APRIL
PARENT NEWSLETTER
Autism Awareness Month
From the Autism Spectrum Disorder Department at Easter Seals Joliet Region
What's Going On At Easter Seals…
Celebration of Giving Telethon!!
On Saturday April 21st from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. please join us in the
Grand Ballroom of the Renaissance Center in downtown Joliet for our
17th annual Celebration of Giving Telethon! Our telethon is a full day
of celebrating the wonderful families, clients and staff of Easter Seals
Joliet Region. Come over to see some exciting talent acts, interviews
with our families and a celebration of the amazing accomplishments
our clients have had this year. If you aren’t able to join us, you can
tune in and watch the Telethon live on Comcast channel 110 or
streaming online at www.joliet.easterseals.com. You can follow this
link to read more about our 2012 Client Representatives and to watch
the pre-show. We hope to see you there!!
Parents Raising Children with ASDs
Our parent support group continues to meet the second Monday of every month from 6:00 – 7:30.
This program is very well attended and it is a wonderful way to meet other parents, get information and
get connected to resources in your community. This month we will meet on Monday April 9th and as
always, childcare will be provided for those who sign up ahead of time by Easter Seals staff. Valerie
Lentz has returned from leave and will be facilitating our group again. Please call her with any
questions or to register for childcare at 815-927-5465.
Island Hop'N Special Needs Night
Island Hop’N Special Needs Nights are great fun for everyone!! Our fabulous PT, Deb Walters, has
partnered with a local indoor hopping facility to bring a special evening of fun to families that have
children with delays or special needs. On Wednesday April 11th from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. pay just $5 per
child to climb, hop and have fun. Kids of all ability levels welcome! Island Hop'N is located at 16704
Advantage Ave in Crest Hill and you can check out their facility online at www.islandhopn.com Call
Deb Walters with any questions at 815-725-2194.
Summer Camp at Timber Pointe Outdoor Center
Easter Seals Peoria & Bloomington has an amazing summer camp program for
children and adults with special needs. The Timber Pointe Outdoor Center is in
Hudson, Illinois (just outside of Bloomington). During the week long over
night camps children can experience swimming, canoeing, team games, arts and
crafts, camp fires and more! Camps are divided by age and ability. This year
one week is specifically set aside from June 17th – 22nd for children whose
primary diagnosis is Autism or ADHD. Visit their website at ci.easterseals.com
for more information or call Timber Pointe Center at 309-365-8021. If finances
are a concern, contact Valerie at (815) 927-5465; we have partial scholarships
available for families that can demonstrate financial need!
Special Parents for Special Kids
This parent led support group meets the second Thursday of every month at Easter Seals. It is for
parents that have children with any type of special need or disability. This month on Thursday April
12th from 6:00 – 8:00 they are having speakers from the community come in to talk about summer
programs. To register or for more information contact Machell Klee at specialkiddomom@gmail.com
The Family Center for Autism Resources
We invite you to come and visit our lending library and resource center for families that have children
with special needs. The library is home to a large variety of books, therapy materials, a fine motor
center and many other parenting resources. We also have a computer kiosk with Boardmaker,
personalized social stories, printer and laminator. This library is completely free of charge to families
and the community!! The Family Center is open most week days by appointment. You can contact our
front desk at 815-725-2194 to set up an appointment.
Therapeutic Golf Group
Would your child like to learn to swing a golf club, sink a put and have some fun? At
the same time your child will be working on their motor planning, endurance, strength,
coordination and balance. Led by a PGA Golf Professional Instructor, with Physical
Therapy and Occupational Therapy services provided by Easter Seals staff. Children
ages three years old and up of all ability levels welcome. Meets Wednesdays from
4:30-5:15 from June 13th to July 25th (no class on 4th of July). Cost is $125 per golfer,
with some scholarships available for families that have financial need. Call Easter
Seals at 815-725-2194 ext. 231 to register by Friday, May 25th.
We will be offering several other groups this summer, information will be in next month’s newsletter!
Autism Awareness Events
April is Autism Awareness Month
April 2, 2012 is World Autism Awareness Day
On December 18, 2007, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution of the Third
Committee designating April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day for eternity, starting in 2008. Autism
Awareness Month is celebrated nationally every year in April, providing an opportunity for families,
friends, and local communities to raise public awareness. In 2009 Autism Speaks started the initiative
"Light It Up Blue" to encourage communities to shine a light on Autism on Autism Awareness Day.
Visit www.lightitupblue.org to see pictures of buildings around the world that are shining alight on
Autism by creating blue lighting. Buildings include The Empire State Building, the Great Buddha in
Japan, The Sydney Opera House in Australia, The New York Stock Exchange, the Cairo Tower in
Egypt, the Mercedes Benz Arena in China, Niagara Falls in Canada and many, many more! How will
you light it up blue this year??
Autism Awareness Items for Sale
We are selling many Autism Awareness Items to raise awareness and to benefit Autism services at
Easter Seals. We have buttons, pins, pens, car decals, license plate frames and more! Stop by our
Family Resource Center to check out the selection and make a purchase!
FREE Autism Screenings
Easter Seals will be providing free Autism screenings throughout the month of April in recognition of
Autism Awareness Month. Screenings will be brief meetings with parent and child to complete a
questionnaire and determine if the child is at risk for an Autism diagnosis, requiring a full evaluation.
Please call our Autism Coordinator at 815-927-5465 to set up a screening.
Hair Cuttery’s “Act for Autism” Campaign
Hair Cuttery’s nationwide will be raising awareness throughout the month of April by asking customers
to Act for Autism by donating to Easter Seals and supporting Autism services. Even if you don’t wish
to donate, stop by a Hair Cuttery this month and let them know how much you appreciate their effort to
raise awareness in our community!!
CDC Releases Autism Study – Now 1 in 88!
The Center for Disease Control released a new study on March 30th that looked at the prevalence of
Autism, as well as other developmental disabilities. This new information places the rate that by age 8
years old 1 out of every 88 children will qualify for a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. This
number is up significantly from the previous statistic of 1 in every 100. See the article of the month
below for the full study.
Illinois Autism Awareness License Plate
You can purchase an Autism Awareness License Plate through the DMV and show
your support for Autism all year around. Go to www.cyberdriveillinois.com to apply
for a plate. Random numbers and vanity plates are available. All profits go to Autism
Awareness Funds through the state that funds grants, research and community
education on Autism Spectrum Disorders.
What’s Going On In Your Community…
Raise a Glass For Autism Awareness
Autism Society of Illinois is holding a fundraiser and awareness event on Friday April 6th from 8:00 –
10:00 p.m. at Rebel Bar and Grill at 3462 N. Clark in Chicago. $30 at the door and all profits go to
benefit local Autism services through Autism Speaks. Drinks, raffles, music and Fun! Go to the Autism
Society website for more information www.autismillinois.org
Workshops from Autism Home Support Services
Autism Home Support Services (AHSS) is offering the following workshops for parents and
professionals: “So You Have an iPad – Now What?” on Wednesday March 21st from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at
National Louis University in Wheeling and “Why will my child do it for the teacher/therapist but not for
me – building the bridge to home skill development” on Tuesday April 24th from 6:30 – 8:30 at National
Louis University in Wheeling. Workshops are $20 per person. Go to www.autismhomesupport.com for
more information
Ladder Up - Free Tax Preparation
The Tax Assistance Program provides free tax preparation and electronic filing to households that earn
up to $45,000 per year. The closest locations are in Plainfield at the office of Rep. Tom Cross at 24047
W. Lockport St. Suite 213 and in Aurora at Cowherd Middle School. The sites are open from 8:30 –
11:30 a.m. on Saturdays from February 4th to April 14th. Please call Ladder Up at 312-409-1555 for
more information.
