Left Brain/Right Brain

Most Children with ASD Diagnosed After Age 5, Use Multiple Services and Medications

2012-05-25T04:04:00Z

A study just out from US National Institute of Mental Health researchers analyzes a survey they performed. Even today half of sad children identified are not diagnosed until after age 5. Half of autistic school age kids are using some form of psychotropic medicine.

The study is discussed here:

Most Children with ASD Diagnosed After Age 5, Use Multiple Services and Medications

And that discussion is quoted below:

Fewer than one out of five school-aged children with special health care needs were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by age 2, according to new data from an NIMH-funded study. These diagnoses were made by a variety of health care providers, and most children in the study used multiple health care services (such as speech or language therapy) and multiple medications.

Background

Identifying ASD at an early age allows children to start treatment sooner, which can improve their later development and learning, and may also reduce a child’s need for specialized services or treatments later in life.

To determine the experiences of school-aged children with special health care needs, Lisa Colpe, Ph.D., M.P.H., and Bev Pringle, Ph.D., of the NIMH Division of Services and Intervention Research, collaborated with colleagues who conducted more than 4,000 telephone interviews with parents or guardians of a child between the ages of 6-17 who had a confirmed diagnosis of ASD, intellectual disability, and/or developmental delay.

These survey interviews were a part of the Pathways to Diagnosis and Services Study, sponsored by NIMH using funds available from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). Additional collaborators on this project include the National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

Results of the Study

Key findings include:
The median age when school aged children with special health care needs and ASD were first identified as having ASD was 5 years.
Those identified as having ASD at younger than 5 years were diagnosed most often by generalists (such as pediatricians, family physicians, and nurse practitioners) and psychologists. Those identified later than 5 years were diagnosed primarily by psychologists and psychiatrists.

Nine out of ten school-aged children with special health care needs and ASD used at least one health care service, such as behavioral intervention or modification services, sensory integration therapy, cognitive based therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, social skills training, or speech or language therapy.

Social skills training and speech or language therapy were the most commonly used service, each used by almost 60 percent, or three out of five, of these children.

More than half of school-aged children with special health care needs and ASD used at least one psychotropic medication. “Psychotropic medication” refers to any medication used to treat a mental disorder.
Almost 33 percent of these children used stimulant medications
25 percent used anti-anxiety or mood-stabilizing medications
20 percent used antidepressants.

Further findings are available in the NCHS Data Brief and Frequently Asked Questions.

Significance
The new data detail the experiences of young children with ASD, describing when they are first identified as having ASD, who is making those identifications, and the services and medications the children use to meet their developmental needs.

What’s Next
NIMH encourages researchers to access and analyze the new dataset to produce more studies on the early life experiences and the diagnostic, service, and treatment issues relevant to children with ASD and special health care needs. The Pathways to Diagnosis and Services Study dataset can be accessed at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/slaits/spds.htm.

Reference
Pringle BA, Colpe LJ, Blumberg SJ, Avila RM, Kogan MD. Diagnostic History and Treatment of School-Aged Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Special Health Care Needs. NCHS data brief, no 97. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2012.

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Join ASAN Seattle in Protesting the Judge Rotenberg Center at the ABAI Convention!

2012-05-24T17:48:27Z

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) is organizing a protest against the Judge Rotenberg Center.

On Sunday, May 27th, the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) is holding their annual convention in the city of Seattle, Washington. As they have many times in the past, ABAI is allowing the Judge Rotenberg Center (JRC) to exhibit at their convention this year.

The Judge Rotenberg Center’s use of contingent electric shock, food deprivation, mechanical restraint and other “aversives” have been called out as abusive on multiple occations. In 2010, their practices were declared torture by the United Nations, which then asked the US government to intervene. Recent civil litigation has led to renewed media attention from sources ranging from the Boston Globe to Anderson Cooper’s television shows. The United States Department of Justice has targeted the Judge Rotenberg Center in an ongoing investigation of their abusive practices. For decades, disability rights advocates have worked towards one simple goal: shut the Judge Rotenberg Center down.

Still, ABAI hasn’t gotten the message: the Judge Rotenberg Center’s use of torture in the name of treatment should never be given a platform. ABAI needs to disavow the Judge Rotenberg Center and other facilities which use abusive treatments.

