Is There A Link Between Folic Acid and Autism?

                

 

The number of children that have been diagnosed with autism in the last ten years has risen quite dramatically. There is a lot of ongoing research, but there is no concrete solution for a cure, nor has anyone found the cause of this condition. There are many theories floating around, and though some sound plausible, there is yet to be anything determined in the way of research. One theory suggests that the mercury additive in some vaccinations might be the problem, though that has been largely ruled out. Another strong theory is that there may be some sort of link between folic acid and autism in some children.

This theory is tricky, because folic acid is something that all women should have while they are pregnant, including the period while they are trying to conceive.

It is proven that a lack of folic acid during early pregnancy can cause birth defects like spina bifida and Down?s syndrome. There has a been a lot of noise generated about telling women to take this as a supplement so they can lower the chances of giving birth to a child with birth defects. This approach has worked very effectively, as less children are being born with these serious birth defects, but there are some that think this excessive intake of folic acid might be the root cause of autism for some children.

Folic acid in found naturally in some vegetables and fruits. However, a lot of people just don?t get enough from these sources, either because they don?t eat enough or because there is less folic acid in fresh produce than historically due to intensive farming methods. This has led some companies to start to supplement other foods with this vital nutrient so women could get the proper amount through their diet.

At the same time, doctors are suggesting a folic acid supplement for some women as a way to ensure they get enough. The result might be too much of a good thing, and the theory that this leads to autism is a troubling one. There is a belief that too much folic acid can lead to changes in the fetus on a chromosomal level that in turn may lead to autism.

The message about folic acid preventing birth defects was well received, and those supplemented foods are a direct result. A woman concerned about her pregnancy might eat enough fruits and vegetables, eat the fortified foods, and then take a supplement to boot. That will inevitably lead to too much folic acid within the system. Besides the theory about chromosomal changes, another theory states that too much of this promotes excess brain cell production. When there are too many cells, the connections between the cells essential for function do not form as they should. The theory is that this too could be a cause of autism.

Sign up for the free autism newsletter below and discover all the latest research into autism and natural treatment options that are available.

Women reading this should remember that though this theory about folic acid is spreading, there is no evidence at this point that it is true. It is advisable never to refrain from getting sufficient folic acid or there is the risk of a baby with birth defects.

A better solution would be to talk to a doctor about any concerns you might be have regarding folic acid and autism, and to find a way to be sure enough is ingested without getting too much. Discuss your current diet with your doctor so they can recommend an eating plan and also a supplement if needed.

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

Signs and Symptoms of Autism and Autistic Disorders

                

 

Autism is the most classical condition from the group of autism spectrum diseases, including the Asperger syndrome, the Rett syndrome, the Childhood disintegrative disorder and the pervasive developmental disorder. The most important and frequent characteristics of autism are impaired social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication difficulties, repetitive actions, unusual interests and limited actions.

Male children have a four times more increased risk of developing autism than little girls. According to studies, a number of about 1-3 children in one thousand subjects are susceptible of developing autistic disorders.

The most important signs of autism can show different difficulty grades, from mild forms to severe cases. Autistic children have problems in interacting with other children or persons due to a disease triggered impaired social interaction ability. Verbal and nonverbal communications skills are very limited and they most often try to express themselves by signs and pictures. These children have most commonly repetitive interests and activities and their actions and thoughts are narrow and obsessive.

The impossibility of a regular social interaction with parents, children and family and first noticed by the caretakers around the age of three when the initial autistic obvious symptoms occur. Autistics are unable to make connections, play or talk to other persons around the. Parents start to notice a tendency of their child to exclude others and live alone in his interior world. They do not pay attention to other people and their capacity to maintain focus for a longer time is limited; other persons? interests and actions are uninteresting to them.

Many of the pediatric patients touched by autism have developed normally during the first life years and at 3-4 years have suddenly become to show symptoms of an autistic disorder. Many parents are alarmed by this sudden change in their child?s behavior and cannot explain his sudden annoyance of others.

Most children with this disorder avoid eye contacts with any person and usually do not respond to their name. They have difficulties integrating voice, facial mimics, and expressions and are thus unable to understand what interlocutors feel, think or desire. They also avoid watching other people?s faces to rely on certain clues about their behavior.

In periods of high nervous excitation, autistics succeed in hurting themselves by banging their heads against walls or by bites. Sometimes they show repetitive, senseless and obsessive movements like rocking or spinning. They start to speak later than expected from a child their age and when they do, they use the name instead of personal pronouns like ?me? or ?I?. Their sensitivity to pain is minimal, but they can be very sensitive to normal stimuli like sound, light or touch; they avoid being hugged and cuddled.

