Autism Therapy

Autism Therapy questions and answers

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Q: What is CranioSacral Therapy? How can it help kids with Autism?
in a previous question i asked about special diets for kids with autism someone brought CranioSacral Therapy. What is this? I have never heard of it before. None of my sons doctors have ever mentioned this as an option before.

A: To be a bit more specific, CranioSacral therapy balances the cerebro-spinal fluid in the brain... this helps to balance the brain function & often balances body function & tight muscles too. I am a chiropractor who has taken the first level of craniosacral therapy (there are at least 3-4 levels of training in this class work). You may also want to try chiropractic for your child... not all chiropractors work with children, but many do. Your doctor may not be familiar w/ cranio-sacral, but many physical therapists are. I worked with a severely injured child who had a brain injury from a car accident- her neurologist had no problem with me doing crainal work on her & gentle chiropractic treatment.

Q: What is the best way to give ABA therapy to children with Autism?
I am a new graduate and I am familiar with ABA therapy, but I would like to know how and what parent's think of it and what works! I am employed now in the behavioral science field and I will begin working with children with Autism soon. Any suggestions?

A: there is no 1 best way as the spectrumis so wide. some children need a strong focus on individual skills taught through discrete trial some need minimal discrete trial and more natural environment teaching/incidental learning.. most students start with a 1:1 ratio teacher:student, but graduate to more independent levels..... I like to build in prompting and use errorless teaching.... itis very important to generalize skills in a natural setting.. some need strict seat work--some can be more flexible

Q: How do people pay for ABA therapy for their children with Autism?
My 2 year old son has just been diagnosed with Autism and we are told he will need ABA therapy. I have started to check on this and it is SO expensive. The cheapest I can find here where we live in COlorado is over $1,000 a month. I just want to know how people afford this. I can not afford to do this but I cant seem to find any help in paying for this for him. I want to get him all the therapy he needs but not sure how finacially to do this. I found out that I can get Medicade to help pay for part of it but it takes over a year to get in the system. Untill then I feel a little lost. My insurance will pay for him to get Speech therapy but no luck with the ABA part. I hear good things about this type of therapy and how it really helps children and want to do whatever I can for him. He is so young and early intervention with therapy will really help him but not sure what to do next. Does anyone know of any financal help to get therapy for children with Autism. Any help appricated. I already tried SSI but they said we make too much for him to qualify. That suprised me because I thought that he could get it because he had a disability not because of income. And trust me we don't make too much money.

A: I live in California, and all my son's ABA (he got it 5 days a week!) was paid for by the state. We have something called regional centers that are state funded, and they have an intake process where they determine how much, and what type of therapy your child needs, and then they pay for it. My son had ABA, Speech, & Occupational Terapy, and I never paid a dime of it. Good luck. I know how hard it can be!

Q: Is flower therapy good for children with autism?
My child is 6 yrs olda nd has 'autism'. He gets very aggressive at times and takes a long time to calm down. Does this flower essence therapy help children with autism especially who have behavioural problems like anger and impulse? Please help as i don't want to go for 'Ritalin'. Regards Veena

A: I'm not sure of the effectiveness of flower therapy for children with autism. If it is not harmful for the child, I suppose it is worth a shot. However, I recommend behavior therapy (specifically Applied Behavior Analysis). It is specifically designed to address behavior issues. What happens is a behavior analyst will observe your child, interview you, and work directly with your family to design a behavior plan specifically for you son and his behaviors. ABA uses positive reinforcement to increase desired/appropriate behavior. ABA is quite effective for most children, and without the medication interventions. Here are some resources for ABA. If you have any other questions, feel free to contact me. http://www.behavior.org/behavior/behavior_index.cfm http://www.behavior.org/autism/ http://www.shapingbehavior.com/whatisaba.html

Q: My 22 month old starting ABA therapy for recent autism diagnosis, anyone familiar with this?
My 22 month old son Danny just diagnosed with autism. Lost his speech, lines things up, rocks, bangs head, walks on tippy toes and does not respond to his name and stares at wheels on cars and spins them. All this came on suddenly. We are starting ABA two times a day and occupational therapy 2 times a week through Early Intervention. I may also get him in additional ABA at local hospital. They told me he is not ready for speech therapy. I am afraid to know if he will ever get his speech back. Would we learn to sign? I see developmental ped again on 8/2. When do you think they will tell me if he is high functioning or low functioning autism. Is it too early to learn these things and to learn where he is on the spectrum. I am still in grieving stage and just trying to learn as much as I can. Any advice would be helpful. Also, he just starting not being able to eat. He keeps sticking tongue out instead of chewing. Thank you.

A: First I want to start by saying don't feel so bad. Your son is blessed. I know how hard it is to go through something like that.I'm in the same situation. My son is barely 2 years old and he was recently diagnosed with autism too. He going to start having his therapy 5 times a day ,21/2 hrs long starting in August. Along with occupational theapy too. The thing about autism is that when catched so early in life along with therapy they can come out of it. Just help your son as much as possible and pray that everything will be fine. My son doesn't say a word does exactly what yous son does, but I know with all the help he's going to get he will be fine and your son will too.It's going to be rough but it will be fine.

