1. Roberts D, Pickering N. {{Parent training programme for autism spectrum disorders: an evaluation}}. {Community Pract};2010 (Oct);83(10):27-30.
Parents of young children often seek the support of professionals when experiencing difficulties in managing their child’s behaviour. Parents of children with complex neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), are no exception. This paper describes a pilot Incredible Years parenting programme that was offered to a group of parents of children with ASD. A service evaluation suggested positive changes within a 12-week period, particularly in parental mental health, but also in child behaviour.
2. Tasdemiroglu E, Kaya M, Yildirim CH, Firat L. {{Postoperative cerebellar mutism and autistic spectrum disorder}}. {Childs Nerv Syst};2010 (Oct 30)
PURPOSE: I read the article « An Inside View of Autism » written by a 44-year-old autistic woman who had a successful international career designing livestock equipment. In this article, she wrote about her life, disease, and experiences as an autistic individual. She stated that « It is interesting that my speech resembled the stressed speech in young children who have had tumors removed from the cerebellum ». METHODS: In this article, we intend to review and extensively document both postoperative cerebellar mutism and autistic spectrum disorder. RESULTS: We reviewed the clinical and neurological findings, etio-pathogenesis, neuroanatomy, mechanisms of development, and similarities between the etio-pathogenesis of both diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Cerebellar lesions can produce mutism and dysarthria, symptoms sometimes seen in autistic spectrum disorder. In mammals, cerebellar lesions disturb motivated behavior and reduce social interactions, functions that are disturbed in autistic spectrum disorder and cerebellar mutism. The cerebellum and two regions within the frontal lobes are active in certain language tasks. Language is abnormal in autistic spectrum disorder and cerebellar mutism.
3. Tutkunkardas MD, Mukaddes NM. {{Drug induced mania in a boy with high functioning autism}}. {Psychopharmacol Bull};2010;43(2):82-85.
Drug induced mania is sometimes associated with drug that are primarily not used for central nervous system effects. Here we report a manic episode during the treatment of leukemia with various agents in an adolescent with diagnosis of high functioning autism. In this case, most likely candidates to induce a manic episode were dexamethazone, a corticosteroid used in the treatment of T-ALL, cyclophosphamide and cotrimoxazole. Although literature on mood disorders associated with corticosteroids exceeds that of cyclophosphamide and cotrimoxazole, an absolute causal drug cannot be stated.
