Children's Repetitive Questions in Autism - Discover 3 Solutions

Thousands of parents feel anxiety upon hearing restricted & repetitive questions from their autistic children. They don't get how to give their children satisfactory answers and stop them from asking same sets of questions again & again.
Why Autistic Children Ask Same Sets of Questions?
There can be numerous reasons. But, today I will represent three major reasons that compel an autistic child to become obsessed with certain sets of questions. In addition, I will reveal the solutions so that you can control the repetitive questioning behavior of your child easily.
Demand Predictability
We all know that children with autism demand predictability. Predictability can be in any form. For example, when autistic children demand predictability, they flap their hands, twist their fingers, bang their heads, or use complex body movements; these things not only bring predictability but also help them to relax and feel happy.
Now, I ask you a question, what do most of the parents do when their children ask same sets of questions again and again?
Well, they give the same sets of answers again & again too.
And, as a result, their children associate their predictable answers with relaxation and happiness. So, whenever an autistic child feels anxious, he showers his parents with the same sets of questions in order to water down his anxious feelings.
Your same sets of answers become his sources of enjoyment and relaxation. In a way, your answers become medicines. And, whenever he needs the medicines, he asks the questions - same sets of questions - over and over again.
Now, what can you do? And, how can you stop your autistic child if you feel your answers are actually the main cause of this problem?
The simplest thing you can do is to change your answers a little every time. Or, you can add additional information in your answers too... Play this move gradually, but carefully, because if you change your answers instantly & completely, you can upset your child's feelings... If the additional information compels your child to ask additional questions for clarity, then it's a very good sign. In a couple of shakes, he will realize that your answers aren't the exact source of relaxation and enjoyment.
Soon, he will stop asking you the same questions and concentrate on something else.
Wrong Answers
Sometimes parents don't understand the true source of their child's anxiety. Consequently, they give wrong answers and make their child even more anxious.
If your child is asking consistent questions consistently, then it also means that you are probably not giving him the right answers; you're focusing on those answers which are utterly useless for him.
Now, what is the right answer for an autistic child?
Well, the right answer is the answer in which you talk about "Consequences".
Yes! Answers which reveal the consequences are the desired answers for autistic children. Once you give them the desired answers, they stop asking the same questions over and over again.
Actually, children with ASD find it difficult to talk about their feelings. They don't get how to talk about certain issues that can cripple their predictable routines through the consequences. Therefore, they want you to talk about the consequences. They want you to tell them that everything will stay the same, and there won't be any appalling change in the impending circumstances.
Let me give you an example. When an autistic child talks about someone's death, he is actually not worry about the actual person; he is in fact worry about the replacement, routines, and future. He is anxious about the after effects of death on his lifestyle and family.
So, if you want to stop your child from asking the same questions several times, talk about the consequences in your answers. This won't only satisfy him completely but also connect him with you on a deeper emotional level.
OCD and Autism
With Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), a person is compelled to produce repetitive behaviors. OCD causes a drastic level of anxiety and leads to uneasiness, distress, and worry.
The rate of existence of OCD in children is almost 2 percent. It affects the thoughts, and actions, of a child and makes him intensely obsessive... If your child is asking same questions non-stop, over and over, then it doesn't mean that it's only because of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); it can happen because of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) too.
Now, what exactly you need to do if OCD is the main factor behind his obsessive questioning?
Well, first, consult a qualified behavioral therapist, because behavior therapy is the most common and successful treatment these days for OCD. It helps the child to manage the compulsion and anxiety through different strategies. Apart from this, there are many other ways that can help you to deal with your child's OCD.
For example, when he starts asking you questions, you can give him a task immediately according to his interest. You can ask for his help in giving the dog a bath, or you can tell him to ask you questions through pictures - this will make the moments playful for both of you; you can even teach him how to paint. This will divert his mind and keep him busy with interesting things.
So, if you're tired of your child's obsessive questioning, change your answers a little, talk about consequences, or assign him an interesting task. These strategies will certainly help you to deal with his obsessive questioning comfortably.