Q: Have you ever tried craniosacral therapy for your child with Autism?
Please share any positive or negative experiences. Mydaughter has been diagnosed with Autism and we are currently looking into craniosacral therapy. She already receives Speech/OT/Physical therapy. Thank you in advance.

A: I don't think it's dangerous but there's not much scientific evidence out there just empirical evidence. I'd have my quack detector turned way up because therapies like this often promise much and deliver little. Basically with autism, you fall into one of two camps. One believes that autism is a physiological condition that can be "cured" or "reversed" with biomedical and other medical interventions. From a scientific standpoint, this does not seem to be the case. The other camp believes autism is a neurological difference of being and most believe our kids were born this way. There are scientific studies showing autism as most likely being genetic and not environmental. I belong to this camp. It is also important to note that many autistic adults (there are tons of bloggers) believe they were born this way. They were subjected to many quack therapies so I value their input on these matters. So, if you decide to use this therapy, I wouldn't go into it hoping it will cure your daughter's autism. Your daughter will always be autistic. The more life skills she is able to master, the better equipped she will be to deal with the world, so I would not sacrifice speech and OT. You may find that the pressure and relaxation may be beneficial for her and help her to calm and collect herself, although, you could probably achieve this in a quiet place in your home and save a lot of money. Hope this helps.

Q: how effective is chelation therapy in children with autism?
i am looking for alternative methods to treat, my childs condition.

A: I highly reccommend you read this book: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gut-Psychology-Syndrome-Depression-Schizophrenia/dp/0954852001/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215193221&sr=8-1 Dr. Natasha MD has cured many children of Autism, she also believe it is induced by the 3-in-1 MMR vaccine, and relates this to Candida Overgrowth, intestinal dybiosis, and studies by British Gastroenterologists and their intriguing findings of the state of the gut in children with autism. She has a clinic in Cambridge, UK, she cures/treats many autistic children, her own children had autism {which she cured}, which has led her to helping other parents. I am still reading this book, so I cannot vouch a just review yet, but from what I have read so far, it is great and right on the dot. ALEX F gave a great answer also, right on the dot. Chelation therapy should be one of your tools for curing Autism, although the protocol outlined by Dr. Natasha needs to be implemented asap for the cure to work. Start by following the anti-candida diet, and anti gluten/caesin diet, this will show dramatic positive results. Start making Kefir at home, make sure your child drinksa glass for breakfast/prior to bed. Hope this helps

Q: how much speech therapy and occupational therapy should a child with autism receive?
My son is nonverbal he receives 1 hr each for his therapies.he is now 6 and i beleive he needs more.we live in texas but what other avenues can i approach to get more help for him?

A: It depends on the child. It also depends on what is considered to be educationally necessary versus medically necessary. that sounds like a typical amount for what you are describing. The ST and OT should be carried over by the classroom teachers and aids so that it is incorporated throughout the day. you can try to get your health insurance to cover it-but often they won't-you will have more luck if your child seemed to be developing normally and than lost skills as a toddler. Many issurance will not cover speech therapy unless speech was presant, but then lost

Q: Anyone have a child with autism and did vision therapy?
If so, how did it work out for you?

A: I don't have a autistic kid but still wanted to answer your question as nobody answered. Visual problems are common in autism like lack of eye contact,staring at spinning object & light,fleeting peripheral glance,problem in coordination and difficulty in maintaining attension as well as vision is hypersensitive. Vision therapy is used to stimulate general visual arousal,eye-movement and central visual arousal.Helpful for eye-coordination.Math kill can be improved with vision Therapy. You can go through following link: http://www.covd.org/Home/AboutVisionTherapy/tabid/71/Default.aspx A good story to share with you for vision therapy, http://www.visionhelp.com/awareness.htm

Q: Art therapy and autism/asperger: wich exeperiences in primary school?
Hallo! Anyone know some experiences, special projects, articles, web sites etc. about the application of art therapy on child with autism or asperger syndrome in uk primary school (or other european countries)? Vale

A: Art therapy became established as a mental health profession in the 1930s and is now practiced in hospitals, clinics, public and community agencies, wellness centers, educational institutions, businesses and private practices. It involves the application of a variety of art modalities including drawing, painting, clay and sculpture. Art therapy enables the expression of inner thoughts or feelings when verbalization is difficult or not possible. The aesthetic aspect of the creation of art is thought to lift one's mood, boost self-awareness and improve self-esteem. Art therapy also allows the opportunity to exercise the eyes and hands, improve eye-hand coordination and stimulate neurological pathways from the brain to the hands. Art therapy is commonly used in the treatment of anxiety, depression and other mental and emotional problems; substance abuse and addictions; family and relationship issues; abuse and domestic violence; and coping with disability or medical illness. Art therapy may aid in stress reduction and relaxation.

Q: Can dogs be uses for therapy for people with autism and what size?


