Basic Definition
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) encompass a group of neuropsychiatric
disorders characterized by deficits in social
interaction and
communication, and unusual and repetitive behavior. Some, but not
all, people with autism are non-verbal. The degree of autism varies
from mild to severe in different individuals. Severely afflicted
patients can appear profoundly retarded. The cause (or causes) of
autism are not yet understood. However, it is widely believed within
the scientific community that there is a strong genetic component or
pre-disposition to autism spectrum disorders. Researchers have
proposed that the immunological, metabolic, and environmental
factors may also play a part in the etiology of autism. Autism is
not caused, however, by emotional trauma, as was once theorized.
Autism or autistic-like behavior may co-occur with many other
neurological conditions.
Top
Autism History
Throughout history,
people have probably lived with what we know today as autism
spectrum disorders. Some of the earliest published descriptions of
behavior that resemble autism date back to the 18th century.
The term autism was, for
years, only used in some circles of psychiatrists and psychologists.
It is believed to have been first introduced around 1911 by noted
Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler, who used the term to describe an
individual's exclusion of the outside world and virtual withdrawal
from social life. The words "autistic" and "autism" are developed
from the Greek word "autos" meaning "self."
Autism was first
described as a specific condition by Dr. Leo Kanner, of Baltimore,
Md., who published his famous paper on the disorder in 1943. In
1944, Dr. Hans Asperger, of Vienna, Austria, published another
famous paper that first described a similar
condition that later
became known as Asperger Syndrome. These landmark papers featured
the first theoretical attempts to explain these complex disorders.
Despite the papers
published by Kanner and Asperger in the 1940s, autism has long been
a mystery to the medical community – even today.
In the 1950s and 1960s,
the medical community generally incorrectly believed autism was a
psychological disturbance caused by detached, or uncaring mothers
(refrigerator mothers.) This belief, later completely disproven, was
based on the observations and opinions of Dr. Bruno Bettleheim, one
of the first child development specialists to focus on autism.
For decades, generations
of mothers of children with autism were unfairly accused of causing
their child's disorder. In the early 1960s, a few people in the
medical community such as Dr. Bernard Rimland and Dr. Eric Schopler,
began to challenge Bettleheim's opinion. In 1964, Dr. Rimland
provided a definitive review of evidence that established autism as
a biological condition – thus demonstrating Bettleheim's theory was
wrong.
Soon after autism was
proven to be a biological condition, Dr. Andreas Rett first
described Rett Syndrome as a specific condition in a paper published
in 1966.
In 1977, Dr. Susan
Folstein and Dr. Michael Rutter published the first autism twin
study, which revealed evidence of a genetic basis for autism. Over
the next ten years, researchers conducted additional studies that
further yielded evidence of a genetic component to autism as well as
refined the symptoms of autism.
In 1991, Drs. Catherine
Lord, Michael Rutter and Ann LeCouteur published the Autism
Diagnostic Interview. In 1992, the American Psychiatric Association
released the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV), which
refined diagnostic criteria for autistic disorder. The World Health
Organization released a similar diagnostic manual in 1993 known as
the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10).
While progress was being
made refining the symptoms and classification of autistic spectrum
disorders and parent support and advocacy groups were being formed,
very few resources were being invested directly into biomedical
research for autism.
In 1994, the National
Alliance for Autism Research was established, becoming the first
organization in the U.S. dedicated to funding and accelerating
biomedical research into the autism spectrum disorders. Founded by
Karen and Eric London and other parents of children with autism,
NAAR allocates millions each year to funding the finest autism
research worldwide and has played a key role in increasing federal
spending on autism.
In the early to mid
1990s, genetic researchers began to link autism to people with
abnormalities on chromosome 15. In 1998, researchers had reported
evidence of a link between autism and chromosome 15q and chromosome
7q. By 2001, several researchers had completed genetic screens that
have identified several genomic regions containing genes that could
be associated with autism.
The Autism Tissue
Program was initially established and funded in 1998 by NAAR, and
the Autism Society of America Foundation. Later, the M.I.N.D.
(Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopment Disorders) Institute at
the University of California at Davis joined as a co-sponsor of the
program. The
Autism Tissue Program is the
first parent-led brain tissue donation program dedicated for autism
research. Post-mortem brain tissue is the most fundamental, rare and
precious resource that allows scientists to go far beyond the
constraints of other technologies to study autism on both a cellular
and molecular level.
In 2000, NAAR launched
Walk F.A.R. for NAAR, the first national autism research walkathon
program, designed to foster support for autism research and autism
awareness. Today, Walk F.A.R. for NAAR is held in numerous
communities across the country, raising millions each year for
autism research.
In 2001, NAAR
co-sponsored the inaugural International Meeting for Autism Research
(IMFAR), the first scientific conference focusing exclusively on
autism research. The only such conference of its kind, IMFAR affords
researchers involved in all aspects of autism research, from the
neurosciences and genetics to immunology and language and
communication, the opportunity to interact and share the latest
autism research findings.
Today, NAAR directly
funds more autism research than any other non-governmental
organization in the United States. This includes funding for pilot
studies, mentor-based fellowships and larger, collaborative research
programs focusing on specific areas of research. NAAR has also
developed several public/private research partnerships with
governmental health agencies and autism researchers throughout the
world that leverages our collective expertise and resources to
unravel the mysteries of a disorder that continues to baffles the
medical and scientific community.
Top
What is autism?
Autism is a lifelong
developmental disability that affects the way a person communicates
and relates to people around them. Children and adults with autism
have difficulties with everyday social interaction. Their ability to
develop friendships is generally limited as is their capacity to
understand other people's emotional expression.
People with autism can
often have accompanying learning disabilities but everyone with the
condition shares a difficulty in making sense of the world.
There is also a
condition called Asperger syndrome, which is a form of autism used
to describe people who are usually at the higher functioning end of
the autistic spectrum.
"Reality to an autistic
person is a confusing, interacting mass of events, people, places,
sounds and sights. There seems to be no clear boundaries, order or
meaning to anything. A large part of my life is spent just trying to
work out the pattern behind everything."
Top
What are the characteristics of autism?
People with autism
generally experience three main areas of difficulty; these are known
as the triad of impairments.
-
Social
interaction
(difficulty with social relationships, for example appearing
aloof and indifferent to other people)
-
Social
communication
(difficulty with verbal and non-verbal communication, for
example not fully understanding the meaning of common gestures,
facial expressions or tone of voice)
-
Imagination (difficulty in the development of
interpersonal play and imagination, for example having a limited
range of imaginative activities, possibly copied and pursued
rigidly and repetitively).
In addition to this
triad, repetitive behavior patterns and resistance to change in
routine are often characteristic.
Top
What causes autism?
The exact cause or
causes of autism is/are still not known but research shows that
genetic factors are important. It is also evident from research that
autism may be associated with a variety of conditions affecting
brain development which occur before, during, or very soon after
birth.
Top
Diagnosis
The earlier a diagnosis
of autism is made, the better the chances are of a person receiving
appropriate help and support.
Top
Can people with autism be helped?
Specialist education and
structured support can really make a difference to the life of a
person with autism, helping to maximize skills and achieve full
potential in adulthood.
Autistic Disorder: Also known as "classic autism", autistic disorder affects a
person's ability to communicate, form relationships with others, and
respond appropriately to the environment. Some people with autistic
disorder are high functioning, and have the ability to speak and
interact with others, while others are more severely affected and
nonverbal and/or mentally retarded.
Asperger Syndrome: This neurobiological disorder differs from autistic
disorder, in that individuals with Asperger Syndrome do not have a
delay in spoken language development. However, they can have serious
deficits in social and communication skills. People with Asperger
Syndrome often have obsessive, repetitive routines and
preoccupations with a particular subject matter.
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD): Also known as "regressive autism",
children with childhood disintegrative disorder typically develop
normally for two-to-four years before developing a condition that
resembles autistic disorder. Typically language, interest in the
social environment, and often toileting and self-care abilities are
lost, and there may be a general loss of interest in the
environment.
