Author: Jack Washington

 

 

One of the developmental disorders common in children is autism spectrum disorder or ASD and there are a number of autism influencers who advocate for individuals with this disorder. Unfortunately, there are several misconceptions about this mental health problem. Not everyone is aware of the implications when a child is diagnosed with ASD. In this article, we are going to provide some of the necessary information about this disorder as well as the role of psychiatry in its treatment. Furthermore, autism and employment possibilities await someone with experience in the field of therapy to treat this disorder.

 

What Is Autism Spectrum Disorder?

“Asperger’s Syndrome (Autism Spectrum Disorder) is more common that we realize and there are increasing numbers of high-functioning adults who are self-identifying or being diagnosed.” That is according to Eva A. Mendes LMHC. When we speak of autism spectrum disorder, it refers to a condition that is characterized by impaired social behavior and difficulty in communication. This neurological condition can be classified into different levels, which is why the disorder is considered as one having a spectrum. This means that there are different combinations of symptoms and severity for the children with autism. As such, you cannot find two autistic individuals who behave similarly. Most likely, each autistic child possesses unique characteristics.

 

 

 

 

What Are The Characteristics Of ASD?

As already mentioned above, you cannot find two kids with autism who behave or appear similarly. There is a specific range of symptoms. Below are the standard categories of characteristics:

 

1. Problems In Communication – “Autism is a complex developmental disability that causes difficulties in many areas, with varying degrees of severity, most notably with social interaction and communication.” Karla Helbert, LPC, E-RYT, C-IAYT elaborates. Children with autism may go through challenges when it comes to an understanding or use of language. Thus, you should know what not to say to individuals with autism disorder. Some may use other alternatives to communicate efficiently. There are also those who need repetitive words or sentences before they can get the message.

 

2. Having Anti-Social Concerns – This is where the trouble in connecting with other individuals come in. Kids with autism experience difficulty in making friends or interacting with the people surrounding them. They cannot use body language or facial expressions to share what they have in mind. Some of them also have fears of making eye contact.

 

3. Requires Repetitive Movements – Because of their difficulty in connecting with people and in communicating with others, they need special attention. As such, parents, teachers and friends of autistic children must know how to use repetitive movements or sounds so that the latter could have a complete understanding of the message.

 

 

How Can A Psychiatrist Help?

The assistance of a psychiatrist is essential in improving the condition as well as the mental health of the kids with an autism spectrum disorder. Its role is to provide a complete diagnosis, treatment plan, and autism spectrum therapies for the disorder. He needs to ensure that the child undergoes a thorough process of examinations before making a diagnosis. When choosing a psychiatrist, it is essential to look for a professional who specializes in handling autism cases in children. Robert Jason Grant Ed.D, LPC, RPT-S, ACAS emphasizes that “The uniqueness and ever-changing information about ASD require mental health professionals to be consistently upgrading their knowledge and training and staying focused on best practices.”

 

Same as coping with a partner’s ASD, dealing with autism in children is not an easy thing to do. It can be complicated at times. This is why it requires a consolidated effort of several people to ensure success. Parents cannot only rely on the assistance and help of professionals in the healthcare industry. They are the individuals who are primarily responsible for the well being of their kids. This is the reason why both mothers and fathers must work hand in hand in treating ASD.

 

 

 

There are several ways how to deal with a difficult situation in your life. At the same time, you can also try to engage in exciting activities that will fuel your passion or desire. Another effective way of getting over the sad experience is to go through in-person therapy or pursue online therapy.

Online Therapy

What are the benefits of online therapy sessions? Is virtual therapy or virtual counseling effective? What’s the difference between online therapy sessions vs. traditional in-person therapy?

Nowadays, choosing online therapy has become a norm and an option for several people who are going through mental health conditions (borderline personality disorder, depression, anxiety, and many others).

Online Therapy Facts

“The stress of work and daily demands can distract us from what we find to be actually meaningful and interesting,” says Dr. Tamara McClintock Greenberg, a San Francisco-based health care clinical psychologist.

