Autism Spectrum - Know The Facts

Autism is a developmental disorder that can affect the way that the individual communicates as well as socializes. In addition, there are also language skills as well as motor skills involved. A child with autism spectrum may have high IQ's or they may be mentally disabled. People with autism can be very talkative or they may be silent, very affectionate or completely distant, very organized or very disorganized. There are so many autism spectrum disorders and a wide variety of symptoms accompany them too.

Because parents are more aware of autism spectrum who is more at risk of developing autism? Boys are more at risk for developing autism than girls are. If a child has a twin, chances are the other twin will also develop some degree of autism spectrum.

There are many different symptoms of autism and they each react differently on every individual. While two people may have the same symptoms, they will not have the same degree of symptoms. People are not able to predict how mild or severe autism symptoms will be.

Autism is usually discovered around the age of two but it can have an impact on a child as early as infancy. When a child doesn't develop through the age appropriate milestones like they should this may be an indication that something is not completely right and must be checked out by the doctor. Developmental milestones are simply a way that doctors and health care professionals along with parents can determine if their child is on the right track. If by the age of two a child is not talking or doesn't socialize properly then you may want to have him or her tested to see if they do have autism.

When a child suffers from autism spectrum disorders there are various social skills that may make up the severity of the disease. A person with autism may become completely withdrawn in a crowd while others may feel intimidated by large crowds but function fine in a classroom setting. Most autistic children will not make any eye contact while others can make eye contact to a teacher or parent but not to strangers.

Autism is misunderstood and can be passed off as behavioral problems however when it is diagnosed it can be something that can improve with time. Be patient, learn what you can, and love the person with autism even if you think they don't want love; they need it.

Your child's doctor will know what to look for and can test your child to see if autism is a factor or not. If your child has autism then he or she can begin treatment immediately and can learn to live with this condition. It is also important that the family learn to live with autism just the same. There are many times that family feels at fault for the condition however this does not help the child. It is only beneficial to work with the child and the rest of the family to create a stable home environment where the child can feel safe.

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

Original article

Embracing Loud Noise

And we officially feel better after over indulging on New Year's Eve. We had a great time celebrating and Jacob was well behaved for my sister in law as usual, who watched Jacob for us. We ended our celebration in our neighborhood at a local bar, which had a great rock band playing through the night. Since we've had a child, my wife and I haven't been to any rock concerts, so we forgot just how loud a rock band could get. When we got home, we were talking about something, quietly we thought, then Jacob asked, from his bed, " Why are you guys talking so loud?" It was only then I realised how loud my voice was. Then we thought about how a posting on loud noise could be of some importance to help give ideas to other parents. I've heard and read about other kids with Asperger's that are also affected by loud noise, so we thought that we should describe how loud noise affects Jacob.

We as parents have noticed that Jacob does have a couple issues with loud noise. Jacob doesn't like when people talk loudly, at all. If Jacob even thinks that people are arguing he'll begin yelling at them. Or, if Jacob is playing on the computer, and a few of us are having a conversation, Jacob will often cover his ears and begin yelling, "You're too loud!" Jacob can react this way even if we all begin to laugh out loud or giggle. To help with this, we find that the key is letting Jacob know what's going to happen. If we are going to watch a comedy, we find it best to let Jacob know that we're going to be laughing loudly. When we use this tactic, Jacob is more likely to respond to the laughter, by laughing himself. This is way better than yelling at us to be quiet, so we find it that an early warning works best.

Yet, when he's on the computer or the DS, he will often have the music or sound effects a little too loud. We don't usually make a deal about it, because it's not that loud and we want Jacob to explore louder music. We've offered Jacob a compromise by using earphones, but that is nearly impossible. At school recently, Jacob has used earphones to do a listening activity. They were the large, puffy ones, not the small ones that you insert into your ear. I've thought about getting a pair of earphones that are soft and puffy for Jacob to use at home, but I don't want to buy them if Jacob won't use them. We were ecstatic when we heard that he used earphones because I never thought he would at all. We love when Jacob tries something new and it shows that even though he has Asperger's, he is willing to grow and try new things.

Jacob also loves music and almost any kind. When commercials come on and music is playing, Jacob will sometimes sing or dance to a song he likes. I've heard him sing classical music and then rap in the same day. Shannon and I have got him a few musical instruments over the years, but his use of them is limited. It's too bad because we got Jacob a keyboard once and he began to compose music on it, but he won't use it anymore because it's too loud. He also received a guitar as a gift from a family member once. He would strum the guitar wildly and recite the alphabet, which was great once, but not 20 times over and over. We were even daring even to get Jacob a drum set. It wasn't a real set. It was one of those lap top drum sets by Paper Jamz. They come with preloaded songs and they have spots where you tap to make drum sounds. We thought this was great, but Jacob only used the drums once. It may however, be a great alternative for other parents. They're small and inexpensive and are just like the real thing, only without the immense size.

Jacob sometimes listens to music or watches videos on line. He loves when you type in an artists name and all their songs will drop down on the menu. He's even learned how to add song s to his favourites list. We bought Jacob a CD player a couple of years ago, he enjoys the idea, but Jacob is hesitant to handle CDs.

But if mom or dad are watching a video or listening to the radio, we have to be careful not to have them too loud. If we play music, even slightly over the acceptable sound level, Jacob will cover his ears, stomp into the room and begin yelling. So, we use our MP3 players more often now. Unfortunately for me, Jacob loves exploring my iPod. I have seen Jacob listening to my iPod, using the earphones, but not in his ears. He'll sometimes put the earphones no the couch, play music, then lean his ear over near the earphones to listen to the song. We're just happy he even uses those type of earphones at all.

Another interesting fact is that if we try to sing, or dance, or even hum, Jacob will get extremely upset. I don't know why we can't sing around Jacob. And good luck asking about it. Maybe it's because when Jacob gets mad I sometimes sing loudly. I guess it's better than getting mad about something. It's tough however, when you can't sing along with your favourite song. Sometimes, my wife and I will try to dance or sing without Jacob noticing, but Jacob doesn't like when we try and get one over on him. So we just go in the kitchen and sing.

The best thing about music for us is that you can almost tell what type of mood he's in by the type of music he listens to or plays. If he's happy he'll learn towards dance or something fast, if he's sad he might listen to something slow. Then if he gets mad, it's heavy metal all the way. By using this we can tell if Jacob is bothered by something or upset. And early intervention is the best way to avoid an outburst. Jacob's birthday is in March, so I think we should get him his own MP3 player. They're relatively cheap and they're pretty durable, but he's going to need a puffy set of earphones. Hopefully he enjoys them and if he doesn't, at least I'll get a new gadget to use.

Original article

Recognizing Autism in Its Earlier Stages

In order to properly recognize an autistic infant or child, you have to learn all you can about Autism and its indicators. This is referred to as a neural development disorder whose primary characteristics are social interaction and communication impairment. It is also characterized by behavior that is obviously repetitive or restrictive. According to a number of medical sources, the exact cause of the disorder is not clear. However, most physicians and other health professionals agree that it is genetically related.

The information processing ability of the person's brain is greatly affected because it alters or changes how the nerve cell synapses connect with one another and then organize themselves. What is not completely understood is how and why they do this. There are two other forms - Asperger syndrome and PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified) - that we find on the Autism spectrum and which are also of interest to the specialists that work with the disorder.

Signs that indicate Autism is present

Autism in children and infants manifests itself in three critical areas of development, namely behavioral, lingual, and social. Ironically, two children can have the identical diagnosis but display totally different actions and skill levels. The following will give you an idea of the warning signs in these three critical developmental areas.

The slightest change in common routines or rituals disturbing them. They develop specific rituals or routines early on and parts of an object (e.g. a toy car's spinning wheels) fascinate them and hold their attention for long periods of time despite the presence of any type of pain. They have an unusual sensitivity to light, sound, and touch. They make constant, repetitive movements (e.g. hand-flapping, rocking, and spinning) while never keeping still for any length of time.

The primary sign that their language development is not on track can b judged by the fact that they don't begin talking until around 2 years of age. They cannot converse well or keep any conversation going and they do not make eye contact whenever they are asking for something. They tend to lose previously acquired skills such as speaking words or talking in complete sentences. They repeat phrases verbatim without fully understand their meaning, speak in an abnormal rhythm or tone, while using robot-like speech or a sing-song style of voice.

Their social skills are diminished as they appear to be unaware of another child or person's feelings and sometimes it looks as though they do not hear you or are just ignoring you. They shirk eye contact if any is made at all. Most of them do not like being cuddled or held but like to be left alone to live in their own dream-like worlds. If you have a child that is displaying any of these types of behavior, you should make an appointment with your child's pediatrician so that they can examine and test them for Autism.

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

Original article

At What Age Does Autism Spectrum Disorder Begin?

