EBD Blog

US television broadcaster ABC has a series entitled Eli Stone and an as-of-now pending episode treats the topic of a component of vaccine as the cause of Autism. The TV show has generated quite a lot of interest (probably great for the advertisers, no?) with many publishing opinions about whether it is appropriate to air the episode. Among others, the American Academy of Pediatrics weighed in with a letter condemning it and Edward Wyatt of the New York Times published a critical review.

As one should expect, people who advocate for the proposition that thimerosal causes Autism have published critiques of these expressions of concern. Certainly chief among these is David Kirby, who has long promoted the connection between minute amounts of mercury and Autism. Fortunately, people who know how to reason have examined Mr. Kirby’s comments and, not too surprisingly, found them wanting. Orac, who also chastised the show on his Respectful Insolence, examined Mr. Kirby’s comments and systematically showed how they reflected slippage in thinking; I encourage folks to read Mr. Kirby’s article with an eye for slight-of-rational arguments and then read Orac’s analysis and see how many of those slights of rational Orac identifies are the same as those the reader identified. And, after that, check Steven Novella’s entry at NewoLogica Blog for another worthwhile view; as he notes, the broadcasters “have the right to show their reckless drama, but that right does not relieve them of any responsibility. I and others have the right to heap scorn upon them for their callous irresponsibility, and you might say we have a responsibility to do so.”

Check the section of ABC’s Web site on the Eli Stone series; one can see a 12-min preview of the show and the episode in question. Read the AAP letter and Mr. Wyatt’s review. Check Mr. Kirby’s arguments for yourself. Here’s the link to Orac’s older entry about the show and another link to the excellent take-down of Mr. Kirby’s comments. And here’s a link to Dr. Novella’s comments.

By the way, I’m TV challenged. We have the machine, but we can’t get reception where we live without cutting down a half-acre of trees to provide open sky for a satellite dish. Y’all will just have to watch for me…or not.

William C. Morse, one of the major influences during the 1950s-90s on the education and treatment of children and youths with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, died 25 January in Michigan, at 92 years of age. Professor Morse was born in Erie (PA, US) in 1915 and spent his academic career at the University of Michigan.

Professor Morse received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1938, a Master of Arts degree in 1939, and a Ph.D. in 1947. During his tenure at Michigan, he served as chair of the Combined Program in Education and Psychology. After his retirement from Michigan, he taught at California State University at Northridge and more recently he continued to teach a course each spring semester at the University of South Florida. During his academic career Professor Morse also worked with important professional organizations including the American Educational Research Association, the American Orthopsychiatric Association, the Council for Exceptional Children, and the National Commission on Mental Health of Children and Youth. Professor Morse received the Wallace W. Wallin Award from the Council for Exceptional Children in 1977, and he was honored by a scholarship created in his name at the University of Michigan where he also received the Distinguished Faculty Achievement Awards in 1969-70.

A chapter written by Professor Morse in a book about Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (edited by Jim Kauffman and Denny Lewis, 1974), included this biographical note:

During his years as an educator of behavior-disordered children, Dr. Morse has served in many capacities. For fifteen years (1945-1961), he was Director of the University of Michigan Fresh-Air Camp for Emotionally Disturbed Boys. He has also been a consultant to the Ann Arbor Public Schools, to the Hawthorne Center in Northville, Michigan, and to the United States Office of Education, Bureau of Education for the Handicapped….He is also a member of the editorial board of the Council for Exceptional Chidlren and of the publications board of the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry.

Professor Morse’s academic career was marked by publication of many influential books and articles. Perhaps his most widely known work was Conflict in the Classroom, which Professor Morse edited with Nicholas Long and Ruth Newman; first published in 1965, it appeared in five editions, most recently in 1996 [see Sheldon's correction—JohnL]. However, his first book (Studies in the Psychology of Reading, 1951) and several other works focused on diverse matters in education. Among his passions, he also strongly championed consideration of the humanistic approaches to and affective aspects of education. As author and co-author of many articles, Professor Morse contributed to the scientific understanding of students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. For example, his paper “Personality patterns of pupils in special classes for the emotionally disturbed” (co-authored with Herbert Quay and Richard Cutler) was one of the first to take an empirical approach to classifying children’s behavior disorders.

Long, N. J., Morse, W. C., & Newman, R. G. (1965). Conflict in the classroom: The education of emotionally disturbed children. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Quay, H., Morse, W., & Cutler, R. (1966). Personality patterns of pupils in special classes for the emotionally disturbed. Exceptional Children, 32, 297-301.

The US magazine Parade, which (along with comics and advertisements) is included in the inserts of many Sunday editions of newspapers, featured a pair of pieces about Autism 27 January. In one of them, Ranit Mishori gives a brief overview of Autism and in the other Suzanne Wright provides a first-person perspective on the effects of Autism on families.

Dr. Mishori, who doubles by practicing family-practice medicine and writing about medical topics for the popular press, addresses these questions:

• Is Autism an Epidemic?
• What Is the Best Treatment?
• Do Vaccines Cause Autism?
• Is There Hope?
• Does It Work?

