SchaferAutismReport: U-M Leading National Effort To Find The Cause Of Autism

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SAR "Healing Autism:Schafer Autism Report No Finer a Cause on the Planet"________________________________________________________________Tuesday, January 9, 2007 Vol. 11 No. 2>> PROMOTE YOUR 2007 EVENTS NOW - FREE <<Conferences * Presentations * Parent MeetingsDEADLINE FOR FEBRUARY SAR AUTISM CALENDAR ISJANUARY 25!Submit listing here:http://www.sarnet.org/frm/cal-frm.htmCHECK OUT CALENDAR: http://www.sarnet.org/events/RESEARCH* U-M Leading National Effort To Find The Cause Of Autism* beta(2)-Adrenergic Receptor Gene Variants And Risk For Autism In The AGRE CohortTREATMENT* Cartoons To Aid Autistic ChildrenEDUCATION* New Ga. Bill Proposes Scholarships for Special Needs ChildrenPUBLIC HEALTH* 'Precocious Puberty' Is on

the Rise* 6,000 in Md. Suburbs Barred From ClassADVOCACY* Progress on Autism Aid 'Painfully Slow,' But Powerful Backer EmergesCARE* Child Charged For Wetting Pants At School* Winter Camp Gives Autistic Children An Ongoing Education EVENTS* Registration Is Open For The Autism One 2007 ConferenceCOMMENTARY* There is No Autism EpidemicRESEARCHU-M Leading National Effort To Find The Cause Of Autismhttp://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/story.php?id=3085University of Michigan researchers are leading an 11-universityconsortium to gather and bank DNA samples from 3,000 autism patients overthe next three years.The Simons Simplex Collection Autism Research Initiative, expected tocost $10 million over its first two years, is being spearheaded by Lord, director of the U-M Autism and Communication Disorders Center.The consortium also includes: Yale University,

Harvard University,Boston University, Columbia University, Washington University, theUniversity of Washington, the University of Illinois-Chicago, EmoryUniversity, McGill University in Montreal and the University of California,Los Angeles (UCLA)."It's an exciting opportunity," Lord said. "Collecting this data willgreatly speed up the process of finding the causes of autism."The Simons initiative, begun by billionaire money manager Jim Simonsand his wife, Marilyn, was set up with the goal of investing $100 milliontoward finding a cure for the developmental disorder. The Center for DiseaseControl estimates that between one and three of every 500 children contractsome form of the disease.While there are core deficits that define Autism Spectrum Disorders(ASD) there is also a great deal of heterogeneity among children and adultswith ASD in terms of behaviors, level of functioning and co-morbidconditions such as mental

retardation or obsessive compulsive disorder.Recent findings in the molecular genetics of autism and in familytransmission patterns suggest that there are likely several, if not many,autisms. Researchers say it is important to identify subtypes of autism thatare associated with risk factors or etiologies in order to developappropriate treatments or prevention strategies.The Simons Initiative to create a collection of simplex (families withjust one child with autism) is aimed to support research across a range ofareas with an adequate sample to address different sub-types.The Simons Initiative consists of both senior and junior investigatorsupport as well as the creation of a bank of cell lines and phenotypic datathat will be available for scientists around the world.The concept of a publicly available (through application byscientists) databank builds on the example of the Autism Genetic RecourseExchange (AGRE),

created by Cure Autism Now several years ago as well aslarge scale research projects such as the Women's Health Initiative.The Cure Autism Now effort focused on families where two or moresiblings have autism but the 11-university effort will tackle the 90 percentof autism cases where the patient is the only member of the family withautism.Families will be recruited to participate in an initial assessment andthen invited into other research projects as work continues. The SimonsInitiative will be carried out in existing university-based clinics byindividual investigators from different universities throughout NorthAmerica.+ Read more: http://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/story.php?id=3085-- > DO SOMETHING ABOUT AUTISM NOW < --SUBSCRIBE. . . !. . .Read, then Forward the Schafer Autism Report.To Subscribe http://www.SARnet.org/ $35 for 1 year - 200 issues, or No Cost Review

