August 2010 - Issue #11
FREE ne O e k Ta South Florida Autism Newsletter
Ÿ Waking In The Dark: Finding The Light in Autism
In this issue...
Ÿ The Frontal Lobe: One of The Keys To Unlocking The Puzzle Ÿ We Cured Our Son’s Autism
ALLERGIES AND SENSITIVITIES Ÿ Learn About An Alternative Method To Treat Your Child’s Allergies and Sensitivities Ÿ What is the difference between an Allergy and a Sensitivity 1 - Autism Insider Newsletter, July 2010 Issue
Inside This Issue... BioMedical Q&A
Contact Us.
By Debbie Mellen Nurse Practitioner
Page 4
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Community Spot Light Family Environment School Opens Their Doors For Special Needs Students
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GENERAL ARTICLES
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An Alternative Method To Treat Your
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Child’s Allergies And Sensitivities!!!
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The Frontal Lobe: One Of The Keys To Unlocking The Puzzle
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Book Review We Cured Our Son’s Autism By Karyn Seroussi
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For general information or advertisement opportunities, please call us at (954)584-3198 or email at autisminsidernewsletter@gmail.com Luciana C Leo (786) 306-4967 Sarah Sweeney (786) 413-8017
Walking In The Dark: Finding The Light In Autism By Kathleen Tehrani
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Autism Chatter The iPad A Great Learning Tool!!!
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FOR SUPPORTING THE AUTISM COMMUNITY
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An Alternative Method To Treat Your Child’s Allergies and Sensitivities!!! An allergy is basically an overreaction of your immune system Ÿ Injectants: vaccines, immunizations, and insect venom to a substance that is normally harmless. According to Dr. Nambudripad, when an allergen enters or contacts the body, there Ÿ Infectants: viruses or bacteria is a clash between the energy field of the allergen and the energy field of the allergy sufferer. The brain identifies the allergen and Ÿ Physical agents: electromagnetic radiation and fluorescent lights responds with antibodies and delayed reactive T and B Cells. This type of immune reaction causes the release of toxic substances Ÿ Genetic factors from the T cells. The fighter cells, called macro phages, and then invade the area, intent of digesting the antigens. Immune Ÿ Molds and fungi mediators such as histamine are released. These reactors cause blockages in the electromagnetic pathways as well as abnormal Ÿ Emotional factors tissue response, delayed tissue destruction and possible autoimmune reaction. Repeated exposure to allergens over time The BioAllergenix System is the culmination of 30 years of causes the body to become more susceptible to chronic health research in the allergy related field. The BioAllergenix System problems, decreased energy uses state-of-the-art technology in levels, migraines, tumors, and computerized biofeedback to other health problems. screen for sensitivity to over 96,000 substances (allergens). Most allergies are the result of This is accomplished using acquired neurological acupuncture points and electrodes sensitivities. This process of to measure the body’s response to neurological programming is those substances. It can test for taking place constantly, in hundreds of substances at a time varying degrees, in all of us in just a few minutes. BAX-3000, every day. is the only fully-automated, patented and FDA cleared LASER Many substances, like (Light and Sound Energy pollutants are obviously going Relaxation) Therapy system. to have a negative impact on health, but often times it is very Treatment is accomplished by difficult, if not impossible to using a laser to stimulate identify exactly which pollutant acupuncture meridians and points. is affecting an individual. Through this process of Harmless substances can also have a negative impact on the neurological desensitization of the body's immune response, the human body. In these instances it may be even harder to identify patient's reactions are eliminated thereby desensitizing the patient which one is causing problems because these substances aren’t to the allergen. Best of all, there are no needles, no shots, and no even suspects! drugs! The effects that these substances have can range from mild and unnoticeable to severe and debilitating. Allergies, sensitivities, intolerance's, eczema, sinusitis, asthma, ADD, headaches, sinus pressure, low energy and even autism are examples of symptoms and conditions that can be caused or exacerbated by substances in the environment.
