WIn a copy of The Autism Book by Dr. Sears

Leave a comment on this post that includes your name and email to enter drawing for this book. The winner will be selected April 2, which is the official release day for the book. Good luck!

THE AUTISM BOOK

By Robert W. Sears, M.D., FAAP

With clarity and compassion, Dr. Robert Sears guides the reader through the maze of autism, explaining what precautions parents can take to decrease their baby's risk, how to detect autism at the earliest possible age, and how to proceed once a diagnosis has been made. The book provides parents with a simple and clear understanding of the biomedical treatment approach that Dr. Sears has used successfully with many of his young patients. It lays out a plan for developmental, behavioral, and learning therapies; shows parents how to begin treatments without a doctor's help; presents information on vaccines and their safe use; and includes an extensive resources section.

More information on this book can be found here.

Reviews from Amazon.com: The Autism Book by Robert Sears

"The Autism Book is an important resource for both new and experienced parents of children with autism." (founder of The Whole Child Center, Oradell, NJ Lawrence D. Rosen, MD, FAAP )

"A gem of a book...In parent-friendly language, Dr. Sears provides a road map for parents of a child with autism. As a neurodevelopmental pediatrician, I know I will be...encouraging every one of my families with a child with an autism spectrum diagnosis to buy this book!" (neurodevelopmental pediatrician and coauthor of The Late Talker Marilyn C. Agin, MD, FAAP )

"An easy-to-read, comprehensive, information-filled resource for parents of children with autism spectrum disorders." (author of Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies Kenneth A. Bock, MD )

"Autism has many facets, from behavioral to educational to medical, and parents working for the best possible future for their children need a lot of options. Dr. Sears covers the territory broadly, fairly, clearly, and in very useful detail." (assistant professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and pediatric neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital Martha Herbert, MD, PhD )

"This is a solid, accessible book by a wise pediatrician and teacher and, most important, a doctor who really practices the art of listening to his patients." (Sidney M. Baker, MD, coauthor of Autism: Effective Biomedical Treatments and cofounder of Defeat Autism Now! )

"A clear, concise plan for the treatment of autism. A must read for anyone interested in the care of the child in the autism spectrum." (author of What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children's Vaccinations Stephanie F. Cave, MD, MS, FAAFP )

Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) to be covered under new health care reform

While I have not been a real fan of the new health care reforms in general, but consider me officially bought off and my change of mind paid for if it pays for ABA therapy and solves the pre-existing conditions dilemma, which it does according to the Autism Society. That alone would be a MASSIVE benefit for kids with autism, as well as their parent's pocketbook. While maybe not all, this coverage will make the difference in deciding whether a lot of these kids grow up to be productive tax paying citizens themselves or supported by the government. (I will still have to see it to believe it that the default insurance company position on ABA will be changing from a Default No / Jump thru these 10,000 hoops approach to a Default / Yes / Paid position.)

Any one of the following items could have huge impact on my family and my daughter's future.

• Insurers would be prohibited from excluding coverage based on pre-existing conditions;


• Insurers would be prevented from selectively refusing to renew coverage;


• A standardized annual out-of-pocket spending limit would be established so that no family would face bankruptcy due to medical expenses;


• Annual and lifetime benefit caps would be prohibited;


• Coverage of “behavioral health treatments” such as ABA therapy, would be required.

HOW TO TEACH PIVOTAL BEHAVIORS TO CHILDREN WITH AUTISM: A TRAINING MANUAL

HOW TO TEACH PIVOTAL BEHAVIORS TO CHILDREN WITH AUTISM: A TRAINING MANUAL

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this manual is to train individuals who interact with children with autism and other severe handicaps, to provide treatment that is easy to implement and readily usable in community settings. Our original work (Koegel, O'Dell and Koegel, 1987) focused on nonverbal children and resulted in dramatic increases in their vocabularies. Many of these children who participated in our early work demonstrated numerous inappropriate and disruptive behaviors, which seem to be directly related to the teaching conditions and their lack of communicative skills. Thus, the procedures described in this manual also greatly reduce disruptive behaviors. More recently, we have included higher level children. However, all of the principles are the same regardless of the present functioning level of your child. Thus, we recommend these procedures be applied to all children. Various examples have been included so that this manual will be helpful to a broad spectrum of children. As you read through the examples, try to think of how you might adapt the principles for your own particular child.

