autism – Блог на Македонското научно дружение за аутизам

Cancellation 2nd Scientific ReAttach Conference 2020 in Skopje, Macedonia

trajkovski / March 14, 2020March 14, 2020 / Conferences

Dear colleagues,

We are sorry to inform you that we have decided to cancel the 2nd Scientific ReAttach Conference on May 29th-May30th, due to the coronavirus outbreak.
We will refund all conference tickets in the upcoming weeks.

Thank you for your enthusiasm for ReAttach and the overwhelming response and the warm welcome of the Macedonian Scientific Society of Autism as co-host of this event.

We especially thank all our invited presenters for their abstract submission. We intend to continue our international friendship. Of course, we will keep you informed about their papers that are coming up, future training, and events.

We would also like to draw your attention to our peer-reviewed academic journal that was founded under the inspiring leadership of Prof. Dr. Vladimir Trajkovski: Journal for ReAttach Therapy and Developmental Diversities. JRTDD is an open-access journal with a broad scope and a fantastic international editorial board. You can find it at https://jrtdd.com!

Yours sincerely,

ReAttach Therapy International Foundation
Drs. Paula Weerkamp-Bartholomeus, President

Macedonian Scientific Society for Autism
Prof. Dr. Vladimir Trajkovski, President

Oxidative Stress in Autism Spectrum Disorder

trajkovski / February 27, 2020 / Publications

Mol Neurobiol. 2020 Feb 5. doi: 10.1007/s12035-019-01742-2. [Epub ahead of print]

Bjørklund G¹, Meguid NA^2,³, El-Bana MA^3,⁴, Tinkov AA^5,^6,⁷, Saad K^8,⁹, Dadar M¹⁰, Hemimi M^2,³, Skalny AV^6,^7,^11,¹², Hosnedlová B^13,¹⁴, Kizek R^13,¹⁴, Osredkar J¹⁵, Urbina MA¹⁶, Fabjan T¹⁵, El-Houfey AA^9,^17,¹⁸, Kałużna-Czaplińska J^19,²⁰, Gątarek P^19,²⁰, Chirumbolo S^21,²².

Abstract

According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of July 11, 2016, the reported average incidence of children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was 1 in 68 (1.46%) among 8-year-old children born in 2004 and living within the 11 monitoring sites’ surveillance areas in the United States of America (USA) in 2012. ASD is a multifaceted neurodevelopmental disorder that is also considered a hidden disability, as, for the most part; there are no apparent morphological differences between children with ASD and typically developing children. ASD is diagnosed based upon a triad of features including impairment in socialization, impairment in language, and repetitive and stereotypic behaviors. The increasing incidence of ASD in the pediatric population and the lack of successful curative therapies make ASD one of the most challenging disorders for medicine. ASD neurobiology is thought to be associated with oxidative stress, as shown by increased levels of reactive oxygen species and increased lipid peroxidation, as well as an increase in other indicators of oxidative stress. Children with ASD diagnosis are considered more vulnerable to oxidative stress because of their imbalance in intracellular and extracellular glutathione levels and decreased glutathione reserve capacity. Several studies have suggested that the redox imbalance and oxidative stress are integral parts of ASD pathophysiology. As such, early assessment and treatment of antioxidant status may result in a better prognosis as it could decrease the oxidative stress in the brain before it can induce more irreversible brain damage. In this review, many aspects of the role of oxidative stress in ASD are discussed, taking into account that the process of oxidative stress may be a target for therapeutic interventions.

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32026227

Преведен ATEC на македонски јазик

trajkovski / January 25, 2020 / News

Почитувани колешки и колеги,

Сакаме да ве известиме дека Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist е преведена на македонски јазик и поставена на веб страницата на Инситутот за истражување на аутизмот во Сан Диего.

Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC) претставува метода зa утврдување и анализа на ефективноста од третманот за аутизам. ATEC примарно е дизајниран да ја процени и утврди ефективноста на третманите со аутизам, но исто така може да биде корисен како алатка за скрининг за деца. Доколку родителите би можеле да вршат редовни психометриски проценки на нивните деца, тогаш цената на клиничките испитувања ќе се намали, овозможувајќи подолги клинички испитувања со поголем број на учесници. Прашалникот е дизајниран за употреба со деца на возраст од 2–12 години.

Листата е преведена на 22 јазици, меѓу кои и македонскиот и сите родители и професионалци можат да ја пополнат онлајн овде.

Претседател на МНЗА

ReAttach Conference – Final call for abstracts

trajkovski / December 20, 2019 / Uncategorized

Dear colleagues,

We are honored to invite you to the 2nd Scientific ReAttach Conference which is held in
Skopje, Macedonia, May 29th – May 30th, 2020.

FINAL CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
In preparation for our final conference program, our scientific committee encourages you to submit an abstract for a lecture, workshop or poster presentation. The general theme of the 2nd ReAttach Conference is “embracing complexity“. This theme refers to the development of specialized training for ReAttach therapists who work with complex neuro-developmental challenges. The topics below are designed to help provide coherence to the program, but not to be overly restrictive.

ReAttach
Early Intervention / Special Education
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Neuro-developmental challenges through the lifespan
Personal growth and performance

Special opportunities for parents, partners and service users

We feel that research, innovation, and clinical expertise must be accessible for all. Therefore a team of experts will be available for free consultations on May 31st.

Early Bird Registration is open until December 31st
You can easily register for this event by clicking the link below.

We hope to welcome you in Skopje!

Kind regards,
ReAttach Therapy International Foundation

Macedonian Scientific Society for Autism

Одржaн првиот состaнок од проектот (1st meeting) Autism Friendly Spaces

trajkovski / November 16, 2019 / Projects

Почитувaни колешки и колеги,

Со зaдоволство сaкaме дa ве информирaме декa МНЗA зaпочнa уште еден Ерaзмус плус проект под нaслов: Autism Friendly Spaces. Пaртнери во проектот се: Prisms НВО од Мaлтa кои се и носители нa проектот. Други пaртнери во проектот се:

2. Learning designers, Spain
3. Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability, Malta
4. Macedonian Scientific Society for Autism, the Republic of Macedonia
5. Aġenzija Żgħażagħ, Malta
6. Autisme – Europe AISBL, Belgium.

Нa состaнокот нaјпрвин се претстaвијa сите учесници. Потоa се зaпознaвме со глaвните елементи нa проектот, мултипните состaноци кои ќе се одвивaaт еднaш нa годишно ниво во Мaлтa. Секaко декa беa спомнaти и очекувaните искоди од истиот. Се воспосaтвијa нaчини зa понaтaмошнa комункaцијa. Кaко и дa е, не` очекувa многу рaботa нa создaвaње н пријaтни местa зa лицaтa со aутизaм во Мaкедонијa.

Претседaтел нa МНЗA

Autism Friendly Spaces new MSSA Erasmus plus project

trajkovski / July 24, 2019 / Projects

Dear readers,

With great pleasure we want to announce that we got the new #Erasmusplus project togethter with partners from Malta, Spain and Belgium. The title of the project is Autism Friendly Spaces.

The main aim of this project is to create a change in community by :

adjusting environments to be more accessible to people with autism
providing training and creating awareness in the community
helping the social aspect for youth with autism.

Online modules specifically for school educators will be created. A certificate will be
provided once the modules are complete. Providing professional guidance to modify school space into an accessible and safe space for students with autism.

Providing professional guidance and training to employees on autism and how to
provide an accessible space to people with autism.
Creating an Autism Friendly Award which will be given to shops/services who fulfill
the criteria.
Creating a website and an app with information and location about the awarded
services and shops which are participating in this project and the services that are being
offered.

President of MSSA

Role of NMDA receptor autoimmunity induced by food protein containing vaccines, in the etiology of autism, type 1 diabetes, neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders

trajkovski / April 24, 2019 / Publications

October 2018

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.1463600

Vinu Arumugham

Vaccines contain numerous animal and plant proteins (soy, peanut, sesame, maize, wheat, etc.). Vaccine excipients are derived from plant or animal sources. The mechanism of animal protein induced autoimmunity was previously described. Following a report associating maternal gluten intake to type 1 diabetes in the offspring, plant proteins were investigated. The Pandemrix vaccine induced narcolepsy due to molecular mimicry between a H1N1 nucleoprotein peptide in the vaccine and the human hypocretin receptor 2. The BLASTP match score for this peptide was used as a baseline. BLASTP showed strong sequence alignment between gliadin, a wheat protein, and the human ionotropic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR). Analyzing further, strong sequence alignment was found between soy, peanut, sesame, maize, wheat and human glutamate receptors (GR), both ionotropic and metabotropic. There are reports of boosted wheat allergy and de novo synthesis of NMDAR antibodies following immunization. Once immunized with plant derived antigens, antibody levels will be increased by dietary exposure to these antigens. GR are expressed in the brain, heart, pancreas and the T cells of the immune system. Vaccine induced GR antibodies (GRA) disrupt or destroy GR thus precipitating numerous disorders. This explains the epidemic of food intolerances and food associated immune mediated disorders. Intestinal barrier disruption has been proposed as a cause for food associated autoimmune disorders. However, intestinal barrier disruption may itself be the result of GRA. GRA also disrupt the blood-brain barrier. This allows other anti-brain antibodies access to their targets. Vaccine-induced GRA can therefore explain a wide variety of disorders including autism, type 1 diabetes, attention deficit hyperactivity, epilepsy, schizophrenia, autoimmune encephalitis, Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, dementia, cancer and allergies. The ultimate solution is to immediately remove all non-target proteins from all vaccines.

Source: ResearhGate

World #Autism Awareness Month by MSSA angle

trajkovski / April 22, 2019 / News

Macedonian Scientific Society for Autism took a part in Autism Europe’s campaign. To mark World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD), April 2, Autism-Europe has launched a Europe-wide awareness raising campaign “A New Dynamic for Autism” to call for policies that support the urgent needs of people on the autism spectrum across the European Union, in the context of the upcoming European Parliament elections. We translated all the documents into Macedonian and share them into mass and social media as well.

MSSA is realized the third phase of the project “Art for All” together with National Gallery of Macedonia, and we conducted the exhibition entitled “Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter … and Spring again”. Namely, there were 60 works on canvas made by children and youth with autism, included from several cities in the country.

The second public forum on “Cultural Inclusion of People with Disabilities” was held in the National Gallery as part of the activities from the project “Art for All”. The forum dedicated to culture as an important factor of change in the process of social inclusion of people with ASD and other disabilities. Ivana Vasilevska Petrovska, M.A., stressed that a society that strives to be inclusive has the obligation to take appropriate measures to provide people with autism opportunities for development and use of their creative, artistic and intellectual potential for their benefit, as well as a benefit for society.

Prof. Dr. Vladimir Trajkovski gave interviews about state of art for ASD in Macedonia and Autism PCP project into three national TV stations.

Public forum on “Cultural inclusion of people with disabilities”

trajkovski / April 8, 2019 / Uncategorized

Dear colleagues,

On April 5, 2019, the second public forum on “Cultural Inclusion of Disabled People” was held in the National Gallery as part of the activities from the project “Art for All”. The forum dedicated to culture as an important factor of change in the process of social inclusion of people with special needs is concluding the third, penultimate phase of this project supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Republic of Macedonia, coordinated by Ms. Maja Dimitrova.

Participating at the event were Ms. Mila Tsarovska, Minister of Labor and Social Policy, Mr. Enver Huseini, State Secretary at the Ministry of Education and Science, Dr. Dita Starova Qerimi, Director of the National Gallery, Ms. Dragi Celevski, State Counselor at the Ombudsman, Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Bedi, Vice-Dean at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Prof. Vladimir Martinovski, Ph.D., Department of General and Comparative Literature at the Faculty of Philology and Ms. Ivana Vasilevska Petrovska, MA, Special Educator and Rehabilitator, Vice-President of the Macedonian Scientific Society for Autism.

Ms. Ivana Vasilevska Petrovska stressed that a society that strives to be inclusive has the obligation to take appropriate measures to provide people with autism opportunities for development and use of their creative, artistic and intellectual potential for their benefit, as well as a benefit for society. “Through artistic creation, ways are created for these artists to be seen as capable, and their strengths are visible, valued, desired and appreciated. These events and all activities from the project are a contribution to transforming the perceptions regarding the competence of people with autism to create art and be part of our society. “

Also, she took this opportunity to promote the activities of MSSA in the next period within the project Autism PCP – A holistic Approach of person-centred planning for people with Autism. “In the next three years, within the framework of this project, we will empower people with autism at risk of social exclusion, strengthen general efforts to include autistic people in regular education and society, and strengthen the competencies of professionals working with and for these persons, and support the families of people with autism. “

The forum was held in the surroundings of the exhibition “Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter … and Spring Again” made by students with autism, followed by a projection of the short documentary recorded during the art- workshops, by Kiril Shentevski.

Vice President of MSSA