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

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

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

What Is PDD Autism?

                

 

For a long time, many children with PDD (pervasive development disorders) went undiagnosed. These children were, for a time, labeled as shy, strange, or weird, when if fact they were suffering from a medical condition. PDD autism is something that has both new and old form, and some of the higher functioning children were the ones that were largely misunderstood. Thanks to new research and new information, some of these children can now go on to lead what would appear to be a ?normal? life.

The word normal is subjective, as what is normal for one child is not for another. Some with higher functioning PDD can often blend in with what is considered ?normal,? but at the same time, they believe that they are who they are because of their autism, and there are some who say they would not change that.

However, because they want to interact with those who do not have PDD, they do have to adjust. If PDD is identified early enough, there are many positive programs that can help these children to overcome some communication and socialization problems that are common with these autistic conditions.

The common characteristics of a child with PDD center around communication problems. These range in severity from not talking at all to having an extensive vocabulary. Some autistic children never speak, and prefer to use hand motions for communication. Others have problems with basic communication, but they can learn to use words to talk to the rest of the world. Those with large vocabularies may have problems because they often say the wrong things, and at times will take every word at the most literal sense, which can lead to confusion and problems with conversations.

Others PDD characteristics are to do with social settings. They want to interact with their peers, but they have many problems doing so. They are often thought to be painfully shy at first. They lack the skills to build the relationships that many of us take for granted. Some of this comes from communication barriers, and also from a lack of understanding.

They lack the ability to get and hold eye contact, and often say the wrong things. This can be very painful for them, and after a few attempts to make friends with their peers, they often show a preference to play alone. This is because the anxiety of peer relationships is too much for them, and they find more peace by being alone.

Quite often, PDD autism is noticed by age three. This is not true for all children, but holds true for a majority. Other signs are repetitive motions and play, tantrums that result from the tiniest disruption of their daily routine, occasional aggressive behavior (probably as a result of failed communication), and being too sensitive or not sensitive enough to outside stimulation. All children with PDD will have different symptoms and different levels of function. Early diagnosis is a great help, and can lead to a better quality of life on down the road for many with PDD.

By Rachel Evans. Sign up for a free newsletter for more information on autism. In the newsletter you'll find out more about the signs and symptoms of autism.

Combating Visual Perceptual Disorders In Autism

                

 

Visual perceptions can affect a number of kids that have autism and you should not assume that all autistic children are affected in a certain way since autism can cause unique type of symptoms in different child.

Do your best to match the most accurate remedies according to the signs that is shown in your child.

With the case of visual perception, there are methods available out there for your child to use which can effectively improve their condition. Those approaches let them view the world in a new light thus making learning and understanding of situations smoother than before.

At the same time, utilizing those tactics can possibly control behavioral issues that are associated with autism.

People who have their sensory easily overwhelmed and distorted are also common among the population that are not suffering from autism. This characteristic have brought about many studies on it and over the years there are multiple treatment options that is being made available.

For autistic individuals, they usually discover that the sensory overload that are generated by lights, colors, contrast, shapes and patterns is simply too unbearable and this is the reason why you see them acting out or totally isolating themselves in general.

Complication of the sensory could be due to a genetic condition and what autism did is to naturally enhance it.

What this mean is that if the parents have problem with reading or been treated previously for visual perceptive issues, then the child would almost certainly need help too.

One practical way of treating visual-perceptual disorders is by using the Irlen Method. In a nutshell, this process takes color and then use it to achieve a better harmonized surrounding.

Helen Irlen had pioneered the studies of visual perception and is credited with the discovery of Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome (SSS) or also known as Irlen Syndrome.

Have you ever heard of suggestions that improve the speed and technique of your reading by placing a color filter over the page? If you do, then you will comprehend better what the Irlen Method can achieve.

Studies have shown that this method does work. The result can be seen exceptionally well if your autistic child's level of reading is at the intermediate stage.

The idea is to use the color filters and then evaluate whether there is any improvement in reading speed and comprehension. The wave length of lights that are causing discomfort must be eliminated.

