A very interesting article was published today by Elizabeth Gorman on MinnPost.com that should be researched further: It might shine new light on genetic, and possibly environmental factors in autism.
The article reports that an unusually large proportion of Somali-speaking children in Minnesota have autism, something that has also been noted in Sweden, where Somali immigrants call autism "the Swedish Disease," because they did not see it back in East Africa.
According to the report, almost 6 percent of the Minneapolis school district's total enrollment is made up of Somali-speaking students. But in the city's early childhood and kindergarten programs, "more than 12 percent of the students with autism reported speaking Somali at home," and over "17 percent of students in the district's early childhood special education autism program are Somali speaking," the article said.
Somali kids with autism seem to be doing worse, on average, than their school mates: "About a quarter of all autism children who attend autism classrooms for students functioning too low to be mainstreamed in regular schoolrooms are Somali."
The statewide autism rate in Minnesota is already quite high -- at 100 per 10,000 children, as compared to the national average estimate of 67 per 10,000. In the Somali immigrant community, however, it could be much higher than either of those figures.
Why would that be? There is almost certainly a strong genetic connection at play here, but there may be other factors as well, including a lack of vitamin D from sunlight, (see the Swedish study in article) or, yes, vaccinations.
I do not know if vaccines are playing a role at all here. In fact, this report says that the Somali children were all born and vaccinated in the United States (though it seems to me that some must have immigrated here).
The "American Disease" idea comes from Somali parents themselves, and from some of the experts who work with them.
Anne Harrington, an early childhood special education coordinator for the Minneapolis school district and a specialist on the topic, told Gorman that Somalis "Are given more [vaccines] than we get, and sometimes they're doubled up. Then their children are given immunizations. In Somalia, their generations have not received these immunizations, and then suddenly they're getting just a wallop of them in the moms and then in the babies. That's certainly a concern that's been expressed to me by the Somali population."
I have never heard that before, and there may be nothing to it. On the other hand, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends that refugee adults receive at least 10 vaccines -- including pregnant women. Some of them contain thimerosal.
In addition, any of these kids who are older than five -- meaning they were born in 2002 or earlier -- could have received thimerosal in their vaccines.
Whatever the reason for the apparent higher rates of autism (ie, genes, sunlight, vitamins, vaccines, all of the above, none of the above) it is an interesting phenomenon and, it seems to me, an intriguing avenue of research.
There are data out there to suggest that elevated autism rates may not be limited strictly to immigrants from Somalia:
# A study of pervasive developmental disorder (a form of ASD) prevalence in Montreal school districts in 2003-2004 showed that the average PDD rate in the city's five predominantly French-speaking school districts (ie, largely Canadian-born) was 42.3 per 10,000 students, but in the largely English-speaking school district, where many immigrant children live, the rate was 69.2 per 10,000.
# In the English-speaking district, although the overall PDD rate was 69.2 per 10,000, among foreign-born children it was 106.6 per 10,000, and among Canadian-born children it was 67.6 per 10,000 - or 58% higher in the foreign born population.
# In Sweden, researchers reported that the incidence of autism among Somali immigrant children is far higher than among children living in Somalia (though better medical care and diagnostics would play a role, I'd think). Swedish media report that Somalis living in Sweden have dubbed autism, "The Swedish disease," because it is so common among Somali immigrants.
# These data might support reports that autism rates are also higher in immigrant communities in North America. On June 6, 2007, the Canadian Broadcasting News reported that, "autism rates are higher in immigrant families." Health-care specialists in Montreal, it said, were, "trying to understand why such a high number of autistic children come from immigrant families, a phenomenon seen in major cities across North America."
# This information MIGHT also help explain why autism numbers in California (and Minnesota, for that matter), are still high. In California, between 2003 and 2007, the rate of autism among black and white children enrolled in the state's DDS program increased by 50%. But the rate among Asian children in the same period went up by 79%, and the rate among Hispanic kids increased by 84.2%. The growth rate was about 58% higher among Asian and Hispanic children than black and white children.
# One in four California residents are foreign born. The majority are from Mexico, Central America, China, Korea, the Philippines and other countries with high vaccination rates (Mexico's is about 92%) and that still use the full amount of thimerosal in shots. Many if not most of these children are routinely revaccinated upon entry into the United States.
It would be very interesting, I believe, to look at autism rates in high and low immigration states. Not to implicate vaccines, but to find out if children of immigrants are more at risk than our native born population -- and why.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Radio jock’s words about autism send local man flying
As soon as Wayne and Shea Adair learned about the words spoken by radio “shock jock” Mike Savage about autism on July 16, the couple knew they too needed to take to the air.
