Episode 12: Mice, Music, and Mutants

• MIT researchers have replicated two of the tree symptoms of ASD (repetitive behavior and avoidance in social situations) by mutating a single gene known as shank3. (Shari Roan, LA TIMES, March 25)
• shank3 is a gene responsible for the appropriate firing of synapses, pointing to a genetic link to the neurological abnormalities among individuals with autism
• Previously, shank3 mutation has been implicated in only 1% of children with ASD (ABC News, Lara Salahi, March 21)
• SUNY Purchase has sponsored a symposium to discuss the links between music and the autistic brain. (Christine Loughran, March 21, Portchester Patch)
• Patterns in music appeal to individuals with autism and the melodic mathematics involved often open lines of communication that were otherwise cut.  For instance, music is a great way for a clinician to illustrate and discuss complex issues with a client who may not like to speak introspectively, but who is motivated to dissect and discuss applicable themes in music.
• Music therapy may not be beneficial for every affected individual, but it's invaluable for a large group who may exist in a dormant state otherwise.
• I've even used music to treat an autistic man who was also deaf, nonverbal, and mostly blind.  It changed his sensory life and enhanced our rapport ten fold.
• A 12-year-old boy is redefining what it means to be autistic. (Slate.com, March 24)
• Diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, the young man is already in college and working on revamping Einstein's theory of relativity.
• His IQ is beyond that of Einstein, with a score of 170.
• This illustrates the fact that autistic individuals are not only adversely affected by their neurological disorder.  Pathology can be a double-edged sword in that differences are often seen as negative when they offer new, positive possibilities.
• This kid's a mutant, in the same way that the superheroes in X-Men are
• On to a mutant of a different type... An ex-counselor at a summer camp on Staten Island is charged with sexually abusing an autistic boy. (Barry Paddock and Rocco Parascandola, Daily News, March 23)
• Francesco Zaffuto was 19 when he allegedly forced an 8 year old, nonverbal, boy with autism to perform sex acts in a camp bathroom while Zaffuto took pictures.
• Taking pictures on his iPhone proved helpful to investigators because the images contained geotags, which confirmed when and where they were taken.
• Mutant mice, mutant prodigies, and mutant monsters abound, we're getting closer to understanding the factors involved in the development of ASD and giving voice to those who are otherwise unable to advocate for themselves and protest against the abuse that our dysfunctional system of care often facilitates.   

Episode 11: MMR? Who knows?

After reading through research and discussing the MMR theory with parents of children with autism, I've decided that I'm too dumb to decide one way or the other.  Frankly, I don't think anyone knows what causes autism and I don't think worrying about what causes it will help treat those already affected.  It's important to know what causes it to prevent further cases, but there's nothing inherently "wrong" with individuals with autism and they deserve the full attention of intervention specialists and families.  Time that is wasted on anger could be spent on enhancing the life of a person with autism with love.


"Parents of children with autism who adhere to the idea that vaccinations cause autism are often radicalized by the push-back by professionals who dismiss their claims outright.  I've made the mistake of doing the same things when I began reading the literature; but, after reading hundreds of scientific journal articles and government reports, I can only confidently state that I have no idea what causes autism.  Nobody does.


So, there's evidence that MMR vaccines have nothing to do with the onset of autism.  There's also evidence that government agencies who distribute these vaccinations and the pharmaceutical companies that produce them for profit have worked to cover up information relative to their link to autism.  There's also evidence that the chemicals in question have caused brain swelling in the brains of monkeys, but that's not the only comorbidity with ASD.  When faced with this kind of situation, I have to declare ignorance.  I have no idea what actually causes autism; but, until I find conclusive evidence that it plays a causal role, I have to consider vaccinations as non-causal.


What should be done?  Well, more research should be done and that research should be as non-biased as possible.  The problem is, no research study is perfect and there's little money out there for research that comes from non-invested parties.  Of course the pharmaceutical companies are going to be the ones testing their drugs; they're their drugs.  And, if MMR proponents fund a different study, the argument of bais will persist.


When government agencies and scientists are held in the pockets of companies, the workings of government start to get mucked up.  Jon Stewart of The Daily Show coined a term for this; it starts with the word "cluster" and rhymes with the word "duck."


