The Use of Secretin in Cases of Autism

                

 

Opinions about the effect of secretin when fighting autism are very mixed. While some say it has absolutely no effect on patients, other fervently sustain that the effects are dramatic if not curing the whole disease. Major studies have yet to be done and show any conclusive proof that this treatment either works or is a complete failure. Still, the general opinion is that the truth is somewhere in the middle.

We will follow up now on a doctor?s own little study on a number of patients with autism. Respecting protocols and rules he injected some 70 patients with secretin and observed the long term action and affects that this drug has both on the body and the disease. Families where also involved in observing the slightest of changes, being the fact that they were the people that stood near the patient most of the time.

Results didn?t take long to appear. Some 7 out of 10 parents said that improvements could be seen in their child?s behavior but not anything significant. Out of the whole study group only a near 1 out of 10 kids should dramatic signs the results being difficult to argue with. Another troubling fact in the research is the duration of effect that the secretin had in the children that had a good response to the drug. While for some the effect was short lived, for others this was a touch from God. A particular patient had such a remarkable response to the drug that in only one month was able to talk and act as normal as a child his age would do; improvements continued afterwards with the child being in normal regular education system. It seems that for other patients the secretin effect is only short lived, the administration of the drug being this way continuous if effects are to be the same as in other cases. Results in these patients were noticed even by other people that had no idea of the injection schedule the child patient had. Still minor rashes were present in the child?s behavior but only mild in action.

Seeing this results we must understand that further studies must be done if we are truly to understand the benefits of secretin on so many troubled autistic children. The actual way in witch the drug works on patients must be understood and tested against placebo effects. With the help of technology, modern medical science and good doctors results should be found.

Usage of the drug is still not recommended until the whole effects and side effects are fully known.

For greater resources on Autism or especially about signs of autism please click this link http://www.autism-info-center.com/signs-of-autism.htm

Does Your Child Have Autism?

                

 

To find out if your child is manifesting the symptoms of autism consider the following assessments:

1. Your child shies away from or repels human contact or affection:

An autistic child does not want to be hugged. They usually stiffen when held. They are not comforted by being held or cuddled.

When an autistic child is having temper tantrums or is anxious, it is better not to hug the child to provide reassurance and comfort, instead, give the child his favorite toy or transfer the child to a less stimulating environment.

2. Your child is usually stimulated from within and not by the outside world. He or she have difficulty in processing external stimuli:

The ability to receive stimuli from the environment is blocked so the child:

a. is unable to differentiate self from the environment thus the reversal of pronouns, the child talks about himself in third person.

b. has delayed development of self-help skills, such as feeding, dressing and toileting.

c. has difficulty or inability to learn expressive communication: echolalia, mutism.

d. is unable to enjoy meaningful relationship with the outside world: does not respond to people or other environmental stimuli, may be unable to make eye contact.

e. is aware only of himself and engages only in self-stimulated acts: plays alone for hours, withdraws from other children but may advance to parallel play.

f. turns to inanimate objects: attachment to a security blanket.

3. Your child develops stereotypic body movements:

These may consist of rocking, spinning, hand flapping, and other repetitive activities.

4. Your child shows obsessive desire for sameness:

An autistic child usually adheres to routines and rituals and has great aversion to changes.

5. Your child shows impulsiveness:

A child with autism may engage in temper tantrums when interrupted in his or her activity.

6. Your child shows inclination to self mutilation:

An autistic child can sometimes engage in head banging especially during tantrums.

7. Your child shows heightened withdrawal manifested by refusal to eat.

8. Your child exhibits More severe motor clumsiness associated with lower IQ.

9. Your child develops schizophrenia or seizures.

10. Autism is sometimes associated in some degree with mental retardation. Although accurate IQ measurement may be difficult to obtain due to the lack of language in these individuals, 60% of children have an IQ less than 50; 20% between 50 and 70; and 20% have an IQ greater than 70. Autism is more common in males than females by three to one.

The author, Jose Feliciano, is personally involved with autism having a family member with this disorder. To get more information about autism, visit his website at MyAutisticBoy.com.

Autism And Asperger Syndrome-Similarities And Differences

                

 

The Asperger syndrome affects children and adults patients by modifying their communication skills and making them unable to interact with the persons around them. The autistic disorder in most cases associates the lack of communication skills with learning disabilities.

The Asperger syndrome is an autistic disorder related to autism but with less symptoms or less serious modifications. The pure autism is rare, about one case in 5000 children and it occurs four times more often in male children than in girls. Autistic spectrum disorders are all conditions implying symptoms related to the manifestations of autism.

The exact cause of autism cases is still unknown to scientists but researchers have detected a possible link between the condition and a genetic factor without any actual pattern of inheritance. Autistic modifications are blamed on brain damages and abnormal development before birth, during childbirth or after birth.

The first signs of an autistic disorder appear soon after birth in severe cases but usually between the age of 3-4 when parents observe abnormal modifications in the child?s behavior. There are three main symptom groups involved in autism and patients with the Asperger syndrome have only some of these signs, unlike the children with actual autism who suffer from disorders from all of the three symptoms groups.

The main difficulty of children with autistic disorders is to interact with the persons around the. They hardly ever make and sustain an eye-contact, resist cuddling, reject any form of affection and never look for it, cannot stand being kissed, have difficulties in making friends and are mostly unable to play with children their age. Autistic patients are not able to understand emotions coming from other persons and have problems with obeying simple rules; this leads them to the incapacity of frequenting a regular school.

Patients show an obsessive interests for repetitive actions and might look at an object fro an increased period of time. They have no imagination and are not interested in imaginative play. The games are almost the same every day and usually match with playing methods used by younger children. The ability to communicate with others is disturbed, cannot keep a conversation and cannot use words in meaningful sentences.

Regular actions like walking, sitting up or down will be later acknowledged and assimilated than normally. All patients with autistic disorders tend to be clumsy and struggle the games lessons at school. Older patients develop obsessive interests for exact timetables and resist changes in their environment. They rapidly become agitated and angered if their routine is modified. Autistic children are extremely sensitive noise and light and might show severe responses.

For greater resources on Autism or especially about autism symptoms please click this link http://www.autism-info-center.com/autism-symptoms.htm

Uniqueness With Autism

                

 

All children are unique, and this is especially true in the case of autistic children. Due to the knowledge being gained on the increasing range and complexity within the autistic spectrum it is being widely recognised that each child has their own particular character traits. As with any child, they deserve every opportunity and assistance to help them in dealing with their autism and to develop into mature and useful members of society.

Unfortunately, the general conception is that anyone who is ?different? has to be of a lower level of intelligence. This could not be further from the truth with autism, as it is now being acknowledged that autism itself frequently brings with it a higher than average level of intelligence. There are an increasing number of cases where children have displayed a high degree of talent in the arts and musical fields. These areas are also highly effective in helping the child to develop their own gifts in other areas. The use of music for example, can be helpful when creating a calming environment for the child concerned. Creative activities can also be utilised to develop dexterity and motor skills whilst keeping the child?s mind active. Providing a number of varied activities can be especially effective in improving the concentration on any given task.

