Autism-Articles

You may find yourself wondering about services for people with Asperger's syndrome, especially if you have an adult child who exhibits Asperger's symptoms and who needs some extra help. What services are available to help the post 21 crowd who have aged out of all the services available for children with Asperger's syndrome? How are they going to live independently? Will they be able to get a job? Will they be able to make enough money to live on? Here are some things you might want to look into. Asperger's Syndrome Adult Needs First, though, a brief overview on what the most common needs of adults with Asperger's syndrome are. Social - most adults with adults with Asperger's are very isolated due to the problems they have forming peer relationships. Worries and problems seem so much more overwhelming without support from another person. Financial - many people with Asperger's cannot work or can't earn enough to meet their financial needs...

There are many possible avenues to choose from when one is considering a treatment for a child with Asperger's syndrome (sometimes referred to as Asperger's disorder or pervasive development disorder). Some treatments are valid, some are not; some are based on medication or nutrition, and others on behavior modification. It is up to each parent and their child's doctor to choose the best treatment, or combination of treatments, for their child with Asperger's syndrome. One form of treatment that has been getting a lot of attention lately is called floortime. What is floortime? Floortime is a model of treatment that was developed by Stanley Greenspan. The central idea in this theory is that you should connect with a person with Asperger's or autism at the level they are at -- by using any of their interests or abilities that they may have to build a bridge and create a relationship. Greenspan believes that a lot of the deficits in autism relate from ...

What do you think makes a powerful teacher for autistic children? If you are a teacher for individuals who are autistic, what makes you a powerful one, if you believe you are in that category? I have had the experience and knowledge to know that teachers who are powerful, are people who require certain capabilities to enhance their teaching for children with autism. For example: * Do you believe in your student(s) that they will be successful? * Do you believe your students will and can achieve goals, that you have given them? * Do you give your child or students praise, compliments, encouragement for what they have accomplished? This is powerful. * Do you motivate your child or student(s)? * Do you try to find the interest of your child or student(s) that will motivate him or her? This is another way of being a powerful teacher. * Do you make learning fun? Are you creative? Do you find ways that the interest is not lost for the individual? * Do you encourage positive ...

One of the biggest worries that parents have is the health of their children. When you're a first time expectant mother as myself, you tend to worry much more than mothers who are not expecting their first child. In fact, my brother gave me an example about a mother of three boys. He said, "For the first child, everything was sterilized and sanitized before it went anywhere near the baby. For the second child, if a pacifier fell on the floor, it would be run through water before giving it back to the child. The third child who dropped his pacifier just went with the 5 second rule." Since the beginning of my pregnancy, one of the biggest fears I've had is my baby's brain development. I've tried to make sure my prenatal vitamins have all organic ingredients and that most medications prescribed to me due to any pain or discomfort, were not taken. I wanted to limit my baby's chances of having a brain defect, or in many cases now, autism. Autism...

People are ignorant of things they don't know about or don't understand. Any parent of an autistic child has met with the looks of society, just because our children act differently, or behave in a manner they don't understand. Raising your sweet little one in a society that doesn't understand them can be both upsetting and frustrating, but you can't let it get to you. Here are some tips to survive raising an autistic child in an ignorant society: Understand that no matter what you do, there will be those moments when people stare or comment. No matter what you do or try to do, you are going to get this. It's just a part of living with an autistic child. Know that it doesn't matter what they think. Your child is your child, and no matter how different they are, they are still your wonderful little one. Don't let society impact your relationship with your child. There is no shortage of ignorant people. Don't feel you have to confine y...

Almost every parent of an autistic child has reached the realization that meltdowns are a part of our daily lives. Our children cannot cope with the world around them, and therefore their only way to communicate their dislike of things going on around them or happening to them is to have a meltdown. These meltdowns can take a long period of time to move past, and can also be a bit embarrassing. No one likes the looks and comments you get when your child has a meltdown in public. Most just assume your child is bad or your parenting is. They don't understand that your child is simply trying to communicate. No to worry though, there are ways that you can do to minimize meltdowns. The first step is to understand the root cause of the meltdown. Think of all the things going on in a grocery store that can bombard their senses and throw them into overload. Bright lights, lots of people, lots of noise and just a general overloading of senses. All of this can be too much fo...

