Category: Autistic Spectrum Disorders

Autistic Spectrum Disorders includes pervasive developmental disorders: aspergers, autism, pervasive developmental disorders & autism

$200 price tag to sample vocalizations for autism too high

$200 price tag for an autism screen that samples the child’s vocalizations to assess for autistic spectrum disorder. Is such a tool necessary? Differences in vocalization is just part of the problem, probably not the central problem.

Children with autism spectrum symptoms have non-verbal problems — not following a point, not looking at mommy’s face, not establishing joint attention with their caregivers. Vocalization is just part of the problem.

The real issue is what can be done early on to assess and correct the problems with attachment and non-verbal communication.

See the article below:

“LENA Foundation has increased the accuracy of the LENA Autism Screen (LAS) to 91 percent for children 24 to 48 months. LAS – the first automatic and totally objective autism screen is now as accurate or more accurate than other autism screens currently available to parents and clinicians.

“We’re thrilled with this leap in accuracy, especially on the eve of the launch of LAS for parents of young children who want to screen their child for autism spectrum disorders (ASD),” said Terrance (Terry) D. Paul, president of the foundation. “LAS is truly revolutionary because the analysis is based on the child’s vocalizations in the natural home environment. It will allow parents to quickly and inexpensively screen children as young as 24 months, enabling earlier interventions while reducing the anxiety of ‘not knowing.'”

The LAS, scheduled for release in mid-September, will also include an automatic screen for language delays; the LAS is priced at $200. LAS is expected to be warmly embraced by parents and clinicians in the United States, where 1 in 150 children has ASD and more than 5 percent of children have language delay. Despite the “autism epidemic” and the fact that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that pediatricians screen children twice for autism by the age of two, the average age of diagnosis is 5.7 years. This diagnostic lapse adds up considerably in financial and societal costs. The estimated cost of treating a person with ASD over a lifetime ranges from $3.5 to $5 million; however, with early detection, such as that enabled by the LAS, it is estimated that costs can be reined in by up to two thirds, reducing that range to $1.2 to $1.7 million. Of course, the improvement in the quality of life enabled through earlier intervention for both autism and language delay is unquantifiable.

The new technique, which generated a significant boost in accuracy compared to the previously announced phone model, incorporates a data-driven cluster approach that utilizes k-means clustering to partition the acoustic feature space of child vocalizations. It has been known for many years that children with ASD have aberrations of voice and prosody. These differences between the vocalizations of typically developing children and children with ASD, though extremely difficult to identify with the human ear, can be identified statistically using advanced computer technology. The new technique was developed based on naturalistic full-day recordings from children diagnosed with ASD and children without ASD.

“Child vocalization decomposition could be done using either a phone model or clusters derived directly from child vocalizations,” explained Dongxin Xu, Ph.D., manager of software and language engineering at the foundation. “The performances of the two methods are similar when applied individually. When combined together, the performance is significantly improved. This suggests that the two approaches capture different discriminant information for autism detection.”

The LENA System comprises advanced processing software and specially designed children’s clothing fitted with a lightweight LENA Digital Language Processor (DLP), a small, unobtrusive digital recorder. Designed for use in the natural home environment, the DLP can save up to 16 hours of high-quality audio, capturing all of a child’s vocalizations as well as adult speech and other sounds.

About LENA Foundation

Established in 2009, the LENA Foundation develops advanced technology for the early screening, diagnosis, research, and treatment of language delays and disorders in children and adults. Philanthropists Terry and Judi Paul formed the not-for-profit organization through a multimillion-dollar gift and the donation of assets from Infoture Inc. Over a five-year period, Infoture created the LENA (Language ENvironment Analysis) System, the world’s first automatic language collection and analysis tool and the foundation’s principal product. The foundation employs a team of scientists and engineers skilled in computerized speech and speaker recognition, microelectronics, statistical research, and children’s language acquisition and development; they are passionately devoted to helping the foundation enhance language development worldwide.

