Autism
Lauren Lumbard, Jenna’s Sister
Somewhere in my mental library, amongst the countless chapters and shelves, is the memory of standing in the hospital with my dad. I had just become a sister. My life had changed, and it would continu…
Paula Lumbard, Jenna’s Aunt
As one of six children, I credit my parents with always supporting each one of our individual skills, talents and interests. Two people who came from hardscrabble backgrounds, through example, taught …
Linda Lumbard, Jenna’s mother
Learning that your child has any kind of disability is difficult. It takes time to absorb the information that you receive from your specialists and to move forward the best that you can. I have t…
Jenna Lumbard, Author, “Worried Wendy Goes to School”
Salman Rushdie once wrote, "Books choose their authors, the act of creation is not entirely a rational and conscious one." In my case, I must agree with this whole heartedly. I don't sit down and deci…
Our Family Today
Part Five of a Five-Post Series about one woman’s experiences with her son who has autism. For the past four days I’ve shared my stories and tips for helping your child with autism start a path to…
Living with Autism Lessons to Learn Part II
Part Four of a Five-Post Series about one woman’s experiences with her son who has autism. The steps to treat a child with autism are stressful and overwhelming... what to do, what not to do, who to…
Living with Autism Lessons to Learn Part I
Part Three of a Five-Post Series about one woman’s experiences with her son who is living with autism. One of the major problems with autism – and there are many for parents – is that there is …
Another Tragedy Before Tommy’s Diagnosis of Autism
Part Two of a Five-Post Series about one woman’s experiences with her son who has autism. Tommy had been going through evaluations with the school district that prompted me in the days preceding the…
Even Before a Diagnosis, a Mother Knows
Part One of a Five-Post Series about one woman’s experiences with her son who has autism. I will forever remember the day… (more…)…
World Autism Day
The General Assembly of the United Nations unanimously voted to set aside April 2 every year, starting in 2008, as World Autism Awareness Day. The day is to be marked around the globe with education r…
Autism Detection: Look and See
All children should be screened for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) at the 18-month and 24-month well child visit, according to November 2007 guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which re…
What’s in a Name?
Whether or not babies respond to their names by their first birthdays can be an important clue to whether or not they will end up with autism or other developmental delays, according to a MIND Institu…
New Pieces to the Autism Puzzle
Thanks to the largest and most ambitious scientific study to ever look into what makes someone susceptible to autism, we now have a new layer of understanding about this important condition. First…
Autism and Inflammation
Autism and related conditions continue to become more common. Autism is the fastest growing developmental disability, increasing in frequency by more than 10 percent each year; this makes finding its …
A Simple Home Test for Asperger’s?
People with Asperger's Syndrome (AS) have a normal IQ, and may be unusually talented in a specific area. Nevertheless they may have a tough time 'fitting in' because of an inability to read social cue…
The Autism Solution
“Someone snuck into my home and stole my one-and-a-half year old’s mind, leaving his bewildered body behind.” This is how it feels to have your son diagnosed with autism, according to Jon Shesta…
Early Clue to Autism
A powerful early warning signal for autism was proposed in the July 16, 2003 issue of JAMA. The symptoms of autism usually are not first noticed until children are already toddlers or in preschool. Th…
Biggest Study Yet on MMR and Autism
Once the question was raised about whether the MMR vaccine might trigger autism in some children, even mounting evidence to the contrary had not put fears to rest. The vaccine rate has plummeted since…
Head Banging: A-to-Z Guide from Diagnosis to Treatment to Prevention
Introduction to head banging: When children develop a habit of head banging, their parents are often concerned. They express fear that this habit might hurt their child, perhaps even causing brain dam…
Autism on the Rise
Can you trust statistics? Back in 1999, a report from California's Department of Developmental Services, concluded that the number of children with profound autism had grown from 2,778 in 1987 to 10,3…