Autism-Articles

Autism - to label or not to label, that is the question. Have you been to your doctor about your child and been made to feel as if you were banging your head off a brick wall? Or quite possibly you have been told that a speech delay is common in boys and perhaps mom or dad is just being a bit too neurotic about it? If you have been down this route then you are certainly not alone. In Ireland the consensus now among many in the medical profession is that there is not really an increase in the number of autistic children out there but instead us parents are concocting the symptoms to claim state benefits by unjustly labeling our children. If you have already been told by a number of people that your child is Autistic and more importantly if you the child's parent who knows this part of you better than anyone else has an instinctual inner feeling that something is not right then chances are your suspicions are rarely unfounded. Recently a more enlightened member of th...

Autism has been difficult for most to understand. It is my belief that all the information that one needs to know is available to understand the phenomenon of autism. It is my belief that individuals with autism cannot reach their potential because those who are working with them do not understand the cause or etiology of autism. Once autism is understood we will see these children grow beyond our wildest dreams. It is my belief that the individual with autism has not benefited from an attachment. I call this an incomplete attachment. Our job is to help the individual to complete the attachment process. Some suggestions on what one might do are recommended below. These ideas are based on Attachment Relational Therapy: 1) First you need to accept that it will be difficult and it will be up to you to encourage the attachment. The child/adolescent cannot be responsible for the awakening of the attachment although the child is ready to complete the attachment proce...

Autism - Teaching autistic children the art of verbal communication can be very challenging for parents with an autistic child. Are you a parent or guardian who suffers from the roller coaster of emotions associated with this disorder? It's no surprise as 1 out of every 110 children born today are stricken with autism. Many autistic children deal with serious problems when it comes to verbal communication. Autism presents many frustrating roadblocks for autistic children and their parents. The speech challenges can be difficult to overcome. Communication Breakdown - What You Should Look Out For... Verbal communication between a child and the people around him or her can vary greatly from one child to the next. A child's intellectual development and social development can be quite different from one case to the next. Some children have no problems carrying on extensive conversations while others can hardly speak a word at all. And in worst case scenarios, some...

Throughout my years in practice treating children with Autism, I have seen many of them with something called Hyperkeratosis Pilaris. And Hyperkeratosis Pilaris is that bumpy skin often seen on the backs of the arm, it can also bee seen on the upper thighs and the cheeks. It has been though to be attributed to heredity as caused by an accumulation of skin cells in those locations. The use of a buff puff pad to rub in the areas with the bumps seems to be effective at treating it. But, there is another theory that Hyperkeratosis Pilaris is really caused from a low thyroid function and that the body cannot properly convert beta carotene into vitamin A. And we believe hypothyroidism to be another potential contributing factor to Hyperkeratosis Pilaris. If you want to look at these issues using testing, and are ok with a blood test, there are a couple of things you can do. The first is to run a TSH test, which stands for thyroid stimulating hormone and the second is to run ...

Over the years I have seen children with Autism who have various sensitivities. These sensitivities can be with sound or even light. These issues can be quite problematic for some children, I have had some who need to wear earphones to muffle sounds so that they can leave their house. And for some sensitive children, even household sounds like a loud TV set, a vacuum or other sounds can be challenging for them. There are certain things that I look for when a child has these types of sensitivities. One is yeast, I have seen heightened sensitivity when yeast overgrowth is an issue so an organic acid test can check for arabinose or other biomarkers for yeast. A mineral deficiency is also another possibility, especially magnesium. A magnesium deficiency can increase irritation and agitation within the body. Supplementing with magnesium has certainly helped some children with light and sound sensitivity. The optimal form of magnesium supplementation would be through IV so t...

