Great Autism Sites
Thursday 25 November 2010
04:41 | 
Posted by
Amanda |
Sometimes trying to come up with activities for autistic kids that will be fun, educational and not cost a lot can be a struggle. So it’s reassuring to know that there are a number of possibilities out there, it’s just a matter of finding some that will appeal to your child’s personal tastes. The following are examples of popular activities for autistic children between the ages of 7 and 11.
Indoor Activities:
• Singing – autistic children gain a number of benefits from singing. Children who are non-verbal can hum, make sounds, or play musical instruments such as whistles, tambourines, drums, kazoos, or small keyboards. Repeating sounds, making up new tunes, or even learning educational lyrics can be very useful for helping kids to learn and may also provide them some much-needed sensory stimulation - the same they would get from yelling, only more pleasing to the parental ear! Mimicking one another’s notes and tunes can be an important social experience that encourages interaction. Experiment with different sounds and different types of music to find the ones your child enjoys and responds best to.
• Funny Sounds – making and mimicking funny sounds can be a laughter-filled social learning experience for autistic kids and their parents. Children enjoy the sensory outlet and repetition element of this game. You can try writing down a number of different animals or items on different pieces of paper and whichever you choose you have to make the appropriate noise.
• Castles – building castles out of just about anything can be a great deal of fun. The type of building “blocks” depends on the motor skills of the child. It can range from plastic or wooden alphabet blocks to large “Lego” or “Duplo” style blocks, or even playing cards if they’re manually dexterous.
• Safe Emergencies – these games are educational based but can also be fun to. They involve enacting the right procedures for what to do in an emergency event. This includes what to do in case of fire and other urgent situations. The important part of these games is to build a calm routine around them.
• Simple Board Games – Begin with simple or basic board games and increase the difficulty level as your child gets older and learns how to work with the rules of the games. Many board games are enjoyable activities for autistic kids because they are relatively predictable and provide a routine. They also encourage turn taking, but make sure losing is never a big deal, it’s just an outcome. Otherwise they may associate negative emotions with the game and refuse to play.
Outdoor Activities:
• Simple Childhood Games – think back to your childhood and the games you used to play. For many children there’s no reason why they can’t take part in basic childhood games. As long as they are not too socially complex, many autistic children can have a lot of fun playing games such as tag or follow the leader. Keep in mind that the best activities for autistic children don’t require them to keep close or extended physical contact with other people. You may want to make sure that you stick to games that focus on your child’s unique skills to add comfort and confidence to the playing.
• Organized Sports – many children enjoy taking part in organized sports like any other children their age. Aim for sports that allow them to take part without too much sensory stimulation and that doesn’t require lots of equipment. Golf and baseball are good activities for autistic kids, whereas sports such as tackle football may not suit.
• Water Balloons – autistic children can often benefit from various sensory stimulators and water balloons can fit the bill. Tossing them about, or holding and squishing them can be lots of fun. This also encourages children to play with others when it comes to games such as “hot potato” – tossing the water filled balloon to one another pretending it’s a hot potato.
• Skipping Rocks – if you are fortunate enough to live near water and your child is responsible around water, skipping rocks can be a great way to have fun and use arm muscles, encouraging the development of motor skills. If you have a swimming pool that is large enough, you can try skipping plastic floating disks instead.
• I Spy – whether trying to pass the time in the car or sitting in the yard, this game is a great way to learn colors socially interact with others.
These activities for autistic children are a great way to have fun, learn important lessons, and develop basic social skills without spending the earth.
Indoor Activities:
• Singing – autistic children gain a number of benefits from singing. Children who are non-verbal can hum, make sounds, or play musical instruments such as whistles, tambourines, drums, kazoos, or small keyboards. Repeating sounds, making up new tunes, or even learning educational lyrics can be very useful for helping kids to learn and may also provide them some much-needed sensory stimulation - the same they would get from yelling, only more pleasing to the parental ear! Mimicking one another’s notes and tunes can be an important social experience that encourages interaction. Experiment with different sounds and different types of music to find the ones your child enjoys and responds best to.
• Funny Sounds – making and mimicking funny sounds can be a laughter-filled social learning experience for autistic kids and their parents. Children enjoy the sensory outlet and repetition element of this game. You can try writing down a number of different animals or items on different pieces of paper and whichever you choose you have to make the appropriate noise.
