Monterey Bay Forum

What can citizens and parents do to reduce ADHD, Autistic Spectrum, intellectual disability and other developmental disorders?

Make sure that all children have safe, healthy water to drink.

no chemicals water

Find out what your community puts in the water children drink.

Communities switched from NaF — which has a track record of safety — to use of SiFs — which have zero record of safety. Two huge studies of children (280,000 in Mass. and 150,000 in New York state) show elevated iron with use of fluoridated water.

Perhaps communities should use of NaF instead of SiF to fluoridate water? Might safer water remove or reduce symptoms associated with lead poisoning?

Go to Keepers of the Well.com. Or contact Jeff Green 800 728-3833 greenjeff@cox.net for more information. Let’s do all we can to see that all children and adults drink healthy water.

DrCameronJackson@gmail.com (more…)

When parents of young children have a concern about their child’s development they often go first to their pediatrician.

Parent concerns might include: “Our child does not turn his head when I call him.” or “ Our child does not make much eye contact or smile.” “He does not play with toys like other children.”

If the pediatrician thinks that more assessment is needed, when MD’s refer out they often refer to to other physicians at large hospitals — such as Stanford Hospital (LPCH), Children’s Health Council and U.C. San Francisco. Physicians know other physicians and often do not know local resources, e.g., licensed psychologists trained in psychological assessment.

When parents are referred to large hospital complexes such as Stanford Hospital, Kaiser Permanente and U.C. San Francisco, parents can help get the best possible assessment by finding out ahead of time:

Will their child’s pediatrician MD automatically send along the child’s medical records as part of the referral process? If not, then the parent needs to request a complete set of medical records and bring the medical records to the appointment.

Who knows the child best besides the parent? Does the child go to a nursery school or day care? Is the child taken care of by a grandparent or neighbor?

Write down the name, address, telephone number and e-mail address for all persons who know your child best. Let those people know that the child will be assessed and that someone from that institution may call to gather information. Bring the list of people who know your child best to the appointment.

Can the parent take a video of the behaviors that concern them? For example, does the child insist on lining up all his toys? Does the child have a melt-down whenever the normal routine changes? If possible, get out your ‘smart phone’ or camera and take a video of those behaviors. Bring the video with you to show whoever does the assessment.

Call ahead of time to the institution where the assessment will be done and find out (and write it down) exactly who will do the assessment? Will it be a team assessment of various areas of functioning or will the assessment be done by only one specialist?

Know that it is Best Practice in the assessment of young children to examine several areas of functioning (e.g., speech, non-verbal communication, gross and fine motor) and that the assessment be done by appropriate specialists.

Depending on the concerns, some times one person doing the assessment is sufficient and sometimes not.

Know that it is Best Practice that records and information be obtained from various sources (MD, school, day care provider, parent, grandparent) over a period of time.

It is often the case that young children do not perform as they typically do when driven several hours to an appointment and then required to do certain activities with persons they do not know.

Summary: Parents can greatly assist in the accurate assessment of young children with possible developmental delays by 1) gathering all medical records and bringing them to the appointment; 2)making a list of all persons who know your child best including email and telephone numbers; 3)inquiring ahead as to exactly who will do the assessment and what areas will be assessed.

And do not be afraid to press the professionals for understandable answers. If they cannot say it so you can understand,they are useless to you and your child.

Any questions or comments? Contact Dr. Cameron Jackson DrCameronJackson@gmail.com 831-216-6002

DrCameronJackson@gmail.com

Some simple techniques can assist children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/ or autistic spectrum disorder (ASD)to be happier and achieve appropriate goals. These techniques are easy for parents and teachers to implement.

Of course a child is not a car but think of the following analogy:

Every car to get to a destination needs a driver. Parents can assist children to get into the driver’s seat and drive their ‘car’ to appropriate ‘destinations’.

Here’s how to assist children who have difficulties with focus, attention, concentration, ‘executive functioning’ or ‘working memory’ difficulties. Executive functioning and working memory are words used by school psychologists. What the parent sees is a child who can’t seem to figure out what comes first and appear disorganized.

What to do: Get a pad of 8 by 12 inch lined paper.

On one per sheet of paper —
1) Write at the top, a Goal that parents/teachers want the child to achieve.
2) Write out all the Steps required to accomplish the Goal.
3) Order the steps from first to last using KISS (Keep It Simple, Simple)
4) Figure out an appropriate Reward for child accomplishing the steps.
Set it up so child can get partial reward for partial completion.
5) Decide the number of Days child needs to complete the Goal.
6) Draw up a Graph with Days across Top of Page and Goals listed on left.

Here’s an example of a Behavior Plan for a child who shows symptoms of both ADHD and ASD:

Gina is 8 years old and was exposed in utero to illegal drugs and alcohol. Her biological mother lost parental rights and Gina has been in foster care since age two. Since age four, Gina has received County Mental Health therapy and medication to assist with focus, attention and concentration. The therapy provided by County Mental Health focuses only on helping Gina to label emotions and better express her emotions appropriately.

Gina’s foster mother and her teacher agree that Gina’s adaptive functioning abilities are considerably below what they expect for her age. Her foster mother wants Gina to 1) wash her face & brush her teeth; 2) make her bed; 3) put toys in basket in her room; 4) set the table with utensils and plates before dinner.

Goals:

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Wash face & clean teeth
Make bed
Put toys in basket
Set table with utensils & plates

Spiritual/ religious beliefs need to be integral to a successful Behavioral Plan.
For example, Gina’s foster mother goes to church and rests on Sunday. Therefore the behavior plan is for six days a week and no work on Sunday, their day of rest. Six days a week time four goals = 24 Goals for Gina to achieve. For each Goal achieved she earns one (1) dime. During the week she puts stickers on the sheet and gets her motivators (dimes) which she puts into a plastic, clear jar. That way she can see exactly what she has earned towards a new toy on the weekend. Her foster mother believes Gina can find age appropriate toys for around $2.50 to $3.00 a toy.

What makes a Behavioral Plan successful?
The answer is simple: practice and more practice so the Steps are as simple as possible and the child gets rewarded for partial and then complete finishing the Goal.

For example, Gina when we started could not make her bed said her foster mom. Well, the cover was too big and too heavy for a thin, small 8 year old to move around. Thus, by simplifying and making a bed simply tossing a light duvet (down comforter) on a twin bed and putting the pillow in place — then making a bed by an 8 year old is simple and possible.

A second example:
Gina has never set the table for dinner. Part of the reason is that the plates are too high for her to reach and they are china easily breakable. Also, the utensils are not easy to get to. This is easily solved by moving plastic plates and smaller folks and spoons to one drawer that the child can reach. The point is to set it up so the child can successfully achieve the Goals.

Overall point: Parents can set simple ‘destinations’ for their child to drive their ‘car’ towards and by keeping the steps simple and practising the steps again and again their child can achieve those destinations to goals that parents set.

Very important: the hugs and ‘You did great!’ and ‘Keep trying!’ are as important and at times more important than any reward system. Parents – whether biological parents or foster parents – are the fire to ignite important, life long change in children.
Send comments to DrCameronJackson@gmail.com

Parents can download for free a research based manual “A Parent’s Guide to Evidence-Based Practice and Autism.” This manual is co-authored by parents with autistic children and professionals.

If possible I will put a copy up on the Autism page for Monterey Bay Forum. Go to http://www.nationalautismcenter.org to download a copy. (more…)

DrCameronJackson@gmail.com

How “helpful” are the respite services provided to families with a disabled child?

In California, children with autism are assisted by the regional centers. There are non-profits and operate individually though connected loosely together. A child made eligible by one regional center is usually accepted by other regional centers though the case may be reviewed.

Due to CA budget issues typically families are offered 24 hours of respite a month though the number may be considerably increased depending on the individual’s particular circumstances. “Respite” is supposed to be time away from the disabled child and someone else takes care of the child so that parents get a real break.

In the Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Benito and Santa Clara Counties parents can receive respite hours away from their diabled child through varous agencies. The agencies take care of the paper work issues which negatively impact the overall helpfulness.

Below is from the parent of an autistic child that finds government “help” not helpful. And why not helpful. (more…)

Aptos, CA psychologist: Going into surgery or if in a fox hole, would you say the King James version of Psalm 23 or … http://is.gd/zyLJey

Anyone have a house — reasonable rent!! — for 5 near Waldorf School in Santa Cruz? Grandparents sent their kid and now want next go

Waldorf school is great for kids that do not “fit in” regualr ed classes. What say?

Should redevelopment money (for blight) be spent for various projects in Santa Cruz, CA and elsewhere? http://is.gd/XLrUUS

Probably there are multiple genes and multiple avenues for the development of autistic traits in children. There is recent news that one particular gene — the shank3 gene — may be responsible.

Some children strongly avoid social interactions (they arch their back & look away) as infants. Other children develop normally only to suddenly lose all language and social interests typically around the age of 18-24 months. Fascinating, about one quarter of U.S. children who meet criteria for a diagnosis of autism at age 3 will “shed” that diagnosis before they reach adulthood.

So, one wonders whether a single gene is responsible for such wide variations in how autistic behaviors are expressed during a child’s development. See below what scientists say about the shank3 gene. (more…)