Asperger's Syndrome & Autism Spectrum Disorders

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I'm Murrin
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Post by I'm Murrin »

Menolly wrote:if he is in a conversation with you, within five minutes somehow the topic of discussion gets manipulated to one of those topics. He will respond to direct questions about other topics, but won't expand upon a topic on his own. Only if it is a current perseveration, and then you can't shut him up
Menolly wrote: it can affect handwriting issues as well
-- Picky eaters
-- Unusually high or low activity level
-- Resists new situations
-- Problems with ... coordination
-- Can be very impulsive or distractible.
Menolly wrote:inability to make consistant eye contact
Danlo wrote:He's very forgetful when it comes to mundane things
Menolly wrote:has trouble organizing his thoughts
I know I'm paranoid, but you're starting to worry me.
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Don't worry about it. Apart from the fact that all but two or so of those things you quoted apply to me too, if you've made it this far in your life, you'll probably cope for the rest of it. ;)

And I'd guess that they'd be unwilling to medicate you at this stage, (although I could well be wrong.)

--A
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Avatar wrote:Don't worry about it. Apart from the fact that all but two or so of those things you quoted apply to me too, if you've made it this far in your life, you'll probably cope for the rest of it. ;)

And I'd guess that they'd be unwilling to medicate you at this stage, (although I could well be wrong.)

--A
HA, me, too. I was getting worried. Of course, you never know. My friend Dan was diagnosed with ADD when he was 27...
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Post by Menolly »

You guys are funny.

Paul (dh) and I both feel he's an undiagnosed ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder). But, he has learned to live life in his manner without causing harm to others and has decided not to pursue evaluation.

Would getting a diagnosis be beneficial? Maybe, especially in regards to getting disability accomodations regarding deadlines in school work. But, Paul doesn't wish to take advantages of the accomodations.

:::shrug:::

His choice.

Just for fun, here's an online quiz y'all can take. What you choose to do with the results is up to you.

The Autism Quotient
On this one I scored an 11. Paul scored 33.
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Post by danlo »

I got a 12.
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Post by duchess of malfi »

As did I. Sometimes we are so much alike its pretty scarey, danlo! :lol: :lol:
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Post by [Syl] »

20, the high end of average.
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Post by matrixman »

I scored 22, high end of average as well. However, I thought that the way some of the questions were phrased was a little dubious, so I'm taking my result with a large grain of salt. Oops, maybe I'm showing an anti-social, anti-productive attitude right there! Oh, well, it was still an interesting exercise. Hard to resist a quiz. :)

Glad I asked you about Asperger's Syndrome, Menolly. This has really struck a chord around here! :)
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Post by Avatar »

It certainly has. :)

Can't take the test at the moment, damn work machine won't let me install the Flash Player.

--A

(EDIT: Oh, I found this one. Don't know if it's the same, and the auto-calculate is broken, but it tells you how to score it. I score 23. :D

--A)
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Post by I'm Murrin »

I got a 27 on the first quiz - above average. Not sure how well I answered the questions, though.
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Post by Menolly »

Matrixman wrote: Glad I asked you about Asperger's Syndrome, Menolly. This has really struck a chord around here! :)
I am as well. I truly do feel more education about ASDs needs to get out into the world. Thank you for inquiring. :)
Avatar wrote: (EDIT: Oh, I found this one. Don't know if it's the same, and the auto-calculate is broken, but it tells you how to score it. I score 23. :D
Actually, the Wired.com one is the one I originally knew of. But when I saw the auto-calculate was broken I went searching for another. The questions and answers, and the results, are exactly the same on both quizzes.
Murrin wrote:I got a 27 on the first quiz - above average. Not sure how well I answered the questions, though.
:::nodding:::

And the results will most likely be slightly different each time you take the quiz, depending on how you see yourself at the current time you're taking it.
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Post by Avatar »

That's probably true of just about any quiz of this nature.

Still, because the calculate function wasn't working, I have no idea what my score implies... Clearly in the normal range though, since it's very similar to MM's score.

--A
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Post by Menolly »

Not sure if this is the appropriate place, or if I should post in the Medical Science News thread. In any case, it will be wonderful if anything comes of it!

Gene Test for Autism in Sight
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Post by Avatar »

Interesting, and as you say, potentially good news in the future.

Being able to positively test for it though would raise all sorts of interesting moral dilemma's though, wouldn't it?

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Post by Menolly »

Only if done in utero yes?
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Post by Avatar »

Yeah, that's what I was thinking of. Of course, I realise that what they're talking about now is identifying children (already born) who are at risk, in the hope that "preventative therapy" can help. And I suppose that in "borderline" or "low-intensity" cases, it could. What do you think? Would early diagnosis have helped you?

Either way, it can't be a bad thing.

--A
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Post by Menolly »

Avatar wrote:What do you think? Would early diagnosis have helped you?
Although I am not convinced that the thimerosal/mercury in vaccines causes ASDs, I am considering the possibility that some children may be born with an inclination toward ASDs that can be brought out by environmental factors, such as vaccines with thimerosal. I didn't word that well, but I hope you understand the difference I am trying to convey.

If I had even known about the possibility of vaccines influencing the development of ASDs when Beorn was on his vaccination schedule, and a cheek swab gene test was available that showed he had the possibility, I probably would have requested thimerosal-free vaccines.

Otherwise, maybe starting OT/PT/Speech therapy as early as possible may have helped him with his current social interaction issues. But that's totally conjecture on my part. I do think the realization that his handwriting issues were not stubborness but a combination of both fine and gross motor skills problems may have prevented his current problem with being able to put ideas down in paper. Getting him to do any type of writing assignment, even on his laptop now, is a struggle and fight every time. Perhaps if we had known what was going on at 5 or 6, instead of at 10, he would have learned how to transfer the ideas in his head to paper without the struggle he now has.
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Post by Avatar »

As I said, while it may not make much difference, I guess anything is worth trying, in case it does help. Certainly starting therapy earlier may have meant greater gains by now, if nothing else.

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Complex Gene Interactions Account For Autism Risk
Since one of the primary functions of GABA is to inhibit nerve cells from firing, it plays a key role in telling the body to "slow down.". The GABA system therefore acts as a sort of information filter, preventing the brain from becoming over-stimulated, the researchers explained.

"Impairing the GABA system could overwhelm the brain with sensory information, leading to both the behavior and the pattern of cell damage that emerges in autism," said John Hussman, Ph.D., a study co-author and president of The Hussman Foundation, one of the groups that funded the study.
"It is not the literal past that rules us, save, possibly, in a biological sense. It is images of the past. Each new historical era mirrors itself in the picture and active mythology of its past or of a past borrowed from other cultures. It tests its sense of identity, of regress or new achievement against that past.”
-George Steiner
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Post by Menolly »

Thanks Sylvanus! Here's a further story I came across today.

From FOXNews.com - Health - Gene Interaction Linked to Autism Risk
Gene Interaction Linked to Autism Risk

Friday, August 05, 2005


By Salynn Boyles

It has long been believed that complex genetic interactions are at play in autism, and new research offers some of the first concrete evidence that this is the case.

For the first time, researchers have identified an interaction between two specific genes that increases the risk that a child will develop autism. Both of the genes are associated with a chemical in the brain that has been a target of autism research for the past decade.

"This is exciting because it tells us that researchers seem to be on the right path and that we may be starting to understand the brain pathology (of autism)," says Andy Shih, PhD, who is chief science officer for the National Alliance for Autism Research, which helped fund the new study.

Autism is characterized by communication problems, social impairment, and unusual or repetitive behaviors.

What Raises a Baby's Risk for Autism?

Genes and Environment

It is widely thought that autism risk is determined by a combination of unidentified genetic and environmental factors. Children born into families with one autistic child are known to be at greater risk of developing autism, but the extent of that risk is not well understood.

Autism researcher Margaret Pericak-Vance, PhD and colleagues with Duke's Center for Human Genetics have long studied a brain chemical associated with slowing or stopping nerve activity, known as GABA. The GABA system acts as something of an information filter to prevent the nerves from becoming overstimulated.

It has long been suspected that this filtering process is compromised in many autistic children. Impairment of the GABA system could overwhelm the brain with sensory information, leading to many of the behavior traits associated with autism.

GABA is believed to play a key role in the early development of the brain, and the Duke researchers and others have previously shown a connection between GABA and autism.

In their latest study, Pericak-Vance and colleagues examined 14 genes that help make parts of the GABA receptor. The receptors allow the chemical to affect nerve function.

The participants in the study were 470 Caucasian families with at least one autistic member; 266 families had more than one member with autism.

The findings are reported in the September issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics, published online today.

The researchers identified one gene called GABRA4 as being associated with autism risk. Interaction with a second gene known as GABRB1 appeared to drive this risk.

"This is the first interaction of this sort that we can point to as having a real statistical correlation with autism," researcher John R. Gilbert, PhD, tells WebMD. "This is a first step, but we don't yet know where it will take us."

New Intensity to Debate Over Autism Cause

Better Tests and Treatments?

Gilbert says the Duke research team will now study other GABA receptors as well as other genes associated with GABA metabolism.

While much of the research has focused on the GABA system, it is clear that other genes are also involved. The thinking among the experts is that as few as 10 separate genes and as many as 100 may play a role in autism.

"Even if we prove that portions of the GABA pathway are actively involved, it will only be a factor for a minority of kids with autism," Gilbert says.

All agree, however, that the newly reported findings could advance the search for earlier diagnostic tests and autism treatments.

A number of existing medications already target the GABA system, including some antiepileptic drugs.

"As we begin to understand the GABA system as it relates to the neurological underpinnings of autism, we may advance toward new therapies," says Michael Cuccaro, PhD, who is another study researcher.

One hope, says Andy Shih, is that the research will lead to medications that can lessen or prevent many of the symptoms of autism in a subgroup of people with the disorder.

"We should consider this to be a foot in the door," he says.

More on Autism Symptoms and Causes

By Salynn Boyles, reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD

SOURCES: Pericak-Vance, M. American Journal of Human Genetics, September 2005; vol 77, online edition. John R. Gilbert, PhD, research professor, Center for Human Genetics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C. Andy Shih, PhD, chief science officer, National Alliance for Autism Research. Michael Cuccaro, PhD, Duke Center for Human Genetics.
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