Posts Tagged ‘Autistic Children’

Autism syndrome is a complicated disorder which affects every race, ethnic group and socioeconomic status and it can be diagnosed in children as 18 months old. A parent becomes concerned when his child may lack eye contact, be deaf or avoids interacting with others and by going to a doctor he will learn that he has a child with autism syndrome. A child can show this behaviors after birth or when he grows older.

Parents and care givers must ensure a brighter future for the children with autism syndrome because there are clear social disparities in healthcare and education. Studies have consistently reported black autistic children were diagnosed later or received more misdiagnoses than whites. If the children have different colors that doesn’t mean that autism syndrome symptoms are different.

Behavior treatments and enrollment in a classroom are available for all children with autism syndrome including black children. Whites are more likely than African-American children with autism syndrome to see the same doctor.

If a African-American family has a child with autism syndrome and have lower incomes or limited education they will have more difficulty in taking him to a doctor and we know that early diagnosis and early intervention is critical for a better prognosis.

Minority children with autism syndrome experience unnecessary isolation from their non disabled peers. Also, African-American students are twice likely ass white students to be educated in a restrictive and separate educational setting.

We can start to overturn these disparities by helping African-Americans with autism syndrome to reach their full potential. Parents and caregivers have an important role, meaning that they must be persistent and get their child’s healthcare providers to listen and act in response to their concerns.

It is also important for parents to know their child’s rights and to learn about the federal special education laws and state regulations and make sure that their child with autism syndrome receives an individualized education plan.

Every child with autism syndrome has the right to a free and appropriate public education. There are advocacy and educational advocates accessible to help you get this program. Another way to make your voice be heard and to help your child with autism syndrome is by joining a national autism organization and get involved.

There are local parent support group meeting to learn what issues are important and what steps are necessary to address to your children. There are also local and congressional lawmakers and if you call or write to them to report your issues and concerns they will help you and your children with autism syndrome.

We must know that autism syndrome is not hopeless and parents aren’t either and for that we can advocate for our loved owns and for all the persons with autism syndrome.

More informations about autism causes or about autism symptoms can be found by visiting http://www.autism-info-center.com/

Groshan Fabiola
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/disparities-among-africanamericans-with-autism-syndrome-87002.html

Technorati Tags: African American Students, Autism Children, Autism Symptoms, Autistic Children, Brighter Future, Care Givers, Child Autism, Children With Autism, Different Colors, Disparities In Healthcare, Early Intervention, Education Studies, Ethnic Group, Eye Contact, Federal Special Education, Healthcare Providers, Minority Children, Social Disparities, Socioeconomic Status, Special Education Laws

Everyday is a challenge when it comes to living with autistic children. What are thing things you should do when going for a vacation or someplace else? Here is a list of things that the parents of an autistic child can do while traveling with him or her.

1. Plan ahead. Plan all your trips well in advance. This will give the child enough time to get accustomed to the idea of traveling and the child will be familiar with the process. Explain to them the places you will visit and things you will all do.
2. Take along with you some of the objects that the child likes, for instance, his or her favorite toy. Take the blanket and pillow they use daily. Try to take as many familiar items as possible so that the child will not feel lost. This will also allow him or her to get used to a new environment.
3. Take all necessary medications and medicines. The last thing you will need will be to want a medicine that you do not have. Refill the prescriptions before your trip to ensure you do not fall short.
4. Always keep a schedule with you while you travel. As far as possible try keeping the schedule that you use at home. Keep the same bed time everyday. Autistic children feel secure when they stick to a schedule.
5. Ensure your child is not overloaded. If the child suffers from many sensory issues, ensure he or she is not overloaded. If your child is getting overwhelmed, take him or her back to the hotel for some rest. If your child has issues concerning bright lights or loud noises, warn your child well in advance before taking him or her to any such place.
6. Never force the child to do a thing he or she is uncomfortable doing. For instance, if the child does not like loud noises or crowds, do not take him or her to an amusement park. Hire a qualified person to look after your child while you are visiting the park. This way the child could be kept occupied in something he or she finds interesting.
7. Ensure your child is carrying some sort of ID which contains your name and telephone number in case of emergency or in case the child gets lost. If the child can communicate, teach him or her what to say in case he or she gets lost. This will be hard for them, as they do not like dealing with people.
8. Stay calm in case there is some emergency. Your child can pick up your stress if it observes that you are stressed.
9. While traveling, try to keep the child occupied in activities that he or she enjoys. This could include a DVD player or a hand held game etc. This will ensure your child does not get too bored. This also helps distract them incase they start to feel uneasy.
10. Make sure that the place you are staying at is aware that your child is Autistic. This is important so that the staff knows what to do in case your child wanders off. If they see the child alone, they will contact you immediately.