The Adairs are parents to six chidren, including a 4-year-old son with autism. Wayne, who is a full-time dad and part-time pilot running a small business flying advertising banners over Reno, and Shea, a nurse at Renown Medical Center, were angry when they read the transcript of Savage’s comments in an e-mail from the Reno Autism Information Network.
“As soon as I read my e-mail at work I called (Wayne) and said, ‘OK, we have a banner to fly,’ ” Shea said.
In his broadcast, Savage called autistic children “brats” and that the condition is the “illness du jour.” He said autism is the result of bad parenting.
So, Wayne put together a few choice words of his own that he pulled behind his plane across the sky above Reno and Sparks on Wednesday.
“My son has autism. Mike Savage is an idiot.”
“Guys like Mike need to use their mouthpiece for positive change,” Wayne said outside the hangar where he keeps his plane at the Reno-Stead Airport. “But he’s using it for propaganda. He’s trying to shock people and he did.”
"This shock jock guy can reach 8.2 million people across the nation,” Shea said. “We can reach at least a few thousand.”
Wayne said Savage’s “ignorant comments” have resulted in a positive backlash. The National Autism Association demanded an apology and some groups called for Savage to be fired.
“Autism is a very serious condition that greatly impacts the lives of those affected,” said NAA board member Lori McIlwain in a written statement online at www.nationalautismassociation.org. “Many children with autism experience tremendous physical pain from underlying pathologies, which accounts for the screaming this person callously dismisses. To have an uneducated opinion about autism is perfectly within one’s right, but to earn a living by shock-value exploitation of children’s suffering, while suggesting they should be called ‘idiots,’ is disgraceful.”
On his own Web site, http://michaelsavage.wnd.com/, Savage posted comments in his own defense: “My comments about autism were meant to boldly awaken parents and children to the medical community’s attempt to label too many children or adults as ‘autistic.’ ... Just as some drug companies have overdiagnosed ‘ADD’ and ‘ADHD’ to peddle dangerous speed-like drugs to children as young as 4 years of age, this cartel of doctors and drug companies is now creating a national panic by overdiagnosing autism, for which there is no definitive medical diagnosis!”
Wayne said that if there seem to be more cases of autism it is because other mental illnesses are finally being properly put in the category. He also said that in order to be diagnosed as autistic, a neurologist and a behavioral psychologist both must agree on the diagnosis. According to the NAA, there are five disorders under the Pervasive Development Disorder umbrella, which include Autism, Aspergers, Rhett’s Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and PDD-NOS (not otherwise specified).
Wayne described his own son’s condition as “not high-functioning, and not severe.” He said that when he saw at a conference in Seattle what other parents of autistic children deal with it made his own son, Wayne, Jr., “look like a cakewalk.”
He pointed to his own family as proof that Savage’s comments about autism being the result of bad parenting are false.
“If I was a lousy parent, (all of my six children) would be messed up,” he said.
The Adairs are parents to six chidren, including a 4-year-old son with autism. Wayne, who is a full-time dad and part-time pilot running a small business flying advertising banners over Reno, and Shea, a nurse at Renown Medical Center, were angry when they read the transcript of Savage’s comments in an e-mail from the Reno Autism Information Network.
“As soon as I read my e-mail at work I called (Wayne) and said, ‘OK, we have a banner to fly,’ ” Shea said.
In his broadcast, Savage called autistic children “brats” and that the condition is the “illness du jour.” He said autism is the result of bad parenting.
So, Wayne put together a few choice words of his own that he pulled behind his plane across the sky above Reno and Sparks on Wednesday.
“My son has autism. Mike Savage is an idiot.”
“Guys like Mike need to use their mouthpiece for positive change,” Wayne said outside the hangar where he keeps his plane at the Reno-Stead Airport. “But he’s using it for propaganda. He’s trying to shock people and he did.”
"This shock jock guy can reach 8.2 million people across the nation,” Shea said. “We can reach at least a few thousand.”
Wayne said Savage’s “ignorant comments” have resulted in a positive backlash. The National Autism Association demanded an apology and some groups called for Savage to be fired.
“Autism is a very serious condition that greatly impacts the lives of those affected,” said NAA board member Lori McIlwain in a written statement online at www.nationalautismassociation.org. “Many children with autism experience tremendous physical pain from underlying pathologies, which accounts for the screaming this person callously dismisses. To have an uneducated opinion about autism is perfectly within one’s right, but to earn a living by shock-value exploitation of children’s suffering, while suggesting they should be called ‘idiots,’ is disgraceful.”
