Additional Therapies for Autism Spectrum Disorder

1. Exploring the World of Possibilities Additional Therapies for Autism Spectrum Disorder

2. Core Interventions for ASD are those developed specifically as treatment for behaviors and symptoms associated with ADS. • Related and additional therapies include those therapies not exclusive to Autism, but may also be used to treat many other disorders. Core Interventions vs. Additional Therapies

3. Given the communication problems inherent in ASD, speech-language therapy plays an integral part in the intervention program. • Speech Therapy can be provided in the home, school or clinic setting. • Speech Therapy is provided by a certified Speech-Language Pathologist or an SLP assistant under the supervision of a certified SLP. Speech Therapy Diane Sisk M.S. CCC-SLP, Mobile, AL working with Grace on speech.

4. Children with ASD can present with communication skills ranging from non-verbal to verbal communication. Communication problems most associated with ASD include: • Perseveration (repetitive verbal and physical behaviors) • Echolalia (immediate and/or delayed “echoing” of words, music, phrases or sentences) Communication Deficits and ASD

5. Hyperlexia (precocious knowledge of letters/words or a highly developed abilitiy to recognize words but without full comprehension) • Dactolalia (repetition of signs), pronoun reversals, inappropriate responses to yes/no questions, and difficulty with “wh” questions • Significant deficits in social skills and pragmatics

6. The Speech Pathologist will provide a comprehensive diagnostic assessment including: receptive and expressive language, articulation, oral motor skills, feeding/swallowing, social skills and play skills, pragmatics, fluency and vocal production. Assessment and Intervention

7. Receptive Language – the understanding of spoken or written language including naming objects, actions, adjectives, prepositions, and people. • Expressive Language – the production of language including sentence structure, verb tenses, regular and irregular plurals, and length of utterance. • Articulation/phonology – includes developing speech sound production. • Oral-Motor Skills – includes improving the range, rate, complexity, strength and coordination of oral motor movements. Areas of Intervention

8. Feeding and Swallowing – includes ability to close lips, manipulate food with tongue, chewing patterns, and safe swallowing, and toleration of differences in temperature, tastes, textures, smells and consistencies. • Social skills/play skills – includes appropriate social language, ability to read facial expressions, ability to understand social cues/body language, and play skills such as sharing, turn-taking, and playing independently and with others.

9. Pragmatics – the use of language in social context. • Cognition – the mental processes of knowing, including awareness, perception, reasoning, and judgment. (www.dictionary.com) • Alternative or Augmentative Communication- the use of any device, techniques, symbol system, or combination of these to support or enhance communication skills.

10. Sign Language – use of ASL alone or paired with speech Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) – the use of picture symbols to communicate wants and needs. The student is taught to initiate communication using these symbols and then skills are expanded to the use of sentences. Many children who use PECS later develop some verbal skills and move on to the use of speech as the primary form of communication. Communication options for the Non-Verbal ASD Child

11. Communication Boards – developed with either picutures, photos or real objects that the child points to or removes from the board to communicate. Other communication devices – designed to allow the user to create longer messages. These devices can also act as a universal remote which allows the user to operate electronic devices in the environments such as TV, lights, etc. Total Communication – system that pairs simultaneous production of speech with manual signs, augmentative devices or symbol systems. The child is encourage to use words and phrases that he/she is capable of and to use the signs and symbols to communicate what too difficult to produce verbally. Communication Options Continued

12. Ohio’s Parent Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorders – www.ocali.org Ohio Speech-Language Association: www.oslha.org Arkansas Speech Language Association:www.arksha.org Speech and Hearing Association of Alabama: www.shaa.org Speech Therapy Resources

13. “Writing and Developing Social Stories: Practical Interventions in Autism” by Caroline Smith available at Amazon.com Little Pilgrims Labeling DVD Series SLP Resources Available at Amazon

14. Physical Therapists(PT) are specialists in sensorimotor development, muscle and joint function, posture, balance and coordination, and gait and functional mobility. They are knowledgeable in the use of orthotic and prosthetic devices and assistive technology. PT’s identify movement problems and determine what may be interfering with the ability to develop age-appropriate gross motor skills. Physical Therapy