The BAX-3000 works by exposing the patient to a potential stress inducing substance, in the form of a digital signal. This digitized substance matches the harmonic frequency of the actual substance, making the body believes it is in contact with the real substance. The body will react if it does not harmonize with the stress inducing substance, and the computer will note the response. The patient's brain is imprinting a new memory in which Autism is characterized by nutritional deficiencies. These their immune system is learning that the formerly offending deficiencies have their origins in allergies that inhibit the body allergen is now safe and harmless. from absorption and assimilation of vital nutrients that children require to develop. Dr Nambudripad studies show that some of “During the time I have used the BioAllergenix I have witness a the most common allergens that affect patients with allergy related tremendous improvement in my patients, their allergies are gone. autism are: Parents of patients with autism have been reporting an improvement in behavior, tolerance to changes, and lower anxiety Ÿ Inhalants: pollen, smoke, and perfumes levels, among others. During their visits for treatment I have noticed how they are calmer and actually enjoy the allergy Ÿ Ingestants: condiments, drugs, and food additives treatment” says Dr Michael Surdis. Ÿ Contactants: soaps, detergents, and chemicals
BAX-3000 treatments are available For more information call (954) 443-2420
3 - Autism Insider Newsletter, July 2010 Issue
in
Broward,
Fl.
BioMedical Q&A By Debbie Mellen, Biomedical Practitioner
Do you or a loved one have any allergies? If so, you know how hard they can be to live with. When I think of an allergic reaction I think of IgE. An IgE reaction occurs about the time immediately after exposure to the allergen; food or inhalant. This type of reaction is called an immediate hypersensitivity reaction. This reaction is when the IgE antibodies that are specific for the allergen, bind onto immune cells called mast cells. A food allergy builds up when your immune system, using a mixture of immune cells, antibodies and chemical mediators, are trying to tell your body to refuse a food you have eaten. Immediate-onset food allergy is often a skin-test positive allergy. The doctor can diagnose it with a simple skin test. A small amount of a single food is involved and the allergic symptoms appear immediately. So when you eat the allergic food the next time, IgE antibodies hungrily latch onto the food. Instantaneously histamine and other allergy-related chemicals -- called chemical mediators -- are released from Allergen the mast cell, rapidly bringing on the unwelcome appearance of stomach cramping, diarrhea, skin rashes, hives, B cell swelling, wheezing or the most dreaded of reactions, anaphylaxis.
IgE
Plasma cell
Mast cell
Chemicals
Symptoms
Once thought to be the only "true" food allergy, immediate food allergy is common in children, but rare in adults. Once thought to be uncommon at best, delayed food allergy is now thought by many investigators to be quite common. In fact, it is the most common form of food allergy in children and adults. Delayed reactions characteristically involve 3 to 10 foods, sometimes as many of 20 foods in very allergic individuals. Immediate-onset food allergy is often a skin-test positive allergy. The doctor can diagnose it with a simple skin test. Delayed food allergies are skin-test negative. The traditional skin tests are poor tests for detecting delayed food allergies. Instead, delayed reactions food often require state-of-the-art blood tests. These tests detect serum levels of IgG antibodies to foods -- IgA antibody as well as IgG in gluten sensitivity and celiac disease. In a delayed reaction to the food we eat, it could take a day or two after eating the food before the IgG reaction takes place. Due to the delay between eating the food, and seeing the reaction, it is difficult to know what the offending food is. So the person goes on eating the offending food. A health analysis can be done to look for these hidden food allergies, technically called ‘IgG food allergies’. This is what aids in analyzing the complex cases regarding ADHD, autism, and pervasive
developmental disorders. This is also very helpful in treating more perplexing cases in adults where symptoms persist but cannot be explained by using more the conventional approaches of Western medicine. Some of the symptoms that make me think that an IgG test may prove helpful are unexplained symptoms - like chronic constipation, hard stools, indigestion, "brain fog", mood swings, exacerbation of PMS, bloating and weight gain mostly on the abdomen. It is difficult to connect the dots without the testing. IgG food allergy symptoms are seen with children who seem to be “in their own world” with inattentiveness or do not respond to their name. IgG antibodies on a whole, are the most common antibodies that are seen with a blood test. IgG antibodies are the antibodies that provide long term