• Castles – building castles out of just about anything can be a great deal of fun. The type of building “blocks” depends on the motor skills of the child. It can range from plastic or wooden alphabet blocks to large “Lego” or “Duplo” style blocks, or even playing cards if they’re manually dexterous.
• Safe Emergencies – these games are educational based but can also be fun to. They involve enacting the right procedures for what to do in an emergency event. This includes what to do in case of fire and other urgent situations. The important part of these games is to build a calm routine around them.
• Simple Board Games – Begin with simple or basic board games and increase the difficulty level as your child gets older and learns how to work with the rules of the games. Many board games are enjoyable activities for autistic kids because they are relatively predictable and provide a routine. They also encourage turn taking, but make sure losing is never a big deal, it’s just an outcome. Otherwise they may associate negative emotions with the game and refuse to play.
Outdoor Activities:
• Simple Childhood Games – think back to your childhood and the games you used to play. For many children there’s no reason why they can’t take part in basic childhood games. As long as they are not too socially complex, many autistic children can have a lot of fun playing games such as tag or follow the leader. Keep in mind that the best activities for autistic children don’t require them to keep close or extended physical contact with other people. You may want to make sure that you stick to games that focus on your child’s unique skills to add comfort and confidence to the playing.
• Organized Sports – many children enjoy taking part in organized sports like any other children their age. Aim for sports that allow them to take part without too much sensory stimulation and that doesn’t require lots of equipment. Golf and baseball are good activities for autistic kids, whereas sports such as tackle football may not suit.
• Water Balloons – autistic children can often benefit from various sensory stimulators and water balloons can fit the bill. Tossing them about, or holding and squishing them can be lots of fun. This also encourages children to play with others when it comes to games such as “hot potato” – tossing the water filled balloon to one another pretending it’s a hot potato.
• Skipping Rocks – if you are fortunate enough to live near water and your child is responsible around water, skipping rocks can be a great way to have fun and use arm muscles, encouraging the development of motor skills. If you have a swimming pool that is large enough, you can try skipping plastic floating disks instead.
• I Spy – whether trying to pass the time in the car or sitting in the yard, this game is a great way to learn colors socially interact with others.
These activities for autistic children are a great way to have fun, learn important lessons, and develop basic social skills without spending the earth.
Labels:
Monday 22 November 2010
Teens with autism can sometimes be faced with behaviors – such as autism anger – which are beyond their control. Anger can occur in many forms but often takes the shape of violence or tantrums.
When it comes to handling uncontrolled anger, it is typically recommended that whenever possible, you should not look at the person, not talk to them, and not touch them (unless it is for your own or their safety). Essentially, do not add to their overstimulation and refrain from doing anything that might add fire to the flames. Many parents find that over time, angry outbursts are reduced when no one reacts to them.
Ignoring this kind of behavior will no doubt be hard at first. After all, when your child was little, anger was easier to control because you could either physically stop him or her from throwing the tantrum or distract them with a toy or favorite object. However, once your child has entered the teenage years, then he or she will be too big to deal with physically and bribery with a favorite object tends to be less effective. So unless he or she is breaking things, hurting others or themselves, it’s best to stay out of the way and let the anger wear off.
Autism anger in teens can be quite frightening. Behaviors can escalate to the point where others are at risk of being harmed. In fact, tantrum behaviors can even be seen as criminal in some cases, should the loss of control result in destroying possessions or hurting others.
The following steps are often recommended for parents who have teens who occasionally suffer from autism related anger outbursts. They should be used when and if applicable, and not necessarily in this order:
• Resist intervening – as was mentioned earlier, by remaining calm and out of the way the tantrum should fade much more quickly because it won’t have outside stimulation to spur it on.
• Ensure safety – make sure that you, your child, and anyone else in the area are safe. If your autistic teen is simply screaming, pounding their feet, and doing other similar activities, and if there is nobody else in the area, it’s usually best to simply leave the room or area and get yourself to a safe place. That way, you’re not only protecting yourself from harm, but you’re removing yourself altogether. Sometimes simply being alone is enough to have the teen calm down.
• Calming People - If there is an individual who you know can diffuse the situation or is usually able to calm your teen down, then you may wish to see if they’re available to help. They may not have to do anything, but simply their presence may be enough to instill calm. However, this technique only works if there is a calming person in your teen’s life. This is not always the case.
• Call for Help – If the situation doesn’t appear to be improving or if behaviors have become violent or out of control, then getting some outside help - paramedics, or even the police - may be the only solution. They will be able to support your efforts to have your teen calm down and help control any dangerous behaviors.
