Mental Disorders in Children from 4-19 are More Common Than You Think - 1st symptoms and how you can discover and treat them early.

When you have a child with autism, it's easy to overlook milder behavior issues in the siblings we've labeled as typical.  It is also easy to think a sibling's challenging behaviors come out of the challenges of being the sibling to a special needs brother or sister.

Looking at an infographic this morning I was reminded how common it is for multiple siblings to be on the spectrum or suffer from other mental disorders, even when they are far less obvious than autism.

Here's the infographic...don't know about you, but it hits home with me.

Startling New Numbers: Study Reports Autism Prevalence Up 30% from 2012

Another study, another conclusion and it seems we are no closer to providing solutions for families. For those of us living with autism, we know that the number of children being diagnosed is increasing because more kids have autism, and because the tools for properly identifying this complex disease are improving. As the tools improve children who were previously diagnosed with other illness now have a more accurate diagnosis of autism. So what we have is reclassification, a shuffling of sorts that brings the real picture into focus.  

Temple Grandin

(CNN)On the surface, it looks like the number of children in the United States whose parents say they have autism spectrum disorder has grown significantly. But this latest study from the National Center for Health Statistics begs a bigger question: Are there really more children with autism, or did the way in which the United States collects that information affect the reportable number?  http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/13/health/autism-numbers-inflation/

This latest study looks at data collected in 2014. When they gathered that information, the survey that they gave parents took a new approach to asking about autism and changed the order of the questions. With that switch, the number of children believed to be on the spectrum is 2.24% -- that's 1 in 45 children. That's a large increase. 

Study authors wondered whether the changing survey method has had an effect on the numbers; that's because the number of children who parents say have another developmental disorder went down significantly. That number fell from 4.84% in 2001-2013 to 3.57% based on 2014 data. That could mean, the authors say, that parents were selecting autism as opposed to another developmental disorder in part because the question about autism comes before questions about those other disorders.

Best States for "Aging Out"; From Promoting Independence and Productivity to Quality of LIfe

Seems to me California would do pretty good for 2 - 6 year olds. Then we drop a notch from 11 to 15, and another drop from16 to 18. Then we plumet to the bottom of the list when our kids "age out" between 19 and 22.  Sad there's so little in place in California for our young adults. 

Do You Live In 1 of the 10 Best States For People With Disabilities?

The 10 Best States For People With Disabilities Was A Surprise to Me! 

I expected California to do better. At the sametime I've been watching families face more and more challenges identifying and getting services. Frightening. Maybe a move will be in our future.
Donna

Eleanor Goldberg 
Impact editor, The Huffington Post

So, what does it take for a state to foster a comfortable and safe environment for people with disabilities?

According to the United Cerebral Palsy’s most recent ranking of the best states for people with disabilities, there are five distinct categories. It requires promoting independence, keeping families together, encouraging productivity, reaching those in need and tracking health, safety and quality of life.

The 2015 Case for Inclusion report came back with some disappointing figures. Waiting lists for residential and community services remain high and unemployment rates have increased among this demographic. 

In just eight states, 33 percent of people with disabilities have competitive employment. That’s down from 10 last year.

Still, a number of states have made some marked improvement, and these are the 10 best for people living with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

·         10

Ohio

Ohio "dramatically" increased the number of individuals and resources committed to serving the disability community and cut the number of people being served in large institutions by more than half, according to the 2015 Case for Inclusion report. It rose from No. 48 in 2007, to No. 10 in 2015.

·         9

South Carolina

The report found that improving conditions for people with disabilities doesn't necessarily require enormous wealth. South Carolina was the 44th poorest state, based on median income, yet it was No. 9 in terms of quality of life for people with disabilities. 

·         8

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. is one of 14 states that reported having no state institutions that seclude people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. 

·         7

Minnesota

Minnesota is among 14 states that offers support services to a large number of families caring for a relative with disabilities. Such programs allow families to stay together and enable people with disabilities to live in a community setting, according to the 2015 Case for Inclusion report. 

·         6

Colorado

Colorado is one of eight states that are top performers in the “home-like setting standard" category. That means that 80 percent of people with disabilities live in their own home, a family home, or group setting that has fewer than four residents.