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

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.

Causes and Diagnosis of Autism

                

 

Autism is the most characteristic condition of the autistic spectrum disorders and is defined by impaired social interaction, obsessive and narrow interests, repetitive actions and difficulties in verbal and nonverbal communication. Children with autism are mostly diagnosed at the age of 3 when they show symptoms of an increased sensitivity to sound, light and touch and decreased sensation of pain. They avoid other children, resost cuddling, cannot understand other person?s needs and feelings.

The exact causes of autism are not yet known to scientists but they tend to incriminate for the occurrence of these disorders of both genetically and environmental factors. A series of genes on the chromosomes have been identified to be connected to the causes of autism. Also irregularities in certain brain areas have been matched to these type of disorders. According to some particular studies, an important trigger of autistic disorders is a low level of neurotransmitters like serotonin in the brain tissues. The genes responsible for the growth and interaction of the brain tissues and neurons could be blamed for an abnormal intrauterine development leading to later manifestations of some fetal life problems.

Another theory of the parental practices responsible for the apparition of autism is still discussed and researched. All theories regarding the cause of autism are still preliminary and yet to be proven.

Autistic disorders can appear in mild to severe forms or be masked by other handicaps. Diagnose is not always easy and certain. The clinical diagnose is established according to a list of the most characteristic signs. The group of symptoms orienting a specialist towards diagnose of autism consists of certain behavioral and physical changes. This group contains an impaired ability to make connections with other children or begin and sustain a conversation, the absence of imaginative social play methods, stereotyped and repetitive actions, limited interests, unusual language skills, obsessions regarding particular few objects and incapacity to accept certain rituals and routine changes.

Doctors use questionnaires or other screening instruments to evaluate the observations made by parents or by both parents and doctors. Certain questions regarding behavior and development are asked and related to obvious observations. A further evaluation when the suspicion of autism persists must be performed by a multidisciplinary team consisting of neurologists, psychiatrist, speech analyst and other professionals. A hearing evaluation must be completed in order to eliminate disorders caused by hearing difficulties.

After the completion of the testing, the parents are informed about results and possible therapy methods.

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

Understanding The Characteristics And Symptoms Of Autism

                

 

The research collected by professional health organizations indicate that autism, or autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) affects approximately 1 out of every 166 children in America. Those numbers would then further indicate that an amazing 1.5 million American children have autism to a certain degree. It is noteworthy that many of these cases of autism have not been diagnosed. The annual growth rate of autism is greater than 14%, meaning it has become a major developmental disability for today?s children.

The occurance of autism is not limited to children, nor does it seem to afflict any particular person based on race or social structure/class. Autism also does not appear to be a result of any injury or accident that may have involved trauma. One thing that is known, however, is that boys are about 4 times more likely to have autism than girls.

So that you can understand how to work with a patient afflicted with autism, it is necessary to understand some background about what autism is and what signs an afflicted person shows. In a core sense, autism is just one of several things known as a cognitive disability or cognitive disorder.

Such a disorder has a negative impact on the child?s ability to learn and develop normally, particularly from the aspect of social interaction. Typically, autism can be diagnosed as early as age 3 in most children, and impairs how the brain reacts to certain stimuli. In that sense, autism is thought to be a neurological disorder. The most prominent signs of autism are difficulty in both verbal and non-verbal communication skills. Difficult with verbal communication is self-explanatory, but in the non-verbal sense, this deals with the difficulty in having social interactions with other people.

Autistic Spectrum Disorder or ASD is crucial to be diagnosed as early as possible in the child?s life, especially when you consider that there are varying degrees of autism, ranging from very mild to severe. If the presence of autism is diagnosed early, the parents of the child can make arrangements to allow the child to benefit from professionals at school, perhaps even a specialized school, where the teachers have received training in autism and understanding how to teach the autistic child.

There are many thoughts about autism and there are also many myths about it. One of those myths is that children who are autistic are "dumb" or have a low IQ. This is not true at all. In terms of academic intelligence, an autistic child can score at the same level as his classmates. Do you remember the movie titled "Rain Man" with Dustin Hoffman, where he was autistic? Although Dustin Hoffman did an excellent job in showing the lack of social interaction and many of the other signs of an autism patient, he was also absolutely brilliant with numbers and in the casino.

