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Parents play a vital role in supporting children with learning disabilities, but little is known about their understanding of this diagnosis. The experiences of parents with the diagnostic process and the services their children receive post-diagnosis vary widely. Parents who participated in this study reported that they understand learning disabilities broadly but not their underlying neurobiology. Those who noted understanding the neurobiology indicated that it helped them better support their child, and those who did not understand it wanted to learn more. Parents generally noted that their children received less support during COVID-19 and that they had to seek more private services in order to support their child's academic progress, which caused additional strain on families. Finally, parents reported that having a child with a learning disability negatively affected their mental health, especially when parents feel like they have had to advocate strongly for their child to receive services.

There is currently limited research related to mental health supports for individuals who use AAC, particularly about the actual lived experiences of AAC users who receive mental health services. There may be alterations to mental health services for individuals who use AAC. The aim of this study was to gain the perspectives of AAC users on accessing and receiving mental health services. Three participants who used AAC and received mental health services shared their experiences related to receiving mental health services. Data were analyzed using an inductive approach in which themes were based on participants' experiences. Five major themes were generated: (a) Time, (b) Communication Partner Skills, (c) Advocacy, (d) Means of Expression, and (e) Diagnosis. Participants described factors that positively or negatively impacted their experiences. Participant experiences were examined in light of Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems model. The findings of this study provide insights into the perspectives of individuals who use AAC in accessing mental health services, uncovering various barriers and facilitators within the patient--psychotherapist microsystem. Factors such as time constraints, communication partner skills, advocacy, means of expression, and diagnosis-related challenges significantly influenced the quality of interaction between patients using AAC and their mental health provider. The study also reveals the broader impacts of AAC on interactions within the meso-, exo-, and macro-systems, suggesting the need for improved involvement of speech-language pathologists and policy changes to support effective communication and accessibility for individuals using AAC in mental health settings. Ultimately, future research should involve participants of varying ages, diagnoses, and backgrounds and should include a variety of stakeholders.

Background: As delays or disorders in early language and communication are the most prevalent symptom in children with disabilities, early screening is crucial to promote prevention, early diagnosis, and intervention. However, to the best of our knowledge, no screening tool is available for the joint assessment of early language and social communication skills in European Portuguese (EP)-learning children, which is critical for screening, monitoring and enrolment in appropriate early intervention services. Aims: (1) To adapt and validate the EP version of the Communication and Symbolic Behaviour Scales Developmental Profile™ (CSBS DP™) Infant-Toddler Checklist, a parental report for the screening of early language and social communication skills. (2) To conduct a cross-cultural comparison between the EP adaptation and the original US version. Methods & Procedures: A total of 611 EP-learning children (ages 6-24 months) were assessed on the CSBS DP Infant-Toddler Checklist. Normative data, psychometric characteristics (i.e., internal consistency and test-retest reliability), and cross-cultural comparison between the EP and the original version were explored. Outcomes & Results: Internal consistency ranged from good to excellent and the test-retest reliability was excellent. The performance of the EP and US samples matched on almost all scores. However, EP children performed significantly better than their American peers in the Social compositive at 22 months and in the Symbolic composite at 20 months. No further differences were found. Conclusions & Implications: These findings showed that the EP CSBS DP Infant-Toddler Checklist seems to be a reliable screening tool of communicative and symbolic behaviours for EP-learning children, which can be particularly relevant for decision-making in clinical practice.

This article looks at how colonialism has contributed to the racialized history of Indigenous people by unethical diagnostic implementations of categories and classifications, while overlooking exceptionalities when assessing Indigenous people. By understanding how settler-colonial assessments and/or diagnostic tests have been developed and utilized on Indigenous peoples, the reader can grasp the severity of any misdiagnoses, which can contribute to mislabeling due to cultural factors that have not been included and are beyond the understanding of the often non-Indigenous evaluator. Having an assessment or diagnoses, though, is a method to obtain accommodations and specialized education. Yet, if the systems that were created do not accurately measure the responses of the Indigenous individual, then an injustice will occur, not only for a possible misdiagnosis, but also for a missed opportunity to offer help if required. The need to understand the total individual beyond a mere assessment can provide insightful information, which is crucial for the examinee and examiner. It can affect the life of the whole person being assessed, if done without the Indigenous information that has been omitted.

