Friday, December 19, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
New Study Published; Autism, genetics, & neurology
by Christopher Connallon
Soft Blog Contributor
A new study published last wednesday in neuroscience journal Neuron reveals a link between an enzyme-regulating protein and autism-like behavior in mice. The study, sparsely reported albeit interesting, raises doubts on the dominance of genetics in autism and obsessive-compulsive type disorders, at least in mice for now. The protein is called FKBP12, and it regulates the enzyme mTOR, found both in humans and mice. The study was led by researchers from New York University's Center for Neural Science and Baylor College of Medicine
From researcher Eric Klann:
"Perservative and repetitive behaviors associated with these neurological disorders are widely believed to be developmentally established -- determined in utero by genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors,” Eric Klann, a neuroscientist at NYU and the lead researcher of the study, was quoted as saying. “Because our study indicates that postnatal release of mTOR activity can result in certain perseverative behaviors, it challenges the idea that some aspects of these conditions are developmentally predetermined."
From the Neuron publication summary:
"Behaviorally, FKBP12 conditional knockout (cKO) mice displayed enhanced contextual fear memory and autistic/obsessive-compulsive-like perseveration in several assays including the water maze, Y-maze reversal task, and the novel object recognition test. Our results indicate that FKBP12 plays a critical role in the regulation of mTOR-Raptor interactions, LTP, memory, and perseverative behaviors."
For more, read the articles here and here
Monday, December 15, 2008
Wholesale Inquiry
Are you interested in selling Soft clothing in your stores? Please fill out the form below and we will be in touch. Thank you so much for your interest in Soft!
Inspiration
Can we talk for a second about Isaac Mizrahi's sketch for the inauguration dresses....wow.
The Best, Balanced Organizations....
Dear Soft Readers,
As we near launch, we are looking to explore partnerships with Autism/SPD and national disability organizations. We will be donating 10% of our profits to one or several of these organizations. I know there is controversy, especially surrounding certain Autism organizations, mostly concerning the cure/no cure debate, vaccines, treatment methods/therapeutic interventions etc...I of course have my own opinions, but I want to base our profit share on the opinions of our diverse community, if possible. So, if you could recommend 5 organizations, that would cover the span of feelings, beliefs, and important work that needs to be done....what/who would you recommend?
Email us at info@softclothing.net, or post in the comments field.
Thank You,
Love Soft
Autism Twitter Day!
Tomorrow is Autism Twitter Day! In participation, we will be hosting two "events:"
We will be hosting a discussion on SPD resources on our twitter page:
www.twitter.com/softclothing
starting at noon (EST), until 2pm on December 16, 2008.
We will also be holding a fundraiser for the Autism Society of America. To read more about ASA, click here.
The way it works, is for each new member of Sensory World between the hours of 9am-midnight (EST) on December 16, 2008, we will donate $2 to the Autism Society of America. Our goal is at least $300! So encourage your friends, networks, facebook friends, and more to join!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
GFCF Ruminations & Cold Weather Potato Soup Recipe
by Christopher Connallon
Soft Blog Contributor
With Thanksgiving feasting on my mind, I've been reading up lately about the Gluten-Free Casein-Free Diet (or GFCF Diet). Being otherwise relatively ignorant of the specifics surrounding how gluten and casein are irritants, I was forced to begin from the ground up and fortunately was able to find a couple very informative websites to establish a foundation.
I was fascinated to find that undigested proteins from gluten and casein act in a similar fashion to opiates, evidently altering mood and perception, and amplifying some of the outward behaviors associated with autism. I also noted how apparently young this information is; it reminds me of the seemingly increasing number of food allergies and intolerances in children throughout the 80's and 90's, but with an apparent link to the presence of autism. Additionally the amount and type of food products that contain casein and gluten are incredible and cover the entire spectrum of processed foods.
Two of the sites that I consulted and found particularly informative for the lay-person were Autismweb.com and Autism-Nutrition.com. There are a variety of information sites about the GFCF diet, for a parent considering implementing GFCF for their child, begin with the two linked above.
In the spirit of feasting and wintry weather, I'd like to share a very simple vegan 'comfort food' potato soup recipe I made last week that also happens to be GFCF (and delicious):
POTATO SOUP
6 large potatoes
3 smaller potatoes
bunch scallions
4 cloves garlic
salt
pepper
With water boiling in large pot, add salt and large potatoes cubed to roughly 1". Cook until very soft, at which point partially drain until water is just below the top of the cubed potatoes. While still in the pot, mash with potato masher, then whip until smooth; if necessary add water until liquid in consistency. Return to burner on low-med, add small potatoes cut relatively small (so as to cook faster), chopped scallions, garlic minced super-fine, and salt & pepper (to taste). Stir often to avoid scorching, add water if necessary. Soup is finished when small potato pieces are cooked. This soup should be slightly garlicky, salty, and peppery and thick (like a chowder). Additional spices to taste: turmeric; ginger. Enjoy!
Soft Blog Contributor
With Thanksgiving feasting on my mind, I've been reading up lately about the Gluten-Free Casein-Free Diet (or GFCF Diet). Being otherwise relatively ignorant of the specifics surrounding how gluten and casein are irritants, I was forced to begin from the ground up and fortunately was able to find a couple very informative websites to establish a foundation.
I was fascinated to find that undigested proteins from gluten and casein act in a similar fashion to opiates, evidently altering mood and perception, and amplifying some of the outward behaviors associated with autism. I also noted how apparently young this information is; it reminds me of the seemingly increasing number of food allergies and intolerances in children throughout the 80's and 90's, but with an apparent link to the presence of autism. Additionally the amount and type of food products that contain casein and gluten are incredible and cover the entire spectrum of processed foods.
Two of the sites that I consulted and found particularly informative for the lay-person were Autismweb.com and Autism-Nutrition.com. There are a variety of information sites about the GFCF diet, for a parent considering implementing GFCF for their child, begin with the two linked above.
In the spirit of feasting and wintry weather, I'd like to share a very simple vegan 'comfort food' potato soup recipe I made last week that also happens to be GFCF (and delicious):
POTATO SOUP
6 large potatoes
3 smaller potatoes
bunch scallions
4 cloves garlic
salt
pepper
With water boiling in large pot, add salt and large potatoes cubed to roughly 1". Cook until very soft, at which point partially drain until water is just below the top of the cubed potatoes. While still in the pot, mash with potato masher, then whip until smooth; if necessary add water until liquid in consistency. Return to burner on low-med, add small potatoes cut relatively small (so as to cook faster), chopped scallions, garlic minced super-fine, and salt & pepper (to taste). Stir often to avoid scorching, add water if necessary. Soup is finished when small potato pieces are cooked. This soup should be slightly garlicky, salty, and peppery and thick (like a chowder). Additional spices to taste: turmeric; ginger. Enjoy!
Monday, December 1, 2008
Win $75.00 Gift Certificate for Sensory/Therapy related Products!
Join Soft Sensory World to connect with other parents and individuals affected by Sensory Disorders. We now have over 200 members!
FOR A LIMITED TIME: If you sign up between now (Dec.1) and December 15, you are automatically entered to win a $75 Amazon gift card toward any products that are Sensory/Therapy related - or anything else you want/need! Contest ends November 15, 2008 at midnight. Winner selected at random on December 16, 2008.
In the spirit of giving this holiday season, Soft will match the $75 Gift/Therapy prize with $75 to a Disability Charity We Love! Winners choice!
Thanks,
Soft
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