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We’ve all experienced it…and quite a few times actually…every time we are with or around “typical children”. It may be at the mall, or at a playground…and all of a sudden our child does something, whether it be hollering, flapping or spinning…we don’t notice right away, because we are accustomed to being around these little stims at home. It takes a couple of seconds, and by the time, we notice…we’ve also noticed something else…Yes…from other parents and other children…it’s the “sideways glance”. It’s penetrating, and brutal, and it is virtually overwhelming when the “sideways glance” is coupled with a few hushed whispers from one typical mom to the next. We can’t blame them…but we do! They think they are being discreet…but they are not! Some, may even give us a patronizing look of sympathy, and feel that it may make us feel better…But…it doesn’t!
So, what do we do? How do we feel? We all know how we SHOULD feel…the noble attitude of, “This is my child, and yes, he is autistic…this is just fine, and I love him and I accept him as he is in all environments…and I am not embarrassed or ashamed…so there…” and we hold our head high with dignity. This is our façade…this is our mask. Although there are a few of us that have been able to achieve the inner strength to muster up this same resolve and confidence in their hearts as well…most of us….well, deep inside us…our hearts are breaking!
Those sideways glances, whispers, and patronizing looks…they hurt, and yes…badly…like the stabs of a knife into our hearts. We think to ourselves, “I shouldn’t let this bother me.” And “I don’t even care what other people think.” But…it does bother us, and it does embarrass us. We may ask ourselves, “Why does this bother me…Why don’t I just “get over” myself…
The answer is just as simple, and as natural as a heartbeat…We are HUMAN! And, as human beings, we care about what others think of us, and we long to be accepted…it is in our job description as people. People conform to social graces, and standards, and this makes us all feel comfortable, and secure. As a society of people, we have come a long way too…Just look at us…we have disabilities all around us and we don’t even flinch anymore, at someone in a wheelchair, or a blind or deaf person. But…when it comes to a “social disability” as in the autism spectrum….well that is a real jagged pill. Because of our set standards of behavior, these social disabilities make people uncomfortable, and they are at a loss as to how to react.
So, what is the answer…education, exposure…Yes, and yes, these are big parts of the puzzle that is “Acceptance” and “Awareness”.
This April, lets all promote Autism Awareness as never before, since April is the dedicated month of International Autism Awareness and therein afterwards, month after month, year after year, day after day. As there is more and more Autism Awareness…less and less become the occasions when we have to endure “The Sideways Glance”.
Kimberly Larochelle
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Warriors for Autism are a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting Autism awareness. This foundation raises funds to help create programs such as sponsoring therapies, organizing family field trips, support groups, and sensory-friendly play dates for children and families of Autism Spectrum.
The goal of Deena Rivera, founder of Warriors for Autism is not only to raise awareness about Autism, but also to generate a desperate need for funding, in order to sponsor families who do not otherwise have access to vital therapies and much needed assistance in the Tampa Bay area.
This Saturday, 4/23rd, Deena Rivera and her Warriors for Autism are hosting the following event and I thought many would be interesting in attending especially in this month of April, since it honors International Autism Month.
Here is the information to the event:
1st Annual Tampa Bay Joins Hands for Autism
Cocktails & Silent Auction Benefit
Saturday, April 23, 2011 from 6:30pm – 10:30pm
A fun evening event for Tampa ’s Warriors to come together, to dine, dance and show support for the fight against difficulties our autistic children face everyday. Proceeds from this event will be dedicated towards creating safe and affordable summer programs for children with autism spectrum disorders.
For further information contact:
Deena@warriorsforautism.com / 813-857-1698
www.warriorsforautism.org
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Autism is Local. Autism is National. Autism is International. The month of April is honoring “World Autism Month” and so do we here at the Mane’ Center. There are no boundaries in the world that is Autism, and there is no color, race, creed, social or economic distinctions either.
