spirit of autism sensory

It’s All About the Sensory

spirit of autism sensoryOkay, not ALL… but sensory issues play a bigger role in the daily lives of children with Autism than you might think.

I have always tried to explain this to the adults, teachers, caretakers, and yes, even physicians in my son’s life, who insisted that my child needed to be medicated for hyperactive and impulsive behavior.

There were certainly quirky and challenging things about him, even from birth. But I also had a girl first; so many of his odd behaviors were instantly dismissed as “boy stuff.” The real trouble started when he went to Pre-K and had to transition to different activities, sit quietly in circle time, and interact with a group of peers.

I remember waiting months to see a highly-acclaimed pediatric neurologist before my son was officially diagnosed with Autism. He was four at the time. For our long-awaited appointment, we were in the waiting room for an hour and in the doctor’s office waiting for another hour. What four-year-old would NOT be climbing up the walls at that point?

The doctor came in and promptly spent 10 minutes with us.

“Write your name.”

“Stand on one foot and hop.”

“Copy this drawing of a tree.”

“Ma’am, your son has ADHD, fine motor dyspraxia, ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder), and maybe some sensory stuff going on. Here’s your prescription for Adderall. See you in six months.”

Whoa… wha? Oppositional DEFIANT Disorder? He’s FOUR! When my daughter was four I practically wanted to SELL her! (Kidding. Mostly.) Of COURSE he was hyper! We just waited TWO hours to see him! And what’s with the meds? No explanation of any of these “disorders”? No constructive suggestions? No support or help?

Nope.

I researched all of the labels that supposedly defined my baby boy. Yes, he was hyperactive, but the first one that really grabbed my attention was sensory processing disorder. I went through a checklist and instantly started understanding my son and the world he lives in. Many of those “quirks” were a direct stress-response to how he interprets all the sensory input from his day-to-day environment.

We had an entire sensory evaluation done with a different specialist, and eventually arrived at the Autism diagnosis.

Once I started to differentiate between “My body hurts, I’m exploding inside and need help” and “I’m being a boy and testing my boundaries” my whole world changed, and so did my son’s.

The school system did not follow suit, unfortunately. During our IEP (Individualized Education Program) meetings I provided all of his sensory triggers in a document, what calming methods worked for us, and physical toys and music that he could keep in his private break area at school. The Special Education Director for the district continued to try and strongly suggest he be medicated.

I was actually told in one of these meetings that I was the type of mother that would deny my child insulin if he had Diabetes just because I wouldn’t put him on Adderall or Ritalin. Unbelievable!

I calmly repeated, “We need to start here, with these sensory issues. It is tangible – you can SEE he is struggling in direct response to these triggers. Why not start with what we know and work out from there? Let’s see what behaviors are left after we address some of these root causes and we can re-evaluate from there.”

Although I finally began homeschooling my son after years of battling with the school, this information is still critical. Almost every outburst, meltdown, or seemingly “defiant” behavior can be traced down to a sensory problem my son is experiencing at the moment.

Recently I ran across Asperger Experts – two young men with Asperger’s Syndrome that have navigated their way through the roughest times of childhood and adolescence and are now helping parents and educators do the same.

They have a program called “Fundamentals For Thriving Bundle.” It’s been extremely helpful for me to continue to understand, teach and support my son in a way that he is most receptive.

They published a video called, “The Sensory Funnel.” It’s a MUST-SEE if you want to learn more about your child’s or student’s sensory issues, how they affect day-to-day living, and what you can do to help him or her succeed.

Watch the video below and let me know your thoughts! I’d love to hear if it clicked for you like it did for me, and any other comments, successes or struggles you’re going through right now!

What the Heck is Sound Training?

Sound Training can help address your child’s skills and abilities that you’d most like to see improved, from gifted development to specific learning challenges. How can something you listen to help learning challenges? Let me explain:

As Dr. Alfred Tomatis, the “Father” of Sound Training, discovered that 85 percent of the neural pathways to our brain are stimulated through the ear. Within the ear, there are two main nerves: the Auditory (Cochlear) Nerve, which carries hearing information between the inner ear and the brain and the Vestibular Integrator, which controls coordination, balance, and governs body functions.

