Autism: The Pain it Causes to Mothers

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Permalink Reply by Lawrie on November 24, 2008 at 9:02pm

If you family has always lived in the same area, it may be more a product of your environment than pure genetics. There is a significant link to having higher than safe mercury and lead levels in people with autism.

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Permalink Reply by SIN on March 30, 2009 at 11:21am

I read this article today:

"Autism Skews Developing Brain With Synchronous Motion And Sound
Main Category: Autism
Also Included In: Neurology / Neuroscience; Pediatrics / Children's Health; Genetics
Article Date: 30 Mar 2009 - 2:00 PDT

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Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) tend to stare at people's mouths rather than their eyes. Now, an NIH-funded study in 2-year-olds with the social deficit disorder suggests why they might find mouths so attractive: lip-sync - the exact match of lip motion and speech sound. Such audiovisual synchrony preoccupied toddlers who have autism, while their unaffected peers focused on socially meaningful movements of the human body, such as gestures and facial expressions.

"Typically developing children pay special attention to human movement from very early in life, within days of being born. But in children with autism, even as old as two years, we saw no evidence of this," explained Ami Klin, Ph.D., of the Yale Child Study Center, who led the research. "Toddlers with autism are missing rich social information imparted by these cues, and this is likely to adversely affect the course of their development."

Klin, Warren Jones, Ph.D., and colleagues at Yale, report the findings of their study, funded in part by the National Institute of Health's National Institute of Mental Health, online March 29, 2009 in the journal Nature.

For the first time, this study has pinpointed what grabs the attention of toddlers with ASDs," said NIMH Director Thomas R. Insel, M.D. "In addition to potential uses in screening for early diagnosis, this line of research holds promise for development of new therapies based on redirecting visual attention in children with these disorders."

A eureka moment in the research came when researchers followed up on a clue from children's responses to audiovisual synchrony embedded in a nursery rhyme cartoon.

While it was known that people with autism do not spontaneously orient to social signals, it was unclear what early-emerging mechanism may contribute to that. Nor was it clear exactly what they were attending to instead. To find out, Klin, Jones and colleagues tracked the eye movements of two-year-olds with and without the disorder while they looked at cartoon animations on split-screen displays.

The researchers borrowed a technique from the video game industry, called motion capture. They then reduced the movements to only points of light at each joint in the body, like animated constellations. These cartoons played normally - upright and forward - on one half of the screen, but upside-down and in reverse on the other half. The inverted presentation engages different brain circuits and is known to disrupt perception of biological motion in young children. The normal soundtrack of the actor's voice, recorded when the animations were made, accompanied the presentations.

Eye-tracking data initially showed that 21 toddlers with ASD had no preference for the upright animations, looking back and forth between the two. By contrast, 39 typically-developing toddlers and 16 developmentally delayed but non-autistic toddlers clearly preferred the upright animations.

However, responses to one animation didn't fit the pattern. The toddlers with ASD changed their behavior and shifted their attention to the upright figure as it played a game of pat-a-cake, where the figure claps his hands repeatedly. In this animation (see movie below), unlike the others, the movements of the points of light actually cause the clapping sound. This physical synchrony - dots colliding to produce a clapping sound - only existed on the upright side of the screen, because the inverted figure played in reverse and its motions weren't in sync with the soundtrack. The children with ASD chose the upright figure 66 percent of the time, a strong preference.

This clue led the researchers to suspect that what initially appeared to be random viewing by the ASD toddlers might actually reflect preference for audiovisual synchronies that were less obvious than the clapping. So they re-analyzed the data, factoring in more subtle synchronous changes in motion and sound.

"Audio-visual synchronies accounted for about 90 percent of the preferred viewing patterns of toddlers with ASD and none of unaffected toddlers," said Jones. "Typically-developing children focused instead on the most socially relevant information."

A follow-up experiment using new animations optimized for audiovisual synchrony confirmed these results.

Klin, Jones, and colleagues also recently reported that children with autism look more at peoples' mouths than eyes as early as age 2. Since the mouth is the facial feature with most audiovisual synchrony - lip motion with speech sound - the researchers propose that their new findings offer a likely explanation for this phenomenon.

"Our results suggest that, in autism, genetic predispositions are exacerbated by atypical experience from a very early age, altering brain development," said Klin. "Attention to biological motion is a fundamental mechanism of social engagement, and in the future, we need to understand how this process is derailed in autism, starting still earlier, in the first weeks and months of life."

Notes:

NIMH is funding a related research project of Klin and Jones' that explores related behaviors in infants who have older siblings already diagnosed with ASD and who, because of the genetic heritability risk in autism, have greater risk of also developing the condition.

