If the blood work suggests that a herpes related virus or “unidentified” retro-virus might be in the body, a therapeutic trial of the antiviral drug Zovirax (acyclovir) is given. The only thing (in theory) treated with Zovirax (acyclovir) is a herpes related virus. If a virus is present and it is gotten under control, it’s one of many major steps necessary to help the body and the immune system.

On a few of the older children I am now starting to use Valtrex, which is an improved version of Zovirax (acyclovir). I never recommend something for a child unless I can say, “It is safe.”

When herpes virus is discussed, we all think of cold sores, vaginal sores, but may not consider chickenpox, CMV (cytomegalovirus), or Epstein Barr. These are also herpes viruses. Being in the herpes family, they have the unique ability to sometimes stay around even after the overt symptoms are long gone. They hang around the body and live in the nerves. Perhaps a “new” Herpes related virus or retro-virus may be playing a role in some of this epiphenomena. However, at this time we do not have the technology to explore and understand how all of this works.

Michael J. Goldberg M.D., F.A.A.P.
Avalar Medical Group, Inc.
5620 Wilbur Avenue, Suite 318
Tarzana, Claifornia 91356
Telephone (818) 343-1010
Fax (818) 343-6585

Pediatrics & Young Adults
ADHD/ADD-Learning Disabilities,
Immune Dysfunction Autism

Source: antiviral

Behavioral therapy for autism is popular as it reportedly has a high chance of success. In this type of therapy, your child quickly learns that only appropriate behavior is rewarded while inappropriate behavior is not encouraged and in fact, they will be ignored. The success rate of behavioral therapies increases if the sessions are started at an early age; that is before your child turns 3 years old.

You would probably find that your autistic child will often challenge your parenting skills by exhibiting extremes in behavior. Extremes of behavior would include such things as temper tantrums, self injurious behavior, aggression and agitation. Essentially, he is dictating to you what he wants and his preferences. If he does not get what he wants, you are made to suffer the consequences. Rather than giving in, you should in fact learn how to teach your child a more appropriate way in which to get what he wants.

This is where a consistent program of behavioral modification comes in. You can learn how to cope with the behavior of your child and also guide him to more socially appropriate behaviors. An autistic child usually has no sense of social awareness. Such a program must consist of 4 components: a structured daily routine; behavioral control; communication; and applied behavioral analysis.

You should design a structured daily routine as your autistic child can have an idea what to expect. It has been found that autistic children do not usually cope well with inconsistency or change. Therefore, sticking to a daily routine is important as much as possible.

The next thing that a parent must learn is how to control tantrums and other such behavioral issues. In doing so there are 3 factors to bear in mind:

1. Deal with those behaviors that are dangerous to the child or those around him first. You would need to stop these behaviors with firm words and actions. Try not to show your child any anger while doing this though.

2. You need to teach your autistic child how to sit down as it may not be easy for him to do so naturally. The best way in which to do this is to reward appropriate sitting behavior while either ignoring or giving a negative consequence for inappropriate sitting behavior.

3. Autistic children tend to have bizarre, stereotypical, repetitive behaviors. The most obvious of these are finger flapping and rocking. These can be very distracting and thus a firm command to stop is suggested for use. Next direct your child to another activity that will not allow him to continue these behaviors.

It is crucial that you talk to your child regularly. In your communication, be both simple and direct. You need to use short, clear sentences without going into explanations or using too many words. Shorten your instructions to manageable tasks. You want to avoid confusing him.

Applied behavioral analysis (ABA) is a form of behavioral therapy that is well recognized for its success rate of 47 percent. ABA involves breaking down tasks into individual components. Then, whenever a child successfully completes each step of the task he should be rewarded. However, it is important to note that ABA is not the only behavioral approach to treating autism nor is it a cure for autism. Still, it is a good option to consider in terms of helping your autistic child.

My friend ’s son has autism.

He never sleeps or at least not for any length of time and she is exhausted.

Over the years sleep deprivation has been a real problem and the only time she gets any rest is when he goes to respite care. Even then she admits to spending the whole of her waking hours thinking and worrying about him.

