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Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Tips to establish healthy habits this School year for your ADHD/High functioning Autistic child

Establish a routine and create healthy habits for your ADHD/High Functioning ASD child.
Read below to find a partial list of rules suggested by Dr. Robert Melillo, creator and co-founder of the Brain Balance Program and author of Reconnected Kids.
While they can be modified to fit your family, these rules are a great starting place for helping your ADHD /High Functioning ASD child succeed:
  • Get out of bed as soon as the alarm goes off.
  • Get fully dressed. pants, shirt, socks, and shoes before breakfast.
  • Eat a healthy breakfast, take vitamins.
  • Check backpack to make sure nothing is missing.
  • Add lunch or make sure you have lunch money.
  • Get to school on time and attend each class promptly.
  • Sit near the front in each class, be attentive and respectful, ask questions, and take detailed notes.
  • After school, go immediately to scheduled activity or go directly home.
  • Eat a healthy snack after getting home and start homework.
  • There is no TV or computer time until all homework is done.
  • Homework is to be done at the kitchen table or in the library only.
  • No iPod, music, phone, social networking, or texting is allowed while doing homework.
  • After homework is complete and checked by a parent, you may have free time. When weather is nice, free time must take place outdoors until it starts to get dark or dinner is called.
  • Screen time, television, computer, video games is limited to one hour, fifteen minutes each weekday, and two and a half hours per day on weekends.
  • Extra screen time must be earned.
  • Come in for dinner immediately when called.
  • The family will eat together when possible. Each family member will wait for everyone to be finished before getting up from the table. Don’t ask to be excused without a good reason.
  • Prepare backpack and select the next day’s wardrobe before bedtime.
  • Set a non-negotiable bedtime during the week.
  • Set an appropriate weekend and holiday bedtime, and allow extra time to be earned.
  • Set a curfew that must be kept. No excuses!
  • Set a time limit for phone calls, texting, and social media if applicable.
  • Treat and speak to others with respect, and always clean up after yourself.
  • Study for at least two days before a test.
  • All projects will be completed a day before they are due.
  • Sunday night from 8:00 to 9:00 is family meeting hour.
  • Nothing else is scheduled during that time.
  • Every Sunday each family member will write an action plan for the week.
Once you and your child have set real, actionable goals for the new school year, it’s important to give them guidelines to help them achieve their goals.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Vitamin C could be an important addition to your biomedical intervention

Biomedical Interventions to Treat Autism: Vitamin C
Many Parents has seen a wide range of benefits such as inmprovement in gastrointestinal health, Increased eye contact, improved skin color, sleeping patterns and cognitive ability by simply adding vitamin C as part of their biomedical interventions.Here is an interesting article about this intervention.
Parents See Results with Vitamin C
Sunday, August 21, 2011

Biomedical Interventions to Treat Autism: Patience is the Key

The only thing more overwhelming then learning about the various biomedical interventions available to treat autism is the idea of actually implementing them into your everyday life. Many parents feel this way when first beginning dietary or other treatments. These same parents will now tell you, it is okay – you too can do it.

Biomedical Interventions to Treat Autism: Patience is the Key
Like anything else, implementing a treatment is a process. You don’t have to change your entire life in one day. Instead, you can take steps to reach your goal and do it at a pace you’re comfortable with. Learning about these treatments it’s a process in itself. As you become more comfortable with the terms used, underlying pathologies and actual changes, you’ll be able to explore topics in more depth and apply changes with greater accuracy and efficiency.

Gaining support from other parents and the advice of experienced professionals can be the key between success and failure. People who understand, and are available for support, while you implement these changes can relieve stress, provide encouragement and be a motivator to continue when challenges arise.

The first step of any process is becoming educated on the topic or treatment at hand. Second, you begin to connect and gain support from those with similar and personal experience to draw from. Third, you make a plan and become organized. Then you implement the plan. Lastly, you observe, evaluate and adjust as needed.

The process above can be applied to any treatment and works well for almost everyone. Avoid becoming down on yourself by understanding everyone can make mistakes and it’s more important to stay positive. Taking care of ‘you’ is integral to maintain the energy and dedication you need to be successful, so be proud of your willingness and achievements.

Many parents face challenges and opposing views from family members, other parents and the medical community when certain interventions are used. It is helpful to remember you are the expert on your child. This does not mean you must become an expert on autism or biochemistry, only your child. Feel confident in the decisions you make as a parent and avoid those who belittle or criticize your efforts. Turn to those who understand instead.

Some interventions and treatments can require substantial financial resources. This too can be a challenge for many families and often difficult to remedy. Depending upon where you live, there may be groups and organizations to help you obtain services or financial reimbursement. Depending upon the treatment, private insurance carriers may or may not cover some of the cost. While investigating monetary help, you can prioritize treatments and build your individual action plan taking into account the resources currently on hand. For example, instead of beginning three supplements in one month, try beginning one per month if that’s what is manageable.

When you feel overwhelmed or are facing a challenge, remind yourself you’ve already faced the greatest challenge ever – learning your child has autism. You can help your child recover. You can implement treatments and interventions with a little preparation and planning. Have confidence in your ability, decisions and remain positive. Once you’re on track, you’ll be in a position to help another parent like you and you’ll be quickly reminded how far you’ve come.
Thursday, August 18, 2011

Vitamin B6 is one integral vitamin that can help children with autism recover

Vitamin B6 is one integral vitamin that can help children with autism recover
Many children with autism have nutritional deficiencies. There are a variety of factors that contribute to this including biological processes that may inefficiently nutrients that are received. Establishing optimum health can be a lengthy and challenging process but is well worth every ounce of effort and energy. Since it is so comprehensive, many parents wonder where to begin and what nutrients will elicit the quickest result.

Taking into account how common it is for children with autism to have a very limited diet, and the nutritional quality of processed foods, it is easy to see how nutrients can be lacking. The implications of these deficiencies can mistakenly be contributed to the symptoms of autism or behavioral issues when, in fact, they are symptoms of physical discomfort and nutritional deficiencies.

Vitamin B6 is one integral vitamin that many children with autism respond very well to. Once given, parents report seeing changes in as little as three days. It is important to note that B6 must be given with Magnesium in order to be effective.

The positive changes reported are exciting. Parents state their children have an overall increase in functioning. Many parents notice how significant the changes are when they stop giving their child B6 and Magnesium, and they immediately understand its effectiveness.

Whether or not children with autism are specifically deficient in B6 is yet to be determined. Once on a supplementation program for one month, if no changes are seen, parents are encouraged to discontinue its usage. Like all treatments for autism, not all children respond to the same treatment or in the same way.

When beginning supplementation it is always recommended to have the advice and support of a medical team and to begin each stage slowly. If B6 and Magnesium are given in too high of a dosage or the amount is increased too quickly, negative side effects can occur. Nausea, hyperactivity, increased behaviors and diarrhea are the most common ones experienced. If any of these occur, consult your medical team immediately to adjust or discontinue the supplement.

The amount of B6 and Magnesium given to children with autism is ultimately determined by a professional based on the individual child’s needs. There is a condition called neuropathy that is rarely seen when too much B6 is given. Again, a medical team experienced with these supplements as treatments for autism should monitor the regimen to avoid such experiences.

As is the case with Vitamin C, many parents report their child does well on exceptionally high doses of these nutrients; amounts that greatly exceed the recommended limits. This is what parents and professionals will often call ‘mega-dosing’. Many medical professionals will strangely advise against high doses of nutrients but will quickly prescribe a drug known to be harmful, so this is why having a team that understands these treatments in regards to children with autism is so necessary.

There are many supplements that help children with autism recover. Vitamin B6 is one of them. It must be taken with Magnesium to be effective and when the child is deficient in these nutrients, the results can be seen almost immediately. With a small chance of side effects, beginning this regimen is ideal for many families. It is recommended to keep track and record dosages and the supplements effects for ongoing maintenance and modification. Once this process has begun and one month or more has passed, parents can continue to see progress by continuing to add supplementation. As more and more parents use these treatments, the results are more and more convincing that there is hope for children with autism.

Source: Recoveryfromautism.com

About RecoveryFromAutism.com:
The Recovery From Autism (RFA) offers parents a thriving support system where they can connect to other parents like them to get advice about parenting or just know about a treatment or the latest techniques to treat autism. Sharing information about treating autism is a huge inflection point for parents with autistic kids. The Recovery From Autism gives them a trusted place where they can get latest information  and resources related to autism treatments that could help their childeren to progress and can even  recover them from Autism.
Monday, August 15, 2011

Increased physical activity decreases the symptoms of autism

early interventions autism treatment options
While it may sound too good to be true, parents and professionals alike, report increased physical activity results in a many positive changes and decreases the symptoms of autism.

Children with autism are unique individuals. However, the delay manifests itself differently in each child. The similarities shared are the areas of development affected by autism and one of them is undoubtedly their overall physical ability.

Almost all children with autism need occupational and physical therapy, since children with autism tend to have decreased muscle tone, low endurance, and delayed motor skills. Sensory imbalances are also typical with children that have autism and physical activity is quite simply, the best way to provide sensory input.


When a child’s sensory systems are balanced, stimulatory and stereotypical behaviors diminish. All of a sudden, children will no longer spin, rock or hand-flap because their brain is now organized having received the needed input provided by physical activity. When the brain can make sense of the information received, it can be better processed. For example, a child aversive to being touched may feel physically uncomfortable when touched by another person. What if every time a person hugged you it hurt or made you feel itchy? Chances are you’d do whatever necessary to avoid feeling that way again, including reacting behaviorally should someone try to touch you.

If your sensory system was balanced, and being hugged felt like warm gentle pressure, chances are you’d be able to tolerate it and even seek it out. Having your child play and be physically active provides the input necessary to accomplish this regulation.

Parents should let the child guide the activity. This means observing how your child behaves physically and basing activities off that. If your child likes to spin, go to a playground and use the equipment. If your child is very active – running and jumping about – start doing jumping jacks, relay races and jog – all these activities provide massive amounts of sensory input.


Many children do not engage in physical activity, disability or not, so increasing exercise is a recommendation for all parents.

Since children with autism do well with routines and structure, make it an integral part of your day and conduct small activities throughout the day. To help metabolize nutrients and avoid weight-gain consider activity ½ an hour after eating. Walking, running, jumping, playgrounds, hiking, chasing balloons or bubbles – the ideas and child friendly ways to incorporate exercise are near endless.

As always, keep track of what you do, how often you do it and the subsequent changes in your child. You may find increased gastrointestinal function, as exercise can stimulate digestion and the gut, eye contact will increase as the brain becomes more organized and stimulatory behavior will ultimately disappear. It’s important to make learning and growth fun, so include your entire family and enjoy the time you spend together as well as the results.

Source: Recoveryfromautism.com

About RecoveryFromAutism.com:
The Recovery From Autism (RFA) offers parents a thriving support system where they can connect to other parents like them to get advice about parenting or just know about a treatment or the latest techniques to treat autism. Sharing information about treating autism is a huge inflection point for parents with autistic kids. The Recovery From Autism gives them a trusted place where they can get latest information  and resources related to autism treatments that could help their childeren to progress and can even  recover them from Autism.
Saturday, August 13, 2011

Early Intervention: Why it Matters to the Brain and Body

early interventions autism treatment options
No matter the disease, disorder or disability, early intervention and treatment is always recommended. This theory certainly applies to autism and is the reason why there are so many awareness campaigns and initiatives promoting early detection and treatment of autism.
We know the brains of children that have autism are developed atypically. When children are young, the brain undergoes many organizational changes responsible for development.
For example, when toddlers experience what is called the ‘language boom’, in which vocabulary can grow from a few dozen words to hundreds or more in a short period of time, the brain is undergoing changes by way of establishing new neural pathways and cutting back those that are unused.
The brain can do this because of what is known as plasticity. This means the brain has the ability to change and mold if you will. The older a child the less plasticity there is believed to be. This is one reason why early intervention is so important. Should the window of opportunity to establish certain brain activity be closed, there is less hope of development.
It is common sense that the earlier a wound is given treatment, the sooner and more complete it should heal. Children with autism have pathological and biomedical needs that, once healed, cause damage to cease. This is very apparent when gastrointestinal function and immune function is discussed. In short, the sooner biomedical treatments are established to heal the gut, immune and nervous system, the better the chances of complete recovery.
There are many possible assailants to the brain and body. Certain foods, environmental toxins, antibiotics, other drugs and more can disrupt normal biological processes. With an experience team, some research and support, parents can begin to treat their child’s specific needs with the range of effective treatments immediately available.
Dietary interventions can remove toxic substances that have negative affects on the brain. Supplementation can restore and support the immune system. Chelation can remove toxins and cumulatively they result in reported recovery from the symptoms of autism.
Food allergies and sensitivities also play a very big role in aggravating the symptoms of autism. Cognitively, the brain can be considered clouded or even short-circuited when a child is receiving foods, such as gluten containing food that has negative effects on the brain once broken down by the body. An allergy is in itself an immune system response, so removing this constant assault, the body can begin to heal and reestablish optimum functioning. Improvement of gastrointestinal function should be immediately considered also, because if it is inefficient, it could be allowing substances to escape the gut and enter the brain.
The gut-brain relationship is rarely discussed but is integral to overall functioning and development. As the gut heals it will be able to perform its various functions, such as keeping broken-down nutrients in the gut and out of the brain. Certain enzymes can be given to help children break down specific proteins and address other gastrointestinal issues.
While intervention and treatment is recommended to begin while the child is quite young, parents should begin implementing a protocol immediately upon diagnosis regardless of the child’s age. There are many options to consider and many parents who can share their experience as a means of support. The research is clear – early intervention is one key to success and children can start to recover from the damage of autism as soon as treatment begins and it could be as simple as making dietary changes.
Source: Recoveryfromautism.com

About RecoveryFromAutism.com:
The Recovery From Autism (RFA) offers parents a thriving support system where they can connect to other parents like them to get advice about parenting or just know about a treatment or the latest techniques to treat autism. Sharing information about treating autism is a huge inflection point for parents with autistic kids. The Recovery From Autism gives them a trusted place where they can get latest information  and resources related to autism treatments that could help their childeren to progress and can even  recover them from Autism.