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The February 28, 2005 cover story of Newsweek was an informative article describing the latest findings about the beginning stages of Autism, and how new scientific research is indicating that an early diagnosis can effect the development of the brain, and more importantly, the quality of a child's life.
Scientists are now looking for the earliest signs of the mysterious disorder as desperate parents hunt for treatments that may improve their children's lives.
By Claudia Kalb
Newsweek
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'Daniel Isn't Talking' is a heartbreaking, heartwarming portrayal of an autism family
By Carolyn Huckabay
The Free-Lance Star
 What catapults a novel from ordinary to extraordinary?
It takes more than a clever plot and fancy, frequent figures of speech; those reads, satisfying yet self-contained, never quite get off the literary launching pad.
But it's the books that make us think, the books that change our perspective and broaden our knowledge base, that really soar.
Marti Leimbach's "Daniel Isn't Talking" is such a book.
We get to know Melanie Marsh, an American transplant living in England with her proper British husband, Stephen.
Their lives are on the right track: Stephen comes from money and class; Melanie's got a certain spunk to balance out her husband's propriety; and they have two perfect children, Emily and Daniel.
But when Melanie realizes Daniel isn't talking, and isn't developing the same way Emily did, her perfect life slowly unravels: "My socks don't match and there's a split in my jeans. Daniel needs a new diaper, but I'll have to chase him around the house to keep him from endlessly flushing the toilet, which he will only play with like a toy but will not consider sitting on."
Stephen's denial of Daniel's autism comes first.
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By Medical News Today
 Few Maryland and Delaware primary care pediatricians screen patients regularly for autism and autism-spectrum disorders (ASD) as part of their overall look at possible developmental delays, according to results of a joint study from Johns Hopkins Children's Center and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Of the 255 pediatricians who participated in the study, 209 (82 percent) said they regularly screen their patients for general developmental delays, but only 20 of the 255 (8 percent) said they do so for ASD. Of those who do not screen routinely for ASD, almost two-thirds (62 percent) said they failed to do so because they weren't familiar with the screening tools.
"Lack of familiarity with ASD screening tools appears to be the single greatest barrier to routine screening," said Susan dosReis, Ph.D., of the Children's Center Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and lead author of the paper, which appears in a May 11 supplement of the April issue of the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.
The findings suggest that screening for ASD remains largely opportunistic rather than systematic, researchers say.
Screening is essential, as delay in diagnosis and treatment generally leads to poorer outcomes in children with developmental disorders.
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By Medical News Today
 A Los Angeles writer who spent six years and 63,000 words writing a novel to connect with his autistic son promoted the book during 2006's April Autism Awareness Month to spotlight a disability that afflicts 1.5 million Americans. "Eddie and Me on the Scrap Heap" is about a 9-year-old boy with autism who plays guitar 'like a ring in a bell' who transforms the lives of a junkyard pirate, a Jewish reggae singer, and a modern day witch. But the back-story behind the novel is equally compelling. "By writing this book I finally was able to look beyond my son's neurological and social challenges," Littman said. "William and others with special needs shouldn't be defined by their disabilities. They often have remarkable personalities and talents to compensate." "William inspired the book. I incorporated his passion for Chuck Berry's rock and roll and love of all things whimsical, added reggae, magic, and set much of the novel in a junkyard, a metaphor for the lead character Eddie's life. He fears he will end up on the scrap heap of life because he doesn't function like others." "Everyone tries to fix Eddie because they think he's broken, but he ends up fixing them. In the process he accepts himself and by the time I wrote the epilogue, I had accepted my own son. He had fixed me."
Though Littman is an award-winning writer, former agents and publishers shied away because they said not enough readers could relate to autism. Determined to prove skeptics wrong, Littman self-published "Eddie and Me on the Scrap Heap," available through Amazon.com. He's donating half his royalties to autism organizations.
"Writing the novel made me more knowledgeable about autism," said Littman. "I researched reggae and how to speak Jamaican. Likewise, I studied magic and spent a lot of time in junkyards. But the biggest reward was learning to appreciate my son. He's not a dud; he's not a genius. He's just a great kid, and I'm proud of him."
| Be sure to visit the "Autism Upside" Website. |
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Produced By State of the Art, Inc. & CNN Presents
State of the Art, Inc. & CNN Productions present Autism Is A World, a 40 minute documentary produced and directed by Gerardine Wurzburg, Academy Award winner for Educating Peter, and narrated by actress Julianna Margulies (E.R. and The Grid).
The documentary, nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Documentary Short Subject by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, is about Sue who is autistic. She was diagnosed and treated as mentally retarded until the age of 13 when she began to communicate using a keyboard. When you meet her, she does not make eye contact. She obsessively attacks your buttons, endlessly stands at the faucet and watches water pour over her hand. You would not approach this person. But the documentary takes the viewer on a journey into her mind, into her world and her obsessions. Autism Is A World explores Sue’s world, her writings, and the remarkable friendships she has created while in college.
Lensed in and around Whittier, CA where Sue makes her home, Autism Is A World was produced by State of the Art, Inc. and Producer/Director Gerardine Wurzburg, Co-Producer Douglas Biklen, Associate Producer Elissa Ewalt, Supervising Producer Jennifer Hyde, Executive Director Jody Gottlieb, Managing Editor Kathy Slobogin and Executive Producer Sid Bedingfield.
Click the images below to view clips from this production. This will open a pop-up window.
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QuickTime is required to view these clips. If you do not have QuickTime installed on your computer, click on the image to the left to obtain a free copy. |
| This Special DVD is Available from Amazon.com. |
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