Autism News Network

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Packet of Information for Parents New to Autism,

 (on-line version)


Articles:

ribbonLong-Term Outcome for Children with Autism Who Received Early Intensive Behavioral Treatment

By  John J. McEachin, Tristram Smith, and O. Ivar Lovaas. American Journal of Mental Retardation,  1993  Vol 97  No. 4,  pp. 359 - 372.
Documents  the  success of  ABA as a treatment for young children with autism.

Case Study:  Deterioration, Autism, and Recovery in Two Siblings
By  Richard Perry, M.D., Ira Cohen, Ph.D.,  and Regina DeCarlo, M.D.  Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,   February 1995    34:2
Written by the professionals who originally, and separately, diagnosed  the Maurice children.  Objectively documents and confirms the successful recovery of the children via ABA (see Let Me Hear Your Voice for the full saga).

Autism: Electroencephalogram Abnormalities and Clinical Improvement with Valproic Acid
By Audrius V. Plioplys, M.D.
Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine  Feb.1994, Volume 148
Documents  three  sample case studies of children who demonstrated marked, measurable improvement after a trial period of valproic acid.

Acquired Epileptiform Aphasia
By  Roberto F. Tuchman, M. D.
Department of Neurology,  Miami Childrenís Hospital,  Solomon Klein Pavilion, 3200 SW 60 Ct., Suite 302, Miami, FL  33155.
Elaborates on the 3 different acquired epileptiform aphasias ( Landau-Kleffnerís syndrome,  autistic epileptiform regression, and disintegrative epileptiform regression)  that may be affecting up to ONE THIRD of all children diagnosed with  a pervasive developmental disorder.  (Source for statistic:  Tuchmanís own presentation on November 15, 1997 in  Rockville, Maryland.  Other neurologists have  mentioned a range from 25% to 40%.)

Treatment of Electroencephalographic Epileptiform Activity on Overnight EEG Studies in Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorder or Autism: Defining Similarities to the Landau-Kleffner Syndrome
By Michael G. Chez, M.D., Cathleen Buchanan, M.A., Michelle Field-Chez, M.D., Maurice F. Loeffel III, B.S., and Michael S. Hammer, M.D.
The Journal of Developmental and Learning Disorders, Vol. 2 No.2, 1998, pp. 217-229.

This article reviews the 278 children  with PDD or autism who were referred to Dr. Chez for an overnight Digitrace EEG to check for acquired epileptic aphasia or LKS; includes treatment results of those children whose abnormal overnight EEGís warranted medical treatment. Concludes that ìour experience and recent reports show that early diagnostic testing with prolonged sleep or overnight EEG data collection is critical to the identification of partially or fully treatable conditions in children with PDD or autism.î
Locally, we have one of the few doctors in the country who uses the most sensitive Digitrace EEG equipment to not only perform unmedicated overnight EEGs but also one of the few aggressively treating kids who turn out to have abnormal overnight EEGs:
Dr. Michael Chez
(moved to Sacramento, California as of January 2007)
Contacting the office of Dr. Chez is crucial, especially if your child ever had any language and lost it, "stares" or seems deaf (although standard hearing tests are normal). If Dr. Chez is booked up, ask for his associate. Sleep disturbances are also common in these children.  This may be clues that  there may be a  condition  (usually seizures or seizure-like activity that often only can be detected with the overnight sleep EEG) that may be treatable with Valproic acid and/or Prednisone.  As I understand it, get the brain working better and the kid  can become much higher functioning. Meanwhile, the doctor is conducting research with other medicos to determine what is causing this abnormal brain activity.... you can get updates on the doctorís on-going research  by  getting on the mailing list of the Dr. Michael G. Chez Fund for Epilepsy and Autism Research (a non-profit fund established to raise monies for further medical research, research which in turn may help persuade other neurologists to replicate Chezís testing and treatment of kids with abnormal overnight EEGís, and thus eliminating the need for a long  wait for an appointment) - a periodic free newsletter,  the Foundation Forum will include reports on the research projects made possible by this newly established (1999) fund.  You will also be notified of education seminars/presentations.  Just FAX your address to the doctorís office (indicate you wish to receive the Forum) at 847/735-0400.

The MEG Scan comes to Chicago

Conclusions.  This study demonstrates that there is a subset of children with ASDs who demonstrate clinically relevant epileptiform activity during slow-wave sleep, and that this activity may be present even in the absence of a clinical seizure disorder. MEG showed significantly greater sensitivity to this epileptiform activity than simultaneous EEG, 1-hour clinical EEG, and 24-hour clinical EEG. The multifocal epileptiform pattern identified by MEG in the ASDs typically includes the same perisylvian brain regions identified as abnormal in LKS. When epileptiform activity is present in the ASDs, therapeutic strategies (antiepileptic drugs, steroids, and even neurosurgery) aimed at its control can lead to a significant improvement in language and autistic features.autism, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified, epilepsy, magnetoencephalography, Landau-Kleffner syndrome.
PEDIATRICS Vol. 104 No. 3 September 1999, pp. 405-418 , 
Magnetoencephalographic Patterns of Epileptiform Activity in Children With Regressive Autism Spectrum Disorders, Jeffrey D. Lewine*, Richard AndrewsDagger , Michael Chez§, Arun-Angelo Patilparallel , Orrin Devinsky¶, Michael Smith#, Andres Kanner#, John T. Davis*, Michael Funke*, Greg Jones*, Brian Chong*, Sherri Provencal*, Michael Weisend**, Roland R. Lee**, William W. Orrison, and Jr, MD*
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/104/3/405

Alexian Brothers Hospital announcement

Jeffrey Lewine has just launched a program to see if adolescents with autism spectrum disorders have trouble processing what they hear. He believes that if he can retrain the brain to process auditory information, he can help kids communicate more effectively.  Volunteers are needed for the study. Contact Jacque Burott at (847) 981-3690.
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/print/?id=254417

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