| autismMatch | |
Advances in the field of autism research are made as a direct result of the participation of families like YOU!
Enrolling in autismMatch - CAR's research directory - will allow us to alert you when new studies begin.
Enroll now to become involved in studies such as
The Social Support, Family Resilience, and Parental Stress Survey
Sharing your experiences will help researchers and clinicians to better understand the impact that having a child with an ASD has on a family.
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| Contact Us | |
Phone:
Mail:
3535 Market Street, Suite 860
Philadelphia, PA 19104
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| September 15, 2010 | Issue 5 | |
| Recent Research Findings | |
The Pennsylvania Autism Census conducted by CAR researcher and associate director David Mandell, ScD for the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare found that only 10 out of 2,000 individuals in the Pennsylvania state hospital system carried an autism diagnosis. Because this rate is much lower than autism rates in the general population, Dr. Mandell undertook an in-depth look at the prevalence of autism at one hospital in particular. After extensive investigation, Dr. Mandell and his team found that almost 10 percent of patients at the hospital who actually have autism were misdiagnosed with another disorder, most frequently schizophrenia. Furthermore, after analyzing each of the patients with ASD who had been previously misdiagnosed, the research team concluded that over a three-month period these patients were more likely to have been restrained or secluded. Read More>> Latest Research on Risk Factors for Autism  CAR epidemiologist Jennifer Pinto-Martin, PhD presented preliminary findings on autism screening in low-birth-weight survivors at the 2010 International Meeting for Autism Researchers (IMFAR). She found that low-birth-weight babies are at a higher risk for developing an autism spectrum disorder than the general population. Other research presented at IMFAR found increased risk for autism with advanced maternal age at childbirth, when the family used ovulation-inducing drugs to overcome infertility, and in infants who have abnormally small or large heads during the first year of life. These findings are important because knowing which children may be at risk for autism should prompt medical professionals to be alert to signs of autism earlier in life, thus enabling earlier diagnosis and intervention. Read More>> |
| CAR in the News | |
 Premiers Monday, September 27th at 9pm
Rebroadcast Sunday, October 3rd at 4pm
Watch Online beginning September 27th at 9pm
Decoding Autism is an hour-long documentary that highlights the efforts underway in New Jersey and in cities like New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Louisville and Sacramento. Researchers at the Center for Autism Research were interviewed about what is being done to gain insights into causes and treatment. Decoding Autism also gives viewers a first-hand look at the challenges families face to find help for their children. Read More>> |
| Upcoming Events | |
In this talk, Dr. Kasari will discuss current practices for teaching social skills to children with ASD who are included in general education classrooms. The results of the UCLA peer project will be presented, as well as recommendations for future work in this area. Event Attendance is at Capactiy.
A workshop for families with young children who are newly diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. Presenters will include experts in developmental pediatrics, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, education, and special education law. Register for this event>>
OCTOBER
 Wednesday, October 27, 2010
8:00am to 4:00pm
A workshop for professionals who work with young children newly diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. Presenters will include experts in developmental pediatrics, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, education, and special education law. Researchers from the Center for Autism Research will also present information about current and future studies on autism and promising interventions. Register for this event>>
 SAVE THE DATE
Huddle Up for Autism
Sunday, April 10, 2011 Join the Philadelphia Eagles and the Center for Autism Research as we team up at Lincoln Financial Field to host the second annual Huddle Up for Autism. This free, fun-filled day will include field and locker room tours, arts and crafts, games, face painting and more. There will also be special appearances by Eagles players, Cheerleaders, and SWOOP! Click Here to view photos from last year's event |
| Featured Research Study | | |
Many children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have an affinity for video and computer games. CAR's FaceStation project is designed to capitalize on this interest and use computerized games as a therapy.
Children with ASD often have difficulty understanding facial expressions and sometimes even in recognizing a person's identity by looking at the face. These difficulties are believed to interfere with more complex social skills like understanding another person's perspective and what they are thinking and feeling. CAR's FaceStation games are designed to enhance face perception skills among children with ASD and thus hopefully improve their social abilities.
The idea behind FaceStation is that computerized health games can motivate players to perform a wide range of activities that promote learning and skill development in ways that have the potential to exceed conventional teaching and training methods by tapping "reward" circuits in the brain. CAR is currently enrolling children ages 8-13 in a research study to measure the effects of FaceStation. Learn How to Participate>> |
| CAR Team Profile | |
Salim Zayat, MET
 Game Developer
Salim is the resident game programmer at the Center for Autism Research. After receiving his BAS in Digital Media Design from the University of Pennsylvania in 2001, he attended the Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University, studying under Randy Pausch, PhD and Don Marinelli, PhD. Following the completion of his studies in 2005, he served as a Software Engineer for Shaba Games (a sub-division of Activision), cutting his teeth on such titles as "Shrek the Third" and "Spiderman: Web of Shadows."
Salim works with a team of game developers, many of whom are currently enrolled in or recently graduated from the University of Pennsylvania's Digital Media Design Program. They are currently designing new games to be used in the trial intervention project called FaceStation. The goals of the video games played as part of the FaceStation project is to enhance face perception skills among children with ASD and thus hopefully improve their social abilities. Read more about CAR's Computerized Gaming Interventions>> |
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Wednesday, September 22, 2010
FaceStation