Autism anger can be an overwhelming experience for teenagers as they struggle with fluctuating hormones and fighting for their independence, but it can also be very upsetting for the parents.
It’s important that once you have the situation under control, you work through together the cause of the outburst in a calm and controlled way, without apportioning blame, so that should the scenario occur in the future steps can be taken to divert anger before the situation becomes heated.
When it comes to handling uncontrolled anger, it is typically recommended that whenever possible, you should not look at the person, not talk to them, and not touch them (unless it is for your own or their safety). Essentially, do not add to their overstimulation and refrain from doing anything that might add fire to the flames. Many parents find that over time, angry outbursts are reduced when no one reacts to them.
Ignoring this kind of behavior will no doubt be hard at first. After all, when your child was little, anger was easier to control because you could either physically stop him or her from throwing the tantrum or distract them with a toy or favorite object. However, once your child has entered the teenage years, then he or she will be too big to deal with physically and bribery with a favorite object tends to be less effective. So unless he or she is breaking things, hurting others or themselves, it’s best to stay out of the way and let the anger wear off.
Autism anger in teens can be quite frightening. Behaviors can escalate to the point where others are at risk of being harmed. In fact, tantrum behaviors can even be seen as criminal in some cases, should the loss of control result in destroying possessions or hurting others.
The following steps are often recommended for parents who have teens who occasionally suffer from autism related anger outbursts. They should be used when and if applicable, and not necessarily in this order:
• Resist intervening – as was mentioned earlier, by remaining calm and out of the way the tantrum should fade much more quickly because it won’t have outside stimulation to spur it on.
• Ensure safety – make sure that you, your child, and anyone else in the area are safe. If your autistic teen is simply screaming, pounding their feet, and doing other similar activities, and if there is nobody else in the area, it’s usually best to simply leave the room or area and get yourself to a safe place. That way, you’re not only protecting yourself from harm, but you’re removing yourself altogether. Sometimes simply being alone is enough to have the teen calm down.
• Calming People - If there is an individual who you know can diffuse the situation or is usually able to calm your teen down, then you may wish to see if they’re available to help. They may not have to do anything, but simply their presence may be enough to instill calm. However, this technique only works if there is a calming person in your teen’s life. This is not always the case.
• Call for Help – If the situation doesn’t appear to be improving or if behaviors have become violent or out of control, then getting some outside help - paramedics, or even the police - may be the only solution. They will be able to support your efforts to have your teen calm down and help control any dangerous behaviors.
Autism anger can be an overwhelming experience for teenagers as they struggle with fluctuating hormones and fighting for their independence, but it can also be very upsetting for the parents.
It’s important that once you have the situation under control, you work through together the cause of the outburst in a calm and controlled way, without apportioning blame, so that should the scenario occur in the future steps can be taken to divert anger before the situation becomes heated.
Saturday 20 November 2010
Autism parents don’t have it easy. You are faced with many more challenges than parents of children without autism do. However, in all of the efforts you are making to take good care of your child, it’s easy to forget that you need to maintain a healthy balance within your other relationships and cope with your own situation and emotions.
Remember: the healthier you are emotionally and the better the condition of your social life, the more capable you will be to make the right decisions for your child and care for them to the best of your abilities.
Other relationships in your life are your support system and a vital part of how you meet your own personal needs. Never underestimate the value of connecting with people you care about. While it’s important to have time to yourself to process emotions, you shouldn’t overlook the need to get out and do fun things with your friends and family members.
The constant emotional roller coaster ride that only autism parents experience will become too much, if you aren’t at your healthiest emotional point.
To be emotionally healthy, you need to take care of yourself and that includes nourishing important relationships. This doesn’t mean making big statements; it can be something simple like watching the occasional movie with some friends – even if this means renting a movie and having your friends over to watch it once the kids have gone to bed. It could also be going out to a restaurant or heading to a family member or friend’s place for a meal.
Never overlook the importance of a phone call to a sympathetic ear where you have the opportunity to vent your frustrations and hear about the lives of other people, too.
Getting to know your neighbors can be a valuable social experience. This allows you to meet in the driveway or talk on the front porch when you cross paths. It can help you remain feeling connected with the world.
Remember that though you are a parent with an autistic child, your child is not the only important relationship in your life – even though it may be the most challenging, rewarding and time consuming.
