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IMFAR 2011: The Clinical Face of Anxiety in Autism

Dr. L. Scahill, Yale University School of Medicine imfar.confex.com/imfar/2011/webprogram/Paper9789.html The following is a modified transcription of Dr. Scahill’s talk. Any glaring omissions or errors are my own. INSAR members can listen to Dr. Scahill’s talk in its entirety via its abstract page. -SR Fears, phobias, and worries; Toward better measurement of anxiety in ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders) Dr. Scahill is very interested in identifying compounds that can treat target problems in people with autism and Tourette’s syndrome and the like. But how do we get to measure the targets that we think are important? We’ve seen in many posters [at IMFAR] that anxiety is common and adds to despair and disability in children with autism, but we need to find a way to measure it. This is an inspection of how we might go about that. Disclosures: Dr. Scahill has consulted with companies who have paid attention to autism and…

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IMFAR 2011: Neuropathology of the Amygdala in Autism

C. M. Schumann, UC Davis MIND Institute The following is a modified transcription of Ms Schumann’s talk. Any glaring omissions or errors are my own. INSAR members can listen to Ms Schumann’s talk in its entirety via the abstract page. -SR The amygdala is enlarged in children with autism, and this has been a consistent finding, in several studies. By 2.5 years of age, the amygdala is enlarged in children with autism by about six percent. Longitudinal studies show that amygdala enlargement continues to increase — by four years of age, there is a nine percent enlargement, compared to controls. What’s interesting is that the total brain volume is larger in children with autism in this age range, but that volume is not necessarily rapidly growing during this time — it’s staying fairly consistent, and not necessarily growing faster as the amygdala is. The growth pattern doesn’t occur in all…

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Autism and Function: An Autistic Boy’s Perspective

Emily Willingham daisymayfattypants.blogspot.com biologyfiles.fieldofscience.com TH and I were walking today. We walk together a lot, and by “together,” I mean that he is linked to me like my barnacle, hooked to my arm with his arm, adding about 30 extra pounds of downward pull to whichever of my sides he’s on. In fact, I have him switch sides so that I don’t end up listing permanently, like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, from all the weight. Today, we were on just such a walk when somehow — gee, can’t imagine how — we got on the subject of autism. The context was the difference in ability to use speech among autistic people. TH is aware that he is unlike some other autistic people in that he can talk. A lot. Sometimes with much sense and sudden insight, and other times with what seems like very little of either. He’s also…

At the Dog Park

T.C. www.ihavethings.blogspot.com I vacillate on the autism thing, and how it applies to N. I use it around the school, because it is a strap, a grabbing-on point, a way for people to understand my son and–very much more to the point–to justify putting forth time, effort, and especially money to help him. I use it because doctors and therapists have used it to describe him. I use it because it’s the primary disability listed on his IEP. But there are so many ways in which he doesn’t seem, to me, to fit on the spectrum part of the spectrum. I describe him, often, as the triangular peg who not only doesn’t fit in the round hole, but doesn’t look all that much like the square peg, either. And yet. And yet, professionals of all stripes see him on a regular basis, and talk to me about him with concern…

IMFAR 2011: Dr. Eric Courchesne on the Developmental Neurobiology of Autism

IMFAR 2011 Keynote: The Developmental Neurobiology of Autism: The First Steps and the World Ahead Eric Courchesne, UCSD Autism Center of Excellence Abstract: imfar.confex.com/imfar/2011/webprogram/Paper9749.html The following is a modified transcript of Dr. Courchesne’s talk. I have not included all references to  slides he presented, and I have left out some of the researchers he thanked and technical terms he cited. Emphases in bold are mine. Any additional omissions or errors are my own. INSAR members can listen to Dr. Courchesne’s talk in its entirety via the abstract page. -SR —- IMFAR introduction: Eric Courchesne is a leader on brain structure and abnormalities in autism, and has been pursuing research into autism before most IMFAR attendees “knew what autism was.” Dr. Courchesne had polio as a child, which left him unable to walk or stand. Medical intervention gave him the ability to walk without braces, and allowed him to eventually become…

IMFAR 2011: What Parents Expect For Their Autistic Children, High School and Beyond

As Peter Bell (Autism Speaks’ executive vice president for programs and services) reported at the Autism Speaks Blog, While IMFAR is first and foremost a scientific meeting, the meeting has developed into a healthy blend of science and stakeholder perspectives. John Elder Robison reported This year many scientists who have family members on the spectrum proudly wore stakeholder ribbons on their name tags One such scientist/presenter/stakeholder was Matthew J. Carey PhD, known to many as “Sullivan”, who blogs at LeftBrain/RightBrain. While Matt’s day-to-day research has to do with computer hardware, his avocation is writing about autism science. One area in which he excels is analyzing published papers and public datasets bearing on autism. For the 2011 IMFAR meeting, Matt submitted an abstract on the data presented by the National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES) The NHES surveys cover learning at all ages, from early childhood to school age through adulthood.…

IMFAR 2011: Proof of Evolution

Shannon Des Roches Rosa www.thinkingautismguide.com As an autism parent, I have a deep interest in seeing autism research proceed toward understanding and results with as few roadblocks or distractions as possible. So, for me, one of the most notable elements of IMFAR 2011 was seeing the Autism Science Foundation and Autism Speaks working alongside each other toward common goals, in the Autism Science Foundation’s tradition of “Funding Outstanding Science.” Anyone who has read my personal blog for more than a month or two knows I have been openly critical of Autism Speaks’ actions. I believe they have made some questionable decisions in how they approach and portray autism — but then so have I. If I’m going to give myself permission to evolve, I can’t very well fault them for past choices when their present direction includes wide-ranging funding of promising science, and listening to the community by broadening their…

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IMFAR 2011: Intermission Teaser

From the presentation Neuropathology of the amygdala in autism C. M. Schumann, UC Davis MIND Institute. Here’s a preview of the research we were exposed to at IMFAR, and on which I’ll be reporting for the next few days if not next two weeks here at TPGA.  I’ve found that being immersed in the multifold information streams at IMFAR requires a bit of post-conference downtime for processing. Until tomorrow. -SR

IMFAR 2011: Sex Differences In the Identification and Diagnosis of Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome and PDDNOS

S. Begeer VU University, Amsterdam Autism is a “man’s disorder” But what about the “Horse Girl” and the “Rain Women”? Some studies reports that females with autism Show more cognitive impairments Have worse social and communicative functioning Have a higher rate of intellectual disability: Increased self-destructive behavior, more dementia But other studies have shown that core autism symptoms do not vary by sex: No increase in psychiatric comorbidity Core symptoms of autism are relatively equal What are factors in the identification of females with autism? Parental expectations may be involved (higher social expectations) Clinicians expectations may be involved as well There is a risk of delayed or missed diagnoses in females Early identification is crucial From the abstract: imfar.confex.com/imfar/2011/webprogram/Paper8847.html Survey data were collected in the Netherlands from 2275 individuals with ASD. Timing and procedure of diagnosis were compared for males and females with autism, Asperger’s syndrome and PDDNOS. Results: Among…