Quality time is something neither she nor any of the other family members get to enjoy and the strain is beginning to show.

However, she is according to the latest reports, one of the lucky ones. It seems that two thirds of families with members who have special needs get no help at all and that 8 out of 10 of them are at breaking point.

Unless you are in such a situation you cannot appreciate the difference just a few hours of being able to lead a normal “ordinary” life can mean. It ’s often the only thing that keeps families going - the difference between them being able to cope or not.

Unfortunately, however, the money and support pot is only so large and as situations change so do services. Just as they can be given, equally they can be taken away and anyone who receives respite lives in the shadow of regular assessments and reviews.

Part of you wants your child to improve and the other half doesn’t because you know you risk losing what little help you may get.

In an ideal world there would be help for everyone who needs it but there isn’t and unless you can build up your own support network many families struggle.

My friend ’s son can legally leave school this summer. He wants to go on to college with an autistic unit and do a Life Skills course. He can and most probably will do so with support. He’ll also be entitled to transport there and back.

However, once he reaches nineteen everything will change.

My friend has worked incredibly hard to get her son where he is today. If you knew him as a toddler you would never have believed he’d achieve so much. His bad behaviour is under control although he can still say some hurtful things and in school he achieves Level 2 in all his lessons. This is, infact the level one would expect from primary school children but never the less it is a great achievement and proves he can learn when he is taught.

Outside of school he is inept in many areas and couldn’t possibly be left on his own. He needs to be in a supported environment with people who understand his needs and are prepared to make allowances for him. That ’s the problem.

Through the years of determined effort his disability is now termed “higher functioning autism” and my friend has been told as her son no longer has severe behavioural problems or a severe learning disability it is unlikely he will receive any funded support once he leaves college.

What ’s she supposed to do?

Autism is on the increase and all these autistic children will grow up into autistic adults. They’ll all have to leave school eventually so where will they go and what will they do? Apparently only 2% actually get “employed”, some spend a few days at day care centres or in social enterprises but what about the others?

And of course, that ’s just for autism. There are a lot of adults with other disabilities too. You do see some as trolley pushers of shelf stackers in supermarkets but have you ever seen one working as a cashier? I haven’t.

In UK this week it was announced that a company established specifically to employ disabled people around the country is reducing its factories by half. Seemingly the government is cutting funding and thus the workforce has to be reduced. If that is the case then it ’s very short sighted.

If these people can’t go out to work in a suitable environment then they will have to stay at home. Someone, usually a family member, will have to look after them which in turn means that they can’t go out to work either.

Unless rapid changes are made there ’s going to be a lot more people staying at home because in recent years there has been an autism epidemic.

It ’s a major worry and not just financially. Being bored, broke and undervalued is not a happy combination for anyone yet alone someone with a recognised disability.

My friend is worried and so am I.

My son has autism!

Dolphins, the intelligent animal, has been helping people and saving them in the sea in different ways. Now, they are helping people with neurological problems. Dolphins are used in Dolphin Therapy and they are said to be able to help children with autism. The therapy can increase the motor and speech skills of children suffering from this disease.Dolphins are intelligent and they can assist in training of the children affected by neurological problems. Dolphins are used in animal-assisted therapy for children not only with autism but also with Down’s syndrome, psychological problems, developmental issues and depression. In the dolphin assisted therapy (DAT) programs, children take lessons on the land and swim with the dolphins in the natatorium. Such combined effort helps special children learn quickly overcoming their problems.

There is no scientific evidence of this claim. But people have found better results when they use dolphins in the teaching program for such children with special situation. Children love pets and they love dolphins as a pet. Psychologically dolphins can help the children a lot by making them stress free. Dolphins are liked for their friendly appearance and behavior. Many of the parents who has children with autism, like to try out the dolphin therapy because their children love it.

Researcher are performing research on the issue and probably soon they will be able to find out how dolphins can help such children. Till then let the children enjoy the playful interactions. Dolphins can make your child happy and if that is the case you can always take your children to play with a dolphin.

Source: austic children

There is a difference between using the word autism and the term autism spectrum disorder. Autism itself describes any one of the 5 different types of pervasive developmental disorders. These pervasive developmental disorders essentially come under the autism disorder spectrum. There are conflicting theories about how the five disorders relate to one another.

