“New bill creates autism support in Arizona - ABC 15 News” plus 2 more |
- New bill creates autism support in Arizona - ABC 15 News
- UT study says gluten-free diets don’t help kids with ... - Austin American-Statesman
- National Children's Mental Health Awareness Week ... - HealthCentral.com
| New bill creates autism support in Arizona - ABC 15 News Posted: 03 May 2010 12:01 PM PDT
PHOENIX -- A new bill signed into law should offer better support for children with autism in Arizona. The legislation, also known as SB 1181 is sponsored by Arizona Senator Amanda Aguirre, and creates what is called the "Autism Spectrum Disorder Task Force." According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in every 150 children is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Aguirre said the numbers are growing, and the bill she backs will help make treatment and resources more available to families of children with the disorder. "We still do not know the cause of autism spectrum disorders, but with coordinated research we can help families and caregivers in their fight." Officials also said the bill will identify current funding sources for services provided to persons with autism spectrum disorder and determine if there are additional available federal or other funding sources that are not being used. "If our state service system can become more coordinated and supportive of families, and direct resources towards effective services, there is no question that many more individuals with autism in Arizona can learn to talk, socially interact, participate in the community, be employed, live independently and lead meaningful lives as Arizona citizens." Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| UT study says gluten-free diets don’t help kids with ... - Austin American-Statesman Posted: 03 May 2010 10:06 AM PDT Home > Salud > Archives > 2010 > May > 03 > Entry UPDATED: UT study says gluten-free diets don't help kids with autismUPDATED BELOW WITH COMMENT FROM THOUGHTFUL HOUSE A new study by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin says there is no evidence to support the hard-to-follow gluten-free and/or casein-free diets that some alternative-medicine practitioners recommend for children with autism. Scientists at the Autism Spectrum Disorders Institute, part of UT's Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk,reached that conclusion after analyzing 15 major studies published on those diets, according to the study published in the summer edition of the peer-reviewed journal, Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Gluten is found in wheat, barley and other grains, while casein is found in milk and other dairy products. Putting children on a gluten-free, casein-free diet was developed on the theory that people with autism "have insufficient enzymatic activity in the gastrointestinal tract and increased gastrointestinal permeability. It's suggested that they tend to absorb toxic byproducts of the incompletely digested proteins casein and gluten," said Austin Mulloy, the study's lead researcher and a doctoral student in UT's Department of Special Education, in a news release. An increasing number of parents of children with autism have tried the diet in recent years. And some, including parents of children who are patients at the Thoughtful House Center for Children in Austin, say their child's behavior has improved as a result. Kelly Barnhill, director of the nutrition clinic at Thoughtful House, said that the center remains steadfast in its belief of nutrition's benefits and hopes more research trials will be done on the diets. The center's "clinical experience of over 2,000 patients has been that a high percentage of children with autism have significant improvement in behaviors, GI function, and overall health as a direct result of this nutritionally sound, safe, and affordable intervention when done with appropriate professional supervision," Barnhill said in a statement. But the study says there is no scientific evidence that the diets help, and in fact, they can do harm, including reducing bone thickness, the study says. It concludes that such diets should only be used on children with autism who have "acute behavioral changes, seemingly associated with changes in diet, and/or (when) medical professionals confirm through testing the child has allergies or food intolerances to gluten and/or casein." Permalink | Comments (7) | Post your comment Categories: Autism Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| National Children's Mental Health Awareness Week ... - HealthCentral.com Posted: 03 May 2010 11:25 AM PDT The National Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health has designated this week, May 2-8, as National Children's Mental Health Awareness Week. This awareness week is dedicated to increasing public awareness of the mental health issues of children and to promote emotional well being for all children and youth.
We thought we would do our part here on My Depression Connection by discussing depression in children. I do have some personal experience with parenting a child who has mental health issues. My son Max has autism but he also has difficulties with regulating his moods. I can tell you that it is very difficult as a parent to see your child suffer and to feel powerless about what to do. But the good news is that there is hope and there is treatment for children who have mental disorders. My son sees a neurologist for his autism and his mental health issues and this has made a huge impact on my son's emotional well being. So if you are the parent of a child who suffers from depression or a mood disorder, you are not alone. I am going to give you a ton of information and resources to help you and your child.
