UNC expands brain imaging study of infants at risk for autism

A study led by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers using brain imaging of infants to examine changes in their brains and behavior that may mark the onset of autistic symptoms is being substantially expanded after receiving an additional $3.25 million in funding.

The Infant Brain Imaging Study (IBIS), which involves a network of universities, was originally awarded $10 million in 2007 by the National Institutes of Health as an Autism Center of Excellence under the project title "A Longitudinal MRI Study of Infants at Risk for Autism."

The NIH recently awarded the project supplemental funding of $500,000 per year for five years and the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative provided $150,000 a year for five years.

"This is the first study that will prospectively measure, in the same group of infants, both the onset of autistic symptoms and brain enlargement that may co-occur at the end of the first year of life in children with autism," said Joseph Piven, M.D., the study's principal investigator and director of the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities. Piven is also Sarah Graham Kenan Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics in the School of Medicine and in the psychology department of the College of Arts and Sciences.

The study builds on two key findings from researchers involved in it. The first, from UNC researchers, is that children with autism have larger brains – from five to 10 percent larger at two years of age than children without autism – and retrospective head circumference data suggests this enlargement or overgrowth starts about the end of a child's first year of life. The second finding, from behavioral researchers led by Lonnie Zwaigenbaum, M.D., from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, is that the onset of the social deficits associated with autism does not occur until the end of the first year.

"Once these brain and behavioral changes are identified, potential benefits might include the development of early screening measures for autism and a better understanding of the underlying brain mechanisms, which we hope will lead to treatments to prevent or reduce the problems that individuals with autism face," Piven said.

For the study, UNC heads a network of four data collection sites across the country: at UNC, the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington University in St. Louis and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The project also includes a data coordinating center at the Montreal Neurological Institute in Canada.

The study will enroll 544 infants, aged 6 and 12 months, whose older siblings are autistic. At the start, they will receive behavioral assessments and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exams. The six-month-olds will then be tested again at 12 and 24 months of age, while the 12-month-olds will be retested at 24 months.

Piven said the additional funding will allow researchers to examine all 544 children at all time points, instead of focusing only on those that are most likely to develop autism.

He also said he welcomed the somewhat novel public-private partnership arrangement for the additional funding between the NIH and an outside funding agency.

Bazaar raises RM24,000 for autism centre

The objective was to raise funds for renovation at the centre.

Items such as food, fruits, clothes, accessories, books, novelty items, handbags, shoes, toys, household goods, home decor, jewellery, paintings and handicraft were on sale at prices as low as RM1.

A few visitors sang songs with coupons bought at RM10.

Visitor Maharuddin Awang, 36, who was accompanied by his wife Siti Aminah Ghazali, also 36, said: “We had finished breakfast at a nearby restaurant and were on our way home when we saw the crowd here.

“We decided to check out the place and were pleasantly surprised by the charity sale,” he said.

Another visitor, A. Selvakumar, 39, who came with his wife P. Sharmila Devi, 29, and their two sons, said he wanted his children to be exposed to such events and learn about autism and those afflicted with it.

He hoped the experience would make them more responsible and caring towards people.

Nasom secretary Zuairiyah Md Noor, who runs the centre, said they raised RM24,000 and thanked the supporters who came by.

Nasom’s autism intervention programme was established in 2005 to promote welfare and educate the public on autism.

12-year-old hopes to raise $300 million to fight autism

Twelve-year-old Michala Riggle has a big dream -- raising $300 million to build a center to help children like her younger brother Evan beat autism.

And she believes she can realize that dream, because she has already raised $300,000 for autism research, beginning with a simple idea of selling colorful beaded bracelets for $3 each.

"I wanted a research and treatment place where all these kids could go to get better and get cured," said the sixth-grader at Ramsey Middle School.

Her parents and supporters, who are scheduled to officially announce their plans at a news conference this evening, have taken steps toward their goal, but still have much work ahead.

They hope to raise half the money by selling a million bracelets in each state and half through corporate donations and have enlisted the help of entertainer and Kentucky native Ashley Judd to create promotional DVDs to send to corporations.

But they don't yet have committed donors, haven't partnered with a university or other institution and are still working to recruit more people to the board of their nonprofit Michala Riggle Beat Autism Foundation Inc.

Tim Seiler, director of The Fund Raising School at Indiana University's Center on Philanthropy, said the family's grass-roots effort represents a huge challenge, especially in this economy. "I wouldn't say it's impossible," he said, "but they're swimming upstream doing it this way."

