So many therapies, so little time. There are new types of therapies for autism popping up all over the country. Some seem quite promising. Some…I will politely say, it makes me think of the days of leeches and “magic” tonics.
These people want our money in exchange for “curing” our kids. They especially prey upon the young, newly diagnosed parents and it absolutely sickens me!
There are some great, tried and true therapies out there that WORK! DAN! When in the hands of a qualified DAN! doctor, DAN! can work with some of our kids. HBOT can work. And there are many other therapies that work. But the universal that works is the one I am writing about today. Applied Behavior Analysis.
ABA uses repetition and rewards (something that even we adults can relate to). 
Usually treats if a child gets something right (see the candy off to the side?) And it works! 
CNN dot com has a WONDERFUL story about a child who was helped tremendously by ABA. I have included a link here:
http://us.cnn.com/video/?/video/health/2009/12/08/chetry.autism.prevention.cnn
There are many states that are mandated to provide ABA therapy either by the schools or through Medicaid/private insurance. The earlier your child receives ABA, the better his chances of “moving” along the spectrum (example: from severe/profound to moderate/mild ASD)
As always, I am always interesting in your feedback. If your child has had intense ABA, I would love to hear about it! Please leave your comments so that others may benefit from your experiences.
As always, thank you for reading!
Many blessings to you and your family-
Deb
Technorati Tags: ABA, Autism Education, Autism Information, Autism Therapy
Tags: ABA, Autism Education, Autism Information, Autism Therapy
Posted by Deb on Nov 23, 2009 in
Autism Therapy It’s Thanksgiving week. For most families, it means wonderful things! Traveling to be with the ones they love the most. Great food. Great company. Lots of people. Maybe multiple gatherings. Lots of wonderful memories. Kids out of school. Then, there’s our family. And those families who are affected by autism spectrum disorders. No matter how much autism therapy, autism education or autism information you provide your friends and relatives with, it doesn’t seem to help the child with autism. What to do?
With all of the different foods, changes in routines for our kids, it can be a set-up for disaster. With our family, it has been. We thought we were doing the right things by taking our son to family gatherings (away from home). Having him experiment with different foods. Even inviting the “gang” to our house. Thinking that it would be easier on him if he was in more familiar surroundings. Not so much.
Our son has always been a picky eater. He never met a hot dog, pizza, piece of fruit (one advantage!) , dessert, or bowl of macaroni and cheese that he didn’t like! LOL! But during the holidays, we always felt that he needed to “try a bite”….just one bite. Which was followed by “no” and a melt-down. IF…and only IF we got to dinner. Usually he didn’t make it to dinner. The noise and the crowd had bothered him so much. He would have to retreat into a quiet room to watch TV for quiet time.
Maybe your child with ASD is like that as well. It pained us to do this “dance” for years. Until it finally occurred to us: why? Why are we putting him (and everyone else) through this? There has to be a better way. For everyone.
Dinner. Well, we have evolved over the years. We still have our traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Turkey with all of the trimmings. Our son with ASD. He has decided that he likes mashed potatoes. Homemade. And he is now in charge of them. I cook them. He takes great pride in mashing them, adding the butter and cheese and putting them on the table for me. Macaroni and cheese has now become a staple on our table as well. Our youngest son loves it. And we have added hot dogs to our table. Two years ago, our son with ASD actually tried turkey. It was “o.k.”, he said. He didn’t want any more, but he tried it. Without coercion.
Family understands. We don’t go “over the river and through the woods” anymore for holidays. Our son needs the routine of being home. When friends do come, we make sure it is a “kid friendly” event and our son with ASD has a place to escape from the noise and activity. He can only handle so much. We set him up for success. Everyone is much happier that way.
Here’s hoping you find your middle ground for your ideal Thanksgiving with Autism. It may take a while. I know it did with us. But there are times that you have to pick your battles. In our case, Thanksgiving was a time to give thanks for the blessings that we have. And not to fight with Autism. To embrace it. To cook hot dogs, macaroni and to love our son, just the way he is. As we do every day.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Every day there’s a new story in the paper, in the news about a child with special needs being bullied on the playground, in the halls of school, etc. Unfortunately, I’ve seen it first hand with my own children. The lack of 
social skills makes children with autism a particularly easy target of bullies. Kids with autism are usually loners. They don’t want to tattle on the bully for fear of ridicule, embarrassment or retaliation. With proper social skills autism therapy, autism education, and autism information, a child with autism can become less of a target for bullying.
