Treatment Autism

Treatment Autism questions and answers

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Q: What state or city is the best for autism treatment?
Our 4 year old son was recently "officially" diagnosed as having autism. We've been doing speech and OT therapy for almost 2 years, but methods like ABA are not very accessible here in north FL - there are just too few therapists in the area. We're considering where we might relocate to obtain additional treatment / therapies, particularly when he starts school next year. Any information on experiences in your area and local school district is much appreciated. Thank you!

A: My school district in south Florida does serve children with autism in separate classes. However, the use of ABA in those classes is not done across the board. Tampa has just opened an autism charter school called the Florida Autism Center of Excellence. The tuition is partly paid by the McKay scholarship and all the staff members are trained in ABA. Check them out on the 'Net or give them a call. I believe this school is in Hillborough County. The Eden Institute in Fort Myers offers ABA services and is partly covered by the McKay scholarship. The Devereaux Foundation in central Florida also practices ABA and serves a variety of disabled students. There is the Victory School in Miami. There are a couple of religious schools you might want to check out, but I don't know what practices they use. Crossroads school in Lakeland and the Jericho School for Children with Autism in Jacksonville. THE Peace by Piece Learning Center in Fort Myers is now accepting students. Seats will be limited at this school, so call now. The Palm Beach School for Autism is another one, though I don't know a thing about it. Finally, go to the Autism Speaks website. They have a big list of autism schools in Florida. I only gave you Florida alternatives because I assume you like it there!

Q: Can anyone reccomend a reliable, available and personable practitoner of biomedical treatment for Autism?
I work with a lot of families who are interested in pursuing biomedical treatments for their children with Autism Spectrum Disorders as part of their treatment/intervention/support plan. Until there is more comprehensive, peer reviewed research I am not comfortable with making reccomendations myself either for or against biomed options. However, should parents/carers/people with ASD ask for referrals, I would like to get an idea of who in Australia comes most highly reccomended.

A: Associate Professor Verity Bottroff (PhD) from Flinders University Adelaide: Head of the Department of Disability Studies, School of Medicine, Flinders University, Australia. Coordinator of undergraduate & post-graduate courses (internal & external) in autism spectrum disorders. Vice-President of Autism SA & Chairperson of the Professional Committee of Autism Council Australia. The Pfeiffer Treatment Center Melbourne are pioneers in reducing the symptoms of behavioral and learning disorders - including ADD/ADHD, autism spectrum disorders Some of the latest research into Autism has shown that there are 2 main subcategories of autistic children. These are over-methylators or under-methylators. Determination of which category the child is in allows more specific treatment for that individual. This can easily be determined through specialist metabolic testing. Therapy can then be individualised for the patient. For an appointment, please phone Mark on: 0417 831 055.

Q: Does anyone know any tongue acupuncturist in Thailand for autism treatment?
I have an autistic son and I have heard that tongue accupuncture can help autism.

A: Maud you do not belong in the alternative medicine section, Autism is definitely not something a child is born with, and thats not how they have to remain, and not what should be just accepted. Keep your misguided opinions to yourself since you do not understand or respect acupuncture.

Q: How would the government help take control of autism treatment?
I'm writing a paper and it's due tomorrow and i cant think of anything else to say. So please let me know if you think of anything. Thanks !

A: Allright, I'll help you out. Currently the government is getting involved in mandating insurance companies pay for autism treatments, since many are losing their symptoms with treatment. The insurance companies want to act like it's a permanent condition that does not respond to any treatments, and not pay for treatments. The other thing is that because autism is such a grand epidemic, the government is about to dish out gobs of money on research. They just finished the the committee on the proposal for funding to present to Congress. The proposal is allowing for research in just about any and all possible causes. What actually will get funded is another story. Even though there is actually a lot of good research on causes and treatments for autism, it appears that research is often ignored unless its government funded. Thus, research almost has to be government backed for it to be considered the real thing. A lot of good research goes ignored due to everyone possibley having their own agenda. I guess you can google government funding for autism research or insurance companies and autism to learn more for your paper. In some states, the state governmental bodies are giving money for some services for autism, such as ABA, which is a behavioural modification program. This does help a lot, but its not what my research has shown to reverse autism. Reversing autism is done by treating for pathogens and toxins.

Q: Any good pediatrican who specializes in / aggressive about Autism treatment in LA area?
My son is 8 years old and is high functional Autistic child. We recently moved to LA. Looking for a good pediatrician who is aware of alternative treatments and research going on in Autism cure.