Raising an autistic child can be difficult. Some days can take all your energy to keep up with them. Other days are so much easier. There are many different things you can do to make every day easier. Here are a few ideas: Consistency. Every child needs consistency to grow and learn, but even more so with an autistic child. Keep a daily routine and do your best to stick to it. Also stay consistent with your verbal instructions. Though your child may not hear or react like they had been previously told the same thing, saying it in the same way each and every day can help trigger some recognition of what they need to do. Positivity is key. For every reprimand or negative comment there should be 6-7 positive ones. Even commenting on the good job they did eating their dinner, or how well they got dressed can go a long way. Lots of positive reinforcement will encourage them to continue to do what is asked and needed of them. Reduce the chaos in their environment. If you wan...

Ask any parent how they slept last night and you're sure to get some who grumble about the kids waking up, or not sleeping, or getting up too early. Ask the parent of an autistic child, and the answer is almost certain that they didn't have a good night sleep. Night terrors, waking to early, being too wound up, and the list goes on. Autistic children, for whatever reason, seem to have great difficulties falling asleep and staying asleep. There are some ways you can help get yourself and your child a good nights rest. Avoid stimulating food and drinks 2 hours before bedtime. Sugar can over excite autistic children way more than other children. Avoiding these things can help them get a good night sleep. Help your child relax before bed. A nice warm bath, or some quiet activities can help. Avoid things like the television and other things that can stimulate them before bed. To help them maintain their sleep, ensure there is a heavy, room darkening curtain on the w...

It's a fact that parents really can tell when something is off with a child, even though autism symptoms can be quite different in children. Also, to complicate matters, autism symptoms are the same as with other disorders; so it really is necessary to have a specialist examine your child. Today we'll talk about the more often-seen symptoms of autism, but do keep in mind that the symptoms vary and their expression can be different from child to child. Our first discussion concerns (autistic) children who exhibit tantrum like behavior even when nothing is apparently wrong. Yet, tread carefully here because non-autistic children can sometimes do this, too. If you're in doubt, based on that behavior and possibly others, then do have a chat with your doctor and seek professional guidance. Behavior is part of the mystery of autism because when the child all of a sudden is extremely angry, upset, or hysterical the parent is baffled as to why. The thing to keep in...

Essential Daily Vitamins and Minerals for Autistic Children. I am writing this article for parents of autistic children who are struggling day to day seeking to find ways to help their children. As a proud parent of an autistic child, I have spent thousands of dollars in supplements, various natural and conventional doctors and testing. As an avid researcher, I have placed forth in this article the foundation of my research to safely and naturally help you to help your children. I accredit a great deal of my research breakthroughs to Pfeifer Treatment Center, Dr. Garry F. Gordon, Dr. Jeff Bradstreet, Dr. William Shaw, and Dr. Bernard Rimland. When starting on a natural path to help your children. Dr. Jethro Kloss one of the best documenters of alternative medicine explained it best. It takes 6 months of cure for each year of affliction when using alternative medicine. Homeopathy and Vitamin therapy may present some immediate improvements that you notice within the firs...

According to Victor Hugo "Music expresses that which can not be said and on which it is impossible to be silent." While music is an expression of emotional and artistic value, it also helps form the building blocks of our ability to communicate. Singing to young children seems to come naturally to parents but even our one-sided conversations with young children take on unique tonal variations, i.e. 'baby talk'. For many on the autism spectrum and other non-verbal learners, developing an understanding of musical theory may also help foster core communication skills. The A, B, C's Western musical theory makes use of the A, B, C pattern to label the tonalities that make up an octave. The act of working with these symbols, pairing them with other indicators, i.e. musical notes and arranging them in stylized patterns mirrors typical skills associated with early grammar. Spelling Words Musical notation is conveniently divided into measures or bars. Whil...