The UK government identified 'improving support within the criminal justice systems' as a priority for autistic people. There is a lack of quantitative research to enable policymakers to make evidence-based decisions on how to improve access to justice for autistic people. This study used a case-comparison design to compare the experiences of 145 autistic and 116 non-autistic adults who had been arrested at some point in their life. Autistic participants were nearly five times more likely to state that they were not given an appropriate adult even though they believed they needed one and felt less able to communicate with the police. Autistic participants felt less able to cope with stress, twice as likely to have experienced meltdowns and five times more likely to have experienced shutdowns because of their criminal justice involvement. We conclude that there are inequalities that autistic people face when navigating the criminal justice system and the degree to which they can participate effectively in the justice process. This has an impact on their mental health. Policy recommendations are discussed based on this evidence.

This article examines the relationship between internalizing dimensions of emotional and behavioral disorders such as depression and anxiety with unresolved trauma and abuse among incarcerated girls in Mexico and the United States. The goal is to arrive at a better understanding of (a) how mental health conditions may contribute to deviant behavior, (b) how girls with disabilities may be disproportionately punished because of their gender and disability status, and (c) the limited capabilities of personnel in correctional facilities to diagnose disabilities in incarcerated girls or identify girls who have not been diagnosed. The results, supported by the "chivalry hypothesis," demonstrate the need for a gender-informed response to dealing with girls' deviant behaviors, as well as trauma-informed practices to address mental health disabilities and victimization among delinquent girls in both the United States and Mexico.

Limited access to screening and evaluation for autism spectrum disorder in children is a major barrier to improving outcomes for marginalized families. To identify and evaluate available digital autism spectrum disorder screening resources, we simulated web and mobile app searches by a parent concerned about their child's likelihood of autism spectrum disorder. Included digital autism spectrum disorder screening tools (a) were on Internet or mobile app; (b) were in English; (c) had a parent user inputting data; (d) assigned likelihood category to child <9 years; and (e) screened for autism spectrum disorder. Ten search terms, developed using Google Search and parent panel recommendations, were used to search web and app tools in the United States, the United Kingdom, India, Australia, and Canada using Virtual Private Networks. Results were examined for attributes likely to benefit parents in marginalized communities, such as ease of searching, language versions, and reading level. The four terms most likely to identify any tools were "autism quiz," "autism screening tool," "does my child have autism," and "autism toddler." Three out of five searches contained autism spectrum disorder screening tools, as did one of 10 links or apps. Searches identified a total of 1475 websites and 919 apps, which yielded 23 unique tools. Most tools required continuous Internet access or offered only English, and many had high reading levels. In conclusion, screening tools are available, but they are not easily found. Barriers include inaccessibility to parents with limited literacy or limited English proficiency, and frequent encounters with games, advertisements, and user fees.

Parents of children on the autism spectrum are important members of their child's early intervention team, yet there are multiple barriers to translating evidence-based parent-mediated interventions in Mexico. We examined early intervention needs in the Mexican population and compared these needs to those of the Latinx Spanish-speaking population in the United States. A total of 242 parents in Mexico and the United States responded to our survey. Results indicate that few parents in Mexico receive parent training during early intervention, parents in Mexico are less likely than Latinx parents in the United States to report speech-language services, and most parents across both groups reported that they wished that they had more tools to support development and address challenging behavior. Responses to open-ended survey questions were coded qualitatively for themes and subthemes. We provide four recommendations for adapting early interventions in Mexico and discuss implications for future research and practice.

A recent UK study found that 28% of autistic children were diagnosed with autism after starting secondary school, a stage where self-concept and social identity are the main developmental tasks. This study uses Foucauldian Discourse Analysis to explore the discourses ten girls with a diagnosis of autism use in their constructions of self-concept and social identity in interviews and written journals. The actions that are made possible through the discourses employed are considered. Three discourses which participants draw upon are: a diagnostic discourse; an individualistic discourse; and a normativity discourse. These discourses were used to construct the self as a "legitimised autistic", as "a person with support needs", as "uniquely individual", as a person "in the process of becoming" and as a "self in hiding from a hostile world". Social identities based around constructs of "fitting in" and "sticking out" were identified. Implications for practice are suggested.