If you are not processing certain frequencies of sound in an optimal way, it can greatly affect motor skills, balance, appetite, toileting, sleep, language (the voice can only produce what the ear can hear), cognitive abilities, understanding multi-step instructions, magnitude of a situation, the ability to put yourself in another’s shoes, energy, mood, sound sensitivity, transitioning from one activity to another, coping skills, anxiety, social skills, and focus and attention.

Whew! Did you ever imagine all those things were affected by the way you process sound?

In addition to frequency deficits, further complications arise when sound is processed through bone conduction instead of air conduction, which is often prevalent in children with Autism, Sensory Processing issues, ADHD, and Dyslexia.

Ideally, sound should be processed air over bone, where it goes through the middle ear (the “gatekeeper”), gets buffered, filtered, sorted, and served to the brain on a silver platter. Auditory processing through bone conduction means the sound goes in the ear and through bone straight to the nervous system. Unable to separate background noises, it is dense, fast, and loud, frequently causing auditory overload and throwing all the other senses into distress.

EnListen® uses custom-engineered music files to wake up the brain and help put the sensory system back in harmony. It uses a filter and delay, first sending the sound through bone conduction via a special headset and then through the ears the proper way. Eventually that gap is closed, like training a lazy eye, making lasting changes to the brain and could dramatically improve:
•    attention, focus and concentration
•    self-confidence
•    emerging language
•    cognition skills
•    reading and writing
•    comprehension and memory
•    eye contact
•    speech clarity
•    organization
•    body function

Done properly, Sound Training gets the foundation intact and strong (low frequency-body functions) and then not only works on deficits but helps build on strengths and develop your child’s natural gifts.

Would you like to learn more about how EnListen® could help you or your child? Schedule a NO-COST consultation here!

We Are What We Eat! by Special Guest Barrie Silberberg

You have heard this saying a million times, but what exactly does it mean to you, your family and your bodies?

Americans consume huge amounts of processed foods, including fast food, restaurant food and food you buy and provide for your families. Many European countries are changing how their families eat, by removing toxins from their foods, for a healthier world. Sadly, America, one of the richest countries in the world is poisoning their citizens. Not only are they damaging their bodies, but also their minds. School lunches are one of the worst culprits in our society, as well as all of the drive-through fast food establishments, that exist in practically every city in America.

Do you read labels on the foods that you purchase? Pay attention! There are too many ignorant people out there, who purchase packaged foods for their families, completely unaware of what those ingredients mean. This information is not just for families touched by a special needs child, these valuable facts are for ALL families!

We have more hyperactivity, autism and MANY other diseases and disorders out of control, than ever before. Many of these disorders can be eradicated or GREATLY improved by changing the diet to remove chemicals and toxins. Many people’s bodily functions can be greatly improved by getting rid of the wrong types of foods that enter your body.

Let’s start with processed foods. Something as simple as potato chips, can explain what I am talking about. Potato chips may not be the healthiest of foods, but they can still be a healthy option. There is nothing wrong with potatoes cut thin, baked or cooked in olive oil (or another healthy oil), and a small amount of salt. Three simple ingredients to satisfy your taste buds. Here is an ingredient list from a leading national company, who packages chips for the purchasing public. Potatoes, Sunflower Oil and/or Corn Oil, Flamin’ Hot Seasoning (Corn Maltodextrin, Sugar, Sunflower Oil, Dextrose, Malted Barley Flour, Torula Yeast,
Monosodium Glutamate, Artificial Color (Red 40 Lake, Yellow Lake, Yellow 6 Lake), Corn Syrup Solids, Salt, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Tomato Powder, Onion Powder, Citric Acid, Garlic Powder, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Spice, Sodium Caseinate, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guarylate) and Salt.