Rett Syndrome:
Rett Syndrome is a complex neurological disorder that affects mainly
girls, but there are reports of males who this disorder. Rett
Syndrome is genetic in origin, and is among the most common genetic
cause of profound intellectual and physical disability in girls,
occurring more commonly than 1 in 10,000 female births. Individuals
with Rett Syndrome develop normally until 6 to 18 months of age
followed by a developmental regression. This regression is followed
by a deceleration of head growth, loss of purposeful hand movements
and followed by the appearance of midline, stereotypic hand
movements. A gene associated with Rett Syndrome was identified in
1999.
Top
symptoms
Children with an autism
spectrum disorder usually begin to show clear, identifiable symptoms
by the age of 18 months. Many parents and experts can usually detect
symptoms before this time, however a formal diagnosis is typically
made when the child exhibits a noticeable delay in developing
language skills – normally between the ages of two and three.
The National Alliance
for Autism Research has made a significant investment in a study
designed to identify early signs of autism and whether early
interventions can improve the quality of life for children with
autism and their families. Researchers involved in the multi-site
project, known as the Baby Sibs Study, are examining the infant
siblings of children with autism to develop better diagnostic
methods and, eventually, more targeted interventions for younger
children with autism.
The signs and symptoms
of autism spectrum disorders vary, which makes the formal diagnosis
process challenging. Physicians have no blood test or diagnostic
scan to rely on to diagnose the disorder. Currently, the diagnosis
of autism is based solely on the observation of behaviors.
According to the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV), issued by the American
Psychiatric Association, the general symptoms for autism include:
-
A total of six or more impairments in social
interaction; communication; and restrictive or repetitive and
stereotypical patterns of behavior.
-
Delays or abnormal functioning in social interaction;
language as a means for communication; or symbolic or
imaginative play.
-
Symptoms that cannot be described as Rett Syndrome or
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder.
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Warning Signs
Most specialists agree that a child should be evaluated for autism
immediately if he or she has:
-
Not babbled or cooed by one year
-
Not gestured, pointed or waved by one year
-
Not spoken a single word by 16 months
-
Not spoken a two-word phrase by two years
-
Experiences any loss of any language skills at any age
Top
Other Concerns
Parents should talk to their healthcare provider about an autism
evaluation if they notice their child:
-
Does not respond to his or her name
-
Cannot tell or describe what he or she wants
-
Experience any language delays
-
Does not follow directions at all
-
Appear at times to have a hearing impairment
-
Does not know how to play with toys
-
Has poor eye contact
-
Appears to be in his or her own world
-
Does not smile socially
-
Has odd movement patterns
-
Has unusual attachment to toys or other objects
Top
Treatment & Interventions
Like the current
diagnostic process, the many "treatment" strategies for autism are
based on behavior and are designed to help a person with autism lead
as full a life as possible. Some individuals with autism also
benefit from pharmacological treatments.
Individual Education Programs:
These programs involve a wide variety of
interventions designed to help a person with autism overcome their
specific problem behaviors related to autism. Individual Education
Programs appear to be most effective when they are carefully
designed to the needs of the individual and properly and
methodically implemented.
Comprehensive Treatment Programs:
These programs include several theories about
treating autism and require children to undergo between 15 – 40
hours of therapy each week, for at least two years, in order to
change behavior and experience benefits.
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA):
This technique focuses on reducing specific problem behaviors and
teaching new skills and may include interventions used before or
between episodes of problem behavior as well as interventions used
during and after outbursts. ABA tries to reduce the chances that
certain situations will trigger problem behavior by showing
individuals how to better handle things like a change in schedule,
furniture re-arrangement or meeting new people.
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support:
The goal of this approach is
to increase positive behaviors, decrease problem behavior and
improve the individual's lifestyle. This method examines the
interactions between people with autism, their environment, their
behavior and their learning process to try and develop the best
lifestyle possible.
Top
Links for Autism
-
Autism Resources Page This is an excellent resource for
information related to all areas of Autism. It was the first and
in many ways still the very best place to find papers, links and
all kinds of resources. The site is maintained by John Wobus.
