Acting out imaginary scenes may help children with autism begin a process called the "healing of belonging."
This article described social science theories about the human need for belonging. Children with autism may have a need to find the feeling of belonging. The author believes that acting out imaginary scenes can help children with autism imagine things being better, and give them hope and desire to heal and belong. The author observed sensory integration therapy sessions for 5 preschoolers, and 3 of them had autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Over 27 sessions were observed, and 27 were videotaped. In the article, the author described the imaginary play of the children. Children acted out different scenes that they created. For example, one child was a bird sitting on phone wires who might fall off. Another child was a Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaur. Their choices may show how they currently feel (worried about falling down) or how they hope they might be (strong and powerful like a dinosaur).
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Responding to neurofeedback
Feb 2, 2011 by Monkey's MomWe have been using neuro feedback for our 9 year old daughter for about 5 months at this point. We also use chiropractic re-adjustments twice weekly to alleviate the pain and pressure on her spine as well as allowing the nerves to communicate properly. She now after almost four years is able to recognize pain and say it is pain instead of acting out. She has a combination of problems, along with ASD, she was severley abused and neglected prior to being placed with us as a foster child. She has probably had some in utero chemical exposure, although that was denied prior to adoption and she was born to teenage parents with a familial history of mental illness. She has been out of that environment for almost four years now and is adjusting very well.
The good news is I was able to take her to an unfamiliar major urban area, we live in the country, for a two day group tour. She was able to manage the subway, museums, city noise, a large hotel, the holidays and a very busy schedule for the entire two days without any tantrums, outbursts or behavioral issues for the entire two days and on the train ride to and from. She has also not been in the "quiet room" this year at school either.
We at this point are attempting to decrease some of her meds. It has been a little hit and miss trying to get the correct frequency and locations when we are trying to correct or address specific behaviors. When the doctor places the electrode on an area that he knows on other children will treat obsessive behaviors, it activate her frontal lobe and she becomes alomst manic prior to and after her meds wear off.
It takes really knowing your child and a good relationship with the provider as well as working very closely with her school contacts and teachers. Communication is key if this is going to work at all. If we don't communicate she doesn't get the treatment she needs and it may take several weeks to get back where she was before something was changed.
So as a parent I feel it is truly worth everything it takes to get this accomplished. Just be prepared for things to happen you didn't expect, either good or bad and find a provider that is willing to re-adjust a treatment when something goes wrong. Be patient as you may initially see results for only a few days at a time. Then understand that not every child is "wired" the same and until their is a good relationship between client and provider and an understanding of what does and doesn't work it will, be experimental for a little while.
Blog from 35,000 feet
Aug 7, 2009 by AnonymousSo here we are, already above the clouds on our way to Orlando for our super-fabulous vacation! Finally, no more sleeps until we go! Jonathan and my mother-in-law are sleeping, I’m writing, Thomas is looking at the pictures that Jonathan drew for him and Hayley is probably annoying the hell out of the person in the seat in front of her. I have a hard time sleeping on airplanes because they make me nervous, so I thought I’d write.
The past few weeks with Thomas have been very difficult. He’s been hyperactive and difficult to deal with; the noises he’s been making have been driving us all nuts. He hums the theme music to “Indiana Jones” very loudly (we’re hoping to make it to the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular later today) and this kind of thing makes us quite crazy. Even Hayley has been bothered by it, which is a new thing.
Jonathan and I think that Thomas’ new erratic behavior has a lot to do with the trip which, until right now, has been coming up. He’s been trying so hard to understand and deal with this Disney World thing that he’s been acting out in other undesirable ways. Only this morning was he able to admit that he was excited about going to the airport. Hopefully, once we get on the Mickey Bus, he’ll be able to tentatively admit that he’s excited about Disney World. We got in line this morning, very early at the International Terminal because for SOME REASON, the boarding passes I printed out didn’t work for just me at the skycap. We were ushered into the elite line for security which went very smoothly, luckily. Getting everybody put back together and re-shod after that can be a pain and as a complete surprise to me, the metal E-Z Combs I had in my hair contained enough metal to set off the detector.
Jonathan went to park in long-term parking and re-joined us at the gate like clockwork and the kids got antsy waiting to board the plane, but they’ve been pretty good so far. I’ve just been told that we’re over Indianapolis and we’ll be over Valdosta, Georgia in about an hour. So we still have about two hours to go.
Jonathan and I have been saying “This is crazy, this is crazy, this is crazy!” like Chevy Chase in Vacation right before he goes skinny-dipping with Christie Brinkley. We still can’t believe we’re doing this! I’m up in the air right now and I can’t believe it. Now it’s in God’s hands, I guess.
Thomas has been showing more interest in some of the shows we’ll see in Disney World like the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, the Beauty and the Beast show and the Nemo show. Hopefully, his mood will only improve. Otherwise, we’re screwed. And I know that when I get home, I’ll need a vacation. This is Jonathan’s idea of a vacation: Go, go, go all day, fall into a deep and exhausted sleep at night, wake up the next day, repeat. I like beaches and Mai-Tais and a nice tawdry novel. Oh well. The kids had just better have fun, that’s all. They had better love this time and remember it for always. Now, and only recently, have I begun to understand the emotional and financial undertaking my parents went through when I was in eighth grade and they took my three sisters and me to Disney World. SIX ROUND-TRIP AIRFARES? Good God. Not to mention all of the six-day park hoppers. Hotel. Food. Yikes. So I understand now what that was all about.
I just hope that Thomas responds well to the whole thing. I hope Hayley stops whining. They fought at the airport just after we made it through security about who was going to hold my hand. I mean like, screechy, whiny fighting. Hooray. So what did I do? I bought them both a chocolate donut. And I had coffee with real cream and real sugar.
Hey, I’m on vacation!
Thank goodness THAT'S over!
Jul 14, 2009 by AnonymousBastille Day. Also, visit-the-neurologist-day. Woo-hoo.
I do not understand what it is about these children that they absolutely CANNOT shut their little mouths for FIVE MINUTES while I talk to the neurologist. They were good and well-behaved until she walked in the room and that was it! They were acting like they do when I’m on the phone: like I’m standing around, doing nothing, waiting only for them to make some request of me. I broke it down, and every minute I get to spend in this doctor’s office costs $25. I had to ask her to repeat herself more than once because the kids were acting like we were at the park instead of the doctor. Then, after I finished my disjointed and frequently interrupted conversation with her, she dropped a bomb: She wanted Thomas to have blood drawn to check his liver and kidney function, and also a CBC.
I have lost count over the past few days of how many times I have told Thomas that there would be NO SHOTS at the doctor. Technically, I was right; there were no shots. But somehow, Thomas didn’t see it that way. The doctor told us that we could just come back tomorrow or the next day so that we had time to prepare Thomas, but this hospital is a good hour away (on two expressways that are both under construction) and I decided to just bite the bullet and get the blood drawn today. What jolly fun we had! Actually, the phlebotomists thought the kids were both hilarious. Thomas sat on my lap and screamed his head off while Hayley held her hands over her ears and said, “Mommy, this is CWAZY!” When they took the needle out and slapped a bandage on his arm, they offered him stickers and he said, “But I wasn’t well-behaved! I don’t deserve stickers!” We left the lab as both techs were doubled-over laughing.
Anyway, Thomas did a lot better with the neurologist’s exercises than he did last time. He successfully completed almost all of the things she wanted him to do which is a great improvement. We decided together that he should try an increased dose of Strattera, moving him up to 18 mg from 10 mg. We’re going to stick with the current dosage of Clonidine because he hasn’t gained any weight since his last appointment, which is good. A side-effect of Strattera is weight gain, I guess.
I just wish they would behave at this doctor’s office. No matter how I threaten them or try to coax them or cajole them beforehand, NOTHING works and they’re always a pain. I wish I could see this doctor without Thomas (or Hayley) having to be with me. I guess it doesn’t work that way.
