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.

 

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.

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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

What Are The Different Autism Types in Children

                

 

As more and more is understood about autism, it would seem there are more and more autism types. Though the term autism is a blanket term, there are different degrees. No two children with this condition will be exactly the same, but there can be similarities. Some children are very high functioning, and they have very few problems, and there are others who seem almost unreachable. These different autism types do have different names, and there are more and more things being learned about each of them.

Asperger?s Disorder

Asperger?s is a relatively new diagnosis, and you might hear this term many times when you hear about autism. People with this type of autism are usually socially awkward and do not mix well with others. They tend to have an obsessive interest in patterns of all types. However, they do have good language skills and have great adaptation skills. They are, however, often impaired somewhat when it comes to motor skills. This is often misdiagnosed as other things like Attention Deficit Disorder or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. It is also thought that those with Asperger?s have a sort of genius. They normally have a talent that they spend much of their time on. Some suggest that Albert Einstein may have had Asperger?s.

Kanner?s Syndrome (classic autistic disorder)

This was named for Dr. Kanner, who first put a name to this disorder in the 1930s and 40s. This is probably the most well known type of autism, and the one many think of when they hear the term. These children seem to have extremely limited emotional outreach or connections with others. They thrive on exact routines, and have learning disabilities. They are often fascinated with objects and movements. Kanner?s Syndrome is often the lowest functioning end of the disorder, and these children (and adults) tend to be very drawn into themselves and have extremely limited communication skills. They often get agitated if the do not eat the same foods and watch the same things on television day in and day out.

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

The differences between this type of autism and classic autism are very slight indeed. Children diagnosed as having PDD-NOS tend to display the same characteristics with only really doctors and researchers able to distinguish the differences. The type of care and interventions required will be similar.

Rett?s Syndrome

Rett?s is fairly uncommon, and seems to be diagnosed exclusively in girls. It was named for Dr Rett of Australia. These girls often have severe muscular problems, and are prone to autistic behaviors. They may make and do obsessive things with their hands on a constant basis. Those with Rett?s will be very low functioning and will probably need life long care, as they are usually mentally retarded. Though this condition has been known since the 60s, a gene thought to be responsible was found in the late 90s.

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder

This happens to children who appear to be healthy at birth. Somewhere between the ages of two and four they suddenly regress. They may not potty train, and they lose the ability to socialize with other children. All speech development may stop, or even regress. They may also lose interest in playing and have problems with motor skills that they once had mastered.

These are a few of the more common autism types, but there are others out there. Each comes with its own unique set of challenges, and each child is different. These traits will go on into adulthood, and many will require lifelong care, and even though they may show a strong sense of independence, the mundane things we can all do for ourselves seem to be lost in the shuffle of repetition and routine.

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

The Role Of An Autism Support Group

                

 

Having an autistic child or dependent adult is very draining on both caregivers and relatives. Knowing how to advocate and care for you your loved ones, while increasing general awareness, and caring for yourself are essential day to day necessities that require your immediate attention. the best resource to help you cope with an autistic child or dependent adult is an autism support group. These groups bring together professionals that are experts in the field of autism and those who interact with autism on a day to day basis. Together they use this forum to swap ideas, and encourage, and educate each other. An autism support group to be effective must play five critical roles on a day to day basis.

Partnership and Comprehensive Support

An autism support group must help bring people together and aid in the formation of partnerships to encourage interaction and growth between all involved. This support will provide a foundation upon which the groups members will grow and participate in the educational opportunities that are available and help match the needs of the autistic dependents with the needs of their families and caregivers. The support group should also provide Comprehensive support that is directed towards the objective that all autistic dependents receive a complete or traditional education designed specifically to the needs of the autistic.

Positive and Educational Support

Another major function of an autism support group is to offer positive support to the autistic child, and their caregivers by providing an atmosphere of encouragement and a safe environment to vent and express one?s emotions without fear of reprisal or judgment. This positive support will help break down barriers, and allow positive accomplishments to flourish and be recognized.

All the positive support in the world will accomplish nothing without building a solid foundation for education and the support group must promote educational programs to increase the knowledge of its members and prepare them with the information needed to be able to care for and support their loved ones. As an educational resource the support group becomes tasked with the responsibility for disseminating information about the disability, its symptoms, and treatments, and to provide support for the family's with autistic dependents.

Advocacy

The final and most critical function of an autism support group is their role as an advocate to protect and educate those that do not understand autism and often neglect the needs of the autistic patients as a result. An autism support group must represent the autistic community and push for the needs of the autistic community at large..