Science and social engineering are not concerned with the individual or an individual family.  Science has, unfortunately, taken a decidedly non-humanist path and is thinking in terms of populations, not people.  Any professional who categorizes a concerned parent as a conspiracy nut or loon needs their own head checked and maybe an injection of empathy.  But, both sides of this argument need to appreciate that there is no right or wrong answer as of yet.  Vaccine's may be a factor in the development of ASD; they may only effect those who are genetically predisposed to ASD; they may have no relationship at all and simply be administered at a coincidentally similar time as symptom expression; who knows?  Nobody knows.  Let's keep discussing it and do the best that we can with a group of really great kids who will grow up to be a group of really special adults with autism."

Episode 10: Abuse, neglect, and theft

• LAPD killing of autistic man was wrong, Police Commission rules (Joel Rubin, March 5, L.A. Now)
• Last year, an unarmed, 27 year old, african-american, autistic man was fatally shot by police for acting strangely.
• The police chief, Charlie Beck, declared after an internal investigation that the officers were justified for shooting the man who was armed only with a technological assist, a cell phone.
• Rarely does a commission reject the recommendation of a police chief, but this incident is so abhorrant and unforgivable that they were forced to admit wrongdoing.
• Police work is dangerous, stressful, and messy.  It's understandable that members of the force would look out for one another.  But, looking out for one another can also mean helping each other admit guilt and evolving beyond simple-minded group-think.  Group think is the most anti-social thing there is next to gossip and I'm grateful there are checks on organizations that have so much power over innocent civilians.
•  Autistic Girl Found in Boat on Pond (Catie Beck, Mar 6, WTVR) 
• An 8 year old autistic girl was found alone, in a boat in the middle of a pond, dressed only in her night-wear.  
• Charges of neglect may be pending; but, what's the gray area between using a soccer net to prevent such incidents (see the previous episode) and allowing such unfettered freedom?  What's neglect and what's abuse?  Commentators on this article argued for door alarms, but who can afford those?!?  We are not all wealthy enough to afford such luxurious means of control.
• Personally, I'm just grateful the girl was found before she drowned or froze to death.  Good job, Police officers, excellent work serving and protecting!
• Plea expected in autistic man's Wood Services van death (Laurie Schroeder, Mar 7, phillyburbs.com) 
• 41 year old aide from a Pennsylvania agency is expected to plead guilty of leaving an autistic man in a hot van for five hours, resulting in his death
• Parents aren't the only ones who struggle to deal with challenging behavior.  Service providers deal with compound challenges when trying to manage the needs of numerous individuals with autism.  They are often overworked, underpaid, and expected to work miracles with little to no support from their administrators.  
• This is an obvious example of neglect; but, I have to admit that I feel sorry for this woman who very likely did not have the resources necessary to manage this individual and the others in his group.  She may have been alone and forced to choose to leave a man behind in the van or take an entire group back to their residence.  
• Having worked in agencies like this, I have seen direct care staff who don't even have a high school diploma illustrate excellence in the care for individuals with autism.  I've also seen so-called doctors fail miserably.  Some aren't even able to provide the most basic level of care for the individuals they claim to serve.  It is sometimes these "doctors" who are running the show and who are ultimately responsible for instances of neglect, though they rarely get their hands dirty enough to be recognized as at fault. 
• When you place your loved one in the care of these people, you may be paying them to leave your loved one in a hot van for five hours, or in a room with the lights on for 15 days, or in a corner, covered in their own feces, with the self-righteous "doctor" claiming that they've defecated only for attention.  We NEED to move forward and develop a system of care that teaches advanced skills to those who have the longest lasting impact, the families.  Instead, we have a system that steals from the families and taxpayers by claiming expertise where no expertise actually exists.
• Nonprofit founder gets 60 days for theft (Joy Powell, Mar 4, startribune.com)
• Mario Cortolezzis, a Minnesota man who began a nonprofit organization to help individuals with autism and Alzheimer's was found guilty of theft and ordered to serve 60 days in jail and pay $43,000 in restitution.  
• He was raising money to support his organization, but also to pay his own mortgage and go tanning.
• Some of us do this work for free and might only ask for donations that would likely go to rent and utilities; is that stealing?  I know that I wouldn't be able to do this podcast if I didn't have electricity, a place to work, and internet access.  Though I haven't received any donations yet, would I be stealing if I used donations to pay for such expenses?  Let me know what you think!