A: go to the DAN website, find a doc there. Good luck! I have a 12 yo son with autism. Here's a link for you http://www.autismwebsite.com/ari/dan/danusdis.htm

Q: What is teh treatment for autism/aspergers syndrome?
Is there any sort of treatemnt for aspergers syndrome/mild autism and if so what is it and how sucessful is it?

A: You should check out an online support group like Wrong Planet

Q: Are there any guidelines for the use of risperidone and fluoxetine for the treatment of aggression in autism?
I want to know what guidance clinicians have (weather it be NICE guidelines are codes set by the GMC) concerning the uses of Risperidone and Fluoxetine in the treatment of aggression and irritability in autism- (or even information about guidelines in other developed coutries)

A: Fluoxetine does not make people crazy, so please ignore the other comment. Im not sure about guidelines other than looking up the contra indications on both meds. However on a more personal note I have a good friend who I have known for years with schitzophrenia and a tendance to be a bit aggresive.. well used to. He has succesfully been treated with respiridone and fluoextine, (and zopiclone to help him sleep) and to my opinion has made a much improved recovery from years ago. I understand that autism and schitzophrenia are not the same and will have differences in the way they manifest themselves, but both can show aggressive outbursts and therefore treated the same. The respiridone is the antipsychotic which helps stop (or reduce) any psycotic problems (intense mood fluctuations) etc, and the fluoexetine acts as a mood stabiliser to stop a depressive crash. The best bet however would be to visit the drug manufacturers web sites, the will most probably have plenty of product literature about uses and research with their drugs that will give a much more informed opinion from a scientific and factual perspective.

Q: Why should the government pay for autism treatment ?
i have to write an essay on it and its due to tomorrow. please let me know what you think . thanks

A: I recovered my children without any government money, mostly out-of-pocket. But, I understand most parents likely don't have time to research and money to buy things. If you were to research autism and learn how to rid them of their symptoms, you will learn that the government is very very and let me add very at fault for autism. Thus, one could easily say they should pay for causing this, but frankly, the epidemic is so grand that I don't think it can. I guess for your paper you could put in points like: autism is being linked to vaccines, gmo foods, environmental toxins, etc. that the government is suppose to be ensuring are safe. You can also add that a child with autism will almost always not be able to work to support him or herself. Thus, if the government would pay for their treatment to rid them of their symptoms, the government would definitely get their money back due to having a person pay taxes rather than live off of others' taxes. This is the usual sdenario; some do have great incomes, but most are not able to take care of themselves.

Q: What US State is the best for autism treatment/therapies?
my son is 9years old and has the highest functioning autism, which is aspergers. I am considering moving out of Ohio and would like to know what states have good autism programs.

A: Good for you for being willing to relocate for your child!!!!! My 10 year old son has Aspergers. For the first few grades, we were in Irving Texas and we were VERY frustrated with the schools. Then, we moved 6 hours away, for unrelated reasons, and ended up in Lubbock, Tx. WHAT A BLESSING!!! Lubbock ISD has an incredible Autism Support team that has worked wonders with our son. He is doing great! Now...with that said...Lubbock is pretty far from Ohio, and other than the Autism Support, I don't know if you'd want to move that far. BUT, maybe it's not Ohio that is the problem. Maybe it's just your town. Call some of the surrounding schools and see if they have a better program. Hopefully you can find a great public school system close to where you are. If not...pack your bags and come to West Texas!

Q: Can anyone tell me How has treatment of Autism changed since the 1930's?


A: For one thing, they are diagnosing autism and related disorders earlier in childhood. Through early diagnosis and intervention, the outcome is more positive. Speech therapy, occupational therapy and teaching alternative forms of communication for those who are nonverbal are some of the ways they are treating autism. Medications are sometimes used if there are comorbid mood disorders such as bipolar or anxiety disorders. They are being taught life skills, so they can have more independence. Also, they are receiving more social training because social awareness is a big problem with autism. They are taught to look people in the eye, how to recognize facial expressions and appropriate responses for different situations.

Q: does biomedical treatment of autism work for older children or adults?


A: Well, yes and no. Whether it be for an adult or a child, any type of treatment for autism including biomedical may only work in some cases. It is known that even if 2 children/adults have the exact same characteristics of autism a treatment may work for one of them but not the other. No one can say for sure if it will work in an individual or not without having them try it first. In some cases yes biomedical treatments such as medicine; vitamins/minerals; and special diets do work, but not in all cases.

Q: Is there any treatment for Autism? What if not treated?
What is the danger if autism go un-noticed. During the adulthood will they be like handycaped person. Or ultimately they will become normal at later stage.

