Autism Speaks Official Blog

This “In Their Own Words” essay is written by Lydia Wayman. Lydia is a 22 year old who “resides somewhere on the autism spectrum.”  Her three favorite things are her service cat, Elsie, her best friend and her mom. She recently wrote and published a book, “Interview with Autism,” for parents and caregivers about life on the autism spectrum. Lydia previously submitted a fabulous post called “Ten Things That I Wish You Would Accept, No Questions Asked.”

Between my blog and the parents’ message board I enjoy visiting, I get a fair amount of questions from parents. Should I let her line up her toys? Would going to his dad’s on weekends be too upsetting to his routines? What can I do to help her get through an EEG?

I always do my best to answer them based on what I would have needed or wished my mom would have done for me, keeping in mind how it will affect the child as he grows up. As I get more questions, and they start to repeat themselves, I’m seeing patterns. I thought I would write something for parents to answer some of those repeated questions, and if they still had more, they can always contact me.

These are in no particular order (meaning, as they pop into my mind), though I will number them 10 to 1. I will use the pronoun “he” for the sake of simplicity and statistics.

10. On a day when he is particularly hard to handle, make a list of the things you love about your child. Share it with someone (spouse, coworker, sibling, pastor, friend; if you’re still stuck, heck, I’ll listen). But how does this help the child? It reminds you of why you love him so much, reorients your attitude, reminds you of why you do so much for this little person. Your improved attitude will have a positive effect on your child. I promise, we can tell when you’re upset with us.

9. Allow your child a chunk of time to engage in or talk about his very favorite thing with you, completely unbridled. People with autism spend so much time either self-redirecting or being redirected, that it often feels like we never get to really dig into what we love without the accompanying being cut off or redirected. Personally, every time I talk about cats, it’s overshadowed by the nagging thought that Leigh or mom or sister doesn’t really want to hear about them. They certainly never ask about Elsie. So for a bit of time, just let him be obsessed. Obsess with him. Pretend that what you’re hearing is the most fascinating thing you’ve heard all week. This subject is where he shines, whether it be bus schedules, the early years of the Beatles, or Thomas the Tank Engine.

8. Label emotions for your child early and often. Last night, an unimportant but abrupt change in plans left me frazzled. First things first; I picked up my kitty. Then I said, “Mom. I’m upset.” No response. “Mom, did you hear me? I’m upset.” The words felt unsettling. “Mom, I’m telling you something. I’M UPSET!” It struck both my mother and I that this was the first time in … ever, maybe? … that I’d come to her and labeled an emotion without prompting and without just acting out. This should not have taken 22 and 7/12 years to happen. Don’t let this be the case for your child. Ask your child frequently, “How do you feel?” You may need to offer suggestions or options at first, but never stop asking.

7. Model, model, model. Rinse and repeat. Model language, dealing with emotions, and facial expressions. Over-exaggerate and explain, step-by-step, what you’re doing and why you’re doing. “Do you see that my eyebrows are pointing inward and how my mouth is puckered? My face is telling you that I’m angry.” “Hey, let’s get your new school shoes when we go to the mall to get so-and-so’s birthday present. People say that we’ll ‘kill two birds with one stone.’ That’s a silly way of saying we’ll get two things done with one action.” “Oops; I expected the ice cream shop to be open. It’s probably closed early because it’s a weeknight. I feel very disappointed about that because I was expecting ice cream from this shop. But we can either go get ice cream somewhere else, or we can wait until tomorrow. Which would you prefer?”

6, Limit choices. If your child takes an hour to get dressed in the morning because nothing feels right, step 1 is to reassess his wardrobe and make sure that he owns only clothing that feels comfortable. Style comes second. That makes step 2 possible, which is to say “You can wear jeans or sweatpants today. Which would you like?” Do not allow him to pick any outfit from amongst 10. When you go to the store to spend his birthday money, rather than allowing him free reign of the toy section, say, “Would you like a game or some Legos? It’s your choice.” Obviously pick 2 things you know he likes, but do not allow him to choose Option C. Children, especially those of the autistic variety, become very easily overwhelmed with too many choices. For a young child, 2 is plenty. Expand the number of choices at your own discretion, but even as an adult, your child may struggle with this and need you to artificially limit his options.

