They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Fortunately, this is not always true. Researchers at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (NIN-KNAW) have now discovered how the adult brain can adapt to new situations. The Dutch researchers’ findings are published in the prestigious journal Neuron. Their study may be significant in the treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders such as epilepsy, autism and schizophrenia.

Ability to learn

Our brain processes information in complex networks of nerve cells. The cells communicate and excite one another through special connections, called synapses. Young brains are capable of forming many new synapses, and they are consequently better at learning new things. That is why we acquire vital skills – walking, talking, hearing and seeing – early on in life. The adult brain stabilises the synapses so that we can use what we have learned in childhood for the rest of our lives.

Disappearing inhibitors

Earlier research found that approximately one fifth of the synapses in the brain inhibit rather than excite other nerve-cell activity. Neuroscientists have now shown that many of these inhibitory synapses disappear if the adult brain is forced to learn new skills. They reached this conclusion by labelling inhibitory synapses in mouse brains with fluorescent proteins and then tracking them for several weeks using a specialised microscope. They then closed one of the mice’s eyes temporarily to accustom them to seeing through just one eye. After a few days, the area of the brain that processes information from both eyes began to respond more actively to the open eye. At the same time, many of the inhibitory synapses disappeared and were later replaced by new synapses.

Regulating the information network

Inhibitory synapses are vital for the way networks function in the brain. “Think of the excitatory synapses as a road network, with traffic being guided from A to B, and the inhibitory synapses as the matrix signs that regulate the traffic,” explains research leader Christiaan Levelt. “The inhibitory synapses ensure an efficient flow of traffic in the brain. If they don’t, the system becomes overloaded, for example as in epilepsy; if they constantly indicate a speed of 20 kilometres an hour, then everything will grind to a halt, for example when an anaesthetic is administered.

If you can move the signs to different locations, you can bring about major changes in traffic flows without having to entirely reroute the road network.”

Hope

Inhibitory synapses play a hugely influential role on learning in the young brain. People who have neurodevelopmental disorders – for example epilepsy, but also autism and schizophrenia – may have trouble forming inhibitory synapses. The discovery that the adult brain is still capable of pruning or forming these synapses offers hope that pharmacological or genetic intervention can be used to enhance or manage this process. This could lead to important guideposts for treating the above-mentioned neurological disorders, but also repairing damaged brain tissue.

CLICK HERE to read more…

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Article by Thomas Rogers in SALON on April 23, 2012
http://www.salon.com/2012/04/24/grandin_on_the_autism_surge/singleton/

In the last few weeks, new autism figures have created widespread controversy among American parents. In early April,  the CDC released its latest, shocking report on the disorder, which showed a massive uptick in the number of diagnoses — according to the numbers, one in 88 children and one in 54 boys are now on the autism spectrum. That’s an astonishing 78 percent increase since 2002. In the weeks since, pundits and doctors have spent a lot of time debating what these changes actually mean: Are they due to increased detection, loosened definitions of autism or are we in the middle of a genuine upsurge in autism among American children? As Dr. Thomas Frieden, the director of the CDC, told reporters, this change may “entirely the result of better detection. We don’t know whether or not that is the case.”

For Temple Grandin, the country’s most high-profile autistic person, this news is a source of both relief and concern. Grandin was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2 and didn’t speak until age 4, but went on to become one of the country’s best known authorities in livestock facility design. (In 2010, she was the subject of a well-received HBO biopic, “Temple Grandin.”) Grandin is also the author of several books, including, most recently, “Different … Not Less,” a collection of inspiring personal essays by people on the autistic spectrum who are also gainfully employed. The collection, she tells Salon, was meant to inspire young people with autism to attain successful working lives.

The CDC recently released a shocking report that showed a huge uptick in autism numbers. What do you make of it?

I’m very familiar with those figures. One big question that’s come up is: Has autism increased on the mild side of things? I don’t think so — they’ve always been here. Some of this is increased detection. I’ve worked with tons of people that I know who are on the spectrum — but now I think severe autism has really increased. There may be environmental contaminants. I read an article the other day that a supposedly very harmless pesticide on cattle was making bulls infertile, so this brings up the issue of genetics.

