Monday, October 20, 2008

Joey's 4th Birthday

My baby turned 4 on October 19th. It was definitely a chance to reflect on the past year, especially the last few months. The diagnosis has changed a lot, especially the way we plan our days and events. I was worried about how his party would turn out. Overall, it went well. I knew he wouldn't be happy about being sung to or blowing out candles, but he at least was in the room for it and no one asked questions. You see, he's never liked the song (too much noise) and the candles upset him. A few days before the party, I felt sad that he would miss out on this important part of his party but then I realized, am I sad for him or sad for me? Maybe a little of both. He doesn't know what he's missing so he's not sad but I'm sad for him for not understanding that. And of course, we all miss out on the photo op that "typical" children take part in. It's another reminder of how my son can be different from other children.

I can't believe my baby is 4! He has turned into a cool little dude with his own personality. He is talking so much more than he was a year ago, even 6 months ago. Our goal for this coming year is to continuing working on understanding PDD-NOS, getting Joey involved in all the therapies needed and making his life the best it possibly can be.

ZOO Walk Success!

Joey D's Crew raised $1225 for Autism Research!

We had a great time with our family and Joey liked hanging out at the Zoo. He completed the walk with his cousins, Isaac & Isaiah. I'm so proud of him:)

Thursday was a great day

October 16, 2008

Today was a breakthrough day for Joey and a great day all around. It started out with Joey's IEP (Individual Education Plan) and parent/teacher conference at pre-school. I was happy to hear that he is doing great! He is the snack helper (following in his Mom's footsteps, who always wanted to know what everyone was having for snack in Kindergarten); he is calling his peers and teachers by name; he is participating in class and making great progress in speech. The school psycholgist also feels that he is not in need of individual occupational therapy, which gave me some reassurance.

After the meeting, he wanted to visit with his father for a while. I am usually all for this; however, he is usually moody after seeing his father and I was worried how this would affect his speech therapy session at home later on that day. His dad dropped him off after lunch, said that he was in a bad mood, which had me worried but it ended up being the first appointment with Rosie that he actually opened up and cooperated. He was in a great mood and talked to Rosie the whole time. I have a feeling he was just agitated with his dad.

We went on to enjoy the day together, just me and my Joe. I really felt like it was the turning of a new chapter in Joey's progress and it helped to take away some of the overwhelming concerns that I've been having about him and the diagnosis he received.

I think we can do this!

Denis Leary Retracts Autism Comment

Ok...maybe I'll give the guy a break...

After reading his statement (below) and hearing about how he helps out Autism charities, I will cut him some slack.

"I thought I made my feelings about autism very clear: that I not only support the current rational approaches to the diagnoses and treatment of real autism but have witnessed it firsthand while watching very dear old friends raise a functioning autistic child.... The point of the chapter is not that autism doesn't exist -- it obviously does -- and I have nothing but admiration and respect for parents dealing with the issue, including the ones I know. The bulk of the chapter deals with grown men who are either self-diagnosing themselves with low-level offshoots of the disease or wishing they could as a way to explain their failed careers and troublesome progeny," Leary said.

As always, here's the link:
http://www.popeater.com/television/article/denis-leary-autism-comments/212051

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Disappointed with Denis Leary

Yes, I understand his humor, but I cannot stomach what Denis Leary is saying about Autism. Below, you will find a copy of the article from usmagazine.com and you will see my post below it.

Here's the link:
http://www.usmagazine.com/news/denis-leary-austistic-kids-are-just-stupid-blames-inattentive-mothers

Denis Leary Blames "Inattentive Mothers" on Autism Crisis
Wednesday October 15, 2008

In his new book, Why We Suck: A Feel-Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid, Denis Leary writes that autism is a joke.

"There is a huge boom in autism right now because inattentive mothers and competitive dads want an explanation for why their dumb-ass kids can't compete academically, so they throw money into the happy laps of shrinks . . . to get back diagnoses that help explain away the deficiencies of their junior morons. I don't give a [bleep] what these crackerjack whack jobs tell you - yer kid is NOT autistic. He's just stupid. Or lazy. Or both."

The Autism Society of America has fired back: "For Mr. Leary to suggest that families or doctors conspire to falsely diagnose autism is ridiculous . . . [His] remarks reflect the same misconceptions of autism being caused by bad or unemotional parenting that were held over 50 years ago."


6:19 PM MichelleD in AZ Says:
Thank you 4:03pm for the information about Denis Leary's hometown firehouse raising money for Autism.
I have been a fan of Leary's since his comedy spots on Mtv long ago. Being a New Yorker, I naturally loved his show 'Rescue Me' for its tribute to NYC firefighters. Sadly, Denis Leary lost a fan today because of his ridiculous statements. I have a son on the Autism Spectrum. It is opinions like Leary's that hold us back from making more advances in research for this terrible disorder.

Occupational Therapy

My son is need of Occupational Therapy and will be getting at Pre-School. I am meeting with the OT tomorrow so I wanted to read up on it. Anytime I find information on a subject, I post it to this blog so I can look back on it. It's like my own little library.

