Symptoms to Consider When Assessing Autism Spectrum Disorders

Posted on May 6, 2012 by autism

Josh is a seven-year old with Asperger’s Syndrome. He comes into my office and we have one way conversations. Usually, he is talking about combat games his brother plays or he is talking about Egypt. These are two topics he is highly interested in. He sets up my soldiers and tanks and blows everyone to pieces. He has me play “with” him. Instead he is playing as if you are him. He tells you what to do and if you don’t do it his way, he corrects you and does it his way. He would rather have you sit there with your guys and he plays both parts. He is a very sensitive child. His brother is not potty-trained and his mom says we have no problems with that and he crawled under the chair whining and crawled into the lower shelf of my book-case. I told him that he probably feels embarrassed and he just grunted. I told him that I had not seen him do this in a while. He must really be embarrassed. Again he moaned and groaned. I did not know if we would have the rest of the session like this. After 10 minutes he came out and wanted to play a game with both of us according to his rules. When it was time to go, he was able to clean up.

Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome are difficult disorders to figure out and treat. Children with these disorders typically have problems with this scenario. It is not meant as a tool for determining whether your child has Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome or not. It is an observation. You take a normal three-year old child and show her a box of crayons and then you show her inside that there are candles. You close the box back up. Then you pull out a stuffed animal character and ask her what do you think, say Snoopy, thinks is in the crayon box. The child replies candles. By the time the child is four they are able to say Snoopy thinks there are crayons in the box. A normal five-year old looks at you as if you are crazy and says that off course he thinks there are crayons in the box. When you do this with a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder they will always say that the other “person” thinks there are candles in the box. They cannot differentiate what they see and look at another’s perspective. Again, this is an observation, not a test to determine whether the child falls on the Autism Spectrum.

There are certain things to consider when looking at Autism Spectrum Disorders. Diane Yapko, a Speech and Language Pathologist for thirty years and who has specialized in children on the Autism Spectrum noticed these behaviors across the board. She spoke of these at a conference given by the Psychotherapy Networker Symposium in Washington, D.C.

· These children have difficulty taking the other person’s perspectives into account resulting in egocentric thinking and behavior, and idiosyncratic references.

· These children have difficulty responding to a listener’s feedback leading to endless monologues on obsessional interests.

· They have difficulty understanding opinions or fact from fiction leading to rigidity and gullibility.

· These children have difficult predicting other’s behaviors leading to fear and avoidance.

· These children have difficulty reading other’s intentions and motives including humor and sarcasm, leading to being used/manipulated by others.

· These children have difficulty understanding/interpreting emotions leading to problems with empathy and inter personal skills.

· These children have difficulty understanding/appreciating that one’s behavior affects how others think/feel leading to inappropriate behaviors.

These are just things to consider. There are certain interventions that can be used in therapy and at home to help ameliorate these behaviors. It takes a lot of training and thinking outside of the box as each child is so different. These children are special gifts and if we can get through to them just a little, we have made a great improvement. You have to be willing to put in the work required. A lot of it is repetition, doing it over and over, to make a lasting impression.

Carolyn L. Nelson is a licensed clinical social worker who has been in the field over 20 years. She writes for her Blog at http://blog.therapistscornerblog.com/. For further information on interventions with Autism Spectrum Disorders, look at my latest post.

She also can be reached at her website at http://www.therapistscornerblog.com/

View the original article here

Posted in Autism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Many Signs of Autism

Posted on May 6, 2012 by autism

If you are the parent of a newborn or young child and are worried about them being autistic, you will be interested in knowing that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have concluded that as many as one child in every 100 may be suffering with Autism. It is recommended that you begin observing your child as early as possible. Research has proven that the earlier a child is professionally diagnosed with the disorder, the easier it will be to treat the disorder and have the prognosis for a good outcome.

