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Achieving Self-control with Autism

News Elf — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 23:19:50 +0000

Self-discipline is a skill that most autistic children have trouble acquiring. This includes not only inappropriate outbursts, but also habits that can be potentially dangerous, such as being aggressive towards others or causing harm to themselves, such as banging their heads off walls. To prevent these and other behaviors, one technique parents and educators can use to control autistic tendencies is self-management. Giving the child power over him- or herself is often the key to keeping control over violent situations and may be a positive step towards learning other behaviors as well.

Self-management works because the child is no longer fully controlled by others. By teaching self-management during specific times of day, such as while the child is at school or therapy, the child will be more likely to continue to practicing self-control during all times of the day. The key is to implement a program in which he or she monitors his or her own behavior and activities. Begin with short amounts of time, and continue to monitor the child from a more passive standpoint. Every ten to fifteen minutes remind the child that he or she is in control and needs to monitor and be aware of good and bad behavior.

This monitoring is a form of self-evaluation. When a child is in control, he or she may think more closely about behavior in the past and present. Set clear goals with the child-for example, an afternoon with no aggression towards others or a day at school with no self-injury. Every fifteen minutes ask the child how he or she is doing. Is the goal being met? If the answer is no, perhaps the child is not ready for self-management, or perhaps the goals are too unattainable. You want to make sure that the goals are easy to reach at first, and then move the child towards more difficult goals in the future. When a child is successful at self-monitoring, he or she will have a more positive attitude towards the experience.

Of course, an important part of self-management is a rewards system. Have the child come up with his or her own reward, depending on interest. Reinforcement will make these good behavior goals more clearly marked in the child’s mind, and by choosing and rewarding him- or herself, the child will feel completely in control of the self-management system. Choose simple rewards to start, such as smiley faces for every goal met and sad faces for every goal not met, and work up to a larger goal, such as a special activity or new toy when a certain amount of smiley faces has been attained.

These types of programs do not develop overnight, so it is important that you and the child have enough time to devote to a self-management experience. By reinforcing good behavior with rewards, as determined by the child instead of by an adult, he or she will be more likely to carry this on even when not participating in the program. If your autistic child is mature enough, this could be a good treatment program to try.

About Asperger Syndrome

News Elf — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:46:47 +0000

Though these spectrum disorders can affect two children with the same diagnosis in varying manners they may share certain behaviour patterns and can exhibit a wide range of abilities and skills. As a result these children show “low functioning,” “high functioning,” pervasive developmental disorders” and “autistic tendencies”. Kids with AS usually show the symptoms with “high functioning” autism.

About Asperger Syndrome

This disorder was named after the Viennese paediatrician, Hans Asperger in 1940. He first described a group of behaviour patterns which were apparent in some of his patients, mostly males. He noticed that though these boys had normal language development and intelligence, they had impaired social skills, had poor co-ordination and could not communicate very effectively with others.

According to the Asperger Syndrome Coalition of the United States, the onset of AS is much later than in autism or at least it is diagnosed later. Most kids are diagnosed between the ages 5 and 9, though many are diagnosed after age 3 as well. It is very difficult to understand the symptoms of a child with AS and so it is better that you let an experienced doctor or other health professionals make the diagnosis. It is not unheard of thought that a child is diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) before being diagnosed with AS at a later stage.

Symptoms and Signs

Minimal or inappropriate social interactions
Most conversations are almost always revolving around themselves rather than others
They have a lack of “common sense”
They have “scripted,” “robotic,” or repetitive speech
Obsession with complex topics such as patterns or music
Problems with reading, math, or writing skills are apparent
They have average to below-average nonverbal, cognitive abilities, though their verbal cognitive abilities are usually average to above-average
odd behaviours or mannerisms
awkward movements

Note: Unlike kids with autism, those with AS might show no delays in their language development. They usually have advanced vocabulary and good grammatical skills at an early age. However, they typically do exhibit a certain language disorder — they might have trouble using language in a social context and might be very literal.

Treating Asperger Syndrome:

As Asperger Syndrome behaviours and patterns can vary from child to child there isn’t a typical treatment regimen, but these following treatments could benefit your child as they can benefit greatly from the right programme which needs to be structured keeping the child’s needs in mind. You could contact Beach’s Therapy for a therapist to help you out at www.beachstherapy.com.au.

Autism and Communication

News Elf — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:14:34 +0000

Getting one’s needs met and to exist happily in one’s family, community and beyond is dependent on the ability to communicate. As non-autistic individuals we can use ourselves to communicate our needs and express our feelings. The autistic individual depending on their functioning level, has anywhere from extremely limited (nonexistent in some) to some ability to ask for their needs to be met. Some people with autism seem to communicate by persevering on a topic that seems to not relate at all to whatever the topic might be. For example, one child may become fixated on televisions and only be able to talk about this subject, no matter what else is being discussed. It is not unusual for autistic individuals to seem to come out of “left field” with what they might say. For example, the topic may be “going to the grocery store and what will be bought at the store.” The child may say, “you are pretty.”

There are also individuals who are nonverbal, those who use echolalia and still others that can only express their needs by reversing their pronouns. When they want a cookie to eat, instead of saying “I want a cookie,” the child may say, “you want a cookie.”

Let’s make sense of what is going on. If as I am suggesting the child has not had the benefit of an attachment, lacks the ability to use him/herself in relationship to others and is also in a state of dissociation with varying degrees of consciousness then I would continue to propose that the child’s ability to communicate is going to be compromised. Let me explain how these different elements contribute to not only problems in communicating, but also relating to others.