Autism spectrum disorder can be complicated to diagnose because there are no set symptoms that everyone can look for. It varies from child to child and so does the severity. Each disorder has a range of symptoms that sometimes can imitate more than one condition. However, with a parent's awareness and a doctor's diagnosis, a child's autism spectrum disorder can be diagnosed and progress made.

Signs that Autism spectrum disorder should be suspected

If by the age of twelve months your child is not making cooing sounds or babbling like babies do by this age, you may want to mention it to your Pediatrician. Your child should be gesturing at the age of twelve months; pointing, waving hello or good-bye, grasping at toys or a bottle. When your child doesn't do any of these then you may want to talk to your Pediatrician by the time the child is twelve months old. By the age of sixteen months, a child should be able to say their first word.

This is a single word that is plain, simple, and easy to interpret however if your child does not say the word by this age then you may also want to mention it to your child's doctor to make him aware of it. He or she may want to send your child to a speech therapist to determine if there is something else causing the interruption in speech or if your child could possibly have the autism spectrum disorder. By the age of two, your child should be saying two-word phrases without assistance or without mimicking you. If your child has started talking but suddenly stops saying anything or suddenly has a change in their social skills no matter what age, then you need to mention that to your doctor.

So a child can begin developing symptoms of autism spectrum disorder as early as twelve months of age but the most common is around sixteen to eighteen months when you are sure that the developmental milestones are not being reached. Your child may not make eye contact with you by this age, may have trouble pretending to play, cannot imitate you, has delayed communication skills, cannot point to people, objects, or animals to have you look at what they see, or cannot show attention to anything.

By the age of three, autism spectrum disorder symptoms are easy to recognize and should be treated as quickly as possible to help the child understand and learn to live with the symptoms too. They will need support from their parents, siblings, family members, caregivers, teachers, friends, neighbors, and more. Autism spectrum disorders can control how the day goes for everyone in the house so its important to seek help as soon as you find out whether your child has it or not. If your child is suffering from autism, you need to team up with other parents who may have children who are dealing with autism as well.

When you notice that your child is not reaching developmental milestones then you need to make your doctor aware even if he or she does not think that anything is wrong. Keep a watchful eye on your child and when it is time for the next developmental milestone to be crossed he or she may catch up and make it however if they do not then your doctor needs to listen to your concerns because you are the one taking care of your child and you are his or her advocate.

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

Original article

Looking Ahead - Autism and Employment

"Why should we hire you?" "Where do you see yourself in five years?" "What is one of your weaknesses?" Job interviews can be a stressful and (in these times) difficult thing to come by. Interviewees on the autism spectrum can face additional and largely subjective hurdles. No matter how confident you are, job interviews can be an arduous task. After all, the employer most likely has your resume or pertinent job skills - so they are there to judge you, your personality and your ability to answer tough questions.

Employment in the autism community is a pressing social and economic consideration for all of us. According to one study by The National Autism Resource and Information Center, only 32.5% of young adults on the autism spectrum currently worked for pay versus an average of 59.0% for all respondents. There was only one disability group with a lower percentage than this. When you consider the unemployed searching for work, only 29% of those on the spectrum indicated that they were looking for work (as opposed 48% of typical individuals). Because these numbers are viewing all of "those on the spectrum," the vast majority of those working or looking for work are most likely more mildly affected by autism.

It's hard to quantify the impact of earning a living wage. The internal, psychological benefits associated with employment are more transparent. Realizing the outward, sociological benefits as well as the effects on others perceptions when it comes to autism in general, is another thing to consider. Like it or not, a large factor in our perception of others is based on their profession, trade skills or accomplishments. How many times have you used the ice-breaker, "What do you do?" to get to know someone. When an individual with autism (on any level of the spectrum) is gainfully employed, the publics' view on their capabilities and their general place in society may become more developed. Beyond these considerations, one must consider that over the lifetime of an individual with autism, costs associated with treatment and living arrangements can amount to over 3 million dollars.

In any job market, employers are usually choosing between several qualified candidates to fill their needs. Often times, candidates' attributes, awards, skills and non-job related interests become key factors in landing interviews. Imagine yourself as an employer browsing through dozens of resumes which all, more or less, are identical. A brief list of these skills or interests may just get your resume sorted into that elusive 'to interview' stack. When it comes to more challenged individuals, early and proactive actions to help to build these 'resume padding' items is the best approach.

About the author:
Mr. Jeffrey Young is the President and Founder of Innovative Piano, Inc. Mr. Young has published over 17 books dealing with music and autism. To learn more about the author and the program please visit http://www.innovativepiano.com/

Innovative Piano, Inc.
Offering piano lessons for students with autism - Nationwide!
http://www.innovativepiano.com/

Original article

Coping With Autism at Home

Having a child that is diagnosed with autism is not just hard for the parents but also for all members of the family. The parents, siblings and even grandparents have to share in the responsibility of supporting a child with special needs. Not only can it be financially draining and physically exhausting, but it can also be a source of emotional stress to everyone involved.

Naturally, the greatest weight is carried on the shoulders of the parents. To begin with, parents must cope with the deficits and excesses in behavior of an autistic child. Most autistic children cannot express verbally nor through gestures what they want, so parents are left with a constant guessing game as to what their child needs. Social life is also significantly sacrificed, as a child with autism might not be accepted or understood by other people, forcing at least one parent to stay with the child at home at all times. And there are also feelings of helplessness about the child's future. It is heart wrenching for parents to imagine how their autistic child will be taken care of after they are gone.

Siblings of autistic children are stressed, too. It can be due to feelings of embarrassment for having a sibling that is not normal, they can also be stressing about being the target of aggression, or they can even have a feeling of envy for all the attention their autistic sibling is getting.

It Is OK To Take A Break

The reality of having a child diagnosed with autism is hard and full of challenges. But life does not have to be all stress. There are ways to de-stress and maintain a harmonious and loving family life. Parents need to give themselves a break from time to time. A parent might have feelings of guilt for leaving a special child behind, but a few hours of being away from him or her from time to time may offer the chance to recharge and regroup for the daily challenges ahead. Parents should not be afraid to ask for a little support from other family members, such as the child's aunt or uncles or grandparents. They may look after the child for several hours a week to give the parents time off and take care of themselves. This will prevent parents from "burning out" and can be essential in keeping the family's relationships strong.

Parents also need to spend quality time alone with their other non-ADS children, without the autistic child present. This reassures them and lets them know that the parents love them as much their other sibling, even if most of the attention is geared towards the one with special needs.

Remember, life with an autistic child is hard already, so there is no need to make life even harder for everybody else in the family. When times get tough... breathe. Taking a few hours off for yourself and for your other children is the best way to get you through the worst of it all. (Aviram, 2009)

References:

Aviram, J. (2009, August 12). Good Days and Bad Days: Seven Strategies to Cope. Retrieved March 18, 2011, from Parenting: http://www.autismathomeseries.com/library/2009/08/good-days-and-bad-days-seven-strategies-to-cope/.

Original article

What Is Asperger's Syndrome And How Does It Affect Adults?

Asperger's syndrome is a development disorder related to the autistic spectrum, but at a much higher level of functioning. Unlike those with autism, those who have Asperger's syndrome generally learn the same way average people do, learning to speak at a young age and eventually attending school in the same classes and at the same age of their peers. Like autism however, those with Asperger's syndrome may have trouble understanding social or communication skills. This often results in being viewed as 'weird' by those around them who aren't familiar with the disorder.

Asperger's syndrome is typically diagnosed at an early age, but because those who have it are on the higher functioning end of the autism scale, it can go undiagnosed well into adulthood. This has been especially common in the past when the disorder wasn't as well known and understood as it has become in recent years. Similar to autism, there is no cure and the exact cause of the disorder is unknown, however, it is possible to manage the symptoms, including clumsiness, obsessive routines, and sensitivity to environment changes. This is done with behavioral therapy, resulting in many adults with Asperger's syndrome appearing mostly 'normal' with the exception of lack of social skills.

The lack of social skills doesn't mean that all adults with Asperger's appear rude, but rather they have trouble understanding social cues. For example, it's not uncommon for those with Asperger's syndrome to share a deep passion for something, whether it be horses or molecules. They may want to talk about this passion constantly, despite the listener growing visibly annoyed. This is because they don't understand that sighing or looking at a watch means the listener is uninterested.

Due to this extreme passion, many adults with Asperger's syndrome end up excelling in careers involving their interest. It's not uncommon for adults with Asperger's to become CEO's or other high ranking positions, because unlike other employees, they don't spend their time socializing with others, but rather learning as much as humanly possible about their passion.

What is the Asperger syndrome diagnostic scale?

The Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale, also known as ASDS, is a tool used to screen for children who might meet criteria for Asperger's Syndrome. This quickly administered standardized test only takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. It is appropriate for children ages five through 18 years old. Autism experts Brenda Smith Myles, Stacy Jones-Bock, and Richard L. Simpson first published the ASDS in 2000.