Understanding the way your child's brain works is crucial to being able to provide an optimal learning environment. Below is a brief overview of some of the research about the brains of people with autism. Then you'll find easy, practical ways to implement this knowledge and create an optimal learning environment at home. The Science Autism is referred to as a "spectrum disorder" because there is such a wide variation among people with the diagnosis. Researchers using technology that allows them to be able to see how our brains are structured also see that the brains of people with the label 'Autism' are vastly different from one another. Because of this, some scientists have suggested we need to look below the level of the brain's structure to the way individual neurons (brain cells) are wired to find the "miss-wiring" that affects all people with autism. Researchers have found evidence that the way some neurons are connected in t...

When you are asked the question "what is Autism?" or "what is the Autistic Spectrum?" depending on who you ask you will get a completely different response from person to person. The underlying principles are the same, but people will explain things in ways that they are comfortable with or using metaphors and symbolism which they can relate to. Not wanting to simply produce another article explaining Autism in my own words, I struck upon the idea of asking a number of experts how they would describe Autism and the Autistic Spectrum. I have compiled three of the most effective responses in one user friendly place so that you can choose your favourite and hopefully help to spread awareness. Wild Plant Autism/Autistic Spectrum Analogy This analogy likens Autistic people to wild plants. Wild plants very rarely grow the same way twice, much in the same way that there is no one size fits all, single set of must-have traits required to be classed as Autis...

Do you feel frustrated thinking about preparing meals for your whole family and your autistic child at the dinner table? You want to have a balanced meal, but your child with autism does not like vegetables and fruit. You know that these items contain the nutrient value your child needs to be healthy and pursue the proper development. What can be done to encourage your child not to be a finicky eater, when fruits and vegetables are added to their meals? My brother was a finicky eater with the disorder he had. I remember, my parents did not know how to get him to eat his vegetables and fruits. However, I remember my mother dicing apples, oranges, and other fruits, then she would put some of them in the jello she made. She would pour the contents of the colorful ingredients into several unique plastic molds, of unusual shapes. She would put the molds in the refrigerator, let them set and serve to my brother. He loved the colorful shapes, the taste of the jello which made...

Communication: Speech is slow to develop in the child with Autism or does not develop at all. Words, if used, may be used out of context or without the intent to communicate at all. Children with Autism may echo the words of others without appearing to understand their meaning. They may use words and then 'lose' them. They make infrequent eye contact and rarely understand or use gestures. Social: Children with Autism have difficulty interpreting and using language for social interaction; their motivation to interact is affected and their social use of language is impaired. They may appear indifferent to affection and lack social responsiveness to the interests, needs and feelings of others. They may seek social contact in unusual ways and prefer to be alone rather than in the company of others. They may be unresponsive and may only tolerate approach from people very familiar to them. They are usually unaware of social rules and have difficulty taking turns in ga...

Thimerosal made the headlines about ten years ago. Parents were furious. It seemed that the mercury-based ingredient that was added commonly in vaccines since 1930 was causing autism. We were in the midst of an autism epidemic, we read, and pharmaceutical companies had knowingly and willfully endangered our children by exposing them through the use of cheap preservatives like Thimerosal. My spouse and I did what every other couple in America was doing at the time - we argued unceasingly about to vaccinate or not to vaccinate our children. Was the threat real? Did Thimerosal really endanger our children? Or, were we unnecessarily endangering our children by forgoing vaccinations? According to the National Autism Association, "An analysis of the US Department of Education data from 1992-1993 in comparison to 2000-2001 indicates that there has been an average increase of 644% among all US children" (NAA, n.d.). Frightening statistics to say the least, but are sta...

The numbers continue to climb. 1-166 children develop Autism each year. Why? They said it was the mercury in the vaccines. Then they could not rule out the possibility of genetically distribution. It is a guessing game. Unlike most other disorders and diseases that cause a person to become handicapped, the autistic brain is still a mystery. Autism has varying degrees of disability. They call it a spectrum disorder, because those afflicted can be very high functioning and amazingly technical. They are so focused on one subject. This is a category that many professors fall into. They have that one specialty that they know absolutely everything about, but can they remember your birthday? Probably not, but they can tell you what happened in their field eighty years ago. This is called Asperger's Syndrome, a variation of autism. Then you have the very low functioning people on the autism spectrum, who are barely able communicate. My nephew falls into the low functioning...