While some researchers argue that they are all separate disorders with similar symptoms, others promote the theory that autism is really a spectrum. According to this theory, on one end of the autism disorder spectrum, there are the mild cases, with symptoms that are hardly noticeable. On the other end, cases can be so severe such that the person inflicted cannot cope with normal functioning and living independently.

Autism is a chronic brain disorder that manifests in developmental difficulties in the areas of social interaction, verbal skills and communication. It is usually detected after the child turns three years old. However, in certain cases, symptoms may also be detected when your child turns one.

If your child is autistic, he is likely to have repetitive and narrow interests. He will not be willing to try new things or food, preferring to always stick to the same ones that he is used to. Also, he finds it hard to cope with changes in schedules and environment. He can react violently when any change should occur or if there is a disruption to his normal schedule of activities. His behavior is odd and unpredictable. You may even think that he is being naughty, without realizing that he is actually having a brain disorder difficulty.

There are conflicting opinions about what causes autism. Some scientists and researchers believe that it is a genetic abnormality. Yet others think that it is caused by an injury to the brain or exposure to an environmental toxin. The latter view is supported by the fact that in some population areas, autism is at higher rates of incidence than it is elsewhere.

You may start observing some developmental problems of your child between the ages of 12 and 36 months old. It may be that your child is not hitting some milestones with underdeveloped or delay in speech and communication skills. You may also begin to notice that he tends to keep himself or if he has little awareness of social cues. His eye contact is poor and he cannot focus clearly. However, if your child only has mild autism, you may not be able to detect that anything is wrong until he goes to school. In some cases, your child may go undiagnosed until he is much older when social and communication skills are required.

If you have an autistic child, you may fear that his disorder may become worse over the years. However, there is no cause for concern apparently. Research shows that autism is non-progressive, meaning that it does not get worse in time.

Here is a breakdown of what comes under autism disorder spectrum or otherwise known as the 5 pervasive developmental disorders:

1. Autism. Symptoms can be recognized before a child turns 3-years-old. However, they may be more obvious much later than this. If your child is diagnosed with autism he will have difficulty making or maintaining eye contact, have impaired social functioning, can be overwhelmingly absorbed with himself and would seem like a loner.

2. Asperger Syndrome. Asperger Syndrome is similar to autism in that it tends to show up before your child turns 3 years old. However, your child will be able to function at a higher level than an autistic child. He can still have problems with social functioning, communication and speech. He will also have narrowly defined interests. But with some therapy and help, most asperger children are able to live independently when they get older.

3. Rex syndrome. Doctors cannot agree whether Rex syndrome is a type of autism or not. This syndrome almost exclusively afflicts girls. Usually your child will develop normally for 6 to 18 months and then all of a sudden, show a loss of skills in such areas as speech and lose the ability to control her hands and her feet. This syndrome can be tested for with an 80% accuracy rate.

4. Childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD). CDD takes place a little later. It happens anytime between the age of 2 to 4 years old. You would notice a marked degeneration in social, physical, mental and verbal skills. The long period of normal development below the age of 2 is the distinguishing factor between autism and CDD.

5. Pervasive developmental disorder. This disorder applies if your child is not within any of the above other 4 mentioned categories. He is diagnosed with a pervasive developmental disorder if he is found to have impairments in social interaction, stereotyped behavior and communication but with symptoms not otherwise defined.

Parents are already familiar with the stress that comes with preparing meals, bathing, homework, shopping and so on. In addition to these stressors are those parents meet with parent-child conflicts, time schedules to meet and a child’s well-being in general. A family who has a child on the autism spectrum experiences added unique stressors.

Current research suggests that parents of children with autism experience greater stress than parents of children with intellectual disabilities and Down Syndrome. A child with autism may not be able to express basic wants and needs in the same manner as individuals without the disorder. Parents are often guessing why the child is crying. Is it because he/she is hungry, thirsty, hurting or sick? Not being about to determine the child’s needs can leave parents feeling frustrated and filled with sorrow. The child with autism unable to communicate with its parents effectively may be left frustrated and unhappy. This frustration can lead to aggression and self-injury behaviors that can make the child a danger to himself and to other family members.

