Autism Genes Believed on Chromosome 11

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Now pyrenthrin in pet shampoo suspected...

Common Chemicals May Have Autism Link
May 15, 2008 - Study Finds Connections Between Pesticides and Autism

For parents of children with autism, the knowledge that some unknown chemical caused their child's developmental disorder can weigh heavily on their minds. Researchers think that a complex combination of genetic and environmental factors contributes to autism, but they don't know what all those environmental factors are.

A preliminary study out of California might have uncovered at least one chemical worthy of investigation: pyrenthrin, a type of pesticide found in common products, from pet shampoos to household bug killers. Mothers of more than 500 young children (some autistic, some not) participated in the study, reporting long lists of products they remembered using from a few months before conception until their child turned 1.

Mothers of the 138 children with autism were twice as likely to report using pet shampoos and other household products containing pyrenthrins than other mothers. But while the findings in the study seem strong, lead author Irva Hertz-Picciotto, professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at University of California, Davis, and other autism experts agree that there is a lot of work left to make sure pyrenthrin isn't a red herring.

Is It Really the Shampoo?

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'Autistic and Proud' Movement Spurs Debate...

Controversial New Movement: Autistic and Proud
June 10, 2008 - Activists Say Stop Looking for a Cure and Accept Autistic People as They Are

Ari Ne'eman and Kristina Chew say they are the faces and voices of autism's future. They're part of a controversial group hoping to radically change the way others look at autism. Their message: Stop the search for a cure and begin celebrating autistic people for their differences. It's a message that has some parents of autistic children bewildered and angry.

Ne'eman, 20, is the founder of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, a non-profit group aimed at advancing autism culture and advocating for "neurodiverse" individuals. "We believe that the autism spectrum and those on it, are important and necessary parts of the wide diversity present in human genetics," Ne-eman says on the ASAN Web site. Ne'eman was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, a less severe form of autism, as a child.

"I think the others around me knew I was different from as early as I can remember," he told "Good Morning America."When Ne'eman says that looking for a cure for autism is the wrong approach to take, he understands why some parents are upset -- especially those with very low-functioning, non-communicative autistic children. "I think that one of the key issues to remember is that anti-cure doesn't mean anti-progress," he said.

'Ransom' Ad Sparks Action

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Figuring out Fragile X Syndrome...

Fragile X: Unraveling Autism's Secrets
Thursday, Jun. 26, 2008

=snip=

... The disorder, as its name implies, is the result of a defective gene on the X chromosome, one of the pair of chromosomes that determines gender. FXS affects roughly 1 in 2,500 boys, causing autism spectrum disorders in about half of them. That makes FXS the most common known cause of autism, responsible for roughly 5% of all cases. It is also the most common inherited cause of mental retardation. Though the FXS defect occurs just as frequently in girls, they tend to be less severely affected.

Fragile X has been known for decades, but an explosion of new research, prodded along by advocacy groups like the National Fragile X Foundation and FRAXA, is yielding insights that have implications for understanding and treating autism--and perhaps a number of other conditions too. "Fragile X is leading the autism field in terms of new treatments," says pediatrician Randi Hagerman, medical director of the MIND Institute. "We know the gene, we know a lot about the biology, and we know how to fix it. That's pretty exciting!"

In addition, new research has revealed that relatives who carry the fragile X trait, like Max's mother and grandfather, may themselves be affected by it. At the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a new panel has been charged by Congress to direct research into FXS and related conditions. "We hope to learn lessons that may be applicable to helping people with Huntington's disease, Alzheimer's and myotonic dystrophies too," says Tiina Urv, who heads the panel. Research on the FXS family of disorders may also yield clues to some forms of infertility.

Most of us move through our days with only a vague awareness of our genetic endowment, fretting perhaps over a familial tendency toward heart disease or beaky noses. But families affected by fragile X can discuss their genome with startling specificity. Their key concern is a small strip of DNA on the long arm of the X chromosome. Normally, humans have five to 55 repetitions of the nucleotides CGG (cytosine, guanine, guanine) in this region. But for unknown reasons, the number of CGG repeats can expand beyond normal as the DNA is copied from mother to child.

FULL

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Parents’ pressure may bring fed study of fringe autism treatment...

