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Siblings on the Frontlines for People With Disabilities

News Elf — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 02:25:43 +0000

By Cheryl Wills | The Huffington Post

My brother Clarence has autism. He is 41, I am 43. Many years before the influential National Alliance on Mental Illness formed in 1979, and before Mental Health America launched its powerful online community this summer, it was left to sisters and brothers of those with disabilities to put up our dukes and protect our defenseless loved ones from bullies and discrimination.

Years before I even reached puberty, I had to learn to fight for the rights of my brother who was openly derided as “Cheryl’s retarded brother.” Society’s expectations for my dear brother, who wanted to be a cartoonist, were so abysmally low that my other siblings and I had to form a protective web of love and support around Clarence, and encourage him to live out his artistic dreams in spite of those who sought to relegate him to a subhuman status. Along with our mother, we created a defensive strategy to ensure his inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. As he grew older in the 1970s, a network of dedicated mental health activists joined in our advocacy.

Fast forward to just days ago. A small army of siblings of children and adults with disabilities gathered at a swank hotel in Connecticut for the International Sibling Conference. My brother Clarence and I were invited to be the keynote speakers. About 150 sisters and brothers — mostly adults — traveled from as far away as Australia, Canada and Japan to network and share empowering and heroic stories that are not widely reported in the mass media. The event was a powerful reminder that siblings have emerged as a mobilized advocacy force — a force to be reckoned with.

As I introduced my brother to present his prepared remarks, I saw a sincere “aw shucks” expression flash across his sweet face. He bounced on stage with great enthusiasm and read the speech I had typed out for him. The little boy, who once banged his head against walls so violently that I had to physically restrain him from hurting himself, delivered his lines with ease, precision and passion. The youngster who ran away from home in a fit of rage and confusion so many times that all the cops in our neighborhood precinct knew and empathized with our widowed mother, paused between every line to allow the audience to absorb what he was saying. It was a needle-on-the-record moment for the audience, and especially for me. Clarence received a well-deserved standing ovation.

The audience was further delighted when my brother embraced Chris Burke, an actor with Down Syndrome who is perhaps best known for his groundbreaking role as Charles “Corky” Thatcher on the hit TV show “Life Goes On.” Turns out they first met more than 25 years ago during special education programs at camp in New York where they acted, sang and danced on stage. Startled by their unexpected reunion, the men embraced with an affection that touched everyone in the room.

Only weeks before this heartwarming event, I was invited to host a concert event at the Apollo Theater in Harlem that headlined two bands, Flame and Potential Unlimited, music groups with members who have disabilities. The Apollo was packed to the rafters with people with disabilities as well. Before I had agreed to emcee the event, I told event planners that I wanted my brother Clarence to co-host with me; I subtly indicated, “No him — no me.”

So, on that beautiful summer night, on one of the most famous stages in entertainment history, my brother stole the show. Clarence charmed and mesmerized an audience that was struck by his charisma and stage presence. But I was not surprised; I always had faith in my brother’s abilities. I stood back on that hallowed stage and watched Clarence dance his heart out. And that’s just how I (and all siblings of those with disabilities) want it to be. Autism is just a situation we deal with, not a curse. We demand that our loved ones live with freedom from fear, and maintain the right to express their creativity. But any fool who dares to touch one hair on our siblings’ head, or uses the “R” word, risks getting a severe ass-kicking from their most ardent defenders.

http://www.siblingconference.org

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cheryl-wills/siblings-on-the-frontline_b_690540.html

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Autistic boy saved from drowning

News Elf — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 06:01:43 +0000

Gordon Penner, a boat captain with Splash Dash tours, helped rescue an autistic teenage boy after he apparently jumped into the Red River Tuesday morning.

By Jillian Austin | CNews

WINNIPEG – A teenage boy is recovering in hospital after being pulled from the Red River in a dramatic water rescue Tuesday morning.

Staff from Splash Dash boat tours noticed the boy in the water at The Forks near the main docks and called 911 before setting out on the water around 10:30 a.m.

“An autistic boy jumped into the water … off the walkway,” said Gord Cartwright, owner of Splash Dash tours. “Our staff noticed what had happened and they put a boat into the water to do a rescue.”

Captain Gordon Penner set out immediately to help the boy, along with Barry Horan who was out for a morning run along the Red River.

Witnesses estimated the boy looked to be 15 or 16 years old.

The boy did not take hold of the life preservers or hooks that rescuers were tossing to him.

Eventually Horan and a member of the Winnipeg Police Service jumped in the water and successfully pulled him onto the boat.

The entire ordeal took about 15 minutes. Police say the boy is doing fine and is in “good spirits.”

Source: http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2010/08/24/15127696.html

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5 Celeb Parents Who Have Kids With Disabilities

News Elf — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 16:29:43 +0000

Holly Robinson Peete’s son RJ was diagnosed with autism at the age of 3

By Jenny | CelebrityBabyScoop

Let’s continue to celebrate diversity and take a look at five families in Hollywood that have children with disabilities.

From autism, to Down syndrome, to Septo-optic Dysplasia, some of our favorite Hollywood parents have children with special needs.

Rodney Peete & Holly Robinson-Peete:

When Holly Robinson Peete and her husband, former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete, welcomed their first children – twins Rodney Jackson “RJ” and Ryan – they never imagined that one of them would be diagnosed with autism at the age of three.

Autism affects 1 in 110 children and 1 in 70 boys. Holly sat down with Celebrity Baby Scoop to raise awareness for children and families living with autism: “Children in minority communities go undiagnosed too long.” Holly also encourages parents to “get out of denial quickly,” and “find time for yourself.”

RJ is going on 13. Loves all sports; MLB especially. By the way: Puberty plus autism? Challenging! Even more than for typical adolescents,” Holly said. “It can cause aggressive behavior and depression. Big transitional hurdle. Another thing you don’t read too much about. We are seeing some regression which is not fun. But he is verbal, affable, he has friends and plays team sports – all of which we were told he’d never do.”

Holly also commented on how autism affects the entire family:

We grew apart then back together again since our son’s autism diagnosis. It was rough going in the beginning. My husband chronicled our journey in his new book Not My Boy!: A Father, a Son, and One Family’s Journey with Autism. A lot of denial and miscommunication. I am so proud of Rodney and hopeful his book will inspire families affected by autism or any issue during difficult times. We had little hope ten years ago. A book like this would’ve helped us!”

Katie Price’s 8-year-old son Harvey was born with Septo-optic Dysplasia (SOD)

British glamour model Katie Price’s 8-year-old son Harvey was born with a condition known as Septo-optic Dysplasia (SOD), which causes blindness and hormonal deficiencies. From his birth, doctors reassured Price that nothing in her lifestyle could possibly have caused her son’s rare condition.

As he has matured, Katie discovered that he is on the autistic spectrum, gains weight easily, and finds walking difficult.

Harvey’s biological father is former footballer Dwight Yorke, although he has not been involved in his life. Katie’s ex-husband Peter Andre – who is father to her two other children Junior, 5, and Princess Tiaamii, 3 – raised Harvey as his own son and still hopes to adopt him one day.

I asked to adopt him because I love him, I didn’t ask to adopt him to be disrespectful,” Andre said. “When you love a child…he’s in my life, he calls me dad. I never said I’m his father, but I’m so proud to have him in my life. And it angers me – it angers me when people turn around – when I get a comment like that. Why is that disrespectful because I ask to look after someone’s child? I thought that was a good thing, I thought that’s what we’re supposed to do in this world. I don’t understand that.”

John C. McGinley’s son Max has Down syndrome

Scrubs star John C. McGinley and his ex-wife Lauren Lambert are parents to 13-year-old son Max who has Down syndrome.

When Max was born, McGinley immediately hit the books to learn everything he could about the condition. He is now an active advocate for Max, working to give him opportunities to help him develop and acquire the mental and physical skills that he needs. “The learning curve is through the roof on picking up on all this kind of stuff,” says McGinley.

The proud dad says that a variety of therapeutic activities every week including horse back riding, gymnastics, trampoline work and much more seem to be helping Max’s development:

Knock on wood here, Max is going to be a pretty high-functioning kid. He’s rapidly becoming – by virtue of this wonderful, developmental spurt – a precocious, no-good, confounded, Irish troublemaker.”

This special father-son duo love to sing together, play musical instruments, run the dogs, go to the beach and much more. “I sing to Max constantly, because he sings along with me,” says McGinley. “It becomes this parade of good, clean fun and lots of it.”

John has remarried, and he and wife Nichole are parents to daughters Billie Grace, 2, and Kate Aleena, 2 months.

Sarah Palin’s son Trig has Down syndrome

At the age of 44, former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin carried her son Trig to term, even after she was told during a sonogram that he would be born with Down syndrome. After giving birth to Trig in April 2008, Sarah released the following statement:

Trig is beautiful and already adored by us. We knew through early testing he would face special challenges, and we feel privileged that God would entrust us with this gift and allow us unspeakable joy as he entered our lives. We have faith that every baby is created for good purpose and has potential to make this world a better place. We are truly blessed.”

On the cover of In Touch, Sarah appeared with her teen daughter Bristol and her baby Tripp with the title, “We’re glad we chose life.” Sarah told the magazine, “The last few years have been unreal and surreal.”

Colin Farrell’s son James was diagnosed with Angelman Syndrome

Irish hunk Colin Farrell and his ex-girlfriend Kim Bordenave are parents to 6 1/2-year-old son James. In October 2007, Farrell revealed that James has Angelman Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder characterized by intellectual and developmental delay, speech impediment, sleep disturbance, seizures, hand flapping movements, and frequent laughter/smiling.

The proud dad has said that his son is “nothing but a gift.”

The Phone Booth star went on to say that James is perfect just the way he is,

As far as I’m concerned he’s exactly the way he should be.” The loving father added: “It’s not different to me. He has his own path. He’s just brilliant.”

Source: http://celebritybabyscoop.com/2010/08/25/celeb-parents-who-have-kids-with-disabilities

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Aumentan en Corrientes los casos de autismo y de síndrome de Asperger

News Elf — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 03:07:43 +0000

Por La Republica

Son trastornos severos del desarrollo mental, con características diferentes. Cada vez son más las detecciones, y aún no se sabe cuáles son las causas. El autismo y el síndrome de Asperger son dos trastornos que se incrementaron de manera notoria en Corrientes. Según los especialistas, es una tendencia que se da en todo el mundo, y en ese contexto, lo que se trata de dilucidar es si el crecimiento se da porque hay mejores diagnósticos o porque hay un aumento de casos.

“Es una tendencia uniforme en Corrientes, donde cada vez son más los chicos a los que se les detecta el autismo y también el síndrome de Asperger”, señaló Adriana Somoza, del Servicio de Psiquiatría del Hospital Pediátrico “Juan Pablo II”. El síndrome de Asperger es un trastorno severo del desarrollo, que conlleva una alteración neurobiológicamente determinada en el procesamiento de la información.

