The Relationship Between Five Senses And Children With Aspergers

Children with Asperger's syndrome are very sensitive to the physical world around them. The usual day-to-day sights and sounds that a normal person deals with are sometimes too much for a kid with aspergers to handle. Sensitivity of the five senses is not considered by doctors to be an "official symptom" that children with aspergers have.

Children with aspergers have complained that they can hear noises that others might not, like the buzzing of fluorescent lights. Their minds are not quite able of filtering out what will usually be considered a background noise, making it hard for them to concentrate or keep up with a discussion. Loud noises seem to cause physical pain and because of this, many children with aspergers can't enjoy a place like a public pool, movie theater or video arcade.

Several of these kids have extremely sensitive taste and smell receptors and they find themselves falling back on them. Their sense of smell tends to be sharp and they're able to tell who somebody is simply by their unique body odor. Unfortunately, this heightened sense of smell could even cause them to get nauseous easily and they have a tough time coping with places that have heavy odors. The sense of taste too is elevated, which is why many children with Asperger's will eat a limited number of food and have to be careful doing small things like brushing their teeth so they do not get sick.

The sense of touch in children with Asperger's could be heightened or diminished. These kids would be able to wear only certain kinds of clothing to be comfortable if their skin is very sensitive. They may not like to work with particular materials or they may not be able to handle simply being touched by some other person. Those children that have a reduced sense of touch have problems feeling a change in temperature, pain or also a simple touch from another person.

Problems with vision are usually restricted to issues with specific colors, brightness and the content of pictures. Children with aspergers may relate colors as sounds, hearing the color in their mind. They'll look at things for too long or stand too close to items. If they're trying to find something, they may not realize its right in front of them. And most children with aspergers have a hard time making eye contact with other people.

Understanding how children with Asperger's see and relate to the world around them is vital. It aids others to deal with the unique challenges these children face and gives them the knowledge to aid the kids learn and work things out.
To discover your best resource of parental information as it refers to raising kids with aspergers check out http://www.parentingaspergerscommunity.com

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How To Handle The Meltdown Of A Child With Aspergers

It's a well-known fact that children with Asperger's syndrome have the occasional meltdown. It is usually triggered by things which may perplex the normal mind but makes perfect sense to the child with aspergers. Meltdowns aren't planned, but when they happen everybody that is involved with calming down the kid feels the pain of the meltdown in their own way. When a meltdown starts the first thing you must do is make sure that everybody around the kid with aspergers and the kid remains safe until the end.

Professionals that have studied the meltdowns of children with aspergers have defined 4 distinct stages that happen that are usually followed by a recovery period. Stage one is the 'starting out' stage, where you as a parent would start to hear whispers of a meltdown coming on.

Stage two is the 'picking up steam' stage, where it begins to become evident which a meltdown is about to occur. Stage 3 is the 'point of no return' stage, where the child's flight reaction kicks in. Its normally here which reasoning will become impossible with the kid and you have to let nature takes it's course. Stage four is the 'explosion' stage and the child is in full meltdown.
To help stop meltdowns in children with Asperger's before it happens, you can put your kid on a sensory diet.

This diet would aid prevent the very first stage of a kid's meltdown from even starting, thereby preventing the meltdown. You can start out by employing a sensory integration session with your kid every day, getting ideas on how to regulate your child's sensory input from his or her doctor, school counselor, or special education teacher. When used proactively this is a good, solid start in stopping a meltdown.

The next thing you have to work with your child with aspergers on is visual supports. By giving them images to help them understand cause and effect, you can aid make sensory transitions smoother and keep triggers at bay. Visual supports used on a habitual schedule with sensory integration will help your child remain in control. They need to be used before the triggers are released in your kid and the meltdown starts.

The last thing which you'll have to do is assist your child with aspergers to manage their emotions. Since we do not understand what triggers a meltdown, you need to sit and talk with your child about how they feel when the meltdown begins and what they were thinking about. It takes time to assist a kid with aspergers learn to cope with emotions that are too big for them, but it could be done.

Children with aspergers and their families don't have to meltdown any longer. With proactive work on sensory integration, visual supports and emotion management, your kid with aspergers can stop many meltdowns.
Access the best Asperger syndrome community to assist with your parenting by going to http://www.parentingaspergerscommunity.com

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How to Spot Autism in Your Child and Manage It

Autism Spectrum Disorders include a number of chronic, no progressive disabilities characterized by lack of social interaction, communication, and behavior. Autism, pervasive developmental disorder NOS, Asperger disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, and Rett disorder are all encompassed into the Autism Spectrum of Disorders.

Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorders

• Limited eye contact and facial expression
• Difficulty developing peer relationships
• Indifference to social overtures
• Lack of social reciprocity
• Inflexibility
• No engagement in pretend play
• Impaired reciprocal communication
• Language development delayed
• Persistent question asking and repeating
• Restrictive, stereotyped patterns of behavior
• Repetitive, self-stimulatory behaviors (rocking, spinning)
• Preoccupation or fascination with a single object or subject

Autism

Autism is more common in males and is usually diagnosed between 8 months and 3 years of age. Lack of attachment to mother during infancy is often present. It was believed in the past that MMR vaccine or thimerosal (vaccine preservative) causes autism, but current data research shows no link between MMR vaccines and autism. It is now more commonly believed that autism is caused by multiple environmental factors. The essential features of autism are impaired social interactions and communication. Restricted group of activities and interests, with stereotyped behaviors, rituals, or mannerisms. Siblings of children with autism appear to be at greater risk of developing the disorder.

Pervasive Developmental Disorder NOS (Not Otherwise Specified)

Pervasive Developmental Disorder NOS is the diagnosis given to children who have symptoms such as impaired social interaction and communication skills and/or repetitive, stereotyped behaviors, but with a symptom profile that does not meet diagnostic criteria for autism.

Asperger Syndrome

Asperger syndrome is characterized by difficulty forming relationships/relating to others and development of intense interest in very specific topics. Asperger does not necessarily need to have impaired language production, but very often these children do not understand abstract forms of language such as sarcasm and metaphors, and as a result have a hard time forming interpersonal relationships.

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder

This disorder is characterized by normal development up to the age of 2 years, followed by loss of previously achieved language, social, and motor developmental milestones. Affected children may show disordered communication and social interactions and may have repetitive movements or stereotypes. Loss of skills must occur before 10 years of age.

Rett Disorder

This is an x-linked disorder that occurs only in girls, as boys usually succumb to the disorder in utero and die. The children in this disorder develop normally until 6 months of age and begin to exhibit symptoms of autism, language delay, psychomotor retardation, decreased head growth, breathing abnormalities, seizures, and poor coordination of gait and trunk movements. Mutations in the MECP2 gene are strongly associated with Rett Disorder.

Management of Autism Spectrum Disorders

The management of autistic disorders is most successful when a multidisciplinary approach is adopted. Intensive behavioral and sensory integration therapy, speech and language training therapy, social modeling, family support, and pharmacologic intervention all must be undertaken as soon as diagnosis is established, although not much evidence exists that shows pharmacologic therapy with antipsychotic (risperidone and aripiprazole) helps these children, but research is currently under way to develop pharmacologic drugs for treatment of autism. The best prognostic indicator of future success in these children is the extent of language development present. The earlier that treatment begins, the better are the chances for the child to live a normal life.

Copyright © 2010 - Yana G. Yevstegneeva, 3rd-year Medical Student. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Yana_G._Yevstegneeva

Autism Affects The Entire Family - Learning To Cope

Autism doesn't affect just the person with autism. No, autism affects the entire family. It affects the parents, the siblings and even the extended family. It affects the lives of all involved with the individual. And sometimes that can be down right difficult.

Some days are easier than others. After all, there are some days that they behave relatively well, you don't have any yelling, screaming or tantrums in public, and your child may resemble a child without autism.

Then there are those other days. The days where you have to cope with the stares and rude, unwelcome comments of others. The days where you wish you could crawl inside your own skin and never come out.

Like any parent we love our child, it's just sometimes it is so incredibly difficult that you wish the day would end.

So how do you cope? How to you get through the rougher days, to reach their better days?

First you need to understand, like anyone, your child has triggers. Things that get under their skin and make them act out. Knowing you child as well as you can, can help you sort out some of the trigger points for meltdowns, which you can then use to minimize the damage and behaviours.

If you know crowds upset your child, see if someone can watch your child while you do the shopping. If certain textures make your child meltdown, avoid those material at all costs. If you can't avoid taking them to the mall or shopping try noise canceling headphones. Sometimes just blocking out the noise of the world can help them cope.

Try to allow them some control in their own lives. If they are picky about clothing textures, show the a selection of clothes in the material they like and allow them to pick out their own clothing.

Let them choose some of the meals. If they won't eat certain textures, giving them the choice of what to eat can make mealtime less of a struggle. Most children will get all of their nutrients even if they don't take in the correct amount daily. It will usually balance out when looked at weekly or monthly. Give them some choice in their meals and you'd be surprised at how easy meal time can become for the entire family.

Autistic children are just like any other child. They need to be loved and cared for.

The only difference is how autistic children are loved and cared for. Know your child well enough, and you can it so that there are more of those easy days. For more ways to cope with autism, click here!

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Autism Treatment - Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency and Autism

A supplement group that is very commonly recommended for children with Autism are essential fatty acids. The supplement can come in the form of cod liver oil or just general fish oil and essential fatty acids have become very important therapies for many children with Autism because they serve to replenish the depleted fatty acids. And when I am examining a child, one visible sign that could mean its supplementation is necessary is really hard, thick ear wax.

When a child has thick, hard ear wax, that can be some indication of a depletion in essential fatty acids. Now ideally getting a diagnostic test for fatty acid status would occur so that we could asses exactly what form of essential fatty acid needs supplementation. That would enable us to determine whether EPA was depleted or DHA or maybe the omega 6 oils are deficient. Without a thorough test, you don't know for certain. There are labs that perform essential fatty acid tests, Great Plains has a test as well as other labs. And to determine the exact deficiency, testing is necessary. We can make certain guesses as to what may be deficient in a child but that may not be right. But if you have taken your child in to see a doctor, or their pediatrician and they have noticed that your child has very hard, thick ear wax, your child probably has some form of an essential fatty acid deficiency.

A basic supplementation program includes a supplement with some type of fish oil that contains EPA and DHA in it. That can be a very nice way to replenish. And cod liver oil is usually pretty easy to give and many children find this beneficial. Children with Autism benefit from cold liver oil for a couple of reasons. They get the benefit of the essential fatty acid part of the supplement but they can also benefit from the natural vitamin A in the cod liver oil as well. An average dose of cod liver oil is 1 to 2 teaspoons per day, many children find that very helpful. Cod liver oil can also help with visual stimming that some children with Autism have. Once supplemented with cod liver oil, some children don't side glance as much as they used to and their visual stimming decreases as well. So thick and hard ear wax can be, from a physical examination side, be an indicator of a deficiency in essential fatty acids. Therefore, supplementation would be appropriate in many cases.

Autism really is treatable! Biomedical Autism treatments and therapies have resulted in many, many children improving, or even even losing their autism-spectrum disorder diagnosis. For lots more free biomedical autism intervention information and videos from Dr. Woeller, go to http://www.AutismRecoveryTreatment.com.

Dr. Kurt Woeller is an biomedical autism Intervention specialist, with a private practice in Southern California for over 10 years. He has helped children recover from autism, ADD, ADHD, and other disorders, and has the information you need to help your child. Download his free eBook at http://www.AutismActionPlan.org.

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Self Stimulating Behaviours And The Autistic Child - Your Annoyance, Their Sanity

Self stimulating behaviours otherwise known as stimming is a major part of an autistic child's coping method. Though these behaviour can be difficult for the parent and others to deal with, they serve a very important purpose for the child. Stimming behaviours help them to cope with the world around them, and should be allowed unless they cause a danger to the child or those around them.

How can you keep your sanity, while allowing your little one to keep theirs with their self stimulation behaviors?

You can always try and replace their current method of self stimulation with one that is more socially acceptable (to increase their ability to socialize with peers and not be ridiculed for their behaviours) of more health appropriate.

For example, if their behaviour is to suck on things, you could try giving them a sucker, or a chew toy to suck on instead so that they are not sucking on random items that can cause a risk to their health.

Now remember this may not work, and you need to be patient with the child when trying to move them from one stimming behaviour to another. But with a little persistance and understanding you should be able to transfer the behaviour from the one that is problematic, to one that is more acceptable. Replacement behaviours tend to work better with younger children, as other children at that age level are not as judgemental of "strange" behaviours, but that doesn't mean this tip cannot work for the older child as well.

As a parent, you need to remember no matter how much the behavior bothers you, that stimming is a very important part of their behavior and day because it helps the autistic child to cope and organize the world around them. You never want to try and completely take away their self stimulation methods as it can be quite detrimental to the child. Fact is the downside of stimming, will very rarely outweigh that of the upside of allowing the child to find his or her way to cope with the world around them. Simple replacements can work, just don't expect the behaviour to go away all together.

Living with and raising an autistic child can be difficult at times, but it can also be very rewarding. With a little extra tender love and care, your little one can be quite well adjusted and able to cope with everyday life, even if it means a little odd behaviour here or there.

Being the parent of an autistic child can be difficult but with support and knowledge you can help your child, and come out just fine yourself. For more tips and tricks, click here!

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

Light and Sound Sensitivity and Autism

Over the years I have seen children with Autism who have various sensitivities. These sensitivities can be with sound or even light. These issues can be quite problematic for some children, I have had some who need to wear earphones to muffle sounds so that they can leave their house. And for some sensitive children, even household sounds like a loud TV set, a vacuum or other sounds can be challenging for them.

There are certain things that I look for when a child has these types of sensitivities. One is yeast, I have seen heightened sensitivity when yeast overgrowth is an issue so an organic acid test can check for arabinose or other biomarkers for yeast. A mineral deficiency is also another possibility, especially magnesium. A magnesium deficiency can increase irritation and agitation within the body. Supplementing with magnesium has certainly helped some children with light and sound sensitivity. The optimal form of magnesium supplementation would be through IV so that the digestive tract is bypassed. That is not always an option for all families so you can do so in other ways.

You can also supplement with magnesium orally. There are different forms of magnesium to be aware of. Magnesium glycinate is absorbed very rapidly. So for many children, doses between 250 - 400 mg can be useful and usually over time you do see benefits. Magnesium citrate is also another option although this form does have a laxative effect which limits how much you can give. So if you are trying to alleviate some of the sensitivity issues, then magnesium glycinate is probably the preferred form. Some other options are an Epsom salt bath which provides magnesium sulfate, you can add one to two cups in a bath at night. Epsom salt cream is an alternative to that and you can use one to one and a half teaspoons applied to the skin two times a day may also help.

So when we are addressing light and/or sound sensitivities in children with Autism, the two most common things I look for are yeast overgrowth and magnesium deficiency. There is also a therapy called Auditory Integration Therapy or AIT which can also be helpful for sound sensitivities and auditory processing so you can look into that as well. And light sensitivity often times is helped by magnesium supplementation since magnesium does play a role in issues like stress and irritability for children with Autism.

Autism really is treatable! Biomedical Autism treatments and therapies have resulted in many, many children improving, or even even losing their autism-spectrum disorder diagnosis. For lots more free biomedical autism intervention information and videos from Dr. Woeller, go to http://www.AutismRecoveryTreatment.com.

Dr. Kurt Woeller is an biomedical autism Intervention specialist, with a private practice in Southern California for over 10 years. He has helped children recover from autism, ADD, ADHD, and other disorders, and has the information you need to help your child. Download his free ebook at http://www.AutismActionPlan.org.

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