There is some concern that by expanding the numbers of people with autism, the CDC is diluting the autism diagnosis.

The problem with these diagnoses is they’re not precise. They’re talking about changing the DSM and replacing it with Social Communication Disorder and they’re sitting around in rooms discussing it. It’s not a precise diagnosis like tuberculosis. You show certain behaviors, like social awkwardness, or fixated interest or repetitive behavior, and that’s labeled autism. But it’s a very big spectrum. On one hand you’ve got people working in technology jobs and on the other hand you’ve got someone who’s nonverbal with epilepsy, and that’s one of the big problems. Steve Jobs would probably be on the spectrum, and so would Einstein.

On the other hand, this newly expanded number may also make a lot of parents of kids with autism feel much less alone.

I think that’s really important. When I was young my mother was totally alone. It would have definitely made a lot of difference. She would have had other parents to talk to in a support group and none of that existed in the ’50s.

Nevertheless, while people have been talking a tremendous amount about autism and Asperger’s in recent years, you suggest that’s not been entirely productive for children with autism.

To a certain extent it’s a good thing. On the other hand, you get to the smart kids who could go have successful careers in Silicon Valley getting held back by labels. One kid goes to Silicon Valley, the other stays home to play video games, and they’re the same geek. I visit people in [autism] meetings, and a 9-year-old will come up and want to talk about his autism. I’d rather talk about his science project. You get fixated on your favorite thing as a kid, and now kids are getting fixated on autism instead of dogs or medieval knights. I’d rather get them to fixate on that something that could give them a career.

Is that the reason why you put together an essay collection like “Different … Not Less”?

The thing that motivated me to to put it together is seeing way too many people with high functioning autism and Asperger’s not getting jobs and making transitions to adult life. Having worked in a technical field my whole adult life, I think, “Where are the aspies?” I think about people I went to college with, the geeky kids, different kids. One of the things hurting people with Asperger’s today is they’re not being taught social skills from old people on the spectrum who managed to be employed their whole life.

So we got about 25 entries [for the book] and I picked half of them. Some of them are people well known in the autism field but I also wanted to have a wide variety of people. They had to be employed their whole life and have an actual diagnosis, but they all had childhood jobs, they all were bullied in school, and I wanted to show that to young people on the spectrum. I didn’t fill it up with happy people in Silicon Valley. There is a person who is a tour guide, a doctor, a psychiatric aide, retail clerk, advertising executive. There’s a real big variety of people, and they talk about how the diagnosis helped them to understand their problems.

There was one person who was a computer lady. Her dad died and she was devastated by that. She got diagnosed because she got depressed. Her boss asked her, “If you’d gotten the diagnosis when you were younger, would you have achieved what you achieved?” The problem with some of the young people on the spectrum is that parents are reluctant to push them out of their comfort zone, and they’re unemployable. I wanted to show in this book that we can succeed.

The same week the new CDC figures were released, another study found that mothers of autistic children are 56 percent more likely to be under the poverty line. Why do you think that is?

Autistic children are very difficult to take care of, especially severely autistic ones. When I was 4 I had almost no language; when I was 3 I had none at all. It’s much more work for the mother of an autistic child to have a job, because working with an autistic child is such a hassle until they go to school. Then it might be easier, but there are still likely to be more interruptions and things, and a mother might be restricted on what she can do in terms of travel.

What do you think needs to be done in order to change that?

My mother’s been working with a group called Families Together. For a family that has severely autistic kids, the divorce rate is through the roof. [Families Together] put on weekends where families meet up and they get the whole family working together so they don’t get so frazzled and fall apart. That’s a huge issue.

Should there be more government support for parents with kids on the autism spectrum?

Parents need to have respite so they can go out to a restaurant and have some time off. That’s a huge problem for parents. And then there’s the cost of therapy, a lot of schools have only two hours of speech therapy per week. If you talk with these kids when they’re very young, 20 to 30 hours a week with a good teacher, that improves the prognosis. But then you also need better services for adults. If you’ve got a non-verbal adult, what happens after he’s 21 or 22 and he ages out of school? That’s a huge problem, especially for severely autistic adults.

CLICK HERE for more info

Dragon Dictation converts speech to text or e-mails. Nuance Communications, free.