If you are the type of person who keeps on traveling from one city to another, then there is a high chance that you have no time to see mental health professionals or mental health counselors in person and go for traditional therapy. It would seem that your schedule would not allow it, which attending therapy online can address.

Best Online Therapy Programs

An online therapy program handled by licensed therapists with a master’s degree can assist with a mental health emergency and mental health crisis. These can include treatments like online cognitive behavioral therapy CBT, post-traumatic stress disorder treatment, adult depression, pride counseling, couples therapy, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, mental health diagnoses, talk therapy, and more.

Online Therapy Is An Option

Fortunately, online therapy providers have changed the way people like you are getting the mental health services you need. With virtual counseling, all you need is to log in and get in touch with your chosen online counselor. Your mental health in-person care provider or psychiatric nurse practitioners will provide you with mental health support at all costs.

Best Online Therapy Platforms

Everything about the online counseling platform websites will be made in a remote online environment with the help of mental health professionals, licensed therapists, and licensed clinical social workers. It will be affordable virtual counseling because you won’t have to spend time traveling from one place to another for an in-person therapy appointment.

The Curative Enjoyment Of Digital Writing

Writing or journaling is an excellent way to express your emotions. “Journaling is great for enhancing self-awareness through helping us detect and track patterns of behavior, thoughts, and feelings.” Alison Stone, LCSW said.

If you were already doing this as a mode of assessing your feelings about something or someone, then virtual counseling services would be perfect for you. It can serve as your mental health medication.

What’s Good About Online Therapies?

The best thing about online therapy is that you can take all the time you need. You can keep on typing about your concerns until your licensed therapist addresses the issues. However, it must be noted that in the best virtual counseling services, you can also choose to use videos or teleconference as part of the virtual mental health services.

Try Online Therapy

“Nothing ruins self-esteem like surrounding yourself with people who abuse or neglect you,” says Karen R. Koenig, MEd, LCSW.

The ugly truth that you do not want to hear is that your friends also have their own lives and problems to worry about. You cannot keep on bombarding them with your messages. Spare them from stress by trying online therapy services.

With an initial consultation with a virtual counseling method, you will still be sending messages, but your recipient is already the right online therapist this time. You will never annoy a cognitive behavioral therapy expert, unlike your friends.

Online Therapy Cost

Did you know that seeking online cognitive behavioral therapy cbt is more affordable than the regular form of counseling? You need to pay on a weekly basis, and it will entitle you to send unlimited messages to the licensed therapist.

At this point, it is significant to emphasize the fact that the amount of virtual counseling costs depends on the inclusions of the psychodynamic therapy session or services and if your licensed providers can accept insurance providers. The licensed mental health professional usually requires an additional fee for a one-on-one online therapy service.

Online Therapy Insights

Doing online therapy is just one of the many options you can try. Don’t force yourself to stick with the therapy.

Take note that you have absolute control over what to go for when it comes to making yourself feel good. Always remember that the results of your efforts pendent on many factors. The success will depend most especially on how much work you put into getting over a negative situation to get the best virtual counseling options you need.

FAQs

Can I Talk To Online Licensed Marriage And Family Therapists For Free?

How Effective Is Online Therapy?

Can I Get Online Therapy?

What Do I Need For Virtual Therapy?

Can An Online Therapist Diagnose You?

What Are The Disadvantages Of Online Therapy?

Is Virtual Therapy Safe?

How Much Does Online Therapy Cost, Is It Cheaper Than In-Office Therapy?

Can Online Therapy Prescribe Medication For Medication Management?

How Often Should You Go To Therapy Sessions Per Week?

How Much Should Virtual Counseling Cost?

Is Virtual Counseling As Effective As In-Person?

What Are The Disadvantages Of Online Counseling?

Is Free Online Counseling Legit? Can I Just Text A Therapist?

Does Email Therapy Work?

