2012年6月30日 星期六

ADHD Alternative Treatments - A Side Effect Free Option to Prescription Medications


ADHD alternative treatments can be a helpful alternative when used with other primary treatments and are a side effect free way to rein in such problematic ADHD symptoms as inattention/distractibility, impulsivity, and hyperactivity/restlessness. While many in the mainstream would choose to conveniently discredit alternative ADHD treatments in favor of stimulant prescription medications the research simply doesn't support their view. Study after study shows that one form of treatment alone rarely produces better results than a multi treatment approach. In fact one study actually put a form of psychotherapy on equal footing with prescription medications such as Ritalin.

In this article we will be mainly focusing on neurofeedback therapies and experimental therapies that most experts in the field of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder believe to be credible.

Neurofeedback is a therapy reserved primarily for adults and is often referred to as EEG-biofeedback or neurotherapy. The assumption of doctors in this area of medicine is that neurofeedback improves the overall level of activity in the brain thus improving ADHD symptoms. During the therapy session electrodes are hooked up to the scalp to give your doctor a birds-eye view of what is happening in that skull of yours. Your readings are then compared to a database of normal brain readings to isolates and measure discrepancies. Once isolated a series of learning exercises are chosen to stimulate those areas of the brain which are weak. Neurofeedback therapies are considered to be somewhere between conventional and experimental and definitely have strong support in certain areas of the medical community.

Experimental therapies on the other hand haven't been readily embraced outside the natural health community. Nevertheless, naturopaths and specialist in the field of natural medicine base their whole treatment approach on these unconventional forms of ADHD alternative treatments. These therapies are generally considered side effect free and safe for all ages.

What are referred to as balancing therapies are at the center of the ADHD alternative therapies falling under the umbrella of experimental therapies. These would include homeopathic medicines, yoga, chiropractic adjustments, osteopathy, and acupuncture. These treatments are applied on a broader full spectrum scale which could be aptly defined as total mind and body therapy. They work to moderate and manage ADHD symptoms by reducing stress, slowing racing thoughts, and producing a feeling of general relaxation and wellness. Where neurofeedback tends to reeve up the brain, many experimental solutions try to give an already stressed brain a rest, thus allowing time to recalibrate brain chemical balance.

Other examples that fall under the heading of experimental ADHD alternative treatments are sensory integration, auditory integration, and vision therapy. While results of these forms of treatments have not been scientifically documented there is a great deal of anecdotal evidence to support their efficacy. However, they seem to be at their best when combined with other forms of more conventional treatment such as cognitive behavioral therapy.




If you would like to learn more about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD or the alternative treatments for ADHD worth considering Click Here. R.D. Hawkins is an enthusiastic advocate of alternative natural health products and supplements with over 10 years experience. To learn more about natural remedies for better health visit Purchase Remedies.com.





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Help - I Need a Sample Special Education 10 Day Written Request Letter!


Are you the parent of a child receiving special education services that is considering placing your child in a private program, for denial of a free appropriate public education (FAPE)? Would you like to have a sample letter that will help you in your advocacy? This article will include a sample of a letter that will help you in your fight for an appropriate education for your child.

Mr. Stone

Special Education Coordinator

Seagull School District

1200 Rock Rd.

Seagreen Il. 60902

Date: June 25, 20___

Dear Mr. Stone:

This letter is to notify you that we are placing our daughter Gwen (Date of Birth 06-02-20__) in a private school (called Hope Academy), and will be seeking reimbursement for the placement, due to the fact that the school district is denying my child's disability, and found her ineligible for special education services. This ineligibility is denying our daughter a free appropriate public education!

When Gwen was in Early Intervention we participated in all of the transition meetings. We made sure that the schools representative had copies of all of Gwen's evaluations, that had been done up to that point. A domain meeting to discuss testing was held, which my husband and I participated in. We totally disagreed with the IEP team that Gwen did not need further testing to see if she was eligible for special education services. The IEP team then stated that Gwen was ineligible for special education services; which we also disagreed with. Gwen has now been without her needed special education services for over 6 months and we see regression in what she is able to do and communicate!

Gwen has had several Early Intervention and private evaluations where she was diagnosed with: Receptive-Expressive Language Disorder, Severe developmental delays in several areas, Sensory Integration Dysfunction, and fine motor difficulty. All of the evaluators agree that Gwen has several disabilities and that she requires special education services to benefit from her education! Also, a long list of recommendations was totally ignored by the school district.

In a recent US Supreme Court ruling the justices found that: A reading of the Act that left parents without an adequate remedy when a school district unreasonably failed to identify a child with disabilities, would not comport with Congress's acknowledgment of the paramount importance of properly identifying each child eligible for services.

Because of this ruling my husband and I are eligible for reimbursement of private school expenses because our daughter is being denied FAPE, and because we believe that Hope Academy is an appropriate placement for her. We are enclosing information on the Hope Academy with this letter.

Please let us know if you would like to evaluate Gwen because we would be happy to make her available to you.

Bob and Sara Michaels

123 Cullins St.

Seagreen Il. 60902




JoAnn Collins is the mother of two adults with disabilities, and has helped families navigate the special education system, as an advocate, for over 15 years. She is a presenter and author of the book "Disability Deception; Lies Disability Educators Tell and How Parents Can Beat Them at Their Own Game." The book has a lot of resources and information to help parents fight for an appropriate education for their child. For a free E newsletter entitled "The Special Education Spotlight" send an E mail to: JoAnn@disabilitydeception.com. For more information on the book, testimonials about the book, and a link to more articles go to: http://www.disabilitydeception.com





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Do ADHD Natural Remedies For Kids Work?


Are you faced with the challenging task of treating ADD and ADHD in children? A growing number of parents and professionals are curious about whether ADHD natural remedies for kids is an effective treatment plan. Here is a brief look at whether ADHD natural remedies work for kids.

As of today, alternative and complementary therapies show promise in treating ADHD but the majority of doctors are not yet convinced that non-prescription treatments are the best way to proceed. In fact, most treating physicians continue to opt for medication as the primary treatment.

It is well established that the use of conventional pharmaceutical treatment brings about positive results in most patients but the side effects and unforeseen complications are a major source of concern. Because of the known and unknown dangers, caregivers of ADHD children are exploring alternative options.

Several ADHD natural remedies exist including:

Special diets
Biofeedback
Exercise
Herbal remedies
Supplements of megavitamins, antioxidants and minerals
Sensory integration training
Educational interventions and other behavioral therapies

Deciding on what natural remedy is the best match for a child is one of the biggest obstacles to address. To overcome this problem, doctors, parents and homeopaths must take the time to identify the most appropriate treatment by experimenting with a combination of treatments. Plus, it is important to remember that some alternative remedies have risks.

Although consistent and solid objective evidence is lacking, many practitioners using homeopathic remedies for ADHD report positive results. For example, the European Journal of Pediatrics reported that in a trial study of homeopathic treatments for ADHD, scientific results indicated the effectiveness of homeopathy for treating ADHD, especially in the areas of cognitive and behavioral functions.

In answering the question do ADHD natural remedies for kids work, the obvious conclusion is that "it depends." Explore as many traditional and non-traditional options as possible until you find the right balance. Find strategies that will simplify your life. Also, ask for expert advice before you start or alter a treatment plan.

It is possible to minimize the symptoms of ADHD naturally but it will take time, patience and diligence. The bottom line is to be proactive. Don't settle for a remedy that is not working. It is possible that ADHD natural remedies can turn your life around and provide profound and dramatic results.

ADHD medications may be suitable for some families, but ADHD natural remedies for kids could be the missing link.




Are you ready to make the transition from prescribed medications to natural treatments? Take the time to find or more about whether ADHD Natural Remedies For Kids work. Visit ADHD Natural Remedies for free information and more resources.





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2012年6月29日 星期五

Is My Child Just Active Or Could it Be ADHD?


Are you the parent of a young child who seems to be perpetually moving? Does your child have difficulty attending to tasks? Have you been told by family and friends that your child's behavior is not normal. Are you concerned that your child may have ADHD? This article will discuss 9 symptoms of ADHD, and also give information about a rating scale that can be used to help determine if your child has the disorder.

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. This disorder has 3 core symptoms which are inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. There are an estimated 1 and ½ to 2 and ½ million children with ADHD in the United States, which is 3-5% of the student population. More boys than girls are diagnosed with ADHD which is approximately 4-9 times more.

According to the DSM IV ADHD can be defined by the behaviors exhibited. Children and adults have a combination of the following behaviors.