The frustrations and tantrums that are so characteristic of the autistic child are often due to the inability of being able to fully express themselves to others. Coupled with a lack of understanding of their situation, this has led to children being labelled as badly behaved or out of control. Finding ways to help them communicate their needs and frustrations leads to an improvement in behaviour. Each child is born with their own special characteristics that are unique to them. Instead of trying to have each one develop and conform to a pre-conceived ideal, they should have the opportunity to grow and to express the particular gifts they have been given. This does of course, need to be guided to fit within certain parameters in order for our society to work and also develop. In the case of autistic children this is of particular importance to enable the child to realise their full potential. Although autism does bring a very real set of different challenges, with the appropriate help and guidance from others, autistic children can be helped in developing their strengths towards making a positive contribution to the family and society as a whole.

Rather than ?writing off? an autistic child we need to seek ways to recognise and develop the individual talents within their character and to do all that we can in order for them to realise their aims in life. Given time and understanding the autistic child can grow into a loving and truly unique person.

For more articles http://www.caringforautism.com

Autism, Probiotics, And An Ideal World

                

 

In an ideal world my son would be voicing his opinions, making decisions, going out with his friends, learning to drive, furthering his education, managing his finances and hopefully turning into a well adjusted, sociable young adult. However, this is not an ideal world.

My son has autism.

He is almost eighteen years old and I wonder, like all mothers, what the future holds for him.

We're certainly not going to have long debates about anything because my son rarely speaks. When he does it's just the odd word or phrase and you have to be a good detective to appreciate his "clues". He does try hard though and also mimes, gestures and occasionally writes or shows you what he wants.

His language has deteriorated since he started to have seizures. We're not sure if it's the medication affecting his speech or the seizures themselves but either way his language is not as clear as it used to be. It means his audience has to try harder to understand.

Of course, as his mother I often know what he wants without him doing anything more than just glance in a particular direction or look at me. Other mothers will know what I mean. It's sort of a sixth sense, a special bond.

Jodi is settled in a wonderful school where he has been for almost fifteen years. The staff all know him and he knows them. It's comfortable but he can't stay there for ever.

He doesn't really have friends although he does have various groups of people whom he sees regularly. He's happy to spend time with them and the feeling is reciprocated.

One such group is Lantern Dance where he goes for weekly dance sessions. Jodi is made to feel very welcome amongst the integrated group consisting of mums, dads, fit young teenagers, supple adults, professional dancers and other special needs people. Music and dance seem to fit with his autism somehow as his whole life appears to be set to rhythm.

He also attends two special needs youth groups where he has the opportunity to do "normal" things like karaoke, pool, badminton, dancing, cinema trips, bowling, restaurants, trampolining, swimming, etc.

It's wonderful for him but he's still considered a child. At least he is until he's nineteen and then it all changes. Overnight he will be transferred into the hands of "adult" services and it's scary.

It's difficult enough to get the appropriate help as a child but it's much worse for adults. We've been lucky with Jodi so far but there are many parents who feel the needs of their child have not been properly met. With autism on the rise and a lack of resources things are unlikely to improve. Professionals, teachers, social workers all agree.

Unfortunately, autism isn't something people just grow out of. There are, of course, many interventions you can try to improve the quality of life for your child and we've tried many. Today I was told he's a "lovely young man" and a "credit" to me so obviously some, if not all of them worked.

Certainly we saw changes almost immediately with some things, others took much longer and you get to the stage where you are not sure if it's doing any good at all but you daren't stop it "just incase".

Our most recent and significant improvement for Jodi has been his diet. After years of eating a very self restricted, nutritionally useless, diet we introduced him to an amazing Probiotic formula called In-Liven and now he eats just about anything including fruit and vegetables. Best of all we don't have to concern ourselves with the gluten problem which has plagued him for years. This is common for people with autism and is the inability to break down the proteins found in wheat.

Jodi's diet used to consist entirely of acid forming foods which provided a wonderful breeding ground for pathogenic (bad) bacteria as they cannot live in a medium of less than pH 4.2.

The probiotic we use contains the full thirteen lactobacilli family found in nature and which have found to be beneficial against pathogenic bacteria, parasites and Candida ? again another big problem for people with autism.

Lactobacilli are rapid and effective colonisers and such prolific lactic acid producers they are soon able to lower the pH of the intestine making it inhospitable to pathogenic bacteria.

The body should have a bacteria ratio of 85% good bacteria to 15% bad bacteria. For most people it is the other way round. Only when the good bacteria have been re-established will intolerances go away and good health be restored.

Certainly Jodi is incredibly healthy now and hasn't suffered from the spots and acne associated with most teenagers. He's changed in many other ways too. Many people have made positive comments. They can't put their finger on exactly what it is just that he's different somehow. If you believe, as I do, that the gut is the second brain, then I'm sure the probiotic superfood he uses has much to do with it.

Complete with 26 certified organic living wholefoods and 18 amino acids, it has been pre-digested for three weeks prior to bottling so gives up its nutrients as soon as it enters the body. That's one of the biggest problems getting nutrients from food - time.

Although food takes about 72 hours to pass from your mouth to your anus it is only actually in your gut for about 12 hours so a lot of work needs to take place in a short amount of time.

Bacteria cover every available square inch of your intestinal tract and break down the food. I always envisaged them as having teeth and acting like a sort of mini Pac Man as in the very old video games. However, that's not the case.

Instead they produce enzymes and these are responsible for every metabolic process in your body ? all the building and all the repair. They are the molecules that digest food and deliver nutrients. Unfortunately the body cannot produce them and they have to be replenished.

You can find enzymes in raw food like fruit and vegetables but they get killed off at 116 degrees. Since my son never ate raw food and wouldn't touch fruit and vegetables he didn't get any natural enzymes. It's no wonder he struggled.

Now, however, he gets the enzymes from the probiotics and the nutrients from the wholefood culture they are grown in, as well as all the other vitamins, anti-oxidants and immune stimulators. It shows.

Next week we go to look at a possible semi residential placement for him. I don't want him to go but he has a need and a right to grow up and to make his own way in the world without having me with him all the time. I feel happier now his seizures are under control with medication and his diet has improved so much. My biggest fear whenever we went anywhere was that he would go hungry because he couldn't get the type of food he would eat. Invariably I took food with me and always our suitcases were much lighter on the return journey.

As for him going to a residential home I tell myself it will be like my "normal" son going off to university. He needs to have fun, to learn new skills and mix with people his own age. More importantly he needs to become more independent. After all I won't be around for ever. I know it doesn't always work out that way but in the normal scheme of things I should die long before he does. Then what? The earlier he learns to live without me the better.

I know it's for the best. It just doesn't feel that way. As I said, this is not an ideal world.

Main Signs and Symptoms of Autism

                

 

The autistic disorder is a spectrum of many converged symptoms affecting attention, perception and thought. The condition varies from mild to severe and the shown behavior is inappropriate for the age.

Autism is classified as a condition belonging to the disease group called pervasive Development Disorders. The three major areas affected by autism are behavior, communication and interaction. When at least six of the symptoms of these areas damage occur, a temporary diagnose of autistic disorder can be established. Further testing is necessary. Children that do not exactly match autistic criteria are usually classified as suffering from a pervasive development disorder.

All autistic patients suffer from the impossibility of interacting with others and communicating with them. Autistics are characterized by aloofness, desire to be alone, and difficulty in being around people. They cannot express their needs and wishes and use gestures and pointing instead of language. Children with such problems reject the society and this one rejects them back. They need life-long care and special attention according to their personal needs.