A lack of appropriate leisure, play and social skills often require constant structure of family time, which can become quite difficult to accomplish in the home environment. Families may not be able to attend events together at scheduled times. Mom might have to stay home with the child who has autism, while dad take another sibling to their baseball game or school band concert. This in turn can create problems in the marital relationship in addition to whatever other problems already exist. There is often a lack of qualified people who can care for the autistic child while mom and dad find time to spend alone.

Additional problems may be struggles with getting the child with autism to sleep through the night or eat a wide variety of foods for proper health and nutrition.

Other sources of stress for parents of children with autism may include:

• Reactions from society: Parents may feel self-conscious about taking a child with autism out into the community. The may fear others will stare or make rude comments about their child. These problems may leave parents of children with autism experiencing a sense of isolation from friends, relatives and community

• Concerns about future care: Parents know they provide their children with autism the best care possible and they fear that no one else will take care of their child like they do.

• Finances: Evaluations, home programs and therapies can drain a family’s resources. One parent may have to give up his or job to take care of the child leaving the family with even less money to meet financial obligations.

• Feelings of Grief: Many parents of children with autism grieve the loss of the “typical” child they expected to have. They also grieve the loss of a lifestyle they expected or planned for themselves and their family. This can be an additional source of stress on the family, which is ongoing.

Sibling’s sources of stress may include:

• Embarrassment around their peers and jealousy about the extra time parents have to spend with their brother or sister

• Frustration about not being about to communicate effectively with a brother or sister who has autism

• May be the target of aggressive behaviors of the child with autism

• Worries over their parents stress and grief about the child with autism

• Concern about their role as a future caregiver for the sibling or siblings with autism

Grandparents also grieve over the loss of the typical grandchild expected and may be concerned about the stress and difficulties their children are experiencing. Grandparents often want to help but lack the skills to deal with children who have autism.

How can families cope with the stress of living with a child or children who have autism?

Some suggestions for helping families may include:

• Remember that you must take action before progress toward solutions can be made

• Take time for yourself and other family members to avoid burnout

• Keep in mind that just a few minutes per day can make a big difference in taking time for yourself

• Do things for yourself that you know normally makes you feel better

• Parents who have children with autism have a greater need to reward themselves

• Family members need to reward one another

• Spouses need to acknowledge the hard work each is performing

• Thank siblings for watching or helping their brothers and sisters who have autism

• Spouses need to find time for alone. This may include watching T.V. together when the children are asleep or going out to dinner

• Families may also want to engage in activities occasionally without the individual with autism. Everyone deserves some time together that is not threatened by the challenges of autism.

• Network with other families affected by autism

• Attend support groups for parents, siblings and grandparents through educational programs, parent resource centers, and local chapter of the Autism Society of America.

• Prayer

• Exercise/yoga

• Keeping a journal

• Keeping a daily schedule of tasks to accomplish

If you witness a family member or a friend showing signs of stress even if it means you will not be appreciated for your efforts, getting as much assistance for a child with autism and their families can only make things better over the long term.

Source: American Autism Society

Disclaimer: *This article is not meant to diagnose, treat or cure any kind of a health problem. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Always consult with your health care provider about any kind of a health problem and especially before beginning any kind of an exercise routine.

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box.

As a parent, you do not have the time to consider why or how this happened, only what to do next. The most important thing to remember is that you are not alone in your struggle. By researching the disorder and finding others going through similar situations, you can help you child while still dealing with your own emotional response.

Know Your Rights: Laws and Autism

Join a support group for parents with autism. You can find these by contacting the national Autism Society of America. From there you can find local branches, many of which offer support groups for parents and families with an autistic child. Being in contact with other parents in a similar situation can not only help you feel less alone, but it can provide you with a myriad of resources.

A parent support group will also help point you in the direction of the best doctors, intervention programs, and workshops for both your child and your family. Find a support group for any other children you have as well.

