My son is 10 years old. He is in a mainstream school, doing well. His academic achievements are within normal range for 10-year-olds, although math is not his strong point. He can be clumsy as far as social skills are concerned, but he has friends, and children generally like him. He can be naïve and hyperactive at times, but amazingly mature at other times. His language is excellent with a wider-than-usual vocabulary, and he likes to write poetry and short stories. He is learning to play piano and is doing very well, particularly at composing his own music. No one would suspect what this child and his parents have been through. Nobody who meets him now would ever think of autism in connection with this boy. All this is now. I have been asked to look into the past and describe how we got here.

It is always painful for a mother to recall those years of desperation and hard work with an autistic child. It is particularly painful to realize all the things you were doing wrong. If only we knew then what we know now! If only we had done this and that, when he was smaller, he may have developed very differently.

However, I do not regret for a moment the mind-blowing educational journey my son took me through. When he was born, I was an M.D. trained in neurology with seven years’ working experience. But as they say, doctors make the worst patients. When it comes to your own child, you are just as prone to denial and blindness as any other parent. Apart from that, as all the parents of autistic children discover, doctors know very little about autism. They are taught how to diagnose it, but when it comes to treatment, official medicine has nothing to offer. On the contrary, it is hell bent on convincing you that there is nothing you can do and that any other opinion is quackery. So, being a doctor has given me no advantage at all.

Our son was diagnosed autistic at the age of three. After the initial shock and grieving my husband and I started to learn as much as we could about autism. In those days there wasn’t as much information available on the subject as there is now, but at least there was something offering our son hope. I remember that somebody gave us a phone number for Dr. Rimland in California. We had a long conversation with him and as a result our son was on an ABA program by the age of 3 1/2. At the same time he started taking DMG. This conversation with Dr. Rimland was like a ray of sunshine in our lives. Here was a person who knew so much about autism and who was prepared to share his knowledge with us and help us. Here was a parent who did not accept the official position on autism and who had devoted his life to changing that position. I am sure that there are thousands of families around the world forever grateful to this man. I want to add my family to that list.

From the very beginning the ABA program was performing absolute miracles with our boy. I will never forget our first workshop with our excellent ABA consultant, who had flown to us from the U.S. At the end of an exhausting two days of training, she said that in three months’ time she expected our son to speak in small sentences. All of us, including our five therapists, thought that she was dreaming, because our boy had no speech and his understanding of language was very questionable. But to our huge surprise, she was right! We have meticulously recorded that period in our son’s life on video. In three months’ time we were able to have quite a sensible conversation with him.

As our son was moving through his ABA program I devoted my time to learning as much as possible about biology, biochemistry, and nutrition in autism. It was clear to me that our son’s extreme fussiness with food—and as a result, very poor diet—had a lot to do with his autism. I went back to university and took a master of sciences degree in human nutrition. I devoted particular attention to studying the digestive system’s pathology and how to treat it by natural means. The reason for my interest was the fact that our son’s digestive system almost never functioned normally. Beginning the day we introduced solids into his diet, he went through a period of severe constipation, which eventually turned into constant diarrhea. Again, consulting with official medicine was a complete disappointment. Apart from symptomatic drugs with lots of side effects, it could offer our boy nothing to help with his digestive problems, constant fungal nappy rash or tremendous feeding difficulties. At the same time it was clear to me that his immune system was in disarray due to his poor nutrition. Like many autistic children he went through ear infections, chest infections, impetigo, and fungal thrush. And of course, all my medical colleagues offered were antibiotics and more antibiotics.
Based on my newly acquired knowledge I changed his diet dramatically. Our ABA consultant helped us work out a system of introducing foods into our son’s diet. Without that system it would have been impossible to change his diet, as he was so finicky with food. Having examined diets that have been successful for children with severe digestive problems, such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and chronic malnutrition, I realized that just introducing a gluten- and casein-free (GFCF) diet would not be enough for my son. So I have worked on a far more natural and focused approach, which also excludes gluten and casein. The result was amazing, as if somebody had lifted a toxic fog off his brain. He was much calmer, much more able to learn. His eye contact improved on its own and a lot of self-stimulation disappeared.

