The good news buzzing around the web right now is that recent research shows there may be a real possibility of earlier detection—in infants as young as six months, in fact.

In a study published by the American Journal of Psychiatry, researchers used a brain imaging test to measure “white matter,” a specific form of nerve activity in the brain. The testing showed that infants with higher risk of autism had different growth patterns in the brain’s nerve fibers than those who did not. The research team stressed that this is a preliminary study, and does not mean that early diagnosis is now possible. But it does indicate real progress in the effort to identify infants with the highest risk.

ow does this particular autism research affect us in the here and now? The big picture is a little brighter, as scientists continue to make headway in the work to treat autism. And for the rest of us, it is a useful reminder to stay attuned to our children’s behavioral changes. Early treatment is one of the best ways to help your child.

Though the American Autism Association funds individuals and families rather than research, we laud the scientists who are working on these issues.

For more about our autism NY mission, please visit our About Us page.

First things first: what is the autism spectrum? It is a way of describing a set of five pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), which are characterized by socialization, communication, and cognitive delays in children and adults. The spectrum includes:

• Autism
• Asperger syndrome
• Childhood disintegrative disorder
• Rett syndrome
• PDD not otherwise specified

And since the severity of each of these PDDs can vary so much, experts use the autism spectrum as a way of defining the degree of severity of the condition—in order to make as clear an autism assessment as possible.

The autism spectrum quotient is a relatively new way of helping identify an individual’s spot on the spectrum. In 2001, the UK’s Autism Research Centre’s Simon Baron-Cohen, along with a team of experts, created the 50-question questionnaire as a way to find out if adults with average intelligence had symptoms of PDD. Since then, versions targeted for children and adolescents have also been published.

Question topics range from communications to social behavior to attention to detail, with answer options including: “Definitely agree,” “Somewhat agree,” “Somewhat disagree,” “Definitely disagree.” Each question that’s answered with an autistic trait scores one point, so the higher the score, the higher the quotient of PDD characteristics.

It is vital to remember that the autism spectrum quotient has never been intended as a diagnostic tool. It may, however, be what a parent needs to realize it’s time to seek expert counsel.

Learn Your Child’s Autism Spectrum Quotient

The test takes just a few minutes to complete, and it’s free from several online outlets. Here are some quick links for those of you ready to take the test:

• Autism Spectrum Quotient for adults
• Autism Spectrum Quotient for children [PDF]
• Autism Spectrum Quotient for adolescents [PDF]

Ultimately, the autism spectrum quotient may very well make it easier for parents to identify how many of their children’s traits are associated with pervasive developmental disability. If the score is high, it may be a helpful sign that an expert autism assessment is needed.

Would you like more information on the various diagnostic options available to your family? Visit our autism programs page or just drop us a line to find out how American Autism Association can help you initiate or understand your autism assessment.

Treating an autistic child costs money—much more than most families can or should have to afford. In fact, estimates have ranged from $500,000 for raising one child with autism until he or she is 22, to a 3–$5 million price tag for society throughout his or her life. And with the economic troubles we’re all a little too familiar with these days, it’s even more distressing that our autism NY community so often faces these financial challenges alone.

Naturally this begs the question: Shouldn’t the insurance companies help shoulder the burden? There is a grassroots effort underway to push insurance providers to include educational autism programs, such as applied-behavior analysis and speech and occupational therapy, as well as medical treatment for the various physical issues related to the disorder, from gastrointestinal issues to epilepsy.

Some insurance companies have listened, but most still do not cover the full range of needs of families facing autism. In a few states, legislators have mandated certain types of coverage, but this is still the exception rather than the rule, and even the best offerings don’t help with the more hidden costs, such as the extra time off work parents need to care for their autistic children.

And in the meantime, while politicians and insurance providers argue, we have families here and now who need our help.

Turning the Tide in Autism Funding, Together

At the American Autism Association, we believe strongly that autism program costs are ones the entire community should share together. Getting appropriate treatment helps one family, to be sure—but it also helps us all collectively. For every individual breakthrough, there is a new opportunity for us to learn more about the causes of autism and various ways of treating it. Together we are far more powerful than we are as individuals. And the insurance companies and legislators would do well to recognize that.

Until that day—you know, the day on which autism funding falls from the sky and every child gets the care he or she deserves—we’re not going anywhere. There is so much we can do together to help turn the tide on autism NY. You can count on us to stay the course, to help you and your autistic child access the services they deserve, and not to give up on any family who needs help. In our humble opinion, there is no better way to make a difference in the effort against autism than to do so with one family, one child at a time.

Would you like to find out how we can work together to turn the tide on autism? Have a look around our autism NY web site, and consider getting involved with our efforts as a volunteer or donor today.

But what about the people here and now in our own community? We decided to get to know the parents around New York—and find out how we could help them.

The things we learned just by listening to the community inspired our organizational mission. Specifically, these are the parental priorities we’ve made our own:

Prioritizing individuals

You and your autistic child are definitely not alone—and yet your needs are unique, too. We won’t take a cookie cutter approach to helping you access the quality programs and services you deserve. For each family, we assess which of our programs is best matched for the child’s unique needs. And we won’t just drop you off at the corner—we arrange for participation in the programs and check in on an ongoing basis to make sure everyone is getting the most out of the experience.

Helping people immediately and directly

While other groups work on the science of what causes autism or providing autism funding for people in other countries, our focus will always be on you, on the autism NY community we serve. While we believe those other efforts are worthy, we are proud to keep our efforts local, making a real difference in the community here and now. All donations stay in New York, going to help individual families afford top-quality programs.

A holistic, comprehensive approach

We also know that parenting a child with autism takes more than just a dedicated school curriculum—it’s about a holistic approach. After-school and weekend workshops are critical to helping your child make his or her own place in the world. And camps that are more geared to fun are also important to your child’s development as a social, content member of society. We also give parents the tools they need to enrich their autistic children’s lives at home, too, offering such take-home resources as social stories for autistic children and game ideas.

Connecting families with the autism programs they need

There are many fine schools for autism, autism support groups, and other autism programs out there. But the system isn’t rigged to help overtired, overworked parents navigate it. We make it so it is. We work with programs that employ the best in autistic teachers and counselors, from highly qualified speech pathologists to life skills specialists, each of whom incorporates appropriate learning into all their activities. That means your child will learn at their own pace in his or her own way, whether it’s in a simulation of a small town, where they’ll teach basic life skills such as how to cross the street safely, or in the form of a community-wide swimming event.

Supporting with autism funding

Unfortunately, these programs are expensive. A good life skills camp costs anywhere from $400–700 for two weeks alone—an expense that’s simply not an option for many families. And that’s not good enough for us. To us, the whole purpose of fundraising is to help children. If we help one program make a difference in one child’s life, we have all the reason in the world to be proud. And we do it again and again for families across the state, thanks to the generous support of our donors.

It all comes down to one simple truth: Children with autism in our own community can benefit from a little extra support. And we’re going to make sure they get it.

Find out more about our efforts by browsing around our web site, or consider getting involved as a volunteer or donor today.

Welcome to our brand spanking new, redesigned website!  We’re very excited about the new look as well as the direction that our organization is heading in but we would like to hear what you think as well.  Please feel free to leave us your comments, criticisms or ideas via this blog or our email and I promise that each person will receive an individual response from me personally!

Sincerely,

Eduard Rozenfeld

President