ArtikPix-Ful l combines flashcards and other activities to help children with speech delays practice making sounds correctly. Expressive Solutions, $29.99.

Articulation Station Pro allows kids with speech delays to practice making sounds in words, sentences and stories. Little Bee Speech, $49.99.

Language

VAST Autism 1-Core helps students with autism or other disorders, such as apraxia, learn to speak. SpeakinMotion, $4.99.

First Phrases HD helps toddlers or children with speech delays learn to put words together into phrases. Hamaguchi Apps for Speech, Language and Auditory Development, $9.99.

Reading

Bob Books #1-Reading Magic HD is a phonics-based game to help young children learn how to read. Learning Touch, $3.99.

Rainbow Sentences helps students learn good grammar by color-coding the parts of sentences. Mobile Education Tools, $7.99.

Rhyming Words has rhyming activities to help build early reading skills. GrasshopperApps.com, free.

Writing and spelling

Cimo Spelling is a game that uses a list of 255 high-frequency and sight words to help children in kindergarten through third grade develop basic spelling and reading skills. PlaySmart-Kids, $2.99.

FirstWords Deluxe helps teach toddlers letter and word recognition. Learning Touch, $4.99.

iWrite Words reinforces correct letter formation and spelling. Gdiplus, $2.99.

Organization and note-taking 

Abilipad is a notepad app that allows users to customize the keyboard. It also has a text-to-speech function. Cheryl Bregman, $19.99.

Audionote Notepad and Voice Recorder can synchronize typed notes with recorded audio for students who struggle with fine motor skills or organization. Luminant Software, $4.99.

Notability-Take Notes and Annotate PDFs with Dropbox combines handwriting, typing and voice recording for note-taking. Ginger Labs, 99 cents.

Communication

Custom Boards allows users of all ages to create custom communication boards, schedules and activities from a library of more than 11,000 symbols. Smarty Ears, $39.99.

My First AAC is a communication app for toddlers and preschoolers with delayed speech and language. Injini, $24.99.

Proloquo2go includes symbols and a text-to-speech function for students of all ages with speech and language difficulties. AssistiveWare, $189.

TouchChat helps students of all ages who have trouble speaking with their own voices. Silver Kite, $149.99.

Listening skills

See. Touch. Learn Pro is a picture-learning system designed for children with autism and other special needs. Brain Parade, $24.99.

LanguageBuilderDeluxe helps children practice coming up with ideas and forming sentences. It uses lots of audio clips to help kids work on listening skills, and can play back the child’s own voice to help them develop their language. Mobile Education Tools, $14.99.

StoryBuilder is designed to teach children to build coherent paragraphs, using audio clips to improve listening skills. Mobile Education Tools, $7.99.

A LIVE Chat with Gary Mayerson on April 17, 2012
===========================================

Gary Mayerson: With the IEP season firmly underway in a difficult economic climate, parents are encountering new and additional challenges. Let the Q and A begin!!

Parent:  my sons school wants him to be moved into kindergarden from his special autism class, when he is clearly not ready.. after seeing his doctor to check his yearly progress, it states that he has either made little to no progress, and even fallen back in some areas.. the school still says we just need to push him harder.. how do i get them to see my point.. that he is not ready

Gary Mayerson: the key is usually having comprehensive assessments and/or progress reports from a behaviorist and/or educational consultant (and other providers) who can attest that your son has not yet obtained the prerequisite skills needed to move into kindergarten. Autism is just terrible with the calendar, and is not guided by anything other than the student’s actual progress.
Parent: what should I do when I have moved from one state to another an they tell me my child doesnt qualify for services til hes reevaluated

Gary Mayerson: I don’t know about your particular state, but students who move from one state to another typically are entitled to an “interim” service plan until evaluations and assessments are completed. Write to your district and tell them you are prepared to share all your prior evals and that if they want to conduct additional evals, they should specify what evals they are seeking and you will likely consent. However, you also should press for an interim service plan as your child is not supposed to have any material lapse in services.

