Visual supports are often recommended for individuals with autism spectrum disorders, but the many reasons for this are often misunderstood. One commonly used visual support are visual schedules, which can be based on objects, pictures, and/or words. There are several advantages to the use of schedules, whether the individual knows the general daily routine or not.

Schedules teach independence. Instead of a parent, teacher, or other professional transitioning the individual with ASD, they can reference their schedule. Rather than an adult answering “what’s next” questions, the schedule provides this information.

Schedules create predictability and organization. They let the individual with ASD know what is going to happen, when it will happen, and where. Individuals with ASD are prone to anxiety, particularly when their world is unpredictable, therefore, schedules can reduce this anxiety by increasing predictability.

Many individuals with ASD have verbal/language delays. This makes it difficult for them to fully understand transitions that are presented verbally. A visual schedule, which can be used in conjunction with verbal input, capitalizes on visual strengths to shore up the verbal difficulties.

Schedules can be used to ration the repetitive behaviors and special interests that so often are part of ASD. For a child who wants to talk about superheroes all day long, a schedule can show them when it’s ok to do this. By scheduling the special interest activity, the child still has access to it, but it doesn’t interfere to such a significant degree in other aspects of their day.

Schedules can be used to teach flexibility because they can constantly change. For individuals with ASD, who typically crave routine, the routine of checking a schedule can be the inflexible part of the system, but what is on the schedule can be flexible. This means they can change from day to day, as well as change within the day, even after it’s already been presented to the child. To do this successfully, it’s best to use a visual to indicate that a change in schedule is happening.

Carolyn Kessler, Ph.D. is a child psychologist with more than 10 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and their families on issues related to behavior management and parenting, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, developmental disabilities, and ADHD. She is a graduate of the University at Albany doctoral program in clinical psychology and completed her internship and postdoctoral training at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. She can be reached at carolyn@brooklynletters.com or (919) 280-2151.

Brooklyn Letters presents a multidisciplinary parent-friendly lecture on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), early childhood through the adolescence years. Dr. Lindsay Whitman, neuropsychologist, Dr. Carolyn Kessler, child psychologist, Dr. Blythe Grossberg, learning specialist and author of Asperger’s Rules, and Craig Selinger, speech language therapist, will present the changing diagnostic criteria of ASD, understanding the ASD assessment process, including how neuropsychological testing can aid with diagnosis and delineate how to best support a child with ASD, how to help children on the autism spectrum best work in school, and how the speech language therapist helps facilitate the child’s and adolescent’s social thinking and communication. Q&A will follow the one-hour lecture, and audience participation will be encouraged. Dr. Grossberg’s book Asperger’s Rules!: How to Make Sense of School and Friends will be raffled off for free to several audience members.

When: February 7th, 2013, Thursday, 7:15-9pm
Where: Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture, 53 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Cost: $25 per person or $40 per couple

To reserve a spot, please email Craig at craig@brooklynletters.com.

What is Buspirone?

Buspirone is a medication which acts like serotonin, an important chemical involved with brain development

It is widely used to treat anxiety in adults and in general anxiety disorder in children

What is the purpose of the study?

The purpose of this study is to look at whether the medication buspirone can be safely and effectively used as a new treatment for children with autism

144 children throughout the United States ages 2-6 years who have been diagnosed with autism will take part in this study

How do I know if my child will qualify for this study?

Some of the criteria for participation include:

Male or Female 2-6 years of age

Diagnosis of autism based upon DSM-IV criteria, the Autism Diagnostic Interview, and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule

Informed consent provided by parent or legal guardian

What does the study involve?

This study involves 9 visits over 24-weeks and includes random assignment to 2.5mg buspirone, 5.0mg buspirone, or placebo (no active study medication). One of the visits involves an overnight/ 2 day trip to Detroit for a PET scan for you and your child if you choose to.

What will be done at the visits?

The first visit is an 8hr screening day, which involves blood work, a physical exam, psychological testing, and having the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule and Autism Diagnostic Interview

During the second visit your child can have a PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scan. It is a 3 hour day, but all PET scans for the study are done in Detroit at Children’s Hospital of Michigan.

The remaining 7 visits will last 2-3hrs and will include dispensing of the study medication, measuring of the child’s vital signs, and questions about how the child has been feeling

Follow-up study:

There is also a follow-up portion of the study which allows children who participated in the first portion to receive active study medication for 24-weeks, and involves 7 visits.

Will I have to pay for this treatment?

There is no cost to you for your child’s participation in this study

Where will this study take place?

The study will take place at NYU Child Study Center

Who is conducting this study?

Dr. Ruth Nass
NYU Medical Center
In collaboration with several other medical centers across the country funded by an NIH grant.

How will I get more information about this study?

To obtain more information please contact:

Amira Hanna
Study Coordinator
NYU Child Study Center
(212) 263-7753

If you are interested in a licensed speech language therapist (pathologist) coming to your home, please contact us, craig@brooklynletters.com or call us at 347-394-3485.

We work with all ages (babies-adolescents) and all types of speech and language delays and concerns. We service many neighborhoods in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. We travel to the following neighborhoods:

Manhattan- Upper East Side, Midtown East, Murray Hill, Gramercy, Union Square, East Village, Soho, Upper West Side, Midtown, Chelsea, West Village, Chinatown, Lower East Side.

Brooklyn- Kensington, Midwood, Windsor Terrace, Park Slope, Ditmas Park, Boro Park, Clinton Hill, Fort Greene, Prospect Heights, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn, DUMBO, Ditmas Park, Kensington, Prospect Park South, Midwood, Canarsie, Flatbush, Crown Heights, Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Prospect Heights, Bay Ridge, and Dyker Heights.

Queens-- Sunnyside, Woodside, Long Island City, Astoria

We look forward to working with you!

NYU is the site of an NIH-funded study of the effect of a medication that increases serotonin in 2 to 6-year-old autistic children. Studies show that brain levels of serotonin are low in many young children with autism, but by age 6, serotonin levels increase to the point where they are similar to typically developing children. We hypothesize that if we replace serotonin during the critical 2 to 6-year-old period we will improve outcome. The serotonin will direct brain cells to wire up in a more typical fashion.

The Study:
We are using a medication called BuSpar, that acts like serotonin. It is a medicine that has been around for many years given to treat anxiety in children and adults. Children are randomly assigned to receive placebo, low-dose BuSpar, or higher dose BuSpar.

Schedule:
Children are followed for six months. They are seen once a month and there is phone contact once a month. At the beginning of the study, we do a full evaluation for autism and IQ, and interview parents. Parents are given the results of that evaluation for their records. At the end of the six-month study, the autism diagnostic observation schedule is repeated to see if improvement has occurred.

Cost:
The study is free, including initial evaluations, and transportation is covered.

If BuSpar proves to be effective, it will likely become a standard therapy for children diagnosed with autism. If you are interested in finding out more about the study, contact Dr. Ruth Nass, Pediatric Neurology at NYU, (212) 263-7753, ruth.nass@nyu.edu

Dr. Ruth Nass, M.D., Professor of Child Neurology, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, and Pediatrics at NYU Langone Medical Center, has over 30 years of medical experience and practices in Pediatrics and Neurology. Her research interests include pediatric neurology, learning and developmental disabilities, hemiplegic CP, and autism.