La persona que lo presenta tiene un aspecto e inteligencia normal o incluso superior a la media, presenta un estilo cognitivo particular, y frecuentemente habilidades especiales en áreas restringidas. “En los últimos años se detectó un aumento de los casos, y no se sabe la causa exacta.

Hay muchas cuestiones que afectan el desarrollo en etapas muy tempranas, y por suerte cada vez se detectan en edades más cortas”, señaló la doctora Somoza, una especialista en ese tipo de patologías, en diálogo con La República.En ese mismo sentido se manifestó Ernesto Walhberg, un especialista en psiquiatría infantil, que el fin de semana pasado expuso en Corrientes.

Más fundamentos

El especialista en salud mental explicó diferentes rasgos y características del espectro autista y también del síndrome de Asperger.“El trastorno autista es la patología más conocida dentro del trastorno generalizado del desarrollo y se asocia con una imagen donde predomina el aislamiento, las repeticiones motoras y de conductas, grandes limitaciones en la comunicación, además del lenguaje, y una gran dificultad para jugar e interactuar con otros niños”, aseguró el profesional, quien también se desempeñó en el Servicio de Psiquiatría Infantil del Hospital Español de la Capital Federal y que actualmente dirige el Centro Icid.

Hablando sobre el síndrome de Asperger, Walhberg ubicó a esa patología en el otro extremo del espectro autista, “porque quienes la padecen tienen capacidad intelectual normal y una discapacidad social muy grande, donde se profundiza la imposibilidad de interactuar con sus pares”, dijo. “Son patologías que vienen desde el nacimiento. Son trastornos neurobiológicos y el cerebro de estos chicos se conforma de una manera distinta y luego genera déficits en la comunicación y el lenguaje”, explicó el psiquiatra, según lo publicado por el portal semanaprofesional.com.

Dijo que el síndrome de Asperger está subdiagnosticado, y el recorrido para llegar a la patología es mediante pediatra, psicólogo, neurólogo y psiquiatra infantil.
En materia de cifras, los casos que maneja la Asociación Argentina de Psiquiatría Infanto-Juvenil se ubican en entre 2 y 3 por 1.000.

Fuente: http://www.diariolarepublica.com.ar/notix/noticia.php?i=170606

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4-year-old autistic boy focus of neglect case

News Elf — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 09:33:43 +0000

By Jeff Lehr | The Joplin Globe

A Carthage couple could receive up to five years in prison on convictions for the neglect of their two children, including a 4-year-old boy with autism.

Brian and Mirissa Bertalotto pleaded guilty Monday in Jasper County Circuit Court in Joplin to charges of first-degree child endangerment in connection with conditions discovered in September 2009 in their home at 715 Lincoln St.

Their two boys, ages 4 and 7, were taken into protective custody by the Children’s Division of the Missouri Department of Social Services on Sept. 21, 2009, following an inspection of their home by Carthage police and state child abuse and neglect investigators.

The inspection was prompted by a call to the Carthage Police Department reporting possible child neglect in the home. A probable-cause affidavit states that the family was living in the home without any water, electricity or other utilities between Aug. 30 and Sept. 15 of last year.

The inspection and subsequent investigation found that the younger, autistic boy was kept locked in a room and forced to live in his own excrement, according to the affidavit.

Carthage police told the Globe on Tuesday that the child was not kept locked in the room at all times while the family was living at the address. But investigators have reason to believe the boy was treated in that manner for various lengths of time.

Brian W. Bertalotto, 38, and Mirissa F. Bertalotto, 33, were not arrested until November of last year at the conclusion of a two-month investigation.

The couple changed their pleas to guilty this week in an agreement with the Jasper County prosecutor that would limit the prison time they might be required to serve to no more than five years each.

Sentencing dates set

Circuit Judge Gayle Crane delayed formal acceptance or rejection of the plea bargain at Monday’s hearing and ordered the completion of sentencing-assessment reports on the two defendants. The judge set their sentencing hearings for Oct. 18.

I am sure judge Crane will give them probation like she does everyone else. – Anonymous

Source: http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/x531503152/4-year-old-autistic-boy-focus-of-neglect-case

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Learning for Life: What you need to know about autism

News Elf — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:39:43 +0000

By KING5 News

About one out of every 110 children is diagnosed with autism.

Sixty years after being identified as a disorder, scientists still don’t know what causes autism. And, just like snowflakes, no two individuals with autism are alike. On one end of the spectrum is Asperger’s Disorder, a high functioning sub group of Autistic Spectrum Disorder, and on the other end of the spectrum are profoundly disabled individuals.

This week on Learning for Life, we talk with Dr. Felice Orlich with Seattle Children’s Autism Center, about what autism is, how it’s diagnosed and the signs parents should look for. We also explore the issue of whether there are enough resources available to support the increasing numbers of children being diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder and their families.

This is the final segment in a month-long series Learning for Life – and Birth to Thrive Online (Thrive’s daily blog) – is doing on children with special needs.

Source: http://www.king5.com/on-tv/Autism-What-You-Need-to-Know-101476859.html

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Autism abuse case settled

News Elf — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:15:43 +0000

Michael and Lisa Carey hold a photo of their child, Jonathan Carey. They sued over his private care and settled. The 13-year-old autistic youth later died while under state care in Niskayuna.

By Rick Karlin | TimesUnion

ALBANY — The parents of Jonathan Carey, the 13-year-old autistic boy who died while in state care, have quietly settled a nearly $6 million lawsuit against a private facility the child had earlier attended.

Michael Carey said the settlement with the Anderson Center for Autism, based in Staatsburg, Dutchess County, was reached in June, just before they were to go to trial in state Supreme Court in Albany County.

Carey wouldn’t specify how much they settled for other than saying it was an amount in the six figures.

“It helped us move forward but we still have concerns,” Michael Carey said, explaining that many of the staffers who were at Anderson during Jonathan’s stay are still in place. Carey has been critical of both the center and the state agencies that oversee it.

The settlement papers in the case haven’t been filed in court and it remained unclear if the settlement amount would be listed there. Court records indicate that the case, which dates to 2005, had been assigned to Justice Joseph Teresi on June 10, which suggests a trial was imminent.

The Careys’ lawyer, Daniel Persing, couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday. Anderson officials declined comment.

Michael and Lisa Carey placed their autistic son, Jonathan, at Anderson in 2003, but pulled him out in 2004 after growing concerned about his treatment. They later found that workers there had withheld food from Jonathan, and when the father made a surprise visit at one point he found his son naked in his room, covered in bruises and no longer toilet-trained, according to court records.

After Anderson, Jonathan was placed in the state-run O.D. Heck Center in Niskayuna. The child died in February 2007 after suffocating while he was being restrained during an outing.

O.D. Heck is operated by the state Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, formerly known as the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. The same agency licenses but doesn’t operate the Anderson Center.

One of the O.D. Heck workers, Nadeem Mall, pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide and another, Edwin Tirado, was convicted of manslaughter. The Careys, who subsequently pushed for and got better state disclosure laws regarding the disabled, still have a federal lawsuit pending against O.D. Heck.

Source: http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Autism-abuse-case-settled-630534.php

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Stem Cell Treatment for Autism

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 05:54:19 +0000

Autism is known as the complex brain disorder. This disorder can cause some problems such as the difficulty in communication which can lead to impaired social interactions. In addition, this kind of disorder can cause the acts of obsessive repetition or routine.

As the technology grows, there are some treatments which are recommended for autism. One of the latest issues for the treatment is by using stem cell. It can also be the main treatment for coping with autism.

The general problem which most of children with autism face is hypoxia. This problem is mainly caused by the condition in which the brain is lack of oxygen. It can cause the immune system not to work appropriately as those with sufficient oxygen. It has been widely agreed that oxygen is one of the most needed elements for the brain to work properly. Brain with lack of oxygen can cause some problems.

As a matter of fact, there is no therapy or cure which is accepted universally since there is no treatment accordingly. The latest treatment mostly focuses on the nutritional aspects of the behavioral of certain condition of the sufferer.

In addition, one of the most popular treatments available today is by using administration of mesenchymal as well as CD34+ stem cells. This therapy is claimed to be able to treat abnormalities of either hypoxia or also immune system.

Furthermore, umbilical cord cells of CD34+ will be beneficial for angiogenesis process or what is called as the collateral blood cells creation. This is able to cure the autistic patients with hypoxia. Instead of CD34+ treatment, there is another method which can be applied for curing autism. One of the most effective treatments for autism is through mesenchymal stem cells. These cells are able to cure the autistic patients with immunological abnormalities.

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About the Author:
Instead of curing autism, cord blood cells is also very beneficial for some treatments for some other disorders. If you want to access more information about it, you could consider umbilical cord stem cells
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Social Skills for Adults with Aspergers Syndrome and Mental Illnesses

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:53:58 +0000

It can be hard for people to socialize when the tools necessary to do so were never taught to them in their childhood or if they have aspergers, a disability, or some mental illness. Though it may seem initially difficult, and maybe even a bit daunting, there are a few simple ways for adults to build these essential social skills, no matter the situation.

COMMUNICATION
Being able to communicate your thoughts, wishes, needs and desires with others is crucial, among the most important of all effective social skills the human adult needs to be capable of performing. Unfortunately, a host of social and psychological disorders can disturb the proper development of this essential skill in adults and children alike. Slow and methodical practice is the usually the best path to forging the requisite experience necessary to building competency in this area.

EMPATHY
Certain psychological disorders prevent some adults from being able to empathize with others, blocking nearly all forms of understanding, be it verbal, non-verbal, emotional or intellectual. Special training and practice to encourage such a special-needs adult into seeing the emotional value of other people is a great place to start.

RECIPROCATION
Following the previous prescription for helping a special-needs adult to recognize the emotional and intellectual worth of other people, they need to also be trained to reciprocate kindness and positivity when it is initially directed at them, instead of ignoring it or freezing up into their own awkward shyness.

ASPERGER’S SYNDROME
It is vitally important to treat adults diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome carefully, and realize that with such adults, especially High Functioning Patients, their inability to interact socially is less of a problem of them not understanding or recognizing emotions in others, but in their inability to respond to these emotions in an appropriate manner. This, of course, leads to a heightened level of frustration and it is not uncommon for High Functioning Asperger’s Patients to lash out and overreact to seemingly innocuous social situations.

The best advice in the case of Asperger’s patients (or if you suspect a person may have Asperger’s) is to seek a psychiatric specialist trained to deal with this disability.

It is critically important to get professional assistance for any adult that you suspect may suffer from any serious social disorder that cannot be treated with basic exercises designed to facilitate familiarity with social situations and build a set of skills for interacting on an adult level. Good social skills develop with time and effective guidance from someone who knows what they’re doing.

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About the Author:
Learn more effective social skills to effortlessly make others befriend and respect you by clicking here.
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Thinking About Autism as a State of Dissociation

News Elf — Mon, 03 May 2010 19:01:56 +0000

Through the lens of an “Incomplete Attachment” I have previously described that the child (teen or adult) with autism is experiencing dissociated states. What does this mean? From my perspective, the child has many parts of himself that have not become integrated as a whole. These aspects of the self have not been validated and recognized by “another person” so the child, in turn, cannot use and see himself. Thus the different parts of this child become dissociated and cannot work together to the benefit of the child. We can say that this child does not have the ability to go from one part of himself to another. The child also cannot go within himself to retrieve these dissociated parts.

