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No Finer a Cause on the Planet"
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Thursday, March 31, 2005 Vol. 9 No. 52
CARE
* D.A. Clears Deputies
* Australian Boy Suicidal After Alleged Humiliation
*
* Attorneys File Notice of Intent To
FORENSIC
* Coroner Expands Canadian Investigation
RESEARCH
* Low-Level Methylmercury Exposure as a Risk Factor for
Neurologic Abnormalities in Adults
* Towards An "Ultimate Biological View of Human Behavior
& Psychopathology"
TREATMENT
* The Question of Dose: Pediatric CT Scanning and Radiation Risk
* New
EVENTS
*
COMMENTARY
* American Society Needs Environmental Watchdogs
LETTERS
* Neuron Dysfunction Theory Doubted
*
CARE
D.A. Clears Deputies
By Christina Lucarotti, Record Searchlight.
www.redding.com/redd/nw_local/article/0,2232,REDD_17533_3662144,00.html
The
18 prowler call was appropriate.
"Given how the situation arose, it seems a struggle was inevitable,"
Jerry Benito said in a press release.
Deputies used a Taser stun gun, baton and pepper spray to control the 17-year-old, who had been reported as a prowler shortly before 2 a.m. As a result, the teenager’s elbow was fractured and he received a head wound requiring six staples.
The deputies were unaware the teenager was autistic and his strength and resistance convinced them that he was under the influence of drugs,
Benito said.
* * *
Australian Boy Suicidal After Alleged Humiliation
http://www.bordermail.com.au/newsflow/pageitem?page_id=926093
A boy, 8, wanted to kill himself after alleged bullying by teachers at his public school in NSWs southern highlands, his parents said yesterday.
The NSW Opposition, which made the claims public, said two teachers constantly humiliated the boy who has a form of autism called Aspergers Syndrome over three years.
But the NSW Education Department denied the allegations of bullying, saying the child had a history of violence.
"The principal refutes any allegation that such behaviour occurred, rather staff made every effort to assist the student in his studies," a department spokesman said.
The boy is now studying at a non-government school.
* * *
http://www.wftv.com/news/4330560/detail.html
Deltona - The teacher accused of strapping an autistic child to a wheel chair and locking him in a bathroom pleaded not guilty Wednesday.
Biying Hu was a special needs teacher at
Hu's lawyer entered the written plea in DeLand on Wednesday.
Hu is suspended until the school district can finish their
investigation.
* * *
Attorneys File Notice of Intent To
Source: AP
http://www.krqe.com/expanded.asp?ID=9297
Attorneys for the family of a nine-year-old autistic child have notified the
The attorneys allege the boy was injured at a
They say the child -- who does not speak -- cannot say what happened.
Attorneys say he returned from school with marks on his back that a doctor says look more like whip marks on his shoulders.
The notice of intent to sue alleges the school failed to protect a
special-needs child or provide medical care for him.
* * *
FORENSIC
Coroner Expands Canadian Investigation
http://www.cbc.ca/news/credit.html
Dr. Barry McLellan started a review of the circumstances surrounding 10 deaths at the Oaklands Regional Centre after an autistic man wandered away from the facility last fall.
The body of Randy Mogridge was discovered more than two weeks after he escaped undetected from Oaklands. He had drowned in a nearby creek.
A government-commissioned report later found that Mogridge got out of the building four times on the day he disappeared.
The coroner's investigation is looking at all resident deaths that occurred at Oaklands between January 2000 and November 2004.
McLellan said Wednesday that a surgeon, a family doctor and a psychiatrist have been added to the team of coroners and police officers doing the review.
"I would say this is unique, recognizing the complex set of disorders that results from someone being in a centre like Oaklands," he said.
"We are going to make use of some medical experts so we can better understand what the practitioners were dealing with."
The expanded investigation is now expected to be completed by the end of May.
Once it is done, McLellan will decide whether to order an inquest.