The prevalence of autism/autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been increasing across the world. Previous studies in Norway reported, that the prevalence rate for 0-10-year-old children is 1 in 166, and in the case of 11-year-old children it is 1 in 125. Moreover, another nationwide study discovered that 1 in 192 males and 1 in 695 females between the ages of 1-16 years had autism in Norway in the year 2016. This study is underpinned by the data from the National Patient Registry (NPR) for registered incidences of autism/ASD (ICD-10: F84.0 Childhood autism and F84.5 Asperger syndrome). The results show that the prevalence rates of autism/ASD in the capital city of Oslo increased from 2012 to 2016 and the number of children with autism/ASD doubled during this period. Furthermore, in 2016 the results revealed that that 1 in 349 males and 1 in 1594 females between the ages of 1-5 years old had Autism/ASD. Similarly, among the age group of 6-16 years, 1 among 157 males and 1 among 544 females had autism/ASD in the capital city of Oslo in 2016. These findings suggest a 'school-age-effect' in the increase of prevalence rates among the school-age children compared to the preschool-age children. In the following study, the results are presented and discussed along with some suggestions for the educational and healthcare authorities.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a highly heterogeneous set of neurodevelopmental disorders with the global prevalence estimates of 2.20%, according to DSM5 criteria. With the advancements of technology and availability of huge amount of data, assistive tools for diagnosis of ASD are being developed using machine learning techniques. The present study examines the possibility of automating the Autism diagnostic tool using various machine learning techniques on a dataset of 701 samples that contains 10 fields from AQ-10-Adult and 10 from individual characteristics. It takes two scenarios into consideration. First one is ideal case, where there are no missing values in the test cases. In this case Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Random Forest (RF) classifiers are trained and tested on the pre-processed dataset. To reduce computational complexity Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE) based feature selection algorithm is applied. To deal with the real-world data, in the second case missing values are introduced in the test dataset for the fields' 'age', 'gender', 'jaundice', 'autism', 'used_app_before' and their three combinations. Support Vector Machine, Random Forest, Decision Tree and Logistic Regression based RFE algorithm is introduced to handle this scenario. ANN, SVM and RF classifier based learning models are trained with all the cases. Twelve classification models were generated with RFE, out of which best performing models specific to missing value were evaluated using test cases and suggested for ASD Diagnosis.

The purpose of this literature review was to analyze and synthesize the most current research about the experiences of young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without co-occurring intellectual disability (ID). Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 10 empirical research studies from 2009-2019 were selected for review including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods studies. The research questions for this review involved identifying themes regarding the academic, non-academic and gendered experiences of young adults with ASD without ID. After analysis and synthesis, 12 subthemes emerged. The results indicate that the transition from high school, mental health, and misdiagnosis are some of the factors that contribute to this population's ability for success, among others discussed in the review. The findings of this review indicate that these individuals can often be overlooked as being someone in need of intervention because of their perceived academic success; however, they still require supports in other domains in order to ensure a higher quality of life.

