Winterbourne View, a private hospital in Bristol.
Our high-quality conferences focus on important issues in the field of autism and bring together leading figures to discuss the latest research and practice. To find out more about our upcoming events, please visit www.autism.org.uk/conferences
Source:
The Government’s reforms will shape the future of a generation of children with autism in England.
Children expect an education that sets them up for life.
Parents expect a system that works with, not against, them.
We expect the Government to listen, and to act.
Let’s work together. Let’s get it right. Take action now.
Research has found that siblings of people with autism show a similar pattern of brain activity to that seen in people with autism when looking at emotional facial expressions (Spencer et al, 2011).
Richard Mills, Director of Research at The National Autistic Society (NAS), said:
Autism is highly heterogenous. This study does not answer all the questions on its causes; but it does give the scientific community the opportunity to further investigate what genes the ‘biomarker’ (in this case, reduced brain activity) affects, and possibly expand on our theories on the causes of autism. As such, we welcome its findings.
Dr Spencer’s study confirms the importance of genetic factors in some forms of autism. The findings appear to be consistent with other MRI and genetic studies in identifying brain regions and structures implicated in autism.
Importantly, this study finds a biomarker only in the response to emotions of one part of the brain – related to empathy. It does not suggest that siblings of people with autism will develop the condition or are at increased risk, though we already know there is a higher incidence of some forms of autism in subsequent children if one child in the family has autism.
The causes of autism are not yet understood but a combination of genetic and environmental factors are known to be very important. The NAS Centre for Autism will continue to work with the scientific community and professionals to share new information and research on important new autism topics, in order to promote understanding and expertise.
Anyone who has questions about autism, how to seek a diagnosis, or who simply needs some advice can contact our Autism Helpline on 0808 800 4104 (open Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm).
You can read the full research report on the Autism Research Centre’s website.
Source:
http://www.autism.org.uk/news-and-events/news-from-the-nas/biomarker-for-autism-discovered.aspx
We missed reporting this at the end of May when it happened, but I like to close the loop on stories we’ve discussed in the past, so I thought it relevant to mention here.
We’ve previously detailed how the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center in Canton, Mass. has a “treatment†for out-of-control children where electroconvulsive shocks are given in order to curb their behavior (ala BF Skinner). We’ve also noted the horror of the incident where a former patient was able to make a single phone call and cause the staff to shock two children in its care over 100 times.
Now, finally, the founder of the school, Matthew Israel, has agreed to step down from the Center in order to avoid prison time. In an agreement reached with the state’s Attorney General, he will be on probation for five years and the Center will be overseen by a court-appointed monitor.
Matthew Israel pleaded not guilty to the charges of obstructing justice by destroying evidence. The evidence he destroyed were copies of videotapes that detailed what happened in August 2007. He claimed, through his lawyer, that he thought the investigation was over and so was just being prudent in destroying the tapes (so they wouldn’t be leaked to the Internet).
Luckily, the state had copies:
Even though prosecutors were ultimately able to find a back-up copy of the destroyed tapes, Cunha said, there was enough evidence that the grand jury indicted Israel Friday on two counts related to misleading a witness and destroying evidence. Cunha said his office ultimately decided to offer Israel a pretrial probation agreement, in which Israel had to permanently end his tenure at the center, which he founded 40 years ago, and serve a five-year probationary term. If he complied, prosecutors would drop the case in five years.
If you’re not clear on what the Center does, here’s a brief description:
Israel’s center endorses an unorthodox behavioral-control method, in which more than half of the center’s 200 students wear electrodes attached to their skin, and staff members, armed with remote devices, can punish them with shocks for deviant behavior. Students generally have severe behavioral problems, including some with autism and intellectual disabilities.
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By Jennifer Gibson, PharmD | Editor Shaheen E Lakhan
Friedrich Neitzsche once claimed that without music, life would be a mistake. Researchers in Norway claim that without music, art, or other cultural events, life may also be shorter and less satisfying. A new study, published by the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, reports that visiting museums, attending concerts, playing an instrument, and creating art are associated with happier lives. The investigators surveyed more than 51,000 adults to assess their leisure habits and cultural participation and their self-perceived health status and levels of depression and anxiety. Overall, there was a strong correlation between engaging in cultural activities and happiness. The association was not affected by socioeconomic status or educational level.
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Article Date: 05 Jul 2011 – 2:00 PDT
A good night’s sleep is something we all value. Scientists tell us, and we know from experience, that it refreshes us, helps us perform better, and contributes significantly to health and happiness, especially in children. And yet, there are millions of us suffering from ongoing shortage of sleep.
According to the World Association of Sleep Medicine (WASM), sleep problems add up to a global epidemic that affects 45% of the world’s population.
“Insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), restless legs syndrome (RLS), and sleep deprivation significantly impact physical, mental and emotional health, in addition to affecting work performance and personal relationships,” they said, on the fourth annual World Sleep Day on Friday 18th March 2011, when health professionals from WASM and other organizations worldwide came together to deliver the message that sleep is a “human privilege that is often compromised by the habits of modern life”.
Read in Full:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/230386.php
Article Date: 05 Jul 2011 – 3:00 PDT
While depression and anxiety have long been recognised as risk factors for heart disease, there is less certainty over the beneficial effects of a ‘positive’ psychological state, Now, following a study of almost 8000 British civil servants, researchers say that a satisfying life is indeed good for the heart.
The results of the study are published online today by the European Heart Journal.
The civil servants – who were all members of the Whitehall II study cohort in the UK with an average age of 49 years (2) – were questioned about seven specific areas of their everyday lives: love relationships, leisure activities, standard of living, job, family, sex, and one’s self. They were asked to rate their satisfaction in each domain on a scale of 1 (‘very dissatisfied’) to 7 (‘very satisfied’). Ratings for each domain were also combined to provide an average satisfaction score for their overall lives.
Read in Full:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/230431.php