It is important to remember that the autistic individual wants to communicate and in fact is always communicating about himself even though he may be nonverbal, echolalic or reversing pronouns. He is like any human being in that he has a need to communicate. Unfortunately, because he has had an incomplete attachment, he cannot identify his feelings, which are dissociated, and therefore cannot use those feelings to express his needs. In other words, he has not developed to a level where he has self-agency. This means he literally cannot ask for anything for his own benefit. This is not a physical problem, but instead a “developmental problem” that can change over time.

It is my opinion, that what one sees with the nonverbal autistic child is the reverse of what one sees with a “typical” child. I call this phenomenon “Inside out, upside down.” In other words, the unconscious part of the child is on the outside and the conscious part is in the inside. That is why some nonverbal autistic children seem out of control and low functioning, but with the use of a computer can communicate beautifully in writing. This is a very good example of the split or dissociation of the self. Most people are unfamiliar with seeing the ‘unconscious.’ Because most people are unfamiliar with the workings of the unconscious, autistic individuals are constantly misunderstood.

The phenomenon of echolalia is also something that can be understood. One first needs to remember that the autistic child has minimal and varying (depending on their functioning level) ability to use oneself in relationship to others. Also it is important to remember that a lack of attachment precludes one from being able to use one’s self. Thus echolalia is the result of not being able to use one’s self. The child only has access to what they hear. They may hear “do you want a cookie?” Developmentally all the child can do is mimic the other person. There is no awareness and ability to use the self in response to the other. Thus the end result is a repetition of what the child heard.

The child who reverses his pronouns and uses ‘you’ to mean ‘I’ is beginning to use his self with others. The child uses ‘you’ because it is safer than ‘me or I.’ The autistic child does not feel safe in the world. Everything is confusing, awkward and anxiety producing. The use of ‘you’ as it refers to the self is another example of dissociation. As I mentioned before the child is split. As the child develops and he becomes less split and gains more agency, he will then move to using the pronoun ‘me’ and finally as he has more and more access to himself, he will be able to use ‘I.’ There seems to be a direct correlation to the use of ‘I’ and ability to know and access feelings and use them in relationship to others.

Now lets look at why the communication of autistic individuals appears inappropriate. First of all, I believe that an autistic individual is always communicating his state of existence. Unfortunately, most perceive these communications from their own experience, which includes having completed the attachment process. In working with autistic individuals, many try to extinguish the “odd” behaviors of the child. In doing so, we are not understanding the message the child is trying to communicate through his strange behaviors. We in a sense are helping them feel misunderstood versus understood and not seen versus seen. Instead these communications need to be understood within the context of a child who has never attached and cannot use the self to communicate. Every behavior that the child uses can be understood and must be understood so that the child can gain understanding and recognition, which are precursors to being able to attach. Our work with the autistic person is to understand, validate, accept and recognize the autistic person. If the caregiver or professional can recognize and see the child, then the child can start to see him or herself.

In concluding, I want to restate that the perseverations, the out of context communications, the use of pronoun reversal, echolalia, nonverbal communication, to name only a few, can be understood through the lens of an “Incomplete Attachment” which leaves the individual in a state waiting for the completed attachment and without access to self or what I call self-agency.

Karen Savlov is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and psychoanalyst practicing in West Los Angeles. She is affiliated with the Institute of Contemporary Psychoanalysis. She specializes in autism spectrum disorders, depression, anger management, assertion training, communication, anxiety, relationships and work related issues. She has worked for many years with children, adolescents and adults including those on the autism spectrum continuum. She has also provided trainings and support groups for parents of children with autism. She is now running groups for college age students with developmental disabilities. She has made presentations on this subject at numerous conferences and meetings.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/autism-and-communication-1661250.html

Aspergers…The Beginning

News Elf — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 03:44:12 +0000

It wasn’t long after my last son was born that I realized something was very different about him. Most infants struggle at first with sleeping through the night and then eventually adjust to some semblance of a schedule. Not only did my son not sleep at night, I can’t remember a single day when he took a nap. Instead, he would take a five minute “snap” periodically. Putting him in bed with me was the only way that we could get any sleep. He would scream the entire time that he was away from me and expressed odd sensory issues with color, texture, and movement.

Developmentally he appeared to be somewhat advanced in his speech and upper motor skills. He seemed to fear nothing relating to physical activity. At seven months he was found in the top kitchen cupboard. By one and a half he managed to disappear and was found by a neighbor two blocks away. Yet his perception of his world seemed skewed. He would often complain that people (even his siblings) were “looking at him.” Misinterpretation of what was being said to him became increasingly frustrating for all involved. On the one hand he was fearless (physically) and seemed to be limited in his ability to feel pain. On the other hand he was constantly fearful and expressed irrational anxiety at otherwise “normal” situations. Trips to the Super center and even church became increasingly less worth the bother because of his anxious behavior/meltdowns.