There’s a great overview article on bullying online:
http://www.awesomelibrary.org/bullying.html
It gives an overview of what bullying is, what causes someone to bully another person and how to avoid a bully. So many children (and adults) with autism simply don’t understand HOW to avoid awkward social situations or awkward people. Again, they are easy prey for bullies.
Read more…
Technorati Tags: Autism Education, Autism Information, Autism Therapy
Tags: Autism Education, Autism Information, Autism Therapy
Well, I’m finally going to do it.
I’ve been talking about doing this for a long time. Most parents of children with autism can either write a book on autism therapy, autism information, or autism education OR are looking for all of the above. As a mom who spent most of 2002-03 Googling the words “autism”, “autism spectrum disorder” and “Asperger’s Syn
drome”, I’ve been there. Still am. And I would like to help new parents in any way I can. Most of us “seasoned veterans” feel the same way.
So, here’s the deal. I can only post so much in a blog. One topic. In a book, I can cover a myriad of material. And broaden the focus. So, I’m going to write a book. Many of the topics that I have chosen for the book are topics I have already discussed in the Ask Deb About Autism Blog. Some are not. This is where I need you.
If your child is newly diagnosed, what would you most like to know? What therapies would you like to know about? What questions would you like answered? Is it a legal question? School? Doctor? Let me know. Think of me as your personal autism encyclopedia.
And you “vets”. Those of us who have been around a while. What would you like the new parents to know? What would you tell a new parent, if one was sitting beside you right now? What would YOU include, if you had the opportunity to write a book? Would it be biomed? IEP? IDEA? Relationship? What is the one thing (or two…) you would tell a new parent?
I have an opportunity to help so many people with this book. And look forward to delivering the best information on autism therapy, autism information, and autism education at my disposal. But, as always, you are such an invaluable source of information. Autism is a spectrum “disorder” and isn’t one-size fits all. I’m hoping that, by writing this book, we can help each other and help others understand the NOW 1 in 91 people in this country affected by this developmental challenge. Thanks!
Technorati Tags: Autism Education, Autism Information, Autism Therapy
Tags: Autism Education, Autism Information, Autism Therapy
Posted by Deb on Oct 6, 2009 in
Autism Therapy I am surrounded by many friends who love their children. DESPERATELY! Who would do anything they can to help their child or children with autism. And they do. They sacrifice their health, finances, relationships, and marriages to save their child or children with autism. These parents scour the internet, looking for the latest in autism therapy, autism education, and autism information. Anything to help their babies. What they need is respite therapy.
A few organizations are seeing the need for mom & dad (sibs too) to get help. Caring for a child with autism is a 24/7 job. And often, vacations can be more stressful for the family. Taking a child with autism out of their routine and off to Disney World with all of its fun…it can be a set-up for a HUGE melt-down.
So, where do you go? How do you find respite therapy? If you’re looking for a camp for your child:
http://wmoore.net/therapy.html
Another great resource:
http://chtop.org/ARCH.html
Churches can also be a great source for respite therapy and care for your entire family. More than likely there are several churches in your area that offer special needs ministries. Great place to start. They can offer family counseling and help with support for your family, even if you aren’t of that particular religion.
Don’t be afraid to ask family and friends for help! If you are fortunate enough to have family close by, take advantage of it. If you have friends who have offered to help, accept their help. Co-op babysitting with other couples who have children with autism.
There are also local agencies and “sitters” you can hire to assist you. Be wary and always do your homework, just as you would with anyone you would allow into your home. Great checklist to use:
http://www.efmoody.com/longterm/respitechecklist.html
We caregivers often neglect ourselves, thinking that it’s the right thing to do. We put everything we have into our kids. Digging into every piece of autism therapy, autism information, and autism education that we have at our disposal. Until one day we realize that our marriage is in trouble. Our friendships are no longer there. Our health (mental and physical) has suffered greatly. We can’t do it alone. Our kids will be the ones who suffer the most in the end.
Technorati Tags: Autism Education, Autism Information, Autism Therapy, respite therapy
Tags: Autism Education, Autism Information, Autism Therapy, respite therapy