So what are the signs of Autism that you should be looking for? According to the NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health), the following are the warning signs of the disorder that you should be looking for in order to determine the possibility of your child being affected:

- They are not babbling, making meaningful gestures, or pointing by the time they are a year old
- They do not interact joyfully with others or smile
- They do not respond to their name when called
- They do not seem to know or understand how to play with their toys
- They exhibit poor eye contact
- They get attached to one specific object or toy
- They haven’t combined two words by the time they are 2 years old
- They haven’t spoken one word by the time they have reached 16 months of age
- They line up objects or their toys
- They lose acquired language or social skills
- They oftentimes appear to be hearing impaired or ignoring you

Granted, there could be a number of other explanations besides Autism for any of the above behaviors. For instance, the fact that a child spends time lining up objects or toys or shows a significant attachment to a particular object or toy is not a definitive sign of the disorder being present. Conversely, a child with excellent language skills could still be diagnosed with Autism. In fact, it is known that children have extraordinary language and reading skills despite the fact that they have been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome.

Currently, there are other possible indicators of the disorder which is typically diagnosed by a process of interviewing the parents about the child and observing the child at the same time. However, a number of researchers have found several correlations between Autism and certain physical issues. In some instances, signs of Autism could be apparent could be present at birth.

The most important thing to remember is that observation of one’s child is critical. If you are suspicious of your child being affected with the disorder and you are seeing what you feel are signs of Autism, consult your child’s pediatrician or family physician immediately. Remember that the best course of action is to have the child diagnosed as early in life as possible. The sooner the child is diagnosed, the sooner they can start treatment and possibly witness a better outcome.

For the latest videos and training information on child development as well as books and curricula on Autism please visit childdevelopmentmedia.com.

View the original article here

Posted in Autism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Power of Positive Self-Talk for Kids With Autism

Posted on May 6, 2012 by autism

What type of messages do you think are going on inside your child’s mind? Children with special needs such as Autism will intuitively grasp that they are different and pick up on the less than positive judgments from others – however subtle they may be.

Do you pay attention to that voice inside your head? I am not talking about auditory hallucinations here. I am referring to the things we say to ourselves everyday. That continuous chatter of our inner dialogues that typically never stops unless we actively meditate.

Experts tell us that we are constantly talking to ourselves, using between 150 and 300 words a minute to be exact. We plan what needs to be done next or we review things that just happened. Most of this self-talk is harmless yet some of it is detrimental to our self-worth. “That was so stupid of me.” or “I will never be popular… thin, smart, pretty, etc.” You know what I am talking about. We battle with this every day.

Having some negative self-talk from time to time is to be expected but it is important to be mindful about how often we do this so that it doesn’t become our default mode. Unfortunately, these malicious little voices can be even more powerful than positive affirmations because we often find them easier to accept.

Each pessimistic thought or word is a negative affirmation and has the capacity to do a lot of damage if allowed to continue. Self-fulfilling prophecies are built from the thoughts that run inside our heads so repeating positive messages makes better sense if we want to create optimistic possibilities.

We will begin to accept whatever our conscious mind comes to believe, it’s that simple. But turning off the negative isn’t really that simple to do and if it isn’t easy for us as adults think of how difficult it is for our children.

Solution: Teach kids positive affirmations at an early age.

Regardless of your child’s challenges and abilities – ALL children will benefit from learning to listen to the positive voices inside their heads and if they don’t have many, we need to help them develop some. The more we help our children focus on positive self-talk the more it will minimize the self-blame and doubt that sprouts from paying too much attention to the negative.

As adults we can prevent them from creating a broken record of negative self-talk that gets in the way of progress. We can give our children a jumpstart by teaching them positive affirmations while they are young, setting the stage for good habits to take hold.

For those of you who saw the movie, The Help, there is a powerful example of helping a child develop positive affirmations when Aibileen, a third generation housemaid, who has helped raise seventeen children, teaches Mae, the little girl currently in her care, to repeat the words, “I am smart, I am kind, I am important.”