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

Art Therapy For High Functioning Autism How To Get Started

                

 

People who have high functioning autism can be taught at an early age to express themselves through different forms of therapy. In order to lead relatively normal lives, a high functioning autistic requires a certain level of social skills. The development of these skills can be accomplished through a number of therapies including play therapy, social skilled classes or groups, psychotherapy, social stories and expressive therapies.

One expressive therapy that has proven to be quite beneficial is art therapy. Art therapy can help an autistic develop social response by allowing them to express their emotions through art. This form of complimentary therapy may be an ideal way for an autistic to develop social skills.

What is art therapy? It is a therapy that involves using a number of various art materials such as paints, batik (a way to dye fabric), clay, etc. as a method of expressing thoughts or feelings through visual representation. Art therapy is based on psychological research and theory that art is naturally therapeutic. This therapy takes into account the behaviors, thoughts and feelings experienced by those with high functioning autism and other disorders.

Art therapy allows an individual to explore various issues including those that involve family, relationships, life change, loss, abuse and overall development. It may be carried out as a group process or individual counsel. The artwork that is created during therapy may be of spontaneous creations or based on suggestion provided by a therapist.

What are the benefits of art therapy? Art therapy has many benefits, especially for an autistic because it doesn?t rely on verbal or language skills, is a fun activity, and does not require any art skill or experience. The following is a list of other benefits -

?Increases self awareness
?Develops social skills
?Changes behaviors
?Develops problem solving strategies
?Allows an individual to engage in creative thinking in a safe environment
?Allows an individual to focus solely on the activity at hand and shut out other thoughts that may be intrusive.

Keep in mind that all of the above positive outcomes of art therapy may not be experienced by someone with high functioning autism. Remember, not every autistic functions the same.

Where can I find and art therapist and what should I look for? If an individual with high functioning autism is interested in art therapy, an art therapist will need to be sought out. An art therapist can practice in a number of environments, but can usually be found in psychiatric or general hospitals. They may work in oncology or geriatric wards, schools, rehabilitation centers, and counseling centers. The best way for you to find an art therapist locally, is to speak to your child?s health care provider or call your hospital.

When choosing a therapist, keep the following in mind:

?Find out about their education background and where they received training
?Find out if they have previous experience with high functioning autism patients
?Ask what types of therapeutic approach do they use
?Ask what to expect during a lesson

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 autism characteristics

Autism Understanding Furthered By International Genetic Study

                

 

Autism understanding begins when a person realizes that autism is a disorder that affects people differently. Although autism affects the normal functioning of a person?s perception, attention and thoughts, autism is not characterized by one type of perception, attention and thought. Instead, it covers a broad spectrum of disorders that may be mild or severe. Due to the fact that autism is such a complex disorder, medical research is still in the process of understanding how it develops and why it affects certain individuals.

One particular medical project with the aim to find better autism understanding by identifying the gene that causes autism, is the 5 year Autism Genome Project (AGP). So far, phase I of the AGP has identified a gene and parts of a chromosome to be linked with the occurrence of autism. The findings of this particular autism study was published online in the Nature Genetics February 18, 2007 issue.

The Autism Genome Project is a global research consortium that is funded by Autism Speaks and the National Institute of Health. Autism Speaks is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to raising the awareness of autism and raising funds to help research it.

The AGP involves more than 120 scientists from 50 institutions in 19 countries around the world. The researchers who have collaborated on the project combined their autism expertise, and shared all of the data and samples they had to help identify autism-related genes.

As was mentioned, phase I of this project began 5 years ago in 2002, and it allowed the team of medical experts to gain autism understanding by identifying a single specific gene known as neurexil 1, and part of chromosome 11 which could likely be the cause of autism in children. These findings are based on the largest autism genome scan that has ever been done.

Scientists have known for many years that autism is a genetic disorder, but only until the AGP have they been able to use special ?gene chip? technology to search for genetic similarities in autistics. Genetic similarities were found in practically all of the autistic individuals within each of the twelve hundred families that that were made part of the project. The scientists also checked the DNA of each family to look for copy number variations that are believed might be connected to autism and similar disorders.

What the researches discovered in their study was that one particular gene known as neurexin 1 plays a significant role with glutamate; a neurotransmitter that has been formerly linked to autism. Researchers also uncovered an area of chromosome 11 that is suspected to contain a gene that may be involved in the occurrence of autism. However, this particular gene in chromosome 11 has yet to be identified which is required for further autism understanding.