There are several characteristics that autistic people will display that can be a clue to the potential presence of autism. Unfortunately, there are no conclusive laboratory tests that can definitively state whether or not a person has autism, simply because it really is a neurological disorder. Such characteristics include, as discussed above, difficulty in verbal and non-verbal communication, distinct resistance to change in schedule or routine, an abnormally low threshold for pain, difficulty or discomfort in making eye contact, and a tendency to fixate on a particular object for very long periods of time.

It is critical to get a child suspected of being autistic diagnosed as early as possible so that an effective course of treatment can be started.

Jon is a computer engineer that maintains many web sites based on his knowledge and experience in various areas. For more information about Autism and Autistic Spectrum Disorder, please visit his web site at Autism Explained.

Autism - A Problem That Needs More Scientific Study

                

 

Statistics say that there are more than a half million people in the U.K. affected by autism, and the number of diagnosed cases is rising rapidly. It was seen that boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism, and twelve times more predisposed to have asperger syndrome. Autism is a lifelong disability that affects the way a person communicates and relates to other people. People with autism have problems with social interaction and with imagination. People with autism can say that reality is confusing, and it is difficult to interact with people, places, events, sounds and lights.

The causes for autism are not clear at this time, no one knows if there is an external factor like diet, an infection or exposure to toxins in the home that can lead to autism. There exists the suspicion that there are genetic factors involved.

It is known that the degree of this disability varies. That is why the term autistic spectrum disorder or ASD is often used. For example there are people with classic autism, that may have severe learning disabilities or little speech. Other people, that have Asperger syndrome could be able to live and work independently and may have an average or above average intelligence.

Many parents of children having autism may experience a serious dilemma: there exist a lot of websites on the internet, there are a lot of practitioners from private surgeries, that offer treatments or sustain that they can even cure autism. Of course this may be a lie, and that is why the decision is hard to take. The problem is that there is not enough information about autism, scientific trials have to be done in the future. It is good to know that there exists a large number of support groups, charities and web sites made for people with autism and by the people with autism.

It was seen that the number of persons diagnosed with autism is rising rapidly, but, unfortunately, there is still too little knowledge about this condition. The autism is affecting the way a person communicates and relates to other people, but the factors that cause this are not known. There are only some suspicions, like the possibility that genetic factors to be involved, but we will find the real causes that lead to this condition only after more researches will be done.

For more information about autism please review http://www.autism-info-center.com/autism-symptoms-checklist.htm or even http://www.autism-info-center.com/autism-symptoms.htm

Five Autism Types Explained

                

 

Autism used to be the term used for anyone with that particular condition. Today, there are several different sub categories for different levels of disability or function. No two children diagnosed will be the same, but there will be many things that they do have in common. With some high functioning autistics most people may not even be aware that they have autism, while others need assistance in almost any part of life, and they are obviously living a very different life than other children. More is being discovered about each of these different autism types as time goes on.

Asperger?s Disorder

This type of autism is something that you hear more and more about. These children are often misdiagnosed at first, and are thought to have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, or perhaps Attention Deficit Disorder. These children are very unskilled with social interactions and have problems with communicating. They have repetitive motions, and are fixated on patterns of all types. They can have above average language skills, though they don?t use them well in social situations. They are often clumsy, as motor skills are under developed. Those with Asperger?s are thought to have a talent that they focus on almost exclusively, and are considered to be highly intelligent. Recent findings indicate that Albert Einstein may have had this condition.

Kanner?s Syndrome (classic autistic disorder)

This particular type of autism was named after a Dr. Kanner. He described and studied it in the 1930s and into the 1940s. This is the well-known type of this condition that is very common. Those with Kanner?s have very limited emotional connection with anyone, and they are very into their own little world. They want everything to be the same all of the time, and this includes routine (sometimes down to the exact minute) clothing, food, and television shows or movies. They can be deeply effected by noises, bright lights and smells. They are generally considered to be low functioning, but how well their mind works is largely unknown because of extremely poor social and communication skills.

Pervasive Developmental Disorder--Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS).

This term is used to describe children who have most of the same symptoms as classic autism. They will need the same interventions and help that autistic children require. The differences between PDD-NOS and autism are minor and usually only obvious to researchers and doctors.

Rett?s Syndrome

Rett?s is a rare and relatively little-known type of autism, and it seems to only happen in girls. This branch of autism was first described by Dr. Rett. These patients often have problems with muscle atrophy, and tend to do repetitive hand motions. They area almost always mentally retarded to some degree. These girls are very low functioning and will need care for most of their lives. This particular type of autism has been diagnosed since the sixties, but in the late 1990s a gene that might cause this condition was found.