First off, you can clearly see there are ingredients listed that you have no clue what they are or where they even came from. This is the first lesson is how to read a label. If the list is long and full of odd, strange words, put it back on the shelf, this is not a healthy choice. Dextrose is just another word for sugar, which is already listed here. Why on earth do your potato chips need sugar? I can guarantee that this sugar is processed, refined and unhealthy! Corn syrup is never healthy. You can read all over the Internet about the dangers of corn syrup. The worse offenders here are the artificial ingredients, especially the Lake Dyes. These dyes are purely chemicals, made from petroleum oil, yes..what goes into the gas tank of your car. These colors (which have been abolished in many other parts of the world, they use fruits and vegetables to color their foods, instead) can harm your body and mind. Read more on www.Feingold.org about how your body and mind react to preservatives, chemicals and artificial ingredients, especially artificial colors. There are way too many destructive symptoms to list here that can occur by ingesting these chemicals. I will just name a few: hyperactivity, poor sleep patterns, skin disorders, bowel disorders, disruptive and/or abusive behaviors, inappropriate noises, aggression, mood swings, depression, low self-esteem and so much more!

You owe it to your family to read labels. There are many single ingredient foods that you can purchase or natural or organic options for just about anything you have in your freezer, refrigerator or pantry shelf. There are farmer’s markets all over the nation, co-ops, health food stores and large chains of stores that do not sell artificial products. Please do NOT say, it is too expensive. The people that exclaim these words pay a fortune weekly at fast food or other unhealthy restaurant options. Add up your cost for that soda, that burger, those fries and other side dishes. Add in a tip, if you go out. Compare your grocery bill to that of your “eating out” bill. Write down EVERY time you purchase outside food, this includes lunch and beverages parents’ purchase for themselves, while at work or in route to their destinations. Keep track of what you and your family are eating and the cost. Then go one week with NEVER eating out, yet purchasing only foods with healthy, natural ingredients. Why not shop at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods or other similar stores in your area for one week of groceries. Not only will you save money, but also your family will have the best bowel movements, the best skin, and the best feeling inside mentally and physically. Yes, this means packing lunches for school and work daily, or perhaps even for a ride in the car on vacations or just day trips. Once you see the changes in your family after one week, you will not want to stop. One month will show you even more of the huge changes in your families’ daily existences.
Be cognizant, read labels, pay attention to what you buy, where you buy it, what the ingredients are for every morsel that you and your family ingest. Stop being ignorant. Share what you have learned with other families. It takes a village to change poor eating habits! Why not start today?

For much more in-depth details to everything mentioned in this article and much more, please go to Barrie Silberberg’s web site: www.puttingyourkidsfirst.com and discover more about her book: The Autism & ADHD Diet: A Step-by-Step Guide to Hope and Healing by Living Gluten Free and Casein Free (GFCF) and Other Interventions.

The Autism & ADHD Diet is available at all major bookstores, Amazon.com and many other online book retailers. Click Here for Barrie’s website Putting Your Kids First.

Reprinted with permission from Parenting Special Needs Magazine, Mar/Apr ‘11 Issue, Copyright [2011] by Parenting Special Needs LLC.  http://www.parentingspecialneeds.org.

An Evening Seminar with Angie Marshall

I am so excited to bring this special opportunity to my Atlanta friends, fans and followers!

Parents, if you and your child are struggling with:

  • Potty-training
  • Sleeping issues
  • Verbal communication
  • Socializing with other kids
  • Repetitive movements
  • Following simple instructions
  • Reading issues
  • Sensory meltdowns and temper-tantrums
  • Sound sensitivity
  • Aversion to touch and texture
  • Coordination
  • Picky eating, food sensitivities

Sound Training Helps Children with ADD/ADHD, Autism/Asperger’s Syndrome, Sensory Dysfunction, Dyslexia/Reading problems

Spirit of Autism and The Listening Center

proudly present

An Evening Seminar with Angie Marshall, MBA

USING SOUND TRAINING to
IMPROVE AUDITORY PROCESSING
and SENSORY SKILLS

Thursday, June 16

6:30 pm

Under the Umbrella Play Center
8560 Holcomb Bridge Road
Suite 120
Alpharetta, GA 30022

LIMITED SEATING – hurry before spaces are gone!

RSVP by Monday, June 13

440.939.6211 or go to the Seminars page and sign up!

Please feel free to download the PDF flyer on the bottom of that page and share it with any other families that might benefit from this FREE seminar.

Social Skills Tips from Special Guest Sue Diamond

Children who present with Autistic Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Central Auditory Processing Disorder, and language and learning disabilities tend to have issues with social skills (pragmatic language). They want to interact, join in, play, converse, and have friends.  However, many times they are isolated and ostracized by their peers because they miss social cues.  They may not use eye contact appropriately or nod their head to show understanding or interest.

Choosing appropriate questions for a topic and maintaining the conversation may be very difficult and cause for social anxiety.  The topics they do initiate can be limited with either excessive verbiage or limited output, and their peers find it odd.  Imagine the ramifications in a classroom when these students answer completely off topic in oral and written language.  Their peers may laugh, and the teacher may become angry because it is thought to be poor behavior.

These children do best when given direct assistance in knowing the social rules. Once they understand “social thinking” they begin to make progress.  Imagine the child who runs up to her friends at recess to play.  She comes into the circle and stands too close to them.  They become uncomfortable and the social group disperses, leaving her behind.  When she understands “proximity” and how people feel about entering their personal space, she can be successful in her stance the next time.  Imagine the boy who is so excited when a peer comes up to him and tells him that doughnuts are being sold in the girl’s bathroom.  He is literal and does not believe that a ‘friend” would lie, so he goes in and gets in trouble.  Once he understands about rumors, he can make changes.  Most children can navigate their playground at school and understand the subtle, implied rules.  Children with pragmatic language delay (social language issues) make progress when they are given these rules directly.

SOCIAL SKILLS TIPS

  • Discuss a social situation before it occurs. Problem solve what can occur and how it can be handled.
  • Role play greetings and manners.
  • Talk about how to respond when being teased. You can ignore or answer back, “you wish” or “wow that was mean.” Do not get upset. It is the teaser’s bad day. Role play how to say a response with the right tone of voice.
  • Talk about rumors. You may not know if it is true. You may be tricked. Do not pass the rumor. It can be hurtful.
  • Play turn taking games such as rolling a ball back and forth. Whoever has the ball; it is their turn to talk.
  • Play charades to help with body language.  Watch TV with the sound off to observe, label, interpret, and imitate actors’ body language.
  • Use mirrors to look at facial expressions. Say an emotion and make your face match the emotion.
  • Make a scrapbook using magazine pictures and discuss the feeling shown by posture, gesture, and facial expressions.
  • Structure play dates; decide ahead what activities will be played. Make play dates full of fun for social success.
  • Play on/off games such as state a topic and decide if the sentence is on or off the topic.
  • Teach that when asking to play, the child may say no. The child may not be in the mood that day. Say, “okay” and walk away.
  • Talk about negotiating at school. When playing tag, if you are told to be “it” 3 times in a row, you can say, “I was it last time; it is someone else’s turn to be it.”

Susan Diamond is a licensed speech and language pathologist with a private practice in Alameda, California and has over twenty five years experience in diagnosis and treatment of children with language disorders.  She is the author of  “Language Lessons In The Classroom” and co-author of  “Webs For Language”, ECL Publications.  She has also produced the professional DVD “Diamond Social Skills” which provides information, strategies, and games for social language success. Her new book called “100 Social Rules For Kids” will be out this fall. Please visit Susan’s website for more information on social skills at http://www.diamondlanguage.com.

Where Am I? Explaining Proprioception and Autism

What is it?

Proprioception , meaning “one’s own” and perception, is the sense of the relative position of parts of the body. Unlike the traditional five senses by which we perceive the outside world, proprioception tells you whether your body is moving or sitting still, as well as where your body parts are located in relation to one another.

Children with Autism frequently show signs of proprioceptive dysfunction. Do these sensory seeking behaviors sound like your child?

  • Loves to crash into walls repeatedly
  • Stomps when walking
  • Kicks the chair or hooks feet around chair when sitting
  • Prefers tight or multiple layers of clothing
  • Chews on fingers, pens, Nintendo DS styluses (I have bought many of these!)
  • Asks for and gives tight squeeze bear hugs
  • Bumps and pushes other children

Does your child also have difficulty with:

  • Regulating pressure when writing – writes too dark or light
  • Breaking toys
  • Using too much force, like slamming doors, squeezing objects, or setting them down forcefully
  • Petting animals too hard

Children with poor spatial orientation often walk with an odd gait, are unusually clumsy, and sometimes even lean to one side. Riding a bicycle is something they simply can’t get the hang of. They do not feel their bodies in relation to space, and as a result do not feel grounded or safe.

Gravity

According to Dr. Robert Melillo’s Disconnected Kids, a child can function normally without sight or sound, but will struggle immensely with any degree of proprioceptive dysfunction. We resist gravity using our large muscles and joints. In fact, gravity is such a strong stimulus that life cannot survive very long without it. Scientists have tested the effects of the lack of gravity on the brain, concluding that there is a rapid brain cell degeneration that occurs in outer space. NASA noted that some astronauts actually returned from space missions with sensory processing issues similar to children diagnosed with learning disabilities. That’s powerful.

Here’s another amazing test by scientists at the University of California at Berkley: when rats used their muscles and joints in new ways their brain plasticity increased. When sent into space, these same types of rats showed reverse plasticity and marked degeneration of the brain cells.

Help and Hope

So perhaps this illustrates a direct correlation between a sedentary routine (video games, computer use, television) and the continued struggle with proprioceptive dysfunction. Incorporating an Autism Fitness program into your child’s schedule along with specific sensory exercises designed to strengthen brain function can dramatically improve your child’s sensory processing function.

Melillo’s groundbreaking research and results show a disconnection between the left and right sides of the developing brain hemispheres as the underlying cause of Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, and other PDDs. He has proven that the brain is not hardwired and can change with the right stimulation for the right amount of time, either with exercises done at home or through the Brain Balance Centers he founded.

DENIED! Why am I Doing the Happy Dance?

Six months ago I applied for SSI Disability to help me provide for my Autistic son. Meeting the income guidelines for this assistance, I jumped through all the required hoops of their dog and pony show. I supplied them with a 92-page history and timeline of all Justin’s diagnoses, school records, IEP copies, behavioral and developmental assessments, medication history (yes, I at one time investigated that route out of sheer desperation – a story for another day), and every behavior slip, suspension and punishment notice he’d ever received.

I saw their doctor. I followed up, week after week, inquiring about their decision. All the while, in my journey, I was learning about my son and Autism. I was not happy with the doctor visits, the medication attempt, the rigid recommendations, the books, the cookie-cutter approaches.

In this journey I came across a book by Dr. Robert Melillo called Disconnected Kids. Along with the centers he founded, this book offered a scientifically proven theory about a hemispheric imbalance in children with Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Tourette’s, and other disorders. I voraciously digested this information and began applying what I learned immediately. I tested and modified some of the sensory exercises and techniques. I expanded my research on the nutritional guidelines. I drew some new conclusions.

I began supplementing with EFT, teaching my son to tap and performing surrogate tapping when he could not. I also began graciously opening my heart and accepting the gifts of his beautiful mind. The docile nature of our beautiful Alaskan Malamute, Juno, has also had an extremely calming effect on him.

These things combined have changed our world. Oh, our journey is nowhere complete, as he still cannot tie his shoes or ride a bike; we still have days where a trip to the grocery store is a nightmare. It still takes an Act of Congress to get him ready in the morning on time for school. We are working on it, as I refine the techniques that have shown me hope and success. He is now able to smell and recognize scents; we can go to the movies and sit through an entire film; I don’t receive calls to pick him up from school early for being out of control… and he was denied for SSI.

According to my letter, “… the evidence does not show that these conditions are severe enough to be disabling. We have decided that Justin’s condition is not disabling under our rules.”

I’ve been denied, and I’m ecstatic! What mother would not want this kind of news?