Caring for a special needs child or adult is a challenging task and finding special needs resources can be even harder. Although there is a vast array of special needs resources available, locating compassionate and skilled providers to match with your child or loved one takes time and due diligence, which many parents or caretakers don't have. Managing one's own life consumes a good portion of the day, so that's why knowing where to find professionals with the experience and background to assist with the development of special needs people is vital. Sure, there are local government agencies that can help but at times getting to the right persons is difficult and the process of getting public assistance can take weeks. However, the Internet is a wonderful medium to quickly find service providers and special needs resources offered by private organizations and nonprofits that want to help those in need. Typically, these entities have at the helm or in their e...

The incidence of Asperger's Syndrome is on the rise. Asperger's is one of the Autistic Spectrum Disorders, or ASD's. Whenever we see a spike in the incidence of a disorder, I always ask the questions "is this disorder/syndrome occurring more frequently? Or, are we simply diagnosing it more often? Is it the new 'fashionable' diagnosis?" These are important professional questions. Labels and diagnoses can shape a future for the better or worse. We shouldn't diagnose lightly. Many implications follow a diagnosis. I am seeing with more frequency, elements of Asperger's Syndrome in children but an absence of some key identifying symptoms. The diagnostic criteria listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV (DSM-IV, the manual authorized by the American Psychiatric Association) is far too lengthy to re-print here in an article. Some highlights are as follows: 1. Qualitative impairment in social interaction. 2. Restricted repetitive ...

Autism is a disorder and not a disease as is usually presumed. It affects the development of the neurons and is usually characterized by impaired interaction, communication and in other cases, there occurs a repetitive behavior. The characteristics are easy to identify and can precisely be pointed out in a three year old child. This is a worrying statistic that greatly emphasizes the need to have autism awareness raised so that parents are able to take the necessary steps should their child display such traits. This disorder affects how information is processed in the brain. The disorder changes the usual way of communication between nerve sells. A known fact about this disorder is that it can be obtained genetically. Parents with a child suffering from autism can easily find out from which side of their families the disorder came from. However, a genetic background is not the sole source of the autism disorder. It has been known to be caused by agents that cause birth...

If you look at what many parents who have never tried ABA therapy have to say about it, you will find that the biggest misconception is that the therapy offers nothing more than rote memorization. To an outsider, it can be a very easy mistake to make, but the simple fact is that Applied Behavior Analysis is much more than this. In fact, it is the only treatment for autism accepted by most school systems and insurance companies alike and the reason for this is that there are countless studies and patients who can prove that it works. ABA therapy starts off with memorization as a main goal. Discrete trial teaching is all about repetition and helping a child memorize the basic steps that will help him or her to complete a basic action, such as learning to get dressed, brush their teeth, or even ride the school bus. These lessons depend very much on memorization in order to be effective, and even use prompting to help a child memorize the action or behavior. However, ...

Today it has been breaking news that the one study linking autism to childhood vaccinations was falsified. Yes, that is correct it was fraud. The study conducted in 1998 by British doctor Andrew Wakefield has been retracted from the Lancet. Apparently the doctor falsified information about the children in the study. Including the fact that 5 of the children had previously documented developmental problems prior to receiving vaccines. When this sole study was published, it caused the masses of people to stop vaccinating their children and many people were sure that it was the mercury in the vaccines causing autism. The scare caused the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to recommend removing the mercury based preservative from vaccines. Since the removal of the preservative in virtually all vaccines in 2001, rates of autism still continue to rise at alarming rates. Now that it has been brought to light that this study is false, it is time to start focusing on oth...

Autism is a neurological scourge that affects as many as 1 out of 120 individuals. The causes of autism are poorly understood. A very large study of pregnant women was able to determine that if the interval between pregnancies is less than 2 years, the risk for autism rises 3 fold! If the interval between pregnancies is 3 years or more, the incidence of autism drops to a base level that doesn't seem to vary much with regard to the incidence of autism and the interval between pregnancies. The study looked at over 400,000 pregnancies. The study was unable to determine the reason(s) for the difference in the rates of autism when compared to the interval between pregnancies. The researchers suggested that it was likely that deficiencies in the mother's chemical make-up following the first pregnancy were not corrected by the time the mother became pregnant again. Genetic and other factors were not addressed. Does this information position humankind for a paradigm sh...