5. Be flexible. If your child prefers to sleep on the floor rather than in his bed, simply move the mattress to the floor. If he complains that his pajamas hurt, let him sleep in his underwear. If he wants to watch pre-school directed television when he’s 18 years old, who’s he hurting? Realize that children with autism, by the nature of their developmental disability, show very scattered skills and abilities. He may be able to drive like a 16 year old, follow stories like a six year old, read like a 10 year old, and express emotions like a pre-schooler. Don’t look at your child as the age he is, but rather as the age at which he functions in each specific area. Cater to these as best you can, because your child cannot help it.

4. Use play to engage. If your daughter likes dolls, a dollhouse is the perfect toy with which to practice language, emotions, and interaction. If your son likes cars and trains, Thomas the Tank Engine characters have faces and speak and can be used to act. Many children like plastic animal figurines, which can be used in the same way. Encourage this type of play with an adult, older sibling, therapist, peers … all of the above.

3. Communication options. Regardless of how verbal your child may seem, teach him at least one alternative method of communication (PECS, sign language, typing, text-to-speech, etc). I was very verbal at a young age (2, 3), but the topics on which I can be verbal have always been limited. As I’ve grown older, I’ve learned to take fragments of things I’ve either said in the past or have heard others say and piece them together so that it sounds like intelligible speech. It’s really complex delayed echolalia. Very little of what I say out loud is both my own and novel. In order to produce new ideas, I need to write. In order to process, I need to write. In fact, and this may not make sense, I often do not process what I say. I can piece the fragments together and form a response based on what I know I should say, but most often, it would be impossible for me to repeat what I’ve just said to you, because I never processed it. Part of my brain gets left out. Even if it appears that your child is keeping up verbally, if he is on the autism spectrum, there is a good chance that a second means of communication would serve him well.

2. Don’t be scared of different. If I want to use a TTS in public and I’m not afraid of “what people will think,” you had better not be either. If your child wants to wear clothing that he finds comfortable and you find unattractive, and you’ve explained that “people typically do not wear clothing like that. They may look at you and think you are strange” and your child has no problem with that, then let him be. If he wants to text and wear headphones during church because it’s the only way he can possibly stand to be in that crowded room right then, and you’re afraid people will think he’s rude, then I question why you’re trying to impress people at church. If you know your child can only process auditory information when his hands are doing something (for me, it’s Spider Solitaire on the computer), but it looks like he isn’t listening, I ask you: Would you rather have him hear you, or look like he hears you?

1. Be consistent. If you’re upset, stressed, scared, overwhelmed, and yes even exuberant, keep your expressions of intense emotion to a minimum. They will confuse your child. Children with autism need their parents to be the same, above all else. It’s okay to practice labeling and expressing emotions, but only insofar as your child can understand them and can do the same for his own emotions. I am grateful for almost nothing more than the fact that my mom has always been rock steady in every way. You can use a lot of words to describe people on the autism spectrum, but “forward thinking” isn’t usually one of them… we live in the here and now, and if here and now is confusing or not right, then our worlds crumble. We can’t see beyond the right now to the what will be. We like routine because it’s consistent. Bedtime needs to have the same routine, day in and day out, as does wake-up time, meal time, and time to go to the grocery store. It may be boring to you, but it will make for a much happier child. If something different is going to happen, please let us know what to expect and remind us several times. Check for understanding.

“In Their Own Words” is a series within the Autism Speaks blog which shares the voices of people who have autism, as well as their loved ones. If you have a story you wish to share about your personal experience with autism, please send it to editors@autismspeaks.org. Autism Speaks reserves the right to edit contributions for space, style and content. Because of the volume of submissions, not all can be published on the site.

