Interventions such as self-monitoring, video modeling, and individual work systems may help children with autism to be more independent.
While autism therapies may teach skills to children with autism, often the children depend on adult support in order to do these skills. Even people with high-functioning autism may rely a lot on adult prompts and feedback. The fact that many children and adults with autism cannot function by themselves means that they have poorer outcomes. Many interventions for children with autism focus on helping children to function by themselves. This article describes things that prevent people with autism from working by themselves and three interventions that may promote independence.
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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.
Autism and Deafness Event
Oct 20, 2010 by Deaf AutismCalling all educators, health care personnel, family members and other allies
interested in individuals (children & adults)
with autism spectrum disorders who also are deaf or hard of hearing
Understanding a Dual Diagnosis: Children and Adults with Autism who are also Deaf/Hard of Hearing
< Special Educational Event! >
Why: To learn more about this dual diagnosis and how to better serve people affected
To give your ideas on creating a statewide support and information association for professionals and parents
What: Guest presentation by Joseph Trapani, representative from the National Deaf
Academy, Mt. Dora, Florida. NDA has a specialty program aimed at serving
deaf/hh children & youth with co-occurring autism spectrum disorders.
Small group and large group brainstorming and visioning for new association
When: Wednesday, November 10, 2010,
9:30 – 12:30 presentation and visioning
1:00 – 2:00 PM - Planning for next steps for interested stakeholders/Logic Model
Where: Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind
33 N. Institute Street
Colorado Springs CO 80903
Cost: This event is free but donations would be greatly appreciated to pay for refreshments, interpreters, and materials. Some support may be available for families to attend: apply for a scholarship to Janet@handsandvoices.org.
To register: Contact Lorri Park, Autism Society of Colorado lorri@autismcolorado.org
720-214-0794 x11 by November 4, 2010.
Please advise if interpreting or other access is needed.
Unable to attend in person, but interested in possible webinar attendance?
Unable to attend, but want to give feedback on needs and desires for this population we serve?
Please contact lorri@autismcolorado.org. Lorri will email information about potential webinar attendance and email a prepared survey to you to return by November 4, 2010.
Event Hosts: Autism Society of Colorado (Lorri@autismcolorado.org)
Colorado Families for Hands & Voices (editor@handsandvoices.org)
Rocky Mountain Deaf School
Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind
Colorado Department of Education
Bill Daniels Center for Children’s Hearing and more to come…
Picture-Based Communications on the iPhone/iPod
Jul 21, 2009 by AnonymousHi there,
My name is Dan, and my wife Carey and I are parents to a four-year-old boy (with autism) and a two-year-old girl (neurotypical). Both of our kids are adorable and keep us laughing!
Our son is verbal, though his expressive language is weak and he struggles with sensory processing, particularly in new environments. We were turned on to picture-based communication aids by the Connecticut Birth to Three system -- laminated strips of pictures, notebooks, magnet boards, etc.
These tools worked. They helped Evan a good deal. Unfortunately, though, they weren't the most "workable" solution. Carrying around notebooks and boards is inconvenient. We'd lose the symbols, or not have the right one on hand when needed.
So, we invented an application for the iPhone and iPod Touch that lets caregivers customize and present visual schedules, social stories, timers and choices -- all right there in the palm of your hand. It's called iPrompts -- check it out at http://www.iprompts.com. We've gotten some incredible feedback about it. Hope it helps!
- Dan
Mouse ears and back-to-work
Feb 24, 2009 by AnonymousI hate to say this, but I think that Thomas either has developed a tic on the Strattera or that tooth has GOT to come OUT. Mrs. H. has noticed it too, but she thinks that it is from absentminded tongue-pushing against that loose tooth. I don't know...it seems like he's pushing against it with his tongue but it's in such a tic-ish way that it's hard for me to tell what it's all about. Jonathan said, and I agree with him, that we'll have to wait at least until the first tooth falls out to see if it gets better. If not, then there'll be a call to the neurologist in which I am instructed to take him off the Strattera immediately. Bye-bye great IEP meetings and terrific progress. Hello, extra TVs playing in Thomas' head, keeping him from effective communication. I'm trying to stay optimistic but I'll be really bummed...rather, EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED if the Strattera turns out to be off-limits like the Focalin, and for the same rotten reason.
My first day of work which will be strictly orientation is on Thursday. Yesterday as I was taking Thomas to school, he told me that he wanted me to go to work right away. How cute. We'll see how he feels on Thursday when I'm not around to step and fetch and carry for him and Daddy has to do all! We'll see how it goes. I know that Jonathan will be interested in doing his very best so that we can go on our Grand Disney Vacation that we are still tentatively planning for August. The children have no idea of the scope and scale of Disney. I ordered a Disney vacation planning video a while ago that I filed away until recently. We watched it on Sunday during lunch and the kids (especially Hayley) were glued to it. So was Jonathan. I have to confess that even I was taken in by it. If any readers out there have any advice on touring Disney with an autistic family member, we'd love to hear it. Or any advice in general would be great. We're still on the fence about the dining plan...we're thinking that we can do better in terms of how much it costs, but if anybody has tried it and has feedback, please let me know. When we called the reservation hotline on Saturday, the gentleman on the phone said that every single Disney "cast" (employee) member is well-educated on special needs kids. I can't wait to test that statement.
Hayley's been down with a cold this week and missed school on Monday. That's the first day she's missed all school year! Unfortunately for Hayley, the beginning of any illness is marked by an in-bed barf-o-rama and she was in my mother-in-law's bed on Friday night when it happened. We went to pick the kids up on Saturday and I've never felt worse for someone because of what my child accidentally did! The entire bed was stripped and somehow Hayley got vomit all over the bedskirt. My mother-in-law had to yank that bedskirt off from under her very deep and heavy mattress all by herself at midnight. I felt awful and did make her bed (including bedskirt) over for her while we were there, but even when Hayley's thrown up at home in her bed, I've never seen such a serious and far-reaching mess. Thomas has managed to catch the same cold, but he doesn't vomit nearly as much as Hayley, so he's just a little stuffed up. It's amazing how these kids deal with illnesses. What would have grown-ups flat on their backs for days doesn't affect little ones nearly as much. I guess the bigger we are, the harder we fall.
I can't see anything very important on our familial horizon except for me going back to work, something I intend to do now until I reach retirement age. It will be a big change for the kids, sort of. They're used to Jonathan being gone all day at work and I won't be gone all day. Just a few evenings during the week and some weekend days but we all know Thomas and how sensitive he is to any kind of change. Luckily, I can rearrange furniture when I want to or buy a new bedspread when the spirit moves me. It's lifestyle changes for Thomas that bother him. We just put new bunkbeds in Hayley's room and he loves them so much that he wants some in his room. My folks have one more set that perhaps we'll go ahead and take off their hands. We'll be able to sleep an army in this house, but what I'm more concerned about is one spry little six year-old jumping cowabunga-style off the top bunks. It hasn't happened yet, but we just got the things. We'll see how it goes. If he starts his very own "Circus of the Stars" in Hayley's room, then I think we'll be limiting him to just one bunk.