Autistic patients have difficulties with integrating senses. They show an abnormal response to one or more sensory movements; receive sounds like painful and light hurts them. Other senses like touch, balance, smell or taste are disturbed as well and their reaction to pain is frightening and painful. They are though very sensitive to non-routine behavior and hardly get used to changes in their environment. They show a repetitive behavior and can continue doing one thing in spite of others trying to talk to them.

Although playing is used as a form of therapy, most of the patients prove an impaired behavior towards play, gross motor skills and little eye-contact. In spite of their well developed hearing sense, they act as deaf and ignore verbal cues, react by extreme distress without any actual reason. Hypo- or hyperactivity characterizes their actions and they always resist changes in their routine.

Instead of using normal logical language, autistic children repeat particular words or phrases; this is known as echolalia. Other major signs are abnormal laughing or giggling and the evident speech and language absence or delay.

Autism makes patients resist cuddling and show strange attachments to different objects. Ways of interacting with people are abnormal and they show tendencies to spin objects. The knowledge of communicating with others seems to be disturbed and they never find the right language or manifestations in a certain context. Children cannot sustain a conversation or understand other person? point of view. They tend to use facial expression and body language instead of verbal communication ways.

For greater resources on Autism or especially about signs of autism please click this link http://www.autism-info-center.com/signs-of-autism.htm

Most Common Features of Autism

                

 

The autistic disorder is mainly characterized by the impaired social interaction as well as by the refusal of the patients to respond to their names or react to other people?s eye contact. Autistic children can hardly integrate voices and usually look for facial expressions to give them cues about the behavior. They are unable to understand or show feelings and their behavior has a negative impact on the others.

Most of them cannot express themselves by voice; the ones who do that will refer to their own person by name instead of ?me? or ?I?. They engage in repetitive actions and can even reach to self-hurting behavior. Normally, autistics do not show interest in other people?s topics and talk in own favorite topics.

Autism makes his patients vulnerable to all types of sensors. Their reduced response to pain turns into anxiety while listening to an abnormal sound. They mostly hate being touched and usually resist cuddling. Autism symptoms are developed in the first three years of life and last life-long. The most important features of autism are impaired social interaction, limited interests and actions and communication problems. The autistic disorder varies from easy forms with children able to develop basic language skills, to a severe form when patients cannot communicate at all.

The development problems beside other children their age start at about 18-36 months when they reject persons, loose language or social skills they may have already accumulated. In time they get to hardly engage in social interactions and avoid eye contact; autistic patients like to be alone, resist affection or accept hugs passively. Parents are most affected by the child?s lack of attention or joy at their sight.

These patients tend to live a wildly life as facial expressions or gestures do not mean anything. They hardly get to understand the feelings or wishes of others and usually respond only to routine questions or cues as they are unable to differentiate different people?s actions and feelings. Autistic disorder makes patients resist changes in their routine environment and even react aggressive by breaking things, attacking people or hurting themselves; their tendency of doing these things occurs mostly when they are upset, angry or when something bothers them.

Most of the autism sufferers remain silent during their lives; some of them though seem to begin talking in the first 6 months when they suddenly stop developing. Some develop delayed language skills but most of them must be taught to communicate by signs and special equipments. Those who manage to learn a few words cannot bind them into sentences and mostly use them senseless or in repetitive order. A characterizing feature of autism is echolalia making the patients repeat words or phrase they have heard even several weeks before. It usually goes by at the age of three. Autistic children confuse pronouns and change the meaning of ?me? or ?I? according to the person speaking.

Early and proper treatment and care is essential for them to learn at least basic skills and communication means.

For greater resources on Autism or especially about signs of autism please click this link http://www.autism-info-center.com/signs-of-autism.htm

Find Out The History, Symptoms and Treatment Of Autism

                

 

Autism is known by several different names. Some call it autism, others call it Autistic Spectrum Disorder, and others refer to it by what is typically known as a ?lighter? form of autism, Aspergers Syndrome or Aspergers Disorder. The disorder is usually identified by a marked delay in a child?s areas of communication and social interactions. While autism is not only found in children, it can typically be successfully identified during the first three years of a child?s life.

Autistic spectrum disorder is a difficult affliction to diagnose. There is not a physical ailment that can be readily seen, such as a broken arm or open wound, yet the affliction can be much worse than either of those if untreated or even worse, if it goes undiagnosed for a long period of time. Since it is difficult to diagnose, various tests are performed on the patient to determine if certain sets of criteria are met which would define autism. For this reason, the diagnosis of autism is a relatively subjective process that typically requires specialists in this area to accurately determine.

For several decades, autism has been known as one of the most severe neurological disorders pertaining to the normal development of a child?s communications skills, ability to focus and concentrate, and general social interaction skills. For a long time, it was thought to be relatively rare, but more recent studies estimate that approximately 1 in every 150 children are afflicted by it to some degree. Sometimes the ?degree? is almost undetectable and does not present a major challenge to that child as they develop and grow, but for others, it will clearly present them with challenges.

There is not a currently known cure for autism, but once it has been diagnosed and the severity of it determined, there are things that can be done to minimize the effects of it. Sometimes this may include prescription medications. Although the results are not yet definitive, some scattered reports of success have been noted with secretin treatments for both children and adults. Common treatments include special education with trained professionals who understand autistic spectrum disorder, which would also include behavioral interventions and dietary changes.

A prevailing thought, although not yet definitive, is that autism is a neurological or psychological disorder that is inherited. It has been concluded, however, that autism is not a reflection of parenting skills, where the lack of a nurturing mother would be a cause of autism. Some studies have indicated that a dietary change can have a notable positive effect on the autistic patient, like changing to a glutin-free diet. Other studies have shown that going through a process to remove mercury from the system had a very positive effect. But again, these studies are currently inconclusive.

Yet other studies have focused in other areas. For example, one thought is that the production of testosterone plays a role in autism, which would partially explain why such a dramatically greater percentage of males versus females are afflicted with ASD.

Since autism is difficult to accurately diagnose, sometimes the affliction which might be labeled as autism is actually Aspergers Syndrome, which simply put, is just a milder form of autistic spectrum disorder. For more information about Aspergers Disorder, you may wish to visit Aspergers Syndrome Explained to get more insights. Also similar would be many of the symptoms of yet another related disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder, and you can get more information about ADD at All About Attention Deficit Disorder.

Bottom line: watch your children and know the signs of autism, since early detection and accurate early diagnosis provides your best chances to minimize the detrimental effects.

Jon is a computer engineer who maintains web sites on a variety of topics based on his knowledge and experience. You can read more about Autism and Autistic Spectrium Disorder (ASD) at his web site at Autism Explained.

Autism - The Range Of Function

                

 

Autism is a syndrome that comes from exhibiting certain combinations or patterns of behavior. Low functioning autism is the term used to describe autistic individuals that are not able to function or deal with every day life. Normal to high functioning autism is used to describe people that exhibit autistic behaviors that are in fact able to deal with real world activities and normal day to day life. Many people diagnosed with autism end up living in less then ideal conditions. Autism is a developmental disorder, that affects many areas of human function such as language, and the ability to communicate. It affects self-help skills, coordination, and the ability of an individual to learn.