Also participating in the research were: David Lin, now at Harvard Medical School; Phillip Gorrindo, now at Vanderbilt University; Gordon Ramsay, Ph.D., Haskins Laboratories. The study was funded through the NIH's STAART Program (Studies To Advance Autism Research & Treatment).

Reference:
Two-year-olds with autism fail to orient toward human biological motion but attend instead to non-social physical contingencies. Klin A, Lin DJ, Gorrindo P, Ramsay G, Jones W. Nature. 2009 Mar 29 [Epub ahead of print]

The mission of the NIMH is to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research, paving the way for prevention, recovery and cure.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) - The Nation's Medical Research Agency - includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases.

Source:
Jules Asher
NIH/National Institute of Mental Health "

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/144141.php

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This clue led the researchers to suspect that what initially appeared to be random viewing by the ASD toddlers might actually reflect preference for audiovisual synchronies that were less obvious than the clapping. So they re-analyzed the data, factoring in more subtle synchronous changes in motion and sound.

This really got me thinking. I know several men with adult Aspergers, and ironically they are all into some type of music with visuals. I wonder, if the synchronicities aids in focus, as well as calming anxiety. Several have voiced their frustration with focus, and/or that anxious feeling - I'd imagine that music coupled with visualizations would aid in focus, as well as calm that anxious feeling.
Why would developing children be any different?


I know several families with Autistic children, and 'focus' is the main concern rearing children. If a child is unable to 'focus' how can it receive instructions and guidance from parents? How can a parent effectively communicate an idea to a child? Perhaps the days of traditional parenting techniques are becoming obsolete and we need to be more creative! Music and visuals - as an adult with out Autism, I can say that these techniques aid me in grasping complex ideas. I recall a video with music which expressed ideas in Quantum Mechanics, and it seemed so simple after watching the video vs. the many essays/articles and books I had read on the subject.




I reference my own child's learning capabilities. When he has a difficult time grasping a subject, I often have to find creative ways to express the idea, beyond the traditional instruction techniques of teachers.

I think they are on to something with regard to making progress with Autistic Children and their Development.

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Permalink Reply by SIN on March 30, 2009 at 11:50am

Good info, and the article may offer parents some innovative ways to communicate with their children, as well as guide them through their lives.

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Permalink Reply by Kaellanna on March 30, 2009 at 12:01pm

Hey--I have a good idea what you are going through. My son was diagnosed at around 4 with autism. I am happy to talk to you whenever you need a sympathetic ear.

The biggest thing I would tell you right now is to get involved in local support groups if they are near you, and to get your son in early intervention therapy. It really does help a lot. There should be programs in your area that are FREE for you. It is actually a law that they need to be there so don't let someone tell you there are not available. Check with the schools and the local health department. Take any and all services offered. One of the most effective things that can be done for autism is to hit it hard and heavy with therapy.

Kael

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Permalink Reply by Poisoned Spoon on March 30, 2009 at 12:32pm

I have two children and both of them are Autistic. Nobody wanted to believe it was possible, all my friends and family kept making excuses saying, "Oh they're just late bloomers." I believed them but my husband was convinced there was more to it. I feel like we wasted valuable time "waiting it out" to see if they would start acting like neurotypical children. They did not. My sons are now 2.5 and 4 years old, neither of them talks, neither is potty trained. My husband and I work so hard to find ways to communicate with them and every tiny inch we gain is a HUGE deal.

My little guys are so sweet and wonderful. They love to cuddle which is very abnormal for Autistic children. They're both spectacular artists. My 4 year old is drawing cartoon figures already and the little one is trying really hard to learn to write the alphabet, he also draws near perfect circles. We can't go over to friend's homes, we can't go to the movies, we rarely ever go out for dinner and I can only leave town every so often for business. I have had to pull way back on my career to take care of my little guys and though I don't mind it sometimes makes me a bit sad. I am very tired of hearing parents say, "Can't you just..." in regards to my children's public behavior. They act up in school a lot as well. They're both in special Pre-K and neither is adjusting very well. They're so interactive at home but so defiant at school.

Its hard for a parent. Nobody can understand what its like if you haven't been there or aren't going through it now. My in-laws advised me to just spank them as if I could beat the Autism out of my children. I'm still not speaking to them. I love my kids and I do everything in my power to show them the world. We go to museums, the Aquarium, the Zoo, historic sites, playgrounds, the beach, anywhere I can think of to try to stimulate them. They love to swim and we spent most of last summer teaching them both how. Now my 4 year old can doggie paddle pretty well. I don't know what else to say. I'm trying the best I can and its so hard.

~*Spoon*~

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Permalink Reply by SIN on March 30, 2009 at 12:43pm

What are your thoughts about the article I posted? Do you think using music coupled with visuals might be something worth trying?