·         5

Hawaii

Hawaii is one of 10 states where at least 10 percent of people with disabilities use self-directed services, according to the 2015 Case for Inclusion report. That means they have more control, and are more involved in decision-making matters, when it comes to their Medicaid services. 

·         4

New York

Since 1960, 220 state institutions have closed. By next year, 16 more are expected to be shuttered, which include two in New York. Activists often argue that such large institutions segregate people with disabilities from society and also aren't cost efficient, Amber Smock wrote in a blog post for American Association of People with Disabilities. 

·         3

Missouri

Missouri jumped from No. 41 in 2007 to No. 3 this year by increasing the amount of resources allocated to people with disabilities and closing six state institutions, among other noteworthy improvements.

·         2

Maryland

Maryland is one of just eight states where at least 33 percent of people with intellectual or developmental disabilities are working in competitive employment. That’s down from 10 stateslast year, according to the 2015 Case of Inclusion report. 

·         1

Arizona

While Arizona ranked No. 1 overall, the 2015 Case for Inclusion report called on the state to still work toward making the state even more accessible for people with disabilities by promoting productivity, a category it came in at No. 41.

Young People and Mental Health - The Stat's Will Disturb You

Young People and Mental Health - The Stat's Will Disturb You. The numbers sure disturbed me. At the same time the easy to read warning signs listed here were really helpful. Let's spread this and educate families :)
Donna

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Are the Kids Alright? Young People and Mental Health

Mental illness is often thought of only as an adult concern. But about half of mental illnesses begin to reveal themselves in childhood. What is the state of children’s mental health and how is it different from that of adults?

Children and Mental Health

Almost 15 million American children have some kind of diagnosable mental disorder. (1)

4 million

American children and adolescents with a serious mental disorder (2)

2 in 10

Children 9-17 with any diagnosable mental or addictive disorder that causes at least minimal impairment (2)

1 in 2

Mental disorders that begin by age 14 (2)

In any given year, only 20% of children with mental disorders are identified and treated. (2)

Most common disorders among children 8-15 (percentage in age group with disorder) (3)

ADHD: 8.6%

Mood disorder: 3.7%

Major depression: 2.7%

Conduct disorder: 2.1%

Depression: 1%

Anxiety disorder: 0.7%

Panic disorder: 0.4%

Generalized anxiety disorder: 0.3%

Eating disorder: 0.1%

Ripple Effects

Mental health problems can lead to issues with family and school — and can even lead children to attempt suicide.

Suicide

Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for people age 15-24. Suicide kills more Americans in this age group than these causes combined: cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza and chronic lung disease. (2)

9 in 10

Children and adolescents who commit suicide who have a mental disorder (2)

School problems

1 in 2

Students 14 and older with a mental illness who drop out of high school (2)

Legal trouble

Youths in juvenile detention with at least one mental illness (2)

Boys: 65%

Girls: 75%

Identifying and Treating the Problem

Early identification and adequate treatment can quite literally be the difference between life and death for young people with mental illness.

Signs of mental illness

Signs can vary depending on the disorder and age of the child.

Common signs of mental health trouble, by age group: (4)

Age 4-7, preschool/early elementary years

• Bad behavior at preschool or daycare
• Hyperactivity outside of what other children are doing
• Insomnia
• Persistent nightmares
• Excessive fear, worrying or crying
• Extreme disobedience or aggression
• Lots of temper tantrums all the time

Age 7-11, grade school years

• Inconsistent friend group
• Excessive fear and worrying
• Extreme hyperactivity
• Sudden drop in school performance
• Loss of appetite
• Sudden weight changes
• Obsession over weight
• Sudden change in sleep habits
• Visible and prolonged sadness
• Visual or auditory hallucinations

Age 11-19, tween and teen years

• Other common signs on either list above
• Destructive behavior
• Repeatedly threatening to run away
• Self-harm
• Withdrawal from family or friends
• Troubling writings or art that suggest desire to harm self or others

Treatment

Though children’s brains are still in a state of development, adequate treatment of mental disorders can help put a young person on a path to a healthy future.