Since most children with severe handicaps need to receive treatment for many behaviors it is essential to identify target behaviors for treatment that will produce simultaneous changes in many other behaviors instead of having to treat each individual behavior one at a time - a task that would be prohibitively time consuming. Therefore the purpose of this manual is to describe a set of training procedures to teach important pivotal behaviors to children with autism. By "pivotal behaviors" we mean behaviors that seem to be central to wide areas of functioning. Positive changes in pivotal behaviors should have widespread positive effects on many other behaviors and therefore constitute an efficient way to produce generalized improvements in the behavior of children with autism.

The pivotal behaviors addressed in this manual are motivation and responsivity to multiple cues. Difficulties in these areas have been shown to have general negative effects on the behavior of children with autism while improvements in these pivotal behaviors have very important and positive effects on the functioning of such children. Let us look at each of these pivotal behaviors in mom detail.

FULL MANUAL HERE

Related:

• Pivotal Response Intervention Model
• Pivotal response therapy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

8 Best Therapies For Children With Autism

Autism Dan's 8 Best Therapies For Children With Autism

1. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
2. Dietary Interventions
3. Augmentative Communication
4. Floor Time
5. Son Rise
6. DAN! (Defeat Autism Now)
7. Fast ForWord
8. Auditory Integration Training

FULL ARTICLE / DETAIL : Autism Dan's 8 Best Therapies For Children With Autism

Autism Higher Education Foundation Music Program First Semester Update

13 Wonderful Ways to Use Epsom Salts

13 Wonderful Ways to Use Epsom Salts

a Care2 favorite by Annie B. Bond

filed under: Alternative Therapies, Bath & Shower, Hair Care, Health & Wellness, Skin Care, True Beauty, bath, epsom salt

By Annie B. Bond

Oh, epsom salt—who knew that such an uninspiring ingredient could inspire such devotion? Epsom salts have amazing health benefits - really! Here are 13 ways to use epsom salts, including a relaxing bath, a face scrub and a hair volumizer. It's also a miracle cure, helping to get rid of splinters and reduce swelling of sprains and bruises. One ingredient really does fit all!

I always knew that soaking in a tub full of hot water with a few cups of Epsom Salts was good for relaxing muscles and drawing toxins from the body, but I could never figure out why. And it wasn't until I spent some time at the Epsom Salt Industry Council web site that I learned that epsom salts—made of the mineral magnesium sulfate—are also a sedative for the nervous system.

When magnesium sulfate is absorbed through the skin, such as in a bath, it draws toxins from the body, sedates the nervous system, reduces swelling, relaxes muscles, is a natural emollient, exfoliator, and much more.

13 Wonderful Ways to Use Epsom Salts

Relaxing and sedative bath: Soak in warm water and 2 cups of epsom salt.

Foot soak: Soothe aches, remove odors and soften rough skin with a foot soak. Add 1/2 cup of epsom salt to a large pan of warm water. Soak feet for as long as it feels right. Rinse and dry.

Soak sprains and bruises: Epsom salt will reduce the swelling of sprains and bruises. Add 2 cups epsom salt to a warm bath, and soak.

Splinter remover: Soak in epsom salt, it will draw out the splinter.

MORE ... http://www.care2.com/greenliving/use-epsom-salts-13-wonderful-ways.html

Some Autism Horse Therapy Links

Ride On program gets permanent home in Chatsworth Ventura County Star For days, volunteers and staff members had been moving records, therapy program props, horse tack and outdoor furniture to the new grounds. ...