 

 

 

My vision started to get blurry.  I was having a hard time processing what this guy in front of me was saying.  My mind starts wandering, thinking about what would happen to my poor child now.  I felt terribly helpless for my kid.

Continue reading My Child With Autism Has Every Right To Be Part Of The Society

 

 

 

 

Studies show that around 30 to 90 percent of people with autism ignore or overreact to familiar sights, sounds, smells, and other sensations.  The Simons Simplex Collection autism research project showed that 68% of children who participated had unusual sensory interests and about 65% have sensitivities to noise.

Your child may be one who belongs to the group with noise or sound sensitivity where it can be painful and cause a panic attack.   When this happens, your child will have difficulty focusing on the task he is doing, escalating his anxiety level. Carolyn Mehlomakulu, LMFT-S, ATR-BC explains that “An anxious or angry child is in flight-or-fight mode with their body primed to handle a perceived threat.”

 

Noise Reduction

Loud sounds may seem ordinary to us – the sound of the washing machine, sounds of a motorcycle, barking dogs, ringing bells, an approaching train – but to a child with autism, such noises can cause him to cover his ears and cry.   Reducing the noise by taking him for a stroll in the woods, visiting a church, or going to the library can make him more relaxed and focused.

 

 

 

 

Categorization Sound Sensitivity

 

• Hyperacusis is the person’s intolerance to daily conversational sounds. It is said to be related to having tinnitus.  

 

• Susceptibility to sound once it reaches the frequency that is intolerable is said to be related to autism. A person may tolerate some sounds at their average level but becomes intolerable at given frequencies.

 

• Recruitment is distinctly linked to the person’s nerve deafness. Due to damaged hair cells, one cannot perceive the sound, but when it increased to a particular decibel level, the healthy hair cells are “recruited” to spread the sound, and the person experiences a sharp rise in sound perception which can shock him and may cause pain. 

 

• Phonophobia is the fear of sound or fear of possible exposure to sounds, especially loud ones.

 

• Misophonia which is the emotional reaction to certain sounds may lead to anger or rage. It could be soft sounds, like the sound that one makes while eating or breathing. 

 

 

How Noise Can Be Reduced And Improve Autism’s Tolerance

Amy Keefer PhD, a clinical psychologist at Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Center for Autism and Related Disorders, says, “Another potential stress reducer is practicing acceptance,” Dr. Keefer said. “Parents who accept where their child is today seem to do better.”It’s important to help your child with autism manage or tolerate noise and enjoy them rather than fear them.

 

1. Visit an audiologist to help you pinpoint which type of sensitivity is affecting your child’s quality of life.

 

2. Provide relief. They can be in the form of earphones or earplugs which can offer immediate comfort.

 

3. Make a list of places where he feels safe and encourages him to participate – being in a library, walking in the forest, playing in the park, or attending services and social events in the church.

 

4. Help him control some noises that affect him negatively, like have him around when you’re using the washing machine, let him enjoy using it and explain what it does, until he becomes comfortable with its sound. Allowing him to play with cute little bells will make him more familiar with it until he learns to identify sounds and its sources wherever he goes.

 

5. Give him something to distract him from the noise, like an iPad or TV or let him hold his favorite toy.

 

6. Gradual desensitization may help relieve noise sensitivity. First, try to observe from a distance and then slowly take a step closer given the opportunity.  Reading books about stories of firefighters, imitating the sound of sirens, buying him a firefighter costume, and make-believe play will help him be familiar with the sound until the sound of sirens and alarms don’t bother him that much anymore.

 

7. Tinnitus retraining therapy involves listening to broadband pink noise to familiarize a person through the ringing in the ears. It can help someone with hyperacusis to regain tolerance to sound.

 

8. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is recommended for phonophobia and anxiety. The therapist teaches the person how to self-manage his emotions and some coping skills.  It aims to rework someone’s thought process regarding the cause of his anxiety to increase his quality of life.

