Speech Therapy Center

Screening for Autism

The number of children diagnosed with autism increases daily.  The importance for early screening is becoming more and more relevant and more popular amongst pediatricians.

Although the cause and cure for autism are unknown, we do have ways to advocate it. Through speech, behavior, and occupational therapy the effects and symptoms of autism can be reduced. Here is a site that can tell you what to expect from an autism screening and the tools that will be used to administer it.

For more information, please visit the following link:
http://www.firstsigns.org/screening/asd.htm

Gluten Free Casien Free Diet

The cause of autism is still a mystery to us. But many people feel that certain intervention programs may alter an individual with autism behavioral, cognitive, and social skills. One of the many hypothesized treatments that seem to work for some people is a special diet known as the GFCF Diet or Gluten Free, Casein Free Diet. Basically, Gluten and Casein are eliminated from an individuals diet. Many people swear by it and others think it is a complete myth. No matter your position on the matter, when you are trying to solve the mystery of Autism, most people will do whatever it takes to get positive results.

What is Casein?

Casein is a protein found in dairy products; basically anything that comes from a cow. So cheese milk, butter, and yogurt willcontain a high percentage of casein. Casein is a bonding type protein and many times used when mixing foods and chemicals. Because of this “binding agent” some people may have a hard time digesting it, and therefore may develop an allergy to it.

What is Gluten?

Gluten is a protein found in rye, wheat, and barley; typically found in grains. Bread, rice, cereals, and other carbohydrates will contain this protein. Gluten is useful for certain reasons, it is the substance that makes dough rise when baking, and is also used as imitation meat for vegans and vegetarians. Unfortunately, gluten has also found to be the factor that makes breads go bad.

Gluten, Casein, and Autism: What is the Connection?

Recent theory tells us that there seems to be a link between gastrointestinal problems and autism. Children under the spectrum will experience symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, and vomiting. All these symptoms are due to the fact that these individuals may have a difficulty with digestion; specifically digesting gluten and casein.
Like mentioned before, some people develop allergies to casein. This is most likely the case here. When these children experience these bellyaches, and bouts of constipation, they do not know how to express their symptoms and therefore have tantrums. If we could alleviate the negative effects of GI problems, children with autism would have better behavior and tolerance towards foods.

How It Works

Unfortunately the body harbors gluten in the body longer than casein, so if you would try out this diet, professionals suggest waiting at least six months for results. This is not a “cheap” or easy diet; these ingredients and foods are both expensive and time consuming.

First of all, you would have to be very careful about the foods you are feeding your child. Reading all the ingredient labels will be your new task. Anything that contains casein, which is sometimes labeled as caseinogens, would need to be eliminated. Gluten products, basically anything containing wheat, rye, or barley, would also need to be eliminated. Fortunately, wild rice, corn, fruits, veggies, and soy can still be on the menu! Some people say that eliminating all starch carbohydrates, including corn and corn products, is a more effective method.

Helpful Books on GFCF Diet

There are many recipe and advice books on the market that you can purchase. These will come in handy for specific questions you may have about this diet. It will also make your grocery shopping a little bit easier! Check the following books out!

The Autism Cookbook: 101 Gluten Free and Dairy Free Recipes, written by Susan K. Delaine. This book has an assortment of delicious recipes for you to cook for your little one.

The Kid-Friendly ADHD @ Autism Cookbook: Ultimate Guide to the Gluten Free Casein Free Diet, written by Pamela Compart and Dana Laake.  This book contains both recipes and great tips for administering the GFCF diet.

Special Diets for Special kids, written by Lisa Lewis. Not just a cookbook, but also teach you about the GFCF diet in detail. It will teach you how to shop for this diet as well as explain to you why you are feeding your child these foods.

For more information on the GFCF Diet, please click on the following link:

http://www.autismweb.com/diet.htm

Asperger Ninja: A Mother’s Letter to Her Son

I found this letter written by a mother of a son with Asperger Syndrome. She writes this letter to her son letting him know how much he means to her. She talks about the troubles, joys, and hardships she faces daily. But more importantly how much he means to her and the impact he has had in her life. It touched my heart and I know that it will touch yours!

To read the letter, please click on the following link: http://tiny.cc/308zn

Gluten Free Foods

I found this site where parents can order gluten free foods! If you’re always on the run or want to make a quick meal, this is a great option for you. Glutenfree.com offers all sorts of ingredients that are gluten free; from pastas, soups, and even cookies, they have it all.

If you’re in the mood for cooking, they also have great recipes for you to follow. But remember, it’s not gluten free unless all the ingredients are gluten free!

To read more about glutenfree.com please visit the following website: http://www.glutenfree.com/index.cfm

Boy Alone, A Brother’s Memoir: Book Review

Boy Alone, A Brother’s Memoir, written by Karl Taro Greenfeld

Taken from Amazon.com

Sibling rivalry—and love—of a ravaging kind is the subject of this unsparing memoir of the author’s life with his severely autistic brother. Journalist Greenfeld (Standard Deviations) describes his brother, Noah, as a spitting, jibbering, finger-twiddling, head-bobbing idiot; unable to speak or clean himself and given to violent tantrums, Noah and his utter indifference to others makes him permanently alone. But Karl feels almost as alienated; with his parents preoccupied with Noah’s needs (and Noah’s celebrity after his father, Joshua, wrote a bestselling account of his illness in A Child Called Noah), he turns to drugs and petty crime in the teenage wasteland of suburban Los Angeles. Greenfeld doesn’t flinch in his depiction of Noah’s raging dysfunctions or his critique of a callous mental health-care system and arrogant autism-research establishment. (He’s especially hard on the psychoanalytic theories of the Viennese charlatan Bruno Bettelheim.) But the author’s self-portrait is equally lacerating; he often wallows in self-pity—I return home stoned, drunk, puking on myself as I sit defecating into the toilet, crying to my parents… that I am a failure—and owns up to the coldness that Noah’s condition can provoke in him. The result is a bleak but affecting chronicle of a family simultaneously shattered and bound tight by autism.

