Fortunately, I like adolescent boys with autism, because I see quite a few of them. In fact, I really like them. They see that they have some catching up to do personally and socially and suddenly they care (just like their typical peers) about bathing, dressing and getting it right. So I get compliance from them and they, in turn, make gains. One of my guys is willingly learning to fold towels and make his bed (honest!), another is trying new foods and weaning himself off of the "white foods" diet, another is working hard to keep up in a private school where he tries to fit in. I've written about all of these (and a few other) guys before, but they never cease to amaze me.
Recently, I started one boy on Somanos CDs. He had been through Therapeutic Listening as a child, and completed an IM program this past year. His dad told me the other day that his YMCA swim instructors want to know what happened to him. Suddenly, he is swimming like a champ, and has good form, too. I told dad it was the Samonas. In particular, Carulli. This same boy (who was a true couch potato just a few months ago) is now dribbling a basketball all around the house. His father is amazed at this, and is installing a hoop in the yard.
Then there is the other 12 year old, who only pretended to listen to his Therapeutic Listening CDs. In fact, he turned the CD player off within seconds of putting the headphones on. I had asked dad, "How is he doing". Dad said, "Well, we can see some changes, but it's subtle. " Subtle indeed, a few seconds of listening makes for very subtle changes. Mom caught him out. The boy was chagrined, but took it well. He started over with his listening program about 6 weeks ago. Last week he told me that his emotions felt a lot calmer, and that his aggressiveness (a problem for him) was going away. Not so subtle any more.
Finally, there is the boy who acted like his body weighed a ton. He just drooped to the floor when asked to stand. He is now proud of his strength and shows off exercises that he can perform.
It's hard not to like these guys.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Autism and IM
I found a new case study about IM and autism. Here is the link. The 12 year old girl in this study had 25 sessions of IM over 9 weeks. Her results were very dramatic.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Food Chaining
I went to the Food Chaining workshop in Chicago last weekend put on by Cheryl Fraker and colleagues. She uses a fairly simple method of expanding a child's diet by slowly increasing the number of flavors and textures that the child will accept.
There are a number of rules for therapists and parents to follow.
1. All meals (3 meals and 2-3 snacks) are scheduled and limited. 15 minutes for a snack and 20-30 minutes for a meal.
2. Children are fed foods that they like along with the new foods, so there is always something "good" on the plate.
3. New foods are chosen based on a rating system.
4. The child rates new foods on a 1 to 10 scale going from "love it" to "I gagged".
5. Force feeding is not allowed. The child picks up the food and puts it in her mouth.
6. If a child acts out and does not eat, then she must stay in the room until mealtime is over. Then she is not offered food again until the next meal.
It's a reasonable arrangement. The choice of which new foods to try is determined in a fairly simple manner - but I won't try to repeat it here in this small blog entry, you can get their "Food Chaining" book and read about it.
The book and the workshop also cover food allergies, and medical issues related to feeding and nutrition.
There are a number of rules for therapists and parents to follow.
1. All meals (3 meals and 2-3 snacks) are scheduled and limited. 15 minutes for a snack and 20-30 minutes for a meal.
2. Children are fed foods that they like along with the new foods, so there is always something "good" on the plate.
3. New foods are chosen based on a rating system.
4. The child rates new foods on a 1 to 10 scale going from "love it" to "I gagged".
5. Force feeding is not allowed. The child picks up the food and puts it in her mouth.
6. If a child acts out and does not eat, then she must stay in the room until mealtime is over. Then she is not offered food again until the next meal.
It's a reasonable arrangement. The choice of which new foods to try is determined in a fairly simple manner - but I won't try to repeat it here in this small blog entry, you can get their "Food Chaining" book and read about it.
The book and the workshop also cover food allergies, and medical issues related to feeding and nutrition.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Cocaine - Prenatal Exposure
A New York Times story, "'Crack Babies': An Epidemic That Didn't Happen" (January 27, 2009) gives good news on this topic. Children ages 4 - 13 who had prenatal exposure to cocaine have recovered from initial slow growth (both body and brain) and show no statistically significant difference in IQ. As a group, they are more likely to have decreased visual attention and executive function. They also have an increased frequency of defiant behavior and poor conduct. However, their symptoms are so subtle as to make it impossible to pick them out of a group of typical children. It appears that prenatal exposure to cocaine is similar in effect to that of tobacco, and thankfully, not at all similar to the effect of alcohol.