At the same time we introduced a strong therapeutic probiotic. There was no doubt that his gut flora was abnormal. From early on I have tried to give him various probiotics, available on the market, with no particular results, until I found a formula that worked. It was powerful enough to heal his digestive system to such an extent that we could cheat on the diet on an occasional basis without any problems. At the same time it gave his immune system such a boost that I don’t remember now when he last had a cold. Now he looks a picture of health with rosy cheeks and bright eyes and he is full of energy. Since then I have developed my own probiotic formula, which works very well for autistic children and people with digestive and immune disorders.

It is impossible to overestimate the role of the family in the struggle against autism. I have seen quite a few very sad situations, where one parent is trying to help a child without the support of the other parent. Treating an autistic child is a huge undertaking and united families usually succeed much better. I would like to say that what we have achieved with our son, my husband and I have achieved together. Without my husband’s constant support, intellect, and organizational skills I would not have been able to do half of what I have done in these years. Our son is very lucky to have an excellent dad, of whom he is very fond.

A great part of the successful treatment of autism is the fact that parents of autistic children all talk to each other. This is where we get our strength and inspiration to carry on. Our success became an inspiration for many other families, who were calling me and who were willing to try what we did. That is how my clinic for autistic children started. Having seen hundreds of families from many different countries, I never cease to admire their determination and strength in trying to help their children. I have learned a lot from them and their experiences.

A few months ago at the end of a consultation, one of the parents looked at me and asked in a stern voice, “Why haven’t you written a book yet?!” That was followed by a number of other parents telling me that I must write a book on autism. I am working on it now. I feel that it is my duty to share the knowledge and clinical experience that I have accumulated over the years thanks to my son and the many families of autistic children I have met. I hope, too, that my experience will help others to avoid the mistakes that we have made. We all eventually learn by our mistakes, but time is precious for our children. The earlier we start helping them in the right way, the better chance they get to recover from autism. I believe that every autistic child has a chance, given appropriate help.
And do not let anybody tell you that autism is incurable!

Update for Second Edition (November 2005):

It is hard to believe that more than two and a half years have passed since our story was published in 2003. My son just turned 13. He is tall and handsome and he is a delight.
In my previous story I mentioned that I was writing a book. Well, the book has been out for a year now and is very successful; a third print was done a month ago. It is called “Gut And Psychology Syndrome. Natural treatment for autism, ADHD, ADD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, depression and schizophrenia” (www.MedInform.co.uk). The book describes in detail how these conditions develop and how to treat them using a solid nutritional protocol. It has a large recipe section to help people start on the diet, as well as chapters on how to deal naturally with ear infections, constipation, toxicity, fussy feeding habits, and other issues.

My son was very proud to contribute to my book—he has written a beautiful poem, which is published at the beginning of the book. We still have not told him about what happened to him in his younger years; we decided to wait until he is older. There are no traces of autism in him now and he is leading a normal life. He is doing well at school and started playing rugby on his school team. His digestive system works like a clock now, though we still adhere to the diet, which I have described in detail in my book. The good news is that my son can have anything now on an occasional basis without it causing problems. However, the whole family is on this diet as it is very healthy and can prevent many health problems (such as weight gain, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, autoimmune problems, osteoporosis, and allergies) in all members of the family. When we go on holiday we eat what is available, but when we come back home we go back to our diet because it is good for us. Both our children have a considerable knowledge of nutrition now and we often hear them lecturing their friends on what is good for them to eat and what is not.

I hope that our story can be an inspiration for parents of autistic children. Never give up on your child, and your child will reward you.
Source : http://www.autism.com

As a mother of two sons, one with moderate-to-severe autism and one without, I know firsthand how challenging it can be to juggle the needs of all the members of a family when one of the members has special needs. Raising a child with autism is not an easy endeavor- getting the right services for your child, working to improve developmental skills, and dealing with the daily challenges unique to autism can be as much work (if not more!) than a full-time job. This article addresses the challenges unique to raising siblings of children with autism: children whose needs can sometimes be overshadowed by the more obvious ones of their special sibling. I am not a psychologist or a doctor- just a mom who has made a fair share of mistakes, and picked up some pointers along the way. I hope these suggestions are helpful to you and your family.