When we encourage our kids to speak and believe such statements instead of “I can’t… ” or “I should…” etc we are giving them the best gift there is to help them reach their full potential and experience success in life.

In order to get these statements to soak deep into their subconscious mind we can also write these affirmations down and post them in places that our child is apt to run into on a daily basis. The bathroom mirror, their bedside table, the refrigerator, the TV or computer screen and their lunchbox are all good examples of where to place affirmations.

Depending on where your child is on the Autism spectrum, he or she may be more visual and think in pictures. Therefore, find visual pictures that represent the affirmation you want them to absorb and cut them out. Have them look for pictures of what is important to them or what they are good at (or want to be good at).

You can then use these photographs and pictures to make a vision board with your child. This is a great tool to create a positive atmosphere in a child’s bedroom, a place where they can refer to it often. Doing this activity together will not only enhance your connection to your child but it will also give you insight into their likes and dislikes, their passions and interests.

They sooner we can help our children to acquire a habit of dismissing the negative dialogue inside their heads and replacing it with positive and affirming self-talk, the sooner our children will be on the road to maximizing their potential. It is a well-known fact that maintaining good thoughts about one’s self creates a mindset conducive to growth and an attitude and spirit that is ripe for blossoming. What better gift can you give a child with Autism?

Connie Hammer, MSW, parent educator, consultant and coach, guides parents of young children recently diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder to uncover abilities and change possibilities. Visit her website http://www.parentcoachingforautism.com/ to get your FREE resources – a parenting e-course, Parenting a Child with Autism – 3 Secrets to Thrive and a weekly parenting tip newsletter, The Spectrum.

View the original article here

Posted in Autism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Basics of Asperger’s Syndrome

Posted on May 6, 2012 by autism

John is an eight year old male who enters my office and is engrossed in Angry Birds on his Kindle Fire. His mom asks him for the device and he mumbles and it is obvious he is not ready to give it up. The mother proceeds to take it from him and he screams at the top of his lungs. He runs to one of my chairs and climbs in with his backside to me. He says he is not going to talk that he wants to play Angry Birds. I tell him in here, this is his special time and that he can say and do almost anything he likes.

You see, I am a child therapist and I work with children with many kinds of problems. As we proceed with the session, he climbs under the chair, kicking his shoes off in the process and climbs on to the bottom shelf of my book shelf and bangs his head. You may be wondering at this point, what is wrong with John. Is he just being oppositional? Actually, John has what is commonly termed Asperger’s Syndrome. There are several symptoms of Asperger’s Syndrome. They may include all or some of these characteristics:

· Problems reading social cues

· Dislikes changes in routines

· May appear to lack empathy

· May be unable to recognize subtle differences in speech tones

· May avoid eye contact with others

· May have unusual facial expressions

· May be preoccupied with one or more things

· May have one-sided conversations

· Delayed motor development

· Have high sensitivity to noise

This list is not all-inclusive. These are typical behaviors seen in children. John does not like a change in routine, so when he came into counseling, this was totally new and different. His way of coping was to try to make me go away with his behaviors. John sees me the same time each week now. He comes in and asks how long he has until he can leave. He pulls out a game and we play. When you ask him questions his answers reflect his stuffed animal or something else he finds comforting. You cannot have a long drawn out conversation with what he did with his friends. He has no friends according to him because he is so different. I read him a story of a cat that is different then all his friends and ask him if he feels like that. He cannot answer. He has no vocabulary for feelings and has difficulty relating to other things or other people.

Asperger’s Syndrome is considered to be an autism spectrum disorder. There are questions as to whether it really exists and whether it is a form of high functioning autism. Asperger’s Syndrome was named after a pediatrician Hans Asperger, MD who noted strange behaviors in some of his patients. Specifically they had poor non-verbal skills, demonstrated limited empathy towards others, and where physically clumsy. There is no exact cause of the syndrome and there is no single treatment. Typically, cognitive behavioral therapy interventions are used to teach appropriate social skills. Despite this, social and communication skill deficits may be present. There is no cure.