Based on previous research, and the research that has been uncovered by the study so far, scientists speculate that there may be as many as 6 main genes and 30 additional genes linked to autism. However, these numbers are only theories, as scientists point out that the actual number of genes could exceed their theory. Nevertheless, despite the number of genes that may be involved, researchers admit that it is still far too early to dictate how these genes may be responsible for autism.

Currently, phase II of the Autism Genome Project has been announced. The promising discoveries found in phase I makes scientists hopeful that discovering the genes that cause autism will provide new steps toward autism understanding. With greater understanding, more effective methods of diagnosis, preventing and treating the disorder can be taken.

By Rachel Evans. Sign up for a free newsletter and discover more about understanding autism.

A Review of Autism Research

                

 

The surprisingly high rate of the condition known as autism is reported by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to be one in 166 children. Most people find it even a bit scary, especially ones who have never been exposed to statistics or to anyone affected by this condition. The lack of publicity on the problem causes troubles to autism research, as those research funds are being diverted to other causes with much bigger publicity as cancer and heart disease. We don't try to say that those are not important, we just say that with such a high rate of people affected by autism it should be considered a worthy cause too.

Despite the high number of affected children, their parents often complain about the lack of intensity in that research if any is done nowadays. Of the total amount of the National Health Budget, which adds up to $30 million, the part that goes to autism research is as tiny as two thirds of a percent, according to Mr. Wright of Autism Speaks. And that is not at all enough, according to the affected ones and their relatives.

That foundation called Autism Speaks, is trying to raise research funds that most people hope will eventually provide a cure for that disease. Such a cure for autism will not only help children escape their trapped worlds but will help their families too.

At this time one of the most important factors that are being handled in autism research, is determining the cause of that disease, because you first need to know what causes that condition in order to be able to cure it.

Although not many of the researchers believe it there are some who think that there is a relation between exposure to mercury and autism. Having the autism research focused in parts on environmental factors too is good but of course an adequate funding is necessary in order to reach any further in the search of autism's actual cause.

Some of the projects for autism research concentrate their efforts on analyzing high-functioning autistic toddlers. As these children still can not speak well enough due to their early age, the tests they are given are non-verbal and are made with the use of a computer. The age of the children which are chosen for those tests is 18 months to 2 years as this is the age when the basis of everybody's character is formed. The aim is to be studied how the information is assimilated by autistic children and what is their development during these early years of their lives.

Tests are also made with children who have autistic brothers or sisters. Thus a comparison can be made between an autistic child and his siblings provided that they have one and the same living conditions and are exposed to the same environmental conditions and stimuli. Unfortunately the chance for a child with an autistic brother or sister to become autistic himself is higher and this fact is used by researchers. What they want to do is to have a control group of children with autistic siblings which to examine from the moment they were born. Researchers hope that thus they can gather a lot of useful information.

In spite of all the above mentioned efforts, there is a long way to be passed in order to find a cure. This main aim can be only reached with doing much more researches that of course will require much bigger funding.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning science and research. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting Autism Research

The Different Types Of Autism Treatment

                

 

Autism refers to a brain disorder, which typically affects a child's ability to communicate, form relationships, and respond appropriately to the environment. While some people suffering from Autism are relatively high functioning, there are others who are mentally retarded, have serious language delays, or are mute.

The actual cause of Autism is not known. But Autism is relatively easy to spot, and children as young as 18 months start showing symptoms. It is futile to believe that children will just grow out of it. In fact, the early years provide the best time for progress and improvement. So, intensive therapy should begin as early as possible. While different children suffering from Autism may have different problems, parents of such children have to face one overwhelming challenge - there is no single agreed upon method for treating this condition. Parents, researchers, and doctors have not been able to reach common ground here.

Autism treatment usually consists of a combination of behavioral therapy, language and speech therapy, and special education in schools. Reports suggest that play-based behavioral therapies and alternative treatments involving dietary restrictions and vitamin supplements are beneficial. But, there is no solid proof to support this. What makes matters worse is that many children are beset with additional problems like sleeping difficulties, anxiety, or gastrointestinal problems.

ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis)
This is often referred to as the Intensive Behavioral Intervention (though there are differences between the two). Studies show that children suffering from Autism can make dramatic progress when they receive this kind of instruction. Parents and doctors mostly accept this treatment because this is one of the most researched of all treatments. This program involves intensive one-to-one interaction between the child and the teacher. Each skill is broken down into sub-skills and each of these sub-skills is taught intensely, one at a time. It is a reward-based program where toddlers receive a lot of positive reinforcement. Activities begin from simple actions (identifying colors) and progress to more advanced activities (language). ABA depends on prompting, positive reinforcement, and differential reinforcement.

Nutritional Therapy
This therapy is based on the surmise that certain ingredients in food can have a damaging effect on the brain of an autistic person. Leaving some substances out of the diet (milk and gluten, for instance) have shown startling positive changes in patients. Additionally, vitamin-B12 and magnesium supplements are administered to cover any deficiencies. These kinds of special diets curtail some of the more distressing symptoms like disruptive outbursts, restlessness, and sleeping disorders.

Anti-fungal Treatment
Since autistic children often suffer from poor bowel ecology, overgrowth of fungi and microbes is a problem. Therefore, autistic children respond well to anti-fungal treatments. These children are also found to have high concentrations of yeast and anaerobic bacteria. Evidence suggests that Candida Albicans, a form of yeast, may cause Autism and may also exacerbate the behavioral and health problems found in autistic children.

A detoxification treatment called Chelation Therapy is slowly gaining popularity among doctors. This treatment is based on the theory that some children's vaccines are exceptionally high in heavy metals like mercury preservatives, and this causes autism.

It is because of the vast multitude of therapies that many desperate parents opt for combination treatments. An estimated 30% of parents try special diets, non-traditional methods, or vitamin treatments. Music, vision therapy treatments, yoga and horseback riding are also used to treat autism. Unfortunately, it is not possible to predict which children will benefit from a program or whether there is light at the end of that particular tunnel at all.
Gray Rollins is a featured writer for ForAutism.com. To learn more about autism treatment and autism causes, visit us.

Choosing an Autism Treatment Center

                

 

I don't have experience with?using Autism treatment centers?for ABA programs; but, in our area, more clinics are opening, so these opportunities are present for parents now.? I can't speak to the structure or scenarios that are best to look for when choosing a clinic, if you go that direction, but I can tell you what you should look for in a consultant regardless of the setting.

Consultants, whether in a clinic or at home, should provide the following at minimum:

1. Ongoing analysis of your child, his programming and behavior.

2. Knowledge of multiple training procedures for training the same thing?( each child is different. One size does not fit all.)

3. A high prioritized systematic approach for data collection and it's use.

4. Training and honest critique of your child's therapists.

5. Regular team meetings (two to three times?a month) with therapists and parents present.

6. In home visits for training for the carry through of clinic principles in the home.

7. Ongoing training of parents in behavioral principles.

8. Regular (once to twice a month) meetings with the parents to address concerns.

9. An ear to listen and a heart to include parents as a major?partner in decision making for their child.

10. A positive outlook for the children and a determination to help each child reach his and her best outcome

Good luck in your pursuit of treatment for your child.

My heart is with you,

Katherine Lee

Katherine Lee is a highly regarded consultant in the areas of Applied Behavior Analysis and & Relationship Development Intervention. She is author to numerous columns on Autism, ABA and RDI. Join Kat for her popular WEBLOG- "'Reality ABA' - An Online Autism Diary" at http://www.autismtreatment.info/reality+aba.aspx

Exploring Treatment Options for Patients with Autism

                

 

Although there is no known cure for autism, a combination of specialized treatment and education programs can often help many patients. The most common autism treatment options involve both occupational and physical therapy. Occupational therapy helps improve independent function and teaches patients basic skills such as buttoning a shirt or bathing - while physical therapy involves using exercise and other physical measures such as using massage and heat in order to help patients control body movements. Other common autism treatment options include: * Behavior modification * Communication therapy * Dietary modifications * Medication Behavior modification: There are several methods of behavior modification that are used to treat autistic patients. Most behavior modification principles are based on the theory that rewarded behavior is more likely to be repeated than behavior that is ignored. For instance, Sensory integration therapy is a type of behavior modification that focuses on helping autistic patients cope with different sensory stimulation. The treatment may include having the patient handle materials with different textures or listen to different sounds. Play therapy is yet another type of behavior modification used to improve emotional development. Play therapy most often helps patients understand and cope with their own feelings and involves adult-child interaction that is controlled by the child. Along the same lines, another behavior modification technique called "social stories" can also prove helpful in improving an autism patient's undeveloped social skills. Using social stories helps a patient better understand their feelings, ideas, as well as the points of view of others, and may suggest to the patient an alternate response to a particular situation. Communication therapy Many other alternate treatment options for autistic patients involve the use of communication therapy Communication therapy is used to treat autistic patients who are unable to communicate verbally, or to it may be used to initiate language development in young children with the disorder. Today, clinical studies show that Video Modeling Therapy Programs are highly effective in teaching children with autism. One such program entitled "Special Kids" (www.specialkids.com) was pioneered by a father of a boy with autism, Special Kids maintains a distribution to over 500 different school systems within the USA as well as 30 different countries. The program helps children with a variety of developmental, cognitive and learning disabilities acquire speech, reading, writing, early academics, personal hygiene, self-help, social and play skills. Another program, called 'Safety Harbor' is the brainchild of two school therapists, Anne Pesacov and Betty Dixon, as well as teaching artist Emily Harris. This series of eight workshops is designed to teach social skills to children with Asperger's syndrome through the use of puppets. To learn more about puppet-assisted relationship therapy, contact Betty S. Dixon of Tampa at (813) 431-9790, Emily Harris of Tarpon Springs at (727) 934-5890 or Anne Pesacov of Safety Harbor at (727) 738-9232. The use of music has also proven to be an effective communication therapy for autism patients. Professor Tony Wigram. Head of PhD Studies in Music Therapy at the Institute for Music and Music Therapy at the University of Aalborg, Denmark has authored several books on the subject. He has concluded that since music therapy can be easily adjusted to an individual child's strengths and weaknesses it is often quite helpful in improving patient's deficiencies in social and communication skills Yet another alternate treatment option for patients with autism is the use of Dolphin Assisted Therapy. The foundation of the Dolphin Assisted Therapy program in dates back to Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and the Black Sea. This field of medicine has shown extraordinary results in relation to the conventional methods of treatments such as prescribed medication. An overview of Dolphin Assisted Therapy is available at : http://www.dolphinassistedtherapy.com/ Dietary modifications Autism is not caused by diet so the use of dietary modifications and supplements to treat the disorder is somewhat controversial. Changing the diet or adding vitamin supplements may improve digestion and eliminate food intolerances or allergies, which may contribute to behavioral problems in autistic patients. Scientific Researchers have discovered the byproducts found in wheat, oats and rye (gluten) and casein (protein in dairy products) have appeared at elevated levels in patients with autism. This may suggest that the digestion of these substances may affect brain function. However, eliminating foods that contain gluten and casein from the diet may cause side effects and should not be done without the advice of a health care practitioner. Studies have also shown that vitamin B, magnesium and cod liver oil supplements (which contain vitamins A and D) may improve behavior, eye contact, attention span, and learning in autistic patients. Vitamin C has been shown to improve depression and lessen the severity of symptoms in patients with autism. The DAN (Defeat Autism Now) Protocol is another dietary modification program gaining popularity. The protocol involves a combination of changes to the diet and implementation of vitamin supplement therapy in order to produce changes in autistic behaviors. These diet changes include eliminating certain dairy and grains while supplementing the patient's diet with the vitamin and mineral therapy. An overview of the DAN Protocol is available at : http://autism.about.com/cs/medicaltreatments/a/danprotocol_2.htm Medication Medication may be also be used to treat various symptoms of autism and can also be used to help other conditions that may accompany the disorder. Depression, obsessive-compulsive behavior, and anxiety may be treated using antidepressants. These drugs often reduce the frequency and intensity of repetitive behavior; decrease irritability, tantrums, and aggression; and improve eye contact and responsiveness. Benzodiazepines such as diazepam (Valium?), lorazepam (Ativan?), and alprazolam (Xanax?) can also be used to treat behavioral problems. While antipsychotic medications such as clozapine (Clozaril?), risperidone (Risperdal?), olanzapine (Zyprexa?), and quetiapine (Seroquel?) may decrease hyperactivity, behavioral problems, withdrawal, and aggression in autistic patients Stimulants such as methylphenidate (Ritalin?), amphetamine (Adderall?), and dextroamphetamine (Dexedine?) may also be prescribed for autism. These drugs may increase focus and decrease impulsive behavior and hyperactivity in patients. It's best to consult a medical expert before considering any medications as the patient's medical history needs to be taken into consideration as well as possible side effects. For more information on anything Autism, have a stop, at the one stop shop http://www.autismtoday.com/