resistance to infections after immunizations. When we see IgG antibodies we know that the body has found a foreign substance or something that the body saw as an intruder, an abnormal visitor that must be destroyed. This is wonderful if the substance is bacteria or virus. However, sometimes the body is tricked by something that we ate! Some people can tolerate a large amount of food without ever experiencing any outward symptoms. Others may only require a small amount of the offending food before symptoms are expressed. The degree and severity of symptoms vary because of the genetic makeup of the individual. What is happening with delayed onset allergy is that the immune system is producing many IgG antibodies to a particular food. The IgG antibodies bind directly to the as it enters the bloodstream. Now we have the food allergens bound to an IgG antibody traveling through the bloodstream. IgG means the body has a memory of the substance and when you eat it again…the immune response begins. This antibody/immune response activates small proteins that circulate the entire body. The tiny proteins that are stimulated by the IgG response cause an inflammatory response. The inflammatory response is slow, but steady; within a few hours inflammation can be seen and continues for days. Due to this gradual build up of inflammation it is called a The body does fight back. It sends out little macrophages (that remind me of pak man just chomping down all the little pixels). But with an IgG response, the macrophages cannot keep up. The result is that the inflammation goes all over the body. For one individual the inflammation may be found in the pancreas, and they present with insulin resistance and weight gain. In another the inflammation is found in the brain. Depending on which tissues are involved, it is possible that the inflammation can cause signs and symptoms of many different healths of the conditions. One example is migraine headaches, the headache may be found 48 hours ago. A delayed food reaction could be causing many different medical conditions. Your doctor can treat your symptoms with pharmacological treatments or you can get to the cause of the problem… delayed food allergies. We use IgG testing when we want to find the hidden allergies that may be causing health issues. Testing for IgG is appropriate with neurological, gastrointestinal or movement disorders because we can link IgG food allergies with these problems. When people quit eating foods that cause immediate symptoms, they have no withdrawal or detoxification symptoms. They do not crave or miss these foods. Powerful food cravings are reported in over 30 percent of delayed food allergy patients when they stop eating the food. It is difficult for the person to give up the offending food. Once they do, the results for some people are very real and life changing. Overall health improves, fat pad over the abdomen shrinks, mood improves, energy levels balance and behavior improves in children. Clinical studies have recently been published which demonstrate that complete elimination of IgG positive foods may bring about important improvements in symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Autism, AD(H)D, Cystic Fibrosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Epilepsy.
4 - Autism Insider Newsletter, August 2010 Issue
Family Environment School Opens Their Doors For Special Needs Students Time: 10:00am Date: Saturday, August 7th Locations:
All 4 Kidz Academy, is opening their doors in the Cooper City area. They will provide both educational and therapeutic programming.
AMC Aventura 24 19501 Biscayne Blvd., Ste. 3001, Aventura, Fl 33180
The educational program is based on the Abeka curriculum and the therapeutic intervention program works on the children weaknesses while building on their strengths. The therapeutic curriculum is individualized and facilitated through input from licensed speech/language pathologists, occupational therapists, behavior analyst as well as occupational/sensory therapist.
AMC Coral Ridge 10 3401 NE 26th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, Fl 33306 AMC Sunset 24 5701 Sunset Dr., Ste. 300, South Miami, Fl 33143
All 4 Kidz Academy will have an emphasis on small classes, with a maximum ratio of 2:5 and intense social-skills training, as keys for helping the students succeed.
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They will be providing a highly structured environment to maximize learning for students in need of external structure. Also, teachers are trained in promoting positive child development. Another activity is lunch (which is sent from home) to allow for feeding programs as well as social and language experiences. Additionally, the academy will work closely with public and private schools to ensure successful transition and inclusion.
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For more information on All 4 Kidz Academy or to be a part of their family contact Aeleen Garrido-Tortorici Director at (954) 434-5784 (786) 251-9479.