15. Physical Therapists help young children with ASD by assisting them in walking, running, jumping, pedaling, and catching. They also assist preschoolers and school-aged children in becoming safe in their daily environments, such as using stairs and climbing. PT’s are very important in helping ASD children acquire the skills necessary to play on playgrounds or participate in physical education or sports. Physical Therapy may work closely with the occupational, sensory integration, or speech therapists. Physical Therapy Continued

16. Ohio’s Parent Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorders – www.ocali.org Ohio Physical Therapy Association: www.ohiopt.org American Physical Therapy Association: www.apta.org Resources

17. Occupational Therapy focuses on an individual’s ability to perform daily life tasks or occupations that give life meaning. Performance areas include: *activities of daily living (grooming, hygiene, dressing), feeding, eating, socialization, functional communication and functional mobility *work and productive activities and home management (meal preparation, shopping, or clothing care) *play or leisure activities Occupational Therapy

18. Following an evaluation, OT intervention is targeted towards those areas that are interfering with the child’s ability to function. Targeted tasks may include: handwriting, improving hand-eye coordination, buttoning, tying shoes, getting dressed, and eating. Intervention with autistic children often includes a sensory-integration approach. This focuses on controlling sensory input during specific activities. Sensory Integration will be discussed in more detail in the next section. OT Continued

19. The focus of OT in the school is upon educationally relevant goals and associated with curriculum standards OT in the schools requires consultative approach in working with the entire educational team to ensure that accommodations and interventions will be implemented and effective. School-Based OT

20. Fine-Motor control/written output – • fine-motor strengthening and coordination • pencil-grips, • specially lined paper, • use of keyboard, • extended time, shortened work load, • use of note-taker or adapted software programs. Visual-Motor and Visual-Perceptual skills – • address the student’s ability to control eye movements • smoothly shift focus, • track objects across midline, and • perform the visual motor control needed to read text • write. • Use of slant boards, • paper windows, and • guided and colored transparencies. OT Areas of Intervention

21. Postural Stability and Control – Occupational Therapists may also help students in maintaining efficient seating postures (dynamic seating with therapy ball, camping pillow or a Move ‘n Sit Cushion. OT Areas of Intervention Continued

22. Sensory Integration was first researched by A. Jean Ayres, PhD. Sensory Integration is a process used by the brain to locate, sort and make sense out of incoming sensory information. Ayres described sensory integration dysfunction as a “traffic jam” in the brain. Some bits of sensory information get “tied up in traffic” and certain parts of the brain do not get the sensory input they need to function. Sensory Integration

23. Extreme sensitivity to noise, touch smell, or taste Need for bear hugs due to a hyposensitive proprioceptive system. These hypersenstive and hyposensitive reactions impact the child’s ability to function independently in many areas of life (peer interaction, attention at school, and daily living activities. Examples of Sensory Integration Dysfunction

24. Proprioception – the sensation from joints, muscles, and tissues that lead to body awareness. These sensations occur when lifting, pushing and pulling heavy objects as well as engaging in activities that compress or pull apart the joints. This is the sense that allows a person to guide his arm or leg movements without having to observe the movement to make sure it is happening. The Sensory Systems

25. Vestibular – the sense of movement, centered in the inner ear, obtained by spinning, swinging, and any type of body movement or change in head position. This system coordinates the movement of one’s eyes, head, and body and tells the body where it is in space. The vestibular sense in central in maintaining muscle tone, coordinating two sides of the body and holding the head upright against gravity.

26. Tactile – the sense of touch, the sense obtained by providing a variety of input from textures, temperature and pressure. Auditory – the sense of what we hear. It is closely connected to the vestibular system. The auditory input is obtained by listening to various types of music or natural sounds. Some auditory input has been shown to have a calming and organizational effect. Music containing 60 beats per minute can have such an auditory response. Music with an irregular beat and contrasting volumes tend to be energizing.