 

9. Often, hyperacusis or tinnitus is due to a deficiency in magnesium and other minerals. If this emerged to be the case for your child, ask your doctor if nutritional supplements can be of help.

 

10. Food additives, like the ones that belong to the salicylate family, are related to noise sensitivity. Some diets, such as a diverse whole food diet, eradicate those additives to help reduce sensitivity to sounds.

 

 

 

 

The world is an overly noisy place. Some may be able to tolerate it, but others just cannot.  If you notice such sound sensitivity in your child, have him get evaluated so you can seek guidance on how to properly handle these sound issues.

 

“Autism tends to shine a bright light on whatever issues were already there.” Janeen Herskovitz, MA, LMHC said. Don’t let your child’s hypersensitive hearing hinder him to enjoy music, sounds, and other activities.

[Discrediting The Myth]

One of the most common and wrong misconceptions about people diagnosed with ASD is that they are not interested in romantic and sexual relationships, that people on the autism spectrum have no interest regarding human interaction that involves social and communication skills.  It is very wrong. We cannot generalize the population of people with autism to be incapable of love and intimacy.

Continue reading Autistic Love

 

Let us talk about the different tips on how you can travel with your child who has autism – with less or no hassle at all.

 

 

I will be sharing with you some insights from research and experience on how to deal with the side of the spectrum when you want to bring a child with autism somewhere nice for a vacation.  I hope this can help you in some ways to turn an autistic buddy into your engaging traveling buddy.

 

 

Overwhelming Tantrums And Meltdowns

When your child has a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), it can mean that your child’s social development is affected in many ways.  He may have a hard time communicating with others, unable to interact appropriately in different casual situations, and may lack the ability to concentrate or focus on some tasks.  ASD has a variety of conditions that affect his behavior, especially in social progress. “People with ASD are at increased risk for depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).” Eva A. Mendes LMHC also added.

 

Autism is more common among boys than girls. Studies show that roughly millions of individuals are diagnosed with autism.  It is a common conception that genes are the primary cause of autism.  There are also studies stating that there are many situations on how a child developed autism, including environmental, biological and genetic factors. “Autism is a result of neurological differences in the structure of the brain that distinguish it from what we call the neurotypical brain. It is not mental illness or a personality disorder.” Sarah Swenson, MA, LMHC elaborates further.

 

People with autism are predisposed to having tantrums and meltdowns.  Tantrums are their signs of a need for attention or control.  People with autism do this if they feel they are not satisfied or are not comfortable with their current situation.   They even have tantrums as a means to get what they want.  On the other hand, meltdowns are far more different.  Meltdown is the violent expression of feeling that occurred when triggered by stressors such as noise in the environment, confusion because of their intellectual difficulties, and difficulties in expressing themselves emotionally.

 

 

Handling Your Kid With Autism

Patience is of most importance, which you should always carry with you to manage the tantrums and meltdowns and unwanted circumstances with a clear mind.

 

You must be equipped with a broad scope of information especially when your buddy gets uneasy.

 

Be very prepared and attentive to all kinds of situations that you and your buddy will encounter because you cannot know if this is an agent of his stressor. Your buddy is hypersensitive when it comes to things or environments new to him.

 

Traveling with your autistic child through land and air can be a hard task. It is a new environment for him and it usually takes more hours of patience in having to be still which is very uncomfortable for him. “Research shows the biggest boost in happiness comes from planning the vacation.” Shannon Torberg, PsyD, LP said.

 

 

Securing the best seat in the vehicle for your child helps make him feel comfortable especially on long travels.  You can have short discussions about how he can handle himself during long trips. Ask him about what things he would like to bring and toys he will play later to reduce the stress and anxiety of the environment that’s new to him.

 

Be sure to pack all the things you know that your son needs and stuff he might want or look for, like his favorite book, stuffed toys, or pillows.  The last thing that you want to avoid would be the tantrums, especially if he does not get what he wants.