The screening tool is standardized and uses percentiles to give an AS Quotient. This score predicts the likelihood that a child or adolescent has Asperger's Syndrome. The test covers behaviors across several domains, including cognitive, maladaptive, social, sensory, motor, and language. The behaviors addressed are those behaviors typically seen in children with Asperger's, as well as behaviors that are seen in children without an Autistic Disorder. The test contains 50 questions, all which are answered with a yes or no to indicate whether the behavior occurs.

The Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale has an administrative qualification level of B. This means that individuals who administer the ASDS must have a degree from an accredited four-year college. This degree must be completed in psychology, counseling, or speech and language pathology. The individual must also have completed coursework in test interpretation, psychometrics, educational statistics, or measurement theory or a license indicating appropriate training in the ethics and competency required for using psychological tests.

The respondent for the ASDS can be one of several individuals who are very familiar with the child or adolescent being tested. Parents and siblings are often the primary respondents. The child's service providers, such as speech and language pathologists, therapists, and teachers can also act as respondents.

The Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale cannot be used in isolation to provide a diagnosis of Asperger's. The ASDS is a screening tool to indicate the likelihood of the individual having Asperger's. The AS Quotient can be used to indicate whether a professional should further evaluate the child in order to receive an official formal diagnosis.

One concern with the ASDS is that it has not been shown to reliably differentiate between Asperger Syndrome and the other subtypes of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Since the symptoms of Asperger are also similar to the symptoms of PDD-NOS and Autistic Disorder, a qualified team of autism professionals must do further evaluation. This can help determine what subset of Autism Spectrum Disorder the individual has.

A benefit of the ASDS is that it not only provides an overall AS Quotient, but it also gives scores for each of the individual domains on the test. The individual results in the cognitive, language, social, maladaptive, and sensorimotor subscales can assist the professional in determining specific areas of deficit and difficulty in the child. These scores can be especially helpful in treatment planning and determining areas for further testing.

The results of the ADSD also have other non-clinical purposes. They can also be used to help draft goals for the child's IEP or school intervention plan. The test can also be given annually as a way to measure growth and progress across the different domains in an individual already diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome.

What types of Asperger's tests are available for adults?

Like previously stated, Asperger syndrome is a pervasive developmental disorder characterized by significant impairments in social interaction and stereotyped patterns of behavior. What distinguishes Asperger Syndrome from other Autism Spectrum Disorders is the lack of any significant delay in language or cognitive ability. Asperger Syndrome is not as easy to diagnose as other disorders of the Autism Spectrum, so it is quite common for a person with Asperger to receive the diagnosis as an adult, even though the problems began in childhood. There are several tests and assessments that are designed to determine whether an adult has Asperger Syndrome or one of the other Autism Spectrum Disorders.

The ADI (Autism Diagnostic Interview Revised) is an interview-based assessment that is used to ask questions of a parent, or if the parent is not available, some other person who knew the individual as a child. The questions are designed to determine whether the adult had problems with social interactions as a child, and to rule out other forms of autism. The ADI is effective, but it is limited since the parent may no longer be available, and it takes about three hours to administer.

The AQ (Autism Spectrum Quotient) is a much shorter screening device used to identify adults who may have Asperger Syndrome or Autism. This instrument contains 50 questions that relate to the areas of social skill, attention switching, attention to detail, communication and imagination. The subject responds to each question with "definitely agree," "slightly agree," "slightly disagree" and "definitely disagree." The responses to these questions show the degree to which the subject has features typical of people with Autism or Asperger Syndrome.

Another Asperger screening instrument is the EQ (Empathy Quotient), a 15 item questionnaire used to determine the degree to which an individual cannot understand the feelings and thoughts of others. Though this is a really short assessment that focuses on only one area of development, it has a very strong correlation with the presence of Asperger Syndrome.

As a whole, Asperger's is a relatively misunderstood type of autism, especially on the Internet. Visit Asperger's in Adults to read more about Asperger's Syndrome and high functioning autism.

Original article

Music and the Autistic Child

In February of 2010, the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) hosted a professional, Nina Kraus, from Northwestern University speaking about cognitive-sensory connection between speech and music. During her presentation on the subject, Kraus said the following: "Indeed, musical experience can enhance the very auditory processes that are often deficient in clinical populations including developmental dyslexia and autism."

This statement backs up what many parents with autistic children have experienced firsthand when registering their children in childhood musical programs. Parents have long reported children opening up in music lessons in ways that they do not open up at home. This has led many parents to incorporate music in their homes, since it seems to be something that their autistic children really respond to in a positive, productive manner.

Quite a few studies have been done on the effects of music on childhood development, and the results have been positive. As Kraus discussed at the annual AAAS meeting, there is a connection between human speech, hearing and music. There have been instances of stroke victims who could not speak, but could sing clearly. This is just one example of how music interacts in the brain in amazing ways.

This extends to children as well, especially children with autism. Children become more cooperative with lessons when music is a part of the lesson. They are able to focus on one thing for a longer period of time if music is presented in some manner. Those with speech problems are able to improve through music while those struggling with eye contact can take great strides to meeting the eye of others through music lessons.

Take it from Myra J. Staum, Ph.D., the Director and Professor of Music Therapy from Willamette University. She wrote a piece on music therapy and language for autism.com, which touched on the power of music therapy for autistic children. She said that music is an effective form of therapy that can be used to enhance skill development with autistic children. Her reason for this comes down to the basic nature of music. She said it is "nonverbal" and "non threatening."

Staum goes on to explain how autistic children can be taught a variety of skills directly through music. This allows them to overcome a lot of their delays and developmental problems, so they function better in their daily lives.

Not all parents with autistic children have access to formal music therapy for their children, but that doesn't mean other forms of musical programs designed for children can't be used effectively. Parents with autistic children can easily surround their children with music and introduce music at home. With a little creativity, parents can even teach and guide children through music just as therapists are doing around the country.

A good children's musical program offered in the local community is a great start for autistic children. They will be encouraged to interact with other children, to use their brains and bodies in new ways, and to experience language from a musical perspective. Many children with autism love music and respond to it on a deep level that has not been experienced with anything else. All it takes to get that depth of response is constant exposure to music lessons in some capacity.

For more information regarding music for children and child development programs, visit Kindermusik Asia.

Feel free to publish this article on your website, or send it to your friends, as long as you keep the resource box and the content of the article intact.

The content is our own opinion and does not necessarily reflect the views of Kindermusik or Kindermusik Asia.

Original article

What Are Autism Spectrum Disorders?

The term Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) refers to the range that experts put people in, based on the various autistic traits that they have. The "low end" of the spectrum includes all of the major characteristics of Autism. Meanwhile, the "high end" of ASD includes fully-socialized people whose behavior is nearly entirely "normal."

While there are several symptoms of ASD, here are some of the most common ones:

1. Communicative Impairment

a. Difficulty comprehending the meaning of figures of speech

People with Autism often have difficulty understanding the implied meaning of various figures of speech. These include:

antithesescolloquialismshumorhyperboleidiomsmetaphorsparadoxessarcasmslang

This is due to the abstract nature of such language functions. The verbal communication of people with Autism tends to be quite literal. To them, the words that they say only have literal meaning. However, the good news is that people with Autism can often be taught the meaning of different figures of speech. This will improve their overall communication skills with other people.

b. Inability to comprehend non-verbal communication

Children with ASD often don't naturally develop the ability to communication by using non-verbal communication. That can significantly impact a person's overall communication skills, since non-verbal communication comprises up to about three-fourths of a person's total communication. People with ASD often avoid eye contact when talking with someone. Sometimes they are unable to perform gestures such as pointing at an object or event. Vocal outbursts often result due a person with ASD becoming frustrated about his or her inability to communicate by using non-verbal communication effectively.

c. Repetition of phrases or sentences

People with Autism often make statements whose meaning and context seem incorrect. This can be due to various causes, such as simply hearing a certain word, phrase, or sentence. It can also result from various sources, such as people, commercials, or TV programs.

2. Imaginative Impairment

a. use of poetic conversation

This involves the expression of strong feelings and thoughts, and sometimes involves rhyme and rhythm.

b. intense focus

This typically involves intense focus on certain things and certain activities.

c. strict adherence to a routine

These routines aren't just ordinary day-to-day schedules, but instead tend to involve rituals and compulsions that can seem absolutely necessary to people with ASD.

d. inability to think abstractly

Just as people with Autism often have difficulty with figures of speech, so they also often have difficulty with the ability to think abstractly. As a result, instruction about abstract concepts is typically done by using concrete visuals.

e. excessive attention to details

Those people with ASD often show a keen sense of attention to detail. This can provide pros and cons in their day-to-day lives. However, it's important to note that it also can be an asset in the job market, where the skill is an extremely valued one.

3. Social Impairment

a. inability to notice tricks and scams

b. indifference or failure to make friends

c. lack of empathy

d. awkwardness

e. avoidance of eye contact

f. awkward social interactions

Get more information about non-invasive, Denver alternative autism treatments at the Life Vessel of the Rockies.

