What to Do When Your Child is Diagnosed With Autism

Read Read as much information as possible so that you will be prepared for what is to come. This will help you and your spouse prepare to handle the special situations and adjust to them. Treatments in books or on line may or may not work for your child, so keep reading to find what will work for your child's situation. Check your local library to find books on autism and you can find others on-line. The local bookstores such as Borders or Barnes & Noble are great places to start.

Research Research through the Internet, magazines, trade journals and other sources for updated information on autism and how to handle the effects on your child as well as yourself. There are videos and audios available to help your education process. The National Autism Society has journals that you can purchase that will help to keep you updated on new developments in autism. These can be found online and some at books stores.

Join a local support group A local support group can be a wealth of interaction with other parents who are already handling the same situation that you will be going through. Building a relationship with them can give you an outlet to events, functions and outings for your child to attend. Sometimes it is nice to just have a shoulder to lean on in your local area.

Check the Autism Society of America website for the chapter in your area. You can join their email system for free or join as a member for about $40.00. Check your local chapter for the benefits that you receive for joining.

Join a forum Forums can bring another view on your situation and can also help build relationships with other parents who have autistic children. An autism forum is a great place where you can pop in to read info, leave a message or join in a chat. As your child grows up and faces different situations, a forum is a great place to ask questions or discuss the situation. There are all types of people on forums including parents, doctors, practitioners, researchers and people with autism.

Vitamin and Supplementation Autistic children are sometimes picky eaters. Because of this, they may have digestive issues and may not consume enough of the essential minerals and vitamins. Look into providing them with a multi-vitamin and digestive enzymes designed for spectrum disorders. This will insure their comfort and help to keep them healthy. Lacking essential minerals and vitamins will not help their situation or temperament.

Stay calm Patience will be a learned skill that will work in your behalf. One of the most frustrating situations for parents is the ability to have patience with their autistic child. It takes time and patience to be able to learn how to handle each situation.

Staying clam and evaluating the situation before reacting will help the child do the same. Autistic children can be agitated at the smallest change in routine. Over-reacting to routines or situations will only enhance their agitation.

Not knowing what to do or where to get the correct information is very frustrating. Autistic children have special needs for their diet and general well being. You can find out more at Autism Free Information and Reports.

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Massage Therapy For Autistic Children

Autism is a brain disorder, usually diagnosed by age 2, in which the child fails to develop language and normal social interaction skills. Withdrawal from social contact and aberrant behavior are common. Parents have been trying numerous treatments, conventional and alternative,the in an attempt to restore what some believe may be permanent damage to brain while others believe that autism is reversible.

The relationship between a parent and their autistic child that has barriers in language and touch is one of the most heartbreaking issues of this condition. An autistic child typically is not able to express feelings of love, whether through words, facial expressions or hugs. Some have even said that children with autism are unable to form a bond or attachment. However, research has concluded that these children do attach to their parents, but some still are unable to act on this bond and do not respond appropriately. Many autistic children have sensory and tactile system issues making them unenthusiastic to certain sights, sounds, smells or touch.

The majority of autistic children are opposed to physical contact, so it is interesting that many massage therapists and parents are finding great success in the use of massage therapy with autistic children. The bonding factor alone would be a major accomplishment. Add massage therapy to the list of beneficial treatments that for some, has a very swift and positive response. There are children that love to get a massage; however, not all of them feel the same way.

Parents should learn some basic techniques and a few different methods of approach to massage before they begin. Always try to start with the child looking at your mouth as you say "massage." This, in time, will also give you an indication of whether or not they look forward to their massage sessions. The helpless feeling many parents often feel will be replaced with active massage treatment between parents and children.

Research has found that these children show less autistic behavior, are more social and attentive after receiving massage therapy. Regular sensory integration and safe, nurturing touch are beneficial in reducing touch aversion, inattentiveness and withdrawal. Clinical trials have also shown massage therapy as a viable complementary treatment positively impacting some of the characteristic behaviors of autism. One important study has emerged in this area within the past few years from the Touch Research Institute (TRI) in Miami, Fla. Escalona, A., Field, T., Singer-Strunk, R., Cullen, C., & Hartshorn, K. (2001). Brief report: Improvements in the behavior of children with autism following massage therapy. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 31, 513-516.

Twenty children with autism, ages 3 to 6 years, were randomly assigned to massage therapy and reading attention control groups. Parents in the massage therapy group were trained by a massage therapist to massage their children for 15 minutes prior to bedtime every night for 1 month and the parents of the attention control group read Dr. Seuss stories to their children on the same time schedule.

Conners Teacher and Parent scales, classroom and playground observations, and sleep diaries were used to assess the effects of therapy on various behaviors, including hyperactivity, stereotypical and off-task behavior, and sleep problems. Results suggested that the children in the massage group exhibited less stereotypic behavior and showed more on-task and social relatedness behavior during play observations at school, and they experienced fewer sleep problems at home.

Through the use of massage therapy, our basic human need for safe, nurturing contact is met with often wonderful results. For children with autism, it provides not only a positive experience of being touched, but the effects hold lifelong benefits. You can find more in-depth information at Autism-Free Information and Reports

Not knowing what treatments or therapies to use can be very frustrating. There are many therapies and no two children are alike. You can find our more at Autism-Free Information and Reports

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Preparing Our Son With Autism to Ride the Bus

Having a child with autism in a family brings about many situations that leave family members very puzzled. Our family experienced a puzzling situation with our autistic first grader beginning a few weeks before winter break from school. Our son Collin begin to have "melt downs" in the classroom at the end of the school day. This involved crying, falling on the floor, some spitting and hitting.These behaviors are unusual for Collin than usual and we were having a difficult time pinpointing an antecedent to the behavior. What was happening right before these meltdowns to make this behavior occur? After talking with our Collin's teachers, therapists, and aid, we decided he could be having some separation anxiety as he was getting upset when his friends were packing to leave each day. Collin's teacher suggested a new method of transportation home. He was picked up daily in carpool by his mother or me. We decided that leaving at the same time as most of the other children may relieve some of the stress he was feeling at the end of the school day. So, we decided to let him ride the bus..... the typical bus with all typical children.

Collin's teacher did and excellent job at helping everyone prepare for this bus ride. My wife and I, our son's ABA therapist, the bus driver, our son's aid and selected peer helpers all came together to help Collin be successful. First, Collin was taken to the area where the buses were waiting for the children each afternoon for a few days. He got to step up on the bus and have a seat. He met his bus Driver Mr. Albert. He even got to sit on the bus while it pulled through he parking lot one day. He was becoming very excited about riding the bus. Collin's teacher made social story about rules on the bus and we got a copy for home. We used the book as reading material at bedtime and it was used in a couple of his ABA sessions the week prior to riding the bus. Collin was also assigned three peer helpers form the fourth grade to help him with bus safety. these three children were excited to help Collin and took turns one afternoon reading him the social story book as well. So, Collin began riding the bus home and the end of the day "melt downs" have ceased and he is enjoying the experience very much. The small steps taken to help him prepare made all the difference and we have not only changed an inappropriate behavior, but have given Collin more time with typical peers which is something he really enjoys.

Garrett Butch is the father of a 6 year old with autism and the founder of Maximum Potential Group.

Maximum Potential has developed courses that train parents and school systems how to work with children with autism.

http://www.maximumpotentialkids.com

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