Common Behaviors

There are several common traits that will aid in the diagnosis of autism. These traits include, the tendency to stay in isolation or be away from others. Autistic individuals will have a hard time making friends and will seem very awkward in social situations. An autistic person will very rarely look some else in the eye. They will be very naive and easily swayed or manipulated. They are often quite gullible. When an autistic person speaks they will often so so using very formal language. They may speak in a monotone and their use of body language may be very poor. (such as nodding "no" while saying "yes". Autistic people will generally prefer common routines, they may be very literal in their use of language and may remember and recite a lot of detail without having a lot of understanding. They may also exhibit hyper- or hypo- sensitivity of the senses, have odd tastes in food and clothing as well as very fine or very grossly exaggerated motor coordination. The more of the above traits an individual exhibits the more severe the case of autism is said to be. In some cases the above symptoms may become helpfully in certain disciplines like science, math, and engineering. These disciplines require a lot of memorization and many autistic's are quite proficient in these subjects as a result.

Autism and ADHD?

There has been some discussion on about a genetic as well as behavioral link between ADHD and autism. Some experts believe that ADHD should be put considered as a form of autistic spectrum disorder. It is quite common to have children diagnosed with both ADHD and autism together. In children, the two disorders seem very much alike. As the individuals age, the disorders grow and become more apparent. Children with ADHD will often develop normal social skills and be able to communicate with their peers and with others. Autistic children however will continue to show symptoms even as they age. there is still much to learn about the autism spectrum. Even with current advances in technology and medical science, a cure for this condition remains a mystery. The more we study the sooner we will understand the disorder and be able to help those who are diagnosed with this condition.

Kerry Ng is a successful Webmaster and publisher of The Autism Info Blog. Click here for more helpful information on Autism: http://www.autisminfoblog.com

Autism Linked To 100 Genes

                

 

Autism is a debilitating condition that is poorly understood and badly managed. However, inroads are being made into its understanding.

Scientists have new reason to believe that autism is linked to around 100 genes. The study has also shown that autism is more common in today?s world than previously thought - and also more complex as a disease.

Victims will often have missing sections of DNA, or copies of existing DNA. It affects 1 in 150 children, and is considered genetic. No one knows yet for sure what causes the disease, but good progress is being made.

Symptoms of the disease include difficulties in behavior, social interaction, inability to think correctly or speak, and more serious things that severely debilitate the victim. The effects of autism are so variant that mapping the exact cause to the disease is tough work. Years have study have shown that exposing radiation to cells will produce similar effects as autism would on a cellular structure- suggesting cell mutation.

Normal diseases that are genetic will show that other family members have the same genetic pattern concerning the disease- not true with autism. About 2 out of 14 autism victims have relatives with the disease, which is a significant number.

The disease itself is very mysterious, and something that will only be unravelled in time. Things are still at a relatively early stage of development and more time and scientific energy will be needed before the picture is fully understood. Researchers hope to make a breakthrough soon after mapping the human genome.

Eric Hartwell oversees "The World's Best Homepage" intended to be a user-generated resource where YOUR opinion counts. Anybody can contribute and all are welcomed. Visit us to read, comment upon or share opinions on weight loss and obesity and visit his associated site articles for free.

Find Out If Your Child Could Have Autism

                

 

The topic of autism has been a major hot topic in the news lately, going from episodes of Oprah and also on the evening news. Some communities are even having autism awareness festivities to bring attention to autism.

Why all the hubbub? Autism has been discovered to affect about 1 in every 156 students, depending on which research report you read. This is an incredible statistic and you should be concerned about it. Do you know what the signs of autism are? Do you know what steps you should take if your child has autism?

These are all good questions and they require an answer. First of all, you need to do your homework, do your due diligence, and find out exactly what autism is. Even if your child if affected with autism, it may not be severe enough for you to even notice, but it is something that could grow more pronounced over time, and you need to be prepared to take action and get it diagnosed early enough to make a difference.

One of the problems with autism is that the diagnosis of it is not an exact science. In other words, it is easy to diagnose a broken arm. You can see it, the xrays confirm it, and the doctor or physician knows exactly how to treat it. But on the other hand, autism is not nearly so well defined, and the diagnosis of it often depends on the number of signs of autism that the child represents, and even then can be a subjective call.

One of the primary signs of autism is lack of social interaction. That does not mean that the child is a computer nerd, but that the child clearly has problems, real problems, in social interactions. The verbal speech patterns are also affected, and an unreasonable delay in when your child starts to speak coherent words and phrases could also be a sign of autism. Children with autism have a very difficult time meeting your eyes or looking you in the eyes when you are speaking to them. In the more severe cases of autism, you may see intense concentration on a particular object, even something as simple as a puppet or a ball. This concentration is to the exclusion of all else in the autistic child. Although the signs of autism vary from child to child, it is well known that boys are much more frequently affected by autism than girls, where some studies indicate that the ratio is as high as 4 to 1.

Autism is thought to be a neurological disorder, where the messages coming into the brain in certain areas get scrambled or are not delivered properly. Studies have shown that this is not a hereditary thing, so there is not a need to feel guilty if your natural family tendency is to lean away from social interactions. Yes, you will probably feel guilty if your child is diagnosed with autism, but now is not the time for guilt, now is the time to make plans and arrangements to make things easier for your child and to put them into an environment that will accommodate their affliction.

Do your homework and understand what autism is. If you have reason to suspect that your child has autism, then get them checked out by a trained professional. Like most diseases, early diagnosis will provide your best opportunities to deal with it effectively.

Jon is a computer engineer who maintain a variety of web sites based on his knowledge and experience. For more information about Autism, please visit his web site at Understanding Autism.

Hyper-Visual in a Verbal World - Autism and Communication Disorders

                

 

A child or adult with Autism or a Communication disorder will have difficulties fitting into our extremely verbal world. These difficulties can create isolation from others and threatening walls of silence. However, there is a specific sub group of people diagnosed with these disorders who have a hyper-visual system. In these cases, when the visual system is harnessed, teaching communication becomes much easier.

I Rode the Train, I Want to be an Engineer
Hyper-visual people are experiencing visually when speaking. Their communications may appear to be almost nonsensical rambling but in fact they are following a very logical pattern. The difference is the pattern followed is visual rather than verbal. The exchange below illustrates this point.

I asked Mark, a college student, ?How did you get here today??
He replied, I took the train in from Long Island. My family went to the beach (Mark was seeing himself on the train but did not say this). Maybe I will be a engineer. The reason I like engineering is that there are serious problems. (Mark was thinking about being a transportation engineering and designing train tracks and freeway intersections) I have always been good in math. When teachers are difficult to understand. (Mark is seeing himself at school doing well except when the teacher is confusing and then associating to a video he watched about Einstein)Like Dr. Einstein- There was an exhibit on Einstein at the history museum did you see it?

Mark was attempting to answer my question but his picture mind took him on quite a ride as one picture blended into the next from the train- to a vacation to an engineering career to Einstein, at the museum. The expected answer was ?TRAIN?. This very verbal illustration demonstrates how the visual pathway can create leap-frog thinking-which to verbal people can seem like impulsivity.