Sensory Friendly Films at AMC
Once a month AMC Theatres presents the Sensory Friendly Film program, which provides a special
opportunity for families to enjoy their favorite films in a safe and accepting environment. The
auditoriums dedicated to the program have their lights up, the sound turned down and audience
members are invited to get up and dance, walk, shout or sing! The next showing is Saturday April 7th
at 10:00 a.m. of Mirror Mirror. Go to http://www.amctheatres.com/SFF/ for more information and
to find a theater near you that is participating in this great program!
Articles of the Month
Autism rates rising sharply, CDC reports
A study of 8-year-olds' health records indicates 1 in 88
are affected. Specialists say better diagnoses explain
much of the surge.
March 30, 2012|By Alan Zarembo, Los Angeles Times
Federal health authorities have significantly raised their estimate of the prevalence of autism in
children, concluding in a new study of 8-year-olds that 1 in 88 has some form of the disorder.
For the analysis, released Thursday, researchers scoured tens of thousands of health and
special education records in 14 states, looking for an autism diagnosis or the symptoms that
would add up to one. It is the latest in a series of studies by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention showing autism rates climbing dramatically over the last decade.
The previous estimate was 1 in 110.
The new figure, based on 2008 data, is sure to fuel debate over whether a growing
environmental threat could be at work. But autism researchers around the country said the
CDC data — including striking geographic and racial variations in the rates and how they have
changed — suggest that rising awareness of the disorder, better detection and improved access
to services can explain much of the surge, and perhaps all of it.
Some experts questioned the validity of relying on records to estimate the disorder's true
prevalence.
David Mandell, an autism expert at the University of Pennsylvania, said the CDC's numbers
primarily reflect the degree to which the diagnosis and services have taken hold in different
places and among different groups.
"As the diagnosis is associated with more and more services, this becomes a less and less
rigorous way to determine the prevalence of autism," he said, referring to the CDC's methods.
The federal agency found that Utah, which has widespread screening programs, had the
highest rate—1 child in 47. The state was closely followed by New Jersey, which prides itself on
its autism services, at 1 in 49.
At the bottom was Alabama, one of the poorest states in the country. Its autism rate fell 20%
between 2006 and 2008 — from 1 in 167 to 1 in 208.
CDC officials acknowledged the limitations of their analysis. In surveillance areas where
researchers had access only to health records, and not school records, prevalence estimates
were generally lower. Including the capital city of Raleigh in North Carolina's surveillance area
dramatically increased the state's rate.
"Our study really is more of a study of demographic differences and population differences,"
said Jon Baio, a CDC epidemiologist and principal investigator on the report.
The researchers hope, however, that the study will draw attention to the need for more
vigorous screening early in children's lives. Research shows that early intervention offers
autistic children the best long-term prospects
More than a fifth of children identified as autistic by the CDC had no autism diagnoses in their
records.
Dr. Coleen Boyle, director of the CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental
Disabilities, said that children "still aren't being identified enough."
Nobody knows what causes autism, and there is no blood test or other biological marker. It is
diagnosed by its symptoms — social and communication difficulties starting in early childhood
as well as repetitive behaviors or abnormally intense interests — and has come to include a
wide range of children. Ultimately, a diagnosis comes down to clinical judgment.
In response to rising concern over skyrocketing diagnosis rates in the 1990s, the CDC set up a
network of surveillance sites across the country. Researchers do not examine children but
instead periodically review records of 8-year-olds.
In its first analysis, using data from 2000, the CDC estimated that 1 in 150 children had some
form of the disorder. The latest estimate of 1 in 88 is already being touted as evidence that
something in the environment is driving up cases.
"Autism is now officially becoming an epidemic in the United States," Mark Roithmayr,
president of the advocacy group Autism Speaks, said in a news conference with CDC officials
Thursday.
Others noted that as autism awareness has grown, healthcare providers and school officials are
more likely to label a child autistic or note autistic symptoms in the documentation that the
CDC researchers rely on.
In all, the CDC identified 3,820 children with some form of autism, out of a total of 337,093 in
the surveillance areas. As has been previously established, boys were much more heavily
affected: The rate was 1 in 54, compared with 1 in 252 girls.
The rate for white children was 1 in 83, compared with 1 in 127 for Latinos and 1 in 98 for
African Americans — but the data show those minorities have been closing the gap.
"What we're looking at is mostly due to practices and infrastructure and culture rather than
some underlying biological phenomenon," said Dr. Daniel Geschwind, an autism expert at
UCLA, explaining the patterns.
Go to the CDC website to read their full report
Discovery of Abnormal Gene Pathways
Suggests Targets for Future Medicines
UCSD neuroscientist Eric Courchesne Researchers have found evidence that the disordered early brain
development seen in young children with autism results from problems cascading through entire
pathways of gene activity.
These networks involve hundreds of genes. Some control the number of brain cells created in a
very young brain. Others are responsible for detecting and correcting problems during crucial
periods of prenatal brain development.
In older brains affected by autism, the researchers saw a significant uptick of gene activity
directing “repair and remodeling.” They propose that this may help explain why some individuals
with autism improve in function as they get older.
“These findings are exciting because they point to genetic pathways involved in brain development
and reorganization that could lead to the discovery of targeted pharmaceutical interventions,” says
lead researcher Eric Courchesne, Ph.D., of the University of California-San Diego Autism Center of
Excellence. For example, future medicines might be designed to alter gene activity in ways that
promote repair or otherwise normalize brain development.
Researchers found abnormal gene-activity pathways in young brains affected by
autism
The research, published today in PLoS Genetics, was funded in part by Autism Speaks. It also used
genetic and clinical information from Autism Speaks Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE)
and postmortem brain samples from Autism Speaks Autism Tissue Program (ATP) and the
Developmental Brain Bank of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. These
three bio-repositories have become crucial resources for advancing autism research worldwide and
hold particular promise in the development of safe medicines that may someday relieve autism’s
core symptoms.
“The experimental methods featured in this study are becoming increasingly valuable approaches
to clarifying the molecular basis of neuro-anatomical changes observed in autism,” says Rob Ring,
Ph.D., Autism Speaks vice president of translational research. “This study also highlights our
Autism Tissue Program as an essential resource in sustaining tissue-based research in autism.”
Today’s report builds on Courchesne’s previous research, which associated autism with a prenatal
overgrowth in the number of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain’s prefrontal cortex. This region of
the brain plays a critical role in social, communication and cognitive skills. That study, likewise
supported by Autism Speaks, led Courchesne and his colleagues to investigate broad patterns in
gene activity that might explain the early abnormal overgrowth.
In the follow-up study reported today, they compared the postmortem brain tissue of 33 children
and adults with or without autism. They looked for differences in gene activity across the entire
genome (a person’s complete set of genes, or DNA instructions). They also looked for extra or
missing sections of genes. Such defects can often explain why a given gene has abnormal activity.
“We found 102 genes that were abnormally expressed in children with autism, and these genes are
involved in establishing the correct number of cells and the way they are organized,” Courchesne
says.
The researchers saw very different patterns of gene activity in the brains of adults affected by
autism. There, they found increased activity among genes that foster the repair of neurons.
“That raises the possibility that there is a second phase of autism when the brain is making an
active effort to remove or repair the excess of neurons and connections that developed prenatally
and in infancy,” Courchesne says. This theory follows from previously published research
suggesting that some individuals with autism show improvements with age, he adds.
“Why some children with autism get noticeably better with age, while others do not, is a mystery
that must be solved,” Courchesne says.
Autism Speaks Chief Science Officer Geri Dawson, Ph.D., adds, “This groundbreaking research
would not be possible without donor support and family participation in resources such as AGRE
and the Autism Tissue Program. We are so grateful to our community for making it possible to
conduct research that will allow us to better understand the biological basis of autism.” For a
personal message from Dr. Courchesne to our community, please see his post on our science blog.