Fringe autism treatment could get federal study
Tues., July. 8, 2008 - Thousands already use process based on mercury-in-vaccines theory

Pressured by desperate parents, government researchers are pushing to test an unproven treatment on autistic children, a move some scientists see as an unethical experiment in voodoo medicine.

The treatment removes heavy metals from the body and is based on the fringe theory that mercury in vaccines triggers autism — a theory never proved and rejected by mainstream science. Mercury hasn't been in childhood vaccines since 2001, except for certain flu shots.

But many parents of autistic children are believers, and the head of the National Institute of Mental Health supports testing it on children provided the tests are safe. "So many moms have said, `It's saved my kids,'" institute director Dr. Thomas Insel said.

Study on hold for now

See also:

Autistic students get help navigating college life
Tues., July. 8, 2008 - Schools making changes as first crop of kids with autism disorders arrive

When Dan Hackett started college, he didn't make the grades he knew he could. Hackett, who has Asperger's syndrome, found at the Community College of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh that some of his symptoms were holding him back. He had difficulty organizing his time and managing assignments. "I always knew I could do better," said Hackett.

His parents tried to help, but he wasn't comfortable with them intervening at college. He was relieved to discover Achieving in Higher Education with Autism/Developmental Disabilities, a group that helps college students like him.

After contracting with AHEADD, Hackett's grade point average increased from 1.5 to 3.6. "They kept me on track," says the now 21-year-old political science major. "They helped me manage my time."

New setting, new challenges

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Genes From Middle East Families Yield Autism Clues...

Study Reveals Genetic Clues to Autism
July 10, 2008 WASHINGTON (AP) - Scientists Hope Findings Will Yield Clues to Mysterious Condition

Harvard researchers have discovered half a dozen new genes involved in autism that suggest the disorder strikes in a brain that can't properly form new connections. The findings also may help explain why intense education programs do help some autistic children - because certain genes that respond to experience weren't missing, they were just stuck in the "off" position. "The circuits are there but you have to give it an extra push," said Dr. Gary Goldstein of the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, which wasn't involved in the gene hunt but is well-known for its autism behavioral therapy.

The genetics suggest that "what we're doing makes sense when we work with these little kids -- and work and work and work -- and suddenly get through," he said. But the study's bigger message is that autism is too strikingly individual to envision an easy gene test for it. Instead, patients are turning out to have a wide variety, almost a custom set, of gene defects. "Almost every kid with autism has their own particular cause of it," said Dr. Christopher Walsh, chief of genetics at Children's Hospital Boston, who led the research published in Friday's edition of the journal Science.

Autism spectrum disorders include a range of poorly understood brain conditions, from the mild Asperger's syndrome to more severe autism characterized by poor social interaction, impaired communication and repetitious behaviors. It's clear that genes play a big role in autism, from studies of twins and families with multiple affected children. But so far, the genetic cause is known for only about 15 percent of autism cases, Walsh said.

More ABC News: Study Reveals Genetic Clues to Autism

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Internet is 'Pharmaceutical Candy Store'
July 9, 2008 - Report: Drugs Still Easy to Buy Online Without Prescription Despite Crackdown

OxyContin. Valium. Xanax. Vicodin. Ritalin. Adderall. Despite being some of the most commonly abused and misused prescription drugs in the country, each of these controlled drugs is readily available online and most websites sell them without prescriptions, according to a report released today by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA). Despite recent crackdowns by federal and state agencies, the report entitled, "You've Got Drugs!" found that prescription drug trafficking is alive and well on the web.

"The bottom line is that any person of any age, including children, can, with a click of a mouse, order these drugs online and get them," said CASA Chairman and President Joseph A. Califano, Jr. Out of 365 Web sites that CASA found advertising or selling controlled prescription drugs – drugs that the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) controls because of abuse potential or risk – only two sites were certified by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy as legitimate online pharmacies. "The other 363 were rogue sites," said Califano, a former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare.

The study also found that 85 percent of Web sites selling prescription drugs do so without a physician's prescription. Of those, 42 percent stated that no prescription was required, 45 percent offered online consultations, and 13 percent did not mention prescriptions at all. Federal law prohibits consumers from purchasing controlled prescription drugs without a valid prescription from a physician. These sites, Califano said, get around the law by having consumers complete online questionnaires or participate in virtual meetings with doctors employed by the sites. "They're sham consultations," said Califano. "They ask you a few medical questions and then say you need this drug."

