Although most of us know that more boys than girls are diagnosed with autism, until recently, no one understood why. But a new study out of George Washington University’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences may have discovered an explanation for the gender disparity.
It appears that male sex hormones decrease RORA, a gene needed to develop the cerebellum and other processes that are impaired in people with autism, and female sex hormones increase RORA. In addition, RORA regulates a protein called aromatase, which converts testosterone to estrogen. So reduced RORA means reduced aromatase, which leads to a build up of male hormones, creating a vicious cycle.
Brain Training and Autism
Although these discoveries haven’t suddenly created a cure for autism, they may one day provide help to prevent the disease. In the meantime, one of the best ways to fight the effects of the complex brain disorder is to strengthen the cognitive skills affected. Cognitive skills include things like memory, logic and reasoning, processing speed, attention, and visual and auditory processing. In autism spectrum disorders (ASD), these weak brain skills inhibit a person’s ability to communicate and develop relationships, and may include cognitive and behavioral challenges. These brain skills are the fundamental tools that help us learn.
“There’s no ‘cure’ for autism, but there are ways to help people with ASD improve their cognitive skills and independence,” says Dr. Ken Gibson, author of “Unlock the Einstein Inside; Apply New Brain Science to Wake Up the Smart In Your Child” (www.unlocktheeinsteininside.com). “Intense, one-on-one brain training can provide incredible changes to improve not only the lives of those affected by ASD, but also their family.”
Because ASD is an umbrella term for five different disorders (including autism and Asperger’s syndrome), the conditions vary greatly from person to person. Generally, an ASD diagnosis requires three symptoms to appear before age 3:
• Impairments in social skills
• Impairments in communications
• The presence of ritualistic, repetitive activities and interests
The results of brain training will be different for every person, but there is almost always significant improvement in confidence, social skills and learning skills.
Specialized brain training uses intensive, one-on-one, game-like exercises to quickly enhance weak cognitive skills. In one study, 49 students with ASD who underwent personalized brain training gained an average of 18 percentage points across seven key cognitive areas. For example, before training the average child tested in the 31st percentile of his peers for logic and reasoning. After training, that average jumped 23.4 points to the 64th percentile.
The cost of doing nothing
This year, more children will be diagnosed with autism than diabetes, cancer and AIDS combined and the numbers are rising. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated the autism rate from one in 150 children born in the U.S. to 1 in 110. The rate for boys? One in 70.
And it’s not just affecting the child who is diagnosed; caregivers and family members are impacted mentally, emotionally and financially. The lifetime cost of caring for a child with autism in the U.S. ranges from $3.5 million to $5 million. Luckily, those figures can be cut by two-thirds with early diagnosis and interventions like cognitive skills training.
While scientists continue to search for clues on how to prevent or cure autism, brain training can help. Think of it as bringing order to a brain disorder by increasing the child’s ability to process information, think, reason and communicate. And as anyone with an autistic child can attest to, any improvements in living and learning skills are cause for celebration.
To find out more about how brain training can help your child, call….