Spend one-on-one time. Spending time alone with your child is a great way to make sure he or she doesn’t get lost in the shuffle of the daily grind, or ground down by all-autism, all the time. My son and I started a vegetable garden together, which provides peaceful quality time outdoors for both of us. The tasty tomatoes, peppers, and carrots are a nice bonus too! We also bake together, once in a while, just the two of us, and he is my official grocery shopping helper. Little activities like that can add up to quite a bit of time during the week, and a stronger relationship.

Teach your child about autism. Depending on the age of the child, there are a variety of media resources to help children understand autism, including books and movies. Teach your child the word, and what it means for his or her sibling. For example, I began very simply with my youngest son when he was 3 years old, and told him that his brother had autism, and had a hard time using his words. As he’s grown older, I’ve explained more, about impulse control, meltdowns, and food aversions - in kid-speak, of course! This way, these are just simply facts that he has in his mental file about his brother, alongside such useful information as ‘has brown hair’ and ‘loves trucks’.

Acknowledge his/her feelings. Some days you probably hate autism too, and get really frustrated by your child’s behavior. Maybe you were embarrassed by the meltdown in the grocery store too. You grieve for the child you might have had. Your child may grieve for the brother or sister he/she might have had too. Acknowledge these feelings, without dwelling on them. Make it safe for your child to express his/her feelings without repercussions. Burying feelings isn’t healthy for anyone, including children, and in this case, it may lead towards resentment and guilt towards his or her sibling.

Make sure your rules are fair. In my house, the rule is that everyone does what he or she can do. Autism is not allowed to be an excuse. Even though my eight year old son has moderate-to-severe autism, there are still several chores he can do, with supervision and assistance. It is good for your child with autism to learn responsibility and self-help skills. It is also good for demonstrating inclusion principles right in your own home. If your child without autism has chores, and the child with autism has no chores, resentment may also build, and that is something that should be avoided wherever possible.

Don’t forget the positive praise. Praise your children. Frequently. If it doesn’t come easily, try using statements like ‘I like how you…’, or ‘It makes me so happy when you…’. Children need to hear more praise than criticism in order to develop a positive self-image. Cultivate the habit.

Have reasonable expectations. No child is going to behave perfectly. Just because your child doesn’t have autism, doesn’t mean he or she is going to be an angel. My husband and I have made that mistake, and were grateful when another mom pointed it out (discreetly) to us. Kids are going to be kids. Making mistakes, misbehaving, and testing boundaries are all part of the learning process. Are you perfect? I know I’m not, and I don’t expect either one of my kids to be either.

Don’t let autism rule your family’s life. A diagnosis of autism can often mean lots of therapies and treatments and appointments with specialists. My son receives speech therapy and occupational therapy twice a week after school (on alternating days), for an hour each session. Parents who are following ABA protocols can spend even more time! It’s time consuming but necessary. However, I refuse to schedule any therapies on Friday or over the weekend. That’s our family time. I also arrange to have my younger son participate in an after school program he really enjoys, so that he doesn’t have to sit in a clinic for an hour waiting for his brother. That way, therapy is accomplished, and no one (with the possible exception of me) is bored in a waiting room.

Keep your marriage strong. One of the first things I read about when I was researching my newly-diagnosed little boy’s disorder was the shockingly high divorce rates among parents of special needs children. My husband and I agreed that we liked being married to each other, and wanted to keep it that way. Some of the strategies we’ve pursued in keeping our marriage strong is keeping a date night, at least twice a month. If you don’t have reliable respite care (parents or friends, for example), contact your local social services agency. Many social services agencies maintain resource lists for consumers, including lists of agencies which provide respite care. Your marriage is worth the effort and the expense! Other valuable insights I have gained through this journey is the importance of being patient and gentle with one another, and taking care of one another. You are partners on this parenting journey together, and the easiest, most loving way to complete the journey is by staying happily married. Both kids need that from you.

Keep your stress level as low as you can. It’s not as impossible as it sounds! I understand exactly how difficult that can be. Raising children is a juggling act; raising a family with autistic and non-autistic children is a juggling act on a unicycle. That is why it is so crucial to find personal time to take care of yourself. I take care of my garden, meditate daily, take bubble baths with a good mystery or romance novel once or twice a week, and get on the elliptical to exercise two to three times a week (whether I want to or not). These are things which keep me sane, and refresh my spirit. My husband plays video games and has poker night with the guys. It’s finding what works for you. It’s not selfish to find time for yourself. Nourishing your mind, body and spirit helps you to be strong for your family.
I hope that following these suggestions will help as you raise your ‘mixed’ family.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mariann_Bell

Autism is a neurologically-based disorder that affects verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction. Autism is different for every person. No two people with autism are exactly the same. Some people with autism have difficulty with their mobility such as controlling their arms, legs or mouth muscles. And, others have difficulty with cognitive skills-like reasoning, learning or memory. The problems may range in severity and may even change over time.

Research shows that autism occurs four times more often in males than females. Autism is found in all racial, ethnic and social backgrounds and families. Early signs of autism can be seen by as early as age 12 months and diagnosis can be made as early as 24 months. Early identification and treatment of autism increases the chances for improving problem skills and improves quality of life.

There are several different types of disorders in the autism “spectrum” also known as “autism spectrum disorders” or “pervasive developmental disorders.”

• Autism disorder

• Asperger syndrome

• Childhood disintegrative disorder

• Rett syndrome (in girls)

• Pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified

Although each person with autism is different, there are some common communication and social characteristics that most exhibit. These communication and social interactions will vary in severity and may be altered as the person grows and develop in the various stages of his life.

Communication

• Delayed language

• Not speaking or very limited speech

• Difficulty expressing basic wants and needs

• Limited communication to share interests with others

• Poor vocabulary development

• Problems following directions

• Problems finding objects that are named

• Repeating what is said (echolalia)

• Difficulty understanding nonverbal communication, such as gestures and facial expressions

• Problems answering questions

Social Interaction

• Inappropriate eye contact

• Becoming overly focused on certain objects or topics

• Difficulty building friendships

• Dislike being held or touched

• Inappropriate behavior such as crying, laughing or becoming angry for no known reason or at the wrong time

• Poor play skills

Other Social Interaction

• Problems dealing with change

• Using objects in unusual ways

• Feeding difficulties-accepting or refusing only selected foods or textures

• Over or under sensitivity to sounds

Speech and language services are important for people with autism at every age. Speech and language treatment can help people with autism develop effective speaking, listening, reading and social skills. At all ages, appropriate communication and positive social interactions are important for:

• Relationships with family, peers, friends and community

• Inclusion in social activities

• Success in school or at work

• Reducing behavior problems

• Emotional well-being and self-esteem

Ways to Stay Connected

As a caregiver of a person with autism, there are ways to help your loved one stay connected through communication. Finding the best way for the person with autism to express his thoughts, wants and needs to others is very important in helping him stay connected to those around him. Here are few ways to help in improving communication and social interactions:

• Increase awareness of and respond to all communication attempts. In order to accomplish
this, parents and other caregivers must begin to interpret all actions and behaviors as having communicative intent or communicative meaning.

• Use picture communication boards or books of familiar activities and people. Create a
communication board or book to help the child with autism to communicate needs, feelings, or desires.

• Use music therapy such as singing songs while during routine tasks. When washing body parts you could sing…”this is the way we clear our ears, clean our eyes, clean our cheeks.”

• Provide positive supports and learning opportunities. Identify and arrange communication
opportunities in natural contexts throughout the child’s day. Manipulate the environment! Create circumstances which encourages communication.

• Encourage interactions by providing individuals with autism the opportunity to socialize in
environments with age-appropriate peers. The experience of participating in a social group is essential to developing social-communicative skills.

• Teach children with autism that their actions or words have distinct results associated with
them. The child must learn that communication can be used to influence the environment.

By employing these communication strategies, the result is an increase in a child with autism understanding and use of communication. These strategies can help reduce the result of challenging behaviors and help the individual stay connected to the world around him.

The technical term for this disorder is Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PPD). It is similar to Classic Autism when you compare it to all other types under the spectrum of Autism. There are five different PPD’s that are classified differently than other types of Autism. The sooner a child with Austim starts interventions and therapies, they less likely they will suffer from Autism as they get older.