More ABC News: Internet is 'Pharmaceutical Candy Store'

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Ignorance towards autism...

Savage's Quips Enrage Autism Community
July 21, 2008 - Autism researchers and advocacy groups condemn the talk radio shock jock.

As autism organizations and medical professionals alike voice their outrage at inflammatory comments made by controversial talk radio host Michael Savage, about most autistic children simply being "brats," the head of the network that employs him appears to be taking measures to pull out of a public relations tailspin. Savage, who in the past, has taken aim at the legitimacy of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other behavioral disorders, called autism a "fraud" and a "racket" during his July 16 broadcast, adding that "[i]n 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out."

In light of strong public reaction to his statements, Savage issued a statement, further explaining his comments. "My comments about autism were meant to boldly awaken parents and children to the medical community's attempt to label too many children or adults as 'autistic'," the statement read. "Just as some drug companies have overdiagnosed 'ADD' and 'ADHD' to peddle dangerous speed-like drugs to children as young as 4 years of age, this cartel of doctors and drug companies is now creating a national panic by overdiagnosing 'autism,' for which there is no definitive medical diagnosis!"

In a response to ABC News' request for comment, Mark Masters, the CEO of Talk Radio Network, sent the same statement that had been posted on Savage's Web site. The statement has done little to blunt reactions to his strong comments, which have forged an unlikely alliance between a number of autism groups that claim doctors are overlooking the true causes of the disorder, and autism researchers in the mainstream medical community. "I would say it is the lowest form of attention-seeking, and the best response is silence," said Dr. Nancy Minshew, director of the Center for Excellence in Autism Research (CeFAR) at the University of Pittsburgh. "Tune out and his sponsors will turn him off. Declare a day of mourning for those who suffer and a day of prayer for those who care by not calling or responding."

"I think we're seeing a trend within talk radio -- anger toward people with autism," said Kim Stagliano, managing editor of the popular blog Age of Autism. "As we learn more about autism, there seems to be an acceptable level of tolerance within society, but within talk radio, the sympathy has turned into scorn." And Rebecca Esteep, national manager of the autism advocacy group Talk About Curing Autism (TACA) says Masters has e-mailed her organization and invited them, along with the National Autism Association, to be guests on Savage's show to "make amends with the autism community." But it is unclear whether the autism community is ready to bury the hatchet. "Michael Savage is spectacularly uninformed about this major national health crisis," Esteep said. "His comments were beyond insulting and are tantamount to blaming parents for their child's cancer.

More ABC News: Savage's Quips Enrage Autism Community

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Vaccine/autism link debunked...

Study Finds No Autism Link in Vaccine
Thursday, September 4, 2008; A common vaccine given to children to protect them against measles, mumps and rubella is not linked to autism, a study published yesterday concludes.

The findings contradict earlier research that had fueled fears of a possible link between childhood vaccinations and a steep increase in autism diagnoses. In February 1998, the Lancet journal published a study by British researcher Andrew Wakefield of 12 children with autism and other behavioral problems that suggested the onset of their behavioral abnormalities was linked to receiving the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine. The new study comes as the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington is in the midst of evaluating evidence on whether children's vaccines are implicated in causing autism. A special master is evaluating three different kinds of claims -- two of which specifically link the MMR vaccine with autism.

Like Wakefield's study, the new study looked for evidence of potential links between MMR vaccinations, autism and the digestive (gastrointestinal, or GI) problems sometimes seen in autistic children. "If in fact you want to implicate a factor in the causation of an illness, it must be present before the illness," said W. Ian Lipkin, a professor of epidemiology, neurology and pathology at Columbia University, explaining the idea behind the study. "In the event MMR was responsible for autism, the MMR must precede the onset of autism."

"There was no evidence . . . MMR preceded either autism or GI problems" in the children studied, he said. The research, published in the journal Public Library of Science One, examined when the children began showing behavioral problems and when they were vaccinated, and it examined bowel biopsies for telltale genetic traces of the MMR vaccine. Since obtaining the biopsies required sedating the children and an invasive procedure, Lipkin said his analysis was limited to a small sample of 38 children who needed the biopsies as part of their medical care.

MORE

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Chelation study nixed...

