 |
Main Menu |
|
|
 Home Community Members options Search Web
|
|
|
|
|
Survey |
|
|
How many children are on the spectrum in your family?
|
|
|
|
|
News- Page 7
|
Therapy & Treatments : Approaches to Autism
|
|
|
Posted by Sylvia on Wednesday, November 12, 2003 (18:12:35)
written by Peter Zwack
(AUTISTIC SOCIETY OF GREATER MONTREAL)
Table of Contents:
·Summary of Approaches for Treating Autism
·Behaviorist Model and Behavior Modification
·Cognitivist Model and Cognitive Approaches
·Psychoanalysis and Analytical Therapies
·Visual Representaton of the Approaches
·How Do various Programs Position Themselves on that Axis
·TEACCH Program and UK Nas Schools
·Other Methods and Techniques
·Outcome
·Bibliography
Summary of Approaches for Treating Autism
·Biochemical (food allergies, medication, food and vitamin supplements)
·Neurosensory (sensorial integration, over stimulation and patterning, auditory training, facilitated communication, daily life therapy)
·Psycho-dynamic (holding therapy, psychotherapy and psychoanalysis, option institute(which also falls in behavioral)
·Behavioral (Discrete trials (Lovaas and others), behavior modification with and without aversives, Structured Teaching (TEACCH)
Note: Many of the programs mentioned above also use other approaches to some degree and an attempt was made to place them in the most appropriate category.
The literature seems to show that food allergies and the possibility of candida should be checked immediately because a significant number of children may be autistic because of these problems which can be controlled through drugs or diet.
As far as other kinds of drug therapy are concerned, there is no drug that is universally successful in treating autistic symptoms and that in some cases usually useful drugs may produce negative results and vice-versa. Vitamin B6 with magnesium and some other vitamins and DMG produce positive results in many cases.
Any educational program (SI,AIT, psychotherapy, behavioral, etc), if done intensively, produces some positive results. There are rare cases of recovery claimed by every educational method. In addition, some methods have been reported by parents as producing negative results.
Behavioral approaches have, without a shadow of a doubt, the best scientific proof as well as anecdotal results. The best known, because of the amount of related scientific literature, are Lovaas' version of discrete trial, which reported many cases of recovery for intensive early intervention, and the North Carolina TEACCH programs. Both are very structured programs with alot of positive reinforcement, two factors which seem important.
Clearly, it is important to have centers of expertise for PDD, autism, and related disorders in order to help families and school boards in experimenting and choosing the right therapy for each child.
Click here to read more
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Read More... | 4 comments |   |
|
|
|
|
Therapy & Treatments : Snoezelen Room
|
|
|
Posted by Sylvia on Tuesday, November 11, 2003 (13:07:58)
Sensory stimulation and relaxation in special interior rooms
Prof. Dr. Krista Mertens
Humboldt-University of Berlin (Germany)
Development of Snoezelen
Since the 1980s Snoezelen has found increasing popularity in Germany. I first heard the term "Snoezelen" in 1988 and made contact with the institution for 400 severely and extremely severely mentally handicapped children and adults De Hartenberg, in Ede (Netherlands).
The special Snoezelen rooms, floors and corners - even a Snoezelen pool - were designed as "day activities" by Ad Verheul and Jan Hulsegge. (In Ad Verheul are traits of a set-designer, artist, landscape gardener and aviation designer. He is able to use his creativity, openess and sensivity to comprehend the needs of handicapped people and to develop new items.)
As mentioned above Snoezelen was originally conceived as a leisure activity for people with severe mental handicap. By now therapeutic and pedagogic concepts of Snoezelen are scientifically based on a wealth of available observation.
The advantages of this intervention are enjoyed by many people in schools, kindergartens, day centres, old people's homes, psychiatric institutions, hospitals and rehabilitation centres
In Germany work is being carried out on getting recognition for this intervention method both in paedagogique and therapeutic practice but also as a cure. In 1998 we set up the German Snoezelen Foundation. The members of the board - and me as the president - agreed on the following definition:
"Snoezelen means a specially designed environment where well-being is to be caused by controllable multisensorial stimuli."
Snoezelen can take place either inside a room or in an area outside.
Experts, not only in Germany but especially in Great Britain, do also share different opinions on this issue. One group argues that this „designed environment“ has to be restricted to a specially planned interior room. Others believe that Snoezelen - in correspondence with so-called sense gardens (e.g. Kükelhaus) - is also possible in specially designed areas outside.
A third group proclaims that any perception of stimuli that has a positive influence on the individual can be called Snoezelen. This could include a stroll along a stream, in the mountains or at the sea as well as rocking in a hammock in the shade of a tree - might be in an oasis with the observation of bubbling springs.
Some even believe that any satisfaction of one’s needs should be called Snoezelen. It seems to be difficult to find a common denominator concerning this issue.
In all cases one can find the same positive effects: These specially designed rooms cause positive emotions such as well-being, rest, satisfaction, poise or joy. Pleasant surroundings call back memories and support self-reflection. One is enabled to gather strength and develop ideas.
On the basis of this exclusively positive experience, the number of rooms designed accordingly is constantly rising - 250 in Germany (August 2000). You can find most of them in institutions for handicapped people (including sheltered work shops), in clinics and institutions for rehabilitation and in different institutions for elderly. The special ambience is now being applied to water, too. Here, light and sound seem to have positive effects similar to those in other rooms.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Read More... (5.97 KB) | 3 comments | |
|
|
|
|
|
Latest: 
New Today: 0
New Yesterday: 0
Overall: 11466
Members: 0
Visitors: 5
Total: 5
1: