Understanding Autism and Irrational Fears: 5 Ideas You Can Try Today

                

 

The following are 5 common fears suffered by autistics, and how you can effectively handle the situation to create a more positive experience for your child.

1. Fear of the dentist ? Many autistic children are afraid of the dentist. This shouldn?t be too surprising, considering the dentist can be hard to take for the average person.

Understanding autism and fear of the dentist is a matter of introducing your child to the right dentist. You need to find a dentist who is experienced with children with disabilities, particularly autism. If you have trouble finding a dentist with such experience, your best option is to choose one who has compassion and a willingness to learn.

Overcoming the dentist fear is about slowly introducing your child to the environment. The first few visits should only consist of getting your child to sit in the chair and the dentist looking in his/her mouth. Furthermore, distractions such as TV can help make the process easier to take. This process can take several months.

2. Fear of the dark ? Many autistic children fear the dark because they can?t control it and fear the unknown.

To help your child overcome this fear, try a game of peek-a-boo with the blanket, allowing your child to move from dark to light at their control. Other methods that may work in understanding autism fears of the dark include providing your child with a flashlight, lamp or nightlight.

3. Fear of loud sudden noises ? Loud sudden noises such as a fire alarm or thunder, often startles and upsets autistics. Sensitivity to sound may be desensitized through sound recording. Provide your child with a recording of the sound that upsets him/her and allow them to start the sound and slowly increase its volume. Having control over the playback of sound can help the child become familiar with the noise, allowing them to recognize it when it occurs.

4. Fear of looking at people ? Many autistics don?t look directly at others. Many researchers believe this is because autistics cannot accurately interpret expressions and emotions. Thus, autistics generally find it disturbing to look at people?s faces.

New studies on understanding autism have found that autistics respond well to cartoons that feature trains and cars that have people?s faces superimposed on them. These particular cartoons known as ?The Transporters? have been particularly successful at helping autistics learn about emotions.

5. Fear of socializing ? One of the biggest autistic fears is socializing. This means that it is often difficult for them to make friends. The following are ways you can help encourage them to socialize with those their own age:
- Encourage your child to get phone numbers of some of his/her schoolmates and bring them home so you can make calls.
- Schedule a playtime or invite another family of a fellow schoolmate over to your home for brief interaction (2 hour limit)
- Don?t rely on the friendship of only one child. Invite more than one child over.
- Ask your child what he/she wants to do when the friend comes over. Create a list of activities so things remain entertaining. Just remember, you need to teach your child to be flexible and accept suggestions from others. This can take time.

The more knowledge people have in understanding autism, the easier it will be for your child to make and keep friends.

By Rachel Evans. Sign up today for a free newsletter and discover how understanding autism can help you help your child. On the site you'll find more information about high functioning autism and methods for learning to cope with autism symptoms.

Can Adults Be Diagnosed With Autism?

                

 

Though we have known about Autism for a while now, much of it is still misunderstood. The classic form of autism has been known for quite some time, and when someone has it, it is rather obvious. However, the higher functioning type of autism known as Asperger?s is a something that the medical community is just now learning a lot about. It was not understood for a long time, and was often misdiagnosed. Since this condition has not been historically recognized by the medical community for a long time, the question seems to be, ?Can adults be diagnosed with autism??

The answer to that question is yes. However, this can be hard. There are some doctors who do not really think that Asperger?s is a real condition, or they simply do not have the knowledge they need to diagnose a child or an adult. Generally speaking, those with high functioning autism can slip under the radar. Parents might not think there is anything wrong other than their child is a little different. They chalk this up to personality and don?t consider there might be something else going on.

Because high functioning patients with autism often blend in rather well, they might go undetected for a very long time. Others in their life might think they are a little odd, and may find them to be shy or socially awkward. Otherwise, they are intelligent and independent, and seem much like anyone else. They are probably going through their own personal trials however, and may be diagnosed with different mental conditions like depression or OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). They probably find that even though they can socialize some, they would rather be alone.

An adult with autism can display many traits that others use to label them as different. These are mostly related to their socialization skills. They often don?t understand humor or double meanings very well. They often talk about inappropriate topics, and repeat themselves quite a lot. They may have nervous tics, and have problems with eye contact. They are also very exacting, but have problems with motor skills and are considered to be clumsy. They also have severe anxiety that bubbles away and surfaces frequently.

If you or someone you know has problems such as these, there may be a chance that they have a form of Autism. Someone who suspects they might have this condition might feel better if they are properly diagnosed, and it might help those around them understand them a lot better. There are some websites that offer tests a person can take online, and there are resources for choosing a doctor.

