S-O-S Best of the Best, Edition 1: Autism and Treatment Options

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[fbshare]Welcome to S-O-S Best of the Best (B  of B), Edition 1. I am very excited for the launch of this series on our first topic: autism and traditional and nontraditional treatment options. I received many interesting and varied posts and one video clip and am excited to share them.

Typically no one treatment option will serve all purposes. These submitted posts range from teaching social, communication, and life skills to handling sensory issues, anxiety, and more. I am presenting the treatments in alphabetical order and here they are:

• Acceptance. Gavin Bollard presents Autism Acceptance posted at Life with Aspergers. In his familiar, eloquent style, Gavin touches on the history of autism and some of the dangerous treatments and therapies that have been used.  Acceptance of children with autism is advocated and Gavin thoughtfully explains, “Our acceptance issues aren’t really with our children – they’re all to do with accepting that our real lives are quite separate from our ambitions.“
• Backward Chaining. Danette Schott presents Last is First in Backward Chaining posted at Help! S-O-S for Parents. Danette explains the difference between forward and backward chaining and why backward chaining can minimize anxiety in children during the learning process. Danette states that “Backward chaining allows a child to experience instant success.“
• Brushing. Kari Smith presents Friday Facts: Autism Brushing posted at Dotcomkari. A series of brushing techniques and joint compressions known as the Wilbarger technique are used on children with autism who are experiencing sensory issues to “…widen their ‘just right’ zone so that they are not as hyposensitive or hypersensitive to touch and proprioception.” Kari believes this technique has helped her son handle light touch, which he could not tolerate before the treatment.
• Chinese Medicine Theory. Phyllis Wheeler presents With NAET, Shannon Emerges from her Autism Cocoon posted at the Curing Autism Blog. According to Phyllis, Namibudripad Allergy Elimination Therapy (NAET) desensitizes individuals to things they are allergic to or have had problems with, using Chinese medicine theory. Regarding her daughter who has Aspergers, Phyllis states,  “I am thrilled to report that she is becoming a social person now, something I thought I would never see.“
• Cognitive Behavior Therapy. Trish Doerrler presents Austism and Asperger’s Conference with Dr. Tony Attwood, Part 3 posted at Another Piece of the Puzzle. This post is the third in a series documenting Trish’s attendance at a Future Horizon’s conference with Dr. Tony Attwood as a presenter. Trish presents information on Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), affective development, cognitive distortion, and the amygdala. She states that “CBT can help an individual to better manage anxiety, sadness, anger and affection.“
• Deep Pressure. Hartley Steiner presents The Power of Proprioception posted at Hartley’s Life with 3 Boys. Hartley’s son needs deep pressure to help him remain calm and organized. She provides her favorite tools for providing sensory input and includes creative ways to get your child engaged with the activity. Hartley concludes with,  “Getting your child the proprioceptive input their body needs can have a huge impact on behavior, and hence social acceptance and self esteem.“
• Multiple Treatments. Caitlin Wray presents Simon’s Tool Box Update posted at Welcome to Normal: Population 0. Caitlin documents various treatments and activities she has tried with her son, Simon. Caitlin makes it clear that “While I do not want a cure for Simon’s Autism, I do want Simon to have a toolbox for life with Autism.” She hired a chiropractor for her son’s bedwetting and tried a naturopathic doctor who prescribed supplements for allergies and hyperactivity. A speech therapist and social skills group were used to work on relationships. Finally, karate was tried to improve Simon’s focus and increase his self-confidence. Are you curious to the success of each of these treatments? You’ll have to read Caitlin’s complete post!
• Multiple Treatments. Alysia Krasnow Butler presents Superman posted at Try Defying Gravity. Alysia writes about the array of treatments and services she acquired for her son through the IEP process. Her hard work and diligence earned her the nickname “Super Mom” from her son’s doctor. This doctor noted that her son’s accomplishments,  “…were because of the excellent services we’ve received.“
• Neurofeedback. Tiffani Lawton presents Could Neurofeedback be Therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorders? posted at OUR Journey THRU Autism. The source article titled  Neurofeedback Gain Popularity and Lab Attention was written by Katherine Ellison posted at The Ledger. Neurofeedback is explained and both sides are explored: those who believe in its results and those that dismiss it for lack of documented research results.
• PECS. Tim Tucker presents Our Version of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) in Action! posted at Both Hands and a Flashlight. Tim describes how he implemented his version of a PECS with his son. One example, food, is explained from beginning to end and future goals are outlined. It’s hard to not smile when Tim details his son’s progress with this system and expresses, “He’s giving us his words (or word approximations) while pointing (we’re tickled stupid when he points with his index finger) to the picture.“
• PECS (video clip). Jennefer presents My Son’s ‘Voice’ posted at The King and I. This is a video clip recorded by Jennefer to show parents what the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is and how it works. In the 1 minute and 37 seconds video Jennefer demonstrates how her nonverbal son uses PECS to communicate. Jennefer explains that her son “is a much happier boy for having a way of talking.“
• Pets. Fred Lee presents An Autistic Child’s Best Friend posted at Parenting Squad. Fred states that “…specially-trained canines help reduce the stress levels of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)” and he summarizes a study conducted on children with ASD and service dogs.
• Playing with Games/Toys. Nancy Flanders presents Top Toys from AblePlay for Children with Special Needs posted at Parenting Squad. Nancy lists and describes toys that help develop a variety of areas, such as academic, fine and gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination, memory, attention, creativity, language, and much more. Nancy refers the reader to AblePlay’s website for more games and toys and says AblePlay “takes the guesswork out of finding great gifts by researching, reviewing and rating toys for special needs children.“
• Sign Language. Joy Smith presents If You Haven’t Tried Sign Language… posted at Joy’s Autism Blog. Joy does a nice job of explaining why sign language is a better fit for her family over PECS and even provides an easy way for you to get started. Joy assures us that “Sign language will not delay verbal communication, quite the opposite happens!“
• Social Stories. Barbara Boucher presents Teachable Moments posted at TherExtras. Barbara demonstrates the importance of teachers being able to modify their behavior to meet a student’s individual needs. An example is provided and then Barbara illustrates how the teacher used a social story to help a child understand an experience and expand his tolerance for something that did not initially make sense to him. As Barbara further explains, “The social story was effectively a cognitive behavioral technique or gave Andy the tools to use cognition to modify his behavior.“
• Speech Therapy. Sarah Schneider presents Re-education: Why do we Insist on Speech Therapy for “High Functioning” Kids? posted at Kitaiska Sandwich. Sarah questions the sense of urgency she initally felt to secure speech therapy for her son when he was originally diagnosed with autism. She debates the effectiveness of the therapy for children who are considered higher functioning on the autism spectrum. Regarding her son she states,  “all the emphasis on early intervention and ‘correcting’ his speech makes me wonder how much of this is really for M’s benefit and how much is motivated by our own discomfort with his difference.“
• Therapeutic Horseback Riding.  Valerie L. Richey presents Therapeutic Horseback Riding posted at Autism in the Christian Home. Richey explains that Therapeutic Horseback Riding (THR) builds on the principles of hippotherapy, but the benefits are even greater. THR can improve communication and social skills, sensory issues, auditory processing, and cognition. Richey concludes with “I highly recommend therapeutic horseback riding lessons for individuals with autism in conjunction with other autism therapies and treatments.“
• Weighted Blankets. Tracy Sherwood presents The Importance of Understanding posted at Love, Life and Aspie Antics. Tracy tells the story of how her daughter was having sleep issues.  On a visit with the occupational therapist Tracy learned about sensory seeking behavior and decided to try using a weighted blanket for her daughter to sleep. You will share in Tracy’s delight as she reveals “Its amazing how much better and brighter the day is when you get a straight eight hours sleep with no interruptions…“