From a purely educationist perspective, gaining a deeper understanding of several aspects related to the prevalence of autism/ASD in a given population is of great value in planning and improving educational and psychological intervention for treatment, training, and teaching of children with this disorder. In this article, I present and discuss numerous facets of prevalence studies, beginning with assessing the changes in diagnostic manuals (DSM and ICD) over time. Based on the existing available research literature and empirical studies published during 2000 to 2016, I address the geographical-dimension and age-dimension of prevalence of autism/ASD. Over 50 studies from 21 countries reveals that prevalence rates of autism/ASD among children are on rise. There are inter-national and intra-national, regional/territorial variations with regard to prevalence rates, and I present and discuss possible factors/factor-groups that can explain these variations. Regardless of their geographic location, children with autism/ASD can be treated, trained, and taught, but to do so effectively requires reliable prevalence studies that can properly inform policy makers and higher institutions about the steps that must be taken in the field in order to improve the learning conditions of these children with special needs. Moving forward, it's essential that studies of geographical dimension and age dimension of prevalence of autism/ASD must be supplemented by other (i.e. gender, socio-economic, ethnic, cultural, and language) dimensions to help give us the perspective we need to grapple with this increasingly common disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder in China differs considerably from autism spectrum disorder in the West in terms of prevalence estimates, education opportunities, and life outcomes of autistic people. The lack of autism spectrum disorder awareness could be a key factor underlying the disparities. To date, there has been no evaluation of autism spectrum disorder knowledge among the general public of China. Using the Autism Stigma and Knowledge Questionnaire developed for use in diverse cultural contexts, this study uncovered profoundly different public views about autism spectrum disorder in China compared with the United States. Determined by cognitive diagnosis modeling, 86%-91% of the surveyed U.S. citizens (N = 1127) achieved adequate autism spectrum disorder knowledge in diagnosis/symptoms, etiology, and treatment, whereas for the Chinese citizens (N = 1254) the percentages were only 57%-65%. Moreover, 14% of the participants from the United States were classified to endorse autism spectrum disorder stigma; in comparison, 38% of the Chinese participants endorsed autism spectrum disorder stigma. The Chinese citizens displayed knowledge deficits primarily in the areas of autism spectrum disorder core symptoms, comorbid intellectual impairment, and prognosis. Sociodemographic factors associated with the Chinese citizen's misconceptions included gender, ethnicity, social economic factors, among others. These results have important implications for increasing public awareness and promoting community participation for autistic individuals in China.

Working memory (WM) limitations are frequently reported for children with specific learning disorder (SLD). However, WM capacity influences more than literacy and numeracy, as research highlights the contribution of WM to language development, in particular syntax. In this article, the authors study the effect of syntactic intervention, i.e. syntactic elements intervening between filler and gap, on comprehension in children with SLD and evaluate the relationship of this effect to WM capacity. Specifically, they assess how these children comprehend wh-questions and relative clauses. Additionally, they examine how comprehension relates to WM, measured by backward digit recall. The authors report that a subgroup of children with SLD struggle to comprehend structures containing intervention, and that WM capacity influences performance in SLD. Their conclusion is that computing a syntactic relation in which a moved object and an intervening subject share a featural specification taxes the processing system of children with SLD who have WM limitations. Thus, syntactic difficulties, although not typically associated with SLD, may form part of the SLD profile, especially when WM capacity is reduced.

In this article, the authors provide snapshots of a student's case in which she received an Individualized Education Program (IEP) after being diagnosed as having a speech and language disorder in an urban Head Start program located in the northeast region of the United States. This case can shed light on the complexities of the literacy practices of young children from immigrant families in the contexts of their families and school lives. Furthermore, the authors highlight the importance of enacting culturally relevant/responsive pedagogy (CRP) and offer CRP-oriented literacy teaching suggestions on caring, fostering, and empowering young children's multilingual language development and their individual literacy practices transitioning from home to school.

Increasing rates of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and younger age at diagnosis pose a challenge to preschool intervention systems. In Sweden, most young autistic children receive intervention service in community-based preschool programs, but no tool is yet available to assess the quality of the preschool learning environment. This study adapted the Autism Program Environment Rating Scale Preschool/Elementary to Swedish community context (APERS-P-SE). Following translation and a multistep modification process, independent experts rated the content validity of the adaptation. Findings indicate high cross-cultural validity of the adapted APERS-P-SE. The cultural adaption process of the APERS-P-SE highlights similarities and differences between the American and Swedish preschool systems and their impact on early ASD intervention.

Although widely misunderstood, Lyme disease is the most prevalent vector borne disease in the United States. Children are the most at-risk group for Lyme disease, which can impact every system in the body. It can produce the musculo-skeletal, neurologic, psychiatric, opthalmologic, and cardiac symptoms. The symptoms of Lyme disease can have a large impact on school performance. This article will enable teachers to recognize and appropriately support children with Lyme disease. (Contains 1 table.)

"Institutional autism" is understood as a "learned behavior" produced by an institutional environment such as an orphanage. Some autistic-like behaviors may be adaptive in an institution, but become mal-adaptive after the child's adoption into a family. A differential diagnosis between autism as a medical condition and learned autistic-like post-institutional behaviors is to be made. A conclusion is drawn that "institutional autism" is merely a description of certain patterns of post-institutionalized behavior that may appear similar to what is observed in children with autism. Abrupt native language attrition, typical for the majority of international adoptees, could contribute to "autistic-like" behavior.