Source: LENA Foundation

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How reduce autism? Teach ALL first time parents how to socialize infants. Cheap and easily done.

Undoubtedly Nancy Marks means well by establishing a new 30 million foundation at Mass General Hospital to reduce autism. However, sometimes it is not money that is needed. Nor another Chair established at Harvard.

What is needed? Put on the Internet simple ways for ALL first time parents how to socialize infants and young children. And put those tools in the hands of pediatricians who can follow up with contacts with appropriate professionals. Think of it like strengthening muscles. See the following article and my comments:

“A recent donation from a foundation will help establish an autism center at Mass General Hospital.

The $29 million donation is been given by Nancy Lurie Marks and her foundation, and will help establish the Lurie Family Autism Center at the hospital. The center will base itself on the hospital’s LADDERS program, which helps deal with autism in young people.

Lurie Marks said that it has been a “lifelong dream” to help establish a center that can treat people with autism with compassion and dignity.

“I believe it is so important to address their many lifelong needs, from the medical care of the child or adult, to learning to find an effective way to communicate, to planning lifetime living and learning opportunities, to advocating for families,” Marks said.

Founded by Dr Margaret Bauman in 1981, the LADDERS program covers a variety of disciplines, including neurology, developmental pediatrics and gastroenterology. Many of the children helped by the program are grown up now, which is where the Lurie Family Autism Center will come into play.

The center will provide for a number of areas, including occupational and physical therapy. Furthermore, it will help create a two-year fellowship program for physicians and researchers who deal with autism. The fellowship will give young physicians the chance to work more closely with patients who have autism.

The hunt is on for a director for the new center, who will hold an endowed chair at the Harvard Medical School. The director will be responsible with guiding the center toward providing new treatments for people with autism.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average ratio of children with autistic disorders is one of every 150. That ration can be as much as one in every 100, to one in every 300 children.

Licensed psychologist Dr. Cameron Jackson says:

Why not spend very little money and ask licensed professionals for their views re “new treatments for autism”?

I have spent 8 years assessing children of all ages for autism. I am a psychologist not a medical doctor.

My view: teach ALL first time parents how to socialize infants, how to get early and regular eye contact, how to create “joint attention” (focus on breast or bottle or toy) how to teach eye gaze that follows a point, how to teach imitating.Etc.

Teach the skills that when not present get labeled under “autistic spectrum disorders” This is better done by psychologists — not by medical MD type people.

If we teach for ALL children we will also pick up those who are late in developing skills that eventually get labeled “autistic”.

This does not take 30 million and a chair at Harvard. It does take collaboration by professionals trained in speech, occupational therapy, sensory issues, psychology and medicine.

Too bad to spend so much on so little.

Dr. Jackson cameronjacks@gmail.com
Licensed Psychologist PSY14762
Monterey Bay Forum www.freedomOK.net/wordpress


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How much time is sufficeint notice when parents move child to private school?

Four hours a week of school during the summer for a 4 year old autistic child is NOT sufficient. Understandably the parents sought another solution. But the parents did not NOTIFY the school when they sought private school solution. See below story. Lesson to be learned: put it in writing. give sufficient notice before seeking other solutions. How much time sufficient notice? Enough to get the accounting department to operate — so 30 days should be sufficient notice.

Parents of autistic boy got only $2,957 compared to 20 K they sought

BY SADIA LATIFI,
“A state review officer awarded partial reimbursement to an Orange County family who enrolled their 4-year-old special-needs son in a private preschool.

“Both parents and the Orange County Schools system made procedural errors in providing services for Owen McWhirter, who has autism, according to review officer Joe Walters.

“The school system’s errors deprived Owen of educational services for months, the decision said. Because of this, they failed to provide him with the “free, appropriate public education” required by law.

The school system did provide an adequate Individualized Education Program for Owen at the time, however, according to the decision.