How can I recognize dissociation in a person with autism? Dissociation is easy to recognize. We all have aspects of dissociation, but it is more profoundly seen in Autism Spectrum Disorders. The following are examples of dissociation: 1) reduced sense of pain – the child may burn himself, but not demonstrate any outward behaviors that say, “I am hurting.” The pain is there and he feels it, but he is split off from his ability to claim it and name the feeling, 2) Exceptional savant skills – such as extraordinary ability to remember days of the week, birthdays and dates associated with events, ability to do mathematical calculations that others can only do with the help of a calculator or great musical and artistic abilities. These abilities seem to coexist with what appears to be severe disabilities. Most people observing such a mixture of behaviors would be confused and conclude that there must be something “wrong” with a person who on the one hand has great musical ability or artistic ability, but cannot talk. I would say this is an example of dissociation in that the emotions are split off from the intellect of the person, 3) Cannot shift thinking from one subject to another – this is an example of not being able to go from one part of the self to another. The individual is demonstrating on the outside of himself what is occurring on the inside of him. In other words, his inability to go from one part of himself to another, 4) the child can think through mathematical problems, but cannot think through and understand social interactions – the child has access to his intellect, but no access to the emotional parts of himself. The emotional side is harder to access if you have never had an attachment. It is through an attachment that one feels understood and seen and in turn can talk and have access to the emotional parts of one’s self.

These are only a few examples of what I think about when observing the autistic person through the lens of dissociation and an “Incomplete Attachment.” When one thinks about autism from this perspective than one can have hope that the child can develop into an integrated person. The work with the autistic person is to help them to become more conscious of the split off parts. This includes helping them to name their feelings along with the development of a trusting relationship with “another person.” As they become more conscious of themselves their dissociated parts will begin to work together.

Working with dissociated states is not easy and can be very time consuming. But the work is worthwhile when you see the child gain access to dissociated parts of himself and then begins to speak and do things that he had not previously been able to do.

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About the Author:
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.
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Autism Begins In The Womb – A Clairvoyant’s View

News Elf — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 13:04:09 +0000

We humans are constantly making choices, both consciously and subconsciously. Those choices are not random, they always occur with awareness and intention.

We make choices from the very beginning of our lives, which appears to be from conception. This has been one of the most striking realizations of my clairvoyant research on unborn babies and infants. I observed that babies in the womb live primitive lives. Unborn babies and infants act from their wills. They gradually become aware of their physical bodies and the womb environments they are immersed in. As they mature, they gain a heightened sense of awareness, mental understanding, and the ability to communicate with their parents energetically and psychically using natural communication skills. Their awareness of the world outside the womb greatly increases at around four months when they develop the ability to hear sounds.

From the start, embryos seem to have a conscious awareness of self and awareness that they are an “I,” much the same as all children and adults have a similar subjective experience. When I was reading an embryo only three weeks old, I saw her energetically resisting and fighting for her life when her mother was seriously considering an abortion. Even before this embryo appeared to be consciously aware of her mother’s existence, she seemed to be energetically pleading for her life and fearing her death. I sensed the embryo’s reaction. It was occurring without any observable exchange of thoughts or images. I realized that the reaction came from a basic understanding in the embryo that she was alive and that her life was somehow in danger.

It also became clear from observing unborn babies that, not only do we experience our physical development, we actually are required to participate in it and become an integral part of our early developmental process. An embryo or fetus and his or her mother must be willing to cooperate with the developmental process in order for the baby to grow in a healthy mental, emotional, and physical way.

When a fetus takes-on or develops selfish behavior patterns and indulges in ongoing selfish reactions, and chooses to repeatedly enact those patterns and reactions during womb life, those destructive choices will usually have lifelong negative consequences.

Autistic Symptoms
I have found that autistic symptoms are the direct result of reactive choices that started in the womb. Choices by a fetus to go inward to an extreme can inhibit an embryo or fetus’ natural psychological development, perhaps, lead to physical impairment. After the baby is born, he or she may not have the ability to choose to develop naturally.

The two most significant factors in the development of autistic symptoms are “child-to-parent agreements” and “severe selfish reactions,” reactions related to the child being subconsciously rejected by both parents.

In every autistic reading so far, I have seen that the child was enacting negative agreements made with his or her parent of similar angry or fearful selfish disposition or temperament. Those subconscious agreements translated into a promise by the child “not to be alive” and “not to openly express.” These agreements were deep, subconscious, usually strong, and entered into early in the womb.

However, the major instigator in an unborn baby’s choices to go inward, stay inward, and “give up on life” was a fetus’ strong selfish reaction to his or her parents’ subconscious reaction to having the child. In each case to date, both the autistic child’s mother and father were subconsciously reacting and rejecting the child. Literally left with “no person to go to,” the baby psychologically fled inward.

Subconsciously and psychologically, both parents were pushing away and refusing to love the child. This was usually in direct opposition to how the parents were consciously and physically choosing to be after the child was born.

Autistic children make strong subconscious decisions to willfully resist and avoid being mentally and emotionally present to their physical situations. This makes them dull, disinterested, defiant, and gives them (and their parents) a myriad of mental and emotional problems.

Every unborn baby has the natural ability to respond in right and loving ways
Unborn babies are able to (and do) choose to make either right choices or selfish choices in response to the choices of their parents. When a baby in the womb chooses to keep his or her attention and focus outward, and is willing to interact with parents without strongly reacting to their parents’ negative choices, that baby greatly enhances his or her awareness and ability to function properly.

Importantly, a genuinely caring mother or father will be a great support and will nurture a baby in mental, emotional, and physical ways. True and selfless caring on the part of parents make it much easier for unborn babies to make the right choices necessary for healthy mental and emotional development.

There have been numerous scientific studies on unborn babies that demonstrate their psychological sophistication. A six-month old fetus has been shown to be as psychologically sophisticated as a one-year old infant. However, most parents do not want to acknowledge their unborn babies’ acute perceptual and interactive abilities. Parents also do not want to know consciously that the energies of their conscious and subconscious negative thoughts and feelings are hurting their sensitive and vulnerable unborn babies and infants.

We will probably never be willing to see the truth about our babies until we are willing to see the negative truth about our selfishness and ourselves. As long as we deny having hurtful and destructive intentions, and reject the personal responsibility we have for our selfish choices, we cannot truly love and nurture .our babies and children in genuine ways.

I am a clairvoyant researcher who has generated and recorded over 1200 psychological profiles during the past 30 years on individuals suffering a wide range of mental, emotional, behavioral, and sexual disorders. Several of my books are available at Link Title For more information about autism, visit Link Title

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About the Author:
Jean is a clairvoyant researcher, who has worked for the past 30 years in an independent research project. The project’s objective was to discover the true cause of human negative experience and behavior.
Jean has generated and recorded over 1200 clairvoyant case studies on people in all walks of life suffering a variety of mental, emotional, behavioral, and sexual disorders.
She has also investigated and reported about babies in the womb and infants reporting on their psychological development and subconscious interactions they had with their parents.
She has a group of books containing clairvoyant case studies on babies in the womb, newborns infants, children and teens with disorders, Children and teens with autism, children and teens suffering, Alzheimer’s patients, gays, lesbians, and bisexuals, and women who had an abortion. Her “Inner Profiles” reveal deeply hidden subconscious psychological factors that underlie and orchestrate common dysfunctions. []
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Asperger’s Syndrome, Sociopaths And Bipolar Disorder

News Elf — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 08:21:08 +0000

Asperger’s Syndrome is on the spectrum of a developmental disorder named Autism. Asperger’s Syndrome is called AS for short. It’s a mild case of autism, perhaps the most mild type of autism. Not like people with PDD-NOS and Williams Syndrome, children born with Asperger’s usually have some natural gifts at the same time, for example, math, music or science. Many celebrities suffered from this disorder in the history, it’s said that the ex-president Bush have it too. The only thing that people with Asperger’s cannot be gifted is social ability. They have difficulty in reading expressions, understanding body languages. In a word, they don’t know how to communicate with others naturally. However, they mean people no harm, that’s the biggest difference between people with Asperger’s Syndrome and Sociopaths.

Sociopaths have the ability to communicate with people normally, and they can sense what society considers right and wrong, however, they have no conscience and cannot feel empathy, guilt and remorse like we often do. Some serial killers are sociopaths, they disrespect the rights of others,but they have nothing to do with Asperger’s.

People with antisocial personality disorder are called sociopaths. In the 1830’s this disorder was called “moral insanity”. The main characteristics of sociopaths are Grandiose Sense of Self, Pathological Lying, Shallow Emotions, Impulsive Nature, Unreliability and Parasitic Lifestyle. If this disorder is not treated in childhood, it can develop into adulthood. Treatment for antisocial personality disorder is usually through group psychotherapy.

http://www.autism-world.com/index.php/2010/03/29/the-difference-between-sociopaths-and-aspergers-syndrome/

Bipolar disorder(manic depression) and Asperger’s syndrome are two different things. Bipolar is a mental illness caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, meanwhile, Asperger’s syndrome is one condition of pervasive developmental disorder(PDD), a milder variant of Autistic Disorder.

People with Bipolar disorder have extreme emotional ups and downs. They have episodes of depression and mania. Bipolar is a mood disorder and it is genetic. There are several forms of Bipolar, but they can be controlled with medication. Bipolar disorder is not very common in children with Asperger’s but can show symptoms.

People with Asperger’s syndrome show marked deficiencies in social skills, tend to have restricted patterns of behavior, interests and activities.

It is not hard to diagnose one from the other. They are not really similar. But, there is a connection between bipolar and Asperger’s syndrome. Someone with Asperger’s syndrome may also throw temper tantrums or have meltdowns as people with Bipolar have extreme emotions. The reason is that the neurotransmitter serotonin is low in both cases. Many people with AS have bipolar as a comorbidity or family members with bipolar. There are correlations of HFA and other disorders as well, such as dyslexia or hyperlexia because of the neuronal jumble that begins growing out of control in the first trimester gestation of the frontal lobe. Macrocephaly causes list autism first over other etiologies.

http://www.autism-world.com/index.php/2008/10/30/the-difference-between-bipolar-and-aspergers-syndrome/

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About the Author:
The webmaster of www.autism-world.com
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Can Animals, Like Dogs Or Cats, Have Autism?

News Elf — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 20:14:34 +0000

Research has found out that animals think the way like autism savants. Even some people with autism claimed that their thinking processes are like an animal’s. Animals are visual thinkers, they store their memories with pictures. In other words, animals make visual associations, just like autistic people. Fear is the most important emotion in animals, especially prey animals as sheep or horses. Fear is also the main emtion in autistic children.

Since animals and autism savants have those things in common, they seem to be more easy to understand each other, and make friends. Probably this is why they use animals as a treatment of autism, animal therapy, including service dog therapy, dophin therapy, horse-riding therapy and so on. Children are always happy to be with these cute animals.