Sub.!. . .beta(2)-Adrenergic Receptor Gene Variants And Risk For Autism In The AGRECohort.http://tinyurl.com/ye2cg7Cheslack-Postava K, Fallin MD, Avramopoulos D, Connors SL, et al.1Department of Epidemiology, s Hopkins Bloomberg School of PublicHealth, Baltimore, MD, USA.The beta(2)-adrenergic receptor is part of the catecholamine system,and variants at two polymorphic sites in the gene coding for the receptor(ADRB2) confer increased activity. Overstimulation of this receptor mayalter brain development, and has been linked to autism in non-identicaltwins. The objective of this study was to determine whether alleles in ADRB2are associated with diagnosis of autism in the Autism Genetic ResourceExchange (AGRE) population. Three hundred and thirty-one independent autismcase-parent trios were included in the analysis. Subjects were genotyped atactivity-related polymorphisms rs1042713

(codon 16) and rs1042714 (codon27).Association between autism and genotypes at each polymorphic site wastested using genotype-based transmission disequilibrium tests, and effectmodification by family and pregnancy characteristics was evaluated.Sensitivity to designation of the proband in each family was assessed byperforming 1000 repeats of the analysis selecting affected childrenrandomly. A statistically significant OR of 1.66 for the Glu27 homozygousgenotype was observed. Increased associations with this genotype wereobserved among a subset of Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule confirmedcases and a subset reporting experience of pregnancy-related stressors.In conclusion, the Glu27 allele of the ADRB2 gene may confer increasedrisk of autism and shows increased strength with exposure to pregnancyrelated stress.Molecular Psychiatry advance online publication, 2 January 2007;doi:10.1038/sj.mp.4001940.PMID:

17199132 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]. . .TREATMENTCartoons To Aid Autistic Children"We've got to somehow find a way to get autistic children to overcome their fear of looking at people's faces" - Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, Autism Research Centre, Cambridge UniversityBy Jane for BBC News.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6241733.stmA project that has helped a small group of autistic childrenunderstand more about human emotions is being launched nationwide.The project uses cartoons narrated by the actor Fry to helpteach the youngsters about facial expressions.People with autism often struggle to identify and understand feelings,and to look others in the eye.Denis , six, is one of those who has been taking part, and hisfamily have already noticed changes in him.He is typical of a child with autism because he is fascinated bytrains and cars,

but finds it much harder to relate to human emotions.That may be because vehicles have very predictable motion, whilepeople are far more unpredictable.The DVD animation series capitalises on this fascination with vehiclesby grafting real people's faces onto cartoons of vehicles.Professor Simon Baron-Cohen is director of the Autism Research Centreat Cambridge University.He said: "We've got to somehow find a way to get autistic children toovercome their fear of looking at people's faces so that they can startlearning about how expressions arise."This is a way to ease them into reading faces."Proved popular Denis began watching the cartoons before Christmas.He was asked to look at them for 15 minutes every day over the courseof four weeks.But the first time he saw them, he liked them so much, he watched all15 five minute episodes at once.Each episode introduces the idea of new emotions, like happiness,anger,

fear, kindness and pride.It includes an interactive quiz, which helps the children learn aboutthe emotions.His mother, , has been impressed with the results.She said: "I've noticed that when we read stories, if a character'ssad, he'll perk up and explain the reason."For the parent of a child who's not very interested in emotions orcan't recognise them very well, it's nice to see them beginning tounderstand that side of life."Flicking a switch Other parents have described it as being as if aswitch has been flicked in their child's head.Professor Baron-Cohen said at the end of the four week period, therehad been a 52% improvement in the ability of the children to recognise andexplain emotions."They had caught up to the same level as a typically developing childon tests of emotional recognition," he said."They are preliminary but very exciting results - even with a veryshort intervention, children