On his own Web site, http://michaelsavage.wnd.com/, Savage posted comments in his own defense: “My comments about autism were meant to boldly awaken parents and children to the medical community’s attempt to label too many children or adults as ‘autistic.’ ... Just as some drug companies have overdiagnosed ‘ADD’ and ‘ADHD’ to peddle dangerous speed-like drugs to children as young as 4 years of age, this cartel of doctors and drug companies is now creating a national panic by overdiagnosing autism, for which there is no definitive medical diagnosis!”
Wayne said that if there seem to be more cases of autism it is because other mental illnesses are finally being properly put in the category. He also said that in order to be diagnosed as autistic, a neurologist and a behavioral psychologist both must agree on the diagnosis. According to the NAA, there are five disorders under the Pervasive Development Disorder umbrella, which include Autism, Aspergers, Rhett’s Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and PDD-NOS (not otherwise specified).
Wayne described his own son’s condition as “not high-functioning, and not severe.” He said that when he saw at a conference in Seattle what other parents of autistic children deal with it made his own son, Wayne, Jr., “look like a cakewalk.”
He pointed to his own family as proof that Savage’s comments about autism being the result of bad parenting are false.
“If I was a lousy parent, (all of my six children) would be messed up,” he said.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Autism Rates Soaring For Somalis In U.S.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (CBS) ― Their colorful shops line the streets, catering to their own culture and drawing in ours. Beginning in 1993, Somali people began arriving in Minnesota from refugee camps in Kenya. By that time, Somalia's political chaos had led to the killing or starvation of many of its people.
For refugees, Minneapolis offered a place to start a new life, a new business, or a new family.
"Many things attracted Somalis to Minnesota to stay. Good health cover and good education," said Huda Farah.
Farah works on refugee resettlement with the Minnesota Department of Health. It's through her work that she's noticed something troubling within her community.
"We're seeing (an) increased number in autism," she said.
Reporter Amelia Santaniello asked her, "Is there autism in Somalia?"
"Not many, not many," replied Farah.
The Minneapolis School District is seeing a higher than expected rate of autism in its early childhood special education classrooms too.
"It's so glaring here in Minneapolis, I couldn't not see it," said Anne Harrington.
Harrington has been identifying kids on the autism spectrum for Minneapolis Schools for over 20 years.
"We have seen a tremendous number of children that are Somali, but born here in the United States or in Minneapolis who have autism," she said.
Out of 100 children in the Minneapolis Schools early childhood special education classroom program for autism, 25 percent of them are Somali. The district as a whole has only about 6 percent of students who speak or hear Somali language at home.
"They are showing the more severe forms of autism, not the broad spectrum of autism that we see in our general population," said Harrington.
Shaimake Osman is one of these kids.
"I knew it (was) something wrong, but I didn't know (what) was wrong. I never heard anything about 'autistic' or 'autism,'" said his mother, Farah Osman.
Osman said when he was 18 months old, he would bang his head all the time. He wouldn't sleep. He couldn't talk.
"They tested for school first. In school. Then after that, they said he has autism. And I never heard, what does that mean, 'autism'? What kind of sickness?" said Osman, describing when she first received her son's diagnosis.
Perhaps the most troubling is that all of the Somali children the Minneapolis Schools have identified with autism were born here in Minneapolis, like Shaimake. The district doesn't have a single child born in Somalia who immigrated here receiving special education services for the disorder.
"I believe (it) is vaccination," said Osman when asked what she thinks is the reason for her son's autism.
"In rural Somalia, there's no immunizations," said Farah.
She said parents like Osman in the Somali community all have questions about immunizations. She said they worry not only about the vaccinations their kids receive, but about the immunizations they themselves received before entering the U.S.
"When Somali parents come from the refugee camps, some of them get immunizations within those camps regardless of whether it's in Ethiopia or Kenya or other countries," said Farah.
She added that because of poor recordkeeping in those camps, some Somalis receive the same vaccinations three and four times.
"That's very worrisome. We need to find out what's going on," said Farah.
In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control said that research so far has shown no link between vaccinations and autism, but a number of studies are still underway.
Doctors in Sweden are calling for research on another possible cause of autism that could hold answers for the Somali community in Minnesota. Sweden has a high incidence rate of autism in its Somali children as well.
Doctors there are wondering if, for Somali people, a lack of sunlight in the winter, the widespread use of sunscreen, and efforts to avoid sun exposure are resulting in too little vitamin D being absorbed through their dark skin.
They theorize that a lack of vitamin D, possibly in conjunction with genetic or environmental factors, could be a cause of the disorder. They're calling for an official study.
"I think it's something that is interesting and should be pursued through research," said Judy Punyko, a maternal and child health epidemiologist for the Minnesota Department of Health. She said we're not currently set up to do that kind of research here.
"We are attempting to develop a data system that will collect data that is reliable and valid so that we can identify cases and track them over time," she said.
The Department of Health is just in the beginning stages of setting up that system, but in response to the high Somali autism rates reported in Minneapolis, the Department has formed a small study group made up of school representatives, epidemiologists and U of M medical experts to look at possible causes.
"It's very concerning. It's astounding to hear the numbers are so large," said Punyko.
For now, the questions in the subset of our community continue.
"At least every week, I hear about (a) new family that have a child with autism," said Farah. "We need to really investigate and find out what's going on."
For refugees, Minneapolis offered a place to start a new life, a new business, or a new family.
"Many things attracted Somalis to Minnesota to stay. Good health cover and good education," said Huda Farah.
Farah works on refugee resettlement with the Minnesota Department of Health. It's through her work that she's noticed something troubling within her community.
"We're seeing (an) increased number in autism," she said.
Reporter Amelia Santaniello asked her, "Is there autism in Somalia?"
"Not many, not many," replied Farah.
The Minneapolis School District is seeing a higher than expected rate of autism in its early childhood special education classrooms too.
"It's so glaring here in Minneapolis, I couldn't not see it," said Anne Harrington.
Harrington has been identifying kids on the autism spectrum for Minneapolis Schools for over 20 years.
"We have seen a tremendous number of children that are Somali, but born here in the United States or in Minneapolis who have autism," she said.
Out of 100 children in the Minneapolis Schools early childhood special education classroom program for autism, 25 percent of them are Somali. The district as a whole has only about 6 percent of students who speak or hear Somali language at home.
"They are showing the more severe forms of autism, not the broad spectrum of autism that we see in our general population," said Harrington.
Shaimake Osman is one of these kids.
"I knew it (was) something wrong, but I didn't know (what) was wrong. I never heard anything about 'autistic' or 'autism,'" said his mother, Farah Osman.
Osman said when he was 18 months old, he would bang his head all the time. He wouldn't sleep. He couldn't talk.
"They tested for school first. In school. Then after that, they said he has autism. And I never heard, what does that mean, 'autism'? What kind of sickness?" said Osman, describing when she first received her son's diagnosis.
Perhaps the most troubling is that all of the Somali children the Minneapolis Schools have identified with autism were born here in Minneapolis, like Shaimake. The district doesn't have a single child born in Somalia who immigrated here receiving special education services for the disorder.
"I believe (it) is vaccination," said Osman when asked what she thinks is the reason for her son's autism.
"In rural Somalia, there's no immunizations," said Farah.
She said parents like Osman in the Somali community all have questions about immunizations. She said they worry not only about the vaccinations their kids receive, but about the immunizations they themselves received before entering the U.S.
"When Somali parents come from the refugee camps, some of them get immunizations within those camps regardless of whether it's in Ethiopia or Kenya or other countries," said Farah.
She added that because of poor recordkeeping in those camps, some Somalis receive the same vaccinations three and four times.
"That's very worrisome. We need to find out what's going on," said Farah.
In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control said that research so far has shown no link between vaccinations and autism, but a number of studies are still underway.
Doctors in Sweden are calling for research on another possible cause of autism that could hold answers for the Somali community in Minnesota. Sweden has a high incidence rate of autism in its Somali children as well.
Doctors there are wondering if, for Somali people, a lack of sunlight in the winter, the widespread use of sunscreen, and efforts to avoid sun exposure are resulting in too little vitamin D being absorbed through their dark skin.
They theorize that a lack of vitamin D, possibly in conjunction with genetic or environmental factors, could be a cause of the disorder. They're calling for an official study.
"I think it's something that is interesting and should be pursued through research," said Judy Punyko, a maternal and child health epidemiologist for the Minnesota Department of Health. She said we're not currently set up to do that kind of research here.
"We are attempting to develop a data system that will collect data that is reliable and valid so that we can identify cases and track them over time," she said.
The Department of Health is just in the beginning stages of setting up that system, but in response to the high Somali autism rates reported in Minneapolis, the Department has formed a small study group made up of school representatives, epidemiologists and U of M medical experts to look at possible causes.
"It's very concerning. It's astounding to hear the numbers are so large," said Punyko.
For now, the questions in the subset of our community continue.
"At least every week, I hear about (a) new family that have a child with autism," said Farah. "We need to really investigate and find out what's going on."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)