Acupuncture may help language development in children with autism.
This study was designed to see if acupuncture combined with speech therapy could help children with autism learn to speak better. The acupuncture was performed by a therapist who was trained to work with children. The twice-weekly acupuncture was easy to do and it was safe. The therapist used only scalp acupuncture. The children who received both acupuncture and speech therapy did better on the speech test than those who received only speech therapy.
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Ayurveda for Autism Spectrum Disorder
Jan 4, 2011 by sunethriayurved...Hi everybody,
I am Dr.Prasad M, MD (Ay.), working with autistic kids from 2002 onwards. I went through the article mentioned. Let me share with you an unbiased information on the scope of Ayurveda, the age-old Indian system of Vedic medicine, in the treatment of ASD. This is based 100% on my personal experiences. Kindly see the following passages. Comments and criticisms are welcomed whole-heatedly.
Scope of Ayurveda in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Trials with Ayurvedic medicines and treatments for their efficacy in ASD are going on at various centres in India and abroad. The main advantage of ayurvedic medicine is that it has got a magazine of safe therapeutic preparations of various forms which are developed by continuous trials and rectifications over thousands of years. There are many preparations like kwatha (decoction), churna (powder), arishta (self-fermented beverage), gudika (pill), ghrtha (medicated ghee), thyla (medicated vegetable fats) etc. In recent times, many of the herbs used in Ayurveda are proven to have excellent detoxifying effect as well as free radical- scavenging potential. The therapeutic preparations like kwatha are combinations of many herbs. These combinations are originally developed on the basis of ayurvedic principles. Till recent times these formulations were not given due consideration by the western scientists. But now the picture has changed. More and more ayurvedic preparations are under their evaluation. In Ayurveda, the compounds as well as single herbs are used for different purposes of health care like pacifying vitiated functional units called doshas, eliminating excessive toxic accumulations, providing targeted nutrients to tissues, tuning the mind-body coordination, sharpening the efficacy of sense-organs, and so on. These prescriptions are based on personalised evaluation of different aspects like body constitution, doshik status, power of digestion and assimilation, status of bowel evacuation, physical strength, mental constitution, and etc which is done by experienced physicians. Mind is an important factor in the healing of any ailment. It is assumed that mind is like ghee which is held inside a pot called body. If the ghee is hot the pot also gets warmed and if the pot is hot definitely the ghee also will be hot. You cannot expect warm ghee in a cool pot and wise versa. Similarly, food is given the supreme role in the healing process as well as in the maintenance of health. It is a basic concept in Ayurveda that there is no use for any medicine if one stick on to pathya (wholesome) food (as it brings about health spontaneously) and there is no use for any medicine if one stick on to apathya (nasty) food (as there is no scope for functioning of the medicine). In the context of autism, these assumptions are extremely important and seen exceptionally beneficial.
The care of autism, as per ayurvedic principles, is based on the protocol of a three-step intervention.
Again, though the stages are generalised the execution will be personalised.
The first stage is based on medicines almost completely. Medicinal preparations like purgatives, specific formulations for de-worming, for enhancing the functions of the liver and pancreas, for enhancing the digestive fire (Agni), and for regulating the intestinal motility are used in this stage. Certain preparations meant for squeezing out heavy metals from the tissues are also used. Turmeric, garlic, curry leaves, etc are having this advantage.
Second phase is mainly comprised of massages. Traditional methods like abhyanga (hot-oil massages), udwarthana (dry powder massages), pindasweda of various types, thalapothichil, pizhichil, etc are used here. These manoeuvres improve the muscle tone, reduce hyperactivity, create better motor coordination, and normalize most of the obsessive repetitive movements. Child sleeps well. The bowels become more regular at this stage. He/she will be more receptive to commands or suggestions. The demand for sensory stimulation slows down considerably and the symptoms like increased sensitivity to certain sounds (hyperacusis) slowly disappear. There will be oral medications parallel to the therapies and a few of these medications will be carried over to the next phase as well.
Third stage is very specific and sold not be started before the proper completion of the first two. This is an important point as there is a general tendency to mark the condition as mental retardation and to prescribe brain tonics and memory boosters to all autistic kids indiscriminately.