When we think of depression we usually think about adults but the fact is that children can suffer from depression as well. Here are some quick facts about children and depression gleaned from "Depression and Suicide in Children and Adolescents" from Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General:
• The most frequently diagnosed mood disorders in children and adolescents are major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder and bipolar disorder.
• Mood disorders in children can substantially increase the risk of suicide, so this is one major concern when a child is diagnosed with depression or bipolar disorder. Statistics show that over 90 percent of children and adolescents who commit suicide have some sort of mental disorder.
• Approximately two-thirds of children and adolescents with major depressive disorder also have another mental disorder. For my son that other disorder is autism. Other co-morbid conditions may include ADHD, and Anxiety related disorders.
• The duration of a Major Depressive Episode for children and teens is usually 7-9 months.
• Children who experience depression will usually have a reoccurrence. The Report from the Surgeon General states that: "Twenty to 40 percent of depressed children relapse within 2 years, and 70 percent will do so by adulthood."
These are some serious statistics which show that we need to be vigilant about the mental health of our children and to seek help for them if they show signs of having a mood disorder including depression.
Here are some of the signs of depression in children and adolescents: (Sources: The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and The National Institutes of Mental Health):
• Persistent sadness, tearfulness, and hopelessness. Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
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Comments
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By Dirty Joe
May 3, 2010 12:38 PM | Link to this
After all the conflicting research and studies, I'm sorry, but I don't believe what the so-called "experts" have to say about autism anymore.
By anative
May 3, 2010 1:30 PM | Link to this
I am sad for the parents of autistic kids because it seems like there are always studies debunking theories about remedies, but I don't see studies that are finding cures or causes. Must be frustrating.
By Texano78704
May 3, 2010 1:56 PM | Link to this
I don't think I have seen any analysis of major studies that show gluten free and casein free diets "cure" autism or alleviate the symptoms.
I have heard a number of so-called "experts" (and some parents) make claims and cite anecdotal (read: non-scientific) evidence that these diets are "a cure for autism" or "alleviate the symptoms" of autism.
I think I'll go with science myself.
By LA
May 3, 2010 2:20 PM | Link to this
It seems like these parents are doing everything in their power to do what they feel is best for their autistic children.
It will probably be found that the time and effort they give their children is the "best treatment" not the dietary part.. They also are probably over all are a very educated group of parents who tend to study and observe their children really well and pick up on the small signs their children send.
By clussman
May 3, 2010 2:48 PM | Link to this
The comment "I think I'll go with science myself" is senseless. I think I'll go with whatever improves the health and well-being of my child and, for him, a gluten-free diet has led to significant improvement in his behavior and well-being.
If you consult with doctors and there is no significant risk to trying something like a gluten free diet, then I would encourage parents to try it. If it doesn't help, you haven't lost anything. If it does help, you've gained immeasurably.
By madbeancounter
May 3, 2010 2:51 PM | Link to this
As a parent of two autistic children… one whom we have had tested gluten and casein intolerances I can attest to the differences in before the GFCF diet and after. My son's body changes casein into morphine. After removing the casein from the diet several behaviors were diminished - not enough space here to elaborate. Removing glutens have a similar outcome and the time or two that he has been given food containing such since he has become extremely ill.
About the only thing that the study says that I agree with is not to put a child on the diet without confirming first that they are gluten or casein sensitive. That means an IgG blood test not the standard test that allergists usually use.
By Confused
May 3, 2010 2:58 PM | Link to this
Having a diagnosis of autism is hard enough on a family,..wondering what the future holds for your child….. but to not have good direction regarding appropriate treatments makes it even more difficult. I started my child on this diet a few months ago after much research… and have seen improvement. It's hard to tell what's helping though because I've increased vitamins and minerals, and also switched to organic foods. I believe each individual child needs whatever works for them. I will continue to experiment, in healthy ways, with nutrition and stick with whatever works. Whether the GFCF diet "works" or not, we have started on a path to overall better health and that's a good thing.