Eating Dirt
There is one less worry for parents - especially parents of children who lick or eat everything in sight (pica).
Jane Brody's New York Times' column today reviews the case for ingesting dirt. Children who run barefoot in the dirt, and eat with dirt on their hands are less likely to develop allergies and asthma. Children who are exposed to farm animals (or to household pets) with worms are less likely to get inflammatory bowel, Crohn's diseases and other autoimmune diseases. This is not to say that we should not wash our hand after using the toilet. We should. But just plain soap and water, please.
Dr. Brody asked immunologist, Dr. David Elliott, about intestinal worms. "There are very few diseases that people get from worms", he said. In fact, in Argentina, persons with Multiple Sclerosis who were infected with human whipworm had fewer recursions and with decreased severity. And pig whipworms, which stay for just a short time in the human intestinal tract, are beneficial for treating IBS, Crohn's and ulcerative colitis.
More reading: "Why Dirt is Good", Mary Ruebush, (Kaplan).
Jane Brody's New York Times' column today reviews the case for ingesting dirt. Children who run barefoot in the dirt, and eat with dirt on their hands are less likely to develop allergies and asthma. Children who are exposed to farm animals (or to household pets) with worms are less likely to get inflammatory bowel, Crohn's diseases and other autoimmune diseases. This is not to say that we should not wash our hand after using the toilet. We should. But just plain soap and water, please.
Dr. Brody asked immunologist, Dr. David Elliott, about intestinal worms. "There are very few diseases that people get from worms", he said. In fact, in Argentina, persons with Multiple Sclerosis who were infected with human whipworm had fewer recursions and with decreased severity. And pig whipworms, which stay for just a short time in the human intestinal tract, are beneficial for treating IBS, Crohn's and ulcerative colitis.
More reading: "Why Dirt is Good", Mary Ruebush, (Kaplan).
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Winter Depression and Low Dose Melatonin
Over the Counter Treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder
I published this on my Brain-TuneUps blog, and am duplicating it here.
The short story: Low daily doses of liquid melatonin taken every day for 4 weeks once SAD has set in, can lift the mood. A low dose of melatonin - .3 mg - can be obtained by using small amounts of liquid melatonin. The time of day it is taken is important. For most people it is in the afternoon. For some (30%) it should be taken in the morning. (Per research (2) cited below)
Melatonin is available over the counter, but one should consult a doctor regarding usage.
Long Story: I live in a gray winter climate. Last week, I felt SAD creep into my brain. I used Natrol melatonin 1 mg liquid purchased from my local health food store. The dropper that came with my bottle holds .25 mg. of melatonin. I put the drops into a glass of water and drank it slowly during two hours in the afternoon. I noticed a positive effect in 24 hours and continued to see improvements over the next few days. I feel 85% back to normal. Light therapy in the morning would probably take care of the remnants of grogginess. I plan to continue until the end of February when daylight returns here and I am more active outside.
A running theory of the cause of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or winter depression, is that a person's circadian rhythms are out of sync. NIHM defines this: "A person's rhythms are synchronized when the interval between the time the pineal gland begins secreting melatonin and the middle of sleep is about 6 hours. (1)" There are a number of therapies aimed at correcting the problem including lights, exercise, anti-depressants and melatonin. (See the Wikipedia entry.)
The synchronization can be off in two ways: - a longer-than or a shorter-than 6 hour interval. A study by Lewy, et al (2), showed that subjects who took low dosages of melatonin every day for 4 weeks found an improvement in mood. The dosage was as follows: for those who's interval is less than 6 hours, .3 mg in the afternoon. For those with a longer than 6 hour interval, .3 mg in the morning. If you have to guess which you are, the odds from the study favor the short interval (71% to 29%). The study gave 2 small doses adding up to .3 mg in 2 hours.
Melatonin is available over the counter, but generally in high dose formulations. The study used capsule formulation. There are liquid forms of melatonin available in some health food stores. (Again, I found Natrol 1 mg, and adjusted the amount.)
Both articles cited are available on line.
References
1. April 2006 article from the National Institute of Mental Health, "Properly Timed Light, Melatonin Lift Winter Depression by Syncing Rhythms".
2. Lewy AJ, Lefler BJ, Emens JS, Bauer VK. The circadian basis of winter depression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Apr 28.