Sensitivity to the wrong light or color can lead to fatigue, strain and an environment with higher distortion. Offending colors can be filtered by observing for any positive changes and then implementing the color that works with the individual at all time.

Please keep in mind that the technique require a bit of trial and error effort since you need to determine which color is the one that is is blocking the undesirable light.

Different child will respond differently to the various colors.

The usage of these color filters will usually take place throughout their life. Yearly evaluation is needed to determine the effectiveness of the colors because fading colors means fading benefit.

Other than reading, you may apply it to copying, handwriting or during usage of computer.

Another thing to take note is that your autistic child would probably appreciate the usage of the color filters during the entire day instead of only when reading. There are glasses designed especially for this purpose by having colored lenses.

Beside the filters and lenses, you can also consider using colored light bulbs within the surrounding of an autistic persons who have visual perception condition. A wonderful application to this is when your child is too young with limited language capability thus by observing for any difference in behavior could mean an indication of a problem.

An important aspect to remember here is that an individual with visual perception disorder will prefer and feel more comfortable with indirect natural lighting or incandescent lighting. Avoid fluorescent lightning and maintain a dimly lit room instead of bright.

There are 4 main criteria that the above approach will benefit your child namely depth perception, social integration, education and their physical wellness.

Depth perception is improved when the right colors assist the child to establish how near or far they are from a certain object. Their world will turn more three-dimensional.

In the area of social integration, the autistic child will feel more relaxed. This will give them a conducive environment to clearly interpret expressions on the faces of people around them.

Uncomfortable feeling like light-headedness and headaches can be greatly reduced while reading and the child will feel more motivated during learning session.

All this contribute to them being less stressed out so that their physical well being can develop properly.

There are clinics and professionals all around the world that have been certified in the Irlen Method. Help your child deal better with their autism by carefully testing this method or any other technique and minimize their visual processing problems.

Danial Dawood is involved with various companies and individuals in the area of information management and unique learning resources. If you are struggling to find out more about autism and all you get are those that seems to be written for doctors, outdated and contains only part of the information, then you need to take a look at this complete guide for autism.

Develop a workable plan and put your mind at ease, visit here for more info.

Autism Cause - So, What Exactly Causes Autism Anyway?

                

 

This is a question that has been asked by many people for many years, particularly of late, since the number of autistic children seems to be at an all time high. There have been many research studies conducted to try to find the exact cause of autism, and while there are several theories, none have been proven, as of yet.

Currently, medical researchers are thinking that autism may be caused by a genetic trait, or marker, and there are studies being conducted to try to prove this. It is complicated, because scientists think that autism is caused by several genes, that mix together to cause autism. If you have one child that is already been diagnosed as being autistic, you have about an eight percent chance of other children being autistic as well.

Autism is also seen in children who already have other medical problems, so researchers are also looking at those links as well. Babies or children who have PKU, and don?t get proper medical treatment, have a higher chance of later developing autism, as well as those diagnosed with rubella, toxoplasmosis, or cytomegalovirus, otherwise known as CMV. Not to say that you should panic if your child is diagnosed with one of these conditions, but some children with autism have had these problems as well.

At one time, researchers and physicians also thought that autism could be brought on by severe emotional trauma, such as seeing a horrific accident, neglect, or anything traumatic happening early in a child?s life. Since there was no definitive proof of these theories, they have since been retracted.

Many autistic children who have been tested have been found to have high levels of mercury in their blood, which is one reason why so many believed that childhood vaccines were to blame. Exposure to mercury during early childhood has been linked to many other disorders, such as slow development, Attention Deficit Disorder, and slow language development. The theory is that if exposure to metals such as mercury can cause these neurological issues, then it very well could cause autism too. It is possible to be exposed to metal in your food and water that you consume common pesticides, and other chemicals used around the home.

Other studies have also shown possible linked between the immune system and autism as well. There are some treatment trials being done focusing on boosting the immune system to help lessen the effects and symptoms caused by autism, so that an autistic person or child can function normally.

