The incidence of autism is continuing to grow meteorically. The CDC is now revising its figures to indicate that 1 in 100 children born in America fall into the autistic spectrum. This is approximately 1 in 80 boys. Other studies are showing that better than 1% of all American children will be classified on the autistic spectrum this year.
New problems are being met by new therapies. Drugs have long been used for unmanageable behaviors, but now with increased applicability of behavioral methods, many parents are seeing rising utility with alternative and nonpharmacological approaches.
MRI studies have long shown that the autistic brain has a very small corpus collusum. The corpus collusum is responsible for cross-talk, or communication in the brain. Hence, the autistic brain is not wired to communicate within itself.
Several new therapies seek to do just that. The Sensory Learning Program unites three modalities (auditory, visual, and vestibular) into a single 30-day intervention to improve perception, understanding and learning. During these 30 days children receive two 30-minute sessions involving intense sensory experiences where they simultaneously receive visual, auditory, and vestibular stimulation. After the initial 12 days in the sensory learning center, this student returns home with a portable light instrument to continue the program for 18 more days. The brain, now receiving overwhelming sensory data, is forced to cope with such data neurologically. It is believed new neural pathways are being engaged so that children can integrate the sensory experiences. In autistic children, this has improved their ability to “connect” to other human beings as shown by increased eye contact and an approachable personality. Some children with Asperger’s and developmental delays are now able to better process verbal information, therefore improving their speech. Long-term research is still outstanding on the Sensory Learning Program, but it appears to be an alternative method worth investigating.
Jeff Strong and Beth Kaplan established the REI Institute after over a decade of research into using musical rhythms in therapy to practice. Their Rhythmic Entrainment Intervention has been used successfully now by hundreds of speech and occupational therapists, with not only autistic children but those with language and communication delays, hyperactivity, self-stimulatory behaviors and oppositional behaviors.
Strong’s therapy is also based on the principle that auditory stimulation will improve and influence brain wave patterns. Strong bases his therapy on ancient approaches that emphasize rhythm-healing, including drumming patterns that influence the internal rhythmic patterns of the individual. It is well known that autism and ADHD are related to deficits in self-regulation with the individual’s self-control. Strong’s therapy improves internal specific rhythms, which are then used to modulate emotion and nervous system function.
This “healing music” is easy to use and only includes listening to a CD one-half hour a day for ten weeks. Strong is continuing with objective scientific research. Scientifically controlled pilot studies are already showing the following effects in autistic populations: calming, reduction of self-stimulatory behaviors, reduced aggression and improved eye contact.
Social skills training is the principal means by which high-functioning autistic or Asperger’s children are remediated. The ILAUGH model of social cognition, established by Marcia Garcia Winner, objectively teaches the Asperger’s student how to talk more appropriately about their favorite topic of interest. It emphasizes subtle body language. ILAUGH teaches how to listen with “one’s eyes.” Hence, the student is taught joint attention along with the ability to follow increasingly complex cues that eventually lead to improved body language. Latter sessions emphasize the teaching of abstract inferential language comprehension. ILAUGH can be taught by its main curriculum book or “thinking” worksheets. In other words, it can be taught in the school system just as one teaches math in a math class.
This exciting approach is already helping Asperger’s children get out of their world of self-absorption and preoccupations. With better social skills, Asperger’s children are finding themselves better accepted by peers and more appropriate for job placement.
Research is underway for all of these alternative therapies. Thousands of parents, as well as forward-thinking speech and occupational therapists, have begun to take notice. Contrary to her pharmacological approach, these therapies have curative, not palliative effects. The future of autism treatment has now broadened.
Gary M. Eisenberg, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist
Summit Instructor
Share Your Thoughts
- Have you had any experience with the Sensory Learning Program, REI or ILAUGH?
- What are you thoughts on these three alternative therapies?
Dr. Eisenberg’s claims are based on solid interventions, yet he’s suggesting he can accomplish too much with too little. He does an injustice to Sensory Integration therapy (as well as therapeutic listening) by implying that great things can be achieved in such a brief, pre-determined amt of time. How can he possibly know the nature, length, or intensity of interventions needed by unique, prospective clients thus far unknown to him? Where is his evidence? As a well trained psychotherapist, I am very disappointed that “Summit Professional Education” would endorse such claims without sufficient evidence supporting their validity. It’s a disservice to Occupational Therapist and Sensory Integration Therapists to “water down” their areas of expertise. It’s also a disservice to prospective “Summit Education” customers.
What a great feature. I am going to a conference this friday and will give my input. I wish others that offer training would offer a chance to post feedback
Always seems there are so many new and improved therapies, treatment for those with Asperger’s, but not for those truly in the lower to mid spectrum. It is quite frustrating.
hello
the issues is: you have fetal alcohol children, children who have experience chronic and recurrent trauma, children with pdd, you have children who have been neglected and traumatized to the degree they are feral: instinctive and reactive. they have symptom in common but; are diagnosis with all kind of disorders, multiple disorders. we focus on the symptom and not the source of the problem.
but insurence, manage care, state title xix will not pay for what is the needed for these child from a standard of practice focus. for you communist/ bolsheivik’s obama’s health plan will be no better than what we presently have until we promote and provide credible research and loble for the necessity of such techniques we will remain in the dark ages.