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LO O K I N G FO R A S C H O O L ? Individualize academics
Small groups
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Parents are part of the team
Abeka and therapeutic curriculum
Daily Feedback on your child
Intense social training
N o w
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P r e - K
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“ Achieving Success One Child at the Time�
5 - Autism Insider Newsletter, July 2010 Issue
We Cured Our Son's Autism by Karyn Seroussi When the psychologist examining our 18-month-old son told me that she thought Miles had autism, my heart began to pound. I didn't know exactly what the word meant, but I knew it was bad. Wasn't autism some type of mental illness- perhaps juvenile schizophrenia? Even worse, I vaguely remembered hearing that this disorder was caused by emotional trauma during childhood. In an instant, every illusion of safety in my world seemed to vanish. Our pediatrician had referred us to the psychologist in August 1995 because Miles didn't seem to understand anything we said. He'd developed perfectly normally until he was 15 months old, but then he stopped saying the words he'd learned - cow, cat, dance - and started disappearing into himself. We figured his chronic ear infections were responsible for his silence, but within three months, he was truly in his own world. Suddenly, our happy little boy hardly seemed to recognize us or his 3-year-old sister. Miles wouldn't make eye contact or even try to communicate by pointing or gesturing. His behavior became increasingly strange: He'd drag his head across the floor, walk on his toes (very common in autistic children), make odd gurgling sounds, and spend long periods of time repeating an action, such as opening and closing doors or filling and emptying a cup of sand in the sandbox. He often screamed inconsolably, refusing to be held or comforted. And he developed chronic diarrhea. As I later learned, autism -- or autistic spectrum disorder, as doctors now call it -- is not a mental illness. It is a developmental disability thought to be caused by an anomaly in the brain. The National Institutes of Health estimates that as many as 1 in 500 children are affected. But according to several recent studies, the incidence is rapidly rising: In Florida, for example, the number of autistic children has increased nearly 600 percent in the last ten years. Nevertheless, even though it is more common than Down syndrome, autism remains one of the least understood developmental disorders. We were told that Miles would almost definitely grow up to be severely impaired. He would never be able to make friends, have a meaningful conversation, learn in a regular classroom without special help, or live independently. We could only hope that with behavioral therapy, we might be able to teach him some of the social skills he'd never grasp on his own. I had always thought that the worst thing that could happen to anyone was to lose a child. Now it was happening to me but in a perverse, inexplicable way. Instead of condolences, I got uncomfortable glances, inappropriately cheerful reassurances, and the sense that some of my friends didn't want to return my calls. After Miles' initial diagnosis, I spent hours in the library, searching for the reason he'd changed so dramatically. Then I came across a book that mentioned an autistic child whose mother believed that his symptoms had been caused by a "cerebral allergy" to milk. I'd never heard of this, but the thought lingered in my mind because Miles drank an inordinate amount of milk at least half a gallon a day. I also remembered that a few months earlier, my mother had read that many kids with chronic ear infections are allergic to milk and wheat. "You should take Miles off those foods and see if his ears clear up," she said. "Milk, cheese, pasta, and Cheerios are the only foods he'll eat," I insisted. "If I took them away, he'd starve." Then I realized that Miles' ear infections had begun when he was 11 months old, just after we
had switched him from soy formula to cow's milk. He'd been on soy formula because my family was prone to allergies, and I'd read that soy might be better for him. I had breast-fed until he was 3 months old, but he didn't tolerate breast milk very well, possibly because I was drinking lots of milk. There was nothing to lose, so I decided to eliminate all the dairy products from his diet. What happened next was nothing short of miraculous. Miles stopped screaming, he didn't spend as much time repeating actions, and by the end of the first week, he pulled on my hand when he wanted to go downstairs. For the first time in months, he let his sister hold his hands to sing "Ring Around the Rosy." Two weeks later, a month after we'd seen the psychologist, my husband and I kept our appointment with a well-known developmental pediatrician to confirm the diagnosis of autism. Dr. Susan Hyman gave Miles a variety of tests and asked a lot of questions. We described the changes in his behavior since he'd stopped eating dairy products. Finally, Dr. Hyman looked at us sadly. "I'm sorry," the specialist said. "Your son is autistic. I admit the milk allergy issue is interesting, but I just don't think it could be responsible for Miles' autism or his recent improvement." Miles surprised everyone. We were terribly disheartened, but as each day passed. Miles continued to get better. A week later, when I pulled him up to sit on my lap, we made eye contact and he smiled. I started to cry-at last he seemed to know who I was. He had been oblivious to his sister, but now he watched her play and even got angry when she took things away from him. Miles slept more soundly, but his diarrhea persisted. Although he wasn't even 2 yet, we put him in a special-ed nursery school three mornings a week and started an intensive one-on-one behavioral and language program that Dr. Hyman approved of. I'm a natural skeptic and my husband is a research scientist, so we decided to test the hypothesis that milk affected Miles' behavior. We gave him a couple of glasses one morning, and by the end of the day, he was walking on his toes, dragging his forehead across the floor, making strange sounds, and exhibiting the other bizarre behaviors we had almost forgotten. A few weeks later, the behaviors briefly returned, and we found out that Miles had eaten some cheese at nursery school. We became completely convinced that dairy products were somehow related to his autism. I wanted Dr. Hyman to see how well Miles was doing, so I sent her a video of him playing with his father and sister. She called right away. "I'm simply floored," she told me. "Miles has improved remarkably. Karyn, if I hadn't diagnosed him myself, I wouldn't have believed that he was the same child." I had to find out whether other kids had had similar experiences. I bought a modem for my computer-not standard in 1995-and discovered an autism support group on the Internet. A bit embarrassed, I asked, "Could my child's autism be related to milk?" The response was overwhelming. Where had I been? Didn't I know about Karl Reichelt in Norway? Didn't I know about Paul Shattock in England? These researchers had preliminary evidence to validate what parents had been reporting for almost 20 years: Dairy products exacerbated the symptoms of autism. My husband, who has a Ph.D. in chemistry, got copies of the journal articles that the parents had mentioned on-line and went through them all carefully. As he explained it to me, it was theorized that a subtype of children with autism break down milk protein (casein) into peptides that affect the brain in the same way that hallucinogenic drugs do.
