Sensory Processing Disorder is Real Even if not Included in DSM-V

Sensory Processing Disorder is Real Even if not Included in DSM-V

en years ago, I received this letter: “My granddaughter, 12, can’t stand any little repetitious thing like crunching on Cheerios or tapping fingers. It must drive her crazy inside. She is fussing at her siblings all the time to stop. This has gone on for years.”

Bratty sister? No. More likely, a child like so many today who start the morning feeling like they are under assault — by the sound of crunchy cereal or the feel of a skirt seam.

These kids do not set out to be overly sensitive to sounds, flickering lights or a bump in a school line. Rather, their brains work against them because of a problem called Sensory Processing Disorder: difficulty taking in and processing some stimuli. A birthday party is too loud. A pool party is too wet. A bumpy bus ride is torture.

“For some people, the most benign sounds have the same effect as nails on a chalkboard,” said Carol Stock Kranowitz. She published her groundbreaking book “The Out-of-Sync Child” (Perigee) in 2002.

Your child may be bright as a silver dollar, but if she cannot deal with the new eyeglasses on her face, goes ballistic when a friend at lunch slurps through a straw, or cannot sit next to someone on the bus because their sleeves are touching, she is going to have a miserable school day. Forget about homework.

This year, more than one child in every classroom will have sensory-related issues, and new research suggests a brain-based link to the behavior.

In a groundbreaking new study from the University of California-San Francisco, researchers including Pratik Mukherjee, M.D., have found that children affected with SPD have quantifiable differences in brain structure. For the first time, this shows a biological basis for the condition that sets it apart from other neurodevelopmental disorders.

“Until now, SPD hasn’t had a known biological underpinning,” said Mukherjee, the study’s senior author. “Our findings point the way to establishing a biological basis for the disease that can be easily measured and used as a diagnostic tool.”

But despite the new research, is SPD even a valid diagnosis? It’s up for debate. The American Psychiatric Association says no.

Researchers at the Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation have been studying SPD for more than 30 years with a multi-disciplinary team of experts. Despite their wide awareness campaign — waged partly to enable SPD treatments to be covered by insurance — the disorder was not added as a new diagnosis in the latest edition of the APA’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual.

Whether or not the diagnosis is official, for families dealing with sensory disorders, the daily struggles are all too real. But there are ways to help these kids through the school day.

Read more at Possible biological basis for sensory disorder.

[Via Pocono Record]

Lee's Summit R-7 School District: Standing By And Watching Bullying

Lee's Summit R-7 School District: Standing By And Watching Bullying

How many of you have seen the psa with the boy on the bus or the girl in hall being bullied?  The ad is to help children understand how to not be a bystander.  It is a wonderful concept.

What are we teaching these same children when teachers, administrators, bus drivers, aides, etc. or the bullies?  How are they going to address that?

It happens every day.  Thousands of children are bullied by the adults that we entrust our children to.  We are powerless to protect them because of the cover-ups, the lying, the retaliation, and the total failure of the system from the district level all of the way to Washington DC.

When are we going to demand that our legislators, administrators, teachers, and public officials do their job and protect the most innocent of our society?  I'm ready to demand it now.

SSI and Disability

bility. I would be glad to host this event, but I need to know 
I have a disability attorney and a retired Social Security Judge that would be willing to speak to a group about SSI and disability. I would be glad to host this event, but I need to know that someone is going to show up. Please let me know if you would be interested in this.

Report: Autistic Child Abused at Stone Mountain School - Schools - Stone Mountain-Lithonia, GA Patch

Report: Autistic Child Abused at Stone Mountain School - Schools - Stone Mountain-Lithonia, GA Patch

A father from Stone Mountain is furious at educators who allegedly abused his 14-year-old autistic son and then tried to cover it up. 

John Malone said his son Wesley, who cannot speak, was terrorized by a teachers in May at Stone Mountain Middle School while an observer monitored the class. The abuse allegation was passed on to the school district which then failed to respond appropriately, according to CBS.  

The district failed to report the alleged abuse to police for a whole month, Malone said. "I'm irate about it because not only is my son not receiving a fair shake, all the other kids with special needs won't get a fair shake either," he said.

