Autistic Daily

Honza Soukip on Flickr

Most parents of children with autism would say it’s a no brainer they probably experience more stress than a parent raising a developmentally “normal” child.

But are there unique stresses associated with raising a child with autism in comparison to raising a child with another disability? Do all parents of disabled children experience equal amounts of stress?

Researchers at the University of Washington Autism Center investigated the lives of mothers with children across the disability spectrum-not just autism. They found parents in the autism group had higher levels of stress than parents with children with other disabilities.

“They had higher levels of stress, but the relationship of the stress to problem behavior was different,” said Annette Estes, associate director of the center.

“Problem behavior accounted for more of the stress in moms of children with development delays without autism. For parents of children with autism, even though problem behavior was significantly related to stress, there was more to the story that we did not uncover.”

Read more findings and the Q & A session with Estes at well.blogs.nytimes.com.

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medicalert.org

A new protection program offering as a partnership between the Medic Alert Foundation and the Autism Society, Medic Alert + Safe and Sound(R), will be launched next week, July 22-25, at the Autism Society’s 40th National Conference at the Pheasant Run Resort and Spa in St. Charles, IL.

The program is meant to educate First Responders and law enforcement officials on recognizing the autism symptoms in individuals they encounter and provide a systematic method for obtaining information on the individual through MedicAlert’s 24-hour Emergency Response Center and notifying family members through the MedicAlert’s 24-hour Family Notification Service.

“It is often difficult to tell if someone is on the autism spectrum,” said Lee Grossman, President and CEO of the Autism Society, who has a son with autism.

“They may not be able to express what’s wrong or might show signs of unusual behavior, causing medical issues to be incorrectly diagnosed. Having autism engraved on a well known identifier such as the MedicAlert ID enables first responders, who are helping a patient on the spectrum; know exactly what they’re dealing with.”

The first Safe and Sound(R) training session will take place the day of the launch at the conference next week.

via prnewswire.com

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thivierr on Flickr

The stereotype of the autistic child or adolescent being physically clumsy and awkward is, well, just that-a stereotype!

Dr. Anthony Alessi, Chief of Neurology at The William W. Backus Hospital, says not only can autistic children excel in sports, they should be encouraged to do so.

“Sports play a role in treating autism by emphasizing coordination and body awareness,” Dr. Alessi writes in the Norwich Bullentin. “Dedication to improving a particular athletic skill will also increase confidence and support other therapies.”

Team sports are usually not recommended because of the intense communication and social interaction required, but solitary sports such as running, cycling, and even martial arts can all build confidence and improve an autistic child’s health and well being.

Visit Dr. Alessi’s article to view other sports recommended for autistic children.

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