Instead of negotiating the world with verbal reasoning, a visual person often negotiates with patterns. As a result the ?sameness of routines? becomes the template to make sense of the chaos of everyday life. We refer to these visual learners as ?Mavericks.? We often ask Mavericks to adjust to changes in schedule or adjustments in plans based on how we typically explain things - by talking. These words can create more confusion and frustration as they may not be processed at the speed expected. This lag in processing time can create resistance, immature behavior, odd play, tantrums or reluctance to participate. As a result the normal teaching methods that are based on processing incoming language can fail.

Sequencing & Associating
Visual people often use the brain?s Associator to form memories. They learn of a new idea and they relate that idea to their own knowledge base. The opposite of the Associator is the Sequencer from the verbal pathway.

The Sequencer is rigid and ordering, one sound following another to make a word, words produced in specific order to form grammatically correct sentences and ideas linked in order to make paragraphs.

The Associator is time-independent and the Sequencer is very time based. Understanding consequences depends on a time based understanding of cause and effect.

My son, Whitney, at age 4, wanted to jump off of the roof to fly like Superman, without understanding, from verbal reasoning, the danger involved. Whitney would sit mesmerized watching Disney?s Snow White as if he were deaf. In fact, at times, I could scream in his ear and he could not hear me even though all of the parts of his ear to brain physiology were judged to be normal. At these times his visual brain powered by his associator were shutting down his verbal sensory system.

If the pictures drive the thought, children can appear to be oblivious to cause and effect. They may disregard threatened consequences. Often Mavericks feel that they must complete the pattern to finish the thought they have developed through the associator before they can transition to the next idea. If the thought is disrupted the Maverick may hit a wall and resort to talking with lines from a movie or echoing what was said or get stuck like a broken record and repeat the same thing over and over again.

With the appropriate training, Mavericks can learn effective verbal communication. The teaching methods must first then harness the visual system first before moving forward to teaching communication.

Dr. Cheri Florance is a brain scientist with training and clinical experience in how to teach the brain to replace symptoms of communication and language disorders. In her books, Maverick Mind, (http://www.penquinputnam.com) and A Boy Beyond Reach (http://www.simonschuster.com), she describes how she taught her own autistic son, Whitney to replace disability with ability and become symptom-free. To learn more about her own personal journey and successful methods visit her complimentary Learning Library at http://www.ebrainlabs.com

 

Autism or Language Disorder? Diagnosis Based On Symptom Analysis

                

 

The analysis of symptoms is very important. Autism is a symptom-based diagnosis made by observing a specific cluster of symptoms known to characterize this psychiatric disease. Usually mental health practitioners obtain a description of the symptoms by interviewing the child and parents and by observation.

The preferred practice patterns established by The American Speech Language and Hearing Association (www.ASHA.com) recommend that a parent interview, a family history and a thorough symptom analysis be the first step in evaluating a child with a language disorder.

Symptoms of Autism & Language Disorder Look Alike

Let?s take a look at how the symptoms of Autism and the symptoms of a language disorder compare. Listed below are symptoms of autism from the Autism Society and symptoms of language disorder from the ODE Language Handbook. For additional information on symptom comparisons go to www.ebrainlabs.com

Autism Society

• Insistence on sameness; resists change
• Difficulty in mixing with others
• Unresponsive to teaching methods
• Sustained odd play
• Tantrums

ODE Language Handbook

• Can?t alter behavior to the needs of situation. Perseverates, resists change.
• Relates poorly to peers, reluctant to participate, has few friends.
• Unresponsive to normal teaching methods.
• Behaves immaturely ? engages in odd play.
• Behavior problems.

You will note that these symptoms can look alike but for different reasons. The cause of the symptoms can be very important in how we plan an intervention. If the cause is that the language system is under working or working erratically because of a hyper-visual system, then we need to harness the visual system first before we move forward to teaching communication.

Managing a Misfit

Our world is a very verbal place. We use communication skills to read the paper in the morning, relate to our families, learn at school and exchange ideas at work. Communication is how we share our unique souls with the world and it is the most complex function of the human brain. With deficits in the human communication systems, it can become very difficult to ?fit-in? socially, to thrive academically and to develop intimacy with loved ones.

These difficulties with fitting into the verbal world can create isolation from others and threatening walls of silence. Instead of negotiating the world with verbal reasoning, a visual person often negotiates with patterns. As a result the ?sameness of routines? becomes the template to make sense of the chaos of everyday life. We often ask Mavericks to adjust to changes in schedule or adjustments in plans based on how we explain by talking. These words can create more confusion and frustration as they may not be processed at the speed expected. This lag in processing time can create resistance, immature behavior, odd play, tantrums or reluctance to participate. As a result the normal teaching methods that are based on processing incoming language can fail.

Having a communication disorder can result in a very complex life, socially, academically and vocationally. Having worked with children and adults who have trouble processing and producing language for nearly 40 years, I understand how many symptoms can emerge from the frustration, anxiety, tension and disappointment that can occur every day. The first step in helping your child is to assess the root of the disorder. This then enables you to employ the most suitable intervention.

Dr. Cheri Florance is a brain scientist with training and clinical experience in how to teach the brain to replace symptoms of communication and language disorders. In her books, Maverick Mind, (http://www.penquinputnam.com) and A Boy Beyond Reach (http://www.simonschuster.com), she describes how she taught her own autistic son, Whitney to replace disability with ability and become symptom-free. To learn more about her own personal journey and successful methods visit her complimentary Learning Library at http://www.ebrainlabs.com

 

Role of Homeopathy in Autism

                

 

Autism is considered a spectrum disorder because symptoms and severity vary from individual to individual. Autistic children express differently from each other.

Autism is characterized by failure of the child to develop communicative language or form proper social communication. But they show motor and other skills far beyond that of a mentally retarded child.

Some of them are obsessively pre occupied with inanimate objects such as lights, running water or spinning objects. Some of them gradually develop extreme talents such as in mathematics and these are retained mostly throughout the life.

Studies of people with autism have found abnormalities in several regions of the brain which suggest that autism results from a disruption of early fetal brain development

Now we come to the point of what homeopathy has to offer to the child so that we can help the child to lead a better life. One of the important facts is that in homeopathy we have these symptoms covered by different remedies and can use the symptoms expressed by the behavior of the child for the selection of the medicine.

It is very important to get a proper history of the patient and the importance of observation comes into play even the minutest detail can help in deciding the remedy. Peculiar symptoms are required so the parents should observe the Childs behavior in details and note them down in a book.

Here I would like to illustrate a case of autism which we treated

A young girl of seven years was brought to us, with the following complaints:

The child would sit in a corner, for hours and days together. She had no interest in food, play or studies. This attitude was there from childhood. When I first saw her in the clinic, I observed that her face was flat & showed no expressions. This child would not mix or play with anybody and always wanted to stay alone. She would sit alone, as if she was in her own world and had nothing to do with the worldly affairs.

She took no interest in her studies. [There was no problem of intelligence, because the IQ was 80 +] She would not emote to anything, there was no reaction from her even if she was scolded, explained or persuaded.

Physical complaints:
Constipation; could not pass stools for 6-8 days. Stools - hard with lot of pain and discomfort. Severe diarrhea when forced to eat. Perspiration offensive 3+, staining the clothes. Sleep disturbed, would get up a number of times, occasional weeping & talking during sleep.