This study provides an updated analysis of state guidelines with respect to terminology and definitions in the field of intellectual disability (ID). The study serves as a methodological replication of prior work that has been reported in the literature in earlier decades. The data were acquired by reviewing web-based state guidelines for ID terminology and definition. These data are reported for all 50 states plus the District of Columbia. Practices regarding terminology and definition were determined and the findings are highlighted in this study and compared to prior findings. Most significant was the confirmation of the change from the term mental retardation to intellectual disability while modifications in definitions and therefore diagnostic practices are addressed. Implications are noted with special attention to trends among the states and to considerations with regard to practices within the field.

Diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is important throughout the lifespan. The objective was to investigate the transcultural diagnostic validity of the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) in a clinical sample of 451 adults with Intellectual Developmental Disorder (IDD) with and without ASD in Germany, the U.S.A. and Great Britain. Variables associated with higher SCQ sum-scores were higher levels of IDD, male gender, a diagnosis of ASD and the study site (Germany > U.S.A > G.B.). An ROC analysis revealed a cut-score of 13, which resulted in a sensitivity of 0.87 and a specificity of 0.58. It is recommended to adjust the cut-score according to level of IDD and gender. Further research is needed to align diagnostic assignment of ASD across different sites and countries.

This study examined the experiences of parents receiving an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis for their child. Mixed methods were used to give a detailed account of the sequence of events, parents' experiences and actions associated with the ASD diagnosis. Parents waited nearly two and a half years (mean = 28.72 months) before receiving the ASD diagnosis. Parents with lower general and autism-specific social support, poorer physical health functioning and children with more severe communication problems reported longer wait times. Surprisingly, parents reported more positive than negative experiences from receiving the diagnosis. Paediatricians and psychologists were consulted most frequently; paediatricians and general physicians were rated most likely to neglect early ASD symptoms and least likely to make appropriate referrals. Qualitative analyses revealed seven themes describing the parent experience during the diagnostic process: "heightened awareness", "initial search", "dissatisfaction with medical or associated processionals", "long process/delay", "feeling uninformed", "parent psychological and relational experiences" and "diagnosis goals". A set of commonly experienced stages characterising the process of obtaining a diagnosis were identified and formulated into a six-stage model of diagnostic delay adapted from the patients' health-seeking model.

Systematic reviews have traditionally focused on internal validity, while external validity often has been overlooked. In this study, we systematically reviewed determinants of external validity in the accumulated randomized controlled trials of social skills group interventions for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. We extracted data clustered into six overarching themes: source population, included population, context, treatment provider, treatment intervention, and outcome. A total of 15 eligible randomized controlled trials were identified. The eligible population was typically limited to high-functioning school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder, and the included population was predominantly male and Caucasian. Scant information about the recruitment of participants was provided, and details about treatment providers and settings were sparse. It was not evident from the trials to what extent acquired social skills were enacted in everyday life and maintained over time. We conclude that the generalizability of the accumulated evidence is unclear and that the determinants of external validity are often inadequately reported. At this point, more effectiveness-oriented randomized controlled trials of equally high internal and external validity are needed. More attention to the determinants of external validity is warranted when this new generation of randomized controlled trials are planned and reported. We provide a tentative checklist for this purpose.

Building on a recent work of Harrison, Armstrong, Harrison, Iverson and Lange which suggested that Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) scores might systematically overestimate the severity of intellectual impairments if Canadian norms are used, the present study examined differences between Canadian and American derived WAIS-IV scores from 861 postsecondary students attending school across the province of Ontario, Canada. This broader data set confirmed a trend whereby individuals' raw scores systematically produced lower standardized scores through the use of Canadian as opposed to American norms. The differences do not appear to be due to cultural, educational, or population differences, as participants acted as their own controls. The ramifications of utilizing the different norms were examined with regard to psychoeducational assessments and educational placement decisions particularly with respect to the diagnoses of Learning Disability and Intellectual Disability.