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network’s Seattle chapter is mobilizing to tell ABAI that when it comes to the torture of disabled children and adults, the time has come for them to pick a side, condemn the Judge Rotenberg Center and stop giving them a platform.

When: Sunday, May 27th, 2012 at 12 NOON PDT

Where: Washington Convention & Trade Center Downtown

800 Convention Place, Seattle, WA 98101-2350

RSVP on Facebook

With pending legislation in New York and Massachusetts, we are closer now than ever before to ending the Judge Rotenberg Center’s torture of our people. Please show up to the protest and invite others to attend with you.

Places like the Judge Rotenberg Center count on the world not caring about people with disabilities to survive. They count on on society’s unwillingness to open its eyes and see Americans with disabilities as equal citizens deserving of equal rights. This Sunday, let’s prove how wrong they are. Let’s make sure our voices are heard.

Sincerely,
Ari Ne’eman
President
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network
http://autisticadvocacy.org/

2 comment(s) for this post:

Roger Kulp:
2012-May-25 One thing that needs to be stressed over and over,is that The Judge Rotenberg Center may be one of the more extreme examples of abuse,but it is hardly unique.To one degree or another,this sort of stuff goes on every day at "group homes"all over the country.Every one ought to be shut down.Every resident taught to live as independently as possible.
stanley seigler:
2012-May-25 @Roger Kulp: "...Every one ought to be shut down.Ever resident taught to live as independently as possible..." as mentioned here too often (apologies)...JRC gets around $250,000/yr per consumer...for $250,000, most all consumers could be provided an independent, supportive living program with 1:1, 24/7, support and appropriate programing...

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Autism Advocacy: Developing New Markets

2012-05-22T22:42:29Z

Autism Speaks is hiring. You can find their job posts on the Web. Nothing surprising about that. Here is a segment from a recent job post:

Autism Speaks is the world’s largest autism science and advocacy organization, dedicated to funding global biomedical research into the causes, prevention, treatment and cure for autism. We currently have a rewarding (new) career opportunity available for an experienced Area Director – South Florida (Miami, Palm Beach, Broward) to join our growing organization.

The selected individual will be responsible for driving revenue through walks and events, strengthening existing markets and identifying and developing new markets. Must be experienced in staff management and volunteer leadership development. This position reports to the Executive Director – South Florida Chapter, which is based in Miami, FL.

Let me highlight the phrase that caught my eye: “...strengthening existing markets and identifying and developing new markets”.

Before people start talking about “big Autism” and all, that’s not really my point. More my own naivety. We’d like to think of Autism Speaks’ walk-a-thons and other fundraising as being organized by the communities. But this is a $50M a year charity. That’s just not going to happen with an all volunteer organization.

Are you happy with what the $50M/year organization does? That is another question.

17 comment(s) for this post:

KWombles:
2012-May-23 Actually, it's closer to $70 million than to $50 million a year unless 2011's fundraising was less than 2010's (I haven't looked to see, but I know we were down locally in our fundraising efforts). And make no mistake, it is a business that is constantly seeking to increase its intake--expecting 10% growth annually in each of its walk markets. Their argument is that they can't do the research without the money--they can't add to their services without the money. But, never fear, it's not really about the money--it's about what the money can do. And that's all well and good if the money is going where it's needed most. I think many people would agree that funding needs to be towards activities, job training, assisted living situations, and research that looks at improving skill sets and increasing the chance of independence, not for research looking at a cure--it's irresponsible not to work to help people now who need it. Their expectation is for year round fundraising, as well. It's becoming an increasingly hungrier machine and sometimes that means heavy pressure on and a lack of appreciation for their volunteers. As several of our online friends and allies have noted in their experiences with AS, people skills are often sorely lacking in their paid staff, as well. Many situations that have been reported have been badly handled. I would hope that the organization's leaders would be a little more alert to these things and quicker to fix these issues.
Science Mom:
2012-May-23 What is their non-administrative proportion of each dollar? And yes, referring to autism issues and people as a "market" is pretty skeevy.
KWombles:
2012-May-23 Financial Performance Metrics Program Expenses 72.5% Administrative Expenses 4.5% Fundraising Expenses 22.9% Fundraising Efficiency $0.22 Primary Revenue Growth 4.5% Program Expenses Growth -0.1% Working Capital Ratio (years) 0.25 http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm? bay=search.summary&orgid=12720 Apparently, their banner year was 2008 (which is what I was remembering--68 million). 2009 saw it drop to 45 mil, and 2010 went back up to 50 mil. It will be interesting to see what happened for 2011. Salaries in 2010 equaled grants given out: around 16 mil and some change.
Autism Blog – Autism Advocacy: Developing New Markets « Left … | My Autism Site | All About Autism:
2012-May-23 [...] Original post: Autism Blog – Autism Advocacy: Developing New Markets « Left … [...]
Turok:
2012-May-23 What is that comment above about? Is this some sort of PR person that's doing apologetics above? Actually, forget that question. it is one.

