IAN Community E-Newsletter - October 1, 2008

Date First Published: October 1, 2008

Contents
Autism and Parental Depression
State Stats!
Adult Sibling Relationships
'Back to School' Report
Inclusion Pros and Cons

Dear Members of the IAN Community,
 
These are only a few of the features available on IAN Community, so please make sure to visit the website regularly.
 
Read and enjoy!
 
The IAN Team

Autism and Parental Depression

Parents taking the Parental Depression History Questionnaire reported on their own history of mood disorder, any such history in their extended family, and family stress. We now report on the mood-disorder portion of the data. (Family stress will be explored in a separate report.)

Preliminary findings indicate that 44% of mothers and 28% of fathers of children with ASDs have been professionally diagnosed with either depression or bipolar disorder.
 
In more than 50% of such cases, the mood disorder first occurred before the birth of any children. This has important implications for both provision of family services and autism research. Might a family history of mood disorders be associated with a specific subtype of autism?

Read about the preliminary findings of the questionnaire in IAN Research Report #7.

State Stats!
 
Use this new tool to compare your state's autism statistics with those of the United States. Cost of treatments? Gap between parent's first concern and diagnosis? See how your state rates.
 
Check out StateStats!

Adults with ASD: Sibling Relationships 
 
The bond between an individual on the autism spectrum and his or her siblings can be a crucial one, especially as parents age and siblings are increasingly called upon to support their sister or brother with ASD. What do we know about the shape of these relationships?
 
Explore this relationship in My Brother's (Sister's) Keeper.

Heading Back to School
 
As the leaves begin to fall, parents dust off those Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and look to a new school year with anticipation and anxiety. It's a good time to report on what families have told us about their children's education -- school settings, time spent in regular vs. special education, and use of one-on-one aides -- as well as to share education resources.
 
Read IAN 'Back to School' Report.

'Inclusion' Pros and Cons 
 
What is inclusion, and how is it different from mainstreaming? What do we know about how students with autism spectrum disorders fare in different types of classroom settings?
 
Find out more in Reading, Writing, and…Inclusion.