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Permalink Reply by Poisoned Spoon on March 30, 2009 at 1:05pm

Music and visuals are actually how I communicate with my children. I sing the ABCs as I write them out and my youngest loves to try to sing and write the ABCs. They respond really well to action songs like Wheels on the Bus, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, 1 Little 2 Little 3 Little Babies, etc. I think it has to be done a specific way. I hope this doesn't sound weird but we've hypnotically conditioned my oldest son to relax when he hears Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. Its how we calm him down when he starts freaking out. I've herd there's a British video out that's designed to teach Autistic children to recognize facial expressions. I'm going to try to find it.

~*Spoon*~

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Permalink Reply by SIN on March 30, 2009 at 1:44pm

Ah! So you are already deploying this method! Awesome.

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Permalink Reply by Kaellanna on March 30, 2009 at 2:42pm

Sin,

Music and visuals are very effective--my son responds to them as well.

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Permalink Reply by KittyMamma.. The Lady C on March 30, 2009 at 12:58pm

I am the mother of an Asperger's Syndrome boy, age 11. I have radically changed his diet, and continuing to do so, as research is pointing to many other directions, away from the vaccinations. I can tell you my story, then offer books to read.

I had a horrible pregnancy with my son, I bled throughout, nearly lost him three times. I was exposed to some major chemicals while being on a Navy ship and not knowing I was pregnant when I got there. When we found out I was pregnant, I was already having complications...I had had a period for about three days, light..I am typically heavy for five. I spotted for 22 days after, and demanded a blood test.Three days later, I was off the ship, in to Italy, on a small base, and being tested for everything that could cause bleeding during pregnancy. I was there a week, sent back to the states, and put on half days. When my son was born, he seemed normal, progressed in development normally for the first two years, but as he started speaking, there were things that were extremely hard to understand. At two, he was a genius at video games, beating his 9 years old sister on many of them, but his speech was not improving, and it took us time to get out what he wanted to say. He recounted to my husband and I, that we had let him drown in a pond, and we explained to him that it was a dream, then I slapped my husband on the arm and told him if he ever doubted past lives, his son just proved him wrong.
By four, I knew what was up, but getting the schools or the psychologists to give the diagnosis, was like pulling teeth. He was diagnosed first as a bi-polar child, placed on medications for four years, and they destroyed him. I switched schools, found other doctors, and finally, at the age of 9, he was properly diagnosed as Asperger's. He had already been off the medications, much to the dismay of his school, for a year. I was tired of watching my bright, psychic little boy, turn into a zombie who hated other kids, who was easily bullied, and just wanted friends.
Cullen, my son, is an amazing child. At five, he beat the video game Kingdom Hearts, and now, is working on many more that he is breaking. At six, he waited for commercial after commercial for a site that he wanted to go on, so that he could write down the web address, and when he finally got it after two days, he typed it in, went to it, and found games to play there. He didn't ask for help, he wanted to do it on his own. Making friends is difficult, as it is not the children he has a hard time with, it is their parents. They see him as odd, hard to talk to, and they think he instigates all the bad that goes on between kids, when in actuallity, he is being like any other kid, taking his share of instigations along with the other children. I home school now, much to the dismay of my mother in law, and Cullen has a little boy that comes over to play on his weekends with his dad. My daughter's boyfriend takes his time with my son, working with him, showing him new games and techniques to do things. Cullen is highly intuitive, and I trust his judgement on many things. At 11, his IQ is extremely high, and we get through an entire days learning in about two hours. One on one, he is great.
Here are some of the things the school would not listen to:
1.( Cullen cannot work in a classroom of more then 8 children, or the noise and other distraction literally give him migraines.
2.) Cullen speaks loudly, because everyone else has always hushed him up, since they could not understand his words. (He has about 8 letters in the alphabet that he can never speak clearly...unless he is singing.)
3.)Cullen is tactile...I created a book for him, made of fabric and trims. I included harsh, somewhat painful trims for frustration, beads for confusion, and silky and soft trims for happiness and understanding. Autistics, and most humans, are extremely tactile, the sense of touch is something we all need, however in Autistics, it is taken to an extreme, and they associate their emotions with things they can touch. I am willing to make more books for those who need them, but know this: at his school, I found his book in the bottom of his desk, and asked in front of his counselor, if he was being allowed to use it. She answered that "yes" he was, he looked at me, grabbed his book, went straight to his frustration page and started rubbing so hard, his fingers went numb. I knew what he was telling me, that she was lying. When he got home, he told me the truth, that his teacher told him not to use it around the other kids, because they wanted one too. I had told the principal that I had no problems making one for each of his fellow classmates, but was never asked to bring them in.
4.) Noise is a huge factor in Cullen's life. He chooses when it is time to hear things loudly, or he will shake his fists next to his ears, and scream. Read the signals your child is sending through body language, they are trying to communicate with you.
5.) Cullen will not eat a lot of different types of food, and went through phases. Again, this is tactile, and if a texture is not something they can tolerate, the food will not be eaten. Experiment, but DO NOT FORCE your child to eat something he/she tells you they don't like. They have a reason that is extremely real to them!!!!
6.) Making and keeping friends is extremely hard for most Asperger's children, as they are very different from most children. I had one mother who told my neighbor that she would not allow her girls around my son. Not for sexual reasons, either, but because she did not understand why he liked to play with dolls. His favorite color is Pink, because it is calming to him. He loves playing with toys meant for toddlers, they are simple, fun, and engaging. Computers are a must for these children, as I have found. It is a means of communication that they can handle, and often, he has taught me how to do things I was not aware of, and I have been using them for 13 years now.

