INFORMATION DEPT.

Children with Moebius Syndrome sometimes (though by no means always) have autistic tendencies as well; so we try to keep up with autism news here.  Today:  recent research indicates that one's level of autism can be tied to stress levels:

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The severity of a child’s autism may be directly linked with the level of stress or anxiety they experience on a day-to-day basis, a new study suggests.

Levels of the stress-hormone cortisol remain significantly higher throughout the day in children with low-functioning autism as compared to typically-developing kids and those on the high-functioning end of the spectrum, according to findings published in the Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities.

For the study, researchers at Canisius College in Buffalo, N.Y. collected saliva samples three times each day over two different weekends from 43 kids ages 7 to 12. The group included children with no diagnosis as well as kids with autism and an IQ below 70 — considered low-functioning — and high-functioning individuals with IQs above 85.

All of the children exhibited typical patterns in their cortisol levels, with the hormone at its highest in the morning and getting progressively lower throughout the day. However, the exact amount of cortisol seen in low-functioning children was distinct, researchers found.

“Children with (lower-functioning autism) had significantly higher cortisol, the stress indicator, across the day than both the (high-functioning children with autism) and typical children and, interestingly, children with (high-functioning autism) did not significantly differ from the typical children across the day,” said Susan Putnam of the Institute for Autism Research at Canisius College who led the study.

Putnam and her colleagues said the results point to a link between stress in the body and functioning ability and IQ. However, it is unclear, they said, whether the increased cortisol observed in those with more severe autism is a result of neurological impairment or heightened sensitivity to the environment.

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In other news:  the US Labor Department says that the number of persons with disabilities active in the American workforce is on the rise:

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The number of people with disabilities in the workforce is ticking up, the U.S. Department of Labor said Friday.

Figures from the agency’s monthly employment report indicate that more Americans with disabilities were employed in May than the month prior, though the unemployment rate for this population remained largely unchanged at 10.1 percent.

Meanwhile, the Labor Department reported that 280,000 jobs were added to the economy as a whole and the employment rate for the general population also remained steady at 5.5 percent.

Federal officials began tracking employment among people with disabilities in October 2008. There is not yet enough data compiled to establish seasonal trends among this population, so statistics for this group are not seasonally adjusted.

Data on people with disabilities covers those over the age of 16 who do not live in institutions. The first employment report specific to this population was made available in February 2009. Now, reports are released monthly.

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