Archive for December, 2011

There are two different factors that result in autism. Autism is either due to a psychological chaos or due to a bio-chemical disproportion. Children affected with autism rarely speak and only commune when necessary. So they hardy socialize.

Autism disorder ranges into three – they are Classic autism, Aspergers syndrome and the Pervasive Development Disorder or the PDD. These types differ from person to person according to the magnitude and symptoms shown by each individual. The damage caused by autism affects three main areas. They have limited types of behavior, disability in communication and socializing. Again person differ according to their intellectual levels, their independent level and the severely affected ones.

Autistic children emote very less and prefer to stay alone. They react very less to their surroundings and never get aroused by the social actions. Children suffering from autism have the problem of absorbing the necessary nutrients from the digestive system. The formation their digestive is such that they suffer from chronic gastric irritation which leads to slow absorption of the nutrients. This makes them have limited diet which in turn causes deficit in the body of important and balanced food. So due to their restricted diet they lack in copper zinc ratio and also in inadequate supply of calcium, B12, vitamin-A and Sulphate.

These deficiencies are supplemented with vitamin B-12 and the behavior problem can be checked with the help of therapies wherein the child is behavior modification program to respond better to their surroundings and society. The success of the therapies depend on how much the autistic child is able to learn as autistic children do not respond well to new tasks and lessons.

The deficiency of magnesium when supplemented with magnesium injections can improve the behavior of autistic children. A change in the behavior problem is seen when vitamin B-12 is given for two to four weeks although it takes three months to respond to the vitamin well. Dimethylglycine (DMG) improves speech skills and also perks up the immune system of the autistic child. It also improves patience in the child and also gives better eye contact.

It is better to ignore the negative behaviors and give more attention to the positive behavior of the child which will be beneficial in the long run.

Autistic children have violent behavior of banging their heads or being aggressive towards others. Control these outbursts with the help of self discipline. This when induced slowly but effectively will help to get a control over these disturbing behaviors. Self management helps the child to keep a control over himself during such outbursts which in turn can help the child learn other good behavior.

Start teaching the child self control for ten to fifteen minutes daily and keep a check on it. They can practice it whether at school or at home during particular time of the day and as the autistic children have the habit of repeating things this can be very effective as they keep on repeating it. This way they can keep a check on their negative behavior themselves. As the child no longer needs restriction by others it shows a tremendous improvement in the violent of the child.

Set goals according to the response of the child and should also be very clear like if he/she has been polite with others or has not had any physical injury. Monitor the child regularly and evaluate whether the child is able to maintain the self control. If the child is able to cope with the limit given by you them all is fine if not it means the child is able to keep up with the limit set by you. So begin with goals easily reachable by the child and then advance little by little according to the response given by the child. The child gains a more positive attitude when he/she can reach the self control set by you.

The best way to make the child reach the goal is to reward the child whenever he/she does it. Reward the child with something of his/her preference. This sort of gesture will create a positive attitude in the mind of the child and enhance the good behavior. The reward can be simple ones in the beginning and later to better ones depending on how the child attains the goal. Start with smiley faces for self control maintained and sad faces for every bad behavior. This smiley faces when reaches a considerable amount due to the more number of goal achieved can be replaced with a favorite toy of the child.

All the above said management program can not be done overnight and needs enough time and dedication. The parent or the caregiver should chalk out the plan taking the childs ability into consideration. An autistic adult can respond to the program better than a child without a reward. An autistic child can also attain the goals set by you for self management program provided he/she is mature enough to understand skill you want to reinforce.

Autism begins in the early stages of childhood and detected by three years of age. It differs from person to person from mild disorder to severe ones.
When a child reacts peculiarly to light or sound it means they are the indications of autism. Any normal sound hurts the child, normal odor makes them feel very strong and a hug or touch to the baby may be agonizing for them. Their reaction is termed “meltdown” when they hear loud sound and see bright lights.

An autistic child is happy when alone and is unresponsive to the environment they are in. They stay aloof when in a group and have no curiosity for toys and playthings.

Some high functioning persons have communication skills but they are devoid of modulations and sometimes repeat words and sentences over and over again. These form a part of their daily activities and refuse to accept any change in their regular habit. In some circumstances the activity becomes serious like banging their head, self wounding, scratching or biting.

An autistic infant refuses to be touched or cuddled and shows an extraordinary liking to some objects. At times they may even have bouts of violent behavior. They do not have much pain sensation. They do not know risk in any action and their eye to eye contact is also very poor.

Training in autistic children is difficult as they do not react to normal teaching techniques. Although they have normal hearing skill they act deaf during such sessions. The indications of autism are most severe during teenage but tend to decline in adulthood. But with more and more training and rehabilitation one can bring a good change in the life of autistic children and adults.