This “In Their Own Words” is written by Sherida-Jayne E. Glover.

I have been blessed with three healthy children, who have all grown to adulthood as caring compassionate people. They each had some issues as teens, but have come through well. My son, Brendan, had issues with depression  and anxiety that were well controlled when he was a dancer, but spiraled out of control when he stopped dancing at 14.

He is now 22, has been back in the dance studio for five years, and is sharing his love of dance by teaching kids with varying degrees of expertise. One of his students last year was a lovely little girl with autism. As we have friends and relatives who fall into various areas of the autism spectrum, my son was familiar with her possible issues. He researched and adapted his teaching to make sure that she had the best experience possible, in addition to really learning to dance.

Anita enjoyed her classes, did a very good job and when she and her mother asked Brendan to choreograph a solo for her he took on the project. She was faithful  to her rehearsals, worked really hard and at the recent recital performed her jazz solo. The center section of the large auditorium seemed to be full of family and friends, who had filled a page of the program with ads congratulating her. She danced with joy and while not technically perfect, brought such pleasure to the stage that the audience, many of whom could not possibly have known that she was anything but an eager beginner, was charmed into long, lasting applause.

However, the true joy of this performance came backstage. Her number was to be followed with several numbers that involved large groups of dancers. The girls who were in Anita’s classes went backstage early, to see her and cheer her on. Other dancers went backstage to be “ready” for their next numbers way ahead of time to see her as well. As Anita danced, practically the whole studio was backstage, offering their support. During her number, the cheers from the girls backstage were loud enough that I could hear them from the back of the large auditorium. I cried with joy for the dancer and my son, the choreographer and teacher. My daughter, who was hosting the recital was crying backstage with pride for the other dancers who cheered and encouraged this wonderful young lady.

Whatever negativity Anita may face in the future, she has the knowledge that people came together on that hot June afternoon, and cheered and loved her from their hearts. More importantly, her parents know that she succeeded on a grand scale, not just as a dancer, but as someone who made a big difference in many lives. My son is a better man for having worked with her, and my daughter is a better woman for having witnessed the outpouring of love and support for her. My older daughter was unaware that Anita was anything but another of Brendan’s students, but she found herself crying tears of sheer joy at her performance. When I asked her about it, she just said that it was one of those magic moments that just happen.

Growing up, my grandmother always told me that everyone has a purpose. She was a housemother at an orphanage, and took care of many boys, one of whom had mental retardation. I asked her once what his purpose was, and she lovingly told me that he was here so that she could learn from him. As a little girl, I couldn’t imagine what a grown woman could learn from a boy who could barely read my first grade books when he was almost a teenager, but I soon learned what she meant. I felt her with me at that recital, and was honored to be present when Anita educated us all.

“In Their Own Words” is a series within the Autism Speaks blog which shares the voices of people who have autism, as well as their loved ones. If you have a story you wish to share about your personal experience with autism, please send it to editors@autismspeaks.org. Autism Speaks reserves the right to edit contributions for space, style and content. Because of the volume of submissions, not all can be published on the site.

This is a guest post by Marc Sirkin, Autism Speaks Chief Community Officer. Marc manages Autism Speaks social media, marketing, websites and online fundraising.

Since joining Autism Speaks it’s been one of my missions to start to bring the community together through the use of social media. We’ve invested in our Facebook and Twitter presence, our Ning community, our e-mail newsletters and two rapidly expanding and successful blogs – one for Autism Speaks and one for Walk Now for Autism Speaks. I am seeing some terrific conversations developing and platforms that enable the community to come together in a global conversation about autism.

