Autism - Signs, Symptoms, Treatments, Resources, Support for Autism

Having your child diagnosed with autism can be overwhelming. Autism is all over the news these days , with significantly more children being diagnosed with this condition today than in recent generations. Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder that affects the brain, develops within a child's first few years of life and affects verbal, social, emotional, physical and intellectual functioning. The causes of autism are not fully understood, and its severity and responsiveness to various treatments vary widely from child to child. Some autism experts believe a healthy diet might help children with autism function more successfully. Step 1 Consult your child's physician or a registered dietitian with autism experience first. According to Northwestern University...

Children with autism are LESS likely to misbehave intentionally than typical children. Their apparent bad behaviors -- such as bolting from the room, whacking a peer, refusing to take part in circle time, climbing the fridge -- are often caused by external problems that can be solved by calm, creative parents. 1) Know Your Child Few autistic children are intentionally "bad." Many have difficult behaviors. So what's going on? Each child is different, and knowing your own child is key to taking action. Is your child extra-sensitive to sound and light? Does she need lots of sensory input? Is he likely to misunderstand a close approach? The more you know, the easier it is to troubleshoot a situation. 2) Modify Your Expectations Your mother may have expected you to sit still through a full dinner hour. But that's not a reasonable expectation for most children with autism. Consider starting with a smaller goal -- sitting still for three m...

No one really knows why so many children with autism are picky eaters, says Kimberly Kroeger -Geoppinger, an assistant pediatrics professor at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. But there's no doubt that it's a common phenomenon. That means that parents' permissiveness is probably not the cause. Kroeger says there are several possible reasons for autistic children's pickiness. "We know that children with autism tend to select down, eliminating one food from their diet at a time. The reasons could be sensory (a new discomfort with a particular smell, taste or feel), or even a randomly developed routine."  Very often, says Kroeger, kids with autism will slowly start to reject previously favored foods. You might find that your child won't eat a certain food one day, and rejects it again the next. If that happens, he may be working toward absolute rejection of the food. If you see that happening, start right away with the nex...