John likes to talk about Egypt. So we talk about Egypt. He tells me of this cartoon movie that takes place in Egypt and he takes everything it says about Egypt literally. I read him a book about what makes him worry. He says losing his stuffed animal. He has a specific name for it and losing his cats. I ask him if he gets worried can he count to five and take a deep breath and we practice belly breathing. Does it carry over to other things in his daily life, I don’t know. I just know he had a bad day at school, refused to do his work because it involved writing and he can’t write. He then proceeded to climb underneath the desk and tear up his work book.

My place of employment is near the fire department and when the alarm goes off, John jumps up and says what’s that and wants me to make it stop. I tell him that they are testing the fire sirens. He quiets down, as they are now over. He will ask me how much time we have left and when I tell him it is time to clean up and he says “good” and runs out of my office, into the waiting room, and tells his mom it is time to go.

Every week we run through a roller coaster of emotions with Asperger’s kids. We go slowly one step at a time and savor the awesomeness that the experience can bring.

Carolyn L. Nelson is a licensed clinical social worker who has been in the field over 20 years. She writes for her Blog at http://blog.therapistscornerblog.com/

She also can be reached at her website at http://www.therapistscornerblog.com/

View the original article here

Posted in Autism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Advantages Of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy In Treating Autism

Posted on May 5, 2012 by autism

The Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy was used for centuries. But its popularity gained momentum from the twentieth century. This method was used effectively to decompress the divers of their sickness. More recently, this was thought to be a viable treatment for poisoning by carbon monoxide and other ailments. In the 1990s scientists and other medical researchers began to realize that there was more to this treatment than previously thought. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy was found to decrease the neurological inflammation and facilitate faster metabolism with the increased blood flow.

This therapy is not limited to the divers and the poisoned. Increased oxygen in the blood has been found to maximize the production of the white blood cells which staves away other diseases. This means improved immunity with a healthier life than that of the average Joe. This therapy’s augments the healing process of the individual. Serious accidents with severe hemorrhages can lead to disabled life. This therapy has the inherent quality to improve the value of life. What prevented the individual to continue with their professions, this treatment can now endow them with improved abilities which would confer them to continue their way of lifestyle.

Today the hyperbaric chambers have their own set of purposes. They have their own usage in the cosmetics industry as well as for other preventative measures. One of the most researched, this therapy has been found to benefit the individuals with autism spectrum disorder. The positive impact of the oxygen in the deprived areas has shown to have significant improvements in speech of the individual, socialization, eye contact and ameliorate the sleep and behavior of the affected person.

There are different procedures to go about this treatment. The most common of them is visiting the clinic where one can undergo the therapy. The chambers used by the clinics are known as the hard shell hyperbaric chambers. The atmospheric levels can be varied as per the requirements. The scale can be adjusted from one atmosphere to two+ atmospheres.

The other option available to the patients is the inflatable chambers. Portable, they can be set up in the homes or even be rented. The chambers can mostly reach up to 1.2 atmospheres or 1.5 atmospheres. This is considered a preferable option for children of the autism spectrum. The treatment can be availed from the comforts of the home and greatly benefit those who need regular therapies.

The oxygen spectrum also varies in these two types of hyperbaric chambers. The clinics would have 100 percent of pure grade oxygen while the ones at home usually have 50 to 75 percent. In the home, for the portable chambers, the air is cleansed and converted to pure oxygen by the filter. The home hyperbaric chambers still continues to be the favorable choice for the autistic children.

Autism is one of those diseases that do not have any treatments available which would eradicate the problem from its roots. However, the hyperbaric oxygen therapy at least shows some positive hope for the individuals with autism. Research has shown some improvements in the brain activity after children undergoes some hours of exposure. The benefits of this therapy surmount its detrimental side effects of dizziness and ear blockages. The therapy should be only taken with proper consultation.