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Student placed in cardboard box for time out, others called mentally retarded in their yearbook

2012-05-22T18:48:52Z

Two stories out today show

In the first (see Teacher gets lengthy suspension after student put in box) as part of a “time out” punishment. A large cardboard box was found in a classroom. When a parent asked what the box was for, she was told that the box was for time outs for another child. The parent took a picture to document the box. Good thing as shortly afterwards the box was removed.

According to the story that goes along with the video:

A middle school special education teacher accused of forcing a child with special needs into a cardboard box as punishment has been suspended without pay.

In another school-related story, a high school in Texas handed out year books that cited the disabilities of the special education students attending, including referring to some as mentally retarded:

The specific disabilties of students were cited in the yearbook, with some labeled as “both blind and deaf, as well as mentally retarded,” KDFW reported.

The yearbooks were collected and new ones are being issued.

note: this was edited after publication to improve the formatting of this article on the main LBRB page.

3 comment(s) for this post:

passionlessDrone:
2012-May-22 @Sullivan - Weird little WCNC logo hoses up rendering of front page on some browsers. Also, very sad stuff. - pD
Sullivan:
2012-May-22 thans pD. And, yes, sad. I seriously can't express how these stories affect me.
David N. Andrews M. Ed., C. P. S. E.:
2012-May-24 The teacher must be stupid for thinking that 'time out' is actually a means of punishing. It isn't. It's a means of withholding positive reinforcement (a different matter entirely and certainly not about removing something pleasant or applying something unpleasant!) ... And time out is not something one uses a cardboard box for. I'm sickened....

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ASAN: URGENT! Ask Your Senators to Support a Ban on Aversives!

2012-05-21T16:06:53Z

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network has called an urgent action alert to call for the ban of aversives in the state of Massachusetts, home of the Judge Rotenberg Center. Residents of Massachusetts can call their state senators and support legislation that could stop the use of aversives.

Ask Your Senators for a
Ban on Aversives in Massachusetts!

Last Friday, Massachusetts State Senator Brian Joyce filed two amendments to the Senate Ways & Means Budget currently pending in the Massachusetts State Senate. One of these amendments calls for a complete ban of aversives – also called “aversive therapy” – while the other would restrict their use. If passed, this would ban or limit the use of practices like the contingent electric shock used at the Judge Rotenberg Center (JRC).

But it takes more than one senator to get an amendment passed. We urge you to contact your Massachusetts State Senator and ask him or her to sign on to the Joyce amendments banning or restricting the use of aversives. But please hurry, the deadline has been extended to noon (12pm EST) on May 23rd!

You can find your Senator’s phone number or email at http://www.malegislature.gov/People/Senate. Because of the urgent deadline, calling their office will be the most effective way to contact them.

Thank you for your support for the rights and safety of Autistics and other people with disabilities in the great state of Massachusetts.

Nothing About Us, Without Us!

Sincerely,
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
http://autisticadvocacy.org/

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TPGA: IMFAR 2012: An Update on the ASD DSM-5 Recommendations

2012-05-19T16:57:53Z

There is much discussion on the DSM 5 at IMFAR. This includes talks from Sue Swedo at the stakeholder’s lunch and a formal (and highly attended) conference talk The Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism has four of their editors at the conference and has an article on the DSM 5 discussion.