6 - Autism Insider Newsletter, August 2010 Issue
Continues in page 10
Walking in the Dark: Finding the Light in Autism By Kathleen Tehrani All too often a diagnosis of autism spectrum is followed by something worse than the diagnosis itself….a void. “What do I do? Where do I go? How can I help? Who can I contact?” These are the types of questions that need immediate answers and unfortunately it can take an excruciatingly long time to discover the right path to take. My intent is to make clear what a gift the autism documentary, can be for anyone who has a loved one with an autism diagnosis. When I sat down to watch the movie I was operating under the assumption that this was a “heart warming feel good story” about a few families who had found helpful autism therapies for their respective children. How short sighted I was to think it was such a limited thing. Film maker, Brian K. Dery, has put together a collection of possibilities. Since, as stated repeatedly in the documentary, no two children on the spectrum are the same, a course needs to be charted taking into consideration each one’s individual needs and unique abilities. is a tool that should be handed out to every parent whose child has just been diagnosed with asperger’s syndrome, PDD-NOS, or classic autism. This documentary is literally Autism-101. The documentary begins with a basic over view of what autism is, the history of the term ‘autism’ and some various hypothesis regarding causes for the disorder. The general overview is provided by Danielle Sutton, PhD-Executive Clinical Director, for Butterfly Effects, a professional autism treatment program specializing in child development, neurobiology, and assessment and intervention, with a staff of over 100 highly qualified experts serving individuals of all ages with a broad range of needs throughout the United States and abroad, including Bermuda, Guatemala, Honduras, and Venezuela. Brief descriptions, along with positive case studies, are given for several very popular therapy and treatment protocols: Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ
Applied Behavior Analysis -(Dr. David Berger, MD Wholistic Pediatrics presenting)
Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ
-(Dr. Nelson Mane’ presenting) Dr. Nelson Mañé is a chiropractor, board certified in chiropractic neurology and chiropractic orthopedics. He has additional sub-specialty training in childhood neuro-behavioral disorders, vestibular disorders (balance) and electro-diagnostics
Ÿ Ÿ
Positive behavior Support Relationship Development Intervention
The personal accounts given by parents, teachers and autism professionals are positive yet balanced. No unrealistic claims are made, but real and achievable gains are reported using the above mentioned strategies. This was, yes, an EXTREMELY feel good movie, however it was chock full of information about a variety of methods that can be examined by parents who are looking for where to go….and what to do. If you have an affected family member, I highly recommend . If you know of someone who has an affected family member….please be a friend, and pass this on to them.
7 - Autism Insider Newsletter, July 2010 Issue
The Frontal Lobe: One of the Keys to Unlocking the Puzzle By Dr John Conde Current research is shedding a much needed light on some of the major neurological imbalances that occur in the brain of a child with autism that can pave the way to an eventual cure. The frontal lobe, located in the front part of the cerebral cortex, is inherently responsible for giving us our humanistic properties. It governs and allows us to express executive functions such as problem solving, planning, comprehension, sequencing, interpreting the big picture, etc. The frontal lobe also filters excessive thought, the urge for excessive movement, it dampens the immune response, and has an intimate relationship with the gross motor muscles of the trunk. It is this part of the brain that we are finding to be particularly dysfunctional or delayed in children with developmental disorders such as autism. To be even more accurate it is the right frontal lobe which seems to be the culprit.
contributors to frontal lobe dysfunction and autism. Environmental influences are things such as a mother’s neurological status prenatally, severe lack of oxygen at birth, cervical trauma at birth, involuntary lack of physical activity (parents not physically playing with the infant), lack of voluntary physical activity, food allergies (such as wheat and dairy sensitivities), traumatic brain injuries, and infections.
