I was awake at 5:30 this morning, had some breakfast, and was enjoying a mug (not a cup, a mug) of coffee when I noticed that the time was 6:05 am. Startled I jumped up to see if everything was OK with my son Conor. Conor suffers from severe autism
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Facing Autism in New Brunswick: Surprise! A Meaningful Autism Disorder Study Provides Evidence of Autism’s Harsh Realities
Autism is a disorder which, far beyond its core diagnostic criteria, brings with it higher than average medical conditions and psychiatric illnesses. The health status of adults on the autism spectrum study confirms the harsh realities of autism disorders and should not be ignored or lightly dismissed by academics, mainstream
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Surprise! A Meaningful Autism Disorder Study Provides Evidence of Autism’s Harsh Realities
Autism is a disorder which, far beyond its core diagnostic criteria, brings with it higher than average medical conditions and psychiatric illnesses. The health status of adults on the autism spectrum study confirms the harsh realities of autism disorders and should not be ignored or lightly dismissed by academics, mainstream media or professional “self” advocates who, despite their very high functioning levels, insist on burying the harsh realities of the severely autistic, like my son, in the mounds of autism ignorance they dump on the public landscape. As the study indicates autism disorders mean significantly higher than average psychiatric illnesses and medical conditions. Not much joy to be found in those realities.This study though should be helpful in bringing a much needed dose of autism realities to the public understanding of autism disorders and the harsh realities that accompany them.
The health status of adults on the autism spectrum
- Lisa A Croen1
- Ousseny Zerbo1
- Yinge Qian1
- Maria L Massolo1
- Steve Rich2
- Stephen Sidney1
- Clarissa Kripke3
1Kaiser Permanente Northern California—Oakland, USA
2Kaiser Permanente Northern California—Santa Rosa, USA
3University of California, San Francisco, USA
- Lisa A Croen, Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California—Oakland, 2000 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612, USA. Email: Lisa.A.Croen@kp.org
Abstract
Compared to the general pediatric population, children with autism have higher rates of co-occurring medical and psychiatric illnesses, yet very little is known about the general health status of adults with autism. The objective of this study was to describe the frequency of psychiatric and medical conditions among a large, diverse, insured population of adults with autism in the United States. Participants were adult members of Kaiser Permanente Northern California enrolled from 2008 to 2012. Autism spectrum disorder cases (N = 1507) were adults with autism spectrum disorder diagnoses (International Classification of Diseases-9-Clinical Modification codes 299.0, 299.8, 299.9) recorded in medical records on at least two separate occasions. Controls (N = 15,070) were adults without any autism spectrum disorder diagnoses sampled at a 10:1 ratio and frequency matched to cases on sex and age. Adults with autism had significantly increased rates of all major psychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, obsessive–compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, and suicide attempts. Nearly all medical conditions were significantly more common in adults with autism, including immune conditions, gastrointestinal and sleep disorders, seizure, obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes. Rarer conditions, such as stroke and Parkinson’s disease, were also significantly more common among adults with autism. Future research is needed to understand the social, healthcare access, and biological factors underlying these observations.
Facing Autism in New Brunswick: Conor After Another Seizure
. Conor has been on a good run for the previous 7-10 days and today was pretty much the same until 6:15 this evening when we heard a loud thump uupstairs. His mom ran upstairs and screamed for help when she saw him convulsing on the fl…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Conor After Another Seizure
. Conor has been on a good run for the previous 7-10 days and today was pretty much the same until 6:15 this evening when we heard a loud thump uupstairs. His mom ran upstairs and screamed for help when she saw him convulsing on the floor with thick fluids
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Conor After Another Seizure
. Conor has been on a good run for the previous 7-10 days and today was pretty much the same until 6:15 this evening when we heard a loud thump uupstairs. His mom ran upstairs and screamed for help when she saw him convulsing on the floor with thick fluids
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Medicare for Autism NOW! Campaign Kick Off Today!
Vancouver, BC – Today, the Medicare for autism Now! Society (“MFAN”), a non-partisan, not-for-profit, all volunteer organization, announced the launch of its nation-wide One in 68 campaign. “We will be holding a Campaign Kick-off this Saturday, June 27th, at Douglas College, New Westminster, between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm,” said MFAN director and campaign manager, Dr. Sherri Brown, “It will outline the rationale for our initiative and lay-out our action and advocacy agenda leading to the federal election on October 19th, less than four months away.”
The MFAN campaign takes its name from the fact that, currently in North America, one in 68 children are being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). “There is a national epidemic of staggering proportion happening in Canada,” said MFAN director, Jean Lewis, “And, unlike the situation in the United States, our federal government has to date failed miserably to demonstrate long overdue leadership in addressing this major and growing national health care challenge.”