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* * *
RESEARCH
Low-Level Methylmercury Exposure as a Risk Factor for Neurologic Abnormalities in Adults
Neurotoxicology, March 2005, Pages 149-157 Nathalie Auger1, 2, , , Oscar Kofman3, Tom Kosatsky1, 2 and Ben Armstrong4
1Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Que., Canada, 2Direction de Santé Publique de Montréal, 1301 Sherbrooke St E, Montreal, Que., Canada, H2L 1M3 3Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology, University of Toronto, Ont., Canada, 4Environmental Epidemiology Unit, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
Abstract
Methylmercury is a neurotoxicant that bio-accumulates in the aquatic food chain and is present in all fish.
Little is known about the effects of long-term low-dose exposure to methylmercury in adults.
The aim of this study was to determine whether a dose–response relationship exists between long-term methylmercury exposure and neurological abnormalities in aboriginal Quebec Cree adults for whom fish is a dietary staple.
We re-analysed data from a 1977 cross-sectional study conducted by Kofman and collaborators on a group of Quebec Cree individuals claiming ill health from local fish consumption.
In the original 1977 study, 306 adult participants aged 18–82 years were assessed for methylmercury exposure.
Tremor and other neurologic outcomes were assessed with a clinical examination.
The investigators did not find clinical evidence of methylmercury intoxication based on an analysis of covariance.
We used ordinal regression to obtain odds ratios for the relationship between total hair mercury levels and neurologic abnormalities.
Hair mercury concentrations ranged from 0.5 to 46 ppm (parts per million).
A 6 ppm increase in hair mercury was associated with increasing levels of tremor (OR, 2.22; 95%CI, 1.15–4.26) in adults under 40 years of age.
There was no association with nine other outcomes considered, nor with tremor among older persons.
Odds ratios were not influenced by gender, smoking, alcohol use, or co-morbidity.
Conclusion:
Dose-dependent effects of methylmercury on tremor may occur below the commonly accepted 50 ppm threshold, particularly in young adults.
These effects may be detectable by clinical examination.
However, the results should be interpreted with caution given that alcohol use was probably under-reported and that multiple outcomes were studied.
Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 514 528 2400x3258; fax: +1 514 528 2459
[Thanks to T. Binstock.]
* * *
Towards An "Ultimate Biological View of Human Behavior & Psychopathology"
Book Forum: Neurodevelopmental Mechanisms in Psychopathology
Edited by Dante Cicchetti and Elaine Walker.
http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/162/4/829
Reviewed by Mark H. Fleisher, M.D.
Am J Psychiatry 162:829-830, April 2005
© 2005 American Psychiatric Association
Dante Cicchetti from the University of Rochester and Elaine Walker of Emory University provide an extensive collection of chapters that present established as well as hypothetical ideas on the ultimate biological view of human behavior and psychopathology. This book is an ambitious effort to explain and weave together the many different disciplines of neuroscience, neural development, and psychopathology to create an understanding of the intimate relationships among these complex areas. The editors are successful in this effort, in my opinion.
As one would expect, this is not a quick read, and it is not going to be an essential text on the shelves of many clinicians. In fact, its real-life clinical utility will probably be minimal at best. However, for those with a serious interest in understanding the proposed biological views of normal and aberrant development of the nervous system and its intimate connections to other integrated systems of the body and to the ultimate expression of what is diagnosed behaviorally, this can be a fascinating book.
The book itself developed out of a series of papers from conferences on neurodevelopment, neurosciences, and developmental psychopathology. Fifty international experts in their fields have contributed 21 chapters divided into four sections. Part 1 discusses human neurodevelopmental processes in the prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal periods and the attendant risks for adult mental disorders. Part 2 focuses on animal models of development of the nervous system as they relate to psychopathology. Part 3 includes 16 chapters involving developmental models of genetic and environmental affects relevant to psychopathology, including areas such as childhood disruptive disorders, aggression, antisocial behavior, substance abuse, and schizophrenia. Part 4 deals with the neurodevelopmental processes that illustrate high-risk conditions and mental disorders, including personality disorders, the neurobiology of mood disorders in children and adolescents, traumatic stress disorders, and psychotic disorders.