with autism can look at faces and start pickingup the relevant information."The DVDs were commissioned by the Department of Culture, Media andSport, and are now being given to around 30,000 other families with autisticchildren between the ages of two and eight.More tests are planned, and it's too early to say yet whether theywill have long term benefits.But researchers are hoping they'll be able to make a real differenceto the lives of autistic children.. . .EDUCATIONNew Ga. Bill Proposes Scholarships for Special Needs ChildrenBy Sindy Lucas.http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=18807A new bill has been proposed in Georgia, and if passed, it could meana brighter future for some of Georgia's very special students.Bill SB 10, proposed by Senator of Savannah, wouldprovide scholarships for special needs children. Any special educationstudent

attending public school in Georgia would be given a voucher. If theschool the child currently attends fails to meet expectations, parents wouldthen have the option to enroll their child in another school.The scholarships would give low income families, who might nototherwise have the opportunity, the chance to place their special needschild in a private school. In most cases, private schools allow for moreindividualized attention due to smaller class sizes.The amount of the scholarship would be determined on an individualbasis using the child's Individualized Educational Plan. All public schoolsare required to develop an IEP for special needs students. The IEP is usedto outline goals for each child. It also helps to determine what servicesare needed to successfully reach those goals.Bill SB 10 was modeled after Florida's successful McKay ScholarshipProgram for Students with Disabilities.The McKay Scholarship Program

was created by the 1999 FloridaLegislature as a pilot program. The program allows eligible students withdisabilities to attend an eligible public or private school of their choice.Students K-12, who are mentally handicapped, speech and language impaired,deaf or hard of hearing, visually impaired, dual sensory impaired,physically impaired, emotionally handicapped, specific learning disabled,hospitalized or homebound, or autistic can receive the scholarship.Over 17,000 students were offered the scholarship during the 2005-2006school year.According to a press release on 's website, "SB 10 does notmandate that local school systems do anything. It does not require privateschools to accept these children. It does not attempt to blame teachers,administrators, or parents. It simply says that parents of special needschildren can choose the school that their children will attend. If theybelieve their needs are being

fulfilled in public school, they are free tostay. But, if they feel that their child's needs are not being met,Georgia's Special Needs Scholarships will give them the freedom to chooseanother school."Today was the first day of the new legislative session in Georgia, soif or when the bill is passed could be several months off. "First the billwill go before the Senate Education Committee", said Georgia Dept. ofEducation's Communication Director, Dana Tofig.On whether the bill would receive any opposition from those in thepublic school system, Tofig stated, "it's too early to say."A representative from Senator 's office could not be reachedfor a comment.. . .PUBLIC HEALTH'Precocious Puberty' Is on the RiseBy Kim Ridley, Ode http://www.alternet.org/story/46213/Kids these days are growing up too fast -- in more ways than one.American girls are reaching puberty up to a year earlier

than in previousgenerations, with some children showing signs of sexual development as youngas age 3. In extreme cases, girls are budding breasts before they've evenlearned to read.Researchers call this phenomenon "precocious puberty," which some sayis on the rise. Forty-eight percent of African-American girls and 15 percentof Caucasian girls show physical signs of puberty by age 8, according to astudy of 17,000 U.S. girls published in Pediatrics in 1997. In a subsequentstudy of more than 2,000 boys, lead author Marcia Herman-Giddens found that38 percent of African-American boys and 30 percent of Caucasian boys showedsigns of sexual development by age 8.What's going on? Although scientists have yet to prove definitivecauses, many suspect that hormone-mimicking chemicals, obesity and stressall contribute to precocious puberty. The chemicals, often called endocrinedisruptors, are of particular concern because they're

everywhere -- in food,water, personal-care products, some plastics and many consumer goods.Pediatrician Darshak Sanghavi notes in The New York Times thatoutbreaks of precocious puberty are most often traced to accidental exposureto drugs in hormone-laden products. He describes a case in which akindergarten-age boy and his younger sister had both begun growing pubichair. In addition, the boy was exhibiting aggressive behaviour.When Sanghavi's colleagues examined the children, they discovered thatboth had extremely elevated levels of testosterone -- equivalent to those ofan adult male -- and that their father was using a concentrated testosteroneskin cream "for cosmetic and sexual purposes." The children had absorbed thetestosterone from normal skin contact with their father.It's a problem that's not likely to go away anytime soon. The New YorkTimes notes that prescriptions for products containing testosterone are onthe

