Peer-mediated intervention (PMI) may be very helpful for children with autism, and a strong research base supports use of PMI.
This review article was designed to describe all research in which therapy for children with autism was performed by the child’s peers. The review covered 42 studies that used PMI in the treatment of people with autism. Many of the studies did not measure whether or not the studied treatment plan was followed by the peers. Some studies did ask the questions: Did the treatment occur for at least 10 minutes? Are there at least 1 or 2 peers in the treatment? Was an adult there to watch the session? The authors note that future studies should focus on what level of PMI can be performed by children at each age.
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Please comment on this autism topic.
Responding to relationship development intervention (RDI)
Jul 28, 2011 by AnonymousThank you to all the RDI defenders. It is ridiculous to believe that there is just one tried and true therapy for kids with autsim. I believe ABA works for some kids, but it wasn't even an option for mine. We had a very well-known doctor who agreed with our decision and believed because of our son's personality, ABA might cause of problems for him. We started RDI at home about 2 years ago. We then moved into extendeder services at our home and now have him in an RDI therapeutic school 5 full days a week. WOW, what a difference! My son has made such striders. The extenders are wonderful people who really care about him and his progress. He has built peer relationships at school that I never thought was possible. RDI is not a fad. Because of the nature of the program, progress is documented on a regular basis via videos made by parents, consultants, etc. It is amazing to look back and see how far my son has come. As a parent, you feel supported and a huge part of your child's progress which is so rewarding. I urge other families to take a look at RDI and not be pushed into other therapies that they are not comfortable with. BTW, my son's RDI is covered 100% through insurance after we reach our deductible.
Responding to Thorazine (chlorpromazine)
Aug 13, 2010 by PWSMomIn 2006 the FDA approved risperidone for the specific treatment of aggression and irritability in people (inc children) with autism, yet you have posted an expert opinion also from 2006 that anti-psychotics are not useful in treating autism. Please review your information. Risperidone is an anti-psychotic and has been found to be effective in treating patients with autism who are easily agitated and frequently aggressive. While I can not speak specifically to Thorazine, the professional opinion used to back up the information is outdated and no longer correct.
Comment added from Healing Thresholds: Note that rarely is scientific consensus achieved in one year. Moreover, scientific consensus rarely occurs as the result of a regulatory decision (FDA approval). At Healing Thresholds we summarize medical research as it occurs and we provide the date of the medical research/medical opinion. We inlude both mainstream and alternative views as long as those studies/opinons have been subjected to the scientific peer review process. We encourage all readers to consider the date of the research/opinion (and the source of the research/opinion) when evaluating how the results relate to their own child's therapy program.
The long and winding road
Jul 4, 2009 by AnonymousConor is the name of my beautiful green-eyed boy who last year was formally diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. We had been told by a teacher at his daycare that she felt he needed to be evaluated. We took him to our local school district and they agreed that he had "developmental delays." It wasn't until January of last year that his speech therapist actually uttered the word "autism" in assocation with Conor and that was the most devastating word we had probably evere heard. However, whatever we started to read about autism didn't seem to fit him completely. Conor is a very affectionate, articulate and happy little boy. There didn't seem to be any books out there to describe him in the context of having autism. That seems to be changing but it's still quite lacking. I guess I'll have to write my own book!
Nevertheless, as it turns out, loving a child with autism is not the worst thing in the world. We have been enormously blessed with the school Conor attends, where he has been for two years now. He is attending summer school now to keep up the work and not have it disrupted. He only has two more weeks left at this school and then will move to his new elementary school for kindergarten. We are trying to prepare him as best we can. We have set up meetings with his new teacher and drive by the school whenever we have an opportunity. His new school has the same cross-categorical program that his current school has so while he'll have a whole new teacher, school and routine to adjust to, he'll at least have the same program. In the morning, he'll have one-on-one work for his IEP and then in the afternoon, he'll attend regular kindergarten witih his peer group and have an assistant who will shadow him and another cross-cat student. I am excited to have him start this new school with all the possibilities it will provide. He'll be in a class with children his own age, whereas now, he's in with some kids who are a little younger than he is, whom he often imitates (i.e., screaming, hitting himself, making baby noises, etc.). His teachers are confident that he'll outgrow this tendency to imitate, which will come with maturity. We can ask him, "Hey, who are you imitating now?" and he'll respond, "Justin, Payton, Jacob, etc." So he knows he's doing it and knows it's not an entirely desirable behavior. His teachers have commented that this is upsetting to the child he's imitating so we work diligently to overcome that behavior.
Conor has come a remarkably long way and his teachers agree. There are many things he can now do that he wasn't able to do before. Academically, he's right on track, but socially, not so much. He has a hard time making friends. We hope that he will develop better skills in kindergarten to make connections with friends and learn the appropriate ways to interact with friends. Sharing is a big hurdle!