On further detailed study, it was revealed that this child was adopted by the couple, as they did not have any children, after 10 yrs of marriage. The child was bought from an orphanage, and no details were available about her parents or about her background.

Diagnosis : Autism
Based on ?Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders? ?Fourth Edition by the American Psychiatric Association, Washington, DC, we can classify each of the cases in the following way: A total Of 6 or more items of the following with at least 2 from [1], and one each from [2] and [3] are satisfied by the patient:
[1] Qualitative impairment in social interaction:
? Marked impairment in facial expression.
? Failure to develop peer relationships.
? A lack of spontaneity in sharing interests.
? Lack of social or emotional reciprocity.
[2] Qualitative impairment in communication:
? Marked inability to initiate or sustain conversation with others.
[3] Restricted, repetitive and stereotyped pattern of behavior.
? Encompassing preoccupation with one stereotyped and restricted pattern.

The remedy was selected on the basis of the history that the child was an orphan and this remedy is very useful in cases where there is a feeling of orphaned. Also the other important symptoms that are covered by this remedy were Perspiration staining the linen, Severe constipation and hard stools based on these symptoms the remedy was prescribed.

Prescription
Remedy Magnesium-C (Mag-c), 200 one dose

Follow up
1st week Sleep >> Stools twice during the week and not very hard.
4 weeks Mother reported that the child was more playful would come on the table and would have food with everybody.
10 weeks Child started playing with other children, started laughing, crying and expressing her emotions.
12 weeks The complaints of constipation & irritability relapsed back. Mag-c, 200 3 doses were repeated. Few doses of Mag carb cured the case. The child opened up like a bud opening into a flower.

We treat the cases on the individual basis, keeping in mind the various expressions that are manifested by the child.

Lets us understand how the Magnesium carb personality is:

Magnesium plays an important role in the development of an individual right from conception. Naturally, any disturbance during the developmental phase creates deep and long lasting constitutional effects. If the life is rejected during the development phase in the womb, the effects remain forever. These rejected and unwanted children or orphans may reject the world in the same way as they were rejected

Mag-c has a feeling that he is not appreciated. He might think that parents are quarreling because of him as he is aggressive and troublemaking. He might also feel that the parents think that he is not worth anything so they will leave him.

Mag-c personalities are very aggressive. They have a need to be recognized and accepted if this doesn?t happen in the natural way; they will make their presence felt by their aggressive behavior. They will force you to respect them.

There is also a strong forsaken feeling. The magnesium personalities are much closed and will not let their emotions to be known easily.

Some of the striking features are amelioration from motion desire for open air, yet sensitive to very cold air, He has a desire to be covered in all the stages of fever daily fever in the evening, symptoms return every 21 days. There is also marked constipation.

Magnesium as a group has these marked symptoms and expressions.

- Rejection right from conception
- Children whose mothers have gone through lots of stress or strain of life during pregnancy.
- Unwanted children
- Anxieties
- Rejects the world as a reaction to rejection that he was subjected to.
- Tremendous desire to prove himself
- Occupied with purpose
- Attracting attention of others by doing something unusual.
- Desire to achieve many things in life.

This is a brief explanation of a remedy.
Recently we had a case where the child was a Autistic kid and was very destructive used to get immense pleasure after breaking things. This was wonderfully covered by a remedy known as Tarentula.H which was given after careful analysis and evaluation. After this the child is showing marked improvement. A view of the remedy from the materia medica.

If we know the correct details about the child?s behavior the characteristic expressions the physical complaints we can select the right remedy from the Homeopathic materia medica. This similar remedy should be able to bring about the necessary change required.

We have been treating few cases of Autism spectrum disorder which have been steadily improving .Along with the medication the children also go to special school that helps them to be independent and teach then the things that will help them in the future.

Key measures to be followed
o A correct History of the Child including the Behavior
o Noting down the expressions of the patient
o Physical complaints conditions of aggravation & Amelioration
o Education in special school to make them self efficient
o Approach to the patient based on individuality
o Selection of the remedy after analysis and evaluation
o To consider the response and the likely line of treatment.
o Maintaining a Note book and noting the changes that occur to evaluate the case.

Conclusion
o We can definitely help the autistic children
o Clear detailed history is required
o Differentiate closely related medicines
o Give the medicines till the patient is better
o Get the patient evaluated by a Psychiatrist and Psychologists.

Dr.Santosh Joshi
Homeopathic consultant
Visit us at: www.hhomeopathy.com

The remedies prescribed in the cases should not be taken in any case without the advice of a registered Homeopathic doctor.

Dr Santosh Joshi graduated from the University of Pune India in the year 1999-2000. With a firm grounding in classical homeopathy and the experience achieved by working with senior Homeopaths today he is handling 3 clinics in Mumbai India at Kala ghoda, Mulund and Chembur. He was an active participant in the seminars organized in pune during his college years.He has also given case presentation on Homeopathy.

For more details visit us at: http://www.hhomeopathy.com

The Use of Secretin in Cases of Autism

                

 

Opinions about the effect of secretin when fighting autism are very mixed. While some say it has absolutely no effect on patients, other fervently sustain that the effects are dramatic if not curing the whole disease. Major studies have yet to be done and show any conclusive proof that this treatment either works or is a complete failure. Still, the general opinion is that the truth is somewhere in the middle.

We will follow up now on a doctor?s own little study on a number of patients with autism. Respecting protocols and rules he injected some 70 patients with secretin and observed the long term action and affects that this drug has both on the body and the disease. Families where also involved in observing the slightest of changes, being the fact that they were the people that stood near the patient most of the time.

Results didn?t take long to appear. Some 7 out of 10 parents said that improvements could be seen in their child?s behavior but not anything significant. Out of the whole study group only a near 1 out of 10 kids should dramatic signs the results being difficult to argue with. Another troubling fact in the research is the duration of effect that the secretin had in the children that had a good response to the drug. While for some the effect was short lived, for others this was a touch from God. A particular patient had such a remarkable response to the drug that in only one month was able to talk and act as normal as a child his age would do; improvements continued afterwards with the child being in normal regular education system. It seems that for other patients the secretin effect is only short lived, the administration of the drug being this way continuous if effects are to be the same as in other cases. Results in these patients were noticed even by other people that had no idea of the injection schedule the child patient had. Still minor rashes were present in the child?s behavior but only mild in action.

Seeing this results we must understand that further studies must be done if we are truly to understand the benefits of secretin on so many troubled autistic children. The actual way in witch the drug works on patients must be understood and tested against placebo effects. With the help of technology, modern medical science and good doctors results should be found.

Usage of the drug is still not recommended until the whole effects and side effects are fully known.

For greater resources on Autism or especially about signs of autism please click this link http://www.autism-info-center.com/signs-of-autism.htm

 

Does Your Child Have Autism?

                

 

To find out if your child is manifesting the symptoms of autism consider the following assessments:

1. Your child shies away from or repels human contact or affection:

An autistic child does not want to be hugged. They usually stiffen when held. They are not comforted by being held or cuddled.

When an autistic child is having temper tantrums or is anxious, it is better not to hug the child to provide reassurance and comfort, instead, give the child his favorite toy or transfer the child to a less stimulating environment.

