Autistic Daily

Jeffrey Beall on Flickr

In a disruption that may be permanent, the CARE Autism clinic in Texas has shut its doors after a raid by FBI and IRS officials.

The cause of the investigation is unknown.

CARE clinics were known for treating children with autism with alternative therapies that were often frowned upon by doctors because many therapies lacked strong scientific evidence.

However, parents would say they saw improvements in their child’s behavior after sessions at the clinic.

One such therapy used was intravenous chelation, which puts solutions in the body that bind to metals and other substances and removes them.

via statemen.com

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karschsp on Flickr

Consumer Watchdog, a California state group that monitors insurance practices, says that insurers that deny treatment for autism prescribed by a patient’s doctor are violating mental health and other laws.

“Californians, including those stricken with autism and their parents and caregivers, expect regulators to enforce the law, not to side with insurance companies seeking to boost their profits by denying patients the care they need,” said Harvey Rosenfield, founder of the nonprofit organization.

They’re asking a judge to order the Department of Managed Health Care to require such providers to cover these treatments.

One such treatment that has been declined by insurers is applied behavioral analysis, a type of behavior modification therapy, which can cost as much as $70,000 per child.

In addition, insurers are arguing that ABA is educational, which would mean they aren’t required to cover it.

Insurers are claiming they’re follow the law and provide reimbursement for most autism treatments according to the 1999 Mental Health Parity Act, but the dispute still remains over certain types of treatments, like ABA.

via latimes.com

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thetransporters.com

The Transporters is a group of DVDs that teach children with autism how to recognize emotions like happiness and sadness.

Released in the United States this week, The Transporters places human faces on vehicles like buses and trolleys.

The DVD series was created by the Autism Research Center at Cambridge University, where the famed autism researcher Simon Baron-Cohen teaches and conducts research.

“To teach autistic children something they find difficult, we needed an autism-friendly format,” Baron-Cohen said.

It it known that autistic children often become fascinated by vehicles that move in a consistent manner, such as trains.

According to The Transporters website, just 15 minutes a day can lead to significant differences in children learning to recognize emotions.

via pottstownmercury.com

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jmh649 on Wikimedia Commons

Some parents swear by hyperbaric treatment, which involves delivering more oxygen to the body’s cells, as a tool for improving their child’s autistic symptoms.

But not all medical professionals agree. Dr. Patricia Evans, a pediatric neurologist at Children’s Medical Center says there’s no scientific evidence for hyperbaric treatment helping autism and suggests any results indicating so are the result of researchers having financial stake in the technological equipment involved with the procedure.

“There is no research that supports it, and in fact, the research that is out there is so badly done and is so ethically compromised, that I can’t even begin to suggest that anyone consider it,” Dr. Evans said.

Dr. Evans said the data can’t prove improvements in symptoms are the result of hyperbaric treatment or other therapies like physical or speech therapy.

“The method in which they approached it was so poor, I don’t think it would have passed a high school science fair,” she said.

Hyperbaric treatment costs can reach up to $6,000 and are not covered by insurance. More data is definitely needed if so much is to be invested in a treatment a high school student could not get away with presenting.

via cbs11tv.com

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euthman on Flickr

A study from the National Audit Office found doctors in the UK may be failing their autistic patients through lack of knowledge.

A survey of 1,000 general practitioners found 80% felt they needed more education and training for how to both identify the disease and refer their patients for treatment.

Only 10% of surveyed doctors referred adults with suspected high-functioning autism to specialised autism diagnostic services.

Sixty four percent said they referred patients to adult mental health services, and 19% referred these adults to learning disability services.

Mark Lever, chief executive of the National Autistic Society (NAS), said: “Neither the Government, people with autism nor the taxpayer are getting value for money from existing autism services and support, leaving those affected by the condition feeling isolated, ignored and often at breaking point. This is simply unacceptable.”

Clearly there is an education gap in medical training, but the question that remains is where? With growing rates of children and adults being diagnosed with autism, should medical schools require this education as part of the curriculum? 

via ellesmereportpioneer.co.uk

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shankar, shiv on Flickr

Singing in the shower may not be good for the roommates, but music therapy is thought to benefit a whole host of neurological disorders, including autism, according to Dr. Robert Melillo, co-founder of the Brain Balance Achievement Centers and the author of Disconnected Kids.

“When neural pathways are damaged for one particular function such as language, musical neural pathways are actually much more complex and much more widespread within the brain,” said Dr. Wendy Magee, International Fellow in Music Therapy at the Institute of Neuropalliative Rehabilitation in London.

“Music seems to find re-routed paths and that is why it is such a useful tool in terms of helping people with different kinds of brain damage because it can help to find new pathways in terms of brain functioning.”

Either singing or listening to music has been shown in several studies to improve functioning in victims of stroke and even ADHD.

via nydailynews.com

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