A: Unfortunately, autism is a developmental disorder, meaning that it affects the development of the child, and development is pretty much a one-way street. This means that autism can never truly be 'cured', and that it is not 'grown-out-of' (like is often the case with adhd) Saying that, with treatment, many autists can lead normal lives, and many of those with high-functioning autism or Aspergers may not seem much different from those without the disorder because they have learned to adapt to the world. Treatment is almost certainly a must though. The most reliable and widely-used treatment is ABA (applied behavioural analysis): you can check this out by going to www.lovaas.com . It's basically a cognitive-behaviural treatment, which is more effective the sooner it is started. Dr. Greenspan has a great technique which has gained alot of press attention lately (I can't remember what it is called, you can look it up by googling 'greenspan' and 'autism treatment') There are other types as well, and many psychologists recommend an eclectic approach, but this depends on the techniques and the child. What is most important to remember I think is that every child with autism is different- it is a very heterogeneous disorder, with a great deal of causes (which probably interact with eachother). This means what works for one child may not work for another. Keep this in mind when reading anecdotal accounts of 'cures' such as chelation therapy and diets. Always get a scientific perspective to balance out accounts from other parents: going to www.pubmed.org or www.sciencedirect.com and searching for the treatment you are interested should help you on that. I wish you all the best, I hope that helped somewhat!

Q: What is the best treatment for children with autism that is publically available?


A: I, too, was uncertain of what your intent was regarding "publicly available". Regarding the school system, depending on where you live, some are ill equipped to do any effective treatment. In our district, we visited an Autism class room, it was quite small, cluttered with so much stuff that it would be hard for anyone to focus, and a group of kids were watching TV. When you want a child to interact with people, a TV is not productive. The teaching modality was a group form of ABA with PECS. According to Lovaas ABA, ABA is effective for 50% of very young children when done intensively; not as a group. ABA was a disaster for our daughter, so we moved to a relationship based modality: the Son-Rise Program from the Autism Treatment Center of America (ATCA) http://www.autismtreatmentcenter.org/ According to ATCA's records, Son-Rise intensive is effective with 90% of their participants. To get an idea if this is an approach for your child, I highly recommend the book, "What You Can Do Right Now to Help Your Child with Autism" by Jonathan Levy ISBN-10:1402209185. The book presents 10 straight forward techniques to attain meaningful interaction with your child; eye contact, verbal communication, socialization, etc. After I read it, I bought a couple of copies to loan to friends and family. Levy's writing empowers parents. Our daughter has blossomed beyond our greatest hopes as a result of the Son-Rise Program. What's really cool is the parents can do it! We spent so much money on various therapies before Son-Rise. Now, we just stay home save the money and get real progress. It takes commitment from the family, but wow, it is the best thing that we have ever done. Though Son-Rise is primarily implemented by parents, I met a teacher from NY who has implemented Son-Rise in her classroom, after standard ABA protocol failed to yield the results for which she had hoped. She is now advocating further Son-Rise implementation in the NY school system. I also met a mother who was Certified in RDI and is now doing Son-Rise instead. As far as teaching modalities go, to give you a frame of reference, ABA is a behavioral modality, FloorTime is a relationship modality, and Son-Rise is a relationship modality with attitudinal training that makes use of setting up a non distracting environment. Hope is real! Our family is at peace now!

Q: I am interested to know if anyone is familiar with the"sensory belt" used in the treatment of autism?
I want to know how it works and if anyone has any success stories.

A: The sensory belt is a weighted sensory aid specifically designed to help calm, balance, and increase awareness. It has been shown to benefit both children and adults diagnosed with autism, autistic spectrum disorders, ADD/ADHD, cerebral palsy, and pervasive developmental disorders. The sensory belt works by stimulating the proprioceptive system through nerve receptors that are positioned in the muscles, joints and ligaments around joints. These receptors sense tension and pass this information to the brain where it is processed. The brain responds by signaling the muscles to contract or relax creating improved awareness through a stronger neuro-muscular connection with the brain. The sensory belt is designed to help the wearer achieve "sensory integration," an innate neurobiological process which refers to the integration of sensory stimulation, within our environment, by the brain. The normal brain allows a person, without conscious thought, to take in information from our senses, organize it and make a plan to produce a meaningful response so we may interact within our environment; however, this task is difficult for those with the aforementioned illnesses. The sensory belt is designed to help lessen that deficiency.

Q: Is there any treatment or medicine to cure AUTISM? What about stem cells or genetic engineering?
Are there some research in place? What about new techniques like steam cells, new drugs, genetic engineering? What about alternative medicine?

A: Makes you wonder what's wrong with so many kids being diagnosed with this disease lately. No cure, just therapy over the years and ongoing support as adults.