Autism Treatment for Kids - What Is Sensory Integration Therapy?

There are many different kinds of autism treatment for kids, but one that we will focus on here is sensory integration therapy.

Kids with autism have many sensory issues, but there is help available. Occupational therapists are able to use different methods of sensory integration therapy to try to address some of these problems.

Auditory Integration Therapy Helps Kids with Autism

If your kid is very sensitive to sounds and noise, therapists can do something called auditory integration therapy. Your kid listens to different tones and frequencies of music, using headphones. These tones are prepared specifically for your kid. Your brain needs to adjust itself to hear these tones, so in this way, this process can actually, over time, change the way the brain processes auditory information. As a result, this can make your kid less sensitive to auditory stimuli.

Wilbarger Deep Pressure technique

Many kids are sensitive to touch, and often have trouble with the feeling of clothing, or have similar tactile problems. These kids may do well with a technique called the Wilbarger Deep Pressure technique. Your kid's skin is brushed with a special brush, in a very specific way. This stimulates receptors and nerves in your body and brain and in time can help you tolerate the feeling of touch more. Please note that this should only be done with a professional who is trained in this technique.

There are also other methods of autism treatment for kids that would fall under the category of sensory integration therapy.

Some Kids are Under Stimulated While Others are Over Stimulated

Keep in mind that some kids are under receptive to sensory stimuli, and need to do activities such as balancing, spinning, running, rolling on a ball to get themselves "going" and start "feeling okay."

Other kids, however, are over sensitive to sensory information, and need to avoid it as much as possible. But no matter which is the case, there are activities, often referred to as a "sensory diet," that can help change the way your kid's brain processes sensory information. Activities that look like play, done with a competent therapist, can actually change the way your kid's brain works.

Sensory Diet

There are many other things, often referred to as a "sensory diet," that can help kids with sensory issues. Simply put, some kids are under receptive to sensory information, and need to engage in activities like spinning, balancing, running, rolling on a ball and so on to get themselves going and start "feeling okay." Others are too sensitive to this information and there are activities that can help re-engineer the brain so that they can process it better. Often something that looks like play can actually be changing the way a child's brain works.

Sensory integration therapy is an important autism treatment for kids.

And parents should learn as much as you can about sensory issues. Tips from other parents and professionals can be extremely helpful. A great site that has tips and suggestions for additional treatments is the AmericanAutismSociety.org. There you can sign up for their FREE newsletter with tips and info on autism.

Does Your Autistic Child Have Defiant Behavior?

There are many days I am sure you have had frustration, especially if you try to manage an autistic person, with a defiant behavior. I did not know what that term defiant behavior meant? I thought it was a child or person who was out of control and was not listening to instructions.

I decided to take charge and learn what was meant by defiant behavior in an autistic person? I was shocked to learn the term meant "open resistance to authority." The meaning was defined in Webster's New World Dictionary.

There are many complex challenges that are faced with an autistic child who has a behavior of defiance. You may be challenged by an individual who has autism with this kind of behavior. For example:

* Anger

* Temper tantrums

* Throwing objects

* Pushing

* Kicking other people or other objects

* Rocking back and forth

* Banging his or her head on a hard surface

* Laughing out loud for no apparent reason

* Turning switches off or on, with continuous repetitious action

* Throwing food, silverware and other objects in restaurants

You as parent(s), caregiver(s), are probably asking questions about yourself, and taking into consideration, if you are qualified to be good parent(s), or caregiver(s).

You are wondering why your child is displaying this kind of defiant behavior? You start to question the problem.

Is this person you know who has autism looking for attention or is it your fault this kind of behavior is taking place?

Some indications or thoughts, that I have considered with a friend of mine who has an autistic child, and was constantly showing defiant behavior was:

* What is the request of this child who has autism? What is he trying to tell me?

* Is the surroundings too stressful?

* Are conflicts involved with siblings and other family members?

I have experienced from interacting with other children who have autism, that a defiant behavior seems to be processed as a result of the autistic person asking for a request, but does not know how to properly express it.

Many people who have the disorder of autism, do not know how to ask for what they want, need or express themselves. This could contribute to having a defiant behavior.

I found for myself, it is easy to give into a defiant behavior, if you choose not to control it or try to understand why your autistic individual is having the defiant behavior or what is contributing to it.

Find out what kind of attention your child is seeking and make choices to provide an understanding of these choices and relate them to your child.

Some individuals with autism are often hyper-sensitive to stimulation and can be limited to changes or do not understand what the changes mean. They become defiant to new changes and their behavior can become a challenge for you to understand.

If you are aware of behavior problems, because he or she is overloaded from having too many changes, overwhelmed with stimulations that is too quick and fast, it is wise for you to be calm and to keep your child calm through this process.

You might want to have a plan available, if the behavior of defiance continues. You could bring your child to a room that feels calm, dim the lights, play soft, soothing music, keep loud, sharp noises and bright lights at a minimum.

I have discovered, if you know there are situations that will create a defiant behavior in your child, either avoid those areas, plan for them and be prepared to change the surroundings if possible.

Progress for your child who has a defiant behavior can be slow, and may only show in limited phases. In time, and with the growth of age, your child will probably have this kind of behavior under control.

Are you willing to take the time to understand why the defiant behavior is happening and can you change it?

Bonita Darula's informational web sight==> http://www.autismintoawareness.com is where you SIGN up and RECEIVE your FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER about many Autistic TOPICS. For example: Does your autistic child have a defiant behavior? In addition, crucial updated NEW E-Books that identify other symptoms of Autism and treatment options. Check it out

Signs Of Autism In Infants

Detecting autism spectrum disorder at an early age is vital to the care of the disorder. The earlier it is diagnosed, the better chance the child has of making improvements after receiving autism care. Signs of autism and the symptoms associated with it vary widely and thus this condition is now termed autism spectrum disorder to account for its varying manifestations. Doctors and specialists continue to differ on what they believe causes autism and how it can best be treated. However, there is no debate on the fact that finding and receiving treatment for autism in its early stages is essential. This is because the younger the child, the more plasticity in their brain, thus allowing treatment to rewire connections.

There are various warning signs for autism in infants, but no one factor is deemed essential. Generally, all children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder are found to have difficulty in three areas. First is communication. Children who have trouble with verbal and non-verbal actions such as babbling or pointing are seen to be at risk for autism. Another common symptom is if the child has difficulty relating to other individuals in terms of active social play. The third area is difficulty with reacting to people, events, and tones of voice. If a child does not smile when their mother smiles at them, they could be at risk for autism.

Parents of infants should also be on the lookout for developmental delays. If a child does not meet the standard milestones at the correct times they could be at a heightened risk for having autism. This does not mean that if a child fails to talk at the appropriate age that they are diagnosed with autism, but that they may be at risk because failing to speak is a potential sign.

A serious warning sign and one that should be evaluating immediately is if your infant regresses in any skills sets or milestones that they have reached. This includes regression in speech, where at one point the child was making out words such as "mummy" and "daddy" but now they fail to pronounce such words. Additionally, if a child was involved in activities which involve other people such as peek-a-boo and now the child does not participate in such activities, this could be a significant warning sign and the child should be evaluated by a health care professional immediately.

Additional early symptoms to watch out for include absence of typical behaviour. These include infants that do not smile or respond to a familiar voice. Infants that fail to follow objects in front of them or those that do not reach out to be picked up. By nine months, infants should be able to react to sounds and facial expressions and if they are lacking in this ability it may be a sign of autism. By twelve months, babies should respond to their name and be actively involved in their environment both with communicating verbally and with pointing and gestures.

Autism spectrum disorder is a unique condition where signs and symptoms can mean various things. An infant not talking may just mean that they have not reached that milestone and it is not a determination that they are autistic. It is important that all concerns are discussed with medical professional who can diagnose and recommend the best autism care.

For more information please visit Autism Care

Why Doesn't Gluten-Free Work for Autism?

Many people are touting the gluten-free diet for children with autism. I am going to explain why the diet does not work for all children with autism, what the dangers are, and how to improve the diet to truly make gains for your child with autism.

The Danger of a Strict Gluten-Free Diet

There are many people swearing by the gluten-free diet and that it does help their child with autism. There are inherent dangers in providing a child with a gluten-free only diet. Don't get me wrong. I do believe in these diets. However you need to be able to replace minerals and vitamins lost when a diet becomes strictly gluten-free.

I believe that we do not get proper minerals and vitamins in our diet anyway. Our soils have been depleted of the minerals our plants need to process the vitamins we need. This makes it necessary for all of us to supplement with minerals and vitamins.

Not all vitamins are equal. Don't think that you can just pop a cheap multivitamin and be on your way. Many of these cheap supplements are inexpensive for a reason. Many have fillers added to them for bulk so they can sell many of them on the cheap. In fact, these cheapies have been found to just pass through the body providing no nutrition at all!

What to Add to the Gluten-Free Diet

In order to avoid hundreds of nutritional deficiency diseases, we need 90 essential nutrients. I know of only a few companies that are able to effectively provide that in a quality supplement. Quality is essential over quantity.

Now, the biggest culprit in autism. Sugar. Yes, start with the gluten-free diet. Supplement. The biggest change is to take sugar out of your child's diet. Treat your child like a diabetic.

I want you to think of what happens to a child when it is weened from its mother in our society. Young children jump from their mother's milk to sweetened everything. Sweet cereal, sweet juices, sugary toasted snacks/meals, and so on. Those young brains need all of the nutrients we can give them, yet in Western society we give them sugar and processed foods.

What Can My Child With Autism Eat?

The question I get asked at this point is," What can my child eat?" Before answering that, I want to mention another category of foods to avoid. They are fried foods and nitrates and nitrites. Everything from processed meats to chicken nuggets fit these categories.

You can now have the privilege of exploring foods you may not know about. Millet, flax, buckwheat. You can provide your child with eggs, not hard cooked, but scrambled or poached. Eggs are great brain food. Rice is a good food. Sweet potatoes. Add butter and milk if your child is not allergic to milk products. There are also food supplements which help improve the taste. Margarines and cooking oils need to be avoided. These have trans fats, the biggest danger to our heart health today.

The Healthiest Autism Diet

If it were my child, I would have him or her tested for allergies. I would give my child a gluten-free, trans-fat-free diet. I would provide my child with the 60 Minerals, 16 Vitamins, 12 Amino Acids, and 3 Essential Fatty Acids (Omega 3 & 6 are essential). I would eliminate all sugar from their diet as if they had juvenile diabetes.

Dr. Joel Wallach, a pioneer in nutritional medicine, has stated that the 85% to 90% of children who have used this diet and nutrition program have changed from autistic to normal behavior. Children with true autism have benefitted from this program.

The theory of nutritional medicine is that when you provide your body what it needs, it fixes itself. Many are enjoying the benefits of good health today because of this approach.

Brian Sater provides information on solving health problems with nutritional approaches. Discover how to improve your health at http://healthpromotionandwellness.blogspot.com or contact Brian for answers about specific health information at bsate@youngevityonline.com

Brain Training for Functional Disconnect Syndrome and Other Disabilities on the Autism Spectrum

We have discussed the way nerves communicate and how they decide when they are going to send impulses to other nerve cells. We know that groups of nerves collect information and fire together in pathways that stimulate distant parts of the brain. We also know that it is essential for different areas of the brain to communicate well with each other for us to be able to do the amazing complicated things we do with our brains.

The brain is divided into the left and right hemispheres. In these hemispheres the vast array of jobs that must be done are divided up and organized. Each hemisphere is also separated into special sections or lobes. These are the frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital lobes. The parietal lobe is mostly concerned with sensation of the body and locating where things happen. There is a map of the opposite side of the body inside each parietal lobe. So the left parietal lobe of the brain feels everything on the right side of the body and vice versa. The same type of thing happens for the occipital lobes sensing vision, the temporal lobes sensing hearing and the frontal lobes controlling muscle movements on the opposite side of the body. The frontal lobe is also what we call the executive center because it is responsible for making decisions and carrying out actions.

Now, imagine you are in a toy store. A train on its track is making its way around the store chugging and whistling. You turn your head to see where it is. As it comes into view you see an egg on one of the cars and you want to pick it up. It sounds like a simple thing but when you really think about it, it involves the whole brain and is quite complex. First, the ears are stimulated, changing the sound vibrations in the air to electrical impulses traveling along nerves. The impulses are sent to the temporal lobe so we can know what we are hearing and to the parietal lobe so we can know from where we are hearing it. The temporal lobes compare all the different frequencies in the sounds and their relative volumes and figure out what that whistling sound is. At the same time both parietal lobes take information from the ears and compare between the two sides which one hears the sound louder and if the volumes are changing to figure out where the sound is coming from.

The temporal and parietal lobes then send their perceptions forward to the frontal lobe so it can decide what they are, what they are doing, whether the sounds are dangerous or not and what to do about it. The frontal lobe then fires the muscles in the neck and moves the muscles in the eyes in perfect sequence to pinpoint the position of the toy train and then track its trajectory. In order to do this, it needs the occipital lobe which is now receiving visual stimulation from the eyes and forwarding it to the frontal lobe. The sound from each ear, the sight from both eyes, and the position sense in all the muscles involved must be synchronized by an internal timer so that differences in lengths of nerves and processing times do not confuse the frontal lobe like watching a movie where the sound is delayed so you see the lips moving but the words don't make sense. I haven't even started to talk about what it's going to take to judge the speed of this train, time the movement of the arm, sequence the firing of the muscles in the arm and hand, and judge and re-judge the pressure on the egg so we don't break it.

Without communication, timing and sequencing within the brain we simply can not operate smoothly in the world. As we know many of our children are experiencing functional disconnections of these different parts of their brains that we may have previously described as "sensory integration problems", clumsiness, poor eye contact, unusually high pain threshold, difficulty following directions or so many other things. The Listening Program, the Integrative Metronome, the other therapies we do in our office and the exercises we have patients do at home are intended to connect or reconnect the different areas of the brain in the proper sequence so our kids can perform the majestic complexity that we all take for granted.

Dr. Martin Rukeyser DC, is a Chiropractor who lives and practices in Port Saint Lucie, FL. He maintains a solo chiropractic office called Life Chiropractic http://www.lifechiropracticpsl.com and is also one of the co-founders of the Brain Training Center of the Treasure Coast http://www.flbraintraining.com - a practice dedicated to improving the lives of children and adults with Autism, ADD, ADHD, Dyslexia, Aspergers, and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Dr. Marty has long held a personal and professional interest in brain function and development and the connection between a healthy body and brain.

Dr. Rukeyser graduated Magna Cum Laude from Life University Chiropractic College in 1998. Prior to coming to Florida, he directed two clinics in a medically under-served community in in rural Mississippi. Dr. Marty, was raised in Long Island, NY and met his wife Ashley while in Mississippi. They have two sons, Ben and Jonah.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Martin_Rukeyser

How To Teach Children With Autism Speech and Language

Teaching an Autistic child speech and language can be difficult. Each child on the Autism spectrum can differ greatly with their learning abilities, however most seem to have difficulty grasping language and communication.

Here is a method my parents used to teach me to speak, read and eventually to write. My mum has also used this method successfully with other Autistic children that had no language or speech skills.

Before I was diagnosed with Autism, my parents thought I might have had a speech developmental delay, and so I was seeing a speech therapist when they suggested I get checked out for Autism, as in their opinion I was showing some classic traits of ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders).

Not long after I was diagnosed with Autism my mum went to America to participate in the SON-RISE program. On her return they set up a therapy room and began intensive Early Intervention / ABA style work with me.

My dad put together a computer for use in the therapy room, as they noticed that at the special school I was attending a few days of the week, I really enjoyed interactive learning programs and looking at pictures on the computer. At that point they had an idea and dad started to make up some Flash Card style PowerPoint presentations I could view and interact with on the computer.

PowerPoint was a good way to make up interactive Flash Cards that he could add sound to. They found that by using pictures that I liked and adding colourful letters and words with the sound of their voices, I was really intrigued and wanted to look at the Flash Cards, so much so that I thrashed them.

The first set they made up were of the alphabet with each colourful letter popping up in succession along with the phonetic sound of the letter which my dad recorded. The interactive Flash Cards progressed onto words then stories. I absolutely loved them and that had a huge impact on my speech and language learning.

For most Autistic or ASD children and children with special learning needs this is a good way to teach them basic language skills, particularly the phonetic alphabet and how those sounds are used to create words.

Unlike videos and or classroom type learning, they can control the learning themselves by interacting, going back and forward as they need, with the Flash Cards with sound. It is also important to make the learning fun, and when they see pictures of things they like and you make them colourful with sounds and voices they recognise it makes them want to learn even more.

Just recently we converted some of the PowerPoint Interactive Flash Cards to the Adobe Flash Media format so they can be viewed on an internet browser. This makes them much easier to view on all computer platforms and easier to share.

So, in summary the Interactive Flash Cards with Sound can be made in a variety of ways either by using PowerPoint style software, including Open Office Impress or with Adobe Flash Media which has the advantage of being easier to share and completely cross pla

To see a demonstration of the Interactive Flash Cards with Sound visit: http://isybeeautism.com/autism-teaching-aids/teach-children-with-autism-speech-language/

Hi, my name is Isabella, Isy for short. I was born in mid 1997 and was diagnosed with autism at the age of two.

My parents originally started Isabella's Autism Pages and Isybee Autism web pages to help other parents in similar circumstances, and to give recognition to other people and organisations who have helped them help me.

We hope to cover a lot of ground writing articles and providing information and resources for families and persons affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

Please visit my website for more information and resources:

http://isybeeautism.com - Autism ASD ABA information and resources.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Isy_Bee

Mild and Severe Autism, ADD, and ADHD: A Path to Recovery

Today, thousands of families are faced with either a mild or severe autism situation, developing shortly after having their children vaccinated. It was demonstrated with videos and photos that the children were normal before the vaccination.

More and more children are being diagnosed with mild or severe autism and just general learning difficulties, attention deficit disorder, ADD, or ADHD. There is growing evidence that Thimerosal, known Internationally as Thiomersal, used in vaccines possibly being the cause. Mercury is the main ingredient in Thimerosal, which is the vaccine's preservative.

There are many symptoms of severe autism that is nearly identical that of mercury poisoning. Virtual disturbance, immune dysfunction and motor dysfunction are seen in both. The therapies for children with severe autism focus on the removal of heavy metals including mercury has shown huge improvement in their symptoms. However, much caution shall be given because many chelators are doing it too fast and can damage a child. Mineral Supplements that include zinc, calcium and magnesium, selenium, vitamin E, and chromium, show to be more beneficial.

Jenny McCarthy's book Healing and Preventing Autism, co-authored by Dr. Jerry Kartzinel, M.D., these essential minerals are the exact supplements that they recommend and claim are being used in successful autism recovery programs. The problem is that 99% of people are not getting their recommended levels of these essential minerals - due to the modern agribusiness techniques and world environmental pollution.

Other important natural foods and supplements that Dr. Kartzinel recommends for both mild and severe autism recovery include colostrum, and cod liver oil.

Raw camel's milk has also been shown very beneficial - yet most people have never heard of this option, nor do they have a clue where to get it.

Studies has shown that vitamin D3 supplements shows to reduce symptoms of severe autism. Culprit food to take note are: gluten, pasteurized cow's milk, preservatives, hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners and coloring agents.

Although there is no specific test for autism, diagnosis can be made by observing the behavior of the child. Usually the parents often the first to realize that their child does not act according to the age level.

Severe autism, a cerebral disorder that can cause harmful and withdrawn behavior has been rising rapidly especially obvious among the Somalis people that have emigrated to Minnesota from refugee camps in Kenya.

In rural Somalia where there is no vaccinations, severe autism is virtually non-existence. Those Somalis children born in the United States has developed severe autism. Many in the alternative health research community claim there is little doubt that Thimerosal consisting of 49.6 percent mercury is the contributing factor to severe autism.

To reduce symptoms of autism (or ADD, ADHD), avoid toxic therapies for autism, and understanding autism diagnosis one is overwhelmed with information. We provide a free phone consultation anywhere in the world to help sort through what you have read to find what shows actual results.

We believe that when you get the answers you are seeking your life will change and the diagnosis of autism will be something that no longer puts financial and emotional strain on your life.

There is a lot of money being made by false-promises from those inside and outside the medical community; our goal is to provide real help to those in need - anywhere in the world.

Mild or severe autism or ADD, ADHD, does not mean the end of a wonderful life - just the beginning of a journey where you will be blessed with health information that can benefit not just your autistic child but also yourself and all those you love.

For those looking for solutions to their individual problems and the expensive amount of research and cost of finding solutions, are encouraged to request a free autism recovery consultation by visiting http://www.Gratitude-Healing.org

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_T_Rammelkamp

Rethink Autism: Understanding Autism's Potential Causes and Therapies

The medical establishment & citizen community needs to rethink autism - everything from what is causing it and how to help the child recover naturally from this life-altering condition. Let's start right from understanding autism from the beginning: during vaccination programs, manufacturers add a mercury preservative called Thimersal or Thimerosal to the vaccines. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Practice never warn parents or practitioners that mercury was toxic until they were forced to. It is known for over sixty years that mercury is poisonous to cells.

Let's rethink autism as the current American immunization schedule calls for 48 doses of 14 vaccines before the children are 6 years old. Now consider one dose of vaccine to a 120 pound adult and that same dose to a 12 pound child of 2 months, which in body weight is equivalent to 10 doses. Where is the common sense in the rule?

Besides that, nobody can explain the explosion of severe autism in conjunction with increasing number of vaccinations. Are our current medical doctors currently even understanding autism?

Giving too many vaccines at a time put too much burden on a child's under-developed immune system. Again, let's rethink autism in another way. Besides the vaccine, individual compound like aluminum travels to the brain and enters the neurons and cells provoking inflammatory reaction.

Let's rethink autism that in fact most autistic people are overwhelmed by artificial and microbial toxins. List of toxins are as below:-

• Heavy metals like mercury and aluminum
• Viruses and microbes caused by poisonous microbes in an overwhelmed immune system
• Electromagnetic field (EMF) from cell-phones, WIFI and electrical wiring

Fortunately for many families who choose these natural recovery methods, there are a series of recommended supplements that have been used with successful results and promising improvements for those affected with not only autism, but also down syndrome, cerebral palsy, or other brain-related problems. Understanding autism and current natural therapies or protocols available can be overwhelming for some parents.

There are many diet and mineral supplement approaches that are currently showing to help families to recover their children with autism, to reduce symptoms of autism, therapies for autism, and understanding autism.

One family reported:

"At the end of three days, the mother can not stop crying by the result of the changes that we are witnessing. For the first time the child goes to his mother and gives her a hug.

These results are happening all over the world. Autism recovery is possible and the diagnosis does not need to be the end of a normal life forever.

Our motto is to Rethink autism in the 21th century, and let's educate to help families recover their children with ADD, ADHD, mild or severe autism!

For those looking for solutions to their individual problems and the expensive amount of research and cost of finding solutions, are encouraged to request a free autism recovery consultation by visiting http://www.Gratitude-Healing.org

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_T_Rammelkamp