Tag: autism

Workshop Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter… and Spring again

trajkovski / / News

Respected colleagues and friends,

From the first to the fifth of March 2019 in the premises of the National Gallery of Macedonia, more precisely in the building “Chifte Amam” located in the Old Skopje Bazaar, this year as part of the “Art for All” project, a series of workshops were held this time under the motto “Spring, summer, autumn, winter … And again spring “intended for children with an autistic spectrum of disorders. The workshops were attended by members of MSSA who are part of this two-year project.

The purpose of the workshops is to create art by children and people with ASD who can have a therapeutic aspect, and also contributes to positive changes in their social behavior and focusing attention. Through the use of different materials (paper, stones, leaves, collages, etc.) colors and techniques, children emphasized their creativity, took pictures and presented the seasons experienced at their own pace. Apart from the art and the “magic” created in “Chifte Amam”, these days were filled with friendship, fun and smiles of the people with ASD, their families, special educators and the employees of this institution. these activities will finish in April, where the pictures of the canvases will be displayed in the National Gallery of Macedonia, as well as the photographs made during these friendships.

Secretary of MSSA

Stress that parents of autistic children and parents of children with cerebral palsy face with

trajkovski / / Publications

Natasha Mateska1, Vladimir Trajkovski2

1unemployed special educator

2University “Ss. Cyril and Methodius”, Faculty of Philosophy, Institute of Special Education and Rehabilitation, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia

Introduction: Autism is a diagnose that affects every member of the family in different ways. Parents should focus a bigger part of their attention toward the autistic child, which can cause a stressful effect in the family as well as outside the family.

Aim of the study: To determine the stress that parents of autistic children face with compared to parents of children with cerebral palsy.

Methodology: The entire sample includes 90 respondents, of which 45 parents of autistic children and the rest 45 parents of children with cerebral palsy. The survey was conveyed using a questionnaire and methods of descriptive and comparative analysis were used. The comparison of the groups of surveyed was analyzed by using χ2 test and Fisher Exact test. The differences that were taken into consideration were on the level of significance p<0.05.

Results: Parents of autistic children compared with parents of children with cerebral palsy, statistically show significant difference for following variables: support from close community (χ2=7.57, df=1, p=0.006), stigmatization by family and community (χ2=5.4, df=1, p=0.02), isolation by the community (χ2=10.3, df=1, p=0.001), change in the relationship between spouses (χ2=7.53, df=1, p=0.006).

Conclusion: The parents of autistic children are faced with bigger stress in managing the everyday activities and control of life, compared with parents of children with cerebral palsy.

Key words: stress, parents, autism, cerebral palsy

Citation: Mateska N, Trajkovski V. Stress that parents of autistic children and parents of children with cerebral palsy face. Book of abstracts ‡ 9th International Scintific Conference – „Special Education and Rehabilitation Today“. Belgrade, September 25-27, 2015; 31.

Plasma concentration of immunoglobulin classes and subclasses in children with autism in the Republic of Macedonia: retrospective study.

trajkovski / / Publications
Croatian Medical Journal [01 Dec 2004, 45(6):746-749]
Type: Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov’t, Journal Article

Abstract

AIM: To examine plasma concentration of IgA, IgM, IgG classes, and IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4 subclasses in children with autism. METHODS: Infantile autism was diagnosed by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM)-IV and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 criteria. Plasma samples were collected from 35 autistic subjects, and their 21 siblings (biological brothers and sisters) who served as healthy controls. Plasma samples were separated by centrifugation and stored at -20 degrees C until the determination. Plasma immunoglobulin classes (IgM, IgA, IgG) and subclasses (IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgG4) were determined using a nephelometer. RESULTS: Plasma concentrations (mean+/-standard deviation) of IgM and IgG in autistic children (1.36+/-0.31 g/L and 13.14+/-1.27 g/L, respectively) were significantly higher (p=0.031 and p=0.023, respectively) in comparison with their healthy brothers or sisters (1.20+/-0.15 g/L and 12.39+/-0.96 g/L, respectively). Children with autism had significantly higher plasma concentrations of IgG4 (p<0.001) compared to their siblings (healthy brothers or sisters). Plasma concentration of IgA, IgG1, IgG2, and IgG3 were similar in autistic children and their healthy brothers or sisters. Increased plasma concentration of IgG1 was found (p=0.027) in autistic males (8.06+/-2.40), as compared with their healthy brothers (5.24+/-4.13 g/L). Plasma concentrations of IgG (14.28+/-3.66 g/L), and IgG1 (9.41+/-2.20 g/L) in autistic females were increased (p=0.012 and p=0.021, respectively) in comparison with IgG (11.07+/-2.07) and IgG1 (6.37+/-3.38 g/L) in their healthy sisters. CONCLUSION: Children with autism have increased plasma concentration of immunoglobulines. Increased immunoglobulines in children with autism could be a result of impaired development of the immune system, and/or genetic factors connected with defense mechanism in these children.

