Clinic Notes: The Children's Treatment Center for Autism or other Childhood Developmental Disorders

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Clinic Notes: What does the Child with Autism See?

Most of the sensory information humans process is in the visual modality. And while children with autism often do not make eye contact it is assumed that most of the sensory issues in autism are in the auditory and tactile modality. This is most obvious when children with autism cover their ears in the presence of certain sounds or are tactile defensive refusing to wear certain fabrics or not liking to be touched. Problems in the visual modality are less apparent at times, but research has identified problems. For example, some anecdotal studies as well as empirical studies suggest that human faces are seen as either distorted or blank. Furthermore, children with autism seem to focus more on the mouth of the person speaking rather than the eyes. Some studies suggest that some children with autism have Prosopagnosia or face blindness, which cause social as well as other problems. Of course, these studies have an inferential component and I am still wondering what a child with autism really sees. I have planned a series of drawings that I hope can capture what I think the child with autism possibly sees.

Clinic Notes: Prosopagnosia (Face blindness), Autism, and Art Therapy

Prosopagnosia is a neurological condition where people have difficulty recognizing faces. The disorder may be genetic, caused by strokes, or head trauma. Children with autism or Asperger's may also have Prosopagnosia. Some studies have shown that children with autism and Prosopagnosia have less difficulty sometimes if faces are presented upside down. Other studies suggest that children with autism fixate on certain parts of a face and do not see the entire face. It as been suggested that one reason that children with autism have problems understanding emotions in other people is because of Prosopagnosia.
I remember when I was working in a head trauma clinic I encountered patients with Prosopagnosia and the only thing I could suggest was for everyone to wear name tags. Now I wonder if children with Prosopagnosia would profit from "art therapy" where they learned to draw faces. In my clinic we are in the process of identifying children with Prosopagnosia and starting art therapy.

Clinic Notes: Would it be Better to Know if Your Child Is Going to Have Autism?

Autism is usually not diagnosed until the second year of life when language begins to develop. There is some evidence that signs of autism are present much earlier and also that very early ABA intervention might even prevent the development of autism. So the hunt is on to develop a screening instrument for very young children. But some parents are up in arms. They are afraid that the idea that bad parenting will come back. I don't understand their concern. With any disease early detection is always better. So why not with autism?

ABA for Iraqi Child with Autism

I received the email below at my website and with permission reproduced it below. Parents worldwide have problems getting services. This Iraqi mother makes the most of her situation.
Dear Dr.Brown;
Thank you very much, I am really appreciate every single word I read from the ABA e-book, ABA course & Case History eBook. I was completely lost in this country. I am Iraqi dentist and live in United Arab Emirates. I did assessment for my son, age 3 years and 6 months, here by the only specialist in Dubai who had certificate in Autism from Birmingham in UK. She gave him diagnosis of Autism. I showed her a video which helped a lot in the assessment and she told me we will start our treatment with Resperidal. I was surprise by her treatment because she didn't start with any behavior management first to see if the child can be improve or not. I left her clinic and never went back. I visited few autism centers in UAE. They are just starting to give attention to Autism in this country and they gives the priority to the local people (UAE citizenship) and put the others on the waiting list for a years. So I have been dedicated my time searching and reading about Autism since I got the diagnosis trying to help my son. I made food intolerance test for him and the result shows that he should avoid Dairy and wheat product and some other foods also. I already start with him 3 months ago Casein Gluten free diet according to the research I saw from internet. This diet is really effective it improve his eye contact, he stop searching for hair to eat (pica), he start imitate , decrease in hyperactivity, improve in the relation with siblings. He has normal manual dexterity (eating by himself, walking, wearing his cloths with simple assistants). I engaged him in playing group (nursery for typical children ) and he is happy with that but no communication with other children. Before I read your course I start doing my best with him to start verbal communication (he has no words at all), so I start taking pictures for the different foods he eat, bath room, swing,.etc,every time I gave him a food I showed him the picture and tell him the name, after few days I start to show him the pictures especially the fruit that he likes to eat and every time he say the name I say bravo and give him that fruit as reinforcement (ex. if I showed him picture of grapes and he said grapes. I take him directly to the kitchen and give him grapes). It was very effective way and he has now 11 words so far. After I read your course I start with him ABA program. He refused riding bicycle and by using method of successive approximations (shaping);
1- I holding him and let him sit on the bike ( good boy, he will riding bicycle ) then as he stay few second sit ,I give him reinforcement ( I used mixed fruit sweet it is with out milk as he should avoid dairy ) .
2- I fixed his foots on the puddle and I stand in front of him and pulling the bike toward me by (saying come to me Hamza) his foots just pushed the puddles ,(good boy , riding bicycle. and give him reinforcement directly )
3- I stand little bit few steps away and call him (come to me), he push the puddles and once he touch me I give him the reinforcement directly, I never so him happy as he was that day (at that time I wish you Dr. brown be there so I can give you a kiss over your head, God please you).
4- After I that I increase the distant and the direction gradually .actually this improve this eye contact, follow the direction and compliant all at the same time.
Now I am working with caregiver in the nursery to make him stop the behavior excess (dangerous climbing).
I will answer all your quizzes and send it to you.

Sorry for the long email

Kindest Regards
I. H.
UAE

Clinic Notes: ABA for Grandmothers with Autism

When I came in the clinic this morning I checked the messages on the answering machine like I always do. The messages were the usual--parents wanting evaluations on their children--others with a diagnosis wanting treatment. Other messages were from school systems, doctors, speech language pathologists, and other agencies and professionals wanting information on children that I was seeing--nothing different. I thought. I returned as many calls as I could before my appointments started and ran into something different. A grandmother with several grandchildren requested an autism evaluation. I asked her how old her grandchildren were and she informed me that I didn't understand. The autism evaluation was not her grandchildren. The autism evaluation was for her. I apologized and asked her why she thought she had autism. It was because her grandchildren were acting different she said. She thought they might have autism and had got it from her. That's a backward way of looking at autism I thought to myself. Then I wondered if indeed this backward way of looking at autism was autistic behavior. And I wondered if anyone was doing ABA with grandmothers with autism.

Clinic Notes: Language and Autism

Language and speech problems are apparent in children with autism. Many children with autism only understand the literal aspects of language and not what is implied or metaphorical. For example, I was recently trying to get a new child diagnosed with autism to interact with me. I rolled a ball to him and said, "Roll it back". He picked up the ball, put it behind his head and let it roll down his back. I had not said, "Roll the ball back to me." The implied part of the sentence did not register. Idioms are another real problem. If I say to a child with autism, "It's raining cats and doges," they look at me like I'm crazy. One of the children I see with autism got mad at one of her relatives that she ad not seen in a while. The relative said, "You are growing like a weed." The child was insulted because she thought the relative was calling her a weed and did not get the metaphor.