Autism-Articles

Drug treatments for people with autism can be very harsh toward, and kill off the beneficial or "probiotic" bacteria that live in their intestines. This upsets the balance in the intestines causing discomfort and frustration - usually in the form of diarrhea or constipation. Supplemental probiotics restore balance and regularity which means less discomfort and more pleasant days and nights. It's not some kind of magic; it's simple physics: 2 objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time. When supplemental probiotics are introduced into the diet of someone who is on a regimen of drugs for ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), the probiotics are given the "upper hand", allowing them to occupy more space than the harmful bacteria that cause intestinal distress. As anyone who has ever suffered from intestinal distress can tell you, it's miserable. Possibly the only thing worse than intestinal distress, is intestinal distress experienc...

I have noticed and experienced with my interaction relating to individuals with autism, that they express unusual and unique abilities that are incompatible with their disorder. What are these abilities and are they really unique? There are children and young adults that have excellent memories. For example, they remember faces, names, places, addresses and phone numbers. These are just a few examples. Another unique ability is, there are individuals with autism who can successfully memorize maps and know numerical calculations. I personally know a child who has the disorder of autism who can memorize a small telephone directory, with names in alphabetical order. This child, in addition, can read extremely difficult words, but he does not have the knowledge or the ability to know the meaning of the words he reads, or relate to them. Some children with autism that I have associated with, are able to sing on tune or have the correct pitch. Other individuals have pl...

Schedules are an important part of every child's life. This is especially true when dealing with a child of special needs like Autism. Having a schedule will help the Autistic child feel a sense of structure. Children with Autism often have anxiety issue they are dealing with. Having a schedule helps the levels of anxiety to drop. They know what to expect on a daily basis. They know at a certain time of the day what they will be doing. If there is no schedule or structure in an Autistic child's daily life things will be very hectic. They have lots of doctors and therapist appointments. Sometimes there will be more than one appointment a day. Keeping a schedule can help you and your child to make sure they do not miss any appointments. Some Autistic children have trouble with reading. You can use a visual schedule. Have pictures for all the daily activities. This allows them to see what is coming next. Having a schedule for your child will help avoid s...

Is your child with autism over responsive to sensation which shows by withdrawing from touch, or getting upset by loud noises? Or is your child under responsive to sensations which shows by hyperactivity, unawareness of touch or pain, and likes loud sounds? Your child may have sensory integration dysfunction, which could be affecting their education and life. This article will discuss what sensory integration disorder is, and also about diagnosis. Sensory integration refers to our ability to take in information through our senses (touch, movement, smell, taste, vision, and hearing), interpret that information, and respond to it. Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID) is the inability of the brain, to correctly process information brought in by the senses. People with SID may misinterpret everyday sensory information such as touch, sound and movement. Below are a few symptoms of SID: 1. Loves to spin, swing, jump-this may calm them down, 2.Complains that some cloth...

Socialization skills are a challenge for autistic children. In addition, what about recognizing new faces? Are autistic children considered to be shy if they do not recognize a face, or do they find it a struggle to know who the faces are? If this is true, why? Learning from my years of experiencing various autistic children with their levels of developmental functions, have indicated to me, autistic children seem less likely to feel comfortable around unfamiliar faces. My brother, was a perfect example of this kind of behavior, who was autistic. Individuals, whether they are adults or children who do not have autism, memorize faces and features without realizing it. An average face is what we think and feel and it tends to make a picture in our mind of what people look like. What about new faces, that are not familiar to autistic people? These faces could be a struggle for them, because they are not able to identify the variations of the unique features new faces h...

All children, but particularly those with sensory processing disorder, can benefit from movement activities in the classroom that provide input to the proprioceptive receptors in the joints and ligaments. In addition to providing exercise, these types of "heavy work" movements make it easier for the child to focus and attend. For the child with SPD, it's vital to get proprioceptive and deep pressure input throughout the course of the day as part of what's called a "sensory diet" of activities. It is not enough to get plenty of exercise and calming input before or after school, or during one session of OT. Most children with SPD need to be encouraged and guided to get the input they need throughout the course of the day. There are many ways to help kids get this input within an ordinary classroom and school building. The child who is a sensory seeker will likely eagerly participate and even find her own ways to get the input she senses...