The major therapies in this stage are shirodhara (pouring of liquids like oils on the head), shirovasthi (holding of medicated oils on the head inside specially designed leather-rims), shiropichu (wetting the scalp with oil bandages), dhoopanam (fumigation with specific medicines) etc along with specific medications like kallyanakam kashayam, indukantham kashayam, gorochanadi gudika,balakanakapathradi kashayam, sidharthakam gudika etc. Certain specific herbs like sahadevi, sankhapushpi, vacha, vishnukranthietc are also used. Follow up is done with ghee preparations like mahakallyanaka, mahapaisachika, brahmighrtha, saraswathaghrtha, etc.
Conclusion
It is seen that the classical ayurvedic treatment done systematically give promising results in kids diagnosed with ASD. But it should be emphasised that the level of improvements is different from child to child. Another important point is that these interventions are made in a corrective manner. The child gets relieved of a lot of physical problems and tantrums. But this will not make him/her a normal child. Intensive training and special education are needed to put him on track and to catch up the peers. This requires the dedicated involvement of parents, special educators, and skilled professional like occupational therapists.
Responding to neurofeedback
Nov 12, 2010 by AnonymousWe 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.
Scope of Ayurveda in ASD by Vaidya Prasad
Nov 13, 2009 by AnonymousTrials with Ayurvedic medicines and treatments for their efficacy in ASD are going on at various centres in India and abroad. The main advantage of ayurvedic medicine is that it has got a magazine of safe therapeutic preparations of various forms which are developed by continuous trials and rectifications over thousands of years. There are many preparations like kwatha (decoction), churna (powder), arishta (self-fermented beverage), gudika (pill), ghrtha (medicated ghee), thyla (medicated vegetable fats) etc. In recent times, many of the herbs used in Ayurveda are proven to have excellent detoxifying effect as well as free radical- scavenging potential. The therapeutic preparations like kwatha are combinations of many herbs. These combinations are originally developed on the basis of ayurvedic principles. Till recent times these formulations were not given due consideration by the western scientists. But now the picture has changed. More and more ayurvedic preparations are under their evaluation. In Ayurveda, the compounds as well as single herbs are used for different purposes of health care like pacifying vitiated functional units called doshas, eliminating excessive toxic accumulations, providing targeted nutrients to tissues, tuning the mind-body coordination, sharpening the efficacy of sense-organs, and so on. These prescriptions are based on personalised evaluation of different aspects like body constitution, doshik status, power of digestion and assimilation, status of bowel evacuation, physical strength, mental constitution, and etc, which is done by experienced physicians. Mind is an important factor in the healing of any ailment. It is assumed that mind is like ghee, which is held inside a pot called body. If the ghee is hot the pot also gets warmed and if the pot is hot definitely the ghee also will be hot. You cannot expect warm ghee in a cool pot and wise versa. Similarly, food is given the supreme role in the healing process as well as in the maintenance of health. It is a basic concept in Ayurveda that there is no use for any medicine if one stick on to pathya (wholesome) food (as it brings about health spontaneously) and there is no use for any medicine if one stick on to apathya (nasty) food (as there is no scope for functioning of the medicine). In the context of autism, these assumptions are extremely important and seen exceptionally beneficial.
The care of autism, as per ayurvedic principles, is based on the protocol of a three-step intervention.
Again, though the stages are generalised the execution will be personalised.
The first stage is based on medicines almost completely. Medicinal preparations like purgatives, specific formulations for de-worming, for enhancing the functions of the liver and pancreas, for enhancing the digestive fire (Agni), and for regulating the intestinal motility are used in this stage. Certain preparations meant for squeezing out heavy metals from the tissues are also used. Turmeric, garlic, curry leaves, etc are having this advantage.
Second phase is mainly comprised of massages. Traditional methods like abhyanga (hot-oil massages), udwarthana (dry powder massages), pindasweda of various types, thalapothichil, pizhichil, etc are used here. These manoeuvres improve the muscle tone, reduce hyperactivity, create better motor coordination, and normalize most of the obsessive repetitive movements. Child sleeps well. The bowels become more regular at this stage. He/she will be more receptive to commands or suggestions. The demand for sensory stimulation slows down considerably and the symptoms like increased sensitivity to certain sounds (hyperacusis) slowly disappear. There will be oral medications parallel to the therapies and a few of these medications will be carried over to the next phase as well.
Third stage is very specific and sold not be started before the proper completion of the first two. This is an important point as there is a general tendency to mark the condition as mental retardation and to prescribe brain tonics and memory boosters to all autistic kids indiscriminately.