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder

This is also thankfully pretty rare and something that strikes children who appear to have normal development from birth. Usually between two and four years of age this changes. These children begin to regress, and often do not potty train. They will lose the will and the ability to interact with other children, and will lose an interested in play. They will also have problem with the motor skills that were something they at one time had mastered. They will stop talking, or their communication skills will regress to some degree.

Though there are more autism types out there, these tend to be the most common. They are all things that take parents by surprise, and each comes with their own set of difficulties. Most children will need to be cared for long after their peers have established independence, even though the will to be on their own is very strong.

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

Autism - An Enigmatic Event Revisited: From the Refrigerator Mother to The Parent Trap

                

 

Autism is defined as a neurodevelopmental disorder that reveals itself in a pronounced abnormal social interaction, patterns of interests, patterns of behavior, and communication ability. The specific cause of autism is unknown, some researchers suggest that autism results from genetically-influenced vulnerabilities to environmental triggers. It is estimated that autism occurs in as many as one child in 166 in the United States. Families that already have one autistic child, the odds of a second autistic child mau be as high as one in twenty. Autism is 3 to 4 times more common in boys. However, girls with the disorder tend to have more severe symptoms and greater cognitive impairment.

The word autism was first used in the English language by the Swiss psychiatrist Eugene Bleuler in a 1912 issue of the American Journal of Insanity. It comes from the Greek word for "self." Bleuler used it to describe the schizophrenic's seeming difficulty in connecting with other people. However, the classification of autism did not come into play until the middle of the twentieth century, in 1943 Dr. Leo Kanner of the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore reported eleven child patients with striking behavioral similarities, and introduced the label early infantile autism. He suggested "autism" from the Greek (autos), meaning "self," to describe children lacking interest in other people. Kanner's first paper on autism was published in (now defunct Journal) The Nervious Child. An Austrian scientist, Dr. Hans Asperger, made similar observations. however, his name has since been attached to a different and higher-functioning form of autism know as Asperger's syndrome. Dr. Asperger's work was not nationally recognized until after World War II in Germany, and his major work wasn't translated into English for almost fifty years. The majority of Dr. Asperger work wasn't widely read until 1997.

Autism may not be physiologically obvious. A complete physical and neurological assessment will often be part of diagnosing autism. Recently, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have found a connection between autism, abnormal blood vessel function and oxidative stress. The study suggest that, if researchers can discover more evidence linking decreased blood flow to the brain and oxidative stress with the pathology of autism, improvement in therapy could be found.

During my thirty five years experience as a mental health professional I have had the opportunity to work in several community mental health programs which exposed me to most mental disorders on a daily basis, including autism. This environment afforded me precious opportumity to interact directly with parents and caretakers of children disgnosed with infantile autism. Also, as a therapist, many mothers of autistic children discussed with me their profound feelings of guilt, shame, helplessnes, and frustration being the parent of an autistic child. These mothers said they often feel personally responsible for their child's autism, and unconsciously blame themselves.

Recently I read an article titles: Autism's Parent Trap, New York Times, OP-ED page, June 5, 2000. Ms. McGovern, the author, aim to caution parents concerning the popular, but unrealistic and determination of their abilities to enable an autistic child to lead a normal life is clearly evident: And the setting for the parent trap. To make the connection between unrealistic expectation of recovery from autism and possible devastating outcome, Ms. McGovern reported on three cases in which parents were accused of killing their autistic children, these cases occurred in England and the United States within a short span of one month: In one case the mother committed suicide, as well. In this instance, for three children with autism, the disconnect between parental expectation and limited progress may have been lethal. The occurrence of parent killing their maladjusted child, and often themself, is not as rare as we may think.

The New York Times article triggered my desire to learn why parents, mostly mothers, experienced such intense negative emotions that would cause them to kill their autistic children, and often themselves; as an act of love. Is there a social connection that cause parents, especially mothers, of children born with birth defects or developmental disabilities to experience such extreme shame and guilt?

If you are the mother of a child diagnosed with autism you already know that no matter what you do for or with your child, you still feel guilty. You feel guilty primarily because no one know the causes or have a cures of autism. Therefore, you may feel that anything you did could be your fault, or did you do everything that would help. You know that your child did not acquire autism for the lack of motherly love. However, you are not so certain about that small glass of wine you had when you were pregnant. And what about the vaccines you allowed the doctor your child? Since no one can tell you what causes autism, it is very easy to decide that it was your fault.

