Picky Eating is Common in Autistic Children, May Be at Nutritional Risk

Two new studies out this year have focused on the nutritional adequacy of diet in children with autism, particularly those who are selective about what they eat. Many children are picky eaters as they go through the more independent stages of toddlerhood and school-age years, but the trait is more common in children diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD).

Autistic children have limitations or difficulties in several key areas of development, including language, communication, social interaction, and rigid or repetitive behavior. “Selective eating”, the clinical term for a picky eater, can be a component of the desire to have a more structured environment. While most children outgrow their tendency to be picky about what they eat, children with ASD often carry the trait into adulthood.

The rest of this article can be found here.

Calling all iPhone users...

Founder of the Grace App, Lisa Domican, created a picture-based iPhone application to help her communicate with her daughter. The tool was so successful she is now trialling it in a school for autistic children in Ireland.

The Grace App is essentially a digital version of the Picture Exchange Communications System - a book of laminated pictures attached to a board by velcro that allows children with autism to build sentences and communicate.

More info on this app can be found here.

To learn more about Lisa Domican's creation and inspiration behind the Grace app, click here.

April is National Autism Awareness Month

Incidence and prevalence rates in Autism are rising- particularly in the United States. For many of us, Autism is a word with no personal meaning. We may have heard of it, or read an article, or watch a TV special, but we have never known a person who has suffered from it. Often times, this unfamiliarity makes it easy to assume Autism is a far off, unrelated issue that doesn't affect you or me. This could not be farther from the truth. Autism is not restricted to a certain type of person, it can occur to anyone's child, in any family, anywhere. For this reason, it is important that we do our part to help educate the community and raise awareness.

If you are interested in Autism and would like to know more about diagnosis and treatment, here are a few helpful sites:


http://www.autismspeaks.org/whatisit/index.php
http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_home

There are plenty of organizations that work to build awareness and support Autism research, some of the aforementioned links also have pages for donations.

Autism Speaks will be holding the 2010 Walk Now for Autism at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. This event will take place on April 24th, 2010. For more information on this event, or to find an event near you, please visit their site directly at:
http://www.walknowforautismspeaks.org

Get involved in your community!