The Autism Fund

April has been designated as the National Autism Awareness month.  It is a time where people are encouraged to raise awareness of Autism and the issues that surround it. Help make a difference and spread the word!

Two new government studies estimate that, more frequently than ever, U.S. children are being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders.   Research published in “Pediatrics”, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, found that nearly 1 in 100 children in this country appear to have symptoms on the Autism Spectrum, making autism the most prevalent childhood developmental disorder.

This study used data from the federal government’s 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health. The survey of 78,000 parents was conducted by researchers from the Health Resources and Services Administration.

A second study, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), found that about one in every 100 eight-year-olds has Autism Spectrum Disorder.  In a similar 2007 study, the CDC placed the rate at one in 150. Details on the study are to be published later this year.  Autism Spectrum Disorders include Autism, Asperger’s Disorder, Childhood Degenerative Disorder, Rett’s Syndrome and Non-specific Pervasive Degenerative Disorder.

Patrick O Sullivan, Manager of The Autism Fund, says the findings contained in these two new reports are in line with the rise in the number of children in Southwest Florida who are seeking treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorders.  “We have seen a steady increase over the past few years in parents looking for treatment for their children”, he said.  “And as diagnostic tools become more precise and the sign and symptoms of Autism become better known, the nunbers will continue to increase, here and elswhere. We hope that the information coming from both of these new studies, coupled with the fact that Autism is now the most prevalent childhood development disorder, will spur local, state and federal government and health authorities into action to fund more treatment for children with Autism.  Much is being done to discover the causes of Autism, but meanwhile the children already effected are desperate for treatment and the means to pay for it”, he concluded.

The Autism Fund is a Southwest Florida based charity raising funds to provide treatment for children with symptoms on the Autism Spectrum in Lee and Collier Counties, Florida.  www.theautismfund.org

Researchers have shown for the first time that if a child is diagnosed with autism as early as 18 months of age, offering the toddler age-appropriate, effective therapy can lead to raised IQ levels and improved language skills and behavior.

“Early intervention can be very effective for toddlers with autism,” says Geraldine Dawson, chief science officer of the advocacy group Autism Speaks, and one of the two lead authors of a study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics.”

While Dawson was at the University of Washington, she and co-study author Sally Rogers from the University of California-Davis M.I.N.D. Institute devised the trial involving 48 children with autism.

All the children in the trial were between 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 years old at the beginning of the study. Half of the children were given community-based interventions or therapies and the other half were enrolled in a 20-hour per week intervention program called “Early Start Denver Model” (ESDM), developed by Rogers.

The goal of this research was to determine how much the debilitating effects of autism can be prevented or reduced.

ESDM was designed to address the needs of toddlers with autism as young as 12 months old, and it is delivered by trained therapists and their parents in a very natural setting — the child’s own home — with children sitting on the floor and playing, rather than having a more adult-directed therapy.

“It’s a very pleasing kind of therapy, kids are happy. It is play, and it can happen everywhere,” Rogers explains. Dawson adds that this type of intervention builds on a fun, positive relationship with the therapist. This is a contrast to traditional Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), which is delivered at a desk, with the child sitting next to the teacher or therapist, who breaks down complex tasks into small components and then gives tangible reinforcements.

At the end of two years, all of the children showed improvements. But children in the ESDM group had increased their IQ by nearly 18 points — 10 points higher than the children getting the standard autism therapy offered in the community. Scores for listening and understanding as well as motor skills and self-care skills were all higher in the ESDM group.

“Many of the children had virtually caught up to the typical kids their age,” says Dawson.

Rogers says parents can pick up the ESDM therapy methods quite easily.

“They can learn this within six hours of working with therapists,” she says.

Then parents can use the skills in everyday settings, not just during specific therapy sessions.

The study’s authors also noted that the children in the ESDM group required only 15 hours of weekly intervention with a therapist, compared with the usual 40 recommended hours. This can have a significant economic impact on families. In 2006, a Harvard study estimated the lifelong cost of care for person with autism is more than $3 million.

Children with autism can have one of several complex neurological disorders, which lead to social impairments, communication difficulties and restrictive and repetitive behaviors. While the cause of autism in not yet known — genetics and environmental triggers are believed to play a role — the benefits of early intervention have been shown to reduce disruptive behaviors and teach the child skills that will lead to greater independence as he or she gets older.

