Saturday, February 25, 2012

Ten Commandments for Parents with Children on the Autism Spectrum

1)      Thou shall not avoid my family when you see us in a public place. Autism is not a communicable disease. It is merely a way of life. You will not catch it by being my friend. Hang out with me and my family and learn about us. Once you understand our challenges it will be self-evident that we have hopes, dreams, and feelings. We love our children just as much as you love yours. Who knows, you might grow to accept us if you give us a chance.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Autism Brain Scan Signs Found At 6 Months Of Age

American Journal of Psychiatry, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have discovered considerable differences in brain development at age six months in high-risk infants who develop autism, than high-risk infants who do not develop the condition.

Jason J. Wolff, Ph.D, lead researcher of the study and a postdoctoral fellow at UNC's Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (CIDD), explained:

"It's a promising finding. At this point, it's a preliminary albeit great first step towards thinking about developing a biomarker for risk in advance of our current ability to diagnose autism."


According to results from the study, autism develops in infancy over time, not suddenly in young children. Wolff said this raises the possibility "that we may be able to interrupt that process with targeted intervention."

Senior researcher of the study is Joseph Piven, M.D., director of the CIDD.

Results from the study are the most recent from the current Infant Brian Imagine Study (IBIS) Network. The network is headquartered at UNC and funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Click here to read the complete article.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Special Needs: Why do kids put things in their mouth?

There are different reasons why children put things in their mouth: 

1. If they are chewing it, they may be seeking proprioception input. So if you take it away, their central nervous system will find another way to get its proprioception input.

2. If they are sucking it, they may be seeking tactile input...

Monday, February 13, 2012

Positioning for Babies and Children with GERD or Respiratory Issues

Many special needs children and babies require special positioning after eating or when they sleep to prevent reflux or to enhance respiration.  I've just come across this Tucker Sling, which looks like a simple positioning solution.  Has anyone used it?  What are your thoughts?




http://tuckersling.com/default.htm

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