Let's face it, society has a rich history of blaming mothers for imperfect children; be it psychological, physiological, or sociological it is always the mother's fault. After all, it wasn't very long ago that mothers were blamed for their sons' homosexuality. And during the 1940's the term refrigerator mother was coined as a label for mothers of autistic children. These mothers were often blamed for their children's atypical behaviors. Mental health professionals suggested that autism was the product of mothers who were cold, distance and rejecting, depriving the child an opportunity to bond property.

Therefore, having a greater understanding of the social foundation which motherhood is erected it requires no great leap to comprehend why women blame themselves and experience profound guilt when they give birth to children with life-long defects. Culture teaches mothers that when something goes wrong with the kids or in the family its usually their fault. Many mothers internalized the social expectations that they must do everything, and do it very well, and when they fail to meet these high expectations; they feel guilty. The emotion of guilt is not innate, or a part of the human gene pool, but guilt can be passed-down from generation to generation. I am not suggesting that women are hard-wired to feel guilt. However, women are socialized very early as nurturers, and to accept responsibility for the happiness of others. While this is an impossible and unreasonable task. Yet, many women experience it as their goal and feel guilty even when they have done their best.

Dr. William Smith is a psychologist and a psychological consultant with more than thirty years experience. Dr. Smith specializes in working with client who requires individualized attention and complete confidentiality. For further information or a free initial assessment of your needs; visit my website; http://insightconsultant.com

Understanding And Diagnosing Autism

                

 

It has been said that autism is probably one of the most misunderstood ailments today. What makes it

hard to categorize is the fact that there are many different degrees of autism. Some degrees of it are

barely noticeable, which then becomes a big question mark as to whether a particular person is really

afflicted with autism. On the other hand, some cases of it are severe enough to where the afflicted

person cannot function in normal life on their own.

Autism does not indicate a lack of intelligence necessarily. Consider for example the movie "Rain Man"

where Dustin Hoffman did an excellent job as he played the role of the autistic brother, socially inept

with very poor social skills outside of his brother, but proved to be a gambler's dream in the casino or

anything to do with numbers. Studies have shown that a very common element for an autistic person is

intense concentration on a particular topic, almost to the exclusion of all else.

Autism is very similar to Asbergers Syndrome, although it is accepted that Asbergers is the milder form

of autism. Like autism, Asbergers is not a physical ailment but yet it can profoundly affect the manner

in which the person interacts socially and with the environment around them. In both cases, people

afflicted with these ailments tend to not be able to relate to the world around them, or in many cases

to even be aware of things happening around them. They are typically known to take things very

literally and at face value, lacking the social skills to "read between the lines" as we all learn to do

as we mature.

Other symptoms of autism are a lack of imagination, or the lack of having an ability to imagine a

different situation. Ideas and new concepts need to be repeated to people with autism over and over

again before they can begin to grasp the idea or concept, and even then it might not sink in, depending

on the severity level of the affliction.

In terms of social interactions, autistic people do not seem to be able to grasp the difference in

things said based on facial expressions or tone of voice. In the same vein, they are frequently unable

to add more meaning to what is said based on non-verbal cues or gestures, but instead tend to take

things quite literally. One very interesting aspect is that they are frequently unable to or are very

uncomfortable with making direct eye contact with someone who is speaking to them.

Autism is most frequently found in children and it is widely thought that many genetic factors play a

part in this in terms of abnormalities during brain development. There is significant disagreement

amongst scientists as to whether this occurs during pregnancy or shortly after birth. But in any event,

researchers are agreed that the earlier that a child is diagnosed with autism, the better off that child

will be in the steps that can be taken to work with the affliction and minimize its effects on the

growth of that child during the critical developmental years. Most children can be properly diagnosed

by age 2 or perhaps age 3, and your doctor can help you understand how to work with the child to

minimize the detrimental effects as much as possible.

While there is not a wholesale "cure" for autism such as a cast that can be put on a broken arm,

researchers are finding new ways to treat it. Some hopeful results have been seen by the use of certain

steroids that have proven to successfully reduce or remove autistic behavior.

Various studies have shown that certain proteins in the body appear to be more likely to cause a child

to be susceptible to acquiring autism than others. The problem with studies to date is that different

proteins have vastly different effects on different individuals, so it is very difficult to narrow down

exactly what proteins may be suspect. Interestingly enough, there is a significantly higher percentage

of boys with autistic spectrum disorders than girls, where some studies have found that ratio to be

higher than 3 to 1. Equally interesting is the fact that even with this ratio, girls with autistic

spectrum disorder tend to be much more severe. This is thought to be because girls normally have better

verbal skills at an earlier age than boys, whereas boys are better at visual and spatial tasks.

Jon is a computer engineer and long-term world traveler who maintains many websites to pass along his knowledge and findings. You can read more about autism at his web site at http://www.autism-explained.com

Empowering parents to help children with autism and special needs learn through play

                

 

SenseToys specialises in providing a carefully selected range of toys and activities to help parents and professionals caring for children with poor or delayed language skills, autism related difficulties, impaired hearing, developmental delays, dyspraxia and physical disabilities.

As a parent, the early stages of learning about and coming to terms with even the mildest of special needs are extremely difficult and stressful times. One of the greatest frustrations is identifying practical ways to help your child - whilst climbing a very steep learning curve in terms of understanding the problem, including learning about whole new areas of health and education provision which most parents never encounter, there is the overwhelming desire to want to be able to do something practical.

Time is of the essence - early intervention for children with special needs can make a significant difference to the child, and indeed to the family and all concerned. Thus helping parents and carers find and understand what they need can be a real benefit - even when some of the toys are readily available it is often difficult for the non-specialist to know why a particular toy or feature might be helpful. For example the typical "inset" style farmyard puzzle can be extremely difficult for some children, particularly the youngest, to use and develop their fine motor skills, and so simply selecting puzzles with larger knobs enables them to make progress. Sadly most parents like ourselves just don't find these things out until much later, so with the right information and product selection we (SenseToys) should be able to make this advice more readily available.

I set up SenseToys to help people like me find and choose which toys we need, understand how to use them, and why they work - practical information and advice for parents and carers, especially for those learning about and coping with special needs for the first time, based on first hand experience.

SenseToys helps you to make learning fun and rewarding for children with learning difficulties - sometimes even "ordinary" toys can help you produce extraordinary results if you can find them and know how to use them effectively! Visit our website: www.sensetoys.com.

Lesley Burton established SenseToys after many fruitless searches for toys and activities to help with the special needs of her two sons - my eldest suffered a language delay through glue ear and my second son Edward has an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). SenseToys range has been developed with several leading therapists and Montessori trained teachers ensuring that the products and play tips are appropriate.

How We Talk to Children with Autism

                

 

You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.

I'd like to discuss how we talk to children with autism. One of the things that strikes me is the wide range of what is considered acceptable. I'm not talking about teaching methods. Specifically, I'm talking about the tone and volume in which we speak to these children. I know that they're often difficult to reach and may require multiple attempts to get them to attend or to understand what is being said to them. I also understand that this can be frustrating and confusing at times, but it's everyone's job to stay calm and talk to them in a reasonable manner.

There are many teachers and therapists in special education that would never speak harshly to any child. However, I've heard many speak to children with autism in ways that no regular education program would tolerate, and it seems that this practice is still widespread. My theory is that this habit of loud, cruel voices has been accepted for so long that no one questions it. It's left over from the days when persons with autism were yelled at, slapped and cattle-prodded to get them to comply.

Everyone knows that being spoken to harshly and punitively can break a person's heart, spirit and self-esteem over time. Our children are no different. They need to feel loved, accepted and cared for. Cruel and abusive tones alone can be harmful, even without negative words attached.

My suggestion is that we ask our teachers to speak to our children with kindness and respect. At times when firmness is called for, everyone can still speak kindly while staying firm. It's all in the choice of tone and language.

We want our children to grow into their full potential. It can't happen if they're feeling anxious or depressed or if their self-esteem has been damaged. We need to lay the foundation first- love, trust, respect, acceptance and kindness. Then we can build instruction over that foundation, taking care not to displace it. If you think about it, it's all relatively common sense. We all learn and become our best in this kind of supportive and accepting atmosphere. Our children do too.

Sandra Sinclair, www.autismvoice.com

Sandra Sinclair is a parent of a child with PDD-NOS. Sandra assists parents of children with autism spectrum disorders. She is also author of Newly Diagnosed Autism Spectrum - A free mini-course with 7 clear steps you can take to help your child with Aspergers, Autism, PDD-NOS, and other autism spectrum disorders. http://www.autismvoice.com/blog/7StepstoHelpChildrenwithAutism