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Study: Autism in Children On the Rise - AMES, Iowa - The prevalence of autism has apparently risen, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. [Autism News from Topix]
Website Lists Best Places to Live for Autism Support and Services - Now more than ever, parents of children with autism spectrum disorders are seeking the best support and solutions for their loved ones. [Autism News from Topix]
The Magic Paintbrush Project helps autistic children - "The more senses you involve in a process the easier it is to learn. If you can capture a visual, they can feel it, they [Autism News from Healthcare Industry Today]
We just upgraded the site from WordPress to Drupal. So now this allows us to have this great forum, but the problem is it's pretty blank. Go ahead and start chatting! The new site is only a week or so old, so that's why there's no activity here. But, I'm hoping that this becomes a very active place.
Our daughter Maddie is nine and was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder when she was 4. She is what you would consider “high functioning Autistic” She can learn but not the typical way people learn in school. Her weakest areas are in her speech and social interactions with peers. She is in 3rd grade in a mainstream classroom being pulled out about 30% of her day into a special education room where she gets a lot of support and help with math, reading, speech, language, and adaptive physical education. read more »
'Shocking' School Takes On Severe Autism - ABC News - 'Shocking' School Takes On Severe Autism read more »
Day two of MEA weekend was not as exciting. Play dough, painting at the kitchen table and Wallace and Gromit’s The Curse of The Were Rabbit. (I got a short nap in the movie theater so the day went good for me.) It was so so for Maddie. Our play date fell through with the other family. read more »
Tiny Genetic Variations Raise Autism Risk - According to international research involving 19 countries, 120 scientists and 50 institutions, tiny variations in genes may increase the risk for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The Autism Genome Project (AGP) Consortium's report can be seen in the journal Nature Genetics, February 18th issue. The AGP's aim is to identify specific genes and variants that might raise vulnerability to autism. read more »
An additional diagnosis typically added to the ASD diagnosis is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. We learned a great game to check our “engine speed” or level of intensity.
First you need to explain to your child each level.
Red is the color for high engine levels the feelings associated would be:
:: anger
:: screaming at a football game
:: excited about winning something
:: running away from something scary
Yellow is the color for low engine levels the feelings associated would be:
:: tired
:: being quiet read more »
Washington Post: Experts Find No Vaccine-Autism Link: Panel Says More Research on Possible Connection May Not Be Worthwhile - The Institute of Medicine, a highly influential adviser of the government on scientific matters, said yesterday there is no credible evidence that ... [Autism News from Inform]
Family Autism Study - ... family has two or more children diagnosed with ADD, autism, or Asperger's syndrome, the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange would like to hear from you. ... [Autism News from Healthcare Industry Today]
Planning is important for anyone and difficult for a lot of people to do. I have found that setting up a calendar for our daughter has helped immensely not because we are so busy but because we don’t know what is happening next and what do we do with “down time”. So by planning activities we keep ahead of the anxiety of not having a routine for that day. Plus it has helped in organizing and keeping track of things on the other side too like when we do get busy we have a schedule we can follow. read more »
We are still in the testing phase of this diet only because of the work involved in it for the entire family. But I have noticed when our daughter is off the GFCF diet she is less verbal and “whiny” as her special ed teacher puts it. The following are what we see as the pros and cons of the GFCFdiet:
Pros
Our child’s sentence structure is better she is able to organize her thoughts to communicate clearer.
Better focus on herself, she is able to help herself more being less dependant on others. She seems to be able to find things for her self to do and keep busier. read more »
Autism comment sparks backlash - George Osborne landed in hot water with the National Autistic Society yesterday after he was accused of suggesting that Gordon Brown was faintly autistic. read more »
Autism may force couple to give up child - A GOLD Coast couple say they want to make their seven-year-old autistic daughter a ward of the state because they cannot cope with her behaviour.