Many parents forget that they are not the only ones who must learn to live and communicate with an autistic child. By locating a support group for your other children, you can help them from acting out or acting against the autistic child by teaching them about the illness. As a parent, you must create a supportive environment for the entire family in order to properly manage your child ’s illness.

Consider marriage counseling if you are married. An autistic child can put serious strain on a marriage, leading to escalating arguments, neglect of each other, and even perhaps blaming each other for the situation. Marriage counseling from the very beginning can help a couple through this discovery and rough transition, and help build a better supportive environment for your children. Your marriage should not end as a result of having an autistic child, but the sad fact is that many of them do. Prevent this by using one another for support and by understanding that you may need help to deal with one another now and in the future.

Most importantly, start on the path to becoming an expert. Many times pediatricians or psychiatrists are not experts on autism, which can lead to improper diagnoses or incorrect treatment options. As your child ’s best advocate, you must know everything you can about autism. Parents of Autistic Children can be a great resource; this organization offers training and workshops.

The ASA has a newsletter and also offers a variety of information, from diagnosing to treating. As always, remember that a support group of parents with autistic children can always provide you with books and research that focus on the reality of the situation. Educate yourself and those around you to provide the most beneficial things for your child-love and guidance.

If you or your child has autism, some of the most basic things you can study and learn are your rights. Every American citizen is protected under the constitution, and there are special laws that have been passed to help protect people with autism and other disabilities.

By knowing the laws that protect you or your autistic loved ones, you can live in a world that provides better opportunities to everyone, regardless of not only disability, but also race, gender, and ethnicity. This is simply the first step to creating a more tolerant world in general.

The first law with which you should become acquainted is I.D.E.A., or the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The I.D.E.A. covers children ages 3 to 21 and provides autistic children with the special educational programs they need. The I.D.E.A. gives parents the right to be involved with education decisions concerning their child made by the school.

Your child first needs to be assessed to qualify under the I.D.E.A., and this is best done by a private professional. In the end, your child has the right by law to receive a free public education that is appropriate for his or her skill level. If your public school has no such program, they are required to find one or create one at no cost to you.

Also become familiar with and knowledgeable about the American Disabilities Act. Under this act, discrimination due to disability is prohibited in the workforce, as well as with state and local government, public accommodations, the United States Congress, public transportation, and telecommunications. For example, if you are autistic, but have the skills to do a certain job, you cannot be refused the job because of your autism.

Other laws provide rights for people with autism so that they are constitutionally equal to others. One such law says that people with autism have the right to vote, and accommodations must be made so that this is possible. Another says that autistic individuals cannot be refused housing based on disability. Others provide equal rights in all other aspects of life,

and these should especially be studied if your loved one with autism is in a health care institution. By knowing the law and how it applies to yourself or others with autism, you can be sure that justice is upheld. If you have questions, local law officials should be ready and willing to answer you or provide you with material to answer your own questions.

Remember that ignorance of the law is not a valid excuse for anyone, so be an advocate for yourself or others with autism to prevent mistreatment.

Save if you have an autistic child yourself or know of one, many of you would probably get to know what autism is through watching the movie Rain Man. In the movie, Dustin Hoffman was brilliant as the autistic adult. The movie also highlighted many of the frustrations faced by families with dealing with an autistic child or adult. It sheds light on the daily realities that a high-functioning autistic person must face. Despite the movie, there are still many myths surrounding autism.

It is important to get to know what autism is as recent statistics show alarming figures indicating the prevalence of this condition. Autism is a brain disorder that affects an estimated 210,000 people in the United States. This comes up to approximately 1.5 per 1000 people. Many advocacy groups are alarmed that autism cases have risen exponentially since 1993, the first year that data for autism was submitted separately to the Department of Education. Their reactions are based on a staggering 800% increase of cases with autism in the last ten years. Despite this set of statistics, many are not convinced by the data. They believe that there has been a fundamental flaw in data collection. Reasons include the loosening of diagnostic criteria for autism as well as the fact that the figures were understated years ago as hardly anyone knew what autism was then.

Autism is an umbrella term that refers to a broad range of developmental delays and disorders. It is usually first noticed in a child when he or she is three years of age. Parents of autistic children will be saddened to find out that autism is a lifelong condition.

Many years ago, autism symptoms are often attributed to cold parenting or unloving parents. Medical doctors no longer believe that there is any psychological cause for autism. Despite numerous studies, there is no known cause for autism. There are many that say that environmental factors are major contributors.

The DSM IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition) lays out a complex criteria for diagnosing autism in children and adults, but in general the symptoms of autism include:

- Delays (or the loss of) physical, social and language skills.
- Abnormal reactions to sensation
- Speech and language delays or abnormalities while associated thinking skills may be present
- Abnormal ways of relating to people, objects and events.

If you have just discovered that your child is autistic, you may find it challenging to deal with the amount of information and myths that are floating around. Additionally, there are plenty of social and emotional issues that you have to handle. For instance, you may even find that others have a bias towards you if they still believe in autism comes from bad parenting. You may also feel bewildered by the vast number of treatments that are available to autistic children and yet at the same time, bitterly disappointed by the lack of understanding shown by mainstream schools and medical facilities.

Personally, I did not have much support and help when my daughter first got diagnosed by a psychologist. The psychologist did not present me with any comforting thoughts nor recommend alternative therapies. I have been largely left to my own devices to search for appropriate treatments and therapies for my child. What I do find useful to share from my own experience is that early detection is of great importance. Knowing what autism is and what to look out for helps in early detection and identification of this condition.

No parent wants their child to be autistic, but for those parents who are faced with a child who has autism, relief can be found by applying the some autism strategies. Strategies for autism provide parents with different ways to help cope and manage the disorder. After all, autism isn’t a condition your child will get over, grow out of, or die from; it is simply their way of life. Therefore, it is essential parents know how to make the life of their autistic child a safe, comfortable, secure, and happy one.

Creating a good life for an autistic starts with providing them structured routines and secure environments where they can learn and practice socializing with others. Of course, before an autistic can feel comfortable within an environment, he/she must first experience what most autistics dread – change. Therefore, the first of the autism strategies that will be discussed which a parent needs to focus on is desensitizing their autistic child to new environments.

Many autistic children react badly when they are taken from their home and placed in a new setting. To help ease the child into the new situation, they first need to be exposed to it for a short time. As soon as the child begins to act up, they should be removed from the environment and taken home so they can calm down. The child should be taken back to the same place the following day and only be place back in the environment for an extremely short period of time. Following visits should slowly become longer and coupled with rewards and positive feedback. Such a strategy can help a child cope with new environments such as a classroom, and give parents eventual peace of mind.

Autism strategies involving self awareness are another excellent way to manage autism. Self awareness skills assist children in learning how to relate to others by first teaching them how to relate to themselves. Teaching an autistic how to manage their emotions helps them to learn about the same emotions experienced by others. This increases their awareness and understanding, and helps to make communication easier.

Continue reading for more autism coping strategies and to sign up for the free newsletter that offers the latest information on treating autism.

Speaking of communication, parents need to take great care in ensuring that they communicate slowly with their children and make communications as direct and basic as possible. It is also important for parents to make sure they have their autistic child’s full attention before attempting to communicate.

Different therapies are also excellent autism strategies you can introduce to a child with autism. After your child was diagnosed with autism, you likely discussed different treatment options with his/her health care provider. If you have not yet discussed treatment or therapy methods, you should consider doing so.

The reason is because certain therapies such as speech and cognitive behavioral therapy help children develop communication skills, and teach them how to express emotions, and control obsessive behaviors so they can learn to be more content when around others, and in specific situations where they would otherwise feel anguish.

Finally, one of the best autism strategies you and your autistic child would benefit from is joining a local support group. Allowing your child to socialize with other autistics, and obtaining emotional support from other parents who understand what you are going through, is a great way to cope with your situation and learn how to better manage your child’s disorder.

Keep in mind that when you are trying different autism strategies, you need to carefully observe the way your child responds to them. Remember, no two children are alike, and this applies to children with autism as well. Not only are there five different autism spectrum disorders, but no two autistics with the same disorder are the same. It may take some trial and error to find suitable approaches and interventions for your child.