Autism.News-Elf.com» Autism and Aspergers Info : It’s Becoming An Autistic World

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

Autism and the Swine Flu Vaccine

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Phil Le Breton is owner at Wholesale Nutrition. He has a strong interest in helping people achieve greater brain and body health. For more information about C-Salts, otherwise known as the best Vitamin C, or about other Vitamin C powder products, visit http://www.nutri.com where you can buy Vitamins and Supplements of the highest quality.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/autism-and-the-swine-flu-vaccine-1103849.html

SensoryNanny – Jan 23,2009

News Elf — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 17:00:00 +0000

Practical advice for parents raising children with autism, developmental delays, and sensory issues from an occupational therapist who also happens to be a mom who has “been there”.

parenting | autism | developmental delay | sensory processing | ADHD

Source: Blog Talk Radio

#23 Let’s Play! Recommended Toys to Encourage Language Development in Toddlers – Jan 22,2009

News Elf — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 23:00:00 +0000

Join pediatric speech-language pathologist Laura Mize and developmental interventionist Kate Hensler as they discuss information for parents of late talking children. In this episode we’ll talk about the best toys to promote early pretend skills in toddlers and young preschoolers.

Speech therapy for toddlers and preschoolers | developmental delays | autism in toddlers and preschoolers | apraxia in toddlers and preschoolers | helping toddlers learn to talk

Source: Blog Talk Radio

Sensory Nanny

News Elf — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 00:32:50 +0000

Source: Blog Talk Radio

#22 Let’s Play! – Part 2 Recommended Toys for Toddlers and Preschoolers with Language Delays

News Elf — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 00:32:46 +0000

Join pediatric speech-language pathologist Laura Mize of teachmetotalk.com and developmental interventionist Kate Hensler as they discuss information for parents of late talking children. In part 2 of Let’s Play, you’ll hear about how we use toys with children in therapy sessions to target language and cognitive skills.

Speech therapy for toddlers and preschoolers | developmental delays | autism in toddlers and preschoolers | apraxia in toddlers and preschoolers | helping toddlers learn to talk

Source: Blog Talk Radio

Sensory Nanny

News Elf — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 00:32:44 +0000

Source: Blog Talk Radio

#21 Let’s Play! Recommended Toys for Toddlers and Preschoolers -Teach Me To Talk with Laura and Kate

News Elf — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:32:41 +0000

Join pediatric speech-language pathologist Laura Mize of teachmetotalk.com and developmental interventionist Kate Hensler as they discuss information for parents of late talking children. This week we’ll discuss favorite toys and tell you how to use them to facilitate language development in toddlers and young preschoolers.

Speech therapy for toddlers and preschoolers | developmental delays | autism in toddlers and preschoolers | apraxia in toddlers and preschoolers | helping toddlers learn to talk

Source: Blog Talk Radio

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