Life was odd, but manageable. Once he began attending school I experienced for the first time a measure of “discipline” problems with my child. Having three older children who excelled in school and were well disciplined, I was unprepared for what was to come. By third grade it was obvious that my youngest son was experiencing some difficulties in comprehension, written expression and social interaction. He was eight years old and in the fourth grade when the situation with my son rose far beyond just the next level. It was then that my life changed drastically as I began to seek out professionals, diagnosis, and information that could help me not just manage, but save my son.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/aspergersthe-beginning-1650536.html

Aspergers Syndrome, What You Need To Know

News Elf — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:37:39 +0000

Does it sound like aspergers? – General Autism Discussion

Oh no.. not another “do i have aspergers?” thread Cool Well im not english speaking so my english is not that good.. Im a girl and im 19 and i live in israel, and they gave me asperger dx but im not sure i have it Sad …

Tips to Determine if Your Child has Asperger's Syndrome

Tips to Determine if Your Child has Asperger’s Syndrome – By John G Smith.

Parental Styles: PC Run Amok – Windows Live

Elise’s profileRaising Asperger’s KidsBlogLists · Tools · Send a private message · Subscribe to RSS feed · Tell a friend · Add to My MSN · Add to Live.com · Add to your network · Sign up for alerts. Help. Blog …

Documentary about Asperger’s Syndrome

This short documentary about Asperger’s Syndrome shown on TV in 2005 is about me, I have mild Asperger’s Syndrome. I was diagnosed in 2002. I knew I was different from the age of about 6 years old, hypotheses included – the reincarnation of King David or Pliny the Elder, a left behind Space Alien and finally mild autism (after seeing a TV documentary). Other pupils were loud and ran around randomly, while I preferred a mature intellectual life. I became interested in astronomy/science ~3 …

Risperdal & Similar Psychotropic Drugs and Autism

News Elf — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:06:34 +0000

Jean Genet, a brain researcher and an autism survivor himself, truly believes that psychotropic drugs (i.e. Risperdal) can produce negative responses for the child over time. Although it is a stimulant drug which is known to fight ADHD, it is not immune from negative consequences. This is why kids with autism should be given better forms of treatment if possible.

Autism Strategies – Living With, Loving and Caring For Autism

News Elf — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:06:34 +0000

There are perhaps close to a million children in the United States living with autism today. There is perhaps four times that number of kids that live in America with various syndromes that fall within the autism spectrum. This information is not meant to scare you; it is meant to give you strength in the realization that you are not alone.

There may not be a cure for autism just yet, but there is a lot of research that is ongoing with the greatest strides achieved only within the last couple of decades. It is only a question of time before someone finds the cause and/or the cure of the severe developmental disorder that has rendered so many children unable to enjoy their childhood, or any parts of their lives whatsoever.

But until that happens, you are going to have to live with the person in your family who is suffering from the condition that disturbs their ability to perceive things or to develop relationships. In that wise, you may want to talk to a psychiatrist or psychologist about what steps you can take, or you may want to just read on and learn ways by which you can handle the disorder without letting it handle you. You see, if you really love the victim enough and are determined to help him or her, you can, even if they don’t realize you are trying to help them. Yes, in such a situation, love and care can help far more than anything else!

Autistic Children and their Communication Skills

News Elf — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:13:33 +0000

Communication skills for autistic children differ from the norm, including their thinking process. Children with autism find words too busy, so it’s easier to retain information through pictures. Through remembrance of pictures, autistic children are able to understand others and express themselves.

Autistic children learn verbal language by converting text to pictures. While most people have a tendency to do tasks in order, individuals with autism have a radically different visual style of thinking. Therefore, the actual shapes of the pictures and the color of the pictures plays a crucial role in the way they’ll think and feel. Pictures help autistic children discover a vocabulary that’s much easier to express.

According to several studies, people with autism usually think visually because the section of the brain which deals with visual tasks is far more active. Also, the language and spatial areas in the cortical regions of the brain aren’t anywhere near as synchronized as other people who don’t have the disorder.

Visual thinking allows children with autism to compensate for spoken and written words. Because the brain of a child with autism functions differently, he or she can comprehend things through building detailed visuals and memorizing them. An autistic child takes concepts, which are sensory instead of being word based, and compartmentalizes them into small details to construct a complete picture.

In time, autistic children can learn abstract words and ideas through visual concepts, like pictures and objects. For example, if a particular stuffed animal makes a child happy, it would become their visual symbol for the word happy. Bright colors for pictures can stimulate brain activity in the thinking process of autistic children.

Autistic children usually find it much easier to express themselves within a highly structured environment. Because people with autism think visually, it’s important that they are taught using visuals, such as pictures, objects, line drawings, or symbols. Through spatial memory to pictures or objects, autistic individuals can associate the appropriate words and develop communication skills so they’re able to function in society.

For children with autism, a string of words or verbal instructions are learned through visual demonstration. For instance, the word “up” is easier to express in a picture of balloons in soft colors being lifted upward. Concrete visual methods, like flashcards and blocks in soft colors, are easier to retain among autistic children and help in teaching numbers and other concepts. Long verbal phrases need to be avoided or written down because autistic children have difficulty remembering a lot of steps or word sequences.

Research that compared the brain regions of people with autism to those without found that most people with autism excel in art and drawing. As such, autistic children do well with a color coded system that allows them to think through a remembrance of pictures. For example, an autistic child learns about what to do at an intersection by thinking of its concept. These thoughts are tiny color coded pictures of various types of intersections. When the situation arises, the mind gathers this information and presents it visually so the autistic child remembers what to do at an intersection.

Autistic children generally think in detailed pictures instead of words because it’s much easier for them to categorize and remember the information. By associating a noun to the color and shape of pictures or objects, the autistic child creates a spatial way of thinking that makes it easier for them to comprehend and communicate.