In 1932 Apserger was assigned to the position of director of the Vienna University Children’s Clinic. He observed four children with very similar traits. They were all unable to interact on a social level with their peers even though they had the same levels of intelligence as any average child. They weren’t able to show empathy or other emotions to others. They lacked non verbal communication skills and they were very accident prone.

The group of children did speak, but it was in a different context than other children. He also observed that whatever they were talking about at any given moment became the most important topic to them. He coined their behaviors as Autistic Pyschopathy due to the characteristics of social isolation and poor communication skills. He would eventually observe more than 400 children with similar traits to base his writings upon.

Some people continue to debate the classification of Asperger’s Autism There are clinicians who called it High Functioning Autism (HFA). These individuals feel it is only a mild form of Classic Autism. Many individuals who show signs of Asperger’s Autism have learning problems but they also seem to excel in their mental abilities as they get older. Helping children with Asperger’s Autism will help them be able to use their skills to the fullest.

Asperger wrote many articles about the concept of teaching individuals with Asperger’s Autism in a specific type of learning environment so that their development would be benefited. He believed that since they are often obsessed with a particular topic, this gives them the chance to achieve in those areas that capture their attention. The two most common areas that they excel in are art and science. Many individuals are surprised to find that Albert Einstein was diagnosed with Asperger’s Autism.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Caleb_Liu

Children and adults alike who are diagnosed with Autism typically have difficulty with normal verbal or non-verbal communication such as eye-to-eye contact, facial expressions, body postures and general gestures associated with simple interactions.

Basically, normal peer relationships are diminished due to the lack of social skills. People with Autism tend to migrate toward exclusive activities. Unfortunately, this disease also affects self-help daily living skills. It affects toileting, feeding, dressing and/or brushing teeth, etc. Moreover, one person with Autism may experience very different symptoms and behaviors than the next.

Due to this broad range of symptoms, Autism has been called the “Spectrum” Disorder. Specifically, a person that is suffering with mild autistic symptoms is at one end of the spectrum. A person with severe autistic symptoms is at the other end of the spectrum. Autism is now often referred to as the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). One of the conditions of ASD is the Asperger’s Syndrome.

Asperger’s Syndrome is a form of the Autistic Disorder where people have relatively fewer developmental delays. Asperger’s Syndrome is actually said to be hereditary by researchers as it has been simultaneously diagnosed with depression and bipolar diseases. Asperger’s Syndrome is applied to identify the mildest and highest functioning end of Autism spectrum. It is a high functioning form of Autism. Therefore, it is at the mild spectrum of Autism. There is no prescribed regimen of treatment for this disease; however adults may live productive, independent lives.

Three basic aspects of development are affected by Aspersers. They are the use of language for communicative purposes and certain behaviors with stylistic characteristics, social relatedness and social skills, and a limited, but intense range of interest.

Interestingly enough, the language is lucid before age four. Although speech is sometimes repetitive, the grammar is usually very good. Their voices tend to be flat and emotionless. Individuals with Aspergers are obsessed with complex topics and are often described as eccentric. Ironically, they are in the above-average range in verbal agility, yet many have dyslexia, writing problems as well as difficulty with mathematics. The Autism Asperger individual is socially aware, however displays inappropriate reciprocal interaction. Their movements may be clumsy or awkward and they present odd forms of self-stimulatory behavior.

The main characteristic of Aspergers Syndrome that makes its children unique and fascinating is their peculiar areas of “special interest”. This is very different from typical Autism in that those children’s interests are more likely to be objects or parts of objects.

The Asperger’s Syndrome children are fascinated with the intellectual dynamics of subjects. Even prior to attending school, these children will display an obsessive interest in areas such as math, science, reading or even some aspect of history or geography.

