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Finding What Works to Dealing with Autism

Finding What Works to Dealing with Autism

When dealing with autism, just as in most other disorders, you will be faced with a number of treatment options for yourself or your child. These include treatments that are educational, behavioral, biomedical, nutritional, and sensory. Unfortunately, for patients who are not affluent or who do not have good medical insurance, the cost of these treatments can be pricier than what they can afford. One way to ensure that you or your child receives the best possible treatment for autism is to carefully monitor the effects a treatment has over time. By finding out which treatments work and which do not, you can stop paying for the ineffective methods and put more of your money into those which are creating a positive difference.

First, evaluate the abilities of the autistic individual before treatment begins. To do this, many services and organizations, including the Autism Research Institute, provide a checklist of evaluation points that focus on behavior and illnesses associated with autism. Autistic individuals tend to have increasing functionality as they mature, so remember that some of the positive effects in his or her life are simply due to the natural growth process. However, after two months fill out the checklist once again and compare it to the first. Are there any sharp positive increases in behavior characteristics? If so, this is more likely due to the treatment. More »

Health And Diet

Health And Diet

Health And Diet

The nutritional requirements for the baby will rely soley on the breast milk, and therefore the mother will need to maintain a healthy diet.  If the baby is large and grows fast, the fat stores gained by the mother during pregnancy can be depleted quickly, meaning that she may have trouble eating good enough to maintain and develop sufficient amounts of milk.

This type of diet normally involves a high calorie, high nutrition diet which follows on from that in pregnancy.  Even though mothers in famine conditions can produce milk with nutritional content, a mother that is malnourished may produce milk with lacking levels of vitamins A, D, B6, and B12.

Health And Diet

If they smoke, breast feeding mothers must use extreme caution.  More than 20 cigarettes a day has been shown to reduce the milk supply and cause vomiting, diarrhoea, rapid heart rate, and restlessness in the infants.  SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is more common in babies that are exposed to smoke. More »

What Causes Autism

What Causes Autism

What Causes Autism

Many parents hope that in finding a source of autism, this disorder can be cured or prevented. Unfortunately, scientists have yet to find one single reason why children develop autism. It is possible that someday autism will be linked to a specific gene abnormality, but the more likely source is not one thing, but a number of factors in a child’s world. Autism cannot be prevented or cured, so the best we can do to help autistic children and adults is be understanding and willing to compromise to make the world comfortable for them and ourselves.

First off, there are certain things that do not cause autism, and these myths should be laid to rest immediately. Most importantly, bad parenting does not cause autism. In the past, mothers were blamed for traumatizing their children with cold parenting techniques, which was thought to lead to autism. This is simple not true. Autism is also not caused by malnutrition, although food allergies occur in my autistic children and some autistic children do benefit from taking daily vitamins. More »

Concerns During Pregnancy

Concerns During Pregnancy

Concerns During Pregnancy

There is nothing more stressful than to have something go wrong during pregnancy. It doesn’t matter if it is your first time being pregnant or your fourth. There are many things to be concerned about during your pregnancy and it is easier when you know what they are.

Vaginal bleeding- This may also known as spotting, but make sure that is what is going on. There is a difference between actively bleeding and spotting. Spotting is lightly bleeding kind of like your period, the blood can be red, pink or even brown. If you are bleeding actively with any pain call your doctor, if you can’t get a hold of him go immediately to the emergency room. Bleeding can be a number of things from implantation, ectopic pregnancy, labor, infection or even miscarriage. Always let your doctor know, so everything can be ruled out, you’ll feel better too.

Stomach pain or cramping- During the pregnancy it may be hard to decipher the difference between a growing pain and an actual stomach pain/cramping. However, if you do get a pain of any sort rest. After a few minutes if it doesn’t subside, call your doctor and describe the pain to him. Don’t worry about it if you find out you only had gas or were having Braxton hicks contractions, at least you know everything is okay with pregnancy.

Gush of liquid- This could mean you are in labor and that your water broke, however if it isn’t close to the time of birth it can be something else. Call your doctor immediately and head for the emergency room.

Concerns During Pregnancy

Dehydration-  While you are pregnant it is easy to become dehydrated, especially if you have morning sickness or just don’t drink those 8 glasses of water. If you find yourself pale, dry mouth or dizzy, you could be dehydrated and should be seen by a doctor. Dehydration can cause premature labor and/or distress on the pregnancy.

Painful urination – Could be a urinary tract infection, also known as UTI. This can be easily treated with medication or by drinking lots of fluids and cranberry juice. A urinary tract infection isn’t something to be embarrassed about, it is very common amongst pregnant women. The growing belly pushes against your ureters and makes it harder for it to flow through. Which of course can cause infection. Another way to find out if you have it is if you have a foul odor when you pee.

Pregnancies can be scary enough, there’s no reason to add to it. If you are ever in doubt or have a concern talk with your doctor. It is common that first time moms are worried about many pains that they feel.  Never fear calling because you are afraid of waking the doctor up or because you feel silly. Being silly might just save the baby. While you are worrying, you are only causing stress on you and the baby, find out what’s wrong and relieve your anxiety.

Concerns During Pregnancy

Constructing Your Child’s Healthy Sense of Self Esteem

Constructing Your Child's Healthy Sense of Self Esteem

Constructing Your Child's Healthy Sense of Self Esteem

Your child’s self esteem is their mental foundation. A self-assured child is confident, secure, happy, well-adjusted and successful. They can solve problems that come their way, and it thrives under a loving parent’s nurturing care.
What are some good ways to built self esteem in your child?
Most importantly, accept your child for who they are, and help them do the same. Teach your child that nobody is perfect, and that everyone makes mistakes. Show them how to learn and grow from their mistakes, and let them know that you also make mistakes.   Children with high self esteem are able to take lessons from mistakes and apply them down the road.  A child with low self esteem become frustrated and resort to self-depreciating behavior, such as calling themselves ‘stupid’ and vowing to ‘never try that again.’ More »

Stomach and Bowel Disorders among Infants

Stomach and Bowel Disorders among Infants

Disorder of the stomach and bowels is one of the most fruitful sources of the diseases of infancy. Only prevent their derangement, and, all things being equal, the infant will be healthy and flourish, and need not the aid of physic or physicians.

There are many causes which may give rise to these affections; many of them appertain to the mother’s system, some to that of the infant. All are capable, to a great extent, of being prevented or remedied. It is, therefore, most important that a mother should not be ignorant or misinformed upon this subject. It is the prevention of these affections, however, that will be principally dwelt upon here; for let  the mother ever bear in mind, and act upon the principle, that the  prevention of disease alone belongs to her; the cure to the physician.  For the sake of clearness and reference, these disorders will be spoken of as they occur: More »

Getting Started With Breast Feeding

Getting Started With Breast Feeding

Getting Started With Breast Feeding

When you hold your baby for the first time in the delivery room, you should put his lips to your breast.  Although your mature milk hasn’t developed yet, your breasts are still producing a substance known as colostrum that helps to protect your baby from infections.

If your baby has trouble finding or staying on your nipple, you shouldn’t panic.  Breast feeding is an art that will require a lot of patience and a lot of practice.  No one expects you to be an expert when you first start, so you shouldn’t hesitate to ask for advice or have a nurse show you what you need to do.

Once you start, keep in mind that nursing shouldn’t be painful.  When your baby latches on, pay attention to how your breasts feel.  If the latching on hurts, break the suction then try again. More »

Doctors and Diagnosing Autism

Doctors and Diagnosing Autism

Doctors and Diagnosing Autism

When a doctor first suggests that your child has autism, your immediate reaction might be disbelief and the urge to seek a second, third, or even fourth opinion. Because autism is so different in every child, it is a tricky disorder to diagnose. However, there are a few key ways in which doctors can efficiently identify autism in children, and if your infant or toddler is showing any of these signs of autism, you should visit your pediatrician immediately to express your concerns.

Autism occurs at a young age, rather than being a disorder an older child might develop. It is usually detected before the age of three, and many times much earlier. The first signs or autism are usually delays or regression in speech communication. Another early sign is abnormal behavior in group play situations and other social situations. The first step to diagnosing autism is a thorough physical examination as well as a review of family history by a specialist. Although your regular pediatrician will be able to spot unusual behavior, you’ll want your child to be examined by a professional who specializes in autism and other similar diseases to make sure your child is properly diagnosed. More »

Moving to The Nursery

Moving to The Nursery

Moving to The Nursery

When you bring your new baby home, you probably will have the urge to keep him near you at all times, especially when you (try to!) go to sleep for the night. It makes sense to have a crib or cradle in your bedroom at first, since it will minimize the distance you have to walk to handle nighttime feedings.

You can try moving the baby into his nursery for naps right from the beginning, to try to minimize any trauma or anxiety by moving him into a strange room with new smells and sights when he’s a little older. Sit with him in a rocker or glider and rock him to sleep at first, then move him into his crib.

Moving to The Nursery

Later, you can put him in his crib and if he’s fussy or can’t get to sleep, try sitting near the crib for a few nights until he falls asleep. Then move the chair further away for another week or so. Finally, position the chair near the door, so the baby gets used to falling asleep without being right next to you. More »

Picking a Name Before Your Pregnancy Ends

Picking a Name Before Your Pregnancy Ends

Picking a Name Before Your Pregnancy Ends

Choosing a name is one of the most important things you’ll have to decide on during your pregnancy.  Pick a name that your child is going to love, not something he/she will hate or be made fun of. There are a lot of things to consider when naming your child.

Origin
The origin of a name can help you pick out what name you like best, this also adds a piece of history to your child. Giving your son/daughter an Italian name because their great grandfather originally came over from Sicily will mean a lot to the family. Not to mention your child will always know they’re Italian. This doesn’t mean you can only choose names that go with your heritage, there may be a name out there that belongs to your child that isn’t.

The Sound of the Name:
Names can be hard to pronounce sometimes, not just for other people but for your child as well. Don’t choose a name you have a hard enough time saying, imagine how hard it’ll be for your own child to learn. The spelling can also be a cause for concern. Your child must learn how to spell his/her name, you don’t want a name that has over 20 letters long. Do you think you’d be able to learn to spell that in kindergarten? Think about your child first, sure the name might sound great but make sure it isn’t something that is going to be really hard. This doesn’t mean don’t choose a name that is unique, that is what makes your child stand out. But make sure that is what you really want. More »

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