Archive for the 'Therapies & Treatments' Category
Chelation Therapy and Autism
, 05 05th, 2011
Chelation became well known during the 1950’s when it was proposed as a method to cleanse the blood vessel walls of toxins and minerals. It was originally used to treat heavy metal poisoning. As of today, there are different ways that chelation is being used.
Some people with Autistic children believe that Chelation therapy is an option. Due to the belief that autism is caused by to much mercury exposure, some believe that chelation will help in the treatment of autism. As with anything, there are pros and cons. This is especially true when it comes to anything medically related. Before you decide on any type of medication or therapy you will want to discuss it with your doctor.
Different Types of Therapy
, 05 03rd, 2011
Therapy, by definition, is the attempted remediation of a health problem, usually following a diagnosis. There are several different types of therapy. Preventative therapy is treatment that is intended to prevent a medical condition from occurring. Supportive therapy is one that does not treat or improve the underlying condition, but instead increases the patients comfort.
Autism therapy attempts to lesson the deficits and family distress associated with autism. Therapy is tailored to the child’s needs. There are two different types that treatments fall into to. The first is educational and the second is medical management. Play therapy, also known as floor therapy, is play-based which builds on autistic children’s own interest to develop relationships as well as communication and social skills.
ABA
, 04 28th, 2011
Viral infection, including rubella during the first trimester of pregnancy, has been studied as a possible cause of autism. Children with Fragile X syndrome or tuberous sclerosis have higher rates of autism than the general population. Autism affects males four times more often than females. The symptoms vary greatly but follow a general pattern.
As of today there is no treatment for autism. Studies are still being done to find a cure for autism every day. Though there is no cure currently, there are methods that you can try to modify the behavior of autistic children. One way is through ABA. Applied behavior analysis is the theory that rewarded behavior is more likely to be repeated than ignored.
Scientists Develop Robot to Help Kids with Autism ~ Part 2
, 03 18th, 2011
To paint a more vivid picture about the impact of Kasper, the technological protégé of a group of scientists at the University of Hertfordshire, let’s examine his impact on a child. A 4-year-old preschooler learned how to be affectionate with her peers simply by playing with Kasper in regular 10-minute increments. The girl’s mother commented that her daughter is no longer timid when it comes to physical contact with other children and will even be the one to initiate a hug or a handshake.
While parenting a child with autism can deliver its own hurdles, Kasper was developed to help overcome some of these potholes for children with autism at an early age. Kasper aims to help bridge the communication gap between kids with mild to severe autism and their peers. Since Kasper’s debut in 2005, almost 300 autistic kids in Britain have played with him to help encourage the development of their social interaction skills.
Scientists Develop Robot to Help Kids with Autism~ Part 1
, 03 16th, 2011
Designed to encourage the development of shared emotions and physical contact between young children, is a revolutionary, technological advancement that has parents raving about the positive impact it has delivered to their autistic children. Making its debut in a preschool for autistic children in Stevenage, England, Kasper is programmed to do things like smile, laugh, frown, blink and wave his arms. He was made by scientists at the University of Hertfordshire and costs about $2,118 US dollars.
The scientists who developed this treatment for autism hope that one day they’ll be able to mass produce this robotic buddy and be able to distribute him for a much lower cost, something close to a few hundred dollars. Among this group of scientists, Ben Robins, concludes that children with autism may not react well to people because they don’t comprehend facial expressions. However, Kasper – as well as other robots – are a safer option because there is less for them to interpret and they tend to be very predictable.
Vitamin and Mineral Supplement Therapy
, 01 05th, 2011
Claims have been made, though not scientifically proven, that vitamin and mineral supplement therapy can help people with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Many children and adults with ASD struggle with proper nutrition. Some studies have shown that intestinal disorders and chronic gastrointestinal inflammation reduces the absorption of essential nutrients, causing disruption to the immune system and general metabolic functions.
Some children with ASD have low levels of vitamins A, B1, B3, and B5. A study which involved giving vitamin B supplements to ASD patients resulted in almost half of the individuals showing improvement. Vitamin B plays an important role in creating enzymes needed by the brain. Vitamin and mineral therapy is only one type of treatment for autism. As with any treatment, you should consult with your doctor before and during any new regimen.
Heavy Metal
, 12 13th, 2010In today’s world it’s almost impossible to avoid heavy metals. Whether it’s in our food, our water or in the air we end up absorbing enormous amounts of metal throughout our lifetimes. People with occupations that require the handling of heavy metals, or prolonged exposure to them are particularly susceptible to inadvertently absorbing dangerous or even deadly amounts of heavy metals. Of the 35 metals of the most immediate health concern 23 are considered to be heavy metals. They are antimony, arsenic, bismuth, cadmium, cerium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gallium, gold, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, platinum, silver, tellurium, thallium, tin, uranium, vanadium, and zinc.
All of these metals can cause degradation of our blood and all of our major organs in addition to causing dementia and symptoms often associated with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. With the sheer quantity of these metals all around us it’s more important than ever for us to manage not only how much we take in but also how much we’re getting back out. A heavy metal detox is a critical part of an effective strategy for maximizing health and wellness. Help your body remove the heavy metals and you’ll be glad you did.
Candida Albicans
, 11 15th, 2010
No matter where you look these days you can find a litany of autism treatments and methods for helping autistic people cope with their day to day lives. One aspect, gaining in popularity and research shows that candida albicans may exacerbate some of the behaviors associated with autism. Some people believe that by eliminating or decreasing exposure to candida can go a long way in helping those with autism on a day to day basis. But what is candida and how do you fight it?
Candida is a form of yeast and its emergence as a medical issue can be attributed to long-term use of antibiotics to fight common ailments. Some studies have shown that children diagnosed as young as 18-24 months showed they had been treated almost continuously with antibiotics. So the first step is to find an alternative method of staving off common ailments. Candida can cause toxins to be released into the body. These toxins can then cause many behaviors to worsen, making life harder on the sufferer and their family.
Man’s Best Medicine?
, 10 26th, 2010
We all know that dogs are man’s best friend, but it turns out they might be our best medicine as well. A new study conducted by researchers at the Universite de Montreal showed evidence that trained dogs could be used as an autism therapy to lessen anxiety in social situations and foster socialization skills. These results are attributed to a lowering of cortisol, which is the hormone produced in response to stress. The researchers tested cortisol levels before, during and after introducing the dog to the children’s homes.
In addition to this quantifiable evidence, parents of the autistic children reported a marked improvement in their child’s behavior. On average, parents counted 33 problematic behaviors before living with the dog and just 25 after.
Ridding Your Body of Heavy Metal
, 10 18th, 2010
Over time, our bodies amass an array of toxins, heavy metals and other contaminants which, when allowed to build up, can wreak havoc on our health. Small doses of mercury and other such metals are not typically a concern for adults, but since we are unable to rid them from our bodies by ourselves, they simply accrue over time. Certain diets and lifestyles, such as those heavy in seafood, put certain people at a higher risk for unhealthy levels of these contaminants.
Up until recently, one of the only options to rid your body of these metals and other toxins was chelation therapy, but many new medications provide the same heavy metal detox effects. PCA-Rx, for example, uses probiotics to enhance the immune system and facilitate the removal of toxins. Probiotics are living bacterial organisms which become part of your body in work in conjunction with it.