Another major characteristic that identifies Autism Aspergers from the typical Autism is the socialization deficit. In most cases, children with AS express a desire to fit in socially. Typical Autism victims suggest complete exclusion and seclusion. In fact, AS individuals tend to become frustrated because they aren’t able to interact appropriately.
Lastly, the use of language skills is can be used to determine if a child should be diagnosed with the Autistic Disorder or Asperger’s Syndrome. AS children have language skills that are very strong and tends to be very concrete. AS children have difficulty dealing with humor; tendency not to get jokes or laughing at odd times because they have difficulty with give or take with conversations, since their conversations tend to be self-oriented. Thus, these are differences that identify each disease as separate afflictions as they are very difficult to diagnose.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jon_Arnold

Autism Defined

Prior to jumping into what types of toys for autistic children are appropriate, I feel it is important to share a little bit of information with you on how autism is defined. If you learn as much as you are able to regarding this condition, you will have a much easier time purchasing the toys that will interest the autistic child. You must understand, these children see the world a bit differently than we do. It is almost as if they are trying to consistently make sense of everything around them on a regular basis. All of this comes easy to those who are not autistic. These children have a difficult time communicating with others, using their imagination, and even mildly interacting with others.

Toys for Autistic Children

When selecting toys for autistic children, it is important to choose those that are appealing to the senses. Particularly those that are visually attractive and those that are physically engaging. These children like to play with toys that actually stimulate them and the learning process in some way or another. You can purchase many of the toys that are appropriate for this condition at department stores, and toy stores. There are some websites online that also offer educational toys that appeal to the senses of the kid with autism. Listed below are some things that you may purchase for your child that may assist them, teach them, and entertain them on a daily basis:

1. You may want to purchase toys that the child can “construct” into something. Basic building blocks, tinker toys, Lincoln Logs, Lego’s, and even kits that can be built into cars and other types of things make great toys for autistic children.

2. Toys that enhance the creative skills of the autistic child are perfect choices. You may elect to purchase crayons, markers, paints, coloring books, art easels with paper, and similar items that will allow your child to express themselves through arts. Seeing that art is visually appealing, the autistic child will love these types of activities, or toys that allow them to be creative.

3. Constructing a play gym in the backyard is an ideal type of toy that autistic children can enjoy. These types of toys require the child to be physically active. Examples include a standard swing set, things to climb, a trampoline, slides, and even a pool!

4. Toys that play music, light up, and have parts that move are stimulating toys for autistic children.

5. A computer can be considered a good toy for an autistic child. This is because of the fact that there are a number of interactive games and other activities that they can pursue online.

Autism can be a challenge to any family that experiences it. If you are looking for a method to “reach” the autistic children, you should consider implementing the use of certain toys to their environment. Computer games, arts and creative games, and music toys are all considered to be wonderful toys for autistic children!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charlotte_El_Amin

Many people still believe ASD is an educational issue, a mental health disorder, or the result of bad parenting. Unfortunately, many medical professionals still do not accept that there are biochemical problems (flaws in the chemistry our bodies require to function normally) at the root of ASDs. The current standard of care for most ASD patients is prescription drugs to “manage” symptoms. This might make it easier for others to live with an ASD person, but it cannot be considered an effective treatment, as it doesn’t address the root causes of the disease. However, if you are open to understanding ASD as a set of unique biochemical problems and are willing to fight to make your child better, you will almost certainly succeed.

There are many different pathways leading to an ASD diagnosis. A child with ASD is likely to have many different biochemical problems and these problems may only slightly overlap with another ASD child’s issues. This one fact is almost always overlooked in scientific studies, books, and especially in media reports. You may have heard reports which conclude a particular cause (like mercury poisoning from childhood immunizations) is not correlated with autism, or a particular treatment (such as chelation or nutritional supplements) is not effective. You may even have tried giving your child a treatment someone swore did a world of good for their child, only to be disappointed. There is no “one-size-fits-all” cure for ASD. There are as many different forms of ASD as there are people who have it. Since each case of autism is unique, your child’s autism cannot be treated effectively until his or her unique problems are determined and a customized treatment plan is created and strictly followed.

This will not be easy, and may be the most difficult thing you have ever done. It is much easier to pretend your child will grow out his or her ASD symptoms, or that there is nothing you can do. Nothing could be further from the truth — your child needs help to get better and treatments are easier and more effective if started when a child is young.

It is very important that you take a leadership role in your child’s recovery. You know your child best and need to assemble an effective team of medical professionals and educators who can help you and your child. Your child cannot do this on his or her own, and your pediatrician and even some so-called ASD experts may not understand this disorder well enough to truly help.

The most effective treatments for ASD may not be well known to your current doctor, but they are not “weird”, “fringe” or even “non-traditional”. They are the result of decades of scientific research by leading ASD scientists and physicians. Most importantly, they are the treatments used and recommended by over 25,000 parents of ASD kids who administer therapies and carefully document the positive and negative effects of these treatments. The bottom line is this — if you want your ASD child to get better, you are going to have to think for yourself and take charge starting right now.

If you are a parent of an ASD child, you have a long and difficult challenge ahead of you. You can choose to accept a lifetime of disability for your child, or face this disease head on. The decision is yours.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Shamblott

Founded in 1965 by Dr. Bernard Rimland, the Autism Society of America is the premier national autistic support/advocacy group in the United States. It is the oldest and largest “grassroots” organization in the autistic community. The Autism Society of America is dedicated to increasing public awareness of autism and the issues faced by families living with autism; the society’s mission is to provide information, education, support, and advocacy for autistic programs and services.

The National Autism Association is an American support group designed to educate and empower families living with autism. They work to educate society about autism, its heredity factors, and environmental factors. Those involved in the autistic community are encouraged to assist their loved ones reach their full potential and raise money for autism research.

The National Autistic Society is an organization in the United Kingdom that works with individuals and government bodies to promote the rights and interests of individuals diagnosed with autism, as well raising the awareness of those living with and affected by autistic individuals. The Society provides local advice and support for families affected by autism; care and education for children and adults with autism; employment training for adults with Asperger’s syndrome; training for parents and professionals; reliable information and publications, and routinely lobbies and campaigns for the funding of autistic programs and research.

In Canada, the Autism Canada Foundation is the main autism advocacy group. Their goal is to “engage, educate, empower, and unite people to find a cure for autism.” The Autism Canada Foundation supports research that addresses the cause of autism, promotes public and government awareness of early diagnoses and effective treatment options, and provides caregivers with a wealth of objective information on treatments, therapy, and educational rights and opportunities.

Online support groups are a wealth of knowledge and experience. Knowing everything about autism is the first step in ensuring that your child has the most advantages possible. In addition, mental health and medical experts strongly recommend that families and caregivers of autistic children attend local support groups. Some people may find the idea wishy-washy or “corny”, but the resources available to members of support groups are amazing. Parents and care givers can share ideas and strategies for communicating with their autistic children and receive emotional support from someone who understands the process and is living through it as well. Often, people from your autism or Asperger’s syndrome support group are among the only people who understand what it is like living with these children, and will never be “sick” of hearing you talk about your fears and triumphs. There is no substitute for experience, and the advice given and friendships made at support groups is often invaluable.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sam_Kronish

Autism, which is sometimes also referred to Childhood Autism, Early Infantile Autism, or Kanner’s Autism, is caused by some neurological malfunction that causes marked delays in the development in the areas of communication and social interaction. Autism is a developmental disability that often occurs during the first three years of a child’s life. Autism, generally, affects the perception, attention, and thought of a person, though, it normally occurs at a younger age.

Autism isn’t an easy disorder to diagnose. Diagnosing autism is a very subjective process, though the DSM IV lists specific criteria that must be met for a formal diagnosis of autism.

Autism has been known as one of the most severe neurological disorders affecting children for about fifty years, but until recently, it was considered to be fairly rare, affecting less than one in 1000 people.

According to figures published by the Department of Education, the incidence of autism and diagnoses of autism have risen a staggering 800% since 1993.

It would be easy if there was a standard treatment for all children with autism spectrum disorder, but unlike disorders like diabetes, there is no ‘best’ treatment for ASD. Since the mid-90s, there have been numerous anecdotal reports that treatment with secretin results in amazing and immediate improvements in many autistic children and adults. Amongst the commonly used treatments are behavioral interventions, medication, and lifestyle and dietary changes.

What causes autism?
Autism is a brain disorder the etiology of which is not yet understood, which means, in basic language, the cause is not yet understood. There are lots of theories, and a lot of debate about the reasons for autism, and much of it is involved in the controversy surrounding exactly how common autism is, and whether or not there’s been a noticeable rise in actual cases of autism in recent times.

For mothers and fathers, one of the most crucial pieces of information is that autism is not a psychological illness. Specialists quite specifically dismissed the worrying theory that autism is brought on by the absence of a nurturing mother, but the belief still exists in some circles. If your child suffers from autism, don’t worry, it is not due to the fact that you were a inadequate parent

The gene connection
There is a great deal of research that implies a gene-related cause for autism. For example, the rates of autism in the public is approximately 1.5 in 1000, but families with one autistic child have a 5 percent chance of having another autistic child. In fact, the majority of autism experts think that autism is the most likely to be inherited of all the neurobiological disorders. The most persuasive evidence is the studies completed involving twins. Studying twins can help to identify a genetic link for a condition by analyzing the differencein frequency rates of the complaint in identical (monozygotic) and fraternal (dizygotic) twins. If a disorder is genetic in origin, the frequency rate will be significantly elevated in monozygotic (identical) twins, since they share the very same chromosomes. In the majority of such studies researching autism, the frequency of autism is as much as 90% higher in monozygotic (identical) twins than in fraternal (dizygotic).

On the other hand, the studies raise other questions. The fact that not one of the studies showed 100% concordance in monozygotic twins suggests that there are other factors at play in the causes of autism, for instance. And other familial studies have noted common characteristics, for instance, that autism is more common in families of physicists and engineers, giving rise to the term ‘the geek syndrome’ to identify autism.

Lifestyle factors
A number of doctors suspect that there could be an environmental factor in the progression of autism. Dr. Bernard Rimland, for instance, proposed in 1967 that autism may be a result of mercury and heavy metal toxicity to which a few youngsters have a genetic sensitivity. His treatment of autistic kids with a gluten-free, casein-free diet and mercury chelation therapy (removal of mercury from the system) has shown many success with most children.
Other lifestyle factors that have been suggested to play roles are viral or bacterial infections, vaccines and thalidomide.

The Supermale Brain Theory
One particularly interesting recent theory about the etiology of autism is that it’s brought on by high levels of testosterone during progression. A study in England measured the testosterone level of the amniotic fluid in mothers, then followed up with testing of youngsters after birth and at four years. It was found that the babies with the highest levels of testosterone pre-birth had a smaller vocabulary and made eye contact less usually at a year old, and were less socially developed at age four. The theory holds that elevated testosterone levels in the brain support the indicence of ‘male skills’ such as analysis of systems and seeing patterns, but repress the progression of ‘female skills’ such as communication and empathy

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You see children are very difficult to judge because at the age that autism would appear, children have not yet acquired all of the normal skills that children of a later age will have.

In an ideal world it would be great to be able to say; yes I know that my child has autism, now I can do something about it. But we sadly do not live in this ideal world so; it’s hard to figure out what are the signs of autism in children.

Talk to anybody and they will say that if possible, catch autism as early as possible so that you will be able to do something about it.
You have heard of the great stories of children recovering from autism, also about the magical treatments that some parents have found, so in order to get these (maybe life altering treatments) under way, you are going to have to spot the signs of autism in your child ASAP.

What are the symptoms?
If you are educated in what to look out for you will be much better at recognizing the things that could be a sure sign of autism.

1. One of the main things that you will notice is your child’s unresponsiveness to people around them.

2. They also may be fixated with one thing, it may be the TV, and it may be the rocking horse, but keep an eye out to see what it is. (When teaching your autistic child this can be used to great effect)

3. If your child has autism you should check to see if how they are speaking is monotone. This can be a tell tale sign for you.

4. Also you might notice that when you are speaking to them they will not make eye contact with you.

5. Your child not liking high or loud noises can be a sign also,

6. And if your child has autism they may have a high sensitivity to pain (one way to notice this is when you are brushing their teeth or hair, if you notice them hurting this could be a tell tale sign)

These little things to look out for can be part of your arsenal in helping your child overcome child autism. Don’t have yourself wondering what are the signs of autism in children, know them! Being prepared is key to success.

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