Still other theories point to food allergies playing a role in autism, but like the many other theories, none have been verified. Still others think that autism may be caused by poor eating habits, or parents not ensuring that their children get the nutrients their bodies need, but that theory has no supporting evidence at the moment, although there have been some autistic patients who have shown improvement when given vitamin therapy.

Basically, what all this means is that no one to this point really knows the exact cause of autism. There are many ideas and theories, but none that have been proven. In the end, we may never really know what the exact cause of autism is; it may end up being a combination of things. That may not give parents a lot of hope for the future, but it is all we really have at this time, unsupported theories and maybes.

If you enjoyed reading about Autism Cause, and want to read more about Autism, visit http://www.autism.healthanddiettips.com/

 

Autism Tests And Dyslexia Tests

                

 

As a parent of an autistic child I would like to alert other parents to the fact that there are inexpensive tests available for their children.

The site we found is www.learningforchildren.com and it offers lots of helpful information about these afflictions as well as the games.

As a parent of a Autistic child I found this was immense help. My child found these games non-threating and had fun with them . In the parents section l found a lot of great answers to your questions regarding the afflictions. The FAQ section gave some great advice on what to do if the game's indicated that my child might have a problem. The site also recommends we see a specialist if the test show unfavorable results .

Autism Speaks is also a good source for information , but does not offer any direct help to you, it is most fund rasing for medical research. The Doug Flutie Foundation is also a good source of information. In addition you can try the National Dyslexia Foundation for more information.

However the website www.learningfrochildren.com was the best site we found after endless searching of the web, and library resources. If your concerned and want to find out if your child is at risk this is the least expensive way we found to test our child.

Autism strikes at all of us who are concerned about children worldwide. It is the fastest growing affliction in children and sometimes goes undetected until help is almost beyond reach.

Good luck and I hope you find the help your looking for.

 

Autism Vaccine? - Could My Child's Autism Have Been Caused by a Vaccine?

                

 

It is a sad but true fact; many more children are being diagnosed with autism each year. Autism comes in many different forms, but regardless of the symptoms it causes; it is a very serious and life-altering disorder, both for the parents or caregivers of the child, and obviously, the child itself. Some of the children who have autism don?t develop social skills as they should, and have a hard time interacting with other people, adults and children. Some autistic children have difficulty with repetitive behaviors, and others even have language problems, affecting the way they communicate. Some people only have mild cases of autism, and are able to fully function in modern society, while others require constant care for the rest of their lives. Many doctors and researchers have theorized that there is a significant link between autism and vaccines, but currently there is no hard evidence to prove such a link.

There have been several research studies done over the years, trying to determine the exact cause of autism, but to date, no one has been able to definitively prove that autism is caused by childhood vaccinations. In fact, at one time autism was believed to be linked specifically to the measles vaccine, and a study was conducted in 1997 to verify that fact. Just the opposite was proved, evidence was found that clearly proved that there was no way that autism could be caused by the measles vaccine, not was it to blame for any other type of neurological disorder or malady.

Another study was done in 1998, trying again to prove a link between common childhood vaccines and autism, but no links were found. This study did claim to find proof that some intestinal deformities and developmental delays often began shortly after being vaccinated with the MMR vaccine, but this study came under fire in the medical community. One of the problems that this study came under fire for was the fact that the data was based only on 12 test subjects, and that none of them were healthy to begin with. When approached with this information, the researchers who were involved in the study retracted their claims, and the study was declared invalid.

Currently, although there is still a lot of suspicion surrounding the subject, there has been no concrete evidence found linking autism to childhood vaccines in any way. In fact, there are studies being conducted at this moment, trying to prove that autism is in fact caused by a genetic element, but it is still in process, and no results have been released as of yet.