So, according to all these similarties between animals and people suffer from autism, we could be very curious, is it possible that dogs or cats or horses can have autism? Well, some dog’s owner found that his dog has entirely shut down within itself and is no longer able to communicate or play with others. And they also show plenty of autistic behaviors, for example, repeating movements, not responding to their names, avoiding eye contact, developing deep trance states. For a cat, it paces endlessly in a ritualistic way.

In brief, pet animals showed autistic behaviors because of the lack of attention, which is called “Attention Energy”. Animals need this attention energy to keep normal and alive. Once the attention they achieve is much too little, they would develop autism-like behaviors for the sake of attention.

Therefore, to solve this problem, and put autism-like dogs or cats back to normal, you need to spend more time with the pet, let it feel the warmth of love, play with it with caring concerns. In conclusion, pets need attention and love just like children. If you don’t give them enough, they will get “sick”. Just think about it, you are the most important person in its life, but, it is far from the most important thing to you. It’s an unequal relationship in the first place. So, give the animal more love!

http://www.autism-world.com/index.php/2009/11/06/can-animals-have-autism/

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About the Author:
The webmaster of www.autism-world.com
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New Warning About Everyday Poison Linked to Alzheimer’s, ADHD, and Autism

News Elf — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 21:49:06 +0000

Dr. David Ayoub is a radiologist and a physician, and has become a specialist on the additives and preservatives used in vaccines. He was a presenter at the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) Conference in Washington D.C. last year.

Here he discusses the practice of using aluminum as an adjuvant, and why he believes aluminum may be far more toxic than thimerosal in vaccines.

Dr Mercola’s Comments

Dr. Ayoub was, as many of you are, very concerned about mercury (thimerosal) in vaccines for a number of years, and attended a number of autism conferences that featured physicians who were highlighting the dangers of mercury.

However, a few personal encounters heightened his interest in another toxic metal frequently used in vaccines, namely aluminum.

Parents of autistic children kept pointing out the fact that their children’s heavy metal toxicity profiles showed high amounts of aluminum, and they wanted to know what that meant.

Secondly, a well respected nutritionist who deals with industrial aluminum toxicity showed him toxicity profiles of middle school children who had ADHD. In his estimate, 90 percent of the children in one particular school had developed ADHD during the course of a single year, and their toxicity profiles showed massive amounts of aluminum.

In addition, he did a pilot study with Dr. Usman, who treats autism with biomedicine, and when he evaluated the aluminum burden of these autistic children, he found that high percentage of them also had very high aluminum burdens.

All of these events led him to look deeper into the aluminum issue, which we discuss at length in this interview.

Why is Aluminum Used in Vaccines?

Mercury (thimerosal) exposure has declined significantly since it was eliminated from the single-dose vials of most childhood vaccines, yet autism rates have continued to skyrocket. This has led many to assume that mercury isn’t a problem, and anyone questioning the safety of vaccines is considered to be a hysterical wingnut.

However, while mercury use has decreased, the use of aluminum additives has increased!

Aluminum, like any other adjuvant, is added to the vaccine in order to boost the host’s immune response to the antigen. The antigen is what your body responds to and makes antibodies against (the virus being injected). By boosting your body’s immune response, the vaccine manufacturer can use a smaller amount of antigen, which makes production less expensive.

Interestingly enough, according to Dr. Ayoub, even our modern medical literature admits that how this happens exactly is still a mystery. And it’s not a consistent finding. He mentions a couple of studies on the more recent HPV vaccine, which found that the aluminum adjuvant had no effect at all on the immune response…

So, although aluminum is frequently added to vaccines for this particular purpose, no one knows with any degree of confidence that it actually makes a more effective vaccine.

Is Aluminum a Heavy Metal?

Aluminum is by many considered to be a heavy metal. However, based on the Periodic Table, it’s just shy of a heavy metal. So it’s called a “light metal.”

But regardless of its precise classification, aluminum is in the metal grouping, and it’s a common compound.

You will find aluminum in the earth’s crust, and in air, soil and water. However, although aluminum is a common, “natural” substance, it’s important to realize that it has absolutely no biological role inside your body.

In fact, we already know that aluminum is a poison.

Which Vaccines Contain Aluminum?

Many vaccines contain aluminum, including:

* Hepatitis A
* Hepatitis B
* DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis)
* Hib vaccine
* Pneumococcal vaccine
* Gardasil (HPV vaccine)

This is NOT an all-inclusive list, however. Your best bet is to read through the package insert of each vaccine in question.

You can find a comprehensive list of approved vaccines on the FDA’s website, with links to each package insert.

The amount of aluminum in each vaccine will vary. However, according to Dr. Ayoub, it’s important to realize that the toxicity is not entirely dependent on dose, but also on how it’s distributed in your body.

For example, a small dose released rapidly from the injection site into your body can cause a rapid rise in blood aluminum levels. So a small dose released quickly may be much more toxic than a large dose that ends up staying longer in the tissue at the injection site.

The variables of personal differences and differences in how the injection is given are too numerous to count, and they may play a role in how toxic a shot ends up being once injected into your body.

How Much Aluminum is Your Child Getting Through Vaccines?

Dr. Ayoub has identified one vaccine in particular as being one of the absolute worst in terms of aluminum content – Pediatrix. It’s a combination vaccine, which contains 850 mcg of elemental aluminum.

The average aluminum content per vaccine ranges between 200 to 400 mcg. Others contain less, such as Prevnar, which has 125 mcg of aluminum.

Adding to the problem, however, is the fact that many children end up receiving multiple vaccines at a time. In effect, children are getting concentrations of aluminum that are 10 to 20 times higher than mercury.

Based on the number of vaccines given, children today are receiving 17 shots that contain aluminum, compared to four vaccines in the 1970s into the mid-80s. According to Dr. Ayoub’s calculations, the milligram dose of aluminum received has more than doubled in that time.

This can have significant implications, as aluminum is not only toxic in and of itself, but it also impairs your body’s ability to excrete mercury, and it impairs glutathione synthesis. As a consequence, aluminum will make whatever amount of mercury you have in your system even more toxic.

Remember, you and your children are exposed to mercury from other sources as well, not just vaccines. Fish and amalgam dental fillings are two major sources of mercury exposure as well.

Problems with the Legal Limits on Aluminum

In the U.S., the FDA sets the guidelines for what and how much aluminum is allowed in vaccines. According to the FDA, the maximum amount of allowable elemental aluminum is 850 mcg per vaccine.

Clearly, it makes a major difference if this amount is injected into a small infant or an adult, but the FDA makes no distinction to that effect.

In fact, when Dr. Ayoub dug deeper into the FDA regulations on aluminum, he discovered that the limitation of 850 mcg per vaccine is based on the effectiveness of the adjuvant role of aluminum and has nothing to do with limitations based on safety whatsoever!

Shocking?

Yes! But not surprising, at this point.

However, it may be wise to keep this fact in mind, as those who argue that the amounts of aluminum in vaccines is a “legally safe dose” are really just citing a regulatory guideline that is based solely on the efficacy of the vaccine, and NOT based on any safety data whatsoever.

Approach to Treatment and Prevention of Aluminum Toxicity

1) Avoid/minimize exposures

* Test drinking water with and without filter
* Avoid cooking with aluminum utensils/pans
* Never store food in contact with aluminum
* Use non aluminum baking soda, deodorant, toothpaste
* Avoid aluminum-containing vaccines, or separate multiple aluminum- containing vaccines by 2-4 weeks, only take single formulas/shots
* Avoid drinks in aluminum pouches/cans, especially if they contain citrates/ascorbates which enhance aluminum absorption
* Take vitamin C and fruit juices on an empty stomach
* Minimize exposure to calcium carbonate-containing medicines

2) Testing for body levels

Blood aluminum only useful in cases of large, acute exposures (i.e., acute vaccine reaction) for chronic exposures: hair analysis, post-provocative (EDTA or DFO) urine metals, urinary porphyrin testing

3) Treatment of deleterious actions of chronic aluminum exposure maintain normal serum vitamin D levels

* Melatonin has powerful antioxidant properties and is particularly depleted from aluminum exposure
* Curcumin
* Supplements or foods that dirve the methylation process (methionine cycle), i.e., B6, B12, folic acid, folinic acid, etc
* Natural chelation like cilantro pr supplements or foods that drive

Medial Chelation:

Calcium disodium EDTA pulls lead and aluminum. It is also contaminated with aluminum, as many calcium-containing products are. Oral dose is easiest but rectal suppository is available.

(Detoxamin) and may have the added benefit of low absorption of the aluminum contaminant that requires iron-transport system found mostly in small bowel as opposed to the rectum. Intravenous EDTA can be used by healthcare professional.

Medical chelation has been performed for many years using deferoxamine (DFO). This is a potent chelator for iron and aluminum and has been used mostly by nephrologists in treating aluminum toxicity from oral phosphate binders once used in patients with chronic renal failure. This is potent enough to reverse severe acute neurotoxicity from aluminum poisoning but has potential serious side effects and can only be used by a physician..

Learn More About the Health Implications of Aluminum!

I strongly urge you to listen to the interview with Dr. Ayoub in its entirely to learn more about the dangers of this common vaccine adjuvant. Clearly, aluminum stands poised to take over mercury as one of the worst offenders against health.

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.

“If you’re really worried a loved one with Autism might never truly enjoy life to the full – Then this may be the most critically important website you’ll ever read…
Essential Guide To Autism

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/achieving-selfcontrol-with-autism-1775924.html

Children With Autism & The Strain On Marriage

News Elf — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:28:52 +0000

Unfortunately, in our times, many marriages end in divorce or separation. This statistic is even higher when you mix in the autistic child. No matter how love and understanding, both of you, ask the child, the truth is that autism is a complex issue, and the load on the marriage is not uncommon.

Trying to remain positive about the situation in order to enjoy your marriage healthy, you and your husband to avoid marital problems and hopefully survive the difficult times to raise children with autism.

Why did you marry a husband or wife? This question can often focus on the good things in your marriage. Raising a child with autism is stressful, and so stressed, you tend to grab the other person for errors smaller. Instead of these bad qualities, take the time to come together as you like in the beginning of the relationship. This may at some time with their children. If you learn that your child is autistic, it is advantageous to you and your spouses are not only ?two people who meet your child. Grandparents, aunts and uncles, brothers, baby sitters, or good people of your child’s life in the most intimate way possible. Thus, even with your partner as possible.

Working with your partner, to help your child, rather than fighting each other. E ‘may have different ideas about what to do in certain situations, willing to compromise and professional advice before making decisions is always caring for the child. By working together, to remind you that your child the best opportunities. Try to set aside time each week together as a family, especially if the parents or other primary health care.

Complate story >>>>

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/children-with-autism-and-the-strain-on-the-marriage-1711358.html

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.