Autism / PDD-NOS What is Autism? In one of the uncanny synchronicities of science, autism was first recognized on two continents nearly simultaneously. Leo Kanner discovered it in 1940. "A developmental disorder of language and social development in which a child is socially withdraw, tends to avoid direct eye contact, shun physical contacts, fail to recognize facial and visual cues, and has impaired social interactions with family and peers." In 1943, Kanner published a monograph outlining a curious set of behaviors he noticed in 11 children at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. A year later, a pediatrician in Vienna named Hans Asperger, who had never seen Kanner's work, published a paper describing four children who shared many of the same traits. Both Kanner and Asperger gave the condition the same name: autism - from the Greek word for self, autds - because the children in their care seemed to withdraw into iron-walled universes of their own. Autisti...

Children with Asperger's syndrome are very sensitive to the physical world around them. The usual day-to-day sights and sounds that a normal person deals with are sometimes too much for a kid with aspergers to handle. Sensitivity of the five senses is not considered by doctors to be an "official symptom" that children with aspergers have. Children with aspergers have complained that they can hear noises that others might not, like the buzzing of fluorescent lights. Their minds are not quite able of filtering out what will usually be considered a background noise, making it hard for them to concentrate or keep up with a discussion. Loud noises seem to cause physical pain and because of this, many children with aspergers can't enjoy a place like a public pool, movie theater or video arcade. Several of these kids have extremely sensitive taste and smell receptors and they find themselves falling back on them. Their sense of smell tends to be sharp and the...

It's a well-known fact that children with Asperger's syndrome have the occasional meltdown. It is usually triggered by things which may perplex the normal mind but makes perfect sense to the child with aspergers. Meltdowns aren't planned, but when they happen everybody that is involved with calming down the kid feels the pain of the meltdown in their own way. When a meltdown starts the first thing you must do is make sure that everybody around the kid with aspergers and the kid remains safe until the end. Professionals that have studied the meltdowns of children with aspergers have defined 4 distinct stages that happen that are usually followed by a recovery period. Stage one is the 'starting out' stage, where you as a parent would start to hear whispers of a meltdown coming on. Stage two is the 'picking up steam' stage, where it begins to become evident which a meltdown is about to occur. Stage 3 is the 'point of no return' stage, wh...

Autism Spectrum Disorders include a number of chronic, no progressive disabilities characterized by lack of social interaction, communication, and behavior. Autism, pervasive developmental disorder NOS, Asperger disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, and Rett disorder are all encompassed into the Autism Spectrum of Disorders. Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorders Limited eye contact and facial expression Difficulty developing peer relationships Indifference to social overtures Lack of social reciprocity Inflexibility No engagement in pretend play Impaired reciprocal communication Language development delayed Persistent question asking and repeating Restrictive, stereotyped patterns of behavior Repetitive, self-stimulatory behaviors (rocking, spinning) Preoccupation or fascination with a single object or subject Autism Autism is more common in males and is usually diagnosed between 8 months and 3 years of age. Lack of attachment to mother during infancy is often ...

Autism doesn't affect just the person with autism. No, autism affects the entire family. It affects the parents, the siblings and even the extended family. It affects the lives of all involved with the individual. And sometimes that can be down right difficult. Some days are easier than others. After all, there are some days that they behave relatively well, you don't have any yelling, screaming or tantrums in public, and your child may resemble a child without autism. Then there are those other days. The days where you have to cope with the stares and rude, unwelcome comments of others. The days where you wish you could crawl inside your own skin and never come out. Like any parent we love our child, it's just sometimes it is so incredibly difficult that you wish the day would end. So how do you cope? How to you get through the rougher days, to reach their better days? First you need to understand, like anyone, your child has triggers. Things that get unde...