LIVE Webcast on October 24, 2013 from 2-4pm Eastern
Archived for a year following

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The ethical, medical management and psychosocial issues for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who face death, grief and loss can be complex. This two-hour educational program focuses on the critical challenges of providing and accessing optimal end-of-life care and bereavement support for this population. Audience members may submit questions for the experts online at any time during the live program.

Hosted by: Frank Sesno, Director, School of Media and Public Affairs, The George Washington University

Expert Panelists:
Kenneth J. Doka, PhD, MDiv, The College of New Rochelle
Tawara D. Goode, MA, Georgetown University Medical Center
Matthew P. Janicki, PhD, University of Illinois at Chicago
Leigh Ann Kingsbury, MPA, Innovations in Leadership and Supports, Inc.
Teresa Thalia Moro, AM, LSW, University of Chicago
Elizabeth Perkins, PhD, RNMH, University of South Florida
Rick Rader, MD, FAAIDD, Orange Grove Center

Self Advocate Respondents: Under Development

Review Committee: Marisa C. Brown, MSN, RN, and Pamela Kushner, MA, MD, FAAFP

Continuing Education
Two hours of CE credit are available through HFA for nurses, social workers, counselors, psychologists, clergy, and more. Please verify CE availability with your professional or state board approval and/or refer to HFA’s list of Board Approvals located atwww.hospicefoundation.org.

CEs are included through HFA with the registration fee for the first two weeks after the live event only. After November 7, 2013, CE credits are $10/participant. CE credits are available until October 23, 2014.

REGISTRATION
Register directly online at http://register.hospicefoundation.org

About a third of children who have autism also have symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to a study released Wednesday.

According to researchers at the Baltimore-based Kennedy Krieger Institute, which studies autism, the two disorders may be somehow linked.

"We are increasingly seeing that these two disorders co-occur and a greater understanding of how they relate to each other could ultimately improve outcomes and quality of life for this subset of children," Rebecca Landa, author of the study, said in a statement. The study was published in Autism: The International Journal and Practice.

Experts have long thought the two disorders might be linked, but previous studies have looked at patients who were already exhibiting symptoms of at least one of the disorders, leading to a potential selection bias. Landa's study followed 162 infants and toddlers before they were diagnosed through their eighth birthday. Of the 63 children who were diagnosed with autism, 18 (29 percent) also had "clinically significant" symptoms of ADHD.

Read more here.

It's stimming, short for the medical term self-stimulatory behaviours - a real mouthful.

Stimming might be rocking, head banging, repeatedly feeling textures or squealing. You'll probably have seen this in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) but not really wanted to ask about it.

It is a term used widely in the ASD community.

There are many reasons. The world-renowned animal behaviourist Temple Grandin is on the spectrum and says most people stim simply because it feels good.

Should stimming be stopped?

Welcome to Controversyville, come in, take a seat.

Children with autism often have difficulty making eye contact, and now a new study suggests this may be due in part to how their brains process visual information, rather than being purely a social deficit.

In the study, children with autism showed activity over a larger area of the brain's cortex when an image was placed in the periphery of their visual field, compared with when the image was placed in the center of their visual field. The opposite was true in children who did not have the disorder.

When a child with autism avoids eye contact, "we are very much inclined to interpret this as a social deficit," said study researcher John Foxe, a neuroscientist at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. "But it may be a much more fundamental issue," stemming from a reduced ability early in life to control the muscles that govern eye movements, he said.

Read more here.

Only 35% of a sample of children diagnosed with ASD before age 3 based on DSM-IV criteria retained the diagnosis when DSM-5 criteria were applied.

"The strict nature of the criteria in a population whose symptomatology may be emerging is at odds with an early diagnosis model," said Dr. Lisa H. Shulman, director of the Rehabilitation, Evaluation and Learning for Autistic Infants and Toddlers program at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York.

Studies of the impact of the new criteria on diagnosis of ASD have focused on school-age children. Dr. Shulman and her coinvestigators looked at younger children, examining all the children who had been diagnosed with ASD by 3 years of age based on a multidisciplinary evaluation at their center during 2003-2010. Diagnoses were based on DSM-IV criteria. Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) scores also were examined, however, and cognitive testing was completed in some of the children.

To determine how many of the children would retain the diagnosis using DSM-5 criteria, an algorithm was used to map data from the DSM-IV and the CARS scores onto the DSM-5 criteria. Of 237 children who had been diagnosed with ASD by age 3 at the inner-city early intervention program, only 84 children (35%) met the criteria for ASD using the DSM-5 criteria.