Bonita Darula is widely renown for her insights into the prevention of autism. Her celebrated materials have helped thousands of people from around the World find a new sense of hope. If you’d like to discover the secret truth about autism in its early stages, take a few moments to visit this site – and find out more today!

Autism non-verbal communication skills – reading faces in autism

News Elf — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 22:47:48 +0000

We all use non-verbal communication, sometimes without realizing that we are doing so, for example the way we stand or sit our posture, our facial expression, our mannerisms; we may nod or wink etc all forms of non-verbal communication.

As typically developing individuals we learn naturally how to detect and read other peoples non-verbal communication.

A baby learns that its mother will come when they cry. A toddler learns that by putting their arms up they will get picked up. A child learns how to get their parents attention or their own way! A teenager realizes how another person may feel about them from their body language…and so on as we grow our ability to read non-verbal communication increases.

However with autism non-verbal communication skills are not naturally learnt and therefore they will need to be taught these skills directly.

One of the most significant non-verbal communication skills is that of reading faces in autism this skill is missing and where as a typically developing youngster may interpret a knowing wink or frown, an autistic child will not.

Social and communication deficits are very common with autism and this is where many social blunders are made, un-knowingly an autistic child can land themselves in some pretty hot water without even realizing they have, especially in the teenage years this can lead to social isolations and anxieties.

Parents know and trust autism resources like social skills stories for helping with issues like reading faces in autism as well as teaching autism non-verbal communication skills.

Social skills stories were first introduced as a means of teaching autism non-verbal communication skills around twenty years ago by therapist Carol Gray.

Gray realized that autistic kids tend to be visual learners and therefore developed a system where social and communication skills could be honed and taught through the use of images and appropriate language.

Social skills stories have developed over the years and are now widely used by parents, teachers and professionals as a means of teaching autism non-verbal communication skills as well as social skills and behaviors, with tremendous successes. So much so that social skills stories are one of the main resources available for helping and teaching autistic kids to learn and remember social and communication skills.

Autism non-verbal communication skills greatly improve with the use of social skills stories, written by experts using first person language, appropriate text and visually rich social skills stories can be downloaded from expert run sites such as www.autismsocialstories.com and implemented quickly and efficiently. This site offers great customer support and advice as well as immediate download of 100 social skills stories which help with issues such as autism non-verbal communication skills as well as teaching social and communication skills like reading faces in autism.

Autism and the Swine Flu Vaccine

News Elf — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:20:12 +0000

Parents of children with autism are acutely aware of what vaccines could mean for their sons and daughters. Many are concerned about routine vaccinations, but you should also be aware of the possible dangers of the swine flu, or Influenza A(H1N1) vaccine, in particular. This vaccine has been rushed to market, so to speak, in order to meet the public and government demand for protection from the swine flu.

GlaxoSmithKline says that “clinical trials will be limited” due to government demands and that “additional studies will therefore be required and conducted after the vaccine is made available”. Trials are expected to begin on August 17th by testing the vaccine on 12,000 children between the ages of 3 and 8. Then, 60 to 80 million doses are expected to be administered by mid-September. Officials have admittedly “guessed” at the proper dosage to rush the vaccine to market by the time school has started. They will not know of the vaccine’s effectiveness or side effects until the initial wave of testing is complete, but they do expect that two vaccinations will be necessary. They are confident in the process by which the swine flu vaccine has been derived because it is made in exactly the same way as other flu vaccines. The only difference is that the swine flu vaccine will contain adjuvants to boost the human body’s immune response. There are currently no vaccinations in the US that approve the use of adjuvants. The US would rather not have adjuvants in vaccines because it might give citizens a reason to avoid them. In 1976, adjuvants were used in the swine flu vaccine. Some people had an immunopathological reaction, which lead to their death. About 500 other people became permanently paralyzed by the neuromuscular disorder named Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS).

GBS is an immune response to foreign antigens which attacks the nervous system. It results in muscle paralysis, sensory disturbances, and sometimes cardiac arrest. GBS is normally a rare side-effect seen after an influenza vaccine. With the swine flu vaccine in 1976, it is believed that because the adjuvants increased the body’s response to the vaccination, the occurrence of GBS rose from a normal level of one in 1,000,000 to one in 105,000. Parents of children affected by autism are understandably more concerned about immunizations that could cause an autoimmune response like Guillain-Barre syndrome. It is not known for sure that the adjuvants are the exact cause, but they were banned from immunizations in the US afterwards. Because our immunizations are largely produced in other countries and in an effort to keep the vaccine readily available, the US is allowing adjuvants, this one time. They are protecting themselves and the vaccine manufacturers from lawsuits that may occur as a result of distributing this barely tested, questionable vaccine because they are faced with the pandemic status. With all of the hype and confusion around the swine flu, it may be hard to make a truly informed decision. The swine flu has been described as a mild flu which has been less of a problem and caused many less deaths than the regular seasonal flu that we see from year to year. Many parents of children with autism are always looking for safe alternatives to vaccines. Vitamin C helps your body to resist all flus and all infections. It has also been found to be extremely reliable in eliminating and reducing flu symptoms. You can get enough vitamin C by taking vitamin C powder that is buffered to be easy on your digestive system.

This vaccine has been rushed to market, so to speak, in order to meet the public and government demand for protection from the swine flu. GlaxoSmithKline says that “clinical trials will be limited” due to government demands and that “additional studies will therefore be required and conducted after the vaccine is made available”.