Original article

How Can Your Life Improve At Home With An Autistic Child?

I am almost positive your life at home can be extremely draining and frustrating, living with an autistic individual. How can you change and improve this? One way for you to improve your life at home is, keep your family strong.

You can do this by supporting and helping each person understand the dynamics of autism within your family.

Explain to your children who are younger and who do not have autism, what the disorder is, what to expect and the various complexities of autism.

Allow your family members to know and understand that there may be unexpected challenges and changes within your home, but it will improve with time. Give explanations of how it will change.

As parent(s), caregiver(s), you may be tempted or think you can improve your life at home by trying to be a strong person and make the changes by yourself, without any help.

You may feel you need to be strong for everyone in your family and you must know what to do and have all of the answers.

If you choose this approach, you will be putting yourself and your family under more pressure and stress. It will not improve your family life at home.

Reach out to support groups, counselors, other families who have individuals with the disorder of autism in their family.

Taking this kind of action, will improve your family life. It will help your family and you to cope with physical, emotional, and financial issues that can affect your whole family in the present and in the future.

I have learned, by having a brother who is autistic, it was imperative for me to gain knowledge and education about autism, and stay current with the new approaches and research. This will bring positive changes for improving your life at home.

In addition, keep communication open with all of your family members. Discuss new therapies, updates, treatments, improvements for your autistic individual and areas where there needs to be progress, or various approaches. Be aware of these options. This will improve your family life at home.

I feel it is crucial to have weekly family meetings. If not weekly, every two weeks or once a month, depending on the schedule of your family. Doing this, keeps the communication open for discussion and keeps your family alert, by bringing their concerns to these meetings.

Family meetings will also bring your family closer together and give a better understanding of how feelings, emotions, facts, concerns, can improve family life at home.

It is crucial not to be afraid to ask for help, or advice, and always stay in touch, connected to each family member.

Remember, you are a valuable person. As parent(s), caregiver(s), you must take time for yourself. Schedule some downtime, or fun activities go give yourself some positive reinforcement of energy and a new look on your life. This will improve your family life at home.

There will be days when you will be angry, exhausted, stressed, sad, but if you choose to take action to have your family improve at home, you will be experiencing more good days than bad days, and they will be healthy ones.

Are you willing to make positive changes to improve your family life at home with an autistic individual?

Remember, you will not be able to take of your family and your child, if you do not take care of yourself.

Bonita Darula's informational web sight==> http://www.autismintoawareness.com/. Take action and SIGN up to RECEIVE your FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER on Autistic TOPICS. For example: Are you willing to improve your life at home with an autistic child? Order your E-Books to identify symptoms of Autism.

Original article

What Is Autism?

Autism is a social development disorder that is typically diagnosed in early childhood. Some of the symptoms of this disorder include: failure to speak by the age of 2, resisting affection, failure to make eye contact, repetitive behaviour such as hand flapping or rocking and sensitivity to light sound or touch. It is important to note that the intensity of the symptoms can vary greatly.

What causes Autism?

Autism is a very complex condition and doctors have not been able to identify an exact cause. They believe that combinations of genetic and environmental factors are to blame for this condition. The number of children being diagnosed with autism has increased in the past few years. Many believe that the chemicals in vaccines can cause autism. However, researchers have not been able to identify a link between vaccinations and autism.

What are some of the risk factors for autism?

Boys are three times more likely to develop autism than girls. Children who are born to parents over the age of 40 are also more likely to develop autism. Additionally, family history also plays a role in the development of this condition.

What are some autism treatment options available?

Currently, there is no cure for autism. However, there are some autism treatments available that can make it easier for a child to deal with this condition. The type of treatment that the doctor prescribes depends on the severity of the condition.

Children who have behavioural problems will usually be prescribed an antidepressant or antipsychotic drug. Autistic children who have difficulty speaking may benefit from speech therapy. Educational programs that place emphasis on developing social and communication skills can also be beneficial.

Can Autism be treated at home?

There has been some evidence to suggest a special diet can benefit children who have autism. The autism diet is free of yeast, gluten and casein. This diet also encourages dietary supplements such as Vitamin A, Omega 3 Fatty acids, Vitamin B-12, magnesium and folic acid. Parents and caregivers should always consult with the child's doctor before placing him on a special diet.

Raising a child with autism can be difficult and frustrating, but the best thing that parents and caregivers can do is make sure that the child feels loved and supported at all times. They should also make sure that they take the time to learn all they can about this disorder so that they can know how to better help their child.

Can autism be prevented?

Unfortunately, since doctors do not know exactly what causes autism, there is nothing that can be done to prevent it. Parents and caregivers should watch for the signs and symptoms so that the child can get the necessary help that he needs.

For more on autism treatment, visit Autism Care UK, a supplier of quality care homes throughout the UK.

Original article

Comorbid Conditions

Many other medical conditions may occur along with autism. These comorbid conditions are also important in determining the diagnosis of autism. The comorbid conditions may be used to indicate autism; however, they do not have a direct effect in causing disabilities associated with autism. Autism is firmly diagnosed as a cognitive disability that starts in early childhood, continues through adulthood and has an effect on the development of imaginative, communication and social interaction skills.

Over 40 comorbidities have been associated with ASD. (Zafeiriou, Ververia, & Vargiamia, 2007) Some of the most common comorbid conditions are:

Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety disorders apart from those that are included in the autism disorders may occur, however it is difficult to say it is a comorbid anxiety problem.

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is also known as manic depressive disorder. It may have other comorbid conditions in itself.

Bowel Disease

Gastrointestinal symptoms are known to affect a large percentage of children with autism. Constipation and inflammation of the intestines are among the common bowel diseases that are comorbid with autism disorders.

Depression and other Psychopathological Disorders

Various phobias, depression and some psychopathological disorders are known to occur with autism, though this has not been examined systematically.

Fragile X Syndrome

This has an effect on two to five percent of the population with autism. In this condition one component of the X chromosome is defective, and therefore looks fragile when viewed under a microscope. If a child has Fragile X, then there are high chances that his or her sibling will have Fragile X.

ADHD

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may co-occur in children with autism. The co-diagnosis of ASD and ADHD is prohibited by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition). ADHD treatments are not very successful among children with ASD. Other kinds of medication and therapies are required for its treatment.

Mental Retardation

Some individuals with mental retardation are reported to also have autism.

Neuroinflammation and Immune Disorders

Many comorbid conditions connected to autism may be triggered by some immune disorders. Recent findings have shown that neuroinflammation and immune disorders are present in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid of some patients with ASD.

Non-Verbal Learning Disorder

This is typified by a considerable difference between greater verbal scores and lower performance scores in IQ tests. Disabilities related to motor, social and visual-spatial skill are also noticed.

Motor Clumsiness

Children with autism frequently have low levels of motor handiness and they acquire motor skills in a delayed period. Coordination may be poor which may affect their posture, handwriting, etc. Conceptual learning skills are also affected by this.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Recurring obsessive thought and actions may affect a child with autism. These are stereotyped repetitive behaviors that are not essentially enjoyable.

Tourette Syndrome

Tourette syndrome affects 6.5% people with autism. It may occur due to genetic factors or serotonin, glutamate and dopamine abnormalities.

Seizures

Seizures occur in one in four children with autism. It is caused by irregular electrical action in the brain, which can cause short-term unconsciousness, staring spells and body convulsions.

Sensory Problems

Sensory problems apart from the sensory symptoms of autism may occur as a comorbid condition. For instance damaged tactile perception is known to affect children with autism more than adults. Related motor problems such as poor motor planning may also occur.

Tuberous Sclerosis

This is an uncommon genetic disorder that causes benign tumors in the brain and other vital organs. One to four percent of people with autism are known to have tuberous sclerosis. 25 to 61% people with tuberous sclerosis may be diagnosed with autism.

References: Zafeiriou, D. I., Ververia, A., & Vargiamia, E. (2007). Childhood autism and associated comorbidities. Brain and Development, 29, 257-272.

Original article

Medical Treatments for Autism

What are the best treatments for Autism? Regardless of which ones are chosen, the overall goals are:

A) make the autistic person functionally independent, and B) to improve his or her quality of life. There are several types of Western treatments available for Autism. Here are some of the most common ones, along with some of their benefits and drawbacks:

1. Gluten-Free, Casein-Free (GFCF) Diet

Certain types of diets (i.e. gluten-free and casein-free diets) are often used to treat Autism patients. The goal of the GFCF diet is to eliminate the proteins Gluten and Casein from autistic people.

Pros:

Some clinical studies have indicated that GFCF diets can be somewhat beneficial in treating the various symptoms related to Autism. However, it should be stressed that the results are inconclusive at best.