The frontal lobes contain most of the dopamine-sensitive neurons in the cerebral cortex. This is significant because we also see the dopamine systems fail in autism which contributes to the frontal lobe demise. Dopamine is a brain messenger (neurotransmitter) highly associated with attention, understanding the risk and rewards of certain situations, planning, sequencing, problem solving, long-term memory, drive, and the feeling of euphoria. Therefore with dopamine and frontal lobe dysfunction we see children have difficulty with such behavioral qualities as; attention, problem solving, planning, sequencing, reasoning, understanding risk-reward, having proper social graces, eye contact, memory, etc.
For more information regarding Dr John Conde and the services he provides, look at the ad in the back cover.
The rehabilitation of the frontal lobe should be approached like that of a shoulder injury, only with much more precision. The concepts of plasticity are put into play when concerning neurological therapy. Essentially plasticity states that when a nerve cell gets stimulated by another nerve cell it will produce more proteins, more mitochondria, and more ATP (energy) and therefore grow new synapses (connections) and strengthen its current synapses. The treatments should all be one-sided as the target is the right frontal lobe. Activities such as sequencing games, jigsaw puzzles, mazes, vestibular (inner ear) exercises, and metronome do all selectively activate the frontal lobes. Vertical eye movements and saccadic (rapid) eye movements also provide powerful stimuli into the frontal lobe. The frontal lobe likes novel activities so keeping things fresh always activates the brain. These treatment principles are the core of what is called Hemispheric Integration Therapy.
The cause of the developmental delay of the frontal lobe seen in children with autism is not well understood. We do know that boys are affected more than girls due to the fact that the male frontal lobes are much slower to develop than their female counterparts, hence why young girls are more mature than young boys typically. Therefore, the male brains are more susceptible to further delay and dysfunction. What is known is that genetics, environmental influences, and heavy metal toxicities do play a major role in its demise. In regard to genetics, some promising research is currently underway involving the DRD 4 gene however this research is still in its infancy and may take years before any useful data is discovered. Heavy metal toxicities primarily from vaccines are a very controversial topic in regards to its contribution to autism. What is being theorized is that if a child is already genetically or environmentally predisposed to developing autism and they are exposed to a vaccine they may be more likely to develop the disorder. By far, environmental influences are thought to be the greatest
8 - Autism Insider Newsletter, August 2010 Issue
Autism Chatter: The iPad, A Great Learning Tool!!! For many kids with autism the iPad touch is changing their lives. Most children with autism have a communication issue and the iPad allows them to improve this area, through pictures and keyboard applications.
Without wasting any time, I order it. It took almost three weeks to arrive. When I finally got it I had already made a list of applications that I thought would help my son to communicate and learn.
The iPad is flexible, allowing changes to individualized activities such as lessons, games, and communication methods. Screens can be arranged with pictures of the child’s favorite food, places, clothe, toys, just to mention a few. Children with limited verbal skills when asked about what they want to do will be able to communicate just by touching a picture. Limited communication is perhaps one of the greatest challenge of Autism.
My son is non verbal, but he understands a lot. Also, he has never showed interest in computers, communication devices, or even video games. My jaw just dropped down to the floor when I gave him the iPad for the first time and he learned to use it in less than two minutes. I was so surprised and happy that I started to cry, and so did the rest of my family. Now, let’s get into the applications. For example, there are applications that show several images and ask (out loud) for one image in particular, you can also find it for numbers, colors, shapes, animals, object and many more. After your child selects the correct answer there is an immediate positive reinforcement which it could be a happy face or claps. Therefore, there is an interaction between the child and the iPad. There are also application for learning to write, puzzles, flashcards, numbers, entertainment, paint, and others.
Another factor is how attractive is the iPad. Children with autism love bright colors, blinking lights, and interactive pictures. It is easy to use, thus reducing frustration and tantrums. Some time ago I decided to look into an iPad for my son. The main reason of my research was to find an economically and socially accepted device for him to help him communicate. I started researching online about how the device works and how useful was it going to be for my son? After collecting and reviewing all the information, I was amazed and somehow depressed for not having looked into it before. Why had it taken me so long to find out about the wonderful applications the iPad has for my son?
The iPad has allowed me to become a therapist for my son. I have always wanted to work with him, but I have not found the way to do so. Now, I can sit with him for at least 30 minutes working nonstop and finding out everything he knows.
