Bridging autism, science and society: moving toward an ethically informed approach to autism research | Autism Society of Kent County. Abstract Recent developments in the science of autism have provoked prevalent unease amongst autism activists. Drawing on the findings of a significant global gathering of scientists, ethicists, and activists, this paper presents the initial key evaluation of the ethical inquiries arising from this unease. We outline the scientific developments that have provoked the most discomfort, assess the response to these developments from in and devoid of the autism community, and trace the current state of the ethical debate. Having accomplished so, we contend that these ethical queries are not likely to be resolved as they depend on fundamentally conflicting assumptions about the nature and desirability of neurocognitive difference.
We conclude by arguing for a new variety of democratic mechanisms that could enable the scientific neighborhood, autistics, and other concerned events to respond collectively to this kind of entrenched ethical disputes. Related posts: Autism and Prenatal Vitamins. Science has found no evidence that vaccines cause autism; but the true cause(s) of autism have not yet been determined. So far the available evidence has pointed towards a largely genetic cause with possible interaction with environmental factors. A new study supports that interpretation. It also supports previous evidence that autism is triggered prior to birth, rather than at the time of vaccinations. Schmidt et al. published a study in Epidemiology on May 23, 2011, entitled “Prenatal Vitamins, One-carbon Metabolism Gene Variants, and Risk for Autism.”
They had a large sample size, and they tried to eliminate confounders. Mothers of children with autism were less likely to report taking prenatal vitamins (odds ratio 0.62). The association was robust. The authors speculate as to why multivitamins did not have the same effect. In their summary, the authors say: This is fascinating stuff. We should never blindly accept the results of a first study. The association was robust. Oligogenic heterozygosity in individuals with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. + Author Affiliations +Corresponding authors: Huda Y. Zoghbi, MD, Phone 713-798-6558, Fax 713-798-8728, hzoghbi@bcm.edu Richard A. Gibbs, PhD, Phone 713-798-6539, Fax 713-798-5741, agibbs@bcm.edu ↵* These authors contributed equally to this work. Received March 15, 2011. Revision received May 3, 2011. Accepted May 25, 2011. Autism spectrum disorders are a heterogeneous group of neuro-developmental disorders. MTHR Help - Genetic Issues Forums. Herd Immunity.
Some infections can be eradicated from the face of the planet. Smallpox is the one example of disease eradication to date. Smallpox still exists in US and Russian labs, but there has been no wild cases since 1977. It is, like the Dorothy, history. Why were we able to eradicate smallpox? Three reasons: 1) There is only one form of smallpox. There are other diseases that are theoretically eradicable, like measles and polio. Asymptomatic carriage can be important to developing immunity to bacteria. The meningococcal vaccine is not one of the stellar vaccines. The decrease in the number of disease carriers is vital to the prevention of bacterial infections. A recent example of beneficial effects of the vaccine mediated decrease in carriers occurred with the conjugate pneumococcal vaccine that is given to children. Herd immunity at work. Like pertussis. Pertussis, whooping cough, is caused by a bacteria, Bordetella pertussis. This is what the vaccines prevent. The vaccine is not 100%.
Ready? S Jill James, PhD. Research Overview For over two decades, biochemist Dr. S. Jill James has pioneered the study of the metabolic biomarkers of autism and genetic factors that may be mechanistically involved in the pathogenesis of autism at ACHRI. As a result of her discovery of metabolic abnormalities in children with autism, she is widely respected in the autism scientific community and is sought out to present her findings at national and international conferences.
Specifically, she and her team have found in three independent case-control studies that plasma levels of metabolites important for detoxification and antioxidant capacity are significantly decreased in the children with autism relative to age-matched controls. Dr. In collaboration with doctors and psychologists from the UAMS Dennis Developmental Center, Dr. Key Publications James SJ, Pogribna M, Pogribny IP, Melnyk S, Hine RJ, et al. James SJ, Melnyk S, Pogribna M, Pogribny IP, and Caudill M. James S J . James SJ. Research Support. Metabolic biomarkers of increased oxidative stress and impaired methylation capacity in children with autism -- James et al. 80 (6): 1611 -- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. © 2004 American Society for Clinical Nutrition + Author Affiliations Abstract Background: Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that usually presents in early childhood and that is thought to be influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Although abnormal metabolism of methionine and homocysteine has been associated with other neurologic diseases, these pathways have not been evaluated in persons with autism.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate plasma concentrations of metabolites in the methionine transmethylation and transsulfuration pathways in children diagnosed with autism. Design: Plasma concentrations of methionine, S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), adenosine, homocysteine, cystathionine, cysteine, and oxidized and reduced glutathione were measured in 20 children with autism and in 33 control children. Study participants Study design The metabolic study consisted of 3 parts. Nutritional supplements Sample treatment and HPLC method. Are Kids Overmedicated, Really? Interview With Judith Warner, Author of We've Got Issues. This week I sent my daughter off to first grade. She's a happy, well adjusted kid.
Sort of not at all like I was. About four years ago, I finally started taking my mental health seriously and began taking antidepressants and seeing a new therapist, the fourth I'd seen as an adult. He was the first therapist who was really able to help me, to explain how my brain worked and why it was downloading so much anxiety into my days. I began to get better in a rapid progression that sped up as I began doing visualizations and changing the way I felt morally about my own emotions. I didn't give any of this much thought when I called Judith Warner, an author whom I have loved ever since I read her first book, Perfect Madness: Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety.
I was introduced to her by Joanne Bamberger of PunditMom (she did not ask me to shill, but I will: Joanne has a book called PunditMom coming out in January that is available for pre-order now, see, Joanne? Still, no bells went off for me. Use of Atypical Antipsychotics in the Treatment of Autistic Diso. Treatment of autism with atypical antipsychotics. Autism Wiki. Independence and Supports | Neurodiversity. Independence and Supports I am not interested, in this particular post, in explaining why assistance technology and supported daily lives do not detract from independence, or why independence is not necessarily a goal, or why I focus on autonomy and self-determination instead.
That’s for another, more philosophical post. In this post I want to talk about the boys I work with, and their prospects, and how this challenges some stereotypes, reinforces others, and fits in with the social model. I also want to highlight one very important, very salient fact: Abilities are never stagnant. I illustrate this based on the experience of three boys I’ve worked with, all with—at the very least—Kanner’s Autism/Classic Autism/Moderate–Severe Autism. These three boys will be identified as Griffin, Peter, and Daniel.
When I first encountered these boys a year ago, I was much less optimistic about their futures. And so I have reconsidered what their futures might look like. For all three, I am not naive. Autism treatment: FDA warns maker of product used as alternative. A product promoted to parents of children with autism is not a harmless dietary supplement, as claimed, but a toxic unapproved drug that lacks adequate warnings about potential side effects, including hair loss and abnormalities of the pancreas, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned in a letter to its maker. The FDA's June 17 letter to Boyd Haley, a retired Kentucky chemist and hero to the autism recovery movement, details five violations of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act related to his product, OSR#1.
Failing to correct such violations can result in fines, seizure of products and even criminal prosecution. The Tribune in January reported that the compound, sold as OSR#1, had been developed to treat mining wastewater, and that it had not undergone rigorous testing to ensure it is safe and effective. The report was part of an investigation into unproven autism therapies offered by health providers who say they can reverse the disorder. Pharmacologist Dr.