-
THE WEBSITE Special Needs Info - a website by and for
families with special needs Site put together by members of the
St Johns Autism Listserv
-
Center For Study of Autism Home Page Stephen Edelson, PhD.
Another wonderfully comprehensive site which contains
information about all aspects of autism and related disorders.
-
ABA Resources This parent maintained resource for ABA
(Applied Behavioral Analysis), includes many resources.
-
American Hyperlexia Association Page. Visit this site if
your child starts reading before before the age of five.
-
Steven Drake's Home Page.
-
The Autism Depot
-
TEACCH Web Site Treatment and Education of Autistic and
related Communication Handicapped Children). Teacch is located
at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
Non-Traditional Treatments for Autism
TEACCH of North
Carolina has put together information for families who are
interested in trying non-tradition treatments for Autism.
Evaluation Guidelines When Considering Nontraditional Therapies in
Autism--Please consider these guidelines if you are
investigating the use of a non-traditional approach.
Allergies and Dietary
Interventions
-
Collected Net Articles of Dr. Kalle Reichelt Dr. Reichelt
has been researching the impact of gluten intolerance on certain
individuals with developmental delays.
-
www.AutismNDI.com
This is the webpage for dietary intervention and The ANDI news
as page put together by Lisa Lewis, PhD and Karen Seroussi.
-
Lisa Lewis,Ph.D. This is the webpage for Lisa Lewis, author
of Special Diets for Special Kids. From here you'll find links
to several other sites.
-
Allergy Induced Autism Members of this group consider
their children to have 'allergy-induced' autism, as all of them
have autism that appears to have been triggered by intolerance
to many foods and/or chemicals, the main offenders being wheat,
cow's milk, corn, sugar and
Auditory Integration
Alternative Programs
The Lovaas Institute for Early Intervention
Families for Early Autism Treatment
autistics.org -
Resources by and for the autistic. I especially like the
attitude of wishing the parents of autistic kids would just shut the
fuck up about all autistic people! It has a forum, but, come on, do
you really expect us to be all that chatty?
Wrong Planet -
Well, we were born on the wrong planet, weren't we?
Primarily an adult-oriented site that deals with how to cope in the
NT world.
E.g.
an article on how to answer the question, "How was your day?"
There are also many, many blogs, books, and links to very helpful sites.
Aspies for Freedom
- Tired of dealing
with the NT world? Sick of moms on mission for a "cure?" Ready to
come out with your autistic pride? This is the site for you. News,
a forum, books, and an autistic-based encyclopedia.
Autism Network International -
Autistic-run self-help and advocacy group.
The Autism/PDD site on About.com
Unlike the forum associated with the site, it's not so
kid-centered. Articles deal with things like what happens after the
kids grow up and the problems many autistic adults have when
interacting in
the NT-dominated world. Plus guide
Adelle Jameson Tilton,
along with pediatrics guide Dr. Vincent Iannelli, M.D try to inject
some sanity into the vaccine controversies.
Neurodiversity.com
- Concentrates on
the politics of being mentally interesting within the spectrum.
They seem to get all het up about the use of the term "autistic" in
of itself. Lots of links to studies, news stories and threads
about meds, associated conditions, research, alternative treatments
and the like, but with no context. And all with the caveat of
"Opinions expressed by the authors of pages to which this site links
do not necessarily reflect this site developer's opinions. In other
words: Sublime or ridiculous? You decide!" OK. Here's a whole
bunch of stuff thrown at you related to, you know, little Caitlin's
condition. Maybe you can make sense of it all. But if you're all
fired up that your local school board isn't doing squat about
bullying or allowing for some low- no no-cost accommodations, then
you should probably start here.
Uniquely Gifted -
OK parents, have
you calmed the hell down about "curing" Logan and Brooke of their
autism? Good. Here's the site for you. It's not strictly about
autism, and also covers things like ADD/ADHD, various learning
disabilities, and kids who are just too damn smart for their own
good. Go here, learn something, and maybe you'll quit making your
kid fell like a freak. Do it on a day when you don't have anything
better to do, because you can and should spend hours following all
the links and reading all the articles. The feelings guilt and
freakdom engendered by parents screeching for "cures" sticks to
those of us in the autistic spectrum like feathers to tar. Sites
like Uniquely Gifted are a needed antidote for such parental
hysteria. Do your kids a favor, sit your asses down in front of
this site instead of some mercury-flavored CAN site.