rise, doubling to more than 2.4 million between 2000 and 2004.+ Read more: http://www.alternet.org/story/46213/. . .6,000 in Md. Suburbs Barred From Class Students Lack Required Proof of Vaccinations Despite Big Push by SchoolsBy Levine for the Washington Post. http://tinyurl.com/yl82lvDespite a "Herculean effort" to get the word out, more than 6,000students in Washington's land suburbs were excluded from class yesterdaybecause they failed to comply with a state vaccination requirement that tookeffect with the new year.Students in grades 6 through 9 who had not provided a record ofchickenpox and hepatitis B vaccinations -- or, in the case of chickenpox,month-and-year documentation of when they had the disease -- were told theycould not return until they had the necessary paperwork in hand. The onlyexceptions were to be those who arrived with proof that they haveappointments to get the

shots by Jan. 22.Some students were held for the day in special rooms or centers intheir schools. Others were sent home.According to a preliminary count in Prince 's County, more than4,000 students were without the vaccine records. Spokesman White saidadministrators were discouraged by the lack of response from so many parentsdespite repeated outreach and opportunities for free immunizations."With there not being a monetary barrier, it's just frustrating," hesaid.Statewide, students were given specific notes -- "letters ofsuspension"in at least one county -- that administrators hope will get families'attention in a way that months of announcements, calls, visits andadmonitions from principals have not."We've had quite a challenging day," said Helen Monk, the healthspecialist in the Frederick County schools, where 327 children remained outof compliance. Although that figure was down by more than half

the totaljust before the holiday break, she sounded incredulous that anyone stillneeded vaccinations."It's been a Herculean effort," Monk said. "You wouldn't believe thetime and work that have gone into this."The numbers, which local school and health staff members spentfrenetic hours amassing yesterday, ranged from the low hundreds in somecounties to nearly 1,000 or more in other jurisdictions. State officialswere not tallying either the overall public count or that of private andparochial students.+ Read more: http://tinyurl.com/yl82lv. . .ADVOCACYProgress on Autism Aid 'Painfully Slow,' But Powerful Backer EmergesBy Rotstein, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07008/752085-114.stmTwo years after release of a 1,000-page report beseeching Pennsylvaniaofficials to upgrade services to individuals with autism, advocates say theysee progress, albeit less than

they had hoped.The elevation of their biggest legislative backer, Rep. DennisO'Brien, to the top position in the state House of Representatives hasbuoyed the optimism of parents and professionals dealing with autism thattheir concerns over neglect will be addressed.Mr. O'Brien, R-Philadelphia, who was elected House speaker primarilywith Democratic support in a surprise vote Tuesday, stressed that hislongtime focus on people with disabilities will remain a priority in hisinfluential position. He has paid special attention to autism -- he has anephew diagnosed with it -- as chairman of the House Autism Caucus andhonorary chairman of the former Pennsylvania Autism Task Force, whichreleased its comprehensive report in January 2005."Kids with disabilities are going to be at the table when we discussbudgets," Mr. O'Brien said after his sudden rise to prominence. "I've becomea better person and a better legislator because of

my involvement with theseissues."The autism report decried the state's failure to coordinate servicesfor people with autism, the absence of programs for adults with autismunless they also have mental retardation, the lack of public education andawareness programs relating to autism, and other perceived inequitiescompared to other types of disabilities.While autistic individuals often have retardation, with an IQ below70, they also have distinct problems with compulsive or anti-socialbehavior. The 2005 report identified Pennsylvania as among the statesproviding the least in the way of services and funding specifically toassist individuals and families dealing with the neurological disorder.Advocates credited Department of Public Welfare Secretary EstelleRichman with creating the former task force to highlight the problems, butthey're still awaiting many of the key steps they hoped might result from=== message

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