At Autism Speaks, a big piece of our mission is to bring the autism community together as one strong voice to urge the government and private sector to listen to our concerns and take action to address this urgent global health crisis. Through social media, I am hoping to help move this along. You can read our entire mission here: http://www.autismspeaks.org/mission.php

A few months ago, John Robison and I started talking about how we can continue to drive a dialogue and to bring the different and disparate pieces of the autism community together. Right before the IMFAR conference, John called me to tell me about a young man named Alex Plank, who is the founder of Wrongplanet.net. John had spent some time with him and thought that Alex, despite his public criticisms of Autism Speaks, would be a terrific person to involve in this ever expanding conversation. After attending the GRASP benefit event and meeting Alex, I invited him and John to a meeting to discuss some ideas on how we might work together. I eventually spent an entire day with Alex, hashing through a bunch of very cool, social media ideas, including one terrific nugget that has now become “Autism Talk TV.”

The idea is simple really, Alex was already producing a show that would feature a variety of perspectives from the autism community and we wanted to help. Not only did we want to give Alex a chance at creating a successful web show, we thought he was terrific on camera and with a promotional boost, more people might enjoy tuning into his show. Alex’s lively and engaging style as a host felt right to us and we committed to doing some test shows and to act as a show sponsor to help promote the show.  As a sponsor, we have no creative or content control; we do not drive Alex’s content agenda, but will provide assistance where we can for access to guests and additional information as well as show promotion where we can.

Our expectations are simple: we hope Alex will produce great content in an enjoyable, web-based format and that he will build “Autism Talk TV” into a widely viewed, successful venture. At Autism Speaks, we continue to invest in the entire community and to continue to “listen” and engage the community from all corners. It is my hope that this show will drive forward the conversation and help the entire autism community come just a little closer to each other.

I think it’s already working… on our blog, Jessica wrote “Although it may be surprising to see WP partnering with Autism Speaks, if it’s for a project that’s creating greater understanding about ASD, it’s a good thing,” and Dadvocate wrote “I’m honestly delighted that Alex Plank’s WP is partnering with AS.” I know some may find this partnership confusing or concerning and I’d ask you to allow us to explore this new partnership and see how far we can take it together. Stay tuned for more Autism Talk TV!

Check out Alex’s work on Wrongplanet here.

Wirral youngsters are doing it for themselves (UK)
Young people from Charing Cross Methodist Centre in Birkenhead have been helping to make a positive difference to their community. Read more.

Buff Do-Gooders Paddling Around Manhattan for Charity Today (New York, N.Y)
Some of us are destined to toil in offices on a sublime late-summer morning, while others are called to take the day off and paddle around the island of Manhattan on oversized surfboards. Today over 150 people will participate in SEAPaddle NYC, an annual fundraiser to fight autism. Read more.

Danish company hopes to recruit autistic Scots (The Press and Journal)
The National Autistic Society Scotland (NAS Scotland), along with partners CEiS (Community Enterprise in Scotland) and Glasgow City Council Autism Resource Centre, has welcomed the official launch of Specialisterne Scotland by John Swinney MSP, cabinet secretary for finance and sustainable growth. Read more.

Lawyer wants death of Woods Services patient reopened in light of Nevins death (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
Robert Percaro and Bryan Nevins had much in common. Both were autistic New Yorkers who lived for years at Woods Services in Middletown Township, Bucks County. And within the last year, both suffered horrific deaths while in the care of that facility. Read more.

Families say camp changes kids’ lives (Akron, Ohio)
When Ben Smith was 5 years old, his parents, Andi and Mark Smith of Copley Township, took a risk and sent him to Akron Rotary Camp. Read more.

We received the following e-mail and poem from an individual who asked to remain anonymous: I’ve been following your posts via Facebook and truly appreciate your efforts for people associated with autism. I, myself, had/have a similar condition. I have social anxiety and selective mutism. The symptoms I had when I was young were similar to those of autism. Please let me share a poem I had written. I’m now a 30 year old, who has been struggling to lead a normal life.

It all started in 84′,
The life of a student who’s slow..

Going to school with bro and sis,
They were great caregivers of his..

Never spoke in the class,
No wonder he was a true outcast..

A student’s life for him was never there,
Playing time was also nowhere..

Loneliness was all to know,
There should have been something more..