Here's the link:
http://autism.about.com/od/whatisautism/a/OTBasics.htm

Occupational Therapy and Autism: The Basics
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By Lisa Jo Rudy, About.com
Updated: August 21, 2007
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by Steven Gans, MD

What Is Occupational Therapy?

According to the American Occupational Therapy Association, occupational therapy is "skilled treatment that helps individuals achieve independence in all facets of their lives. Occupational therapy assists people in developing the 'skills for the job of living' necessary for independent and satisfying lives". Very often, you will find occupational therapists working with injury victims to regain use of their hands for various daily chores, handwriting, and personal care.

Why Would a Person With Autism Need to See an Occupational Therapist?

In the case of autism, occupational therapists (OT's) have vastly expanded the usual breadth of their job. In the past, for example, an occupational therapist might have worked with an autistic person to develop skills for handwriting, shirt buttoning, shoe tying, and so forth. But today's occupational therapists specializing in autism may also be experts in sensory integration (difficulty with processing information through the senses), or may work with their clients on play skills, social skills and more.

What Does an Occupational Therapist Do for People with Autism?

Since people with autism often lack some of the basic social and personal skills required for independent living, occupational therapists have developed techniques for working on all of these needs. For example:
~Provide interventions to help a child appropriately respond to information coming through the senses. Intervention may include swinging, brushing, playing in a ball pit and a whole gamut of other activities aimed at helping a child better manage his body in space.
~Facilitate play activities that instruct as well as aid a child in interacting and communicating with others. For the OT specializing in autism, this can translate specifically into structured play therapies, such as Floortime, which were developed to build intellectual and emotional skills as well as physical skills.
~Devise strategies to help the individual transition from one setting to another, from one person to another, and from one life phase to another. For a child with autism, this may involve soothing strategies for managing transition from home to school; for adults with autism it may involve vocational skills, cooking skills and more.
~Develop adaptive techniques and strategies to get around apparent disabilities (for example, teaching keyboarding when handwriting is simply impossible; selecting a weighted vest to enhance focus; etc.)

How Can I Find a Qualified Occupational Therapist?

OT's are often included as part of a comprehensive school-based or early intervention program for children with autism, and the OT may be hired by or contracted by the school district. In addition, pediatricians can help parents identify early intervention programs available through a state’s department of social services or department of health. Adults with autism may be able to access OT services through developmental disability programs or social services agencies. Very often, Occupational Therapy can be funded through health insurance and/or Medicaid.

For more information about Occupational Therapy and autism, you might want to read The American Occupational Therapy Association's Fact Sheet on Autism.
More Autism Basics
Symptoms of Autism Treatments for Autism Spectrum DisordersWhat Causes Autism?
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Social Skills and Autism - Autism and Social Skills Training
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What Should I Do While I Wait for an Autism Diagnosis? - Autism - Children

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Another description of PDD-NOS

Here's the link:
http://www.thekidsclinic.com/PDD4_all.asp


The Cause of PDDNOS and the Symptons & signs of PDDNOS

The Cause of PDDNOS

Both behavioral and biological studies have generated sufficient evidence to suggest that PDDNOS is caused by a neurological abnormality--problems with the nervous system. However, no specific cause or causes have been identified.

While studies have found various nervous-system problems, no single problem has been consistently found, and exact causes are far from clear. This may be due to the current approach of defining PDDNOS based on behaviors (as opposed to, say, genetic testing). Hence, it is possible that PDDNOS is the result of several different conditions. If this is the case, it is anticipated that future studies will identify a range of causes.

The Symptons and Signs of PDDNOS

Generally, children are 3 to 4 years old before they exhibit enough symptoms for parents to seek a diagnosis. There is no set pattern of symptoms and signs in children with PDDNOS. It is important to realize that a very wide range of diversity is seen in children with PDDNOS. All the items of behavior described in this section are common in these children, but a single child seldom shows all the features at one time. In other words, all children with PDDNOS do not have the same degree or intensity of the disorder. PDDNOS can be mild, with the child exhibiting a few symptoms while in the school or neighborhood environment. Other children may have a more severe form of PDDNOS and have difficulties in all areas of their lives. Because of the possibility that PDDNOS and Autistic Disorder are on a continuum, many clinical features described in the following section are very similar to those being described in the literature for Autistic Disorder.

1 . Deficits in Social Behavior

Some infants with PDDNOS tend to avoid eye contact and demonstrate little interest in the human voice. They do not usually put up their arms to be picked up in the way that typical children do. They may seem indifferent to affection and seldom show facial responsiveness. As a result, parents often think the child is deaf. In children with fewer delays, lack of social responsiveness may not be obvious until well into the second or third year of life.

In early childhood, children with PDDNOS may continue to show a lack of eye contact, but they may enjoy a tickle or may passively accept physical contact. They do not develop typical attachment behavior, and there may seem to be a failure to bond. Generally, they do not follow their parents about the house. The majority do not show normal separation or stranger anxiety. These children may approach a stranger almost as readily as they do their parents. Many such children show a lack of interest in being with or playing with other children. They may even actively avoid other children.