Having friends and family who are emotionally close give you people with whom you can truly share your feelings. This can be a tremendous relief in itself. They are also usually the people with whom you spent your time before you had children. Try doing some of the activities you enjoyed before you became a parent and you’ll have “mini vacations” to look forward to and to enjoy on occasion.
This is not to say that you don’t enjoy the time you spend with your children. Nor is it suggesting that you should try to mimic the life that you had before becoming a parent. You should however, recognize that just because you have a child with autism, you needn’t give up everything you enjoy and all of the relationships that had been important in your life before becoming a parent.
Remember: the healthier you are emotionally and the better the condition of your social life, the more capable you will be to make the right decisions for your child and care for them to the best of your abilities.
Other relationships in your life are your support system and a vital part of how you meet your own personal needs. Never underestimate the value of connecting with people you care about. While it’s important to have time to yourself to process emotions, you shouldn’t overlook the need to get out and do fun things with your friends and family members.
The constant emotional roller coaster ride that only autism parents experience will become too much, if you aren’t at your healthiest emotional point.
To be emotionally healthy, you need to take care of yourself and that includes nourishing important relationships. This doesn’t mean making big statements; it can be something simple like watching the occasional movie with some friends – even if this means renting a movie and having your friends over to watch it once the kids have gone to bed. It could also be going out to a restaurant or heading to a family member or friend’s place for a meal.
Never overlook the importance of a phone call to a sympathetic ear where you have the opportunity to vent your frustrations and hear about the lives of other people, too.
Getting to know your neighbors can be a valuable social experience. This allows you to meet in the driveway or talk on the front porch when you cross paths. It can help you remain feeling connected with the world.
Remember that though you are a parent with an autistic child, your child is not the only important relationship in your life – even though it may be the most challenging, rewarding and time consuming.
Having friends and family who are emotionally close give you people with whom you can truly share your feelings. This can be a tremendous relief in itself. They are also usually the people with whom you spent your time before you had children. Try doing some of the activities you enjoyed before you became a parent and you’ll have “mini vacations” to look forward to and to enjoy on occasion.
This is not to say that you don’t enjoy the time you spend with your children. Nor is it suggesting that you should try to mimic the life that you had before becoming a parent. You should however, recognize that just because you have a child with autism, you needn’t give up everything you enjoy and all of the relationships that had been important in your life before becoming a parent.
Friday 19 November 2010
![Embracing Play: Teaching Your Child With Autism [VHS]](http://www.overcome-depression.com/trial3//41WS80ENQRLSL500.jpg)
This video shows dozens of play sessions between parent or professional and child. Using a technique called 'Object Focused Play', the video teaches parents how to use toys to capture a child's attention and initiate learning. Very easy-to-follow, these scenes allow parents to replicate the same play activities at home, and begin to help their child interact with people and objects in their surrounding environment. To get started, first establish what toy or activity a child is most interested in. This 'entry point', such as pouring water or dropping a ball, sets the foundation for simple play routines and helps maintain a child's interest, which is crucial. Trying to establish a regular schedule of play sessions is another key to success, as often as 3 hours per day, 5 days a week if possible. Embracing Play opens up new avenues of interaction and learning for children with autism. The benefits of these play skills pave the way for communication and social development. Approximate running time: 47 minutes.Price: $34.95
Tuesday 16 November 2010
Wooden circles, squares and rectangles with see-through colored windows. Each shape contains beads which rattle and they can all be fitted into the frame.Price: $34.99
Sunday 14 November 2010
Listen to the audible affirmations that make powerful suggestions to the brain and body to pay attention, concentrate, listen and process information with ease. I loop these by pressing the repeat mode on my stereo. Enjoy the wonderful overall benefits of Mozart music with powerful embedded subliminal affirmations. Your children will never know that you are retraining their brain to concentrate, focus, attend and process! I play these for my teenagers to help them with all the academic pressures that they encounter. Great for all children, including those with Autism, ADHD and Auditory Processing Issues. JKPrice: $19.95
Saturday 13 November 2010
The thought of losing control can cause major problems for children who live with anxiety. Now, parents, teachers and children have a helpful tool that gives young children an opportunity to explore their own feelings with parents or teachers as they react to events in their daily lives. Engaging and easy to read, this illustrated children s book is filled with opportunities for children to participate in developing their own self-calming strategies. Children who use the simple strategies in this charming book, illustrated by the author, will find themselves relaxed and ready to focus on work or play!Price: $18.95
Thursday 11 November 2010