Though many parents will research and hear about childhood immunizations and autism, the risks are far worse for your children if they receive no vaccines at all. There is no research to date that proves any kind of link between the two, so you shouldn?t really be concerned with it at this point. If you do have worries or fears about the vaccines, talk to your child?s pediatrician, or do some research on the subject. Just make certain that you also consider the illnesses and diseases that your child could be stricken with if he or she doesn?t get their immunizations, and then make an educated decision based on the information you have gathered. You can bet that as cautious as medical professionals are when it comes to children, if there was any real concern about a vaccine actually causing something as serious as autism, something would be done about it, and the vaccine would no longer be given.

If you enjoyed reading about Autism vaccine, and want to read more about Autism, visit http://www.autism.healthanddiettips.com/

 

Hope For Autism - The Concept Of Symptom Free

                

 

I first developed the concept of becoming symptom-free of disability when I was working on my Career Development Award from The National Institutes of Health. As a brain scientist working for the most rigorous medical research facility in the world, I discovered that many disorders thought to be due to permanent brain malfunction could actually be improved to a symptom-free status.

Brain Based Communication Disorders

At this time, many years before my own autistic son, Whitney was born, I was studying 4 populations:

1.Preschool Children With Language Disorders

My staff and I evaluated 600 Head Start children per year for 12 years and provided a multiple therapy approach to help children become ready for school. Our average Headstart child was 2 years behind and was within normal range after 20 sessions.

2.School Age Speech-Language impaired Children

We evaluated thousands of children as an outreach program to private schools and offered hospital based outpatient treatment for children who were having trouble at school due to language processing disorders.

3.Stutterers

I treated thousands of stutterers world-wide and wrote Stutter-Free Speech (Charles Merrill Publishers), which lead to awards from The White House and an Oprah interview.

4.Brain Damaged Hospital Patients

I provided rehabilitation team services to in-patients and out-patients with brain injuries and strokes. My work was honored by many federal agencies, and featured on the cover of USA today. My articles are recommended by The American Speech & Hearing Association as examples of Best Practices.

Changing the Brain

All of these populations have symptoms in attention, memory, listening, reading, writing or speaking. At the time of our research in stuttering for example, this disorder was thought to be a chronic life long disability. Therapy was organized around support groups to manage living with the problem or therapy to desensitize you so you did not feel as bad when you stuttered. I headed a research team working on helping stutterers become symptom free which resulted in changing how therapists view stuttering world wide. As a result, I began to see other populations of the communication-impaired differently and started setting goals for symptom free with all of my patient groups. From this research we learned how to make step by step plans to change the brain to reduce or eliminate symptoms.

Turning Disability to Ability

We found that the fastest way to reach a symptom free goal is to evaluate and train positive behaviors. With stutterers for example, instead of working on getting the stuttering to stop, we worked on teaching the behaviors that would compete with stuttering and replace the behavior. Now we do that with the symptoms of autism. We teach the attention, memory and communication skills that compete with autism to replace the symptoms. As a result, we are able to turn severe disability into life long ability.

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.

 

How To Have A More Balanced Autism Diet

                

 

Many children who have autism are deemed to be picky eaters. Though this might just seem like another behavioral problem, the truth is that there are many reasons why this might happen. Some medical problems could be the root cause of the fussy eating, but it might mean talking and working with a doctor to get these children to eat a good autism diet so that they remain strong.

Sometimes the reasons are very simple, but that does not mean they are easily corrected. When a child has problems eating enough of the right foods, it is important to keep trying to get them to eat what will make them feel better.

Some picky eaters have problems simply because they aren?t hungry. Though there might be times when this is natural, it usually happens when a child is on some type of medication.

Autistic children can also have ADHD symptoms and be taking medication to suppress behavior or they might be on medications like antibiotics. These can both have the side effect of a suppressed appetite. When a child is taking these, and won?t eat, it might be a good idea to see if there is an alternative that might not have such an affect on hunger.

Children with autism can also have problems with their digestive system. If they have acid reflux, or a history of diarrhea, constipation, gas problems, or any other type of digestive upset, this might be why they are not eating.