Cullen is a great kids, loved by many. I have many friends who think the world of him. At the age of two, Cullen wrote down his first math problem 2+2 4 the only thing he left off was the equal sign. I had never taught him math, but his love for it made him unique in his class, and other children loved his stories and how quick he was with math. I cried when I got letters from each of his classmates, it was an assignment to tell the other classmates what you liked about them, because the things I read were amazing, things Cullen did not realize about himself, or how they saw him. He thought he was a monster, because his temper got him taken out of class, or his over eagerness to answer questions and tell stories.

Diet plays a huge part. I have been researching a lot, and a friend of mine tested my family, and found all of us had Asperger's at lower levels than Cullen. (My friend is Severe Asperger's, to the point of disability, and has gone through this testing for many many years.) Now, there are books on the foods that should be fed. Two I can recommend are as follows:

The ADHD and Autism Cookbook. It talks about how both of these are related, and how diet plays a huge part. Using a Gluten free and Casain Free diet, along with using Soy and other natural and organic foods, has been studied around the world, and found to be effective in changing the children and adults diagnosed with these two "disorders". (By the way, Autism is not a brain disorder, it is a neurological anomoly. They are finding that Autistic children have in a portion of their brains, so extremely dense in nerve tissue, that the messages that we normally get to each part of the brain, and control ourselves with, are not able to do that in the brains of Autistics. The matter is so dense, the messages get lost. The best study is out of Switzerland, and they are using MRIs to determine this.)

Is Your Child's Brain Starving? My friend sent this to my husband. Since they started putting preservatives in our foods, through mass production and needed shelf life, the instances of Autism has been increasing. Add to that, all the insecticides, genetically modified foods, and dyes that have proven to be harmful, and you see the pattern here. The chemicals that society has thrown upon us, by talking us into believing they will extend our food supply, help our illnesses, and such, have damaged our genetic makeup. What was once a count of 1 in 10,000 is now about 1 in 148 children, and our school systems, as well as our medicinal systems, have got to change. Our farmers have got to get away from chemical treatment, our organic foods need to return, truly organic, and our diets have got to change. (Genetic modification of our foods are not only affecting our bodies, but our ecosystems, and the bees we need to sustain our growing patterns of food, are dying off at alarming rates. No bees, no plants, basically.) The over use of medications that are synthetic, which is where the theory of immunizations causing Autism stem from, along with what we purchase in our grocery stores, clean our houses with, do our laundry with, and wear daily in the forms of dyes, are damaging the human genome beyond repair.

I know this is long, but there is so much more I could go into. I am staring to grow year round, we are doing everything organically, including finding local grain farmers to buy in bulk from, who use organic methods, so that everything I put into our bodies is organic. Nutrition, proper nutrition, is the bases of brain function. Most vitamins you purchase in stores have fillers in them, and they are not all organic, unless they are specified organic. As Elven Path points out, there are also herbal concoctions that can aid these very special children.
I blamed myself more when I thought my son had Bi-polar, but now that I know it is Autism, and we all show signs of it, I don't blame myself anymore. Instead, I finally understood the need to be the social butterfly, the reason I am an empath was to make myself understand the facial expressions of others, and the emotions behind them, the understanding of why I was gifted more so than my siblings in school, and why, to this day, I am easily hurt by others. My son experiences all of this and more. It makes sense now, and I am so grateful that my son was the reason I finally understood myself. I am his best friend, and he is mine, and we have a great communication process. I see this as a gift, not a curse.
I hope this helps, Rhea

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Permalink Reply by Poisoned Spoon on March 30, 2009 at 1:19pm

Sooo why is there an increase in Autism in countries that don't use a lot of pesicides and preservatives in their foods?

~*Spoon*~

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Permalink Reply by SIN on March 30, 2009 at 1:44pm

Do you have any theories for the cause of Autism?

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