Here is a list of my favorites applications... ABC animals Multiple choice Applications
iLearn 4 tots
Communication Applications
eFlash english
Tap to talk
Early words
Paint Applications
iMean
101 Que dice
Paint brush
Proloquo2go
iplay and learn
Draw paint Faces iMake
Letters and Words Applications
Numbers and
iWrite
Math Applications
Pocket phonics
123 writing
ABC phonics
Dots 4 tots
Alpha baby
Flash to pass
Baby go
Kids math
Alphabet creatures
123 counting
First words
Infant arcade numbers
My first alphabet
Number time
Hippo letters Look and spell
Flashcards Applications
Sorting
Scrapbooking
iTouch iLearn words
Kindergarden actions My first words Flashcards
To read more about another successful story go to: http://www.blogher.com/ipad-nearmiracle-my-son-autism
9 - Autism Insider Newsletter, July 2010 Issue
Puzzle and others Make shapes Puzzle time Tozzle Dress up Learning game pack Baby first Going places
We Cured Our Son's Autism by Karyn Seroussi Comes from page 6
that is never seen in kids with autism.
A handful of scientists, some of whom were parents of kids with autism, had discovered compounds containing opiates -- a class of substances including opium and heroin -- in the urine of autistic children. The researchers theorized that either these children were missing an enzyme that normally breaks down the peptides into a digestible form, or the peptides were somehow leaking into the bloodstream before they could be digested.
My worst fears were never realized. We are terribly lucky. But I imagined all the other parents who might not be fortunate enough to learn about the diet. So in 1997, I started a newsletter and international support organization called Autism Network for Dietary Intervention (ANDI), along with another parent. Lisa Lewis, author of Special Diets for Special Kids (Future Horizons, 1998). We've gotten hundreds of letters and e-mails from parents worldwide whose kids use the diet successfully. Although it's best to have professional guidance when implementing the diet, sadly, most doctors are still skeptical.
In a burst of excitement, I realized how much sense this made. It explained why Miles developed normally for his first year, when he drank only soy formula. It would also explain why he had later craved milk: Opiates are highly addictive. What's more, the odd behavior of autistic children has often been compared to that of someone hallucinating on LSD. My husband also told me that the other type of protein being broken down into a toxic form was gluten- found in wheat, oats, rye, and barley, and commonly added to thousands of packaged foods. The theory would have sounded farfetched to my scientific husband if he hadn't seen the dramatic changes in Miles himself and remembered how Miles had self-limited his diet to foods containing wheat and dairy. As far as I was concerned, there was no question that the gluten in his diet would have to go. Busy as I was, I would learn to cook gluten-free meals. People with celiac disease are also gluten-intolerant, and I spent hours on-line gathering information. Within 48 hours of being gluten-free, 22-month-old Miles had his first solid stool, and his balance and coordination noticeably improved. A month or two later, he started speaking-"zawaff" for giraffe, for example, and "ayashoo" for elephant. He still didn't call me Mommy, but he had a special smile for me when I picked him up from nursery school. However, Miles' local doctors - his pediatrician, neurologist, geneticist, and gastroenterologist - still scoffed at the connection between autism and diet. Even though dietary intervention was a safe, noninvasive approach to treating autism, until large controlled studies could prove that it worked, most of the medical community would have nothing to do with it. So my husband and I decided to become experts ourselves. We began attending autism conferences and phoning and e-mailing the European researchers. I also organized a support group for other parents of autistic children in my community. Although some parents weren't interested in exploring dietary intervention at first, they often changed their mind after they met Miles. Not every child with autism responded to the diet, but eventually there were about 50 local families whose children were gluten-and casein-free with exciting results. And judging by the number of people on Internet support lists, there were thousands of children around the world responding well to this diet. Fortunately, we found a new local pediatrician who was very supportive, and Miles was doing so well that I nearly sprang out of bed each morning to see the changes in him. One day, when Miles was 2 1/2, he held up a toy dinosaur for me to see. "Wook, Mommy, issa Tywannosauwus Wex!" Astonished, I held out my trembling hands. "You called me Mommy!" I said. He smiled and gave me a long hug. By the time Miles turned 3, all his doctors agreed that his autism had been completely resolved. He tested at eight months above his age level in social, language, self-help, and motor skills, and he entered a regular preschool with no special-ed supports. His teacher told me that he was one of the most delightful, verbal, participatory children in the class. Today, at almost 6, Miles is among the most popular children in his first grade class. He's reading at a fourth grade level, has good friends, and recently acted out his part in the class play with flair. He is deeply attached to his older sister, and they spend hours engaged in the type of imaginative play