Trials are expected to begin on August 17th by testing the vaccine on 12,000 children between the ages of 3 and 8. Then, 60 to 80 million doses are expected to be administered by mid-September. Officials have admittedly “guessed” at the proper dosage to rush the vaccine to market by the time school has started. They will not know of the vaccine’s effectiveness or side effects until the initial wave of testing is complete, but they do expect that two vaccinations will be necessary.

They are confident in the process by which the swine flu vaccine has been derived because it is made in exactly the same way as other flu vaccines. The only difference is that the swine flu vaccine will contain adjuvants to boost the human body’s immune response. There are currently no vaccinations in the US that approve the use of adjuvants.

The US would rather not have adjuvants in vaccines because it might give citizens a reason to avoid them. In 1976, adjuvants were used in the swine flu vaccine. Some people had an immunopathological reaction, which lead to their death. About 500 other people became permanently paralyzed by the neuromuscular disorder named Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). GBS is an immune response to foreign antigens which attacks the nervous system. It results in muscle paralysis, sensory disturbances, and sometimes cardiac arrest.

GBS is normally a rare side-effect seen after an influenza vaccine. With the swine flu vaccine in 1976, it is believed that because the adjuvants increased the body’s response to the vaccination, the occurrence of GBS rose from a normal level of one in 1,000,000 to one in 105,000.

Parents of children affected by autism are understandably more concerned about immunizations that could cause an autoimmune response like Guillain-Barre syndrome. It is not known for sure that the adjuvants are the exact cause, but they were banned from immunizations in the US afterwards. Because our immunizations are largely produced in other countries and in an effort to keep the vaccine readily available, the US is allowing adjuvants, this one time. They are protecting themselves and the vaccine manufacturers from lawsuits that may occur as a result of distributing this barely tested, questionable vaccine because they are faced with the pandemic status.

With all of the hype and confusion around the swine flu, it may be hard to make a truly informed decision. The swine flu has been described as a mild flu which has been less of a problem and caused many less deaths than the regular seasonal flu that we see from year to year. Many parents of children with autism are always looking for safe alternatives to vaccines.

Vitamin C helps your body to resist all flus and all infections. It has also been found to be extremely reliable in eliminating and reducing flu symptoms. You can get enough vitamin C by taking vitamin C powder that is buffered to be easy on your digestive system.

How To Handle Anger In The Teenage Years

News Elf — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:06:17 +0000

Teens with autism can sometimes be faced with behaviors – such as autism anger – which are beyond their control. Anger can occur in many forms but often takes the shape of violence or tantrums.

When it comes to handling uncontrolled anger, it is typically recommended that whenever possible, you should not look at the person, not talk to them, and not touch them (unless it is for your own or their safety). Essentially, do not add to their over stimulation and refrain from doing anything that might add fire to the flames. Many parents find that over time, angry outbursts are reduced when no one reacts to them.

Ignoring this kind of behavior will no doubt be hard at first. After all, when your child was little, anger was easier to control because you could either physically stop him or her from throwing the tantrum or distract them with a toy or favorite object. However, once your child has entered the teenage years, then he or she will be too big to deal with physically and bribery with a favorite object tends to be less effective. So unless he or she is breaking things, hurting others or themselves, it’s best to stay out of the way and let the anger wear off.

Autism anger in teens can be quite frightening. Behaviors can escalate to the point where others are at risk of being harmed. In fact, tantrum behaviors can even be seen as criminal in some cases, should the loss of control result in destroying possessions or hurting others.

The following steps are often recommended for parents who have teens who occasionally suffer from autism related anger outbursts. They should be used when and if applicable, and not necessarily in this order:

- Resist intervening – as was mentioned earlier, by remaining calm and out of the way the tantrum should fade much more quickly because it won’t have outside stimulation to spur it on.

- Ensure safety – make sure that you, your child, and anyone else in the area are safe. If your autistic teen is simply screaming, pounding their feet, and doing other similar activities, and if there is nobody else in the area, it’s usually best to simply leave the room or area and get yourself to a safe place. That way, you’re not only protecting yourself from harm, but you’re removing yourself altogether. Sometimes simply being alone is enough to have the teen calm down.

- Calming People – If there is an individual who you know can diffuse the situation or is usually able to calm your teen down, then you may wish to see if they’re available to help. They may not have to do anything, but simply their presence may be enough to instill calm. However, this technique only works if there is a calming person in your teen’s life. This is not always the case.

- Call for Help – If the situation doesn’t appear to be improving or if behaviors have become violent or out of control, then getting some outside help – paramedics, or even the police – may be the only solution. They will be able to support your efforts to have your teen calm down and help control any dangerous behaviors.

Autism anger can be an overwhelming experience for teenagers as they struggle with fluctuating hormones and fighting for their independence, but it can also be very upsetting for the parents.

It’s important that once you have the situation under control, you work through together the cause of the outburst in a calm and controlled way, without apportioning blame, so that should the scenario occur in the future steps can be taken to divert anger before the situation becomes heated.

Read more about The Essential Guide To Autism here

Autism Parents’ Plea: Understand Kids’ Meltdowns

News Elf — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:22:18 +0000

(CNN) — Heather Moores and her 4-year-old son, Julian, sat in a waiting room at a pediatrician’s office.

Julian, who has autism, was goose-stepping and counting every coat hook on the wall aloud. He started roaring like a lion. Moores smiled at her son, then noticed the horrified looks on other people’s faces.