Cons:

There is conflicting evidence that there's a link between Autism and digestion disorders. In fact, clinical studies on the issue are somewhat conflicting. It should also be noted that such diets have the potential to cause new health problems.

2. Dietary Supplements

Various types of dietary supplements can be used to treat people with Autism. For example, some studies have suggested that the combination of Vitamin B6 and Magnesium could be beneficial in effectively treating some symptoms of Autism. However, the studies conducted have been limited. Vitamin C might be somewhat beneficial in treating Autism. However, clinical studies have provided limited evidence of that, while high doses of Vitamin C could result in unwanted side-effects. Omega-3 fatty acids are a popular treatment for Autism patients, although clinical studies haven't verified their effectiveness for treating the disorder.

Pros:

The majority of dietary supplements for treating Autism have fairly mild side-effects. This is certainly a significant benefit over prescription medications, which often cause moderate-to-severe side-effects due to the powerful chemicals they contain.

Cons:

Minimal research has been conducted on dietary supplements, to determine how effective they are in treating Autism.

3. Prescription Medications

Physicians prescribe several types of medications to treat the symptoms of Autism. In fact, over half of all children in the U.S.A. diagnosed with Autism are prescribed certain types of medications. The most common types are:

antidepressants: used to treat conditions such as depression and anxiety disordersantipsychotics: tranquilizing medication used to treat psychosisstimulants: drugs used to provide improvements in one's physical and/or mental function Pros:

Clinical studies show that certain prescription medications seem to be effective in successfully treating certain types of Autism symptoms, such as irritability, tantrums, and aggression. In fact, the U.S.A.'s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved particular medications for treating certain symptoms of Autism. Other prescription medications seem to be somewhat effective in treating Autism, yet the FDA hasn't approved them for treating the disorder specifically.

Cons:

Various possible problems can result from the use of prescription medications to treat Autism. One is that different people will respond differently to various prescriptions, so it's crucial that physicians closely monitor how their patients react to various types of medications. Another possible problem is when an Autism patient receives a dosage that is higher than it should be. Yet another possible drawback of prescription medications is the human-made chemicals that they contain, which can cause an array of unwanted side-effects.

Get more information about non-invasive, Denver alternative autism therapies at the Life Vessel of the Rockies.

Original article

A Look at When ADHD and Autism Strike Simultaneously in Preadolescent Children

Millions of parents have heard about ADHD and autism, and they are aware of some of the signs and symptoms a parent should be on the lookout for. Perhaps their own kids have been diagnosed with one of these disorders, or perhaps they have friends who have an ADHD child. What many people do not realize however is that a child can have both of these disorders simultaneously.

In fact, the number of American children with ADHD and autism has been steadily rising, and it's been rising quickly enough to have warranted further research funding by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Just recently, the NIMH awarded an additional three million dollars to a team of researchers at the University of Pittsburgh in order to conduct further studies regarding treatment for autistic children who also have symptoms of ADHD.

As any psychiatrist or child psychologist will attest to, ADHD symptoms can be extremely similar to the symptoms of autism. Autistic children who also have ADHD are often only treated for one of these disorders. The problem with this type of approach is that kids who have both these disorders rarely respond well to regular ADHD stimulant drugs, and this is actually what often alerts a specialist in the first place, that a child might have both disorders.

In the study mentioned above, researchers recruited 144 children between the ages of five and thirteen in order to carry out a safety assessment of two types of treatment:

* Atomoxetine (non-stimulant norepinephrine uptake inhibitor)

* PMT (Parental Management Training)

The results of the study were quite promising, at least in terms of safety. Prior to 2002 when atomoxetine was first approved by the FDA (Food and Drug administration), stimulant drugs were the order of the day, and used almost exclusively for treating these types of disorders. Unfortunately however, the most commonly prescribed stimulant drug has been linked to several deaths; it's known to be highly addictive (the DEA has it in the same class as cocaine and morphine), and it has a mile long list of possible side effects, many of which are extremely serious, such as suicidal tendencies for example. The biggest downside to atomoxetine is the fact that it alters brainwave activity, as do stimulant drugs, and this is exactly the type of thing many parents are hoping to avoid.

Parental Management Training aims to teach parents how to intervene in undesirable behavior, but in a positive way, rather than in a disciplinary manner. While this is of course the best possible form of treatment, it's simply not suitable in all cases for a number of reasons. To begin, in many households, both parents work, and therefore they aren't able to invest the necessary amount of time. Also, many parents simply don't have the amount of patience this type of treatment calls for. In order to treat a child using this form of treatment, one quite literally needs to have the patience of a saint.

It seems, at least for the time being, that the natural homeopathic remedies are still one of the best choices parents have for treating ADHD and autism. This is especially true if, like millions of others, they don't want their kids taking powerful mind altering stimulant drugs.

If you desire useful information on adhd and autism I invite you to visit my website at: http://www.adhd-treatment-info.com/. Not only can you really tackle the issue of ADHD but you will also discover very effective natural homeopathic remedies to help your child. Brought to you by V K Rajagopalan, strongly advocating Natural Healthy Living.

Original article

Preventing Autism: Cheap, Simple and EFFECTIVE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Original article

Know And Recogonize The Signs of Autism

Autism is getting a lot of attention today due to the fact that there are so many cases of the disorder that are currently on record. The disorder affects many families worldwide and is growing in numbers. What causes autism is still unclear, but it is important that you recognize the signs of it and what signs of the disorder that could be mistaken for ADHD and ADD apart from other behavioral problems.

It is very important to recognize the signs of the disorder early on in order to properly diagnose it and recommend a treatment for your child. Whether you have one child or five that is afflicted with autism, each one of them may act differently. Here are a few signs of autism to be aware of in order to detect it early in your child's development.

There are numerous developmental milestones that occur with children as they grow up. With the onset of autism, it becomes difficult for these milestones to be an accurate guide for children. Children can begin showing signs of autism as early as infancy and diagnosis may not occur until they are two years old. Each child still develops at their own pace, but it is important that the developmental milestones are followed as closely as possible.

Some warning signs that your child may be developing autism include:

* The child cannot point at objects they want you to look at. They cannot grasp a bottle or any other object.

* The child is not able to speak by the age of sixteen months. They should be able to speak a single word by the age of sixteen months and put two words together by twenty-four months. If a child begins talking and then suddenly stops, this could also be a sign of autism.

* A child may not be able to make eye contact with anyone. They may prefer to look away when you try to talk with them face to face.

* The child will not play with any toys or they may play with only one toy excessively. They may not be able to smile or show facial expressions of joy.

It's important to remember that when a child has autism, they do not demonstrate the exact symptoms of autism that other children have displayed. Each autistic child reacts differently to this condition and while some may exhibit all the symptoms, others may display only a few. These symptoms may range from mild to severe. Just because a sibling displays moderate to severe symptoms of autism, it doesn't mean that other siblings will also have the same symptoms.

If you suspect that your child is not developing properly you need to speak with your child's pediatrician or family physician to discuss your concerns. Make sure that you monitor your child's condition throughout their early years. Children with mild autism have been known to live a fairly normal life, but those with advanced autism have a difficult time coping with the world around them. There have been instances when some autistic individuals have shown amazing capabilities with art, creativity, and musical talents.

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

Original article

Musicophilia Introduces Bully Basal Ganglia' Contribution To Self In Autism

In Musicophilia Dr. Oliver Sacks talks about the work of Llina's, a neuroscientist at New York University. With the reference comes the thought that the basal ganglia are crucial to the production of "action patterns" for "...walking, shaving, playing the violin, and so on". The neural embodiments of these action patterns are referred to as "motor tapes" - mental activities like perceiving, remembering, and imagining are all considered motor.

"...if we look at how the brain generates creativity, we will see that it is not a rational process at all, creativity is not born of reasoning." (Dr. Sacks)

For my, at first autistic but then something else, daughter it seems like her life long memories or action patterns have formed motor tapes that are a hodgepodge without clear distinction between that which is rational and that which is creative. For those more typical, how is the hodgepodge provided with defined distinction? It is clear that my daughter has quite the motor tape library; one that becomes entirely creative (lacking reason) due to the way the tapes are utilized by her.

During my daughter's most profound psychotic states the motor tapes from her basal ganglia lacked any defined brain etiquette. The motor tapes hardly waited to be called up by her thalamocortical system (aka the self) and they seemed more like they were always on -- in a fast forward fashion.

Dr. Sacks points out that "...the activity in the basal ganglia is running all the time, playing motor patterns and snippets of motor patterns amongst and between these nuclei (aka motor tapes), they seem to act as a continuous, random, motor pattern noise generator. Here and there, a pattern or portion of a pattern escapes, without its apparent emotional counterpart, into the content of the thalamocortical system (aka self)."

During her worsening my daughter's life long memories took her over and manifested as schizophrenic tendencies. While the typical person's response to an occasional memory being called to the thalamocortical system would be to many times fleetingly consider the memory and then release it - without a lot of emotion or response being involved - my daughter lacked resilience against an overly abundant and frequent supply of her memories' intrusions. Such happened for unrelenting and prolonged periods.

