Came across this website with free communication software downloads for smart phones and PDA’s (personal digital assistant) for autistic children. According to the website, it has been developed by a team of researchers and funded partially by Microsoft. It is meant to be used with young children or children with severe autism. You download the software of the picture images to your computer and it can then be transferred to a PDA or smart phone. Once on the PDA or Smart Phone the pictures can be moved around on the touch screen to create sentences. There are more than 400 picture cards that can be downloaded for home and school use. You can even upload your own photos. Another additional bonus, is that parents, teachers and therapists can track what symbols are being used to gather data on what is working. There is one catch though – the PDA or smart phone has to be able to run the Microsoft Mobile Windows operating system (therefore no Blackberries or Palm). Visit www.communication autism.com for more information and to get the free downloads.
Archive for the ‘autism’ Category
Free Communication on the Go
Sunday, June 7th, 2009Family TV Watching and Autism
Friday, June 5th, 2009I came across this article on TV watching and autism on Twitter from @cozycalm. Eileen Parker is owner of Cozy Calm Weighted Blanket Store. I really enjoyed reading this article because it is written from her own experiences (she has SPD, high functioning autism and OCD). Her blog offers interesting reading and helpful tips. She has given us permission to reprint her blog post here on this topic. In my opinion, this article offers some great suggestions for parents and therapists (to pass this info along). Thanks, Eileen Parker for your insight and helpful information.
Family TV Watching and Autism
By: Eileen Parker on May 8, 2009.
You can help your child with autism lower their stress level with some simple rules about family TV watching.
As a child and now an adult with autism and sensory processing disorder, I know that TV can be stressful to the point of jumping, tears, anger, confusion, and other reactions. As an adult, I have learned to contain some of my reaction in front of others, but children don’t necessarily have that regulation built in yet. Also, while watching TV, I will start to feel upset. I often don’t realize what is bothering me early on, but I have learned to identify my own signs.
When my hubby and his kids are talking and watching sports, I have to leave the room, close the door, and go away because my aggravation from the sound continues to elevate until it boils.
A child may not know that they can leave the room to a quieter place. A family member may even tell the child to stay in that room or the TV may be audible throughout the house, so the child has no escape from the sound. With the noises from the TV, the child’s irritability can climb all day.
Here are some TV rules that could make your child’s life much more relaxed:
1. No talking while the TV is on. More than one source of sound is not merely aggravating; it feels like a hurt in the brain.
2. Mute the commercials. The sudden jarring sound of a blasting commercial bashing into the ears can make your child jump, sweat, breathe fast, or make sounds.
3. If your TV has the capability, lower the treble. The higher register noises are more painful.
4. Put the TV in an enclosed room and close the door so your child does not have to hear it.
5. If you are not watching the TV, turn it off.
6. Have your child look away from the screen during commercials so the fast-moving visual stimuli don’t make it worse.
7. Turn the volume down.
8. Learn to make TV more bearable for your child by doing a brushing protocol first. Your child can also lie under a weighted blanket while watching TV.
Visit www.EileenParker.com to view her blog or go to www.CozyCalm.com to check out her weighted blankets.
Can you name one simple activity that encourages 6 developmental skills?
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009
The answer is…MUSIC! Most children love to listen and dance to music. Music and dance are a great avenue to promote motor skills, listening skills and sensory processing skills. There are few movement activities that incorporate all of the 7 senses with minimal to no preparation. Therapists, parents and teachers love how easy it is to carry out simple movements to music using interactive songs. All the adult has to do is simply turn the therapeutic music on and the fun begins. This type of fun encourages:
1. Sensory Processing Skills - Children have to use their auditory sense to listen to the directions. Children model other children in the room therefore using their visual sense. The proprioceptive and vestibular system are activated while jumping and spinning. Don’t forget the tactile sense – touching hands to knees, dancing in bare feet, etc.
2. Motor Learning - Children learn gross motor skills through practice. Through the use of interactive songs, the children have opportunities to listen, follow directions and move over and over again.
3. Socialization - Children are able to play together while dancing to the music.
4. Learning - Children can learn how to follow multiple step directions.
5. Motivation - Music is motivating and fun!
6. Positive behavior - Interactive songs usually have structure and a routine. Children are able to know what to expect.
Therefore, here is one activity that covers many developmental areas all by just pressing the play button. It does not get any easier than that!
We have a nice selection of interactive songs available at Your Therapy Source.
Tuned Into Learning has created music with simplified song lyrics, simplified instructions and additioanl response time. Children with autism will really learn and enjoy the specialized songs and visual cues from Tuned Into Learning.
May 2009 Digital Magazine Your Therapy Source Inc
Thursday, April 30th, 2009ASD, Google Sketch Up and Life Skills
Tuesday, April 28th, 2009Here is a video on 4 children with autism and how they use Google Sketch Up. This is a great program for visual spatial learners. If anyone has used this with older children on the spectrum please comment. I would love to hear how it worked.
Hyperbaric Oxygen and Autism
Friday, April 3rd, 2009BMC Pediatriccs has published an interesting study on hyperbaric treatment for children with autism. According to the authors of this study, this is the first randomized, double blind controlled trial using hyperbaric oxygen in children with autism. The study had 62 children with autism ages 2-7 years old. The treatment group consisted of 33 children who received hyperbaric oxygen at 1.3 atmosphere (atm) and 24% oxygen. The control group was 29 children who received slightly pressurized room air and 21% oxygen (room air oxygen rate). Both groups received treatments 2x/day for 60 minutes for 5 days/week over 4 weeks. This totalled 40 sessions. The results indicated significant improvements for the treatment group (1.3 atm with 24% oxygen) compared to the control group in the following areas:
1. Overall functioning, receptive language, social interaction and eye contact on the Physician scored Clinical Global Impression Scale
2. Overall functioning, receptive language and eye contact on the Parent scored Clinical Global Impression Scale
3. Total score, irritability, stereotypy, hyperactivity and speech on the Autism Behavior Checklist (larger differences seen in irritability)
4. Sensory/ cognitive awareness on the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC).
Additional results indicated that children over the age of 5 and children with lower autism severity exhibited greater improvements from the hyperbaric oxygen treatments. This study did not follow the long term benefits of the treatments.
For pediatric therapists, this information provides updated information on the potential benefits of hyperbaric oxygen for children with autism. The significant improvements in sensory/ cognitive awareness is promising. Although, the ATEC section on sensory/ cognitive awareness is very general. Some of the sensory/ cognitive components listed on the test are: danger awareness, initiation of activity, exploration of environment, curiosity, dressing self, does drawing/ art, plays appropriately and more.
In addition, the health section on the ATEC also includes some sensory items such as sound sensitivities, food habits, hyperactive, decreased pain awareness and more. There was no difference seen on the health section of the ATEC.
To view the full study go to BMC Pediatrics.
Reference: Hyperbaric treatment for children with autism: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial Daniel A Rossignol , Lanier W Rossignol , Scott Smith , Cindy Schneider , Sally Logerquist , Anju Usman , Jim Neubrander , Eric M Madren , Gregg Hintz , Barry Grushkin and Elizabeth A Mumper BMC Pediatrics 2009, 9:21doi:10.1186/1471-2431-9-21
Communication Technology for iPhone
Thursday, April 2nd, 2009Proloquo2Go is a new augmentative communication application for the iPhone or the iTouch. It has picture symbols, text to speech and over 7000 vocabulary words. Currently, it is only $149 (obviously you also need to purchase the iphone or itouch). What a bargain compared to a traditional augmentative communication device. Not only is the price great, it is small, fits in a pocket and cool to carry. Not bad!
Motor Skills and ASD
Thursday, March 19th, 2009Here are two interesting research studies on autism and motor skills both from Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology. One study reports that out of 101 children with ASD (wide range of ASD and IQ), 79% exhibits movement impairments as reported on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children. Children with childhood autism and IQ of less than 70 exhibits more movement impairments than children with IQ’s over 70 and broader autism.(1)
The second study appears to further explain the increased movement impairments in children with childhood autism. Using electroencephalography, researchers compared movement related potentials (MRP’s) between children with high functioning autism, children with Asperger’s and a healthy control group. The results showed abnormal MRP’s in the children with autism but not Asperger’s. The researchers concluded that this study supports a “neurobiological separateness” of autism and Asperger’s. (2)
I would guess most therapists who work with children on the autism spectrum would have experienced these results in day to day practice with regards to motor skill abilities in children with autism and Asperger’s. The interesting part of the research for me is the movement related potentials. These abnormal responses can indicate an interruption at the basal ganglia, thalamus, and supplementary motor area. Remember what the basal ganglia and the thalamus do? The basal ganglia helps to determine the intensity of motor activity. The thalamus prioritizes sensory information and maintains alertness. So the next question is can we infer anything from this study regarding sensory differences in children with autism? Something to think about.
References:
1. DIDO GREEN, TONY CHARMAN, ANDREW PICKLES, SUSIE CHANDLER, TOM LOUCAS, EMILY SIMONOFF, GILLIAN BAIRD (2009) Impairment in movement skills of children with autistic spectrum disorders Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology 51:4 (311-316)
DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.2008.03242.x
2. PETER G ENTICOTT, JOHN L BRADSHAW, ROBERT IANSEK, BRUCE J TONGE, NICOLE J RINEHART (2009) Electrophysiological signs of supplementary-motor-area deficits in high-functioning autism but not Asperger syndrome: an examination of internally cued movement-related potentials Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology Published online on March 11, 2009. DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.2009.03270.x
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8749.2009.03270.x
ASD and Sensory Sensitivities
Tuesday, March 17th, 2009This is certainly not news to those who work with young ASD children on sensory processing skills. The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders published research stating that young autistic children experience specific sensory sensitivities with regards to tactile input, taste, smell and auditory filtering when compared to other children with different developmental disabilities. The researchers recommend that these differences are considered as specific symptoms in young children with autism.
It still leaves the question – is sensory processing disorder a diagnosis or a symptom of other disabilities?? In my non expert opinion, this research study is a score for the theory that sensory sensitivities are a symptom and not a disorder by itself. Any comments?
Reference: Lisa D. Wiggins1, Diana L. Robins, Roger Bakeman1 and Lauren B. Adamson (2009) Brief Report: Sensory Abnormalities as Distinguishing Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Young Children Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders Published online March 13, 2009 doi 10.1007/s10803-009-0711-x
Sensory Friendly Films
Monday, March 2nd, 2009The Autism Society of America and AMC Entertainment are now offering movie showings in certain cities specifically for children with sensory differences. Basically, at specific times, movies will be shown with the sounds turned down, lights up and children are allowed to move around and even dance! This is an AWESOME idea.