I published this on my Brain-TuneUps blog, and am duplicating it here.
The short story: Low daily doses of liquid melatonin taken every day for 4 weeks once SAD has set in, can lift the mood. A low dose of melatonin - .3 mg - can be obtained by using small amounts of liquid melatonin. The time of day it is taken is important. For most people it is in the afternoon. For some (30%) it should be taken in the morning. (Per research (2) cited below)
Melatonin is available over the counter, but one should consult a doctor regarding usage.
Long Story: I live in a gray winter climate. Last week, I felt SAD creep into my brain. I used Natrol melatonin 1 mg liquid purchased from my local health food store. The dropper that came with my bottle holds .25 mg. of melatonin. I put the drops into a glass of water and drank it slowly during two hours in the afternoon. I noticed a positive effect in 24 hours and continued to see improvements over the next few days. I feel 85% back to normal. Light therapy in the morning would probably take care of the remnants of grogginess. I plan to continue until the end of February when daylight returns here and I am more active outside.
A running theory of the cause of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or winter depression, is that a person's circadian rhythms are out of sync. NIHM defines this: "A person's rhythms are synchronized when the interval between the time the pineal gland begins secreting melatonin and the middle of sleep is about 6 hours. (1)" There are a number of therapies aimed at correcting the problem including lights, exercise, anti-depressants and melatonin. (See the Wikipedia entry.)
The synchronization can be off in two ways: - a longer-than or a shorter-than 6 hour interval. A study by Lewy, et al (2), showed that subjects who took low dosages of melatonin every day for 4 weeks found an improvement in mood. The dosage was as follows: for those who's interval is less than 6 hours, .3 mg in the afternoon. For those with a longer than 6 hour interval, .3 mg in the morning. If you have to guess which you are, the odds from the study favor the short interval (71% to 29%). The study gave 2 small doses adding up to .3 mg in 2 hours.
Melatonin is available over the counter, but generally in high dose formulations. The study used capsule formulation. There are liquid forms of melatonin available in some health food stores. (Again, I found Natrol 1 mg, and adjusted the amount.)
Both articles cited are available on line.
References
1. April 2006 article from the National Institute of Mental Health, "Properly Timed Light, Melatonin Lift Winter Depression by Syncing Rhythms".
2. Lewy AJ, Lefler BJ, Emens JS, Bauer VK. The circadian basis of winter depression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Apr 28.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Imitation as therapy
Last week, a colleague passed along the book, "Mirror Neurons and the Evolution of Brain and Language", by editors Stamenov and Gallese. Mirror neurons exist in specific regions in the brain and have a unique mission: learn how to copy someone else's movements as a way of learning to do something new. For a child this might be: take a lid off of a jar, play hopscotch, or hopefully, for one of my clients, brush your teeth.
Alicia, a 5 year old girl with autism, refuses to let mom brush her teeth (without a big fight). Mom and I want to desensitize her mouth a bit, so that she more readily accepts brushing. I put a glove on my hand and played games with Alicia while she was swinging. I managed to touch her mouth, and even get a finger onto her gum without too much of a struggle. But she was done with the game long before I managed to massage her gums.
During the next session, after playing our game for a few minutes, I guided her fingers to her teeth. I touched my teeth with my fingers and asked her to touch hers. To make this easier for her to understand, we moved to chairs in front of the mirror and kept practicing touching teeth, then gums. Alicia "got it" and her mom, who had been watching, felt comfortable with following through with the game. It's too early to say, but we have hopes that Alicia will learn to desensitize her own mouth, and then learn to brush her own teeth. Whew.
Alicia, a 5 year old girl with autism, refuses to let mom brush her teeth (without a big fight). Mom and I want to desensitize her mouth a bit, so that she more readily accepts brushing. I put a glove on my hand and played games with Alicia while she was swinging. I managed to touch her mouth, and even get a finger onto her gum without too much of a struggle. But she was done with the game long before I managed to massage her gums.
During the next session, after playing our game for a few minutes, I guided her fingers to her teeth. I touched my teeth with my fingers and asked her to touch hers. To make this easier for her to understand, we moved to chairs in front of the mirror and kept practicing touching teeth, then gums. Alicia "got it" and her mom, who had been watching, felt comfortable with following through with the game. It's too early to say, but we have hopes that Alicia will learn to desensitize her own mouth, and then learn to brush her own teeth. Whew.
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