Health Essentials - Summer 2011 - Marymount - (Page 5)

WHAT DO YOU GET when you cross a swimsuit calendar, a charity event for autistic children and Tina Fey? More than $3 million in donations for schools and education programs—and a lot of laughs. But let us explain ... Last fall, Fey appeared on Comedy Central’s Night of Too Many Stars fundraiser for autism. To entice fans to contribute $100 or more to the cause, she offered a swimsuit calendar of herself. Well, sort of. The funny woman pasted her head onto other people’s swimsuit-clad bodies. When celebrities like Fey (writer, executive producer and star of NBC’s 30 Rock) lend their name to autism awareness, it “makes the disorder less mysterious,” says Aletta Sinoff, PhD, director of the Center for Autism at Cleveland Clinic. “And when things are less mysterious, we are, as human beings, more welcoming.” autism is. Sinoff explains that 10 years ago a child might have just been labeled “a bit eccentric,” whereas today, a similar child may be diagnosed with one of the many developmental disorders that fall under the spectrum of autism. “Also, in the ’70s and ’80s, children with cognitive impairment were diagnosed as mentally retarded,” she says. “Now we know that a fairly high percentage of children with a cognitive impairment are actually autistic.” Unfortunately, researchers are not sure what exactly causes autism, except that it appears to be a genetic disorder. Current research at Cleveland Clinic is moving toward pinpointing the cause of autism. “In identical twins, if one has autism, the other has autism more than 90 percent of the time,” says Sinoff. In fraternal twins, this only occurs 10 to 15 percent of the time. This suggests that a genetic mutation happens in utero, resulting in autism. “But we don’t know what role the environment may play in causing these mutations,” Sinoff says. “This area of science is in its infancy.” Though there is no known cure for autism, early intervention with speech and behavior therapy is key to helping autistic children grow into highly functional adults. What Autism Looks Like Autism can be diagnosed at any time after birth, but signals are typically seen when a child starts interacting with his or her environment, which can happen at different ages. “Parents have an inkling something is wrong, but can’t put it together,” says Aletta Sinoff, PhD, certiﬁed speech/language pathologist and director of the Center for Autism at Cleveland Clinic. Look for: I A Tricky Disorder Autism is a complex brain disorder characterized by a difﬁculty in using language and forming relationships. It brings with it more misconceptions than facts, something that makes many parents of autistic children feel alienated, Sinoff says. And she speaks from personal experience. When her son, Alan, was a baby, he seemed to develop normally. But at 21 months, Sinoff says, “he began to regress very slowly.” Before his third birthday, “he was nonverbal,” she says. “He babbled only.” Sinoff soon learned her son was autistic. Looking for answers, she learned all she could about the disorder, leaving her ﬁrst career as a speech language pathologist. “I call autism a thief,” she says, “because it robs children of the essence of what it is to be human: the ability to form relationships.” MICHAEL LARSEN & TRACY TALBERT Babies who are very unsettled or difﬁcult to soothe and calm. A disinterest in, or inability to recognize or respond to, a parent’s face. A regression in language, from using words to just using sounds, like babbling. Repetitive behaviors, such as spending hours lining up toys, and becoming upset when a toy is moved. I I In the late 1980s when Alan was diagnosed, there may have been one or two cases diagnosed in every 10,000 children, Sinoff says. But the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ﬁgures show 1 in 110 children is autistic. Sinoff believes that number will continue to rise. (free guide) FREE AUTISM RESOURCE GUIDE Cleveland Clinic is offering a free, 200-page, comprehensive autism guide for parents and caregivers of autistic children. Request a copy at clevelandclinic.org/autismguide. I What’s the Cause? One reason autism is diagnosed more now is because physicians today have a better understanding of what 5 http://www.clevelandclinic.org/autismguide

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Health Essentials - Summer 2011 - Marymount

Health Essentials - Summer 2011 - Marymount
Contents
A message from the president of Marymount Hospital
High-tech angiography enhances vascular services
Leading-edge care in Broadview Heights
Join us for these upcoming health events

Health Essentials - Summer 2011 - Marymount