Vitamin A therapy may help children with autism who are also vitamin A deficient.
This case study of an 8-year-old boy describes his symptoms of autism and severe eye problems. He squeezed his eyes shut often. The doctors reported several problems with his eyes, including sores and cloudy (opaque) corneas. The child was a picky eater who, for four years, ate only fried potatoes and drank only water. His vitamin A blood levels were very low. After a month of vitamin A therapy, his eyes were improved. His behavior problems were also less severe.
Autism Therapy: water
definition of water: not yet defined.
No Factsheets to Display
- Child: Care, Health and Development, by Uyanik, O., Dogangun B., Kayaalp L., Korkmaz B., and Dervent A., published in 2006, summarized Oct 16, 2009
- Journal of Integrative Neuroscience, by Barakova, E., Gillessen J., and Feijs L., published in 2009, summarized Jul 30, 2009
Robots and technological toys may help teach social skills to children with autism.
Researchers used special blocks that worked like mini-robots. The blocks changed color depending on which other blocks they were close to. The blocks were used as a therapy tool with twelve children (3-5 years old) with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The children were taught specific rules about the blocks. One simpler game focused on interactions between blocks. The second game was more complex and used blocks for symbolic play. Some blocks were "animals" and some were "food" or "water" that children "gave" to animals by moving that block close to the animal block. Pairs of children worked together to make the "zoo" run smoothly. Children needed to learn to pretend a block was an animal or food. Most of the children learned the rules of the first game. Five out of six pairs of children worked well together in the second game. The authors said that if children with autism can understand how to play with a block as if it is food (metaphor), they may be able to learn more complex social skills.
- Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, by Williamson, C., published in 2008, summarized Jul 14, 2008
Dolphin Assisted Therapy (DAT) may not be effective, and has risks for both people and dolphins.
The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society urges caution for the sake of people and animals when thinking about dolphin therapy. There is no proof that dolphin assisted therapy works. Also, there are risks in putting weak people who are in need of therapy in the water with dolphins, which are large, strong animals. Dolphins are wild animals, even when highly trained, and can be hard to predict. Right now there are no rules for dolphin therapists and this can also increase the risk of dolphin therapy.
- Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, by Prupas, A., Harvey WJ, and Benjamin J., published in 2006, summarized Jan 5, 2007
The article describes important aspects of a successful preschool-age swimming program for children with autism.
The authors developed an early-intervention aquatics program known as the Aquatic Nursery Program targeted at preschool-age children with autism and their families. They have been using this program for 10 years and have found that it improved children'??s movement skills and strengthened family bonds. The authors believe this is because many children with autism can move more easily in water than in a gymnasium. Swimming also strengthened the bond between the parents and child because they had fun together during the program. The authors note that swimming also has the advantage of providing sensory input.
The Jamaican Autism Support Association (JASA) was formed in 2007, but members are gaining support. When Kathy Chang co-founded JASA there were just a few families offering each other support and information, now there are over 200 parents, caregivers, and therapists. Their latest support and awareness event was Surfing for Autism and included a day of water activities for kids and discussions among service providers and parents.
Read original article: Autism Support Group Aims to Increase Disorder Awareness
The Margaret Clark Aquatic Center in Brownsville Texas has supplied adaptive swimming classes for children with autism for about ten years. Participants range in age from first grade through 21 or 22 years of age, so the instructors are able to watch the kids grow and change. The classes not only teach basic swimming strokes, but include some racing competition, social skills, life skills as children must dress themselves after swimming, and motor skills. One great consequence of the classes has been to see high schoolers join their school swim team.
Read original article: Water Therapy for Children with Autism
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
Twin girls, diagnosed with autism, had their parents and applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy for support. But the Halls, after moving to the Kirkland WA area, had problems finding local resources for their daughters. They have started a non-profit autism center, Olympic Peninsula Autism Center, that they hope will benefit all families in the area. The center will include water activities, physical activities, and a kitchen in which to teach some safety life skills. In addition, there are once-a-month parent support group meetings.
Read original article: Twins Inpsire Parents to Open Autism Center in Silverdale
Please comment on water or other autism therapy topics.
Twitter
Facebook
By Email
RSS Feed
Please comment on this autism topic.
Responding to aquatic
Sep 4, 2011 by AnonymousI have been a private swim instructor, specializing in teaching children with disabilities for over 10 years in Los Angeles. Most of my swimmers are children, ages 2- 12, who are on the Autism spectrum. When these children are in the water, they all have shown a sense of comfort, mind and body relaxation. With certain cues, such as the word "focus," I am able to receive quick eye contact and immediate response to my action requested by them. Positive reinforcement and encouraging words, whether the task was perform correctly or not, increases their consistency of performance in the water. Their sense of body movement in the water becomes hightened because they have control over the water and therefore they feel the need and comfort to be in the water and be active.
Responding to sensory activities
Jun 15, 2011 by AnonymousI found that working with this population the individuals have shown a liking for the following activities:
Make your own play dough it is save to eat but it will not taste very well.
the need the following:
kool- aide mix multiple flavors (small packet size)
1 cup of flour (sifted)
1/2 cup salt
3 teaspoons of cooking oil
1 cup boiling water ( Per Kool aide packet)
Mix the salt, flour oil n kool aid in a bowl
add boiling water, mix with spoon for about 1 minute
then knead with hand it will be warm so check before letting kids touch.
Responding to weighted vest
Mar 1, 2011 by AnonymousWhen my boy was in preschool we found a "cool" vest that was made out of a heavy fabric. We attached things to it to give it the heavy weight. (He needed it very heavy!) We used clips to attached a water bottle on one side and a little electronic toy he liked on the other side.
When he didn't have the weighted vest and was having a really hard time, I found that putting pressure on both shoulders was very calming for him. For example, when I picked him up from preschool, if he was "flappy", I would say hello while pressing down about 5 lbs worth of pressure on each shoulder. That's a lot of weight for little shoulders, but wow, his face lit up! It was what he needed. =)
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