Healing Thresholds Autism Therapy Topic Feed

Music Therapist Teaches More than Just Music to Kids with Autism

scottie — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Teaser:

Laura Fehr is a music therapist who has opened her own practice in North Dakota to work with children with autism.

Body:

Laura Fehr is a music therapist who has opened her own practice in North Dakota to work with children with autism and other special needs. Fehr, who uses music to work on non-music skills, such as social interaction and communication, says, “Music therapy works because music is processed everywhere in the brain.” She believes that every person has music in them; “everyone knows some sort of music.” Before Fehr begins a music therapy program, she assesses a child’s social skills, motor skills, cognitive skills, and communication abilities. She then sets client-specific goals and reassesses every three months.

Read original article: Music Therapy Graduate Brings Her Services to Bismarck

Listening Therapy Center Opens in the Philippines

scottie — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:28:10 +0000

Teaser:

Dr. Gina Diaz-Cembrano recently opened the I Listen Enhancement Center for Maximum Learning in the Philippines.

Body:

Dr. Gina Diaz-Cembrano recently opened the I Listen Enhancement Center for Maximum Learning in the Philippines. Although a dentist by training, Gina felt teaching preschool was a better way to help families who had children with autism and other developmental issues such as ADHD. The center uses the Tomatis Method. Gina explains, “The Tomatis method re-trains the listening system by using electronically modified music and language to re-educate, stimulate and improve the way in which we process auditory information.” Children with learning disabilities often have difficulty in communication and social interaction, the Tomatis methods attempts to increase listening skills, communication, and memory and attention. Gina has seen that Tomatis worked well with other therapies including occupational therapy, sensory integration, and speech therapy.

Read original article: All Ears for the Tomatis Method

Riding to the Top Provides Therapeutic Horseback Riding to Kids with Autism

scottie — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:05:48 +0000

Teaser:

Riding to the Top, one of New England’s largest therapeutic horseback riding centers, has helped kids with autism and other developmental delays since 1993.

Body:

Riding to the Top, one of New England’s largest therapeutic horseback riding centers, has helped kids with autism and other developmental delays since 1993. They currently have a year round location in Windham that serves 250 people a year from ages three to 73. Sarah Bronson, executive director, explains that horseback riding helps with muscle strength, communication, social interaction, and academics. Linda Baker, a special ed teacher at King Middle School says, “It had an affect on their academics." They're reluctant writers. But this just opened them up. For the first time, I got them to write a full page about their experience -- because they had a great experience to write about.”

Read original article: Many Find Riding Horses Therapeutic

App Helps Teens with Asperger’s Understand Social Cues

scottie — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 15:43:27 +0000

Teaser:

Mark and Kelly Bowers, clinical psychologists who work with teens with Asperger’s, have developed an App to help with social cues.

Body:

Mark and Kelly Bowers, clinical psychologists who work with teens with Asperger’s, have developed an App to help with social cues. Currently available on iPhones and iPads, Sosh is designed to “help tweens, teens, and young adults improve social skills.” The Bowers understand that in many cases youngsters with Asperger’s are smart and technically savvy, but lack the ability to compete socially. Sosh comes with interactive features that include “What Did That Mean?” A teen can look up “Jump in a lake,” and discover that he’s being asked to back off, not literally jump into a body of water. The App focuses on: Relate, Recognize, Regulate, Reason, and Relax. Users can find exercises that help them make eye contact, how close to stand to a person, and at what volume to speak. The Bowers saw a need for social interaction once kids had passed the early intervention stage.

Read original article: App Helps Special Students with Asperger's

Young Adults with Autism Learn Farming Skills

scottie — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 13:36:51 +0000

Teaser:

Farming Independence is an organization designed to help young adults with autism who didn’t have the advantage of early intervention.

Body:

Farming Independence is an organization designed to help young adults with autism who didn’t have the advantage of early intervention. Sheila Zamel Mayfield created the program after she saw how the program Best Buddies helped with social interaction, communication, and self-esteem. Farming Independence teaches vocational and life skills using gardening, animal husbandry, and culinary programs. Steve Hansen, a member of the organization’s advisory board says, “We know the autistic population is underemployed and unemployed, but they don't have to be. They need to be asked, ‘What do you want to do?' And then we'll help them find a way to make that into a money-making job.”