The first stop might be to go talk to someone. If a doctor will not take the query seriously, it is time to move on to another doctor until one is found who will help. Once diagnosed, there are many groups that offer support and help for those struggling with autism. Can adults be diagnosed with autism? Certainly. Do they have a hard time finding a doctor that will listen? Sometimes, but it?s worth persevering.

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

Adult Autism Does Not Have To Hurt Your Relationship

                

 

Those who have been diagnosed with high functioning adult autism have the opportunity to live relatively normal lives. This includes having a job, being in a relationship and even starting a family. However, developing an intimate relationship with another person can still be a difficult process for a high functioning autistic, though certainly not impossible.

The following are 10 tips on how to manage adult autism and have a healthy, strong relationship.

1. Don?t rush into anything ? Developing an intimate relationship with a person is often a slow-going and temperamental process, regardless if one is autistic or not. Therefore, although you may find it difficult to begin dating, remember that you need to start somewhere, and the more practice you have at this form of social interaction the easier it will become.

2. Educate yourself on social interaction ? Television, movies and books are ideal ways for autistic children and those with adult autism to learn about adult social interaction in intimate relationships. T.V. shows, movies or books that depict emotions are excellent choices. Although these adult themed books and shows may be trivial, they are still educational and can help a high functioning autistic better understand social interaction

3. Control Compulsiveness ? Autistics tend to resort to compulsive behavior when faced with a social situation that is new or lacks certainty such as dating or meeting someone for the first time. Compulsive behavior is a huge turn-off, because your date may feel they are pressured or intimidated by your sense of urgency. This overwhelming feeling can make a person lose interest fast.

4. Physical appearance ? Although you may have heard that appearance doesn?t matter when it comes to starting a relationship, think again. It?s important to like someone?s personality, but you also need to be physically attracted to them. Therefore, regardless if you are dating a non-autistic or an individual with adult autism, keep yourself well dressed, groomed and healthy.

5. Avoid social blunders ? Make sure you are aware of what is considered appropriate and inappropriate to say on first dates to avoid social blunders. For instance, you should avoid sensitive subjects such as sex, past relationships, religion, personal problems, money and other personal matters that can have negative repercussions.

Instead, try to make you conversation as casual as possible by focusing on personal topics of interests. This doesn?t mean only talking about what you like, but also what the other person enjoys. Try finding a topic you?re both interested in. If the other person brings up a conversation you don?t feel comfortable with, simply tell them you don?t feel like discussing it at this time.

6. Know your intimacy comfort level ? Don?t be afraid to say ?no? to a level of intimacy you are not comfortable with, and don?t push your partner if he/she is not ready either. You should both be comfortable with your intimacy and be able to discuss it openly before engaging in anything serious.

7. Confide in someone you trust ? If you have questions about dating or your relationship, it may be a good idea to address your questions and concerns with a close friend and/or someone you trust, whether they have adult autism or not. Just make sure you can completely trust a person and value their opinion before you confide in them.

8. Protect yourself ? You need to protect yourself when dating. You can?t assume that the person you are meeting is a safe and trustworthy individual. They could be an abuser, user, carrying an STD or may be the nicest, honest and reliable person you could ever meet. The point is, a stranger, even if they appear friendly is still a stranger. Always keep your personal safety in mind and don?t do anything you don?t want to do.

9. Connecting online ? One of the best ways for an autistic to meet and interact with others before starting physical communication is through an online dating chat site. One of the best things about having introductions online are you can?t misread signals.

10. Don?t let rejection get you down ? Rejection can and will happen, so don?t take it personally and stop you from dating. Remember, there are plenty of other people out there, and the more people you meet and dates you experience, the better you will become with social interaction and building a meaningful adult autism relationship.

Grab your free copy of Rachel Evans' brand new Autism Newsletter - Overflowing with easy to implement methods to help you and your family find out about adult autism.

About The Basics Of Autism Diagnosis

                

 

The earlier autism is diagnosed, the better facilitation of prognosis is done. Treatment and hopeful cure follow afterwards.

The problem though with autism is that it is often hard to diagnose. Not only that there is wide spectrum of autism-related diseases but mainly because most symptoms only manifest during certain phases of developmental stages.

One of the many essential features concerned with children of autistic disorder is their tendency to create odd interests and poor attention and focus. Additionally, they also deficit in social interaction. Most authorities in this subject affirm that these features clearly indicate autistic factors yet they admit that these are not enough to diagnose autism among children younger than 3 years old.

Moreover, the inconsistency of symptom manifestation often hampers the proper diagnosis of autism more than the abnormality itself. There are virtually lots of factors affecting this inconsistency.

Autism can also be correlated with other conditions such as mental retardation, childhood psychoses, Asperger disorder and a couple of other neurological disorders.

Often, diagnosis begins through these three determining factors. Keep in mind though that evaluation of these three stages would not suffice the data so as to conclude that a child truly has autistic features.