Primary, Secondary all the same,
Sitting still as if in shame..

Wanted to make friends and get a life,
Sadly nothing much was left to rejoice..

Felt sorry for kind classmates,
The pain was really hard to take..

Didn’t respond even when asked,
One can imagine it was so tough..

Started to utter before the school’s end,
Begin to get a life only then..

Some improvements in recent years,
Even then he can’t forget the tears..

Many things still of which he is afraid,
Despite him having turned twenty eight..

Always desperate to improve and make a start,
But the wound is there in his heart.

“In Their Own Words” is a series within the Autism Speaks blog which shares the voices of people who have autism, as well as their loved ones. If you have a story you wish to share about your personal experience with autism, please send it to editors@autismspeaks.org. Autism Speaks reserves the right to edit contributions for space, style and content. Because of the volume of submissions, not all can be published on the site.

Staff blogger Nancy Jones, Ph.D., Program Director for the Autism Treatment Network and the Autism Clinical Trials Network

Finding evidence-based treatments is one of the greatest challenges for those seeking treatments for autism, particularly for those with complex or severe health issues. While support for behavioral treatments is robust, rigorous evidence for pharmacological and biomedical treatments is still needed. As individuals with ASD have different needs and different levels of symptom severity, it is critical to have a range of treatment options known to be reliably safe and effective. A report by the Cochrane Collaboration, released on Monday, reported on a comparative analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials conducted to date that examined the effectiveness and safety of various SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) as treatments for core symptoms of autism and other associated symptoms. SSRIs have a long history of use as treatment for disorders such as depression, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder, and have been found in small studies and clinical use to be helpful for repetitive and compulsive behaviors in autism. Based on this recent analysis, the authors conclude that there currently is no evidence to support the use of SSRI’s for children with ASD and limited evidence for their use of as a treatment for adults with ASD.

What does this study mean for us now? Does this mean that we know for sure that SSRI’s don’t work at all for individuals with autism? With the evidence that we have to date, it may be premature to say we have definitive evidence to rule out the effectiveness of such treatments for some individuals with autism. It does suggest, as is stated in the report itself, that at this point, for the treating physician, that a decision to use on SSRI would need to be made on an individual basis. There are as of now only a few randomized controlled trials of SSRIs in children, five of which were reported on in the paper, and there have only been two large scale studies to date, the NIH-funded study of citalopram, which was included in the Cochrane review, and the Study of Fluoxetine in Autism, which was not included in the review. The five studies also were focused on different types of outcomes, making a harder to compare across the limited number of studies to determine relative effectiveness for the different outcomes.

The review does highlight some of the key challenges for doing treatment research in autism. One major challenge is dealing with the fact that individuals with ASD may manifest the core symptoms of autism, as well as associated symptoms,to different degrees and may suffer from different levels of symptom severity.  In order to address the needs of this diverse population we will need to carefully consider how best to conduct research that will be comparing individuals with autism with the same types of symptom profiles. For example, both of the larger studies of SSRIs observed that children showed improvement over the course of the study, but level of improvement was not any better for the treatment group than the comparison (placebo) group. This means that the treatment may be effective for at least some subgroups of children. A recent presentation at IMFAR of additional analysis of the citalopram study, identified certain factors that may distinguish those who responded to the medication and those that did not. These may be significant in understanding treatment response.

Does this mean that we know for sure that SSRIs will work for everyone? No. But there may not be enough information now to say we have sufficiently determined for whom the SSRIs may work, for what type of autism symptoms and why. Future research needs to focus on identifying which subgroups of people with ASD respond to which medications.

It is important to continually provide families with the best evidence about treatments, so they can make informed decisions and have more treatment choices. Autism Speaks continues to support treatment research but is also launching new initiative to address the challenges faced in doing treatment trials and translating our basic science discoveries into to viable treatments.  A major focus of this effort is to identify biomarkers that can help identify subgroups of individuals with ASD for whom specific treatments may be effective.