In middle childhood, such children may develop a greater awareness or attachment to parents and other familiar adults. However, social difficulties continue. They still have problems with group games and forming peer relationships. Some of the children with less severe PDDNOS may become involved in other children's games.

As these children grow older, they may become affectionate and friendly with their parents and siblings. However, they still have difficulty understanding the complexity of social relationships. Some individuals with less severe impairments may have a desire for friendships. But a lack of response to other people's interests and emotions, as well as a lack of understanding of humor, often results in these youngsters saying or doing things that can slow the development of friendships.

2. Impairment in Nonverbal Communication

In early childhood, children with PDDNOS may develop the concrete gesture of pulling adults by the hand to the object that is wanted. They often do this without the typical accompanying facial expression. They seldom nod or shake their heads to substitute for or to accompany speech. Children with PDDNOS generally do not participate in games that involve imitation. They are less likely than typical children to copy their parents' activity.

In middle and late childhood, such children may not frequently use gestures, even when they understand other people's gestures fairly well. Some children do develop imitative play, but this tends to be repetitive.

Generally, children with PDDNOS are able to show joy, fear, or anger, but they may only show the extreme of emotions. They often do not use facial expressions that ordinarily show subtle emotion.

3. Impairment in Understanding Speech

Comprehension of speech in children with PDDNOS is impaired to varying degrees, depending on where the child is within the wide spectrum of PDDNOS. Individuals with PDDNOS who also have mental retardation may never develop more than a limited understanding of speech. Children who have less severe impairments may follow simple instructions if given in an immediate context or with the aid of gestures (e.g., telling the child to "put your glass on the counter," while pointing to the counter). When impairment is mild, only the comprehension of subtle or abstract meanings may be affected. Humor, sarcasm, and common sayings (e.g., "it's raining cats and dogs") can be confusing for individuals with the most mild PDDNOS.

4. Impairment in Speech Development

Many infants with PDDNOS do not babble, or may begin to babble in their first year but then stop. When the child develops speech, he or she often exhibits abnormalities. Echolalia (seemingly meaningless repetition of words or phrases) may be the only kind of speech some children acquire. Though echolalic speech might be produced quite accurately, the child may have limited comprehension of the meaning. In the past, it was thought that echolalia had no real function. More recent studies have found that echolalia can serve several functions, such as self-stimulation (when a child says words or phrases repeatedly without a communicative purpose--just because it feels good); as a step between a child being nonverbal and verbal; or as a way to communicate (Prizant & Rydell, 1993). Other children develop the appropriate use of phrases copied from others. This is often accompanied by pronoun reversal in the early stages of language development. For instance, when the child is asked "How are you?" he or she may answer "You are fine."

The actual production of speech may be impaired. The child's speech may be like that of a robot, characterized by a monotonous, flat delivery with little change in pitch, change of emphasis, or emotional expression.

Problems of pronunciation are common in young children with PDDNOS, but these often diminish as the child gets older. There may be a striking contrast between clearly enunciated echolalic speech and poorly pronounced spontaneous speech. Some children have a chanting or singsong speech, with odd prolongation of sounds, syllables, and words. A question-like intonation may be used for statements. Odd breathing rhythms may produce staccato speech in some children.

Abnormal grammar is frequently present in the spontaneous speech of verbal children with PDDNOS. As a result:
· phrases may be telegraphic (brief and monotone) and distorted;· words of similar sound or related meaning may be muddled;· some objects may be labeled by their use;· new words may be coined; and· prepositions, conjunctions, and pronouns may be dropped from phrases or used incorrectly.

When children with PDDNOS do develop functional speech, they may not use it in ordinary ways. Such children tend to rely on repetitive phrases. Their speech does not usually convey imagination, abstraction, or subtle emotion. They generally have difficulty talking about anything outside of the immediate context. They may talk excessively about their special interests, and they may talk about the same pieces of information whenever the same subject is raised. The most able persons can exchange concrete pieces of information that interest them, but once the conversation departs from this level, they can become lost and may withdraw from social contact. Ordinary to-and-fro conversational chatter is lacking. Thus, they give the impression of talking "at" someone, rather than "with" someone.

5 .Unusual Patterns of Behavior

The unusual responses of children with PDDNOS to the environment take several forms.

6. Resistance to change

Many children are upset by changes in the familiar environment. Even a minor change of everyday routine may lead to tantrums. Some children line up toys or objects and become very distressed if these are disturbed. Efforts to teach new activities may be resisted.

7. Ritualistic or compulsive behaviors

Ritualistic or compulsive behaviors usually involve rigid routines (e.g., insistence on eating particular foods) or repetitive acts, such as hand flapping or finger mannerisms (e.g., twisting, flicking movements of hands and fingers carried out near the face). Some children develop preoccupations; they may spend a great deal of time memorizing weather information, state capitals, or birth dates of family members.

8. Abnormal attachments and behaviors

Some children develop intense attachments to odd objects, such as pipe cleaners, batteries, or film canisters. Some children may have a preoccupation with certain features of favored objects, such as their texture, taste, smell, or shape.