The discussion on whether or not to begin piano instruction with a child typically starts around the age of 5 or 6 years of age. This is largely due to the perception that the piano is difficult to learn and that it is a more 'refined' instrument. When you consider that the piano is truly a percussion instrument, it is very durable and it offers instant feedback to the player: you may begin to change your view! While these eight reasons can be applied to all young children, the possible benefits associated with an autistic toddler exploring the piano can be even more important. 1. Give Them a Head Start When a 5 or 6 year old student begins to learn an instrument, a lot of time is spent on the basics; such as sitting appropriately, focusing on the page and using rhythm. By starting to teach to these basics earlier on, the student will be well on his way to learning simple songs and using both hands while the former student is just starting to explore the instru...

Helping one's child to live their best life possible is every parent's dream. Learn what to do to make your dream become a reality. There are hundreds of programs to choose from to help your children with autism and special needs. However, there are very few programs exclusively for parents who have children with special needs where they only focus on the parents. While seeking the best treatments for your children make sure to take care of yourself along the way. Many years went by before I realized how extremely important it was to take care of myself first. I often questioned how would I ever find the time? It is true when moms are doing well so is the rest of the family. I had been intensely focusing on helping Brandon that I had completely lost myself. I spent every waking moment taking care of Brandon and my family. When I began to take care of myself first my entire life and my family's life changed for the better. Over time my mental outlook greatl...

Autism is constantly in the news - what with Jenny McCarthy talking about it with Larry King and Oprah, President Obama giving priority to autism research and funding, news reports of an autism epidemic etc. - but what exactly is autism? Is every autistic person a savant or like Dustin Hoffman in "Rainman"? The Many Faces of Autism There is a saying about autism having many faces and this is indeed true. All autistic people, whether children or adults, are individuals with their own personality traits, symptoms, challenges and needs. However, if you or your child are diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum, then you will have one of five types of autism spectrum disorder:- Asperger Syndrome Childhood Disintegrative Disorder PDD-NOS or Pervasive Developmental Disorder (Not Otherwise Specified) Rett Syndrome Autism - Also referred to as SLD Autism or Kanner's Syndrome Sufferers of each of these five autism spectrum disorders share a "triad...

One of the most common sensory disorders is Tactile Defensiveness . With this condition, a child is over or " hyper " sensitive to different types of touch. Light touch is one of the most upsetting types of touch to a child with SI dysfunction. Depending on the intensity of their dysfunction, they may become anywhere from mildly annoyed to completely freaked out by having someone lightly touch them. A gentle kiss on the cheek may feel like they are having coarse sandpaper rubbed on their face. They also may dislike feeling sand, grass or dirt on their skin. Getting dressed may be a struggle as different clothing textures, tags and seams may cause them great discomfort. Often children with Tactile Defensiveness or touch hypersensitivity will avoid, become fearful of, or are irritated by: The wind blowing on bare skin Light touch Vibrating toys Barefoot touching of carpet, sand and/or grass Clothing textures Tags and seams on clothing Touching of "me...

Not all children with autism have sensory problems among their symptoms, but when present they are among the first to become noticeable. Sensory issues can range from being hypersensitive or, at the other end of the scale, having a lack of response to many types of stimulation. However by employing sensory integration and autism therapy these issues can be managed. The range of sensory integration (SI) issues children with autism face varies dramatically from child to child. Some children are unable to tolerate any loud or unusual noise. Textures of foods and fabrics may be extremely irritating. Something as simple as a clothing label can feel to an autistic child like insects crawling over their skin. For these hypersensitive children anything remotely out of the ordinary, such as a loud family gathering with lots of hugging and kissing, can be too much for senses to manage. On the other end of the spectrum, some autistic children show practically no response to any...

