AAAP Today

Donald Triplett, born in 1933, first seen by Leo Kanner in 1938. Finding no match of Donald’s behavior patterns in the medical or psychiatric literature, Kanner came to describe Donald to his parents, in 1942, as having "autistic disturbances of affective contact. In 1943, in a groundbreaking article, Kanner called Donald’s condition – autism.

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35350880

GROWING UP AUTISTIC: GAINING KNOWLEDGE, GAINING SKILLS
A symposium for families and other advocates of persons with autism

On Saturday, October 22, 2016, at the Ateneo Law School in Rockwell, Makati, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Association for Adults with Autism Philippines (AAAP) will hold its 5th annual symposium.Department of Health Secretary Dr. Paulyn R Ubial, M.D., will be the Keynote speaker. She will present the Philippine government’s initiatives for meeting the autism challenge and the experiences and findings by her team of Filipino researchers from the first Philippine epidemiological study of autism.Dr. Lirio Covey, Ph.D., President of AAAP and Professor of Clinical Psychology at Columbia University will discuss recent findings indicating the neuro-diversity of autism and its implications on families’ and societal management of autism.The philosophies, goals, and features of leading special education schools in the Manila area will be presented and discussed with the audience by the respective program heads:Abelardo Apollo David, Jr of the Independent Learning Living Center; Ma. Rosario Joaquin of Shine Intervention; Ericson Perez of One World School; Rizalina Ochoa of Anima Christi Center for Learning and Human Development; Ma. Yolanda-Abundo of The Learning Center; Dayal Nandwandi of Stepping Stones. Employment, social, and art initiatives for persons with special needs will be presented by: Rhodora Fresnedi-Palomar of United Lab Foundation’s Project Inclusion; Michelle Aventajado of Best Buddies Philippines; Catherine Cham of Vico’s Artism Gallery.
Family members and friends of persons with autism and other special needs, educators, developmental clinicians, caregivers, and other advocates are invited to attend. Pre-registration (before October 1, 2016)=Php 1000; On-site registration=Php 2000; students (with ID)=Php500. For more information, contact Christine Siruelo, AAAP Board Corp Secretary, at 0917-881-2836; Cathy Cham, AAAP Vice President, at 0917-500-7760; or email AAAP at adultautismphil@gmail.com.

Weight increase with risperidone and aripiprazole neutralized by treatment with the diabetes drug metformin.

Risperidone (Risperdal) and aripiprazole (Abilify) are antipsychotic medications that have been approved by the Federal Drug Administration (U.S.) to treat irritability, aggression, and agitation in children with ASD. However,  either of these antipsychotic medications can increase weight, which is a risk factor for diabetes.

Metformin, a diabetes drug, was examined in a 16-week randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial for its effect on maintenance or reduction of weight gain. The study participants were 61 children and adolescents with ASD aged 6 to 17 years, randomized to receive metformin or placebo.

The study results indicated that metformin was significantly more effective than placebo in reducing weight gain experienced in the children with ASD who were treated with risperidone or aripirazole. Children who received metformin experienced declines in body mass index (BMI), a measure of weight adjusted for height, during the trial. Children who received placebo showed no declines in BMI from baseline. Overall, adverse events did not differ according to metformin or placebo treatment, with the exception of more frequent days of gastric symptoms among children who received metformin than children who received the placebo.

The ability of metformin to prevent weight gain offers greater flexibility for prescribing risperidone or aripiprazole for children with autism who experience significant weight gain during the drug treatment.

Reference: Anagnostou E, Aman MG, Handen B. Metformin for treatment of overweight induced by atypical antipsychotic medication in young people with autism spectrum disorder. A randomized clinical trial. Anagnostou, E., Aman MG, Handen BL et al. JAMA Pschiatry. Published online August 24, 2016. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.