More on Tim Howard

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2010100621038

Tim Howard says Tourette's is a help, not a hindrance

Here is a nice article about Tim Howard, goalkeeper for the U.S. men's soccer team.

Andrew Wakefield Banned in Britain

Andrew Wakefield, the British doctor who claimed that the MMR vaccine was linked to autism, has been found guilty of professional misconduct by the General Medical Council. Wakefield says he is not going to go away, however.

Behavior therapy effective in reducing tics

Courtesy of Science Daily: A study at UCLA finds that behavior therapy can be a very effective means of reducing tics in individuals with Tourette Syndrome. Basically, when the individual feels the premonitory urge to tic, s/he is taught to engage in an action that is incompatible with the tic (e.g., instead flinging your arms out behind you cross the in front of your chest).

Now, unfortunately my son tried this method, and we discovered that he is among the minority of individuals who actually will experience more severe tics after implementing this approach. This does not detract from my support of use of the method in general. I am fully in favor of finding non-invasive means of managing TS.

Support NJCTS in the Pepsi Refresh Challenge

Tim Howard, goalkeeper for the U.S. World Cup soccer team, has Tourette Syndrome. He uses the visibility his job brings him to advocate for children with TS. Right now, Tim Howard is participating in the Pepsi Refresh Challenge. By clicking on this link, you can vote for the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome (NJCTS) , the charity Tim is representing. The charity that gets the most votes in this challenge will receive $50,000.

NJCTS provides support for children and families in New Jersey who are dealing with TS through referrals, support groups, advocacy, and research support. Our family has benefited greatly from the services NJCTS provides, and we all ask you to take a minute to click on the link and vote. You do not need to register, and you can vote as often as you like. Thank you!

Autism connection?

From Time magazine: "Studies Link Infertility Treatments to Autism."

From the Department of the Obvious

I double-checked to see if I had posted this before, since the notion seemed so bloody familiar. Apparently, though, I am not re-posting this, so here goes: Parents of Children With Disabilities Face More Daily Stress. No kidding!

Thanks to Shulamit for the link. Thanks to other folks for reminding me of a response to "Welcome to Holland," written by Cathy M., who says what I so often want to say, and says it so much better than I can: http://giftedhomeschoolers.org/articles/hollandresponse.html

Maybe your parenting isn't so bad after all

Nice post by the Eides on how the criticisms of "helicopter parents" were off the mark:

http://eideneurolearningblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/helicopter-parents-revisited-ld.html

Medical marijuana for children, cont'd.

http://www.slate.com/id/2251174/pagenum/2

-- Part three in a series of a mother's essays on why she gives her autistic son medical marijuana.

Increase in bipolar disorder diagnosis in young children?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100115/hl_nm/us_usa_child_trial_research

From the article:

"Bipolar disorder, characterized by severe mood swings, was once thought to emerge only during adolescence or later. But Dr. Joseph Biederman, a child psychiatrist at Harvard University, transformed views on the subject by arguing that children could have the disorder at extremely young ages.

He is credited with spearheading a more than 40-fold increase in the number of children diagnosed with bipolar disorder over the past decade.

Biederman was accused in 2008 by Republican U.S. Senator Charles Grassley of failing to fully disclose payments by drug companies, including some that produced medication for bipolar disorder. Biederman declined to be interviewed about the latest study."

Politics Northwest | Mary Jane goes to Olympia | Seattle Times Newspaper

Fresh on the heels of news about the New Jersey legislature's approval of marijuana used for medicinal purposes, and a proposal in California to decriminalize use of marijuana by adults, here is a story about bills being discussed in Washington.

I am posting these links here because I believe the medical benefits of marijuana for individuals with disorders such as TS ought to be explored, and I would like to see an end to the stigma surrounding the use of "alternative" treatments.

New study notes rise in mental health issues in young people

The study does not seem to answer any of the questions it raises. Is the increase in mental health issues related to a focus on external factors such as wealth and appearance, or is it an artifact due to increased awareness of mental health issues and an increased tendency to report problems and use available services?

Muse looks at autism

This month's issue of Muse magazine features articles on autism, including essays by Temple Grandin and Daniel Tammet (referenced in an earlier post by The Fool). Check it out, share it with your children.

Is natural selection contributing to the rise in autism rates?

http://www.livescience.com/health/evolution-causes-sickness-100111.html