Autism Study

[Guest guest]

Dear Friend of ASO:

Information an Autism Study. A formal letter to parents follows the general email from the the study's originator after my signature. FYI - please share.

Sincerely,

Barbara C. YavorcikPresidentAutism Society of Ohio701 S. Main St.Akron, OH 44311(330) 376-0211fax: (330) 376-1226email: askASO@...home: byavorcik@...web: www.autismohio.org2005 ASO Bi-Annual Conference"Reaching Beyond the Horizon - Challenging the Autism Spectrum"Friday and Saturday, October 14-15, 2005 Kingsgate Marriott in Cincinnati, Ohio Please note: This is provided for information purposes only. The ASO does not endorse or recommend any providers, methodologies or services. Providing this information should not be construed as an endorsement by the ASO, either explicit or impiled.

----------------------------

Hello, my name is Sumner. Long story short....I worked for the public schools in Oklahoma for the last four years as a school psychologist but recently left to devote full time to completing my dissertation (the only component left of my doctoral degree, from Oklahoma State University, which I have allowed to linger for the past couple of years). I am currently trying to obtain participants for my dissertation and am requesting your help/assistance. I have had little success getting the number of participants I need here in Oklahoma and am seeking resources from additional states.

My dissertation is investigating the possible association between the onset of autism spectrum disorders and immunizations as well as other medical/developmental factors within each child's family history that may contribute to the severity of autism. I do not need access to the children, only the parents. Each parent would be asked to complete a brief but detailed developmental/medical history form along with an adaptive behavior rating scale and an autism rating scale. I have included a copy of a letter, that has previously gone out to parents in the Tulsa and Oklahoma City areas, to provide you with a little more information. I understand you cannot provide me with any individuals personal information...but was hoping that you would be willing to post or e-mail the attached flyer/letter to your data base so that those who wish to participate could contact me directly. Research packets would be sent through the mail with a self-addressed/postaged envelope for their return. In appreciation and gratitude for their participation, when research packets are returned the individual's name will be entered into a drawing for one of several gift certificates ($50 to $100 in value).

Please feel free to e-mail at Jifsumner@... with any additional questions. I would appreciate and be grateful for any assistance (as I am trying to finish and graduate by the summer!). Please let me know if you are able to assist me in any way.

Sincerely,

Sumner

-------------------

AUTISM STUDY

Spring/Summer 2005

Dear Parent,

You are being invited to participate in a study that will examine the effects of childhood immunizations on the onset of Autism Spectrum Disorders as well as additional medical history that might affect the severity of Autism Spectrum Disorders. This letter is to inform you about the details and purpose of the study. This study is my dissertation and the final component to completing my doctoral degree in school psychology at Oklahoma State University. Your participation would be greatly appreciated.

Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder due to the fact that it impacts a wide range of areas in an individual’s life (e.g., language, communication, social interactions, cognitive functioning, and behavior). The prevalence of Autism is estimated to affect 6 individuals per 1000. The purpose of the research study is to investigate whether the prevalence of Autism has increased and if so what factors have contributed to that increase.

Participants will be asked to complete a brief and detailed developmental history form along with an adaptive behavior rating scale and/or Autism rating scale (if one has not been recently completed). The developmental history form will inquire about demographics, pregnancy, birth, developmental milestones, immunizations, diagnosis and other pertinent medical information. Information not readily available from the participant that may need to be obtained from school records will be sought through the signing of a medical release form/consent form. Permission to access school records will be for the purpose of obtaining only information pertaining to the student’s immunization history and psycho-educational testing (e.g., to obtain a score if the Autism rating scale has recently been completed).

The following may be helpful for the purpose of completing paperwork: a copy of your child’s most recent psycho-educational/psychological report (including scores for intellectual functioning, adaptive behavior and an autism rating scale). The evaluation may be from your child’s school or from a private agency. If you find it necessary to request a copy of your child’s records from their school you may wish to ask for a copy of the psycho-educational report and a form commonly referred to as the MEETS (multidisciplinary evaluation and eligibility summary) which is a summary of the evaluation results.

Your participation is completely voluntary and there is no penalty for not choosing to participate. Your participation will be kept completely confidential as your information will only be identified through codes/numbers. Your participation in the study may help researchers and other professionals who work with children understand factors related to the etiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders. In addition, should you participate, when your forms are returned your name will be entered into a drawing for one of several gift certificates ($50 to $100 in value).

If you are willing to participate in the study or if you have any questions please e-mail me at Jifsumner@... or call 918-749-1840 (Tulsa) (this is also my computer line so it is sometimes busy).

Packets will be sent to you through the mail with a self-addressed/stamped envelope for their return.

Sincerely,

Sumner, M.Ed.