9. Unusual responses to sensory experiences

Many children may seem underresponsive or overresponsive to sensory stimuli. Thus, they may be suspected of being deaf or visually impaired. It is common for such young children to be referred for hearing and vision tests. Some children avoid gentle physical contact, yet react with pleasure to rough-and-tumble games. Some children carry food preferences to extremes, with favored foods eaten to excess. Some children limit their diet to a small selection, while others are hearty eaters who do not seem to know when they are full.

10. Disturbance of Movement

The typical motor milestones (e.g., throwing, catching, kicking) may be delayed but are often within the normal range. Young children with PDDNOS usually have difficulty with imitation skills, such as clapping hands. Many such children are very overactive, yet tend to become less overactive in adolescence. Children with PDDNOS may exhibit characteristics such as grimacing, hand flapping or twisting, toe walking, lunging, jumping, darting or pacing, body rocking and swaying, or head rolling or banging. In some cases the behaviors appear only from time to time; in other cases they are present continuously.

11. Intelligence and Cognitive Deficits

Generally, children with PDDNOS do very well on tests requiring manipulative or visual skills or immediate memory, while they do poorly on tasks demanding symbolic or abstract thought and sequential logic. The process of learning and thinking in these children is impaired, most particularly in the capacity for imitation, comprehension of spoken words and gestures, flexibility, inventiveness, learning and applying rules, and using acquired information. Yet, a small number of children with PDDNOS show excellent rote memories and special skills in music, mechanics, mathematics, and reading.

Because many children with PDDNOS are either without functional speech or otherwise untestable, some people question the validity of testing their intelligence. Moreover, it has been observed that a number of these children show major improvements in other developmental areas during the follow-up period without a change in their tested IQ. Follow-up studies have also shown that retardation present at the time of initial diagnosis tends to persist. Those children with a low IQ show more severely impaired social development. They are more likely to display unusual social responses, such as touching or smelling people, ritualistic behavior, or self-injury.

12. Associated Features

The emotional expression of some children with PDDNOS may be flattened, excessive, or inappropriate to the situation. For no obvious reason, they may scream or sob inconsolably one time, yet giggle and laugh hysterically another time. Real dangers, such as moving vehicles or heights, may be ignored, yet the same child might seem frightened of a harmless object, such as a particular stuffed animal.

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Another person's blog post about PDD-NOS

Here's the link:

http://ballastexistenz.autistics.org/?p=347

I copied and pasted this portion of it because this is exactly how I'm feeling.

"In fact, I remember that, despite knowing little about autism, I felt happy that Isabel had PDD-NOS instead of autism. I didn’t realize then that, over time, PDD-NOS would prove to be an ambiguous and cumbersome diagnosis, that it would morph into “autism” or “autism spectrum disorder,” and that I’d rarely use the term PDD again. Today, Isabel is simply a child with “autism”.

Great link for Autism info

http://www.autism-help.org/forums-links-autistic-spectrum.htm

I found this great website today and wanted to save it here for my own resource and to share it with others. It also has a bunch of links to other helpful sites.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Interesting McCain News

Here's an article I found about Jenny McCarthy wanting to meet with Presidential hopeful John McCain. I also posted a comment under it that I found interesting.

Here's the link:
http://www.parentdish.com/2008/10/02/john-mccain-bails-on-meeting-with-jenny-mccarthy/#comments

John McCain bails on meeting with Jenny McCarthy
by Jennifer Jordan Oct 2nd 2008 2:03PM
Categories: Newborns, Babies, Pregnancy & birth, Health & safety, Medical conditions, Development, Life & style, Celeb parenting, Rumors, In the news, Mommy wars

Presidential nominee John McCain allegedly had a date set with actress Jenny McCarthy. The topic of their discussion? Not love but, rather autism, and specifically the link between the condition and the use of thimerosal in the vaccines McCarthy believes cause autism.

McCarthy was eager to meet with McCain after learning he believes there may be a link as well, and apparently flew herself out for a meeting with the Republican senator to try to make autism a major part of the presidential campaign.

According to reports, however, McCain backed out after his flack decided the subject matter was too controversial. Right, like presidential nominees should avoid discussing anything controversial! If they did all they'd end up doing at debates was drinking Yoohoos! Although not attributed anywhere, the post on IMDB claims McCain also bailed after learning there is no hard evidence linking vaccines with thimerosal and autism. Either way, McCain declined to meet with the former Playboy centerfold (huge mistake, dude!) and McCarthy has now set her sites on meeting with Senator Obama.

Comment:
If there is no link to thimersal and Autism in vaccines, then why did Republicans sneak a midnight hour provision into the homeland security bill of 2001 protecting all vaccine manufacturers from class action law suits? Things that make you go HMMMM....

ASA-GPC 2nd Annual Comedy Night

The Austism Society of America - Greater Phoenix Chapter's 2nd Annual Comedy Night is coming up on October 16th. Here's the info:

Join us at the 2nd Annual Comedy Night for AutismIt's Show Time!

Join us at the 2nd Annual Comedy Night for Autism Awareness presented by Point B Solutions Group!
Second Annual Comedy Night for Autism Awareness
Thursday, October 16th at 7:00 p.m.Dave & Buster's - Desert Ridge Market Place21001 N. Tatum Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85050
Join Maureen Lombardo, associate with Point B Solutions Group-a professional services firm specializing in project leadership-as she shares her comedic perspective on relationships, parenting and the working world.

