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2012年9月17日 星期一

Home Remedies For Eye Care and Pupil Disorder


When a long-suffering walks through the door, the eye care expert must immediately begin evaluating the integrity of that patient; the way he or she carries themselves, their speech pattern, facial features, clarity of their eyes, position of their eyes, signs of squinting, or excessive tearing. These careful comments could alert the practitioner to issues that need attention. The eyes, as we know are the measure of the inner workings of the body. The pupils, in exacting, distinguish the delicate intricacies of the brain, and any abnormalities could prove devastating.

Our basic visual design is such that both eyes work jointly in synchrony with each other. That is to say that the eyes are hypothetical to focus at the same level, move together, procedure light at the same rate, and both pupils are hypothetical to react the same to light and somewhere to stay. There are certain circumstances that will prevent full regular functioning.

For example, the eyes may not move the same way resultant in an eye turn, or one eye may see better then the other consequential in decreased visual functioning. However, the pupils are always imaginary to react the same way, at the same time. The one immunity to this rule is if an individual is born with this irregularity. Putting that state of affairs aside, all pupils must respond identically. If there is a pupil irregularity, a very serious neurological crisis could exist, and that may be life aggressive.

The human beings are blessed with five sensory organs and eyes are among that five. We move eyes several times a day to bring the objects in focus. Due to its sharp focus one is able to see the far distant objects and the minute ones like ant. Any error in the functioning of the eye results in vision defects. The common vision defects are:

o Myopia (short sightedness)

o Hypermetropia (long sightedness)

o Astigmatism

o Presbyopia

o Causes of Eye problems

o Reading in inadequate light or dim light

o Working on computer for longer periods without using computer screnn.

o Inadequate diet specially the diet which is deficient in vitamin A

o Watching television from close and for maximum hours

Conditions which affect the structure or function of the pupil of the eye, including disorders of innervation to the pupillary constrictor or dilator muscles, and disorders of pupillary reflexes

Home Remedies for eye care and Pupil:

o Mix one part of rose water and one part of lime juice and store in a bottle and use it as an eye drop.

o Intake of sufficient amounts of vitamin A is very necessary for healthy vision.

o Eating spinach will help in preventing various eye problems as it contains carotene in very rich amount.

o Using drops of eyebright herb are very beneficial for the eye conditions.

o The consumption of good amount of vitamin C also lowers the chances of developing cataracts.

o Make a mixture of 4-5 grams of alum powder and 30-35 grams of rose water. Put 2-3 drops of this mixture in each eye every night to get relief from eyestrain and also redness in the eyes.

o Washing the eyes with cold water will give relief from strain and soothe the eyes.

Eye Exercises:

Palming - sit relaxed with legs folded on a chair and rest the elbows on the table. Keep the palms of both hands on the cheeks, close both the eyes and cover them with the hands. Remain in this position for 10-15 minutes.

Blinking - while doing constant work with eyes, blink the eyes at least 10-12 times continuously.

Pupil exercises - rotate the pupils up and down for at least 5-6 times while keeping the neck and backbone straight.

Other causes of unequal pupil sizes may include:

* Aneurysm

* Bleeding inside the skull caused by head injury

* Brain tumor or abscess

* Excess pressure in one eye caused by glaucoma

* Infection of membranes around the brain caused by meningitis or encephalitis

* Migraine headache

* Seizure (pupil size difference may remain long after seizure is over)

* Tumor, mass, or lymph node in the upper chest or lymph node causing pressure on a nerve may cause decreased sweating, a small pupil, or drooping eyelid all on the affected side.




Read more on Home Remedies for Eye Care and Eye Care Products.





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2012年9月16日 星期日

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - What Criteria to Use When Deciding Treatment


When it comes to treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, many parents are at a loss as regards which treatment options to go for. Very often, they do not ask the right questions about the powerful mind altering drugs which are prescribed in tons across Europe and America. This article should help you to decide on what criteria to adopt before deciding which treatment is right for your child.

The first criteria to take into consideration is to see if the treatment you choose will affect your child's sleep in a positive or negative way. Many of the psychostimulants such as Adderall XR, Ritalin and Celexa have some side effects as regards sleep challenges and leave many children with a sleep deficit. This has a knock on effect at school and interferes with daytime functioning.

Hasbro Children's Hospital (Providence RI) recently carried out a survey. When psychiatrists and child psychologists were asked about how many children were suffering from insomnia in their care, the numbers were very high. In preschoolers it can be as high as 20%, while in school kids this rose to about 33%.

If your child is suffering from sleep challenges because of the medication he is on, it is high time to reconsider and find alternative treatment. Otherwise it means that more prescription drugs are given to solve the sleeping problem and this leads into a downwards spiral where too many drugs are given to children. There are other ways of treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

The second criteria when selecting the right ADHD treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is to make sure that child behavior modification is an integral part of the treatment. Pills or medication will never teach social, learning or coping skills! This is recommended by the NIMH who say that medication must be combined with behavioural therapy or effective parenting skills. This is also supported by the research carried out at the University of Buffalo.

The third criteria in selecting treatment for ADHD is to ensure that the lifestyle changes you employ are actually compatible with your ADHD child's condition. For example, make sure that crowded places such as shopping malls are reduced to a bare minimum. As ADHD children suffer from a sensory overload, noisy environments are more than likely to lead to a meltdown. The answer is to increase green time activities. You can help an ADHD child by breaking down tasks and routines. There are ways of preparing for bedtime which will induce better sleep such as winding down time before bed. The computer is NOT the way to do that. TVs and computers off an hour before bedtime are great ways to enforce this.

The bottom line is to choose an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder treatment which will cause your child the minimum of discomfort in side effects. You can also ensure that the lifestyle changes and routines actually are helping him to grow and develop into a happier and more confident child.

Why not check out my website below for more ideas. You will be so glad you did!




Yes, you CAN raise happier, calmer and better behaved children. Discover more info on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and how the selecting the right treatment can turn your child around.





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2012年9月15日 星期六

What Family Members Should Learn in Determining Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Family


At present, the rate of individuals diagnosed with autism is 1 out of 160. Autism which is an intricate developmental disability usually becomes visible within the first three years since birth. This disorder affects brain development in such areas of communication and social interaction. Most cases exhibit delay in the developmental stage at the age of three which generally affects boys other than girls. Family members should be aware of symptoms such as difficulty with verbal or non-verbal communication, especially when the child cannot express himself, social interaction and play activities or activities integral to everyday living. This disorder makes it difficult for them to relate to the outside world and let them stick to their own world instead.

April 4, 2009 is World Autism Awareness Day. This day is focused on elevating awareness about autism in society while encouraging diagnosis of early stages and signs. The World Autism Awareness Day aims to gather autism organization worldwide providing a voice to those who are not diagnosed, seeking for assistance and are misunderstood. Medical tests for diagnosing Autism are not defined since symptoms and characteristics differ individually and individual development with regard to communication and behavior is commonly the basis for diagnosis. Autism Awareness helps the society to accept individuals and deal with the behavioral disorders. There are some disciplines associated with Autism disorders which include Neurology, Developmental Pediatrics, Autism Specialist, Psychology, Speech and Language Therapy. Each diagnosis and intervention expands the probability for the child to grow and progress.

Autism awareness can be essential for families dealing with the agony of seeing their children exhibiting the disorder through the symptoms they encounter everyday. Each individual with the Autism disorder shows unique characteristics that vary from time to time. Families should be aware of their patient's behavioral pattern and must learn to observe the disorder through symptoms like limited verbal or non verbal communication, short attention span and may communicate with gestures only. They may also indicate presence of overactive or passive traits, minimal interest in interacting with peers or strangers, shall sometimes experience sensory impairment, and avoids eye contact. In some cases, families may observe that their patients may lack spontaneous and imaginative play, lack interest in imitating other's actions nor initiate play, resistance to routine changes and show aggressiveness to themselves or to others. Autism is therefore, a spectrum disorder which should be closely monitored and observed among family members especially on their early childhood years.




Exclusively written by Mary Ann Villanueva Oppus (original copy on file)





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2012年9月11日 星期二

Understanding Non-Verbal Learning Disorder in Children


Non verbal communication is a generally accepted and used mode of communication. Looking and understanding any signs is easy for many, but there are some people who find it difficult to understand the facial expressions, body language, gestures, postures etc. This difficulty in understand non-verbal communication is known as non-verbal learning disorder.

