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

Researchers don't know for sure why autistic children have problems with sleep, but they have several theories. The first has to do with social cues. People know when it's time to go to sleep at night, thanks to the normal cycles of light and dark and the body's circadian rhythms. But they also use social cues. For example, children may see their siblings getting ready for bed. Children with autism, who often have difficulty communicating, may misinterpret or fail to understand these cues. Another theory has to do with the hormone melatonin , which normally helps regulate sleep-wake cycles. To make melatonin, the body needs an amino acid called tryptophan, which research has found to be either higher or lower than normal in children with autism. Typically, melatonin levels rise in response to darkness (at night) and dip during the daylight hours. Studies have shown that some children with autism don't release melatonin at the correct times of day. Instead...

  Autism is a complex neurological and developmental disorder affecting 1 in 150 children. Chances are you know an autistic child or have encountered one somewhere. It’s not easy knowing what to do or how to respond to the quirks (or outbursts) of an autistic child.      Dealing with emotions can be difficult for any child and even for adults. When we have children with autism and Asperger Syndrome (AS), teaching them how to recognize emotions and understand what they are feeling and how to express themselves in an appropriate manner is extremely difficult. Children with these differences see the world in their own unique way. When dealing with autism, just as in most other disorders, you will be faced with a number of treatment options for yourself or your child. These include treatments that are educational, behavioral, biomedical, nutritional, and sensory. Unfortunately, for patients who are not affluent or who do not have good medical insurance, the cos...

In an effort to do everything possible to help their children, many parents continually seek new treatments. Some treatments are developed by reputable therapists or by parents of a child with ASD. Although an unproven treatment may help one child, it may not prove beneficial to another. To be accepted as a proven treatment, the treatment should undergo clinical trials, preferably randomized, double-blind trials, that would allow for a comparison between treatment and no treatment. Although many studies have been done to assess whether abnormal amounts of vitamins, minerals, or other nutrients can be found in people with autism, results have not clearly pointed to any abnormalities that are consistently linked with the disorder. Although few, if any, of these claims are backed up by scientific studies, parents and physicians alike have reported improvement in symptoms in people given certain supplements, including vitamin B, magnesium, cod liver oil, and vitamin C. S...

Chromosome 5 Found To Be a Significant Link to Autism Disorder If you’re like the majority of the population you’re not exactly a master at all of the technical terms that are thrown about in studies of various treatments for Autism. Whenever I do any kind of article reading, I’m sure to have my search engine open and ready to go, in order to find the “lay-man’s terms” for different words and medical jargon. Truth be told, it’s a lot A new study of chromosomes has found a connection between chromosome 5 and Autism. Great, right? But, what does it all mean? What’s a Chromosome? The need-to-know basics Chromosomes are found in the cell nucleus and consist of long chains of nucleic acids coated with protein. Each chromosome contains hundreds or thousands of the genes that form our hereditary blueprint. Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes, 46 total. Each parent contributes 1 chromosome to each pair. Each chromosome has genes that determine almost every detail about us as a person. For e...