Primary school teacher Robert Lachlan and his wife Debbie from the Gold Coast suburb of Benowa said their daughter Emma suffers from autism, needs constant supervision, and the strain has pushed them to "breaking point". read more »
Extreme Makeover Home Edition Helps Family With Five Autistic Children - rare and heartbreaking one. Five out of their six children have been diagnosed with and suffer from multiple forms of autism that range from simple communication limitations to severe physical and social problems. The O'Donnell family's case is [Autism News from Topix]
Jersey scientists find a possible key to autism - A team of New Jersey scientists believes it has found ways to detect biological risk factors for autism through simple urine and blood tests, a discovery that could lead to groundbreaking medical treatment for ... [Autism News from Topix]
Wow did we ever have a great day today, because it was MEA and school was out I have scheduled events with organizations that work with kids with Autism for Maddie to keep busy for the next two days. Today was a theatrical workshop put on by adaptive park and recreation. She got to learn about the theatre and acting as well as production. 6 kids with all different skill levels worked together to put on a performance for the parents later in the day. They used props and costumes to perform a variety of musicals. read more »
Study Profiles Rate Of Autism In Wisconsin - A Wisconsin autism surveillance project has reported that approximately five out of every 1,000 Wisconsin children born in 1994 display symptoms indicative of autism.The Wisconsin Surveillance of Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities System, part of a national study overseen by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, evaluated children in the first phase of a study to determine the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders in the U.S read more »
National Autism Association Renews Call For CDC To Declare Autism A National Emergency - The National Autism Association (NAA) today is asking again for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to treat the epidemic of autism among children as a national emergency following the release of the agency's latest study claiming a new diagnosis rate of one in 150. [click link for full article] [Medical News Today]
National Autism Association Renews Call For CDC To Declare Autism A National Emergency - The National Autism Association (NAA) today is asking again for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to treat the epidemic of autism among children as a national emergency following the release of the agency's latest study claiming a new diagnosis rate of one in 150. [click link for full article] [Medical News Today]
Increases In Autism Rates Not Surprising To Education Expert - The new national study showing higher-than-expected incidences of autism comes as no surprise to special education personnel and autism advocates, says a special education professor at the University of Indianapolis."We have seen the rates of autism increase dramatically over the last seven years," notes Dr. John Somers, director of graduate programs and coordinator of special education in UIndy's School of Education. read more »
We have started a new tradition at our dinner table it’s called the “Victory Candle”. When a person in the family has accomplished something worthy we light that persons candle while we eat dinner and that person gets to share their accomplishment with the rest of the family. read more »
We recently tried the GF CF Diet last month exclusively, the whole family for two weeks recommended by an allergy specialist. We have been loosely following the diet with our 9 year old autistic daughter for the past two years. It’s a tough regime to stick with around holidays and birthdays. The following is a list of experiences our family had on this diet.
1. Nuts became our snack food and sometimes lunch for our son (he was picky) so when you eat a lot of nuts you can’t “go”. Constipation beyond belief, can you say hemorrhoids! read more »
Visuals are very effective with kids with ASD pictures of tasks or charts that can be filled in with stickers are so helpful to your child when learning a routine.
We use picture schedules for a lot of tasks that need to be done when we are learning a new routine or steps in a routine. There are tons of companies that offer pictures through software packages as well as laminated cards. However I have found drawing my own to be the most cost effective and fun. And I consider my self to be artistically challenged. read more »
This is one of the toughest but critical pieces to raising a child with ASD. If you are not there making sure your child’s rights are not being taken away NO one else will! Kids have a right to participate in everything in school and if your child struggles with a certain aspect it is your right to ask that the school get adaptations for your child to participate. read more »
Our daughter is 9 and getting more and more difficult to buy for but up until now there have been some great things for her. Each kid has their special interests but for the most part these gifts will be great for any ASD kid.
Twister Moves Game- It’s Twister to music. The narrator on the CD tells the players which arm or foot to move where all to really up beat music. Maddie loves to play this with typical friends too. read more »
We are fortunate enough to have a responsive classroom elementary school. This type of setting is great for kids with ASD or any kind of disability. The idea of the responsive classroom is so that each child is involved in the classroom life.
One of the key elements to this type of setting is the morning meeting. If your school is not a responsive classroom school you might see if your regular ed teacher would consider at least having the meeting each day. read more »
This subject is not very fun but is a common issue with Autistic kids. Encopresis is leaky stool, basically the child becomes constipated and can’t pass the stool blocking the colon and stretching it out to the point of leaky accidents. read more »
Communication is the toughest part for families on the Spectrum. It’s hard to communicate with your child who has difficulty, you can’t rely on your child to get you information you need to communicate to the people helping your child, teachers, therapists, child care providers ect. Because they appear normal or “neuro typical” people assume your child will rely the information to you. Sometimes you feel like your spinning your wheels just to get though the easiest of tasks.