1. Fidgeting with hands or feet or squirming in their seat.

2. Difficulty remaining seated when required to do so.

3. Difficulty sustaining attention and waiting for a turn in tasks, games, or group situations.

4. Blurting out answers to questions before the questions have been completed.

5. Difficulty following through on instructions and in organizing tasks.

6. Shifting from one unfinished activity to another.

7. Failing to give close attention to details and avoiding careless mistakes.

8. Losing things necessary for tasks or activities.

9. Difficulty in listening to others without being distracted or interruption;

A child can have ADD which is Attention Deficit Disorder without the hyperactivity. Those children would have symptoms of inattention and impulsivity but no symptoms of hyperactivity.

If your young child has several of these symptoms over several months, you should bring up the possibility of ADHD with your child's physician. A rating scale is available to help determine if a child has ADHD; the scale is called the Connors -3: Connors Third Edition.

This scale can be given by medical personnel or educational personnel. If your child is three years old and receiving special education services you may ask special education personnel to conduct a Connors Rating Scale. The Connors-3 can be found at: http://www.proedinc.com.

The reason that it is important to determine if your child has ADHD :

1. Because of the impact ADHD can have on your child's academic success.

2. Because of the impact ADHD can have on your child's school behavior.

3. Because many children with ADHD may have other disabilities; such as learning disabilities, short term memory disorders, sensory integration disorder, anxiety or mood disorders.

The earlier you know that your child has ADHD the earlier that you can begin treatment, watch for other disabilities, and help your child reach academic success!




JoAnn Collins is the mother of two adults with disabilities. She has been an educational advocate helping hundreds of parents successfully navigate the special education system. She is also the author of the book: Disability Deception; Lies Disability Educators Tell and How to Beat Them at Their Own Game. For more information about parenting a child with a disability go to: http://www.disabilitydeception.com





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An Independent Consultant's View of Mental Health Disorders and Special Needs


According to the National Center for Children in Poverty, one in five children from birth to 18 has a diagnosable mental disorder. Moreover, one in 10 youths has mental health problems that are serious enough to impair how they function at home, in school, or in the community in which they live. Among the diagnosable mental disorders common in children are anxiety, mood disorder such as depression, and disruptive disorders such as attention deficit and hyperactive disorders.

Special needs, however, are a different concern. Special needs is an umbrella term under which a broad array of diagnosis can be put. Children with special needs may have learning disabilities that range from being mild to profound mental retardation. They may have developmental delays from which they may catch up quickly or some from which they may not catch up at all. Also they may have an occasional panic attack or serious psychiatric problems. Some special needs that can be clearly diagnosed include fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, dysfunction of sensory integration, autism, and dyslexia.

Problems peculiar to children with a mental disorder and special needs are not uncommon. It is not unusual for a child with attention deficit hyperactive disorder to have a learning disability such as a central auditory processing disorder and may struggle with school work regardless of their intellectual abilities.

As a independent mental health consultant, here is the distinction that I make. Mental disorders are essentially psychological problems while special needs are disabilities that affect how a child can effectively function in society. The psychological problems such as mood swings, fits of depression, and feelings of anxiety can be addressed by a competent psychotherapist using one or more approaches such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, social skills training, and parent counseling. Medication may be required, but should never be the sole therapy. It is often most effective when used in combination with a behavioral based treatment. A child will not learn socially acceptable behavior if it is never addressed in therapy. A child with special needs represent a set of different concerns and approaches. They may require specialized learning strategies to help the child to meet his potential and to avoid the loss of the child's self-esteem and reduce behavioral difficulties.

Effective approaches will also involve the school system which is lawfully required to engage the child in an educational program designed to meet his needs. However despite these efforts and time, the child may not respond. Still, you have to continue with love, seek to understand the situation, and have child work towards self-sufficiency.




Keep up to date with timely financial and personal growth tips and strategies. Visit http://www.yourconsultantsite.com and http://www.youcontrol.blogspot.com. You can subscribe to the monthly Financial/Personal Growth newsletter at either site as well as read and download the free articles and e-books. Will Barnes is a financial and personal growth consultant based in Illinois. Mr Barnes has conducted hundreds of workshops on parenting and counseled parents for decades.





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My Special Needs Child - A Challenging Journey


Due to prematurity and then neglect by her biological parents, my daughter, now seven, was greeted into the world by a life full of challenges. The first time I saw her, she was three and a half years old and lying in an institutional bed with her nose tubed to an oxygen tank and her stomach tubed to a feeding bag as she lay in bed pulling strands of her hair out. No, this was not some orphanage in Romania, but the USA. Sounds terrible, looked terrible, but she was actually receiving the best care that could be given in the circumstances. Several weeks earlier, she been removed from her biological parents by an emergency court order.

"Caged in" to prevent her falling to the floor, everything she was given to try and amuse her, she threw over the top of her "cage" and into the opposite wall. What does "play" mean when you're still struggling to coordinate your mind and body and make your basic needs understood?

Weighing in at about 25lbs, she looked no more than eighteen months old. Unable to speak, caused by oral apraxia, she spent most of her time screaming in frustration when she wasn't sleeping. When she tried to stand or walk she would suddenly topple over. Nor could she crawl. She was like a floppy rag doll to hold on the few occasions she would allow you to hold her for more than a few seconds. Still in diapers, she behaved and sounded like a feral child who had been living with wolves. She behaved, physically and mentally, below he level of a six month baby. Also diagnosed as possibly autistic and/or with mental retardation, her condition was labelled global development delays. With no disrespect meant to the medical profession, I think really meant "the causes and prognosis of her condition remains unknown. "

To cut a long to cut a long story short, I became her foster mother. When the judge terminated her parents' rights, I was allowed to adopt her at the age of five. A single parent and in my fifties, let that rock your world. The good news? Over the last three years everything has changed. Parental advocacy, love, dedication, chosen medical care and therapy have opened doors I never thought would open. We discovered that inside her uncoordinated body, there was a perfectly intelligent child trying to get out. One who understood at her age level what was going on around her, even though she couldn't physically or socially express herself at that level. One of the challenges she faced was (is) sensory integration dysfunction. Originally, when placed on her back, she was unable to roll over like an eight month old baby. Her limbs had no coordination. Not even her fingers would work independently of each other, leaving her unable to communicate with sign language. Today, nearly four years later, she rides a three-wheeler, walks, runs, climbs and is learning to swim. Mostly not with all the grace of other kids(yet) but she can do it all without having to rely on a helping hand. She is learning to speak and eat orally. Her progress is amazing.

These are some of the books I read that educated me to understand and advocate for her.:

The Out of Sync Child

The Out of Sync Child Has Fun

The Special Needs Planning guide: How to prepare for Every Stage

The Learning Disability Myth

A Parents Guide to Development Delays

Life Skills Activities for Special Children

Poor Eaters

The Primal Wound

Adoption and Advocating for the Special Needs Child

Sign Language for Babies

Brains that Work differently

Attaching In Adoption

The Special Needs Child - Encouraging Intellectual and Emotional Growth

Assessment of Children and Youth With Special Needs

Married With a Special Needs Children

More Than A Mom: Living a Full and Balanced Life When Your Child Has Special Needs

Parenting Children With Health Issues: Essential Tools, Tips and Tactics

Sleep Better




http://kidbreak.blogspot.com/

http://breakingnewsreviews.com/futuristic-wheel-chair-hits-the-news/





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2012年6月28日 星期四

Autism Routines


For a child with Autism, a routine is something that they can understand and use. This is true for typical children as well. Everyday our children wake up and for the most part follow a series of events set before them which make their day full and effective.

At times our children's routine is disturbed or rearranged for reasons that may be in their control or may not be in their control. Children with Autism are the same as typical children. They find comfort and solitude in their daily routine.

When a child with Autism's routine is disturbed though, they become more unsettled than the rest of us. You and I possess the necessary skills to deal with unexpected events. We easily teach this to our children.

We are able to rearrange or deal with having to put some of the events in our routine for later or not at all. Again we teach our children this skill. Children with Autism do not easily learn the skills needed to deal with the situation. They many times do not fully understand why their routine is disturbed.

All children have an emotional response when their routine is disturbed. Sometimes they are angry, sad, frustrated, and at times happy. Because of a child with Autism's complex sensory integration system they can deal with this disruption not so much in a different way but in a more intense way.

This intense way of dealing may fracture their ability to deal with the situation at hand. As they get angry they may become violent. They get frustrated to the extent that they hurt themselves.

They may withdraw from contact all together and make it very difficult to bring them back to communicating. The best possible tool it seems, when dealing with disruption in a child with Autism's routine is knowledge.

They must always know their routine is changing, why it is changing, and how it is changing. After that the child with Autism can better deal with what is to come. Just like any other child, preparation is the foundation for success.




Would you like more free information? Please register here: http://autismonabudget.blogspot.com/2009/12/free-information.html

Mylinda Elliott is the parent of five children. The third of the five has Autism which was diagnosed early on. The fourth of the five children has Aspergers. She is a self taught expert on Autism Spectrum Disorders. Mylinda Elliott has also worked professionally in the disability world for the past fifteen years. She is considered the "Go To" woman for advice or resources on disabilities.





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Is Auditory Processing Disorder Affecting Your Child With Autism in Special Education?


Does your child with autism struggle to understand verbal information? Do you sometimes think that your child must not be listening enough, because they always mix up verbal directions? Have you heard of Auditory Processing Disorder and wonder if your child has it? This article will be discussing APD, diagnosis and possible characteristics of this disorder.

It is important to understand that many disabilities have Co Morbid conditions that may occur with them. For example: a child with Autism may also have Sensory Integration Disorder, ADHD, learning disabilities and also Auditory Processing Disorder. By having knowledge of all disabilities that a child has, you will be able to advocate for appropriate needed special education services.

Auditory Processing Disorder is the inability to attend to, discriminate among, or understand auditory information. Language is developed by children by listening. When auditory skills are weak, the child may experience auditory overload; which makes learning much more of a challenge.

Also much of school learning is done verbally, which puts the child with this disorder at a terrible disadvantage!

Here are a few characteristics and symptoms of APD:

1. Has normal hearing but has difficulty in the reception (receiving) and interpretation of auditory information. Trouble making sense of what he or she hears.

2. May have difficulty staying on task.

3. May look around for visual cues, since they do not understand directions.

4. Responds fairly well in quite situations but may have great difficulty listening in noisy environments.

5. May have difficulty telling the difference between words that sound familiar.

6. May have difficulty remembering information in the order it was said?

7. May be visually alert.

8. May perform poorly on tests requiring verbal language information.

9. May have difficulty working independently.

10. Inconsistent performances.

If your child is showing some of these signs, you may refer them to your special education personnel in your school district, for an Audiological evaluation. Most school districts do not have Audiologists on staff, so they would have to pay for the evaluation for you to take your child to a private Audiologist (if they agree of course-though some hearing officers have given parents Independent Educational Evaluations at public expense, if the school district refuses to evaluate a child in all areas of suspected disability).

A complete Audiological evaluation includes all of the following:

1. Referral

2. Case History

3. Complete Audiological Evaluation

4. AP test battery

5. Results of whether the child has the disorder; and any recommendations for needed special education services or equipment.

Use this information to refer your child for an evaluation if you think that your child may have this disorder. Auditory processing Disorder negatively affects a child's education, but with appropriate special education services and equipment, your child can continue to learn and have a bright future!




JoAnn Collins is the mother of two adults with disabilities, and has helped families navigate the special eduation system, as an advocate, for over 15 years. She is a presenter and author of the book "Disability Deception; Lies Disability Educators Tell and How Parents Can Beat Them at Their Own Game." The book has a lot of resources and information to help parents fight for an appropriate education for their child. For a free E newsletter entitled "The Special Education Spotlight" send an E mail to: JoAnn@disabilitydeception.com. For more information on the book, testimonials about the book, and a link to more articles go to: http://www.disabilitydeception.com.





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3 Ways to Use the 13 Disability Categories to Benefit Your Child With a Disability!


Are you the parent of a child with a disability that has been unable to convince special education personnel that your child needs special education services? Did you read my number 1 article; What are the 13 Categories of Disability for Special Education Eligibility, and wonder how you could use this information to benefit your child? This article is for you, because I will be discussing 3 ways for you as a parent to use the 13 disability categories, to benefit your child.

#1 Way: Bring the eligibility category list to your child's eligibility meeting. Use this list to advocate that your child's disability is one of the covered 13 disabilities in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004). For Example: Schools are reluctant to recognize Specific Learning Disabilities and provide correct remediation, so knowing the definition of Specific Learning Disability (Exhibits a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes-such as visual, motor language etc-which negatively affects a child's education) can help you advocate for this disability category. Once your child is identified as LD you can investigate what the research based method is to re-mediate your child's learning disability, and advocate for these services for your child.

#2 Way: Use the list to advocate for an appropriate disability category for your child. In order to determine appropriate services and remediation that a child needs, the child's disabilities must be appropriately determined.For Example: Many school personnel want to state that children with Autism actually should be categorized as Emotionally Disturbed (ED). While the disability category is not supposed to determine services, in reality it often does; and children with ED categories are often denied educational services. In this example use the definition of ED from my article "... an inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors" to advocate that your child has other issues that are affecting their ability to learn, so therefore your child cannot be labeled Emotionally Disturbed. Many children with Autism have issues related to the Autism, Sensory Integration issues, expressive and receptive speech difficulties, and Learning Disabilities that may explain their difficulty with learning. This leaves out ED as a disability category, because the child has other issues that are causing the difficulty with learning.

#3 Way: Use the category list to educate yourself about the category of OHI: The child exhibits limited strength, alertness, due to chronic or acute health problems, including but not limited to asthma, ADD/ADHD, etc, which negatively affects your child's education.

Be careful about allowing your school district to use this category if your child has ADD or ADHD, and may have learning disabilities. Some school districts may be offering OHI as a compromise when parents believe that their child may have Learning Disabilities. The school district may then refuse to give the child educational services, that they may need. OHI is not a compromise for a specific learning disability category, in my opinion. Children with Learning Disabilities need appropriate remediation which can only be given if the child's Learning Disabilities are recognized by special education personnel.

By educating yourself about the 13 Disability categories you can increase your child's chance of being found eligible for special education services, and also increase their chances of being found eligible under the appropriate disability category. It will also increase your child's chances of receiving an appropriate education! Keep fighting for your child, they are depending on you.




JoAnn Collins is a successful special educational advocate for over 20 years and author of the book "Disability Deception; Lies Disability Educators Tell and How Parents Can Beat Them at Their Own Game!" The book is filled with truths about special education, for parents, and lots of easy to use advocacy tips. Check out her blog at: http://specialeducationspotlight.disabilitydeception.com. For more information on the book and special education as well as testimonials on her book, please go to: http://www.disabilitydeception.com. For questions or comments feel free to E mail me at: JoAnn@disabilitydeception.com.





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Hammock Chair - Swing Therapy For Autism


A hammock chair could be one of the best gifts you can give a child with autism. The hammock chair holds the child tight while they rock back and forth. The improvement can be immediate. Even after fifteen minutes, the results can be dramatic, lasting throughout the day. Autistic children crave deep pressure such as brushing, even though they will have tactile defensiveness. They may feel like they are off balance and the reason why is due to vestibular dysfunction. This is the area of the brain that controls seeing, touching, and hearing. A dysfunctional vestibular system can cause panic attacks, leading to the famous autism tantrums.

A great portion of occupational therapy for autism focuses on sensory integration and one of the greatest tools is the swing. People with various autism spectrum disorders such as Autism, PDD, ADHD, Asperger's, proprioceptive dysfunction, and tactile defensiveness will benefit from the use of a swing (hammock chair) as part of their therapy.

The motion of swinging restores balance to the vestibular system, providing proprioceptive input (deep pressure) and helps autistic spectrum children feel more "in balance". The swinging motion soothes, relaxes, and improves concentration. Children who have difficulty focusing on tasks such as math and reading may find it easier to concentrate while sitting in a hammock chair as their bodies sway with a soothing motion.

Setting up a hammock chair for a swing in the home is easy and inexpensive. It can be hung from a hook and put up and taken down in seconds. It may be used indoors or outdoors. The same swinging motion and benefit may achieved from a smaller size hammock hung high enough from one central point to be a swing or the child may enjoy just lying in the hammock and swinging. A hammock without a spreader bar will envelop and and cradle the child closer, achieving the closer feel they need.

Autistic or not, don't we all love the feeling of relaxing in a hammock or hammock chair?




For a large variety of autistic friendly products, see http://www.relaxinghammocks.com/autistic-friendly-products.html.

Author: Lisa Zartman

http://www.relaxinghammocks.com. Great selection of hammocks, hammock chairs, and stands, with a complete page of autistic friendly products.