Your Headliner... Travis ThurmanAn Arizona resident of 35 years, Travis is a rising star in the world of stand-up comedy. He has opened for such notables as Bret Butler, Louis Anderson, Bobcat Goldthwait, and Ralphie May. A familiar presence on stages around Phoenix, Travis has been perfecting the art of improvisational comedy for eleven years, performing with the Oxymoron'z, Nothing Personal , the Tempe Improv and the Comedy Sportz. (His reputation for dead-on impersonations of celebrities like Michael Jackson and music artists like New Kids on the Block is near-legendary in several small neighborhoods in the Phoenix area.)

All proceeds to benefit the Autism Society of America - Greater Phoenix Chapter.

Tickets are $30 and are available to purchase on-line (click here) or at the event. For additional information, please contact Maureen Lombardo via e-mail or call (602) 357-6818.Additional sponsors needed! Ask Maureen about being a corporate sponsor!!


The Autism Society of America - Greater Phoenix Chapter (ASA-GPC) is a group of people (mostly parents) who are dedicated to improving the quality of life of children and adults affected by autism by providing information, resources and support to the community, and especially to families affected by autism. We welcome your support!

Friday, October 10, 2008

Jenny McCarthy's Site

This is a great site that I actually found through a google ad on this very blog! It's hard to find by googling because there are so many different sites for her, even some fan ones from back in the day when she was more known for her looks than her activism.

Here's the link:
http://www.generationrescue.org/

Stop and stare

Running errands with children can be daunting at times. Doing it with a child that can be set off by the littlest thing can be extremely difficult. This is not about a child throwing a tantrum because he doesn't get his way. This is about a child who has a hard time dealing with emotions and who can't express them and who sometimes sees the world as a scary, unsafe place.

Being a single mom, with an ex-husband that only sees our son once per week, it makes it hard to get things done without my son. I now live with my fiance and he helps out a lot, but with the way our schedules are I still end up running most of my errands with Joey. Most of the time, it works out well. Our trip to Trader Joe's reminded me of how hard it can be when Joey is having an off day.

The afternoon started out with me picking Joey up from preschool. He was very excited about the lizard he made and he wanted to show it to me. I love when he is so excited. He is just adorable. Then, we went to the car dealership to pick up a rental because my car need warranty work. He wanted to go in and watch the big TV but we didn't have time. Looking back, I should have appeased him for a few minutes because it might have made my day go smoother. Once we were settled into the rental, I realized he was starting to go into what I call the nap zone. Trader Joe's was around the corner so I figured I could get a quick trip in now for the stuff I needed for dinner that night. The rest of the afternoon would be taken up by our trip to the Melmed Center which is on the other side of town, so this was my only chance.

Joey apparently didn't want to be at the store and melted into a pile in the parking lot. I pretended to walk in so that he would get up. This instilled fear in him which is not what I wanted. As I walked back towards him, he ran towards me and then fell back into a pile in the doorway of the store. I picked him up and put him in the cart. He was hanging on the cart and crying hysterically. The cart was dirty and now his tear-streaked face was dirty too. Eventually he calmed down and after seeing a girl pushing a child-size shopping cart, he wanted to push one too (which he usually does). He was doing great and took turns putting groceries in my cart and his cart. Everything was wonderful until his wheel got stuck when he tried to turn and he got frustrated. This happened right in front of an employee who of course did nothing. He sank into a pile again and began to cry. These are the times when I need help and seem to have none.

I grabbed another employee and had him take the tiny cart, hurried up and finished my shopping and got out as soon as I could. Do you think people got out of my way when I said excuse me? No! They just stopped and stared at me because I had an upset child. I never do that to people. Little do they know what Joey is going through. I wish I understood how to help him more. I'm working on that.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Another appointment at the Melmed Center

We have a follow up with Joey's behavioral pediatrician today. It's the 1st appointment after his diagnosis. I am full of questions. Hopefully, I will leave there full of answers.

Friday, October 3, 2008

I love working on this blog

I love working on this blog! It's helpful to me, and hopefully helpful to others, as a resource for information and even a place to realize that you're not alone in your feelings. Sometimes it's overwhelming for me and I need to take a break. I don't look at the blog, I don't google information, I don't pick up my latest Jenny McCarthy book. Sometimes I feel that reading too much information brings me down and makes me look at Joey with a label instead of looking at who he really is: a beautiful boy, about to turn 4, who loves Little Einsteins and who would eat sour cream and cheddar chips for breakfast if I let him.

PDD-NOS

This is one of the best descriptions I have found that explains what Joey was diagnosed with. I sent it to family members when I told them of his diagnosis.

Here's the link:
http://www.autismspeaks.org/navigating/pdd_nos.php

PDD-NOS
What it Is Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified, or PDD-NOS, for short, is a condition on the spectrum that has those with it exhibiting some, but not all, of the symptoms associated with classic autism. That can include difficulty socializing with others, repetitive behaviors, and heightened sensitivities to certain stimuli.

