Hot Or Cold

Weather seems to play a big role in affecting behaviors of autistic individuals. I have noticed, with clients I work with, hot weather usually provide for more behavior outbreaks than cold weather does. I do not know if there are any preference issues towards cold or cooler weather. Most humans seem to, generally, prefer normal weather which is not too hot or too cold. So please be ready for behavior outbreaks due to the weather.

Autism and Pets

I have been around various individuals with autism who also had pets or ran into domestic animals at some point during our outing. Well, the results were always different. Some had no specific feelings towards the domestic animal but others resorted to kicking it! What I learned was simple, be ready for anything. I practice getting between the domestic animal and the autistic individual I am with. It works! I can usually stop any attacks, directed towards the animal or vice-versa, from occuring. You never know what can happen so try and be ready for anything.

Extended Family and Autism

Approval or disapproval? What do your extended family members think about autism? How do they treat your child/children with autism? It's necessary that everyone is on the same page with the parents. Really, it is the parent's who are at the forefront of all challenges that come with autism. Please communicate with family members about how you would like them to treat your child. Let them know to please treat her/him with respect. 

Safeguarding

I have learned that individuals with autism are more than capable of running away! I recall one of my many experiences where the individual I was working with ran away from me towards a garbage can! He wanted to throw trash into the garbage can. He loved picking up trash and throwing it away! I should have remembered that but I failed to. Luckily, he did cross any roads and was safe. Your child/children or any other autistic individual in your life can pull a similar stunt. When you go out with this individual, please be certain that dangers such as motor vehicles and road crossings are accounted for and well in your consideration. 

Rest Away From Stress Source

I want to shine some light on the fact that humans are quiet limited when it comes to patience. Our patience seems to be efficient initially (in stressful situations) but decreases with time and stress. People who work with autistic individuals aren't exempt from this. They face tremendous amounts of stress when working with autistic individuals. Stress relief is vital in any occupation related to the field of developmental disability. It is not fair for the developmentally disabled individual to become a channel for stress relief. That is to say, please do not take your stress out on developmentally disabled individuals. Some parents are guilty of this also! There are other ways to relieve your stress but punishing your autistic child/children is not and should never be one of them. I have said it before and will continue to say that rest is essential for parents, therapists, and all workers in the developmental disability field. Rest away from the stress source seems to be the best form of stress relief. 

Autism and Sports

While it is true that most athletes aren't autistic, it doesn't in any way convey that autistic individuals can't participate in sports. Programs exist in various counties (school districts should have information) for autistic individuals to participate in sports. Coaches who usually work with individuals with autism are trained to handle behavior outbreaks and best techniques to use in teaching the autistic population. The coaches may also be trained to work with a varying number of disabilities. So, please, get your child/children outside to participate in sports. At least give it a try!

The Public Scene

Did your autistic child ever have a behavior breakdown in public setting? Were you embarrassed? Were you more concerned about what others were thinking than attending to your child/children? I have had this happen to me several times. There have been times when I have been scratched up so badly by individuals with autism that I was bleeding! This has happened at Target stores, public parks, sidewalks, and school environments. Initially I would always be concerned about what others around me were thinking but attending to the autistic individual took precedence. I, eventually, learned that it was more important to first attend to the autistic child/adult and then explain things to the public. If you reside in an area where knowledge on autism is known, you might not encounter too many people who stare at you and don't know what's going on. That is why it is important to expose the public to such behavior outbreaks so that they may learn the full potential of autism. Educating your community about autism will help expose autism. Please do not resort to eliminating outings such as parks and stores from you autistic child's/children's schedule. Instead continue with it so that the public and you may learn more about autism. 

Autism and nutrition

Have you tried gluten free diet for yourself or an autistic individual? I have tried some snacks that were gluten free and, seriously, could not tell the difference. There does seem to be a difference though, at least scientifically. Some people have lost weight on gluten free diet. It seems to provide a means for behavior control for some autistic individuals but not all. I guess you have to try it to really know if it works or not. 

Therapist and Rest

Many therapists who work with autistic children and adults become stressed. They are at their limits, quiet literally! Those who continue,while stressed, are really trying to finish their work. I admire their triumph. But as important as it is to continue, please remind your therapists to rest. Rest can replenish them and they can work better with your child/children. Anyone can get worn out by their jobs, therapists are no exception. Please remind them to get ample and healthy rest.