Autism Assembly
- a coalition of
members of the autistic community who share the common goal of
seeking acceptance for those on the autistic spectrum, who aim to
educate about autism, and who are not
Asperger Friends
Site of Asperger Friends, a social and support group for adults in
the Hunterdon County, NJ, area. This site also features info and
links to other sites.
University Students with Autism or Asperger Syndrome
This site contains lots of personal accounts.
Autism and Computing
Various informational articles and personal experience essays can be
found at this site.
PHAD Fife: People with High-functioning Autistic Disorders
A charitable organization located in Fife, Scotland serving those
with high-functioning autism, Asperger Syndrome and Semantic
Pragmatic Learning Disorder. Link recommended by Neil Gardner.
Cure Autism Now: As it's name implies, CAN is an organization
focused on funding programs which might ultimately result in a cure
for autism. While higher functioning individuals may sometimes show
support for a cure, there are other individuals who are so severely
affected by autism that a cure would be a dream come true. CAN has a
very well-organized site with plenty of useful information.
Membership to the large national organization requires a fee.
FEAT: Families for the Early Treatment of Autism
Based in California, FEAT has a newletter which reaches far and
wide, continually updating readers on the latest headlines, reader
commentary and personal accounts. Some of the personal stories are
local to California residents, but interesting to read nonetheless.
adult living
ADA,
Free consulting service that provides information about job
accommodations, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the
employability of people with disabilities
Angel's Place,
homes and services for men and women with developmental disabilities
Autism Spectrum
Adults Michigan, chat area to provide resource
information & support
Autism-Michigan,
chat area to provide resource information & support
Geneva Centre
for Autism, training, resources and support for
individuals with Autism and PDD.
Jewish
Association for Residential Care, respite for families
with young kids and assisted living and independent living
assistance for older people with developmental disabilities
National
Transition Network, information on planning a teenager's
transition from school to adult life
On My Own,
helps teenagers and adults with mild developmental disabilities
become independent, social and contributing members of the community
information
ASC-US,
nonprofit organization providing information and support to
individuals, families and professionals dealing with Asperger
Syndrome, Nonverbal Learning Disabilities (NLD), and related
neurologically-based social & communication disorders on the
high-functioning end of the autism spectrum
Association for
Science in Autism Treatment, dedicated to disseminating
accurate, scientifically valid information about autism and its
treatment options
Autism Medical
Center, AMC views autism behavior and other developmental
disorders as manifestations of a physiological disturbance that
needs attention, correction and restoration
Autism National
Committee (AUTCOM), Autism advocacy organization
dedicated to "Social Justice for All Citizens with Autism" through a
shared vision and a commitment to positive approaches
Autism Network
International (ANI), Autism Network International is an
autistic-run self-help and advocacy organization for autistic people
Autism Resources,
information and resources on the developmental disability, Autism
Autism,
site for children & teen audience
Behavior Analyst
Certification Board (BACB), formed as a result of
credentialing needs identified by behavior analysts, agencies within
several state governments, and consumers of behavior analysis
services
BHARE foundation,
Brenen Hornstein Autism Research & Education
Doug Flutie
Foundation, funding for services for financially
disadvantaged families who need assistance caring for their children
with autism
Everyday
Miracles, non-profit parent led, community-based support
network designed to strengthen, empower and inform families and
communities about children with autism
Exceptional
Parent Magazine, on-line and print publication geared to
parents of children with various disabilities