How it's similar to classic autism
Those with PDD-NOS behave like those with classic autism in many ways. First, they are all different (meaning one person with PDD-NOS doesn't act exactly like another; the same holds true for classic autism). When interacting with others, they may appear unemotional or unable to speak, they could have trouble holding eye contact, or they may have trouble transitioning quickly from one activity to the next.

How diagnosis differs
Those with PDD-NOS are different from others on the spectrum in one specific way: While they may exhibit some symptoms of those conditions, they don't fit the bill closely enough to fully satisfy all criteria set by the experts. Perhaps they started having difficulties at a much later age than others on the spectrum. (According to the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities, they are often diagnosed between the ages of 3 and 4 years old.) Or they may have the same challenges — for example, they may be oversensitive to their surroundings — but not to the extreme that others on the spectrum do. Consequently, those with PDD-NOS are sometimes thought to have a "milder" form of autism, though this may not be technically true. One symptom may be minor, while another may be worse.

What To Do About It

Treatments
According to the Yale Developmental Disabilities Clinic, treating children with PDD-NOS could prove tricky: Sometimes, they may not get the help they need as quickly as those whose behavioral patterns are more clearly definable as autistic. Healthcare providers may not provide a diagnosis of PDD-NOS until after they've considered all the other "types" of autism; in short, they may arrive at their conclusion after essentially a process of elimination.As with other conditions, it takes a village of doctors, psychologists, teachers, therapists, and family members to arrive at an action plan that would work best for someone with PDD-NOS. A "one-size-fits-all" approach usually doesn't work: A multi-pronged regimen may be the most advisable. These treatments could include:
Various behavioral regimens, including play therapy, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), sensory integration therapy, and more
Medications, including anti-depressants
Social skills training, which teaches children how to interact with their peers for specific situations
Alternative therapies such as martial arts therapy, wherein they flex their muscles literally and figuratively (they get stronger and learn how to function in a group setting); music therapy, which has kids learning how to communicate with the help of songs; or facilitated communication, in which children are taught to use computers or other equipment to make their thoughts known, especially if they have trouble expressing themselves verbally. (It supposedly is helpful to some children with PDD-NOS, says the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities.)

How to Cope
Like other parents with children on the spectrum, you will face many challenges, starting with the incomprehension and insensitivity of others unfamiliar with your situation. They may think your child is "misbehaving" and, consequently, deem you a parent unable to "control" him. This may be especially true because PDD-NOS kids don't fit into the more easily identifiable forms of autism spectrum disorders. Ignorance can bring out the worst in others, and sometimes, when they're not privy to your child's issues (or simply don't understand them or won't accept the diagnosis, as happens in some families), they may be more judgmental.

That's why it's important to surround yourselves with friends, family members, teachers and healthcare providers whom you trust. Be sure that the lines of communication with and among them are clear; you will be relying on them through the many ups and downs of life with a PDD-NOS child. If you're the primary caretaker (meaning you spend the most hours with your child), you'll need to make time for yourself, too. Caring for others can be draining, and you won't be able to give much if you don't replenish your own stores of energy and look after your physical, emotional and spiritual needs. Ask your child's healthcare providers for referrals to support groups so you can meet parents of other children on the spectrum; or go online — many parenting Web sites have bulletin boards for children with special needs, and Autism Speaks has online forums as well.

Structure is helpful for children on the spectrum, so take this into consideration when deciding what events to attend or places to go. Preparation is key, so let your child know what to expect before the situation takes place or they reach their destinations. Consistency also helps, so check in with your healthcare team before starting or stopping a regimen. As children grow older and become more aware of the limitations that their condition has placed upon them, it may be helpful for them to receive counseling with a therapist trained in dealing with pervasive developmental disorders. As difficult as it is for parents to go through this journey, it's even harder for the children themselves who have to work through their own personal challenges and other people's ignorance as they make their way in the world.

How to Grow With It
Teens & Adults Adolescence is hard enough for children who aren't on the spectrum, so you can imagine the challenges that teens (and even adults) with PDD-NOS face. They're equally hampered by hormonal fluctuations, but also have to take on the complicated (and sometimes cruel) social habits of their peers even though they don't have the full complement of skills to do so. Dating will be thorny — though some may ignore this rite of passage altogether — and friendships, so simple for young children, may prove to be more daunting. This is why your child may need more support at this stage than ever before, especially as they grow more aware of their own condition. A counselor trained with dealing with teens on the spectrum can help immensely, as will knowing that you're by their side every step of the way as they learn how to navigate a bigger and more complex world.

Long-Term Care
It's difficult to predict how easy — or hard — life will be in the long run for a person with PDD-NOS, as much depends on the severity of his or her symptoms and how he or she reacts to therapies. But if, like many others, the condition is on the "milder" side of the spectrum, your child will likely be able to care for himself or herself while growing older. Marriage and parenting may prove overwhelming for some, though not necessarily for all of those with PDD-NOS. The good news: It's possible to enjoy a full, if complicated, life.