The children whose diagnosis was retained using DSM-5 criteria were significantly more likely to have had higher CARS scores (38.3 vs. 33.5), which are indicative of more severe social impairment. They also had a trend toward lower cognition, with 34% of those with an IQ of less than 70 diagnosed under DSM-5 criteria, compared with 12% with IQ greater than 70, Dr. Shulman reported.

The potential of the DSM-5 criteria to diagnose the more impaired children preferentially might present an obstacle to diagnosis for the children most likely to benefit from early intervention – those with the mildest symptomatology, she said

Read more here.

Researchers say they’ve identified brain response patterns in young kids with autism that predicted the children’s future cognitive capabilities.

By measuring brain responses to various words, a new study finds that patterns evident at age 2 indicate what type of linguistic, cognitive and adaptive skills a child with autism is likely to have when they reach ages 4 and 6.

The finding, reported Wednesday in the journal PLOS ONE, proved reliable regardless of the treatment that the children received, researchers said.

Read more here.

Including students in general education settings is a pivotal component of quality special education service delivery. An inclusive educational environment benefits student with and without disabilities through a shared educational experience and requires quality, ongoing training and implementation supports for educators and families. Successful inclusion requires planned, purposeful delivery. This webinar will discuss strategies that assist districts in meeting the expectation of least restrictive environment through educating students with disabilities in general education settings. Through effective inclusive practices outcomes for students with and without disabilities improve.

Patricia Wright has spoken at several conferences in Montana and is knowledgeable speaker with practical suggestions.

Register here.

The new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria for autism spectrum disorder might significantly affect the diagnosis of ASD in very young children, a retrospective analysis has shown.

Only 35% of a sample of children diagnosed with ASD before age 3 based on DSM-IV criteria retained the diagnosis when DSM-5 criteria were applied.

"The strict nature of the criteria in a population whose symptomatology may be emerging is at odds with an early diagnosis model," said Dr. Lisa H. Shulman, director of the Rehabilitation, Evaluation and Learning for Autistic Infants and Toddlers program at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York.

"Clearly, prospective studies on the impact of DSM-5 on early diagnosis are needed," she said at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS).

Studies of the impact of the new criteria on diagnosis of ASD have focused on school-age children. Dr. Shulman and her coinvestigators looked at younger children, examining all the children who had been diagnosed with ASD by 3 years of age based on a multidisciplinary evaluation at their center during 2003-2010. Diagnoses were based on DSM-IV criteria. Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) scores also were examined, however, and cognitive testing was completed in some of the children.

Read more here.

Autism Spectrum Disorders in Children

"Connecting Communities with Hope"

A Learning Seminar in Bozeman, MT

On July 13, 2013, ChildWise Institute will bring together local experts to Bozeman to present on issues pertaining to Autism Spectrum Disorders in Children.

This learning seminar is designed to expand understanding and awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in children and develop competencies for parents, mental health professionals, teachers and healthcare providers. Participants will be able to better understand and treat children diagnosed with symptoms on the Autism Spectrum. Social, emotional, behavioral and medical factors affecting children with ASD will be discussed. In addition, this learning seminar will identify ways to collaborate and integrate services from multiple agencies.

Information from experts will be presented from:

• Julia Turner, MMSc, RD, LN: Registered Dietitian, Licensed Nutritionist "Brain Health Nutrition Expert"
• Shawna Heiser, M.S. BCBA: Professor of Psychology at MSU-Bozeman,"Behavioral/Autism Consultant"
• Jennifer Leight, PT, PhD, PCS: Clinical Psychologist, Licensed Physical Therapist, "ASD from a Neuropsychological/Developmental Perspective"
• Special Appearance by Miss Montana, Alexis Wineman

Core Vocabulary Across Everyday Settings

The right vocabulary selection can enable an individual using AAC to communicate and interact throughout the day, where ever they go, and with a variety of partners. Get the Powerpoint with links to handouts. The webinar includes this very brief video clip called The Language Stealers.

AACPragmaticsChart.pdf‎ (607 KB‎); dolch-words-all-printable.pdf‎ (10 KB‎); FIRST 100 WORDS.docx‎ (14 KB‎); Language Apps to Teach Cor~1.pdf‎ (899 KB‎)