I’m a well seasoned autism mom and am often asked questions about autism. since autism spectrum disorders are complex, I still stumble over my answers, so have recently turned to a clarifying source: individuals who are on the autism spectrum.

I asked Kerry Magro, a young man on the autism spectrum, to share his most frequently asked questions and comments. He’s passionate about raising awareness about what it is like to have autism, and his insights are illuminating:

1) People with autism cannot live a normal life.

In today’s society we label “normal” as “ordinary” or “no issues”. Life is about accepting challenges and being able to continue to grow as a person. can autistic individuals live a normal life? Yes definitely. do they need too? Not at all.

2) I couldn’t love someone with autism, they are just too different.

To deny someone of love based on a disability is to deny yourself the ability to divulge your life and your cultures. The world is full of diverse individuals, all who deserve love. It’s impossible to live life without being loved.

3) People with autism only have the capability of being loved and being in love with those who are also autistic.

This is a common misconception, but it’s far from the truth. many individuals with autism have difficulty expressing love but they do love, and not only others on the autistic spectrum. I was once told by a girlfriend when she broke up with me that, “I think you should be around people more like yourself.” it is my mission to raise awareness in this area!

4) Autism or not, people are people, all with distinct characteristics that make them unique.

Amen! no one case of autism is ever the same. I’d rather be “unique” than “normal” any day of the week.

5) Isn’t autism a disease that could be spread through vaccines in flu shots?

There is still no way of telling what causes autism, but scientific studies have ruled out the connection between vaccines and the onset of autism. at present, most researchers think autism is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. It’s quite possible that different people’s symptoms have different causes. Autism is a neurological disorder that can be treated, not cured, and it is not a disease.

6) do more white children have autism than black children?

According to the CDC, Autism Spectrum Disorders occur in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups, yet are on average 4 to 5 times more likely to occur in boys than in girls. however, we need more information on some less studied populations and regions around the world.

7) is autism only a communication disorder?

Autism causes developmental problems in the areas of social interaction, speech, language and communication, and behavioral functions.

Different individuals show different traits on the autism spectrum. for me most of my sensitivity/ traits were in regards to difficulty dealing with sensory issues especially touch and sounds.

none of us are perfect at communication so doesn’t that mean there is a little autism in all of us?

No one is perfect at communicating and no one is perfect at having a social life. still, it should be acknowledged that people with an autism spectrum disorder have to work harder than most every single day to learn appropriate social and communication skills.

I’d like to know: (Laura talking)

a) which questions are you frequently asked about having autism?

b) What questions do you have about autism?

c) as a parent, which questions about autism do you find the most difficult to answer?

Kerry Magro is a recent graduate of Seton Hall University,where he majored in Sports Management. He’s writing a self help book based on his own experiences with autism called, “Autism: The College Spectrum”. Kerry also is a staffer for Autism Speaks and writes on their official blog. you can email him at kerrymagro@gmail.com and follow him on Facebook and/or twitter

Got autism questions? need resources? Email me here citybights@sfgate.com and I will do my very best to help.

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In case you wondered, I’m happy to talk to your group.GO HERE to learn more.

Read the first three chapters of A REGULAR GUY: GROWING UP WITH AUTISM here.

Posted by: Laura Shumaker (Email) | August 06 2011 at 03:33 PM

Copyright ©2010. the Associated Press. Produced by NewsOK.com all rights reserved. this material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.  

Tulsa veterinarian Steven Hodges often likens his work to that of a pediatrician.

Though his patients are four-legged versus two-legged, many are regarded as children, or family members, by their owners, Hodges said. and like infants and young children, dogs and cats can’t verbalize their feelings or symptoms, so to diagnose and treat illnesses can be challenging, he said.

But they are challenges Hodges said he finds extremely gratifying.

Hodges is not a general practice vet; he’s a board-certified internal medicine specialist who diagnoses and treats back problems, diabetes, cancer and other illnesses.

Similar to their human medical counterparts, such specialists must complete an internship and residency in their specialized field, or an additional three to five years of training over and above their undergraduate training and four-years in vet school.

Oklahoma City’s Mollyann Holland was more than willing to invest in the time and education.

“I love improving an animal’s quality of life, and developing relationships with their owners,” she said.

Holland said she especially enjoys getting to the know quirks and idiosyncrasies of all of her patients — from the retired show dog, Elvis, who every visit had to make an entrance, to her own three-legged, people-loving cat “Truman,” who she adopted after he showed up dragging a paralyzed leg.

Holland’s goal is the same with all of her patients: remission and quality of life.

“We want as much time as we can get with them, as long as they’re not miserable, and can still do the things they enjoy,” she said. “For dogs, that may be long walks with their owners, playing ball or going on family vacations. for cats, it might be sitting in the window and sunning themselves.”

Holland knows what it’s like to lose a pet to disease. she had a white standard poodle, “Peyton,” that after several months of treatment died of nasal lymphoma 18 months ago.