Most common treatment options (1, 5)

• Medication
• Psychotherapy
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Art therapy
• Animal-assisted therapy
• Group therapy

Half Of All U.S. Children Will Be Autistic By 2025 - MIT Researcher’s New Warning

MIT Researcher’s New Warning: At Today’s Rate, Half Of All U.S. Children Will Be Autistic By 2025

DECEMBER 26, 2014 / 225174 VIEWS

Nick Meyer, althealthworks.com

Research scientist Stephanie Seneff of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a widely published author on topics ranging from Azlheimer’s Disease to autism and cardiovascular disease, raised plenty of eyebrows recently with a bold proclamation on autism at a special panel in Massachusetts about genetically modified organisms and other topics.

“At today’s rate, by 2025, one in two children will be autistic,”  Seneff said last Thursday in Groton, MA at an event sponsored by the holistic-focused Groton Wellness organization.  

http://earthweareone.com/mit-researchers-new-warning-at-todays-rate-half-of-all-u-s-children-will-be-autistic-by-2025/   -  Click link to watch video

Seneff presented slides showing a remarkably consistent correlation between the rising use of Roundup (with its active ingredient glyphosate) on crops and the rising rates of autism; while it doesn’t show a direct correlation it does give researchers plenty to think about, especially considering Seneff’s research into the side effects of autism that mimic glyphosate toxicity and deficiencies.

The slide notes that the heaviest use of Roundup, Monsanto’s flagship weedkiller, began in 1990 and continued to rise since. Meanwhile, the  number of kids with autism has gone from 1 in 5,000 in 1975 to 1 in 68 today, a puzzling and frustrating stat that shows no signs of slowing down and one that correlates strongly with the rise in glyphosate use.

Of course, autism is a complex problem with many potential causes, but the numbers are particularly of note considering how close the correlation is, and Seneff’s credentials.

Dr. Seneff has written 10 papers (7 as the first author) in various medical and health journals on modern diseases as well as drug side effects, nutritional deficiencies and the impacts of environmental toxins on our health. She also worked as a Senior Research Scientist at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory before turning to biology, as her official biography notes.

You can read more about her presentation on the website The Complete Patient by clicking here, and you can also check out the full versions of her slides on glyphosate and autism by clicking here.

EPA DEBATING ROUNDUP BAN OR RESTRICTIONS, ARE THEY BEING OBJECTIVE?

Recently, the group Moms Across America visited with officials from the EPA to discuss a potential ban or restrictions on Roundup, especially in light of recent findings that the active ingredient glyphosate is found in the breast milk of American mothers at levels that are a dangerous 760 to 1600 times higher than allowable limits in European drinking water.

While the group made its point loud and clear, it is well worth noting than many of the 100 studies provided for the EPA’s review were actually provided by the chemical companies themselves.

Urine testing has also shown that Americans have 10 times the glyphosate accumulation in their urine than Europeans, and children with autism have many biomarkers indicating excessive glyphosate in their systems including key mineral deficiencies, seizures and mitochondrial (the cell’s power center) disorders.

SENEFF RESPONDS TO MONSANTO’S KEY ARGUMENT

While Monsanto claims that Roundup is harmless because humans don’t have a shikimate pathway, which it inhibits, Seneff notes that our gut bacteria do have this pathway, and that’s crucial because these bacteria supply our body with crucial amino acids.

She also says that most studies are too short to show Roundup’s oft-studied effects as a cumulative toxin, one that builds up both in the environment and in our bodies over time.

According to Seneff, Roundup has the following side effects: it kills beneficial gut bacteria, allowing pathogens to grow; interferes with the synthesis of amino acids and methionine which leads to shortages in critical neurotransmitters and folate; chelates (removes) important minerals like iron, cobalt and manganese, and much more.

Additional chemicals in Roundup are untested because they’re classified as “inert,”she notes in her presentation, butaccording to a 2014 study in BioMed Research International they are capable of amplifying the ill effects of Roundup hundreds of times over.

To learn more about Seneff’s warning over autism and Roundup accumulation, you can view her slideshow on the topic. Until then, it’s best to exercise caution, and to buy and grow organic food whenever possible.

Dr. Stephanie Seneff, senior researcher at MIT, speaking at this year’s Autism One conference: