Studies Show Chelation Doesn’t Help Autism

Research led by Tonya Davis from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, found that chelation therapy does not help with autism. Chelation therapy carries some safety concerns. Parents who are considering having their child go through chelation therapy for autism should keep this in mind. Chelation therapy is something that started to be used as an alternative treatment for autism based upon the theory that autism was caused by mercury poisoning. Generation Rescue believes that autism is caused by vaccinations. SafeMinds believes that autism is caused by mercury, and other toxicants, from vaccines or environmental exposure. The Mayo Clinic says: Chelation … Continue reading →

Clarification on Asperger’s Syndrome and Violence

By now, we have all heard the tragic news about the shooting that took place in an elementary school in Connecticut. Some say the shooter had Asperger’s Syndrome. Experts point out that there is no evidence of a link between violence like what happened and the existence of Asperger’s syndrome. A tragedy has occurred in Newtown, Connecticut. I do not have the words to express the grief and pain that the parents of the children who were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut must be feeling. Lacking that, I will instead quote part of what President Obama … Continue reading →

A Roundup of Resources About Autism

Parenting, in general, is a situation that involves asking a lot of questions. What’s the right thing to do in this situation? What milestones should my child have made by now? Is that “normal”? Parents of children who have autism can consult some of the following resources. The answer to your question may be hiding in there, somewhere. It is fairly easy to go online and find general parenting advice for children who do not have any types of special needs. It’s not as simple to locate online resources that can advise parents of children who have autism, or that … Continue reading →

Study About Autism and ER Visits Reveals Much

A recent study found that children who have an autism spectrum disorder are nine times more likely to visit an emergency room for a psychiatric reason than are children who do not have autism. This result is being interpreted to mean that there isn’t sufficient outpatient mental health care for families that need it. A study was recently published in the journal Pediatric Emergency Care. Researchers analyzed data from over 3.9 million emergency room visits in the United States. Specifically, they focused on ER visits by children who were between 3 and 17 years old. The researchers used the 2008 … Continue reading →

Mom Sues Insurers Who Denied Son’s Autism Therapy

In many states, the cost of applied behavioral analysis, or ABA, therapy is required to be covered in a health insurance plan. In Minnesota, this is not the case. A mother in Minnesota is suing two insurance companies who refused to cover the ABA treatment that her son required. Applied behavioral analysis, or ABA, is a treatment used with children who have autism. It is an ongoing form of therapy. Several states, including California and Florida, have laws in place that require health insurance plans to cover the cost of ABA treatment. Sadly, not all states have laws that require … Continue reading →

Parents Sue Insurers Over Autism Coverage

Several class-action lawsuits have been filed in an effort to require private health insurance companies to cover treatment for autism. The parents want it covered like other conditions that affect the brain are. The insurance companies have been placing caps on the amount of treatment that kids with autism can have covered, Autism spectrum disorders affect one out of every 88 children. There is no cure, but there are some treatments that can be helpful. Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA, is a treatment that has been successful. This is not the type of treatment that can be administered once or … Continue reading →

Beware of Fake Treatment for Autism

In the news this week are two so called treatments for autism that do not help in the slightest, and that may be very harmful. Parents who were considering these treatments, or who are currently having them administered to their child, need to select a different, healthier, treatment option instead. There are many things that are yet to be discovered about autism. There have been all kinds of theories about what the potential causes might be, but nothing is definitive. Autism is not the only disorder that has a lot left to be discovered, but somehow, it is the one … Continue reading →

Update on the Medicaid Autism Program in Utah

The state of Utah does not require private health insurance companies to cover the cost of treatment for autism. The results of this choice give insight into what could happen across the nation if other states allowed insurers to opt-out of coverage for this very important treatment. It must be incredibly difficult to live in Utah, to have a child who has an autism spectrum disorder, and to have your health insurance company deny coverage for the treatment that your child requires. Parents whose child needs applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy are going to be paying for it out of … Continue reading →

Study Finds Kids With Autism Lack Language to Describe Behavior

A new study finds that kids who have an autism spectrum disorder are not accessing the language areas of the brain in order to identify behavior that is socially inappropriate. They can recognize the behavior, and understand that it is bad, but lack the language to effectively communicate about it. One of the symptoms of an autism spectrum disorder is that the child has great difficulty with social skills and in appropriately and comfortably navigating through social situations. Typically, the social cues and behaviors that children automatically pick up on as they grow are things that need to be systematically … Continue reading →

How to Make Halloween Easier for Kids With Autism

Halloween is a holiday that might be difficult for children who have an autism spectrum disorder to cope with. Things get decorated in unexpected ways. Social skills can falter when a person is wearing a costume. Here are some tips to make Halloween easier for kids who have autism. Start preparing your child now! If your child is in a Special Education classroom, there is a good possibility that his or her teacher has been slowly getting the students used to the idea that Halloween is coming, and has been discussing some of the changes that will happen. Awesome teachers … Continue reading →