Healing Thresholds Autism Therapy Topic Feed

Responding to visual schedules

Tue, 28 Dec 2010 17:59:21 +0000

One of the most important things to remember is that our words disappear, visuals (pictures) do not.. We all use visuals in one form or another, calendars, post it notes, grocery lists, etc. We all look to visuals for information for instance on the highway for a hospital, gas stations, places to eat and restrooms, divided highway ahead, merge to the right, speed limit 35 and Stop. Visual strategies though, are created with an intended focus of giving particular person information that they are not picking up naturally. If one mentions an abstract word to a group of people, they all may have a different vision of what that word means or looks like. A picture of the correct definition puts everyone on the same page with regards to comprehending the intended meaning of the word for that purpose. For instance your child may associate “eating” with their favorite cookie so when you say “we are going to eat” they are envisioning getting their favorite cookie, when in fact you are talking about giving them an egg for breakfast. There is confusion and probably a meltdown because they have a different view of what “eat” means. Visuals can help take away that confusion for them as well as their expectation of getting the cookie, especially if they are looking at a picture of a plate of eggs, then they are prepared as well for eggs for breakfast, or for what “we are going to eat.”

Visuals can be used to teach so much more than just schedules. I am the mother of a daughter with autism, who is now 16. I began using visual strategies with her when she was 3. They were affordable, I could do this myself and I did not need expensive equipment to find success. My daughter did have speech and occupational therapy and she did have a supportive team at school. I used visuals to teach routines, behaviors, social and academic rules, academics and the list goes on and on. I used them mainly to teach comprehension of our very abstract language and to also teach preparation for change. I created transition tools for moving from one environment to the next. She had bookmarks for the rules of the library, she had another bookmark with the class rules for doing seatwork as well as a foam cutout of a lunchbox with what to do when the lunchroom gets too noisy rule. I found the visuals were the bridge or the key to her understanding. They need to be used consistently, and you must have patience and you cannot give up. When my daughter looked confused, I would ask myself what it was about the situation she did not understand and then I created a visual to show her.

My daughter is now 16, a junior in high school, and is taking honors classes and two AP college level classes. She is fully included and was on the yearbook and school newspaper for two years. She has a great interest in sports and so her articles involved interviewing coaches and players for the articles. I believe the early intervention; with the use of visuals throughout the years is a major part of her success.

I co-authored a book with Linda Hodgdon, who is well known internationally in the use of visual strategies for individuals with autism. Linda has written two great books “Visual Strategies for Improving Communication” and “Solving Behavior Problems in Autism”. These were my constant companions and you may find them helpful as well. As a result of using all these visuals with my daughter over the years, I co-authored an e-book with Linda called “Practical Communication Tools for Autism-Visual Strategies for Lifelong Success”. It is about the journey with visuals and how they worked as well as pictures of many of them with my daughter. These can be found at www.usevisualstrategies.com

No matter what resource you use, the bottom line is to get started, be patient, consistent and to not give up trying. You don’t need to be trained in using a “system”, use your gut instinct. I tore apart magazines for pictures and used cereal box tops for cereal choices. This was before the age of the digital camera and film was expensive, but I did take a lot of pictures as well. I had to teach my daughter how to point and until she could. I read her facial expressions when I placed her hand on a picture. We did a lot of detective work and we worked through many obstacles until we got it right, but it was so worth it. Visuals have no side effects and are easy to use and affordable…best of luck

Responding to neurofeedback

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 20:11:35 +0000

We have used neurofeedback (NFB) for our Asperger son. I don't know how well it works for autistic people. For Asperger syndrome, it can work very well, but it's a long process.

We started the therapy when my son was 9 years old, having extreme difficulties at school because he couldn't cope with anything. His anxiety was so high even the NFB doctor thought it was remarkable. The initial assessment showed that my son had high delta-theta waves (associated with ADD-like attention span), low sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) waves (associated with sensory issues,fidgeting, tics, agitation, and anxiety), and high high-beta waves (associated with intense anxiety). This profile is pretty much exactly what all Asperger kids look like.

We liked the NFB approach because unlike virtually all other ASD treatments we tried or looked at, this was the first one that looked inside our son's brain to see what was going on. The assessment wasn't based on theory, observation, or cookie-cutter practice, but on the actual output from the kid's head.

The NFB treatment involved playing computer games via electrodes stuck to the scalp and ears. It sounds more fun than it is, because the games are very slow. We had to bribe my son to do the therapy. We are very tech-savvy, so we trained at the centre so that we could do the sessions at home (we live hours away from the clinic).We did the sessions every day so that we could see the results faster. We kept a log sheet of observations, hours of therapy, and game points, and included any observations from his teachers.

After 30 hours of treatment, he suddenly figured out how to control his high-beta waves. Where he used to get scores of 10, he could now get scores of 200, then 400, then 1000. He had no idea how he was controlling the levels, but he was doing it. Within a few days, we noticed that his anxiety was GONE. I mean GONE. Suddenly nothing bothered him anymore. He wasn't afraid of the dark, or of barking dogs, or of rain, or of traffic. He stopped fretting about death and getting older and started simply living.

We continued the therapy for another 30 hours and got his SMRs up. That's when he started eating a bunch of new foods and playing outside. He'd even ask to try out something new. However, the SMR's are the hardest wave to fix, because they're deep in the brain, and he didn't maintain the high SMR's for long.

The one we had the least success with was the delta-theta, which ironically is usually the easiest to treat. Oh well. So he's still a space cadet!

We wrapped up the therapy at 100 hours, very pleased with the results.

My son is now 14 and doing well. We've noticed in the ensuing years since doing his NFB that it's worthwhile to do tune-ups three to four times a year. Video games, sedentary activities, and long car drives all seem to push his brainwaves back into the old patterns. We can tell when this occurs because suddenly he can't cope with anything, he's screaming a lot, and the teachers are phoning us to ask what's going on. All we need to do is a week of NFB, a half-hour per day, and the problems disappear. We've now trained our son to do his own sessions, so it's very easy for us.

If you want to learn more about NFB, you need to do some reading first. The best book on the subject is one that's probably in your public library: A Symphony in the Brain. It explains how the brain works. There is a chapter on NFB near the end. Besides that, there are many books available discussing the applications for NFB treatment. It works so well for anxiety disorders, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (which are all disorders in which the brainwaves get into bad patterns and get stuck there) that its popularity is growing. NFB is expensive. There are some people trying to develop simpler, more user-friendly technology, but the practitioners are used to the old systems. We have to wait for a younger generation of NFB doctors to move into the field to take it in new directions.

Treatment Outcomes for Severe Feeding Problems in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

scottie — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Title	Treatment Outcomes for Severe Feeding Problems in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Laud RB, Girolami PA, Boscoe JH, Gulotta CS
Journal Title	Behavior Modification
Year of Publication	2009
Volume	33
Issue	5
Pages	520-536
URL for Abstract	http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19748900
Teaser	Children with autism who have feeding problems may be helped by an interdisciplinary feeding program.
Full Text	Children with autism who have feeding problems may be helped by an interdisciplinary feeding program. Feeding problems are a pattern of eating that is not normal and causes social or health problems for the patient. The purpose of this study was to see if a feeding program was able to help 46 children with autism who had feeding problems. The children (aged 3 to 12 years) in the study received intense behavior therapy and oral motor therapy. The authors found the program to be a success based upon one follow-up data point for each child. While the program was able to help the children, the authors note that these children had severe feeding issues and were part of a feeding disorders program.

Parents of Autistic Child create book...Look Who is Coming

ddickrader — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 23:42:51 +0000

A month or so ago, I noticed my 3-year old mild to moderately diagnosed autistic grandson picking up books (albeit upside down) and pretending to read - I suspect he was mirroring what he understood in his special school pre-school class. One problem with Aidan and books is that after a few seconds, he's finished with the mock reading, and may tear them up during play.

I bought some muslin, cut it into approximately 5" x 7" pieces, folded the edges over, stitched them down (to prevent fraying), then added a button hole in the top left corner of each. I gathered family pictures, and using Publisher, reversed them horizontally, added names (Aidan, Mom, Dad, Grady, Nana, etc.) also reversed, put four pictures w/names on a page, and printed to iron-on t-shirt transfers. After cutting them apart, I ironed one picture w/name on each muslin page, and attached all via a piece of tulle ribbon (strong), knotted tightly. I had originally thought of a metal key ring, but nixed that because it'd be too hard to thread and secondly, because it could accidentally hurt someone if hurled.

I had enough pages to add "action pictures" of Aidan getting a haircut, riding a horse, jumping, eating, and the very last page was one with him going "night-night".

Aidan has a limited and reluctant vocabulary, but as he flipped through the pages with me while I said each name, he repeated most of them. He can also throw, bend, and generally play with the book and it won't break and is washable.

And I've just ordered Look Who Is Coming for Aidan, and may order more for other grandchildren w/out autism. I applaud the authors.

Parents of Autistic Child create book...Look Who is Coming

ddickrader — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 23:42:00 +0000

I had enough pages to add "action pictures" of Aidan getting a haircut, riding a horse, jumping, eating, and the very last page was one with him going "night-night".

And I've just ordered Look Who Is Coming for Aidan, and may order more for other grandchildren w/out autism. I applaud the authors.

Living Gluten Free – Right to Heal

karmic health — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 21:27:03 +0000

By Sandi Star, CCN

After struggling for over 40 years with chronic migraines, IBS, Muscle and joint pain, fatigue, brain fog, asthma and a slew of other ailments and frustrations I decided to take a closer look at the cause rather than obsessing on the symptoms. I was tired of relying on doctors to give me answers and tired of the medications that only gave me side affects and little relief.

I had been committed to health and fitness for over 20 years, losing close to 50 pounds and 5 dress sizes, however I still had all the chronic conditions that played havoc in my life. I realized there was a key element missing and soon found out it was my reaction to gluten and dairy. I didn't know enough about food intolerance or allergies or at least put the two together. I never believed food could have such a serious impact on overall health let alone be the direct cause of my diseases. With what I know today I’m surprised my doctor didn’t put the connection together when he diagnosed me with Sjögren’s Syndrome (autoimmune disease). Sjögren’s is one of the symptoms of Celiac along with a long list as you will see below and nutrition plays a critical role in the healing process. By making the appropriate diet changes – (gluten and dairy free), I’ve managed to eliminate my migraines, IBS………etc., etc., and have the Sjögren’s Syndrome under control. Even better, I have eliminated all medications and use food and natural remedies for nutrition and overall health. Now that you know why I became a clinical nutritionist and why I started Karmic Health lets get into the details of why it’s so important to understand gluten and its relation to diseases.

Why the problem with gluten now? A lot has changed in the way we harvest food compared to 50 years ago. Some of the seed companies began engineering wheat kernels that could be more easily ground and produce fluffier flour to make the soft, delicious white bread for example had to have greater yields; it made more money for the farmer and increased sales.

Gluten is a composite of the proteins gliadin and glutenin. These exist, conjoined with starch, in the endosperms of some grass-related grains, notably wheat, rye, and barley.

Understanding what happens in the body and some of the symptoms will help millions of people who go undiagnosed. Celiac is the most common genetic disease of mankind (yet for every person diagnosed, 140 will go undiagnosed).

A wheat allergy is the body’s abnormal autoimmune response to a certain protein component of wheat; it’s exhibited by a severe sudden onset allergic reaction. Usual symptoms are immediate coughing, asthma, breathing difficulties, and/or projectile vomiting. It can cause life-threatening responses in allergic people. A true Wheat allergy affects less than 1/2 % of population.

Intolerance's are much more common than true food allergies but are harder to diagnose. Food intolerance is an adverse reaction to food that does not involve the body's immune system. Generally food intolerance is an inability to properly digest certain foods. In some cases food passes right through the body before digestion is complete.

Leaky Gut is an increase in permeability of the intestinal mucosa to luminal macromolecules, antigens, and toxins associated with inflammatory degenerative and/ or atrophic mucosa or lining. Put more simply, large spaces develop between the cells of the gut wall allowing bacteria, toxins and food to leak into the bloodstream. Leaky Gut Syndrome has also been linked with many conditions, such as: Celiac Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia, Autism, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Eczema, Dermatitis, and Ulcerative Colitis.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease caused by an inappropriate immune response to dietary proteins found in wheat, rye, and barley (gluten and

gliadin). This response leads to inflammation of the small intestine and to damage and destruction of the villi that line the intestinal wall. These villi are projections (small folds) that increase the surface area of the intestine and allow nutrients, vitamins, minerals, fluids, and electrolytes to be absorbed into the body. When the villi are destroyed, the body is much less capable of absorbing food and begins to develop symptoms associated with malnutrition and malabsorption. When the body is exposed to the gluten and gliadin proteins, it forms antibodies that recognize and act against not only the grain proteins, but also against constituents of the intestinal villi. As long as the patient continues to be exposed to the proteins, he will continue to produce these autoantibodies. Celiac disease is found throughout the world but is most prevalent in those of European descent. It can affect anyone at any age and is more common in women. It is thought to be an inherited tendency that is triggered by an environmental, emotional, or physical event – although the exact mechanism is not fully understood.

According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, about 5 to 15% of close family members of a celiac disease patient will also have the condition.

Symptoms

There are literally dozens, if not hundreds, of symptoms of gluten intolerance. It all comes down to inflammation in the body! Many people believe the most common symptoms are gastrointestinal in nature - yet the majority of people with gluten intolerance (and celiac disease) have extraintestinal symptoms.

The most common symptoms of celiac disease include:

• Fatigue

• Addison’s disease (hormonal disorder)

• Gastrointestinal distress (gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, reflux)

• Headaches (including migraines)

• Infertility

• Mouth sores

• Weight loss/gain

• Inability to concentrate

• Moodiness/depression

• Amenorrhea/delayed menarche (menstrual cycles)

• Bone/joint/muscle pain

• Dental enamel hypoplasia (dental enamel defect)

• Short stature

• Seizures

• Tingling numbness in the legs

The “cure” is a life long gluten free diet.

Making the Transition

1. Have a reality check. Remember this is a choice! If you want to feel lousy for the rest of your life and get worse as time goes on then continue eating gluten. If you want to start on a journey to heal; go gluten free!

2. Give it time. It takes time to heal. Take the 45 day challenge.

Within this time frame you will notice the brain fog is gone. Your body will start adjusting to a healthy weight. Yes, you will lose the bloating and weight around the middle. Don’t be discouraged if it takes a little longer to feel 100%.

3. Look at your current diet and go through your pantry and refrigerator to find the foods and meals you already eat that are gluten-free. You may need to keep a food journal if you haven't already.

Be sure to list condiments, ice creams, produce, snacks, and other foods.

This list will be helpful as you create menus around your new foods and give you encouragement that you're already on the right track!

4. Give yourself permission to eat things that you may have restricted from your diet before your diagnosis. Potato chips or GF cookies may not be appropriate for other people, but they are a treat in a GF diet in small doses of course. You will need to find treats for yourself initially as you adjust to this diet. Count calories after you are comfortable with your new way of eating, manage your portions instead.

Once you are comfortable with the switch start cutting back on refined grains, crackers, breads, etc., to help the gut heal quicker. In all honesty, bread will not be that important. It's all about taking baby steps!

5. Look at your current menus and meals and find ways to eliminate gluten from your diet. Replace bread in sandwiches with GF bread or green leaf lettuce and add your favorite fixings and condiments. Have breakfast burritos with rice tortillas instead of toast and eggs. Look for GF hot and cold cereals (must not have barley malt) and have those handy for a snack or meal. Replace bread and crackers with tortilla or corn chips, brown rice cakes or popcorn. For example, chicken or tuna salad on rice cakes or scooped onto corn chips is delicious. Popcorn is a filling side dish with soup. Be on the lookout for meals on your current menus or the menus of friends and family that are naturally gluten-free (roasted chicken, baked sweet potatoes and steamed veggies, for example) and make them a staple on your new menus. Surf the internet, watch cooking shows and browse magazines for ideas and adapt them as you see fit.