Briefly looking at three of the chapters will help to understand the broader focus of the book. The first chapter, "Principles of Neurobehavioral Teratology," presents a brief overview of current teratology and 10 basic principles of research in this area. These principles include possible mechanisms of effect, likely agents, exposure, dose-response relationships, and timing effects. The chapter ends, as many do, with a section titled Future Directions. Chapter 9, "Early Orbitofrontal-Limbic Dysfunction and Autism," discusses aspects of social and other behaviors, links them to neural structures and circuits, and proposes related deficits in autistiform behaviors. Finally, chapter 21, "Neurohormonal Aspects of the Development of Psychotic Disorders," is a broadly written chapter that includes, among other topics, important background information, behavioral and biological risk indicators, and a view on the synthesis of the early developmental course of psychosis. Again, this chapter finishes with perspectives on future research topics.
The chapter authors write about what is known and what is hypothesized in their areas of expertise. The editors have made an important contribution to these complex topics by creating a work based on scientific accomplishment. Some readers may find it to be too biologically oriented at the expense of a more psychological point of view. Nevertheless, those whose interests rely primarily in understanding the nature of human behavior by examining the neuroscience building blocks will find this a very engaging
and satisfying book.
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TREATMENT
The Question of Dose: Pediatric CT Scanning and Radiation Risk A downside of medical imaging.
Barry L Shulkin, MD, MBA
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/501808?src=mp
Michael Gelfand, MD, Director of Nuclear Medicine at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio, and a former president of the Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM), addressed the issue of computed tomographic (CT) dose reduction in children at the SNM Mid-Winter Educational Symposium; January 29-30, 2005; Tampa, Florida.[1]
CT Scanning of Children Linked to Cancer
Dr. Gelfand started his presentation by noting how this issue has been framed by articles that have appeared in the popular press, which have stated that approximately 1.6 million children will undergo a CT scan each year and, of that number, some 1500 will die later of radiation-induced cancer.[2]
In the interest of enhancing image quality, the absorbed doses from CT scans have increased precipitously over the past 20 years. Recent data from the atomic bomb explosions over
The risk for carcinogenesis has been extended to lower radiation doses.
+ Full article and references here:
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/501808?src=mp
* * *
New
By Crystal D. Vogt
www2.townonline.com/roslindale/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=213034
With 15 to 20 percent of children in the
ICL will raise funds through activities and events that will allow the group to issue grants to charitable organizations in the business of helping children and adults with learning disabilities.
Its first fund-raising activity took place last week at
"I Can Learn really acts like a conduit. We generate funds, then distribute them to where they need to go," said Joe Berlandi, executive director of ICL.
According to Berlandi, many students in the area are not provided with the professional service they need to overcome problems such as dyslexia and autism, often costing the city of Boston an average of $25,000 to place one student in a special needs class for one year.
"Putting them in special needs classes isn't helping them, though,"
Berlandi said.
He explained that many teachers have not been taught the skills to work with children who have learning disabilities. Currently, Children's Learning Centers, the program that ICL stems from, tutors dyslexic children for free while also specially training and certifying teachers for one year.
"They can then go back to classrooms and identify the problem so that they can help children that have special needs," Berlandi said. "The idea is to improve the skills of teachers by providing training that they can use to improve the lives of students."
Children's Learning Centers relies primarily on contributions from its 32nd Degree Masonic members. ICL will go beyond the Masonic donations that fund its sister program, establishing its own national board of directors, businessmen and professionals.
"We want to go beyond what we do at our learning centers and take it to a national level by helping out other organizations around the country who are providing similar kinds of services for children and adults who have learning disabilities," Berlandi said.
Although the
"We've seen some of the art samples that the tutored children produced. They're wonderful and bright," Berlandi said.
Diana Breed, program administrator at Sumner Elementary, said that ICL is a great thing because of how big a problem learning disabilities are with many children.
"A lot of students think they are stupid and act out because they can't read and write well, but they're no different than other kids in terms of intellectual capacity," Breed said. "It's a hidden problem."
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* Whew! That's a pretty tall claim. Here are more details:
~200 editions, times 12 pages each, times ~20,000 circulation
comes to 48 million electronic pages per year.
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EVENTS
From an organization announcement.
