July/August 2015
By Maureen Bennie
Member,
Autism Calgary Community
Director,
Autism Awareness Centre Inc.
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My most popular post this month on Facebook was on the Fredericton firefighters being the first in Canada to undergo autism training. Issues around safety are often the number one concern for parents and professionals when caring for those with ASD. In a highly stressful situation, people with ASD can either bolt, freeze, become aggressive towards the responder, or may not be able to follow instructions. They don’t always recognize the dangers associated with emergencies. Without proper training, first responders don’t know how to effectively get individuals out of harm’s way quickly and safely.
Dennis Debbaudt is the leading voice on emergency and first responder training. His Autism Risk and Safety Management website has training videos, books, articles and links. If you want to have first responders in your area receive similar training to the Fredericton firefighters, contact Mr. Debbaudt for more information.
A new study, published this May in Autism Research, suggests that seizures, sleep disorders and gastrointestinal problems may be connected to behavioral issues in children with autism. The medical profession has a tendency to focus on symptoms rather than investigating possible underlying causes.
“The researchers found that in several cases, having one medical condition increases the odds that one or two others will also occur. Children with gastrointestinal conditions are more likely to have sleep disorders or seizures than are those without gut problems, they found. Conversely, having a sleep disorder also raises the chances of having gastrointestinal troubles.
All three health problems are more prevalent in children with autism than they are in their unaffected family members, suggesting the problems are linked to autism. Allergies and asthma, in contrast, are equally common in their unaffected siblings, indicating no connection between these conditions and autism.”
What is also revealing in this study was children with more than one co-occurring condition tend to be less socially engaged, have more behavioral problems and struggle more with everyday life skills than those who have autism alone or have only one co-occurring condition. Treat the underlying conditions and there is a likelihood of the behavior improving.
Related to this study just discussed, there is a study published in the upcoming August edition of the journal Psychiatry Research about decreased social anxiety in young adults with autism who ate fermented foods such as sauerkraut. Fermented foods have probiotics which change the environment in the gut.
The secondary finding in this study was that more exercise was related to reduced social anxiety. “Although the researchers were pleased to see the findings so clearly support their hypothesis, the study is just the first in a series they have planned to continue exploring the mind-gut connection, including another examination of the data to see whether a correlation exists between fermented food intake and autism symptoms.”
Many parents have observed informally that when they treat gastrointestinal symptoms, their child’s life improves so both of these findings do support the importance of gut health and well-being.
When talking about sensory processing issues, we have to be aware that these issues manifest differently as a person ages. For example, a preschooler may exhibit temper tantrums whereas a high school student may be anxious or depressed in social situations. The Understood Team created a very handy chart that outlines these differences. They also created this checklist on how to help with sensory processing issues across a variety of environments.
Another popular blog post this month was Kate Corbett Pollack’s Why Are There So Many More Disabled People Now? Her answer to that question is they used to be institutionalized but aren’t anymore. She speaks about a film called Lost in Laconia which documents 100 years of that institution’s history. If parents were poor, they were often coerced into surrendering their disabled child to an institution.
We used to use the blanket term of mental retardation to describe a wide range of intellectual disabilities. These individuals were often sterilized as part of the eugenics movement which sought to weed out those considered inferior.
Kate concludes, “If your child has a disabled classmate, or two, or five, it is because those children are considered worthy of being educated and worthy of existing alongside able-bodied people. Human society is diverse and it always has been, and diversity is hugely enriching and necessary in order for all people to thrive, excel, and be happy. The presence of disabled people in society now should not incur mass hysteria about vaccines, pesticides or GMOs. We should be celebrating the fact that places like Laconia are considered inhumane, and that disabled people like myself can exist in society with pride, respect and inclusion.” Well said, Kate, and I encourage everyone to read this thought-provoking article.
If you want to learn more history about autism, check out Steve Silberman’s TED talk entitled The Forgotten History of Autism. To understand how autism became part of mainstream society, Steve says we have to go back to Hans Asperger’s 1944 paper, which has been forgotten.
The new technology of VocaliD now gives nonverbal individuals a chance to have a real voice. VocaliD creates a custom vocal persona by a two-part process which involves the recording and blending of voices. They leverage the power of social collaboration to gather recordings from speech donors who are passionate about giving the gift of voice.
“There’s a level of independence and self-esteem that’s derived from having a voice that’s more representative of you and feels like an actual natural extension of yourself,” says VocaliD founder Rupal Patel, a communication science expert at Northeastern University in Boston.
Personalized voices are more socially acceptable; however, we won’t know for sure whether personalized voices increase the use of speech-making tools or language acquisition until people start using them. Researchers can study their effects on device use, communication frequency, vocabulary and other measures of verbal ability.
I always like to highlight the writing of someone on the spectrum and this month’s feature is from Alex Lowry about 5 things he wants parents to know about autism. I think his most important point is about people with autism don’t reach a set age and stop making progress. Alex states, “A lot of people think that those with autism will have reached their potential by the time they’re 16 or so. This is incorrect. Many people with autism continue to make progress way into adulthood. People on the spectrum could even get to 30 and continue making progress. Many people with autism keep on learning throughout all their lives. This is an important message for parents who feel it’s too late to help their children.”
If you’re looking for apps for autism, look no further than the newly revised edition of Apps for Autism. There are more than 200 apps for autism, and this book will guide you through them so you can confidently utilize today’s technology to maximize your child or student’s success.
Speech Language Pathologist Lois Jean Brady wrote this book in order to educate parents, teachers, and other professionals about the breakthrough method she calls “iTherapy”—which is the use of Apple products (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) and various apps (computer applications) in meeting students’ individual educational goals.
If you are an adult who identifies as being on the spectrum and seeking a formal diagnosis, let this new book Very Late Diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome (Autism Spectrum Disorder) – How Seeking a Diagnosis in Adulthood Can Change Your Life guide you in the process, the pros and cons, and the after-effects of receiving an autism diagnosis in adulthood.
Outlining the likely stages of the journey to diagnosis, this book looks at what the individual may go through as they become aware of their Asperger characteristics and as they seek pre-assessment and diagnosis, as well as common reactions upon receiving a diagnosis – from depression and anger to relief and self-acceptance. Combining practical guidance with advice from personal experience and interviews and correspondence with specialists in the field, the book discusses if and when to disclose to family, friends and employers, how to seek appropriate support services, and how to use the self-knowledge gained through diagnosis to live well in the future.
These are the highlights of what in the world is going on in autism for July/August 2015.