/PRNewswire/ -- ProCon.org, a nonpartisan 501(c)3 nonprofit public charity dedicated to promoting critical thinking, created the new website http://vaccines.procon.org/ to explore the core question "Should any vaccines be required for children?"
Although no federal vaccination laws exist, all 50 states require certain vaccinations for children entering public schools. Depending on the state, children must be vaccinated against some or all of the following diseases: mumps, measles, rubella, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, and polio. All 50 states also issue medical exemptions to vaccinations; 48 states (excluding Mississippi and West Virginia) permit religious exemptions, and 20 states allow an exemption for philosophical reasons. As of 2009, the national average vaccination rate for required school entry vaccines was 95.41%.
Proponents of vaccination argue it is one of the greatest public health developments of the 20th century. They point out that diseases like rubella (German measles), diphtheria, and whooping cough once killed tens of thousands of infants every year in the U.S. and are now avoided by vaccination. They argue that, although vaccination is not without risks (including rare but serious side effects such as seizures, paralysis, and death), the public health benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks.
Opponents of vaccination argue that children's immune systems can deal with most infections and that natural immunity should be allowed to develop. They argue that possible severe side effects from vaccination are a risk that children should not be subjected to when, in most cases, diseases that children are vaccinated against are not usually life threatening. They also argue that vaccines can cause adverse reactions including allergies, auto-immune disorders, autism, ADHD, multiple sclerosis, Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
As of 2009, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Physicians recommend that children be vaccinated against fifteen different common childhood illnesses. The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, the National Vaccine Information Center, and Generation Rescue say parents should not be required to vaccinate their children.
The latest ProCon.org website explores many pro and con arguments and includes sources, images, videos, reader comments, and a section of little known facts called "Did You Know?" The findings should help readers think critically, educate themselves, and make informed decisions about childhood vaccination.
Did You Know?
-- According to a 2003 report by researchers at the Pediatric Academic
Society, childhood vaccinations in the U.S. prevent about 10.5 million
cases of infectious illness and 33,000 deaths per year.
-- About 30,000 cases of adverse reactions to vaccines have been reported
annually to the federal government since 1990, with 13% classified as
serious, meaning associated with permanent disability,
hospitalization, life-threatening illness, or death.
-- Over 5,500 cases alleging a causal relationship between vaccinations
and autism have been filed under the National Vaccine Injury
Compensation Program in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims between 2001
and 2009.
Learn more at http://vaccines.procon.org/.
About Us
ProCon.org (online at www.procon.org) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit public charity whose mission is promoting critical thinking, education, and informed citizenship.
Information is presented on 31 different ProCon.org issue websites in subjects ranging from health care and medical marijuana to the death penalty and illegal immigration.
ProCon.org websites are free of charge, require no registration, and contain no advertising. The websites have been referenced by over 175 media entities and used in over 932 schools in all 50 U.S. states and 25 countries.
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Showing posts with label autism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label autism. Show all posts
Friday, January 22, 2010
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
NIH Study: Educators Favor New Behavior Imaging Technology for Treating Autism in the Classroom
/24-7/ -- In a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), educators overwhelmingly embraced Behavior Imaging technology as a means of more effectively treating children with autism. The study's results are being published at a time when nearly every state in the nation is being forced to cut school budgets and is seeking innovative and cost-effective ways to deliver services to students with special needs.
Dr. Uwe Reischl, M.D., Ph.D, of Boise State University coordinated the study, which examined not only the efficacy of B.I. Capture (a Behavior Imaging tool that captures and stores behavioral events via remote control video) in treating students with autism, but also the ease with which teachers and behavior specialists were able to utilize the technology.
"We are finding that autism educators are far more receptive to using Behavior Imaging than we had originally expected," noted Reischl. "This is especially so for participants who not only want to use it for behavior analysis, but who also see it as a useful tool for assessing student skills, giving or receiving consultation, and training students and staff."
Behavior Imaging (B.I.) is the video capture and secure sharing of behavior in a natural environment for treatment, training, assessment, and other clinical purposes. Initially developed by the Georgia Institute of Technology, the system captures, on video, a child's behavioral episodes in educational, clinical, and home environments. Behavioral data that is captured is then used to characterize recognized aspects of behavior to assist in the diagnosis, treatment, and research of autism. With video that can be viewed, annotated, and stored online, behavioral experts can guide students' progress from anywhere in the world.
Of the participating educators, 74% agreed that B.I. saved time and money by enabling them to easily capture on video what preceded a student's inappropriate behavior (the antecedent, in clinical terms). This critical data can then be used to develop an appropriate behavior program. The majority of the participants reported that they will be able to serve more students than before. With respect to ease of use, 100% of the participants indicated that they did not require any additional training above and beyond what was provided when the technology was first installed.
An earlier phase of the study demonstrated that the technology enabled a 43% reduction in errors when collecting data for a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) program. Now, in addition to more effective clinical diagnoses and treatment, B.I. also can be used to save qualified practitioners time and money by obviating the need to only observe autistic behavior in person.
Application of this technology to staff training, student assessment, and supervision of students by their parents was reported as providing a significant benefit. "This would be tremendously helpful to our organization because we have 16 locations around the world and training and mentorship from central locations to the remote sites would be greatly enhanced with these capabilities", according to one participant. Other participants commented that Behavior Imaging would address a critical need in rural schools, which often lack resident specialists.
Dr. Matthew Goodwin, Director of Clinical Research at the MIT Media Lab and Associate Director of Research at The Groden Center in Providence, RI noted, "Easily gathering, sharing, and reviewing a child's clinically meaningful behavior with B.I. Capture could revolutionize how parents, educators, and behavior analysts collectively understand and support children with autism and related developmental disabilities."