I became aware of the fact that my daughter turned out of the ordinary experiences into ritualistic events. That is to say, she re-enacted them to perfection thinking that she must do so as part of an ongoing repertoire.

I kept track of school reports of her more explosive experiences (behavioral outbursts) and identified that if she had a highly charged behavioral experience during Art on Thursday for whatever reason - she would repeat with a pretty exact reenactment the outburst on the very next Thursday; during Art again. Such would happen even with the initial reason (trigger) for the very first event absent. She engaged with similar behavior in her earliest years and I just dealt with it by coaching her.

The first time that I recall being witness to her penchant for doing so, we had been rollerblading. She was perhaps six years old. She had a gnarly wreck at a certain spot on the park path. She cried for a while, but then we continued to skate. The next day when we went rollerblading I watched as she deliberately made herself have the same wreck in the same spot. It was a re-enactment done to absolute perfection. I looked at her and was so surprised. I said something like, "Oh! Sarah, you do not have to do that. You don't have to wreck every time we take this turn."

The next time that we went rollerblading I made sure to be right beside her when we got to that spot, so that I might coach her with continuing to skate. She never wrecked there again. The fact that she utilized her memories in this fashion was, and continues to be, fascinating to me.

During her worse times, she had a tremendous amount of episodic experiences of repetitive body movements with chanting, followed by laughter, or more predominantly anger and violent outburst. She also had a lot of the internal conflict related to auditory hallucination. Certain words, when spoken by us, triggered episodes. One day while we were riding a tandem bike together by the school a PE teacher said "hurry" to some of the kids who were running. My daughter heard him say "hurry" and she engaged in an episodic experience while on the bike; hard but doable for her. The phrase "there you are" also triggered the episodes.

Considerations about my daughter's memory function are difficult to express, except to say that for portions of her life the basal ganglia have been the bullies, and this is because her thalamocortical system (self) was hard pressed to know how to categorize all of the motor tapes that were sent along.

About our journey with autism... At the very beginning I figured, no big deal, we'll get our daughter normalized in no time and pretty soon she would be asking for the car keys. It didn't quite work out that way and as my entire family and I continued to work through the ebb and flow of her unique walk, we fell madly in love with her in all her glory. For a real life look at one case of severe autism, just Google "Hello, Dr. Wells". It is a sixteen year account of autism that turned to schizophrenic like psychosis.

Original article

Just What Is Asperger Syndrome?

People, both children and adults, that are affected with Asperger Syndrome are quite normal intellectually, but have very noticeable behavior patterns that could be characterized as "limiting". These limiting behaviors and characteristics have also been present since a very early age.

Some Asperger Syndrome Limitations

· Difficulty developing friendships

· Diminished capacity for body language - facial expressions, staring

· Lack of certain emotions like sympathy and empathy

· Inability to recognize social signals and cues

· Finds conversations difficult

· Obsessive interest in simple mechanisms

It affects children's motor skills like handwriting and can quite often manifest itself with noticeable hearing and touch sensitivities. Difficulty with expressing and putting thoughts into words and the inability to organize and manage time are also problems associated with an Asperger Syndrome child.

There are also some very positive aspects connected with how children and adults behave and think. These people with do not have a defective way of thinking. They just have a different way of thinking, and quite often have a strong need to seek truth, knowledge and perfection. They do this with a totally different set of priorities and perceptions than most other people.

A person with Asperger Syndrome is more concerned about solving a problem than satisfying others. Someone with Aspergers is more creative than co-operative. They are known for being able to speak their mind in a direct and honest manner, and also have very good knowledge of what is right and what is wrong.

People with Asperger's Syndrome often have mood swings and higher levels of sadness, anger and depression. They are loyal friends but may often enjoy being alone, finding it difficult to show or manage their emotions.

It can be hard for parents to tell when their child has Asperger Syndrome, and even more difficult trying to explain it to the child. However, it is important to be open and honest with your child. Educating your child needs to be a priority and taken seriously by both parents and teachers.

Your child will be much better off knowing that he or she has Asperger Syndrome, than wondering why they seem to be different from the other children around them. It is far better that a child knows and does not blame themselves for their inability to make friends at school. The sooner that your child knows, the more his or her self esteem will be preserved and the more the child will benefit.

Although we do not know what causes Asperger Syndrome, and there is no "cure" for it, there are programs and ways to help our children with expressing and managing emotions.

A good source that I found helpful is website called Children and Parents, where you can review some effective treatment programs and other helpful Asperger Syndrome publications.

Original article

Musicophilia Meets: Hyperacusis-Savant Syndrome-Catatonia In Autism

Musicophilia (Oliver Sacks) considers those whose neural underpinnings, with regard to processing musical perception, are disordered. It also brings light those who are prone to have a non typical neural processing response to everyday sounds. The book also mentions that sensory limbic hyper connection might be the basis for the emergence of the unexpected artistic, sexual, mystical, or religious feelings that sometimes occur in people with temporal lobe epilepsy.

As far as sound perception and non typical response to it, this is something that is displayed in the autism spectrum. Additionally, autism affected individuals display unexpected talents that are described as savant skills -- these are akin to unexpected ability in those with profound developmental challenges. Lastly, many in the autism spectrum have seizure disorders.

Sound Perception: Where sound is concerned, my own autistic daughter displayed off the charts negative response to public address systems at about 21/2 years old. Yeah, the blue light special just was not so good for our Sarah. Going to see fighter jets at a local base found my daughter covering her ears for a significant duration, even before the rest of us heard the jets and then saw them. She perceived that her dad's cell phone was going to ring, before it did. She actually covered her ears in preparation for the first ring, and the phone was not set to vibrate. We were in disbelief, that she might hear the ring before it happened.

As Sarah became a little older the public address system and other sounds at school or at stores continued to adversely affect her; because of this she began to use ear protectors. While in kindergarten she self-regulated the use of her ear protectors. These protectors did not inhibit her ability to hear classroom goings on. She had a better than expected kindergarten year as all considered her moderate to severe autism label and what was usually expected of children with that label. In spite of the pretty successful kindergarten year, the school's experts began to prohibited use of her ear protectors once my daughter started the first grade.

The school experts' idea was that my daughter would learn not to be discomforted from -- or have non typical neural response to -- the differing sounds. Theirs was a mindset that insisted that Sarah might be behaviorally modified from the sounds that had a physically assaultive affect upon her. The school's team decided that they were going to teach Sarah that the sounds were not bad, but good. Maybe they thought that constant exposure to the sounds that negatively affected her would desensitize her extreme response to them.

It was obvious to me that Sarah was physically affected by the sounds. In that, there was something very adverse going on in her head. Her body would also heat up when she was exposed to environments where prolonged or continued use of public address occurred -- even as I allowed her to wear the ear protectors in these environments.

A little later in her life I was able to discern that sound quality had a lot to do with it. If there was something loud on high quality speakers it did not bother her. However, anything at any volume on low quality speakers was just terrifying to her -- like she was being tortured in some way. I even figured out that the treble quality to sound was a big culprit.

I experimented with how FM radio versus AM radio affected her. No AM radio, since there is usually a dissonance to the sound that is not usually present in FM. After that I was able to figure out that she could not listen to music with that treble, scratchy or dissonant quality. She became able to communicate her dislike with regard to sound quality and sometimes for instance -- she stated that "Jeremy Camp is too scratchy" and then turned off the radio when he was on. Sorry Jeremy.

It might be important for those who are school experts to consider that sound sensitivities are not always a concern of volition or behavioral psychology and are many times a hardwired condition of non typical neurological functioning.

Savant Syndrome: With regard to sensory limbic hyper connection: Sarah had -- what I consider -- a savant type ability for artistic expression that was compulsive but agreeable. She so enjoyed engaging in hours upon hours of art. She acted upon her artistic impulse as most artists would. Her enjoyment and compulsive engagement in art ceased upon her worsening from autism to profound schizophrenic like psychosis.

Once psychosis entered in, she tried to do her art but it took her over in a negative way instead of being a pleasing adventure. Therefore, the art ceased because she needed the blank slate...so to speak. I guess since the art usually had subjects that had associations that lead her toward psychotic thought -- she needed to stay away from it in order to get better.

Seizure, Catatonia: Dr. Sacks' Musicophilia describes seizures that manifested as musical hallucination (aural music). One subject felt that he must not pay too close attention to the aural music, as he might not be able to escape the song -- like quicksand or hypnosis. It seemed to exert a frightening and almost dangerous spell on him, so that he was deeper and deeper into it. Further describing: A strange alteration of time and consciousness -- compared to dreams from which one would awaken. While in such a state the subjects could perceive what was going on around them but could not respond; described as a doubling of consciousness. (Dr. Sacks)

While trying to work through remedies for psychosis, doctors have felt Sarah to have a sleep state dissociation -- and have also proposed her to have a rare variant of catatonia in context of her autism. They have seen her absence spells and automatism. I would compare both of these to being taken over as described by the persons considered in the above. Like quicksand or hypnosis.

