The End of the Road

Over the course of the quarter, I learned so much about different resources for Autism that I did not know were out there. I believe that I will be a better teacher (an aunt) because of the things that I have learned. It is interesting to look back on all of the things that were brought to my attention, and how now, when people come up and talk to me about autism I can say "oh yeah! I read about that!". It's a powerful tool to be informed and connected.

So I leave you with two resources-

 A website from the NEA for teachers which has an abundance of websites, phone numbers, and other information if you ever need information about autism: http://www.nea.org/home/15151.htm

And http://www.autismweb.com/. A website devoted to helping parents understand their children's autism.

Both of these cover much of what I have discussed on here, just very condensed. They are good things to know!

FINALLY some therapy!

As I have discussed previously on this blog, my nephew Carter is on the Autism Spectrum. This is one of the reasons I was so interested in researching this topic, because it directly impacted someone I love very much.

Well Cater has been on the waiting list for therapy at Children's Hospital for about 6 months. That is a loooong time to wait for something you are so excited to get started! But sometime last month, someone called and finally it was set up!

Carter's first session was on Thursday, they called it the 'friendship meeting'. Children's has a special building just for therapy. They went inside and his parents filled out a questionnaire. On it were lots of different behaviors, and it asked the parents how much they wanted to work on it.

Carter is a bragger/boaster for sure. One of the questions was does your child brag a lot? And how concerning is this issue to you? After they filled out the forms the therapist looks at them and figures out what they are going to work on. Another wonderful thing about this group was the person running it invites parents to ask questions that they may have, or behaviors that the parents specifically want to work on. It is a living group, so if a child has a fire drill in class for example- and it REALLY bothered him. The parents could let the people know and they will talk about it in group!

On Thursday, they played a friendship game, and played a reporter who's job it was to collected information about each other, to learn about each other. This was great for Carter because it helped him find questions to ask his new friends about themselves. He was able to take a concept that he knew (What do reporters do?) and apply it to gathering information about another person.

I am excited for Carter to continue to grow over the summer in this group! I think it will be very good for him.

Music Therapy

http://www.musictherapy.org/assets/1/7/MT_Autism_2006.pdf

People with autism can greatly benefit from music therapy. This is people teaching the students to use and play music in a way that helps them better understand what they need to accomplish. It helps them learn skills that they may not have normally learned or understood. Simply by putting the concept of music with something else, they are better able to relate to what they need to know.

Some benefits are:

·         People with diagnoses on the autism spectrum often show a heightened interest and response to music, making it an excellent therapeutic tool to work with them.

·         Music is a very basic human response, spanning all degrees of ability/disability. Music therapists are able to meet clients at their own levels and allow them to grow from there. The malleability of music makes it a medium that can be adapted to meet the needs of each individual.

·         Music is motivating and enjoyable.

·         Music can promote relatedness, relaxation, learning, and self-expression.

·         Music therapy addresses multiple developmental issues simultaneously.

·         Music therapy can provide success-oriented opportunities for achievement and mastery.

• The structure and sensory input inherent in music help to establish response and role expectations, positive interactions, and organization.

Service Dogs

http://yourlife.usatoday.com/parenting-family/pets/dogs/story/2011/02/Autistic-kids-can-connect-with-animals/43713676/1

USA today has found that once again, animals can help children with special needs. Dogs especially, help autistic children learn empathy and other social cues.

http://www.4pawsforability.org/autismdogs.html is a service just for autistic children that provided service dogs to families. Something that is so special about these dogs, parents say, is that they do not know that their children are different. So they treat them just the same as other people. This helps them retain dome of the normalcy of life.

The Autistic Diet

Diet has a big role in managing symptoms for Autistic children. Many parents have found that when they feed their children gluten free and casein free diets, they go from having autistic symptoms to being close to symptom free.

“Casein is a protein found in milk and foods containing milk, such as cheese, cream, butter, yogurt, ice cream, whey and even some brands of margarine. It also may be added to non-milk products such as soy cheese and hot dogs in the form of caseinate.”

So when they cut out dairy and gluten it makes a big difference. It is though that the reason diet is such a powerful tool is because children on the spectrum cannot break down these foods in their bodies. It is like eating something that you are allergic too everyday. It’s very hard on their bodies, and they spend a lot of time fighting it off rather than dealing with everyday.

http://www.autismweb.com/diet.htm

Another good source for this is The Kid Friendly ADHD and Autism Cookbook by Pamela Compart M.D. and nutritionist Dana Laake.

