FW: Autism Speaks Video Glossary

[Guest guest]

Autism Speaks Joins Florida

State University

and First Signs in Launching First-Ever Web-Based Autism Video Glossary

An Innovative New Tool to Help Parents

Recognize the Early Signs of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Find out more about this innovative project and view

the videos at www.autismspeaks.org . Please share this information with

your pediatrician and providers. This is a great resource for anyone living and

working with children with ASD.

Watch CBS 4 News between 5 and 6:30 for CBS 4 Health

Reporter, Dr. Kenniff’s

story about the Video Glossary and it will mean for parents and professional as

he interviews parents and Dr. Alessandri

from UM-NSU CARD.

Jaclyn

Merens

South

Florida Regional

Director

Autism Speaks, Inc

2151 West Hillsboro Blvd

Suite 303

Deerfield Beach, FL 33442

Fax:

E-mail jmerens@...

Web: www.autismwalk.org

www.autismspeaks.org

From: Barton

Sent: Monday, October 15, 2007

9:20 AM

To:

Guzy; Jackie Merens

Subject: Article

Recent

article in Ocala.com (Star Banner)

Web

Site Shows Autism Videos

BY LINDSEY TANNER

AP Medical Writer

CHICAGO

What's so unusual about a baby

fascinated with spinning a cup, or a toddler flapping his hands, or a

preschooler walking on her toes?

Parents and even doctors sometimes miss these red flags for autism, but a new

online video " glossary " makes them startlingly clear.

A new Web site offers dozens of video clips of autistic kids contrasted with

unaffected children's behavior. Some of the side-by-side differences can make

you gasp. Others are more subtle.

The free site, debuting Monday, also defines and depicts

" stimming, " " echolalia " and other confusing-sounding

terms that describe autistic behavior. Stimming refers to repetitive,

self-stimulating or soothing behavior including hand-flapping and rocking

that autistic children sometimes do in reaction to light, sounds or

excitement. Echolalia is echoing or repeating someone else's words or

phrases, sometimes out of context.

The new site is sponsored by two nonprofit advocacy groups: Autism Speaks and

First Signs. They hope the site will promote early diagnosis and treatment,

which can help young children with autism lead more normal lives.

Pediatrician Dr. Wasserman cautioned that the site might lead some

parents to needlessly fret about normal behavior variations, and said they

shouldn't use it to try to diagnose their own kids.

" Just as there's a spectrum in autism... there's a spectrum in normal

development, " said Wasserman, with Ochsner

Medical Center

in New Orleans.

" Children don't necessarily develop in a straight line. "

But Amy Wetherby, a Florida

State University

professor of communications disorders who helped create the site, noted that

sometimes " parents are the first to be concerned and the doctors aren't

necessarily worried. This will help give them terms to take to the doctor and

say, 'I'm worried about it. "

And while the children shown in the " Red Flags " video clips on the

site have been diagnosed with some form of autism, the sponsors note that not

all children who behave this way have something wrong. In fact, the behaviors

in some of the short video clips - when viewed individually - look fairly

normal.

The important thing is to seek medical help if a child does exhibit

persistent unusual behavior, to either rule out autism or get an early

diagnosis, said Alison Singer of Autism Speaks.

Added Wetherby, " We now know that one out of 150 children has autism, or

one out of 94 boys. It's not a rare disability. We also know that early

intervention is critical. "

The site was to be available to the public starting Monday on the Autism Speaks

Web site http://www.autismspeaks.org " >http://www.autismspeaks.org.

Several autism specialists who reviewed it at the request of The Associated

Press called it an unusually helpful tool for parents and doctors.

" The moving pictures speak a million words, " said Dr. Edwin Cook,

an autism researcher and educator at the University

of Illinois at Chicago.

" Not only do I see this as useful for the general public and for parents

who might be wondering ... but I will frankly be using it for education "

and training, Cook said. He has received research funding from Autism Speaks

but has no connection to the new site.

Stefanie Voss of Tallahassee,

Fla., said it will be a great

tool " for parents who are in the situation that I was in three years

ago, which is, 'I'm not sure if something's wrong with my child.' "

She said she asked her pediatrician about her son when he was 14

months old and was told he didn't show " the classic signs " of

autism.

" He did smile and have eye contact, but what I've learned since is those

aren't the only red flags, " Voss said.

didn't point, wave, or demonstrate any other nonverbal communication.

He'd also spend hours opening and closing cabinet doors or spinning plastic

bowls on the floor.

She eventually took him to Florida

State where he was

diagnosed at age 17 months and intervention began. is featured in a

video clip on the site.

With speech lessons, physical therapy and behavior training several hours

daily, he's now affectionate, social, talking, walking and in preschool.

" It shows you that all your hard work and early intervention pays

off, " Voss said.

Dr. Ballaban-Gil, a pediatric neurology specialist at Montefiore Medical

Center in New York, said the site " will be

doing a real service. "

The site will eventually feature a section on autism treatments and

Ballaban-Gill said the only scientifically sound ones are intensive behavior

training. Others, including special diets, are unproven and should not be

included, she said.

Singer said there is no decision yet on which treatments will be added to the

site.

---

Florida State University

Center for Autism and

Related Disorders:

http://autism.fsu.edu/ " >http://autism.fsu.edu/

Barton

Community Health Charities

of Florida

P.O.Box 1049

15A Crescent Way

Crawfordville Florida 32327

(850)926-7003

(850)926-1003 fax

(805)933-9205 cell

bcooper@...

you only

have one life...give for the health of it!