“People do not understand,” she said. “To them, as bizarre as his actions might look, for us, they’re a blessing. For us, it means he’s enjoying himself and happy. No one understands that. They just see an out-of-control child. They don’t understand this is a good day, when there isn’t screams upon screams.”

On the second World Autism Awareness Day, the search for a cure continues, and major court decisions have helped sort out the theories connected to the mysterious developmental disorders. Public knowledge and acceptance of autism and the difficulties the families face may be growing, as some iReporters told CNN.

But that’s little comfort to a parent whose child’s behavior can range from quirky to violent.

Children with autism have unexplainable breakdowns — their outbursts are often loud, aggressive and disturbing. Julian slams himself against the ground or wall while he screams, flailing his limbs. Julian’s younger brother, Marcus, 3, squirms away from his parents and runs into the street to oncoming cars because he is fascinated by them. He also screams with such ferocity that his face turns purple and mucus bubbles from his nostrils. Their youngest brother, Aric, also has autism and just turned 1 year old. Photo gallery from iReporters about autism. »

Heather Moores remembers that the stares in the waiting room were full of contempt. Onlookers shook their head in disgust and glared, making her feel like the “world’s worst mother.” This happens every time they go out to the doctor’s office, the barber shop or anywhere in public.

“You’ll hear people talking, ‘If it was my kid, he wouldn’t behave like that. These parents don’t know how to discipline their children. Why don’t you shut that kid up?’ said Alexandre Moores, Heather’s husband. “It makes going out unpleasant. I don’t know if you ever get used to it.”

Read The Rest

Spotlight on Autism Parents – Maintaining Balance in Your Other Relationships

News Elf — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:35:42 +0000

By Rachel Evans

Autism parents don’t have it easy. You are faced with many more challenges than parents of children without autism do. However, in all of the efforts you are making to take good care of your child, it’s easy to forget that you need to maintain a healthy balance within your other relationships and cope with your own situation and emotions.

Remember: the healthier you are emotionally and the better the condition of your social life, the more capable you will be to make the right decisions for your child and care for them to the best of your abilities.

Other relationships in your life are your support system and a vital part of how you meet your own personal needs. Never underestimate the value of connecting with people you care about. While it’s important to have time to yourself to process emotions, you shouldn’t overlook the need to get out and do fun things with your friends and family members.

The constant emotional roller coaster ride that only autism parents experience will become too much, if you aren’t at your healthiest emotional point.

To be emotionally healthy, you need to take care of yourself and that includes nourishing important relationships. This doesn’t mean making big statements; it can be something simple like watching the occasional movie with some friends – even if this means renting a movie and having your friends over to watch it once the kids have gone to bed. It could also be going out to a restaurant or heading to a family member or friend’s place for a meal.

Never overlook the importance of a phone call to a sympathetic ear where you have the opportunity to vent your frustrations and hear about the lives of other people, too.

Getting to know your neighbors can be a valuable social experience. This allows you to meet in the driveway or talk on the front porch when you cross paths. It can help you remain feeling connected with the world.

Remember that though you are a parent with an autistic child, your child is not the only important relationship in your life – even though it may be the most challenging, rewarding and time consuming.

Having friends and family who are emotionally close give you people with whom you can truly share your feelings. This can be a tremendous relief in itself. They are also usually the people with whom you spent your time before you had children. Try doing some of the activities you enjoyed before you became a parent and you’ll have “mini vacations” to look forward to and to enjoy on occasion.

This is not to say that you don’t enjoy the time you spend with your children. Nor is it suggesting that you should try to mimic the life that you had before becoming a parent. You should however, recognize that just because you have a child with autism, you needn’t give up everything you enjoy and all of the relationships that had been important in your life before becoming a parent.

To read more about Rachel’s book or order your copy today, please visit The Essential Guide To Autism here

Addressing Special Needs: Why Do Children With Autism Need Supplements?

News Elf — Mon, 18 May 2009 02:59:17 +0000

Clearly, children with autism require special attention. This attention does not only involve physical and emotional attention; the parents of these children should also take extra measures to make sure they have sufficient nutrition and nourishment. How they are nourished, of course, depends on what types of food they take. However, this can be a seriously difficult undertaking. Autistic children have impaired taste, and they tend to eat the same things over and over again, thus already limiting the food items they can take. In addition, their limited body functions do not give them the right tools to properly absorb and digest everything they take in. A proof of this is the prevalence of the leaky gut symptom among children suffering from autism. Irregular and improper bowel movements clearly mean that their digestion is not in tiptop shape, another sign that they are not getting the proper nutrition they deserve.

Here are some of the reasons why children with autism should be given supplements:

Autism as a whole-body ailment-Beyond the usual need for additional nutrition, autistic children requires supplements due to the possibility that autism is not merely a brain disorder but a full-blown illness caused by malfunctions in the body (the gut or the immune system, for instance). Of course, the exact cause of autism has been determined yet, but many studies have already been conducted to decipher whether autism originated from genetic factors or other external causes. If autism is indeed a whole-body ailment, one way to treat it is through supplements-by making the body naturally heal through with the aid of these nutrients and vitamins.

The limitations of an autistic children’s body-As mentioned earlier, a child with autism cannot absorb the nutrients of food properly due to their limited digesting capability. The best way to assist an autistic child in nutrient intake is by giving them the nutrients in its simplest form-through supplements. This way, autistic children can get all the nutrients and vitamins they need.