Mark Zubaric, a reputed writer, evaluated the great potentialities of the hyperbaric oxygen therapy especially for the individuals in the autistic spectrum disorder. She acknowledges the availability of the clinical hyperbaric chambers and the inflatable Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber for those who wish to avail the therapy.

View the original article here

Posted in Autism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Asperger’s Checklist

Posted on May 5, 2012 by autism

Named after Hans Asperger, Asperger’s Syndrome, also known as AS, is a lifelong disability that is manifested by different symptoms associated with autism but still exhibits normal intelligence and language development. There may be a lot of similarities between a person with autism and one with AS, however they are completely different.

What is AS?

Asperger’s Syndrome is a lifelong disability that belongs in the autism spectrum. The autism spectrum is a classification of autism-like symptoms that vary from a combination of symptoms and severity. One person with AS, may exhibit intense aloofness while another may not.

AS was discovered by Hans Asperger while noticing that most of his patients exhibit symptoms of autism. Individuals with AS still have the normal capacity or intelligence of an average person, and language development. It is estimated that approximately 2 out of 10,000 children have AS and it is more prevalent in males.

A checklist of Symptoms

Since Aspergers Syndrome is considered to be a spectrum disorder, it may be hard to classify them based on the symptoms. However, there are three areas where individuals with AS have a main problem with. These areas are social communication, social interaction and social imagination.

In social communication, though individuals with Aspergers have no deficiency in language development, they have a hard time in communicating their thoughts and feelings. They also have a difficulty in understanding other people’s thoughts, expressions, gestures, tone of voice and sometimes people’s rationale. They are able to learn and use complex words and they may use it in a sentence but, they will fail to understand the meaning of the word or sentence they just said. People with Aspergers will also fail to recognize jokes, sarcasms and idioms, for they will take it literally which will eventually confuse them.

Many individuals with Aspergers try to be sociable, but most often they fail to establish and maintain relationships. They would struggle to interact and make friends. If they succeed in making friends they would fail to maintain them. They have little understanding about social rules and boundaries. They are oftentimes withdrawn and would prefer to be alone. People with AS behave in a peculiar manner and perceive others to be unpredictable, thus, a fear of socializing manifests.

In social imagination, people with AS find it hard to predict and understand other people’s thoughts and actions. Common sense isn’t that common to them. They have a limited imagination, thus inhibiting creativity and produce more repetitive and rigid activities. The checklist above can be use to determine the likelihood of person having Aspergers syndrome. Not all of the items of the checklist are necessary but they do serve as indicators.

Is There a Cure?

As of the meantime, no cure is known to treat Asperger’s Syndrome. However, there are therapies and interventions available for people with this disability. Early diagnosis with the use of an Autism Spectrum Quotient or AQ test may help in early intervention. These interventions and therapies can help these individuals to reach their optimum growth and potential, for them to live their everyday lives. People with AS may grow to become responsible adults, and can have regular jobs, have a family and lead normal lives, with the help from therapies and especially with support from their families.

Mark Henry Blakey is a blogger and contributor of the Aspergers Test Site. He regularly contributes and writes on the subject, helping others to understand the nature of Aspergers Symptoms. Check out the website for more resources and articles on Aspergers.

View the original article here

Posted in Autism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Reducing Bathroom Battles When Potty Training Your ASD Child

Posted on May 5, 2012 by autism

Potty training a normal, healthy child can propel any parent into a state of anxiety, overwhelm and exhaustion. Now let’s consider what potty training is like for a parent when their child is on the Autism spectrum? A child with Autism may have sensory issues that get in the way or they may not even understand what it means to use the potty.

Here are some things to consider when potty training a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to reduce the number of bathroom battles you encounter.

• Determine if your child is ready to be potty trained. Just because all the books say readiness occurs between the ages of 18 months to 4 years for a neuro-typical child it does not mean your child with Autism has the ability to do so. A developmental delay can carry over into many areas and postpone readiness. Does your child know when he is wet or has a dirty diaper? Does your daughter have a dry diaper all night?