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Great News for Arizona Residents

Another thing I learned from meeting other parents at the Pump It Up night (see previous post) was that our Governor passed a bill to help families affected by Autism with their healthcare costs. Up until this bill, many things were not covered by insurance. Effective July 2009, that will all change!

Here's the link:

http://www.autismspeaks.org/press/arizona_insurance_legislation.php

Autism Speaks Joins the Arizona Autism Community in Hailing Governor Janet Napolitano and State Legislators for Enacting Autism Insurance LegislationArizona Becomes Latest State to Revise its Insurance Laws to Require Coverage of Evidence-Based, Medically Necessary Autism Therapies


NEW YORK, NY (March 21, 2008) -- Autism Speaks today joined Arizona families and other autism advocacy organizations in applauding Governor Janet Napolitano and the state's legislators for enacting House Bill 2847, which will require insurance carriers to provide coverage of evidence-based, medically necessary autism therapies. In many states, insurers explicitly exclude coverage of these therapies from policies, which places a significant financial burden on families seeking to provide their children with necessary services. Autism Speaks has launched a multi-state initiative to address this discrimination.

The new Arizona law requires insurers to cover up to $50,000 a year for Applied Behavior Analysis therapy for children until age nine, and $25,000 a year for children until age sixteen. It covers therapy for children whose diagnoses reflect the full range of the autism spectrum. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is recognized by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Surgeon General, among others, as an effective, evidence-based treatment for children with autism.

“Every state in the nation, and every Governor, is facing the same struggle to meet the treatment needs of this growing population,” said Governor Napolitano. “In my view and in the view of the families who have struggled to pay for necessary treatments for their children with autism -- often resulting in bankruptcy or families joining the state welfare rolls -- HB 2847 is a necessary insurance update to cover essential treatments for these children.”

With the enactment of this legislation, Arizona joins the ranks of states that have recognized the unfair and unreasonable burden being imposed on families of children with autism,” said Elizabeth Emken, Autism Speaks vice president for government relations. “These families are either going broke trying to provide services for their children or stitching together inadequate treatment plans because they simply cannot afford the help their children need and deserve. That is about to change.”

The passage of this legislation was the result of a grass-roots advocacy effort led by hundreds of committed families with the support of local and national advocacy organizations, including: the Autism Society of America, Greater Phoenix Chapter; ASA Pima County and Northern Arizona Chapter; Supporting Autism Now through Education (SANE); Asperger Parent Network; Arizona Autism Coalition; Arizona Autism Support; Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC), Recover our Kids (ROK), and the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD), among others.

“This new law is a great victory for Arizona families and those living with autism,” said Lisa Glow, CEO of the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC). “We are especially pleased that the legislation includes coverage of therapies for individuals with Asperger's Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), in addition to autistic disorder. All children on the spectrum can make improvements with treatment, so no category of children should be excluded or discriminated against.”

“The autism community came together in support of this legislation in a way that was unprecedented,” said Gretchen Jacobs, a lobbyist -- and mother of a four year-old girl with autism -- who worked on the legislation. “Family members from around the state made phone calls, wrote letters and walked the districts of lawmakers. It was a coordinated campaign that brought out the best in our community.”

The legislative effort began as “Steven's Law”, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Amanda Aguirre of Tucson (Senate Bill 1263), and named after the son of Char Ugol, the mother of a child with autism. The bill was then amended onto House Bill 2847 sponsored by Rep. Bill Konopnicki.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Commentary by Jenny McCarthy

Jenny McCarthy: My son's recovery from autism

Story Highlights:
McCarthy believes diet and vitamins helped her son recover from autism
Vaccines played a role in son's autism, she says
McCarthy and Jim Carrey think children being given too many vaccines, too soon

By Jenny McCarthy and Jim CarreySpecial to CNN

Editor's note: Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey are actors and parents actively involved in autism-related causes. McCarthy is the author of the book "Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism."

Actress Jenny McCarthy believes that vaccines could have contributed to her son's autism.

(CNN) -- In light of the recent Hannah Poling decision, in which the federal court conceded that vaccines could have contributed to her autism, we think the tide is finally turning in the direction of parents like us who have been shouting concerns from our rooftops for years.

Autism is a debilitating disorder, which according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is suffered by 1 in 150 kids, making it more common than childhood cancer, diabetes and AIDS combined.

Recently, England and Ireland reported that autism is affecting one in 58 individuals.
Is it any wonder that autism has become many new parents' No. 1 fear?

We've met some of the most amazing moms and dads who are forging their own path to prevention and recovery. When our son, Evan, was diagnosed with autism we were lucky enough to benefit from their knowledge and experience. Evan has been healed to a great extent by many breakthroughs that, while perhaps not scientifically proven, have definitely helped Evan and many other children who are recovering from autism. Parents vs. scientists: Watch the latest test case »

There are some who wonder what we mean when we say "recovering" from autism. They confuse the word recover with cure. While you may not be able to cure an injury caused in a terrible car accident, you can recover; you can regain many skills that you once lost. In the case of autism, we think there are treatments that often bring about such healing, so that the observable symptoms of the condition no longer exist. Even though we may no longer see any symptoms of autism, we can't say a child is "cured" because we do not know what they would have been like had they never been injured.