Replacement for lost nutrients-The Autism Research Institute and their Defeat Autism Now movement suggest a gluten- and casein-free diet from autistic children. Gluten and casein are proteins present in wheat products and milk products. Many researches have already proven that these proteins can cause brain inflammations and opioid-like effects on autistic children. Because of this, many parents have employed this diet. Yet it cannot be denied that the children also need the nutrients acquired from wheat and milk products. Therefore, the supplements can provide the children with autism the nutrients they could have gotten from these food items.

Many tests as well as testimonials from several parents of autistic children all over the world claim that the use of supplements helped improve autism symptoms. Nutritional deficiency can cause a number of adverse effects. Therefore, even if parents may doubt the claim that autism is not a brain disorder, they cannot discount the fact that their children need all the nutrients they can get. In both cases, supplements can help children with autism.

For more information on Supplements for Autism, please visit Autism-Supplements.com where you will find a Supplement Guide for Autism.Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/addressing-special-needs-why-do-children-with-autism-need-supplements-922057.html

Autism Spectrum Disorder

News Elf — Thu, 07 May 2009 21:34:28 +0000

Autism spectrum disorders are a spectrum of psychological conditions that are characterized by widespread abnormalities of social interactions and communication along with severely restricted interests and repetitive behavior. A study performed in 2005 revealed that anywhere from 6.0-6.5 people per 1,000 people have Autism Spectrum Disorder. The vast majority of the people in the study had pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). Autism was 1.3 per 1,000 people and Asperger Syndrome was 0.3 per 1,000 people in the study released in 2005. The rarer forms in the study were childhood disintegrative disorder and Rett syndrome.

There are three main forms of Autism Spectrum Disorder and they are autism, Asperger syndrome, and PDD-NOS. The signs and symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder include communication problems, social problems, and repetitive behaviors. The indicators of autism include children that do not babble, point, or make gestures by the age of one; do not speak one word by 16 months; does not combine two words by two years old; does not respond to his or her name; loses language or social skills; poor eye contact; doesn’t know how to play with toys; excessively lines up toys or other objects; is attached to one toy or object; doesn’t smile and at times seems to be hearing impaired.

There are four main problems that are associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder and they are sensory problems, mental retardation, seizures, fragile X syndrome and tuberous sclerosis. The sensory problems that develop in children with ASD can be devastating. The sounds, smells, and textures that most children are not bothered by will bother children with ASD. For example, a ringing telephone or thunder during a storm can cause a child with ASD to scream and throw a hissy fit. In children with ASD, the brain does not know how to balance the senses appropriately.

Mental retardation is prominent in some children with ASD. For example, some children with ASD might have trouble with their vision but are able to express themselves via language much easier. Seizures can develop in children with ASD. In fact, one in four children with ASD will develop seizures that begin in early childhood or adolescence. Seizures are caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. A seizure can be identified by a body convulsion, unusual movements, or staring spells. A contributing factor of seizures can be a lack of sleep or a high fever.

Fragile X syndrome is the most common inherited form of mental retardation. The name comes from one part of an X chromosome appearing pinched and fragile when it is examined under a microscope. Roughly two to five percent of children with ASD are affected by fragile X syndrome. Any child with ASD should be checked for fragile X syndrome. If a couple that has a child with fragile X syndrome wants to have another child, the next child could be born with the same syndrome if it is a male. There is a one in two chance that this can happen. Tuberous sclerosis causes benign tumors to grow in the brain and other vital organs. Anywhere from one to four percent of children with ASD have tuberous sclerosis.

Addiction Relapse Prevention Drug Alcohol RelapseArticle Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/autism-spectrum-disorder-905610.html

Autism Starts in the Gut; Attack it With Nutrition

News Elf — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 08:22:27 +0000

Autism is widely acknowledged as a brain development disorder, although a number of recent studies are contending this long-standing belief. As anyone familiar with the issue of autism would know, the debate regarding the cause of autism is still ongoing. If autism is indeed a brain development disorder, then people with autism can no longer be cured. However, many factions have released studies claiming that autism is caused by other factors, which means autism can still become curable in time. One of the more prevalent claims, supported by a number studies, is that autism is caused by bacteria in the gut.

This claim is not as preposterous as it seems, as proven by a number of studies by esteemed organization. For one, the gut of autistic children are obviously not functioning well to begin with, as the leaky gut symptoms of autistic children would prove.

One of the first formal studies on this issue was conducted by the University of Reading in the United Kingdom. In the study done in 2006, it was found that out that autistic children had species of the clostridium that were not found in the gut of children without autism. These clostridium species can produce harmful toxins, which could damage the brain.
In the study, the researchers gave 20 children a bacterium called lactobacillus lantarum, a probiotic present in a person’s gut responsible for warding off harmful substances, while the other 20 were given placebo. Although the research itself failed because around half of the participants dropped out, the inconclusive results were promising. According to the reports, the parents of the autistic children dropped out because they figured that their child were part of the test (those who received the bacterium). After seeing improvements in their children-specifically in their behavior and concentration-they refused to give their children placebo. Clearly, these means the use of probiotics to improve the function of their gut has produced results.

A more specific claim was released by the University of Western Ontario. According to their studies, compounds that were produced in an autistic children’s digestive system are linked to the behavior of these individuals. This was found out after they administered diets that with diary and wheat substances to rats. The rats exhibited repetitive behaviors, as well as impairment in their social behaviors. Both of these are common symptoms of children suffering from autism. Later on, the brains of the rat test subjects were examined. The result: their brains were inflamed-similar to the brains of children with autism.