Purpose: Of all Canadian and American men who live to age 75 years, about half can expect to live to age 85. Our objective is to examine how clinical diagnoses made before age 75 relate to a man's survival to age 85 years. Design and Methods: Since 1948, a cohort of 3,983 young men (mean age of 31 years at entry) has been followed with routine contact and medical examinations to prospectively document incident disease. Over 62 years of follow-up, 2,414 of the cohort lived to celebrate their 75th birthday. Of these survivors, 1,060 (44%) died before their 85th birthday. Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine the effects of ischemic heart disease, cancer, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, peripheral arterial disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on all-cause mortality between age 75 and 85 years. Results: Modeled as six binary risk factors at age 75 years, all were significantly (p less than 0.01) and independently related to 10-year mortality. Multivariate risk ratios ranged from 1.36 to 1.46 except for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with a risk ratio of 1.85 (95% CI: 1.38, 2.49). The cumulative 10-year probability of survival from age 75 to 85 among men with none of these diagnoses was 63%, 52% for any one diagnosis, 39% for two diagnoses, and 22% for three or more diagnoses. Implications: Joint independence of these six common clinical diagnoses implies that each is important and their effects on mortality are cumulative.

Despite advances in HIV prevention and care, African Americans and Latino Americans remain at much higher risk of acquiring HIV, are more likely to be unaware of their HIV-positive status, are less likely to be linked to and retained in care, and are less likely to have suppressed viral load than are Whites. The first National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) has reducing these disparities as one of its three goals by encouraging the implementation of combination high-impact HIV intervention strategies. Federal agencies have expanded their collaborations in order to decrease HIV-related disparities through better implementation of data-driven decision making; integration and consolidation of the continuum of HIV care; and the reorganization of relationships among public health agencies, researchers, community-based organizations, and HIV advocates. Combination prevention, the integration of evidence-based and impactful behavioral, biomedical, and structural intervention strategies to reduce HIV incidence, provides the tools to address the HIV epidemic. Unfortunately, health disparities exist at every step along the HIV testing-to-care continuum. This provides an opportunity and a challenge to everyone involved in HIV prevention and care to understand and address health disparities as an integral part of ending the HIV epidemic in the United States. To further reduce health disparities, successful implementation of NHAS and combination prevention strategies will require multidisciplinary teams, including psychologists with diverse cultural backgrounds and experiences, to successfully engage groups at highest risk for HIV and those already infected with HIV. In order to utilize the comprehensive care continuum, psychologists and behavioral scientists have a role to play in reconceptualizing the continuum of care, conducting research to address health disparities, and creating community mobilization strategies.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) account for more than half of all new cases of HIV infection in the United States. Yet, many MSM are unaware of their HIV serostatus. Consistent with research indicating that gender role conformity impacts health behaviors, this study examined how masculine norms may influence HIV testing among MSM in the United States. Data from 170 self-identified MSM (age M = 46.45, SD = 12.18) of self-reported negative or unknown HIV serostatus living in the United States were used in this study. About half (52%) of participants reported that they had been tested for HIV within the past 12 months; 48% reported that they had not. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between domains of masculine gender role conformity and HIV testing within the past 12 months, controlling for number of sexual partners in the last 12 months. The masculine norm of heterosexual self-presentation (i.e., desire to be perceived by others as heterosexual) was negatively associated with HIV testing (B = -0.74, SE B = 0.36, O.R. = 0.48, 95% CI [0.24, 0.96]), after controlling for the effect of number of sexual partners. Psychologists and other health professionals may remain mindful of potential implications of HIV testing among MSM, including potential for MSM to view HIV testing as an "outing" procedure.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) affect approximately 1 in 110 children in the United States. This report profiles fetal-brain reactive autoantibodies of a large cohort of mothers of children with autism and controls, yielding significant associations between the presence of IgG reactivity to fetal brain proteins at 37 and 73 kDa and a childhood diagnosis of full autism (p = 0.0005), which also correlated with lower expressive language scores (p = 0.005). Additionally, we report on reactivity to proteins at 39 and 73 kDa, which correlated with the broader diagnosis of ASD (p = 0.0007) and increased irritability on the Aberrant Behavioral Checklist (p = 0.05). This study provides evidence of multiple patterns of reactivity to fetal brain proteins by maternal antibodies associated with ASD and specific childhood behavioral outcomes.