As I continue to study the emerging research, it has become increasingly clear to me that autism is a disorder related to the immune system. Most autistic children I know have several food allergies in addition to milk and wheat, and nearly all the parents in our group have or had at least one immune-related problem: thyroid disease, Crohns disease, celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, or allergies. Autistic children are probably genetically predisposed to immune-system abnormalities, but what triggers the actual disease? Many of the parents swore that their child's autistic behavior began at 15 months, shortly after the child received the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine. When I examined such evidence as photos and videotapes to see exactly when Miles started to lose his language and social skills, I had to admit that it had coincided with his MMR-after which he had gone to the emergency room with a temperature of 106'F and febrile seizures. Recently, a small study was published by British researcher Andrew Wakefield, M.D., linking the measles portion of the vaccine to damage in the small intestine-which might help explain the mechanism by which the hallucinogenic peptides leak into the bloodstream. If the MMR vaccine is indeed found to play a role in triggering autism, we must find out whether some children are at higher risk and therefore should not be vaccinated or should be vaccinated at a later age. Another new development is giving us hope: Researchers at Johnson and Johnson's Ortho Clinical Diagnostics division-my husband among themare now studying the abnormal presence of peptides in the urine of autistic children. My hope is that eventually a routine diagnostic test will be developed to identity children with autism at a young age and that when some types of autism are recognized as a metabolic disorder, the gluten and dairy-free diet will move from the realm of alternative medicine into the mainstream. The word autism, which once meant so little to me, has changed my life profoundly. It came to my house like a monstrous, uninvited guest but eventually brought its own gifts. I've felt twice blessed-once by the amazing good fortune of reclaiming my child and again by being able to help other autistic children who had been written off by their doctors and mourned by their parents. (Adapted from the book Unraveling the Mystery of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder: A Mother's Story of Research and Recovery, by Karyn Seroussi. Published by Simon & Schuster. Reprinted by permission of the author.) http://www.karlloren.com/Diabetes/p86.htm
10 - Autism Insider Newsletter, August 2010 Issue
Recipe of the Month: Onion Cheddar Biscuits This is a quick post for a tasty biscuit. You can use two biscuits as a bun for sandwiches, or slice one biscuit in half. Slice them once they are cooled so they don't fall apart on you. This recipe was inspired by a recipe by Sandra Ramacher Ingredients (makes 4 roll-size biscuits, or about 6 medium-size biscuits) · 1 1/2 cups of almond flour · 1/2 teaspoon sea salt · 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda · About 1/4 cup of onion, finely diced (you can use a food processor) · 1/2 cup of cheddar rice cheese, grated · 2 tablespoons of softened butter GFCF · 1 tablespoon of honey · 1 egg · Olive oil or any other allowed oil.
Blend the dough mixture well, and then spoon out into 4 balls on a stick-free or lined baking sheet. I use a stick-free backing mat or parchment paper. Slice across the top of each ball of dough to make an X, and then spray or brush some olive oil on the cross. Bake for 15 minutes, and then lower the heat to 300 degrees F and bake for another 15 minutes. These can be stored in the refrigerator and warmed up later. Reheat at 300 degrees F for about 6 minutes.
Preparation Preheat the oven to 330 degrees F. Place a baking dish, with water in it, at the bottom of the oven to create a crunchy crust on the biscuits. Combine all the dry ingredients and blend well. Whisk all the wet ingredients (except for the onions) until it is frothy (has bubbles), and then combine it with the onions and dry mixture.
What Does Westlake Academy Do? Westlake Academy is dedicated to educating students with specific learning challenges, special needs and developmental disabilities in grades K through 12. Ÿ Attention Deficit Disorders (ADD, ADHD) Ÿ Cognitive Impairments Ÿ Non-Verbal Learning Disabilities (NVLD) Ÿ Asperger’s Syndrome Ÿ Autism Ÿ The Acquisition of Language and Communication Skills Ÿ Visual and Auditory Processing Concerns
Ÿ Academic, Pre-academic, Independent Functioning and Socialization Skills
Parents: Look to Westlake Academy to partner with you to meet the educational and social needs of your child. Our central focus is to create the best opportunity for your child to achieve their optimum potential in a safe, unique and progressive educational environment
Westlake Academy
“A Vision for Learning” 4188 S. University Drive. Davie, Fl 33328 Phone: (954)236-2300 www.westlakeacademy.net 11 - Autism Insider Newsletter, July 2010 Issue
12 - Autism Insider Newsletter, August 2010 Issue