Winter 2005
CenterLines
Front and Center with Useful News for Families
In this issue:
• Autism and Early Intervention
• CDD’s Wheelchair and Seating Service
• Immunization Update: Finding Funding for Health Care
Autism and Early Intervention
I went to a presentation in December that was about providing early intervention for young children at risk for autism. I felt very strongly that this is information our readers should know. The speaker was Sue Baker, MS, the Autism Services Consultant with the Iowa Department of Education and Child Health Specialty Clinics. Some young children who are at risk for autism can see a significant improvement or even a shift in their diagnosis with early intervention.
At Risk?
Children are “at risk” when they show some of the symptoms of autism. It is important to identify these children and start working with them right away. Some of the red flags for autism are when the child:
• Does not respond to his/her name
• Doesn’t smile socially
• Plays alone
• Is very independent
• Has poor eye contact
• Used to say a few words but doesn’t anymore
•l Toe walks
• Lines things up
• Has an unusual attachment to toys
This is a partial list from a screening tool appearing in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
Early Intervention
Early intervention provides services to very young children (under three) before they reach school. In Iowa it is called Early Access. Early stimulation helps develop the brain. These years are crucial to the development of language, learning, and social interaction with other children. Early Access is community-based and will include therapies and other services for the child and families. Parents will be included in the process of treatment and receive support, such as:
• Training and resources
• Counseling
• Connections to local support programs
If you are a parent and concerned about your child, be sure to contact Sue Baker. She can be reached at 319-356-4619 or email her at sue-baker@uiowa.edu. The Center for Disabilities and Development has an Autism Service. You can contact us at the numbers below. You can also speak to someone who works in Early Access or your local area education agency (AEA). Child Health Specialty Clinics are also an excellent resource. You can call Iowa COMPASS at 800-779-2001 to get numbers for those organizations in your area.
Amy Mikelson
Editor
CDD’s Wheelchair & Seating Service
All around us there is change. This is true for the Wheelchair and Seating Service here at the Center for Disabilities and Development. The change is a closer working relationship with the local vendors. This makes our service stronger and more convenient. By using local vendors, you have less travel. But what hasn’t changed, are the years of experience and dedication that we bring to you. We have combined our experience with the service provider expertise to continue offering you our very best.
The Wheelchair & Seating Service (WSS) has been a resource for people with disabilities for more than 25 years. Our staff works closely with the individual, the family, and their chosen vendor. We offer:
• Therapy Assessments
• Prescriptions for manual and power wheelchairs and seating equipment
• Recommendations for postural support systems
• Recommendations for specialized controls and communication aids
• Information on how to use and care for equipment
• Help with obtaining funding
• Working with your vender, we can produce the mold for Contour U and Silhouette cushions.
Often a person can try out new equipment before making a decision. And, as the person grows and develops, we can recommend adaptations.
Initial evaluations are scheduled as a part of our Thursday WSS Clinic. Other days can be made available to accommodate specific needs.
Through our outreach clinic we can provide almost all of the above listed services locally. We work closely with community providers. Our staff can meet with clients, families, local therapists, school staff, health care providers, and vendors of durable medical equipment.
We strive to help individuals get the most effective seating and postural support systems.
Individuals, families, AEA staff, or health care or other service providers can make a referral. To make a referral to our clinic at CDD, contact:
WSS Clinic:
Lori Hilmer
319-353-6915
319-384-8762 (fax)
WSS Outreach Clinic:
Deanna Daugherty
319-356-1515
319-384-8762 (fax)
You can contact either of the above people through the toll-free numbers listed below:
Center for Disabilities and Development
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
Wheelchair & Seating Service
100 Hawkins Drive
Iowa City, IA 52242-1011
877-686-0031 (toll-free, voice)
877-686-0032 (toll-free, TTY)
319-353-6900 (local)
You can find information about this service on our website at www.uihealthcare.com/cdd. Just click on “Programs and Services,” and then click on “Wheelchair & Seating Service.” You can download a printable PDF of our service flier.
Immunization Update
Influenza
Influenza, or the flu, is like a cold, except that most people feel much worse. It causes a cough, fever, and makes people ache all over. It does not cause diarrhea and is not the “stomach flu.” It is caused by a virus, so antibiotics do not help. The flu can make people sick enough to need to be in the hospital. It can and does kill people who are very old or very young, or those who have certain serious medical problems.
It usually starts with shaking chills and a fever from 102-106. There are usually very bad headaches and muscle pain. People get a cough, runny nose, and sore throat. The fever usually lasts at least 3 days, but can last up to 8 days. The worst of the flu lasts 3-5 days, but it can take 2 weeks or more to start feeling OK again.
Every year they make a vaccine for what they think will be the most common flu virus. The shot contains only dead virus and cannot give people the flu.
You should not get a flu shot if you have had a bad reaction to one, if you have an allergic reaction to eggs, or if you have had Guillain-Barre syndrome. Children over 9 can receive a regular flu shot. If they are less than 9 years old and have not had a flu shot before, they will need two shots on different days. Children 6-35 months get a smaller dose.
There is also a nose spray called FluMist that can be used for people 5 - 49 years old who are healthy and not pregnant. It works but costs more money. Some ways to keep from getting the flu are to stay away from people with the flu, stay home when you are sick, cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze, wash your hands, and try to keep your hands out of your eyes, nose, and mouth.
If you get the flu, there are some medicines that can help you feel better. Taking some of these medicines might help keep you from getting the flu and help you get better faster. You need to start taking them within the first one and a half days of getting sick.
NEVER give aspirin to children who have the flu. Tylenol (acetaminophen) is OK. Some cold and flu medicines have acetaminophen in them, so check the label to be sure you are not giving too much to your child or yourself. Rest, drink plenty of fluids, and be patient. You can get more information at www.cdc.gov/flu/.
Whooping Cough or Pertussis.
Whooping cough, or pertussis, is the “P” part of the DTaP vaccine that children get. It is caused by bacteria and is spread by coughing. Before immunizations, it killed between 5,000 and 9,000 people, mostly babies and little children, every year. Even now it kills about 5-10 babies a year and causes permanent brain damage in others. We know that the shot does wear off, but pertussis doesn’t usually kill older people. It gives them a cough that takes a long time to go away. The biggest problem is that teens and adults with pertussis can give it to babies who have not had enough shots yet to protect them.
Pertussis starts with a runny nose and cough. The cough gets worse for 1-2 weeks, and then gets really bad for 2-3 weeks. Sometimes it can stay bad for up to 10 weeks. It can cause paroxysms, or clusters, of really bad coughs that make it very hard to get your breath. In teens and adults it might seem like it is just a cold with a cough that won’t go away. There are lab tests to see if it really is pertussis.
Sometimes local health departments tell teens and adults who have pertussis or who were around someone else who had pertussis to get treated with antibiotics. It probably does not help them get better any faster, but it does keep them from giving it to other people. You can get more information at www.cdc.gov/nip/diseases/pertussis/default.htm.
Finding Funding for Health Care
Shelley Rivers is the Services Specialist with Iowa COMPASS. Anyone in Iowa can call her for information about funding for services, such as:
• Who to contact in your county for information on funding assistance
• Federal and state funding programs like Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security Insurance and Disability
Shelley can also link you with programs that provide funding for such things as:
• Family support through Iowa’s Family Investment Program
• Food, rental, utility, and telephone assistance
• Prescriptions
Contact Shelley at iowacompass@uiowa.edu
800-779-2001 (toll-free, voice)
877-686-0032 (toll-free, TTY)
319-353-8777 (local)