In my last blog I mentioned that I was trying to get Thomas to do some writing over the summer. We did have a successful “writer’s workshop” about a week ago. We all sat down and drew a picture and then decided what to write about it. It took a lot of waiting and asking pretty-please to get Thomas to sit down and do the thing, but once he sat down he drew a nice picture of several cars on a street and then wrote – mostly by himself! – “there are 5 people in the cars.” I was so proud of him that I wanted to scan the paper into my computer and e-mail it to his teacher. In the end, I decided to leave her alone and let her have her summer. I was so tickled that Thomas even seemed to be happy with the whole thing because of my favorable reaction. We’ll try again soon. It’s just nice to know that Thomas hasn’t forgotten how to read and write since school got out. Actually, he did a much better job than he used to do in school every day, writing most of the letters and sounding out most of the words himself.
While at the doctor, we got her to sign a letter I drafted for anybody at Disney World who might want to see it. It outlined the reasons why Thomas can’t be expected to stand in long lines or be around people for too long. Really, the reason we’re going to get the Guest Assistance Card for Thomas is not for his own comfort or our sanity. It’s more for the comfort and sanity of innocent people who might be standing near us. I shudder to think of what might happen if we encounter metal queuing-area fences. If he’s got anything in his hands to whack against the metal, there will be no survivors. Anybody in line with us will be doomed. In fact, I’ve decided that’s a good thing to say if there are any rude looks or inconsiderate comments from any other patrons in line while we move modestly up to the front. “Trust me buddy, you don’t WANT to wait in line next to this kid! Wanna read the letter from his neurologist?” I’m sure everyone will be perfectly courteous and understanding.
We’re still swimming as often as we can and trying to fill up the kid’s summer days with fun activities, but it’s hard. The weather (I know, again about the weather!) has not been consistently warm or sunny, or I have to work that evening or we have a doctor’s appointment…it’s always something. We should (God willing) be done with doctors until January, so that’s good. Well, except for the pediatrician. Hayley had a check-up last week (along with a Hepatitis A booster for Thomas…I’ve never heard so much screeching in my life) and absolutely REFUSED to pee in a cup, so we’ve got to give them a sample sometime.
I’m not fooling anyone, least of all myself. It’s never going to get done, and I’m not making a special trip to the doctor with Hayley’s urine so they can dip a stick in it and tell us that all’s well.
A wild ride
Jun 17, 2008 by AnonymousIt just goes by so fast. All of the planning and preparation to get away for one measly week (not enough time!) and the vacation is over in a flash. We’ve gotten back to normal; the laundry is all done and the bags are all unpacked and put away. We had a really great time, the kids especially! Thomas tried new things this year that we couldn’t get him to do last year and he wore his blue Speedo goggles faithfully all week.
Thomas still has a problem with swimming in the lake. We tried to get him in a few times but the closest we got was when my Aunt Suzy convinced him to splash on the shore. That was better than nothing! The rest of the time, he sat on the pier and watched everyone in the water. My Uncle Jeff and Aunt Paula brought a huge eight-person round floating lounger for people to sit in, and we tried to get Thomas into that too, but he wasn’t going for it. Thomas and Hayley mostly swam in the pools and played with other kids’ toys. We did notice as the week wore on that Thomas was having a generally difficult time adjusting. Going on vacation right after school ends for the summer requires a lot of adaptation on Thomas’ part and we could see that he was really struggling. I find it so interesting that Thomas was clearly having fun and enjoying himself, yet he was struggling inside at the same time. It’s hard to describe that to someone unless they see it firsthand. Thomas was particularly difficult in the evenings while we were trying to get dinner on the table or getting ready for bed. He did a lot of “wrestling” with Hayley (whether she was willing or not). He definitely needs more sensory input at these times of change. Thomas also had difficulty with what experts and teachers call “compliance.” To you and me, that means listening and doing what the hell Jonathan and I say. We had some upsetting times when we had to remove Thomas from group situations because he was being too rough. The last night, we all had a big potluck and ate each other’s leftovers before heading home on Saturday. Thomas was actually hitting us; punching right in the stomach. I realized that he was acting out the boxing game on the Wii because after he punched, he would fall on the ground and start counting to ten. Funny, but unacceptable. I warned him once that if he did it again, we’d leave, so we did. He was really upset and he knew what he did wrong because he kept telling us that he was sorry and that he wouldn’t hit again but we had to put our foot down, especially in front of all those people! It’s interesting how much more motivated a parent is to be firm when there’s an audience, isn’t it?
Thomas did ride the waverunner with Jonathan a couple times. On Sunday in particular, everyone wanted to ride with Jonathan and he was exhausted by mid-afternoon. Thomas dictated whether to go right or left and how fast he wanted to go. He mostly likes to go slow, but he enjoyed it very much. I told him that Jonathan has been dreaming of riding the waverunner with Thomas since before he was born, but I don’t think he gets it. Hayley rode a lot as well. She was very agreeable all week, ready to try any activity that anyone suggested. She rode a lot with my cousin Suzy, but mainly wanted to see the big balloon outside the boat rental place nearby. Whoever rode with Hayley got to idle around the pier a lot.
We went out to eat several times during the week; once for breakfast on the way to Missouri, two nights out during the week and then twice on Saturday on the way home. Thomas kind of ran hot and cold with that. Out of the five times we ate out, two of them didn’t go very well with Thomas. All in all, it was alright. Three out of five restaurant meals were peaceful. On Wednesday night, everyone went to our favorite Mexican eatery, then played mini-golf, then rode go-karts and finally we ended up at the frozen custard place. We all do this every year and it is typically a late evening but we decided to go ahead and try it with the kids. Dinner went fine, but mini-golf was hard for Thomas. He kept saying that he didn’t want to play but we sort of dragged him along. We just kept finishing holes and telling him to come on, come on to the next hole. By the eighteenth hole (I still can’t believe we made it!), he was actually enjoying himself.
Onto the go-karts, and this year Thomas was actually ready to try them! He rode with me in a little two-seater kart and Hayley rode with Jonathan. Thomas loved it! I was driving along, mentally patting myself on the back for helping Thomas to finally overcome this aversion to something we all knew he’d love. He was laughing very deeply in his belly. I’ve never heard him laugh like that! He had a great smile on his face and I thought for sure that we’d just have to find a go-kart track near our house. Unfortunately, Jonathan and I were very short-sighted. We didn’t think about what would come after the go-kart ride was over. Thomas did. After I pulled over at the end of our last lap, I unbuckled our seatbelts and Thomas slid over to my seat and said, “Okay. My turn!” Oh, dear. I took his hand and was able to lead him off the track without much trouble, but he was crying. He was crying very loudly by the time we got back to Jonathan and Hayley, so we picked him up and tried to soothe him. It was kind of sweet, somehow. He loved the ride, but wanted a turn to drive. Next year, maybe we’ll check out another track that said “Mini-karts for kids” on the billboard. God help me, can I actually be thinking of letting my son drive his own go-kart? Honestly, he’d probably be a better go-kart driver than I am.
Thomas recovered from the go-karting disappointment when we told him that we were going for ice-cream. When we got to the custard stand, he said, “Hey! I remember this place!” I’ll bet. I think he remembers it because there is a giant ice-cream cone on a pole outside the place. That’s memorable for an autistic five and a half year-old. A very visual child, Thomas is. Both kids fell asleep on our way back to the resort after what we felt was a largely successful evening.
Now that we’re home again, I can tell that Thomas is trying to re-adjust to being home all day. He doesn’t ask if he has school anymore. I wonder if he remembers from last year that there’s weeks and weeks without school after we get home from the vacation house. The rest of the summer stretches out to what seems like infinity. Yesterday, we visited the park. Today, we visited my mom because we had some work done on the car and she met us at the garage. Tomorrow, there’s an HVAC guy coming to check out our air-conditioning. Enthralling, I know. We’ll go swimming, re-up our zoo membership, basically the same stuff as last summer but I’ll try to keep it interesting. Somehow it always is, and the story of our lives requires no exaggeration.