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DonJoy, an innovative, leading provider of medical bracing and supports, made an exciting announcement on March 7th, 2018: the launch of their new X4 Smart Brace. This device will revolutionize recovery for patients of knee replacement surgery and introduce a new era of medical technology.
We all talk about meltdowns when it comes to our Autistic children, but what about meltdowns in Autistic adult individuals? Sometimes it seems that our Autistic adults are cast aside to lay focus on our children. There are so many areas of the Autistic adult’s lives that are in need of further examination and understanding.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is one of the basic “go to” therapies in the Autism community. It’s based on how a person thinks, acts, feels and how their behavior affects those around them. The biggest positive in this type of Autism treatment is that it has no adverse side effects and no warnings associated with it. It also helps astoundingly with meltdowns and other behavioral issues.
My son was recently diagnosed with autism and when April rolled around I wanted to do my part in spreading awareness and acceptance of the autistic community. As I was getting ready to light my profile pic blue I discovered there were other colors to choose from.
One of the indications of Autism is difficulty socializing. Difficulties include eye contact, interest in others, sharing and communicating thoughts. Boardgames are a great way to work on these barriers of socialization.
We all know about Speech Therapy and Occupational Therapy for Autistic individuals, but what about other forms of therapy that parents use? There is one form of therapy I’d like to bring to your attention. One age-old therapy that we’ve fought insurance companies over for years- ABA Therapy. Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA therapy has been recognized as a successful Autism treatment since the 1960s. What’s it all about though? Some parents do not know, so let’s talk about it…
There are many benefits of swimming for autistic and special needs kids. One of the essential lessons they learn is life-saving skills.
My family has spent the last several years living outside our home state of Indiana. Moving was a huge adjustment for all us- particularly my oldest Autistic son. I spent the first few years we were away fighting for proper education and doctors for him in Washington State. The wait lists are ridiculous in the clinics across the United States. Not to mention the irritation that comes in when you have to involve different health insurance companies!
A walk in nature can be just what your autistic child needs. Not only will it give you a way to engage but it will also give your child the sensory input they crave.
The ketogenic diet is taking the world by storm. The ketogenic diet ranked amongst the top of the diet and fitness Google searches of 2016. Keto coffee is receiving high praise from health gurus everywhere. If you don’t want to have more energy or shed some pounds, the keto coffee craze is not for you.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted the Breakthrough Therapy status for the Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche's drug Balovaptan in January 2018.
When you are faced with having no assurances as to if your child will progress or regress, sometimes parents get desperate. Whether it is Autism or some other diagnosis; as parents we just want to make our children’s plights easier for them. The way some parents go about this can sometimes swing towards the extreme.
Sesame Place is a Sesame Street Themed park in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. They will kick off their 38th season on April 28th as the first theme park in the world to be designated as a Certified Autism Center.
In an effort to advance it seems science sometimes looks to areas that make the general public choleric. If you’re an individual with abhorrence for “thinking outside the box” then I can assure you the direction researchers are leaning, in regard to CBD as an Autism treatment, is really going to agitate you. Science is science though, not everybody is always going to agree with the findings but that doesn’t make them any less relevant.
Unquestionably one of the most debated cause topics surrounding Autism is maternal smoking. For years now, the credibility of the theory of maternal smoking and Autism has been questioned. There have been studies done for countless years on whether smoking while you are pregnant can cause Autism. The number one question needing answered is if there really is a tangible correlation between mothers who smoked during pregnancy and children who are diagnosed with Autism. The answer to this question seems to be held in studies linked out of the U.S. and Sweden.
Playing extracurricular sports is a great experience for any child, but what do you do when your child has Autism and wants to play a sport? You let them is what you do! You must prepare in many ways for it though. Both with your child, your child’s doctor and with the organization your child wants to play in; whether that be baseball, basketball, track, football, etc. Always make the adequate preparations before signing your child up.