6. Clear out any and all foods that have gluten, wheat, wheat flour, oats, oat flour, rye, semolina, or modified food starch from your pantry. This will allow you to see how close you are to living gluten-free already. If you have family members living with you who are not gluten free, you might consider giving the "offending edibles" to them to be put in another part of the house while you learn to live and think gluten-free. As time goes on you can cook for the entire family without gluten.

7. Plan and prepare your meals ahead of time. Being caught hungry without a plan is not a good idea! Keep a few GF soups on hand in case of extreme hunger. Keep a small cooler in your car with snacks such as nuts, dried fruit and water. It helps to outline and pack any meals you're eating at home and away from home, including snacks. An example could be -

o Breakfast: scrambled eggs and mixed vegetables rolled in a rice tortilla, sliced apples, and coffee.

o Lunch: Lettuce with turkey, avocado slices, tomato, and mustard, 1 oz. chips, and 2 organic dark chocolate pieces.

o Dinner: Grilled fish or chicken with mixed vegetables, wild rice, and fruit.

o Snacks: 1 oz. almonds and popcorn.

o Desert: Coconut Ice Cream or fruit.

Tips

1. Be patient with yourself. You'll have days when being gluten-free is really depressing (maybe even "fall off the wagon"). This is normal.

Relax – it’s a process.

2. Carry snacks with you wherever you go. It's often difficult to find an appropriate snack when the hunger strikes. GF bars are great!

3. Arrange with the hosts of gatherings you may attend to bring your own sides or complete meals. Most people are very supportive of restricted diets.

4. Carry a small cooler in your car with small cold packs to store fruit, snacks and water.

5. Consider avoiding restaurants during your transition phase as you learn how to eat and think gluten-free. Grilled meats (over a flame), baked potatoes and salads without croutons are usually safe bets. But keep a log of places you eat, what you ate and how you felt afterward. Gluten is insidious and can turn up in the oddest places (french fries, for example which can be dusted with flour).

6. Get your hands on cookbooks or start collecting your own recipes in a binder.

7. Carry digestive aids (enzyme and bioflavonoid) with you in case of accidental ingestion. There are ones specifically for gluten such as GlutenFlam by Apex Energetics; available from your healthcare practitioner.

8. Consider taking a multi-vitamin to make up for vitamins and minerals you may lack with your new diet (ask your doctor or nutritionist if necessary).

9. Find a mentor or support system.

10. Breathe

About the author: Sandi Star, CCN

Sandi is the founder of Karmic Health, specializing in nutrition related to disease where a gluten and casein (dairy) free lifestyle is crucial; working with celiac, autism and all auto immune disorders. Sandi graduated from The Natural Healing Institute with a degree in Clinical Nutrition and is continuing her studies in Clinical Herbology. She has hands on understanding of many health issues and has dedicated her life in helping others reach their optimal health.

For more information related to this article please visit www.karmic-health.com or contact Sandi Star at 760.685.3154

Ketogenic Diets: An Update for Child Neurologists

scottie — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Title	Ketogenic Diets: An Update for Child Neurologists
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Kossoff EH, Zupec-Kania BA, Rho JM
Journal Title	Journal of Child Neurology
Year of Publication	2009
Volume	24
Issue	8
Pages	979-988
URL for Abstract	http://jcn.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/0883073809337162v1
Teaser	A ketogenic diet that cuts down on carbohydrates may be helpful for children with autism and may help reduce seizures.
Full Text	A ketogenic diet that cuts down on carbohydrates may be helpful for children with autism and may help reduce seizures. With a ketogenic diet, most of the daily nutrition comes from eating fat and protein. The Atkins diet is a type of ketogenic diet. Ketogenic diets have been reported to be helpful for children with epilepsy. While on the diet, some children have fewer seizures. Some children with autism also have seizures, so the diet may be helpful for children with autism as well. Neurologists are exploring whether a ketogenic diet may also be helpful for other autism symptoms. However, there were no published studies reported in the article about this diet and autism. There have been side-effects reported, and some can be long-lasting. Side effects include slower growth, digestive system problems, kidney stones, bone fractures, and other problems.

Bite Size and Texture Assessments to Prescribe Treatment for Severe Food Selectivity in Autism

scottie — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:03:00 +0000

Title	Bite Size and Texture Assessments to Prescribe Treatment for Severe Food Selectivity in Autism
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Sharp WG, Jaquess DL
Journal Title	Behavioral Interventions
Year of Publication	2009
Volume	24
Pages	157-170
URL for Abstract	http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122328641/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0
Teaser	Children with autism who are very picky eaters may also have poor eating motor skills like chewing and swallowing.
Full Text	Children with autism who are very picky eaters may also have poor eating motor skills like chewing and swallowing. Some children with autism may not have enough calories and vitamins and minerals if they are very picky about what they eat. Behavioral therapy, based on ABA therapy, may help children eat a broader range of foods. This case study described a 3 year-old boy who was eating only liquid food (PediaSure) given by a bulb syringe. He was not eating enough calories every day to grow. He would get upset when more food or other foods were given to him. He would not swallow food and sometimes gagged. The behavioral therapy plan involved slowly giving him new foods in this order: 1) less than a teaspoon per bite of 16 pureed foods; 2) slowly making the bite size larger; and 3) slowly increasing texture. The authors said that each child may have different problems, and the therapist may help figure out which part of eating the child may need help with.

Medical Marijuana as a Therapy for Autism

scottie — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:22:58 +0000

Teaser:

A mom believes that her son with autism and aggression has improved behavior since beginning medical marijuana therapy.

Body:

A mom believes that her son with autism and aggression has improved behavior since beginning medical marijuana therapy. She tried traditional drug therapy with him, including risperdal, but that seemed to make him heavy, stronger, and still aggressive. The family contacted a medical cannabis doctor who agreed that a "speck" of marijuana given in a piece of fruit might help. His parents report, "It was an amazing experience, I'll never forget it, as we watched what happened, it was like 'He's back!' It was like all this anguish, pent-up rage and aggressiveness went away - it just calmed him down." Another mother with an autistic child who also had eating disorders gives her child a small bit of marijuana-infused oil in tea and cookies. She reported, "For the past year, he'd consistently had 30 to 50 aggressions in a school day, with a one-time high of 300. The charts for June through July, by contrast, showed he was actually having days-sometimes one after another-with zero aggressions." Doctors caution that more research needs to be done on marijuana as treatment for autism and many see drug therapy as a last resort.

Read original article.

Starting a gluten free diet

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 01:34:52 +0000

I think that it is good to purchase a book describing a GF diet before embarking on the diet. You may also want to consult with a nutritionist who can advise you on how to modify your family’s current eating to make it GFCF. You can also look to find another mom in your community who is doing it. Many of my mom friends are GFCF. I think if you hang out with another mom who is making those choices, you will realize that it is not so hard.

I (and others) can answer your questions online, but you may have to see it in practice in order for it to seem less intimidating.

In my experience, there are three approaches. My approach is to give up processed food and shop the periphery of the grocery and get food from farmer’s market/local farms. I serve protein, vegetables, and fruit. I cook every night and serve simple tasty food. This is relatively easy and works for me.

Other moms are very impressive and do what I do plus they bake fabulous things using nut flours, etc. I have tea once a week with a good friend who bakes the most extraordinary GFCF muffins. She does this every morning for her family!

The third category is represented by Jenny McCarthy. Sure, she serves her kid fruit and stuff, but mostly she seems to rely upon GFCF processed foods that are available in Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and specialty grocery stores.

You probably need to figure out where you fit in these three categories and then just give it a try.