Non-verbal learning disorder is a neurological disorder, which is being promoted as a new term within the broader area of 'learning disabilities', though it has been considered since the earliest days of learning disabilities diagnosis.

It is strange to find that people/kids with this disability have no problem verbally communicating with anyone. In fact, NVLD kids have very good vocabulary, reading, memory power in the early years of childhood. When these children move to schools, there will be difficulty in interpersonal communication and therefore become physically weak and become not adaptable to the environment.

A few tips for parents who's kids are diagnosed to having NVLD are:

1. Provide structure and routine.

2. Help the child to cope up with anxiety and sensory difficulties.

3. Be logical, organized, clear, concise and concrete. Do not use jargon or sarcasm.

4. Be specific about cause and effect relationships.

5. Help your child develop organizational and management skills.

6. Teach the child about gestures, postures, body language.

7. Help the child in group activities. This is important to help the child socialize.

It is going to be a little difficult for parents to cope with the child's disorder, but with a positive attitude, support and help from family, one can cope with the disorder. Support from family is an integral part of the child's growth and learning to cope with the disability.




For more information, log on to http://www.edurite.com.





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2012年9月10日 星期一

Treatment And Therapies For Autism Spectrum Disorder


Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder can vary from person to person and the typical behaviors often change over time. These result in Autism treatment strategies being tailored to meet the individual needs. However, for treating children with autism, highly structured and specialized treatments and therapy sessions are conducted so as to improve their social, behavioral, communication, adaptive, and learning skills. Diagnosing autistic behaviors and patterns within the children in the early stages can help them to overcome all the deficiencies and reach their full potential.

The primary goal of different kinds of autism treatment is to improve the overall ability of the child. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) the following strategies can help an Autistic child to reach his/her potential to the fullest.

Behavioral training programs and therapies- Through behavioral therapies that use self-help, positive reinforcement, and social skills training the behavior and communication of the children can be improved. Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), Sensory Integration and Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH) are some of the branches of the behavioral training program.

Specialized therapies- Specialized therapies include speech, physical and occupational therapy. These specialized therapies are considered as some of the most important components of treating autism and medical faculties seek to integrate these in a child's treatment program. Speech therapy tends to improve the social and the language skills of the child, enabling him/her to communicate more effectively. Physical therapy and Occupational therapy help improve the deficiencies of coordination and motor skills and also help the child learn to process information in a manageable way, through various senses such as sound, sight, touch, hearing, and smell.

Medicines- Medicines are used to treat problem behaviors and related conditions such as anxiety, depression, OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorders) and hyperactivity. Autistic children might often suffer from insomnia (lack of sleep) and a routine schedule is set for their bedtime and the time to get up. Doctors might try medicines to treat insomnia; however, it is the last resort.

Some of the medical faculties and experts have referred alternative therapies such as auditory integration training and secretin. Another specialized Autism treatment method conditions that is still a topic of debate within the medical faculties is the role of hyperbaric oxygen therapy and its role in improving autistic conditions. Although some studies proved the effectiveness of the HBOT sessions in improving the autistic conditions, the medical faculties have not yet unanimously agreed on its role.

While you are thinking about a specific type of treatment for Autism, you should always seek to find out information whether the treatments are scientifically approved. One or two case studies on a specific treatment are not enough to attest its effectiveness as the symptoms of autism vary from one child to the other. The doctors and the psychologists are yet to identify a definite treatment that would cure autism but relevant studies have revealed that early diagnosis and treatment can surely bring in notable improvements within individual.




Kevin Halls is a senior researcher of Autism Treatment Wisconsin. Through his blog posts and articles he tends to inform the users about different facts about autism, the general symptoms, possible causes and the treatments.





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2012年9月8日 星期六

Autism Is A Disability Not A Disorder


These parents have to realize that Autism is not a disorder but just a disability that can be rectified. This disability causes various difficulties in brain functions and also the behavioral aspects of the children. For your child who is suffering from autism the whole world is strange and lonely, he needs your love and support a lot at this time. They need comfort and care so that they do not feel lonely in this strange world.

Autism does not have a permanent cure but it can be treated to ensure that the children who are affected by this autism can lead a normal life. There is occupational therapy and physical therapy to develop the individual's ability. Occupational therapy concentrates on improving their day to day works like wearing their shirt, bathing, combing their hair, tying a shoe lace etc. On the other hand physical therapy concentrates on using massage like therapies to improve the person's body movements. Other than this there are four other common methods of treating Autism, they are behavior modification, communication therapy, dietary modification and medications.

Behavior modification concentrates on making them good citizens by making their social skills and behavior polished. These include methods like sensory integration therapy and social stories to make these children understand how to behave in the public. Communication therapy includes making the individuals who are affected by this Autism to speak well or communicate through signs. The change of diet in the dietary modification is controversial as food is not found to a factor of Autism. There are some medications also that enable pacification of such Autistic children who sometimes go into an uncontrollable state. Again it is to be remembered that autism is a disability and not a disorder.




Hope Autism Service offer Autism Therapy & Autism Treatment for brain disorder that typically appears during a child's first three years and lasts throughout a person's lifetime.





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2012年9月7日 星期五

Identifying Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in the Classroom: Eight Things Teachers Should


Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the phrase that is used to describe children who have significant problems with high levels of distractibility or inattention, impulsiveness, and often with excessive motor activity levels. There may be deficits in attention and impulse control without hyperactivity being present. In fact, recent studies indicate that as many as 40% of the ADD kids may not be hyperactive. Research shows that there are several things happening in the brain of the ADHD child which causes the disorder. The main problem is that certain parts of the Central Nervous System are under-stimulated, while others may be over-stimulated. In some hyperactive kids there is also an uneven flow of blood in the brain, with some parts of the brain getting too much blood flow, and other centers not getting as much. Certain medications, or other forms of treatment can be used to address these problems. Often the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder child has special educational needs, though not always. Most Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder kids can be successful in the regular classroom with some help. Teachers can find over 500 classroom interventions to help children be successful in school at http://www.ADDinSchool.com. As a teacher ask yourself these questions: 1. Can the child pay attention in class? Some ADHD kids can pay attention for a while, but typically can't sustain it, unless they are really interested in the topic. Other ADHD kids cannot pay attention to just one thing at a time, such as not being able to pay attention to just you when you are trying to teach them something. There are many different aspects to "attention," and the ADHD child would have a deficit in at least one aspect of it. 2. Is the child impulsive? Does he call out in class? Does he bother other kids with his impulsivity? These kids often cannot stop and think before they act, and they rarely think of the consequences of their actions first. Impulsivity tends to hurt peer relationships, especially in junior high school years. 3. Does he have trouble staying in his seat when he's supposed to? How is he on the playground? Can he wait in line, or does he run ahead of the rest of the class? Does he get in fights often? 4. Can he wait? Emotionally, these children often cannot delay gratification. 5. Is he calm? They are constantly looking for clues as to how they are doing. They may display a wide range of moods, which are often on the extremes: they act too sad, too angry, too excited, too whatever. 6. Is the child working at grade level? Is he working at his potential? Does he/she stay on task well? Does he fidget a lot? Does he have poor handwriting? Most ADHD kids have trouble staying on task, staying seated, and many have terrible handwriting.

7. Does he have difficulty with rhythm? Or the use of his time? Does he lack awareness about "personal space" and what is appropriate regarding touching others? Does he seem unable to read facial expressions and know their meanings? Many children with ADHD also have Sensory Integration Dysfunctions (as many as 10% to 20% of all children might have some degree of Sensory Integration Dysfunction). SID is simply the ineffective processing of information received through the senses. As a result these children have problems with learning, development, and behavior. 8. Does he seem to be immature developmentally, educationally, or socially? It has been suggested by research that children and teens with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder may lag 20% to 40% behind children without ADHD developmentally. In other words, a ten year old with ADHD may behave, or learn, as you would expect a seven year old to behave or learn. A fifteen year old with ADHD may behave, or learn, as you would expect a ten year old to behave, or learn. There is a lot to learn about ADHD. Both teachers and parents can learn more by visiting the ADHD Information Library's family of web sites, beginning with ADDinSchool.com for hundreds of classroom interventions to help our children succeed in school.




Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., is a family therapist who has been working with ADHD children and their families since 1986. He is the clinical director of the ADHD Information Library's family of seven web sites, including http://www.newideas.net, helping over 350,000 parents and teachers learn more about ADHD each year. Dr. Cowan also serves on the Medical Advisory Board of VAXA International of Tampa, FL., is President of the Board of Directors for KAXL 88.3 FM in central California, and is President of NewIdeas.net Incorporated.





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2012年9月6日 星期四

Autism Spectrum Disorder - Better Diagnosis Or Growing Epidemic?


Current incidence of Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD is unbelievably 1 out of every 95 children. As compared with the number of children diagnosed with this disorder in 1980, the percentage of ASD has quadrupled. In 1980, autism was considered a rare disorder, with an estimated 2-5 per 10,000 people.

Autism is generally diagnosed during a child's first 3 years of life, however new research is now identifies diagnostic indicators as early as 6 months. One may wonder what is happening to cause such a dramatic increase in this relatively new disability. Autistic children display difficulties in Sensory Integration Disorder (SID), comprehension problems, expressive language disorders, and a variety of social/pragmatic difficulties. A review of medical, professional, and research literature will result in an array of various explanations. An extensive review of the medical, professional, and autism interest group literature results in a wide diversity of opinion and explanation to the apparent escalating rise of autism. Some believe that autism has no cure, while others claim that there is a complete and definite cure.

During the 1970's, research data began to be reported which showed strong evidence in the role of genetics in the causation of autism. The theory of environmental influence in the causation of autism has only recently taken a more prominent stance amongst the professional and medical communities. In his book Changing the Course of Autism, Dr. Bryan Jepson states that even though finding the gene that triggers autism could lead to developing a medication for treatment, "understanding the role of the environment and studying the biochemistry of autistic children seems much more likely to lead to effective treatment immediately, and in fact would pinpoint which genes should be targeted...understanding the genetic factors requires understanding the impact of the environment on the genetic code." Most proponents of this theory do believe that there is a genetic predisposition to autism, however that changes in the environment and in the practice of modern day medicine are "activating", you might say, the genetic flaw.

As a Speech/Language Pathologist of 25 years, I have noted an unprecedented increase in the diagnosis of autism or one of the various diagnostic labels that fall within the autism spectrum of disorders among the pediatric client population I work. The "picture" of the typical autistic child has made dramatic and wide range changes in the years since beginning in the field of speech and language therapy. The profile of a regular classroom has been transformed in the past 20 years. School nurses are inundated with various medications from those for ADD/ADHD to Bipolar Disorder to ASD. So, are we experiencing an epidemic of Autism Spectrum Disorders or are we just getting better in diagnosing it? Regardless of the causation, children with autism can be helped! New technology, learning therapies, and integrative techniques are available to assist in better brain learning and networking. These new methods can increase the overall abilities for the autistic child so that he or she can learn to understand his or her world.




Lucy Gross-Barlow: As a Speech/Language Pathologist of over 26 years and having practiced in a wide variety of therapeutic settings, Lucy brings to her clients a diversity of patient care knowledge. For the past 12 years, she has specialized her practice in the area of processing disorders and remediation of learning impairments, and she has a passion in seeing her clients succeed in their communicative and learning skills. Lucy now desires to extend the knowledge she has gained in processing and learning remediation to as many children as possible to enable them to reach their full learning and communicative potential in life. Lucy is a founding partner of The Therapy Group, an association of Speech-Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, learning specialists, Speech-Language Pathology Aides, parent teachers, administrators and advocates pioneering an industry in web-based consulting for parents who seek to help their children with learning challenges or those learning with disabilities in achieving academic and social success. Providing parents with resources, learning therapies, proprietary products and programs worldwide.





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2012年9月5日 星期三

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD) and Avoiding the Problem of Medicating a Developing Brain


Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) appeared first in the 1980 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychological Association. Today ADD means different things to different professionals, depending upon their field, their level of experience and medical knowledge, and their cultural beliefs about how children should act.

Parents are often surprised to learn that there is no particular medical or neurological abnormality present in individuals diagnosed with attention deficit. Instead, the diagnosis depends upon subjective assessments by parents, teachers, or professionals with little or no understanding of the neuroscience of learning and behavior.

In fact, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a consensus statement in 1999 warning that the causes and treatments of ADD are only speculative. In a very real sense, the diagnosis itself is only speculative.

In spite of this, individuals and even very young children who are given a diagnosis of ADD are typically given a prescription for an amphetamine, usually methylphenidate. This amphetamine is very similar to cocaine in terms of its effects on the brain (see Volkow et al, 1995); both drugs compete for the same binding sites on brain cells, both are taken up into the same areas of the brain, and both produce similar psychological effects. Perhaps the major differences are that methylphenidate remains in the brain much longer and the psychological expectations associated with the drug are much different.

Both methylphenidate and cocaine affect the brain by increasing levels of dopamine in the frontal lobes, an area responsible for motor planning, learning, problem solving, impulse control, memory, attention, language, analytical thinking and social behavior, and the striatum, an area responsible for processing and integrating sensory information.

Increased levels of dopamine make the brain feel powerful and happy and can produce addictive behaviors and responses. Elevated levels of dopamine also alter other neurochemicals and affect control muscle movements, sleep/wake cycles, hunger and satiety, arousal, heart rate, blood pressure, and stress responses.

If these altered levels of neurochemicals persist for too long (e.g. several weeks), the brain begins to try to bring the levels back to normal. If a neurochemical has been elevated for too long, the brain will begin to shut down some of the receptors for that neurochemical and will begin to kill off some of the transporters that move the neurochemical through the brain. We call this effect "downregulation."

After about three weeks it is possible to see these architectural changes with the electron microscope; after about four months the changes are significant. Four months on methlyphenidate, for example, will result in the loss of about 75% of the dopamine transporters and 20% of the dopamine receptors in the striatum (Vles et al, 2003). The striatum is an area of the brain critical for sensory processing, learning and memory.

Downregulation can have significant effects on the developing brain long after the drug has been withdrawn. Early exposure to methylphenidate, for example, has been linked to decreased interest in sex, food, emotional experiences, and novelty, and an increase in anxiety and stress levels in adolescence and adulthood (Bolanos, et al, 2003).

Of course, the brain can also "upregulate" by growing more transporters or receptors or making the remaining receptorsor more sensitive. However, upregulatio takes time.

It is dangerous to abruptly stop taking a medication after downregulation has occurred, so following a weaning schedule is recommended. The speed at which an individual is weaned from a drug like methylpheidate is based on the length of time they have been taking the medication and the dosage that they were receiving. A physician familiar with the neurological properties of the drug should be consulted before attempting to wean someone off such a drug.

Regardless of the problems associated with medications used to "treat" attention deficit, the question remains as to why a child is having problems paying attention. There are a host of metabolic, immunological, neurolgoical sensory and psychological causes of inattention including: metabolic disorders, allergies, toxins, sleep disorders, vitamin or fatty-acid deficiencies, thyroid disorders, diabetes, depression, boredom intolerance, high intelligence, high creativity, frontal lobe dysfunction, auditory or vestibular processing disorders, and learning disabilities.

Correctly identifying the underlying cause of inattention can help parents and medical professionals avoid the problems of exposing a developing brain to medications that alter neurochemicals, produce downregulation or create long-term side effects that may be far more serious than inattention.




The author, Michelle L. MacAlpine, Ph.D., is a cognitive developmental neuroscientist specializing in the assessment and treatment of sensory processing disorders, attention deficit, and developmental, academic and cognitive delays.

More information can be found at http://www.braintraining.com

ARTICLE REFERENCES
Volkow ND, Ding YS, Fowler JS, Wang GJ, Logan J, Gatley JS, Dewey S, Ashby C, Liebermann J, Hitzemann R, et al. 1995 "Is methylphenidate like cocaine? Studies on their pharmacokinetics and distribution in the human brain." Arch Gen Psychiatry. 52(6):456-63.