Hello,
I am a frustrated parent of an Aperger’s Syndrome child who is also a ” military brat” and I just want to know how I can get all the different helpful therapies that no school we’ve ever attended or been stationed at has ever mentioned or offered to help my struggling 5th grade son. He’s been tested every time we’ve moved and frankly Las Cruces PUBlic Schools SUCK when it comes to addressing Sensory, Academics or ” lost in thought ” processing that my ASperger is having difficulties with. Sincerely would love to get out of the “standardize Box education approach which rgith now after 7mths of IEP dicussions is a waste of a great childs mind though the teachers are happy.
Christine,
The term “educational therapy” may be new to you but it has been around for quite a while, offering hope to struggling learners. This might be a new approach for you that might be worth looking into. In very simple terms, educational therapy offers intensive, individualized intervention techniques that actually help to retrain the brain. For many, the results have been amazing. While this type of therapy was not originally designed for students other than typical “learning disabled” (whatever that means!!), I believe there are students with autism and asperger’s that have had positive results. Check out http://www.nild.org for more information and to find an educational therapist in your area. There is a helpful “Commonly Asked Questions” page on the following website: lorriwilke.webs.com .
I work with deaf children some of whom are diagnosed autistic and some others who are suspected to be on the autism spectrum. I’ve seen music and rhythm be successful for hearing children but what do you suggest for deaf children to replace music/rhythm input and still show improvements?
Hi Joan. I’m an occupational therapist that works with children on the Autism spectrum. I too have seen rhythm make a difference. For children who are deaf and hard of hearing, you might try rhythm using drumming (have the child touch the drum and feel the vibrations), or have use tactile input (touch) to let them feel the rhythm. Even babies, while they are in utero, can hear and “feel” their mothers heartbeat. They can experience this same calming effect using touch.
Interactive Metronome is a sensory-motor based assessment/treatment tool used by AT/PT/OT/SLP’s and pysch professionals with excellent efficacy. Withing the application a _Visual Mode Only_ option is available.
While I’ve not personally trained any deaf students I have used it for CAPD with excellent outcomes.
Edward Jonathans, BSc-IMC
408.426-0130 [mbl phn]
im@bragbox.com
http://im.bragbox.com
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Anyone interested in alternative therapies to promote bilateral brain integration may wish to look into Bal-A-Vis-X..rhythmic balance/auditory/vision exercises for brain and brain-body integration by visiting http://www.bal-a-vis-x.com. This program has not only been used with children in the autistic spectrum but many other neurologically and physically impaired clients[children, adults and the elderly] this is an amazing tool allowing individual and partnering exercises with great potential for parental/caregiver involvement.
We did the Sensory Learning Program on both of our sons at ages 2 3/4 (autistic son) and 11mths (neurotypical). In the older autistic one we saw an array of both immediate and subtle longer term improvements, some of which stuck and some of which didn’t. Overall, about a 50% reduction in auditory sensitivity, big improvements in emotional relating, increased verbal ability and cognition, better fine motor, however tactile issues and stimming remained and gross motor only improved marginally…in my younger son, who was exhibiting some lesser but worrying signs of sensory or spectrum issues, he made a 360 degree turn around, speaking much earlier than peers, and being overall more advanced than his peers to date. I suppose because his brain was so young and blank the impact was greater. Unfortunately there is no research on this method, so my doubts as to its value linger, but i know there were positive improvements. We are returning this summer to do it again, three years on to see if it can address lingering sensory and processing issues in my 5 yr old.
I have had some great success with autistic children who resist handwriting using callirobics – letters with music. One child in particular didn’t want to stop working on his handwriting.
I am an occupational therapist who uses horseback riding, a specialty known as hippotherapy. The steady rhythmic movement of the horse provides high levels of vestibular, proprioceptive, and visual input that can be modified through selection of the horse, patterns, and rate of movement. Behavior changes are often observed within a few weeks of one hour a week riding times. Fine motor skills improve, speech improves, attention increases and sensory processing improves over time. Dr Eisenbergs article was very interesting as it explains the perseverence on internal scripts (the brain talking to itself). I would be interested in ways therapists are helping children with aspergers who are also bi-polar. I find it is very tricky, a good session in the barn may result in a major meltdown later in the day. I would be very interested in articles or classes that addresses children with bi-polar disordre.
Hi Christine. I went to a sensory processing workshop that just briefly touched on bipolar disorder. One of the facts I found interesting was that linear movement is very calming for children with bipolar, while any up and down motion can increase “meltdowns”. It has something to do with the changes in the levels of neurotransmitters that are triggered during these motions. I hope this helps!
We sing most of the things we ask our students to do. We sing while we are reading to them and they seem to listen more intensely. To us there was music and singing before speaking. The students will respond to all things when put in songs. My grandson learned his colors with song. You can make anything fit within some familiar song rhythm.