IMFAR 2012: An Update on the ASD DSM-5 Recommendations

We spoke with Sue [Swedo] at length both at the IMFAR Stakeholder’s lunch, and after her IMFAR talk. Any errors or omissions in this summary of her talk are on TPGA. -SR

More at the TPGA site.

1 comment(s) for this post:

RAJensen:
2012-May-20 What impact will DSM5 have on prevelance rates or access to services in toddlers? Matson et al diagnosed a very large group of toddlers currently diagnosed with autism (DSM-IV). 2,721 toddlers participated in the study. The result: 47% of toddlers currently diagnosed with autism would not be diagnosed with autism according to the new DSM5 proposal. This replicates two previous studies that found DSM5 will diagnose fewer people with autism. The previous studies looked at older children and adolescents and adults. This is the first study that looked at toddlers: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22582849 So far, four groups have looked at the impact of DSM5 as it relates to autism. Only one group found little change, the DSM5 group. All three other groups found that large numbers of toddlers, adolescents and adults will no longer meet diagnostic criteria for autism. Only DSM5 own field trials have reported no difference. The ICD-11 working group for autism, chaired by Sir Michael Rutter, also disagrees with the entire DSM5 concept and methodolgy. Time to put DSM5 on hold for a few more years?

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Some first-hand reports from IMFAR

2012-05-19T00:04:03Z

Here are some reports that have been written on IMFAR so far. IMFAR is a three day conference, with one pre-conference day. Saturday (tomorrow) is the last day.

Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism

IMFAR 2012: Genetic Variants in ASD

IMFAR 2012: On Communicating Autism Science

Autism: Friendships in Adolescence from IMFAR 2012

IMFAR 2012 Press Conference

Autism Science Foundation

Reactions from IMFAR Travel Grantees: Day 2

Reactions from IMFAR Travel Grantees: Day 1

Follow Twitter streams

IMFAR

#IMFAR2012

Edit to add:

Here’s an article by Estee Klar:
My First Impressions of IMFAR 2012

I hope to have some articles by autistics soon.

12 comment(s) for this post:

Kassiane:
2012-May-20 "I hope to have some articles by autistics soon." Oh that's adorable. You think we can afford IMFAR. It costs more than an awful lot of us (most of us?) make in a month or 6.
Sullivan:
2012-May-20 A careful eye would note that autistic reports are already included in the links above. The Autism Science Foundation links include brief reports from Melissa Shimek, for example. http://autismsciencefoundation.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/better-know-an-imfar-grantee-melissa-shimek-and-meagan-thompson/ Are you unaware that your fellow TPGA editor Corina Becker attended? Carol Greenburg? Alex Plank, John Robison, Kerry (fb.me/ZXi3AvsE) all should report back soon or have already . I'd love to see IMFAR more accessible financially to autistics, but let's stick to facts.
Kassiane:
2012-May-20 Yeah I'm aware. I also know that it is financially inaccessible to the vast majority of autistics. I know that it was like right next door to Corina (and that it was a struggle). I know that Alex is on the Autism Speaks payroll, as is John Robison. I know that JER has been classist since before he heard the word autism. I know Stephen Shore was also there, and that like the rest of this group, with the possible exception of Corina, he can more or less pass. I know that for your average autistic I am doing financially pretty well, even though I live well below the poverty line. I know how much I *didn't* eat to afford every conference I ever made it to-and those are the ones with rates specifically for autistics, and that was being 4+ to a hotel room. IMFAR, like all autism conferences (with the exception of AutCom) is financially inaccessible, and that's not even going into the fun of paying all that money to hear how broken you are.
Marjorie Madfis:
2012-May-21 I am a parent who was a grantee of Autism Science Foundation. They cover $1000 of the cost, which for me covered registration, hotel and airfare. I paid for meals and airport transfers, etc. So I recommend that you apply for next year. It was very techinical but I found sessions that were appropriate for my interests. The posters were really informative. I started a blog so perhaps that may be informative from a parent perspective. Let me know what you think.
Sullivan:
2012-May-21 Kassiane, I hope this reads sincerely--I wish I had the money to sponsor you to go to IMFAR. I'd like to see researchers get your perspective. Not all of IMFAR is the "broken autistic" message, but it is there. Yes, IMFAR is out of the financial realm of possibility for a lot of people. My guess is that Marjorie Madfis stayed someone fairly inexpensive to make the $1000 cover so much. Of course this is even more difficult for autistics. Interesting how soon this came following on Paul Shattuck's study on unemployment and underemployment for autistics. The pre-conference event this year was a good move. I heard talk of trying to put some of the talks online last year. One thing that needs to be added to this discussion is the fact that for many autistics no amount of money would make the IMFAR accessible.