2. Your child is usually stimulated from within and not by the outside world. He or she have difficulty in processing external stimuli:

The ability to receive stimuli from the environment is blocked so the child:

a. is unable to differentiate self from the environment thus the reversal of pronouns, the child talks about himself in third person.

b. has delayed development of self-help skills, such as feeding, dressing and toileting.

c. has difficulty or inability to learn expressive communication: echolalia, mutism.

d. is unable to enjoy meaningful relationship with the outside world: does not respond to people or other environmental stimuli, may be unable to make eye contact.

e. is aware only of himself and engages only in self-stimulated acts: plays alone for hours, withdraws from other children but may advance to parallel play.

f. turns to inanimate objects: attachment to a security blanket.

3. Your child develops stereotypic body movements:

These may consist of rocking, spinning, hand flapping, and other repetitive activities.

4. Your child shows obsessive desire for sameness:

An autistic child usually adheres to routines and rituals and has great aversion to changes.

5. Your child shows impulsiveness:

A child with autism may engage in temper tantrums when interrupted in his or her activity.

6. Your child shows inclination to self mutilation:

An autistic child can sometimes engage in head banging especially during tantrums.

7. Your child shows heightened withdrawal manifested by refusal to eat.

8. Your child exhibits More severe motor clumsiness associated with lower IQ.

9. Your child develops schizophrenia or seizures.

10. Autism is sometimes associated in some degree with mental retardation. Although accurate IQ measurement may be difficult to obtain due to the lack of language in these individuals, 60% of children have an IQ less than 50; 20% between 50 and 70; and 20% have an IQ greater than 70. Autism is more common in males than females by three to one.

The author, Jose Feliciano, is personally involved with autism having a family member with this disorder. To get more information about autism, visit his website at MyAutisticBoy.com.

Autism And Asperger Syndrome-Similarities And Differences

                

 

The Asperger syndrome affects children and adults patients by modifying their communication skills and making them unable to interact with the persons around them. The autistic disorder in most cases associates the lack of communication skills with learning disabilities.

The Asperger syndrome is an autistic disorder related to autism but with less symptoms or less serious modifications. The pure autism is rare, about one case in 5000 children and it occurs four times more often in male children than in girls. Autistic spectrum disorders are all conditions implying symptoms related to the manifestations of autism.

The exact cause of autism cases is still unknown to scientists but researchers have detected a possible link between the condition and a genetic factor without any actual pattern of inheritance. Autistic modifications are blamed on brain damages and abnormal development before birth, during childbirth or after birth.

The first signs of an autistic disorder appear soon after birth in severe cases but usually between the age of 3-4 when parents observe abnormal modifications in the child?s behavior. There are three main symptom groups involved in autism and patients with the Asperger syndrome have only some of these signs, unlike the children with actual autism who suffer from disorders from all of the three symptoms groups.

The main difficulty of children with autistic disorders is to interact with the persons around the. They hardly ever make and sustain an eye-contact, resist cuddling, reject any form of affection and never look for it, cannot stand being kissed, have difficulties in making friends and are mostly unable to play with children their age. Autistic patients are not able to understand emotions coming from other persons and have problems with obeying simple rules; this leads them to the incapacity of frequenting a regular school.

Patients show an obsessive interests for repetitive actions and might look at an object fro an increased period of time. They have no imagination and are not interested in imaginative play. The games are almost the same every day and usually match with playing methods used by younger children. The ability to communicate with others is disturbed, cannot keep a conversation and cannot use words in meaningful sentences.

Regular actions like walking, sitting up or down will be later acknowledged and assimilated than normally. All patients with autistic disorders tend to be clumsy and struggle the games lessons at school. Older patients develop obsessive interests for exact timetables and resist changes in their environment. They rapidly become agitated and angered if their routine is modified. Autistic children are extremely sensitive noise and light and might show severe responses.

For greater resources on Autism or especially about autism symptoms please click this link http://www.autism-info-center.com/autism-symptoms.htm

Uniqueness With Autism

                

 

All children are unique, and this is especially true in the case of autistic children. Due to the knowledge being gained on the increasing range and complexity within the autistic spectrum it is being widely recognised that each child has their own particular character traits. As with any child, they deserve every opportunity and assistance to help them in dealing with their autism and to develop into mature and useful members of society.

Unfortunately, the general conception is that anyone who is ?different? has to be of a lower level of intelligence. This could not be further from the truth with autism, as it is now being acknowledged that autism itself frequently brings with it a higher than average level of intelligence. There are an increasing number of cases where children have displayed a high degree of talent in the arts and musical fields. These areas are also highly effective in helping the child to develop their own gifts in other areas. The use of music for example, can be helpful when creating a calming environment for the child concerned. Creative activities can also be utilised to develop dexterity and motor skills whilst keeping the child?s mind active. Providing a number of varied activities can be especially effective in improving the concentration on any given task.

The frustrations and tantrums that are so characteristic of the autistic child are often due to the inability of being able to fully express themselves to others. Coupled with a lack of understanding of their situation, this has led to children being labelled as badly behaved or out of control. Finding ways to help them communicate their needs and frustrations leads to an improvement in behaviour. Each child is born with their own special characteristics that are unique to them. Instead of trying to have each one develop and conform to a pre-conceived ideal, they should have the opportunity to grow and to express the particular gifts they have been given. This does of course, need to be guided to fit within certain parameters in order for our society to work and also develop. In the case of autistic children this is of particular importance to enable the child to realise their full potential. Although autism does bring a very real set of different challenges, with the appropriate help and guidance from others, autistic children can be helped in developing their strengths towards making a positive contribution to the family and society as a whole.

Rather than ?writing off? an autistic child we need to seek ways to recognise and develop the individual talents within their character and to do all that we can in order for them to realise their aims in life. Given time and understanding the autistic child can grow into a loving and truly unique person.

For more articles http://www.caringforautism.com

Autism, Probiotics, And An Ideal World

                

 

In an ideal world my son would be voicing his opinions, making decisions, going out with his friends, learning to drive, furthering his education, managing his finances and hopefully turning into a well adjusted, sociable young adult. However, this is not an ideal world.

My son has autism.

He is almost eighteen years old and I wonder, like all mothers, what the future holds for him.

We're certainly not going to have long debates about anything because my son rarely speaks. When he does it's just the odd word or phrase and you have to be a good detective to appreciate his "clues". He does try hard though and also mimes, gestures and occasionally writes or shows you what he wants.

His language has deteriorated since he started to have seizures. We're not sure if it's the medication affecting his speech or the seizures themselves but either way his language is not as clear as it used to be. It means his audience has to try harder to understand.

Of course, as his mother I often know what he wants without him doing anything more than just glance in a particular direction or look at me. Other mothers will know what I mean. It's sort of a sixth sense, a special bond.

Jodi is settled in a wonderful school where he has been for almost fifteen years. The staff all know him and he knows them. It's comfortable but he can't stay there for ever.

He doesn't really have friends although he does have various groups of people whom he sees regularly. He's happy to spend time with them and the feeling is reciprocated.

One such group is Lantern Dance where he goes for weekly dance sessions. Jodi is made to feel very welcome amongst the integrated group consisting of mums, dads, fit young teenagers, supple adults, professional dancers and other special needs people. Music and dance seem to fit with his autism somehow as his whole life appears to be set to rhythm.

