Sensory integration is organization of sensations for the use.Our senses give us information about physical conditions of our body an d the environment around us.sensations flow into the brain like streams flowing into a lake.Countless bites of sensory information enter our brain at every moment ,not only from our eyes and ears but from every place in our body. We have a spacial sense that detects the pull of gravity and the movements of our body in relation to earth.
~Defining Autism~
Autism is a spectrum disorder, and although it is defined by a certain set of behaviors, children and adults with autism can exhibit any combination of these behaviors in any degree of severity. Two children, both with the same diagnosis, can act completely different from one another and have varying capabilities.
You may hear different terms used to describe children within this spectrum, such as autistic-like, autistic tendencies, autism spectrum, high-functioning or low-functioning autism, more-abled or less-abled; but more important than the term used to describe autism is understanding that whatever the diagnosis, children with autism can learn and function normally and show improvement with appropriate treatment and education.
Every person with autism is an individual, and like all individuals, has a unique personality and combination of characteristics. Some individuals mildly affected may exhibit only slight delays in language and greater challenges with social interactions. They may have difficulty initiating and/or maintaining a conversation. Their communication is often described as talking at others instead of to them. (For example, monologue on a favorite subject that continues despite attempts by others to interject comments).
People with autism also process and respond to information in unique ways. In some cases, aggressive and/or self-injurious behavior may be present. Persons with autism may also exhibit some of the following traits:
* Insistence on sameness; resistance to change
* Difficulty in expressing needs, using gestures or pointing instead of words
* Repeating words or phrases in place of normal, responsive language
* Laughing (and/or crying) for no apparent reason showing distress for reasons not apparent to others
* Preference to being alone; aloof manner
* Tantrums
* Difficulty in mixing with others
* Not wanting to cuddle or be cuddled
* Little or no eye contact
* Unresponsive to normal teaching methods
* Sustained odd play
* Spinning objects
* Obsessive attachment to objects
* Apparent over-sensitivity or under-sensitivity to pain
* No real fears of danger
* Noticeable physical over-activity or extreme under-activity
* Uneven gross/fine motor skills
* Non responsive to verbal cues; acts as if deaf, although hearing tests in normal range.
For most of us, the integration of our senses helps us to understand what we are experiencing. For example, our sense of touch, smell and taste work together in the experience of eating a ripe peach: the feel of the peach's skin, its sweet smell, and the juices running down your face. For children with autism, sensory integration problems are common, which may throw their senses off they may be over or under active. The fuzz on the peach may actually be experienced as painful and the smell may make the child gag. Some children with autism are particularly sensitive to sound, finding even the most ordinary daily noises painful. Many professionals feel that some of the typical autism behaviors, like the ones listed above, are actually a result of sensory integration difficulties.
There are also many myths and misconceptions about autism. Contrary to popular belief, many autistic children do make eye contact; it just may be less often or different from a non-autistic child. Many children with autism can develop good functional language and others can develop some type of communication skills, such as sign language or use of pictures. Children do not "outgrow" autism but symptoms may lessen as the child develops and receives treatment.
One of the most devastating myths about autistic children is that they cannot show affection. While sensory stimulation is processed differently in some children, they can and do give affection. However, it may require patience on the parents' part to accept and give love in the child's terms.
~♥THE CURE FOR AUTISM IS LOVE ♥~'s Details
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~♥THE CURE FOR AUTISM IS LOVE ♥~ ♥ღ I'm so blessed to have 3 little boys that just happend to be Autistic..Love life live it to the fullest we only have 1 always smile ;)ღ♥ Posted at 5:26 AM Aug 7 view more
I'm a mother of 3 beautiful boys my older son and my lil boys have autism my middle son has Aspergers witch it falls in the Autism Spectrum.My hands are full with work and my 3 boys but i take my time to help other parents like me. I'm a Autism Advocate it is up 2 us parents to stand up and speak out for our kids needs and rights.I thank my husband an my family for all the help they give me with the boys. I cant ask for more but thank the lord for what i have my beautiful family .Autism didn't break us it just made us what we are a stronger family.I thank god every day for my beautiful sons that teach me something different everyday.Winning my first case in State Hiring was my gratefull joy i had. It was worth all the sleep least nights i had but i did it and I won I beat the state it was all for my sons rights.I am not here to hook up! I am here for friends,and to meet other parents with an Autistic child. if u have any questions just ask I'll help u if i can if not I'll find help for you where u live. If you don't know what Autism is here take your time and read lets spread the WORD.Autism is a devastating neurological and biological disorder typically affecting children between the ages of 18 months to five years of age. Autism affects each individual differently and at different levels of severity. Some individuals with autism are severely affected, cannot speak, require constant one on one care, and are never able to live on their own. While others are less severe, can communicate, and eventually acquire the necessary skills to live on their own.
Typically autism affects individuals in four key areas:
1) Communication (verbal and non verbal)
2) Social skills
3) Behaviors
4) Learning
Facts:
* One in every 150 children born in the U.S. have been diagnosed with autism.
(NOTE: This number does NOT include: PDD, Aspergers and other spectrum disorders. These statistics are endorsed by the CDC, American Academy of Pediatrics, and other federal organizations.)
* Autism is a life long disability for many affected individuals
* Autism affects each individual uniquely
* People affected with autism live a normal life span
* It is estimated that there are somewhere around one million people in the US are affected with Autism
* Some people affected with autism will require life long care at the cost of $5 to $7 million dollars.
* Autism is the most common developmental disability in California (and many other states.) Autism is now more common that Down Syndrome, Mental Retardation, and Cystic Fibrosis combined.
* Autism often strikes boys more often than girls – roughly four times more common in boys.
* Some children who receive an early diagnosis, intense behavioral intervention, medical treatment, and speech therapy will lead typical lives. Not all people diagnosed with autism receive such an early diagnosis or enjoy this outcome.
Most Common Misconception About Autism:
The common misconception with autism is that all autistics are like the actor Dustin Hoffman is his portrayal of RAIN MAN. His character possessed an amazing mathematical skill of adding enormous amounts of objects or counting cards in a deck. This example is a Hollywood portrayal and is not the case with all individuals affected by autism. His performance is to be applauded, but it was only that…..a performance, and should not be considered as an example of autism today.
Common Autistic Traits:
People diagnosed with autism process, respond, and interact with information in different ways. In some cases, individuals with autism may not be able to speak, may have self stimulatory behaviors (such as hand flapping, vocal utterances, repetitive behaviors), may be aggressive or be self-injurious. Each individual with autism is affected differently. But like with all people - not all individuals with autism are alike. In fact, very few autistics have the exact same issues. Very few individuals with autism are affected with all the issues specified below.
Some autistic traits could include:
* Scatter/splinter skills of abilities –
o such as poor gross motor or fine motor skills and the ability to read at a very young age
* Oversensitive or under sensitive to pain
* Desire for the same daily schedule, toys, type of clothes or an insistent on “sameness”
* Repeating words, phrases in place of typical language or conversation (This is known as echolalia)
* Much difficulty expressing needs – they may use pointing, gestures versus words, or tantrums
* Finding situations funny or laughing at times when it is inappropriate (i.e. laughing at a baby crying.)
* Activity is noticeably under active or over active
* Excessive or Frequent tantrums
* Can be aggressive or self injurious
* Prefers to be alone – may have social skills deficits
* Autistics can act deaf or be non responsive to verbal cues
* Odd play such as; spinning objects, or using toys for something besides there their intended purpose or using an odd attraction to an item that is inappropriate for age
* Non existent or poor eye contact
* Non responsive to typical teaching methods
* May respond negatively to crowds or not able to mix well with others
* Difficulty with holding a conversation
* May not like hugs, or to be cuddled.
* Sensitivity to loud noises, tags in clothes, coarse clothing, lights, and smells
* Frequently uses peripheral vision to track items (e.g., rolling car along countertop at eye-level)
* Highly self-limited diet (narrow down foods they’ll eat to a very limited few items when previously a broader range was accepted (e.g., bread, chicken nuggets, cheese, milk, and crackers – period.)
* A high amount of severe food allergies
* History of chronic ear infections as an infant
* Severe gastro-intestinal issues / chronic loose and/or foul-smelling stools.
* Lack of imaginative play or imitation.
Many of the above traits can occur in neurotypical individuals as well. However, the more symptoms from this list that apply (at least eight or more,) the possibility of autism might be considered and discussed with your child’s physician or a qualified pediatric neurologist.
Medical and behavioral treatments are available to individuals affected with autism. With early intervention (via both traditional therapies and medical intervention unique to the individual,) the future can be very bright for many affected with autism. However, we know very little about what causes autism and how to prevent it. Urgent medical research is required to help solve the mystery of autism and in finding the cure.
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What is an Autism Advocate?
An advocate is a person who argues for a cause; a supporter or defender who pleads in another's behalf. You are your child's advocate and finding the appropriate services and supports for your child is part of your responsibilities. Becoming an advocate is not something that happens overnight. It is something that you learn about as you continue to deal with the day-to-day experiences and challenges of raising a child with special needs.
Some people think that being an advocate means that you must have an aggressive, persistent personality; therefore, they feel that they cannot be an effective advocate. It is important to know that although some people choose to advocate in that fashion, others choose to take a softer approach. As one parent puts it, she has found that "a little honey goes a long way" in her experiences of advocating for her son's many needs. As long as your approach works positively for you, your child, and the provider of the services, you are an effective advocate.
Just as different people use different approaches, different situations require different approaches. Sometimes you may feel that you have exhausted all efforts and need help with advocating for your child's needs. You can find help through other parents, lay advocates (people with specialized knowledge and expertise), advocacy groups organizations, advocacy agency.
The following is a list of common advocacy skills. The complete list can be found on the Wrightslaw Web site. Although the list on the Wrightslaw Web site is geared toward special education advocacy, the skills can be applied to all types of advocacy.
An advocate:
* gathers facts and information
* learns about available services and the procedures to obtain these services
* knows about their legal rights
* realizes that planning prevents problems
* keeps written records
* is not afraid to ask questions and listens carefully to answers
* defines and describes problems from all angles
* offers solutions to the problem or issue that offer a "win-win" situation for all involved
Once parents have gained experience as an advocate, many choose to become advocates for other families by becoming parent mentors or by working as lay advocates for organizations or state agencies. Some parents are paid for their efforts while others volunteer to help.
AWA welcomes ASAN President Ari Ne'eman and Board Member Paula Durbin Westby, organizer of Saturday October 31st Washington DC area protest against Autism Speaks. We'll be hearing from them about ASAN's protest at Autism Speaks' DC area walk-a-thon Saturday as well as the growing wave of protests against Autism Speaks around the country, why its happening, where its going, what its implications and importance will be for the neurodiversity movement & the autistic community. In addition, we'll be checking in with ASAN on some of their advocacy priorities inside the beltway, asking about how Autistic people will be impacted by the health reform packages being considered by Congress and what pending legislation on school abuse might have to help Autistic students.
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Hi Martha, How u been? Hope everything is well. Yes...Im going to have a baby. im due in december 29, I had my ultrasound apt. on friday, but i couldn't find out what im having because the bb was crossing his legs. Hopefully i get to know before its born what im having. :] take care of yourself, talk to u soon. Huggs n Kisses your way..
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