The Mane’ Center has been embracing visitors and patients all the way from the Tampa Bay Area to Michigan and North Carolina , to the UK this month! It is truly a pleasure to be able to see the worldwide scope and the outpouring of international togetherness to find a solution for our world’s children and families living with Autism Spectrum.
A few months ago, I had the great pleasure of being interviewed by Kevin Healey of Autism Radio UK . This was a tremendous forward step in a positive direction in getting the word out about hope and help for Autism Spectrum Disorders.
HERE IS THE LINK TO THE INTERVIEW:
http://www.autismradiouk.co.uk/archive/listen-again/200.php
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Ahhh…the life of a child…So wistfully happy, and ultimately carefree. With not a care in the world, a child is free…free from life’s stresses, and so it is, and so it should be the best time of life. This state of being is usually true of most typical children, but to most of those that are within the Autism Spectrum…it is not. For these children, life in general is just the opposite. Instead of being carefree…they are worried. Instead of being happy…they are frustrated, and fretful. Life for them can be “too Loud”, “too Confusing”, or just “too Much”… For example, I give you…”A Day at the Beach…” The sounds of the waves…so very pleasant, and relaxing…for MOST, and yet for them, these same sounds that can relax us and even lull us to sleep…can be as a “Frightening Roar” to these children. Let’s add just another sensory component to our scene, shall we: The “feel’ of the warm sand, as it squeezes between our toes…it is a wonderful sensation …for MOST, and yet for them, the texture of this same sand is as an extreme irritant, and it’s sensation attacks their “Tactile Sense”, and it can be painful to them. Let’s add to this picture yet again… “The Bright Sunny Day”, as the sun beams and glistens on the water like sparkling diamonds…Beautiful…Yes…for MOST, and yet for them, the bright sun is too bright, as they cover their eyes, in search of shade, and relief from the onslaught of the sun. Add the occasional sounds of the “Sea Gulls”. as we watch in delight, while they soar and land upon the shore, lifting their heads and calling to whomever may hear them…an intriguing delight for MOST, and yet these same sounds are as literal “Shrieks” that jump out of the air suddenly, and startle them to their very core. Those on the Autism Spectrum have some very bewildering sensory issues, as some of their senses are overly sensitive, and yet others under sensitive…add to the confusion , and you will find that there is varying combinations of overly and under sensory issues and degrees, and all unique to each individual. I used to say, “If only I could get inside my little boy, and see the world through his eyes and ears…I would know…I would KNOW…”
And so… “A Day at the Beach” …for many on the Autism Spectrum…really is NOT… “A Day at the Beach”… It is very much a stressful and dramatically exhausting endeavor for them…and just the opposite from the way that we think of the occasion, and the expression that we loosely use to describe something easy and stress free…in other words: “A DAY AT THE BEACH” By: Kimberly Larochelle
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Many times I often hear the phrase “80% of your immune system is in your gut.” What does that mean to us on a daily basis and how can we apply that practically. Can we reduce the use of antibiotics in our children over the long haul? Many in the healthcare field feel that antibiotics tend to be overprescribed especially in children. Many times antibiotics are prescribed for children when they in fact have a viral infection and not a bacterial infection. I have heard parents tell me that they took the child to the pediatrician because he had a cold and were upset that the child did not receive antibiotics. They seem to feel that if they did not receive a prescription for antibiotics that the office visit was wasted. In fact, it is currently believed that if we overprescribed antibiotics, the bugs we are trying to eliminate will adapt to our current armamentarium of an antibiotic therapy and therefore the antibiotics we have will not be effective when we truly need them. In addition, when antibiotics are prescribed they tend to wipe out not only the bad bugs but also the good bacteria, that are beneficial to our bodies. This can lead to dysbiosis or overgrowth of bad bacteria in our gastrointestinal tract as well as yeast infections. In addition, parents with children on the autism spectrum are very concerned with introducing any type of foreign substance into their children’s bodies in particular in the form of vaccines such as a flu shot. Below is a study from the American Academy of Pediatrics which documents the reduction of of antibiotics in children ages 3 to 5 years old by 80% with the use of two particular probiotics. Probiotics are live microorganisms which can give health benefits to the host. Probiotics are considered to be the beneficial bacteria or the good bugs found in our gastrointestinal tract. The most common probiotic is Lactobacillus which currently is being made famous by the yogurt brand Activia. The probiotics in the study also helped with symptoms such as runny nose and cough. The moral of the story is to find a qualified healthcare practitioner familiar with probiotics, prebiotic and other ways to influence your immune system in a positive fashion. These inexpensive yet effective methods may save you unnecessary downtime and reduce your need for antibiotics in the short run which in the long run will benefit your immune system.
PROBIOTICS REDUCE INCIDENCE AND DURATION OF RESPIRATORY TRACT
INFECTION SYMPTOMS IN 3- TO 5-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN
Submitted by Arthur Ouwehand
Arthur Ouwehand, Greg Leyer, Didier Carcano
Danisco Cultures, Kantvik, Finland
INTRODUCTION: Probiotics are live microorganisms that have a beneficial effect on the host.
OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to investigate whether consumption of probiotics would be able to reduce symptoms of respiratory tract infections during the winter season.
METHODS: Children aged 3 to 5 years were recruited and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups to receive placebo (n _ 92), Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM (NCFM) (n _ 77),
or a combination of L acidophilus NCFM and Bifidobacteriumlactis Bi-07 (NCFM_Bi-07) (n _ 79). Probiotics were consumed daily at a dose of 1010 colony-forming units for 6
months from November to April. The study was performed in Shanghai, China, and approved by the local authorities.
RESULTS: The incidence of fever was reduced by 63% in the NCFM_Bi-07 group and by 48% in the NCFM group. Cough was reduced by 54% in the NCFM_Bi-07
group and by 42% in the NCFM group. Runny nose was reduced by 44% in the NCFM_Bi-07 group and by 9% in the NCFM group; the latter result was not significant.
Antibiotic use was reduced by 80% in the NCFM_Bi-07 group and by 68% in the NCFM group. Children in the placebo group had, on average, 6.5 days with symptoms,
those in the NCFM group had 4.5 days with symptoms, and those in the NCFM_Bi-07 group had 3.4 days with symptoms.
CONCLUSIONS: Daily consumption of NCFM and Bi-07 and of NCFM alone significantly reduced the incidence and duration of respiratory tract infection symptoms in children.
The combination of the 2 probiotics tended to perform better than the NCFM alone.
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It is well established that early intervention for children on the autism spectrum can be very beneficial. From a functional neurology standpoint, we know that the brain is more plastic or changeable at younger ages and less changeable at older ages. It is important to note that the old adage that a child would no longer progress after his sixth birthday is no longer accurate. The brain can change from birth to death. It is true however that younger brains are easier to work with than older brains. For this reason any factor that can help identify a child at risk sooner than later is a positive contribution to the autism community and one that should be publicized to the general public. In this case we have a bedside type marker that may aid in the identification of a child at early stages so that he or she may get the appropriate intervention sooner rather than later. The beauty of this factor is that it does not require any expensive testing or access. Thus whether you are the wealthiest of parents in a major metropolitan area or the poorest of parent in a rural or medically under served area this information will benefit you. As always, if you meet some of the known risk factors for having a child on the autism spectrum such as older age or family history it would be a good idea to scrutinize this factor more diligently. It seems that picky eating (choosy), difficulty moving to solids may be a factor in predicting those that may fall into the autism spectrum. The study released in the Journal of pediatrics is shown below. This is a beautiful tool for parents who are concerned that their children may be suspicious for falling on the autism spectrum. Most mothers are very in tune with their child’s feeding and eating habits. This is a study that should get a lot of attention as using this as a method is readily available and accessible to all. This of course is only one part of a clinical picture that needs to be put together and should not be considered a diagnosis on its own. But it may be a major clue to help parents get help for their children as soon as possible.
Pediatrics.2010 Aug;126(2):e337-42. Epub 2010 Jul 19.
Feeding symptoms, dietary patterns, and growth in young children with autism spectrum disorders.
Emond A, Emmett P, Steer C, Golding J.
Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, Barley House, Oakfield Grove, Bristol, UK.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feeding, diet and growth of young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
METHOD: Data on feeding and food frequency were collected by questionnaires completed at 6, 15, 24, 38 and 54 months by participants in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. A food variety score was created, and the content of the diet was calculated at 38 m. The feeding and dietary patterns of 79 children with ASD were compared with 12 901 controls.
RESULTS: The median ages of ASD children were 28 months at referral and 45 months at diagnosis. ASD infants showed late introduction of solids after 6 months (p = .004) and were described as “slow feeders” at 6 months (p = .04). From 15-54 months ASD children were consistently reported to be “difficult to feed” (p < .001) and “very choosy” (p < .001). From 15 months, the ASD group had a less varied diet than controls, were more likely to have different meals from their mother from 24 months, and by 54 months 8% of ASD children were taking a special diet for “allergy.” ASD children consumed less vegetables, salad and fresh fruit, but also less sweets and fizzy drinks. At 38 months intakes of energy, total fat, carbohydrate and protein were similar, but the ASD group consumed less vitamins C (p = .02) and D (p = .003). There were no differences in weight, height or BMI at 18 months and 7 years, or in hemoglobin concentrations at 7 years.
CONCLUSIONS: ASD children showed feeding symptoms from infancy and had a less varied diet from 15 months, but energy intake and growth were not impaired.
PMID: 20643716 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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I had the opportunity to go to the Surfers for Autism event in Cocoa Beach this weekend. It was a fabulous event. The event was well organized and very efficient. Clearly, it was not the first time that they had done this. The volunteers were all very caring. The kids got to surf all day or just try surfing depending on their interest and tolerance. Free water and smoothies were provided all day. A free lunch was served to all participating in the event. It was a super event overall and I wanted to let you all know as there is another one in Daytona coming up. Here is the link once again
http://surfersforautism.org/index.html
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I had a parent last week tell me about an organization that teaches children on the spectrum how to surf. The parent who says they have particpated in these events before explained to me that the organization will have all day surfing camps at various beaches. In this case, she was referring to Florida. As I understood it, the events are free and all equipment is provided including food, WOW! My experience is that most kids on the spectrum love the water and adding surfing should be fun, with the right professionals, in the a safe environment. I have not had time to check out the web site but I am passing it on for all of you to check out. Please give me some feed back. It sounds great! http://surfersforautism.org/index.html
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Monica Wharton of Disability Radio was recently kind enough to interviewed me regarding Hemispheric Integration Therapy and our upcoming free ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder and learning disability conference coming up this Saturday on May 8th at the Hillsborough County Children’s Board. She also asked me about our support group for parents which is sponsoring the seminar. The support group provides monthly meetings for the parents, families(the kids) as well as the outings and informational conferences like the one this Saturday. Here is the link to the interview http://www.disabilitynewsradio.com/
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I had the opportunity to be a guest on Studio 10 this past Monday, April 26th. Studio 10 is on WTSP the local CBS affiliate. The show is hosted by Holley Sinn and Jerome Ritchey who were extremely nice and welcoming. I was thrilled as always to have an opportunity to speak about Hemispheric Integration Therapy especially as it relates to ADHD, the Autism Spectrum and learning disabilities. Sharon Baron a parent whose child has had success with Hemispheric Integrationwas also on the show to give her perspective as a parent. We also were able to get the word out about the upcoming HIT conference at the Hillsborough County Children’s Board on May 8th http://www.hitautism.com/events Here is a link to the Studio 10 interview http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hPtqT0eK4M