Vles JS, Feron FJ, Hendriksen JG, Jolles J, van Kroonenburgh MJ, Weber WE. 2003 "Methylphenidate down-regulates the dopamine receptor and transporter system in children with attention deficit hyperkinetic disorder (ADHD)." Neuropediatrics. Apr;34(2):77-80.

Bolanos CA, Barrot M, Berton O, Wallace-Black D, Nestler EJ. 2003."Methylphenidate treatment during pre- and periadolescence alters behavioral responses to emotional stimuli at adulthood." Biol Psychiatry. 54(12):1317-29





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2012年8月30日 星期四

Living With Sensory Processing Disorder - A Family Affair


I. A child's view on how SPD effects family relationships

Living and coping with a disorder can often consume a child's world. For children with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), this can be especially challenging as most children with SPD are seemingly "normal". Many people do not often realize that these normal-looking children could be plagued by such an emotionally, physically and socially taxing disorder. Emily Brout knows all too well how difficult it is to explain her disorder: "Sometimes it is really hard to explain what Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is to other people. It's very complicated and it's not even easy for me to understand! Many people don't know anything at all about SPD because there hasn't been a lot written about it or on T.V. So most people have no idea how SPD makes a person like me feel. In fact, there are many people who don't even think SPD is real! That makes me so mad! Why would anybody make this up?"

Having SPD makes family life and social time with friends tough on Emily. "SPD makes me feel like I'm being attacked by noises, smells, and lights every day. Smells can be really bad, and sometimes even make me throw up. It is very hard to sit in the cafeteria with my friends at school and try to hide the fact that I am gagging because of a smell. Noises are the worst for me. Quiet noises that repeat over and over make me really upset, and these noises are part of every day life. My sister and brother get mad at me because I yell at them for noises that they make. Sometimes, I get really sad and don't want to go anywhere. I also lose my temper and get really mad at people. I don't do this on purpose, but my friends and family don't always realize that. I just cannot help it. Every day I struggle to keep myself calm even though I feel scared, mad and upset on and off, all day."

Coping with a special need such as Sensory Processing Disorder can be equally frustrating to both the child and his or her family.

II. A parent's perspective on raising a child with SPD

Emily's mom, psychologist Dr. Jennifer Brout, can identify with trying to cope with raising a child who has a special need and maintaining her family dynamics. "A wise professor once told me 'Your primary goal is to not make things worse'. As I consulted psychologists and psychiatrists alike, I wondered if there were any clinicians who even understood what Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) was!" said Brout. "My daughter received Occupational Therapy to remediate her symptoms, yet her personality and our family dynamics had already been shaped by the disorder's complications." Dealing with this frustration and lack of help from mental health professionals who had no real treatment for her daughter, Brout often wondered, "was there anyone out there who would understand that I was not simply giving in to my daughter's 'manipulations' because I was a browbeaten mother lacking any savvy?"

Everyday life posed so many difficulties and heartache for Brout, as a parent who had to watch her child struggle with SPD. "Although her other senses were affected, extreme over-reactivity to certain sounds caused my otherwise sociable, empathic sweet-natured little girl to be unpredictably moody and explosive. During toddler hood and early childhood she threw tantrums that lasted for prolonged periods of time. She was extremely clingy, and often appeared sad. Background noises that most people didn't notice set her off into rages." Not being able to ease a child's suffering could leave any parent feeling helpless. Brout remembers one of those moments with Emily, "when she was six years old she looked at me and said 'When I hear bad noises I feel like I'm turning into the Incredible Hulk'. Then she asked intently, 'Mommy, can you fix my brain?' This moment defined the extent to which my daughter was suffering, and how negatively her self-image had been impacted by SPD. What little girl should envision herself as a huge, green, out of control mutant?"

What can a parent do? How can a parent mediate Sensory Processing Disorder within family life?

For parents coping with their child's SPD, Brout offers this advice, "it is helpful to remind yourself that with Occupational Therapy, sensory integration treatment, and as he or she gets older, your child will be able to implement greater control over his or her behavioral reactions to his or her physiological responses. In the meantime, however, regulation (calming the child so that he or she is not over stimulated and agitated) is the first priority." She goes on to suggest that in order to make this shift, "you must allow yourself to dismiss much of what you have been told about parenting, even by mental health professionals, because it does not apply to SPD children. For now, think of your child as one whose body over-reacts to sensory stimuli, and who is deficient in calming down." When faced with an agitated child whose behavior is effecting family life, Brout suggests using the three R's: Regulate, Reason and Reassure

Regulate: "Help your over-responsive child calm down by identifying the source of the sensory stimuli, and shift the focus from any resulting conflict. As a child develops greater language and cognitive skills this process becomes easier. However, even younger children with limited language skills can be regulated. Each child is unique which is why it is essential to consult with a professional."

Reason: "Once your child is calm, review the incident with him focusing on his thought processes. If he cannot identify the stimuli that triggered his actions, try to do it for him by making suggestions. For younger children, you will have to go through this process with relative simplicity and brevity. With enough consistency your child will understand your message, and will also learn that when he or she is over-stimulated, calming down is the first step! Remember, this process is not an over-night cure!"

Reassure: Remind yourself that your child does not like feeling out of control. Reassure him that over time he will gain control, and that you will help him. Let him know that you expect him to try as hard as he can, but protect his self-esteem and self-image by framing the problem as though it were 'a work in progress'. Repairing damaged self-esteem and poor self-image is much more difficult than reshaping a child's misconstrued ideas about the causes and consequences of behavior. No child should see himself as a huge out of control green mutant being that repels others!"

In regard to family dynamics, Dr. Brout states, "the SPD child feels victimized by the overwhelming sensory stimuli generated by family members. However, siblings are also likely to feel victimized having often been the object of the over-responsive child's mood swings and/or aggression. Therefore, it is important to let siblings know that they are not responsible for these problems and that you are doing everything you can to get help for your over-responsive child and for the family. Behavior is not only about actions and consequences. It is about interpersonal relationships and that is especially true in regard to SPD as it affects family functioning."

___________________________________________________________________________________




Jennifer Jo Brout, Ed.M., Psy.D. is a psychologist focused on Sensory Processing Disorders and their application to mental health. She earned an Ed.M. in School Psychology from Columbia University and a Psy.D in School/Clinical Child Psychology from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Brout is currently involved with projects at the KID Foundation Research Institute, Duke University, and in association with audiologists and private clinicians throughout the country.

In 2006, Dr. Brout launched Positive Solutions of New York, LLC to support research in psychological conditions, developmental disorders, and learning difficulties related to sensory processing/regulatory disorders through various creative and public service projects.





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ADHD Comorbid Disorder: Non-Verbal Learning Disorder


It's so easy to associate inattention or hyperactivity with ADHD comorbid disorders, especially when you consider how similar their symptoms are. Take nonverbal learning disorder (NLD), for instance. This fairly common disability goes easily undiagnosed because its most obvious symptoms resemble the non-stop talking often found in children with ADHD.

So what's the difference between a child with nonverbal learning disorder and a child with ADHD? The first thing you should know is that children with NLD are actually very verbal people - they have mature vocabulary, talk "like adults," have excellent reading ability, and demonstrate good rote memory skills. However, they are clearly deficit in the nonverbal arena. As a preschooler, your child might have trouble getting along with other kids, adapting to new situations, and troublesome but minor fine motor problems. For instance, your child might have incomprehensible handwriting.

During elementary school, your child might do fairly well in terms of academics, except for when a subtle symptom of NLD interferes with socialization or non-academic areas. As your child enters middle school or high school, things start to deteriorate as he is faced with more responsibilities. Teachers find him rude and he gets into fights with classmates because he cannot understand nonverbal cues like facial expressions or body language. Your child has difficulties completing homework, reading an assigned chapter, or writing an essay. Yet your child maintains his articulate speech and precocious language.

Children who have NLD are able to make up for the limitations of their disorder. It only starts to get worse once they hit puberty, when they start to suffer from anxiety or alienation. When they become adults, they experience problems setting priorities or picking up on social cues, or undergo mood disorders, which make it difficult for them to maintain relationships or jobs.

Diagnosing NLD involves a series of speech and language tests, neuropsychological tests, and other evaluation procedures. Since the most obvious symptom of NLD is advanced language skills, doctors usually administer the Brown ADD Scales and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale to distinguish NLD from ADHD. Children with NLD usually have 20 verbal IQ points more than their performance IQ scores.

Just like with ADHD, children with NLD will flourish if they receive holistic treatment. Some therapies that benefit NLD sufferers include:

Social skills groups, which teach children how to meet strangers, greet friends, recognize when they are being teased, etc.
Occupational therapy, an approach that improves fine motor skills and balance.
Sensory integration therapy. Some children with NLD tend to be hypersensitive to stimuli or have difficulties processing multi-sensory stimuli. This can make them feel agitated when confronted by distractions and other sensory stimuli. Sensory integration therapy can help them overcome these setbacks and reduce the anxiety caused by encountering strange sensory information.




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 Comorbid Disorder.





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2012年8月29日 星期三

Parenting Tips On Sensory Diet For Sensory Integration Disorder


Does your child with autism become sensitive to sounds, smells and is a picky eater? Does your child with another disability become hyperactive, when asked to sit for a long period of time? These are all signs of sensory integration disorder (SID). This article will discuss the sensory diet that is used for children with SID.

Sensory Integration Disorder is the inability of the brain to correctly process information brought in by the senses. SID can show itself in many different ways. A child with SID may be over or under sensitive to sounds, smells, may be a picky eater (does not like the way certain foods feel in their mouth), may not like the way certain clothes feel on their skin. Many children with autism and learning disabilities have sensory integration issues.

Children with SID may also have motor skill issues such as; difficulty with fine and gross motor skills, difficulty imitating movements, or has trouble with balance.

Treatment is usually carried out by a occupational therapist, with experience in treating children with sensory integration disorder. A sensory diet can also be put together, specifically for your child. The diet can be used at home as well as at school.

A sensory diet means that you are including sensory activities, within your child's day; at home and at school. Each child's sensory diet is different, depending on your child's specific SI needs. Ask your child's occupational therapist to help you set up a sensory diet, to meet your child's unique needs.

For Example: If your child becomes hyperactive on a regular basis, or perhaps prone to hitting or pinching, or being silly, or laughs for no reason a sensory diet may help. Giving your child sensory activities on a frequent regular basis, will help him to remain focused and in control more often.

A sample sensory diet is listed below:

At critical points during your child's day:

1. Swinging in a special swing or on a playground

2. Chase games such as tag, or running races

3. Jumping jacks, stretching, sit ups, balance beam

4. Trampoline, tire swing, exercise ball

5. Squeezables such as nerf balls, silly putty etc.

Every half hour if possible; to include the above:

6. Smelling scents game

7. Rubbing/or brushing with a specific type brush (Ask occupational therapist for type of brush to use, and how to do this technique), not to include the stomach.

8. Jump rope

Calming activities that you can use at home:

a. Morning: Bath, brushing, deep pressure.

b. After school: Child's choice (biking, running, skating).

c. Evening: Supper, bath, deep pressure.

Using a sensory diet on a child who has SID, can cause a dramatic improvement in their behavior and ability to focus. The items listed are easy to do at home and school. You may have to advocate for sensory breaks for your child, but remind special education personnel about how much it could benefit your child.




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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SID - Sensory Integration Disorder and Neurofeedback


Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) was discovered by Jean Ayres, Ph.D. about 40 years ago. Symptoms of SID in children are often misinterpreted as psychological problems or just plain bad behavior.

Higher cognitive functions including things such as learning and behavior depend upon having normal sensory integration.

As a psychologist, I am sad to say that when I was in graduate school, (1982 - 1987) that this disorder wasn't talked about much. At this time I am often involved with families who have a child with Sensory Integration Disorder.

Imagine, if you will, that for each of your 5 senses, there is a wire of a different color that leads the information form that particular sense, into your brain. For example, for the information that comes in from your eyes, or your visual senses, you might imagine a red wire; and blue one for hearing (auditory), etc.

Now, assuming that your brain was able to notice what color of "wire" the information was coming from, and knew that the red "wire" was information from your eyes, and blue was from your ears, it would be a fairly straightforward process for keeping things figured out. Someone with SID, however, doesn't experience it quite like this.

When someone is dealing with SID, their brain is getting mixed signals. At times, the red "wire "might be visual information; at other times, it might be the blue "wire" that is shuttling the visual data. Then, there may be times when the red "wire" is carrying both visual and auditory information. Can you see how this might be very confusing for the brain to interpret?

This sounds like a rather complex challenge, does it not? One could argue that it is, I suppose, but I've never been one for building a "case" for difficulty. Instead, I prefer to gather evidence for possibility.

In short, when neurofeedback is helpful for those with SID, it's as though neurofeedback is able to teach the brain to start recognizing the "wires" accurately and stop acting "color blind" when it comes to incoming sensory information. And, why shouldn't everyone's brain learn to clearly interpret sensory information?




Want to know more about the amazing world of Neurofeedback? Click on this link to go to http://www.NeurofeedbackBook.com Dr. Clare Albright is a psychologist and the author of a 168 page book, "Neurofeedback: Transforming Your Life with Brain Biofeedback" and can be reached at (949) 454-0996 http://www.NeurofeedbackBook.com. The pdf version of the book can be downloaded for only $7.99!





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2012年8月28日 星期二

Advice For Parents of Children With Sensory Integration Disorder


Some children can overreact when exposed to too much environmental stimuli. This disorder involving the senses is called sensory integration disorder. If your child has difficulty in high stimulation situations and has a high level of anxiety or stress he may be suffering from this disorder. Sensory integration disorder can effect your child's learning development and behavior. It also causes difficulties with processing information from the five classic senses, the sense of movement , and/or the positional sense (proprioception).

This condition is usually diagnosed by an occupational therapist. There is no known cure but many treatments are available. One common sensitivity is to the sense of touch. If your child shows signs of sensitivity to his sense of touch here are some things you can do to make life a little easier for both of you.

1. Choose the fabric for your child's clothing carefully.

Children with SID will find fabrics like wool too scratchy and irritating. Purchase 100% cotton fabrics instead.

2. Be careful when choosing the style of your child's clothing.

Remove any irritating tags on the collar and look for loose fitting clothes.

3. Choose grooming products wisely.

Don't purchase soaps or shampoos with extra additives or dyes. These may be irritating and harsh to your child.

Disorders that may be related to SID

Autism spectrum disorders

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Temper Tantrums

Don't worry this disorder is more common than you might think. It's okay. With the right treatment and attention your child will be able to manage herself with this disorder and life can be more peaceful at home.




Ms. Talbert is a mother of three and editor of Healthy Moms - Parenting, Pregnancy, Health and Women's Issues.

She lives in Sacramento, CA with her family.





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2012年8月27日 星期一

What Is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?


ADHD, what is it exactly? Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a developmental disorder usually causing inattention, distractibility, impulsivity, and hyperactivity in children starting before the age of seven. ADHD is a chronic disorder that occurs in 3-5% of children worldwide.

The controversy surrounding ADHD has been around since the 70's. Some people don't even believe that ADHD is an actual disorder; others believe it has a genetic or physiological basis. Even more controversy surrounds the treatment for ADHD. Treatments include behavior modifications, life-style changes, counseling and stimulant medication.

Now a days anytime a child is hyper parents think it is ADHD. Between 2-16% of kids in school are diagnosed with ADHD and given medication for this disorder. Many kids however are usually misdiagnosed. Many symptoms of ADHD can be attributed to other disorders, many of which can accompany ADHD. Because such combinations of disorders appear together, this can complicate diagnosis. There are five behavioral symptoms that have been attributed to ADHD, but are actually not symptoms of ADHD directly. Many of these symptoms are misdiagnosed as ADHD when in actuality they are their own disorder and should be treated as such. The five problems are Anxiety, depression, disruptive behavior, learning disabilities, and sensory integration disorder.

1. Anxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by feelings of worry, apprehension, and fear. Anxiety can be triggered by a person, a place, or even by a feeling. The stimulus can even be unidentifiable outwardly to other people. It's harder to diagnose kids that have anxiety largely due to the fact that kids articulate their feelings much less than adults do. Kids with anxiety usually appear preoccupied or zoned out. This is due to their internal thoughts of worry. Kids with anxiety don't know how to handle or express their anxiety and perceive their threats as uncontrollable and unavoidable.