There is no known cure for autism. The researchers of this study are quick to point out this they didn’t cure any children, either. The subjects of the study still have autism, although it may be in a milder form.

In 2007, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that all children be screened for autism at the ages of 18 months and 24 months. A report published in their journal, Pediatrics, that year said that several studies showed that the Denver model was an effective treatment, but that “controlled studies are lacking” to prove its efficacy. This new study does just that. Researchers and advocacy groups alike stress treatments need to be scientifically verified before they can be recommended on a large scale.

A baby diagnosed with autism overcomes the odds and grows into a healthy teenager. (source – CNN’s Kiran Chetry reports)

Sanibel, FL (October 15, 2009) – Most preschool aged children spend their afternoons playing on swing sets, finger painting or watching Sesame Street.  But that is not always true for children with symptoms on the Autism Spectrum.  Many of these children spend their afternoons trying to learn behaviors that come naturally to most children but are difficult for them because of their disabilities.

Grace, age 4, of Naples, has been receiving Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapy, thanks to a grant from The Autism Fund, Inc., a Florida charity which was launched in 2008 with the goal of making ABA Therapy available to needy children on the Autism Spectrum who live in Lee and Collier Counties.  Evidence clearly shows that children on the Autism Spectrum can make significant improvements if they receive intensive ABA Therapy at a young age.

The grant to Grace was the first given by The Autism Fund, and was made possible by a group of Naples neighbors from Windstar by the Sea, who held a 5 kilometer run/walk to raise money for The Fund.  This money, coupled with contributions from her family members, is being used to help defray the cost of Grace’s treatment, which can be lengthy and expensive.

There are hundreds of needy children in Lee and Collier Counties who could benefit from such treatment, but whose families cannot afford it.  It is this need that The Autism Fund is attempting to address.  The Autism Fund is a local charity and all money raised is spent directly on local children.  In addition, its manager and all but one member of its Board of Directors live and work in Southwest Florida.

For the last six months, Grace has spent two afternoons a week at her therapist’s office. When Grace began therapy she was unable to follow simple directions, interact with her mother successfully, or control her emotions. As a result, Grace would become overwhelmed with fear in situations that most children find to be neutral or even enjoyable. Simple things like going to the store, eating at a restaurant, and attending preschool, were all situations that would trigger uncontrollable bouts of anger, screaming and crying. Thus, Grace was becoming isolated from society, unable to attend preschool, to make friends, and to enjoy being a child.

Grace’s therapist says, “Because of her therapy, Grace can now interact in a successful and enjoyable manner with her mother. She is able to follow directions and is able to quiet her own fears when they begin to overwhelm her. She is becoming comfortable in settings that used to be literally painful for her. She has learned to enjoy the beach, to go on short trips to the store with her mother, and to attend Sunday school. With continued therapy, Grace’s future shines bright. Attending school, making friends, and living a ‘typical’ life are now all within her reach.”

Autism is an organic brain syndrome of unknown origin.  There is neither a cure for Autism nor any known way to prevent it.  But with treatment like ABA Therapy, children on the Autism Spectrum are one step closer to their peers in the mainstream.  It is the goal of The Autism Fund to aid in this process.

For More Information Please Contact: Renee Cutaia (239) 472-3400 or Renee@Hillgate.biz

• Out story on Grace's progress in todays @thenewspress – http://bit.ly/pZ4H3 #
• Come visit our table on Sunday at Baileyfest on Sanibel! #

• Out story on Grace's progress in todays @thenewspress – http://bit.ly/pZ4H3 #
• Come visit our table on Sunday at Baileyfest on Sanibel! #

• updates on healthcare reform… http://bit.ly/3Ynmsu #
• New research suggests that 1 in 100 children ages 3-17 have symptoms on the Autism Spectrum (previously 1 in 150) http://tiny.cc/1ZI9s #
• Check out page 38 – more news about Grace! http://bit.ly/cCfNP #

• updates on healthcare reform… http://bit.ly/3Ynmsu #
• New research suggests that 1 in 100 children ages 3-17 have symptoms on the Autism Spectrum (previously 1 in 150) http://tiny.cc/1ZI9s #
• Check out page 38 – more news about Grace! http://bit.ly/cCfNP #

The need for grants from The Autism Fund is greater than ever – based on a survey of over 78,000 families in the United States, studies are now showing that 1 in 100 children (previously 1 in 150) between the ages of 3 and 17 have symptoms on the Autism Spectrum.