Many people suffer from chronic diseases and problems due to injury from accidents or ailments. Some problems, such as measles and cancer, can be cured or put into remission with time, medicine, or treatments. Other ailments, such as high blood pressure, failing kidneys, and cystic fibrosis, cannot be cured and require continuous use of medications or organ transplants. Many people are in need of organ transplants (113,075 in the U.S., with only about 1,000 donors per month giving organs or tissues to transplant) (UNOS, 2012). In addition, for those who receive transplants, there is a need to continuously receive antirejection medications to keep their bodies from rejecting the new organs. It seems that, for many, there is no cure to failing health conditions. In this article, the author explores the possible uses of stem cells to aid in mending the human body, and analyzes the ethics associated with this technology. The medical community is using the term regenerative medicine and tissue engineering more and more because of the negativism some attach to stem cell research. (Contains 5 figures.)

Decision-making regarding intensive instructional support for children with special needs should build from children's instructional needs, and not from diagnostic labelling and criteria for funding eligibility. Cognitive referencing, the use of results on intelligence and language quotients to decide children's academic options and funding eligibility, is established as inappropriate practice yet continues to be used by many education systems. This paper discusses systemic practices in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, and then details four cases of children "framed" by their tests, that is, experiencing unwarranted disadvantage due to how they were positioned by their tests and diagnoses. The final section makes recommendations for considerations needed in the improving of Australian education of children with special needs.

Asthma, a major health problem, is the most common chronic illness of school-aged children and adolescents, with an estimated 6.8 million students affected in the United States. Asthma is the leading cause of school absenteeism, with an estimated 14 million lost school days per year. In August 2007, the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program released the "Expert Panel Report 3: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma". The recommendations were updated from earlier versions based on new evidence to improve the quality of asthma care. The revised management guidelines focus on 4 components of asthma care: (1) measures to assess and monitor asthma; (2) education for a partnership in asthma care; (3) control of environmental factors and co-morbid conditions; and (4) pharmacologic therapy. The "Expert Panel Report 3" (440 pages, summary 74 pages) serves as a major resource for the comprehensive asthma management plans for which school nurses are responsible. An overview of the relevant updates made to the latest published guidelines would be beneficial for busy school nurses. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief summary of the changes in the asthma guidelines that are relevant to school nursing practice. (Contains 1 table.)

Background: Recent studies have suggested that child attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and its symptom domains are related to blood lead level, even at background exposure levels typical in western countries. However, recent studies disagreed as to whether lead was related to inattention or hyperactivity-impulsivity within the ADHD domain. More definitive evaluation of these questions was sought. Methods: Two hundred and thirty-six (236) children aged 6-17 years participated (61 ADHD-Combined type, 47 ADHD Predominantly Inattentive type, 99 non-ADHD control, 29 unclassified borderline, situational, or not otherwise specified (NOS) cases). Formal diagnosis was reliably established by a best estimate procedure based on a semi-structured clinical interview and parent and teacher ratings. Lead was assayed from whole blood using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry with a method detection limit of 0.3 [mu]g/dL. Results: Blood lead levels were slightly below United States and Western Europe population exposure averages, with a mean of 0.73 and a maximum of 2.2 [mu]g/dL. This is the lowest level of blood lead ever studied in relation to ADHD. After statistical control for covariates including IQ and prenatal smoking exposure, blood lead was associated with ADHD-combined type but not inattentive type. Parent and teacher report indicated association of blood lead with Conners cognitive problems, but only teacher report showed effects on DSM-IV inattention symptoms. Blood lead was associated with hyperactivity-impulsivity in parent report regardless of measurement method, whereas teacher report effects depended on child treatment history. Conclusions: These findings confirm that in children with typical US population lead exposure, careful identification of children with ADHD also identifies children with slightly elevated blood lead.