While traveling with a child who is Autistic, extra planning is required. But it is not as difficult as it seems. Just ensure that your trip maintains a certain amount of structure. You and your child will not fail to have a good trip.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/traveling-with-an-autistic-child-10-pointers-to-keep-in-mind-739438.html

Technorati Tags: Amusement Park, Autistic Child, Autistic Children, Back To The Hotel, Bed Time, Bright Lights, Crowds, Environment, Loud Noises, Medicine, Medicines, Necessary Medications, Parents, Pointers, Prescriptions, Qualified Person, Traveling

I have a 9.5 year old son. He is very intelligent / borderline genius according to some tests we have given. He is socially pleasant and makes friends easily. He has gluten / wheat allergy that could be celiac disease, but we did not get a final diagnosis. He is healthy now, but has struggled with gross motor skills (sports) / and certain visual processing / memory (math facts).

One of my biggest concerns at the moment is that given a choice, he would run back and forth between two objects (about 10 feet apart) for hours. Seriously. Give him a toy, he will not be interested. He will go and run back and forth. He has been doing this for years and now he is almost 10! What is going on and what should I do? I can’t imagine this will be a good thing when he is 18!

Do reasearch on Pervasive Developmental Disorders.

Although he is quite intelligent, he could fit into the autistic spectrum range.

Lending to the fact that he is also in the age range of the sudden surge of children with autism (some say from the thimerosol preservatives in vaccines).

Some cases of autism are hard to diagnose and the children will have typical behavior but one or two charactaristics will lead to P.D.D.

The common stigma attached to autism is that the children are like Rain Man (Rain Man in fact was an example of Savant’s and not autism). children with autism are generally in a higher intellectual range than their peers.

My son has autism, he’s ten years old and he paces back and forth when he’s happy. He never engaged in imaginary play (like making dolls dance or talk to each other), he has to go to occupational therapy to sharpen his gross motor skills and math homework was always like a war around here. If your son also makes unusual noises, like hissing or other sounds that’s another key indicator.

Many autistic children have gluten and casien allergies.

If we were in a clinical setting and you told me what you just said, I would administer a Gilliams Autism Rating Scale because even with the limited information you gave me, I would be willing to lay money on Autism.

I wouldn’t normally do this, but if you want to talk about it further, my email is: belovedharpy@yahoo.com

Technorati Tags: Autism Children, Autistic Children, Autistic Spectrum, Cases Of Autism, Celiac Disease, Children With Autism, Final Diagnosis, Genius Child, Gross Motor Skills, Making Dolls, Math Facts, Math Homework, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Preservatives, Rain Man, Savant, Spectrum Range, Sudden Surge, Typical Behavior, Wheat Allergy

Once you come to know that your child suffers from autism, you should start on a treatment plan. There are a number of treatments available for autism. Often people worry about using medication that might prove dangerous to the child. But this is not justified. Not all children need medication. Apart from prescription medication, there are a number of other options for treating an autistic child. While some prefer to stick to the standard treatment plan, many others opt for the alternative natural plan. Here are some different treatments for autism.

Medication

In autism, a number of different types of medications are used for treatment. These medicines cover different aspects of autism. There are some medicines that help with the anxiety that many autistic children are prone to, while some medicines help autistic children who have trouble falling asleep. For children suffering from behavioral problems, antipsychotic drugs are used. These medicines do not actually cure the autism and in addition to this certain medicines have very bad side effects. If the child is on medication, he or she needs to be monitored very closely.

Occupational Therapy
This therapy helps the Autistic child learn independence. They are taught daily skills that are needed such as taking a bath, dressing up etc. Their fine motor skills are worked on. Children are also taught how to use devices that are helpful in daily life. Safety measures are also taught whether it be safety inside or outside the home.

Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is one of the most common forms of treatment among autistic children. Children with relatively lower muscle tone gain an immense amount from this therapy. In this the basic motor skills of young children is also dealt with. This includes walking, rolling and standing. Autistic children can suffer from many other health problems. Physical therapy helps solve these problems also.

Behavioral Therapy
This therapy will help teach the autistic child different behaviors that are appropriate. Usually a form of reward system is included. Children learn how to behave in social settings. Usually this therapy is done in the setting of the child’s home only. Parents, too, need to learn how to deal with unwanted behavior from their kids. Generally, the autistic child learns that certain behavior can give him or her, a reward and so consequently the bad behavior stops.

Speech Therapy
Communication is one of the toughest problems that autistic children face. The autistic people do not understand non-verbal cues. There are a few autistic children who do not speak altogether, so they need to be taught how to communicate with other people. They need to learn about body language. Sign language or pictures are often used to help some autistic children who have speech defect. A non verbal child can be taught how to speak by a speech therapist.

These are only very few of the treatment options available to autistic children. All children do not require all the treatments. It is very important to decide on a treatment plan that works well for your child. Autistic children can thrive if they are treated properly and in time.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/treatments-for-your-autistic-child-5-methods-to-reduce-the-impact-of-autism-739434.html

Technorati Tags: Antipsychotic Drugs, Anxiety, Autistic Child, Autistic Children, Behavioral Therapy, Child Autism, Fine Motor Skills, Health Problems, Life Safety, Medication, Medications, Medicines, Muscle Tone, Occupational Therapy, Options, People, Physical Therapy, Prescription Medication, Safety Measures, Taking A Bath

The human body produces Melatonin naturally. Usually the body of an autistic child does not produce enough Melatonin and so they usually have a problem falling asleep. Excessive lack of sleep can cause a lot of problems for an autistic child. The number of unwanted behaviors will increase. Usually, if the child has not slept, the parents do not sleep either. This will lead to both the parent and child being grouchy. Starting a day exhausted can spoil the entire day. Additionally, the child will be cranky and refuse to cooperate with anybody. This makes doctor appointments and therapy very difficult.

If your child is autistic and is having trouble sleeping at night, you could try giving him or her some Melatonin supplements. Most pharmacies and health food stores sell these. Melatonin is safer than using the prescription medicines. Using prescription medication makes the child depend on them for sleep. As the body anyway produces Melatonin, its supplement merely ensures the body has the correct amount of Melatonin required to make the child sleep.

Give the child the Melatonin supplement at least half an hour before his or her bedtime. Ensure you give the minimum dosage that is required for effect to take place. Usually 1-3 milligrams is sufficient for the autistic child to fall asleep with ease. Always give the lowest dosage initially. If you give too high a dose, waking the child can be hard. It could also lead to the child having nightmares. Too high a dose can make the child groggy and tired the next morning. This is not desirable. The child needs to be energized and rested, not sleepy and tired.

Usually, Melotonin does not become less effective with time. With continuous use, there is not much chance that the Melatonin will stop working. If, for some reason, it stops working, discontinue the course for a couple of days or weeks. After this the dosage can be restarted and it should work. It has been shown that autistic children who have taken Melatonin have shown additional positive results. Children who take Melatonin are found to be more alert after their sleep. It has also helped children suffering from depression or anxiety. In this way you can avoid certain medicines that have unfavorable side effects.

If the autistic child is not sleeping well, Melatonin is the best bet. A good night’s rest is essential for any child, especially an autistic one. If your child is already on some other medication to get sleep, consult your doctor if Melatonin is a good substitute. This should be given to the child only once, and that too, before bedtime. Giving Melatonin late at night or in the middle of sleep can disrupt the internal clock of the child. This could increase the problems the child suffers from.

Consider Melatonin if your doctor recommends using sleeping medication for your autistic child. There are no side effects and the child does not be dependent on it to help him or her sleep. Because our bodies produce Melatonin, it is completely natural. When our bodies do not produce enough, it is all right to supplement it. The Melatonin supplement will add the amount that our body needs in order to fall asleep and get a good night’s rest.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/melatonin-for-autism-helping-the-child-have-a-restful-night-739436.html

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