Autism statistics in today's world are alarming. Even more alarming is having your own child diagnosed with autism. In the past, there were few treatments that promised improvement in the symptoms of autism, and therefore parents viewed a diagnosis of autism as a sentence of doom. Recently, however, an alternative approach called Functional Medicine has made great strides in identifying the biochemical causes of an individual child's autism and in delivering significant improvement. Autism's Symptoms Typically, autism is diagnosed at 30 months or earlier. It is a neurological disorder that disrupts normal brain function. Early diagnosis is key to effective treatment. Autistic children tend to have difficulty with verbal and non-verbal communication, intellectual development, and forming social relationships. In some cases, they also show compulsions and aggressive or self-injurious behaviors. The signs and symptoms of autism include low birth weight, profou...

Asperger's Disorder (commonly misspelled as asberger's) is a milder variant of Autistic Disorder. Both Asperger's Disorder and Autistic Disorder are in fact subgroups of a larger diagnostic category. This larger category is called either Autistic Spectrum Disorders or Pervasive Developmental Disorders ("PDD"). Prognosis of an autistic child is rather poor: typically only one in twenty will display any improvement by adulthood. There is not a specific medical treatment for autism, however, there are quite a few alternative treatments for autism that have shown promise in behavior outcomes. Vitamin B6 has shown promise in correcting abnormal metabolite excretion from a tryptophan load test. Autism Asperger syndrome given B6 have shown significant improvement overall, with true B6 deficiency present. This alternative treatment for autism may have some minor side effects of irritability, sound sensitivity and bed wetting, however, these can be resolve...

Ever been bugged by an especially itchy wool sweater? Or been horrified at the shrill sound of fingernails being dragged down a chalkboard? Just imagine if your day was filled with such experiences, and you and your loved ones were at a loss as to how to understand or help. Most of us familiar with the basic symptoms associated with Asperger Disorder understand that people with Asperger's often seem hypersensitive. Children with Asperger's today often readily voice their discomfort with textures, noises and scents they find uncomfortable, and this discomfort has become, if not an accepted diagnostic criteria, a very familiar phenomenon for parents. In their April, 2009 article Talent in Autism, Simon Baron-Cohen et al describe sensory hypersensitivity, a form of enhanced perceptual functioning typical of many individuals with autism spectrum conditions (ASC). Indeed, the article states that "studies using questionnaires such as the sensory profile have rev...

All children whether they are autistic or not, have behaviors and habits that we parents wish they didn't have. As a parent it is our job to decide exactly which behaviors need changing. Also, with Autistic children in particular we need to find if it is the behavior or the intensity, frequency, or severity of the behavior that is causing the problem. I often explain that the behaviors my daughter presents are not that unusual, it is the intensity of them that make them unacceptable. The three that this article will focus on are: repeating a certain pattern,inappropriate and continuous verbalization in social situations, and rigidity in accepting things being done in a matter other than the norm. PATTERNS: She likes to rearrange the cushions on the couch in a particular order, once arranged, she removes them and then arranges them again, and again, for an inordinate amount of time. Her attention will then shift to another area. This arranging and rearranging activi...

My Autism Child was recently admitted to hospital and once again a long, tiresome week of training the "Autism Uneducated" occurred. Talk about frustrating! It seems to me that everybody knows the word - Autism - but they really haven't a clue about what it means to be a child/individual with it. As parents we will forever be advocating for our children with Autism but sometimes I feel like the "Autism Whisperer" or the "Autism Interpreter". Perhaps I'd be better to start the conversation with "Excuse me, I'm a visitor here. Do you speak Autism?" As I speak to nurses, doctors, specialists, ward staff and orderlies about why my Autism child can't/won't comply with a task I can almost see the words "over reacting Mother" stand out on their forehead. They nod politely but their eyes "glaze over" when I mention the "A" word.... I know they're probably wishing they were anywhere else...