'Tea On The Lawn' Fundraiser to Benefit New Danville Woodlands Online, LLC During last year‚s inaugural event, the attendance of over 75 proper Southern ladies helped to raise over $4800 for New Danville‚s miniature horse therapy ...

Horse therapy offers steady gait to success Horse therapy offers steady gait to success ... Cameron, now 11, was diagnosed at age 2 as severe on the autism spectrum. While working with her son in that ...

"therapy" >> equine therapy nashville tn lisa beatty >> 'hugs and ... beauty therapy schools south east cranial sacral therapy autism equine therapy minnesota cold therapy ankle wrap insurance codes leg pain and therapy ...

therapy .::. occupational therapy and child development horse therapy autism voice therapy for low volume cognitive behavioral therapy instead of ambien natura sound therapy 1.5 natural beauty therapy ...

Parents angered by HST rules for autism treatment Metro Canada - Ottawa The cost of providing a crucial treatment for autistic children will go up for some families when the harmonized sales tax kicks in July 1, a move that's ... See all stories on this topic

Autism HBOT Links Today

Autism: Participants in a ground breaking study needed - Worldnews.com Today HBOT is becoming a popular option for the treatment of autism. Autism and HBOT Summary: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been used with clinical ...

'hyperbaric' : 'barbaro hyperbaric oxygen hbot' || 'hyperbaric ... hyperbaric chamber side effects autism clinical services inc for hyperbaric chambers hyperbaric oxygen therapy autism home hyperbaric chambers ...

autism hyperbaric | most popular | Mister Wong Autistic children showed significant symptom improvement following hyperbaric oxygen therapy in a sham-controlled trial, researchers here said. ...

Autism Treatment – Serotonin Imbalances, & MAO-A - Wikio

Autism Treatment – Serotonin Imbalances, & MAO-A - Wikio AutismRecoveryTreatment.com Autism Treatment – An enzyme called MAO-A ... This test allows the site to decide whether you are human or a computer in order ...

First direct evidence of neuroplastic changes following brainwave training

ScienceDaily (Mar. 12, 2010) Significant changes in brain plasticity have been observed following alpha brainwave training.

A pioneering collaboration between two laboratories from the University of London has provided the first evidence of neuroplastic changes occurring directly after natural brainwave training. Researchers from Goldsmiths and the Institute of Neurology have demonstrated that half an hour of voluntary control of brain rhythms is sufficient to induce a lasting shift in cortical excitability and intracortical function.

Remarkably, these after-effects are comparable in magnitude to those observed following interventions with artificial forms of brain stimulation involving magnetic or electrical pulses. The novel finding may have important implications for future non-pharmacological therapies of the brain and calls for a serious re-examination and stronger backing of research on neurofeedback, a technique which may be promising tool to modulate cerebral plasticity in a safe, painless, and natural way.

Inner control of one's own brain activity may be learned with the aid of a brain-computer interface, which acts to display a person's instantaneous brain activation on a computer screen through what is known as a "neurofeedback" loop. During brainwave neurofeedback, a visual display on a computer screen behaves like a virtual "mirror" to real electrical oscillations produced by neurons in the cerebral cortex, which are recorded by surface sensors on the scalp.

[ARTICLE HERE]

Omega-3 Boosts Brain Function in Boys

Omega-3 Boosts Brain Function in Boys

The omega-3 fat DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) may alter the function of the brain associated with working memory, according to results of a new study with healthy boys.

Scientists showed, for the first time using neuro-imaging, that supplementation with DHA alters the functional activity in cortical attention networks in humans.

The study follows hot on the heels of backing from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for DHA-related brain and eye health claims for infants. EFSA’s Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) said DHA levels of 100 mg of per day were appropriate for 7-24 month-old infants, along with 200 mg per day for pregnant and lactating women.

Additionally, supplements of omega-3 fats, vitamins and minerals for prisoners may reduce the number of violent and aggressive episodes, according to another recent study.

...MORE ...

Methyl-B12 For Autism – Why It Is So Important (James A. Neubrander, M.D.)

Chiropractic Autism Treatment

By Danica Lawrence | KIKD CBS 3

IDAHO FALLS – Each of the Perfili’s children struggle with, fighting, academics, and most of all, a short attention span. They suffer from different autism disorders.

Over the last 6 weeks they have been seeing Dr. Brady Wirick. He has found a way to help with just exercise.

“We have seen the most improvements with Ashton, he’s the one we started with,” says mother Linda Perfili. “His behavior was very unpredictable, and he was very aggressive and so he would hurt his friends not even trying to, and this week alone he’s played with his friends every single day so we are seeing huge improvements with him.”

Dr.Wirick explains how these exercises are stimulating the right side of the children’s brain. It’s the right side that is underdeveloped.

“So their left brain is firing at a rate up here and the right brain is firing at a rate down here, so what the treatment you saw is doing is those are all right brain specific exercises and so what that is going to do is level out and balances their brain to the point where they can function at a quote on quote normal activity level,” says Dr. Wirick.

The Perfili’s have tried medication before but haven’t seen the results Dr.Wirick has given them.

“It seems like we’ve tried everything,” says Linda Perfili.

“So if you have a kid whose right brain’s here and left brain is here, and you medicate them, you’ll bring them down, but it’s going to bring both of them down,” says chiropractic neurologist Dr. Brady Wirick.

And bringing both sides down won’t solve the problem. You have to strengthen the right side. Every morning Ashton, Mackenzie, and Nephi practice each exercise for couple minutes. They tap their hands on their sides, march in place, and move their arms in a circle and clap.

“When they are clapping in big circles, it’s forcing them to keep a beat, which is a right brain activity as well as moving big joints,” says Dr. Wirick.

Each child is improving but Ashton is taking strides.

“I think what it does is it makes a connection, and puts him more in balance because he can’t balance himself,” says father, Justin Perfili.

Dr. Wirick believes it will be another six to nine months before the Perfili’s kids’ right brains are stronger.

Source: http://www.kidk.com/news/local/87628697.html

Related:

• The Role of Chiropractic in the Care of Children with Autism
• ACAB: Autism, Recovery and the Chiropractor

Cutting-Edge Therapies for Autism

Cutting-Edge Therapies for Autism

Parents of children coping with autism spectrum disorders may feel like they face more questions than answers. While little is truly understood of autism, many parents rely on behavioral therapies to improve their child s quality of life and encourage independence. First in what will be an annually updated handbook, Ken Siri and Tony Lyons delve into cutting-edge, hands-on therapies that go beyond the diet-behavior connection, nutrition supplements, and medical treatment.

Readers of Cutting-Edge Therapies for Autism, 2010 2011 will come away with a wealth of meaningful knowledge and coping mechanisms to employ: Learn how animal-assisted therapy such as horseback-riding advances developmental growth; art therapy such as finger-painting encourages self-expression; and floor-time play therapy such as puzzle-solving teaches turn-taking and environmental awareness. Social skills therapies, speech and language therapies, and even music therapy are also explored in this volume.

Autism Supplements: Vitamin B6 [Pyridoxine]

Vitamin B6 [Pyridoxine]

Helps with the metabolism of the amino acids. Helps with PMS, carpal tunnel syndrome, and motion sickness. Deficiencies can cause weakness, confusion, depression, eczema. Birth control pills, antibiotics, and smoking can deplete B6. Can help with epilepsy, asthma, morning sickness, and kidney stones. Too much B6 over a prolonged period of time can lead to peripheral neuropathy [tingling and other sensations]. Can help heal "leaky gut". Some kids need very high doses, which can be helpful for focus/attention, body awareness, a "calmness", and elimination of climbing and jumping behaviors. However, for some kids, especially those with phenol intolerance, B6 can cause hyperactivity. Vitamin B-6 is a water-soluble vitamin and is part of the vitamin B complex. It is found in beans, nuts, legumes, eggs, meats, fish, whole grains, and fortified breads and cereals. Taking excessive amounts of vitamin B6 can cause a magnesium deficiency. It is important to give magnesium alongside Vitamin B6 to avoid this problem\

SOURCE: The Autism Supplements Guide

Related:

• Vitamin B6 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Treating Autism with Vitamin B6: Pyridoxine & Magnesium ...
• Autism Therapy: Vitamin B6 and magnesium | Healing Thresholds
• Vitamin B6 in Autism: The Safety Issue
• Does Vitamin B6 Help in The Treatment With Autism?
• BRAINBOOSTERS AND SUPLEMENTS FOR AUTISM - ImmInst.org Forums

Chicago Tribune Trumpets Another Anti-Treatment Autism Lawsuit. Why?

Age of Autism: Chicago Tribune Trumpets Another Anti-Treatment Autism Lawsuit. Why?

By Teresa Conrick

For those of you who are new to the autism-vaccine saga, the Chicago Tribune keeps sinking to new lows with its coverage. In November, they had an article that described an ugly divorce in which a disgruntled father was fighting for custody of his autistic child. Now this past March 4th, they came out with part 2 in that family's personal drama. This time the father is suing the Defeat Autism Now! doctors, "family-practice physicians Dr. Anjum Usman of Naperville and Dr. Daniel Rossignol of Melbourne, Fla. — are prominent in the Defeat Autism Now! movement.....Both have spoken to groups of parents at autism conferences and trained other physicians in their methods." HERE

Being prominent in the DAN! movement, speaking at autism conferences and training other doctors has the potential for making you a prime target for possible trumped up lawsuits. The child is reported to be "a playful, funny and outgoing 7-year-old" per his father in November 2009 yet the Tribune reports the father "alleging they harmed the child with "dangerous and unnecessary experimental treatments." I need to insert here that my daughter is also a patient of Dr. Usman so I consider myself very fortunate for that as well as more than a casual observer in this story. Both of these doctors, Usman and Rossignol. are passionate and tremendous in their care to our children and commitment as medical doctors. I find myself suspicious of this lawsuit on many levels.

While googling to find the Tribune article, I instead found Orac's site. Who is Orac? Well, suffice to say that he has some mysterious desire to want autism to be only a genetic disorder. He gets upset if you discuss vaccines or the environment as causative factors. The usual suspects of the neurodiverse world and the assorted anonymous Wackosphere characters were hanging out at his site with their typical sarcasm and "blood-thirsty" DAN! comments. Orac though was beyond his usual histrionic self as his comments were pointed at the exact wording of the lawsuit. He actually had the lawsuit in a pdf file for the taking on his site! Now how, within hours of the Trib posting and to be exact, the Trib article by Patricia Callahan was posted online at 5:19 p.m. CST, March 4, 2010 and Orac had his pdf and blog up at March 5, 2010 3:00 AM. Appears to be quite bizarre and a bit suspicious?

What makes this even more concerning is that Dr. Usman herself had not received the lawsuit, all 46 pages to be exact, yet anyone could obtain it from Orac. The question remains how did Orac get it and who gave it to him? He is a vocal critic of the research on the environment/vaccines causing autism reality and spends an inordinate amount of time protesting research and treatments as he blogs to what appears to be an agenda, and now displaying lawsuits to try and shut them up. But why?

[FULL ARTICLE @ Age of Autism: Chicago Tribune Trumpets Another Anti-Treatment Autism Lawsuit. Why?]

Autism therapy: Doctors sued over ‘dangerous’ autism treatment - chicagotribune.com

Autism therapy: Doctors sued over ‘dangerous’ autism treatment - chicagotribune.com

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