27. Visual – the sense of sight can be used to calm or alert the nervous system. Visually busy or “cluttered” environments can interfere with some children’s ability to concentrate and learn. Olfactory – the sense of smell can also calm, stimulate or send a child into sensory overload. Taste – The sense of taste is obtained by the use of sweet, salty, crunchy, soft or chewy foods. This sense can also calm, alert, or organize the nervous system.

28. Following an evaluation of a child’s sensory processing abilities and needs, the OT will work with parents, teachers, slp’s and other professionals to develop a “sensory diet”. The sensory diet is a carefully designed program that provides the sensory input a child’s nervous system needs to stay focused and organized. Components of a sensory diet may include brushing, swinging, heavy work (lifting, carrying), swimming, wearing weighted vests, wrist or ankle weights, wearing earphones, tactile play, trampoline jumping, chewing hard and or crunchy objects. The Sensory Diet

29. The Wilbarger Protocol is a system of tactile and proprioceptive input using a soft bristle brush to provide carefully controlled sensory input, always followed by a deep pressure/joint compression system. While this protocol has been anecdotally reported as effective in regulating sensory processing for some, if done incorrectly, it can have harmful results. This procedure should only be used by professionals trained and under the supervision of a trained occupational therapist. Wilbarger Protocol

30. “The Out of Sync Child” and “The Out of Sync Child Has Fun” by C.S. Kranowitz “Asperger Syndrome and Sensory Issues: Practical solutions for making sense of the world” by Myles, Cook, Miller, Rinner and Robbins Action Based Learning: www.actionbasedlearning.com The American Occupational Therapy Association: www.aota.org/index.asp Brain Gym: www.braingym.com Junction of OT Function: http://junctionof-ot-function.com/ Occupational Therapy Resources

31. The Kid Foundation: www.spednetwork.orgwww.spdconnection.com Occupational Therapy and Autistic Children: www.autism.ca/occther.htm Occupational Therapy Innovations: www.ot-innovations.com/sensorimotor.html. The Ohio Occupational Therapy Association: www.oota.org OT Exchange: www.OTExchange.com/ SI Focus magazine: www.SIFocus.com Ohio’s Parent Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorders: www.ocali.org OT Resources Continued

32. Some children with ASD experience visual-perceptual problems. Visual Perception is the means by which a person becomes aware of his body’s relationship to external space, or the relationship in space between one object and another (Kranowitz, 1998). Vision Therapy is a process of retraining the visual-perceptual system so it functions with optimal efficiency. Vision Therapy

33. The process of Vision Therapy follows a sequence of steps aimed at improving the visual system. Therapy activities are carried out in the office and frequently reinforced with home activities. There is some conflict between proponents of vision therapy and many ophthalmologists, who claim that vision therapy is not supported by scientific data. Vision Therapist contend that while ophthalmologists are experts in eye disease and surgeries, they are under-informed in the area of vision therapies and the benefits they can provide.

34. Optometrists Network: www.visiontherapy.org Ohio’s Parents Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorders: www.ocali.org Vision Therapy Resources

35. Interactive Metronome is an assessment and treatment tool used in therapy to improve the neurological process of motor planning, sequencing and processing. It can be used by OT’s, PT’s, SLP’s, educators, behavioral therapists and music therapists who are trained in Interactive Metronome Interactive Metronome

36. Interactive Metronome provides a structural, goal-oriented process that challenges the patient to synchronize a range of hand and foot exercises to a precise computer-generated reference tone heard through head phones. The client attempts to match the rhythmic beat with repetitive motor actions. A patented audio-visual guidance system provides immediate feedback measured in milliseconds and a score is provided.

