Autism Brain Scan

We've been talking about it for year-a brain scan that detects autism. Now it may become reality.

FROM NBC: Researchers have found a way to spot the signs of autism using MRI scans. The new study out of Stanford University looked at MRI data from twenty-four autistic children, and compared it to that of typically developing children. Researchers found the gray matter in an area of the brain that handles social communication was different in the brains of autistic children. They hope to use this information to confirm a diagnosis of autism, or predict whether children at high-risk for the disorder will develop autism themselves. The researchers were able to diagnose autism using MRI scans with 92% accuracy. Children with the most severe forms of autism had the biggest brain differences.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Autism is now Common

It's hard for me to tell whether there are more developmental problems or just better diagnosis because my kids are so young. I have talked to teachers who say they are seeing more problems now compared to 10-20 years ago. So I guess I am leaning toward more disorders. What do you think?

FROM ABC: It seems that doctors are finding autism more and more common. Now a new government study continues the trend-- which includes other developmental problems. Autism and other childhood development difficulties have increased seventeen per cent in the last ten years.

That's the finding of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-- published in the journal "Pediatrics." Based on data from children age three to seventeen, the authors found a rise in those with: - autism - attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - cerebral palsy - mental retardation (and) - seizures Autism had the biggest increase, rising four-fold between 2006 and 2008.

But Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder rose thirty-three per cent-- the biggest reason for the higher incidence of developmental problems. Boys had a higher prevalence than girls. The experts say the increase may be due to more pre-term births and parents having kids at later ages. They also cite better awareness and detection.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Autism Symptom Check-list

There is now a simply test you can take on-line that may help you decide whether your child needs to be screened for autism. The point is not to scare parents, it's to detect the developmental disorder early. Research shows the earlier autism symptoms are treated, the more advanced the child will become. I just hope the check list doesn't lead to parents being super paranoid! Please keep in mind a third of the parents who got alarming results later found out their kids were just fine.

FROM NBC: A simple questionnaire can detect very subtle signs of autism as early as 12 months. And some doctors suspect widespread use of the check-list might catch as many as half of all autism cases. Some babies are chatting up a storm by age 1. Others haven't really bothered. Yet -- they might all fall well within what's considered "normal."

But doctors who specialize in autism say they frequently hear this from parents: Dr. Karen Pierce/University of California-San Diego: "I went to my pediatrician and said, 'please help I think something is wrong'. And the pediatrician said, 'well let's wait and see'." That "wait and see" approach seems reasonable when you consider that wide range of "normal." But those who do have a serious communication delay or full-blown autism often aren't diagnosed until at least age two or three.

Dr. Max Wiznitzer - Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital-Cleveland: "That means we've wasted time during which brain development might be positively affected by intervention." Now intervention may come much earlier when children are flagged with a simple check-list at their 12-month doctor's visit. DR. Karen Pierce- University of California,-San Diego: "Their social behavior is just very subtly starting to become derailed."

Dr. Karen Pierce of the University of California-San Diego looked at the effect of surveying parents about their babies' communication and language skills at their 1-year check-up. Dr. Karen Pierce - University of California-San Diego: "The screen just says something is wrong -- it doesn't tell you what is wrong. Doesn't tell you what you should do." Of more than 10-thousand babies -- 184 failed the screening and were sent to a specialist. A quarter turned out to be just fine.

But 75-percent either had a significant delay or were later diagnosed with autism. Those who needed treatment were able to start at around 18 months. Dr. Max Wiznitzer - Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital-Cleveland: "This is a well-designed study that succinctly and concisely address their specific question: can we use this checklist to screen for autism and other developmental disorders? And they did it." Now the push is to get more doctors to use the check-list at the 1-year mark. So kids can stay on track. Here's the check-list. It takes about 5 minutes to fill out.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Home Autism Detection Kit

A device that supposedly identifies kids with autism? I am skeptical. I cannot imagine this has a high accuracy rate. My first thought is that autism isn't just a speech disorder. Doctors take a look at the overall child and many factors before determining whether a child should be diagnosed with autism. I understand this device isn't a diagnostic tool-just a resource. Still, I can't imagine learning my child might have autism by mail. It would be nice if there was some kind of blood test or scan that said, "autistic" "not autistic," but there isn't. I am concerned about this one. What do you think?

FROM ABC: A new device marketed to parents as an early detection device for autism has specialists debating whether the technology will become a powerful autism screening tool for doctors, or a do-it-yourself recipe for parental anxiety.

For around $200 dollars, parents can now order a LENA Language and Autism Screen (LAS) designed to detect early signs of autism in their toddlers' daily chatter at home.

The LAS device -- an iPod sized recorder that fits into specially designed overalls -- was designed after five years of research by the non-profit LENA foundation that is seeking to "develop advanced technology for the early screening, diagnosis, research, and treatment of language delays and disorders in children and adults," according to their Web site.

To use LAS, parents simply let their 24-month to 48-month-old children wear the device and overalls for a full 12-hour day. Then parents can ship the device back to LENA where employees use their acoustic algorithms to compare the child's vocalizations to those of other children analyzed in the LENA database. Parents then get an assessment in the mail.

"It's not a diagnosis, it's a detection. We wouldn't recommend someone use this screen as a diagnosis," said Mia Moe, director of communications at the LENA Foundation. "You really need to bring this information to a professional."

To get a child diagnosed with autism, parents typically get a referral from a pediatrician or school, and then see a specialist for a lengthy diagnostic interview. The diagnostic tests can take hours, and parents report waiting weeks or even several months for an appointment with specialists. After a diagnosis, they then face a slew of products marketed to help the mysterious disorder.

