Autism-Articles

I am almost positive your life at home can be extremely draining and frustrating, living with an autistic individual. How can you change and improve this? One way for you to improve your life at home is, keep your family strong. You can do this by supporting and helping each person understand the dynamics of autism within your family. Explain to your children who are younger and who do not have autism, what the disorder is, what to expect and the various complexities of autism. Allow your family members to know and understand that there may be unexpected challenges and changes within your home, but it will improve with time. Give explanations of how it will change. As parent(s), caregiver(s), you may be tempted or think you can improve your life at home by trying to be a strong person and make the changes by yourself, without any help. You may feel you need to be strong for everyone in your family and you must know what to do and have all of the answers. If you cho...

In February of 2010, the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) hosted a professional, Nina Kraus, from Northwestern University speaking about cognitive-sensory connection between speech and music. During her presentation on the subject, Kraus said the following: "Indeed, musical experience can enhance the very auditory processes that are often deficient in clinical populations including developmental dyslexia and autism." This statement backs up what many parents with autistic children have experienced firsthand when registering their children in childhood musical programs. Parents have long reported children opening up in music lessons in ways that they do not open up at home. This has led many parents to incorporate music in their homes, since it seems to be something that their autistic children really respond to in a positive, productive manner. Quite a few studies have been done on the effects of music on ...

Echolalia is a repetition of some form of dialogue that the Autistic child has heard. It can be repeated immediately or in can be repeated per verbatim at a later stage. An example of immediate echolalia would be when someone asks the child "how are you?" and the child repeats "how are you?" This can include complete dialogues that the Autistic child has heard from a conversation or a movie or radio broadcast. It may not have a meaning to them at the time but they just repeat it. Echolalia can be a little confusing when the child uses it all the time and then gets frustrated when people don't understand what they are trying to communicate. An example of this would be if you asked the child what they wanted for lunch, a hamburger or a hotdog. An Autistic child with echolalia would say hotdog as it is the last thing they would have heard even if it was the hamburger they really wanted then they may get upset when presented with the hotdog. Echo...

Autistic savant? Yes, there are many amazing heart-warming stories that baffle even the most talented people in the world. According to Dictionary.com a savant is "a person of profound or extensive learning; learned scholar". It is a remarkable thing to think that someone with the debilitating symptoms that often accompany autism may also have the amazing mental powers of being a savant. Interestingly studies have shown that about ten percent of all those with autism are savants. Researchers also think that one percent of all non-autistics have some savant abilities. One theory is that these abilities come out because of some type of head trauma. In some autistic savants the feeling is the trauma may be a caused by a seizure or a fall. Lets use the example of a twenty six year old autistic savant in the United States. This young man is unable to drive a car. He cannot tell right from left, but he is able to recollect pi to the 22,514th decimal place. ...

Autism, a neurological-based developmental disability, affects an estimated one in 166 people, according to a 2004 study by the Centers for Disease Control Prevention. Both children and adults with Autism typically show difficulties in verbal and nonverbal communication, social interactions and leisure or play activities, according to the Autism Society of America. Autism affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. Experts agree on the following advice upon detection of Autism: 1. Seek immediate treatment for your child. 2. If possible, find someone to work with the child at least 20 hours a week, i.e. a therapist, teacher, parent, grandparent or someone from your church or group. Look for progress after one month. 3. Do not allow the child to sit and watch TV all day. Get them engaged and play as many games as possible that require taking turns. 4. New parents learning they have an autistic child must recognize immediately that they cannot do it al...

Autistic children have great difficulties in changing from doing one thing to the next. To say they have issues dealing and coping with transitions is an understatement. In fact, some transitions can be downright difficult for the autistic child. So how can you ease the upset of a transition for them? Prepare them well ahead of time. If their schedule is going to be different from what it normally is, or if they have to move from doing one thing to doing another thing you need to prepare them for it, to make it as easy as possible on all parties involved. You can do this through talking to them, showing them pictures of what's going to happen next, and allowing yourself and them extra time for the change in routine. Try to maintain normalcy in as many other parts of their day as you can. Giving them a grounding point in the day where things are as they always are will help them to better cope, during times like holidays, when things are out of routine. Reward ...