Physical and neurological examinations

Examination of medical history including those that manifest through relatives. This also consists of birth history and developmental conditions, and Medical tests to help rule out other diseases

Diagnostic criteria are used to formally determine if a child is truly subjected to autistic features. Comprehensive diagnosis can be done through routine developmental screening which concerns mostly all developmental features that are absent or deficient with autistic children.

Say, if a child fails to show the following features, he can be initially diagnosed as candidate for autism:

Babbling at his 1st year
Development of gestures on his 1st year
Ability to say single words at I year and 4 months of age
Spontaneous phrasing of 2 words at 2 years old

Any diagnosis should be done by experts and people who have a professional experience with autism and children development issues, do not be tempted to sign your own verdict on your child, or any other child, because of fears and bad thoughts that you may have. In many cases borderline symptoms of autism combined with extensive treatment resulted in a normally developed child

Autism is a major concern for parents and caregivers in the first few months of a baby?s development. The wide range of symptoms and the difference in the level of behavioral difficulties make autistic diagnosis something that is done only by experts in this field. Learn more about Autism Diagnose at http://autism.advice-tips.com

Trade-Off - Vaccine Maker Profits = Autism

                

 

In 1997, Congress passed the FDA Modernization Act, which required the FDA to review all drugs that contained mercury and determine their adverse effects on humans. For many years, Thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative, was added to childhood vaccines in multi-dose bottles, basically to increase profits for vaccine makers.

Its important to know that Thimerosal is not a necessary component for vaccines. If they are packaged in single dose vials, the preservative is not needed. There is mounting evidence, that shows our government knew about the dangers of adding Thimerosal to vaccines. Research by WFAA-TV revealed that the FDA began asking questions about the dangers as far back as 1972. By 1992, the preservative had been removed from dog vaccines and contact lens solutions because of its risks. And yet the government refused to order its removal from childhood vaccines for 10 more years.

In 2000, the FDA determined that infants were receiving much more mercury than was considered safe under EPA guidelines. A twelve-to-fourteen month old child, receiving the mandated vaccines under the Immunization Schedule, often received four to six shots during one doctor visit. Consequently over time, the child would be injected with as much as 40 times the amount of mercury considered safe.

Twenty years ago, autism only affected one in 10,000 children. However, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, by January 2004, the incidence of autism rose to one in every 166 children. The Autism Autoimmunity Project reports that the disorder strikes 1 in 150 (or 1 in 68 families) today.

During the 1990s, some 40 million children were vaccinated and the number of Thimerosal containing vaccines given to children nearly tripled, and the financial rewards to drug companies as a result of the drastic increase were enormous. However, as the number of vaccines increased, autism rates inexplicably increased tenfold, according to the Spring issue of Mother Jones in 2004.

State by state statistics produced by the Department of Education, for the number of children aged 6-21 who have autism, compared the increase in cases over the 12-year period between 1992-93 and 2003-04, and the results were horrendous. In my home state of Ohio, in 1992-93 there were 22 cases of autism, in 2003-04 there were 5146 cases, or a 23,291% increase. In Illinois, there were only 5 cases 12 years ago, while there were 6005 in 2003-04. Mississippi had no cases of autism 12 years ago, but had 622 in 2003-04. Wisconsin had 18 cases in 1992-93 and 3259 cases in 2003-04.

Eli Lilly introduced Thimerosal in the 1930s with very little safety testing. According to a congressional report, a 1935 Eli Lilly internal document noted that Thimerosal was considered unsatisfactory as a serum for use on dogs. The product has been on Californias Proposition 65 list of known reproductive and developmental toxins for over a decade.

Its difficult to believe that anyone would by now even try to say there is no correlation between autism and the bombardment of mercury into the brains of children through their vaccinations in the 1990s.

Profits Over Safety

Autism is a source of devastation for the entire families. For some reason, it is 4 times more common in males than females, according to the Cure Autism Now Foundation. It involves a wide range of mild to severe symptoms, but each case seems to have 3 common symptoms: communication problems, impaired social relationships, and unusual patterns of behavior.

Autistic children develop unusual behaviors, such as twitching their fingers repeatedly, rocking, spinning, or rolling their eyes. A child may be progressing normally, but then begin to regress, losing speech, social skills and physical abilities.

Over the 1990s, parents and doctors began to notice that the onset of autism often followed the injection of vaccines with Thimerosal. At the turn of the century, Congress got involved in the debate. A House Government Reform Committee discovered a lack of research into the link between the increase in autism and childhood vaccines.

At that time, Republican committee chairman, Dan Burton of Indiana, noted that there were numerous conflicts of interest between federal research teams, policy-makers, regulators, health care agencies, and the vaccine makers who seemingly had the ability to influence decisions made by the FDA and CDC, regarding vaccines.