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2012年6月27日 星期三

How to Help Children With Autism


Having a child with autism, hearing that first diagnosis, or questioning some of the early behavioral issues, for a parent, can be a trying and often isolating time. Sifting through the voluminous information on causes, treatments, and therapies can also be quite overwhelming, especially with no one to offer guidance.

To begin with, if you're a parent, or know someone, who has a concern about atypical behaviors in their child, you should begin by receiving a medical evaluation by your family practitioner. If a concern is noted regarding PDD/NOS (some of the characteristics of autism) or autism spectrum disorder, the family or parents can request that their school district provide a comprehensive psychological-educational evaluation that identifies the need for fine/gross motor, socio-emotional, academic, and speech language supports.

The evaluation can result in the recommendation of many related services, ie. occupational and/or physical therapy (OT/PT), academic support, social skills, or speech language skills. There are a host of unique and effective methods, or treatments, for dealing with autism, though there is no cure at the moment. Educational interventions are vital for children to learn academic subjects and also social interaction and cognitive skills, reduce disruptive behaviors, and help them apply their new skills into unique situations and environments. Applied behavior analysis, communication intervention, sensory integration, and music therapy are just a few of the many different therapies and programs available to help parents work with their child with autism.

If you don't have access to local services or they are outside of your budget there is another another option. They are called autism webinars, which are online seminars you can participate from your computer or by phone. During most webinars you can post a question to an expert live and they will actually answer your question for you. In fact, most of the questions being asked are from parents just like you.

For all intents and purposes, a webinar is no different than an in-person workshop or seminar, other than the fact that you can attend a webinar from anywhere you choose, from your home or office, or a café down the street. Webinars last for approximately 2 hours and offer participants the chance to ask questions of the presenters. Previously recorded webinars (those in the archives), however, are not interactive, though you can still listen to the information, and the question and answer portion, at your convenience.

Some of the webinar topics that are popular are Autism 101 the Basics, IEP Strategies, ABA Therapy and how it is used in the home and school, Asperger's Syndrome and Bullying and Classroom inclusion.

Autism webinars cover a vast amount of information that will help you navigate the social, educational, dietary, and legal waters of the world of autism. The first step is to search Google and Yahoo for the term Autism Webinars and you will find several websites that have them.




Ernest Priestly runs Moms Fighting Autism http://www.MomsFightingAutism.com/ an online community that sponsor live monthly webinars. The site includes 48 hours of previously recorded webinar audio with transcripts.

You can download 2 previously recorded webinars by signing up free today: http://www.MomsFightingAutism.com/.





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Vestibular Stimulation, Is It Sexy? Is It Safe?


What I'm going to tell you is not new, but you probably have no idea what's involved.

What we have here is tiny organ inside your inner ear that controls the sensitivity of your nervous system, your balance or equilibrium, how you respond to your other sensory organs, your emotions, your memory, and your attention. Did I get your attention? Good. I will also show you how you can tweak your inner ear and thus tweak your nervous system, your emotions, your memory, your attention, and your sensitivity to other sensory organs. Are you with me?

In order not to sound clinical, I will speak to you in English and leave the terminology in the citations. Those who want to read medical jargon, be my guest. Those who are normal people, listen here.

Remember when you were a child you used to walk on the side of the curbs? Remember how flower bed separations and other dividers in the ground presented fun obstacle courses you never wanted to miss? Now, that you are older, you consider such activities childish. OK, be honest here, when you know for sure that no one is watching, you would climb on the occasional curb or knee-high wall and walk on it like you did when you were a kid. Don't nod your head, but am I right?

The very young and the not-so-young, we all have this innate desire to walk on a balance beam, or anything like it. When we are bored and when we see that curb, we seize the challenge of balance walking as soon as it presents itself. When we are stressed or agitated, we also tend to balance walk on anything as soon as opportunity presents itself. When I was a little kid, I wanted to walk the tightrope, but since none was available, I walked on anything that resembled a balance beam.

Any activity that challenges our balance can produce vestibular stimulation. Balance skills are task specific. And one task in particular is our favorite, the balance walking. Because I want to keep this short, I will not describe in details here, but when we balance walk, we force our left and right brains to equalize their activities. This is not an easy task. Each brain hemisphere has a mind of its own. There is no third party to coordinate activity level between the left and right brains. When we are too emotional, balancing can calm us. When we are too excited or agitated, balancing provides us that sense of control we seek.

Sometimes we can't fall asleep because thoughts are racing through our mind. This is left brain activity. When you recall something visual, right brain activity, then, and only then can you fall asleep. As you can see, from exclusively left brain activity we establish balance by focusing our attention on the right brain activity, and the equilibrium we catch allows us to fall asleep. When we are lethargic, balancing can give us energy. In short, balancing, as a physical activity, also brings equilibrium, or balance, for our emotional, intellectual, and/or perceptual state.

Do you know that nowadays you have to search long and hard to find information that describes and advocates vestibular stimulation? In other words, you will have to dig deep to find people who will tell you what balance activities can do for you. The reason for this is pure selfishness. If they tell you that balance activities can fix many of your problems, you will do your balancing activity without them, get better, and leave them. You become NOT dependent on their services.

Well, how can you be so self-centered? Didn't your parents teach you to share? Your doctor has student loans to repay, bills to pay, and put money aside for the children to go to a nice college. How will your doctor pay for all this if patients stop coming?

I am not trying to rock the boat and bankrupt the doctors and pharmaceutical companies. I just want in on the action, the action of helping people. There are plenty of people who will keep taking pills, because it's easy; they got used to them; and because they know what to expect. There are plenty of people who believe their current doctor, no matter what he or she says. And if the doctor tells them that balance activities are best suited for the very young kids, they will believe them, and ask for a refill of their prescription.

I just want to find a few people for whom the pills don't work. I want to find a few people who cannot deal with the side effects from the pills. And I want to find some people who will be curious enough to ask, What is he talking about? What do we have to lose if we try?

No, really, what can you lose if you pretend that you are balancing on a tightrope? Do you need fancy, expensive equipment? Please! If you cannot afford my water pipe stand, build your own. I don't mind. I will even give you directions and the how-to. If you have no money, and if you don't know any plumber who could give you a piece of steel water pipe for free, let me know. I can teach you a special stance that will give you that sensation of balancing on a tightrope, without any equipment at all. Just you, your socks, and your floor.

Do you still feel that if I'm not selling the water pipe, I must be after something else? Do you still feel that I want nothing but your money, and that money is at the root of it all? Well, how about this, I will post the information on the Internet, free for anyone to read, print, or copy. Will you believe me that money is not everything for me? No? You still don't trust me? Man, you have issues. Be happy and go find yourself another preacher. Good-bye.

Is anyone still with me? Good. Vestibular stimulation through specific balance activities that simulate tightrope walking is a powerful ally to have. I wrote a book about it. I built a website, and I write articles for my blog. I want you to understand and befriend my balance activities, so you can understand and befriend vestibular stimulation. It's not hard. It will be good for you. And you will thank me later.

I will give you a little technical hint. We do not yet have the equipment that can accurately measure brain activity at the time when the person is physically active. When you go in for CAT scan of your brain, you lie down on a tray, then they gently move you in center of a big metal donut. The operator will tell you to be still and walks away from you into the protected command center, where he tells you through a microphone to breathe or not to breathe during the procedure.

Vestibular stimulation is mostly achieved when the person is physically active. Because there is no machine that can measure what's going on with the brain during physical activities, all the tests and treatments, from the very start, are created to measure brain activity when the person is at rest. Few scientists will admit that their studies are missing this very essential element, brain measurements during physical activities. Here, the technological limitations made people forget, discount, and NOT take into account what happens when the person is physically active.

Tests of medications are also done when the patients are physically inactive, or at rest. What few people realize is that, unless we are sleeping, we spend our days being physically active. As plain and straightforward that is, this little factor escapes many, including professionals.

Here are some sources of medical jargon.

http://www.ctccenter.com/Pages/SensoryIntegrationInfo.html

http://www.letsaskalice.com/groundbreakingtools.html

Wait, you can also do your own search for, "vestibular stimulation" and type in one or more of these terms: memory, emotions, nervous system, ADD, ADHD, PTSD, sensory integration, balance, balance beam, tightrope, athletic performance, mental performance, language (reading, understanding, pronunciation), REM sleep, stress, anxiety, stutter, fidgeting, coordination, etc. Simply search for "vestibular stimulation" and type in whatever is keeping you awake at night.

Like I said above, you will need to go deep in your search. The good stuff will not be waiting for you on the first page of the search results. Try different search engines, and go to the library. Look at some new articles, but pay extra attention to those that were published ten, twenty, or more years ago. That's where you find some real treasures.