• Find out what your child’s elimination schedule is. It does not take long to do this. Keep notes on when your child’s diaper is soiled or wet? Notice the time it takes your child to eliminate after he eats or drinks. Keeping a journal for three to five days will determine a pattern. Then you will know the times to focus on potty training the most.

• Do not punish the child for accidents. If your child has an accident remind them that is what the potty is for. Calmly clean up the mess with your child’s assistance, even if on a limited basis. Make sure everyone caring for your child uses the same approach as well. Mixed messages will not help.

• Does your child have the skills to undress and redress? If not this can make potty training more challenging unless you have the luxury to let your child run around naked for the next month or two. You will also need to make time for wiping up puddles and scrubbing carpets and upholstery.

• Do not give up – remain consistent. If your child does not catch on right away do not give up. It takes a few weeks for a new skill to be learned. If you keep switching from diapers to the potty this will just confuse your child even more. Consistency is the key factor when potty training. This goes for any child not just children with Autism.

• Make the potty and your bathroom user friendly. Eliminating any source of stress or anxiety will help your child relax about potty training. Let your child see the potty and get familiar with it before they are made to sit there. Consider writing a social story about the potty chair and what it is used for. This will help them become comfortable with the idea.

Remember children with Autism are more likely to take longer to learn a new skill so be patient and stay relaxed. If your child senses tension you may be in for more battles than you bargain for. To increase you chances for potty training success you want to make sure you eliminate as much of your child’s anxiety as possible.

Connie Hammer, MSW, parent educator, consultant and coach, guides parents of young children recently diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder to uncover abilities and change possibilities. Visit her website http://www.parentcoachingforautism.com/ to get your FREE resources – a parenting e-course, Parenting a Child with Autism – 3 Secrets to Thrive and a weekly parenting tip newsletter, The Spectrum.

View the original article here

Posted in Autism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Preventing Autism: Cheap, Simple and EFFECTIVE

Posted on May 5, 2012 by autism

There is a simple, cheap, and effective form of Autism Prevention therapy. Here it is:

Less than 1% of all doctors in the USA are even aware that vitamin C takes all minerals, including heavy metals out of the body. It’s not true chelation, as vitamin C combines metabolically, but it’s the same result. Take out all, and put back in what is needed. Most doctors even believe that the RDA (recommended daily allowance) of 75 mg is correct for good health, when 4000 mg is the RDA for a 150 pound ape. (Apes are more valuable it seems.)

Mineral analysis of people who use 2000-5000 mg (2-5 grams) per day of vitamin C for a year or so show heavy metals toxicity so low it is immeasurable. We have an epidemic of autism, mostly caused by mercury, aluminum, and/or lead toxicity. This toxicity is increasing in our culture and pregnant women are more and more subject to this environmental poisoning. This is creating infant toxicity before birth such that the infant liver may be near toxic levels, and the addition of vaccines using these preservatives overloads the infant liver and actually kills brain cells. A simple and cheap prevention is to have any pregnant woman start on 4 grams per day of cheap vitamin C (less than $30 for 9 months supply at Costco). If she takes 2 1000 mg tablets at breakfast and 2 more at dinner, and then takes pre-natal vitamins and vitamins at lunch, the “shared” blood stream of mother and fetus will be gradually cleared of mercury and other heavy metals.

This allows the birth of a baby that is not near toxic levels in that tiny liver, and now is able to handle further toxic loads after entering the world. Autism is a “bankruptcy” disease to families. Instead of spending millions on “cure”, let’s spend a small amount on prevention. But doctors need to be re-educated about vitamin C. Big Pharma has done a job with their refutation of Linus Pauling, and the other scientists work below.