Sensory Autism

Children and adults with autism, whom I have had the pleasure to work with, were and are really sensual. They like to not only observe an item but to touch it as well. Sometimes this curiosity leads to destruction of an item but nevertheless, it is good. We are all curious creatures. We "rubberneck" almost all the time when passing by an accident scene on highways, don't we? So, why is it that many are trying to limit curiosity for autistic individuals? Is it fair or unfair? The basis for the argument lies in the fact that, very often, an autistic individual is capable of destroying something of value. The solution to this problem is quiet simple, do not let the autistic individual hold or play with something of value to you. This can be of financial or sentimental value. If you do not think that the autistic individual can handle your expensive item, please do not let her/him touch it until she/he is capable. I have witnessed the destruction of some very expensive items at the hands of autistic individuals but none could be held responsible for outright limitation of sensory experiences for autistic individuals. Try stimulating the autistic individual/individuals in your life with items that are not too valuable. If they get destroyed, you won't be anguished! We should promote sensory experiences for autistic individuals instead of limiting them. It is how the autistic individuals try to completely comprehend the world they are living in.

Patience and Love

My grandpa used to tell me that patience is a virtue. It really is. Parents, isn't it hard to maintain patience when your autistic child/children is/are having behavior outbreaks? Some parents do find behaviors from their child/children stressing. I have shed light on the need to find a reliable babysitter in earlier posts and I'm stressing it again. Parents please go out on those romantic dates or maybe even vacations after you have found and trained a reliable babysitter. Most reliable babysitters in the field of autism will possess a desire to learn. Please do not allow autism to take control of your marriage or family life. Instead, through patience and love, take pure control of autism.

Encouragement

Positively speaking, parents please do not get discouraged by all the struggles you have to face. It is not simple to raise a child with autism. Every parent has their fair share of struggles but adding autism to the mix makes things that much more complicated. Assistance is available and I write these blogs to offer encouragement and hope for autism. I still respect all parents who raise child/children with autism. Do not back down and do not get discouraged. There is light at the end of the tunnel! Please keep raising your autistic child/children with love.

What is autism?

Have you ever been asked "what is autism"? How have you answered this question? I have a tough time answering this question, even with many years of experience in this field! I usually describe it at the spectrum level. It can range from mild to severe. The truth is that no one knows what autism is. I try my best to answer such a question and so should you. It is our duty, as those experienced with autism, to try our best to educate anyone who might ask such a question.

Development through play

Do you remember playing around in parks or your backyard as a kid? I loved it. I thought it was fun and I would finish my chores to earn play time. Child development occurs rapidly during play. Learning happens during play. Children can develop a better sense of self through play. While playing might be complicated with an autistic individual, it is not impossible. Children with autism love parks and play time. As a Behavior Therapist, I used to utilize play as a goal. It was not easy as, sometimes, behavior outbreaks would occur in public, but there should not be any reason for keeping a child from spending ample time learning through play time. Play with your kid/kids at the park or even in your backyard. Set aside some time during the day to play with them. Be creative, imagination is a good source for learning. Play time is essential for healthy child development.

Babysitting autism

It is critical to find a reliable and patient babysitter. Every parent needs some time away from their children to relax. This "vacation" can recharge a parent/parents and she/he can return to care for their child/children better and with more patience. Websites such as "care.com" seem to be more thorough in their application process than other websites. They also do background checks but it's voluntary. No matter where a parent/parents seeks babysitting, she/he must be certain that the babysitter will be patient and reliable. Boundaries must be established from day one. It will be in the child's best interest for the parent/parents to train the babysitter with the child. Behavior outbreaks might occur in public places and an untrained babysitter might panic or grow impatient. Please train your babysitter/sitters so everyone (parent/parents, child/children, babysitter) can be on the same page and consistent in reinforcing wanted behaviors. Consistency is essential for managing an individual with autism. Consistency creates a reliable learning environment where a skill can be mastered before moving on to learning a new skill. Everyone, autistic or not, can benefit from a consistent environment in order to master any skill. Just be sure to change things up a little when learning a new skill is desired.

Gross Motor

Gross motor development is critical for any human being. It basically means physical development through physical exercises. We all should know that running, walking, playing sports, and lifting weights are good for our bodies and they are essential as well. The same is true for individuals with autism. Simple tasks such as walking can be impaired with autism. Other tasks such as catching ball, throwing ball, running, swinging on a swing, and holding an object and running can also be rather complicated for autistic individuals. During the time I was an ABA (applied behavior analysis) therapist, I routinely would administer gross motor skills therapies to clients. The results, with daily practice, were positive. Tasks such as catching ball and running can increase in capacity if practiced on daily basis. So go out to a park and practice gross motor skills with an autistic individual. It's fun!

Medication

To medicate or not to medicate! That is the question on many people's mind. Well, during the first year of my SLS (supported living services) experience, my supervisor and I thought it would be fit to take our severely autistic client off the medication he was on for a very long time. I'd like to say he was on medication for more than five years. We noticed he would become drowsy and really unresponsive (in terms of communication), so we asked the doctor if we could try taking this gentleman off medication. The doctor agreed to a trial period and it worked. The autistic gentleman did not go back to using medicine but remained without it. He is more responsive and active without medication. It has been one year since he has stopped taking medication. With this said, I also acknowledge that not everyone will have similar experiences. Some people might need medication in order to feel active but it's worth discussing this topic with your doctor and at least agreeing to a trial period.

Reply to reader

Hi mrpecosa, I was very cautious when my wife and I took our daughters in for vaccinations. I always questioned the doctors. My most common question was if a particular vaccination had mercury and if so, how much? Doctors always tried to reassure me that the shots were safe. So every shot my children received was at the expense of my uneasiness. What made it worse was realizing that not receiving certain vaccinations could cause harmful health problems. Personally I do not know if vaccines or mercury is a leading cause of autism and nobody knows that! I understand your perspective and vaccines are one of the suspected cause's in the "what causes autism list".

Sign Language

Communication through the use of sign language is essential for individuals who non-verbal. It is their voice and should be treated with respect. Individual's with autism who might also be non-verbal can utilize sign language to their benefits. Teaching sign language to a person with autism is complicated but not impossible. It will require time and effort but the result will be worth it. Since autism is on the rise, I think it will be logical to require at least basic sign language classes at junior high school levels. This won't only help non verbal individuals with autism to communicate but also others who want a way to communicate with the non-verbal population.

Reader feedback

What are people's opinions on autism? I like to hear what people think about autism. What can be the cause/cause's? Any thoughts?

Autism help from public services

Raising child/children with autism is complicated enough. Financial difficulties can also add strain to this already complicated lifestyle. There is help available. Many cities and counties have programs ranging from public to private that provide help in forms of therapies, teaching, supplies, etc. Usually school districts are able to provide much needed information about where to find assistance. Financial assistance may be available through public services at city or county level. Please seek assistance if you or someone you know is financially struggling to raise an autistic child. Every county in the San Francisco Bay Area is part of a regional office. Some examples are North Bay Regional which serves the counties of Sonoma and Napa, San Andreas Regional which serves Santa Clara and I believe peninsula counties. There might be more counties involved with these two regional centers and I'm sure you can always call them to ask where you can find assistance.

Parents know their kids

I often hear parents speak of their child/children "waking up from autism" one day. Based on this thought, the parents would try to save as much information as possible from the child's past to show the child what she/he missed out on when she/he wakes up from autism. I acknowledge and respect the parents perspective. It is very tough to raise a child with autism so if this form of thinking aides parents in any way, please continue. There is not a doctor or therapist in this world who has found the cause or cure for autism. We are all in the same boat. Some professionals might act as if they know more than parents but the truth is clear, no one knows why, how, or what causes and cures autism. Parents inputs are often ignored by professionals. I do not comprehend this at all. Parents know their children better than any professional and have good ideas and thoughts when it comes to helping the child and battling autism. We must pool together, parents and professionals, to research autism like never before.

Knowledge and Respect

Lets start to respect individuals with autism. I have seen lack of care due to lack of knowledge. Its vital we educate ourselves about autism since it is on the rise.

Reading On!

Parents: reading to your child/children with autism is a good way to spend time with them. Be certain that the books have large letters and colorful pictures to go along with texts. Your local library should have a good selection of these types of books. I've noticed that children and adults with autism of almost all ages seem to have an interest in color.

Learning Through Repetition

I often wonder what individuals with autism wonder! They are definately thinking something. I have noticed, through experience, that learning is possible for people with autism. Repetition aides alot in learning for normal individuals and it also helps the autistic individual. I have witnessed learning in the severest cases of autism. Autism, sadly, is growing and we definately are beginning to "break the ice" on this subject.