He also attends two special needs youth groups where he has the opportunity to do "normal" things like karaoke, pool, badminton, dancing, cinema trips, bowling, restaurants, trampolining, swimming, etc.

It's wonderful for him but he's still considered a child. At least he is until he's nineteen and then it all changes. Overnight he will be transferred into the hands of "adult" services and it's scary.

It's difficult enough to get the appropriate help as a child but it's much worse for adults. We've been lucky with Jodi so far but there are many parents who feel the needs of their child have not been properly met. With autism on the rise and a lack of resources things are unlikely to improve. Professionals, teachers, social workers all agree.

Unfortunately, autism isn't something people just grow out of. There are, of course, many interventions you can try to improve the quality of life for your child and we've tried many. Today I was told he's a "lovely young man" and a "credit" to me so obviously some, if not all of them worked.

Certainly we saw changes almost immediately with some things, others took much longer and you get to the stage where you are not sure if it's doing any good at all but you daren't stop it "just incase".

Our most recent and significant improvement for Jodi has been his diet. After years of eating a very self restricted, nutritionally useless, diet we introduced him to an amazing Probiotic formula called In-Liven and now he eats just about anything including fruit and vegetables. Best of all we don't have to concern ourselves with the gluten problem which has plagued him for years. This is common for people with autism and is the inability to break down the proteins found in wheat.

Jodi's diet used to consist entirely of acid forming foods which provided a wonderful breeding ground for pathogenic (bad) bacteria as they cannot live in a medium of less than pH 4.2.

The probiotic we use contains the full thirteen lactobacilli family found in nature and which have found to be beneficial against pathogenic bacteria, parasites and Candida ? again another big problem for people with autism.

Lactobacilli are rapid and effective colonisers and such prolific lactic acid producers they are soon able to lower the pH of the intestine making it inhospitable to pathogenic bacteria.

The body should have a bacteria ratio of 85% good bacteria to 15% bad bacteria. For most people it is the other way round. Only when the good bacteria have been re-established will intolerances go away and good health be restored.

Certainly Jodi is incredibly healthy now and hasn't suffered from the spots and acne associated with most teenagers. He's changed in many other ways too. Many people have made positive comments. They can't put their finger on exactly what it is just that he's different somehow. If you believe, as I do, that the gut is the second brain, then I'm sure the probiotic superfood he uses has much to do with it.

Complete with 26 certified organic living wholefoods and 18 amino acids, it has been pre-digested for three weeks prior to bottling so gives up its nutrients as soon as it enters the body. That's one of the biggest problems getting nutrients from food - time.

Although food takes about 72 hours to pass from your mouth to your anus it is only actually in your gut for about 12 hours so a lot of work needs to take place in a short amount of time.

Bacteria cover every available square inch of your intestinal tract and break down the food. I always envisaged them as having teeth and acting like a sort of mini Pac Man as in the very old video games. However, that's not the case.

Instead they produce enzymes and these are responsible for every metabolic process in your body ? all the building and all the repair. They are the molecules that digest food and deliver nutrients. Unfortunately the body cannot produce them and they have to be replenished.

You can find enzymes in raw food like fruit and vegetables but they get killed off at 116 degrees. Since my son never ate raw food and wouldn't touch fruit and vegetables he didn't get any natural enzymes. It's no wonder he struggled.

Now, however, he gets the enzymes from the probiotics and the nutrients from the wholefood culture they are grown in, as well as all the other vitamins, anti-oxidants and immune stimulators. It shows.

Next week we go to look at a possible semi residential placement for him. I don't want him to go but he has a need and a right to grow up and to make his own way in the world without having me with him all the time. I feel happier now his seizures are under control with medication and his diet has improved so much. My biggest fear whenever we went anywhere was that he would go hungry because he couldn't get the type of food he would eat. Invariably I took food with me and always our suitcases were much lighter on the return journey.

As for him going to a residential home I tell myself it will be like my "normal" son going off to university. He needs to have fun, to learn new skills and mix with people his own age. More importantly he needs to become more independent. After all I won't be around for ever. I know it doesn't always work out that way but in the normal scheme of things I should die long before he does. Then what? The earlier he learns to live without me the better.

I know it's for the best. It just doesn't feel that way. As I said, this is not an ideal world.

For information on the World's First probiotic super food certified organic to food standards see http://www.probioticsforhealth.com

Jean Shaw is the author of I'm Not Naughty - I'm Autistic - Jodi's Journey and Autism, Amalgam and Me - Jodi's Journey Continues see http://www.jeanshaw.com/

The Facts About Autism

                

 

According to the data gathered by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, autism is estimated to affect 1 for every 166 births. It is believed that about 1.5 million Americans are suffering from some form of Autism. It is the fastest-growing developmental disability that has a 10-17% annual growth.

In 1999, the US Department of Education had reported that there was a 172% increase on the prevalence of disability due to autism. Based on the study conducted by The Autism Society of America, the annual cost needed for the services related to autism will be $200-400 billion in 10 years as the number of people with the disorder reach 4 million in the next decade.

Autism can appear to any race, social background, class, gender, and to any child. It is four times more prevalent in males than in females.

What is Autism?

Autism is a cognitive disorder that affects the developmental or learning ability of an individual. The manifestations of the disorder usually appear as early as the first three years of life. As a result of the neurological disorder, it disrupts the normal functioning of the brain affecting the development of the communication skills and social interaction skills of the person. Difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, leisure activities, and social interaction are seen in both children and adults with the disorder. One should take note however, that there are varying degrees of autism for different individuals. For this reason, an early diagnosis is highly recommended. This is crucial so that the child can immediately benefit from the available specialized programs catering for the care of someone with autism.

What are the characteristics of a person with autism?

People with autism are also individuals. Like any other individual, a person with autism has his distinct characteristics. Some may respond mildly to an external stimulus, while others may become more aggressive. Some may have the initiative to make a conversation; meanwhile others totally lack the ability to have one.

Here are some of the traits that you may find in someone who has autism:
They resist change.
They have difficulty expressing their needs either verbally or non-verbally.
They repeat words or phrases.
They laughing or cry for no reason at all.
They seem aloof and prefer to be alone.
They have tantrums.
They have difficulty in interacting with others.
They have little or no eye contact.
They are unresponsive to a typical teaching method.
They want sustained odd play
They keep on spinning objects
They are obsessive attached to objects
They have a low threshold to pain.
They don't manifest fears or suspect danger.
They are passive.
They are non responsive to verbal and act as deaf in conversational voice.

How can autism be diagnosed?

There are no laboratory diagnostic tests known for autism. There are only diagnostic tools and screening tests available but this is done by consulting a trained specialist on the disorder. It is diagnosed through careful observation done for a series of occasions in a given period of time. Studies have shown that early diagnosis gives a great benefit since it allows for early intervention and treatment that will enable the child to learn vital skills especially in communication.

Autism is a disabling condition that needs understanding. By understanding the disorder, the barriers that hinder many people from doing something about the problem will gradually dissolve. Thus, more people afflicted with it will be given the appropriate care they need.

Educate yourself about Autism Behavior and learn more about Adult Autism at the online guide http://autism.advice-tips.com