The Riggles said they know it will be difficult, but are committed to attack a disorder that now affects an estimated one in 150 children.

"The rise in autism is epidemic," said Michala's mother, Emlyn. "We've got to do something."

Link Between Nicotine Addiction And Autism (part 2)

"Now that these associations have been made, we believe that nicotine in smokers' brains possibly increases the level of neurexin-1 and, as a consequence, helps bring more receptors to the synapses and makes those circuits highly efficient, reinforcing the addiction. In autism, we have the opposite problem. We have a lack of these receptors, and we speculate that neurexin levels are lower," he said.

"Our research reveals how changes in the functions of neurexin could affect the guidance of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors to their functional destinations in nerve cells, perhaps increasing receptors in tobacco addicts while decreasing them in autistic individuals, thus increasing susceptibility to these devastating neurological disorders."

Autism symptoms include impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive or severely limited activities and interests. An estimated three to six of every 1,000 children are diagnosed with autism, and boys are four times more likely than girls to have the disorder, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Anand and colleagues were studying drug abuse and addiction when they discovered the neurexin-1 beta protein's relationship to a certain type of nicotinic receptor. The timing of the discovery was key, as it built upon two other research groups' previous observations: The brains of people with autism and other neurological disorders that were examined after their death showed a 60-percent to 70-percent decrease in specific nicotinic receptors, and some patients with autism have mutations in the neurexin-1 gene that suggest the gene's improper functions could play a role in the disorder.

"These have all been 'association studies.' None has been able to prove what causes autism," Anand said. "And then we accidentally discovered that neurexin-1 and nicotinic receptors tangle. So we knew that there was a genetic link to the process leading to synapse formation, and we had nicotinic receptors that had disappeared in the brains of autistic patients. Our finding filled a gap by saying there is a physical and functional association between these two things occurring in the brain."

Neurexin has implications for tobacco addicts, as well, Anand said. Yet another group of researchers recently found that people with a mutation in the neurexin-1 gene were more likely to be smokers, meaning changes in the gene's functions that lead to excess levels of the nicotinic receptors might make people more susceptible to nicotine addiction.

"Our research reveals how changes in the functions of neurexin could affect the guidance of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors to their functional destinations in nerve cells, perhaps increasing receptors in tobacco addicts while decreasing them in autistic individuals, thus increasing susceptibility to these devastating neurological disorders," Anand said.

The finding also has implications for nicotine addiction because drugs known to alter neurexin's guidance of nicotinic receptors within nerve cells could be used to suppress tobacco addiction.

Link Between Nicotine Addiction And Autism (part 1)

Scientists have identified a relationship between two proteins in the brain that has links to both nicotine addiction and autism. The finding has led to speculation that existing drugs used to curb nicotine addiction might serve as the basis for potential therapies to alleviate the symptoms of autism.

The discovery identified a defining role for a protein made by the neurexin-1 gene, which is located in brain cells and assists in connecting neurons as part of the brain's chemical communication system. The neurexin-1 beta protein's job is to lure another protein, a specific type of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, to the synapses, where the receptor then has a role in helping neurons communicate signals among themselves and to the rest of the body.

This function is important in autism because previous research has shown that people with autism have a shortage of these nicotinic receptors in their brains. Meanwhile, scientists also know that people who are addicted to nicotine have too many of these receptors in their brains.

"If we were to use drugs that mimic the actions of nicotine at an early time in human brain development, would we begin to help those and other circuits develop properly and thus significantly mitigate the deficits in autism? This is a novel way of thinking about how we might be able to use drugs to approach autism treatment," said Rene Anand, associate professor of pharmacology in Ohio State University's College of Medicine and principal investigator of the research.

"It would not be a complete cure, but right now we know very little and have no drugs that tackle the primary causes of autism."

The drugs in question are known as cholinergic agents, which interact with the brain to counter nicotine addiction. Anand said the medications could be retailored for use in children in an effort to increase the level of neurexin-1 beta protein in the brains of people with autism.

More neurexin would in turn not only enhance the presence of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, but also a host of other proteins that are important for the proper formation and maturation of synapses. Proper synapse function is critical to the nervous system's ability to connect to and control other systems of the body.

How Our Senses Combine To Give Us A Better View Of The World

From a young age we are taught about the five senses and how they help us to explore our world. Although each sense seems to be its own entity, recent studies have indicated that there is actually a lot of overlap and blending of the senses occurring in the brain to help us better perceive our environment.