The major therapies in this stage are shirodhara (pouring of liquids like oils on the head), shirovasthi (holding of medicated oils on the head inside specially designed leather-rims), shiropichu (wetting the scalp with oil bandages), dhoopanam (fumigation with specific medicines) etc along with specific medications like kallyanakam kashayam, indukantham kashayam, gorochanadi gudika, balakanakapathradi kashayam, sidharthakam gudika etc. Certain specific herbs like sahadevi, sankhapushpi, vacha, vishnukranthi etc are also used. Follow up is done with ghee preparations like mahakallyanaka, mahapaisachika, brahmighrtha, saraswathaghrtha, etc.
It is seen that the classical ayurvedic treatment done systematically give promising results in kids diagnosed with ASD. But it should be emphasised that the level of improvements is different from child to child. Another important point is that these interventions are made in a corrective manner. The child gets relieved of a lot of physical problems and tantrums. But this will not make him/her a normal child. Intensive training and special education are needed to put him on track and to catch up the peers. This requires the dedicated involvement of parents, special educators, and skilled professional like occupational therapists.
Neurofeedback
Dec 28, 2007 by Anonymouswww.neurofeedback.org
What is Neurofeedback? (taken with permission from http://www.thebrainlabs.com/neurofeedback.shtml)
Neurofeedback uses sophisticated computer technology to train the brain. While there are different forms of neurofeedback (as discussed below), the most traditional form is known as EEG Biofeedback. In EEG Biofeedback, a child plays video/computer games with his/her brainwaves. During a typical session, EEG electrodes are placed on the scalp and/or ear lobe(s). These sensors only measure a child's brainwaves; no electrical current enters the brain. The information/brainwaves that are read by these sensors are fed to a computer that converts this information into gamelike (pacman game) displays that include visual and auditory feedback. An example of a typical set up is displayed below in Figure 1.
Figure 1
As a child learns to control and improve upon their brainwave patterns, their game score increases and they progress. The only way to succeed at the games is for a child to improve their brain and how it functions. Further examples are included below, including the game computer that the client sees in Figure 2 and the therapist computer that monitors the clients brain wave patterns in Figure 3.
Figure 2
Figure 3
As this is done over various sessions, a child's brain improves and their symptoms or problems reduce. There is also every reason to believe that if this is done over a long enough period of time that the changes that occur will be enduring. In addition to its' long-lasting effects, the other major advantage is the lack of significant side effects.
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What can Neurofeedback help?
Given that this therapy helps people to control and change their brainwaves, EEG biofeedback can potentially help with any problems that can be influenced by brainwaves. This would include almost anything controlled by the brain including thinking abilities, motoric responses, behavioral, emotional, and social difficulties.
Table 1 shows the types of conditions/diagnoses for which Neurofeedback has been shown to be helpful. The number of research studies verifying its' impact is also presented.
Table 1
A simple review of the data in Table 1 shows that Neurofeedback is considered effective for some Seizure Disorders and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. In fact, at least three research studies (Fuchs et al., 2003; Monastra et al., 2002; Rossiter & LaVaque, 1995) have now shown that EEG biofeedback is equivalent in its' effectiveness as compared to stimulant medications for the treatment of ADHD symptoms, but without the side effects and with a greater duration of lasting effects.
While Neurofeedback has also been shown to be effective for other conditions observed in children, such as Traumatic Brain Injury, there are clearly conditions in which much more work and research is needed. These would include Learning Disabilities, Stroke and especially Tourette's Syndrome and Autistic Disorders.
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What are the different types of Neurofeedback?
There are three major forms of Neurofeedback. These are:
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What is EEG Biofeedback?
Clearly, the most well known and first form of Neurofeedback is EEG Biofeedback. It was first discovered in the late 1960's and early 1970's that individuals could learn to control their own brain waves when provided feedback about them and that this information could be used to minimize or control seizures. It was later found that EEG Biofeedback could be used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and other developmental conditions or problems.
The typical EEG Biofeedback session has been described and shown above. Typically, EEG Biofeedback is done with three electrodes arranged in a monopolar pattern. This means that one electrodes is placed on the scalp at a clinically significant location and the other two are placed at relatively neutral sites (e.g., earlobes). With these electrodes in place various EEG frequencies are rewarded and others inhibited. This occurs via the visual and/or auditory feedback received, often via a computer screen and image. For example, it is common to reward low beta frequencies (often associated with focused, calm thought processes) and inhibit lower frequency ranges (delta, theta), which are often associated with distraction, fatigue, etc. When these conditions are met, for example, the pacman will move rapidly through a maze. Following similar processes, brainwave patterns are shaped over time toward a client's therapeutic improvement.