If the foods cause pain or discomfort, and an overly uncomfortable feeling of fullness when they eat, they might resist eating to avoid that feeling. If they experience pain after eating, they may associate that feeling with food and won?t eat. In this case, acid reflux medication might help, or anything that contains ginger might help with soothe some of the pain. A doctor may have more advice on this as well.

Some children don?t have a medical issue when it comes to eating, but the problem is something that is related to the mouth. Those with poor motor skills might have problems getting the food to their mouth, or they may choke when trying to swallow. This turns them off from eating.

They might also have hypersensitive reactions to the textures of some foods, and they may only eat what feels good in the mouth. Those with poor motor skills will benefit from oral-motor therapy that helps them with chewing and swallowing. A child might have a better time eating if they use a straw for liquids or if there is a way to desensitize their mouth before they eat.

Keep reading to sign up for the free Autism newsletter that addresses the signs and symptoms of autism and discover natural treatment options available, as well as more information on the link between diet and autism.

A concerned parent should talk to a doctor about their child and autism diet problems. They may have suggestions and may be able to switch out medications to find ones that won?t cause a child to lose his or her appetite. If something like acid reflux is the problem there maybe a medication to help with that. A doctor may also be able to suggest ways to supplement the diet to ensure your child is getting the correct nutritional intake. There are many supplements on the market that can help a child regain dietary balance, but it is important to find out from a medical professional what is best for your child first.

By Rachel Evans. Sign up for a free newsletter about autism diet and discover more on the signs and symptoms of autism.

Autism And Discipline ? It?s All About Consistency

                

 

Nearly all parents struggle to find the right way to discipline their children, and there are some families in which discipline is lax or even non-existent. However, when it comes to children with autism, discipline is not only important, it can be hard to implement. Parents must think of autism and discipline in different ways when thinking of how they want to approach this, and they must also be sure to ask for help if they think they are failing.

Three important things to remember when it comes to dealing with discipline for autistic children is be positive, be consistent, and to be timely.

It is recommended that most of the discipline for autistic children be positive. This means that the positive behaviors should be rewarded as much as possible and the negative ones should not be rewarded with a lot of attention. This is good advice for any child, but is very important for children with autism.

When children have bad moments, it is important for a parent to figure out why. They may just be acting out in a naughty manner, but they may also be experiencing tension or frustration.

If they are frustrated, this is an excellent time to remove them from the situation and to show them breathing or relaxation techniques they should use when they feel that way to help them calm down. It might take a while, but with some perseverance they may be able to learn to use them.

When it comes to mom and dad, discipline must be consistent. That means that the punishment should come immediately following the offense. If parents lack consistency they will lack control.

The same punishments should be used each time. If parents decide they want to use the 1-2-3 method, they have to use it every time and there has to be an outcome if they get to ?three?. You cannot count to two and then go back to one or the child will know they can get away with things.

If a time out is the punishment after ?three? is reached, this has to be enforced no matter what. If not you run the risk of losing control of the moment and the situation, and the child has learned nothing positive.

There should be no waiting for the other spouse to get home to deal with the problem or to reprimand bad behavior, as the child may be confused when they are being punished long after the event took place. Timing is essential.

However, it is important that both parents be equally involved in using discipline so that the child does not learn to act up in front of the parent that is known to pass the buck when these things happen.

Sign up for the free autism newsletter below to gain access to more parenting tips and advice.

Each offense should be dealt with in the same manner, as this gives the child a clear picture of what will happen when they do something that they should not be doing. Any delayed punishments will not work with a child who has autism.

It is also important for parents to remain calm. Try to avoid yelling or out of control actions. If you?re feeling frustrated should walk away from the situation to calm down. Parenting is hard for any parent, but with the extra stress of autism, things can easily get out of control even for the best of parents.

Each child will learn about discipline in a different way, and as long as the punishments are just, immediate, and consistent, there should be some progress being made. Dealing with autism and discipline is never easy, but with practice, you can learn to cope.