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Dr. Uwe Reischl, M.D., Ph.D, of Boise State University coordinated the study, which examined not only the efficacy of B.I. Capture (a Behavior Imaging tool that captures and stores behavioral events via remote control video) in treating students with autism, but also the ease with which teachers and behavior specialists were able to utilize the technology.
"We are finding that autism educators are far more receptive to using Behavior Imaging than we had originally expected," noted Reischl. "This is especially so for participants who not only want to use it for behavior analysis, but who also see it as a useful tool for assessing student skills, giving or receiving consultation, and training students and staff."
Behavior Imaging (B.I.) is the video capture and secure sharing of behavior in a natural environment for treatment, training, assessment, and other clinical purposes. Initially developed by the Georgia Institute of Technology, the system captures, on video, a child's behavioral episodes in educational, clinical, and home environments. Behavioral data that is captured is then used to characterize recognized aspects of behavior to assist in the diagnosis, treatment, and research of autism. With video that can be viewed, annotated, and stored online, behavioral experts can guide students' progress from anywhere in the world.
Of the participating educators, 74% agreed that B.I. saved time and money by enabling them to easily capture on video what preceded a student's inappropriate behavior (the antecedent, in clinical terms). This critical data can then be used to develop an appropriate behavior program. The majority of the participants reported that they will be able to serve more students than before. With respect to ease of use, 100% of the participants indicated that they did not require any additional training above and beyond what was provided when the technology was first installed.
An earlier phase of the study demonstrated that the technology enabled a 43% reduction in errors when collecting data for a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) program. Now, in addition to more effective clinical diagnoses and treatment, B.I. also can be used to save qualified practitioners time and money by obviating the need to only observe autistic behavior in person.
Application of this technology to staff training, student assessment, and supervision of students by their parents was reported as providing a significant benefit. "This would be tremendously helpful to our organization because we have 16 locations around the world and training and mentorship from central locations to the remote sites would be greatly enhanced with these capabilities", according to one participant. Other participants commented that Behavior Imaging would address a critical need in rural schools, which often lack resident specialists.
Dr. Matthew Goodwin, Director of Clinical Research at the MIT Media Lab and Associate Director of Research at The Groden Center in Providence, RI noted, "Easily gathering, sharing, and reviewing a child's clinically meaningful behavior with B.I. Capture could revolutionize how parents, educators, and behavior analysts collectively understand and support children with autism and related developmental disabilities."
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Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Maximum Potential Offers Affordable Training Course for Parents of Children with Autism
/PRNewswire/ -- Parents of children with autism often face a daunting task of paying for the prescribed hours of ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) therapy for their children. With the rate of autism listed at 1 in every 150 children, and the average yearly cost of ABA therapy between $20,000 and $50,000, more families than ever are facing an uphill battle to pay for services. Only a handful of states mandate insurance companies to pay for ABA and for those that can't afford therapy, there is little available.
In an effort to provide every family with a chance to help their children, Maximum Potential Group (http://www.maximumpotentialkids.com/) of Alpharetta, GA has released an ABA training course that provides parents with an opportunity to learn the principles of ABA. The program gives parents, school systems and caregivers everything they need to make a difference in the lives of their children and students, at a fraction of the cost of traditional therapy options.
"Our ABA course was created by Coby Lund, PhD, BCBA, and Janet Lund, PhD, BCBA, to empower parents and other family members of children with autism to develop an effective and affordable in-home ABA program and give their children a fighting chance," says Garrett Butch, founder of Maximum Potential Group and the father of a six-year-old with autism. "There are too many families in the United States who do not live near a qualified therapist, or do not have the financial resources to pay for 20 to 30 hours a week for intensive ABA therapy. They deserve the same opportunity to treat their children as those who can afford these services."
Maximum Potential's ABA course contains 17 modules on 8 DVDs that allows family members to understand all of the principles of ABA and then work with a child throughout the day. In each of the modules are examples of ABA sessions with children on all levels of the autism spectrum.
"Our goal was to provide an affordable alternative for families who so desperately need help working with their children," Butch said. "Learning how to set up an ABA program as well as learning skills such as data collection, behavior management and social skills programing can really make a difference in the lives of both a parent and a child."
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In an effort to provide every family with a chance to help their children, Maximum Potential Group (http://www.maximumpotentialkids.com/) of Alpharetta, GA has released an ABA training course that provides parents with an opportunity to learn the principles of ABA. The program gives parents, school systems and caregivers everything they need to make a difference in the lives of their children and students, at a fraction of the cost of traditional therapy options.
"Our ABA course was created by Coby Lund, PhD, BCBA, and Janet Lund, PhD, BCBA, to empower parents and other family members of children with autism to develop an effective and affordable in-home ABA program and give their children a fighting chance," says Garrett Butch, founder of Maximum Potential Group and the father of a six-year-old with autism. "There are too many families in the United States who do not live near a qualified therapist, or do not have the financial resources to pay for 20 to 30 hours a week for intensive ABA therapy. They deserve the same opportunity to treat their children as those who can afford these services."
Maximum Potential's ABA course contains 17 modules on 8 DVDs that allows family members to understand all of the principles of ABA and then work with a child throughout the day. In each of the modules are examples of ABA sessions with children on all levels of the autism spectrum.
"Our goal was to provide an affordable alternative for families who so desperately need help working with their children," Butch said. "Learning how to set up an ABA program as well as learning skills such as data collection, behavior management and social skills programing can really make a difference in the lives of both a parent and a child."
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