37. Increase focus attention for longer periods of time Increase physical endurance and stamina Filter our internal and external distractions Improve ability to monitor mental and physical actions as they are occurring Progressive improvement of coordinated performance www.interactivemetronome.com Interactive Metronome Goals

38. I. Fast ForWord -Fast ForWord software helps with: early phonics difficulty, reading comprehension, dyslexia, learning difficulties, Autism, and auditory processing disorders II. The Fast ForWord program has been around for over a decade and has helped over one million students. Computer Based Interventions Fast ForWord

39. www.gemlearning.com Computer Based Interventions

40. Earobics is a powerful and transformative multisensory reading intervention for raising academic achievement. Earobics software provides individualized, explicit instruction in all areas of reading, plus writing. As students engage with the software, the program automatically adjusts based on each student’s Individual strengths and weaknesses. www.earobics.com Computer Based Interventions

41. Auditory Integration Therapy is a sound therapy designed to retrain a disorganized auditory system and improves hearing distortions and sound sensitivity. Developed by Dr. Guy Berard Participants listen through headphones to modulated music therapy from an “AIT” device for 20 sessions of 30 minutes each for a total of 10 hours over 10-12 days. Sessions are provided under the supervision of AIT therapists or other AIT trained professionals. www.aitinstitute.org Auditory Integration Therapy

42. Biomedical Interventions for ASD include the use of medication, diets, and supplements to address behaviors, cognition, and sensory needs. There are many such interventions available. The following is an over-view of the more well-known biomedical interventions. Biomedical Interventions

43. A variety of medications have been prescribed for individuals with ASD. Of course, no one medication is effective for every individual with ASD Neurologists, Psychiatrists, and other doctors may prescribe medications to target the following symptoms: hyperactivity, sleep problems, obsessive tendencies, anxiety, aggression, and self-injury. As a rule, medications are prescribed on a trial basis with close monitoring of positive and negative effects. www.autism-society.org www.oscai.org Medications

44. Individuals with autism may exhibit low tolerance or allergies to certain foods or chemicals. While not the specific cause of ASD, these intolerances and allergies may contribute to behavioral issues. As always, parents should not embark on any intervention without the guidance of the child’s doctors. Consultation with a gastroenterologist or nutritionist is also a important step toward implementing any dietary or supplementary program. Nutritional and Dietary Interventions

45. Proponents of this diet believe that some individuals are unable to completely digest the protein in cereals (Gluten) or in dairy products (Casein). The molecular structure of the partially undigested proteins, known as peptides, resembles opiates and are thought to have an opiate-like effect on the brain and nervous system. From this premise, it follows that long-term exposure to these peptides can have damaging effects on the developing brain and can also affect behavior, just as a narcotic would. The Gluten-Free /Casein-Free Diet

46. Beginning such a diet can be difficult because Gluten and Casein are found in many, many prepared and ready to eat foods. Gluten is most commonly found in wheat, rye and barley and some oats. Casein is found in dairy products. One obstacle is that the children who would benefit from this diet often crave foods with Gluten and Casein and are sometimes reported to experience withdrawal symptoms.

47. It may take up to six months for gluten and one month for casein to clear out of the system. Advocates of the diet recommend trying it for at least a year to give the best chance for improvement. Calcium supplements may be necessary on this diet Autism Network for Dietary Intervention: www.autismndi.com CFCF Diet Support Group: www.gfcfdiet.com www.ocali.org

48. This diet is a food elimination program developed by Ben F. Feingold to treat hyperactivity. This diet is free of artificial colors, flavors, aspartame, three petroleum-based preservatives and certain salicylates. These additives, with the exception of salicylates are made from petroleum and digesting them uses up the PST enzyme, which is the main enzyme for detoxification of the body. Salicylates and phenols also depress the levels of PST enzyme. Feingold Diet

49. Removing these artificial foods from the diet allows the people with marginal PST enzyme will have it available to detoxify the body including the brain. Proponents suspect individuals with ASD have a marginal amount of the PST enzyme. Feingold Association: www.feingold.org www.ocali.org

50. This diet is a strict grain-free, and sucrose-free regimen. It was initially developed for individuals with celiac disease and other intestinal disorders, however, the diet may help individuals with ASD who experience gastrointestinal problems. The theory is that carbohydrates, being forms of sugar, promote and fuel the growth of bacteria and yeast in the intestines, causing an imbalance of bacteria and yeast. Specific Carbohydrate Diet