Continue reading ‘Autism in Parade’

The paper mail included a copy of Focal Point, the periodical from the Research and Training Center (RTC) on Family Support and Children’s Mental Health at Portland (OR, US) State University. As usual, it includes many worthwhile articles. It reminded me that I should reminder readers of EBD Blog about the RTC.

Continue reading ‘PDX RTC’

Eric Fombonne has continued to voice his doubts about the putative relationship between thimerosal and Autism. In an editorial in the prestigious Archives of General Psychiatry, Dr. Fombonne, whom alert readers will remember was mentioned in an earlier EBD Blog post because of his research on this issue, makes a clear case about the problems with the thimerosal hypothosis. In his comments for the Archives, he is providing context for the results of another study in that journal that shows no apparent causal relationship.

Here are the first few words of Dr. Fombonne’s comments:
Continue reading ‘Fombonne on thimerosal’

In a recent post, I pointed to the Web resources about Autism available from the US National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). About 10 years ago, NIMH published a Web page that is the forerunner of that more recent page. I thought it might be interesting to some folks to examine that older page, so I located a copy of it.

Isolated in worlds of their own, people with autism appear indifferent and remote and are unable to form emotional bonds with others. Although people with this baffling brain disorder can display a wide range of symptoms and disability, many are incapable of understanding other people’s thoughts, feelings, and needs. Often, language and intelligence fail to develop fully, making communication and social relationships difficult. Many people with autism engage in repetitive activities, like rocking or banging their heads, or rigidly following familiar patterns in their everyday routines. Some are painfully sensitive to sound, touch, sight, or smell.

The image at the top right links to an archive of the older page.

The US National Institute of Mental Health has maintained a page about Autism for many years. It recently reviewed that page and the updated version is on-line now. Here is an outline of the contents of the page.

Autism Spectrum Disorders (Pervasive Developmental Disorders)

• Introduction
• What Are the Autism Spectrum Disorders?
• The Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Treatment Options
• Adults with an Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Research into Causes and Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Addendum (February 2007)
• References

Continue reading ‘NIMH Autism publication’

The acompanying notice may be of interest to some readers:

Since there has been considerable interest in the 2008 Autism Conference, the Association for Behavior Analysis International is extending the pre-registration deadline to Sunday, January 20th at 12:00 AM (EST). The advantage of pre-registering for the conference, titled “Issues and Recent Advancements in the Behavioral Treatment of Autism: Practical Strategies for Changing Behavior at Home and School,” is to save on registration costs and waiting time at the Registration Counter once you arrive at the conference. To pre-register now for the autism conference scheduled for Friday, February 8 to Sunday, February 10, 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia, please visit http://www.abainternational.org/autconf/convreg/index.asp .

Our 2008 Autism Conference includes a comprehensive program covering topics such as “Using ABA to Improve the Lives of Adults with Autism in Work, Community, and Residential Settings”, “Developing Active Learner Participation by Children with Autism: Capturing the Motivational Variables,” and “Using ABA to Improve the Lives of Adults with Autism in Work, Community, and Residential Settings.” The conference will also include poster sessions on Friday and Saturday evenings, providing a great opportunity for researchers and practitioners to showcase their recent work. For more details about our program, including a list of poster presentations, please visit
http://www.abainternational.org/autconf/program/program.asp .

Exhibitors will be available for the first time at our autism conference, displaying their valuable products and services. To view a list of current exhibitors, please visit http://www.abainternational.org/autconf/exhibitors/exhibitorlist.asp . Additionally, during the opening reception, you will be able to meet the ten invited presenters and receive their signatures on their published works. Their publications will be available for purchase at the registration desk during conference hours.

Don’t forget that you can pre-pay for your BACB or PSY CE credits if you have pre-registered for the conference. A maximum of nine credits will be available at a rate of one third off of our regular price. For more information, please see http://www.abainternational.org/autconf/ce/ce.asp .

Alert readers will know that I have found fault with the recommendations on about.com about Learning Disabilities, so this post endorsing an article on about.com may come as a surprise. In “How to Choose the Wrong Treatment for Your Child with Autism,” about.com’s Lisa Jo Rudy got a lot right. Ms. Rudy provides an extensive list of don’ts that merit support.
Continue reading ‘Autism treatment recommendations’

The Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders is providing a professional development opportunity that should be worthwhile. It will be the 2008 International Forum in Norfolk (VA, US) 8 and 9 February. Here’s a copy of the memo from Sheldon Braaten describing the event.
Continue reading ‘CCBD forum’

Professor Lauren Weiss and colleagues form the Autism Consortium published a paper in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine today that provides further and stronger evidence about genetic problems underlying Autism. They have identified changes in genetic structure that appear in a small number of children but not in those children’s parents.
Continue reading ‘More de novo findings’

The US National Institutes of Health issued a call for recommendations about priorities for research on Autism. Under the title “Request for Information (RFI): Research Priorities for the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee Strategic Plan for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD),” the agency is seeking “input from ASD stakeholders such as individuals with ASD and their families, autism advocates, scientists, health professionals, therapists, educators, state and local programs for ASD, and the public at large about what they consider to be high-priority research questions.”

Friday 4 January 2008 is the last day for submitting recommendations.
Continue reading ‘Last call for Autism research priorities’