Read original article: New Autism Non-Profit Fills Void for Young Adults

Parent-Mediated Intervention May Help Children with Autism

scottie — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:21:45 +0000

Teaser:

A professor at University of Arizona is working on a 16-week activity program to assist children with autism.

Body:

A professor at University of Arizona’s Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences is working on a 16-week activity program to assist children with autism. Ann Mastergeorge is a developmental psychologist who has created what she calls parent-mediated intervention. She says that early results of her research show that children may improve when their parents “learn techniques to facilitate their child’s engagement in activities.” The intervention is based on the University of California Davis M.I.N.D. Institute’s program of joint attention and social interaction.

Read original article: UA Researcher Studying Impact of Autism Intervention Program

School for Autism Graduates its First Senior

scottie — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 18:37:04 +0000

Teaser:

The Comprehensive Learning Center (CLC) in Pennsylvania recently graduated its first senior, AJ Corless.

Body:

The Comprehensive Learning Center (CLC) in Pennsylvania recently graduated its first senior, AJ Corless. The school opened in 2000 and serves 24 students Pre-K through 12th grade. AJ was diagnosed with severe autism when he was three, but his mother refused to let him be held back. She founded the AJ Foundation and then the school. CLC’s curriculum includes “expressive and receptive communication, social interaction, play, and self-help skills”. Therapists use a form of ABA to work with the children; they also make home visits for continuity of treatment. AJ plays the piano, irons his own clothes, works two part-time jobs and is about to start a third where he will use his math skills.

Read original article: School for Students with Autism Graduates First Student

Families and Scientists Work to Intervene Early in Autism Risk

scottie — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 19:10:34 +0000

Teaser:

In 1998, six families, five of whom had children with autism, joined with UC Davis neuroscientists to create the MIND Institute.

Body:

In 1998, six families, five of whom had children with autism, joined with UC Davis neuroscientists to create the MIND Institute. In this article, one mother who has taken advantage of the Institute’s offerings tells about her experiences. Kristin Hinson’s son Noah is her third child to exhibit autism-like symptoms; however, with Noah, she uses early intervention training she received from the MIND Institute. The staff at MIND, while teaching her social interaction skills to use with her older boys on the spectrum, helped her recognize that denial was the first hurdle to overcome. So with Noah, his intervention began before he could even walk. The MIND Institute uses what the families learn about their children at home to help them in their research and therapy with other children.

Read original article: Hinsons' Journey is Tough; With Help, They're Working Toward a Hopeful Destination

Occupational Therapy Not Just for Workplace Accidents, but also for Developmental Delays

scottie — Mon, 30 May 2011 17:47:21 +0000

Teaser:

Occupational Therapy (OT) is often thought of as rehabilitation from workplace injuries, but it can be key to helping kids with autism and other developmental delays.

Body:

Occupational Therapy (OT) is often thought of as rehabilitation from workplace injuries, but it can be key to helping kids with autism and other developmental delays. This article from the director of Trinity Medical Center’s rehab area (Alabama), explains how OT spans the range from preventative care to mental health. The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) says that what makes OT unique is “its holistic focus on the individual’s capabilities, the activity or activities he or she is having trouble performing, and the environment where the activity is usually performed, such as work, home or other settings.” OT is used to help children learn skills needed to function at home and at school. Skills addressed include fine motor, social interaction, and academic performance. Examples of OT include learning to write, ride a bike, or catching a ball.

Read original article: More Than Workplace Wellness

Playground Partners Helps Kids with Autism During Recess

scottie — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 16:35:13 +0000

Teaser:

Touchstone Behavioral Health has a program called Playground Partners that works during recess with kids with autism.

Body:

Touchstone Behavioral Health has a program called Playground Partners that works during recess with kids with autism. Therapists work with the children on activities designed to promote communication and social interaction. Recess-turned-education is ongoing at several schools in Arizona. Parents and therapists both say they’ve noticed increased teamwork and friendships among the kids. Playground Partners is not just limited to children with autism, but to any child having social interaction difficulties.

Read original article: Program Helps Autistic Kids Benefit From Recess