By Rachel Evans. Sign up for a free newsletter about autism and discipline and discover more on the signs and symptoms of autism.

Building Self Esteem In Children With Autism And Asperger Syndrome

                

 

Children with autism have a much harder time with their self-esteem. They often perceive the constant correction of their behaviors and their social interactions as criticism. The frequent visits to doctors, or speech therapists, or OTs, the testing and the stream of interventions that we try with them can easily leave them feeling like they're under the microscope, a specimen that warrants investigation, a person who needs fixing.

Expressive and comprehensive communication also have a direct impact on a child's self-esteem. These are areas that do not come easily to children or adults with autism/AS. Understanding subtle jokes and participating in human interplay, actions natural to their neuro-typical peers, further increase their feelings of 'not fitting in' and erode their self-esteem.

Combine all this with the expectations of siblings and the all-too-frequent bullying interactions from many peers and it's easy to understand how devastated a child with an autism spectrum disorder can feel.

What can we do? It's critical for us, as family members, educators, and professionals to learn strategies and techniques! In our not-too-distant past, institutional placement was the standard intervention for people with autism/AS. While that is not the case today, we still encounter lack of understanding and appreciation for the unique qualities of the person with ASD. Everyone, especially these visual learners, need a constant reminder of how special they truly are. We must find ways to give them their own Teddy Bear (or dinosaur!) so they will feel "L.C.B." on their own.

It Starts with US

But how do we really build their self-esteem? It starts with us examining our own ideas of how we view children with autism/AS. We must believe in their value ourselves before we can ever change their minds. These kids know when we're faking our compliments or arbitrarily handing out encouragement because the therapy book says we should give 5 positive comments to each correction. It involves empathy, walking in their shoes, rather than sympathy; no one wants to be felt sorry for. Each child is a gift, with his or her own special qualities. We just need to look for these special gifts, tune into the child with our hearts, and bring their essence out.

It Goes on to Others

Knowledge is power and no where is it more powerful than in helping people better understand what it's like to have autism/AS. Explain autism to everyone involved with the child. This will increase their empathy and provide opportunities for genuine praise and encouragement. Explain autism to the child, too, when he is able to understand his disability. Who are we really kidding, other than ourselves, when we pretend a child does not have the autism label or we try to camouflage it? Who are we hurting? It's the child with autism who is hurt in the long run.

Go to conferences, read books, research and share information that takes into consideration the many sensory, social, behavioral and communication challenges faced by the child at his/her functioning level. Armed with this understanding of how the disability affects the child, you and others can better find ways to help him or her fit in.

Remember to teach extended family, educators, other parents and professionals all you can to help integration and provide a deeper understanding when trying to teach particular skills. Be intuitive when advocating for children and persistent in your approach, though not abrasive. Having a positive mental attitude, especially when advocating, helps others want to cooperate with us. After all, who wants to deal with anyone cranky?

Bridge the interactions between peers and the child with autism. Visually and verbally interpret what you think they both are thinking and/or feeling based on your own experiences when you were their age, and your understanding of autism.

By teaching others about autism, more people will become aware of this invisible disability. When people understand empathetically, they will more naturally accept the child with autism, as he is. This is often effective in reducing or eliminating bullying from peers, too.

Learn to correct behaviors by sandwiching the correction in the middle of positive feedback. For example, "Sammy, you are doing a great job cleaning your room. If you pick up the clothes over there it would look even neater. Boy, you sure are a good listener."

Be Positive!

Children with autism often times have an incredible sense of humor. I have to stop myself from laughing so my own son doesn't feel like I'm laughing "at" him, causing him to feel inadequate. Sometimes I'll even say "I'm not laughing at you, Jonny, I'm laughing with you."

Stress the positives! Look for the good in every child, even if you don't see it at first. Pretending to be Pollyanna can only help, but make sure you're genuine in what you say. Stress the good effort your child is making, if he hasn't yet achieved a goal. Show your confidence in his abilities by telling him that you believe he can succeed. Saying things like this that may not be 100% true initially will contribute to your child's trust and belief in himself, raising his self-esteem and encouraging self-motivation to continue trying.