Families work with the school district to create an IEP. While Owen’s IEP team agreed on goals last summer, the family thought the services prescribed — about four hours a week of special instruction — were inadequate.

“When the family and school reached an impasse, Owen’s parents enrolled him in a private preschool that let him have specialists on hand. Even after they enrolled him, they continued to request services from Orange County and filed for due process last fall.

Owen’s parents, Nicole and Arran McWhirter, took the matter to an administrative court in Raleigh where a state judge agreed.

The original decision, which the school system appealed, said the school system should reimburse the McWhirters for their educational expenses.

The new decision awards the McWhirters $2,956.60, which is about $20,000 less than the reimbursement they sought. Review officer Walters said this was partly because the McWhirters failed to give the school system adequate prior notice when they enrolled Owen in a private preschool.

The school district and the McWhirters now have 30 days to file an appeal in state or federal court.

Note the legal time both sides have to file an appeal: 30 days. Had the parents given the school district 30 days more than likely award would have been larger.

Cameron Jackson cameronjacks@gmail.com 831 688-6002
sadia.latifi@newsobserver.com or 919-932-2002

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Aptos psychologist: service dogs more than a friend for autistic children

Federal law allows service dogs to go where ever they are needed in public — including to school. Think of what a dog can do for any child: give unconditional love, exemplify loyalty, faithfulness, courage. For autistic children they can offer a special bond and assist the child to become more social.

Check out what is necessary for your dog to be certified as a service dog. For any person with disabilities a service dog could assist in important ways. And it is simply right that the dogs be able to assist in public places including schools.

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Autistic children cost the most but congress appropriates ONLY 14%

art by pre school children
art by pre school children

The tension comes because the federal government sets the “free and appropriate” standard for special education services BUT congress typically funds only about 14 percent of the actual cost. That leaves the states and local districts with the burden.

For very young children in California the parents can create their own program and get it funded by a regional center. Takes work but might be worth it. Also, parents can go to their churches and places of worship and get space to start programs. No rent and the use of volunteer parents and guidance from professionals can make for very helpful programs for children with autistic spectrum disorders.

When our daughter was one I started a child care center for families in crises. Located in a church there was no rent. Church and community members provided 3/4 of the labor costs. I was a volunteer Director for years. That child care center — Calvary Childcare in Santa Cruz — still serves the community. That was 25 years ago. Now, not then, children today have to be 2 1/2 and toilet trained.

Cameron Smith Jackson cameronjacks@gmail.com 831 688-6002

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www.freedomOK.net/wordpress sensory integation issues common with autism. how to help.

some only like crunch!
some only like crunch!

Sensory integration issues are common with children who have autistic spectrum dificulties. There are lots of ways to help: for high sensitivity to noise, try ear phones. For high tolerance to pain try head gear to protect their heads.

For those “picky” eaters go with their sensitivities and get vitamin pills or the V8 juice that has fruit in it. Very tasty and that way they get their vitamins.

Sometimes you can generalize. For the child who only likes catsup on pasta try a little catsup when serving other dishes. Or for the child who only likes crunchy foods try sprinkling crunch on top of other foods. That helps to expand thier “bubble” of acceptable foods. Let us know how this works for you.
Dr. Cameron Jackson, licensed psychologist cameronjacks@gmail.com 831 688-6002

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Aptos Psychologist: How to teach consequences for bevavior to autistic children. www.freedomOK.net/wordpress

1866137506_e3f7fa13a31

Yes, it IS possible to teach CONSEQUENCES for behavior to children with autism. Here is an account by a single mother with two children, one child has autism. What she says makes good, common sense to me. Dr. Jackson at cameronjacks@gmail.com

To email the author contact her at Sylraen@sbcglobal.net Here is what she writes:

“Saac was faced with two alternatives. He could either stay inside all day every day or go outside and face the terrifying noises that arrived with the onset of summer; cicadas rattling, mosquitoes humming, and bees that buzzed at every flower. He weighed his options on the playground carefully. There were steam shovels that pushed dirt around, swings that carried you to the sky, and best of all, his scooter equipped with his space helmet. Yes, of all the toys, the scooter was the best alternative. At least it was fast and he could hope to fly past the alien invaders and their cruel sounds and threats to overcome him.