Liane Holiday
Willey's ASPIE, Liane's safe and enjoyable virtual hang
out for those interested in learning and sharing about Asperger's
Syndrome
MAAP Services,
nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information and advice
to families of more advanced individuals with Autism, Asperger's
syndrome, and Pervasive developmental disorder (PDD)
MEDLINEplus
Health Information for the National Library of Medicine,
search hundreds of medical journals, millions of medical abstracts,
and the NLM Medical Subject Headings
Nonverbal
Learning Disorder, individuals with this potentially
debilitating disorder generally suffer in silence
O.A.S.I.S.,
Asperger's Syndrome Information and Support
On the Same Page,
contains a large listing of Autism/Asperger's resources
Oops... Wrong
Planet! Syndrome/ Autism Spectrum Resources, collection
of articles, essays, and links
Society for the
Autistically Handicapped, increase awareness of autism,
together with well established and newly developed approaches in the
diagnosis, assessment, education and treatment
TEACCH,
information about TEACCH and articles about autism by TEACCH
professionals
Tony Attwood,
MD., current information on Asperger's Syndrome from the
world's leading expert
Unlocking Autism,
opening the doors to autism awareness
Dietary
Dietary Methods
Autism Network
for Dietary Intervention, PO Box 17711, Rochester, NY
14617-0711
Feingold
Association of the US, Box 6550, Alexandria, VA 22306,
(703) 768-FAUS
GFCF Diet,
Gluten Free, Casein Free Diet
Sara's Diet,
PO Box 939, Glen Alpine, NC 28628, (704) 584-4109
Special Diet for
Autism and PDD, What are gluten and casein? Can removing
them from my child's diet really improve the symptoms of autism and
Pervasive Developmental Disorder?
dietary supplements
Brainchild
Nutritionals, 93 Little Creek Road, Soquel, CA 95073,
Phone and fax (831) 465-0104
Health
Dimensions, Inc., Compounding Pharmacy, 32985 Hamilton
Ct., G-200, Farmington Hills, MI 48334, (248) 489-1573, (800)
836-2303, fax (248) 489-1586
Houston
Nutraceuticals, Inc., Enzyme-based dietary supplements,
PO Box 6331, Siloam Springs, AR 72761-6331, (479) 549-4536, fax
(479) 524-2414
Kirkman
Laboratories, Inc., 9285 Dowdy Dr., Ste. 105, San Diego,
CA 92126, (800) 694-9118, orders (877) 365-9265, (858) 549-6225, fax
(858) 549-6230
Klaire
Laboratories, 140 Marine View Ave., Suite 110, Solana
Beach, CA 92075, (858) 350-7880, (800) 859-8358, fax (858) 350-7883
Mountain
Naturals, 20 New England Dr., C-1504, Essex Junction, VT
05453-1504, (800) 992-8451, fax: (802) 878-0549
University
Compounding, Compounding Pharmacy, 4600 Investment Drive,
Suite 100, Troy, MI 48098, (248) 267-5002
Education
Developmental Products
PlaySteps,
building Skills for Special Children. Teaching constructive play
skills for children with autism
Prelude Music
Therapy, creating and publishing music therapy strategies
and giving workshops and presentations to professionals, parents,
and students
Social Skill
Builder, Inc., interactive CD-ROM computer programs that
target understanding and use of every day social skills in children
with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other learning/language disorders
educational products
ABC School
Supply, educational Toys, Supplies, Arts & Crafts, Games,
Furniture and more
Centering on
Children, Shoebox Task, innovative learning materials
designed for children and adults with special needs
Different Roads
to Learning, Inc., find and present affordable materials
to help our children learn
Do2Learn,
free resources, such as 300 picture cards that can be printed, math
grids, coloring pages, art projects, and images to help with the
tracing of shapes and letters
Don Johnston Inc.,
products for people who are nonverbal and have physical disabilities
Help Us Learn,
complete self-paced training program for preparing parents,
educators, students, teachers, therapists, service providers,
friends & family to use Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) programs to
work with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, PDD, & other
developmental delays
Kaplan Company,
quality educational products that help children and educators engage
in interesting activities, thus enhancing learning through play
Mayer-Johnson Co,
Educational materials and software geared to aid communication.
