Teaching Autism - How To Teach The Autistic Child

By Sylvia Rolfe

Teaching can be a challenging job with any child, but when the child suffers from special needs it can be even more difficult. Understanding how they learn and the methods that work best for them is key of course, but as every child learns differently so does every autistic child so this is just a general guideline to help you teach the autistic child.

By being educated on what autism is and how to effectively teach the autistic child you are taking the first step in creating a more warm and welcoming world for your autistic child. Those with autism tend to learn best from visual examples. Therefore, standing in front of the class lecturing, loses the autistic child. Verbal communication is very limited for many autistic children, as is their understanding of verbal teachings. Including diagrams, flash cards and visual representation can make it much easier for them to comprehend what you are saying. Long sentences easily confuse and lose them, so try to avoid them in your teaching methods.

A child with autism often has a visual fixation, by discussing with the parents what this is you may be able to incorporate this into the lessons and keep their attention better. If they are obsessed with apples, it is much easier for them to learn math is you are using apples to show how to add and subtract for example. With a little adjustment and creative thought you can not only help you r autistic student learn better but you may find your other students taking more interest in your lessons as well.

Teaching an autistic student, need not be a daunting task. With creativity and a working communication with the parents you may find easy solutions to make a learning environment for all.

To help your student cope with teaching and autism make sure you click here!

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Tips For Coping With Aggression In Your Autistic Child

By Rachel Evans

One of the common symptoms in children with autism is aggressive behavior. Aggression can occur in many different ways. Physical aggression can be directed toward you, other children, the child him or herself, or even toward inanimate objects. Furthermore, aggression in autistic children isn't limited to physical behaviors but also extends to verbal aggression too.

Whether physical or verbal, aggression in an autistic child can be very upsetting and potentially dangerous. For this reason, autistic children who display aggressive symptoms require more supervision in order to prevent them from injuring others or themselves.

Naturally, parents don't want to simply let this aggression continue and have to deal with it as it occurs. Therefore, efforts are being made on many levels to discover different ways to cope with aggression in autistic children and to decrease or at least curb its incidence.

Often, the first options to reduce aggression suggested by doctors is medication - particularly if the aggressive episodes seem especially hazardous to the child or those around him or her. Keep in mind that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet approved any medication that specifically treats autism. However, success has been witnessed in using drugs designated for other conditions in order to lessen the aggressive symptoms of autism.

It should be noted, though, that every individual reacts differently to medications, and while some children may respond very well to a certain dose of a drug, others will have a completely different reaction. The process is highly individualized and takes careful observation, measurement, and work with a health care professional in order to avoid any of the potential side effects or interactions.

Recently, it has been the anti-psychotic medications - specifically those which have been approved for schizophrenia treatments - that have produced the most favorable results in autism aggression reduction. For example, a 2002 study called "Risperidone in Children with Autism and Serious Behavioral Problems" (McCracken, J.T, M.D., McGough, J, M.D, et al.), published in the New England Journal of Medicine, examined the impact of Risperdal (Risperidone) on aggression in children with autism. At the end of this 8 week study, 69 percent of the children given Risperdal were said to have either "much improved" or "very much improved", in comparison to only 12 percent within the placebo group.

However, many parents do not wish to medicate - or further medicate - their children with anti-psychotic drugs. These drugs do come with potential negative side effects and can be dangerous if overdosed. Therefore, alternatives are often sought. Working with your child's doctor can be very important in this process. To try to alter behavior, parents should pay very close attention to exactly what is happening before and during an aggressive episode. It is important to try and identify trends that lead to an outburst of aggression.

For example, some parents find that their children will suddenly become upset while having their teeth brushed. There are many activities that go on during tooth brushing and each should be considered when assessing what caused the aggressive reaction. Is it opening the mouth wide? Is it the feeling of bristles against the teeth, gums, cheek, roof of the mouth, or tongue? Has the toothbrush gone in too far and hit the gag reflex? Is saliva pooling near the back of the mouth (causing a drowning sensation)? Is it drooling? Is it the smell, texture, or taste of the toothpaste? Is it the foaming of the toothpaste? Is it the sensation of spitting or swallowing saliva and toothpaste?

Every element needs to be examined and tested to see if the situation can be improved. For example, trying different kinds of toothbrushes with softer bristles, a different shaped head, or different textured bristles, or different flavors of toothpaste or gels. Different brushing techniques should also be tried to avoid various sensations, and saliva levels in the mouth should be carefully monitored.