I received four additional bonus posts that may help the reader better undertstand today’s topic of autism and/or traditional and nontraditional treatment options.

1. Lorna d’ Entremont presents Red Flag Signs of Autism posted at Kid Companions. Lorna explains that a child’s pediatrician may miss the early signs of autism. She lists the signs that may indicate a problem and if you are concerned she suggests you should “Have an evaluation team of professionals including a psychologist, speech therapist and occupational therapist see your child.
2. Laura Schumaker presents 21 Things NOT to Say to a Person with Autism–Literally posted at SFGate.com City Brights Blog. Laura acknowledges that it can be difficult to explain words or statements to a person on the spectrum when the meaning is dependent on tone or some other nuance. With the help of her Facebook autism forum, Laura lists 21 statements that should not be said to a person with autism, such as “Wait just a minute.“ (In another post, Laura suggests what to say instead!)
   
3. Kim Wombles presents Before You Buy: A Woo Primer for Parents posted at Countering….  Kim provides six tips and plenty of questions to get you thinking when evaluating treatment options. This is an insightful post and concludes with, “Know the signs of woo and pseudoscience before you gamble with your child’s well-being.“
4. Yuji Fukunaga presents Alternative Treatments for Autism: No “Proof,” Just Results posted at Hanabi Boy. Yuji has tried many alternative treatments for his son, including a gluten-free/casein-free diet, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, biofeedback, Chinese medicine, and more. He acknowledges that most medical professionals do not support these treatments and researchers would criticize his approach, but Yuji summarizes his method in one simple sentence: “We are trying to help our son to have the best chance at having a good and productive life.“

I am so pleased with the number of participating bloggers and the variety of posts that were submitted for this first edition of S-O-S Best of the Best. A BIG thank you to all the bloggers for your post submissions and support!

Please tweet this post, reference it on Facebook, and mention it on your blog. Let’s get this first edition off to an exciting start and build our momentum!

Bloggers, please take note:

The B of B will be produced on the 15th of every month. The next B of B will be published on January 15th, with a submission due date of January 13th. All bloggers are welcomed (one post per blogger, please).

The topic is social skills or play skills as they relate to invisible special needs (autism, Aspergers, anxiety, ADHD, learning deficits, mental illness, SPD, etc.). Your post can document a problem and provide a solution, discuss a particular situation your child has experienced, or anything else that can benefit readers. Submit your post directly to me at dmschott at pacbell dot net.

Note, the S-O-S Best of the Best has been renamed from the Carnival of S-O-S.

Disclaimer: Please note, the opinions expressed in each referenced post in S-O-S Best of the Best are entirely that of its author and the inclusion of these posts does not constitute an endorsement by me, Danette Schott.