For children with autism, getting a hair cut can be a difficult experience. For their parents the experience is often painful and full of stress, tears and frustration. When my son was first diagnosed with autism my wife and I struggled taking him to get hair cuts. We would often wait weeks past the time when his hair would look ragged and long, just to avoid the barber. After learning some small tips and developing a plan, we now are able to get his hair cut without issue. This process takes time and patience, but is worth the effort. As a father of a child with autism I have been there and understand how difficult it can be to take a child to get their hair cut. I have been slapped, scratched and my son has had a number of meltdowns that have left me on the verge of tears. I recall specifically one time when I walked into a Circus Cuts and was relieved to not have any people there. As the hair cut progressed my son melted down and after thrashing, scratching and...

I want to discuss the different types of probiotics and what are considered general probiotics and those that are considered treatment specific probiotics. The options on the market for probiotics are many and varied. Three major examples of all around, multi-floral probiotic products are Probiotic Support Formula from New Beginnings, Therbiotic Complete from Klaire Labs and Multi-Flora Spectrum from Kirkman labs. There are certainly other forms but these are three very good, multi-floral probiotics that have a number of good bacteria in them. And a good way to understand the benefits of these probiotics is to view them as a multi-vitamin for the overall health of your digestive tract. Probiotic Support Formula, Therbiotic Complete and Multi-Flora Spectrum are all very helpful for the overall health of the digestive system. Next we can discuss what I call the treatment specific probiotic options. Treatment specific probiotics are used to treat a specific disorder ...

What is Biomedical Autism Treatment? Biomedical autism treatment is the practice of treating the medical problems that can trigger autism and other disorders. Many children, teenagers and adults with an autism-spectrum disorder (ASD) have a true, underlying medical condition that includes genetic susceptibilities, detoxification imbalance, immune dysfunction, nutritional deficiencies, dietary sensitivities, biochemical abnormalities and more as causative factors in their ASD condition. A biomedical autism treatment approach comes from the awareness that ASD for many individuals is NOT just a psychological condition with no hope for improvement or recovery, like some say. It is, instead, a medical condition that has the potential to be reversed. Biomedical autism treatment for someone with an Autism-Spectrum Disorder works! It should be considered essential for any comprehensive program you are implementing to improve the health and quality of your child's (an...

Whereas an average toddler might play with several toys in rapid succession, an autistic child will often fixate on one toy for long periods of time or only play with one particular toy. Children with autism will often play with toys unpredictably. For example, three very common play-traits are lining up objects, fixating on a minor mechanism of a toy such as staring at a spinning wheel of a toy car and destructive play like peeling off decorative stickers. Most children with autism will not engage in play that is obviously imaginative. This can be hard to pick up on its own, because children with autism often do not have much speech and rarely seek out playmates (or you) to play with. Another autistic behavior that can look like play is waving hands and fingers in front of the eyes. Another recognizable sign of autism in young children is the way they move when playing. Some kids seem to transition from toddling to track star/gymnast. They run, jump, hang and sw...

When you are trying to figure out the autism symptoms of toddlers, it can often be confusing. How much is just normal toddler behavior, how much is a phase of some sort, and how much is cause for serious concern? One thing that you can use to look at to help you decide is the child's behavior. Routine Toddlers with autism will display many behavior related symptoms. They will have a marked need for routine, needing to do everything in the same way, every time. For example, if you always travel home from the grocery store the same way, your child might notice if you take a different route, and get very upset. Very likely, he will want to have the same things for breakfast and meals, and at the same time every day. Bed time should be kept consistent. This need for routine is a common autism symptom of toddlers and children. Lining up Toys A toddler might line up his toys repeatedly. This is a classic autistic symptoms that toddlers exhibit. He won't play wi...

Statistics in the United States show at least one child with autism in every 150 children born in the country. This is a clear indication that autism might be one of the most common disorders affecting our young ones. To get a clear and correct diagnostic on a child, it is extremely important for parents, who might be concerned with issues pertaining to this, to be able to recognize the different autism symptoms. A developmental disorder, autism results from an abnormality in one's neural development. Although there is the constant effort to determine the specific causes of this disorder, all that can be determined is the fact that it takes an interplay of various factors that is behind autism. Genetics, however, plays a very strong role in it. Recent studies show how synaptic dysfunctions can cause autism as well. Autism takes place during the developmental stage. Onset can be as early as during infancy. In fact, most cases of autism involved symptoms that w...