You have at least two options. If you are able to afford a battery of private evaluations, you might want to consider getting them now as insurance in the event you are in disagreement with the districts evals and recommendations. If, like many parents, you cannot afford the private evaluation route, wait until you receive and review the districts evaluations. You might agree with what they say and recommend but if you do not agree, request in writing for independent evaluations at the school districts expense. If you go that route, YOU choose the independent evaluators, not the school district.
Parent:  My son is in a local special school which does not specialise in ASD he is held with4 or more adults on him, although he he has not shown any signs of violence! there issue is he is a big lad and they have to keep others safe! is it acceptable to use such force?he comes home from school with substantial bruising over his body from hoilds from staff.

Gary Mayerson: I do not know how old your son is, or how long he has been in this “local special school” but if he is regularly being held with multiple adults on him, this is a sitaution crying out for assessment and remediation. I would send in a behavior analyst, preferably someone with BCBA or PH.D. level credentials, to find out what is happening behind the schoolhouse doors because whatever is happening, what you describe is alarming.

Parent How do I get my 5 year old daughter the services she deserves she has been dx with PDD Nos Ocd and Sensory Proccesing disorder she has a speech only IEP right now but we are changing the IEp because of her new DX

Gary Mayerson:  When a child turns five, in most states only a single eligibility classification can be chosen. You need to convene a new IEP meeting, share your new evaluations, and probably request a change of classification to autism (which normally includes the communication deficit issues). Document your requests in writing. And, ask if the reclassification under autism entitles your daughter or your family to any additional services or protections because in some states, such as New York, there are some special protections where there is an autism diagnosis or classification.
Parent:  I have asked for help with my sons hand writing for 4 years he is 15 in the 8th grade and writes like he is starting school its large and unreconizable . We finally convince them he needs help and the specialist has worked with him just a few times and out sick the rest of the year what do I do?

Gary Mayerson:  Handwriting is an important issue, but at 15, the handwriting remediation approach might be a little different. Your son certainly needs to be able to print legibly, but with laptops, ipads etc., learning cursive handwriting at 15 might not be your most pressing priority. Is your son utilizing a keyboard or any similar technology? Certainly if your school district is failing to provide the services they promised to provide you should call an IEP meeting and address the issue straightaway……and if the failure continues, you might threaten to go out and get private remediation and seek reimbursement
Parent:  My son is in middle school, and in regular classes (with an aide) and is struggling in science. He seems to know the material, but does poorly on tests. The teacher says that he will not fail her class, but shouldn’t the focus be getting him to perform better instead of just passing him along to the next level. We have met with the education team at the school and they do not seem to think that there is a problem.

Gary Mayerson:  …..your question highlights a number of big problems. First, parents must consider whether to press the district for a modified curriculum, or whether to struggle with what the other students are doing. Second, parents must consider testing and assessments “accomodations,” such as additional time, notetaking, resource room, and the like. There is nothing worse than a school distrtict engaging in ‘social” promotion of students. You want genuine assessments to know where your son really is, because otherwise, you cannot possibly devise an appropriate plan of action.

Parent:  My son is in his transitional years what should we make sure we keep in our IEP that will best benefit him in college?

Gary Mayerson:  I don’t know what is in your son’s IEP, so I cannot meaningfully comment on what should be continued. This is something for the review of an educational consultant that you trust. And how fortunate you are that your son is a candidate for a college experience. Having said that, the key is to retain the accomodations your son might need, such as proximate seating, additional time, use of keyboard, etc. while promoting greater independence and self sufficiency, because those are the skills that colleges will teach to and most colleges, even those with support systems, do not have the level of supports and accomodations that a good high school program might have (and yes, there are always exceptions).

Parent:  Isn’t a language delay enough reason for schools to consider offering ESY under special circumstances. And what is the benchmark for regression to justify it for IEP goals.

Gary Mayerson:  First of all, obviously, the “language delay” needs to be sufficient to support an IEP for the “regular” part of the year. If so, the ESY analysis turns on actual or at least anticipated regression that cannot be easily recouped. What happens after school breaks or illnesses? This is both an objective and subjective analysis over which there often is plenty of disagreement.

 
Parent:  My Aspergers son is in high school and his day is filled with classes. I have asked for much needed help with social skills, and they are going to accommodate with one day a week for 20 min with peers inside an advisory class next year. I have also requested tuition for a 3 week overnight camp for aspergers teens during the summer that is very intense training. I am waiting for a response, but do you think I am asking too much from my school district?

