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Playing is the doorway for a parent and young child with autism to
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doorway.
Melbourne
Phone
321 751-1313
Parent Support Group
B-Focasd
BFOCASD Brevard Families of Children
with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (or Similar Disabilities).
BFOCASD meetings are the first Wednesday of every month from 7-9 p.m.
Brevard County, Florida
Services
At
The Success Project
321-751-1313
674 N Wickham
Melbourne, Florida 32935
• Auditory Processing Testing & Training
• Attention & Cognitive Testing
• Attention and Peak
Performance Coaching
•Free Parent Classes
•School Services
• Programs tailored
to personal needs
• Resource library
• Retail area to try
products before buying
What
Causes Autism?
The National Institutes of Health has been funding several research projects
to help identify the causes of autism, in hopes of someday developing better
treatment for and prevention of the disorder. The following is reprinted from
the website of the National Institutes of Health, at http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/autism.cfm.
It is generally accepted that
autism is caused by abnormalities in brain structures or functions. Using a
variety of new research tools to study human and animal brain growth, scientists
are discovering more about normal development and how abnormalities occur.
Scientists now know that a
number of problems may interfere with normal brain development. Cells may
migrate to the wrong place in the brain. On the other hand, due to problems with
the neural pathways or the neurotransmitters, some parts of the communication
network may fail to perform. A problem with the communication network may
interfere with the overall task of coordinating sensory information, thoughts,
feelings, and actions.
Researchers supported by NIMH
and other NIH Institutes are scrutinizing the structures and functions of the
brain for clues as to how a brain with autism differs from the normal brain. In
one line of study, researchers are investigating potential defects that occur
during initial brain development. Other researchers are looking for defects in
the brains of people already known to have autism.
Scientists are also looking for
abnormalities in the brain structures that make up the limbic system. Inside the
limbic system, an area emotional behavior. One study of high-functioning
children with autism found that the amygdala was indeed impaired but that
another area of the brain, the hippocampus, was not. In another study,
scientists followed the development of monkeys whose amygdala was disrupted at
birth. Like children with autism, as the monkeys grew, they became increasingly
withdrawn and avoided social contact.
Differences in
neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers of the nervous system, are also being
explored. For example, high levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin have been
found in a number of people with autism. Since neurotransmitters are responsible
for passing nerve impulses in the brain and nervous system, it is possible that
they are involved in the distortion of sensations that accompanies autism.
NIMH grantees are also exploring
differences in overall brain function, using a technology called magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) to identify which parts of the brain are boys, NIMH
researchers observed that during problem-solving and language tasks, teenagers
with autism were not only less successful than peers without autism, but the MRI
images of their brains showed less activity. In a study of younger children,
researchers observed low levels of activity in the parietal areas and the corpus
callosum. Such research may help scientists determine whether autism reflects a
problem with specific areas of the brain, or with the transmission of signals
from one part of the brain to another.
Each of these differences has
been seen in some but not all the people with autism who were tested. What could
this mean? Perhaps the term autism
actually covers several different disorders, each caused by a different problem
in the brain. On the other hand, perhaps the various brain differences are
themselves caused by a single underlying disorder that scientists have not yet
identified. Discovering the physical basis of autism should someday allow us to
better identify, treat, and possibly prevent it.
This article
originally appeared in an issue of “Science in Autism Treatment”, the
newsletter of the Association for Science in Autism Treatment (ASAT). It may not
be republished or reprinted without advance permission from ASAT. For more
information about ASAT, please contact them at www.asatonline.org
or 207-253-6008.
More on Serotonin Imbalance in Autism
Neurotransmitters are powerful chemical messengers that carry messages to and from the brain. These messages are everything that you do, think, say, feel, hear, smell, touch, and taste. The main neurotransmitters are serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine.
An imbalance in serotonin is believed to cause many of the characteristic symptoms of autism. This serotonin imbalance can lead to sleep disturbances, speech delays, and sensory integration problems, as serotonin regulates
*sleep
*mood
*speech
*sensory integration
*body temperature
*appetite
This imbalance occurs when the neurotransmitter serotonin does not properly carry the message to the proper portion of the brain. Rather, the serotonin is prematurely 'swept away' for reuse in the re-uptake process before the brain has a chance to receive and make sense of the incoming messages.
For example, if I tell you "Go close the door”, neurotransmitters carry the sound of my voice from your ear to the portion of your brain that understands language in order for you to make sense of what I've said. This is auditory processing...the brain processing the sounds that the ear detects.