Objective: To identify the predictors of nonmedical ADHD medication use by college students. Participants: A total of 843 undergraduates attending one public or one private university in southeastern United States. Method: Students completed a Web-based survey inquiring about ADHD medication use during the first semester freshman of their year and a second time during the second semester of their sophomore year. Results: A total of 45 participants (5.3%) reported the onset of nonmedical ADHD use between the two survey administrations. The majority of these students were high substance users as freshman. Attention difficulties also predicted the onset of nonmedical use, especially in the absence of excessive substance use. Compared with other nonmedical users of ADHD medication, those reporting attention difficulties had lower GPAs, greater academic concerns, and higher levels of depressive symptoms. Conclusion: Attention difficulties contribute to the onset of nonmedical ADHD medication use in a significant minority of nonmedical users. These students may begin using ADHD medication to address attention problems they experience as undermining their academic success. (Contains 4 tables.)

The prevalence of Autism and other Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) has increased dramatically in recent years. The criterion for a clinical diagnosis of Autism, however, is independent from the special education eligibility requirements for Autism services. While the DSM-IV-TR provides a nationally-accepted definition for Autism and ASD, under federal law, the special education criteria for Autism services can vary from state to state. By analyzing federal, special education child-count data as well as each state's legal code, this study examines and compares eligibility criteria in all 50 states and Washington DC. Our results reveal inter-state variability in Autism eligibility requirements within special education, and this variability can have an impact on prevalence rates. Implications and recommendations for researchers and practitioners in clinical psychology, public health, education, pediatrics, and public policy are discussed.

Research with young people who "do not fit the mould" requires innovative and unconventional methods, but what are the implications of such methods for scholarly representation? This paper reports on the development of such a method with students diagnosed Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and offers one view of the borderland spaces and tensions between critical theory and narrative inquiry. In particular, the paper defines the methodology that underpins the "critical cover narratives" method, describes the application of this approach within a doctoral study, and identifies resultant issues of representation when combining narrative and critical approaches. The paper then details the use of a tapestry metaphor to reconcile these issues. The central premise of the paper is that differing methods produce different knowledge, which demands different forms of representation. In making this case, the paper discusses the importance of a balance between the epistemological and aesthetic within scholarly representations of narrative inquiry. (Contains 1 figure and 5 notes.)

Objective: This study was the first to investigate the efficacy of long wave infrared (LWIR) imaging as a diagnostic tool for ADHD. Method: with ADHD and a high level of specificity (94%) in discriminating those with ADHD from those with other diagnoses. The overall classification rate was 73.16%. This was indicative of a high level of discriminant validity in distinguishing between patients with and without ADHD. There was a moderate level of agreement between LWIR imaging and multiple other diagnostic tests for ADHD. Conclusions: LWIR imaging demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity as a diagnostic tool for ADHD. These results provide evidence for the efficacy of a novel, quick, and effective way to investigate the physiological basis of one of the most prevalent childhood psychiatric disorders. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)

There has been a recent slowdown in the decline of rates of tuberculosis (TB) in the United States. However, there are disparities in TB diagnosis between U.S.-born and foreign-born persons and between Whites and minorities. Measures for achieving TB elimination include identification of high-risk persons, including children and adolescents, at increased risk of progression to TB disease. A public school district TB skin-testing program was evaluated to determine the program's efficacy in diagnosing infectious TB and the financial effect of the program on the district. Analysis of the correlation between ethnicity and a positive skin test was also performed. Results showed the TB screening program did not identify any cases of infectious TB and found no statistically significant relationship between positive test results and student ethnicity. It was also demonstrated that the school district lost state funds due to days of school missed in relation to the screening process. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by disturbing thoughts, impulses, or images (obsessions); repetitive or ritualistic behaviors (compulsions); or the presence of both. Although some may believe this disorder is isolated to the adult population, it affects anywhere from 1% to 4% of children in the United States. However, symptom presentation of this psychiatric condition may be different in the pediatric population. School-age children who are affected by the condition or their parents may attempt to hide these behaviors due to embarrassment or fear of peer victimization. If left untreated, OCD can interfere with the ability to play, socialize, attend school, and function as a part of a family, ultimately affecting success not only in school but in life. It is imperative school nurses are aware of this condition, its symptoms, and treatments and techniques to help students with OCD cope effectively. (Contains 3 tables.)