Developmental Disability News and Research

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Study confirms accuracy of developmental screening tests for children

BC Children's Hospital and University of British Columbia (UBC) researchers have found that two existing screening tests are accurate in diagnosing development delays in children and could be incorporated in a busy family practice setting with relative ease.

4 Aug 2011

Fragile X syndrome study to reveal more

Fragile X syndrome is the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability in the world. Medical experts, including the Mater Hospital's Dr Helen Heussler, are today launching a new push to uncover the secrets of a disorder that affects a child born in Australia every week. Fragile X is passed from parent carriers who often exhibit very few symptoms. Estimates suggest more than 100,000 Australians either carry the gene mutation that causes Fragile X or have the syndrome, yet the vast majority have not been diagnosed, according to the Fragile X Association of Australia.

25 Jul 2011

Parents and teachers can benefit from Screening Kids for Intervention and Prevention

Parents and teachers concerned about a child's mental health and development can now get immediate answers from an online screening with Project SKIP.

10 Jun 2011

More than 15% of school children have a developmental disability

More than 15 percent of school-age kids — about 10 million children — had a developmental disability in 2006-08, according to a study released Monday in the journal Pediatrics.

24 May 2011

First Edition: May 23, 2011

Today's headlines include reports about a new poll that shows Americans don't believe Medicare has to be cut in order to balance the budget.

23 May 2011

Study to examine population rates of ED use for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities

In the first North American study to examine population rates of Emergency Department (ED) use for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), researchers from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) found 55 per cent of adults with IDD and mental illness visited the ED at least once in a 2 year period and 15.6 per cent visited at least 5 times.

16 May 2011

Acamprosate can help treat patients with autism, Fragile X syndrome

In small, early clinical trials, adults and children with autism and Fragile X syndrome have shown improved communication and social behavior when treated with acamprosate, according to Craig Erickson, M.D., assistant professor of psychiatry at the Indiana University School of Medicine and chief of the Riley Hospital for Children Christian Sarkine Autism Treatment Center at Indiana University Health.

5 Apr 2011

Viewpoints: The dangers of targeting the AARP; health reform in rural areas; prisoners faring better in Calif. than disabled

In hearings Friday, some of my former congressional colleagues are due to explore the operations of the AARP, the nation's oldest and largest organization representing Americans age 50 and older. Specifically, the hearing is to examine the group's tax status, evaluating it in view of its management structure and funding.

1 Apr 2011

NAA expresses strong support of diagnostic code for seniors with ASD

The National Autism Association today expressed its strong support of a diagnostic code for disabled minors that have a serious history of wandering and elopement from safe environments.

18 Mar 2011

Viewpoints: Is Obama abandoning his health victory?

Did Obama say enough about health care reform last night? I suppose I'm one of the very few people who would even ask that question. Most Americans would probably think, "More health care? Lord no." And I think Obama and his speechwriters sensed as much. Although his defense of the Affordable Care Act was clear -- he's not going to sign a bill repealing the law -- it was also short. That portion of the speech was just two brief paragraphs, by my count (Jonathan Cohn, 1/26).

28 Jan 2011

Children with developmental disabilities face obstacles in intervention services

A new community-based study by UC Davis researchers has found that children with developmental disabilities in Southeast-Asian-American families face significant obstacles to receiving intervention services. Barriers include lack of accurate information, language difficulties, lack of trust and limited outreach.

3 Dec 2010

FASD ONE releases three research papers on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

To mark Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness Day the 9th day of the 9th month, the FASD Ontario Network of Expertise (FASD ONE) is releasing three research papers focused on the pressing issues identified by Ontario families and service providers. The papers cover topics of respite care, education, and effective practices.

10 Sep 2010

TCC gears up early intervention programs for families, children with autistic spectrum disorders

In preparation for the new school year The Children's Center's is gearing up their early intervention programs for families and children with autistic spectrum disorders between the ages 18 months to 6 years old. The Children's Center recognizes one of the fastest growing developmental disability in the United States affecting our children is Autism. That's why TCC is offering back to school support to families of children with autism spectrum disorder.

3 Sep 2010

Community-Academic Partnership program for healthy lifestyle promotion among DD patients

Many people with developmental disability are sedentary and obese, have poor diet, and consequently suffer from conditions such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Promoting healthy lifestyles for this group is the aim of a new project that teams University of Illinois at Chicago researchers with two community-based nonprofit organizations in Albuquerque, N.M. and suburban Chicago.

3 Sep 2010

Lineagen completes $10.8 million Series A financing

Lineagen, Inc., a developer of innovative genomic tests and services for the screening, evaluation and diagnosis of complex disorders and diseases including autism spectrum disorders and others, today announced that PrairieGold Venture Partners has joined Lineagen's existing institutional venture investors in a further $5 million closing of its Series A round, which completes Lineagen's $10.8 million Series A financing.

30 Aug 2010

Study finds autism patients have short-range over-connectivity in brain's cortex

There is still much that is unknown about autism spectrum disorders, but a University of Nevada, Reno psychologist has added to the body of knowledge that researchers around the world are compiling to try to demystify, prevent and treat the mysterious condition.

26 Aug 2010

Study explores perceptions, attitudes and awareness of developmental disabilities among general public

Just days before the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a new statewide survey reveals that Georgians have little exposure to persons with disabilities and understanding of the daily challenges they face.

26 Jul 2010

Highlands Hospital, Cleveland Clinic collaboration promises brighter future for children with autism

A unique collaboration in one of Pennsylvania's most medically underserved regions promises a brighter future for children with autism and their families. Highlands Hospital, a not-for-profit community hospital in Connellsville, Pa., has entered into a consultation agreement with the Ohio-based Cleveland Clinic to develop state-of-the-art services for children with autism in southwestern Pennsylvania.

17 Jun 2010

ISCA recommends chromosomal microarray as new standard for genetic evaluation of children

An international consortium of genetics experts has issued a consensus statement recommending chromosomal microarray (CMA) as the new standard practice for genetic evaluation of children with unexplained developmental delay, autism or birth defects.

14 May 2010

Researchers to measure children with Down syndrome to develop new growth charts

Parents and doctors have known for a long time that children with Down syndrome tend to grow more slowly and are considerably shorter than most other children. But pediatricians needing to record growth milestones at regular office visits have an outdated set of growth charts based on data collected more than 25 years ago.

23 Apr 2010