We believe what helped Evan recover was starting a gluten-free, casein-free diet, vitamin supplementation, detox of metals, and anti-fungals for yeast overgrowth that plagued his intestines. Once Evan's neurological function was recovered through these medical treatments, speech therapy and applied behavior analysis helped him quickly learn the skills he could not learn while he was frozen in autism. After we implemented these therapies for one year, the state re-evaluated Evan for further services. They spent five minutes with Evan and said, "What happened? We've never seen a recovery like this." Watch Jenny McCarthy talk about her son's autism »

Evan is now 5 years old and what might surprise a lot of you is that we've never been contacted by a single member of the CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics, or any other health authority to evaluate and understand how Evan recovered from autism. When Evan meets doctors and neurologists, to this day they tell us he was misdiagnosed -- that he never had autism to begin with. It's as if they are wired to believe that children can't recover from autism. Watch CDC chief on vaccines, autism »

So where's the cavalry? Where are all the doctors beating down our door to take a closer look at Evan? We think we know why they haven't arrived. Most of the parents we've met who have recovered their child from autism as we did (and we have met many) blame vaccines for their child's autism.

We think our health authorities don't want to open this can of worms, so they don't even look or listen. While there is strong debate on this topic, many parents of recovered children will tell you they didn't treat their child for autism; they treated them for vaccine injury. Read about latest fight over vaccines and autism
Many people aren't aware that in the 1980s our children received only 10 vaccines by age 5, whereas today they are given 36 immunizations, most of them by age 2. With billions of pharmaceutical dollars, could it be possible that the vaccine program is becoming more of a profit engine then a means of prevention?

Don't Miss
Commentary: The CDC's view on autism
Vaccine-autism link divides parents and scientists
iReport.com: Living with Autism
In Depth: Unraveling autism's mystery
CDC: Autism information center

We believe autism is an environmental illness. Vaccines are not the only environmental trigger, but we do think they play a major role. If we are going to solve this problem and finally start to reverse the rate of autism, we need to consider changing the vaccine schedule, reducing the number of shots given and removing certain ingredients that could be toxic to some children.

We take into account that some children have reactions to medicines like penicillin, for example, yet when it comes to vaccines we are operating as if our kids have a universal tolerance for them. We are acting like ONE SIZE FITS ALL. That is, at the very least, a huge improbability.

Even if the CDC is not convinced of a link between vaccines and autism, changing the vaccine schedule should be seriously considered as a precautionary measure. (If you would like to see some ideas for alternative schedules, check out http://generationrescue.org/.)

We wish to state, very clearly, that we are not against all vaccines, but we do believe there is strong evidence to suggest that some of the ingredients may be hazardous and that our children are being given too many, too soon!

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writers. E-mail to a friend

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/04/02/mccarthy.autsimtreatment/index.html

Jenny McCarthy vs Amanda Peet

Here is an article posted today on the web. I highlighted my favorite quote from Jenny McCarthy. I agree with her that limiting vaccines may be the key.

Here's the link to the article.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Entertainment/Jenny_McCarthy_slams_Amanda_Peet/articleshow/3548749.cms


Jenny McCarthy slams Amanda Peet!
1 Oct 2008, 1353 hrs IST, ANI

American actress Amanda Peet has earned herself the ire of American model Jenny McCarthy for her comments regarding parents who choose not to have their children vaccinated. In a recent interview, Amanda had referred to parents who did not choose to vaccinate their children as “parasites”. Though she later tried to make amends by apologizing to parents of autistic children who believe that vaccines may have caused the illness, the apology did not make any impression on Jenny, who has a six-year-old son suffering from autism. “She (Amanda) has a lot of [nerve] to come forward and be on that side, because there is an angry mob on my side, and I like the fact that I can say she's completely wrong,” Fox News quoted Jenny McCarthy as having told Spectrum magazine . “I look at (Amanda) now and say to myself, ‘That was me before I had autism in my life,’ and until she walks in our shoes, she really has no idea,” McCarthy added. Besides McCarthy, the national autism advocacy group Autism United has also expressed anger at Amanda’s comment, and called for a boycott of all of the actress’ movies. McCarthy and her long-time lover Jim Carrey have continued their crusade this past summer, and led a rally of thousands in Washington, D.C., to put pressure on the federal government to remove toxins from vaccines and fight for fewer childhood vaccinations prior to the age of two.

Pump It Up Family Night

We had our first social gathering with the local chapter of the ASA (Autism Society of America) at the "Inflatable Party Zone" otherwise known as Pump It Up (http://www.pumpitupparty.com/). The kids get to jump around in big inflatable castles and go down inflatable slides while parents get to relax and chat.

For me, being new to the world of Autism, it was a little overwhelming. I received a wealth of information but felt like such a novice because I didn't know about some of the things they were talking about. It was frustrating. One of the main points from the evening that left me the most bewildered is that since Joey didn't get the Autism diagnosis, he won't get any help from the State of Arizona (which I already knew) but that leaves him out in the cold from getting so many services and therapies.

I meet again with the behavioral pediatrician on October 9th. I will see if she can guide down a more structured path of treatment for my precious little boy.