Episode 9: You can pick your friends; you can pick your services; but you can't pick your genes

• Scientists Link 'Sets' of Genetic Abnormalities to Autism Risk (March 01, HealthDay News)
• Peter White and his colleagues published research findings in the March 1 issue of Molecular Psychiatry, which indicate a correlation between "copy number variations" (CNVs) and the development of autism spectrum disorders.  CNVs are changes in the gene when it is copied from one individual to another and researchers believe that some 800 such groups of copy number variations are responsible for the neurological differences in the brains of individuals with autism.
• The researchers are quick to point out that this implies many more than one single cause of autism, that there are "many different, possibly even hundreds, of genetic paths to autism..." - Peter White 
• This would add more dimensions to the spectrum of autism because it would become more and more clear that there are many more subtypes of ASD, differing due to different causes.
• Some who believe in a connection between fluoride and autism may be intrigued to know that AK is moving toward passing two bills, one mandating that fluoride be added to the water supply of populations over 5,000 and one mandating that private insurance companies cover care for autistic individuals.  Some may argue that this may be causing a problem in order to solve it and, simultaneously, support insurance companies since we will soon be forced to buy health insurance at increased cost to the individual or family.
• Personally, I think standards for care are important.
• Couple denies they caged, endangered severely autistic sons in unsanitary home.
• Authorities accused the couple of caging their son, but couple argued that they used soccer nets to close off a space for their son so he didn't endanger himself at night. 
• Officials claimed that the house had substantially poor ait quality, which could mean anything from carbon monoxide to cigarette smoke.  
• Was this couple just trying to the best they could under limited circumstances or were they negligent?  Does the government have the right to critique your living conditions or those of a developmentally disabled individual when he's in his family home, especially when they do not offer any better alternative.  State houses don't have soccer nets, but they have alarms, sensors, cameras, a night-shift of staff, locks, and motion-sensitive lights.  They're all means to the same end, only the government's cost an arm and a leg and working-class parents cannot afford such luxurious means of control.
• Freedom to Choose Leisure Activities Benefits People With Autism (March 3, ScienceDaily)
• NO DUH!
• Researchers "proved" that individuals with ASD did better on measures of social skills and communication after participating in a program that encouraged individual choice of leisure activities.
• This is why science can never overcome the insight that someone like a parent has.  Scientists had to take over a year and a lot of money to illustrate a point that is intuitively obvious to anyone with a measurable degree of intimate knowledge, empathy, or appreciation for anyone, including people with autism.
• Dad and autistic son reunited after High Court judgment (Mar 2, Dan Coombs, Uxbridge Gazette)
• Government overstepping its bounds isn't only an American phenomenon; when a father in the UK, Mark Neary, came down with the flu, his son with autism was sent to an agency that would care for him during his father's illness.  But, when his father recovered, the agency told him that his son needed to stay in their care as a matter of health and safety.  This was because the his son reacted very negatively to being removed from his normal life and forced into an entirely new system, with new rules, routines, and challenges.

Episode 8: The Neuropsychology of Autism

• Using EEGs to diagnose autism spectrum disorders in infants 
• Scientists in Boston, MA are finding ways of identifying children at risk of autism at very young ages (9 months).  This has huge implications for early intervention services and point to neurological substrates for the development of ASD.
• '“Many neuroscientists believe that autism reflects a ‘disconnection syndrome,’ by which distributed populations of neurons fail to communicate efficiently with one another,” explains Nelson. “The current paper supports this hypothesis by suggesting that the brains of infants at high risk for developing autism exhibit different patterns of neural connectivity, though the relationship between entropy and the density of neural arbors remains to be explored.” (Neural arbors are projections of neurons that form synapses or connections with other neurons.)'
• Read more about the neuropsychology of autism and access our references here!
• Read more about fractal psychology here!