Research summaries for autism therapy: special needs

definition of special needs: A term used to describe individuals who may need assistance either medically, psychologically, or mentally. For example, a child with special needs may be diagnosed with autism or cerebral palsy.
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What Does the Law Say?, Summarized Dec 2, 2009

Under the U.S. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), children with special needs (including autism) are entitled to receive certain services through their school system, depending on their situation.

IDEA is a law that spells out the rights and requirements for the public education of children with special needs, including children with autism. The law is complicated, and includes detailed responsibilities of parents and schools. This article is in a question-and-answer format written by a lawyer who specializes in these issues. The article discusses details about individualized educational programs (IEP), functional behavior assessments (FBA), and behavior intervention plans (BIP).

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Are There More Bowel Symptoms in Children with Autism Compared to Normal Children and Children with Other Developmental and Neurological Disorders? A Case Control Study, Summarized Oct 8, 2009

Children with autism may have more bowel trouble than mainstream school children, but about the same amount of bowel trouble as children with other developmental disorders.

This case control study compared 52 children with autism spectrum disorders to 35 children from special schools and 112 mainstream school children. There were more reports of constipation, diarrhea, and flatulence (farting) in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) as compared to mainstream school children. The children with autism had about the same bowel trouble reports as children attending special needs schools. Parent reports of digestive trouble ranged from 14-25% for the different conditions. Overall, 35% of parents of children with autism reported concern about their child's bowels.

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Dolphin Therapy: The Playful Way to Work toward the Next Step, Summarized Aug 26, 2008

A combination of behavioral therapy and dolphin therapy may be helpful for children with autism.

This article describes dolphin-assisted therapy and its use for children with special needs. The article focuses on the Curacao Dolphin Therapy Center that was designed to meet the needs of children three years and older who have a mental and/or physical disability. More than 400 children with special needs visit the center each year. A lot of time during the program is spent swimming with dolphins. The programs each last two weeks and, in many cases, parents feel that their children have been transformed by the therapy. Read more...

Brief Report: Pilot Investigation of Service Receipt by Young Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Summarized Jul 24, 2008

Children with autism may not always receive the services and therapies that are recommended by best practice guidelines.

This study looked to see which therapy services young children with autism received from four sites in Canada. The survey was deigned to be a broad look at services received by children with special needs. Only 20% of parents returned their surveys. Most parents said that it was hard to get services from the centers. The authors suggest that further research be done to make sure that children with autism spectrum disorder are getting the services that they need. Read more...

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