A: If you're interested in that subject you should visit this link : http://www.autismservicedogsofamerica.com/about_asda.htm They say that "Service dogs provide the child/adult challenged with autism an opportunity to safely access different environments which result in improved communication and social skills. The autism service dog’s presence offers a calming influence and provides a sense of security to the child and the parents. Abstract and concrete thinking advance, focus improves, and the length of attention span increases. Emotional outbursts occur less often. The important role of an autism service dog is affording the individual more independence and autonomy, helping those individuals become a viable part of the community at large"

Q: Autism Therapies and or Nutritional Help?
Hello I have a son with autism, if anyone has suggestions as to what will help my son from therapies to nutrition let me know. I appreciate your help!

A: Besides speech therapy, and occupational therapy, there are many biomedical interventions available now days that were not there 8 years ago when my son was diagnosed. My son has autism and he is 10. He is on the GFCF diet, the SCD diet and everything on the list below, except for the HBOT, he did have on treatment a year ago. Autistic kids tend to crave the foods that are bad for them: sugar, starchy foods, milk, soy, rice, corn, chocolate. If they have hidden allergies to these foods and can actually have opioids like effects on their brain. This are the recommendations by the Autism Research Institute. Not everything listed here will work on every child, so its up to us to try different things until we find what helps our kids. Improve Diet (veggies, Meats, organic) Food Allergies GFCF Diet Vitamin/ Mineral supplementation (Super Nu-Thera from Kirkman Labs) High-Dose Vitamin B6 & Magnesium Essential Faty Acids Gut Treatments * Anti-fungals * Anti-virals * Probiotics * Digestive Enzymes Amino Acids Melatonin (at night time for sleep) Thyroid Supplements Sulfation Glutathione Chelation (DMSA with ALA)-reported improvement in 73% of cases Immune System Regulation HBOT (Hiperbatic Oxigen therapy) The Autism Research Institute has a list of practitioners familiar with autism. Some on the list are very experienced and other not so much. The website provides information about the types of therapy they offer. It would probably be beneficial for you to join a support group here on Yahoo, because there are millions of parents and family members going through this. Yahoo autism support groups: Mb12valtrex Autism-Mercury Myelin-Sheath-Protein abmd Autism-Immune EOHarm SCDietkids SCDrecipes StemCell-for-Autism taca-usa VitaminK

Q: What kind of therapy is done for kids who hurt themselves because of autism?
I hear they do therapies for that and was wondering what they do.

A: he is the quote: "Tantrums are also a form a communication. They just happen to be a form that most parents don’t like. For my son out burst were a way to express frustration that could lead to a fit that would sometimes last up to 1 hour. For other families their children on the spectrum could have tantrums for up 7 to 12 hours and there was no stopping them once they started. These tantrums typically have to run their full course and there was always damage in their wake. Helping your child understand their schedule, creating and sticking to routines, and providing them with options during their day will help in preventing most outbursts. As these tantrums are handled parents can introduce more flexible non scheduled activities once a system for communication is understood and in place. It is important to note that dealing with tantrums while a child is young - preferably under the age of three - can greatly shape the future in the right direction. Letting outburst go or avoid outings altogether can be a disaster especially as the child ages. This article attempts to outline some strategies for easing the tantrum king or queen in your home and on the road." because it's long article i'll just give you the links to treatment:

Q: Stem Cell Therapy and Autism?
I have been seeing Stem cell therapy being flaunted as the medical cure for everything including Parkinson's, spinal cord injuries and now autism.

A: The idea is to take 'unprogramed' cells and choose the program by downloading healthy cells that belong to that region of the brain. Ok, so I have a healthy amagyldia (or however you spell it) which controls congitive thought processes and emotions. I also produce stem cells in my spine (all humans do, fetuses just have a higher concentration with less free radicals floating around them) So if a specialist took healthy cells from a donor, and merged them with stem cells (unprogramed cells) and did this over and over then inserted them into the region, the HOPE is that they would fuse to the recipient and effectively "CURE" the dysfunction. It's more like a really interesting idea, rather than science. Though, who thought Cow Pox could cure Polio?!

Q: Chelation Therapy & Autism?
Can someone who has any experience with chelation therapy and autism please post me ASAP. I need to find a doctor in Sydney that works with, Transdermal DMPS rather than the IV form, for all other parents with children of autism this is a process that removes toxins from the child's body.

A: 137 scientists in over 50 locations in 9 countries around the world 2 years ago tested 1,600 families with an autistic member in each of them. Some of these autistics were vaccinated. Others were not. But ALL autistics shared the same genes. Since then, more genes have been mapped. The scientists in the original and subsequent studies, all of which have been peer reviewed, have determined that there is no environmental "trigger" for autism, and this includes vaccines. See "Autism and Vaccines: Parts I and II" for reliable information on this subject. They are free audio podcasts put out by Midnight In Chicago at www.mic.mypodcast.com. They site all their sources including the studies I just mentioned. As for chelation therapy, the US government halted a study on the effectiveness in its treatment of autism because of 1) How dangerous it is 2) Chelation has already killed at least one autistic 3) It caused brain damage in rats which did not present with heavy metal toxicity Parents are quick to grasp at straws to "cure" their children of diseases and disorders and differences which cannot be cured, but the fact of the matter is, those who use chelation therapy for anything other than treating heavy metal toxicity are endangering their children.