Vision Training

Many autistic children have difficulty attending to their visual environment and/or perceiving themselves in relation to their surroundings. These problems have been associated with a short attention span, being easily distracted, excessive eye movements, difficulty scanning or tracking movements, inability to catch a ball, being cautious when walking up or down stairs, bumping into furniture, and even toe walking ).

Autistic children display many of the symptoms associated with vestibular involvement. Although many autistic children cannot verbally describe how they feel, it becomes quite apparent from their actions and in performance in vision and movements. Although their visual system cannot be measured or verbalized in the same manner as other sighted individuals there is a way to observe and change their performance. The Center for Visual Management designed a Non-Verbal Battery which involves pre and post tests utilizing ambient yoked prisms to evaluate their ability to change posture, attention and disposition.

In the visual management of autism, performance enhanced lenses are combined with a developmentally designed sequence of movement procedures for the autistic to experience a revised interaction with their world. The child moves through stages of awareness, attention, and automicity of information processing. The neural system responds by regrouping their synapses. See www.AutisticVision.com

Auditory Interventions

There are several types of auditory interventions.

1. Berard Auditory Integration Training (Berard AIT or AIT)

Berard AIT is the only one with significant scientific backing which involves listening to processed music for a total of 10 hours. Ten days of listening sessions provided 2 times a day, for 30 minutes each session. The sessions must be followed strictly for 5 days in a row. Aften 5 days, it is acceptable to have 1 or 2 days break.

The Berard method of auditory integration training stimulates the auditory system with unique sounds produced by the Berard AIT device. These unique sounds stimulate the auditory system to reduce or eliminate the problems within this system. It is a method of retraining the way the sounds are processed. When sounds are processed properly, a person can maintain a state of alert readiness, concentration, and effective comprehension. Research has shown that AIT improves auditory processing, decreases or eliminates sound sensitivity, and reduces behavioral problems in some autistic children. For more information please visit : http://www.berardaitwebsite.com

2. TOMATIS Method

The TOMATIS Method expressed a psychological regenerations by reactivating the type of sounds that is heard in uterus. The sounds are reconstituted in such a way as to revive the memory associated with the sound of the environment of this stage of development.

The device used is called Electronic Ear. With Electronic Ear, the work goes under three phases

• The reactivation of liquid listening is intended to set off a resurgence of fetal memory, which brings out the individual's desire to communicate.
• The archaic memory is held sufficiently in a long state, along with the stimulation from the filtered maternal voice or filtered music. This will revived the desire to enter into communication.
• Finally, the progressive return to aerial listening to induce a psychological birth which will enable the reorganisation of the mechanisms of communication by reactivating on the audio-vocal loop. For more information, please visit http://www.tomatis-group.com/

3. Listening Program

Classical music, like that of Mozart, Haydn and Vivaldi, , producing sound waves in organized patterns. Within these patterns are vital elements including time, frequency and volume. When listening to music, the ear is receiving the musical sound waves in different frequencies. These frequencies stimulate the brain, and thus affect different functions of the mind and body.

The Listening Program’s psychoacoustically modified music are designed to stimulate, or “exercise” the different functions of the auditory processing system. This enables the brain to better receive, process, store and utilize the valuable information provided through the varied soundscapes in music, language and the environment we live in. For more information, please visit http://www.thelisteningprogram.com

4. SAMONAS method.

The SAMONAS method combined the ideas of Tomatis with advances in both technology and physics. Ingo Steinbach, a German sound engineer, developed SAMONAS method with a broad background in music, physics, and electronics. All of the recordings used in Steinbach's work are based on the SONAs (system of optimal natural structure) principle, which make it possible to maintain the valuable elements and structure of natural sounds throughout the entire process of recording, processing and reproduction. The choice of music is based on the principles of music therapy. Most selections are classical music and some include nature sounds.

Steinbach developed a special device called the envelope shape modulator which enhances the upper frequency range of the music. The higher frequencies provide information about directional distance of sounds as well other detailed information about the sound source. Listening to these 'high extension' passages trains the ear to pay attention to the upper ranges in the sound spectrum. Again, the higher tones are the parts of the sound spectrum that captivate attention and hold interest. These recordings are identified as SAMONAS, for spectrally activated music of optimal natural structure.

Steinbach creates several different levels of compact disc with varying intensities of spectral activation and filtering. The less intense compact discs are available to therapists with an understanding of the implication of filtered sound (these lower level CDs are incorporated into entry level practice of the use of modulated sound such as Integrated Listening (see below).

The more intense compact discs require a longer more intensive training period which provides the therapist with more advanced information regarding sound as well as training in more sophisticated pieces of equipment used in SAMONAS Sound Therapy. To use the title trained in Samonas a therapist must complete a 5 day training course; a year of practical experience, and then present documented case studies for peer review. Those who are looking for a therapist with appropriate qualifications may use the therapist database that will be available beginning February 2000 on the web at www.Samonas.org or www.Samonas.com

Speech Therapy

This may be beneficial to many autistic children, but often only 1-2 hours/week is available. Speech Therapy has to integrated with form of therapies, such as ABA to be much more effective. ABA will help the children to focus as gain more attention in acquiring the subject matter delivered in speech therapy.

Sign language and PECS may also be very helpful in developing speech. Speech therapists should work on helping the child to hear hard consonant sounds such as the “c” in cup. It is often helpful if the therapist stretches out and enunciates the consonant sounds.

Sensory Integration

Many autistic children have sensory problems, which can range from mild to severe. These sensory problems involve either hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity to stimulation. Sensory integration can help those children by focusing primarily on three senses

1. Vestibular (i.e., motion, balance)
2. Tactile (i.e., touch)
3. Proprioception (e.g., joints, ligaments).

Many techniques are used to stimulate these senses in order to normalize them.

Behavioral Therapies

Behavioral Therapies are often effective in children with autism. The Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) usually being the most effective. This approach generally involves therapists who work intensely, one-on-one with a child for 20 to 40 hours/week. Children are taught skills in a simple step-by-step manner, The sessions usually begin with formal, structured drills, such as learning to point to a color when its name is given; and then, after some time, there is a shift towards generalizing skills to other situations and environments.

ABA programs are most effective when started early before age of 5, but they can also be helpful to older children. They are especially effective in teaching non-verbal children how to talk.

In the therapy sessions, prompting as much as necessary to achieve a high level of success, with a gradual fading of prompts. The ABA sessions should be fun for the children to maintain their interest and motivation

Therapists of ABA need proper training and ongoing supervision to maintain high credibility in handling children with autism. However, regular team meetings are needed to maintain consistency between therapists and check for problems.

Parents are encouraged to obtain training in ABA, so that they provide it themselves and possibly hire other people to assist. Qualified behavior consultants are often available, and there are often workshops on how to provide ABA therapy.

DAN Suggestion in Biomedical Treatment

The Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!) program has suggestions for several approach in the biomedical treatment which underlies the biomedical basis of autism.

• Consuming Nutritional Supplements, including certain vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and essential fatty acids

• The GFCF (Gluten Free Casein Free) Diet, A special diets totally free of gluten (from wheat, barley, rye, and possibly oats) and free of dairy (milk, ice-cream, yogurt, etc.)

• Perform laboratory testing for hidden food allergies, and avoidance of allergenic foods in daily diet

• Treatment of intestinal bacterial/yeast overgrowth

• Detoxification of heavy metals

Steps to treat Autism

There are many treatments for autism. Although we might get through trial and error, there are a few steps that are already commonly used to treat children with autism.
1. Biomedical treatment
Providing supplements or vitamins such as enzymes, calcium, magnesium, zinc, probiotics, fatty acid, vitamin C, vitamin B6 - B12. These supplements tends to help the lack of minerals and vitamins that support the body to perform its function.
2. Behavioral Therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis will help autistic children to develop eye contact and to do simple command in order to get involved with their environment.
3. Gluten Free Casein Free (GFCF) Diet.
We eliminate food that is made of the wheat family and also milk off the daily diet.
4. Chelation
Chelation can help to detoxify the body of the potentially toxic elements, such as Aluminum, Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, Mercury, Tin, Silver and etc.
5. Sensory Integration
Sensory Integration is the process of organizing sensory inputs so that the brain produces useful body response, and also useful perceptions, emotions and thoughts. A large part of a child's capacity for learning is the ability to integrate sensory information. When providing intervention using sensory integration, we want the child to learn how to use his brain more effectively and easily. The child learns how to organize his brain so that it will work better.