The One in 68 campaign will seek firm commitments from those who wish to hold elected office in Ottawa to vote in favour of necessary changes to the Canada Health Act so that persons living with ASD across our country will have science-based treatment for their core health need covered by Medicare. MFAN intends to focus its efforts on a limited number of highly competitive electoral districts in various parts of Canada. In Metro Vancouver, these include: Burnaby North-Seymour, Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam, Delta, Surrey Centre, Surrey-Newton, Vancouver Centre and Vancouver Quadra.
For further information, contact Jean Lewis at 604-290-5737 or at jean.lewis@telus.net.
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Facing Autism in New Brunswick: Medicare for Autism NOW! Campaign Kick Off Today!
Vancouver, BC – Today, the Medicare for autism Now! Society (“MFAN”), a non-partisan, not-for-profit, all volunteer organization, announced the launch of its nation-wide One in 68 campaign. “We will be holding a Campaign Kick-off this Saturday, June 27th, at Douglas College, New Westminster, between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm,” said MFAN director and campaign manager,
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Medicare for Autism NOW! Campaign Kick Off Today!
Vancouver, BC – Today, the Medicare for autism Now! Society (“MFAN”), a non-partisan, not-for-profit, all volunteer organization, announced the launch of its nation-wide One in 68 campaign. “We will be holding a Campaign Kick-off this Saturday, June 27th, at Douglas College, New Westminster, between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm,” said MFAN director and campaign manager,
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism, Intellectual Disability and Seizures, When Together, Constitute ONE DISORDER
In the picture above, taken 3 years ago my son erupted in sudden self injurious behavior smashing himself violently in the head a split second after he had been on the swing at his old grade school, Nashwaaksis Memorial School; a split second after he had been very smiling and
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: New Brunswick and Ontario Fail to Address Needs of Adults with Autism Disorders and their Families
Image from a CBC British Columbia article in December 2014 Reporting on Ground Breaking of Construction on the $28-million Pacific Autism Family Centre in Richmond, B.C..(Pacific Autism Family Centre) British Columbia, Ontario and New Brunswick are 3 Canadian Provinces at different points on the adult autism care and treatment “spectrum”. British
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Conor Enjoyed Nature With An Osprey Day In His "Back Yard" The North Riverfront Trail, Fredericton
Conor embraced his right to enjoy nature a couple of times today (so far) with fun walking and running in his “back yard” Fredericton’s North Riverfront Trail. He also took time to throw some rocks into the St. John River along the way and check out the neighbors, the Osprey
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism and Epilepsy from Facebook to Reality: Conor Experiences Another Seizure
Earlier today I posted to my Facebook page and to the Autism Society New Brunswick FB page the link to Tonic-clonic seizures at Epilepsy.com. I included the note that it was important for persons with autism to be aware of such seizures because of the high number of person who
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Severe Autism With Intellectual Disability And Epilepsy Can Be Tough But It’s Still a Wonderful World
My Son Conor Wore The Blue on World Autism Awareness Day I understand some of the criticisms of the day and of thinking that wearing a color in itself creates autism awareness but as long as people raise real autism awareness of the challenges of autism disorders and the related
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: New Brunswick’s Band Aid Adult Autism Disorder Care and Treatment
New Brunswick has an approach to adult autism disorder care and treatment that can most charitably be described as a Band Aid approach. There are many reasons for this Band Aid solution apart from the consistent waving of the “we are living in hard times” dismissal that usually accompanies
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Run Jump Fly Boy Will Soon Return
With the return of Spring after a tough winter will come lots of outdoor time on our trails in the beautiful City of Fredericton with Conor. .Autism, seizures, seizure meds, reactions to seizure meds and this unusually tough winter will give way to spring and the Return of the Run
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: 19 Year Old Non Verbal Autistic Man Evicted From Miramichi Special Care Home Because He Is An Adult
Huge gaps remain n New Brunswick’s adult autism residential care and treatment system. An autism specific residential care and treatment centre and autism specific group home system is needed to bridge those gaps. HON. CATHY ROGERS Minister of Social Development HON. VICTOR BOUDREAU Minister of Health HON. BILL FRASER MLA
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Larry’s Gulch Inclusive Education Review June 21, 22, 2012
Meeting of Senior Department of Education Officials With Gordon Porter And Other Advocates of Extreme Everyone In the Mainstream Classroom Inclusion June 20, 21, 2012Information from CANADALAND web site. L: Yude M. Henteleff, C.M., Q.C., L.L.D. (Hon.) R: Harold L. Doherty at the Atlantic Human Rights Centre Inclusion Conference
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: #GxE Autism Paradigm Still #MSSNG From Autism Disorders Research, Understanding
Several years ago it appeared that a new paradigm for understanding autism disorders was emerging, one which would allow greater understanding of the cause, or causes, of autism. Historically, as was noted by Teresa Binstock, researchers, and those who fund autism research, took the view that autism has “gotta be
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism Disorders and the 1st International Epilepsy Day, February 9, 2015
Monday, February 9, 2015 is the first International Epilepsy Day, a joint initiative created by the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) and the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) scheduled to occur annually hereafter on the second Monday in February to promote epilepsy awareness around the world. Epileptic seizures are
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