Gastrointestinal Symptoms linked to Autism

Gastrointestinal disorders and associated symptoms are commonly reported in individuals with ASDs, however, it can be difficult to recognize and characterize gastrointestinal dysfunction due to the communication difficulties experienced by many affected individuals. Watch this presentation by Dr. Alessio Fasano, pediatric gastroenterologist at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMDSOM), from a recent ARI Conference discussing the impact of GI problems in children with ASD.

Emerging research is aimed at developing recommendations for diagnostic evaluation and management of gastrointestinal problems for individuals on the spectrum. Valicenti-McDermott, 2006, evaluated children with ASD and two control groups matched for age, sex and ethnicity (one with non-autism-related developmental disorders, and the other developmentally normal).  There were 50 children in each group – findings concluded:

• 70% of the children with ASD had GI Issues compared to 42% of the children with developmental disorder other than ASD
• 28% of children with typical development.

Just like everyone else, people with autism may suffer:

• Gastritis
• GERD
• Colitis
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Constipation
• Motility-based disorders
• Food allergy and sensitivity
• Overgrowth syndromes

Food allergy in this population is common - food allergy can affect any site in the GI tract. Research points to the following food allergy prevalence rates in children:

• 5-8% of neurotypical children without autism (Sampson, 1999) suffer  food allergies
• 36% of autistic children (Lucarelli, 1995) suffer food allergies

If your child complains of stomachaches, or if he/she adopts unusual positions to put pressure on his/her lower abdomen, try to identify underlying conditions when possible.  Baseline testing might help identify factors such as infection, allergy or food sensitivity, and evidence for constipation.

http://www.autism.com/gastrointestinal 

A Realistic Perspective of Bullying

On this occasion I will begin my analysis of an academic journal titled “Bullying in School: An Overview of Types, Effects, Family Characteristics, and Intervention Strategies” which was written by Paul R. Smokowski and Kelly Holland Kopasz. According to the journal, “one in three children” is affected by bullying within U.S. schools. However, the journal notes that the National School Safety Center has “called bullying the most enduring and underrated problem in U.S. Schools.” In fact, a recent national survey found that “nearly 30% of the students surveyed reported being involved in bullying […] as either a perpetrator or a victim.” In reality the aforementioned statistic translates to approximately “3,708,284 students reporting bullying and 3,245,904 students reporting victimization.”   

Before reading this article it was really hard to put into perspective and visualize the different bullying percentages given by different resources. However, now that a physical number has been given it is hard to understand why the problem is being overlooked. As mentioned within this article, bullying is “underrated.” As a result, perhaps anti-bullying strategies should focus on helping parents and other adults identify bullying. The problem of bullying cannot be addressed if it is not first identified and accepted as an existing problem.

The journal notes that a power imbalance is a feature typically found within bullying relationships, with “the bully being either physically or psychologically more powerful [than the victim].” The journal states that bullies may use bullying as “a means to establish dominance or maintain status.” Although the journal provides various examples of bullying including, name calling, physical assault, threatening, stealing, vandalizing, slandering, excluding and taunting, the journal notes that “regardless of which behavior is chose, bullying is marked by intense intimidation that creates a pattern of humiliation, abuse, and fear for the victim.”

In my opinion, the struggle for power is not the problem. Competitiveness is what has driven humanity to progress and improve. The problem begins when the struggle for power gets out of hand. When the power struggles transforms into bullying, healthy competitiveness stops and a unproductive monopoly begins. As a result, just as forming and maintaining a monopoly is illegal, so should maintaining a bullying relationship. This does not mean that all incidents of bullying should be treated as heinous crimes, but rather that each bullying case should be treated seriously and be responded to independently according to its own circumstances.

Workplace Bullying 2

In this blog I will continue my analysis of the article “Workplace Bullying Often Goes Unpunished” which was published on “BusinessNewsDaily.com”. Previously I discussed some statistical information regarding the occurrence of workplace bullying and the characteristics of workplace bullies. On this occasion the statistical information I will be focusing on deals with how individuals react to bullying within the workplace setting.

According to the article, a recent study conducted by the Workplace Bullying Institute revealed that employers are not taking the necessary steps to stop or diminish workplace bullying. In fact, the study states that 25% of employers did not investigate the bullying claims, 31% discounted the bullying claims as “not serious” or considered it routine, 11% defended the bullies, and 5% encouraged the bullying abuse. Personality flaws and deficiencies in work-related skills were two reasons cited by the article as causes of workplace bullying. In addition, the article states that a lack of accountability encouraged bullies to feel safe from facing any consequences as a result of their bullying actions.

What seems to be occurring in the workplace is a feature previously discussed within another blog, which is the normalization of bullying behavior. Employers, which are supposed to be the individuals who set proper behavioral workplace standards, are not fulfilling their expectations. Instead, employers are downplaying bullying behavior and in a manner fueling bullying by accepting its existence. It is often the case that children look up to their parents and follow their example. As a result, it may be that adult bullying inconspicuously leads to bullying in children. It may be that children are observing the bullying behavior of adults, perhaps even their parents, and are mimicking their behaviors. Over time the bullying behaviors may become a “normal” occurrence to children. If this is the case, then perhaps bullying that occurs among adults, such as workplace bullying, is the type of bullying that should be especially targeted by researchers.

An unfortunate statistic revealed by the study is that in 61% of the cases where the workplace bullying incident managed to end, the bullying victim lost their job due to resignation, being fired, or being forced to quit. However, the article does note that “93% of U.S. employees [would] support the enactment of a new law that would protect all workers from reported abusive mistreatment in the workplace.”

The fact that most individuals would support anti-bullying laws offers glimmers of hope for the future. It is uplifting to know the ability to produce legal changes against bullying remains within the reach. Society as a whole seems to acknowledge that the concept of bullying is wrong. However, what seems to be the major problem within society today is the recognition of bullying as an actual problem.