Researchers J.E. Lugo, R. Doti and Jocelyn Flaubert from the University of Montreal, along with Walter Wittich from McGill University, wanted to know if a feeling from an electrical stimulation of a body part (such as the leg) which normally would not be perceived, would be felt if it was simultaneously accompanied by a visual or auditory signal. The researchers studied this by applying slight electrical stimulation to the right calf of volunteers -- the stimulation was so slight that it was not detected by the participants. The researchers then paired that electrical stimulation simultaneously with a visual signal, a distinct noise or a progressively louder white noise signal. The volunteers reported when they felt anything in their leg and the electrical response of the calf muscle activation was measured.

The results reveal that if an electrical stimulation of the leg is not initially detected, this sensation may be perceived by the addition of a visual or auditory signal with a corresponding electrical activation increase. The results described in this study indicate that the brain not only constantly processes information received from the senses, but also acts on that information to change what is happening in the peripheral system, and thus changing what we actually detect.

The results of the last experiment are characteristic of stochastic resonance. This is an interesting phenomenon where as noise is added to a system, the system's performance improves until, at a certain point, the performance begins to deteriorate. This is exactly what the researchers found in this study—as they increased the signal, participants reported more feeling in their leg, but this eventually decreased, even as the signal continued to get louder. They found this resonance signature even if the stimulus they used in this experiment was not noise but a pulse. These results show that a tactile stimulus combined with a specific level of auditory stimulation results in optimal detection of that sensation. However, too much signal energy will limit the response. It also shows that these dynamics represent a fundamental principle of multisensory integration.

This study gives us more insight into multisensory integration, which the authors argue, will result in increased knowledge of how the brain normally interacts with the peripheral system. In addition, learning more about multisensory integration will lead to a better understanding of disorders such as autism, in which altered sensory processing often occurs.

"Colors of a Spectrum" photo workshop for persons with autism set for Nov. 22

"COLORS OF A SPECTRUM" is the first photography workshop and exhibit for persons with Autism in Davao City.

The objectives of this event are to help children/adults with autism express the way they see their world through the pictures they take; to create a higher level of public awareness and understanding about autism and to give opportunities for companies to carry out their corporate social responsibility.

Around 100 participants composed of children with autism, parents, volunteer photographers and media will be joining this workshop. The photo workshop is on November 22, 2008 while the exhibit will be held on the 3rd week of January 2009 during the celebration of the National Autism Consciousness Week.

First-born Kids of Older Parents More Likely to Be Autistic

In the study, researchers found that first-born children of older parents were three times more likely to develop autism than later children of younger parents.

The increase in autism risk with both maternal and paternal age has potential implications for public health planning and investigations of autism.

The study revealed that for mothers aged 35 or over, the risk of having an autistic child was 30 per cent higher than for mothers aged 25 to 29.

Mothers under 20 had a 30 per cent lower risk than those aged 35 to 29. Fathers aged 40 or over had a 40 per cent higher risk of having an autistic child than fathers aged 25 to 29.

However, there is no clear explanation for why parental age increases the risk of having an autistic child.

Combined Senses Give Us A Better View Of The World

Researchers J.E. Lugo, R. Doti and Jocelyn Flaubert from the University of Montreal, along with Walter Wittich from McGill University, wanted to know if a feeling from an electrical stimulation of a body part (such as the leg) which normally would not be perceived, would be felt if it was simultaneously accompanied by a visual or auditory signal. The researchers studied this by applying slight electrical stimulation to the right calf of volunteers - the stimulation was so slight that it was not detected by the participants. The researchers then paired that electrical stimulation simultaneously with a visual signal, a distinct noise or a progressively louder white noise signal. The volunteers reported when they felt anything in their leg and the electrical response of the calf muscle activation was measured.

It reveals that if an electrical stimulation of the leg is not initially detected, this sensation may be perceived by the addition of a visual or auditory signal with a corresponding electrical activation increase. The results described in this study indicate that the brain not only constantly processes information received from the senses, but also acts on that information to change what is happening in the peripheral system, and thus changing what we actually detect.

This study gives us more insight into multisensory integration, which the authors argue, will result in increased knowledge of how the brain normally interacts with the peripheral system. In addition, learning more about multisensory integration will lead to a better understanding of disorders such as autism, in which altered sensory processing often occurs.