As my daughter was being treated for her psychosis over several years there came a point that she was able to ask me for help. She started asking for a "tug", so that my encouragement and our combined wills could stave off the episodes. I figured out that Sarah felt we were winning if she could be distracted from the episodes. One time, I softly tackled her upon a couch that she stood by as she engaged in an episode. Immediately after I did that, she looked at me with amazement and said "Good job Mom. We did it!" (It was a playful tackle.)

Another time, while she was an inpatient I distracted her with a stuffed frog from the gift shop that made the "ribbit" noise. She had been engaged in an episode for quite some time when the frog successfully distracted her. She looked over at me and said "Yes" her eyes lighting up from a previously vacant stare and her face breaking into a smile. Those at the hospital who had been alongside her and quite worried became pleased at the successful distraction. At that time I think they feared malignant catatonia.

Musicophilia also makes mention of Musicogenic Epilepsy; epileptic seizures induced by music. The type of music that can provoke the seizures varies. Some patients are said to react to only particular instruments or noises. Atypical response to certain noises is certainly evident in autism and as I wrote previously, not a concern of volition -- but neurology.

About our journey with autism... At the very beginning I figured, no big deal, we'll get our daughter normalized in no time and pretty soon she would be asking for the car keys. It didn't quite work out that way and as my entire family and I continued to work through the ebb and flow of her unique walk, we fell madly in love with her in all her glory. This articles are just an outreach in case the information is helpful to anyone. For a real life look at one case of severe autism, just Google "Hello, Dr. Wells". It is a sixteen year account of autism that turned to schizophrenic like psychosis.

Original article

Identifying Early Signs of Autism

Autism symptoms are considered to begin to present themselves at the age of six months. This does not mean that it is not present before this. Autism is a developmental disorder that children are born with. It affects the development and growth of the brain. Unfortunately, it really isn't noticed until around six months of age because this is when the signs are most noticeable. At this age a child should begin to interact more outward to his/her environment. He will begin to smile and react to stimuli in around the area. A lack of this interaction is one of the first early signs of autism.

By the age of nine months a child should begin to proactively interact with his/her parents. He/she will babble at them, point at things, and return their smiles. The lack of this interaction with the parents is another early sign of autism. At one year of age a child should be crawling, pulling himself up on things and working towards walking unheeded if he/she is not already. The child should be saying a word or two and be able to somewhat communicate with his/her parents about what they want or need.

Definitive signs of autism will have set in by two to three years of age. This means by the age of one, if autism is the cause of your child's developmental delays you will be noticing a great difference in his/her emotional and cognitive patterns. The young child may appear not affectionate, slow, and inattentive. He/she can seem stubborn and willful; mostly this is caused because of their need to stick to a strict schedule, one that they feel comfortable with. By the time your child reaches the age of one, you will probably already be fully aware of his/her developmental disorder. In fact, a doctor should already have been consulted and a treatment method discussed.

Your child's pediatrician will ask specific questions about his/her development at the regular checkups throughout their infancy and toddler years. The doctor will be able to detect early signs of autism and let you know what you should be aware of. Treatment should not be thought of as a cure. A child, who has autism or any of the disorders falling in that spectrum, is faced with dealing with them for a lifetime. Treatment is focused on developing within the child the necessary skills he/she will need to live a comfortable life, at least as normal as possible. Depending on the severity of the child's symptoms he/she may or may not need supervision and care for the rest of their life. This is something your doctor will discuss with you as well. The sooner you set up a plan of action the easier it will be to fall into that routine for everyone.

Just because your child is developing at a slower rate than his/her peers does not necessarily mean he/she has autism. Be aware of the early signs of autism if your child's development is a concern for you. But don't overstress yourself about it. Simply keep an eye on how your son/daughter is developing and consult with his/her pediatrician if any concerns arise.

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

Original article

Children Who Are Victims of Autism Can Profit From Specialist Education

What is Autism?

Autism is a lifelong developmental disability disorder of neural development, which is characterised by impaired social interaction, communication and repetitive behaviour. It affects the information processing in the brain, simply by altering how the nerve cells connect and organise. Some people who have autism will be unable to live a relatively independent life whilst others may have accompanying learning disabilities that will need a lifetime of specialist support. Those people who suffer from autism may also experience over or under sensitivity to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, lights and colours.

Parents with children who suffer from autism may find this hard to understand, but they need to realise that they are not alone. The research from National Autistic Society suggests that there are over 500,000 people with autism in the UK (1 in 100), and over 2 million people are affected by autism every single day. It is perfectly fine for your child to grow up with the chance of living of relatively normal childhood. At the same time, it is very important to consult with the experts to understand what services are available to help.

Autism and Education

As children grow up, one of the most important factors in this development is the child's education. By having the right support in the early years can make a huge difference to children and young people with autism. We are guilty of taking our education system for granted, but for a child who suffers from autism, the process of education can be a completely different challenge.

As autism is being more widely recognised throughout the country, there are specialist schools available. The aim of these schools will allow your child to feel more comfortable in their overall surroundings, class mates and most importantly, they will have the chance to be educated by experienced people who understand Autism as well as the needs of the sufferers.

The specialist schools are not operated by the teachers. They are also run by the specially trained teachers, residential carers, learning support assistants and therapists. These highly trained people work closely with parents in order to achieve the best possible outcomes for the development for the child.

It is not uncommon for children to have different levels of autism. With this in mind, it is highly important that the people, who are in charge of the education of these children with autism, will be fully aware of how to react to the different children that attend. Through experience, a valid strategy will be in place for each child. It will outline the process for each child to guarantee that they receive the maximum benefits coming from their education.

Those children who suffer from autism tend to have a lack of confidence. In attending a specialist school, whose primary focus is on the needs of the autistic child, they will be able to take part in activities that can assist them to interacting with people. These exercises will help them to become more confident in their abilities and to respond to scenarios that are a part of growing up in today's society.

The specialist education that autism sufferers receive will be of great benefit for the development of their future. The care, attention and the understanding will not be provided in a normal school, as the aim of is to provide pupils with a curriculum based education. This has been proven in many cases that this idea does not work for autistic children.

There are many sufferers of autism in the UK and the best way is to spot the signs early, such as a difficulty in relating to others or making friends for example. The specialist autism schools are in place for children with autism to provide them with a solid foundation and framework for the benefit of their future developments. This is to help their learning such as adapting to real life situations, able to interact with likeminded children and preparing them for the conditions in the real world.

Original article

Facts About Autism Treatment

Autism treatment is not considered to be a fix-all, a cure. People diagnosed with developmental disorders can expect to have to live out their lives with them. Treatment is for therapeutic purposes. Treatment is given in the hope of providing these individuals with coping methods, and skills needed to successfully handle life's situations as easily, and comfortable as possible. Treatment takes on the form of therapy sessions both one-on-one and in a group setting. It involves speech pathology therapy that focuses on not only the semantics of verbal communication but the psychological and emotional characteristics as well. Treatment can also take the form of standardized classroom instruction-these classes are special education classrooms that specifically are meant to educate individuals with developmental disorders.

Depending on the severity of the symptoms a child may be able to participate in the general setting of classes at his/her school. High functioning autistic, while still faced with the awkward social skills and awkward communication skills do have some ability to successfully participate in group setting such as public school classrooms with little or no extra help or attention. However, they still look at things in a different way and will probably come to understand and learn them in a different way as well. Because of this difficulties are more likely to occur than not and teachers and parents need to be aware of this. Children with developmental disorders are prone to bullying and negative relationships with their peers. It is difficult for children, especially those at a young age to be accepting of something so drastically different from their selves.

Most will act out because of fear of the unknown. It is necessary for teachers and caregivers to teach children a more accepting attitude of change and difference. It is with open minds, patience, and compassion that we can live together peacefully. Hiding anything different from the world is not the best course of action. However, in some cases where the severity of autism is extreme it is beneficial to everyone involved to place the child in an educational environment geared toward his/her disorder. This doesn't mean ostracize them from the general public but simply provide them with a stable environment in which they can learn to handle said general public, comfortably.

Speech pathology therapy can be useful in helping an autistic child to build a better communicative repertoire. Communication is often difficult for autistic children no matter the severity of their symptoms.

They do not understand and react to social, environmental, emotional, intuitive cues. Due to this autistic children can develop antisocial tendencies that can unknowingly ostracize themselves from their peers. Therapy can help them to develop communication skills they are comfortably with and able to use in any situation. This can actually help them to better understand those around them which will lead to success in everyday life. It can also help autistic children to make friends-which can be of great benefit to them.

Again, autism treatment is not meant to be a cure. But it can help to alleviate the major negative characteristics of the disorder. It will help a child live as best a life as possible for him/her.

