SPECTRUM CONNECTION

By Toni Lapp

With autism prevalence rising at alarming rates in the United States, the push to make a diagnosis as early as possible has taken on new urgency. On Thursday, Missouri health officials unveiled the state’s first set of guidelines.

A grant by the Missouri Foundation for Health has made the 164-page Missouri Autism Guidelines available for free.

“This is a landmark document for the country, and definitely for our state,” said Michele Kilo, M.D., a developmental pediatrician at Children’s Mercy Hospital who served as one of four primary authors of the guidelines. “We’re hopeful it will be well-used and well-worn.” Missouri is only the second state to issue guidelines, the first state being California in 2001, Kilo said.

The guideline panel — a group of 42 professionals and parents who met over the course of a year — looked carefully at California’s guidelines, but in the end, came up with a completely new set, authors said. Missouri’s recommendations reflect more recent research and is more “state of the art,” said John Mantovani, medical director of St. John’s Mercy Children’s Hospital and Medical Center. “There has been a lot of progress in our understanding of the condition” since 2001, he said.
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By Toni Lapp

Two reporters from the Chicago Tribune won top honors from the Association of Health Care Journalism over the weekend for their series on dubious autism treatments, reports that AHCJ judges said “bring new clarity to a notoriously murky subject.”
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High-end sunglass maker Oakley, Inc. has partnered with Talk About Curing Autism (TACA), an organization that supports, empowers and educates families living with autism. Oakley has created unique renditions of two of its popular eyewear designs and will donate $20 to TACA with each sale of these special editions. This is the final week to take advantage of the offer.
 
“We are honored to team with TACA and play a part in spreading the message of hope,” said Pat McIlvain, Oakley’s Vice President of Global Sports Marketing. “The art on our new TACA special editions will fuel awareness, and we are proud to contribute $20 from each sale to assist in supporting TACA’s ongoing mission to help children with autism reach their true potential.”

 The new TACA Oakley Fuel Cell™ and TACA Oakley Ravishing® eyewear are highlighted with the art of a puzzle motif, a message that the puzzle of autism can be solved. The multi¬colored design highlights the frame stems and is also featured on the included Microclear™ bag, added for lens cleaning and frame storage. Each sunglass package also includes a puzzle piece with an attached wearable pin in the shape of the TACA logo.
 
Oakley Ravishing blends beauty with self-assured style in a statement of sophistication with uniquely feminine geometry. Oakley Fuel Cell is a men’s frame in a streetwise design that matches confident contours with an authentic look of originality. Both come with Oakley’s unrivaled High Definition Optics® (HDO®) and meet all ANSI Z87.1 standards for clarity and impact resistance. These comfortably lightweight frames are made of durable O Matter® and feature pure Plutonite® lenses that filter out 100% of all UV.
Visit www.oakley.com to learn more about the company’s new TACA special edition eyewear. Visit www.tacanow.org for more information about TACA.

Join others in the Kansas autism community when Gov. Parkinson signs Senate Substitute for HB 2160, which will mandate insurance coverage for autism therapy for children covered by state employees’ health plan. The event will be held at 10:30 a.m. at the Kansas City Autism Training Center, 7501 Belinder, Prairie Village, Kan.

By Jeffrey Nessel

Kansas lawmakers have been patting themselves on the back recently for passing legislation that may someday help families with children on the spectrum pay for ABA therapy.  But by insisting on a one-year “test track” the government of Kansas failed to do what 15 other states are already doing — giving equal treatment to families touched by autism.  (For those who aren’t familiar, the one-year test track is a supposed financial feasibility test that applies only to individuals insured by the state employee health plan. State statute says a “test track” must be done before a mandate will be considered for the entire population, although lawmakers are hard-pressed to provide examples of other treatment policies carried out accordingly.)
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The reviews have been great for HBO film ‘Temple Grandin,’ which offers stunning insights into the world of the autism pioneer. However, those of us who are cable-challenged have been unable to view it, as not even Netflix has the movie available.

Now KC-area publisher Autism Asperger Publishing Company is offering the DVD on sale with an anticipated release date of August 17.

Those who preorder can buy the title for 20% off through May 7 at AAPC.

By Jeanne Holverstott, A.S.

Last year, a parent asked me to watch The Dog Whisperer and shared how Cesar Milan’s behavioral strategies for canine lovers could be applied to instilling confidence in children with ASDs. Initially, I wondered how “sit” and “stay” related to creating confidence in my clients, who are prone to debilitating anxiety. As it turns out, nothing. But, the role of dog owner is not so far removed from a confident kid who holds his head high as he walks into school.
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By Toni Lapp

I was recently at a gathering that included other parents with children on the autism spectrum, and one of the parents declared loudly that he hated it when people faulted autism treatments that were not supported by science. Given that it was a social setting, I didn’t say anything… then.

At risk of being called a cynic, I’m going to offer my thoughts now. After all, if you are paying thousands of dollars for an experimental treatment and your child is showing a lessening of autistic symptoms, why listen to naysayers?
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APRIL 15 – 16. Speakers include Dale Dileo, president of the Training Resource Network and author of Raymond’s Room; Bob Niemiec, founding member of Minnesota Employment First Coalition; Joe Marrone, senior program manager for Public Policy Institute for Community Inclusion. Topeka Capital Plaza Hotel. Scholarships available for persons with disabilities.

APRIL 14. Show your support for your favorite school’s autism program. Fundraiser for Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training (K-CART) and MU Thompson Center for Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders. From 6 – 9:30 p.m. at Boulevard Brewery, 2501 Southwest Blvd., Kansas City. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased here.