Tentatively he peeked out the door, scanning the horizon. “So far so good,” he thought. No bugs. He boarded his scooter timidly and took off. Immediately he was bombarded with a loud whirring and humming in his ear. Shrieking, he flung himself to the ground and awaited a fate worse than death.

Corinne, his mom watched him sadly. This had been an ongoing struggle that she had no idea how to deal with. Then an idea struck her. She had just been telling Isaac a story about a boy named David who fought a giant. She had tried to explain that he had overcome the giant by his bravery and his faith in an attempt to help him understand. He didn’t seem to understand. To him, even facing a giant was preferable to facing the sounds that overloaded his senses as an autistic child.

Then she had an idea. She had bought him a set of toy armor. Why not put it on him and encourage him to go face the terrors with his sword swinging. Better yet, why not make him the character in his own giant story. That afternoon and for the next few days she worked writing out the story that was forming in her mind and sketching out the characters. When she was done she called him over and told him the story. It was called Isaac and the Scare Giant, about a boy who was tormented by a giant who jumped out every time the boy was afraid and turned him into stone. The boy won however because he made the giant disappear by saying some magic words and by swinging his sword of truth. When the story was finished Corinne reviewed the magic words with Isaac and sent him out to play, crossing her fingers and hoping Isaac understood.

Isaac mounted his scooter a little more bravely. At least he had amour on and a sword. He rode out, his heart pounding in his chest. Sure enough a cicada started to whir and rattle menacingly in the tree above him and felt his skin turn clammy. Ok, according to his mom there was a scare giant. Though he couldn’t see it like in the story, it was there and it was shouting. He looked at his mom and she was telling him to say the words. He brandished his sword with one hand, his finger in his other ear and muttered. “You’re just a bug. I’m not afraid of you. Go away bug or I’ll cut you in two”. He felt a little better and the rattling seemed to stop.

A mosquito was the next to pounce. He brandished his sword a little more vigorously and actually made it go away. It returned diving at his ears, its sinister whine rattling his eardrums. He hit it with sword again. The mosquito retreated, stunned. He fought that mosquito and every bug that came within reach till the sweat ran down his face. With a menacing scowl he mounted his scooter with a swagger that befit a warrior, daring any bugs or scare giants to frighten him again.

Prologue

That was five years ago and since that initial success, there have been many more battles with fear battles of all sorts for Corinne and Isaac. What was important was that they both learned what their enemy was and how to fight it. Of course there were days of battles with insect noises when Isaac cowered and ran to Corinne but she had learned to become his cheerleader. Instead of panicking or overreacting she spoke bracingly to him. “Fight him Isaac.” She would say, “Fight that giant. Get your sword and win this fight”. Though Corinne had written a picture book meant for a child, the truth of the story had helped her too and would stay with her for a long long time.

Moral of the story

It is important to find the right tools to enable the autistic child to fight his fears, for a fight is what it is and needs to be addressed as such.

Here are a few tools that Corinne employed:

– She realized that beneath every paralyzing fear is a lie.

– She addressed the fear and spoke the truth.

– She cast a vision for a fear free way of thinking by reading stories of others who had conquered their fears.

– She believed in her son’s ability to fight his fears and became his cheerleader in the battle.

Life is full of many battles to face. Depending on the severity of the autism, the battle can be harder and more difficult than any yet faced. It is helpful and encouraging to know however, that others are fighting similar battles and that the battle can be won on many fronts though the struggle may be long.

Fact- Isaac is a child who has been diagnosed with mild autism. Autism is defined by the Autism Society Of America (ASA) as: “Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Both children and adults with autism typically show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities.” Along with these symptoms is a hypersensitivity to noises and light which causes the child to act out or withdraw. www.definitionofautism.com/

Author: C.J. Yang
C.J. Yang is an Examiner from Chicago. You can see C.J.’s articles on C.J.’s Home Page.
Besides pursuing a teaching career and working on a novel she is a single mom to two children, one who is autistic. She can be contacted at sylraen@sbcglobal.net.

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Aptos psychologist: how to teach a child with autism the link between behavior and consequences. This works seems to me.

“It can take a great deal of time before an autistic child recognizes a link between behavior and consequences.

The child with autism can be just as precocious and just as adventurous as the typically developing child. Sitting still or paying attention at school is not always the highest priority. What makes the guidance of behavior so difficult when it comes to autism is the challenge of comprehension and explaining to them that certain behaviors are not acceptable.

This is the year we became successful with our son discovering that misbehavior at school will cause him to lose privileges when he gets home. At first we weren’t sure if it was an issue of memory or an issue of comprehension. It turned out to be neither. It was the link between the two concepts that had been elusive to him.

Behaviors to be discouraged vary and most require further explanation. “Kicking” is one behavior he had previously engaged in. This is a misleading term since the behavior was actually his desire to place his shoe on a peer or staff member. His intention was not to do harm, but to seek attention or a reaction of some sort. “Inappropriate touching” is a behavior that must be addressed for obvious reasons in a classroom setting. This can happen when an autistic child is discovering certain sensations. Explaining why the behavior is inappropriate is often not effective. “Destruction of property” in our case meant that our son feels the need to close any open laptop he encounters. He often does this with a great amount of force. We certainly do not want to pay for any broken laptops.

The school my son attends turned out to be helpful in implementing a system for providing awareness to his behavior. This system is the simple use of three different colored stickers that go on his shirt at the end of the day. A green sticker indicates that he had a good day. Red is bad, and yellow means there were some issues (also bad). Yellow days and red days would result in a loss of access to his favorite things at home. This meant no computer, no television and no Xbox. When he made requests for these items we would respond with “No Xbox, you had a red day!”

It was a matter of two to three red or yellow days before the connection was made. It was a noticeable moment of awareness both for us parents and his aid at school. The aid capitalized on this development by giving warnings when behaviors were beginning. “Don’t have a red day or no computer at home” helped to guide behavior. We were more than happy to comply with any consequences at home to maintain the continuity of the method. Everyone makes it known how well he’s done on the completion of a “green” day, even if lately this has been every day.

For an eight-year-old boy there are always challenges with behavior issues at school. In the case of an autistic child, improving misbehavior can seem like a daunting task. There will be more incidents in the future, but having a proven method of responding to these incidents brings confidence that they will be fewer and further between. As in many cases, establishing routines with consistency helps to show the autistic child the way.

For more info: Classroom discipline for autistic students

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Aptos psychologist: what wise comments have you heard about autism?

Autism Vox has thoughts concerning the most helpful statements that have stuck with her regarding her autistic son now almost an adult. One was, it is not the hand you are dealt but what you do with it. So true.

I would add, keep looking for new ways to communicate. Get a dog the child can train and interact with. Find a trainer who knows how to work with autistic children. Try water. Surfing or simply listening to the waves can sooth and open communication. Music and singing are other avenues.

In my view, Applied Behavioral Analysis has serious limitations. Don’t trust the verbage you hear about ABA being the only scientifically based therapy. Any good therapist uses art and science. And serendipity. written by Cameron Jackson cameronjacks@gmail.com

For more, visit Autism Vox

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Aptos psychologist: surfing soothes many children with autism. www.freedomOK.net/wordpress

surfing calms autistic children
surfing calms autistic children

Santa Cruz is an ideal spot for children with autistic spectrum disorders to experience the healing and calm by surfing in Monterey Bay. We need something similar to Surfers Healing which is located in southern California. See below. If you are interested in starting such a camp or know of children who might benefit contact: Cameron Jackson, licensed psychologist 831 688-6002 cameronjacks@gmail.com

More info
For more information, contact Jennifer Tracy, camp coordinator, at (949) 370-1083 or go to www.surfershealing.org

The roar of the ocean surf lures thrill-seekers and adrenaline junkies to ride the waves. But many autistic children, like 8-year-old Alex Acebal of North Las Vegas, find the crashing waves a calming serenity to their normally jangled restlessness.

By the age of 3, Alex showed typical signs of autism such as failure to make eye contact, delay in learning to talk and throwing tantrums that went beyond the typical “terrible twos,” his mother, Shanea Acebal, said.

After being diagnosed with autism, Alex was enrolled in the school district’s autism program, but his parents were looking for other ways to break him out of his shell, his mother said.

Then she learned of Surfers Healing, a nonprofit foundation that runs free day camps for children with autism that allows them to ride a surfboard with a professional.

Israel “Izzy” and Danielle Paskowitz have run a for-profit surfing camp for 37 years. They started the Surfers Healing foundation and camp in 1999, after seeing the effect surfing had on their autistic son, Isaiah.

About 60 autistic children from the Las Vegas Valley are scheduled to attend the camp in San Diego on Aug. 5.

Many autistic children suffer from sensory overload. Simple sensations could overwhelm them, but for some reason, being on the water helped Isaiah to focus, Izzy Paskowitz said.

With Isaiah on the front of his surfboard, and his father steering from the back, the two spent the day surfing together.

“There’s something magical that happens that still, to this day, freaks me out,” he said. “It’s the surf of the ocean, but it’s really bigger than that.”

Now 18, Isaiah Paskowitz is surfing on his own and his behavior is stable enough to where he can be in public without having fits, his father said.

“I don’t think his behavior would be as consistent as it is now,” he said. “I know when he was in the water, that just helped him calm his nerves.”

Shanea Acebal saw a similar response in her son, Alex, though the first time at the camp was highly emotional for both mother and child.

“My son was screaming. He did not want to go into that ocean. He did not want to go with the surfer, and I was sobbing,” she said. “I was frightened for my son to see him crying.”

Alex’s mood did not change as he and the surfer paddled out over the waves to a spot beyond the breakers, where the water was placid.

They sat there for about 10 minutes and Alex showed he was no longer scared.

“We saw them paddling in and they were about to catch the wave. I saw my son’s face and he was smiling and he was excited. He was happy,” Shanea Acebal said. “When they came on the shore, he was calm, he was focused. Throughout the entire afternoon, he just sat still, which is very rare for a child with autism.”

More than 2,000 autistic children attend Surfers Healing camps on both coasts each year, Izzy Paskowitz said.

“Parents just have to let go and just let them try,” said Shanea Acebal, who helps the foundation organize Las Vegas families to attend. “There are parents who struggle on the beach and have a hard time seeing their child cry, but it’s worth it. If they try it once and they don’t like it, OK. But at least they tried it.”

Surfers Healing has teamed with Opportunity Village to raise money for the children with disabilities it serves locally and to provide autistic children the chance to attend the surfing camp.

The two charities are hosting a fundraiser from 3 to 9 p.m. on June 24 at Marie Callender’s, 600 E. Sahara Ave. Proceeds from a raffle will benefit Opportunity Village, and the restaurant will donate 15 percent of all sales to Surfers Healing.

This summer, Shanea and Alex Acebal will attend the camp for the sixth year.

Alex looks forward to surfing and on a recent family trip to Southern California, he was playing in the water and loving it, his mother said.

“He did ask, ‘Do we have a surfboard?’” she said. “He was in the water and he wasn’t scared.”

For more info go to: Surfers Healing surfing

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