Vaccines

There has been a long standing rumor that vaccines can sometimes cause Autism. Many people believe that after their children receive the vaccines, they start to display symptoms. The CDC has researched these links extensively and do not believe that there is a connection between the two.

The CDC says “We are committed to understanding what causes autism, how  it can be prevented, and how it can be recognized and treated as early as possible.”

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/Concerns/Autism/Index.html

iPads

I found an interesting article about how parents with non-verbal autistic children are getting iPads to their children to help them communicate with the outside world. One of the reasons the iPad is so successful with these children is because it is very similar technology that was used before- but cost about $8,500 less. It is also not as bulky and allows the children to do other things on it as well. As technology evolves, so do the ways that we can support children.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/14/tech/gaming-gadgets/ipad-autism/index.html

Also, a question raising video from 60 minutes- http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7385702n
Asks whether or not children are actually communicating with the iPads or if they are just playing.

I personally believe that they are trying to communicate. What about you?

Medications

 http://www.child-autism-parent-cafe.com/autism-medication.html shows a list of medications that are used to help with autism spectrum symptoms. This list is long and has several different types of medication on it. Showing that how many different symptoms there are for Autism.

It’s interesting because there is only one medication on this list that has been approved by the FDA specifically for Autism. 

Walk Now For Autism Speaks!

This weekend was the Cincinnati branch of Walk Now for Autism Speaks. We had a team composed of friends and family, that walked for Carter and everyone else affected by Autism. Cincinnati has raised over $20,000 for Autism research, and in support of Walk now for Autism.

This is such a great organization, not only for the awareness that it raises, but because it is an important tool for families. It lets them know they’re not alone in the quest for knowledge. It also is a wonderful resource for educators because it gives tons of information on everything you would need to know about Autism.

Check them out here: http://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism

1 in 88

1 in 88. That’s how many children will be diagnosed with a disability on the Autism Spectrum. There is no definitive way to say who will develop autism, or what causes it. There have many theories, from the mother being overweight to the brain having too many firing synapses.

1 in 88. That means as a teacher, if you have 25 students a year, you will have at least one autistic student every four years. But potentially more.

1 in 88 means that you most likely know someone with autism. Maybe a friend, or a family member.

Sadly, 1 in 88 will not remain the number. Autism is closing in more quickly than we can imagine and will begin to effect more people that we will want to believe. 

Akian's Troubled Days

Bullying becomes even more distressing when the bullying comes from adults. Children with Autism are often very rule oriented. Can you imagine having your teacher, the rule maker at the school, bullying a child? It would be torture for anyone. Or what about the children who cannot speak? How do they tell their parents that they are not being respected?

A recent huge event that happened, where a father wired his autistic son, shows how some horrible teachers took advantage of his son’s disability. They torment him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfkscHt96R0&feature=player_embedded#!

I can hardly watch this, and cannot imagine the pain it caused this little boy. Adults, especially teachers, need to be the safe haven for children, especially those with special needs.

Social Cues?

It’s hard to understand not really knowing that you are being bullied. Most people get it, when someone is mean to you, you should probably leave them alone. When children have social disorders it’s harder for them to read the cues that another person gives, harder to understand when they’re being bullied. This is something that Carter’s parents struggle with, because they hear about him getting bullied and him not doing anything about it. There is a boy in Carter’s class that likes to tease him, however he doesn’t always understand that the teasing is intentional. So either he goes along with it or later forgives the person that was doing the teasing. His parents ask him, “Why would you play with him on the playground again if he is always so mean to you?!” and Carter always answers, “Because he’s my friend.” It’s hard for him to think that someone doesn’t like him, or even more- would intentionally say things to hurt him.

Can you imagine having to be trained to deal with bullies? Taught word for word what to say in social situations? Social training happens often for children with autism. Since they cannot judge social situations, they have to be taught how to react, how to read people.

"Parents and teachers should take heed and not be offended if a child with Asperger's does not respond when first spoken to.  They should make sure the child is tuned in, and then allow them a chance to process a question given and be able to formulate an answer.  Although it may take an extra few seconds, it is important that they are not interrupted or asked the question again. "

This comes from this blog, http://www.examiner.com/article/interactions-and-asperger-s-helping-your-child-respond-social-situations, about a mother with a son who has Aspergers. She highlights very well some of reasons that children may have trouble communicating.