We had a great time today at the Buddy Walk fundraiser for Down Syndrome at Angel's Stadium. We had a team of 21 people--our biggest yet!! Thanks so much to all of you who joined "Danny's Dreamers". We'll be walking again next year -- usually the first or second Sunday in November -- so I hope that more of you can join us!
It took us a few days to cope with Danny's new diagnosis (see below), but now we are back to our old selves. Danny overall is doing very well and we're confident he'll continue to do so. He will probably be able to get therapy better tailored to his needs, which is great. And he's still the same little bundle of love he's always been.
Thanks for all your concerns you shared! I will pass them on to Danny in the form of kisses :-).
I share an update on Danny.
The last few months, Keiko and I have been concerned about his tendency to play by himself and sometimes engage in repetitive behaviors. He also continues to have sensory integration issues, especially in regards to eating, and his communicative ability has not developed as much as we'd like over the past year.
Last week we had a thorough evaluation by a pediatric neurologist. She also had access to all his reports from his other recent therapeutic evaluations. The result? Danny has been diagnosed with autism.
The doctor ordered a number of follow-up tests and evaluations which will take place in the coming months. She noted that for a child with a dual diagnosis of Down syndrome and autism, Danny is doing very well. (As evidence, none of the many therapists or doctors Danny has ever seen before had ever recommended he be evaluated for autism.)
Autism is quite common among children with Down syndrome--affecting an estimated 5-7% of the Down syndrome population (as opposed to less than 1% of the general population). Due to the difficulties of dual diagnosis, as well as a possible later age of onset, many children with Down Syndrome and autism are not diagnosed for the latter until they are much older, with very negative results in terms of their ability to communicate and interact. Children with Down syndrome and autism often have better social skills than children with autism alone, which may also contribute to the difficulty of diagnosis. That is certainly the case with Danny, who is very charming and flirtatious with adults. We are hoping that Danny's relatively early diagnosis will allow more effective treatmant.
Danny remains the same delightful little boy as before the diagnosis and any concerns we have are tempered by the great joy he brings us on a daily basis.
I will try to post more in the future as we learn more.
Danny's three years old now! Celebrated his birthday on June 16. He also started school immediately after that in the public school district here in Irvine. He's got the cutest little backup that he takes to school every day.
It's been a big year for Danny, learning to walk, playing with his brother and sister, exploring the world. Danny sends warm regards to all his friends.
OK, I'm seriously overdue on keeping O&S's updated. Having three kids under three has proved to be pretty overwhelming. Perhaps I'll start with a brief update now, just to break the logjam, and hopefully I'll do a bit better from here on out.
Danny is almost three now (2 3/4) and as gorgeous and fun as ever. He is walking quite well, using lots of signs, starting to verbalize, and generally enjoying life.
Mika and Noah are 13 months old and really coming into their own. It's an amazing joy to watch the three of them scooting around the house together, smiling, playing, laughing, fighting, teasing, joking, and just having a great time. Yes, I do need to get some new pictures up soon.
OK, there's a brief update! More soon.
A nice article about a special friendship club at a Southern California high school
We completed the 2006 Buddy Walk in Anaheim Stadium yesterday (Sunday, November 5) with a team of 29 people in Danny's Dreamers!!! A huge thank you to all who came out. Our team raised more than $2000 for education, research, health and other programs for people with Down syndrome, plus a great time was had by all!!! We even survived the 94 degree heat (hottest in the U.S. that day).
The Buddy Walk in Anaheim is usually on a Sunday in November. We'll definitely be gathering again next year. Please think about joining us next year!
A study by researchers at Cornell University suggests a link between increased watching of television by children and increased prevalence of autism. The study was based on examination of two factors -- rainy and snowy weather, and access to cable television -- which are known to be associated with increased TV watching. Basically, in places where it rained or snowed more than usual, more kids got autism. And in communities that got access to cable TV before other comparable communities, more kids got autism.
Here's an article on the study and here's the site of the full study. (And here's an interesting speculative article on the same topic.)
Critics have suggested other possible causes for this correlation, including the fact that parents who watch more TV might learn about autism and thus seek diagnosis and treatment for their children. It will be interesting to see further research.
See a page full of great new pictures, courtesy of Sears Portrait Studio.