These include Frederick R. Klenner. http://www.doctoryourself.com/vitaminc2.html by Andrew Saulas, the only psychologist in the Orthomolecular Medical Society for many years and a personal friend of Abram Hoffer and Carl Pfeiffer. Dr. Bate has personally taken 4 grams per day of vitamin C (as above), for a number of years, my recent mineral analysis shows the only heavy metals even measurable are aluminum and arsenic, and both are extremely low on the toxic level. (His wife cooks with aluminum, and we get fresh vegetables from possibly insecticide sprayed fields.)

He has also used vitamin C in my former practice to solve many cases of schizophrenia caused by excessive copper using 10 grams per day of vitamin C very successfully. These cases included both the Wilson’s family gene, and some women that the birth control pill had been involved in the copper uptake. He has also successfully used vitamin C to push out mercury in cases of depression. This simple and cheap therapy has the potential to stop the current epidemic of autism, and at least bring it back to the 1 case in 10,000, instead of the current 1 in less than 150. Also, simple to test the validity. Find 100-1000 recently pregnant women, and start this regimen. If less than 6 months left in pregnancy, go to 3 grams per dose, etc.

Doris J. Rapp, M.D.
Board Certified in Pediatrics, Allergy and Environmental Medicine
Clinical Assist. Prof. of Pediatrics at SUNYAB
8179 E. Del Cuarzo Dr.
Scottsdale, AZ 85258
480-905-9195 (Office)
480-659-9500 (Fax)
http://www.drrapp.com/

View the original article here

Posted in Autism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sensitivity to Lights and Sounds in Vehicles

Posted on May 5, 2012 by autism

Children with sensory integration disorder or sensitivities to light and sound, can resist going out for a walk, playing on the playground, and even going for a ride in the car. Sensory integration disorder is when the brain doesn’t understand the information it is receiving from the senses and misinterprets it.

When a child is sensitive to the brightness of light or sound that it is either too loud or high-pitched, they may overreact and exhibit a variety of behavioral challenges, such as crying, screaming, having headaches or stomachaches. As onlookers, we interpret this child as being temperamental or having a bad day. The way the parents respond, if they are not aware of this sensitivity, is to do a number of things to calm or stop the child’s behavior. Most people have not heard of sensory integration disorder, although it is on the rise, primarily due to the frequency of diagnosis and quantity of people having the same or similar sensory issues.

Sensory integration disorder can coexist with Autism spectrum disorders, other learning disabilities or disorders. The book, “The Out of Sync Child,” by Carol Stock Kranowitz, discusses and explains what this disorder is and how to adjust events in your child’s life so that your child can be more comfortable. Checklists on the web do not fully understand the disorder, and try to attest their validity by making blanket statements, with black and white conclusions. Many children exhibit sensory issues, but parents and therapists may not recognize all the symptoms. Symptoms may occur one day and not the next two days or new ones may surface. Some days a child may be overly sensitive to sound or light, and other days they may be under sensitive.

Some children are okay with having sunglasses on, to protect their eyes from the light. Those who do not like to have things on their face or who are too young to wear eye protection, can typically shield their eyes with a hood or cover. Vehicles that have darkly tinted windows in the backseat are perfect for these children. Some people find that tires that do not have a specific expiration mileage will produce more sound and noise than tires that that last for just 50,000 or 100,000 miles, for example. These types of tires are firmer due to the amount of rubber that is spun tighter around the tire.

Some of the newer vehicles, have features that auto adjust mirrors so light is either reflected or muted and won’t glare or bounce off other reflective objects in the car. Additionally, there are muted colored lights throughout the car that given an amber, blue or red glow to light the console or dashboard.

If you are unable to purchase a newer vehicle, there are ways to adjust the interior of your car to reduce the glare or brightness. Private investigators use black curtains hung near or around the windows to prevent the light from glaring in. The same curtain can be used to hang from the inside of the car’s window, using the window to hold it up. Using white noise machines, video games, or soft music helps with irritating or aversive sounds.