The Accumulating Effects of Bullying

Today I will be discussing a recent bullying article released by Reuters.com. The article is titled “Effects of bullying may add up in kids: study” and was written by Andrew M. Seaman. An important aspect of bullying discussed within the article is the recently implied discovery that the effects of bullying may accumulate throughout the years. In addition, the article discusses the important role adults, especially parents, can play in diminishing bullying.

 The article states that the according to a new study, “the negative physical and mental effects tied to bullying among children and teens may accumulate throughout the years”. In fact, researchers have found that “teens who had been bullied in the past and those currently being bullied tended to have a lower quality of life, compared to those who were bullied less or not at all.” According to the article, researchers analyzed data from the Healthy Passages study which “surveyed students in Alabama, California and Texas about how much bullying they experienced and evaluated their physical and mental health.” Researchers decided to analyze this data after realizing that few studies “have examined whether the possible effects of bullying accumulate over the years.” Overall, 4,297 students completed the surveys, offered by the Healthy Passages study, during the fifth, seventh, and tenth grades. Upon analysis researchers made the following discoveries:

·         “About a third of the students had been regularly bullied at some point during the course of the study.”

·         “Generally, those who had been bullied in the past scored better on measures of physical and mental health, compared to those who were currently being bullied. Teens who were bullied throughout their school career scored the worst.”

o   “About 7% of 10th grade students who had never been bullied scored low on mental health measures […] compared to 12 % [for students] who had been bullied in the past, 31 % [for students] who were currently being bullied and almost 45% [for students]who underwent persistent bullying.”

§  According to the article, “poor mental health included traits such as being sad, afraid and angry.”

o   “About 8% of 10th grade students who were never bullied had poor physical health, compared to 12% of those who were bullied in the past, 26% who were currently being bullied and 22% who were continuously bullied.”

§  According to the article, “poor physical health included limitations [such as] not being able to walk far and not being able to pick up heavy objects.”

An important realization I made upon reading this article is the possible deep extent of the effects of bullying. Unlike most physical injuries which go away with the passage of time, the effects of bullying seem to fade but never fully go away. The Healthy Passages study suggests that the negative effects of bullying can hinder a person long after the bullying ceases. It seems that researchers are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of attending this social issue and diminishing its occurrence.

Towards the end of the article, Laura Bogart, a doctor at Boston Children's Hospital, stated that “any adult that has any contact with children . . . (should) know what the signs of bullying might be." According to Bogart the signs of bullying can be physical, but that is not always the case. For example, a non-physical sign of bullying that can be presented by a young child is the resistance towards attending school.  In addition, Bogart believes “it's important for parents to know if their child falls into one of the groups at high risk for bullying,” which includes children with physical disabilities, overweight and obese children, and children who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or questioning.

The comments made by Laura Bogart reiterate many statements made in previous blogs. For example, Dr. Bogart seems to suggest that it is possible that adults, including parents, are failing to realize and accept the existence of the issue of bullying. In fact, Dr. Bogart seems to cry out to parents to take an active role in diminishing bullying, by paying attention to their children and realizing if they are being bullied. Dr. Bogart seems to realize that with the passage of time bullying is transforming and no longer implicates physical abuse. In fact, Dr. Bogart adequately advises parents to keep an eye on their children’s emotional state, and changes in mood and behavior. As technology advances it is becoming increasingly easier for bullies to conduct online-bullying through the internet and social media. However, it is becoming increasingly harder for parents, teachers, and adults in general to recognize and realize when bullying occurs.

Home Relationships and Bullying

            Today I will continue my examination of Maria el Mar Badia Martin’s academic journal article, “The causes and nature of bullying and social exclusion in schools”. On this occasion I will highlight and discuss some bullying “research findings” found within the article. First I will discuss research studies that focus on bullying victims and their relationships with their siblings. Afterwards, I will discuss research studies that focus on the relationship between bullying that occurs at home, and bullying that occurs at school.

1)                  A research study conducted by Louise Bowers, Peter K. Smith, and Valerie Binney found that “bullies at school […] reported negative relationships with their siblings, whom they viewed as more powerful than themselves.” On the other hand, “victims of bullying reported often positive, even enmeshed, relationships with their siblings”.

This research finding is interesting, because one would think that children who have good social relationships with their siblings would have an easier time forming and managing their relationships with their peers. However, this is not the case. Instead, the study seems to suggest that seemingly perfect sibling relationships are actually handicapping some children. Perhaps, these children are unaccustomed in dealing with adversity, and thus are more vulnerable to become victims of school bullying.

2)               In another study conducted by Renae D. Duncan, it was found that out of 375 seventh and eighth graders, 22% reported that they were “often hit or pushed around by their siblings”, 8.1% reported that they were “often beaten by a sibling”, and 40% “admitted to bullying their brothers or sisters”. In addition, Duncan’s study revealed that children who identified themselves as bully/victims at school “were also most frequently involved in bullying behavior at home.” In fact, “60% of peer bully/victims reported being bullied by their brothers or sisters.”

The aforementioned research findings are interesting because they suggest that bullying behaviors do not necessarily originate at school. In fact, Duncan’s study suggests that on several occasions the relationships between bullies and their victims are not direct, that is, there are no seemingly logical reasons to explain the bullying behaviors. Instead, school bullying sometimes seems to be a form of mimicking or retaliating the bullying that occurs at home.

When all the aforementioned research findings are taken in account, they seem to suggest that there is a connection between bullying and home social relationships. Perhaps, home relationships are areas that should be focused on when designing a plan to reduce bullying. Overall, it seems that parents are failing to notice and address the bullying that is occurring within their homes.