Here is the deal. If you find something that proves me wrong, post it here. If you find something that proves me right, post it here. Fair enough?

If I made you just a little curious about vestibular stimulation, read articles in my blog, go through all the pages in my website, get my book. This will get you started on the search for incredible. Incredible is what you will learn to call this whole thing. Why? Because it will be very hard for you to get your arms around the idea that a $12.00 steel water pipe can do so much good. I already traveled that road. It IS incredible. I wouldn't be wasting your time or my time if it weren't incredible.




http://books.google.com/books?id=6pXEFJXxOksC&pg=PR20&lpg=PR20&dq=vestibular+stimulation+and+PTSD&source=bl&ots=4EmdMvUfYL&sig=c1sh2pHhA63jdiiDxUXBNlz_kIE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ZUNpT5KNPO7PiALhx-XbBg&ved=0CDsQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=vestibular%20stimulation%20and%20PT&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?id=LPS9iLkjSBIC&pg=PA71&lpg=PA71&dq=vestibular+stimulation+and+PTSD&source=bl&ots=lezAuwcQTz&sig=FraYfIUpM4AxJ9d88ndmTbLRgS4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ZUNpT5KNPO7PiALhx-XbBg&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA%20-%20v=onepage&q=vestibular%20stimulation%20and%20PTh#v=onepage&q=vestibular%20stimulation%20and%20PTh&f=false

Alexander Nestoiter, author of: Incredible Ah-ha Moments: Ideas you won't stop talking about





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3D Wood Puzzles - Fun Learning Development for Toddlers


There is a common consensus among educational experts that children today watch too much television and/or play too many computer games. Giving children puzzles to occupy their time and talking with them about their animal or other object will engage their brain to integrate the different senses such as visual, hearing, and touch for a longer attention span. Increased sensory integration and co-ordination are the result.

Children, when introduced to puzzles, will enjoy marvelous learning experiences as well as the opportunity of playing creatively when offered brightly painted chunky wood puzzles. Puzzles including animals, fish, birds and sea life are a perfect learning tool for your Sunday school classrooms and for parents who want a toy that will quickly become a child's favorite.

Enhanced storytelling using puzzles as "props" creates easy social interaction with your children. Asking open-ended questions about the animal or object will encourage children to use their imaginations and new exciting "dramas" will explode. Stimulating your children's' imaginations will make teaching fun and exciting for both the teacher and the child.

When storytelling is finished and the children have time to play with the puzzles by themselves, opportunities for improved hand eye coordination abound. Fine motor skills and increased attention span are another great benefit of playing with puzzles.

Also consider incorporating ABC and number puzzles in your child's learning development. Visually seeing the letters and numbers and having to put the puzzle back in the numeric or alphabetic order will enable your child to learn quicker. Because of all the bright colors and different sized pieces they will have fun and stay with their "task" for a longer period of time.

Keep the puzzles you give your child age-appropriate. You do not want your child to become discouraged with something that is too difficult for him. Watch your child play and see how he reacts to the puzzle. If you see him getting too frustrated and giving up you can try and work with him for awhile or maybe give him an easier puzzle to begin with.

Remember to select puzzles made of quality, sustainable hardwoods and other eco friendly materials. You will also want to purchase products that pass the highest standards set up by the U.S for child-safe paints.

Your child deserves the best toys that provide enduring quality, thoughtfully produced and thoroughly fun!




Garolyn Bowen

Retired administrative assistant with an AA in Accounting and diploma in Web Site Design. Owner and operator of All I Can Imagine - a website selling children's learning and fun toys. After retiring in 2006 designed website and became a volunteer with AARP as well as an usher at a local fine arts concert hall. I am an amateur musician. View our complete line of toys @ http://www.blocksand3dpuzzles.com





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2012年6月26日 星期二

Available Autism Behavior Interventions


Given the lack of interventions that can deliver cure for patients of autism, they are limited to therapies that can improve the quality of their lives. The main goal of an autism behavior therapy is, in general, tri-fold - to lessen the impairments and distress associated with the symptoms, improve the lives of the patients, and allow them to become more capable of functioning independently. Although there are a lot of contradictions in the efficacy of various therapies, evidence still suggests that conducting interventions is more preferable and relatively more effective at achieving the aforementioned goals than not doing anything at all. There are a number of therapies currently in use today; some of them are briefly discussed below:

Educational interventions

Educational interventions are not exclusively focused in helping patients of autism acquire the necessary skills to understand academic subjects as well as ready them to traditional school settings. Instead, these interventions give more weight to helping patients develop skills that can make them more functional in most types of situations, cognitive skills to help them exercise mental functions, social skills to help them build social relationships and respond better to social stimuli, communication skills to develop their capacity to interact with others and to use acceptable means of expressing their ideas and feelings, to try to reduce their unwanted behaviors, along with others.

There are many educational interventions that can demonstrate varying degrees of efficacy. Applied Behavior Analysis includes all other methods used in behavioral analysis. These basically objectively measure the observed behavior of autistic children based on their responses to stimuli and the effects of rewards on their behaviors. In general, this group of techniques has demonstrated results in controlled environments, but it is not known whether these results will hold in actual settings.

Structured teaching, short for TEACCH or Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children, uses highly structured methods and environments to treat patients of autism.

Communication interventions or speech therapy, on the other hand, tries to resolve the patients' inability to express themselves more effectively. One striking symptom of autism is speech impairment. This therapy attempts to help diminish, if not correct, speech development-related problems.

Other educational interventions that are widely used nowadays are patterning, pivotal response therapy, therapies that focus on Sensory Integration Dysfunction, music therapy, animal-assisted therapy, a home-based program called Son-Rise, neurofeedback, aversion or electric shock therapy, and others.

Parent-mediated interventions

This group of autism behavior therapies concern parents more than their autistic children. These commonly provide practical advises to make them more capable of handling their children's condition.

Medical management

Medical management is a body of interventions that involves the use of supplements, drugs, and changes in diet to alter factors that are known to stimulate the onset of the symptoms. Other medical management methods include chelation therapy, craniosacral therapy, chiropatic, electroconvulsive therapy, stem cell therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and prosthetics. To know which autism behavior therapy can help a patient best, it is advisable to seek medical advice.




I'd like to give you a FREE DVD (worth $97) on shaping your child's autistic behaviors. Click here to claim your FREE DVD today! We only have 250 DVD available, so hurry and get your FREE DVD today and start understanding and helping your child!





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Have You Tried Everything To Lose Weight and Nothing Works? It May Not Be Your Fault


Inability to Lose Weight Due to Inflammation and Hormonal Imbalance

It is a well-known fact that your weight is directly proportionate to the level of health that you can achieve in your lifetime. As your weight increases (especially the amount of weight stored as fat in the body), your health decreases. The likelihood of disease in your future is directly related to whether or not you are "overweight" or even if you are simply "over fat".

One of the main problems with being overweight or over fat is that it causes INFLAMMATION in the body. Nothing is more likely to cause disease to develop in your body than your cells being chronically inflamed. The problem with chronic cellular inflammation is that YOU CAN'T FEEL IT! Our society is so geared toward using symptoms or how they feel to determine whether or not they are healthy, that they are developing disease and don't even know it.

Chronically ill patients with conditions such as autism, sensory integration deficit, Asperger's syndrome, chronic fatigue, cancer, syndrome, fibromyalgia, MS, Crohn's disease, ALS, Parkinson's disease, heart disease, depression, thyroid problems, and many many others have one thing in common - INFLAMMATION! You can carry chronic inflammation in your body's at the cellular level and not even know it! If the problem of inflammation in your body is not addressed at the cellular level, you will NEVER BE ABLE TO LOSE WEIGHT, no matter how much you exercise or how little food you eat. With inflammation in the body, you could fast and drink only water and STILL not lose weight!

Now, for those of you who do not think you are overweight, this doesn't let you off the hook when it comes to preventing disease in your body. Most of you probably think that being overweight is the same thing as being "over fat". This is not true. Many people step on the scale and weigh an amount that fits within the "normals" of the height/weight ratio chart, but are still full of inflammation and storing too much fat. You can weigh the proper amount on the scale and still be carrying way too high a percentage of fat in your body. This is what I am referring to as being "over fat". Being over fat is just as much a problem in creating INFLAMMATION in your body as being overweight!

One of the main reasons that people have an inability to lose weight (even though they have tried every diet and every form of exercise on the planet!) is due to their hormones being out of balance. Now, I'm sure you've heard this before, but keep reading, because you may not have ever understood what that meant. More importantly, you may not have realized that there is something that can be done about it!