Although the results of these tests do not necessary prove anything conclusive about autism, they have established a number of things important to the issue. As the University of Western Ontario said in thee CBC News website, this proves that the body can influence the brain-an indication that problems in the gut can indeed cause autism. Of course, as the researchers from the University of Reading said, it could be the cause of autism-but it can also be an effect. Either way, these studies have somehow established that taking care of an autistic child’s gut can produce encouraging results.

To find out more about Holistic care and Nutrition for children on the Autism spectrum, please visit www.autism-supplements.com, for products, user feedback and unbiased reviews on Supplements for AutismArticle Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/autism-starts-in-the-gut-attack-it-with-nutrition-889053.html

Many children with autistic traits go unnoticed

News Elf — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:04:09 +0000

UK researchers studying a large population of children concluded that many children have a measurable lack of social and communication skills that is not severe enough to meet the clinical criteria for autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), but can nevertheless affect their adjustment and behaviour at school. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Study finds range of autism traits in many kids

News Elf — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:04:09 +0000

Many children exhibit autism-like traits, even if their symptoms are not severe enough for a clinical diagnosis, new research suggests. (Source: CTV Health)

MedWorm Message: Find out how you can get your message across here by sponsoring this MedWorm news feed.

Mp’s plan to boost autism support

News Elf — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:04:08 +0000

An MP is seeking to pass a law to improve the way local authorities provide support for people with autism. (Source: BBC News | Health | UK Edition)

Mp brings autism law nearer, uk

News Elf — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:04:05 +0000

First out of the private members’ ballot, Cheryl Gillan MP, brought the first ever autism law a step closer today, announcing she will take forward the Autism Bill, with the backing of The National Autistic Society (NAS) and 13 other autism charities. The MP for Chesham and Amersham declared her support in response to local authorities’ complete failure to meet the needs of the over half a million children and adults with autism in the UK. (Source: Autism News From Medical News Today)

Autistic traits ’spread widely’

News Elf — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:04:05 +0000

Many children have mild autistic “symptoms” which never get specialist attention, say UK researchers. (Source: BBC News | Health | UK Edition)

Behind the headlines – testosterone linked to autism

News Elf — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:47:54 +0000

‘Behind the headlines’ is produced by the NHS Knowledge Service and provides an unbiased and evidence-based analysis of health stories that make the news. Health stories that make the headlines are analysed and presented with the following details: Where did the story come from? What kind of scientific study was this? What were the results of the study? What interpretations did the researchers draw from these results? What does the NHS Knowledge Service make of this study? (Source: Neurological Conditions Specialist Library)

MedWorm Message: Find out how you can get your message across here by sponsoring this MedWorm news feed.

The screening of slc6a8 deficiency among estonian families with x-linked mental retardation

News Elf — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 08:56:20 +0000

Summary The urinary creatine:creatinine (Cr:Crn) ratio was measured in males from 49 families with a family history compatible with
X-linked mental retardation (XLMR) in order to estimate the prevalence of SLC6A8 deficiency in Estonia. We identified 11 boys from 9 families with an increased urinary Cr:Crn ratio (18%). In three related
boys, a hemizygous missense mutation (c.1271G>A; p.Gly424Asp) was identified. Their mother was heterozygous for the same mutation.
Although many missense mutations have been described, the p.Gly424Asp mutation has not been previously reported. The clinical
expression varied widely among affected males of this family. Patients 1 and 3 had relatively mild clinical expression (mild
mental retardation (MR) and attention deficit disorder), but p…

Pilot evaluation of the frankfurt social skills training for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder

News Elf — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 07:52:56 +0000

The objective of this pilot study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a group-based intervention aiming at improving social
and communication skills in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Over a period of 11 months, N = 17 children and adolescents received treatment according to the manualised Frankfurt Social Skills Training (KONTAKT).
Parent, teacher, expert and blind expert ratings were assessed to judge outcome regarding peer interaction, autistic behaviours,
adaptive functioning and family burden. The participants exhibited improvements pre to follow-up treatment, particularly in
the area of autistic symptomatology. Effect sizes (partial eta squared) ranged from 0.02 to 0.69. Among other things, regression
models showed a positive influence of IQ and langua…

An investigation of ribosomal protein l10 gene in autism spectrum disorders

News Elf — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 04:00:00 +0000

Conclusion:
Our results suggest that RPL10 has no major effect on the susceptibility to ASD. (Source: BioMed Central)

Kaiser daily health policy report highlights recent budget news in maryland, utah

News Elf — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 04:00:00 +0000

Summaries of recent news about proposed health care cuts in Maryland and Utah appear below. Maryland: Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) on Wednesday proposed reducing the state’s operating budget by 1.3% to $14.4 billion in fiscal year 2010 to close an estimated $2 billion budget shortfall, the Baltimore Sun reports (Smitherman, Baltimore Sun, 1/22). Cuts proposed in the budget would delay an expansion of Medicaid to more than 70,000 childless adults in the state (Wagner/Helderman, Washington Post, 1/22). State lawmakers approved a multi-phase Medicaid expansion in 2007, and about 25,000 state residents have enrolled in the program since the first phase of the expansion for low-income children and their parents (Witte, AP/The Capital, 1/16). Benefits for childless adults were scheduled to be extend…

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