This wonderful 5 star read is a great book for parents, family members, and professionals alike. Written in the perspective of an older sibling, you can experience the account of what it is like to have an autistic brother. Karl Greenfeld, son of writer Josh Greenfield, tells his side of the story and how Noah, his brother has shown him love, compassion, and purity.

A Silly Success Story

Written by Nicole Fisher, Student Clinician, FIU
*Initials of the patient are used in the story to protect privacy

CV is a young girl three-year-old girl with Autism. When I first met CV I was struck by her tranquility. She was so calm and so still! In fact she sat patiently and quietly for the whole hour.  During our first therapy session together she drifted off in to her thoughts quite often, thus I had to make an effort to reestablish joint attention multiple times. She responded when prompted and often offered up the correct answer to many of my questions. During our first session we labeled the rooms of her house along with some household items. We also explored the function of some of the objects we had labeled. We worked on simple “yes/no” questions (i.e. Is this a pig? or Does this go here?)  as well as simple “what” questions (i.e. What animal is this)?

Over the course of the three months that I was able to spend with CV she excelled rapidly. She responded amazingly well to therapy. I spent my last day with CV this week. It was bittersweet. She has changed so much. She can answer more abstract “what” questions (i.e. What animal has black and white stripes?). She can also answer simple “where” questions. She can describe the function of many household items. She can describe actions, and possession and much more.

One of the most exciting developments, however, is her increased sense of awareness and her desire to be social. Not only does she joyfully partake in therapy, she has started initiating interactions and inviting me to share her experiences.  She wants you to see what she sees, and hear what she hears. Countless times during our last session she excitedly exclaimed, “Look!” or, “Listen!” and would proceed to tell me about the object or sound she wanted me to observe. She also has begun commenting spontaneously. For example, the other day I proposed a silly answer. I was expecting a simple “no,” instead; she looked at me, giggled and said, “That’s so silly!”

We often take such simple moments like these for granted. Yet there are so many factors that come into play here. CV has become more aware of her environment. CV has increased her vocabulary and has discovered how to use this thing we call language to communicate, to interact. She has realized that language can be used for more than just requesting, answering and labeling on command. Language can be used to share with others those fascinating little surprises we encounter during the day such as a butterfly, or the sound of an airplane overhead. Most fun of all, language can be used to be silly!

Ben Sweetland once said, “Success is a journey, not a destination.” I am very grateful that I was able to experience part of her journey. I am sure there is much more to come.

Toilet Training for Individuals with Autism: Book Review

Toilet Training for Individuals with Autism or Other Developmental Issues, 2nd Edition, written by Maria Wheeler.

Excerpt taken from Amazon.

Individuals with autism are reportedly one of the most difficult populations to toilet train. This second edition offers effective strategies that take the child’s physical and emotional sensitivities into account instead of trying to force traditional methods. Easy-to-read bulleted lists offer more than 200 do’s and don’ts, along with over 50 real-life examples, to help make the process more of a lesson and less of a battle for all involved. The young trainee will learn to overcome fear of the bathroom, properly use toilet paper, flush once, wash hands, and more. The toilet trainer will learn how to overcome challenges caused by communication needs, sensory sensitivities, motor challenges, anxiety levels, etc

Toilet training is a difficult task for all parents. This four and a half star read will help you potty train your child in the easiest way possible. To purchase your copy, please click on the following link:

http://www.amazon.com/Toilet-Training-Individuals-Autism-Developmental/dp/1932565493/ref=pd_sim_b_2

Natural Learning Concepts: Community Organization in Review

Natural Learning Concepts is a website devoted to sharing with the community products for assisting children with Autism; in their intellectual, social, behavioral, and cognitive development. They offer a variety of fun and educational games, toys, puzzles, and books.

Parents and speech pathologists alike, can benefit from their materials. We use their products in therapy everyday, and our children love them.

For more information about this organization:

http://www.nlconcepts.com/autism-nlc.htm

AutismSpot- Community Organization in Review

AutismSpot is a great site for both informative resources and reading about other parents like yourselves and their experiences with autism. It also has news and videos to keep you up to date with the latest findings. There are different “channels” you can watch on the video portion including sources on education, family, health, nutrition and more.

To learn more about AutismSpot, please visit their website at:

http://www.autismspot.com/

Haley Moss: A Teen Mentor, Artist, and Author Who is Growing Up with Autism

Haley Moss is a 15-year-old autistic girl. She has been fighting autism since she was 3, and although she is high functioning, she has experienced the hardships that encumber autism. As a teen in high school, she finds herself ostracized from her peers; she’s not interested in the same things the other girls are. Her classmates also find her to be extremely shy, she does not engage in conversation unless she is spoken to first. But all these aspects are not because she dislikes peers, it is her autism that causes her to be socially awkward.
At only 15 years old, Haley has achieved a success that other teens her age have not. She recently wrote a book about the hardships of middle school, “Middle School, the Stuff Nobody Tells You About” where she talks about her experiences in middle school. The book also gives advice to fellow teens under the spectrum, as well as their parents, and teachers. She not only wrote the book, but illustrated it as well. She is highly talented in the arts and has already displayed her work in several expositions and won awards.
Haley’s autism has given her a different perspective in life, but one that has affected her in a very positive way.
To read the full article, please visit http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/04/02/autism.middle.school/index.html

You can read more about Haley, her accomplishments, and a little advice she has to give to fellow peers!