As the inflammation goes unchecked and uncorrected in the body, your cell membranes begin to break down or degenerate making you extremely susceptible to all of the diseases and conditions listed above and more. No matter what else you do, you WILL NOT LOSE WEIGHT regardless of what you try until you eliminate the inflammation in your body. This is simply a fact. Your body is an incredible healing machine with a God-given ability to recover from virtually every condition known to man, but if you are really interested in losing weight PERMANENTLY, you must address the inflammation at the cellular level.

There are many ways to do this, and we don't have time to go through them all, but I will summarize the starting point below. The most important components to begin reducing and eliminating the inflammation in your body at the cellular level are as follows:


You must detoxify your body of all the existing poisons and toxins that already exist.
You must stop putting the toxins back in your body once they are eliminated.
You must stop eating the types of foods that cause inflammation in your cells which leads to gaining weight or the inability to lose weight.
You must implement a new, totally different type of exercise that does not involve hours and hours on the treadmill, or pounding the pavement for miles and miles!
You must drink enough pure, clean, alkalized, oxygenated water to flush the toxins from your cells and to give the body the life-giving fluids that it needs.
You must clear your nerve system of any interference that may be preventing the body from working correctly. The brain controls everything in your body by communicating with your organs through your nerves, so if your nerves are bad, losing your health is simply a matter of time.

Let me give you some basic insight into just one of these 6 things in this article. Let's talk about 3 basic dietary changes that you can make beginning IMMEDIATELY, that will begin lowering the inflammation in your body. This, in turn, will allow your brain and your hormones to start regulating themselves properly which will ultimately result in your ability to lose weight and burn fat for fuel instead of storing it on your hips (gals!) or in your gut (guys!)

Remember, this is NOT a diet- it is a change in your eating habits that you need to apply consistently over time in order to achieve the success that you are after. Diets don't work. Changes in your lifestyle does!

Here are the "3 Basic Changes" that you need to make:


Remove the BAD FATS from what you eat and replace them with GOOD FATS
Change the MEAT that you eat and
Remove all the refined SUGAR from your diet

Let's break it down into a little more detail:


Remove the BAD FATS and replace them with GOOD FATS. Bad fats include fats such as hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, trans fats, and vegetable oils that turn rancid and spoil very easily, especially when heated with cooking temperatures. These bad fats lead to cellular congestion which causes cancer, heart disease, chronic fatigue, and more. The reason is that BAD FATS cause INFLAMMATION at the cellular level. This plays a major factor in all the leading causes of death in the United States. Good fats are the nutrient that is most absent in the American diet, not vitamins and minerals. Good fats are essential to producing hormones, preventing cancer and heart disease, weight loss (yes, weight loss by eating good fats!!), and reducing the levels of inflammation in the body. Examples of GOOD FATS are as follows:


a. Raw nuts and seeds
b. Coconut or coconut oil
c. Olives or olive oil
d. Avocado
e. Flaxseed oil
f. Full fat raw milk and cheeses
g. Canned sardines in oil or water
h. Grape seed oil
i. Cod Liver oil
j. Full fat plain, unsweetened yogurt
k. Almond butter
l. Eggs
m. Cashew butter
n. Raw, unpasteurized butter
o. And many, many others!


Change the MEAT that you eat. There are hundreds of studies that link commercial meats such as lunch meats with cancer and heart disease. The grain that is fed to animals instead of allowing them to graze on grass as God intended, changes the fatty acid ratios and breaks down the good fats and makes them bad fats which cause disease in the body! The accumulation of pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics, and hormones in meats are far higher that what you receive when eating vegetables and fruits. They are found is much higher concentrations in meat, and you can't wash them off like you can from vegetables. Your best option is GRASS FED AND FREE RANGE meats that offer the right kind of fats and a very healthy source of protein as well.

REMOVE ALL REFINED SUGAR from your diet. This is not only the sugar that you would spoon onto your cereal in the morning or put in your iced tea, but also includes the sugar found IN foods. Ketchup is over 50% sugar. Peanut butte and mayonnaise are both over 50% sugar by content. You have to begin reading labels in order to get the SUGAR out of what you eat!! 1/3 of all the sugar you eat in a day comes from soft drinks and soda, and the other 2/3 from hidden sugars such as found in: lunch meats, pizza, sauces, breads, soups, crackers, fruit drinks, sports drinks, canned foods and yogurt to name a few. Sugar is an "anti- nutrient". In other words, it takes more energy to eliminate the negative effects from the body than the energy it gives you. It also robs the body of significant amounts of vitamins, minerals, etc. which also lead to the diseases of the new millennium such as chronic fatigue, diabetes, cancer and heart disease, ADD, ADHD, learning disabilities, and more.

Do I have your attention yet?

I have created a series of DVD's or CD's to teach you how to implement each and every one of the steps above for those of you who are interested in:

1. Losing weight permanently

2. Regaining your best level of health and wellness

3. Having more energy than you have had in your life and

4. Preventing disease in you and your families future

You too can "Be Your Best"! And it's not as hard as you might think. I will provide a link for those who are interested when they are available for order. Many options are available. I have CD's as short as ? hour and full seminars on DVD with Power Point slides that are 3 hour presentations in a live setting that were professionally recorded and edited. In the meantime, you can let me know of your interest until they are available by sending an email to: doctor.bolan@gmail.com with "Interested in More" in the title. I will let you know the web address as soon as they are available. In the meantime, begin with the "Big 3 Changes" so that you, too, can begin on the road to "Be Your Best"!




Dr. Tom Bolan has been a national expert in the field of health and wellness, weight loss, and fitness for the last 30 years. He is a highly sought after speaker having taught tens of thousands of people the principles necessary to "Be Their Best". Dr. Bolan can be contacted at http://www.maximizedlivingdrbolan.com.





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ADHD Test - Interactive Metronome


As if living with ADHD wasn't hard enough for children and their families, ADHD sufferers often experience a host of other neurological problems. Certain neurological and biological differences in their brain make some children with ADHD suffer from sensory integration problems, motor coordination difficulties, and problems with sequencing and planning. This is a serious concern because every part of human existence requires proper motor sequencing, from forming a sentence to the coordination required to walk and move. Although frequent accidents can suggest that your child may have motor coordination problems, you can find out for sure and treat the condition through a new, natural therapy called Interactive Metronome.

Interactive Metronome is a computer-based sound-therapy program designed to help children cope with developmental disorders and learning disorders, but its diagnostic capabilities can also asses a child's motor skills, auditory processing, and motor coordination. At the initial clinical evaluation, a technician will ask the child to perform skill-based tests to measure his or her sound processing skills, auditory processing skills, vocal analysis, and hearing function. The child will also have to perform coordination, stability, and balance tests to see if he or she has problems coordinating limb movements.

If the tests indicate that your child's coordination scores do not match the median data for his or her age group, your child will require Interactive Metronome therapy sessions. At a typical session, your child will be performing goal-oriented tasks that require him or her to do hand and foot movements to a computer-generated beat. These exercises are designed to stimulate the brain's neuroplasticity, its innate ability to heal itself, as well as important regions of the brain like the basal ganglia, cerebellum, and prefrontal cortex. Your child will be scored in real time based on how well he or she matches the beat, making it easier to track your child's progress.

One of the Interactive Metronome devices used by physical and occupational therapists is called the Gait Mate. This device is a wireless insole placed in your child's shoes in order to detect when your child's heels meet the floor. A beat is played through a headset and your child is asked to walk to the beat. The Gait Mate gives feedback as your child performs the tasks, and provides instructions to speed up or slow down as needed. When your child adjusts his or her movement, the device continues to guide your child's performance through a series of instructions and rewards.

Just how effective is the Interactive Metronome in treating ADHD naturally? A double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the March 2001 issue of American Journal of Occupational Therapy showed that individuals with ADHD experienced remarkable improvements in motor coordination, control, and attention, and better control of impulsivity, aggression, language processing, and reading. If you'd like to find out how Interactive Metronome can help your child, visit www.interactivemetronome.com or consult a neurologist, occupational therapist, or chiropractor.




Dr. Yannick Pauli is an expert on natural approaches to ADHD and the author of the popular self-help home-program The Unritalin Solution. He is Director of the Centre Neurofit in Lausanne, Switzerland and has a passion taking care of children with ADHD. Click on the link for more great information about ADHD tests.





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Causes of Dyspraxia


The causes of dysphraxia still remain largely elusive. While it is a common condition, with about ten percent of the population of the earth having it, it's exact mechanisms are still poorly understood. Dysphraxia is one of a heterogeneous range of developmental disorders affecting the initiation, organization, and performance of action.

It is a diagnosis of exclusion which involves the partial loss of the ability to coordinate and perform certain movements and gestures. Children who have it may be very slow in learning to walk and talk, and even to crawl. It is similar to such conditions as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease in the way it affects a child's movements, yet it is something entirely different from those things at its most basic level.

The diagnosis of developmental dysphraxia has existed for more than a century, but differing interpretations of the terminology remain. The Dyspraxia Foundation defines developmental dysphraxia as "an impairment or immaturity of the organization of movement." Essentially, it is a disorder in the way that the brain processes information, which results in messages not being properly or fully transmitted. The term dysphraxia comes from the word praxis, which means "doing" or "acting." Not only is this condition associated with difficulty in moving and speaking, it also causes problems in long and short-term memory and in learning in general. It is not mental retardation, as many children with it are basically quite bright, but it is a disability that affects a child's ability to process information correctly.

Dysphraxia is a life-long condition that is more common in males than in females, with a ratio of approximately 4 males to every female. The exact proportion of people with the disorder is unknown since the disorder can be difficult to detect due to a lack of specific laboratory tests, thus making diagnosis of the condition one of elimination of all other possible diseases or injuries. Because of the problems that this disease causes, it can be difficult for a child at school, so many parents with children with this condition opt for home schooling. Reading, writing, playground games, and remembering to do homework (as well as remembering what was learned) are all problematic. Even art class can be a struggle, and physical education class usually has to be skipped altogether.

Whilst most of the general population experience these problems to some extent, they have a much more significant impact on the lives of dysphraxic people. However, many dysphraxics have excellent long-term memories, despite poor short-term memory. Also, many dysphraxics benefit from working in a structured environment, as repeating the same routine minimizes difficulty with time-management and allows them to commit procedures to long-term memory. People with dysphraxia may have sensory integration dysfunction, including abnormal oversensitivity or under sensitivity to physical stimuli, such as touch, light, and sound. Under sensitivity to stimuli may also cause problems. Dysphraxics who are not sensitive to pain may injure themselves without realizing it, and so should be monitored closely. Each case is different, and while the causes of dysphraxia are unknown, the treatments for it are getting better.




Click here to learn more about dyspraxia symptoms in children and how you can help your child at DyspraxiaSymptoms.com.





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2012年6月25日 星期一

Bean Bags - Comfort Beyond Description


Bean bags are gaining increasing popularity as against the conventional wooden chairs amongst both young and old alike for a myriad of reasons. They are available in many styles, designs, and heights with the traditional shapes being pear shaped, teardrop, and round slack style.

Bean chairs are very famous amongst its enthusiasts also known by different names like foof sacs, physics bag, love sac, and oversized sac. Originally conceived in the late 60s and early 70s they originally took the shape of a pear with an incorporated headrest made of leather. With its growing demand, leather was swapped for vinyl with plastic or thermocol pellet fillings. This pseudo-couch can be just about found anywhere that one can lay eyes upon right from cafes, bookstores, malls and houses.

Also worth mentioning is that that the bean bag gets its flexibility from its fillings of thermocol/plastic pellets. The lifespan ranges from a year to a year and a half depending on the usage after which there is a decrease in comfort due to the pellets being crushed. Well, this doesn't mean it is reached end of life, just refill it with new pellets and your bean bag is all ready to be used. Due to its increasing demand suppliers have added some new features like - washable bean bags which increases the flexibility, plastic pellets being swapped for urethane foam to increase its durability and support, addition of textures like vinyl, outdura, faux, printed themes, and collegiate to the existing leather material. Likewise, majority of the bean bags these days come double stitched, so one wouldn't have to fret over durability concerns even with rough usage.

Usage of this furniture are endorsed for diverse reasons, a few of them include - the comfort of being close to the floor with the option of a variety of lounging poses, sitters prefer the bag over wooden chair for its simple ergonomic property of molding itself to the user's shapes thus adding to the comfort factor. Yet another reason for its growing popularity was the ease with which it could be carried around even by kids. There is also a school of thought by therapists who believed the bag to be of great help in children with sensory integration issues and for those convalescing from lumbar surgery. Also, this one is ideal purchase for all those budding professionals world over, who are mostly away from home wanting to invest in cost effective and easy to move furniture, but at that same time not compromising on the comfort factor.

Imagine sinking into your bean bag after a hard day at work, sounds blissful isn't it? Exactly the kind of remedy for a stressed out and achy soul!




You can check the Bean Bag Reviews, Reviews of Bean2Bed Bean Bag Bed at beanbagreviews.com.





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Seven Unexpected Ways to Increase Your Child's Learning


When most people hear words such as "learning," "smart," or "memory," they automatically think of the brain. In school, we teach "to the head" only, asking students to sit in chairs for long periods of time, listening and looking almost exclusively at abstract symbols, even when they are very young.

Very few people think the rest of the body has anything to do with academic success. But surprising results from brain research indicate that learning cannot occur without cooperation between the body and the brain.

Emotions and Stress

Because of the way the brain is wired, emotional states run our lives. Every activity in which your child engages is infused by his emotions. Emotions are constantly changing, and are easily influenced.

Emotions such as joy encourage brain cell development by releasing chemicals such as dopamine. When children are happy and calm, they learn and remember more than when they are anxious, tense or irritated. Your child's brain releases dopamine in response to pleasurable circumstances such chocolate ice cream. But even more importantly, the brain releases dopamine in response to security, recognition, and success.

Dopamine travels to the front of the brain where it influences skills essential for learning. The frontal lobes of your child's brain are largely in charge of critical skills such as paying attention, recognizing and discriminating critical features, decision making and judgment, all essential for intelligent behavior and school success.

Unfortunately, fear and threat greatly inhibit intelligent behavior. Circumstances that your child finds unpleasant and out of his control produce a stress state in the body. Chronic stress reactions release chemicals that reduce blood flow to the brain, cause atrophy of nerve cells, and impair memory.

Help your child succeed academically by encouraging him to focus on his strengths, stay positive about his ability to learn, and "dream big" about the future! And most importantly, develop and maintain a strongly supportive relationship between you and your child.

Motivation and Inspiration

Learners respond to challenging tasks, not to tasks that are too hard or too easy. If the work your child brings home is not "challenging," you must work with her teacher to adjust the difficulty level of the work. This is a key to helping your child discover that she is a strong learner who can succeed in academics.

Learners with special needs have experienced much more failure and disappointment than other learners. They often suffer from learned helplessness-a disempowering belief that they are "stupid" and "can't learn." When your child repeatedly views her behavior as flawed, her future success is stifled.

When your child thinks about her failures, her inspiration is soured, her body releases less dopamine, and her opportunity to be brilliant is reduced. Therefore, as hard as it may be, direct your attention toward your child's academic problem only long enough to find a solution, then turn your undivided attention to that solution. See your child as a successful and confident star. One of the greatest gifts a parent can give a child in terms of an academic mindset is to view her as a strong, successful student. Find every opportunity to notice your child's academic strengths.

Social Influences

The same areas of the brain that deal with social situations-determining the moods and intentions of others-frequently process learning tasks. These areas include the visual centers of the brain, the frontal lobes, the areas of the brain that process other senses, and interpret emotions. Because of this, the social environment shapes your child's brain in dramatic ways.

A brilliant researcher and scientist, Lev Vygotsky coined the term "zone of proximal development" to indicate that adults and more able peers profoundly influence a child's learning and mental development through their interaction while completing tasks.

It is vital that these interactions be positive and productive. Working harmoniously with your child may be difficult, but it is a goal worth working toward because of the tremendous boost to your child's intellect that comes from positive social interactions.

Parents must be careful not to "do too much" of their child's school work. As important as the social interaction platform is, brain research is also clear that children must learn to rely on their innate skills and develop the conviction, by conquering challenging tasks, that they are competent learners who can handle any learning task.

Movement

Movement stimulates the growth of brain cells which are necessary for learning. It gives children the opportunity to explore the world and gather information that develops their intelligence. The brain requires feedback in order to learn and grow, feedback that comes from interaction with the environment. Movements allow children to express their knowledge and begin to tackle the next stage of their learning.

In particular, children who have learning issues benefit from regular movement. Try these activities before beginning homework, and at regular intervals while working.

Encourage your child to engage in cross lateral physical activity for five minutes every hour. Cross lateral movements engage hand and foot on opposite sides of the body. Most of these movements are more effective when done standing. The addition of rhythmic music provides a boost. Some cross lateral movements students enjoy are:

Karate Cross Crawl: Kick while punching or chopping with alternate hand and foot (right hand chops while left foot kicks).
Double Doodle. Draw a design with both hands simultaneously. Be sure the designs are mirror images of each other, rather than facing the same direction.

Most students remember new information better when they talk, write or draw. For those students who remember information best by writing, provide them with a white board and erasable markers or encourage them to write on paper. Allow your child to act out what has been read, build a model, draw a diagram or chart, sing or dance. Encourage your child to "teach" new information to others in the household.

Body's Natural Rhythms and Preferences

The human mind is made for short bursts of focused attention. Therefore, frequent changes of pace are crucial to learning. The mind needs to reorganize and consolidate new information during non-learning periods.

The brain responds to novelty, so let your child change aspects of his study environment when they no longer stimulate him. For example, use different colored paper or pens, put up a poster or picture in the work area, and change it every month or so, or change the screen saver on her computer.

A child's storehouse of background knowledge is the support system for new learning. Bolster your child's supply of knowledge by taking trips, answering the relentless "why" questions, and having meaningful discussions about the nature of the world!

Nutrition

Unfortunately, most children are improperly nourished! In our busy, fast-paced culture, nutrition has taken a back seat, and children's brains are paying the price. Brain-rich foods include complex carbohydrates such as whole-grains and non-processed cereals. Leafy green vegetables and fruits are essential, in addition to lean meats, nuts and omega-three fatty acids found in fish. If children's diets do not include needed nutrients, research indicates that supplementation is very helpful.

Water is a key nutrient for the brain. Be sure your child's brain stays hydrated by teaching him to drink enough water at regular intervals throughout the day, and not to substitute other fluids as his water allotment! A general recommendation is 8 to 12 glasses per day.

Physical environments

Factors such as seating, lighting and ambient sound have a profound effect on children's learning.

Your child's chair should allow your child's shoulders to stay back and be at the correct height so that his feet touch the floor comfortably. Poorly supporting chairs restrict blood flow, cause fatigue and reduce concentration. Poor posture strains muscles and stresses the back. Some children concentrate much better when they sit on the type of inflatable balls that can be found through occupational therapy or sensory integration catalogs.

Light has profound influences on the body. For example, ultraviolet light found only in natural sunshine, activates the production of Vitamin D in the body and the manufacture of melatonin which regulates body rhythms. Whenever possible, be sure your child has access to natural lighting, both by playing outside and by reducing artificial lighting in the home in favor of natural light. Study outside whenever possible.

Our brains can process an astonishing 20,000 bits of auditory information every second! During learning periods, reduce distracting noise such as that coming from artificial lighting, TV sets, or washing machines. If outside noise is a problem, hang drapes or wall hangings to absorb sound. Use "white noise" to soothe and focus your child. Good sources of masking noise are fish tanks; upbeat, instrumental music; and desktop waterfalls.

Learning occurs because a complex orchestration of bodily processes works cooperatively with the social and physical environment to cause a change in the nervous system! Learning isn't just "in the head." Learning is a team effort that plays out on a cellular level with all cells of the body playing their individual roles, and on the larger social level as the learner interacts with people and experiences that hold personal meaning.




Dr. Kari Miller is a Board Certified Educational Therapist and Director of Miller Educational Excellence, Educational Therapy in Los Angeles. She began her career almost twenty-five years ago as a special education resource teacher. She has worked with students in a vast array of capacities, including special education teacher and educational therapist. Dr. Miller has a PhD in Educational Psychology and Mathematical Statistics, a master's degree in Learning Disabilities, Gifted Education and Educational Diagnosis, and a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education and Behavior Disorders.

To contact Dr. Miller
Email: klmiller555@sbcglobal.net
Website: http://www.millereducationalexcellence.com
Phone: 310-280-9813





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Effective Therapies to Provide Help For Autism in Children, Toddlers and Babies


Like any other disorders, the effects of autism on a child can be minimized by early detection. Intervention programs can then be applied to help improve the development of the child. This is one of the best ways to help for autism. Children with autism can benefit from therapies and have a better future.

There are five types of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and each one varies in effects and treatment. It is important to recognize which spectrum of condition your child belongs before he or she must be treated.

Autism affects the communication, social skills, and activities of a child. Therefore, these are the areas in which parents and caregivers must concentrate in providing help for autism. Children with the disorder must be taught how to speak, play with others, and behave properly as early as possible.

Here are the best therapies that would help for autism - children, toddlers, and babies:

Speech Therapy

Almost all children with autism will have difficulty in talking or communicating. Get your child started on speech therapy as early as possible. Speech Therapy includes the treatment of speech and communication disorders. This can be done in a private setting, in groups or teams, or in a clinic.

Sensory Integration Therapy

Autistic children are sensitive to bright lights, loud sounds, and touch. This therapy will help your child become less sensitive to these things and will greatly improve your child's behavior. It will also help the child use his or her body effectively within the environment.

Occupational Therapy

Most people with autism often lack some of the basic social and personal skills required to live independently. This therapy will help children with autism achieve independence in all aspects and develop skills necessary for self-sufficient and satisfying lives.

Always get updates about ASD

Everyday, new therapies and treatments are being tested to help child with ASD. New things are being discovered that can give help for autism. Children with the disorder must be given more priority to have a better life.




Autism should not be a reason to burden your family. Although there is still no cure for autism, early detection can really make a big difference. Visit HELP FOR AUTISM and learn more about its causes, symptoms, and how to handle it. Reviews on the top 3 books online about autism are also available.





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2012年6月24日 星期日

Dealing With Attention Deficit Disorders


Attention deficit disorders are associated with neurotic hyperactivity, the acronym for the disorder name is "ADHD." As the name suggests, the person with this kind of affection has episodes characterized by mental haziness, fidgeting and impulsiveness. Because these behavioral patterns are normal but infrequent manifestations in human beings, it becomes difficult to diagnose a patient as an attention deficit patient. There are no clear-cut percentages or counts to determine the boundary line between normal and pathological attention deficiency. The symptoms may appear in three ways, prevalently inattentive, prevalently hyperactive, or, inattentive and hyperactive in equal intensity.

Inattentive symptoms include:

1. Distraction, forgetfulness, overlooking details and fidgety-ness

2. Great difficulty in focusing attention

3. Getting bored easily with emotionally monotonous tasks

4. Unable to organize one's self or the activity on hand

5. Tendency to lose items

6. Tendency to ignore what others are saying

7. Daydreaming

8. Slow movements

9. Unable to process information fast

10. Inability to follow instructions

Hyperactive symptoms include:

1. Restlessness

2. Continuous chattering

3. Jumping about and touching and playing with things

4. Unable to remain still

5. Impatience and impulsiveness

6. Irresponsible actions or speech

7. Difficulty waiting for one's turn in a game or in a queue

Attention deficit and hyperactive disease has been attributed to many causes. The first is evolutionary. This hypothesis claims that this disorder is really a hand-me-down from the pre-agricultural, hunters of past ages. It suggests that during those times, the symptoms of attention deficit disorder, may have been essential for survival. It further claims that this pattern of behavior may actually be beneficial to a society.

Another possible cause is the exposure of the fetus to alcohol, nicotine and lead. Also implicated in this respect are complications and abnormalities during child birth. Nicotine produces hypoxia in fetuses and has been tagged as one of the factors increasing the chances of acquiring attention deficit disorder.

Substances used for coloring food are also suspected to encourage attention deficit disorders. Some artificial food colors; sunset yellow FCF (E110), quinoline yellow (E104), carmoisine (E122), allura red (E129), tartrazine (E102) and ponceau 4R (E124), and the preservative sodium benzoate have been linked to attention deficit disease. While many countries have not banned the use of food colors, some countries may require manufacturers to inform the public of the presence of suspected culprit colors in their products. In the USA food labels may contain text like: "Contains FD&C Red #40." This suggests that the effects of food dyes may influence the person's capacity for sensory integration, resulting in the various manifestations that simulate the symptoms of this disease

Child violence and child abuse are also known to produce behavioral patterns in children similar to attention deficit affliction.

The beneficial effects of stimulant drugs on ADHD patients has produced the theory that these people have a high arousal threshold. This directly causes the lack of attention and dreaminess states. In turn, to cope with this under-stimulation from the surroundings, the patients resort to intense movement, talkativeness, emotional behavior and fidgety-ness.




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