Autism is constantly in the news – what with Jenny McCarthy talking about it with Larry King and Oprah, President Obama giving priority to autism research and funding, news reports of an autism epidemic etc. – but what exactly is autism? Is every autistic person a savant or like Dustin Hoffman in “Rainman”?

The Many Faces of Autism

There is a saying about autism having many faces and this is indeed true. All autistic people, whether children or adults, are individuals with their own personality traits, symptoms, challenges and needs. However, if you or your child are diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum, then you will have one of five types of autism spectrum disorder:-

• Asperger Syndrome
• Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
• PDD-NOS or Pervasive Developmental Disorder (Not Otherwise Specified)
• Rett Syndrome
• Autism – Also referred to as SLD Autism or Kanner’s Syndrome

Sufferers of each of these five autism spectrum disorders share a “triad of impairments”, or three common characteristics, though with varying degrees. All three of these common impairments are to do with socialization and social skills.

The Triad of Impairments

1) Difficulty with Interaction

All autistic people have some difficulty interacting with those around them. This impairment covers problems making friends and “fitting in”, difficulty mixing with their peers, problems understanding social rules and the rules of conversation, and not picking up on other people’s feelings or showing their own in an inappropriate manner.

2) Difficulty with Social Imagination

This second impairment is to do with empathy and understanding consequences. An autistic person many have problems understanding the feelings and actions of other, coping with change, planning for the future, coping with new situations and experiences, understanding risks and dangers, and playing imaginatively.

3) Difficulty Communicating

All autistic people have some degree of difficulty either with communicating or with understanding communication. Some sufferers will have problems with speech, some will not understand the different ways people communicate – gestures, body language and ****** expressions, others will take things that people say quite literally and not understand jokes or sarcasm, and some just will not understand how conversation works and will interrupt or change the subject.

Other Common Characteristics

Although there are only three characteristics which are common to all of the autism spectrum disorders, some of them do share other characteristics and difficulties:-

• Sensory sensitivity – Many parents report that their autistic children are either hypersensitive or hyposensitive. Hypersensitivity is when a child is over-sensitive to touch, tastes, noises and smells. Hyposensitivity is the complete opposite and may mean that a child has problems with fine motor skills, like doing up buttons, and may not be able to feel pain.
• Obsessions – It is common for many autistic children to become “fixated” on a certain hobby or interest.
• Learning disabilities – Some autistic children have learning problems and may need special support at school. Some autistic people also have problems like dyspraxia, dyslexia or ADHD.
• A need for fixed rules and routine – As I have said, it is common for autistic people to have problems coping with change and new experiences. An autistic child may cope better if they have a predictable daily routine.
• Problems with daily chores and actions – Things that the rest of us take for granted, like brushing our teeth, washing and making our beds, may be difficult for an autistic child or adult to remember and do.

Can Autism be Cured?

This question is highly controversial and has been debated many times. There are three main schools of thought:-

• Some people believe that autism is an incurable disability which, although it can be treated and managed, cannot be cured.
• People like Jenny McCarthy believe that an autistic person can “recover” from autism, just like a person recovers from a car accident. Jenny’s autistic son was treated with biomedical interventions and is now no longer on the autism spectrum. Many people would say that he is “cured”.
• Other people are pushing for autism to be accepted, rather than treated. These people believe that they or their children are not “broken” and do not need “fixing” or “curing”, they want to be accepted as they are.

What do I think?

I believe that the triggers and causes of autism can be combated with biomedical treatments and that autism is treatable and curable.

DAN! Physician Chun Wong is blogging the whole truth and nothing but the truth on Autism, HBOT and all the Biomedical approaches on his weekly blog.

If you’re ready to start improving the health of your autistic child, to make sound judgements, and to have more knowledge, get all the breakthrough news now at http://www.NewAutismCure.com

Teaching children is a difficult enough endeavor on its own. Throw in an autistic child with learning disabilities, and the task can seem overwhelming. However, the task is not impossible. By following some simple guidelines, you may be able to see a marked improvement. Whether you’re a parent home schooling your child or a teacher with an autistic student in your class, these tips should prove helpful.

The first thing you may want to keep in mind is that autistic children are generally very dependent upon routine. Rather than fighting this, it is a good idea to incorporate it into the learning process. In a classroom setting, routine is already well established, but it can be more difficult in a home setting. The key, though, is to stick to a schedule, and to not deviate based on convenience or other factors whenever possible.

It can also be beneficial for an autistic child to learn in an environment that is as simple and uncomplicated as possible. Autistic children are easily over-stimulated, too many decorations or visual aides can serve to be a major distraction from the lesson being taught. An area free from distractions, loud noises and bright lights is what you should be aiming for.

Another interesting idea is to incorporate multiple methods of delivery into your teaching lessons. While many children respond differently to different mediums, this difference is much more distinctive in autistic children. They may respond best to visual images, so incorporating simple illustrations or symbols that represent learning concepts can be a valuable teaching tactic. Experiment to find the method of delivery that is easiest for them to learn from.

Offering an autistic child a choice is another great way to get them involved in the learning process. Rather than presenting a child with an answer and asking him or her to figure out if it is correct or incorrect, present a series of options and let the child choose the option that seems best to him or her. This is a great way to create an interactive teaching environment, and to stimulate thought and cognitive response from a child. It is also a good way for them to feel more in control, lessening the chance of a frustration outburst or negative associations with a particular lesson or idea.

A key point to remember is autistic children are extremely resistant to changes in their environment. Because of this, you should meet their expectations whenever you can. Introduce new ideas gradually. Introduce new learning methods when the child is having a good day or is in a positive mood. Adhere to routine as much as possible, as this is what your child expects and desires, and what will facilitate the most effective learning environment.

It’s true that teaching an autistic child can be difficult. But it is not impossible. It takes a little hard work, a little patience, and significant understanding of the needs of the child and the teaching methods and strategies that will be most beneficial to them. If you follow these simple guidelines, you’ll have a great start on teaching autistic children effectively.

By Rachel Evans. Sign up for a free newsletter for more information on autism. In the newsletter you’ll find more information on teaching autistic chidlren.

Autism is a developmental disorder and the specific cause for autism is not known. It is believed that some biochemical imbalance would have caused autism and some believe that it is a psychological disorder. Children with autism cannot communicate their feelings and emotions properly. Such children find it difficult to socialize. They communicate only to get their needs and not to socialize.

Autism behaviors include lack of proper response to social and environmental stimulations. Communication in a child with autism would be minimal and there would be no eye contact and the child would be in its own world and the response would be very slow. These are some of the autism behaviors that can be noted. There are many therapies available for treating such children.

To treat such autism behaviors nutritional supplements are given. Vitamin B12 is one such supplement that is given to improve autism behaviors which are odd when compared to a normal child. These children use communication only to fulfill their needs and not to socialize. To improve autism behaviours they can be given educational therapies in which the child is motivated to respond to the social and environmental changes promptly. It is not easy to make a child with such autism behaviors to learn a task. They will interrupt the process and they might be aggressive towards other people to avoid learning any new task.

Magnesium in the form of intramuscular injections is given to improve autism behaviors. Usage of vitamin B12 to improve autism behaviors would usually give good results in 2 to 4 weeks time. Some children will take more than 3 months to improve their autism behavior. Dimethylglycine (DMG) is found to be very good in improving autism behaviors like lack of proper speech. DMG improves the immune system in our body. This also improves better eye contact and frustration tolerance.

For more information related to autism in childrens, pls visit http://www.natural-treatment-guide.com/childautism/childautism-intro.html webpage for more details. Online version of the above article is located at http://www.natural-treatment-guide.com/childautism/autism-behaviors.html

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