Dr. Andrew Levinson: Reversing Autism: Walking the Path with Patience, Peace and Perseverance

Looking for New Ways to Help Your Child with Autism and Your Whole Family?

Join NAA-NY Metro

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

For a Special Evening with

Dr. Andrew Levinson

Reversing Autism: Walking the Path with Patience, Peace and Perseverance

Rebecca School

40 East 30^th St.

New York, New York

6:00pm – 6:30pm: Networking

6:30pm – 8:30pm: Presentation and Q&A

Dr. Levinson’s unique presentation will cover the most current functional medical interventions for conditions affecting so many people with autism. Among other things, he will take us through interventions addressing immune and endocrine dysregulation, detoxification, oxidative stress and inflammation difficulties. In addition, he will address an area that is very important but frequently neglected – the health and well-being of the rest of the family. Dr. Levinson will teach us coping strategies that the whole family can use!

Andrew Levinson, M.D. is an orthomolecular psychiatrist, functional physician, and yogi. His approach has been featured on the Discovery Health Channel and his work in autism has been the subject of several documentaries. Dr. Levinson received his Bachelor of Science in Psychobiology and his Medical Doctorate from the University of Miami, where he also completed his psychiatric residency. He has great acclaim for his ability to present complicated science in an extremely understandable format and is a frequent presenter at national conferences and elsewhere. Dr. Levinson is the founder of Vitality Health & Wellness in Miami Beach and sees patients in Manhattan in person and by telemedicine. More information about his work can be found at www.vitalitywellness.com.

Review of Scared of Sarah - A New Play About Autism

Last night NAA NY Metro Chapter President Kim Mack Rosenberg and Vice-President/Treasurer Peggy Becker had the pleasure of attending opening night of Scared of Sarah, a new play about autism (and much more). We were so happy to also catch up with one of our Facebook contest winners, Michele Iallonardi and her husband, Ralph.

.
(L-R: Peggy, Michele and Ralph)

The cast, Carolyn Daucher, Nate Grams, and Brenna Palughi (as Sarah), did a terrific job in navigating the complex emotions of the play, written by Laura Brienza. The play makes you laugh and cry, as the characters confront issues not just about autism but also about marriage, children, siblings, parents, careers - life!

(Laura Brienza and Kim)

Sarah is a complex character. She is an attractive woman who has just turned 30 as the play opens. She has autism and has a job as a conductor on New Jersey Transit. She appears "typical" in many respects, compounds the emotional, sensory and other challenges of autism she faces in the workplace and in her social and family life. Is Sarah like our children? Yes and no. We both noted some similarities and many differences between our children and the character of Sarah, but that is part of what makes autism so complex - no two people with autism are the same. We did not expect Sarah to be exactly like our children (who are different from each other too!). The play does a good job of balancing the complexities of autism - featuring a young woman who largely functions in society but might meltdown if the wrong brand of peanut butter is purchased. Is everyone with autism like that? No. But some are. Scared of Sarah makes no attempt to speak for all people with autism. It is a snapshot of one character and the complexities of her life and the lives of those around her.

There are still four more showings of Scared of Sarah as part of FringeNYC If you can make the time to head to the Lower East Side over the next few days, do try to see the play. FYI, this is a play for grown ups and is not appropriate for young children. There is some strong and suggestive language.

SATURDAY 8/13 @ 7:45
SUNDAY 8/14 @ 12:00
MON 8/15 @ 6:45
WED 8/17 @ 7:45

La Mama First Floor Theatre
74A East 4th Street, New York, NY 10003
F to 2nd Ave, 6 to Astor Pl/Bleeker St., N/R to 8th St.

Tickets are $15 in advance, $18 at the door
www.scaredofsarahplay.com
www.fringenyc.org

The mutated SHANK3 gene, its effect on Neuronal Synapses and Autism

The following is an extract from an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine (July 14, 2011). The author is Martha Herbert MD, PhD of the Mass General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She is a research scientist with great interest in Autism. She has presented at the annual conference of the NY Metro Chapter in New York as well as the NAA annual conferences.

The neuron talk to each other and send signals from brain to other organs by releasing chemicals at their very ends. The exchange of these chemicals occurs at the synapses (the ends of the neurons). SHANK3 gene is known to facilitate such transactions. Research scientists have developed a clone of mice who are deficient in beta type of SHANK3 genes (SHANK3B-/-). These mice exhibit clinical and social behavior that is similar to autism in humans. The biopsies of the brains of these mice also show increased filaments (dendrites) of these neurons which looks like a jumble. The part of the brain called Striatum was larger in the SHANK3B-/- mice. This was thought to be compensatory on the part of the brain in an attempt to increase the synapses and communication that is defective due to the genetic mutation. It is known that the brains of humans with autism are larger and have excessive dendrites.