4,000 turn out for annual autism walk

For Autism Speaks, a group concerned with autism awareness, the past few years have been bittersweet. Awareness is up, but so too are the numbers of children diagnosed. As the autism community grows, so do the challenges of raising money for research, passing legislation to protect families, and helping create a culture more sensitive to the challenges autistic children and their families face.

This past Sunday, the community walked. All 4,000 of them, all the way to Angel Stadium in Anaheim, then marched into the stadium and around the playing field. They celebrated their children and cheered for each other.

The walk was definitely successful and made a record setting feat by raising $325,000. It was also a show of love and care for everybody present and the feeling should linger for a while. Next up is to improve on this year's walk for next year.

Anybody up for some walking?

Maternal antibodies may contribute to autism

A team of researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore suggest that autism may also be caused or triggered by maternal antibodies that cross over through the placenta and are directed against the brain tissues of the fetus, adversely affecting brain development.

It was noted that children with autism have antibodies in the blood that react against brain tissue. Antibodies are an important part of the immune system in which proteins are produced and mount a defense in response to the presence of a foreign body, such as an invading virus.

Most studies into the origin of autism have focused on autoantibodies as a possible explanation. Autoantibodies are antibodies the body makes that react against the body's own tissues by mistake; this mechanism is involved in allergic reactions and autoimmune diseases.

However, another possible explanation involves the transfer of reactive antibodies from the mother through the placenta to the fetus.

Mothers of children with autism had a stronger reactivity or more areas of reactivity between antibodies and brain proteins compared with mothers without an autistic child. The presence of maternal antibodies also correlated with having a child with developmental regression, a primary feature of autism.

Mental Activity May Affect Autism-Linked Genes

A new research has suggested that some cases of autism arise from defects in genes that can be turned on or off by mental activity. This might somehow shed some light on the devastating condition and eventually lead to strategies to treat it.

The study, done by a large international team and reported today in the journal Science, adds to the growing evidence that autism may result from problems in the immensely complicated process by which some networks of brain cells expand and many others die in the first few years after birth.

The fact that three of the half-dozen genes identified in the new report are regulated by "neuronal activity" -- feeling, thinking, doing -- suggests in theory that changing the experiences of autistic children could change the course of the disease.

"The genes implicated in our study are ones that interact with the environment and are involved in how the brain converts what it sees from the environment," said Christopher A. Walsh, a neurologist and chief of genetics at Children's Hospital in Boston who headed the team. "If we can activate those genes by other mechanisms, we might be able to help the kids."

The study demonstrates that "environmental experiences and influences that shape postnatal brain development are not irrelevant," said Isabelle Rapin, a pediatric neurologist at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. She added, however, that "we have but the most primitive ideas about what the proteins coded by identified missing or mutated genes do."

For everyone who's lives have been touched by autism, believe that there is still hope and that eventually, in the words of Obama, "Yes we can!"

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Conference 2008: Taking Action To Tackle Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

This is sort of like a public announcement for people who's lives have been touched by autism.

On Saturday 22nd November, mental health professionals and members of the public who are affected by Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) will all come together for the 2008 OCD Conference at Imperial College London.

This annual conference has been designed to inspire, invigorate and educate participants and provide an opportunity to share personal experiences of a condition which affects an estimated 1.8 million people in the UK alone. Public awareness of the challenges faced by OCD sufferers has increased in recent years after several well-known public figures, including David Beckham and Justin Timberlake, spoke frankly and openly about the effect OCD has had on their lives.

OCD Conference 2008 is organised by OCD Action, the leading UK national charity for people affected by OCD spectrum disorders.

Keynote speakers at the conference will include Professor Paul Salkovskis (Channel 4's 'The House of Obsessive Compulsives') and Dr. Isobel Heyman (Maudsley Hospital, London), both specialists on the treatment of OCD and health anxiety. The day will also include workshops, presentations and short films designed to help adults, families and children identify, treat and seek advice about OCD spectrum disorders including Tourette's syndrome, Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)/'Imagined Ugliness' and skin picking.

Though OCD is listed as one of the top 10 disabling conditions (including physical ailments) in the world by the World Health Organisation, people who suffer from OCD are usually reluctant to request help from others. They worry that people might think them mad and are often unaware that their disorder is a recognised condition with effective treatments. Events such as OCD Conference 2008 are a vital step forwards in developing public awareness not only of this debilitating disorder, but also of the many different treatments and support networks available to OCD sufferers and those around them.