A four-month investigation by United Press International, determined that many members of the CDC's Vaccine Advisory Committee had obvious conflicts of interest with vaccine makers through relationships that included: sharing a vaccine patent; owning stock in a vaccine company; payments for research; getting money to monitor manufacturer vaccine tests; and funding academic departments. UPI also found that the CDC had 28 licensing agreements with drug companies, and one university, for vaccines or vaccine-related products, and had eight on-going projects to collaborate on new vaccines.

Burton's committee specifically zeroed in on the increasing numbers of vaccines children had been given over the past 15 years and the correlating rise in autism all over the country. During a hearing on June 20, 2002, Burton repeatedly asked FDA and CDC officials what they knew and when they knew it. And when their memories appeared lost, Burton produced agency memos to refresh them.

One 1999 internal FDA memo stated that the FDA had an "interim plan ... already in place for many years" to get rid of Thimerosal. Wording in the same memo revealed the FDA's fear that it will be accused of being "asleep at the switch for decades, by allowing a dangerous compound to remain in childhood vaccines."

In 2001, the CDC commissioned the Institute of Medicine to examine the Thimerosal-autism connection. The IOMs first analysis found the hypothesis biologically plausible and called for further research. But a reanalysis by the IOM in 2004 rejected any link.

According to nomercury.orgs Lujene Clark, IOM committee meeting transcripts were leaked to outside parties and suggest that CDC officials pressured committee members to issue a finding rejecting any link.

The CDC contracted and paid for this series of reports from the IOM, says Clark. They made it very clear that they wanted the IOM to give the nod, to say that We see no problems. Thats very, very frightening, according to Illinois Times on Feb 24, 2005.

Burton has even gone so far as to hint at bringing criminal charges if it turns out that government agencies were complicit with the drug companies in a cover-up. "Look, I don't think it makes any difference whether it's a private company or a government agency," Burton said. "If they know they're harming somebody and they continue to let it happen, then they should be held accountable."

There's no doubt that the drug companies knew of the dangers. The LA Times recently released a 1991 internal memo from the pharmaceutical company, Merck, that proves the company knew back then that the overuse of mercury in vaccines posed a dangerous health threat to children. The memo noted that 6-month-old children who received their shots on schedule would get a mercury dose up to 87 times higher than guidelines for the maximum daily consumption of mercury from fish.

In a 2003 committee report titled Mercury in Medicine, Burton concluded: It should be crystal-clear by now that mercury is a toxic substance that does not belong in pediatric vaccines, based on expert testimony and research from leading universities.

Bush Could Issue An Executive Order

Prior to the election, the advocacy group, Unlocking Autism, asked President Bush to state his position on Thimerosal. On Feb 25, 2005, the group issued an open letter to Bush reminding him that he expressed full support for the removal of mercury from childhood vaccines in a written response from the Republican National Committee dated September 22, 2004. The group requested that Bush issue an Executive Order completely banning the use mercury for pregnant women and children under the age of 18.

The group maintains that Bush has a duty to communicate his position on the removal of mercury from vaccines to other Republicans in Congress now that Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) has introduced Senate Bill 3, which would immunize drug companies from all liability for vaccine-related autism caused by mercury poisoning.

"The fact that President Bush stated before the election that mercury should be removed childhood vaccines means he believes thimerosal could, in fact, cause harm. If the President ... supports the removal of mercury from childhood vaccines, then surely he cannot support legislation that protects drug companies from accountability for the injuries caused by mercury," said Shelley Reynolds, President of Unlocking Autism.

SafeMinds is a leading autism advocacy organization fighting to ban mercury from all medicines and to promote treatment research for those who have already been injured.

On Feb 28, 2005, SafeMinds announced its opposition to the bill HR 650, "The Vaccine Accessibility for Children and Seniors Act of 2005." The group maintains that the title of the bill is deceptive in that it imposes barriers to legal remedies for the vaccine-injured.

According to Lyn Redwood, President of Safe Minds, "Each time legislation is introduced to protect the vaccine industry from product liability it is hidden behind a nice title or buried inside legislative minutia," she said "In 2002 legislators attempted a comparable end run on our civil rights by inserting similar language in the Homeland Security Bill, literally in the dark of night. Only when the American people spoke up in outrage was the move repealed.

"When faulty tires on SUVs were rampant, legislators didn't recommend that the tire or automotive manufacturers be protected from litigation," Redwood said, "it is beyond comprehension that when there are increased questions about vaccine injury that legislators would introduce legislation to take away American's rights."

Evelyn Pringle
e.pringle@sbcglobal.net
Miamisburg OH

(Evelyn Pringle is a columnist for Independent Media TV and an investigative journalist focused on exposing government corruption)