2. Depression is a mood disorder characterized by feelings of sadness, helplessness, and hopelessness that can result in an aversion to activity. Depression can impair thinking skills, memory, cognitive flexibility, and attention. People who suffer from depression usually seem out of it. They have trouble focusing, become irritable, and have a lack of interest or initiation. Depression has no one single cause. Family history, pessimistic personality, trauma and stress, physical conditions, and other psychological disorders can all be associated with depression. For others depression had not specific trigger or cause. Since children have more difficulty expressing their emotions, it's important to determine depression in children through the evaluation of the child's behavior in several contexts.

3. Disruptive Behavior is where a child will not settle down and becomes troublesome or disorderly. Especially in a school setting this can become a problem where the disruptive student doesn't allow the other students to learn. In some cases kids can be disruptive intentionally, to show off, be funny or look cool. However children that have disruptive behaviors usually feel frustrated and are rebelling against authority to bring attention upon them. These types of kids have not developed adequate self-control, which causes them to act out and ultimately cause distractions for other classmates.

4. Learning disabilities is a classification of disorders where a person has difficulty learning. These disorders have affected the brain's ability to receive and process information therefore making it terribly difficult for the person to learn. Because we do not know what causes this problem within the brain learning disabilities are impossible to cure. However, there are other ways to get around learning disabilities. Intervention and support are the most important options available to someone who have a learning disability. Learning disabilities in children can cause inattentiveness, disruptive behavior, anxiety and depression. There are many learning disabilities such as reading, writing, math disorders, visual perception, auditory processing, nonverbal, dyslexia etc.

5. Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) is a neurological disorder where the person is unable to coordinate sensory information as it comes through the senses. When present in a child, the child may appear inattentive or quite the opposite as hyperactive. This is caused by the child being oversensitive or under sensitive to the sensory stimuli surrounding him/her. A child with a sensory integration disorder may be distressed by loud noises, bright lights, rough textures, or smells; or conversely, may need to handle things, hang upside-down, or shout boisterously.

As you can tell from the descriptions of the each of these disorders, many of the symptoms are the same or very similar. Many of these disorders accompany each other and therefore the person may be dealing with several different disorders at the same time. Because many of these disorders are now affecting children as well its important to evaluate and diagnose properly. This way we can properly treat for the correct disorder and stop over-medicating of our children, which can cause them harm in their future.




http://www.universalhealthinfo.com
http://www.universalhealthinfo.com/ADHD.html





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2012年8月26日 星期日

Teenagers and Sensory Processing Disorder: The Special Challenges


Teens with sensory processing disorder have special challenges because of the stage of development they're in and the fact that until now, their sensory issues may have gone unaddressed.

1. Finding the right OT can be difficult. Few occupational therapists are trained or experienced in working with teenagers who have sensory processing disorder. Play-based SI therapy may seem silly and embarrassing to teens.

2. Poor self-esteem. Teenagers who have had sensory issues for years will have learned at least some accommodations to get around them and are less likely to experience the extreme behaviors and responses they did when they were younger. However, years of feeling different and not knowing why, and noticing that they have never been quite as mature and self-controlled as their peers, take their toll. Teens with sensory processing issues usually struggle with self-esteem. They need a lot of encouragement to admit they have sensory issues and need some help.

3. Need for independence. Teenagers need to have their independence respected, so being told, "You need to do X, Y, and Z to manage your sensory issues" usually doesn't go over very well!

4. Desire to fit in. Even teenagers who don't feel the need to have a lot of friends or be conformist want to have some friends they feel they fit in with. Sensory challenges can embarrass them and may make them feel isolated, and different in a negative way.

5. Changing hormones. Teenagers have ever-changing hormones that can exacerbate sensory issues by making them more sensitive to input than they were in the past. The normal changes of adolescence can also make them more moody and emotionally sensitive.

6. New expectations. People are less likely to see your teen as a young, immature person with a hidden disability and more likely to see him or her as a young adult whose behavior is willful.

What's a parent, teacher, or therapist to do?

1. Modify traditional SI therapy techniques to be more teen friendly. As a substitute for playing with a tray of shaving cream or finger-paints, encourage the teen to cook, garden, do art or arts and crafts, and engage in other activities that challenge his tactile issues. Work with a sensory-smart occupational therapist who is willing to alter her approach to helping your teenage son or daughter to reduce any embarrassment or defensiveness.

2. Talk about sensory issues positively. Reassure your teenager that sensory issues are simply a difference in brain wiring that can have advantages but that can also be controlled and addressed to make life a little easier. Explain what SPD is and why in some cases, it's good to be extra sensitive or to crave certain sensations, and that people with sensory issues often have other gifts as well, such as the ability to "think in pictures." Then explain that there are "tricks" you and/or an OT can teach them to "make their lives easier." Everyone wants his life to be a little easier! Acknowledge how hard your teen has to work to be organized or tolerate certain sensations and praise her for her efforts.

3. Offer accommodations and sensory diet ideas for him or her to choose from. Present accommodations and activities to teenagers and let them decide which they would like to use. Honor and respect their choices and encourage them to engage in collaborative problem solving with you. If they don't want to be seen doing a brushing protocol for tactile issues, can they do it discreetly in the bathroom at school? If all the kids are wearing loose clothes and they prefer them tight, can the teen wear tight clothing, such as bicycle shorts, underneath looser clothes that seem more stylish?

4.Help your teen with sensory issues to feel okay as he is and find a group of peers he's comfortable with. Practical solutions for grooming, picky eating, and dressing, and encouraging talks about the upside of being different, can help your teen with sensory issues feel more comfortable among his peers. However, he may also feel better about himself if he expands his group of friends. Encourage your teen to develop hobbies and engage in new activities from individualized sports that don't require high levels of skill and competitiveness to enjoy them to groups that engage in the arts, community service, spiritual growth, etc. Extracurricular activities can help kids find their "tribe" and feel the power to make a difference in the world as well.

5. Accept that your child may be more emotionally sensitive at this stage. Be alert to signs of increased anxiety and depression and consult a medical health professional with any concerns you have. Remember, addressing sensory issues will reduce overall anxiety that can lead to mild or moderate depression (when you feel you can't manage your discomfort, over time, you can develop depression). Don't forget some of the most effective treatments for mild or moderate anxiety and depression include physical exercise, time spent outdoors, meditation, and breathing exercises. Mindfulness practices from yoga and tai chi to tai kwan do and karate can help, too.

6. Focus on self-awareness and accountability for self-regulating. It's very difficult to get others to accept poor self-regulation in a teen, even if you educate them on hidden disabilities. Therefore, the sooner you collaborate with your teen in creating a workable sensory diet that prevents negative behaviors, the better. It will be easier for your teen to develop better self-regulation if she is trained in using specific self-calming and self-alerting techniques that she knows work for her. Hold her accountable for using her alerting music and gum, taking time out to sit in a quiet space and do breathing exercises or use a brushing protocol, etc. Have her participate in creating a sensory diet tailored to her needs to keep her sensory needs met and to prevent fight-or-flight behaviors. Let her experience the natural consequences if she refuses to use her calming, focusing, alerting techniques.

Above all, never forget that kids with sensory issues need a "just right" challenge, a balance of accommodations to make them more comfortable and challenges that take them out of their comfort zone. Sensory diet activities for teenagers help them to develop a higher tolerance for situations and activities they'll encounter in life, and over time, retrain their brains to process sensory information more typically. Be creative and encouraging in setting up a sensory diet for a teenager, and always be collaborative to respect the teen's need for independence.

Finally, if you're a parent frustrated by trying to get your teenager's sensory issues under control, consider joining an in-person or online support group or creating one. Knowing that you aren't alone, and having practical and emotional support from other parents going through the same experiences with their teen, can help you enormously at this stage of your child's development.




Nancy Peske is the coauthor of the book Raising a Sensory Smart Child: The Definitive Handbook for Helping Your Child with Sensory Processing Issues. Learn more about sensory issues at http://www.sensorysmartparent.com and visit Raising a Sensory Smart Child on Facebook.





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What You Need to Know About Autism Spectrum Disorder - FAQs


What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) is a disability that causes a hindrance to the patient's mental development. This is usually manifested by difficulties interacting socially and by delayed faculty developments. Autism can manifest as early as age three.

What are the different types of Autism?

There are five types of Autism Spectrum Disorder namely:

Asperger's syndrome - This is the mildest form of autism disorder. This is characterized by severe obsession about a single object or topic. When they become obsessive about it, they will try to study everything related to that object and they will not stop discussing it for a long time. Males are more likely to be affected by this syndrome.

Rett syndrome - It is a neurodevelopmental disorder in the brain that affects not only the social skills of the person but also his physical traits. This is characterized as having small hands and feet, decreased rate of growth and repeated body movements. People who are affected by this syndrome have no verbal skills.

Pervasive developmental disorder - This Autism Spectrum disorder is the middle ground between those diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome and Autistic disorder. It means that the person affected is not as good as a person with Asperger's syndrome but not as bad a person diagnosed with Autistic disorder.

Childhood disintegrative disorder - This disorder is very rare. It is characterized by normal to stopped development. A person with childhood disintegrative disorder develops on a normal pace at early age and stops at one point. An abrupt stop in the development makes them lose most areas of function.

Autistic disorder - This includes mental retardation and seizures. People with autistic disorder shows signs of repetitive movements and language malfunction.

What causes Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Some types of Autism Spectrum Disorder are considered as 'idiopathic' or originating from an unknown cause. Though a lot of factors relates to autism such as genes, vaccines and parenting, they are just correlation which does not actually pinpoint a cause.

Can Autism be passed on?

Though genetic play a big part in autism disorders, there no scientific proof to validate that claim. However, it is safe to assume that greater risks of Autism Spectrum Disorders can be expected from families with such history.

Does poor nutrition affect Autism?

Yes, poor nutrition definitely affects Autism. However, the same can be said about healthy people. Nutrition affects all aspects of health, whether you are in peak form or not. But poor nutrition does not cause autism.

What are the treatments available for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder?

1. Behavioral training - This type of training induces self help and positive reinforcements. This training includes Special Education and sensory integration.

2. Different therapies - Depending on the type of Autism Spectrum Disorder, the person affected may be needing physical, speech and occupational therapy. It targets different function areas to work properly.

3. Parental Support and training - This is particularly important when it comes to treating Autism disorders. Parents need to employ special care to make their child feel understood and cared for.

4. Medicines - This is used to tone down some symptoms of autism like stress, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders.




If you are looking for information about autism spectrum disorder, we can help you out in understanding this concept. To learn more information about this disorder, this website can help you out on your concern.





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2012年8月25日 星期六

Locating and Understanding the Roots of Physical Tension (Tension Deficit Disorder)


Physical tension (Tension Deficit Disorder) can usually occur due to a malfunction in a motor or sensory system. In most cases, when tension is present, it builds up in muscles and causes varied functional difficulties. From difficulty in motor skills to emotional tension which can break out in different ways.

In most cases, physical tension is mistakenly interpreted by professionals, and the diagnosis can be misleading, for example:

• Continuous and constant tension

• Behavioral difficulties

• Impulsiveness

• Focus and concentration difficulties

• Various learning difficulties such as ADHD-ADD

• Social difficulties

• Low self esteem, self image, and more.

The symptoms that pinpoint to Tension (Tension Deficit Disorder) are:

1. Is there constant movement of limbs noticeable? (arms and/or legs)

2. Is the child active non-stop throughout the day until he falls asleep? (Cannot enter the sleep process gradually, but keeps active up to the stage of increased fatigue and "falls" to sleep.)

3. Is reading found difficult, and/or a slow reader, and/or difficulty in understanding the topic being read, and/or reading as a tiring task?

4. Is there noticeable difficulty in writing fast and clearly, and/or is there a sense of pain in fingers while writing, and/or writing as a tiring task, and/or finding writing a frustrating task?

5. Is emotional hypersensitivity noticeable? (Difficulty modulating the intensity of emotional reactions, and/or impulsiveness, and/or crying is easily triggered, and/or disproportionate reactions to various events.)

6. Are difficulty modulating senses noticeable, and/or hypersensitivity to smells, noises, touch, light and flavors? Is there difficulty being in crowded, noisy or closed spaces?

7. Is difficulty and/or dislike playing ball games noticeable, difficulty playing with a few children at once, slow-moving or clumsy, finding physical activity excessively tiring, feeling tense and maybe anxious after physical activity, trouble getting up vigorously in the morning, not wanting to go to school?

Answering yes to one or more of the upper questions could point out a malfunction in one or more physical systems that are meant to allow easy and enjoyable function. In that case, during specific activity the body creates tension (Tension Deficit Disorder), which leads to the above mentioned difficulties.

If the malfunctioning system is correctly identified, and is trained to a state of matured neural networks, in most cases the mentioned symptoms will improve drastically, and/or disappear

Without medication.

The systems that need examination in order to determine whether the Tension (Tension Deficit Disorder) is caused by physical difficulty are:

a. Gross motor skills - the cross limbs ability

b. Fine motor skills, mainly the ability to separate movement between fingers and both hands, both hands at once and each separately.

c. Controlled, exact and conscious eye muscle movement.

d. The entire sensory system (hyper/hypo sensitivity).

e. Conscious use or the respiratory system while performing motor, sensorial, emotional and cognitive tasks and while resting.

f. Grapho motor ability in both hands separately and simultaneously.

g. The ability to integrate between motor skills and breathing, thinking and controlling emotions.

In these examinations (mentioned in detail in the book "Intelligence Integration") the specific cause of the tension (Tension Deficit Disorder) can be found. Finding the physical cause enables a training plan to be built that will release the trainee of physical tension without medication, therefore allowing optimal daily function.




The training program is fully described and detailed at

http://www.intelligence-integration.com

Intelligence Integration gives an opportunity to improve difficulties as: Tension Deficit Disorder Dyslexia Dysgraphia ADD-ADHD Behavioral Difficulties and more, with a simple proses at home environment, without medications





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Mindfulness Psychotherapy For Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder


Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) first came to the attention of doctors during the First World War when relatively large numbers of soldiers returned from combat exhibiting intense emotional distress in which they seemed to re-live the terrifying events of war long after the event. However, war is only one context in which PTSD arises. Later, it became clear that this phenomenon of delayed emotional reactivity could result from many other contexts such as accidents and illness, physical assault, rape or witnessing acts of violence and devastation, natural or man-made. Childhood abuse is now recognized as one of the major sources of PTSD.

In general PTSD can be defined as severe recurrent emotional anxiety reactions that originate from an intense and traumatic experience. A trauma occurs when there is a combination of sensory and emotional overload that cannot be processed and integrated into the psyche. A war scenario provides many intense visual, auditory and contextual stimuli that are completely foreign to the average person, as does sexual abuse, rape or witnessing a car accident. Context plays a very important part as in the case of childhood abuse, where the child's model of how his parents should behave cannot be reconciled with the parent's actual behavior. The experience of intense fear that accompanies trauma becomes encoded into the internal memory imprint of the associated sensory experiences. The unprocessed sensory experiences and associated emotional reactivity become submerged and repressed in the subconscious mind as a core emotional complex. When the appropriate stressors are present or when the suppressive activities of the ego are weakened, as is the case during sleep this repressed emotional complex is activated leading to a repeat experience of the emotional trauma, often with the associated visual imagery in the form of flashbacks. Like other core emotional complexes, the repression is never complete and negative emotional energy leaks into present experience leading to general anxiety, phobias, recurrent anger, sleep difficulties, depression, obsessive-compulsive behaviours and substance abuse. These can be described as the layers of secondary reactivity that form around the primary trauma reaction and which, in their own way, shield the core emotional complex from further processing and integration by the psyche.

There are many approaches to treating PTSD, some involving medication and others focussed on psychotherapy. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a particularly useful approach, because it focuses on the client's actual patterns of habitual negative thinking and beliefs and attempts to change these into more positive and functional forms. The form of cognitive therapy described in this article is called Mindfulness Meditation Therapy (MMT), which can be defined as the direct application of mindfulness to an emotional complex to facilitate transformation and resolution. Mindfulness describes a particular form of awareness that is present-centered, direct and non-reactive towards an object of awareness. It is best described as the combination of PRESENCE and INVESTIGATION in which there is an openness of mind and heart to fully experience and know what is present in our field of awareness. Presence is one of the most important components of sensitive listening as when we are listening to a friend who is suffering. As we know from experience, simply being there with him or her in this way with complete attention and presence is often more important than what we say or do. In this same way, learning to be fully present for our emotional suffering is highly therapeutic and is perhaps one of the major contributions to the healing process. The other aspect of mindfulness is simply learning to recognize all the patterns of habitual reactivity that takes us away from being fully present for our emotional suffering. Meditation in the context of MMT refers to the direct application of mindfulness and presence to the emotional suffering itself, which becomes the object of our meditation. In general, during MMT, we allow the emotional complex to unfold and differentiate into more and more subtle content. This differentiation into specific feelings, memories and sensory content leads to direct transformation of emotional complexes and literally makes the complex easier to digest.

Traumatic memories have a specific internal structure in the form of intense imagery. This imagery may be photographic in quality, revealing the actual memory of the traumatic event, but more often it also includes abstract elements of color, shape and movement in something resembling a surrealistic collage. Whatever the form of the imagery, this internal representation is an essential part of what is required to produce intense emotional reactions. This is referred to as the Structural Theory of Emotions, where emotional energy is encoded in the specific sub-modalities of size, color, intensity, movement and texture. An intense emotion is likely to be encoded in intense colors such as red and orange and the imagery is likely to be large and close in the person's inner visual field, whereas neutral emotions are likely encoded in neutral colors such as pale blue or white and appear small and far away. It is by becoming aware of this internal structure of the imagery that encodes the emotional energy of the trauma that we can explore the possibility of changing the imagery and thus changing the emotional intensity of a traumatic memory. This concept is developed to an art in the therapeutic modality called Neuro-Linguistic Programming, or NLP. Just as language is made of words that represent internal experience, imagery represents the natural language of the mind - the mind thinks in pictures and uses inner imagery to organize experience and memory.

The Structural Theory of Emotions proposes that by changing the structure of the imagery it is possible to change the intensity of the emotional reaction. Thus, if the color changes from intense red to soft yellow and the imagery becomes smaller and further away, it is very likely that the emotion will be much less intense. However, for this to work effectively the imagery must arise experientially from the emotional felt sense, rather than be created through deliberate visualization. Similarly, the direction of change must arise experientially, rather than be imposed externally. In this way, the client maintains close presence with his inner experience and knows that what happens is meaningful and relevant to his or her specific transformational process. This is why mindfulness is such an important part of the transformational process, because it allows us to be exquisitely sensitive to what is meaningful and what is not. The investigative dimension of mindfulness also provides the best approach to uncover the detailed inner structure of the emotion and provide meaningful content.

A central focus in MMT is to uncover this internal structure of the traumatic memory and then to investigate this experiential content. There is no attempt to interpret what arises, only to experience fully and know completely whatever arises. This process essentially de-constructs the emotional complex into smaller parts that the psyche can digest and integrate into more stable configurations that do not continue to generate emotional suffering. Of course, this requires considerable preliminary preparation so that the client can experience the internal imagery without becoming overwhelmed by it. This preliminary phase of MMT is focussed on establishing the Mindfulness Based Relationship (MBR) in which there is sufficient stability and non-reactivity to allow the imagery to unfold into present awareness. There are many approaches to achieve the right MBR, such as watching the imagery as if projected on a screen or placing the imagery at some distance in front. Through mindfulness and careful investigation, the client can discover for himself what works best for establishing the MBR. However, once a client begins to witness specific details about the imagery, he inevitably finds it much easier to establish the MBR, because the specific content gives him a specific focus and this tends to prevent hyper-reactivity. The MBR is an essential part of the transformation process for many reasons, the primary reason being that it allows the compacted emotional complex to unfold into more manageable parts. At another level, the MBR allows the client to fundamentally change the way that he relates to his inner emotional experience and he begins to break free from seeing himself as a victim of the emotional trauma. This in itself is an essential requirement for change.

Throughout the whole process of Mindfulness Meditation Therapy, as developed by Dr Peter Strong, of Boulder, Colorado, the client is repeatedly exposed to the source of his fear, but in new ways that don't involve being overwhelmed. This exposure desensitization effect is regarded by most schools of psychotherapy as an essential part of overcoming PTSD and Mindfulness Meditation Therapy provides a very subtle and specific way of doing this. However, the heart of the transformational process occurs as the mind begins to make subtle changes in the core experiential imagery at the core of post-traumatic stress. The client discovers ways to change this imagery, and some suggestions are also made by the therapist. Through a process of creative exploration, the client transforms this inner imagery and the effect of this is to transform the PTSD. Trauma becomes reduced into a form that can be assimilated as a memory and ceases to produce recurrent anxiety.




Peter Strong, PhD is a scientist and Buddhist psychotherapist, based in Boulder, Colorado, who specializes in the study of mindfulness and its application in Mindfulness Meditation Therapy. He teaches mindfulness meditation (vipassana) and works with individuals and couples using Mindfulness Meditation Therapy for resolving difficult emotional problems, including anxiety, depression, phobias, grief and trauma and the management of anger and stress.

Besides face-to-face work, Peter also works with individuals and couples online via SKYPE. For Online Counseling, visit http://www.counselingtherapyonline.com

To learn more about Mindfulness Therapy, visit http://www.mindfulnessmeditationtherapy.com
Email inquiries welcome.





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2012年8月24日 星期五

Diagnosing Autism and the Differences With Sensory Integration Disorder


When it comes to diagnosing autism, there are many different factors that need to be considered. This is because the autism spectrum disorders have such a vast range of potential symptoms and no two cases are alike. Therefore, it is very easy to mistake autism for another condition. Among the most common mistakes when diagnosing autism is not understanding the difference between being on the spectrum, and sensory integration disorder.

This leads to the question of whether autism spectrum disorder and sensory integration disorder (also known as sensory processing disorder) are the same condition, or at the very least if they are related. Does one exclude the other? To begin, they are considered to be completely separate disorders, but to further understand them, Dr. Lucy Jane Miller performed a study "Quantitative psychophysiologic evaluation of Sensory Processing in children with autistic spectrum disorders", involving 40 high functioning autism or Aspergers Syndrome children who were tested for sensory integration disorder.

Dr Miller's results showed 78 percent of the participating children also displayed notable signs of sensory integration disorder. While, 22 percent of the participants did not show signs. However, a secondary study by the same researchers, "Relations among subtypes of Sensory Modulation Dysfunction" looked into children diagnosed with sensory integration disorder and tested them to see how many also had autism. Within that experiment, zero percent of the participants had autism. The reason that this is interesting is that while children with autism can exist without having sensory integration disorder, the majority show signs of the condition. On the other hand, there is no inclination toward autism in children who have only sensory integration disorder.

Children with both disorders demonstrate challenges with high-level tasks that involve the integration of different areas of the brain. This can include emotional regulation as well as complex sensory functions. However, the key to diagnosing autism as opposed to sensory integration disorder usually lies in the fact that autistic children experience greater problems in the areas of language, empathy, and social skills. Sensory integration disorder children do not experience the same connective breakdowns for controlling emotional empathy and social interaction.

In both disorders, children experience difficulties in tasks that require their brains to make long-distance connections, for example, between the frontal lobes (which coordinate the activities of the brain) and with the cerebellum (which regulates the perceptions and responses within the brain).

If you think that your child may have one or both of these disorders, it is important to speak to your child's pediatrician for autism diagnosing or identification of sensory integration disorder on its own or in combination with autism. If autism or autism alongside sensory integration disorder is the diagnosis, then you will be able to begin talking about the possible treatments available. These treatments can include various medications as well as alternative therapies and may overlap in terms of addressing aspects of both conditions simultaneously. For example many children with autism benefit from sensory integration therapies that also work well for children with sensory integration disorder.




Grab your free copy of Rachel Evans' brand new Autism Newsletter - Overflowing with easy to implement methods to help you and your family find out how to go about diagnosing autism and for information on autism characteristics please visit The Essential Guide To Autism.





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