From ASA: Report Outlines Evaluation, Diagnosis & Treatment of Gastrointestinal Issues in Children with Autism

[Guest guest]

FOR

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Report Outlines Evaluation, Diagnosis and

Treatment of Gastrointestinal Issues in Children with Autism

Commonly

Reported Symptoms Often Untreated Due to Communication Issues

Bethesda, MD

(January 4, 2010) - A report released today in the journal Pediatrics offers

consensus statements and recommendations for evaluating, diagnosing and

treating gut issues often reported in children with autism spectrum disorders

(ASD). Critically, it notes that even though the communication difficulties

associated with ASD can cause difficulty in recognizing gastrointestinal (GI)

disorders, individuals with ASD deserve to receive the same thorough diagnostic

workup and treatment of GI issues as their typical peers. Achieving this level

of care would be a great improvement over the present situation for individuals

with ASD.

Further, the

study reports that some problem behaviors in patients with ASD may be the

result of an underlying medical condition, such as a GI disorder, and that for

these patients, integrating behavioral and medical care may be beneficial.

" For

years, families have reported that their children are struggling with

destructive gut issues that affect their behavior and their quality of

life, " said Autism Society President and CEO Lee Grossman. " This

study is tremendously significant in that it brings a roadmap of options for

talented professionals of many disciplines to work together to make children

with autism healthy. By improving their health, we can possibly reduce the more

negative aspects of the condition and help individuals with autism achieve

their maximum potential. "

The research

and recommendations presented in the report are the result of consensus

conferences conducted by a multi-disciplinary panel of top clinicians and

researchers working with autism spectrum disorders, sponsored by the Autism

Society, the Northwest Autism Foundation, the Autism Research Institute and Easter

Seals of Oregon.

" This

study emphasizes the importance of looking for underlying gastrointestinal and

other medical conditions in patients with ASD, " said Dr. Tim Buie, a

pediatric gastroenterologist at Mass General Hospital and Harvard Medical School,

Autism Society 2009 Professional of the Year and co-chair of the consensus

report. " Individuals with ASD often cannot verbalize their pain, and are

left with behaviors that people often write off as simply an effect of autism.

By identifying and treating these co-morbid factors, we can often eliminate a

huge barrier to their progress and quality of life. "

The first

report, entitled Evaluation,

Diagnosis, and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Disorders in Individuals With

ASDs: A Consensus Report, involved a number of working groups to

evaluate the available literature. The working groups then summarized findings

and developed consensus statements based on the reviews. Their key conclusions

include:

Individuals

with ASD whose families report GI symptoms warrant a thorough GI

evaluation;

The

communication impairments characteristic of ASDs may lead to unusual

presentations of GI disorders, including sleep disturbances and problem

behaviors;

Caregivers

and health care professionals should be alert to atypical signs of GI

disorders in patients with ASDs; and

Integrating

behavioral and biomedical approaches can be helpful in figuring out the

role of pain as a contributing factor in problem behavior, facilitating

diagnosis and addressing symptoms to enhance quality of life.

While the

panel acknowledged that there are currently few evidence-based studies, they

did identify a number of specific areas in need of further research. These

include determining the prevalence of GI disorders in individuals with ASD,

identifying behaviors likely to be associated with GI pain in individuals with

ASD, and a developing a screening instrument for GI disorders in individuals

with ASD-especially to identify those whose symptoms may not be obvious.

Though the consensus

report could not determine the specific prevalence of GI issues in autism, it

is clear that there are a significant number of children with ASD with common

gastrointestinal problems who are not being treated for chronic pain. With the

new prevalence rate of autism in the U.S. at one in every 110 children, the

Autism Society hopes that this study and others like it will lead to better

diagnostics of the medical conditions that can co-occur with autism, and that

increased awareness among both families as well as healthcare providers will

lead to better diagnosis and treatment.

The second

article, Recommendations for

Evaluation and Treatment of Common Gastrointestinal Problems in Children With

ASDs, is a review by eight pediatric gastroenterologists of current

published guidelines and recommendations for the management of GI symptoms that

occur frequently in the general population that have been adapted for

diagnostic evaluation and treatment of GI problems in children with ASDs. It

presents their recommendations for chronic abdominal pain, chronic

constipation, chronic diarrhea, and symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux.

Both studies

are available at http://pediatrics.aappublications.org.

For more information or to schedule interviews with autism experts, please

contact Autism Society Media Specialist Carin Yavorcik at or cyavorcik@..., or

Autism Society Vice President of Constituent Relations Marguerite Kirst Colston

at or mcolston@....

About

Autism

Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disability that typically appears during

the first two years of life and affects a person's ability to communicate and

interact with others. Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a

" spectrum disorder " that affects individuals differently and to

varying degrees. There is no known single cause for autism, but increased

awareness and funding can help families today.

About

the Autism Society

The Autism Society, the nation's leading grassroots autism organization, exists

to improve the lives of all affected by autism. We do this by increasing public

awareness about the day-to-day issues faced by people on the spectrum,

advocating for appropriate services for individuals across the lifespan, and

providing the latest information regarding treatment, education, research and

advocacy. For more information, visit www.autism-society.org.