Many children with autism, however, have great difficulty with auditory processing because the neurotransmitters are not properly carrying the sounds from the ear to the correct portion of the brain. Many autistic children also have difficulty with sensory integration for the same reason: they do not perceive sensations the way 'typical' children do because the messages are not carried properly to the brain. Before the message is received and processed, it is swept away in the reuptake process.
It is often difficult for autistic children to discern what is an important stimulus and what is not, or which sensation they should focus on and which they should tune out. The serotonin imbalance makes it extremely difficult for them to tune out unnecessary stimulation. The result can be self-stimulation, or repetitive actions such as rocking, spinning, and hand flapping that the child performs to help calm themselves from the flurry of stimulation that they are unable to tune out.
Because the messages are not properly delivered, some things they should notice they do not notice at all, such as when a parent calls out her child's name and the child seems not to hear the parent at all. Many parents of autistic children report initially thinking their child had a hearing impairment, only to discover their child's hearing falls into normal ranges upon having a hearing evaluation. Often, the problem is not with the child's hearing; rather, it is with the neurotransmitters not carrying the sounds from the ear to the brain properly. They are not 'tuning in' to their parents because of all the other stimuli that has grabbed their attention.
It is often difficult for them to tune certain things out, such as the sound of a flickering fluorescent light or constant motion of a ceiling fan. This is the result of a neurotransmitter failing to complete its job to deliver messages to and from the brain, leaving the child unable to discern which stimuli s/he should attend to and which stimuli can be tuned out.
Sometimes, everyday sounds are exaggerated for them, actually causing them discomfort and possibly pain, such as the sound of the toilet flushing or the whir of a hair dryer, (which
Another major problem often seen in autism is sleep disturbance. The neurotransmitter serotonin also regulates the release of melatonin, the body's natural sleep aid that helps establish a sleep cycle. My three-year-old autistic son was locked into a pattern of taking naps at 8:00 pm and finally going to sleep at 3:00 a.m. every night. Nothing I did seemed to help him. It didn't matter if I woke him up early or tried to keep him up from his nap. Attempts to get him to bed at a decent hour made everyone miserable, as he would yell and keep everyone awake..
A serotonin imbalance in autism as described here can lead to
*Sensory Integration Problems
*Auditory Processing Problems
*Speech Delays
*Repetitive Behaviors
*Self-stimulation
*Sleep Disturbances
Many professionals believe that one way to successfully help treat these problems that are typical in autism is to use Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors. We believe they put one's adrenal system at risk and have other negative side effects. Amino acid supplements will improve serotonin levels in a safer and healthier way. There are many choices for amino acid products through out our website.
Balance
Formula 1-Capsules
Endo Trex is a Theanine Spray
Prevamine is an amino acid powder to put in water for a liquid delivery Coming
Soon
Why
Autistics have Serotonin Imbalances
As much as 90% of the
serotonin, one of the primary neurotransmitters, is produced in the
Supportive research-
Digestion And ADHD/Autism
Digestive problems and stool abnormalities
may be present in a large portion of children with ADHD / Autism. Many autistic
children display chronic indigestion and gas. One study that examined a small
group of randomly selected autistic children found that 40% (6 1/5) had bulky,
odorous or loose stools or diarrhea. Interestingly, many parents of ADHD /
autistic
children report a worsening in behavioral symptoms occurring in conjunction with
a flare-up of gastrointestinal problems.
"Although gastrointestinal symptoms
frequently accompany the manifestations of autism" points out pediatrician
Karolyn Horvath, M.D., and his colleagues at the University of Maryland School of
Medicine, "little attention has been paid to this aspect…"Dr. Horvath’s team performed
gastrointestinal evaluation on 36 children with severe autism and found several
striking abnormalities. The children often showed signs of chronic inflammation
in the gut, including the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum. Because of the
enzyme deficiencies, many of the children had trouble digesting and
absorbing carbohydrates a possible cause for their chronic loose stools and gas.
These abnormalities may be closely linked with sudden behavior changes in the
children such as irritability, aggression, and nighttime awakenings.
More info on Digestion and Enzymes
Another reason to be concerned about digestion, is that about 80-90% of our serotonin is synthesized in the chromaffin cells of the gut. Serotonin is essential to brain function. Other indications of low serotonin may be carbohydrate cravings, Migraines, PMS, Depression, Insomnia or problems falling asleep, obsessive-compulsive behavior and panic attacks.
Reference
Our
"MANNERS FOR THE
REAL WORLD - Basic Social Skills" video features straightforward
descriptions and clear demonstrations of the right behaviors for common
social situations. This can make it a helpful tool in teaching a child with
Asperger Syndrome or High Functioning Autism some extremely useful social
skills.
We have also added social skills page for
items that would be helpful for children in the autistic spectrum.
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