Beatles songs such as “Here Comes the Sun,” “Yellow Submarine,” and Octopus’s Garden are perfect candidates for music therapy for kids with special needs. These songs are fun, simple, and easy to visualize. To find out more, please see my article in Examiner.com.
Archive for the ‘Autism’ Category
Play Beatles songs for autism music therapy
May 5, 2012‘Wretches and Jabberers’ autism documentary one of the best movies of 2011
January 11, 2012A groundbreaking documentary helped debunk myths in 2011 and showed that even – especially – non-verbal people with autism have a lot to say. On the movie review site www.rottentomatoes.com, 82 percent of reviewers and 91 percent of the pubic liked the movie.
I included an excerpt of my article about the movie in my wrap up of autism articles from 2011 on Examiner.com. Excerpts and the link to the article are below.
‘Wretches and Jabberers’ documentary opens April 1 for Autism Awareness Month
Wretches and Jabberers: And Stories from the Road is a powerful, moving documentary that follows two men with autism as they travel the world, visiting friends with autism and changing attitudes about disabilities along the way.
Many people with autism have extremely limited verbal skills or no speech whatsoever. It has long been assumed by the general public, and even by many parents, educators, and caretakers that scant speech equals low intelligence.
In Wretches and Jabberers, the movie’s protagonists dispel this myth. The two men and the four friends they visit show the world that they are in fact exceedingly intelligent, eloquent in their writings, and charmingly funny. Like Helen Keller before them, the “wretches” in the movie are pioneers, blazing trails for others to follow. The message of the movie is to show the world that there are others like them who are vastly underestimated and whose potential is untapped. It is a message of hope.
The central figures in the film are all either non-verbal or possess limited speech, and they also struggle with many of the sensory and motor issues common to others with autism. What is unique about the stars of this movie, however, is that all of them communicate by typing. They type on keyboards that speak the words and show the text they type. The microphone picks up the tapping of the typing, which can be a time consuming process. But it’s well worth the wait to find out what they say.
In his Wretches and Jabberers blog, Tracy Thresher, one of the stars of the film, exhorts people with autism to keep their heads held high even when they struggle:
“I would like to let everyone know that things do not always meet your expectations. The important thing is to keep plugging along. The world is a tough place and change comes slowly when we are dealing with discrimination that is so entrenched. There are those times when you may struggle and feel down. I know that feeling very well. I have had to push very hard to make change in my life. There have been many heartaches along the way. I have often thought things would remain terrible. The best advice I can give is to keep your chin up and tell everyone your story.”
Environmental autism articles from 2011
January 11, 20122011 was another eventful year in autism news. Scientists showed us that environmental toxins play a major role in autism, despite the previously held belief that autism is all genetically based.
Links to the articles are below.
Toxic chemicals found in baby products; some may be linked to autism
Studies: environmental factors during pregnancy may increase risk of autism
Scientists say rise in autism may be linked to toxic chemicals in environment
To see the article on Examiner.com, click here.
Wandering autism articles from 2011
January 11, 20122011 was another eventful year in autism news. Parents and advocates continued to raise awareness about wandering safety, a critical issue in the autism community.
Links to the articles as well as excerpts are below.
Preventing autism wandering deaths: Mason Alert, tracking, medical code proposed
Interview with advocate Sheila Medlam on her son Mason and autism wandering
New CDC medical code expected to help prevent autism wandering, raise awareness
To read the whole article on Examiner.com, click here.
New CDC medical diagnosis code expected to help prevent autism wandering
July 26, 2011A medical diagnosis code for wandering was announced by the Centers for Disease Control last Tuesday, a move intended to prevent wandering among people with autism and other disorders and diseases. The code will go into effect October 1 and will be identified as “wandering in conditions classified elsewhere” (V40.31). The code was announced at the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee meeting in Bethesda, MD, and was welcomed by autism advocates. Although the code is not specifically linked to autism or any other disorder or disease, it is hoped that the code will improve safety for those vulnerable to wandering, which include those with autism, cognitive disabilities, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Wandering and subsequent drownings are leading causes of death for children with autism, who are often prone to wandering, fascinated by water, and unaware of danger. Many of these children are also impulsive and nonverbal. In 2010, at least nine children with autism died in the U.S. after wandering, all of them by drowning. The trend has continued in 2011, with multiple incidents of deaths due to wandering. For each death, there are countless near-misses of mostly young children with autism who wander from homes and schools.
To read the rest of my article on Examiner.com, click here.
Studies: Environmental factors during pregnancy can affect likelihood of having a child with autism
July 14, 2011
Two recent studies in the Archives of General Psychiatry show that environmental factors play a major role in the development of autism. The findings are significant because for decades, the mainstream medical establishment has steadfastly maintained that the causes of autism are primarily genetic. However, some experts, and many parents, have known for years that the causes of autism are largely environmental.
In fact, autism is believed by many to be caused by a genetic susceptibility followed by an environmental trigger or triggers. The rate of autism has increased tenfold in the past 15 years, a rise that cannot be solely attributed to factors such as changes in diagnostic criteria.
In the first study, researchers examined 192 pairs of identical and fraternal twins from California. Each pair had at least one twin with autism. The study showed that environmental, or non-genetic factors in the womb, may significantly influence whether a child develops autism.
The study showed that when one identical twin had autism, his or her twin only had autism about two-thirds of the time, a figure lower than expected, since identical twins have the same DNA.
Meanwhile, fraternal twins in the study both had autism about one-fourth of the time, which was higher than anticipated, because fraternal twins are no more likely to have similar DNA than any other siblings, yet they share the same womb at the same time.
In a smaller study, antidepressant use by pregnant mothers during the year before giving birth, especially during the first trimester, was found to lead to an increased risk of having children with autism. Exposure to SSRIs including Prozac, Zoloft, Luvox, Celexa, and Paxil in the womb increased the risk of autism 2.2-fold.
Some language on government websites about the safety of certain drugs is shockingly, recklessly contradictory.
For example, the National Institute of Mental Health states on its website, “Research has shown that antidepressants, especially SSRIs, are safe during pregnancy.”
Two lines later, the NIMH says, “However, antidepressant medications do cross the placental barrier and may reach the fetus. Some research suggests the use of SSRIs during pregnancy is associated with miscarriage or birth defects, but other studies do not support this. Studies have also found that fetuses exposed to SSRIs during the third trimester may be born with ‘withdrawal’ symptoms such as breathing problems, jitteriness, irritability, trouble feeding, or hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).”
To read the rest of my article on examiner.com, click here.
Antidepressants during pregnancy may increase risk of autism
July 7, 2011Antidepressants during pregnancy may increase the risk of autism, according to a new study. See the article on CNN.com. SSRIs including Prozac, Zoloft, Luvox, Celexa, and Paxil have been linked to an increased risk of autism.
Scientists say chemicals are linked to increase in autism, Safe Chemicals Act proposed
June 9, 2011Decades ago the medical establishment insisted autism resulted in the coldness of the mother. Obviously that was 180 degrees wrong.
Just a few years ago they insisted autism was almost all genetic. That was largely wrong because autism is very much environmental.
Now, as autism continues to increase, those in the scientific establishment are finally admitting that environmental causes play a major role.
Some scientists, parents, and advocates have been ahead of the curve for many years, insisting that toxic chemicals and other pollutants are major factors in autism. Some of those experts spoke Tuesday on a conference call.
Some of the suspected culprits are endocrine disruptors such as brominated flame retardants, pesticides, BPA and phthalates. Mercury and lead are also known neurotoxins.
Many of these chemicals are ubiquitous in household products and even toys, and unfortunately, most people don’t know about it. The law that is supposed to provide protection against dangerous chemicals is 35 years old and has virtually no restrictions on chemicals, which don’t need to be tested before going to market.
To read my article on Examiner.com, about this, click here.
Here are some of my related articles:
Scientists say rise in autism may be linked to toxic chemicals in environment
Toxic chemicals found in baby products; some may be linked to autism
Toxic Chemicals Safety Act to be on 2011 Congressional legislative agenda
Health advocates rally at Capitol for chemical safety bill; some chemicals linked to autism, cancer
Landrigan calls for more research into pesticides, toxic chemicals, environmental causes of autism
Congress: CDC misled public about Washington, D.C. lead in water crisis, lead was toxic for some
Autism advocate Lyn Redwood discusses mercury vaccine controversy, chelation, treatment and recovery
CDC: 15,000 Washington, D.C. homes may have dangerous levels of lead in water
Interview with Dan Olmsted, Mark Blaxill: ‘Age of Autism-Mercury, Medicine, and a Manmade Epidemic’
Jennifer VanDerHorst-Larson on vaccines, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, treatments for son with autism
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