“I still miss her terribly,” a teary-eyed Holland said. “I think most of us in our lifetimes have one special dog or cat. I call it your ‘heart dog,’ and Peyton was mine.”

Holland treats many pets that have important jobs, including service and police dogs.

Mary Bowles, an internal medicine specialist in Stillwater, said her job can be discouraging when she sees pets that have widespread illnesses without good prognoses.

“But other times, we can help and I’m glad to be able to do that,” she said. “We see a variety of problems that we can approach in a lot of different ways. Every day is different.”

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The first thing you must do is play to your strengths! if reading and writing is difficult, then turn into a superb listener how to get build muscle fast. in your thoughts, assessment what you’re hearing conversationalhypnosis. Make a quick notice to yourself as a reminder, and determine a system for the notes. Maybe you’ll be able to put them in a shirt pocket, or maybe you can add sticky notes to you mirror! Send yourself a text or a voice message! You should figure out a system that works for you and then force yourself to use it regularly.

Once you have children who are labeled with Dyslexia and a Learning Incapacity, mother and father take a really totally different perspective. their motivation and their behavior become issues when they are in courses with children with behavior problems. Studying and conduct challenges go hand in hand, and if one address the learning challenges and add a more structured and constructive communication fashion, the reading and the behavior improve.

One step that you should take before consulting an educational psychologist is to have your baby evaluated by your doctor to rule out any medical sickness causing dyslexia symptoms detox diet liquid. Typically illness can present itself in a misleading way.

You do not have to go through all of that right now as a result of taking a web-based dyslexia testing is as straightforward as occurring the Internet. an online dyslexia test takes about half-hour and the cost is affordable, plus you never have to leave the comfort of your home to discover if you have dyslexia or not. Online dyslexia tests are for adults who’ve always recognized they have issues with studying, math, comprehending and understanding instructional reading.

The Gates-MacGinitie reading check consists of vocabulary and comprehension parts that can be completed inside an hour. the vocabulary part is centered on the phrase information and takes twenty minutes to answer while the comprehension part has forty eight questions that take 35 minutes to answer. This dyslexia take a look at is multiple choice test.

Dyslexic youngsters typically display difficulties in reading and hearing the variations in word sounds during their early years. Typically, youngsters with this kind of learning incapacity cannot deal with the connection between thought and language (thus difficulties in reading and writing occur). they can’t recognize sounds, and therefore, can not spell words nor join a written word to an image that it represents.

Last updated at 2:02 PM on 3rd January 2011

A major study into the progression of Parkinson’s disease, which will include British patients, is being launched by actor Michael J Fox.

The research is the first of its kind and will involve 400 people from five sites in Europe and 14 hospitals in the US.

Patients in the earliest stages of Parkinson’s – before they have started any treatment – will be enrolled in the study to find key biomarkers for the disease.

Michael J. Fox with his wife Tracy Pollan. Fox, who was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s aged 30, said the research was important because ‘better treatments aren’t going to fall from the sky’

Fox, who was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s aged 30, said the research was important because “better treatments aren’t going to fall from the sky” and “real challenges stand in the way of the results we need”.

Currently, there is no definitive way of measuring how Parkinson’s progresses.

Fox and with former boxer Muhammad Ali who was diagnosed with the condition in 1984.

This means it is difficult for doctors to work out whether a drug is slowing down or halting the disease’s advances.

Reliable and robust biomarkers to monitor the progression of Parkinson’s would improve patient care, lead to new drugs and enhance understanding of the condition.

Some 120,000 Britons have Parkinson’s, which is caused by a loss of brain cells that produce a chemical messenger called dopamine.

Symptoms include a tremor or fine shake while the person is at rest, rigidity of muscles, slowness of movement and an unsteady balance.

In the new study, samples taken from patients will help identify what is happening in the body, and will include data on motor skills, samples of blood, urine and spinal fluid, and brain scans.

This data will be then used either alone or in combination to track progression of the disease.

The research starts in early 2011 and is being co-ordinated and part-funded by the Micheal J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

The Foundation has spent almost ?30 million so far on studies looking for Parkinson’s biomarkers.

Debi Brooks, co-founder of the Michael J Fox Foundation, said patients will be followed for between three and five years, and compared with healthy volunteers.

“The great thing is we don’t have to wait until the end of the five years to start using the data,” she said, adding it would be made available to researchers through a publicly-accessible website, with patient details anonymised.

A scene from back to the Future 2 where Fox co-starred as Marty McFly with Christopher Lloyd. the success of the film trilogy helped Fox become a household name

So far, several pharmaceutical giants, including Roche, Pfizer, Merck, GE Healthcare and Genentech, have put millions of dollars into the research.

The Foundation wishes to recruit another three to five partners and hopes, in total, to receive 20 million US dollars (?12,896,100) from pharmaceutical companies as well as contributing 20 million itself.