Picture Exchange
Communication System, variety of training opportunities
and products that focus on the initiation of communication and the
design of effective educational environments utilizing structural
and instructional elements
Super Duper
Publications, publish and distribute fun, colorful, high
quality materials for speech-language pathologists, special
educators, teachers, parents, and caregivers in educational, home
and health care settings
Use Visual
Strategies, help provide the necessary tools to improve
communication
educational resources
American
Hyperlexia Association, dedicated to the advancement of
the education and general welfare of children with hyperlexia
Center for Early
Education, specializes in teaching young children with
autism, PDD, and related developmental disorders
Educating
Children with Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder,
parents' guide to the diagnosis, treatment and education of children
with
Autism, PDD and related disorders.
Michigan's
Assistive Technology Resource, information services,
support materials, technical assistance, and training to local and
intermediate school districts in Michigan to increase their capacity
to address the needs of students with disabilities for assistive
technology
Special
Abilities, nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to
helping kids in Special Education in public schools
Support / Advocacy
governmental Agencies
Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, federal agency for
protecting the health and safety of people
Department of
Health and Human Services, world's foremost medical
research centers, and the Federal focal point for medical research
in the U.S.
Department of
Education, promotes educational excellence for all
Americans
Michigan
Department of Education - Michigan Administrative Rules
for Special Education
Michigan House
of Representatives, Michigan and National resource pages
Michigan
Government, State of Michigan Web Site
Michigan
Legislature, service of the Michigan Legislative Council,
the Michigan House of Representatives, and the Michigan Senate
Oakland County,
Oakland County, Michigan Website
Oakland County
Gov. Info., Names, E-mails, and phone numbers to
Government Officials
Social Security
Administration, information on retirement, disability,
survivors and supplemental security income benefits
legal information
IDEA Practices,
answers your questions about the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act and supports your efforts to help ALL children learn,
progress, and realize their dreams.
Law Enforcement
Awareness Network, provides first responders with
information and resources that will allow them to better serve
individuals affected by hidden disabilities and mental illness
Special Ed Law
Michigan, learn more about your rights when working with
your school district.
Wrightslaw,
parents, advocates, educators, and attorneys come to Wrightslaw for
accurate, up-to-date information about effective advocacy for
children with disabilities.
local Advocacy/support
Autism society
of Michigan, committed to empowering individuals with
autism and their families by offering educational resources and
materials, workshops, seminars and other services
Children's
Special Health care Services for Oakland County, medical
care and treatment assistance for children with
chronic/severe/disabling health problems
Citizens
Alliance to Uphold Special Education, Michigan's
designated statewide parent training and information center
dedicated to helping parents work with schools to secure the
educational success of children with disabilities and special needs.
Dearborn
Speech-Language and Sensory Integration Center,
Specializing in feeding and oral motor skills, articulation
disorders, autism spectrum disorders, speech-language impairment,
hearing impairment, voice disorder, sensory modulation and
regulation disorders.
Disabilities
Today, a variety of videos on local disability resources
Hands-On Parent
Education, Beaumont's HOPE Center provides intervention
for families with preschool-age children diagnosed with autism
spectrum disorders
Jewish Community
Center, non-denominational service that provides and
coordinates programs, classes and services for children and adults
with special needs
Macomb-Oakland
Regional Center, nonprofit, tax-exempt, human services
agency
Oakland Schools
services, Michigan Department of Education, Educational
Organizations, Legislative Information, and Community Resources
Oakland County
Hospitals & Clinics, Hospital/Clinic in and around
Oakland County
U of M Autism &
Communication Disorders Center, for fee service dedicated
to providing clinical services
United Cerebral
Palsy Association of Detroit, advance the independence of
people with disabilities and to promote opportunities for self
determination and inclusion of people with disabilities into the
community
National Advocacy/support
Autism Society
of America, Serving the needs of people with autism and
their families through advocacy, education, public awareness, and
research since 1965
DisabilityInfo.gov, One-stop interagency web portal for
people with disabilities, their families, employers, service
providers, and other community members
Exceptional
Parents of Exceptional Children, resource of information
for parents with special needs children
FAAAS,
Families of Adults Afflicted with Asperger's Syndrome
Ideal Lives,
dedicated to the parents & professionals supporting individuals with
special needs
Learning
disabilities association of America, Advance the
education and general welfare of children and adults of normal or
potentially normal intelligence who manifest disabilities of a
perceptual, conceptual, or coordinative nature
National
Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities, A
guide to federal, state and local resources
National
Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities,
NICHCY is an information and referral center that provides free
information on disabilities and disability-related issues. Children
and youth with disabilities (birth to age 22) are NICHCY's special
focus
National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development, one of
the primary Institutes doing research into various aspects of
autism, including its causes, prevalence, and treatments
National
Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders,
part of the US Government, under the Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS)
National
Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), unique federation
of voluntary health organizations dedicated to helping people with
rare "orphan" diseases and assisting the organizations that serve
them
PDD/Autism
Successful Strategies, created to provide strategies and
share success stories
Support for
siblings, being a sibling of someone with Autism has made
me realize that many things in life require hard work, patience and
understanding. I looked, in vain, for a place to vent.