Officials call off controversial autism study
Wed Sep 17, 2008 WASHINGTON - Health officials have called off plans for a study examining a controversial type of treatment that some autism activists have touted as alternative medical therapy for children with the condition.

The National Institute of Mental Health, or NIMH, part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, said in a statement on Wednesday that it has canceled a study aimed at assessing the effectiveness of a treatment called chelation. Chelation (pronounced key-LAY-shun) is a type of therapy in which a man-made amino acid, called EDTA, is added to the blood, and it has been used to treat heavy metal poisoning.

Some autism activists have advocated it on the theory -- rejected by most scientists -- that autism is triggered by exposure to mercury, a heavy metal, from childhood vaccines. Many studies and medical experts have dismissed the notion that mercury used in a vaccine preservative causes autism, but some parents of autistic children strongly believe it does.

Since 2001, with the exception of some influenza vaccines, the mercury-containing preservative has not been used in routinely recommended childhood vaccines, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "NIMH has decided that resources are better directed at this time to testing other potential therapies for autism spectrum disorders, and is not pursuing the additional review required to begin the study," the institute said.

More Officials call off controversial autism study | Health | Reuters

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Insurance for autism expenses...

Parents press states for autism insurance laws
Mon Oct 20, `08 – In Washington state, Reza and Arzu Forough pay more than $1,000 a week for behavior therapy for their 12-year-old autistic son.

In Indiana, Sean and Michele Trivedi get the same type of therapy for their 11-year-old daughter. But they pay $3,000 a year and their health insurance covers the rest. Two families. Two states. Big difference in out-of-pocket costs. If autism advocates get their way, more states will follow Indiana's lead by requiring health insurers to cover intensive and costly behavior therapy for autism.

In the past two years, six states — Texas, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Florida, South Carolina, Louisiana — passed laws requiring such coverage, costing in some cases up to $50,000 a year per child. The powerful advocacy group Autism Speaks has endorsed bills in New Jersey, Virginia and Michigan and is targeting at least 10 more states in 2009, including New York, California and Ohio.

Other states, including Illinois, have similar bills in the works but aren't working directly with Autism Speaks. "This is the hottest trend in mandates we've seen in a long time," said J.P. Wieske, a lobbyist for an insurance coalition that argues that these state requirements drive up insurance costs for everyone. "It is hard to fight them."

For lawmakers, voting against these measures means voting against parents who are struggling to do the best for their children. Parents tell moving stories about how behavior therapy works better than anything they've tried. In two states, bills got nicknames like "Steven's Law" and "Ryan's Law," so voting against them was tough.

MORE

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10 common myths about autism...

Mythbusters: Ten Misconceptions on Autism
Oct. 23, 2008 - Experts Examine Misconceptions About Autism

As the number of Americans diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders climbs, so, too, does the number of questions surrounding this disorder. Namely, what is autism, and what is causing a rise in autism diagnoses among adults and children nationwide? Amid these questions, television shows and magazines feature a barrage of stories and imagery -- families rallying for and against vaccines, debates between medical experts pointing to both genetic and environmental causes, and images of individuals diagnosed with autism who struggle to speak and function independently, while others can interact with others and are able to hold jobs. For many, these competing messages may make this already complex condition even more confusing.

Fortunately, doctors and researchers are learning more about the causes and characteristics of autism. The following are answers to 10 common myths, that may help us better recognize the range of symptoms we call autism spectrum disorders.

Myth: Autism is an emotional or mental health disorder.

While physical or social behaviors of individuals with autism may suggest that they have a psychological disorder, autism is actually a biological illness that affects the brain's growth and development. "In the case of autism, the parts of the brain that are most affected seem to impact three areas of functioning," said Michael Alessandri, executive director of the University of Miami's Center for Autism and Related Disabilities. "Social behavior, communication and restricted and repetitive rituals and routines are ways that the child or the adult with autism interact with the environment."

Although autism is now understood to be a neurodevelopmental disorder, Alessandri, an expert for ABCNews.com's OnCall+ Autism section, said autism can still be considered a complex disorder because its range of symptoms is so diverse. "Scientists and clinicians now understand that autism is not a singular entity, but rather, a variety of syndromes that ... create the autism spectrum disorders," said Alessandri.

Myth: There is an autism epidemic.