Starting a new school year is always difficult for any child with autism or Asperger's syndrome. The change from the routine of summer to the new routine of the school year can lead to meltdowns, anxiety and other problems. Let's face it, our loved ones with autism spectrum disorders like routine... the same processes over and over again. The same faces. Getting up at the same time. Wearing the same clothes. Eating the same food...and seeing the same familiar faces. But as a new school year starts, these things change. Wow do they change! Many children, whether autistic or not, have challenges adjusting. But for a child on the spectrum the adjustment can be overwhelming. How to Ensure a Successful Start of the School Year for a Child with Autism Here are 5 tips to ensure a smooth transition and start to a new school year. 1. Communicate Ensure open lines of communication. Speak with teachers, guidance counselors and the principal. If possible, contact your ...

I am the proud mother of two young children that were diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder a few years ago. One is now in grade one and the other will register for kindergarten in the spring. As a teacher, I already had some experience with IEP (Individualized Educational Plan) meetings which helped me a great deal with my son's first IEP. I was able to also inform my husband which also did a lot of research on the matter so he was already well prepared to face our son's IEP. Over the 17 years of teaching experience that I possess, I soon discovered that most parents tend to lack both information and confidence in their role and what type of services they can obtain for their child. One of the sad things that I also have learned is that depending on the school, the services vary and if you do not ask for them, you will not necessarily have them offered to you either. Both my children are situated on opposite ends of the spectrum, my daughter being on...

Transitions are very difficult for most children on the autism spectrum to make and going back to school may be the most challenging one there is. Preparing an autistic child for change can be time consuming and emotionally draining for any family. We all hope for a stress free and easy shift into a new school routine but don't always get what we want. If despite all your preparation the new school year did not get off to a good start, don't despair because it is never too late to turn things around. All parents want things to go smoothly and when they don't it is all too easy to place blame on yourself. But wait! Before jumping to conclusions that you did something wrong or that your autistic child will never settle into a peaceful back to school routine let's approach this from a different perspective. When an airplane pilot develops problems flying an aircraft or a sea captain experiences difficulty with his ship the trouble could stem from a number of ...

With so many children being diagnosed every day with Autism Spectrum Disorder, it is easy for someone to feel hopeless, shame, guilt, anger, or resentment. The lessons from our upbringings have taught us that anything that isn't considered to be normal was wrong in some way. So, when a parent listens to a doctor deliver the diagnosis, these feelings come forward in a fevered rush, and oftentimes, a sense of abandonment jumps on for the ride. But what if there was actually more to autism than what we believe there to be? What if these children came forth to help expand consciousness to a new level? What if... As a parent to a son who was diagnosed with autism over 5 years ago, I've experienced many of these emotions and more. I found myself going inward, wallowing in my own feelings of self-pity, and not seeing him at all. Many times, I even thought that I was being punished in some way, or that my wild days had come back to haunt me through this diagnos...

With the growing awareness and recognition of the Autism epidemic in our society, more and more people now know someone affected by this developmental disorder. According to experts and recent research, Autism can be detected and diagnosed by a well-trained professional by the time a child reaches 18-months of age. It is very difficult to determine if a child younger than this age is showing signs of Autism. There are, however, normal developmental milestones that parents can monitor to ensure their infants and toddlers are developing at a normal rate. It is important to note that just because an individual child does not meet one or more of these milestones it does not mean the child has autism or any other disorder. All children will develop at different rates. If your child does not meet these milestones and you feel something may be wrong, your best bet is to consult your family physician and get your child tested further. There are three major areas where ...

Your son with Asperger's is refusing to go to school. Your sensory sensitive daughter is constantly testing your patience when it comes to mealtime. Your six year old with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is throwing tantrums like clockwork. Your four-year-old child with PDD is not responding positively to potty training. Is there anything about these scenarios that you can relate to? There are bound to be certain times for any parent when everything feels overwhelming and being the parent of a child on the Autism spectrum brings yet another set of challenges with it. On occasions such as these you may wonder how you are going to carry on and make it to the next day. If you are facing a situation that makes you feel as if you are moving through quicksand, I have three words for you - it will pass. There are times during these challenging years that may seem never ending but in retrospect, you may someday find yourself asking, "Where did all the time go?...

Most people have heard about autism and it is a recognizable childhood constraint that is not so uncommon that you are never likely to come across somebody who suffers with autism: in fact, as many as 1 in every 110 individuals is autistic, with a higher incidence of males to females. There is no need to avoid people with autism, however, as they can't pass it on to you and you can't catch it from them no matter what you do or how close you get. Autism is something sufferers are born with. It is regarded as a disorder that affects the child's development due to the activities of the brain being affected. In fact, autism fits into a group of developmental conditions that has become known, in recent years, as PDD, or pervasive developmental disorder. The best known one of these PDDs is autism which is the reason that this group of developmental disorders is often referred to as ASD, or autism spectrum disorder. This often causes problems with communica...

