Newly Diagnosed Autism Overview

1
A Parents Journey to Curing a Child with
Autism What Can I Do For My Child?Conventiona
l and Alternative Medicine

• Autism Sensory Zone

2
What is Autism?

• Autism is a developmental disability that
  typically involves delays and impairments in
  social skills, language, and behavior. Autism is
  a spectrum disorder, meaning that it affects
  people differently (Adams et al 2004).
•  Autistic Disorder This is the most common or
  classical autism. Children with an autistic
  disorder have severe language impediments and
  behavioral challenges
•  
• Aspergers Syndrome These children have milder
  symptoms and are able to speak
•  
• Pervasive Developmental Delay or PDD These
  children may have some of the
• characteristics of autism spectrum disorder, but
  may be able to socialize and vocalize words

3
BACKGROUND

• Firstly, identifying the symptoms
• Children do not respond to their names by 12
  months
• They do not play pretend games by 18 months
• Avoid eye contact and want to be alone
• Have trouble understand peoples feelings or
  talking about their own feelings
• Have delayed speech and language skills
• Repeat words or phrases over and over (echolalia)
• Give unrelated answers to questions
• Get upset over minor changes
• Have obsessive interests
• Flap their hands, rock their body, or spin in
  circles
• Have unusual reactions to the way things sound,
  smell, taste, look, or feel

• Secondly, causes or risk factors
• Genes are considered to be a factor, according to
  most scientists for a child to develop an autism
  spectrum disorder or ASD
• If a parent or sibling with an ASD is at a higher
  risk of also developing ASD
• If during pregnancy a mother has taken the
  prescription (thalidomide and valproic acid) may
  also increase the risk of developing ASD
• Vaccines and infections have led researchers to
  consider after birth risk factors although, in
  the past they were more inclined to believe it
  was before birth

4
METHODOLOGY

• Secondary sources were employed to provide a
  better understanding of autism, conventional
  treatments, and alternative approaches to
  treating children with autism
• Journals 14 (Archives of Pediatrics and
  Adolescent Medicine)
• Books 3 (Impossible Cure, The Child w/ Special
  Needs, Classical Soc. Theory)
• Newspaper Articles 2 (The New York Times Los
  Angeles Times)
• Websites 4 (Centers For Disease Control
  Prevention, Autism Research Institute, Autism
  Today, Autism Speaks)

5
Treatments

• Traditional Treatments

• Alternative Therapies

• Speech Therapy (ST)
• The first step is to assess the childs
  vocabulary, and see at what level they are at.
  The pathologist then begins to incorporate
  (depending on the child) pronunciation and
  articulation techniques.
• Occupational Therapy (OT)
• Helps children accomplish everyday tasks
  (feeding, dressing, bathing, and the like. OT
  therapists work on the childs fine motor skills,
  social skills, and visual skills.
• Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
• Intensive individual sessions with a child and a
  therapist. Most children have a 20-40 hour
  weekly sessions at their own home. Positive
  reinforcement is mainly used to compensate
  children, when a task has been performed
  properly.

• Food Allergens - Gluten Casein Free Diet
• (Wheat, barley, rye, and oats) and removing all
  dairy
• (milk, ice cream, cheese yogurt
• Chelation focus on removing toxic metals (lead
  and
• mercury) from the childs body
• Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) enter a
• pressurized air chamber for a certain amount of
  time.
• Homeopathic Treatment Diluting a substance
• (mineral, plant, animal, or milk) in vigorous
  shakings on a
• hard surface, and then allowing the energy from
  the
• substance imprint on the bottle. The liquid is
  non-toxic
• and then turned into sugar pills
•  
• Osteopathic Treatment Cranio/Sacral Therapy
• Pressing, rubbing, and moving muscles
  (manipulating the cranium)
• By putting pressure on the soft tissue, it
  allows oxygen into the brain

6
Alternative Therapy Treatments for Children
(2007-2008)

• According to this table provided by the Center
  for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov), and a survey
  done by the 2007 National Health Interview Survey
  (NHIS) among 9000 children (17 under) state
  the following
• Natural products came in first with 3.9
  (discussed in this paper)
• Chiropractic Osteopathic with 2.8 (discussed
  in this paper)
• Deep Breathing 2.2
• Yoga 2.1
• Homeopathic Treatment 1.3 (discussed in this
  paper)
• Traditional Healers 1.1
• Massage 1.0
• Meditation 1.0
• Diet Based Therapies 0.8 (discussed in this
  paper

7
THEORY

• George Herbert Meade (1934) - Symbolic
  Interactionism Believed that language allows us
  to become self-conscious beings and that the key
  element in this process is the symbol (Wysocki
  2004). In addition, Goodwin Scimecca (2006),
  explain how Mead believed that the mind cannot
  develop without some form of social process or
  interaction between people. This author believes
  that Meads theory applies to children with
  autism, because these children lack the social
  skills and most importantly the language to
  interact with parents, teachers, etc.

8
Theory Application

• Furthermore, Mead created the stages of
  self-development (Goodwin Scimmecca 2006)
• The Preparatory Stage The child imitates an
  adult, but there is no symbolic understanding.
• The Play Stage Begins when the child begins to
  acquire language, and they are able to define
  words that have shared meaning. Role play
  influences the personality development.
• The Game stage The child assumes roles and
  incorporates them to society.
• The play stage of Meads self-development
  theory emphasizes the importance of socialization
  at an early age. Language/vocabulary are the
  main factors to letting people know your wants
  and needs, and children with autism do not have
  the language or social skills necessary to start
  a bond with anybody.

9
Conclusion

• After a child is diagnosed, most parents do not
  know where to turn to. Today compared to ten
  years ago, autism awareness has increased.
  However, there is still so much more that could
  be done to assist families in trying to obtain
  treatment. As this author revised the readings,
  the final conclusion is that parents should not
  lose faith. Moreover, trial and error is the
  only way to find out what therapy works best for
  a child.
• Saving a Lost Generation