Autism not only medical condition to draw insults - Autism is not the first disease or disorder to confront disbelief and public insults. Other conditions, including attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and bipolar disorder, often are a source of misconceptions, says Kathleen Riley, a member of the National Association of Autism's Metro New York chapter. Children with such conditions can have, among other symptoms, difficulty with communication and social interaction. "To the general population, these disorders appear to be a behavioral issue only, one that is blamed on parents and teachers," said Riley, who has worked with autistic children and their families for nine years. "People don't understand that these children have a high level of discomfort all of the time -- they are not just behaving badly."

Britney Spears Resurfaces in Support of Autism Research - Britney Spears was a surprise guest at a fundraiser for autism this Saturday in Los Angeles. The benefit was to raise money for actress Jenny McCarthy's charity, Generation Rescue, an organization dedicated to autism research. One guest told US Weekly that Spears, 26, "definitely looked happy" and was "smiling a lot" while sipping wine at her table. Another told People magazine that while Spears stayed close to her assistant, Brett, "she was very into the information" that was being presented. This was the pop star's first public appearance since news of her custody agreement broke last week. Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey hosted a fundraiser for autism this weekend where Britney Spears was a surprise guest. (Getty Images) Email to a friendPrinter friendly Font: * * * * Other stars in attendance included Charlie Sheen and his new bride, Brooke Mueller, as well as Robert Rodriguez and girlfriend, Rose McGowan, who danced all night, according to People. Helping McCarthy with the event was long-time beau comedian Jim Carrey, who at one point took to the dance floor and challenged another guest to a dance battle. McCarthy's son, Evan, 5, was diagnosed with autism three years ago but she only revealed his condition last May on The View. She's also recently published a book, Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism.

How to Avoid Special-Ed Lawsuits - Last week, I reported on how parents of special education students in the Lee’s Summit School District were ready to picket a state education conference on autism because they were upset that Lee’s Summit’s Director of Special Education, Jerry Keimig, had been selected to give a presentation. I was never able to confirm this, but as near as I can tell, the last time Missouri school administrators heard a presentation on autism was ten years ago. The point of that program? To help them avoid lawsuits filed by parents who are angry about their autistic children’s education. Back in 1998, the Missouri Association of School Administrators (MASA) annual law seminar included a section titled “Special Education for Early Childhood Autistic Students -- How to Avoid Parent Demands for LOVAAS/TEACH Methodologies.” (In this case “TEACH” is a typo; it’s supposed to be TEACHH, an acronym for Treatment and Education of Autistic and Communication Handicapped Children.) That program and LOVAAS (named for the doctor who invented it) are now considered among the best methods for teaching young autistic students. The notes on the pictured copy of the law seminar’s program were written by Kansas City attorney Kim Westhusing, who has represented several parents of autistic children in due process cases against metro school districts.

Parents of "autism brats" fight back - When Michael Savage, radio talk show host, said July 16 that 99% of children with autism were "brats" who should be told to "cut the act out," one could only wonder if he somehow got his childhood "A" disease diagnoses mixed up. Maybe he was thinking of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a condition characterized by inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. ADHD affects 2 million children and can be treated with behavior modification or drugs, but for many decades, children with the disorder were considered to be just bad kids who misbehaved, and poor parenting was pointed to as the cause. But autism? Does anyone doubt that it's a significant developmental disorder? It's characterized by poor social interaction, problems with communication -- both verbal and nonverbal -- repetitive activities and hand flapping. Those are problems a 2- or 3-year-old, the age at which the disorder is often diagnosed, would have trouble thinking up. But when the New York Times gave Savage a chance to explain himself, he said that while his estimate that nine out of 10 kids are faking it might have been a little high, he said he was proud to have prodded a discussion. He stuck by his comments.

Police looking for missing autistic teen  - Police are asking for the public's help after a teen with autism went missing Sunday. Albert Edward Smallchild, 17, was last seen at home on the 2900-block of 20th Street West at around 3:309 p.m. Sunday. The aboriginal teen, who is six-feet-tall and 190 pounds, was wearing grey shorts and a grey short-sleeved shirt. Police say Smallchild understands directions, but does not know his address or how to get home. Police are asking anyone with information about Smallchild's whereabouts to call them at 975-8300. 

Police officers train to respond to autistic suspects - A young boy with autism slipped into his mother's car last fall and barreled 100 mph down the road in Naperville, Ill., like a scene from his favorite movie. When flashing police sirens frightened him, he sped even faster. Officers reached him only after he slammed the car into a tree. Incidents such as this one are challenging police officers statewide to reconsider their rule books, as it becomes clear that many techniques they learned at the academy and honed on the job - the command tactics, physical maneuvers and crowd control strategies - could prove dangerous when dealing with autistic people. On Jan. 1, Illinois joined a growing band of states that require autism awareness instruction for new officers prompted by a growing awareness of the neurological disorder. But several local police departments are extending the training to all first-responders, from beat cops to commanders, even as they make clear their specialty is public safety, not psychology.

Michael Savage defends autism remarks - Conservative radio talk show jock Michael Savage used his nationally syndicated show Monday to defend his controversial remarks on autism, even as outraged parents protested outside the Manhattan offices of his broadcaster, calling for his firing. "My comments about autism were meant to boldly awaken parents and children to the medical community's attempt to label too many children or adults as 'autistic,' Savage wrote on his Web site and read on his broadcast Monday. "Many children are being victimized by being diagnosed with an "illness" which may not exist in all cases. ... Let the truly autistic be treated. Let the falsely diagnosed be free." The original remarks that stirred the backlash aired on the July 16 broadcast of his show "The Savage Nation," which typically targets the likes of liberals, undocumented immigrants and feminists and has more than 8 million listeners.

Protest at Radio Station Over Autism Comments - Outside the Lower Manhattan offices of the local talk-radio station WOR (710 AM) this afternoon, a group of parents of children with autism held a protest, calling for the station to stop broadcasting the weekday radio program of Michael Savage, the conservative commentator. Last Wednesday, Mr. Savage said that autism was an “overdiagnosed medical condition” and that “99 percent” of autism cases in fact reflected lax parenting. Mr. Savage’s comments have led to a firestorm of protests, but as Jacques Steinberg reported on Monday in The Times, the talk-show host has stood by his remarks, though he acknowledged that his figure of 99 percent was “hyperbole.” Mr. Savage published a statement on his Web site, which said his point was that autism was overdiagnosed:

An Autism dietary dilemma - Living with autism can make some everyday activities, like eating out with your family, difficult. Susan Perez has two sons diagnosed with autism. Like many children diagnosed with autism, they're on a medically prescribed diet filled with supplements and free of everything from gluten to casein. "That's usually the typical, gluten and casein, but they also can't have soy, corn, potato, or yeast, so there are multiple things they can't eat." The Perez family brings their own food to restaurants or the restaurants help them meet special dietary restrictions. Normally, it isn't a problem. But earlier this month they went to Chuck E. Cheese in Bloomington with a local school district's autism camp. "They actually confiscated the food as soon as we walked in the door," said Perez. Perez says she spoke to the manager, but was told Chuck E. Cheese has a strict policy not allowing any outside food into the restaurant, except some birthday cakes. "She wouldn't budge, I pleaded with her," she said.

Autism training helps police tailor response  - A teenage boy with autism slipped into his mother's car last fall and, acting out his favorite movies, went barreling 100 m.p.h. down a road in Naperville. When police gave chase, the flashing lights and sirens frightened him, and he sped even faster. Officers reached him only after he slammed the car into a tree. The boy was not badly hurt, but his case and others are challenging police officers statewide to reconsider their rule books, as it becomes clear that many standard techniques—such as command tactics, physical maneuvers and crowd-control strategies—could prove dangerous when dealing with people who have autism and do not always react in predictable ways.

Defying The Odds: Autistic Girl Sings National Anthem - Despite facing of several obstacles in her life, an Arkansas teenager continues to defy the odds. When Jessica Summers was born, doctors said she would never speak. But Sunday, the 18-year-old sang the national anthem to open up the session of the Cal Ripken Southwest Regional Championship in Maumelle. Today's THV first introduced you to Jessica last year, when she graduated high school and accepted a scholarship to UCA. Her voice is great, but what makes this even more impressive, Jessica has autism. This spring, Jessica wrapped up her freshman year at UCA. She and her mom also travel the country to autism conferences so they can share their amazing story.

Ohioans stuck on Medicaid backlog  - A backlog has placed 16,000 Ohio residents in an administrative limbo while they fight to receive Medicaid benefits from the state. Services for Ohio's poor, disabled and blind are in short supply and the lines are long. Administrative processes take months - sometimes years - to navigate, leaving in-need residents frustrated or suffering. "I'm sure they have big caseloads and not enough people, but we're just a number to them," said 53-year-old Sherry Yeater, who successfully appealed her Medicaid denial after more than a year of waiting.

Oxytocin may inhibit social phobia - Swedish and British scientists have shown using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) that the hormone oxytocin can inhibit feelings of anxiety in specific individuals. Their discovery might lead to a better understanding and the improved treatment of psychiatric affections in which people feel distressed when meeting others, such as in cases of autism and social phobia. Oxytocin is a neuropeptide that is secreted by the body during massage, childbirth and breastfeeding to induce a calming, analgesic effect. Animal studies have also shown that oxytocin promotes social interaction, such as during the courting process. The hormone has a direct influence on the amygdala, a brain area that is important for social interaction and for identifying immediate emotional threats. In a new study published in The Journal of Neuroscience, scientists at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet and the Welcome Trust Functional Imaging Laboratory in London show that oxytocin has a more targeted effect than simply producing a general feeling of wellbeing.

Researchers pulling back the veil on adult autism - Was the young doctor autistic? He didn't think so: "I don't walk on tippytoes or get hypnotized by Wheel of Fortune," he explained. But he did get upset when people didn't say what they mean. He loved math. "And then there's this odd thing I do with my hands and my nose when I'm excited and I think nobody's looking," he once wrote in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.  He thinks he may be on "some distant end" of the autism spectrum. At the other end are people like the man who organized his wife's CDs by the composer's date of birth and fell asleep on the floor during social events; his wife thought he was eccentric. Or the office clerk who beat up a woman on his way to the bus stop one morning for the simple reason she was in his way. He was obsessed with not walking on the cracks between the tiles on the sidewalk. Autism in children has never been more in the news. But few are talking about the adults, experts say, and few therapists are available to treat the illnesses in adults just as more are seeking help.

Vaccine-autism link unsupported by science, but theory lives on - At the Autism One conference in Chicago on Memorial Day weekend, hundreds of parents and clinicians gathered to hear a keynote by Jenny McCarthy, an actress and the mother of an autistic child, who has publicly associated her child's illness with vaccines. Many conference sessions were dedicated to doubts about immunizations. And, even when it wasn't the focus, the notion that some aspect of vaccines may play a role in autism was evident. As the number of children diagnosed with autism has increased, so has the number of national support groups like this one. Parents often turn to these organizations for help in finding an explanation for their child's condition.