Why get a diagnosis?  What does a label do?  There are 2 reasons.  The first, and most important, is to understand where the child is coming from.  People with an autism spectrum disorder have a different point of view from “neurotypical” people.  It is like they are from another culture and they don’t know or understand our culture.  Imagination being dropped into the middle of China, you are a little nearsighted, a little hard of hearing, and you don’t understand what people are saying, and you have to get to the American Embassy in 2 days.  You don’t know if an innocent gesture or facial expression will make a friend or severely offend someone.  You would be anxious, afraid to engage anyone, and yet you had to function.  The situation is overwhelming, and you’d possibly shut down from it all.  If caregivers can’t get into their heads, they cannot help them.  It is crucial to understand the difference between someone with and ASD and someone with another point of view, such as language delay, global delay, mental health disorders (such as Bipolar DIsorder) and neurological disorders (such as Tourette Syndrome or a seizure disorder).  If you can’t get into their heads, you can’t help them.  The most important things to realize is how visual they are.  Usually their “first language” is pictures, not words.  What we think of as their “native language” is really a foreign language.  This is why visual supports are so important.  You also have to give them time to translate.  The other big thing to understand is how their sensory processing problems can lead to great anxiety and disability.

The other reason to get a diagnosis is to get services.   20 years ago, a diagnosis of autism meant there was nothing you could do.  It was “hopeless”.  It was better to get another diagnosis, with the hope of improvement.  Now, it is easier got get services with a diagnosis of ASD.    It does not mean anyone should get a diagnosis they don’t own, but only that an accurate diagnosis is crucial to getting appropriate services.

Do not be afraid to get an evaluation, and don’t let the word “autism” be too frightening.  When you know what you are dealing with, you know more about what to do.

I keep coming across information that makes me think “I should put that on my blog”.  So here are several things I’ve come across recently:

The Asperger Association of New England is a great site with lots of information.  Find it at http:www.aane.org:

Here are 2 articles about the long term negative consequences about corporal punishment (i.e., spanking):

http://contemporarypediatrics.modernmedicine.com/contpeds/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=758397

http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=781058&cid=PEDS

Writing is the bane of may Aspies’ academic life.  This site is a GREAT resource for teaching writing:

http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/

http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/

Jessica Kingsley Publishers has an incredible number of great books about just about anything you would want to know about autism and Asperger Syndrome.  Their web site is:

http://www.jkp.com

http://www.jkp.com/

I especially like Kathy Hoopmann’s books – All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome and All Dogs Have ADHD.  She has several other books that are short, sweet and easy to understand by lay people.

There was a great study out of Canada showing the benefits of a good Floortime/DIR program on kids with autism.  It shows improvement in brain function on brain scans in kids treated for a year in this program.  The CBC did a piece on it, which can be viewed at:

Finally, although this relates to ADHD, many people with ASDs also have ADHD.  This article shows how using medication leads to better learning:

http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=781063&cid=PEDS

I hope people enjoy the information.  Continue to enjoy summer!

With Independence Day, I am reminded of how limiting sensory issues can be for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.  Many of our kids cannot tolerate heat.  A day at a park can be torture for them.  If your child is like this, liik for slushies or icees – consuming ice is the fastest way to cool down other than immersion in cold water (swimming).  Noise is another issue.  It is worth trying multiple ear plugs, noise reducing headphones, or hearing protectors to find one your child will tolerate.  We used hearing protectors to get our son back into church, restaurants, and even a professional basketball game (louder than a jet engine, I think).  SOme kids can’t tolerate long sleeves or pants, making heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and dehydration a big concern.  For some, light is a problem.  FInding shade and finding sunglasses they will tolerate can make a difference.  Food is always an issue – make sure you carry foods you know your child will eat.  Don’t be obvious about it when you walk into a restaurant.  Bring them out after you order, or just small amounts at a time.

Your child’s sensory processing problems can improve.  Left alone, it is slow improvement.  With good sensory based occupational therapy, they can improve much faster.  I consider OT just as important as speech therapy.  Not meeting your child’s sensory needs increases his anxiety and interferes with living a full life.  Sensory problems keep him from learning from life experiences other children have naturally.  They increase his difficulty making social connections and friends.  Just as fixing sleep fixes a lot, accommodating and treating sensory problems fixes a lot.  It is key to developing the independent life we want for each of our children.