As the mommy to a four-year-old with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), I've discovered many wonderful mainstream toys that are both fun and therapeutic. Toys that improve language development, sensory and motor regulation, build core strength, muscle tone and coordination. Toys that spark my son's inner drive, encouraging more engagement and child-lead interaction. Here are five of my favorite toys, from $18 - $300. Most of them are eco-friendly, which I personally love. I'm not speaking as a medical expert here, just as a mom. If you're the parent, relative or friend of an autistic child, maybe this list will make your holiday shopping a little bit easier. I hope so! Wheely Bug - If you haven't seen these cute little ride-on critters, you need to check them out. I bought the cow for my boys last month and my ASD son loves it! (Also available in bee and ladybug!) It really helps him with coordination and balance, while building his core. We he fi...

There is no secret to the fact that the earlier Autism is diagnosed and a course of treatment is prescribed that this not only benefits your child, it benefits you as well. Typically, Autism treatment is not done medically in its entirety. Other variables come into play where this is concerned such as behavioral training and management, community support as well as parental training, and some specialized therapies. In so many words, Autism Treatment can be correlated with managing the disorder. Treatment strategies The following strategies for managing and treating Autism have been recommended by the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) and should help your child improve how they function overall as well as reach their potential: Behavioral management and training - positive reinforcement along with self-help and social skills training are the foundation for behavioral management and training. The primary benefit for you and your child is that it greatly enhances...

Do you have a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who is challenged socially? Do you realize that you don't have to rely on the professionals who provide services to your child to enhance their social skills. Social skill groups and classes led by experts in the field are extremely beneficial but you also have the power to take every social interaction your child experiences and turn it into a teaching/learning opportunity. As parents we interact with our children numerous times during the day. Each interaction has a specific reason attached to it, helping a child dress, tucking them into bed, or reading them a story are simple encounters that are almost done by default as if we are on automatic pilot. These can be anything from a greeting, asking them a question or giving them a direction that may be brief yet powerful. When you think of it, every contact we have with our children is a social one and as simple as it might be we can make it even more ...

Unfortunately autistic children carry out the painfully, distressing and dangerous practice of self-harming. This is often than not a regular occurrence with autistic children. There a normally only a couple of reasons for this and therefore this helps as you only need a few ways of reducing or stopping the practice. One of the reasons for the self-harming is due to the fact that autistic sufferers cannot communicate like the majority and they tend to get very frustrated. This frustration then results in a level of anger and they then start to harm themselves, sometimes just purely to get attention. The most common and quickest way of getting attention is by them banging their heads against a wall, followed closely by the second method of biting themselves. The way of curing the need to self harm has been looked at in two ways. The first and most difficult method is to ignore their actions. This means that the family or carers have to do something totally differe...

Along with motivation, curiosity is the one of the best and most direct paths to learning new things. Encouraging curiosity in children is a crucial role parents need to play in developing their child's intellect. Children will stay curious as long as they are allowed to explore, discover and ask questions. It's that easy! If your child is non-verbal and unable to ask questions remember that there are many ways to be curious. Never assume that a child cannot learn just because he can't articulate a question. Every child's level of curiosity will be unique. Young children tend to show their curiosity in various capacities. Children with good communication skills may be verbally inquisitive and their constant questioning, the "whys" and "why not's", can drive you nuts! This is when parents need to practice patience. Other children on the spectrum explore their world more quietly because their ability to communicate is challeng...

Von Economo Neurons, Autism, and Intuition. Recently discovered brain cells called Von Economo cells (VENs), named after the neurobiologist who described them, are unique in that there are only about 200,000 of them in a normal adult human. That's amazing because just about any other type of brain cell we have number in the billions. Up until just recently, we saw these cells only in the great apes and not in any other animals. They are present but rare numbering only five or six thousand in the solitary gorilla, but relatively more numerous in the hyper-social bonobo monkey. VENS can be seen in just two parts of the most recently evolved part of our brains, the neocortex. They are present in the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACC), and the frontal insula (FI). Other brain cells in the neocortex, the pyramidal cells, have a long process on the apical end but many shorter processes on the basal side (apical and basal dendrites). The VEN is unique in that it has ver...

Technology for the most part serves for the betterment of society. In the realm of education, technology has become an integral part of the system. Educators from all over the nation are using technology in their repertoire to enhance classroom learning. Among the many benefits is greater access to education for everyone, but in particular technological advancements have opened education more than ever to learners with disabilities like autism spectrum disorders. iTherapy capitalizes on the latest technologies available from Apple like the iPad, iTouch and the iPhone. iTherapy at its core means, the use of an Apple product in combination with an app (computer application) in a therapy environment as a modality to meet goals implemented by an IEP team. Software (apps) for any of the Apple products is readily available from the app store located within the iTunes website. Currently there is about two hundred thousand apps with more added on a daily basis. Some of t...