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Adult Outcomes in Autism: A Prospective Longitudinal Examination of the Effects of Early Intensive Intervention: A 20 Year Follow-Up

2012-05-18T00:37:25Z

It’s been over 25 years since Ivar Lovaas published a study on Applied Behavioral Analysis which would made ABA therapy (for good or bad, you can find vocal proponents of both opinions) the “gold standard” for young autistic children.

Now, some of the children who participated in the early studies and ABA programs are adults. Bryna Siegel, a professor at the Univerisity of California at San Francisco is presenting preliminary results on adult outcomes at IMFAR. I’ve been waiting for the abstract for some time since reading the title of the talk online. Unfortunately, the work is obviously very preliminary. One can hope that more will be presented at IMFAR and more will come.

B. Siegel1, T. Sendowski2, O. Park3, S. Radhakrishna3 and W. Phuchareon3, (1)University of California, San Francisco, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States, (2)Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, (3)Children’s Center at Langley Porter, Child and Adolescent Psychatiry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

Title: Adult Outcomes in Autism: A Prospective Longitudinal Examination of the Effects of Early Intensive Intervention: A 20 Year Follow-Up

Background: In the past 15 years, estimates of autism prevalence have increased to as high as 1:110 presently (2008, CDC). Utilization of special education, speech and language therapies, social skills training and occupational therapy by individuals with autism has increased dramatically, yet little is known about long-term effectiveness of this costly resource allocation (GAO, 2005). It is known that 95% of California adults with autism are unemployed and not living independently (SMART, 2010). Young adults with autism who are now 21-26 years old are the first cohort to have received early intensive behavioral interventions (EIBI), now the legal standard for a ‘free and appropriate public education’ (IDEA, 2004). It is now critical to ascertain whether this cohort, the first to receive EIBI, is better prepared for adulthood as it makes this transition.

Objectives: This preliminary study will examine whether 1) pre-treatment diagnosis and cognitive characteristics, or 2) receipt of EIBI or not, accounts for the most variance in adult outcomes.

Methods: We used a prospective longitudinal methodology relying on archival data from the UCSF Autism Archive. The archive includes initial diagnostic and cognitive assessments gathered by primary clinicians when these, now adult, subjects were 0-5 years old, as well as data indicating whether EIBI or less intensive interventions were then being used. Ss were re-contacted as adults, along with their caregivers, and new diagnostic (DSM-IV, ADOS), adaptive behavior (VABS), and status variables (living situation, employment) were collected. Data on interim treatment intervention were collected based on caregiver report. Intensity of services were indexed by numbers of a) one-to-one treatment hours per week b) total treatment hours, and c) ratio of one-to-one hours/ total treatment hours. This is an important study as pre-treatment data and treatment status data were collected prospectively.

Results: To date, we have identified 49 Ss initially seen at 0-5 years of age, before initiation of any EIBI who remain in our catchment area. We so far, have re-contacted 8 families scheduled for the post-test assessment. Telephone interviewing suggests some of these Ss were 1) low functioning initially, received EIBI and remain low functioning, 2) that some were high functioning, did not receive EIBI and remain high functioning, and 3) that some were high functioning, received EIBI and remain high functioning.

Conclusions: We will present preliminary findings on a small sample of at least 20 Ss that represent these three groups and provide preliminary discussion of pre-test and treatment data that may explain outcomes.