Isaac Smith has worked with children with autism for over 8 years. His company accommodates workshops and training materials regarding Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) - which is a common childhood behavioral disorder.
You can get more insightful and specific information regarding "Autism in Children" through his website at: http://www.pleasedparents.com
Isaac teaches simple psychological and emotional tactics that connect parents with their autistic child, emotionally and psychologically. His effective strategies solve the obsessive issues of an autistic child easily and bring peace and harmony in the home...
For more valuable information, visit his blog: http://www.pleasedparents.com/blog.html

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How Do Autistic Children Think? Discover Their Secrets

Yes! Autistic children think differently. They have different perceptions, different paradigms, and different ideology. The super abilities of their minds compel them to think about this world in a whole new perspective.
In order to perceive how autistic children think, first we need to dive deeper inside their minds and discover their secrets. We need to discover what they are actually seeing which we are not believing.
Absence of Verbal Language
Autistic children don't rely on verbal language. Because, verbal language takes them away from the reality and distract their concentration. That's why, we often find that autistic children are usually not cordial, and they like to live their lives as loners.
For autistic children, language is like a hurdle. It straitens their mind and subdues their feelings... In a way, it's true too. Researchers have already concluded that, verbal language breaks our connection with the natural world. Because, verbal language is formed by our limited thinking. And, our limited thinking divests 90 percent meanings of the reality.
Now, here one question definitely arises.
· Why is our thinking responsible for the loss of 90 percent of the reality?
Well, when you get the authentic answer of this question, you automatically understand the way autistic children think. It gets easier for you to read autistic children's minds and connect with them emotionally & psychologically...
90 Percent Reality
Our reality is our belief. And, our belief is what our society has taught us. For example, according to us, chair is just a chair, painting is just a painting, and a thunderstorm is just a thunderstorm. That's it.
However, this is just the 10 percent of the reality. This is just our belief.
If you ask an autistic child, who is obsessed with chairs, he can tell you 100 percent of the reality. He can tell you what he is exactly seeing. Because, his mind doesn't filter the information. He doesn't think in the terms of society. When he sees some chair, he notices the quality of the wood, beautiful textures, amazing patterns, shades of lighting, artistic structure, and the class of smoothness. He in fact notices the background of the chair too. All these things, which exist in the reality, always appear inside his mind whenever he looks at the chair.
On the other hand, when we look at some chair, we just notice its overall beauty. We shun 90 percent of the detail.
In a way, we completely miss 90 percent of the reality. Our minds filter the information and allow us to absorb only that information which is necessary. But, this is not the case with autistic children. Autistic children's minds don't have filters. Their minds absorb each and every detail. In other words, they see the whole reality.
A few years back, I met with an autistic kid who was obsessed with thunderstorms. Thunderstorms were exciting and thrilling for him. He used to record the sounds of thunderstorms. He showed me the collection of his obsession and amazed me too with the sound and visual variety of thunderstorms... The things which he told me about thunderstorms were quite astonishing and new for me too.
After hearing his description, and after gaining new knowledge about thunderstorms, I realized that there are hundreds of things which we never notice when we talk about thunderstorms.
The same thing happens when we visit some art gallery. We adore the artistic side of painting-artists, because painting-artists help us to see those things which stay hidden from us. In a way, they introduce a new world in front of us.
It feels like their minds' filters are also absent like autistic children.
So, if your child is able to see 100 percent of the reality, how can you expect him to reveal his feelings through verbal language? Because, verbal language only translates 10 percent of the feelings, or reality.
Autistic children see and hear what is actually there. They experience 100 percent of the reality. That's why, they look different to us.
If you want to know, how autistic children think, then you need to look at the world through their perspective. You can do this by focusing, and giving importance, to the details. Notice the colors of the grass. Hear every chirp of the birds. Feel the softness of your towel with your hands, every time, after taking shower. The more you notice the details, the more you understand how autistic children think.
When you drink water after staying thirsty for an entire day, the taste of water becomes heavenly. An autistic child experiences this same heavenly taste every time whenever he drinks water. The intensity of the taste stays the same for him. It never dilutes.

Isaac Smith has worked with children with autism for over 8 years. His company accommodates workshops and training materials regarding Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) - which is a common childhood behavioral disorder.
You can get more insightful and specific information regarding "Autism in Children" through his website at: http://www.pleasedparents.com
Isaac teaches simple psychological and emotional tactics that connect parents with their autistic child, emotionally and psychologically. His effective strategies solve the obsessive issues of an autistic child easily and bring peace and harmony in the home...
For more valuable information, visit his blog: http://www.pleasedparents.com/blog.html

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Autism Symptoms in Children - Sensory Issues

What are some of the most common autism symptoms in children? Sensory issues. What are sensory issues? Sensory issues are when your child has all his senses turned to high. In other words, he is overly sensitive to noise, smells, lights, crowds, touch, and so on.
How does this autism symptom in children present itself? A child with autism who is sensitive to noise may scream in a crowd, cover his ears, or generally look agitated. He may not be able to concentrate in the classroom because of all the noise. He may get especially agitated at unexpected noises, such as fire alarms, fire trucks, sirens, and so on. The noise from a coffee grinder may even be enough to cause a meltdown (yelling and screaming.)
How to Minimize the Effect of These Autism Symptoms in Children
In these situations, you might try to only bring your child with autism to environments that will be reasonably quiet...when possible...and prepare him for the noise when this is not. iPods or earplugs, or both, can work wonders in this situation to minimize the effects of these autism symptoms.
Shopping Can Be Difficult
Sensitivity to crowds, bright lights or other visual information will become all too apparent when you try to shop in your local supermarket. Most children with autism have an awfully hard time with grocery stores. There is too much activity going on around them and it is hard for them to process it all. People chattering every which way, the noise of shopping carts squeaking, music and announcements over the PA system - these issues all trigger autism symptoms in children
Colors and shapes and so much visual information to take in can be over stimulating. Smells from the meat or fish departments, of perfume on others, or from cleaning materials can cause adverse reactions in some children with autism. If you have to bring your child to a grocery store, try to have something to distract them so that they don't get as overwhelmed.
Identifying these Autism Symptoms in Children
What are some other ways that you can tell if your child has sensory issues, which could be a symptom of autism? A lot of kids with autism have trouble with touch. They won't wear tight, restricting clothes, or clothes that are at all itchy. A lot of times they complain that the fabric just doesn't feel right. They often will need loose cotton clothes to be able to tolerate wearing clothes at all. If you find something that works, you should buy many different colors, because it may be hard to repeat in the future.
Avoidance of Physical Contact is one of the Common Autism Symptoms in Children
Many kids with autism will resist hugs and touching other people. They stiffen and avoid touch of any kind. Their skin is hypersensitive to what it encounters. Often, they will avoid getting dirty or playing outside because they don't like the feel of the dirt and ground on them. Many hate the beach because of the feel of the sand. Sensory integration therapy can help with this.
Sensory issues can be key autism symptoms in children to look out for, so you should take note if you notice any of the above.

Hopefully, with early identification and early treatment, life can be a little easier for those with autism and the people who love them. For additional tips and suggestions that can help your loved one live a fulfilling and happy life visit the AmericanAutismSociety.org. There you can sign up for their FREE newsletter with tips and info on autism.

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Handling Self-Injurious Behavior in Children With Autism

I have read recently and understand that some parents are desperately seeking advice for handling their child's self-injurious behavior. Self-injurious behavior, also known as SIBs, are classified as any aggression towards oneself. The most common forms of self-injurious aggression is hitting or biting but some older children may also be involved with cutting. Other forms of SIBs may also include head butting, body slamming, picking or scratching, and using other objects to hit. Before talking about strategies that help to replace these SIBs and decrease the severity of the injury, let's discuss how critical SIBs are.
If your child is demonstrating SIB, then it is time to get a behavior consultant involved if there is not one already. The reason for this is because it is crucial to get to the root of the problem and find out exactly why your child is acting out in an aggressive way. He may be desperate with communicating his needs and incredibly frustrated. She may be seeking out deep sensory input. He may be trying to gain access to some tangible that he can't have. Unless a functional behavior assessment is done, you will not be able to truly address the SIB because you won't know exactly what is causing it. I will focus another few posts on functions of behavior but it is important to note that when you know the function of the behavior, you can act proactively to help prevent and/or at least decrease the behavior that is inappropriate. So seeking out the help of a professional behavior consultant may be your first step. Now, this may take some time to get set up. In fact, just getting an agency, evaluation, behavior consultant, and/or services in place, (if you do not have already) can take a tremendous amount of time. So, here are some tips that you can try now to handle the everyday occurrences until you have more help in place.
I know it must be SO incredibly frustrating and disheartening to see your child hurting himself. You're willing to try anything because you know your child may end up causing himself severe injury, if not hospitalization. You also may be very puzzled as to why your child is acting this way. Some children will casually bite their hand and stop biting because it hurts. This is a natural consequence. They will stop biting because they feel pain. However, many children with Autism Spectrum Disorders do not feel pain like typical children do. Many of them have an extremely high tolerance for pain and may not even cry when they get hurt. Many of them also seek out deep sensory input. They crave, not only deep pressure, but some kind of impact to their bodies in order to help feel more regulated. These are children with sensory processing disorders known as the "sensory seekers." Biting can be due to an oral fixation, the need for sensory input to the mouth. As odd as it may sound, children who are orally fixed and may be biting, may continue to bite because it brings them a sense of joy and regulation, NOT pain. Don't forget that most SIBS are caused by some level of frustration in the child, not just sensory needs. A biter may be seeking input but may also be acting out of frustration for another need or want. That is why a behavior assessment needs to be done to truly understand the cause.
Let' also discuss the issue of restraint. When a child is acting out against himself or someone else, retraining him/her can be an option. HOWEVER, it is very important to note 3 things. 1. Restraining a child should only be done to help prevent further injury to the child or someone else, especially in extreme measures. 2. There is a protocol, a heirarchy, and training involved with restraining a child appropriately so that you and the child do not continue to get hurt in the process. If you are not trained properly, nor understand the protocol, then I would not recommend restraint in any way. 3. If restraining the child makes matters worse, i.e. causes your child to completely lose control, fight back, and increase rage, frustration, SIBS, and/or aggression, then restraint should not be used. I will discuss the methodology of restraint in other posts but please keep these tips in mind if considering it as a reactive measure to SIBs.
BITING
Biting can be very harmful as bite marks and bruises can occur without too much force. If you have a child that bites, you should invest in some kind of a chew object. There are companies that sell chew tubes that help children who need to chew or bite due to lower oral motor function or who may need sensory input to the mouth because of a sensory disorder. Chew tubes also work great for children who bite because you may be able to replace the biting of one's arm to biting this rubbery object and still give your child the oral input that they may be craving. If the biting is done out of frustration, it is still done in a safer way. One company, The Sensory University, offers a pack of chew toys called CHEWY RETRACTABLE BITE BUDDIES that can be attached and retractable to a belt loop so they are on hand immediately whenever they are needed. There are also CHEWY TUBES as well as a TRI CHEW toy that looks like a triangle.
HITTING
Hitting can be a little trickier, depending on where the child is hitting himself. Some times, hitting can be prevented by holding down the child's arms. You want to do this only with enough force to prevent the child from lifting his arms to hit. You can also place your hand between your child's hand and the place your child is hitting. For example, if your child is hitting his forehead, you may be able to place your hand on the child's forehead to block the hit. This has worked with some children. I had a student who stopped hitting once he felt another hand there, blocking his face. He may hit one to two more times but then stopped. Another idea is to have the child wear a helmet if he engages in repetitive and severe hits or blows to his head. The best type of helmet to use is a soft foam helmet that is easy to put on and does not harm the head further if pounded on. It simply creates a soft space between the hand and the head to protect the head. One such helmet would be Playmaker Headgear. Be sure to get a helmet that fits your child's head properly. The helmet should only be put on while head hitting is occurring and then it can be removed.
Remember that these are measures that can be taken to help reduce the severity and/or harm that can happen as a result of SIBs. They are only tips that can be tried as a reactive strategy. They are not to be considered solutions. The best way to handle SIBS is to assess what is causing the SIB and address the specific function of the behavior. In this way, you can learn to be proactive and help prevent SIBs from happening at all.

Read more special education resources, especially tips for children with autism, on my blog, http://www.tips4specialkids.com

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Gluten And Casein Free Diets For Autistic Kids

It's the parents of children with autism but not the doctors and researchers who found out the dietary treatment for autism firstly. These parents discovered that, after eating specific food, the autism of their kids got worse. So, they began to watch out which food is bad for autism. Since the effecting food for every child is different, but there's something in common. These common food include wheat, rye, barley, and most oat products, milk products, eggs and chocolate,etc.
In fact, children with autism may have trouble digesting proteins like gluten and casein which are widely found in oat and milk products. The gluten and casein can leak into the gut and attach to the opiate receptors of the autistic's brain, affecting brain functions. So, in the 1999 DAN (Defeat Autism Now) conference, there were many companies that have provided gluten-free and casein-free diet for parents.
Some now may ask what are gluten and casein exactly. Well, gluten is a protein fraction found in all wheat, rye, barley, and most oat products, but not in rice and potatoes. After having gluten-free diet for 6-12 months, most of the autistic children get a obvious improvement; Casein is a protein fraction found in all dairy products, such as milk, butter, cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, etc. Researchers had found that casein free diet is doing very well for autistic kids between 2-4 yr old.
The gluten-free, casein-free diet is challenging, but it can make a big difference for children with autism. It is important not to withdraw gluten/casein food products at once from a child's diet, as there can be withdrawal symptoms.

http://www.autism-world.com/index.php/2007/12/02/gluten-and-casein-free-diets-for-autistic-kids/
http://www.autism-world.com

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Choose the Best School for Your Autistic Kid

We all want the very best for our children and having autistic kids increases our want of getting the best for them all the more. Like for all kids their journey begins from school but getting the best school for your autistic child can be a little difficult at times. The competition for an autistic kid to be at par with any other regular kid to make it to the best school is a tough call indeed. But is this tough call giving you sleepless nights as parents? You can say goodbye to these thoughts once and for all because schools are changing to favour the autistic as well. So when you choose your desired school make sure that you keep in mind the basic qualities that they must have to make a brilliant star out of your son.
The traits schools should have to deal with autism
It is a difficult task to look for a school that would bring out the best in your child and will be the right motivation to help your child fight the odds of autism and let them be at par if not better than any regular kid on the block. So without any further ado let me show you some of the fundamental points that you must keep in mind when zeroing in on the best school for your child:

• Leadership and School Culture - any school should always strive to bring out the leadership qualities in every child because today's kids are the leaders of tomorrow. The school culture plays a crucial role in controlling the situations of anti-bullying of the autistic kids. It is the role of the teachers in schools to instil upon the kids to treat everyone as equals and not to make fun of anybody and that could be an autistic kid or anyone for that matter.


• Technology - technology is everywhere and no matter how much we criticize it clearly it is here to stay so schools should not be far off to use it to their advantage. Technology helps tremendously in improving an autistic kid's condition. The reason for technology being an instant hit is because autistic kids find it easier to deal with machines than with humans.


• Lunch - lunch is one noisy affair because that is the time kids can break free from the mundane studies and keeping quiet in class. But the problem during lunch break is that kids get to choose where they will sit and in most cases parents and teachers fear that they will not prefer to sit with an autistic kid. To stay clear from this fear teachers have fashioned the kids in a way that they don't get to differentiate between autistic kids and focus on the fact that everybody is equal. A little further to this were the small initiatives that teachers take in ensuring that kids get a turn to sit beside everyone in a cycle and share their tiffin so that there is no differentiation.


• Friendship groups - different groups are established to make the bonds among class friends a lot stronger. Some of the most popular groups were game/movie night where all the kids would come together to play a game or watch a movie together, another popular group is the friendship group where the kids come together to cherish their friendship. These groups help in bringing the kids of the class together so that they get to enjoy their childhood without being burdened only with books.


• Engage in extra-curricular activities - kids go to school not just to study but it is important that they have an all round development and to ensure that parents and teachers must encourage the kids to join the school chorus band or the dance or theatre group. All this encourages the kids to have an all round development which is important in shaping a good personality of the kid.

All these points must be given a lot of importance when choosing the school that you think will be best suited for your child. The best school is the first stepping stone towards designing a good future for your child so you deserve time and take the best call.

Kevin Halls is a doctor working at Wisconsin Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Center. In this article, he discussed the points that must be given a lot of importance when choosing the school that you think will be best suited for your child

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Is Your Baby Autistic - Factors Which Are Responsible

"But the Beast was a good person... the Prince looked on the outside the way the Beast was on the inside. Sometimes people couldn't see the inside of the person unless they like the outside of a person. Because they hadn't learned to hear the music yet" this quote could be synonymous with the current condition of any autistic child. They are beautiful souls but they fail to become likeable in mainstream society because of the way they are on the outside. But there has been a steady wind of change flowing smoothly that prompts people to change their perspective towards these autistic bunch of people. And needless to say that this change has been very welcoming specially for parents who have autistic kids.
Autism a disease?
Gone are the days when autism was considered a disease, all thanks to the advancement that medical science has made in the last couple of years autism is no longer a disease today that has no clinical treatment. Today autism is considered to be a disorder that happens due to some neurological disbalance which has a cure in the field of medical science. Autism affected people find it difficult to fit into any social gathering because the nerves that allows to interact, communicate and socialize with people gets affected the most. But is it really the fault of the children that they were autistic? They did not choose to be autistic they were born that way. So let them not face the brunt of it any longer because they deserve a lifestyle and a childhood as normal and fun-filled like ours.
Tracing the roots of autism
It is important that we try to trace back the factors that lead to autism. Parents need to be aware that autism is a neurological disorder and must do their bit in trying to protect their child from factors that are responsible for autism as early as when they have already conceived the baby and it's growing in their womb. So here is a quick look at some of the most critical factors that results in kids born as autistic:

• Air pollution has grown up to be one of the rising factors that are responsible for autism. The air that a mother expecting a baby breathes in is obviously shared with the child in the womb and if that air is polluted then the chances of the baby having autism becomes 50% more.
• Autism as a disorder is also genetic in nature. In this case you cannot really blame anybody but your own genes if your child suffers from autism. This is the most unfortunate case because the situation is not in your hand and you cannot control it.
• Parents also play a crucial factor and contribute to a large extent if the child is born autistic. Parents keeping good health is a must while planning a baby because any health disorder affects the child resulting in autism. This kind of ill-health could be diabetes or even a bad immunity system. The major health contribution comes from the mother and it is extremely important for her to maintain a strong immunity system with no severe health issue that might have an adverse impact on the child.
• The trending lifestyle of today's parents can also be responsible for a child to be born autistic. In today's time and age young couples give a lot of priority to their careers having little or no time to plan for a baby and when they do they are already late in terms of age. Planning for a baby at quite a late age is also an important factor that increases your chances of having an autistic baby. So to secure the future of your child it is important that you keep your career as a back burner and do the needful to give a better life to your child.

You must keep these things in mind because your child is your biggest asset and you would not want anything to go wrong for your baby. So do what it takes to see the twinkle in your child's eye that would lit up your life more than a thousand twinkling stars.
All it takes is to widen our perspective and think these special children are autistic-ally beautiful. It is time for people to realize that autism awareness is not important but autism acceptance is.

Allen Wood share his views at some of the most critical autism factors that are responsible for a baby born as autistic. He want to raise awareness among peoples realise that autism awareness is not important but autism acceptance is.

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