The topic of community inclusion is becoming increasingly important to families with children on the autism spectrum - and for people with autism in general.?? And community inclusion encompasses a huge field of possibilities.? The "community" includes everything from places of worship to bowling alleys; from soccer fields to concert halls.'m conducting research right now in pursuit of several outside projects, to determine how inclusion is typically conducted.? There are several models - autism-only events and programs; unsupported inclusion (you're welcome to come and we won't stare); supported inclusion (trained staff provides help and support); reverse inclusion (people with autism are in the majority, while typically developing peers "push in" to provide models and support).? There are also a wide variety of ways in which support can be provided to people with autism, ranging from provision of visual planning tools (social stories, photo books, videos) to modification of the program itself (lowered sound in a movie theater) to intensive staff training at the community venue itself.When my son was smaller, I was convinced that supported inclusion was the best possible way to involve kids with autism and their families in the community.? Families (parents, siblings) could be part of the world again, while the child with autism could take part in a situation where his needs would be anticipated and provided for. We've had very good experiences with supported inclusion at camp, in band, and in other typical settings.? In fact, supported inclusion has allowed our son to build some terrific musical skills, and to gain self-confidence, skills and knowledge in a variety of settings such as the YMCA, the bowling alley, and the museum.What I've learned, however, is that supported inclusion - while it is the gold standard - has a lot of barriers to entry.? To start with, it's expensive: the cost of training or bring in trained staff is very high, and modifying program elements can also be quite pricey.But just as importantly, full supported inclusion is not always best for the "autism families" themselves.What could be wrong with a program that welcomes autistic family members, their parents and siblings, and makes provisions for special needs?? While the concept of full, supported inclusion is terrific, for some families its extremely stressful.While it may be possible to include a child with autism in, say, a typical soccer team or at a special exhibit at the zoo, the experience may be too much for the child.? Yes, he might be able to run up and down the field and, with support, kick the ball - but without a great deal of preparation, many kids with autism won't fully understand what's required of him relative to teamwork.? He's on the field, he's cared for, but he's really not part of the team.? Similarly, it might be possible to provide trained staff and quiet spaces where a child can engage with animals at the zoo, but for some children the smells, crowds and heat may be simply unbearable despite everyone's best efforts.Perhaps just as important as the child's experience is the parents' and siblings' experience in the community.? For some parents, the experience of watching a child with autism flap or become agitated in a typical setting with special support provided is just to hard to handle.? Depending upon the situation and the child's level of ability, it can be flat out embarrassing to be the only sibling or parent of a special needs child in a typical setting.? The kindly meant sympathetic glances can be infuriating, and the desire to leap up and step in can be overwhelming.These days, I'm much more sympathetic to the families and institutions that take a less stressful, less costly approach to inclusion by creating autism-only events and programs.? Whether at the movies, at camp, at a museum or on a playing field, autism-only programs can offer families a combination of community, support, and ease.? If everyone around you is dealing with an autistic child, your family is no different from anyone else.? No one will give your child the evil eye for flapping, shouting, or melting down.? And of course the price of providing such a program is much lower: no need for special training for staff or modifications to programs or classes.
Tuesday 9 November 2010
Who is in charge of providing typical and special needs kids with the tools they need to succeed in life?? What are those tools?? And what do the schools have to do with providing them?
According to the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) American public schools must provide children with the tools they need to access the general curriculum.? In theory, kids with special needs should also receive help in preparing for and taking standardized tests.? For children with autism and many other developmental disabilities, though, there's often a whole separate set of expectations that are wholly unrelated to the "general curriculum."
The general curriculum consists of academic classes in math, science, language arts and social studies, along with (sometimes, when budgets allow) "specials" such as music, art, gym, and computers. There are other activities available through most schools (after school clubs, band, theater, athletics, etc.), but these are by no means considered "general curriculum."? They're not only optional - they're often available only through try-outs or auditions.? Plenty of typical kids either can't or don't take part in these activities.
Nowhere in the curriculum are there expectations that children should make friends, be socially accepted, build advanced athletic skills, play with others during free time, order in a restaurant, fold a shirt, shop for groceries or make a bed.? None of our standardized tests require that our students be capable of brushing their hair, hammering a nail, or choosing matching socks.? It is perfectly possible for young people to graduate high school with no clue of what it takes to boil an egg, fill out a check or dress appropriately for a job interview.? Typically developing children aren't taught "life skills" (bed making, bathroom cleaning, food shopping and the like) or social skills (how to make eye contact, shake hands, use a friendly tone of voice, exchange small talk).? In fact, if they lack such skills (and a great many do), they're simply left to flounder and cope with the consequences.
Today's public schools hire an entire second work force, just to support the needs of children with developmental challenges.? In theory, their charge is to include these kids as fully as possible in the general curriculum.? Yet instead of teaching the general curriculum, many are actually teaching a complete separate curriculum - a curriculum designed to teach children to behave in a socially acceptable manner and to do basic tasks.? The schools are spending a fortune on therapists who have no mandate to teach academic content, but whose job is to normalize children socially and to prepare them for minimum wage jobs or sheltered workshops.
If we are working to have? children with autism included in the general curriculum, then, logic would suggest that we should be working on those skills required to access the general curriculum.? That is: reading, writing, math, and, depending upon the school, cutting, drawing, molding, singing, running, jumping, and so forth.? Collaboration may be expected in certain classes, but it is perfectly possible to complete science projects without a lab partner, or to write a report individually rather than as part of a team.
So which is it?? What do we, as a society, value for our children?? Are we most concerned with their understanding how to live their day-to-day lives with grace and competence?? Or are we most concerned with their ability to grasp academic content and prove their knowledge through standardized testing?? Is it possible for us to teach all of our children to manage both of these sets of skills?
In my opinion, it's long past time for Americans to review the purpose of both general and special education - and to adjust programs, services and expectations accordingly.
According to the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) American public schools must provide children with the tools they need to access the general curriculum.? In theory, kids with special needs should also receive help in preparing for and taking standardized tests.? For children with autism and many other developmental disabilities, though, there's often a whole separate set of expectations that are wholly unrelated to the "general curriculum."
The general curriculum consists of academic classes in math, science, language arts and social studies, along with (sometimes, when budgets allow) "specials" such as music, art, gym, and computers. There are other activities available through most schools (after school clubs, band, theater, athletics, etc.), but these are by no means considered "general curriculum."? They're not only optional - they're often available only through try-outs or auditions.? Plenty of typical kids either can't or don't take part in these activities.
Nowhere in the curriculum are there expectations that children should make friends, be socially accepted, build advanced athletic skills, play with others during free time, order in a restaurant, fold a shirt, shop for groceries or make a bed.? None of our standardized tests require that our students be capable of brushing their hair, hammering a nail, or choosing matching socks.? It is perfectly possible for young people to graduate high school with no clue of what it takes to boil an egg, fill out a check or dress appropriately for a job interview.? Typically developing children aren't taught "life skills" (bed making, bathroom cleaning, food shopping and the like) or social skills (how to make eye contact, shake hands, use a friendly tone of voice, exchange small talk).? In fact, if they lack such skills (and a great many do), they're simply left to flounder and cope with the consequences.
Today's public schools hire an entire second work force, just to support the needs of children with developmental challenges.? In theory, their charge is to include these kids as fully as possible in the general curriculum.? Yet instead of teaching the general curriculum, many are actually teaching a complete separate curriculum - a curriculum designed to teach children to behave in a socially acceptable manner and to do basic tasks.? The schools are spending a fortune on therapists who have no mandate to teach academic content, but whose job is to normalize children socially and to prepare them for minimum wage jobs or sheltered workshops.
If we are working to have? children with autism included in the general curriculum, then, logic would suggest that we should be working on those skills required to access the general curriculum.? That is: reading, writing, math, and, depending upon the school, cutting, drawing, molding, singing, running, jumping, and so forth.? Collaboration may be expected in certain classes, but it is perfectly possible to complete science projects without a lab partner, or to write a report individually rather than as part of a team.
So which is it?? What do we, as a society, value for our children?? Are we most concerned with their understanding how to live their day-to-day lives with grace and competence?? Or are we most concerned with their ability to grasp academic content and prove their knowledge through standardized testing?? Is it possible for us to teach all of our children to manage both of these sets of skills?
In my opinion, it's long past time for Americans to review the purpose of both general and special education - and to adjust programs, services and expectations accordingly.
Saturday 6 November 2010
The "Autism Quotient" (AQ) quiz has been around for years now.? It's a screening tool designed by Psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen and his colleagues at Cambridge's Autism Research Centre "as a measure of the extent of autistic traits in adults."? Published in Wired Magazine's website, it's now making the rounds on FaceBook.? According to the blurb on the Wired site:
Of course, there is a disclaimer that these tests are not diagnostic, and they're only to be used for "genuine research." Still, for parents of children on the autism spectrum, adults wondering whether they might fall into an autism spectrum category, or anyone concerned about the symptoms of autism, these tests may be a useful first step in deciding whether or not to seek an evaluation.
Have you taken the AQ or any other of the tests at the Cambridge Autism Research Centre site?
In the first major trial using the test, the average score in the control group was 16.4. Eighty percent of those diagnosed with autism or a related disorder scored 32 or higher. The test is not a means for making a diagnosis, however, and many who score above 32 and even meet the diagnostic criteria for mild autism or Asperger's report no difficulty functioning in their everyday lives.The Autism Quotient test is just one of many similar screening tests devised by the Cambridge research group. In fact, there are nearly two dozen online screenings available on the site, including AQ tests for adults, adolescents and children, empathy tests, "mindreading" tests, and more.
Of course, there is a disclaimer that these tests are not diagnostic, and they're only to be used for "genuine research." Still, for parents of children on the autism spectrum, adults wondering whether they might fall into an autism spectrum category, or anyone concerned about the symptoms of autism, these tests may be a useful first step in deciding whether or not to seek an evaluation.
Have you taken the AQ or any other of the tests at the Cambridge Autism Research Centre site?
Thursday 4 November 2010
There is no one genetic variation responsible for autism. But genetic variations have been found that increase the risk of autism, and, for the first time, researchers have visualized the impact of one such variation (CNTNAP2) on brain function. According to a press release in Newswise:
It's important to note CNTNAP2 can be present with or without symptoms that would qualify for an autism diagnosis. In fact, says Dr. Geschwind, many children have the variation but are otherwise normal - and thus can adapt to the neural differences. "Kids with autism," he says, "would have 3-4 additional variants, so they can't adapt to this difference." What makes this study significant, therefore, is a discovery that could lead to an ability to physically observe the impact of therapy on parts of the brain impacted by genetic differences leading to autism. Says Geshwind:
Suspecting that [a gene earlier found to be associated with autism] might influence brain activity, the researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to scan the brains of 32 children as they performed learning-related tasks. Half of the children had autism, and half did not.According to Dr. Daniel Geshwind, a professor of neurology, psychiatry and genetics at UCLA and of the study authors, this project was a first glimpse into how genetic anomalies physically change the way the brain works. The genes under consideration are known to influence language development, and "...we know where the brain is influenced by the genes. Variation in the gene is likely to modify activity in those parts of the brain. We proposed to look at that part of the brain as kids do language-related tasks. Sure enough we found differences between those with risk and those without."
The team's goal was to measure the strength of various communication pathways in different regions of the brain as they connected with each other.
The fMRI images excited the scientists - and confirmed their suspicions.
Regardless of their diagnosis, the children carrying the risk variant showed a disjointed brain. The frontal lobe was over-connected to itself and poorly connected to the rest of the brain. Communication with the back of the brain was particularly diminished.
It's important to note CNTNAP2 can be present with or without symptoms that would qualify for an autism diagnosis. In fact, says Dr. Geschwind, many children have the variation but are otherwise normal - and thus can adapt to the neural differences. "Kids with autism," he says, "would have 3-4 additional variants, so they can't adapt to this difference." What makes this study significant, therefore, is a discovery that could lead to an ability to physically observe the impact of therapy on parts of the brain impacted by genetic differences leading to autism. Says Geshwind:
With this particular anomaly, long range brain connectivity is diminished in favor of short range brain connectivity. Can we give a therapy to improve that connectivity? We can look to see if therapies alter this pattern. This process is a research tool, not a clinical tool, but we can look at interaction between therapy and brain connectivity. It gives us a foothold. We think many genetic variations may be quite modifiable. Knowing genetic risk allows us to look at the question with a better magnifying glass.For many parents, of course, the $64,000 question is not "what do autistic symptoms look like," but rather "what causes these symptoms in the first place?" If the problems are a result of spontaneous genetic mutations, what causes those mutations to occur? Says Dr. Geshwind, "No one knows what causes spontaneous mutations, but they happen all the time. That's how evolution occurs. We know of some risk factors; for example evidence is strong that increasing the age of the father increases risk of autism. We don't exactly why this is a risk factor, but it seems likely that as sperm age, they have more chance to accumulate mutations."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)