Chantal Sicile-Kira, local author of "Autism Spectrum Disorders" and host of "The Real World of Autism" on Autism One Radio, has been elected as the new President of La Casa Center for Autism. Chantal replaces Susan Mooney, the non profit’s co-founder and past president. Susan, along with husband Chad Mooney also a co-founder, have co-chaired the primary fundraiser, La Casa/Crosby Golf Classic for the past 2 years which has been paramount in establishing our programs to benefit individuals with autism.
Susan will continue to support La Casa in her position as Immediate Past President on the Executive Board.
In that same vein, and living true to our mission of fostering the independent lifestyles of individuals with autism as well as providing support to their families, Chantal will spearhead our 2005 programs under the umbrella of "Independence Building: Preparing for the Future."
We will be launching our "VIP Night" program April 23, 2005 in celebration of "Autism Awareness Month." This program provides fun activities in a safe environment for adolescents and young adults with autism.
On May 22 and 23 La Casa Center for Autism will hold one of two conferences introducing the concept of micro-enterprise to the
Micro-enterprises, based on a person’s interests and talents, are possible with the right supports in place. A second conference, scheduled for the fall of 2005, will assist those individuals with autism who have expressed an interest in starting on the road to maximizing their talents to generate income.
For more information contact Trish Marshall, Director of Development at (858)759-1852 or email lacasacfa@....
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COMMENTARY
American Society Needs Environmental Watchdogs
By Joshua Kinch to the
http://www.eurekareporter.com/Stories/op-03300506.htm
I want to challenge a couple of recent columns. First, Mr. Leo Sears attacked the environmental movement for its role in policing both industry and a corrupt government. His interpretation of the dynamic is that environmentalists are pure obstructionists, who use fear and hysteria as tools, mainly to solicit money from the public.
This erroneous argument ignores the idea that the environmental movement is largely fueled by volunteers, and the main reason they use money is to pay for legal expenses. The reason they need lawyers? The government is so corrupted by corporate money, the courts are the best, fair forum for redress. Keep in mind: The environmental lawsuits can only prevail if they are found to be factually and legally correct in their interpretation of the law. They do not make law.
Two examples of why we need environmental watchdogs. Mercury. Mercury is linked to autism, a horrible malady affecting our children. The state with the most mercury in the environment is also the state with the most autism. That state?
Secondly, our food supply. The government is responding to money from industry. It allows all manner of chemical pesticides, fertilizers and preservatives in our food supply. An increasingly obese population suffers from inordinate amounts of cancer and heart disease. Without the environmental watchdog, these, and many other problems, would be even worse.
+ Full commentary here:
http://www.eurekareporter.com/Stories/op-03300506.htm
[The opinions expressed in Commentaries are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the Schafer Autism Repot. Other views are welcome.
Submissions to: edit@...]
* * *
LETTERS
Neuron Dysfunction Theory Doubted
I'm not sure I totally agree with this conclusion in regards to the Autism linked to mirror neuron dysfunction.
My son is a seven year old boy who was diagnosed with Autism at the age of two. He has no verbal communications, and is constantly watching us to figure out "how" to do things. He copies us completely! We have to be careful what we do, and make sure he is out of the room when we deal with anything that could harm him (ie scissors, and knives).
- Denell Robinson
* * *
I have just received written confirmation from the NYS Education Department that it has no requirements that any public school staff who do, or may, perform physical restraints on students classified as disabled receive any training whatsoever in safe methods of physical restraint.
NYSED also has no rules or regulations prohibiting use of any demonstrably unsafe/dangerous methods of physical restraint.
Under these circumstances, I believe that NYS publicly-operated schools, programs and placements for students who have, or may have, behavioral problems due to their disabilities (students classified as emotionally disturbed, students classified as autistic, students who are developmentally disabled, etc.) represent a clear and present danger to the physical safety of such students.
These kids would probably be physically safer in Willowbrook.
Be forewarned.
- Dee Alpert, Publisher, The Special Education Muckraker,
http://www.specialeducationmuckraker.com
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readers' personal education or research purposes only and provided at their
request. Articles may not be further reprinted or used commercially without
consent from the copyright holders. To find the copyright holders, follow
the referenced website link provided at the beginning of each item.
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