SHANK3 gene is also present in the gut and other tissues. SHANK3 gene has two other isoforms (alpha and gamma) and the level of activity of those isoforms may be related to the variability in cases of autism and may explain the improvement in clinical symptoms and social behavior that is sometimes seen after certian treatments and high fever. Dr. Herbert's article was published in:
The New England Journal of Medicine. Vol: 365, Page 173. 14 July 2011
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMcibr1104261

If you wish to read the full scientific article, please contcat me at klrehman@yahoo.com
Posted by Khalid Rehman MD, Chair Advocacy and Awareness Committee,
National Auatim Association, New York Metro Chapter.

Scared of Sarah - A New Play About Autism

JOIN US FOR THIS EXCITING NEW PLAY THAT
GRAPPLES WITH ISSUES OF

PARENTING A CHILD ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM.

ENTER ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE TO WIN A PAIR OF FREE TICKETS!!!

A new play by Laura Brienza
Directed by Reginald L. Douglas
Starring: Carolyn Daucher, Nate Grams, and Brenna Palughi*
*Appearing Courtesy of Actors' Equity Association

developed at the Lark Play Development Center and the
Kennedy Center Page-to-Stage New Play Festival

World Premiere in the New York International Fringe Festival

Sarah's autistic. Lily's pregnant. Sam's scared. Could they handle a child like Sarah? When these two people make a third, the fear that sets in threatens to destroy their relationship.

SCARED OF SARAH investigates the challenges of parenting a child on the autism spectrum, the intricacies of personal relationships with those on the spectrum, and Generation Y's complicated love affair with selfishness.

FRIDAY 8/12 @ 5:00
SATURDAY 8/13 @ 7:45
SUNDAY 8/14 @ 12:00
MON 8/15 @ 6:45
WED 8/17 @ 7:45

La Mama First Floor Theatre
74A East 4th Street, New York, NY 10003
F to 2nd Ave, 6 to Astor Pl/Bleeker St., N/R to 8th St.

Tickets $15 in advance
www.scaredofsarahplay.com
www.fringenyc.org

Urge Gov. Cuomo to sign the landmark Autism Health Insurance Bill

Good News. (Friday, 24 June 2011)

Both the houses of the New York State Legislature have passed the Autism Health Insurance Bills. (S4005A and A6305A). Now it is upto Gov. Andrew Cuomo to sign them into law.

The bills require insurance companies to provide coverage for screening and treating people with autism spectrum disorders, with methods including behavioral health treatments as well as speech, occupational and physical therapy.

Twenty-five other states already have a similar requirement for insurers.

Please call Gov. Andrew Cuomo (518-474-8390 )today and urge him to sign S4005A and A6305A into Law. Thank You.


Khalid Rehman. MD
Awareness and Advocacy Committee, NY Metro Chapter, NAA.

"Mom's Night Event"

Calling All Moms!!!

NAA NY Metro Chapter is throwing a "Moms' Night" event this Thursday evening to celebrate each and every one of you special moms for all your hard work. Please come out to enjoy a glass of wine, try some food from different special diets, exchange treatment options and ideas with other moms or just meet some new and interesting people. There will be a raffle and giveaways! The Moms' Night event takes place Thursday, June 9th 7-9pm at 408 East 79th Street, 2nd floor

Support Bills in Albany, NY: Autism Health Insurance Bills. A6305/S4005.

These bills are currently making their way through various committees in Albany, NY. The sponsors of these bills need to hear from every family affected by Autism with words of thanks and call or connect via fax or e-mail their own representatives to become co-sponsors of these bills.

The assembly bill A6305 and its sister bill in the N.Y. State Senate S4005 relate to coverage for the screening, diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. It will cover speech, occupational and physical therapies, which are specifically identified in the bill so there is no mystery. It will cover behavioral therapies including ABA. It will cover rehabilitative and habilitative care. It doesn’t force treatments for autism to meet a much higher standard for efficacy than other treatments; in fact. It applies the exact same efficacy standards that are used for all other health care. There is no lifetime or annual caps. There are no age limits. It will cover assistive technology, and psychological and psychiatric care. This is the kind of bill that can make a substantial improvement in the quality and quantity of care available to people with autism. And it will prevent families from going broke caring for their kids. This bill sets a new standard for autism health care that hopefully other states and the federal government will emulate once we get it passed here in NY.

As the legislative session is coming to a close, amendments have been proposed that significantly reduce the scope of the coverage offered in the autism health insurance reform bill currently moving, A6305/S4005. ST, OT and PT are limited to policies that already offer it, and existing limits on the number of sessions for those therapies will remain. Every one affected is urged to contact the sponsors noted below and ask that no amendments be allowed and that the bills are introduced and passed as written. Please contact:

Justin Wilcox In Morelle's office: 518 455 5647 (Assembly sponsor)
Tim Ellis in Fuschillo's office: 516 455 3341 (Senate sponsor)
Chris Hamm in Silver's office: 518 45 3791 (Assembly Speaker)