"As a parent there are a lot of products coming out at us all days," said Marguerite Kirst Colston, the vice president for constituent relations at the Autism Society and mother of a 9-year-old boy with autism. "Perhaps it could be a good additive, but as a screening tool – as a parent, I paused."

Moe said the idea to adapt the LENA technology to the general public came from two members of LENA's scientific advisory board who were parents of children with autism. The board members thought the LENA research could be applied to autism screening.

"Parents typically know there's something going on," said Moe. "But most regular visits with the pediatricians are 8-15 minutes at the most."

The goal, Moe said was to help parents screen their children and get a diagnosis earlier.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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People with Autism have an edge

April is Autism Awareness Month. Parents and community activists have known it for years: people with autism have special qualities that will actually allow them to perform better at some tasks. Now one business owner and dad is taking that thought to the next level. I just think it is wonderful and amazing and I hope something like this happens in every community in America. Please don't discount or ignore people with autism if you own a business. There are many jobs were they will outperform those who are typically developing.

FROM ABC: Some people -- told by one company after another they couldn't cut it -- that they had nothing to offer -- were finally given a chance by one man who knew how valuable they could be. Now the workers-- and the company-- are proving everyone wrong.

Corridors. Keyboards. Colleagues talking computer talk. It's any thriving software company. Only here the names on the doors - these colleagues - to get hired - had to meet a certain job requirement. They had to have autism.

J.D.: How good are you at your job? Michael: Really good.
Hille McGuinness: I could only get work in a supermarket before
And Mads Zucker: Most of my colleagues are like me - we share the same experience ..."

The experience of previously being considered unemployable too disabled to keep focus professionally too out of sync socially with say the office lunchtime crowd. Only now Mads who hadn't worked in 20 years can say with a touch of humor.

SOT: So we have in common to be weird. JD: You have in common that you're weird.Mads :Yeah. SOT: JD talks with company founder Thorkil Sonne TS: We don't all have to fit into these boxes. JD: You're talking about actually changing the box. TS: Yes.

Thorkill Sonne founded Specilisterne in Copenhagen. It means - Specialists - and they test software - a tedious click by click process where most of us would lose focus and make mistakes. But Sonne - turning DISABILTY on its head - hired for their ABILITY - employees with high functioning autism whose brain wiring he says gives them an edge..

SOT: They have a good memory, they have very strong attention to details, They are persistent within their area of motivation and they follow instructions. And this is no charity. To survive...they have to make a profit.

JD: At bottom it's a real business -YES. You need to please your customers with a service or you are out of business. - EXACTLY. But his primary goal with making a profit is to show the world it can be done with employees like his. And he has a good reason.

SOT: Lars is my inspiration. Lars-his son-who has autism too and gifts like great memory. And dad hopes he won't endure wasted years as Mads did before things changed for him here.

MADS: And here I'm treated like a normal - so yes JD And you like the job Mads: I like the job Yeah - JDAnd it's a job that needs to be done Mads: Yeah SOT:TK: - That's really what I hope and foresee see for my son as well - it can be done. JD You've really improved the odds for him.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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New Autism Numbers

The debate continues on whether more kids are getting autism or people are just becoming more aware of the symptoms and getting their kids diagnosed. For several years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have said autism impacts 1 in every 150 kids. But the number of kids diagnosed is growing so fast.. that number is now 1 in 110. In a way this is good news. I think most people who are involved in the autism community knew the numbers were higher than reported and this confirmation will give them more of an edge when it comes to funding. Typically, the more people who have a disorder, the more people who fight for those kids to have equal rights and protection.

FROM NBC: This study is from the CDC, the University of Alabama at Birmingham and several other sites. It's being published today in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. - Dr. Catherine Rice of the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (CDC) is the lead author. Government health officials are reporting an increase in the prevalence of autism.

The CDC now estimates an average of 1 in 110 children has some form of autism spectrum disorder. The CDC calls the new data a "significant public health concern." Researchers there reviewed medical and school records of 8-year-olds -- because most cases of autism are diagnosed by then. Between 2002 and 2006, the prevalence of autism increased from 1 in 150 children... to 1 in 110.

Lee Grossman - President, Autism Society "When you see such a dramatic increase -- 57% in a four year period -- that shows... I'm trying to conceive of how many kids we've missed during that four-year period."

There was a striking difference in rates between boys and girls. Experts estimate 1 in 315 girls has some form of autism. But for boys -- that number jumps to 1 in 70. Dr. Max Wiznitzer - UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital "This study does not tell us the why, it just tells us what's going on and it identifies a public health issue."

In many cases, someone -- usually a mom or dad -- raised concerns about a child's development by age 2. Some of the red flags: Dr. Max Wiznitzer - UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital "Any child who loses skills, loses language or social skills, a child who's not making good eye contact." But the majority of cases weren't diagnosed by a doctor until around age 4 -- meaning: Lee Grossman - President, Autism Society "They've missed the benefits of early intervention."

No one has been able to pinpoint any one reason for the increase. they say it could be due to better detection and screening, or that cases could truly be rising. These findings are in line with another study released in October that was based on telephone surveys of parents.

This study was based on a review of records. Researchers had a team of clinicians go through the symptoms to confirm a doctor's diagnosis. - The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages pediatricians to screen all children for autism between 18 and 24 months. Autism spectrum disorder includes a wide variety of symptoms - but mainly affects communication and social skills.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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