There are plenty of questions as to what causes Autism. Whether those have genetic roots or environmental ones- one thing is for sure, we would all love an answer… a definitive one, or a few. At this point, I don’t think any of us would be too picky if we were offered several proven causes. It’s not that science isn’t looking for those causes, it’s just that it is a slow process that requires much more funding and research.
The likelihood of an Autistic individual encountering law enforcement is high. With a large number of autistic children entering adulthood, it will be higher. There have been numerous stories in the news about these encounters that have led to injury, trauma and even death. As a parent of a spectrum child, it's frustrating, heartbreaking and painful to hear.
Although your child’s safety is the most essential thing during a meltdown there are other elements that you must look for and be aware of; such as, comorbid disorders that may be triggering them and what you can do to combat against them. We’ve all had those moments when our child melts down and we are left with no earthly idea what caused it. We are left staring at the floor, at our child, trying to figure out what triggered this reaction from this little person that we love so much. Often the issue isn’t Autism alone. Often one of the issues is a comorbid disorder of Autism called Sensory Processing Disorder, or SPD for short.
BetterMe is an innovative app that combines your personalized fitness and diet preferences to fit your individual needs. You can modify meal and workout plans all with the convenience of a tap on your screen.
If you were to ask any parent of an Autistic child what they thought the truest introduction into the life of Autism is many would say the sometimes-brutal launch of a severe meltdown. Meltdowns are daunting, discouraging, arduous, and at times embarrassing.
We all have good days and bad days. Let's face it, as a parent raising a child with special needs, any kind of helpful advice is going to make our lives easier. I recall before the internet with all of its tips, groups, and forums I felt like I was the only one. I believe there are many who still feel this way. Rest assured, you are not alone on your journey.
The FDA just approved the world’s smallest mechanical heart valve for newborns and infants. Prior to the approval of the Abbott heart valve, the lives of approximately 40,000 babies a year were in grave jeopardy due to congenital heart defects (CHD). The Abbott heart valve is a mere 15 millimeters in size, approximately the circumference of a dime.
List making has benefits. List making creates order, prioritize things, helps you to feel productive and even relieves stress while reading a story or doing something. But these are not the only reasons top 10 lists are so popular
Each of us parents of Autistic individuals have our own stories of how bullying has impacted our child’s life, or most of us do. As near 82% of special needs kids are bullied. Each story is unique and each as sad as the next. Whether it be stares, snickers, name calling, or actual physical violence, bullying affects each person in its own way. My son's story with bullying started in Kindergarten- before he was able to even understand what a bully was or even speak a word to us. His journey with bullies started from almost the moment he entered public school.
Meltdowns are unpredictable and are many times a complete mystery. Those who are non-verbal or low-verbal are not able to communicate their needs or frustrations and meltdowns happen as a result. What if there was a way to predict and prevent a meltdown from occurring? Does that seem far out of reach?
Special needs parents have diverse perspectives surrounding the Autism "cure debates" and around our beliefs of our children’s level of understanding of the said topic.
Increasingly each day the parents of autistic children are finding out they're also Aunts and Uncles to autistic nieces and nephews. The numbers are staggering. It has happened in my family multiple times. Each diagnosis I am told about is received with the same shock as I felt when I found out my son had been diagnosed. It never gets easier to accept; however, the diagnosis does get easier to explain. It suddenly becomes easier to relate to your relatives. The genetics of Autism, however, is a little bit more complicated than just simply saying it “runs in my family.”
When my daughter was younger I always thought she'd live with me forever if need be. I honestly had no clue of the journey that was ahead of us. As a parent raising a child on the Autism spectrum you hope that you're going to find the answers to each difficulty that may arise. This is the farthest thing from the truth. We all learn as we go - asking questions, researching information, and maybe feeling like we're drowning in all of the uncertainty.
As the warmer season approaches many families start planning a vacation. But what about autism families or families with special needs? What are some fun vacation places to take an autistic child?