As well as the US sites, there will be research centres at Imperial College London, one in Italy, two in Germany and one in Austria.

Ms Brooks said: “We are really excited to see this field-wide commitment to really going after these markers of disease progression.

“It’s a key tool for our ability to develop and test new treatments for Parkinson’s.

“Without it, there’s a risk that developing and testing treatments will remain too challenging.

“The patients really are the ones who hold the scientific secrets about Parkinson’s disease and it’s a remarkable contribution they are making to this study.”

Patients will not be on any medicines at the start of the study, although they may start taking them during the course of the research.

Ms Brooks said there is often a long time lag between developing potential treatments and getting regulatory approval.

Finding the key biomarkers for Parkinson’s would “compress” these time frames, she added.

David Brooks, professor of neurology at Imperial College, London, will lead the study at the UK site.

He said: “To develop life-transforming treatments for the millions of people living with Parkinson’s disease worldwide, we need consistent and reliable biomarkers – measurable indicators of disease risk, onset and progression.

“This study will leverage our group’s expertise in developing imaging-based biomarkers, and allow us to take our Parkinson’s biomarker programme to the next level through open collaboration with the Michael J Fox Foundation and top-flight investigative teams across Europe and the United States.”

BEREA – Quarterback Colt McCoy (stomach flu) and running back Peyton Hillis (knee) were back at practice Thursday after missing Wednesday.

“All of my symptoms are over and my body feels fine,” McCoy said.

Coach Eric Mangini said McCoy was able to go through the walkthrough Wednesday, so he practiced a number of the plays, albeit at a slow pace. He’s scheduled to start Sunday against Baltimore.

McCoy has played some of the league’s tougher defenses, including Pittsburgh’s and the Jets’, but Baltimore’s 10th-ranked unit presents unique challenges.

“They have great players and I’m excited about the opportunity,” McCoy said. “They’re a huge challenge and we’ll have our hands full.”

Hillis ran for 144 yards against the Ravens in a loss in September. It was the most rushing yards by a Brown against Baltimore.

“A blind cat will find a meal every once in a while,” linebacker Ray Lewis said.

CHECK FRIDAY’S C-T FOR MORE BROWNS COVERAGE, AND FOLLOW SCOTT PETRAK ON TWITTER.

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A love for his son and a frustration with the educational system led Bexley resident Joel Greff to open a franchise of Dyslexia Institutes of America, “My inspiration is the fact that my sonÉhas faced all kinds of learning challenges since he was in preschool,” he said.

Greff’s son was diagnosed with dyslexia in elementary school. He was looking for services for his son and considered sending him to the private Marburn Academy, but he said it was cost-prohibitive. He is also an entrepreneur who was looking for a challenge.

Greff’s son is 12 and headed into sixth grade at Montrose Elementary. The family realized there was a problem in preschool and began evaluating him.

“Arguably 15 to 20 percent of the population is faced with dyslexia and or associated learning challenges,” he said. “It is underserved because it is not a visible disability.”

The franchise was founded by Elaine Jett, who owned and operated several Sylvan Learning Centers and had a background in curriculum design. Jett put together a program centered on phonics that addressed the symptoms of dyslexia.

Greff opened the franchise in 1997 in Gahanna. He grew up in Bexley and operates a technology business in the community. He moved the franchise to Bexley earlier this summer because it is a more convenient location for him.

“We’re close enough to Bexley, in particular Main Street, there is a lot for parents to do,” he said.The institute has 11 different diagnostic tests to determine if someone has dyslexia. it takes three hours to run an assessment. The institute works with four-year-olds through adults.

While the most common symptom of dyslexia is flipping numbers and reversing letters, that isn’t always the case, Greff said.

“I don’t know how many times people call who don’t flip numbers and have all these other problems,” he said.

In preschool, students with dyslexia show delayed speech; mix up the sounds and syllables in long words; have chronic ear infections or severe reactions to childhood illnesses; demonstrate confusion of left versus right; are late establishing a dominant hand; have difficulty learning to tie shoes; trouble memorizing their addresses, phone number or the alphabet; and can’t create words that rhyme.

In elementary school, symptoms include letter or number reversal; extreme difficulty learning cursive; slow choppy, inaccurate reading; terrible spelling; difficulty remembering sight words; trouble with math; messy bedroom, backpack and desk; and dreads going to school.

Unfortunately the economy has had a negative impact on the business, Greff said. as people lose their jobs, they have less funding available for therapy or assessment.

Dyslexia is challenging because it does not go away quickly, he said, adding that it can be frustrating and tiring for families to deal with it on a day-to-day basis.

“This is not something that is quickly going to go away,” he said.

One local family learned their son had dyslexia when he was in first grade. He’s headed into the second grade now. they began working with his institute this summer. The mother knows Greff and decided to give it a chance.

“I heard of his work with dyslexia,’ she said. “My son was in tutoring and looking for some work outside the reading tutoringÉa broader perspective. it is a really great supplement.”