OCD Action Chairman Peter Jennings said: "This day of action will have internationally-respected experts deconstruct this complex disorder to show people that these intrusive thoughts and compulsive rituals are purely symptoms of OCD; symptoms which can be managed through therapy, medication and the determination to say 'No' to OCD.

"You don't have to suffer from OCD to be affected by it, but you need to know about the disorder to fight it. I hope that as many people as possible will join us for OCD Conference 2008 to learn more about OCD spectrum disorders, find out which forms of therapy and medication are most effective, and learn how to manage OCD whilst working, studying and socialising."

OCD Conference 2008
Date: Saturday 22nd November, 2008
Time: 09.30 - 17.00
Venue: Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ
Fees: £75 (health professionals), £30 (public), £20 (members of OCD Action and supporting charities)
To register: visit http://www.ocdconference.org.uk or telephone 0870 360 6232.

New Insights Into Molecular Basis Of Language Development Through Genetic Study

Scientists have identified the first gene that is associated with a common childhood language disorder, known as specific language impairment (SLI). The gene – CNTNAP2 – has also been recently implicated in autism, and could represent a crucial genetic link between the two disorders.

"It has long been suspected that inherited factors play an important role in childhood language disorders," says Dr Simon Fisher, a Royal Society Research Fellow at the Wellcome Trust Centre, who led the research. "But this is the first time that we have been able to implicate variants of a specific gene in common forms of language impairment."

The trail to this new finding began with studies of another language-related gene, called FOXP2, previously found to be mutated in rare cases of a severe speech and language disorder. Versions of FOXP2 are found in many animals, including primates, birds, bats and mice. In birds, for example, it has been linked to song, in mice to learning of sequences of movement, and in bats it may relate to echo-location.

FOXP2 acts to regulate other genes in the brain, switching them on and off. Dr Fisher and colleagues began analysing human neurons grown in the laboratory in order to search for these target genes. They identified CNTNAP2 as a key part of the network.

Recent studies have also implicated CNTNAP2 in autism, a syndrome characterised by communication deficits, impaired social interaction, and repetitive behaviours. In particular, one investigation uncovered an association between variants of CNTNAP2 and delayed language development in children with autism.

"Our findings suggest that similar changes in the regulation or function of this gene could be involved in language deficits in both SLI and autism," says Dr Fisher. "This supports the emerging view that autism involves the convergence of a number of distinct problems underpinned by different genetic effects."

A Kind Heart

Lately, the economy's has been on a really bad slide. You would expect people to scramble for every loose change in the house. But not this guy. Dr. Paul Offit, author of the book entitles, "Autism's False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure," has decided to donate his author royalties to the Center for Autism Research at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

"We are very pleased to partner with Dr. Offit, and to accept the royalties of his book for the work done here at the Center for Autism Research (CAR) at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia," said Dr. Bob Schultz, director of the Center for Autism Research at Children's Hospital. "CAR is dedicated to helping children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families. CAR's mission is to identify the causes of ASD, and from that knowledge devise effective treatments. By donating profits from his book, Dr. Offit is helping to push science forward for the good of all."

This is truly remarkable considering the current economical situation. Dr. Offit truly has a kind heart.

Strange play in infancy may point to autism

According to U.S. researchers, babies who were later diagnosed with autism played with toys in unusual ways, spinning or rotating them more than other babies.

Babies who went on to develop autism also stared noticeably at objects such as bottles or looked at them out of the corners of their eyes, Sally Ozonoff of the University of California Davis and colleagues found.

"There is an urgent need to develop measures that can pick up early signs of autism, signs present before 24 months," Ozonoff said in a statement."

"The finding that the unusual use of toys is also present early in life means that this behavior could easily be added to a parent check-list or quickly assessed during a visit to a pediatrician's office," Ozonoff said.

"The earlier you treat a child for autism, the more of an impact you can have on that child's future."

They studied around 66 1 year old babies who were considered at high risk only because they had siblings who had autism. The result, nine of them were eventually diagnosed with autism, and seven of these spent significantly more time spinning, rotating and looking sideways at objects than the other children.

Although we are still not certain of where autism really came from or how to cure it, these are still signs of a positive future in terms of finally being able to cure autism. For now, all we can do is pray.

New Gene Screening Method

A new screening method can be used to detect the chromosomal abnormalities most commonly associated with autism spectrum disorders. By screening for genetic defects associated with various kinds of cognitive impairment, the approach will help clinicians identify the underlying causes of some patients' autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).