Reference:

Source reference:
Williams K, et al “Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for autism spectrum disorders” Cochrane Database of Syst Rev 2010; 8: CD004677.

For more about the Cochrane Collaboration:

Parents of children with autism: We struggle alone (KansasCity.com)
Her day might begin at 2 or 3 in the morning, when her 9-year-old autistic daughter, Ashlyn, wakes up next to her. And from that moment on, Jackie Polvado’s life is a full-out sprint. Read more.

Retired military families not eligible for autism treatment benefit (Washington, Ky.)
When Zachary Berge was diagnosed with autism shortly after his second birthday, he couldn’t speak a word. He often threw tantrums because he couldn’t express himself. Read more.

Grants to pay for breezeway at Lincoln School (NorthJersey.com)
The Pompton Lakes School District was recently the recipient of two funding sources that will allow it to install a covered walkway at the Lincoln School at no cost to the district. Read more.

Teen Holding Garage Sale for Judson Center Autism Program (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.)
Armani Hawes is just a typical teenager. She goes to school, plays sports and enjoys time with her friends, but there is something about Hawes that makes her a little different. She is making a difference. Read more.

Teaneck offers special needs social skills program (Teaneck, N.J.)
For children with learning or cognitive disorders or those suffering from emotional or psychological disturbances, academics can be challenging enough. But such students also struggle with the development of social skills. Read more.

Mother Of Drowning Victim Pushes For New Child Alert System (kake.com)
Sheila Medlam surrounds herself with photos of her family. In almost every frame you can see the smiling face of her son, Mason. She cries quietly as she remembers the last night she fell asleep holding Mason’s hand. Read more.

This “In Their Own Words” post is written by Jake Davis of Omaha, Neb. He is a single father of three children, one who has autism.

I’m a 31-year-old divorced father of three children, who I have full custody of: my boy Ian (9) and his sisters Sienna (8) and Ashlyn (6). I’ve had them on my own since 2005. Yes, it was trying in the beginning, but new soon becomes normal and normal becomes manageable.

My son, Ian, is an Aspie (has Asperger Syndrome) and he also has elements of Semantic-Pragmatic Disorder. Most people reading this will have a fair idea of what this entails, and for those of you who don’t, I’ll put it in a nutshell. Ian has an amazing imagination, almost superhuman technical recall, and he’s very blunt and matter-of-fact in his conversations. His imagination leads him to very interesting solutions or observations from time to time.

I love the way Ian’s thought process works. No boundaries, no form, no restrictions. Just a little boy’s logic, voiced the moment he thinks it.

The way he works is normal to me. I forget that it can sometimes be jarring or unusual to others. I try to work with him and explain the ins and outs of social interactions and the right time and place for things. He uses his experiences to dictate how he should respond in a situation he’s encountered before, sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t. Then, there are those rare moments when you get to watch the results of an unexpected situation.

Earlier in 2007 we had moved to the western end of Nebraska from Omaha which had interrupted the every other weekend visitations with their Mom. During the summer we still kept the six week visitation schedule in place, and it was July, so they were out of school and it was time for the kids to go on their vacation.

They knew Mom was coming, and so we packed everything up and waited for her to show up the next day.

Their Mom arrived and we loaded car seats, snacks, their bags and toys for a summer adventure. I hugged and kissed the kids goodbye and as they pulled away, I decided that I had earned a nice long afternoon nap, and I went up stairs, laid down, and fell fast asleep.

I was jarred awake, seemingly only seconds later, by the ring of my cell phone. It was my ex wife.

I didn’t get out more than a groggy “Hello?” before I was hit with “Jake, I’m going to jail!” In my newly awake stupor, I wasn’t connecting all the dots. More explanation was rattled off as my brain was trying to interpret these words with varying degrees of success.

She had been pulled over for drifting onto the shoulder in front of a State Patrolman. I was still failing to understand how driving on the shoulder equals jail.