A paraprofessional from the school has been forced to resign and a teacher may be fired for allegedly slamming a broomstick against a wall repeatedly in order to get Wesley's attention.

An investigating officer later issued "a vague and inaccurate incident report," Malone said. "I think there's been a complete cover-up to protect the DeKalb County School system. Arrests should have already been made." 

Jeff Dickerson, spokesman for the DeKalb County School District, said both educators have been disciplined and the Department of Family and Children Services has been notified.  

Former Antioch teacher charged with physically abusing young autistic students - Inside Bay Area

Former Antioch teacher charged with physically abusing young autistic students - Inside Bay Area

PITTSBURG -- A former Antioch special education teacher accused of physically abusing her young autistic students at Mno Grant Elementary School was arraigned Tuesday on six felony counts of child abuse.

Theresa Allen-Caulboy turned herself in Tuesday at the Pittsburg courthouse, complying with a $600,000 warrant for her arrest that was issued last week when the Contra Costa District Attorney's Office filed charges alleging six victims -- boys and girls ages 5, 6 and 7 -- were abused between October 2012 and Jan. 30, 2013.

Allen-Caulboy, 55, of Brentwood, resigned from the Antioch Unified School District in February, a month after parents reported her to police and she was placed on administrative leave.

At a bail hearing Tuesday, prosecutor Melissa Smith said Allen-Caulboy "preyed" on vulnerable children, some of whom are nonverbal, and that there is "nothing to indicate that something prompted her to act out this way."

Less than six months after she started teaching at the school, other district employees began witnessing Allen-Caulboy commit abusive acts, including kneeing a child in the chest, pinching a child's nipples, backhanded slaps, pinning children to the ground and forcing students to "eat boogers," according to Smith. Allen-Caulboy allegedly threatened a school aide that anyone who reported her conduct was "going to get sued," Smith said.

Prosecutors would not say whether there are charges pending against any school district employees who allegedly witnessed or received complaints from parents but did not go to police as mandated by law, before parents sparked the police investigation in January.

"All aspects of this case are still being investigated," said senior Deputy District Attorney Nancy Georgiou.

Defense attorney Elizabeth Grossman described Allen-Caulboy as a "thoughtful, compassionate, hardworking, caring and sensitive human being" who received no prior complaints in her 11 years of teaching.

The defendant was accompanied to court with her family and a former colleague at John Muir Elementary School in Antioch, where Allen-Caulboy taught autistic students in 2011.

"This is a person who very much wants to address these charges," Grossman told the judge, later adding, "I have a lot to say about whether (the DA) will prevail on these counts."

Judge Nancy Davis Stark ordered Allen-Caulboy to electronic house arrest until she can post a $200,000 property bond. The judge further ordered Allen-Caulboy not to teach or care for any minors and issued a restraining order barring any contact with the alleged victims and witnesses in the case.

Allen-Caulboy is scheduled to return to court on Aug. 12 to post bond and enter her plea to the charges.

Jake's SSI

We had a hearing before a judge and he denied Jake’s SSI.  Below is part of his report.

The claimant has the following severe impairments: autistic disorder, Asperger syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Per report, the claimant was, at various points in his childhood, diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder, Asperger syndrome, and autistic disorder.

In early 2009, Tracy Orchester conducted an EXTENSIVE psychological evaluation and diagnosed him with autistic disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.  She spent many hours with and came to know him.

The claimant was referred to Susan Barngrover, Ph.D., who conducted a FIFTEEN MINUTE examination of his mental status and ability to manage funds.  Based on the claimant’s performance of relatively high functioning, Dr. Barngrover’s diagnostic impression was that the claimant had “long-standing Asperger rather than full blown autism”.  This despite the fact that Dr. Orchester’s report stated that it might appear that Jake has Asperger syndrome, but in fact he has autism.  His PCP stated in his report that the claimant has full syndrome of autism.  Children’s Mercy also conducted an evaluation and found that he did not have Asperger’s Syndrome, but in fact was autistic.  The only person that concluded that he had Asperger’s Syndrome was the person that only spent FIFTEEN MINUTES with him. 