Gary Mayerson:  Laurie…..every school district is different. Some school districts recognize the special issues (such as social skills deficits) associated with Aspergers, and some districts think that a parent with a child with Aspergers is “lucky” and has won the lottery. On its face, I don’t think that you are “asking too much.” However, I think that if you don’t already have them, you need to have your son assessed to evaluated the extent of his social skills deficits. Partitcularly for “transition” purposes, which include job and vocational training, your son will need to develop social skills. In fact, some autism educators might argue that for some students with autism or Aspergers, there is nothing MORE important than learning social skills.

Parent:  Can you request to have your child changed to another school district if you are not satisfied with the services being provided in the one you are assigned to?

Gary Mayerson:  Technically, you would not be “changing” your school district, however, if your school district does not have or offer the services that your child demonstrably needs, and another neighboring school district does, you can ask the IEP team to approve your child attending the neighboring district’s program, and your district can pay tuition or otherwise financially adjust with the other district. There usually is a lot of resistance to these kinds of requests, but they are not at all unheard of.

Parent:  What should happen in a bullying situation? Should the child doing the bullying be removed from school at least until things can be assessed.

Gary Mayerson:  Sally……you hit one of my raw nerves with your excellent question. Last year, my office obtained the landmark “bullying” decision in the New York federal court, T.K. v. NYCDOE.

There is far too much bullying nationwide and students with disabilities are at least twice as likely to be bullied.
First thing you do is document the bullying complaint and demand an immediate investigation. The school district has an absolute duty to timely investigate and take appropriate remedial action. The removal issue is a little tricky however, The district might mediate the bullying and if that does not work, one of the actors in the drama may well be moved to another classroom.
Parent:  Along lines of Sally’s Comment – Some of our son’s peers have commented that our Autistic Son, Sam, will “do whatever we ask him to”. We talked with those kids and talked to his teacher to be on lookout for this.

Gary Mayerson:  To guard against being victimized, you are doing the right thing by making inquiries such as you have made. You also might want to check out your son’s facebook or other online communications to make sure that he is not communicating or responding inappropriately, and that no one is engaging in conduct that would fall under the category of “victimizing”

Paraent:  I am a mom of twin 9 yr old boys who both have autism. How do I handle the school distirct threatening to send them to differnt schools b/c they need different services?

Gary Mayerson:  While it might be educationally productive to send twins to the same school, there actually is no right to a joint school placement, and if your twins actually need “different” services, it conceivably might be justifiable to send them to different schools. In other words, if the service differences are real, it may not be a “threat” but I recognize that there may be other nuances that you know that I am not aware of.

Parent:  My child will be moving to a new school in the same district next year.Our Annual review will be coming up in a few short weeks.Wouldnt it be important that staff/teachers for next year would be involved in the planning of his IEP for when he attends their school?

Gary Mayerson:  I think it is very responsible when the outgoing and incoming school personnel meet at the IEP for planning purposes. School districts that employ this kind of approach will likely experience fewer transition problems and the reverse is true for those school districts that do not engage is proper planning. If Ii were you I would write and request this kind of crossover at the IEP meeting.

Parent:  Thank you for sharing your expertise. Its wonderful that you can help families with these tough questions. We need more people like you.

Gary Mayerson:  ….thank YOU for participating. I appreciate your kind words and I know exactly what hurdles parents must constantly leap through to obtain appropriate services and programming. Good luck to you!

BrainBalanceCenters.com

Ask parents of kids with learning and behavioral disorders if their children experience problems with sensory processing, and many of them will answer with a resounding “yes”. While it is widely accepted that most children with Autism Spectrum Disordershave trouble integrating sensory input, the fact that children who aren’t on the spectrum also experience these issues to varying degrees is now being examined more closely by the special needs community.  While all children can seem quirky or particular about their likes and dislikes, children with Sensory Processing Disorder (also called Sensory Integration Dysfunction) will be so severely affected by their sensory preferences that it interferes with their normal, everyday functioning. Sensory issues are usually defined as either hypersensitivity (over-responsiveness) or hyposensitivity (under-responsiveness) to sensory stimuli. Below, find some common signs of Sensory Processing Disorder.