ORCIDs linked to this article

Source: https://europepmc.org

#AUTISM PCP – A hollistic approach of person-centred planning for people with Autism

trajkovski / / Projects

AUTISM PCP‘ is an innovative cross-sectoral partnership project with strong European

added value; as such, ‘AUTISM PCP’ addresses important horizontal as well as sectoral priorities

for the European Union, such as ‘social inclusion, adult learning policies and Early School

Leaving (ESL).

The main objectives of  ‘AUTISM_PCP’ are:

– Empowerment of individuals at risk of social exclusion and more specifically empowerment of ASC

individuals

– Strengthening of the overall effort for social inclusion and integration of ASC individuals at

mainstream education & society at large

– Enhancing competences of professionals and all those individuals, such as family members & relatives, etc., involved in the life of ASC individuals

– Raise awareness  to the general public with regards to social inclusion of pupils with Autism

Source: http://www.autismholistic.eu/

WHAT CAN REATTACH DO FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH AUTISM?

trajkovski / / ReAttach Therapy Foundation

Let’s take a few minutes to explain the impact of the multimodal approach of ReAttach:

  • ReAttach trains Multiple Sensory Integration Processing
  • ReAttach trains coherent concepts
  • ReAttach trains complex social cognitive skills and we start at a very low entry level
  • Our therapists use cognitive bias modification to practise new neuropsychological patterns and new thinking strategies that might be very useful in situations that are quite complicated

 

This results in:

  • The ability to learn from new experiences (problems with transfer disappear)
  • The ability to understand social concepts and read the non-verbal cues and social rules and behaviours that are not explicitly explained
  • Self-awareness and behaviour control
  • Improvement of executive functioning
  • Sensory overload decreases or disappears because sensory information can be processed quicker and better in a coherent way (by multiple sensory integration processing)
  • The development of new skills such as: imagination, expressing emotions, showing empathy, theory of mind, mentalization, reading your own body signals

 

With pre-verbal children or adults with autism ReAttach can achieve this:

  • Multiple Sensory Integration Processing
  • Coherent concepts of the self and others
  • Differentiation between the self and others
  • Echolalia changes into communication addressing to the self and the other
  • Exploration and play.

In the Netherlands we already provide the ReAttach for Autism intervention in institutions for Mental Health, private practises and institutions for people with cognitive disabilities. In WTA March 2015 a case study was published in Dutch.

The method has been presented at the World Autism Organisation Conference in 2014 and 2016 and at the Autism Challenges and Solutions Conference in Moscow, April 2016.

The practical research has been published in Clinical Neuropsychiatry, a peer-reviewed journal for treatment evaluation. It has been rewarded with a nomination of the Clinical Neuropsychiatry Award.http://clinicalneuropsychiatry.org

Prof Dr Vladimir Trajkovski has presented this autism research paper in Belgrade last year and represents us in the Balkan region.

In Prof Dr Michael Fitzgerald’s book Autism Recent Advances there is a chapter on ReAttach about a case study with a patient with Asperger syndrome. http://www.intechopen.com/books/autism-spectrum-disorder-recent-advances/reattach-the-exciting-development-of-a-promising-intervention-for-autism-spectrum-disorders

Availability

International training courses are scheduled to deliver the ReAttach for Autism in the upcoming year to: Belgium (Gent, Leuven, Antwerpen), Singapore, United Kingdom (London), Germany (Keulen, Mannheim, Muenster), Italy (Rome), Vancouver BC, Australia (Sydney, Melbourne,) and New York.