Throughout the hearing, the claimant gave thoughtful, well-considered responses and testimony.  The claimant did not display any discernible lack of social graces.  On the contrary, the claimant tended to demonstrate better than average social poise and communicative skills.  The claimant’s testimony also appeared to be exceptionally straightforward, candid, and unexaggerated. 

Dr. Orchester emphasized that she could “not make any kind of evaluation off his current abilities or limitations.”  Based on notes that she took in 2009, Dr. Orchester opined that the claimant, when he was 15 years old had marked limitations with interacting with other people and with performing at a reasonable pace and moderate limitations in handling simple instructions and making simple work-related decisions. 

The Vineland II scores were quite low.  However, the Vineland scale does not involve the testing of the claimant, but is based upon the subjective responses of claimant’s parents.  Dr. Barngrover’s diagnostic impression and the claimant’s responsive testimony demonstrated a much higher level of social functioning. 

The vocational expert testified that given all of these factors the individual would be able to perform the requirements of representative occupations such as:  stubber of which about 1,800 jobs exist in Missouri and library age of which about 1,000 jobs exist in Missouri. 

Sherri R. Tucker

Cofounder and President Lee's Summit Autism Support Group

Cofounder MOAFAA (Missouri Advocates for Families Affected by Autism)

autism@kc.rr.com

“In these days, it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education.”
-Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954)

“It is often easier to become outraged by injustice half a world away than by oppression and discrimination half a block from home.”― Carl T. Rowan

Autism as a death sentence - LA Daily News

Autism as a death sentence - LA Daily News

By Jonathan Dobrer

Should Paul Corby be allowed to die because he has autism? This is the simple question before the doctors at University of Pennsylvania Hospital. Their answer was: Yes. He does not warrant being saved by a heart transplant.

Let me disclose at the outset that I am not an objective reporter here. I worked with autistic children in the early 60s, I have a grandson with Asperger's Syndrome and my stepbrother lived a good and full life for nearly a decade and a half following a heart transplant. I take this case and the larger issues very personally.

While it is true that over 300 people die each year waiting for a heart transplant, Paul's autism is keeping him from even being wait-listed. Now to be fair (which I plan on being for a little while longer) heart transplants are not easy and patients do need to participate in their rehabilitation and ongoing care. Routinely people with major psychiatric or medical issues are turned down -- as are substance abusers. Since Corby has no other medical conditions and the substances he is on consist of 19 medicines prescribed to keep him alive, why he is being declined is

not clear, other than for his autism.

A spokeswoman for the hospital said, "The physicians involved believe that any discussion of the specifics of his case would be most unkind to him and therefore will not comment."

This is a phrase of such cruel and ironic bureaucrat-ese that it defies parody. Disclosing the reasons for allowing him to die would be "unkind" but allowing him to die is, well, what: Kindness itself?

Yes, Paul is quirky and geeky. He plays video games, has written one self-published novel and is working on another. He seems to have a mental and intellectual quality of life worthy of continuing. As a person with autism, he has developmental issues and is not always socially appropriate, according to our normal rules. None of his behaviors seems to warrant the death penalty, which is exactly what the University of Pennsylvania Hospital is imposing by its refusal to treat.

There is, of course, a larger social issue here. Who is worthy of living and dying? Do we "waste" medical services when they are given to people who are different by dint of some handicap or developmental issue? Do we want to rule out autism spectrum people and lose a potential Mozart, Einstein, probably Thomas Jefferson and certainly Temple Grandin? Do we want to have real "death panels" and come up with intellectual and emotional criteria for who shall live and who shall die? Do we want to take the chance of passive death panels that say your life is not worth saving becoming active death panels as happened when the Eugenics Movement of the 1920s devolved under the Nazis into the extermination of those not considered normal?

There are no guarantees with heart transplants. Some will survive surgery and go on to good lives, as my stepbrother did. Some will return to self-destructive life-styles. Some will be bad people and others wonderful and creative contributors to society. We have neither the tools nor the right to try to guess at the outcome of any individual life.

I hope the hospital finds that it, in the end, has a heart. And I mean this in both senses.