The unfortunate and embarrassing part is that my ex was behind on her child support payments. It wasn’t (and isn’t) much money at $150 a month. I don’t really need it, and when I did get it, I’d treat the kids to dinner and a movie, or a toy, or some new item of clothing they’d see while we were out shopping. She had some trouble keeping a job and a place to live. So I didn’t worry about the money (and they were going to their Grandma’s for the summer, so I wasn’t worried about lack of a permanent residence). The state however, did worry about it, and unbeknownst to me, had issued an arrest warrant for non-payment of child support. And they suspended her license.

After I had time to process the statement and the reason, I got dressed as fast as I could and drove the 40 miles away to where the Patrolman was waiting with the kids and their Mom. The Trooper had waited for me because he didn’t want to call child services and didn’t want to put their Mom into cuffs in view of the kids.

I arrived and quickly I loaded the kids stuff into my car (everything I had loaded into hers about an hour prior), and the kids hugged her goodbye and said they’d see her later.

On the way back to the car Ian says “Dad, we gotta bust her out!”

I stifle both a feeling of panic and laughter, responding with the tersest whisper I can manage, “Ian, be quiet! Get in the car!”

Undeterred by my attempt at handling the situation Ian pipes up even louder “Maybe we can bake her a cake with a file in it!” Again, fighting laughter, I whisper, “IAN! GET IN THE CAR NOW!” while quickly ushering him into the vehicle.

From what their Mom said, the Trooper had heard everything and thought it was pretty funny and had wondered aloud what cartoons Ian had been watching.

Fast forward three years later, their Mom got caught up on her child support, has regular work and is due to be married next summer. Ian still quite plainly tells it like it is, and I’ve been laughing the whole way.

“In Their Own Words” is a series within the Autism Speaks blog which shares the voices of people who have autism, as well as their loved ones. If you have a story you wish to share about your personal experience with autism, please send it to editors@autismspeaks.org. Autism Speaks reserves the right to edit contributions for space, style and content. Because of the volume of submissions, not all can be published on the site.

From left, Matthew Sapolin, Commissioner to the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Autism Speaks President Mark Roithmayr

On Tuesday, August 10, 2010, New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities Commissioner Matthew Sapolin hosted a reception at Gracie Mansion to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. At the reception, Mayor Bloomberg presented Autism Speaks with the Frieda Zames Advocacy Award, given to an individual or organization whose tireless efforts for greater accessibility are a fitting tribute to the late Frieda Zames.  Autism Speaks President Mark Roithmayr, who accepted the award on behalf of the organization said, “We are sincerely grateful for Mayor Bloomberg’s commitment to advancing the needs, rights and abilities of our community and are very honored to receive the Advocacy Award on behalf of all of the families and individuals we serve in the autism community.”

Also honored at the reception were Bank of America, the American Museum of Natural History, The New York City Independent Living Centers, and the The AbleGamers Foundation.

British Scientists Develop Brain Scan to Detect Autism (tonic)
Autism, or autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), has a lifelong effect on someone’s ability to interact socially and communicate and it’s estimated that 70 million people are afflicted with the disability worldwide. This week, there’s hope for earlier detection and treatment, thanks to two new methods: a spinal tap and a revolutionary new scan. Read more.

Film camp teaches autistic children (Rochester Hills, Calif.)
They grew up watching movies, but students taking part in the annual Short Film Camp put on by the Oakland University Center for Autism Research, Education and Support (OUCARES) will be given a chance to make their own movies. Read more.

Expanded EquiCenter opens (Mendon, N.Y.)
A center that helps people with disabilities, veterans and at-risk youth by teaching them to ride and care for horses cut the ribbon on a spacious new ranch Tuesday. Read more.

Autism conference held at Penn Stater (The Daily Collegian)
The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel held its annual National Autism Conference last week, a showcase for autism professionals to learn about current research and earn continuing education credits. Read more.

Missing Layton autistic teen found (Layton, Utah)
A 16-year-old autistic boy who wandered away from his Layton home Monday evening has been found, Layton police said. Read more.