6 comment(s) for this post:

Anne:
2012-May-18 Am I getting the right impression that (at least in this tiny group studied), EIBI was not found to improve daily functioning of autistics? Is this because autistics can't improve their skills, or because EIBI tends to focus on "quiet hands" and similar normalization instead of improving useful communication and real-life skills? I know of (personally and through their writing) more autistics than were interviewed for this study who definitely improved as a result of parents and teachers working with them in ways that may not qualify as EIBI.
Laurentius Rex:
2012-May-18 Aha it is that time of year again is it. I call this the "IMFAR effect" Oh well I can't see my ever getting a paper accepted at IMFAR, I did not even bother this year. I'm content to do the disability studies circuit, I have an interesting one coming up in September, "The social construction of the Savant" it won't be what some people want to hear, and if I am lucky I will be doing a political later on.
Autism Blog – Adult Outcomes in Autism: A Prospective Longitudinal … | My Autism Site | All About Autism:
2012-May-18 [...] Go here to see the original: Autism Blog – Adult Outcomes in Autism: A Prospective Longitudinal … [...]
stanley seigler:
2012-May-19 @LBRB It’s been over 25 years since Ivar Lovaas published a study on Applied Behavioral Analysis which would made ABA therapy (for good or bad, you can find vocal proponents of both opinions) the “gold standard” for young autistic children... 25 years would be 1987...my daughter and some of her peers received lovaas' ABA at UCLA around 1968-80...anecdotal evidence does not indicate ABA was a gold standard...except in the opine of the ABA promotional scientists... any studies to indicate long term result of ABA (1968-80) on classic kanner autism...specifically the non verbals...
Sullivan:
2012-May-20 Stanley seigler, I think you hit on the reason I put "gold standard" in quotes. Word from the conference is that the poster was still very preliminary.

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ASAN: Urge For the Ban on Aversives in Massachusetts!

2012-05-18T04:13:19Z

This action alert is from ASAN:

Urge For the Ban on Aversives in Massachusetts!

Tomorrow, May 18th, 2012, Massachusetts State Senator Brian Joyce will be filing two amendments to the Senate Ways & Means Budget currently pending in the Massachusetts State Senate. One of these amendments calls for a complete ban of aversives – also called “aversive therapy” – while the other would restrict their use. If passed, this would ban or limit the use of practices like the contingent electric shock used at the Judge Rotenberg Center (JRC).

But it takes more than one senator to get an amendment passed. We urge you to contact your Massachusetts State Senator and ask him or her to sign on to the Joyce amendments banning or restricting the use of aversives. But please hurry- they have to have signed on by the noon (12pm EST), May 18th deadline!

You can find your Senator’s phone number or email at http://www.malegislature.gov/People/Senate. Because of the urgent deadline, calling their office will be the most effective way to contact them.

Thank you for your support for the rights and safety of Autistics and other people with disabilities in the great state of Massachusetts.

Nothing About Us, Without Us!

Sincerely,
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
http://autisticadvocacy.org

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Study Finds Early Childhood Educators Can Effectively Screen Students For Autism In Underserved Communities

2012-05-17T17:42:31Z

Studies presented at IMFAR this year addresses the problem of how to effectively screen children for autism in underserved communities. Many studies have shown that the rates of identified autism are lower in racial and ethnic minorities and those with lower socio-economic status. For example, CDC autism prevalence estimates routinely show lower estimated prevalence for Hispanic or African American students. This suggests the possibility that a large fraction of the autism population remains unidentified and under served.

The study authors propose using teachers to actively participate in the community screening efforts. From Study Finds Early Childhood Educators Can Effectively Screen Students For Autism In Underserved Communities

In a study with national implications, researchers at Children’s Specialized Hospital found that in underserved communities using teachers to screen for autism in preschools and day care centers is more effective than the current system that relies solely on parents and pediatricians to identify the disorder.

Two studies from this group presented at IMFAR are: Parent-Teacher Agreement on An Autism Screener in An Underserved Preschool Population and Feasibility of Autism Screening in Underserved Populations.

From the news story:

“We found that unless we go out into underserved communities we are going to be missing many children who have autism,” said lead researcher Dr. Yvette Janvier, developmental/behavioral pediatrician and medical director – Toms River, Children’s Specialized Hospital. “This is the first study to look at using teachers in preschools and day care centers to screen for autism.”

The idea is so simple. Probably not surprising to many of us. From my own experience, I recall early intervention therapists telling us that they couldn’t tell parents about suspicions of autism for the children. They weren’t just not being engaged in the screening process, they were being told to keep quiet.

If the name of Dr. Yvette Janvier sounds familiar, she was a member of the previous Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC).

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