AXYS Awarded Grant to Develop Adult Specialty Clinics
Many adults with X and Y chromosome variations experience difficulty in finding adult specialists familiar with the range of medical issues that affect them into adulthood. For many adults, there are a range of endocrinology disorders, neurological complications, and autoimmune disorders that affect their health. Many have continuing problems with psychiatric complications, autism spectrum disorders, and learning disabilities. Of approximately 500 annual calls and e-mails to the AXYS help line, 20 percent request assistance in finding medical professionals who can provide specialty consultation and treatment recommendations for adults for their primary care physicians. In addition, many families have difficulty in obtaining medical documentation required to access disability services or receive appropriate workplace accommodations. While pediatric programs have experience with providing multi-disciplinary care, adult clinics find more difficulty in coordinating multi-disciplinary care.
On October 15, 2018, AXYS was notified by the WITH Foundation that it would receive funding to work collaboratively with the staffs of the AXYS Clinic & Research Consortium members at Children’s Hospital Colorado outside of Denver and Emory University Medical Center in Atlanta to help establish adult specialty clinics. These clinics will be family-centered and include multi-specialty evaluations that can document medical and neuro-developmental barriers to successful employment so that this large population of adults, most of whom can work at least part time, can receive necessary workplace accommodations and supports. In addition, the evaluations will allow adults with X and Y variations to more easily access public programs that promote their ability to live independently. Creating model evaluation templates will also be a goal of the clinics.
AXYS is honored to have received this funding and looks forward to getting started on this critical project.
AXYS has a new and, for the first time ever, full-time Executive Director! After a multi-month recruitment and interview process, the AXYS Board of Directors was pleased to offer the position to Carol Meerschaert who began her new role on October 7. (See Carol’s message in the upcoming fall newsletter from AXYS, later this month.)
On August 11th, the Mid-Atlantic Support Group held a summer social get together in Chadds Ford, PA. The gathering consisted of 22 families, 21 individuals with a variation, and over 50 attendees total. Families came from Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and California. Children and adults representing XXY, XYY, XXYY and Trisomy X enjoyed a cook-out and various indoor and outdoor games. For some, it was the first time ever meeting someone else with their condition. For others, it was an opportunity to catch up with friends.
And this from a teen, “I went to a meet and greet, where I could meet other men that can relate with me. I met a guy named Ryan who has a YouTube channel and explains what living with XXY is like. Even though I have XYY and most of the men at the meet and greet have XXY we all have experienced similar events in our lifetime. This has changed the way that I see myself, knowing that someone else understands how I feel. It was a moving experience for me.”