Conor has an 18-month old sister and that has been an interesting journey. When we first brought her home from the hospital, he didn't want us to get her out of the car! He has had to learn what is appropriate behavior with her and how to be gentle. It's very disconcerting when he laughs inappropriately when she cries in distress. However, if I cry, he shows immense concern and empathy. It's pretty remarkable to witness. I think as he and his baby sister get closer and closer as they grow up together, his connection to her will be more compassionate.
Conor has been a study subject to research the low-dose effects of Risperdal in ASD children. Having him participate in this study was a very arduous and painful decision. His participation ends next month and we're not entirely sure how much it has helped him or affected his behavior positively. In fact, there seems to be an emphasis on some undesirable behaviors and we're not sure if it's environmental or biological. Who knows? All of this is such a crap shoot... everyone just wants a definitive explanation about how to heal/treat/cure autism. Lord knows I sure do! But as I have said, this I can handle. It's certainly a challenge but it's not insurmountable. My child is healthy and happy... we can work together to get him where he needs to be.
One little fishy...
Jun 2, 2008 by dankohnWell, I totally dropped the ball on calling Thomas’ future kindergarten teacher. I kept putting it off and putting off until…I realized that tomorrow is the last day of school. Way to go, me! Despite my unfortunate procrastination, I am sure that Thomas will adapt to kindergarten just fine in the fall, and if he doesn’t, we’ll all know who to blame. Well, I’d blame myself anyway.
Yesterday, we went swimming at good old Uncle Tom’s pool for the first time this season. The water was wonderfully warm and the kids had a great time! It’s amazing how much Thomas changes year to year. Last year, he didn’t want Jonathan to toss him up in the air into the water and yesterday he couldn’t get enough of it. Jonathan threw him in the air and at the top of the arc, the look on Thomas’ face was priceless. He looked like Peter Pan figuring out he could fly for the first time. The only problem we had yesterday was that Thomas’ eyes were very irritated from opening them so much underwater. We brought him home and he was rubbing his bloodshot little eyes an awful lot and crying about it too. Today, we went to the store and bought some goggles which I was sure he wouldn’t wear but he proved me wrong again! He understood exactly what they were for and that they would prevent the eye irritation while allowing him to see (better) underwater. He wore them the entire time we were swimming today and I plan to have him use them on vacation which is a scant five days away now.
The other thing that Thomas did for the first time today was swim for a bit without his swim-aid jacket. I asked him if he wanted to try it and he said he did so we took it off. He swam around with his head underwater mostly, just because that’s how he likes to do it. He poked his mouth up for air every so often (not enough to satisfy me) and he actually jumped in like that a few times. After a couple minutes, I could tell that he was getting tired so I asked him if he wanted to put the jacket back on and he agreed that it would be a good idea. So my little fishy is learning to swim; another thing he’s managed to figure out on his own without special lessons and such. My sisters and I all love to swim and we never took lessons, so there you go.
It’s supposed to rain here off and on for the rest of the week so I doubt we’ll go swimming again before vacation. We’re mostly ready to go…I always feel so unprepared, but somehow it comes together. I’ve got to find someone to water my plants every day next week because for the first time in my life, the flowers I planted are thriving. I can hardly believe it, because I have the opposite of a green thumb. Usually, it wouldn’t matter what I did, the plants would die within a matter of weeks and I’d be left with blank red mulch for the rest of the summer. The clearance-priced flat of pink petunias I planted are healthy and flowering. The impatiens are multiplying and even the hostas, which are really hard to screw up, I know – are not dead. So besides the plant-watering issue, I think we’re under control. Well, actually there’s the geriatric fish we’ve got, too. We can’t even remember when we bought this fish but it was at least several years ago. The thing is huge now and I think he’s coming into the twilight of life because he spends a significant portion of the day laying on the bottom of the tank. He gets up to hover around the heater (because he’s cold?) for a few hours and rises to eat, but otherwise he’s resting on the bottom. He looks at us when we peer in at him, but I think he’s just getting old. So if anyone knows anything about vacation care of a geriatric fish, please let me know. Sophie is going to stay with my dad who promises to “dog-whisper” all of her bad habits away. I’m sorry that I won’t be around to observe that. Sophie is rather intractable when it comes to that sort of thing.
Needless to say, Thomas is very excited about going to the “vacation house” again. I’m really interested to see how things will go this year. Getting him to sleep won’t be hard because of the Clonidine, and I remember struggling with that last year. Going out to eat will be easier because he’s pretty good with that now. He might even ride the waverunner with Jonathan! I would be very excited to see that and yes, I will have all manner of still and moving picture cameras at the ready.
Because of all the tasks I have to complete this week and the fact that I will not have my computer with me the next, I don’t think I’ll be able to write again for two weeks or so. I will give a complete report of Vacation House 2008 when I return!