SEEKING FOR DENTAL TREATMENT

Iman had a severe toothache. He had been suffering for almost a month until now. We yet to find an option for him. Last Friday I brought him to Klinik Kesihatan Bangi but the Doctor fail to treat him. The Doctor need to jab him to take out the teeth but he couldn't sit still. After some time the Doctor at last referred him to the Mouth Surgery Specialist at Hospital Serdang. So I hope whoever read this blog and have some other alternatives for us let us know via e mail to tjlddn@gmail.com. I really appreciate your help.My son suffers a lot. He cries all night telling me "sakit" "sakit". All the family members couldn't sleep. Pity my kids!

School bullies on autism children

Research published in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine shows that children with autism spectrum disorders, who typically have difficulty in communicating and forming relationships, are far more likely to be bullied than their non-autistic peers.

 “I would call it a profound public health problem,” said Paul R. Sterzing, lead author of the new study and an assistant professor at the school of social welfare at the University of California, Berkeley. “The rate of bullying and victimization among these adolescents is alarmingly high.”

The children at greatest risk, it turns out, appear to be those who also hold the most promise for leading an independent life. The researchers found that the risk of being bullied was greatest for high-functioning children who end up not in special education programs, but in mainstream classes, where their quirks and unusual mannerisms stand out and they are more exposed to bullies.

Many parents of children with autism already are well aware that their children are taunted and tormented at school, but the new study suggests the problem is pervasive. Dr. Sterzing’s data, collected from a nationally representative sample of 920 middle- and high-school students with an autism disorder, shows that 46 percent have been bullied.  By comparison, in the general adolescent population, an estimated 10.6 percent of children have been bullied.

The findings are based on data collected in 2001 from a larger 10-year study of more than 11,000 special education students. Parents of autistic children and school administrators were asked to report on instances of bullying that occurred in the previous year.

Carly's autism girl express her feelings by computer

Carly Fleischmann has severe autism and is unable to speak a word. But thanks to years of expensive and intensive therapy, this 13-year-old has made a remarkable breakthrough. Two years ago, working with pictures and symbols on a computer keyboard, she started typing and spelling out words. The computer became her voice.


Read more...

WHAT'S NEW AT AUTISM BLOGS/WEBSITES

Today I've found these sites for those who're interested to get some information:-

1. From You Tube   http://www.youtube.com/embed/nDC5AWIGmRM?rel=0

2. From facebook "Autism"

 http://www.facebook.com/Y3KTutorInYourHome1

3. From Facebook "Autisme Malaysia" (dengan ihsan Rosnita Sadali) :

Rosnita Sadali

Salam.. sharing doa utk anak2 yg speech delay kaedah rawatan As-Syifa.
1) Baca Surah AzZumar (surah no 39) ayat 24-37, baca 3 kali + doa apa yg dihajati setiap kali lepas Solat Maghrib & Isya'.
2) Baca Surah Al-Hajj (surah no 22) ayat 40-55, baca 3 kali + doa apa yg dihajati setiap kali lepas solat Subuh, Zohor dan Asar.
Semoga dgn usaha kita yg sedikit ni, dapat dimakbulkan doa kita spy anak2 dpt bercakap. insyaAllah yakinlah bahawa doa ibu2 ni mustajab : 

4. From Facebook "Autism Mothers"

A useful website for you : 

http://www.autismmediachannel.com/

Alternative Medication for Autism

This page is made available for those who're interested to find an alternative medication for their Autistic children. I'm not an experts in Autism, neither a medical Doctor. I'm just a mother, with a Food Science background and very fond of seeking for advice, also seeking for some materials regarding to my son's treatment. To me, I don't mind trying any product as long as it is safe, HALAL/certified by Islamic body IFANCA, and most important thing it's nothing to do with drugs. I had already made a survey on a particular products or foods available in the market. This is what I'm going to share with you.

1. A company called Fortune Resources  from Malaysia had already implemented Islamic Manufacturing Practice (IMP) and had come up with a series of products such as  Smart Cocoa A+, AL Khaira Juice, Bird's Nest Al Munawara etc. Today I heard there's a Autistic boy aged 4, had shown some improvement only a month after his mother gives him the Smart Cocoa A+. The information is available at http://smartcoco2u.comhttp://smartcoco2u.com

2. Acupuncture treatment. - I'd once read an article about  this in a magazine, but sorry, I'm yet to remember exactly the name of the magazine. But the same issues was discussed on TV3 during "Buletin Utama" when they talked about acupuncture and how it can be used to treat Autism

SUPPORT GROUPS FOR AUTISM

Here I list down a few support groups :

1. Facebook Autisme Malaysia Parent's Support Group

2. Blog Makmal Autisme UKM http://makmalautisma.blogspot.com/

3. NASOM http://www.nasom.com.my/

For donations please refer to http://www.waqaf.ukm.my/Pages/TabungAmanahDanaKanak-kanakIstimewa.aspx 

The burden of Autism

By HARIATI AZIZAN (The Star, Sunday April 27, 2008)

Autistic children need a range of intensive therapies

In Malaysia, awareness of autism has increased in the last few years but more research is needed to assess the situation and to draft an efficient support system to address it.

A MAXIMUM of US$80,000 (RM251,075.12) a year – that’s the cost estimated by the Autism Society of America (ASA) for the average parent or family to look after an autistic child in the United States.

Broken down, this amounts to US$6,666.70 per month (RM20,992.90).

This figure covers the cost of “modern” treatment such as early intervention, physiotherapy, speech therapy, behavioural therapy and others.

                                                                                                                             Readmore...

Autism Spectrum Disorder Statistics

Experts estimate that two to six children out of every 1,000 will have autism. Males are four times more likely to have autism than females.