Miaranda Raines has worked as a counsellor with various organisations and has helped a large number of individuals. Her articles are an outcome of her own experiences in the field and are enlightening.
www.beachstherapy.com.au

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/about-asperger-syndrome-1674932.html

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

Animal Therapy for Autism

News Elf — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:31:44 +0000

Dolphins are one of the most intelligent animals in the world. Researchers found out that they can help people who suffer from neurological disorders, especially autistic children. Dolphin therapy is claimed to increase speech and motor skills of children with autism, however, it’s still a controversial topic.

Dolphins are popular in human culture because of their friendly appearance and loveable attitude, in Greek myths, dolphins are helpers of the Minoans, messengers of Poseidon. Recently, Dr. Ken Marten at Sea Life Park in Hawai’i demonstrated that dolphins can recognize themselves in mirrors, and, they are also sentient, fully conscious, with complex language of their own. Nowadays, Dolphins are among the most popular choices of animal-assisted therapy for children with autism, Down’s syndrome, depression and other developmental disabilities and psychological problems. In dolphin assisted therapy (DAT) programs, kids on the Autism Spectrum could swim with dolphins in natatorium, and having lessons on land. Commonly, kids are delighted to pet and play with dolphins, but there is no scientific evidence to prove that the dolphin therapy is effective.

“It provides me with hope, more than anything,” said Omar Ramos, whose son, John-Ross, has autism. “I want my child to be able to experience a lot of different things, and so it gives me a lot of hope, especially when I see him being able to do stuff in the water or with the dolphin, even with a computer.”

Many children would enjoy playful interaction with a dolphin, however, dolphin therapy can not “cure” autism as other therapies. But, it can make kids happy, so it’s still worth a try.

Service Dogs and Autism

First, do you really need an autism service dog?

Special trained dogs can help people with disability to become more independent, including people with autism. For adults and teens, an service dog is much more practical, because they are capable of handling the dog by themselves. At the same time, it doesn’t mean that autistic children cannot have service dogs, on the contrary, they could benefit kids with autism in a lot of ways. For example, if the child doesn’t come or respond when called, the dog can help you find him/her quickly, especially in school or other public places. Also, the dog could help the child become more social with their peers. These are the bright side of an autism service dog, but, you have to look at the dark side also to make an final decision. The dark side is that the child cannot take care of the dog, the parent have to look after the dog, too. And the fee of an autism service dog is very high. Besids, a dog has about the same intelligence as a three year old, would you trust a three year old with the care of your child? Ok, all things considered, let’s suppose that you still want a dog, then you must pay attention to the following questions.

Second, what is the right Service Dog breed for autistic people?

These dog breeds are recommended for people on the autism spectrum, Newfoundland, bloodhound, border collie, Yellow Labs, golden retriever or other highly intelligent breed. Many large dogs are great with kid, gentle and peaceful. Try to avoid small dogs. I cannot say which breed is the best for children with autism, after all every autistic person is different. You may need to hire an animal behavioral consultant to pick up a dog with you and your child. You can choose several most gentle dogs and bring them outside to meet your child to see which one can socialize with her/him best.

Third, how to pick up an autism service dog?

Proper training is the key in an autism service dog. Official service dogs are strictly trained on how to behave with people. Also, the match of the personality of the dog and the child is very important.

Horseback riding therapy for autism

We came back from horseback riding therapy for autism. My daughters respite worker and a little old lady who works at the stable was leading her horse. The horse got spooked and took off running and it ripped the rieigns out of our respite workers hands and out of the little old lady?? hands who was leading the horse but it took longer for her to let go so the horse dragged her a few feet.

I was watching and screaming whoa, not that it did any good but I didn?? know what to do to get the horse to stop. It was very scary and I felt helpless because my daughter was on the horse as it took off running. She was laughing and enjoy the ride until his speed threw her from the horse. I was horrified as I watched her fly through the air. All I have to say is my little girl is one tough cookie.I thought she was going to get back up and say let’s do that again. She didn’t but she didn’t seem very effected by the fact that she had just gotten thrown from the horse but my respite worker was so upset she was crying because she felt it was her fault that my daughter got thrown. When my daughter saw her crying she began crying. So I right away went over to calm our respite worker down while my husband was on the ground with my daugther. I did feel that it was better for all of us to remain calm rather than get upset because it would be harder to find out if my daughter actually got hurt. She appears to be ok. I think she is going to be sore tomorrow but she was not affected much by that whole incident. But I have to say being the one standing on the sidelines watching it, it all looked very scary. We have one more week left of the fall sessions and I don’t know if I am going to go back.

They always tell the kids to keep their feet in the stirrups but I think that is scary to do that because if my daughters feet got stuck in those stirrups the horse would have dragged her as he raced around that barn. The other thing I don’t like is that the lady who runs it doesn’t seem to really understand autism at all. She talks to the kids like they totally understand everything she says and honestly my daughter can be as unpredicatable as that horse so I think this place needs to have a better understanding of autism and also their trained people should be leading those horses and those who know the rules of the barn so that they don’t spook the horse but us parents who know nothing about horses are out there leading them. It just seems way too dangerous of a combination. She tried telling me that this has never ever happened but I find that hard to believe. The horses they are using seem old and tired out. None of them wanted to trot. Thank God she is Ok.

The webmaster of www.autism-world.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/animal-therapy-for-autism-1539315.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 …

Recognize Early Signs Of Autism

News Elf — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:34:00 +0000

Here at Autism.News-Elf.com, we make it a point to keep our eyes open for the great content that will help you learn about or deal with Autism in your life. Today, we have a video we felt was helpful…

How to Recognize the Early Signs of Autism

Know the early signs of autism and check to see if your child exhibits them.

Latest Autism News Across The Globe

News Elf — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:00:01 +0000

The Autism-Vaccine Controversy: Special Needs Living: Toddler …

This week, CafeMom aurorabunny talks about the vaccination debate and how it can divide the special needs and parenting communities. Each week in Special Needs Living, aurorabunny, mom to 3-year old Brody, who has autism, …

New Autism Website Launched | Isle of Wight News:Ventnor Blog

A new website on the Island will help those affected with autism.

Bill to reform insurance coverage for autism reemerges

Currently, insurance companies do not have to cover Applied Behavioral Analysis Thereapy — ABA — for children with autism. A bill prefiled by Representative Dwight Scharnhorst of Manchester would change that. …

Special Moments, Gratitude and Autism | autisable

Our blog, Cookie Talk, is a confectioners mix of recipes, facts, ideas, and fun. We’ll share DIY crafts with kids (using cookie cutters) and baking ideas. Mothering Autism is my personal blog about my children, family, finances and the …

Whose Planet Is It Anyway?: Hard Times for Autism Speaks

It appears that Autism Speaks may be feeling the financial consequences of having chosen to use fear-mongering ads as a fundraising tactic, to fund research aimed at eradicating autistic people instead of giving families any meaningful …

AGE OF AUTISM: Katie Wright: Autism and Amanda Peet, By a Parasite

By Katie Wright After reading the inane interview with Amanda Peet (who referred to parents who veer from the vaccination schedule as “parasites” in Cookie Magazine earlier this year) in this month’s “Self” magazine, I was compelled to …

The Means to Know if Your Child has Asperger’s

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:50:09 +0000

Asperger’s Syndrome is a milder kind of autistic illness. The conditions are part of a larger cluster of neurological disorders known in the US as Pervasive Developmental Disorders, or PDD for short. Both are essentially described by illogical actuations and purposeful self-ostracism. There may be difficulty as well in vocalization and response actions. Your young one could also be specifically concentrated on a exact area of interest, for example cars or heavenly bodies. This powerful confinement of interest to the omission of everything else produce the self-ostracism. Any conversation is as well confined to that matter and nothing else.

Medicine has not as of today identified the actual reasons of autism and Asperger’s though they think the causes are physical. Disfigurements in the brain are considered to cause the disorder, but the means they come about is not known.

There is no authoritative examination for Asperger’s, but there are certain indications, including:
- Apparent lack of sociability shown by the succeeding: messed up nonverbal communication, failure to achieve by-age colleagues associations, non- participation in collective actions, inability to reciprocate communally and/or in terms of feelings
- repeated actuational or concentration activities like: abnormal level of interest in one or two certain areas, performing strictly particular processes of no use, cyclical actuations, such as hand or finger shaking, inordinate interest in parts of articles such as toys, no noticeable hindrance in learning the language, learns or identifies applicable toilette skills

The appearance of one or more of the above symptoms may direct your therapist to assume the tyke is affected with Asperger’s. Cure will center on communications, abnormal recurrent actuations and reaction ungainliness.

There aren’t any healing regimens for Asperger’s that will make it leave. Yet, by employing a blend of methods that tackle the three main manifestations of the condition (low interaction capacities, compulsive or repetitive actuations and body clumsiness); you can assist your kid live a fairly ordinary existenceYet, in dealing with the greatest indications of the disorder, the Asperger’s young person may keep a pretty – ordinary life

Therapy for autism can help deal with Asperger’s if you seek an expert therapist. There is no lone cure for this ailment, but cognitive behavioral therapists can be useful.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/the-means-to-know-if-your-child-has-aspergers-1515524.html

Autism Teaching Techniques – What to Remember When Teaching Autistic Children

News Elf — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:26:01 +0000

Good educators are those who assist children in autism achieve success. They should be able to help their pupils overcome autism.

Teaching autistic children is not recently limited on the patients; instructors must furthermore interact with the parents and more and more family members. Parents need to be aware of their children’s case and they must have special participation in the planning of the instructions and curriculum and in monitoring the progress of their child. If teachers let the parents do their share in the learning process, the child will get not just good school experience but also better and more productive learning experiences at home.

Here are some things teachers have to bear in mind when teaching children with autism:

1. Long strings or series of verbal instructions must be avoided. As a teacher, you must always bear in mind that autistic individuals find it hard to instill the sequence in their memory. So if he or she can read, just write down the instructions on a sheet of paper. If you are giving directions involving more than three steps, write them down.

2. Most autistic people are visual thinkers. Many people with autism think in pictures, not in language. So if you want to make them familiar with some words, use pictures to demonstrate such words to the child.

3. Autistic children usually get stuck on a certain subject such as maps or cars. Since fixations on some things just can’t be avoided, better utilize them to encourage school work.

4. Utilize concrete visual techniques to teach children with number concepts. In teaching autistic children with numbers, it would be better to use visual methods such as math toys.

5. Protect children with autism from sounds that usually hurt their ears. Loud sounds irritate autistic children, so protect them by avoiding things that produce such sounds. Don’t let the child have fear on the sounds he or she doesn’t like because it can make him or her behave badly. Autism Teaching Techniques

6. If the autistic child is hyperactive, let him wear a padded weighted vest. Such apparel help calm autistic children that’s hyperactive. The garment gives pressure that calms the person’s nervous system. It would be better to allow the child to wear the vest for twenty minutes and take it off for a few minutes. This way, the nervous system is prevented from getting used to the said outfit.

7. Most children with autism have troubles controlling the motor in their hands. It is for this reason that most autistic children have messy handwriting. Oftentimes, they find it hard to achieve good handwriting and this can totally upset them. So to avoid or at least lessen such frustration, better help the child find pleasure in learning by letting him or her type on the computer.

