The 8th Annual Charles M. Poser, M.D. Lecture was held on May 26, 2010 at the Hilton Burlington. Please click on the title below to see the MS Power Point presentation.
Grand Rounds
The Autism Epidemic: Fact or Fiction?
The apparent increase in the rate of occurrence of autism has become a major public health concern. Studies from the 1980s to early 1990s reported prevalence of 4 to 10 per 10,000. In February of 2007, the Centers for Disease Control autism surveillance network reported that the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was 1 of every 152 children. Most recently, the CDC reported that approximately 1 of every 100 children are affected by ASD. All of these studies represent a "snapshot", describing the number of children affected by ASD at a specific point in time. Factors including changes in diagnostic criteria, increased awareness of ASD, and improved availability of services have been mentioned as explanations for the apparent increase in ASD. In this session, we will review the findings from a study that examined the rate of autism in a single community over 20 years in an effort to answer the question, "Has there been a true increase in the number of children with ASD?"
General Session
Improving Life Outcomes for Children with ADHD: Lessons Learned from 15 Years of Population-Based Research.
Both clinicians and researchers agree that the true impact of ADHD on children is best understood by examining functional outcomes for affected children. Numerous studies over decades have documented the positive impact of stimulant treatment on ADHD symptoms, executive function, behavior, and short-term academic performance. Recent studies comparing medical, behavioral and educational interventions for ADHD have led to inconclusive findings. For the past 15 years, the Mayo Clinic Child Development Research Group has conducted a series of studies on the long-term course, psychosocial outcomes and response to treatment for every child with ADHD in a birth cohort of nearly 6,000 children. This session will provide an overview of the key findings from this research, highlighting the implications for medical, behavioral and educational interventions aimed at improving life outcomes for children with ADHD.
Dr. William J. Barbaresi is the Wade Family Foundation Chair in Developmental Medicine, Director of the Developmental Medicine Center, and Associate Chief of the Division of Developmental Medicine, Children's Hospital Boston. He is Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. His distinguished professional background includes appointments in developmental and behavioral pediatrics and learning disorders at the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Barbaresi's clinical practice includes children with developmental delays, mental retardation, autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities, and behavior problems. Dr. Barbaresi's research has included studies of the epidemiology of learning disorders, ADHD and autism. He has authored numerous original scientific manuscripts, abstracts, and book chapters on these topics He is currently the principal investigator of a National Institute of Mental Health funded study of long-term outcomes for children with ADHD, as well as the genomics of ADHD.
Dr. Barbaresi's appointments include the American Board of Pediatrics and Chair of the Sub-Board for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics and he has also held leadership positions in national organizations. He is the Co-Editor for Reviews and Special Articles for the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics and is a member of many editorial boards.
Conference Supporters: Stern Center for Language and Learning, The University of Vermont College of Medicine, and Vermont Children's Hospital at Fletcher Allen Health Care.
Click here for the presentation ADHD: Is It Them or Us? which was given at the Coach Barn at Shelburne Farms on May 25, 2010.