Autism is a developmental disability that affects both children and adults. The symptoms of autism are usually diagnosed within the first three years of the child's life. These symptoms may be more pronounced in some than others and will often affect both the social and communication abilities of the individual. When diagnosed with autism, the individual can benefit from many of the different treatment programs and educational programs available. Biomedical While there is no special drug to cure the symptoms, professionals, as well as parents, have found that some drugs that are often used for other disorders will help to alleviate some of the behavioral symptoms of autism. For example, Serotonin re-uptake inhibitors have been used to help treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anxiety. Through research it is found that there are elevated levels of serotonin in as many as one-third of those diagnosed with autism. Drugs such as Anafranil, L...

Therapists that work with autistic children recommend different types of therapy that involve exposing children to different textures and levels of pressure on the body. Sensory integration therapy helps autistic children learn how to manage sensory input, and deep pressure therapy provides stimulation to the nervous system that helps them calm themselves and focus. Many occupational therapists recommend beanbag furniture as a part of sensory integration and deep pressure therapy with children. There are many benefits to beanbag furniture for sensory integration therapy. The unique soft, squishy texture of beanbag chairs, pillows and loungers allows children with autism to learn about texture. Children can toss small bean bags, carry medium sized bags around, hug them, or simply flop onto a large beanbag chair to feel the texture all over their body. The experience of the softness of beanbag chairs can also be very calming and relaxing. Beanbag furniture is the...

(For easier reading and flow, I have used he/him/his throughout this article. Obviously these words are interchangeable with she/her) "That alternative treatment is unproven by medical science. Don't waste your money. Wait until the research has been done and published in peer-reviewed medical journals." That's easy for you say...you don't have to live with a child with autism day after day, and see him wasting away in the face of his hidden potential. A child who held the promise of being a normal, intelligent child, who is now trapped under the mask of autism. I am talking about the child with autism who can't communicate. He bites his fingers, bangs his head against the wall, huddles in the corner of his bedroom covering his head with a blanket and moans, as he tries to shut out frustrating environmental sounds, sights and smells that he can't make sense of, or internal sensations and pain that he can't communicate. If you try...

Today, there are a very large number of food supplements on the market. These products can help us to be healthier by giving our bodies the added nutrients they need. It is especially important for people with autism to have a proper diet, because they are more likely to have problems with nutrition than most of us. It can be very helpful for them to take supplements to help balance their nutritional state. Two proteins that have been found to potentially worsen the symptoms of autism are gluten and casein. In many autistic children gluten and casein, seem to cause the production of natural opiates in the brain. This can make foods that contain these proteins practically addictive! For this reason, the first step toward treating autism with food supplementation is to adopt a diet free of gluten and casein. Of course, having a healthy balanced diet is very important. Because autistic children are usually very affected by routines, a healthy diet should be institut...

It seems like common sense that a well nourished child is a happier child. Many parents have noticed moody or cranky behavior in their young children before meal time or after school when they arrive home hungry. For an Autistic child, however, who may not be able to accurately communicate his or her needs, this hunger may go unnoticed. Or they may not want to eat and may have many food aversions. For these reasons, integrating nutrition therapy into treatment for children with autism is critical. In many cases, nutrition is not an integral part of overall therapy at diagnosis. Yet many parents who eventually seek out this information on their own, are getting nutrition information from questionable sources. Some parents may not take nutrition therapy into consideration at all. Autism is complex and involves a spectrum of challenging behaviors, so it is natural for both parents and caregivers to initially focus directly on controlling those behaviors. In many cas...

Horse therapy as a therapy model for autistic children is now a topic of debate. For clinically disposed experts, horse therapy does nothing more than introduce an additional stimulus into the mix. There are others who believe that with proper training, horse therapy holds great potential in treating autism. Parents of autistic children have had many therapies and medications tossed their way, with hopes of reaching their children on a whole new level. Many parents are now looking after the potential of alternative methods for their children's condition despite all the promises of many therapies and medications. Even though the autistic aware community has become increasingly focused on horse therapy, this is still considered a new but promising therapy model for children with all type of disabilities especially autism. Horses are of course majestic animals that carry with them a fabulous tale of potential, wonder, and amazing feats. Horse therapy as a therapy...