Medical
Testing Facilities/Programs
Alletess Lab,
216 Pleasant St., P.O. Box 343, Rockland, MD 02370, (617) 871-4426
Antibody Assay
Labs, 1715 E. Wilshire, Suite 715, Santa Ana, CA 92705,
(714) 972-9979, Fax (714) 543-2034
Doctor’s Data,
Customer Service, P.O. Box 111, West Chicago, Illinois 60186, Phone:
(800) 323-2784
Great Smokies
Diagnostic Laboratory, 63 Zillicoa St., Asheville, NC
28801-1074, (828) 253-0621
Great Plains
Laboratory, Inc, 11813 West 75th St., Lenexa, KS 66214,
(913) 341-8949, Fax (913) 341-6207
Immuno
Laboratories, 1620 West Oakland Park Blvd., Fort
Lauderdale, FL 33311, (800) 231-9197
Robert Cade, MD.,
University of Florida, Department of Physiology, Gainesville, FL
32611, (352) 392-8952
Medical Research
Autism
Autoimmunity Project, nonprofit organization dedicated to
obtaining funding for independent research addressing immunological
and immunogenetic abnormalities in autism
Autism Genetics
Resource Exchange, provides biomaterials and an
unprecedented resource of phenotype and genotype information that is
freely available for analysis by members of the scientific community
Autism Research
Institute, 4182 Adams Ave., San Diego, CA 92116, Fax
(619) 563-6840
Autism Research
Foundation, Moss-Rosene Lab, Suite W701, 715 Albany St.,
Boston, MA 02118, (617) 534-5286
Autism Network
Resources for Physicians, site aims to assist the medical
community in its efforts to understand autism and study the
treatment options available in the hopes that someday, the
treatments that prove to be the most beneficial for certain autistic
populations are going to be accepted or recommended by medical
providers
Autism Tissue
Program, Autism Society of America Foundation, National
Alliance for Autism Research
Center for the
Study of Autism, provides information about autism to
parents and professionals, and conducts research on the efficacy of
various therapeutic interventions
ClinicalTrials.gov: Autistic Disorder, National
Institutes of Health
Cure Autism Now
Foundation, organization of parents, physicians, and
researchers, dedicated to promoting and funding research with direct
clinical implications for treatment and a cure for autism
Developmental
Delay Research, insight into the resulting diagnoses, or
dietary/therapeutic alternatives
Health Research
Institute, leading force in the research and treatment of
biochemical imbalances
International
Autism Consortium, International group of researchers who
are coordinating studies on the molecular genetics of autism
National
Alliance for Autism Research, families and Scientists
Promoting Biomedical Research in Autism
National
Institute of Mental Health, Working to improve mental
health through biomedical
research on mind, brain, and behavior
Pathways Medical
Advocates, to inspire each individual to attain their
maximum human potential by empowering them on their path with our
consultative approach through functional medicine
Seaver Autism
Research Center, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, Dept. of
Psychiatry; Box 1230, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029,
(212) 241-2994
Yale Child Study
Center, offers comprehensive, multidisciplinary
evaluations for children and adults with social disabilities,
usually focusing on the issues of diagnosis and intervention.
Autism and Vaccinations
Autism and
Vaccine Research, NIH, National Institute of Child Health
and Human Development
CDC - MMR &
Autism, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) is recognized as the lead federal agency for protecting the