EEG biofeedback can be performed in a monopolar fashion at any of at least 19 electrode sites. Alternatively, some therapists chose to use bipolar montage or arrangement. In such a pattern, there are now two electrodes placed on the scalp and one on one ear. Now, brainwave patterns are shaped between theses two electrode sites or so it is theorized. Possible electrode placements and sites are expansive given that there are at least 19 locations and two electrode pairing combinations.
Lastly, there is an advanced form of EEG biofeedback referred to as coherence training. Coherence training is done with two separate channels of EEG (3 electrodes times 2 for a total of 6 electrodes). Each electrode grouping is arranged in a monopolar fashion. There are then two electrodes on each earlobe and two electrodes on the scalp. The purpose of coherence training is to facilitate "communication" between two specific brain regions.
EEG biofeedback conducted with either monopolar or bipolar setups seeks to focus on the amplitude or magnitude of various EEG frequencies, encouraging some and discouraging others. Monopolar arrangements seek such changes over one particular location, while bipolar setups seek changes between two sites (theoretically speaking). The training of specific locations and EEG frequencies then becomes of critical importance. EEG frequencies are described in cycles per second and reflect the speed of processing at a particular brain region. The following table is a representation of common frequency ranges, their names and associated features.
Typically, EEG biofeedback seeks to encourage some frequency ranges and discourage others. As a result, the neurofeedback therapist is left to choose the type of training, where on the brain to train and what frequency ranges to reward or inhibit. Discussed below are some issues related to these choices and approaches to neurofeedback.
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What is Stimulation-Driven EEG Biofeedback?
The two most popular forms of enhanced or stimulation-driven neurofeedback are LENS and the Roshi. LENS, or Low Energy Neurofeedback System, uses a very low power electromagnetic field to carry feedback to the person receiving it. This signal seeks to change this persons' brainwaves in subtle ways. The goal is often to alter to dominant brainwave frequency so as to make it more powerful. The result may be increased self-regulation and skills.
The Roshi is also an enhanced form of neurofeedback. In its' many incarnations, Roshi involved light stimulation that emulates a normally fluctuating EEG signal and its' many frequency variations. This tends to "push" the person more towards normalcy than they would be otherwise.
There is some evidence to suggest that these forms of enhanced neurofeedback can be helpful, especially in complex cases.
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What is Hemoencephalography?
Hemoencephalography or HEG refers to brain blood flow, its' measurement, and use as a neurofeedback application. This is a completely unique form of neurofeedback that is separate and different than EEG Biofeedback.
The originator of this technique, Hershel Toomim, developed a technology referred to as Near Infrared HEG or nirHEG. This measurement and biofeedback device is housed in a headband, which contains a light source and two optodes. Infrared lights are flickered alternating between 660 and 850 nm. The absorption of these lights, and a ratio of the same, received at the optodes is a calculation of cerebral oxygenation. This is used in the form of feedback to allow the client to enhance their brain's functions.
Another form of HEG has also been developed by Jeffrey Carmen. This form, entitled Passive Infrared HEG or pirHEG, uses an infrared lense that serves as a brain thermometer and measures temperature and inferred cerebral metabolism. This may also be used as a form of neurofeedback to aide in the enhancement and regulation of brain functions.
HEG is somewhat limited in that it doesn't see through hair. However, it has the advantage of being insensitive to artifacts such as muscle tension or eye blinks which may interfere with EEG biofeedback. As a result, HEG may be particularly useful of neurofeedback of frontal lobe or system dysfunction.
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What types of assessments can help Neurofeedback?
Now that we know there are various form of Neurofeedback that could be applied to many different problems and brain regions, how does one decide what to do and where? Believe it or not, there are some within the field that believe that all people can be treated the same way or with the same protocol. This is not our approach. In our clinical practice, we individually tailor and Neurofeedback protocol to an individual's particular problems or symptoms and, importantly, the identifiable regions of brain dysfunction that related to these symptoms.
The following is a possible list of ways in which Neurofeedback could be tailored for an individual: