Does anybody use any alternative therapies with their Autistic child?!


Question: Does anybody use any alternative therapies with their Autistic child.?
What results have you experienced.?Health Question & Answer


Answers:
I have a friend who's son has always had intestinal issues. At age 11 she's finally had the determination and will to try GF/CF diet with him. She's been doing it over a month now and couldn't be more pleased. She's getting increased eye contact, vocalizations, better attention, not to mention his digestive issues are gone. Now I know GF/CF isn't a cure all or that it will work for every child, but it's something to consider.

The best "therapy" my daughter has had has been me taking her EVERYWHERE with me, constantly teaching her, exposing her to new things, changing up her routines.

We had early intervention, and some in home ABA, but it was poorly run and more burden than help. She's never required formal OT, but that might be because she's always given herself the OT she needed with our trampoline and swimming pool. A trampoline (with safety net and padding) is an EXCELLENT form of OT that not only helps with coordination and muscle strength, but it's FUN. Your other kids will love it too (if you have any)

1) No matter how young your child is, start using social stories! Get used to making them up on the fly. Get familiar with the format. Go to http://www.thegraycenter.org/ to learn more and to see samples. Basically, a social story is a script for your child to help them understand proper behavior in a situation, give words to the different feelings they might have, and give them a resolution/solution. Since social situations are so difficult for our kids, they need concrete information to learn to navigate. They don't work immediatly, but do soak in over time and make a difference.

2)Understand that people will stare when your child is having a tantrum. People aren't necessarily mean, but they're often ignorant about autism. People will offer you all sorts of unsolicited advice on how you should handle the situation at hand. I've heard everything from "She needs a nap" to "It's ok to spank her you know" as well as some really awful obnoxious comments. How much you tell others is your personal choice. My daughter would never pass as "typical" so I'va always been open about things. I've educated many in my community about autism. You need to learn to develop a thick skin, and to shut out the world around you to focus on your child. Don't be afraid to get down on the ground with your child when out in public and they're really upset. Stay calm and focused on helping your child. It gets really easy to tune everything else out, and it's kind of amazing. When you act this way, you actually get more understanding from strangers. They can tell by your actions that you've got the situation under control (whether you do or not) and are not a neglectful parent with a bratty kid.

3)Take your child EVERYWHERE that you can. YES it's very hard work, but if you think of it as therapy, which it is, you'll understand the importance. Expose your child as often as possible to a variety of situations. Use the social stories to explain in their terms what they're experiencing. The more often you can do this, the better. Again, this is HARD WORK! But so worth it. If it's really really hard, don't make it a grocery shopping trip, but just a trip to buy milk or cereal. One or two items. Involve your child in the process, take your time, and make it a total learning experience. My daughter used to have rituals to get through the grocery store. She'd pick one small broccoli floret to nibble, two aisles over she'd touch several cans, or re-arrange the baby foods. Then we'd grind a small handfull of coffee beans which she would carry around and sniff. She'd do this every single time as a way to control the chaos surrounding her. I let her have her comfort rituals, so she had some sense of control, but I would also push her to learn and interact. I'd talk for her when strangers interacted with her, telling her "When someone says ........, you say ......." so she would get the scripts that matched different greetings. People would understand that I was teaching her and most would be pretty good about it. There were plenty of teaching incidents that most people didn't get, but I trudged through. Keep the focus on teaching your child appropriate behavior. Eventually it will get in there!

My daughter will soon be 10. She's mainstreamed in Math and Science, receives speech therapy and the rest of her lessons in a special day class. She's very high functioning, though no one would mistake her as "typical". She can go grocery shopping alone, AND get the best deals, as she knows how to compaire prices/units etc. She has no problem ordering cheese or meat from the deli counter, can place an accurate order at McDonalds or Taco Bell "I'd like a number 3 with no lettuce, no tomatoes, just meat cheese and sour cream please!" She has plenty of friends at school, but has no use for friends after school hours, unless it's totally on her terms.Health Question & Answer

We did intensive vitamin therapy, oxygen therapy, a natural form of chelation, and of course, a GFCF diet.

We had wonderful results: increased growth, speech, interaction- everything.

A great book: "Children with Starving Brains" by Jaquelyn McCandless M.D.Health Question & Answer

The Mindd Foundation are a valuable information source:
http://www.mindd.org/serendipity/archive...Health Question & Answer

http://earthclinic.com/CURES/autism.htmlHealth Question & Answer

I appreciate Jen D and her personal anecdote claiming improvement with a variety of odd alternative practices.

However...there is no evidence that ANY of the things she mentioned have any real effects when subjected to proper controlled study. Desperate care givers often subjectively see improvements that just arent' there on objective evaluation.

The most studied Alt treatment for autism is "facilitated communication", which has been thoroughly and completely debunked, though there are still advocates out there flogging it.

Remember...an anecdote is not evidence of anything. A thousand anecdotes are no better.Health Question & Answer



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