Well here are some tips I have found that help get some traction and production out of your efforts. read more »
Develop a list of questions that you would like to discuss at your child’s IEP team meeting. Do you have new information or reports that should be shared with the school staff? Clinical reports, medication updates, changes in the child’s home environment. read more »
I learned this technique from our child psychologist a few years back and tried it again this morning with my PDD daughter. She thinks I have to help her with all of her chores, like making her bed and picking up her room and I usually do for time sake and to keep things moving. read more »
Last year at this time the President signed into law a bill amending the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004). IDEA 2004 builds on the education reforms in the No Child Left Behind Act and includes reforms that will help teachers, parents and schools ensure that every child with a disability received a quality education. read more »
Here is an example of a letter you can send to your insurance company to appeal, if you get denied:
Dear Claims Examiner: read more »
Communication is the toughest part for families on the Spectrum. It’s hard to communicate with your child who has difficulty, you can’t rely on your child to get you information you need to communicate to the people helping your child, teachers, therapists, child care providers ect. Because they appear normal or “neuro typical” people assume your child will rely the information to you. Sometimes you feel like your spinning your wheels just to get though the easiest of tasks.
Well here are some tips I have found that help get some traction and production out of your efforts. read more »
Develop a list of questions that you would like to discuss at your child’s IEP team meeting. Do you have new information or reports that should be shared with the school staff? Clinical reports, medication updates, changes in the child’s home environment. read more »
There is so much out there today about alternative therapies for treating autism and much of it is not completely proven as safe and effective. However, many parents of children with autism seek ANYTHING to help alleviate the symptoms or cure their children. It is very important that you research everything and find out the harmful implications of therapies. read more »
We have been reading to both of our children every night for about 20 minutes from the time they were 1 year old, our kids are used to the routine. Our daughter who is PDD has not been successful yet on reading fluently, she is in 3rd grade in a typical classroom and being pulled for special Ed about 25% of her day. She can read several site words but still struggles to read a sentence. read more »
We have relaxed and are following it here and there, I know that they say “a little bit hurts” but I can’t put my kids through this lifestyle sometimes being normal is all you want and that means normal food. Here are some more fascinating things that happened to us on the Gluten Free Casin Free Diet.
Our son mentioned his eyes were blurry at school another day and he felt dizzy, gee I wonder what kind of behavior he had that day? read more »
Last week, I was asked by my kid’s school to be a sub Para in the morning kindergarten class the usual Para was sick. I normally don’t help out in the classrooms but the office manager knew I had an autistic child and was desperate for help because there are four kids in this class with autism. I thought it would be a great experience so I said I would help out. read more »
There are several techniques out there to help you communicate with your child with ASD. I have listed several here with links to their web sites for more information. Find one method or use pieces of methods that work for you.
Picture Exchange Communication System-PECS
http://www.eyeboxtoolsinc.com/communicate.php
Picture Schedules
http://www.dotolearn.com/picturecards/howtouse/schedule.htm
Relationship Development Intervention-RDI Therapy
http://www.autismlink.com/info/RDI.php
Applied Behavioral Analysis- ABA Therapy
http://www.brighttots.com/aba_therapy.html read more »
There are some great resources out for this diet I have listed some of my favorite sites when I need information or guidance.
GFCF Diet
http://www.gfcfdiet.com/
This site has a support group for parents.
Autism Medical
http://www.autismmedical.com/
This site has a dietary intervention section that walks you through how to begin.
ICARE
http://www.icaresupportgroup.net/diet.htm
On this site they list several companies who supply GF/CF products.
Enzyme Stuff
http://www.enzymestuff.com/dietsgfcf.htm#1 read more »
I just have to document and share some of the great lines from our 9 year old ASD daughter, Maddie.
“Mom why are you driving on the elbow!” (She meant shoulder)
“Was it cursive or manuscript?” When I drew an M on her back she had already guessed correctly.
“My Mom forgot it” When her teacher asks her where her homework is.
“I’m dreaming about candy I can’t talk.” When I asked her what she wanted to get her brother for his birthday.
“That rocks OUT LOUD!” When we told her we were going to Camp Snoopy. read more »
What is RDI? Relationship Development Intervention program a research-based treatment program that helps parents learn how to guide their child to desire and succeed in genuine give and take relationships, while addressing flexible thinking, rapid attention shifting and emotional regulation. This treatment is specifically aimed at treating the social impairments of autistic kids.
The 5 core areas of difficulty which define Autism Spectrum Disorders are: read more »
Set up situations where the child has to look at your face before the “cool thing” happens. Example: Say to your child “tomorrow is” (in an excited voice) then pause until your child looks at your face. When she looks you say “Valentines Day” with a huge smile. read more »
Teaching flexibility in your autistic child is helpful, they often time meltdown over the smallest change in routine. Here are some tips on teaching flexible thinking at home.
Teach same but different, different but same- be sure to point out the differences in things and events as well as what is the same. Example: travel a different way home you eventually end up in the same place. read more »
This is what our family is working on right now and we have had some success. You have to be an advocate to get the ball rolling but once you do reach out you’ll be able to read a book or just relax for an hour or two. The following techniques are what we have tried.
Step 1
Check with your school who are they with most of the day? I went to my daughter’s special ed teacher and asked if she could recommend anyone for her to play with at home.
Step 2 read more »
We have been struggling the past several weeks with friendships and self esteem. Our 9 year old (soon to be 10) PDD daughter has started to cry a lot when she is home with nothing to do. She says “ I don’t know how to do anything.” And “I can’t find anyone to play with.” I haven’t been able to decipher if it’s puberty or difficulty with social situations at school. read more »
We are considering a dog just because my husband is a dog person he grew up with dogs and likes to hunt. So I have been doing some research on what are the best pets for families with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The most common pet of course is a dog. There are trained service dogs for families with ASD but the time and cost seem huge, $12,000 and you must qualify with your disability. The benefit to having a service dog is being able to have the dog go with your child everywhere (a normal pet can’t go into public places). The security and added protection would be nice. read more »
Last weekend at the adaptive dance class one of the mothers of an ASD kid mentioned she wanted to have a birthday party and would any of us come? She said she looked into bowling because her son will engage in that activity. She said “it only costs $150.00.” I couldn’t believe she was going to spend that much on a birthday party. I gave her the following tips for a more budget conscience party.
For a Boy (Basketball Theme)
Set a date and time. I usually do Saturdays over lunch 11:30-1:30. Don’t go over two hours. It gets overwhelming for special needs kids and you! read more »
Good bedtime routines are so helpful with children with autism. The earlier you start the easier it is to get down, but having a good solid step by step approach every single night is best.
We started our routine when Maddie was about 8 months old, she was not diagnosed with autism yet but I knew bedtime routines were important for everyone in the house. So I researched several strategies and found the book called Solve Your Childs Sleep Problems by Richard Ferber to be the best.
The following bedtime routine has been what we have done for the past 8 years: read more »
Families of children with disabilities have greater parental stress due to problems involving the care for the child, pessimism about what may lie in the child’s future, and concerns about physical and behavioral aspects of the child. (Dyson, 1993)
Mothers of adolescents with autism reported a greater level of family stress than did mothers of adolescents with mental retardation. (Donovan, 1988) read more »
This is a question I ask my self frequently, I push my autistic child to try new things a lot. This past weekend we were joining the children’s choir at church. Maddie had gone to one other practice the week before but this week she said she did not want to go. She loves to sing and would love to be a part of the performance, I know this because she performed with her religion class last year and loved it. So I needed to figure out why she didn’t want to go to practice. read more »
When we were approached by the school district to have Maddie assessed for Autism/PDD I was extremely defensive. I did not want to label her, especially at 4 years old. Nor did I want the school district telling me what I needed to do for my child. Finally I thought, I will go through the normal kindergarten screening process and go from there. Well the screening went poorly she was so afraid of the person doing the screening she didn’t even participate. read more »
Maddie basically has no friends, when she was younger she had a set of twins that she would play with at day care. Now that the twins are older they are moving on to other kids with more interactive play. Maddie mirrors everything other kids are doing she doesn’t really recipicate or come up with things to do. She basically thinks I am her playmate as well as her mother. We have joined an adaptive dance class at a dance studio with about 15 other Autistic kids most of them are older than Maddie and are lower functioning than she is. But it’s a lot of fun for her she loves music. read more »
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