Observe your child’s behavior on a daily basis to see how or if the amount of light is bothersome. Ask your child questions and help them become more comfortable. Traveling in a car with your child in car can be a pleasant experience; most importantly, it needs to be safe so the driver is not distracted and the passengers are safe.

Julie Callicutt is the owner of Ferko Therapeutic Group, a company specializing in providing intensive rehabilitation therapy to children with disabilities, specifically those on the Autism Spectrum. Julie’s services include 1:1 intensive therapy, coaching/mentoring of caregivers and making herself available to speak at local and national early childhood conferences. If you would like more information, please visit, http://www.ferkotherapy.com/.

View the original article here

Posted in Autism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Should An Autism Teacher Show Students How To Lie?

Posted on May 5, 2012 by autism

An autism teacher has a truly awesome job, one not to be taken lightly. Autistic children need a tremendous amount of attention and instruction — not necessarily just in the basics like reading, writing and arithmetic, as those are skills that all students at all levels need to know, but in other skills that you may not find specifically written down in the curriculum — social interactions.

You need to understand that autistic children, for the most part, are not stupid or even dumb. In fact, many studies and tests have concluded and come to realize that autistic children are generally some of the smartest children in the school, at least from an academic standpoint. Many of them will learn quickly if the autism teacher has employed the right kind of teaching aids and approaches that are required when teaching children with autism.

But where these types of students need the most help is with social interactions. For whatever reason, their social skills are severely impeded and they need instruction and repetitive teaching to help them understand how to act, behave and react in today’s society. One of the ways these types of students seem to learn best with the most retention is by example, and not to anyone’s surprise, the typical example they examine and view as a role model is their autism teacher, which puts an additional load of responsibility on that teacher.

You may think that these students only learn in the classroom but that is far from the truth. Yes they learn in the classroom but they also learn a great deal outside the classroom, and since they usually live in the some city or general area, they will frequently see their autism teacher out and about, and will continue to see them as an example or role model to be following and imitating.

While most autism teachers take their responsibility seriously and recognize this fact, there are some, as shown clearly in this case study, who should not be teaching autism because their life outside of the classroom is NOT something that should be viewed by anyone as an example or a role model. As an analogy, how much respect would you have for a priest who is seen most evenings very drunk in a local bar? Would you be inclined to become a member of that church in that case?

Children are incredibly perceptive, particularly autistic children, and they see, observe, internalize and contemplate much more than we usually give them credit for. When they observe their autism teacher lying to another teacher, or continually complaining to others about the behavior or actions of another teacher, what is that telling them? It tells them that such behavior is fine and acceptable. When the students see their autism teacher being “flirty” with virtually anyone who comes into the classroom or even outside the classroom, those actions are teaching the student that such things are acceptable and should be done as a part of everyday life. What message is being given to that autistic student when they observe their teacher locked in a passionate embrace in the school library with someone else that they recognize is not the spouse of their teacher?

Perhaps there are some non-teaching professions where the Jekyll/Hyde nature of a person does not impact other people, but for an autism teacher, such behavior should be considered unacceptable, as those observations from the autistic student are sending conflicting messages to that child, only serving to further confuse them as to what is right and acceptable in today’s society.

How much do you really know about your child’s autism teacher? Perhaps they appear to do a good job in the classroom, but as this case study demonstrates, appearances can be as deceiving as this type of autism teacher. Are they a totally different person outside the classroom? And if so, how long do you think that somebody leading such a “double standards life” can be successful at keeping those lives separate and distinct, while their life as a role model is sending entirely the wrong message to any students who observe them?

If you have not gotten to know your child’s autism teacher, there may be a huge something that you are missing, and actually discover that this is not the type of person that you want to be seen as a role model for your autistic son or daughter. To read the entire case study and to get more insights about autism in children, please visit our web site at http://www.autism-explained.com/selecting-the-right-autism-teacher-for-your-child/

View the original article here

Posted in Autism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment