Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorders - are a range of neurological disorders that most markedly involve some degree of difficulty with communication and interpersonal relationships, as well as obsessions and repetitive behaviors.

Lisa’s definition – a developmental disorder where the brain is unable to hear and see at the same time in addition to heightened sensitivity to sound, touch, and light.

One child in one hundred and fifty is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. That is a lot of children who have a very limited outlook on life, as most autistic children are not able to grow up to be self supporting, functional citizens.

The problem with autism is that the scale is so large. There are children who are severe and others who are milder. Yet, they all get lumped into one category. Some kids are quite functional, like those with Asperger's Syndrome. Others are locked in a silent world.

We know these kids are intelligent, yet they are failing to communicate. They often scream in frustration or resort to stimming activities like rocking back and forth or flapping their hands. This is an effort to stimulate their senses.

So,we know that these kids are sensory deprived. We also know that the sooner they are diagnosed and treated, the better off they will be. It is my belief that they can be helped through brain retraining activities. I know this to be true because it has worked for me.

The first thing I do is teach the student to track with his eyes. Sometimes this might take a year. But, I have found that once the student can follow an object with his eyes, then other learning can take place. This makes sense. Vision is our primary learning sense.

Children with autism are often highly sensitive to sounds. They hear noises that other kids don't hear. This causes them to become frightened or upset. Once the vision is in place, there are activities that can help these kids to tune out background noise.

Another thing these kids need is to have their skin receptors stimulated. Touch might hurt them, which causes them to draw away. Rubbing their foreheads, which is where the frontal lobes are located, as well as rubbing their backs, arms, and legs briskly, helps them to desensitize to their environment.

These activities help the autistic child. Once these are in place, the brain retraining can take place. That is where the real work is done. The autistic child needs to be taught how to see and hear at the same time. This can be done through brain retraining.

The outlook for an autistic child does not need to be so negative. If nothing is done, then nothing will change. But I have worked with kids who have made tremendous progress. It isn't an over night fix, but it can be done.