8. Make sure the child’s desk is near the window. Fluorescent lights and some visual distractions bother autistic individuals. So when teaching autistic children, avoid illuminating the room by means of fluorescent lights and let them sit near the window.

9. Children with autism are oftentimes good at art, drawing, and computer. If you notice that the child is good in a certain field, encourage them to use and improve their talents.

10. There are autistic children who easily learn how to read using phonics while some learn by memorizing the words. This is also an important consideration in teaching autistic children. Since they learn reading the easy way through the help of phonics, then teach them phonics rule. Don’t let your child suffer anymore! Lead your child out of his world through Autism Teaching Techniques program now!

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Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/autism-teaching-techniques-what-to-remember-when-teaching-autistic-children-1498558.html

Heavy Metals: The Unseen Killers

News Elf — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:06:19 +0000

Some startling facts are coming to light and leaving most of us grasping for breath. Never has the incidence rate of Autism been so high.

Never has so many children been at risk.

And thanks to one company’s diligent work with liquid activated zeolites, never has it been so easy to help detox and remove heavy metals without chelation. It’s painless, oderless, tasteless. It’s never been so easy to get those that need it most to consume it.

Types Of Autism – There Are 5 Different Types of Autism Disorders

News Elf — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:37:58 +0000

Author: Autism Advisor

Types Of Autism

Autism is a complex developmental disability amongst many distinct values of severity. Technically, there is one diagnosis that is Autism. People do but then refer to the Pervasive Developmental Disorders as disorders on the Autism spectrum or Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Autism Spectrum Disorders are developmental brain disorders that cause impaired social interaction, concerns amongst verbal and nonverbal communication, and unusual, repetitive, or majorly limited activities and interests. Autism is just one of uni different sorts of Autism disorders. Below are definitions and characteristics of the five different autism disorders.

Classic Autism: Autism is the second leading childhood developmental disorder and is considered the most severe of the different types of Autism disorders. People with Classic Autism develop language late, or not at all. People affected with Classic Autism have difficulties talking with other people or a profound lack of affection or emotional contact with others, an intense wish for sameness in routines, muteness or abnormality of speech, high levels of Visio-spatial skills, but major learning difficulties in other areas. Symptoms of autism usually appear during the first three years of childhood and continue throughout life. Autism is a spectrum disorder because the severity of impairment in each of these areas differs in each individual.

Aspergers Syndrome: A Person with Aspergers Syndrome can exhibit a variety of characteristics and the disorder can range from mild to severe. Children show deficiencies in social skill and have difficulties with transitions or changes. They compulsively cling to rituals and any changes in their routine can upset them. They have a great difficulty reading body language and determining proper body space. Some children with Aspergers Syndrome have reduced sensitivity to pain and an increased sensitivity to bright lights and loud noises.

With this type of Autism disorders they also have average or above-average intelligence. Childhood Disintegrative Disorder: Childhood Disintegrative Disorder includes severe regression in communication skills, social behavior, and all developmental motor skills. At the beginning these children seem perfectly normal. They start to regress at between ages 2-4 years. At that time these children stop socializing, lose potty-training skills, stop playing, lose motor skills and stop making friends. Types Of Autism

Rett Syndrome: Rett syndrome is a neurological and developmental disorder that mostly occurs in females and is marked by poor head growth. Loss of muscle tone is usually the first symptom. Other early symptoms may include problems crawling or walking and diminished eye contact. They stop using their hands to do things and often develop stereotyped hand movements, such as wringing, clapping, or patting their hands.

The inability to perform motor functions is perhaps the most severely disabling feature of Rett syndrome, interfering with every body movement, including eye gaze and speech. Infants with Rett syndrome seem to grow and develop normally at first, but then stop developing and even lose skills and abilities. Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified: This tends to describe people who have many or all of the different types of Autism disorders.

Children with PDDNOS either do not fully meet the criteria of symptoms used to diagnose any of the four specific types above, and/or do not have the degree of impairment described in any of the above four specific types. Don’t let your child suffer anymore! Lead your child out of his world through Types Of Autism program now!

About the Author:

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Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Types Of Autism – There Are 5 Different Types of Autism Disorders

Treatment of Autism – The Importance of Supplements That Many People Overlook

News Elf — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:59:02 +0000

Bringing you the best Autism Information available on the web today. Got this for you from Elliot Snow

Autism is kind of disorder that affects the social and behavioral skills of children. This syndrome usually manifests when the child is an infant, especially during his or her third birthday. The child with autism finds it difficult to communicate effectively and this is can be frustrating to those around, especially the parents.

Source: Treatment of Autism – The Importance of Supplements That Many People Overlook

Why It Matters if Jett Travolta Was Autistic

News Elf — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:08:25 +0000

Source: Kate Dailey
By Claudia Kalb

In the aftermath of his son Jett’s death, John Travolta told Bahamian police that Jett had autism. This according to police reports published by the National Enquirer (which, while not the most respected news source, have gotten scoops on big stories. They also pay their sources, which helps them obtain documents like these). If true, this admission marks a long-awaited moment.

Hollywood types and autism advocates had been speculating about Jett’s condition for years before the 16-year-old died in January. Critics accused the Travoltas, who are Scientologists, of denying their son’s condition and, possibly, denying him appropriate care. Many of them went as far as diagnosing Jett themselves. On one site, a user posted a YouTube clip of the Travolta family in the streets of Paris. Labeled, “Video proof of Jett Travolta’s autism,” the clip showed what the user claimed were tell-tale signs of autism, including the “100 Mile Look.” Despite all the chatter, the Travolta’s insisted that their son had Kawasaki Disease, an inflammation of the blood vessels. Even after his death, they never mentioned autism.

Why does it matter now? Over at Gawker, the commenters are decrying the site’s decision to publicize the news as an “in your face, Scientology!” kind of expose. Says commenter user_21938, “There are plenty of other opportunities to highlight the flaws and idiocy of Scientology. You can afford to leave the Travoltas alone.”

This alleged statement is important—but not because it exposes a supposed inconsistency in Travolta’s faith. The autism world is filled with controversies: over vaccines, over treatments, over diagnostic labels. The uproars cause infighting, the infighting stalls progress. If Jett was autistic, at least the Travolta hoopla—which consumed a significant amount of time and energy in certain circles of the autism world—can come to an end.

Consensus on Jett’s diagnosis could inspire some much-needed kindness and support in the autism world, for both the Travolta’s and for the entire autism community. Travolta also has star power, of course, and his acknowledgment, no matter how private, could help eliminate the rampaging stigma that too often accompanies the condition.

Something good should come out of Jett Travolta’s tragic death. In this case, a public acknowledgment of autism—along with the end of some nasty, speculative, counter-productive infighting—might just be it. It would raise awareness and put a face to the disorder: the face of a young man who was loved not for his diagnosis, but for who he was.

Autism In Cambodia, A Ray Of Hope

News Elf — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:46:10 +0000

Vetta’s life was hard from the start. As a mere infant he was abandoned on the streets of Cambodia. He was subsequently taken to an orphanage where he grew up lacking fundamental support. He became aggressive when something frustrated or angered him, erratic. He would bang his head, spin and twirl objects, and rock back and forth for comfort. Those caregivers in the orphanage, could not understand him, they would hit him, swear at him, call him crazy. Many things scared Vetta, other children, other people. He would push away from people, hide. To make matters worse, Vetta seemed unable, or unwilling to speak.

Vetta is not crazy, Vetta has autism. And in developing nations, developmental delays and neurological disorders such as autism are often significantly misunderstood. Those with such disabilities are some of the most marginalized and at-risk groups in Cambodia. Children such as Vetta, are often abandoned or, if not abandoned, hidden away in their homes without education, therapy or friends. Treated like animals.

But in a place like Cambodia, and in an environment of poverty, misunderstanding and such difficulty, there is nonetheless hope. This hope comes from a nonprofit institution called Hagar International which operates a facility called “House of Smiles.” Along with educational support, these children receive physical and occupational therapies, along with participating in cooperative programs designed to facilitate mainstreaming opportunities, such as the programs at the Takhmao School located just outside Phnom Penh where this school’s over 1500 students are “buddied up” with special needs peers.

For Vetta, the House of Smiles program and the therapy it provides him has taught him how to begin to speak, and he is becoming more independent and involved in the community. He smiles more, enjoys greater mobility, has learned to read and live with greater independence and dignity within the community.
For all those benefiting from this small nonprofit organization program, the goal is reintegration into society. Now 17 years old, Vetta continues his education and support with House of Smiles and has even found a foster family.

Hagar’s House of Smiles program, demonstrates that in developing nations, and impoverished financial circumstances, people’s lives are being changed for the better. Those once hidden away are being helped, integrated into society, and taught the skills that allow them to seek their own happiness.

Brian Field is the co-founder of the Autism Support Network and National Autism Examiner

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.

Source: Health and Fitness: Autism Articles from EzineArticles.com

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!

Click Autism Causes and Symptoms to learn top secrets of Autism Symptoms and Signs. You will truly be shocked with the secrets contained in these links all for free!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elliott_Snow
http://EzineArticles.com/?Autism-Strategies—Living-With,-Loving-and-Caring-For-a-Sufferer-of-the-Condition&id=3181296

Autism Cure For Children – Does One Really Exist?

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

There are thousands of families across the globe who have children born with autism, and they are all looking for the best autism cure. Just imagine if you had a child and then suddenly realized that your child is slow on comprehension, won’t look you in the eye, and has mood swings which are confusingly daunting.

Source: Health and Fitness: Autism Articles from EzineArticles.com

Symposium Raises Awareness Of Specialists And Pediatricians About GI Disorders In Autism And Identifies Critical Areas For Further Study

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

Autism Speaks, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) will host one of the largest gatherings of researchers, clinicians and pediatric specialists to better understand the gastrointestinal (GI) problems in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Source: MedWorm: Autism

How to Detect Autism Early On In Life

News Elf — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:26:00 +0000

No parent wants to contemplate that their child may be suffering from autism, a devastating developmental disorder that is anticipated to affect more than one in 150 children in the United States. The affliction is thought to affect children from birth or the very first few months of life, and typically results in an abnormal development in the areas of language and communication, activities, and social interaction. Whilst there is no cure for autism, there are very many different therapies and procedures available to help mitigate its effects; early diagnosis is very important.

As it is often very difficult for parents to analyze the intricate behaviors of their newborn child, it is also extremely difficult to determine whether the child is autistic or not. As all aspects of behavior are still quite immature in babies, including the ability to communicate, to establish relationships and to be involved in normal day-to-day activities, it can take quite a bit of time to identify deviations from what is considered normal. There are also a wide variety of symptoms, other factors and possibly other illnesses present, further complicating the ability to diagnose. Unfortunately, if autism is present in a child with exceptional mental ability, unusual behaviors or other related abnormalities might easily be dismissed.

While there still isn’t any absolute cure for autism, its cause also remains completely unknown. Most specialists think that prenatal damage to the brain is the most probable cause. Also, some experts think that the condition isn’t actually present at birth, while others think that it’s caused by external factors, such as the introduction of certain chemicals during routine vaccinations.

The incredible importance of the early identification of autism can’t be over-stressed. Should behaviors deviate far from the normal pattern of development, treatment and adjustment may be difficult. Often, the child may resist any efforts to change their behavior. It is rather unusual to achieve a diagnosis of autism before the age of two years. Thus, many experts are calling for specialist training to be given to primary care workers and family doctors, to enable them to recognize signs at the earliest possible age. Parents, especially those with no other children, do not know what to expect and can often not judge whether or not the baby is developing “normally”.

Studies have shown that there are likely two distinct types of autistic infant. On the one hand, there is a very quiet and undemanding child and on the other hand a very troubled baby who cannot be pacified and exhibits tantrums and behavior outbursts. The child may show aggression, anger, or may kick or hit others or animals. Other behaviors may be displayed, such as banging heads, constantly rocking back and forth, or scratching at blankets. The child may be fascinated by shiny objects yet appear to be disinterested in the majority of regular stimulants – objects or people.

During a clinical study of 28 cases dealing with autistic symptoms in very young children, a 1990 study suggested that it is possible to recognize autism in infancy. In particular, three areas should be observed.

Gaze: the study suggests that the infant will exhibit an unusual quality of gaze with this condition. The autistic baby will gaze only briefly and out of the corner of its eye.

Hearing: the autistic child will very likely not be deaf, but will exhibit symptoms as if it were. Very loud noises usually cause no reaction, but repetitive or unusual, brief sounds may invoke a lot of interest. This is potentially tied to perception abnormalities.

Social Relationships: in general, young babies tend to exhibit a particular interest in play, whilst babies with autism may show a complete lack of interest in this area and may shy away from social interaction with others. The autistic infant will likely not be easily stimulated, have a short attention span or may not show an interest in playing baby games, enjoy interaction with others or engage in communication with peers; this may be the primary pointer for parents to consider.

Early intervention remains the key to help improve the long-term prospects for the suffering child. It is important that health professionals who specialize in pediatrics understand and observe the potential characteristics and help parents to accurately diagnose and plan for the future.

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!

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.

Discover Autism – A Wide Range Of Therapy Programs

News Elf — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 10:38:48 +0000

Unfortunately, an actual cure for autism, a disabling neurological disorder, has yet to be discovered. Affected children can grow up suffering from speech impairment, difficulties in social interaction, abnormal learning and an inability to enjoy many of life’s experiences which we all take for granted. It has been shown that early diagnosis and intervention can help to minimize the problem and therapies can give the unfortunate patient a certain measure of independence and show him or her how to cope.

There are quite a few options available within a broad range of top notch therapy programs. Treatment is very much dependent on an individual’s needs and most professionals agree that it is best started no later than the age of two. Occasionally, a variety of simultaneous treatments and programs will produce optimum results, but it should be understood that the condition usually requires treatment for the entire life of the patient, and because of this time scale, the caregiver should be as flexible as possible within the chosen approach.

In most instances, treatments and therapy programs can be split up into four separate domains – behavioral, supplemental, dietary and medical. Some of these represent established programs, whilst others are experimental and it is important to remember that there are a lot of avenues to explore as the chase for the definitive cure goes on.

Behavioral therapies deal with modification techniques, to assist the patient to gain job skills and to enable them to function in their environment. For instance, Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA, covers the teaching of skill oriented activities. In this practice, patients are rewarded as they learn enjoyable skills, and as their behavioral skills continue to develop. This is a highly structured program, with intensive one-on-one interaction between a child and a therapist. This particular type of treatment is usually considered to be the most effective by experts, but many critics still feel that the approach is overly “robotic”, and that it doesn’t really encourage the child to be spontaneous while they’re trying to adapt to the world around them.

As opposed to applied behavior analysis, pivotal response therapy is considered to be more natural, taking place in a more relaxed environment, and supporters of this method believe that this approach can trigger a ripple effect to other behaviors, achieving a better all round result.

With supplemental therapies, it seems that many individuals with autism respond quite favorably to sensory stimulation. Patients are encouraged to hold objects with various textures or listen to music, for example. The Tomatis approach utilizes the playing of a loop of music, for several hours each and every day, in the hope of improving the child’s attention and concentration.

Language programs are of the utmost importance. Sometimes a program is introduced enabling patients to interact through the use of visual stimulants, such as pictures, enabling the child to communicate wants and needs through image exchange.

When it comes to dietary therapies, some professionals advocate that children with autism should be placed on special diets, basically casein or gluten free. Studies have shown that a high percentage of children with the affliction suffer from chronic gastrointestinal issues. Gluten, found in wheat products, and casein, found in milk products, are the culprits. Whilst this form of treatment calls for significant dietary control, many other experts caution against its’ effectiveness.

Medical treatments for autism include the use of vaccines and some more, particularly controversial therapies, including chelation, which involves the injection of a form of acid into the blood to remove or improve metabolic functioning. Others advocate the use of antidepressant drugs such as Prozac to treat certain behavior problems associated with autism, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder or to help in controlling tantrums.

Autism is diagnosed in approximately one out of every 150 children. It is generally accepted that early diagnosis and intervention is crucial to enable the child to gain social skills, behavior skills and experience a release from isolation.

Bonita Darula is know internationally for her extraordinary insights into the prevention of autism, and due to this tireless dedication, her highly acclaimed materials have been able to bring a brilliant ray of light into the lives of thousands of people from around the World. If you’d like to explore some of the secret truths about autism in its early stages, take a few minutes to visit – and learn more today!

How can we Fully Define The Difference Between Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome?

News Elf — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 04:38:25 +0000

At this point, many experts still disagree about a clear definition – the actual difference between autism and Asperger’s syndrome, which seems to be a matter of degree, mostly dealing with communication issues. Autism is known as a “spectrum” illness, as it has a wide variety of symptoms and associated conditions, the most common elements involve poor or impaired social skills, a very narrow interest range and sensory problems.

The majority of autistic patients display very rigid behavior with fairly limited imagination. Generally, autism is characterized by extremely limited verbal and non-verbal communication skills, along with a difficulty in understanding or comprehending normal social relationships. When presented with a social interaction situation, for instance, they might seem to be indifferent or they may utilize repetitive functions or comments as a way of dealing with the issue. Their listening skills are usually poor.

Basically, Asperger’s syndrome can be thought of as a less extreme form of autism. While the characteristics of the base illness remain, individuals with Asperger’s syndrome seem to be relatively good at expressing themselves, can have average or above-average IQ and will not always experience or display learning difficulties. As a result, it is often not possible to diagnose the syndrome until after the child is at least five years old. You may notice subtle signs, however, such as the tantrums daily routine, which is often a way for the Asperger’s child to exhibit serious frustration and can be far more noticeable and severe than if it were exhibited by a healthy child.

It’s important to remember that children with autism almost always suffer from severe communication difficulties, while individuals with Asperger’s syndrome are much better at communicating through speech, but they still find communicating in social situations to be quite difficult.

Some experts define Asperger’s syndrome as simply autism with a functioning language, whilst others believe that they are two distinct issues. Autism, they say, is a left brain illness, whilst Aspergers is an affliction of the right brain. It may be possible to help differentiate between the two by observing early communication skills. For example, monitor your child’s development each year and see whether he or she has the correct range of language at that age.

An Asperger child often becomes obsessed with things, and this can range from statistics to obscure or little known facts. As this obsessive behavior can sometimes take over control, it can lead to impaired development within the social arena. Many experts believe that children with autism can improve and take on the characteristics of children with Asperger’s syndrome and become virtually indistinguishable in comparison.

It is very important to conduct individual assessments and correctly diagnose your toddler, as there’s a very wide range of individual disorders within the overall spectrum. Some children might require very specialist care for extended periods of time, whilst others may successfully be integrated within a mainstream school. The debate will no doubt continue as experts try to more fully define the difference between autism and Asperger’s syndrome.

Autism Spectrum Disorder can be Diagnosed at a Very Early Age

News Elf — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:42:02 +0000

While quite a few children have delays in one developmental area or another, there are several specific signs that parents can attempt to identify as their child nears certain predetermined age milestones, as a fairly accurate means of correctly diagnosing autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Some areas to watch closely include motor skills, speech, spatial memory and repetitive behavior.

Within the first year of development a baby should be showing some activity, such as crawling and standing with some support. There is some communication, usually single words intertwined with baby babble. A one-year old generally interacts with others, like waving goodbye, grasping for something they want and other little gestures. Not all babies progress on the same time schedule, but some of the first signs of autism begin appearing at the end of the first year. They include a lack of eye contact or a blank look and stare, as well as certain repetitive behaviors, like rocking profusely.

Autism is often diagnosed around age two because that’s when most signs of the disorder become prevalent. Lack of eye contact and a lack of interest in others become more obvious. Any words which the toddler said previously are lost, and they stop pointing or using other forms of communication to indicate the things which they want. Other potential symptoms of autism include a lack of interest in creative or pretend playing and walking on their tips of their toes everywhere they go. Unusual behaviors also begin to occur, such as outbursts of hitting and banging heads repetitively. There could also be some difficulty in the toddler accepting potty training.

There are situations where a baby is progressing normally and then begins showing signs of autism. For instance, a child could suddenly stop talking or begin exhibiting unusual or repetitive behaviors. Evidence of autism characteristics can begin occurring between the ages of 2 and 4. During this time, any progress in development is generally lost and signs of autism become prevalent.

Between ages 2 and 5, a number of signs of autism develop, which enable parents and physicians to better diagnose autism spectrum disorder. For instance, the child has no interest in other children or people and instead becomes fixated with certain toys, games, or objects. They are not responding to vocabulary or any language skills and they work better when there is a routine or set order. When this routine is disturbed, anger often develops. At this age, an autistic child begins developing sensitivity to sounds, touch, and certain textures. As a result of sensitivity to smell and taste, they develop fussy eating habits. Children with early signs of autism are also unable to carry on a conversation, have a poor attention span and rarely make eye contact.

Often times, a child could show mild signs of autism that become more prevalent in pre-teen years. Young teens with autism sometimes have outbursts of laughter for no reason, or outbursts of crying without cause. These are referred to as self-stimulating outbursts.

Although there is no one test to diagnose autism, doctors rely on observing the child, developmental history and conversations with the parents. With early diagnosis and intervention, children showing signs of autism can get the therapy and treatment they need to ensure a better outcome as they grow older and enter adulthood.

ADHD: Important Information about Hyperactivity ADHD

News Elf — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 10:31:15 +0000

While not all children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are overly hyperactive, the ones that are can be a handful. Just ask any parent with a hyperactivity ADHD child to describe their experience and they would like say something along the lines of “I love my child but he/she has endless energy and seems to be driven by an internal motor that never stops”. Shortly after the explanation they normally collapse in a state of exhaustion.

Hyperactivity ADHD can be broadly described as someone who is frequently moving in some way. Even when individuals are seated they are likely to be tapping their feet or hands. Hyperactivity ADHD is most often seen in children rather than adults. This is because as time goes by hyperactivity has a way of morphing itself into more of an internal symptom with less outwardly noticeable symptoms. But make not mistake just because the symptoms are not as outwardly apparent, they are still there and should not be underestimated.

One of the tricky things about unusually active behavior is that most young children exhibit it on occasion. This isn’t necessary a sign that your child has hyperactivity ADHD. Most children outgrow this stage by the time they are 5. And even before then, most children have periods of time where they are able to sit quietly, such as during the reading of a bedtime story.

Overactive behaviors are so unpredictable in people that in one instance the symptoms may be obvious, and in another they may be almost totally camouflaged. Nevertheless there are a few obvious signs to look for when trying to determine whether you or your child has hyperactivity ADHD. They are the inability to sit still for any length of time, the never ending energy levels described above, poor temperament, constant or almost continual fidgeting, inability to stay seated, excessive climbing, struggles with playing quietly, nap time is talk time, and conversations that are random and seemingly never ending.

This condition makes it difficult to achieve one’s potential especially in structures environments such as classrooms or corporate settings. This may account to some degree for the stunning and worrisome statistic stating that 80% of children with attention deficit disorder underachieve academically.

When ADHD hyperactivity is paired with hostile and negative behavior it can create even bigger challenges. Statistics show that one in two ADHD children are hostile and negative and a smaller number engage in aggressive behavior towards people and have a propensity to violate important rules.

Despite the difficult challenges often times connected with hyperactivity ADHD it is important to realize that these actions are not voluntary. They aren’t the result of rebellious or bad behavior but a biological imbalance in the brain likely caused by the brain chemicals norepinephrine and/or dopamine.

What Next? When the symptoms of ADHD hyperactivity are identified finding help should be the number one goal. In this pursuit many parents of ADHD children and adults alike have found answers in the form of natural ADHD remedies. Whether you are worried about the side effects posed by prescription drugs for ADHD or you want to get to the root of the problem rather than just suppress symptoms, ADHD alternative treatment methods will deliver powerful, lasting results.

Rob D. Hawkins is an enthusiastic advocate for the use of natural health products and natural living with over 10 years
experience in the field.
Learn more about natural remedies and natural health at
Purchase Remedies.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/important-information-about-hyperactivity-adhd-1272833.html

Low Price Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Therapy For Autism Patients

News Elf — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 05:01:52 +0000

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or hbot, has delivered clear and positive results for many patients with brain injuries, internal wounds, cerebral palsy, and many other ailments. It has been proven that this method really works to heal brain conditions, whatever they may be. So there is no reason that the therapy would not work for a disorder like autism, which has stumped so many doctors before now.

Indeed, study results have shown that children who tried hyperbaric oxygen therapy using hyperbaric oxygen chambers improved dramatically over a period of even 11 daily treatments that lasted a half hour. The typical testing period was 40 initial treatments of 60 minutes. Afterward, children tended to have fewer outbursts and displays of rage, and those who were not able to communicate very well or thrive in a social environment became more skilled and comfortable.

Autism is a neuropsychological disorder that develops within a child’s first three years. It has a genetic basis, but the real causes of autism are still an unfortunate mystery. Its possible cures are also mysteries; experts have tried psychotropic medications, changing the patient’s diet, and many other different methods, but so far the treatment that has worked the best for the most people has been hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Hyperbaric chambers pressurize pure oxygen so that red blood cells and plasma carry more oxygen to the tissue in the body. This repairs damaged tissue, healing wounds and even restoring cells, for instance to the brain. Autism patients are especially helped by this aspect of the hyperbaric treatments.

Many doctors have not yet begun to specifically prescribe hyperbaric chambers or hbot, since the results because can be dramatically different for each patient. However, hyperbaric oxygen therapy are becoming more common as we see success stories emerge and patients who are willing to try hbot. It’s even easier to try hyperbarics recently; one doesn’t even need to go to a doctor’s office.

Hyperbaric chambers come in portable varieties that you can use in the comfort of your own home. Or, many doctors’ offices have chambers that will accommodate more than one person, so if the patient is nervous or claustrophobic, he or she can have company during the treatments.

Anyone can benefit from hbot. Those with insomnia, ADD/ADHD, diabetes, or memory loss can easily use hyperbaric treatments for a cure. If you are interested in researching hbot for your loved one with autism, please remember to contact your doctor before starting treatments.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or hbot, has delivered clear and positive results for many patients with brain injuries, internal wounds, cerebral palsy, and many other ailments. It has been proven that this method really works to heal brain conditions, whatever they may be, hbot brings hope. Especially and recently for children with Autism.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/low-price-hyperbaric-oxygen-chamber-therapy-for-autism-patients-1233427.html

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.

Visit and gain immediate download of social skills stories

www.autismsocialstories.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/autism-nonverbal-communication-skills-reading-faces-in-autism-1212583.html

Autism – The complete definition and cure

News Elf — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:57:24 +0000

Autism is a brain development disorder characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. The result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain, autism and its associated behaviors have been estimated to occur in as many as 1 in 600 individuals. Autism is four times more prevalent in males than females and knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries. Family income, lifestyle, and educational levels do not affect the chance of autism’s occurrence. The source of this autism is not well understood. The number of people known to have autism has increased dramatically since the 1980s, partly due to changes in diagnostic practice.

Parents usually notice signs in the first two years of their child’s life. Although early behavioral or cognitive intervention can help children gain self-care, social, and communication skills, there is no known cure. Not many children with autism live independently after reaching adulthood, though some become successful. An autistic culture has developed, with some individuals seeking a cure and others believing autism should be tolerated as a difference and not treated as a disorder.

Autism Effect on Child

Autism causes kids to experience the world differently from the way most other kids do. It’s hard for kids with autism to talk with other people and express themselves using words. Kids who have autism usually keep to themselves and many can’t communicate without special help.

They also may react to what’s going on around them in unusual ways. Normal sounds may really bother someone with autism — so much so that the person covers his or her ears. Being touched, even in a gentle way, may feel uncomfortable.

Kids with autism often can’t make connections that other kids make easily. For example, when someone smiles, you know the smiling person is happy or being friendly. But a kid with autism may have trouble connecting that smile with the person’s happy feelings.

A kid who has autism also has trouble linking words to their meanings. Imagine trying to understand what your mom is saying if you didn’t know what her words really mean.

Autism causes kids to act in unusual ways. They might flap their hands, say certain words over and over, have temper tantrums, or play only with one particular toy.

Autism kids don’t like changes in routines. They like to stay on a schedule that is always the same. They also may insist that their toys or other objects be arranged a certain way and get upset if these items are moved or disturbed.

If someone has autism, his or her brain has trouble with an important job: making sense of the world. Every day, your brain interprets the sights, sounds, smells, and other sensations that you experience. If your brain couldn’t help you understand these things, you would have trouble functioning, talking, going to school, and doing other everyday stuff.

Autism means fight for life time

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Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/autism-the-complete-definition-and-cure-1163884.html

I Think I Might Have ADHD – How Do I Know?

News Elf — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 03:54:46 +0000

‘I think I might have ADHD’ a colleague called Silvana once told me. We were sitting in the office and she confessed that she was an incurable multi-tasker. Now in the adult world, multi tasking is almost a positive trait in some working environments and is even encouraged. The only problem is that multi tasking may well be a convenient cover up for ADHD because it can sometimes mean that the person’s concentration or ability to stay on task is flawed. That means missed deadlines, inattention and inability to finish tasks. My colleague nodded and said some of those traits were certainly hallmarks of her work. The loss in terms of productivity is enormous yet ADHD in the adult world goes undiagnosed in many cases.

‘Apart from my multi tasking I think I might have ADHD’ Silvana repeated. This was going to be a long session and instead of telling her to go to the doctor (which I eventually did), we chatted for a few more minutes. She found that her mind wandered very easily so staying focused on any one task was a real problem for her. Also she tended to be impulsive and as a result her boyfriend had banned her from driving his car. In the office, she also had problems in getting down to a task .She also found that she was a bit oversensitive to remarks from colleague and could get upset at the slightest thing. There were also problems with being irritable.

‘But how do I know if I have ADHD?’, she demanded. ‘I cannot give you a diagnosis’ I said. She replied ‘I think I might have ADHD’. It was beginning to sound like a mantra! But I did wonder if she might be right. To cut a long story short, she eventually went to get a proper diagnosis and yes she did have ADHD.

The next problem was the treatment. Silvana was very much against psychostimulants and she had no intention of becoming a zombie although I did point that these medicines sometimes are effective in relieving symptoms like inattention and fidgeting but they come with a rather high price tag in terms of side effects and she concurred.

After three months, she breezed into my office waving a report she had managed to finish without even asking for an extension of the deadline. I asked her how she had done it and she told me that she had decided to take a homeopathic remedy for ADHD and she was getting results. She could focus so much better and there was less ‘chatter’ in her head and she was altogether on top of everything. If you think you might have ADHD, you can find out what treatment Silvana used by clicking on the link below.

Robert Locke is a Health enthusiast who specializes in Children’s Health. He has written extensively on ADHD. Discover what natural ADHD medications are available.
Smart parenting is the key to successful ADHD treatment and the problem child. Sign up for FREE Parenting tips on
problem children

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/i-think-i-might-have-adhd-how-do-i-know-1109910.html

Communication goals for children with autism

News Elf — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 10:52:54 +0000

One of the major issues reported by parents of children with autism is their child’s communication deficits. Autism is a developmental disorder affecting the brain of all autistic individuals.

All autistic individuals will have autistic social skills deficits in social, communication both verbal and non-verbal, plus interaction and imagination skills. The degree of autistic social skills deficits will vary between all autistic individuals.

Many parents report delayed speech in children with autism and in some cases language never develops, however recent figures show only 9% autistic individuals will not develop language.

For most autistic children deficits in communication both verbal and non-verbal can be helped through autistic visual supports. A significant number pf parents report benefits and progress with communication goals for children with autism using autistic visual supports such as autism social skills stories.

Those parents of children with autism using autism social skills stories as autistic visual supports to teach and enforce positive behaviors and social skills as well as benefit communication goals for children with autism have reported great success.

Social stories for communication deficits in autism are generally written by experts in autistic behaviors and development. Social stories are always written in the first person using appropriate language and from the autistic child’s point of view, normally visually rich they describe the skill or communication goals for children with autism, giving clear focus to the main points and social cues.

Children with autism are generally visual learners and will respond better to visual cues and prompts to learn communication skills and positive behaviors.

To learn more about how autism social stories benefit children with autism visit www.autismsocialstories.com

Gain immediate downloads of 100 autism social skills stories to teach and enforce positive behaviors and communication goals for children with autism.

Written by experts in autistic development and behaviors these social stories for communication deficits in autism have been used widely by many parents and educators with great success get more information and downloads from:

www.autismsocialstories.com

social stories help support positive behaviors as well as teach social and communication skills to autistic children and adults.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/communication-goals-for-children-with-autism-1107891.html

Autism non-verbal communication skills – reading faces in autism

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