Joseph Buxbaum from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, led a team of researchers tasked with evaluating the use of 'multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification' (MLPA), a recently developed method of investigating DNA, in genetic counseling. He said, "MLPA is a relatively practical, inexpensive and fast tool for screening chromosome rearrangements in autism spectrum disorders".
ASDs have been increasingly associated with genetic abnormalities. At the same time, many children with ASDs also have some degree of cognitive impairment. In this study, the authors used MLPA on a group of 279 children with ASD, looking for abnormalities that are known to be associated with cognitive impairment. As Buxbaum describes, "By focusing on well-known genetic disorders, rather than assaying an individual's entire genome, MLPA allows for much more efficiency". As additional genetic abnormalities associated with ASDs are identified, additional probes can be used in future screens.
As well as demonstrating the effectiveness of MLPA as a screen for known genetic disorders, the authors also identified some new genetic changes that are likely to contribute to ASD, such as novel duplications (extra copies of genetic material) in chromosomes 15 and 22, which may increase liability and/or exacerbate ASD symptoms.
Although there is no known cure for ASDs, early detection and commencement of special education and behavioral therapy can mitigate some of the negative symptoms.

Autism May Be Associated With Precipitation Levels

Children living in counties with higher levels of annual precipitation appear more likely to have higher prevalence rates of autism, according to a new report. The results raise the possibility that an environmental trigger for autism may be associated with precipitation and may affect genetically vulnerable children.

Several potential explanations exist for the positive association, the authors note. Precipitation may be associated with more indoor activities, such as television and video viewing, that affect behavioral and cognitive development. The increased amount of time spent indoors also may expose children to more harmful chemicals, such as those in cleaning products, or decrease their exposure to sunshine, which helps the body produce vitamin D. "Finally, there is also the possibility that precipitation itself is more directly involved," the authors write. "For example, there may be a chemical or chemicals in the upper atmosphere that are transported to the surface by precipitation."

Because there is no direct clinical evidence of an environmental trigger for autism that is associated with precipitation, the results are preliminary, the authors note. However, "further research focused on establishing whether such as trigger exists and on identifying it is warranted," they conclude.

Experts To Share Insights On The Potential For Emotional And Social Functioning In Children With Autism And Special Needs

Leading experts on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and child development will discuss new advances in the identification, treatment, education, and family dynamics of autism and associated disorders, at the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders' (ICDL) 12th Annual Conference on Nov. 7-9 in Tyson's Corner, Virginia, outside Washington, D.C.

Speakers at the 12th Annual Conference will include internationally renowned experts, including child psychiatrist Stanley Greenspan, pediatrician T. Berry Brazelton, bioethicist Glenn McGee, and over 50 other researchers and clinicians in the areas of neuroscience, pediatric medicine, developmental psychology, mental health, communication and language development.

The conference, titled "Redefining the Potential for Emotional and Social Functioning in Children with Autism and Special Needs," will include panel discussions on a wide range of issues presented in 13 plenary sessions and 33 concurrent seminars. Plenary sessions include:

- New Research on Social and Emotional Gains and Changes in Brain Functioning in Children with Autism and Special Needs
- New Insights into identifying and Treating Medical Conditions Associated with ASD
- A Bioethical Approach to Overcoming Problems with Behavior and Aggression in Education of Children with ASD

As in past years, ICDL will offer pre-conference workshops on Thursday, November 6th, on Sensory Organization, Representing Cognition in DIR®, Floortime™ for Novice Players, The Affect-Based Language Curriculum (ABLC), The DIR® and IEP Goal Bank, Communication Through the DIR® Lens: A Toolkit of Ideas and Strategies, Medication in the Treatment of Developmental and Learning Disorders, DIR® Programs for Preschool and Elementary Age Children, and Using the DIR® Approach in Feeding Therapy.

Hundred of professionals and parents are currently registered to attend the conference, and spaces are still available. To view the full brochure or register, visit http://www.icdl.com.

The conference takes place amid growing concern about the increase in autism and related disorders in recent years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now estimates that 1 in 150 children in the United States have autism, a much higher rate than previously reported. Nearly 17 percent of U.S. children are diagnosed with developmental challenges that require early identification and preventive interventions, yet fewer than half are identified as having a problem before starting school. A new framework developed by the CDC and ICDL is aimed at identifying children at risk and facilitating early intervention and treatment, and will be presented at the conference.


Source
Natasha Labbe
Web Master & e-Marketing Associate
Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders