Archive for the ‘Autism’ Category
Raising a Child With Autism When Hugs Are In Short Supply
Sunday, February 19th, 2012
Will a diagnosis of an Autism Spectrum Disorder limit my emotional connection to my child? As parents we all want to cuddle, kiss and hold our children. Not only do they feel good to hold but they smell good too – most of the time. But what is a parent to do when their child pulls away from their touch, refuses to be embraced or won’t hug back?
There is a misconception that children with Autism are incapable of showing affection but many have found they are indeed capable of expressing love, they just do it in non-conventional ways. (more…)
Selecting The WRONG Autism Teacher Can Be Disastrous For Your Autistic Child
Sunday, February 12th, 2012
If you have an autistic child, then it almost goes without saying that you want the best autism teacher that is possible so that your child is able to learn, can be taught how to learn, and not be left behind as his peers advance and mature. But have you really considered the autism teacher that the school district simple assigns to your child? If not, then perhaps you should as explained in this article. (more…)
How to Prepare for an IEP Meeting
Sunday, February 5th, 2012
In order to prepare for the meeting, parents must have an idea of what is to take place. Under the law, the IEP meeting is intended to 1) determine the present level of the child’s academic achievement and functional performance, 2) develop a plan to meet the child’s needs for the upcoming school year, and 3) to establish goals so that the child makes continuous progress over the coming year. Remember, none of this is written in stone and can be amended during the course of the year. A meeting can be requested by the parent at any time. At the same time, be sure and include EVERYTHING you want for your child in the IEP to ensure that the goals are implemented. (more…)
How Can You Help Your Autistic Child Create Friendships?
Friday, January 20th, 2012
Friends are important to people. Having friends and creating friends for your autistic child could be challenging. How will you be able to accept this challenge and help your child who has the disorder of autism, create friendships?
It is imperative to know your child .Know his or her weaknesses and strengths. Consider the social limitations your child may have. Not only participating with autistic children, but non-autistic children. Each child is unique and may need various kinds of help or coaching for encouragement and to gain confidence. (more…)
Asperger’s Disorder
Wednesday, January 11th, 2012
Asperger’s disorder, also called Asperger’s syndrome, is a type of pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) as defined by the American Psychiatric Association.1 Asperger’s disorder is similar to high-functioning autism in how it affects a child’s mannerisms and socialization traits.
A distinction between Asperger’s disorder and autism is that young children with Asperger’s have normal language development, although the rhythm, (more…)
Autism and Childhood Vaccines
Tuesday, January 10th, 2012
There has been ongoing controversy surrounding certain vaccines and their relationship to autism. Some parents have been concerned that vaccines, specifically the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and preservatives used in other childhood vaccines, play a role in children developing autism. Some stopped vaccinating their children altogether because of this concern.
Thimerosal in vaccines (more…)
Autistic Teens With Epilepsy Often Light-Sensitive
Wednesday, January 4th, 2012
Teenagers with autism who also have epilepsy often suffer from photosensitivity, or light sensitivity, researchers say.
The combination means that certain behaviors common among autistic kids — such as flapping their hands in front of their faces — could increase their risk for photosensitive seizures.
Although photosensitivity occurs in up to 14 percent of children with epilepsy, the rate jumps to 30 percent among teens suffering from both epilepsy and autism spectrum disorders, researchers from Children’s Hospital Boston discovered. (more…)
Kids With Epilepsy Should Get Screened for Autism, Developmental Delays
Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012
Children seen in epilepsy clinics should be screened for development delay and autism because the conditions often occur together, new research suggests.
Researchers at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago asked parents of children under age 5 who had epilepsy to fill out screening questionnaires. The results showed that 75 percent of children also had a developmental delay, while 41 percent had autism.
More than one-third of the children had not been previously diagnosed with either autism or developmental delay, the researchers noted. (more…)
Little Social Life for Autistic Teens, Researchers Say
Tuesday, December 27th, 2011
Teens with autism are far less likely than other teens to have a social life outside of school, a new study reports.
U.S. researchers analyzed national data on more than 11,000 teens enrolled in special education and found that among those with autism, 43 percent never see friends outside of school, 54 percent never get called by friends and about half are never invited to social activities.
For teens with autism, “it appears that experiences with peers are more likely to occur one-on-one, and perhaps at home rather than in the community,” study author Paul Shattuck, an autism expert and assistant professor at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, said in a university news release. (more…)
Diets and Dietary Supplements in Autism Therapies
Friday, December 23rd, 2011
If you are seeking out potential treatments for Autism, then it is important to consider all of your options, and that includes both conventional treatments that your Doctor might recommend, as well as more unconventional treatments.
Whilst at first it may appear that diet and dietary supplements would slot firmly into the latter category, the fact is that the role that food plays in affecting mood and interactivity has long been documented, and so it can play a crucial part in any autism treatment regime.
Similarly with dietary supplements there are some compelling studies into how consuming certain supplements can affect behavior in people suffering from autism, and whilst there is honestly very little peer reviewed scientific studies into this at present, there are many supplements that have compelling enough anecdotal evidence to make them worth trying. (more…)