Similarly, other children react not to a sensory sensitivity, but as a result of feeling upset or frustrated from something that they cannot verbalize. For example, a child who tries to tie his or her shoes but who has not yet developed the skills with which to do so might feel very frustrated and become unable to express the root of the frustration and instead react aggressively. When under stress, speaking clearly can be a huge challenge for autistic children and they often revert to the behaviors of younger children instead of saying what they want.

It should also be considered that if aggression has suddenly developed or worsened, there might be an allergic reaction to foods, environmental conditions, medications or a change in home or school environment. Drugs may have potential side effects including aggression. They may also interact with other drugs being taken by the child. Furthermore, seasonal allergies or food allergies may cause discomforts in an autistic child to which he or she is very sensitive and cannot properly verbalize, leading to aggressive behaviors. It is important to examine all possibilities to root out the problem.

The most important thing to remember once your child has become aggressive is for you and those around you to stay calm and talk quietly.

If appropriate, remove objects that your child could hurt themselves or others with. Ask other people present to leave the room or give your child space, but make sure you or another responsible adult stays. Never leave your child alone.

Should your child be in an appropriate environment try to avoid saying anything as this can be inflammatory and can prolong the aggressive behavior. By staying calm and quiet your child may stop their behavior more quickly.

Of course, it is also possible for a child to be displaying autistic symptoms and traits without truly being autistic at all. It is important to make certain that a misdiagnosis has not occurred by considering alternative mental disorders that can present with the same or similar behaviors.

Grab your free copy of Rachel Evans' brand new Autism Newsletter - Overflowing with easy to implement methods to help you and your family find out about coping with autism symptoms and for information on coping with autism aggression please visit The Essential Guide To Autism.

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Does Schizophrenia Treatment Involve Drugs?

By Mike Selvon

Psychologist R.D. Laing once said, "Schizophrenia cannot be understood without understanding despair." The most debilitating facet of this mental illness is the negative emotion generated, in addition to the disruptive nature.

Not only may a person have the typical hallucinations, but chances are, he or she will also feel a high degree of social anxiety, listlessness and suicidal tendencies. Schizophrenia treatment almost always involves life-long drugs, but should be accompanied by clinical psychiatry and schizophrenia support, most importantly.

Within the United States, there are fourteen clinics that specialize in schizophrenia treatment. For example, the Center Of Prevention & Evaluation (COPE) is a popular treatment program that can be found in New York, or there's the Early Assessment and Support Team (EAST).

There are generally five phases for these programs, with each phase lasting up to six months. Counselors help schizophrenics meet goals, adapt to group situations, develop a long term plan and even find work.

For a treatment of schizophrenia that doubles as a mood enhancer, used especially in cases where patients are suicidal, Clozapine may be administered. This anti-psychotic drug restores the body's neurotransmitter functions, decreases nervousness, increases positive feelings and combats hallucinations or other disturbances.

The danger, of course, is dizziness, high blood pressure, drowsiness and even seizures, although these side effects are extremely rare. Careful monitoring must be done with Clozapine to prevent a fatal bone marrow toxicity that can develop.

Other treatment drugs include: Chloropromazine, Fluphenazine, Geodon, Moban, Paliperidone, Sarcosine, Thioridazine, Ziprasidone and Zyprexa (which is also used to treat bipolar disorder). This year the FDA is meeting to discuss making a longer lasting, injectable form of Zyprexa available, although they fear severe drowsiness may ensue.

However, it's honestly tough to tell which schizophrenia drug works best because of industry bias. Dr. John Davis reported in the American Journal of Psychiatry: "On the basis of these contrasting findings in head-to-head trials, it appears that whichever company sponsors the trial produces the better anti-psychotic drug."

As of 2008, Merck Corporation made a $700 million deal with Addex Pharmaceuticals of Switzerland to develop a new schizophrenia drug. Uwe Reinhardt, a political economist at Princeton, feels that the reason patients are dissatisfied with many schizophrenia treatment drugs is related to efforts by Congress to keep drug companies happy. "I have come to believe a lot of inefficiency is quite deliberate," he commented. "One person's inefficiency is another person's income."

A free audio gift awaits you at our portal site, where you can enrich your knowledge further about schizophrenia treatment. Your comment is much appreciated at our mental illness blog.

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