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Showing posts from July, 2010

Can Autism be Cured?

This is a question that every parent of an Autistic child will ask at some point. The answer is no. There is no cure for Autism. While you may see ads for books, or products that promise a cure for Autism, they are misleading you. Autism has no cure. There are lots of treatments that can make living with Autism easier. Here are some of the treatments that help with Autism. Therapies There are several types of therapies that can help with the treatment of Autism. Occupational, physical, behavioral, speech, music, sensory, drug, play, and many other types of therapy can make a big difference in the life of an Autistic child. The therapies will not cure your child's Autism. They will just help teach them different ways of coping with it. Alternative Treatments Natural and alternative treatments are on the rise. These can include the use of herbs instead of prescription medications. The herbs do not have the side effects found in traditional medicines. Vitamin and mineral supplements a

How To Potty Training an Autistic Child

Potty training a normal, healthy child can be hard work. What do you do when that child is Autistic? Maybe they do not even understand what it means to use the potty. Here are some helpful suggestion when potty training and Autistic child. 1. Make sure the child is ready to be potty trained. Just because all the books says they need to be trained at two does not mean your Autistic child has the ability to do so. Do they know when they are wet or have a dirty diaper? Do they have a dry diaper all night? 2. Does your Autistic child have the skills to undress and redress. If not this can making potty training harder unless you intend to let them run around naked for the next few months. This can also make for a lot of time spent scrubbing carpets. It is best to wait to potty train until your child can easily undress and redress them selves. 3. Use a reward system when potty training. If they use the potty, or attempt to use it give them some type of reward. This can be a treat or a toy. M

How to Treat Autism With Acupuncture

Studies have shown that there is an increase in the number of children that have been diagnosed with autism. Until now, doctors have not yet found a cure to this illness which is why some parents want to experiment with alternative forms of treatment and one example is acupuncture. Acupuncture is a holistic approach in treating and preventing certain diseases. Its main tool are very thin needles that are inserted to targeted points in the body. The body has about 400 of them linked through a system known as meridians or pathways. Once these are stimulated, these are supposed to create balance in the body. Autism on the other hand is a brain disorder that is long term. This disease is characterized by deficits in language, social communication and cognition. Children who are diagnosed with this illness may also suffer from secondary problems such as aggression, irritability, stereotypes, hyperactivity, negativism, volatile emotions, temper tantrums, short attention span and obsessive-co

Gluten Free Diet

The Gluten free diet consists of removing any foods from your Autistic child's diet that contain Gluten. This can seem hard at first because so many foods do have Gluten in them. Gluten is found in most prepared foods. Foods containing wheat, barley ,oats, or rye need to be eliminated from the diet. Gluten can also be found in some vinegars and sauces. Artificial flavorings often contain Gluten. When using the Gluten free diet you have to be careful and read all labels on foods. Gluten can be in foods you would not think of, like spices. The theory behind removing Gluten from an Autistic child's diet is that when the child eats a food with Gluten it causes their body to react differently than a child without Autism. The Gluten free diet can be expensive to follow. Most Gluten free products are sold in specialty, or health stores. These stores usually charge a much higher price. Some major grocery stores are now carrying Gluten free products. You can find Gluten free flour, pa

Traveling With an Autistic Child

Daily life with an Autistic child can be a challenge to say the least. What should you do if you are traveling for vacation, or another purpose? Lets look at some things a parent can do when traveling with their Autistic child. 1. Plan ahead. If at all possible plan trips far in advance. This gives you time to talk with your child and get them used to the idea of traveling. You can explain to them where they will be going, and some of the things they will be doing while away. 2. Bring items from home that your Autistic child likes. Bring their favorite toys. Bring along their pillow and blanket they use each night. Try and keep as many items that are familiar to your child with you while traveling. This can help your child to relax in their new environment. 3. Bring all their necessary medications. You do not want to be away from home and not have their medicine. Get the prescriptions refilled before the trip to make sure you do not run out. 4. Try and keep a schedule while traveling.

What are the Signs of Aspergers Syndrome

Aspergers is a form of Autism. People with Aspergers syndrome are on the higher end of the spectrum. They usually have normal language skills. Their main problem is dealing with people socially. Usually these problems are first noticed when a child begins school. The child can have all the signs of Aspergers, or only a few. Here are some of the common signs of Aspergers syndrome. 1. Have a hard time talking to other kids. Kids with Aspergers syndrome have a hard time going up to someone and starting a conversation. 2. Speak in words that are very advanced for their age. The Asperger's child may use words that adults would use. 3. Have trouble understanding when someone is joking, or being sarcastic. Children with Aspergers have a hard time understanding tones of people's voices. They tend to take everything said seriously. 4. Have very limited interests. A child with Aspergers syndrome may only want to focus on one thing. They may take a liking to puzzles, and only want to do

Solving the Autism Problem

There is no one therapy that does it all. And, to complicate it further, like most "mental" problems", it's not simple to diagnose. In the younger ages, it's easily confused with mental retardation, or brain damage. What are the known causes of autism? Perhaps the best known today is the usage of mercury ( thimeroserol) in infant and childhood vaccines. Only in the past few years was this practice discontinued. So, we've literally poisoned millions of children with good intent! Protecting them from dangerous childhood diseases has caused much worse problems. Another well known cause of autism is food sensitivity and allergy. Virtually every known mental problem may be caused by a normally harmless allergen - a simple food that has been " recognized" by that person's immune system as " dangerous". This seems to be caused by what is called "leaky gut syndrome". A major theory in this cause is that the malnourishment

How Massage Therapy Benefits Autistic Children

The massage therapy is a well-loved session of many. Celebrities, public officials, workers, students, and people from all walks of life succumb to their cravings to experience the soothing effect that massage promotes. Imagine a day of hard work, stress, and pressure. Wouldn't it feel so nice to be subjected to the therapeutic human touch? However, it has been found out that massage doesn't only benefit the normal individuals. Studies show how helpful and therapeutic it can be to the autistic children. This may be new to you but it is a fact. After all, these children also deserve the best that life may offer. Autism Explained Autism is a kind of brain disorder which normally gets tracked when the child is aged 2. The symptoms become recognizable at such a tender age basically because he falls short in developing the language along with the pertinent social interaction skills. Children should be able to start saying a few words and socializing. If they don't, then ther