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

Original article

Coping With Autism Spectrum Disorder Meltdowns and Behaviours

What is an Autism Related Meltdown?
A child with Autism can be very prone to meltdowns in public and unfamiliar places. Meltdowns can be described as a tantrum or fit of rage as the child may be confused or stressed due over loaded sensory inputs or an unfamiliar place and situation.

An Autistic or ASD meltdown can be difficult to control and can be a very emotional trauma for both the ASD child / person and the carer. It can also put the ASD child / person and carer in danger of personal injury purely from a reaction to a situation, event or even emotional vibes.

To add to the drama of a meltdown in public places there is always the onlookers and concerned individuals. It is only human nature to be concerned if a child / person is acting in a manner which may be perceived as if the person is in danger or in trouble. It would be a sad world if this wasn't the case, as in a recent event in China where a small child was hit by a vehicle and ignored on the street by passers by.

I recall when Isybee was just 3 or 4 years old, one of the first outings we had in a busy shopping center, the surroundings, lights, noise and crowd was too much for her to handle and she had a meltdown. For passers by it would have seemed as if we were trying to harm her or kidnap her, people were trying to intervene and looked upset and concerned, we felt like we had to try and explain that our daughter was Autistic, however at the time your focus is on calming the child. Some even went as far as commenting on what terrible parents we were. We ignored them however it still affects you.

Coping with an Awkward Situation
So how do you go about coping with these sort of situations? Everyone would have their own way of dealing with such an event, and you have to quickly learn to not let others perceptions bother you. You could try and avoid outings, social gatherings or anywhere where there might be a chance of the ASD child having a meltdown, however at some stage you will have no choice and at some stage you will need to accustom the child with Autism to everyday living situations and slowly modify their behavior by making them feel comfortable and understanding what is going on around them.

One clever way we found to handle onlookers and concerned citizens when a meltdown or perceived disruptive behavior occurs by your miss-understood child with Autism, is to hand out an Autism Awareness card that gives in brief, an explanation of why the child is in this state. It can be a very effective way of communicating without having to go into verbal explanations and allows you to focus and deal with the task at hand - calming your child!

Print Your Own Autism Awareness Cards
We made up the Autism Awareness cards into a template which can be printed out into business card style and size cards. These can be printed out directly by any home Ink Jet or Laser printer using the IJ39 Business Cards format which matches most word processor software formats. Printing sheets are available at any Office Supplies outlet. This template will print 10 business style cards per sheet. See link below.

Below is a link to the Autism Awareness Cards Template Free Download page:

http://isybeeautism.com/autism-asd-insights/coping-with-autism-spectrum-disorder-meltdowns-and-behaviours/

Hi, my name is Henry, I am Isy Bee's father

My wife and I originally started Isabella's Autism Pages and Isybee Autism web pages to help other parents in similar circumstances, and to give recognition to other people and organisations who have helped them help me.

We hope to cover a lot of ground writing articles and providing information and resources for families and persons affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

Please visit our website for more information and resources:

http://isybeeautism.com/ - Autism information and resources.

Original article

Musicophilia Meets: Media Bombardment's Contribution To Autism

Musical imagery just happens...

Musical imagery is the brain hearing music when there is no music actually playing.

In Musicophilia Dr. Sacks shows that "Musical imagery is not voluntarily commanded or summoned but comes to us apparently spontaneously." Could the spontaneous nature of this imagery - at times be sparked by associative thought? I am not sure. But Dr. Sacks pays attention to the associative thought process - as he points out how one of his correspondents says that "Every memory of my childhood has a soundtrack to it."

Musical imagery comes from repeated exposure to a particular piece or type of music. Dr. Sacks points out how a type of musical imagery that entered his own mind, while lacking an associative emotional attachment (like from childhood memory), was pleasurable enough for him to attend to. He relates his musical imagery to the fact that..."I have bombarded my ears and brain with them, and the musical "circuits" or networks in my brain have been supersaturated, overcharged with them. In such a supersaturated state, the brain seems ready to replay the music with no apparent external stimulus." (Dr. Sacks)

The type of musical imagery that Dr. Sacks deals with is described as rarely intrusive or uncontrollable. However, the doctor has treated those who have more voracious experiences within the realm of musical imagery - or that which is just flat out auditory hallucination.

When considering Dr. Sacks described bombardment and resulting musical imagery I am given cause to pause with regard to all the auditory input that children are bombarded with in our current society.

For my own autistic daughter who experienced a worsening into schizophrenic like psychosis at about ten years of age, it became imperative to stop her constant engagement in viewing familiar animated movies, games and TV programs. For the most part they all have similar music - but with the added dash of intrigue that ended up being very bad for her.

Right before her worsening she needed the volume turned up on anything that she listened to. It was as if she was trying to drown out other things in the environment. Soon it was apparent that she was having internal conflict and I realized she was trying to drown out what was going on in her head. She progressed to the point of having inexplicable screaming episodes as she tried to occupy herself with watching her movies or engaging in a video game.

She really got to the point where no known external stimulus need be present in order that she go berserk. As the outburst expanded in duration, intensity and number - the internal conflict was coupled with catatonia like presentation. By this particular point I and my family had identified auditory and visual hallucinations were a part of the overall process for her.

Perhaps the succession that led to horrific hallucinatory process started with that of voracious musical imagery that was intertwined with visual media imagery. As far as the motor movements that also took her over, what can one expect when so much is going so wrong neurologically.

Her worsening did not relent for several years. However, my daughter was eventually able to discern that she needed to be void of too much stimulus, and while a hospital inpatient she would many times voluntarily take herself to the seclusion room that was void of stimulation during her rougher times.

Her determination to shine in spite of the tremendous neurological challenges only emboldened the determination to hang on with her. Most doctors felt we should give up. I and my family did not know how to give up because as unbearable as life was with her - it would be worse without her. We were witness to a cherished one who was suffering in a neurological hell, all the while trying to make her own way out.

Throughout those years there were tries at helping her that were inconsequential. These were the kinds of help that might more aptly apply for those who were not so obviously suffering from a severe neurological - and not strictly volitional - condition.

During an occupational therapy evaluation: My daughter hated classical music playing in the background. She hates sound with too much treble quality. The OT felt it important to find music that she could enjoy, however all that she experienced turned into conflict so that not even music soothed her. The OT noted that we already utilized strategies at home such as swimming and swinging, exclusively doing so because my daughter usually responded to favorably to them. The report gave a very long and excellent list of ideas for settling at night, but the active hallucinations and manias cared little for such a list.

I previously had exposure to, and understood the OT's suggestions since my daughter lived her entire life in the world of autism. Everyone tried so hard to help but the fact for the current time was that we were not dealing with anything near normal, and my daughter was not responding to most of these types of interventions normally. Her world represented an upside down one. Things considered soothing by many became intolerable.

During a relaxation session: An attempt was made to have my daughter utilize certain relaxation techniques. Mostly breathing exercises and music. The deliberate breathing required repetition, or ritual. How could I explain to the therapist that this meditative breathing might be bad? Ritual proved harmful to my daughter and seemed to through her into absence spells. The repetitive relaxation breathing might contribute to troubling absence spells. Past absence spells disturbed my daughter enough to result in violence and screaming.

My daughter tried relaxation with the therapist, but as she engaged in the deliberate breathing she looked disturbed - the way she usually looked when dealing with internal conflict. Her thought processes were fried and repetition of any sort was an enemy. Meditation upon meaningless music, breathing, or idle thinking was in vain. It really pointed to her susceptibility toward spells, as compared to some individual's susceptibility to hypnotizing. Perhaps my daughter's involvement in any sort of repetition put her in a trance state, without benefit of suggestion from the hypnotist. All she had was her inner conflict from which to draw.

Indeed, for my daughter types of music represent an evolving trigger process for imagery, hallucination and ultimately conflict.

As I read Dr. Sacks' work and consider my daughter's presentation over her entire life I can easily conclude that caution is advised for our current culture. The bombardment of media - the constant viewing of cartoons, animated movies and other media, most of which have a lot of music intertwined is something better avoided in large dose; especially by those identified as being part of the spectrum of autism. These media, in too large a dose, may represent for the autistic child the same scenario as the bombardment that Dr. Sacks talked about with regard to his own musical imagery.

While Dr. Sacks is better able to make sense of his own imagery's intrusion. An autistic child will have a harder fought life long journey of discernment with regard to what they take in, and how their psyche responds to it all.

*****

About our journey with autism... At the very beginning I figured we would get our daughter normalized in no time and pretty soon she would be asking for the car keys. It didn't quite work out that way and as my entire family and I continued to work through the ebb and flow of her unique walk, we fell madly in love with her in all her glory. This articles are just an outreach. For a real life look at one case of severe autism, just Google "Hello, Dr. Wells". It is a sixteen year account of autism that turned to schizophrenic like psychosis.

Original article