 

Make him familiar with traveling, especially with airplanes, so as to have less trouble when you are about to go.   You can do make-believe plays when you intend to travel by plane.   Know your kid’s rights when traveling within the US by making yourself familiar with the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA, 14 CFR 382), because no one should discriminate your child when flying.

 

Be sure to play relaxing music that he loves on your gadget that can calm him or distract him when he is having an attack.  Music can help him sleep and not focus more on the chattering noise of the passengers and the plane engines when you are about to take off and even upon landing.  And also, avoid watching television on the trip because the content may act as a stimulus for a meltdown.

 

 

Before traveling, be sure to have a visit to his doctor to give him a clearance to fly.  You may also request his doctor to prescribe him sleeping pills to ensure that he will be sleeping during the whole trip.

 

Knowing the necessary precautions before having a trip with your autistic child is a must. It will reduce the cost and hassle for you and your buddy and will make the trip enjoyable for both of you.

 

Persons diagnosed with autism can view the world more unusual than to a regular average person.   The fact alone that they need help as early as the illness is diagnosed and build up in their process changes the way an autistic person perceives its surroundings and its nature.   Primarily, dependency on a person who understands him can shape his thought process that he can ordinarily see that he alone cannot adequately function individually without assistance.

 

 

The Disability And Incapabilities

According to Mindia Gabichvadze, PsyD “A personality disorder is a mental health condition that causes long-lasting thought patterns and behaviors that are outside of societal norms.” Autistic persons suffer more than anyone functioning at a level that is generally acceptable. That is because of the lack of understanding to sort out what is necessary for them to nurture in life, lack of focus on things that matter and difficulty in concentrating on basic stuff needed to be learned to maintain the standards set up by society.

 

They Need Support, Love, And Acceptance

In our life, we may have seen, encountered, or met a person who happens to have autism.  Do you ever consider asking how they manage to live a happy and contented life despite their condition?  It can be because someone is concerned and tends to them.

 

In fact, there are many organizations present up to this date that aims to help ASD, and they have gained many supporters that aid them in combating this kind of mental illness. “Another potential stress reducer is practicing acceptance,” Dr. Keefer said. “Parents who accept where their child is today seem to do better.” That is according to Amy Keefer PhD, a clinical psychologist at Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Center for Autism and Related Disorders.

 

Let’s face it, as society grows, mental disorders multiply, too, and this includes ASD.  Up to this date causes of ASD brought us many known theories and it inherently means that there is no one answer to where it comes from or what caused it.   Some research says it’s the genes, others believe it as an illness that emerges from environmental factors such as the surrounding of the pregnant mother or even lack of nourishment.  But, isn’t it that the one which actually matters is how we can accept ASD as a part of the new generation and help ease up their loads.

 

 

 

 

Let The Autistic Mind Reach Out To You

The society grows way faster and more advanced, more benefits from medical advancement in studying and coping up with ASD as it gains more attraction in our generation.  Some people, too, have become open-minded in the likes of this mental illness and awareness of the spectrum, in fact, has helped the autism community live like one of the regular guys.

 

A mentally challenged individual has a lot more to offer than we may think of.  The way they see or perceive the world differently is something they can teach us, though, it requires time and effort to nurture and bring out the best in some of them.

 

Mentally challenged individual or autistic persons gives every one of us valuable insights on ways of living life and even inspiration by showing us that despite their incapabilities, they manage to achieve greatness in some form.

 

 

Having ASD is a tough battle for the person affected by the spectrum and their families, and will even be tougher if no one will care or support them. “Families of those with autism are constantly seeking alternative ways to support their children and there are billions of research dollars spent to find the best method, the best approach, and the best way to help people with autism rise to their fullest potential.” Christina Devereaux Ph.D, BC-DMT said. Embracing autism in today’s generation is the best way we can help them ease their burdens.  A simple smile, extending a hand to help them cope up with the trials of life is a means to make a difference and will come a long way as they continue their journey.