Empathy may be taught to children with autism using applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy.
Empathy is the ability to understand and relate to other people's feelings. Four children with autism who rarely or never showed empathy skills received ABA therapy 5 days a week for 5½ hours per day at home and at a therapy center. Special ABA sessions to focus on empathy lasted 20-30 minutes, 4-5 days per week, for up to 10 weeks. The children were 4-8 years old. Therapists used puppets to pair actions with words about feelings during these special therapy sessions. They focused on sadness/pain, happiness/excitement, and frustration. All 4 children learned empathy skills with the puppets. For example, a child would say, "Are you okay?" if the puppet was "hurt." Generalization of empathy skills from puppets to people happened with two children, so that when a person demonstrated emotions they responded appropriately. For two other children, generalization from puppets to people was limited. The authors think it may be more effective to teach empathy skills with people instead of puppets.
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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.
Living Gluten Free – Right to Heal
Feb 22, 2010 by karmic healthBy 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
© Copyright Karmic Health 2010
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.