For more information you may contact ReAttach Therapy Institute
info@reattach-therapy-institute.com

Source: AutsimEye

FAMILY ANALYSIS OF IMMUNOGLOBULIN CLASSES AND SUBCLASSES IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISTIC DISORDER

trajkovski / / Uncategorized
. 2009 Nov; 9(4): 283–289.
PMCID: PMC5603683
PMID: 20001993

Abstract

Autistic disorder is a severe neurodevelopment disorder characterized by a triad of impairments in reciprocal social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, and a pattern of repetitive stereotyped activities, behaviours and interests. There are strong lines of evidence to suggest that the immune system plays an important role in the pathogenesis of autistic disorder. The aim of this study was to analyze quantitative plasma concentration of immunoglobulin classes, and subclasses in autistic patients and their families. The investigation was performed retrospectively in 50 persons with autistic disorder in the Republic of Macedonia. Infantile autistic disorder was diagnosed by DSM-IV and ICD-10 criteria. Plasma immunoglobulin classes (IgM, IgA, and IgG) and subclasses (IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4) were determined using Nephelometer Analyzer BN-100. Multiple comparisons for the IgA variable have shown statistically significant differences between three pairs: male autistic from the fathers (p = 0,001), female autistic from the mothers (p = 0,008), as well as healthy sisters from the fathers (p = 0,011). Statistically significant differences found between three groups regarding autistic disorder (person with autistic disorder, father/mother of a person with autistic disorder, and brother/sister) independent of sex belongs to IgA, IgG2, and IgG3 variables. Multiple comparisons for the IgA variable have shown statistically significant differences between children with autistic disorder from the fathers and mothers (p < 0,001), and healthy brothers and sisters from the fathers and mothers (p < 0,001). Comparison between healthy children and children with autistic disorder from the same family should be tested for immunoglobulin classes and subclasses in order to avoid differences between generations.

Keywords: autistic disorder, immunoglobulin classes, immunoglobulin subclasses, family analysis
Source: PMC

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN CEREBRAL PALSY AND AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS

trajkovski / / Conferences

VLADIMIR TRAJKOVSKI, MD, PhD, Full Professor

Macedonian Scientific Society for Autism, Institute of Special Education and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Philosophy, University “Ss. Cyril and Methodius”

Address: Blvd. “Goce Delchev 9A, 1000 Skopje, Republic of Macedonia

E-mail: vladotra@fzf.ukim.edu.mk

Abstract

Relevance: Clinical heterogeneity among children with neurodevelopmental disorders reflects diversity in strengths and needs that can have important implications for therapeutic management. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is sometimes a co-occurring associated condition of cerebral palsy. Whereas cerebral palsy affects motor functioning, autism affects certain areas of brain development. Cerebral palsy (CP) is primarily a motor disorder, caused by a cerebral lesion occurring in the developing brain.

Purpose: To explore autism spectrum symptoms in children with cerebral palsy (CP), and the association between autism spectrum symptoms and medical and psychiatric co-morbidity.

Results: Over the past two decades there has been greater recognition that risk of mental health and neurobehavioral disorders is shared across the broad continuum of developmental medicine, including cerebral palsy. The current best practice for diagnosing ASD in a child with CP is completing a thorough clinical assessment and combining this with the clinician’s

judgement. The assessment of ASD in the face of CP should entail a detailed history, examination and structured observation of the child’s social and communication skills, complemented with standardized diagnostic instruments which are validated for children with motor difficulties. Both conditions are discovered at roughly the same age, usually. Cerebral palsy is usually discovered a little earlier, at perhaps 6 months to 2 years of age. Autism is discovered a little later, usually by 5 years of age.  They are highly variable, with some symptoms present in some children but not others. Both conditions can be very severe or hardly noticeable.

Conclusions: A holistic approach is required when evaluating a child who demonstrates impairments in social communication skills in the presence of motor impairment More attention should be given to autism spectrum symptoms in the regular follow-up of children with CP in an attempt to enhance social functioning.

Key words: cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders.

VIII interdisciplinary congress in Moscow

trajkovski / / Conferences

The president of MSSA Prof. Dr. Vladimir Trajkovski is invited lecturer at the VIII interdisciplinary vocational scientific congress with international participation “Children’s cerebral palsy and other disorders in children’s movement”, which will be held from 1 to 2 November 2018 in Moscow, Russia. Within the 30 minute lecture he will speak on the topic: “Association between Cerebral Palsy and Autism Spectrum Disorders”. Besides the lecture, significant contacts are planned with medical institutions from Russia and across Europe.