Model a mental attitude of "things are great". Express yourself in the positive, rather than the negative. Kids with autism/AS are masters at copying what others say, so make sure they're hearing things that are good for them to copy! When we say, "you are great!" to a child often enough, he, too, will believe it and feel valued for who he truly is.

Encourage children to share their thoughts and feelings; this is so important and often sheds new light on existing situations. My son, Jonathan was temporarily removed from the bus after cutting the seat. At first we thought he was acting out, so we had him write an apology to his bus driver. When we read his letter, we discovered that he was being bullied by another student on the bus and that it had been going on for quite some time. We intervened appropriately. The other child was reprimanded and Jonny was taught appropriate methods of expressing his anger in the future.

Balance the Physical with the Mental and Spiritual

Like most people, kids with autism feel better about themselves when they're balanced physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Since they are often very picky eaters and gravitate towards junk food, it's important to try supplementing their diet. Also, provide regular physical activity, when possible, to relieve stress and clear their mind. Set the stage for success by acknowledging their achievements - however small - and reminding them of their past accomplishments. Keep their life manageable and doable, refraining from overwhelming them with so many activities that they become too challenged physically and mentally to succeed at anything. Provide choices to them frequently so they understand they have a say in their own lives and even let them be in charge sometimes. These are all great ways to build self-esteem!

Don't overlook giving them opportunities to connect with their spiritual side through religious avenues or by communing with nature. This can help them feel purposeful, that their lives have meaning and connected with their source.

A strategy that helped raise Jonathan's self-esteem, especially in overcoming his victim thoughts and feelings, was spiritual affirmations. Using affirmations took some time, but we found that it brought calm and peace to Jonathan and our family.

Dr. Jerry Jampolsky, author of Love is Letting Go Of Fear and founder of the Center for Attitudinal Healing, offers many principles I find helpful in teaching us to love ourselves, thereby enhancing self-esteem, both in ourselves and then with others. Some of his principles include:

" The essence of our being is love
" Health is inner peace
" Live in the now
" Become love finders rather than fault finders
" Learn to love others and ourselves by forgiving rather than judging
" We can choose to be peaceful inside regardless of what's going on outside
" We're all students and teachers to each other.

Part of Jerry's message is that by focusing on life as a whole, rather than in fragments, we can see what is truly important. His concepts, when embraced, positively affect how a child with autism thinks and feels about him or herself. Anger, resentment, judgment and similar feelings are all forms of fear. Since love and fear cannot co-exist, letting go of fear allows love to be the dominant feeling.

Look for the Miracles Daily, there are miracles and good things happening all around us. Learn intimately the challenges that children with autism/AS face in their everyday lives. Be on their team by tuning into who they truly are - unique expressions of divine light. Empower them to be themselves, perfectly okay with who and how they are. Do this by loving them for who they are now, today, not who you think they should become, after ABA, or speech therapy or learning 'appropriate' social skills. Consider that children and adults with autism/AS are wonderful beings here to teach us empathy, compassion, understanding and most importantly, how to love. Most importantly, do whatever it takes to include them in life rather than merely integrate their presence.

In genuine star sapphires there are tiny imperfections and inclusions that reflect light perfectly to form a star in the stone. Each child with autism is like this precious gem, unique in every way. Without the tiny inclusions, there would be no star. It is our job as parents, educators and professionals to "bring out the stars" in all of our special children by shining the light on their natural beauty. In so doing, we see their different abilities rather than their disabilities. And, then they will see them, too.http://www.autismtoday.com/articles/buildingselfesteem.html Karen Simmons is a mother of six and author of Little Rainman, a story of autism told through her son's eyes. Her most recent releases are "Peace of Mind for Autism" a CD to help instill calm in people with autism/AS or associated with autism, and "Surrounded By Miracles", a story told by loved ones about Karen's near death experience.