Therefore, it can be summarized that between 1 in 500 (2/1,000) to 1 in 166 children (6/1,000) have autism.

 autism spectrum disorder in the United States. However, using the occurrence data stated above, we can estimate that if 4 million children are born in the United States every year, approximately 24,000 of these children will eventually be diagnosed with an ASD.

Distribution of Autism Disorders among Interactive Autism Network (IAN) with ASD, by first diagnosis

This chart shows the distribution of the parent-reported first diagnoses that the affected children enrolled in IAN Research received from a professional. Many parents report a change in their child’s diagnosis over time. This sample chart displays only information on the child’s first diagnosis. This chart may indicate how autism spectrum diagnoses in a state vary from the national pattern

What was the child's FIRST autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis?

Parents are given the following choices:

• Autism or Autistic Disorder
• Asperger's Syndrome
• Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)
• Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD)
• Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) (choose only if none of the above apply)
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (choose only if none of the above apply)

Assuming the occurrence rate has been constant over the past two decades, we can estimate that up to 500,000 individuals between the ages of 0 to 21 have an autism spectrum disorder. However, many of these individuals may not be classified as having an ASD until school-age or later. Because behaviors related to the autism spectrum disorders are usually present before the age of 3 years, it is important to make sure the individuals are being identified and are receiving appropriate intervention services as early as possible.

• More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined

• ASDs are reported to occur in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups, yet are on average 4 to 5 times more likely to occur in boys than in girls.
• If 4 million children are born in the United States every year, approximately 36,500 children will eventually be diagnosed with an ASD.  Assuming the prevalence rate has been constant over the past two decades, we can estimate that about 730,000 individuals between the ages of 0 to 21 have an ASD.
• Studies in Asia, Europe, and North America have identified individuals with an ASD with an approximate prevalence of 0.6% to over 1%. A recent study in South Korea reported a prevalence of 2.6%

How does autism affect communication?

The word “autism” has its origin in the Greek word “autos,” which means “self.” Children with autism often are self-absorbed and seem to exist in a private world where they are unable to successfully communicate and interact with others. Children with autism may have difficulty developing language skills and understanding what others say to them. They also may have difficulty communicating nonverbally, such as through hand gestures, eye contact, and facial expressions.

Not every child with an autism spectrum disorder will have a language problem. A child’s ability to communicate will vary, depending upon his or her intellectual and social development. Some children with autism may be unable to speak. Others may have rich vocabularies and be able to talk about specific subjects in great detail. Most children with autism have little or no problem pronouncing words. The majority, however, have difficulty using language effectively, especially when they talk to other people. Many have problems with the meaning and rhythm of words and sentences. They also may be unable to understand body language and the nuances of vocal tones.

Below are some patterns of language use and behaviors that are often found in children with autism.

• Repetitive or rigid language. Often, children with autism who can speak will say things that have no meaning or that seem out of context in conversations with others. For example, a child may count from one to five repeatedly. Or a child may continuously repeat words he or she has heard, a condition called echolalia. Immediate echolalia occurs when the child repeats words someone has just said. For example, the child may respond to a question by asking the same question. In delayed echolalia, the child will repeat words heard at an earlier time. The child may say “Do you want something to drink?” whenever he or she asks for a drink.
  Some children with autism speak in a high-pitched or singsong voice or use robot-like speech. Other children with autism may use stock phrases to start a conversation. For example, a child may say “My name is Tom,” even when he talks with friends or family. Still others may repeat what they hear on television programs or commercials.
• Narrow interests and exceptional abilities. Some children may be able to deliver an in-depth monologue about a topic that holds their interest, even though they may not be able to carry on a two-way conversation about the same topic. Others have musical talents or an advanced ability to count and do math calculations. Approximately 10 percent of children with autism show “savant” skills, or extremely high abilities in specific areas, such as calendar calculation, music, or math.
• Uneven language development. Many children with autism develop some speech and language skills, but not to a normal level of ability, and their progress is usually uneven. For example, they may develop a strong vocabulary in a particular area of interest very quickly. Many children have good memories for information just heard or seen. Some children may be able to read words before 5 years of age, but they may not comprehend what they have read. They often do not respond to the speech of others and may not respond to their own names. As a result, children with autism sometimes are mistakenly thought to have a hearing problem.
• Poor nonverbal conversation skills. Children with autism often are unable to use gestures—such as pointing to an object—to give meaning to their speech. They often avoid eye contact, which can make them seem rude, uninterested, or inattentive. Without meaningful gestures or the language to communicate, many children with autism become frustrated in their attempts to make their feelings and needs known. They may act out their frustrations through vocal outbursts or other inappropriate behaviors.

What causes autism

According to Autistica Science In The Services of Autism (base in the UK)

• No one knows exactly why but the brain develops differently in people with autism.
• Finding the causes of autism is one of the most challenging areas of medical science.
• The absence of a clear understanding about what causes autism makes finding effective therapies very difficult.
•  It is now widely accepted by scientists that a predisposition to autism is inherited with the underlying genetic cause of up to 40% of autism cases having now been identified.
• It is not clear why a genetic predisposition affects some family members and not others.
• Improved detection, identification and diagnosis of autism means that we now estimate that 1 in 100 people has an autism spectrum disorder.
• There are currently no biological tests to confirm a diagnosis of autism. Identification of the condition is at present based solely on observed behaviours.
• Research is also taking place to establish the part played, if any, by environmental factors either prenatally or after a child is born.
•  Autism is no longer attributed, as it once was, to lack of affection in the child's mother.

http://www.autistica.org.uk/case_studies/phillip.php