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.

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

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?

Is natural selection contributing to the rise in autism rates?

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

New research on the biological basis for ADHD

The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, and the Washington Post published on article on the study here. Thanks to the 2E Newsletter for the link.

Do ADHD meds lead to a lower crime rate?

Hmm. After years of hearing how using ADHD meds leads to a life of crime, now, courtesy of The Economist, we have an article suggesting that the use of ADHD meds may have led to a drop in the violent crime rate. Presented. . .without comment.

Leaky gut -- no longer just a hypothesis

Researchers at University of Maryland are doing some really interesting research into the mechanisms behind "leaky gut" and its role in autoimmune disease and other disorders:

http://somvweb.som.umaryland.edu/absolutenm/templates/?a=893&z=5

This comes on the heels of Dr. Fasano's piece about Celiac disease in the August issue of Scientific American. No practical take-away as yet, but this is very cool, paradigm-shifting stuff, and it will be very interesting to see what other researchers do with this information over the next couple of years.

New ADHD med approved

The FDA has approved Intuniv for treatment of ADHD in children. An extended-release form of guanfacine, "the way it works is unclear, but the drug is thought to directly (sic) engage receptors in the brain's prefrontal cortex."

FDA to vote on use of anti-psychotics in children

An FDA panel meets today and tomorrow to debate the use of Seroquel, Geodon, and Zyprexa in children. The panel will vote tomorrow on whether or not to approve the drugs for pediatric use.

Depression in teens

Time reports that a new study published in JAMA indicates that group cognitive-behavioral therapy may be effective in preventing episodes of depression in teens.

How not to write

Here is an article from USA Today that attempts, I think, to be supportive of homeschooling. The piece is so disjointed and poorly written, and so full of typos and flawed leaps of logic, that I am far less excited than I might otherwise be about its ostensible pro-homeschooling slant.

More on abuse of special-needs kids in schools

From last night's USA Today.

Go get 'em!

"Special-needs kids abused in schools"

Taking on Jenny McCarthy

Oprah Winfrey gives Jenny McCarthy a pulpit from which she can air her views on vaccines. Arthur Allen, among other people, is not happy about this.

Autism breakthrough?

Researchers find first common autism gene.