Researchers are exploring new technologies to detect autism earlier so that children can benefit from behavioral therapy at a younger age. The reason: studies of children with autism indicate that preschool-age kids receiving intensive treatment show greater gains in language and IQ scores than children whose treatment begins at older ages.
Scientists at Canada’s McMaster University and Yale University’s Toddler Developmental Disabilities Clinic are both working with eye-tracking technology intended to predict the risk of autism in children in infancy. Meanwhile, researchers at at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab are developing specialized software and an in-home recording device to analyze the habits of infants to detect signs of autism.
The new technology is meant to complement traditional behavioral methods of analysis that are still necessary for a proper diagnosis.
Wall Street Journal video includes an advertisement.
From American Baby magazine, a Q&A with the mother of 2-year-old Mark Radel, of West Winfield, New York. Mark has Down syndrome, and his mom says he is “within the milestone range for a normal child.”
Mary shares some of the details of their lives. Here’s a sample:
Q. Is there any misinformation about kids with Down syndrome that you want to clear up?
A. When we first found out that Mark had Down syndrome, I read online that children with it don’t walk until age 3, and that’s just not true. Because of a lack of research money, up-to-date information is hard to come by. What you read may be outdated and not apply to what your child will accomplish with the services that are now available. Plus, every child is unique, and you cannot paint a whole group of kids with the same brush just because they all have Down syndrome
Q. What would you like to tell moms-to-be who are having a baby with Down syndrome?
A. It’s a whole new world, but it’s not the end of the world. Love the baby, get to know the child, and don’t worry about his or her diagnosis. There’s a 30-year-old woman with Down syndrome in our support group, and she has a driver’s license and a college degree. When you’re speaking with her, you have to remind yourself that she has a disability. That’s such an inspiration for my husband and me, because we dream that Mark will be that way one day.
Visionary British engineer Mike Spindle spent six years working alone, developing a high-performance wheelchair that would also look fabulous. The result is the Trekinetic, an all-terrain vehicle which sports a molded carbon fiber seat, three wheels, drum brakes and a simplified folding mechanism.
In the process of developing his design, Spindle has completely transformed an established, mature product, and, by extension, the market for that product. The Trekinetic is now being sold in in the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands and Australia, and Spindle is pursuing his ambition of being “a major player in the global mobility scene.”
Students with disabilities are paired with psychology students in the Peer Buddy Program at Elsinore High School. Among their activities: an annual prom. The program is an eye-opener for the nondisabled teens, who say it makes them re-examine their own values.
“I didn’t realize how pessimistic I was about life,” said one. “You spend time with these kids and you realize that their parents are doing everything they can to give their children an education and that they love them unconditionally.”
Above, peer buddies help Stephanie Ahlgrim prepare for the prom. Stephanie has Down syndrome. Press-Enterprise photo.
An exhibit of photographs by students with special needs demonstrates “striking range.” The collection of 16 images by students in the LABBB Collaborative Program is on view at the Lexington High School Gallery in Lexington, Mass.
… each reveals a unique point of view from a group of young people who may look at the world a bit differently.
… Photo instructors Theresa LeBlanc, a vocational counselor and transition specialist, and Betsy Kidder, an occupational therapist, helped the students learn to use the cameras and encouraged them to use their imagination in snapping pictures.
Teachers say photography provides a good educational tool, spurring students to express their creativity and providing opportunities for making connections with others.
Patient websites enable those with a range of critical and chronic illnesses to provide progress reports and receive support — all without having to repeat details in exhausting phone calls. Medical professionals praise the online tools for addressing the “emotional needs” of patients.
Free online services like CaringBridge and Carepages offer user-friendly formats that allow people to quickly set up sites to share medical and personal news. CaringBridge is supported primarily by donations from users, as well as sponsor fees from hospitals. CarePages also has arrangements with hospitals and sells advertisements.
On both sites, patients and family members share information about treatment and recovery from illnesses, accidents, or other medical crises. “We just think it’s made a huge difference for families,” Alan Goldbloom, president and CEO of Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, says of CaringBridge.
On ABC Good Morning America, video of an extended interview with Dan Habib, director/producer of ‘Including Samuel.’ The recently released documentary chronicles his son’s journey through elementary school in New Hampshire. Habib explains the philosophy behind the decision to include Samuel in general education classes (he has cerebral palsy), and shares footage of him interacting successfully with classmates.
Interviewer Marysol Castro poses some skeptical questions, which Habib handles with ease.
An excerpt:
Habib: … Disability is part of diversity, just like ethnic diversity and racial diversity. You create a society where that’s accepted as the real world. And kids need to understand this is the real world. Kids with disabilities and adults with disabilities will be living and working alongside them.
… [We want people] to see disability part as an enrichment of our culture — not something we that need to fix. For a while, we always focused on ‘we need to fix Daniel’. Now we realize we just need to accept him as our son, for who he is, and his disability is just part of who he is.
More than 50 million people in the United States have disabilities, a number that is growing rapidly as the population ages. Experts say disability will soon affect the lives of most Americans. This blog attempts to explore what we know about disability, and to chronicle the efforts of people who are seeking new ways to address familiar challenges.
Join veteran journalist Patricia E. Bauer as she sifts through current news and commentary, bringing you the best information about what's happening now and what it may mean for you and your loved ones.
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