Hypersensitivities to sensory input may include:

• Extreme response to or fear of sudden, high-pitched, loud, or metallic noises like flushing toilets, clanking silverware, or other noises that seem unoffensive to others

• May notice and/or be distracted by background noises that others don’t seem to hear

• Fearful of surprise touch, avoids hugs and cuddling even with familiar adults

• Seems fearful of crowds or avoids standing in close proximity to others

• Doesn’t enjoy a game of tag and/or is overly fearful of swings and playground equipment

• Extremely fearful of climbing or falling, even when there is no real danger i.e. doesn’t like his or her feet to be off the ground

• Has poor balance, may fall often

Hyposensitivities to sensory input may include:

• A constant need to touch people or textures, even when it’s inappropriate to do so

• Doesn’t understand personal space even when same-age peers are old enough to understand it

• Clumsy and uncoordinated movements

• An extremely high tolerance for or indifference to pain

• Often harms other children and/or pets when playing, i.e. doesn’t understand his or her own strength

• May be very fidgety and unable to sit still, enjoys movement-based play like spinning, jumping, etc.

• Seems to be a “thrill seeker” and can be dangerous at times

For a more detailed list of Sensory Processing Disorder symptoms, please click here.

Does your child have sensory issues that inhibit his or her daily functioning? At Brain Balance, we believe every child can connect with success. Our Achievement Centers offer the Brain Balance Program® in 57 (and growing) nationwide locations. We work with children who exhibit symptoms of SPD, ADHD, Learning Disorders, OCD, Tourette Syndrome, and Asperger Syndrome. (In some cases, a child with mild to moderate Autism may also be a candidate for our program.) After completing a comprehensive assessment of your child’s brain and body function, we integrate physical, sensory-motor, and cognitive exercises with simple dietary changes to optimize brain function and reduce/eliminate negative symptoms and behaviors. Each child’s program is unique to his or her struggles.

The older brother of a boy with autism has released AutisMate, a revolutionary new iPad app that promotes communications, functional skill, and social skills in individuals with autism.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J., April 16, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — The older brother of Oriel, a 10 year old boy with autism, has released a communication and therapy tool for the iPad. The app, cleverly named AutisMate, allows users to add their own videos, pictures, and voice recordings to create visual scenes that promote functional and social skills, as well as communication.

Like many other children with autism, Oriel struggles with verbal communication. “The design of the communication apps that were available required too much navigation for those with the language and generalization issues often associated with autism,” says Jonathan Izak, Oriel’s older brother and founder of SpecialNeedsWare. In contrast, AutisMate uses GPS to present users with familiar scenes that are relevant to their current location and allows the user to interact with those scenes to communicate. On Oriel’s iPad, AutisMate is set up such that pressing on the star on the sink of the Kitchen scene brings up a video that demonstrates hand washing and plays a recording that says “I wash my hands in the sink,” while clicking on the fridge brings up pictures of Oriel’s favorite foods to select from.

The app also seeks to simplify the set-up process, which can be very time consuming with other communication options. “I found that parents and therapists felt the communication apps currently on the market were very limiting, over priced, and not user friendly,” says Jonathan. AutisMate boasts an intuitive user interface, and features like content sharing via e-mail, in-app customer support, easily resizable buttons, an extensive symbol library, natural sounding synthesized voices, and the ability to switch between users. The app is currently available on the iPad App Store, which also lists a number of exciting upcoming features.

Contact: info@specialneedsware.com (646)-504-0043 http://www.autismate.com

About SpecialNeedsWareSpecialNeedsWare is a special needs software company that seeks to take advantage of modern technology to help individuals with special needs. The company recently released its first product, AutisMate, a revolutionary, scene based iPad app for individuals with autism.

Press release distributed by http://www.prlog.org

SOURCE SpecialNeedsWare

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

1) Engage the Evil Emperor with one character (Darth/Luke) and the Evil Emperor will attack with Lightening.
2) While the Evil Emperor is attacking one character, switch to the other character and attack the Evil Emperor
3) Repeat this until all of the Evil Emperor’s life force is gone and he is defeated.