Our Superheroes

                     

                          Our Superheroes

April 2nd 2021-WAAD

On this World Autism Awareness Day, instead of focusing on the hurdles we face on a daily basis ,we present before you the creative side of a few of our superheroes and on how we enjoy our life. Let's have a glimpse of our kid's creative side and appreciate them. Celebrating the unique talents...
Enjoy😊

*Little Manu (kindergardener) is a creative child who is a pattern maker .He loves making patterns and models using legos and building blocks .He compares the models he made, balances the legos and is quite strict about the colour choices he makes. He feels happy, energized, motivated and joyful playing with legos.

*Omkar is in primary schooler who loves craft. Have a look at the craft he has made. The hat ,the card and the mask is part of craft work from his school.For a young boy he is, his scissor skills should be much appreciated.

 *Ibrahim Surej is an 8 year old boy who was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at the age of 2. He is a visual seeker who was always fond of moving vehicles,colors,shapes and cooking. He started using watercolor in September 2020, whithout any formal training and used to get irritated when others guided him. So he was left alone with colors and paper and the rest was magic!!Everytime he used different colors and started painting patterns. His psychologist claims that he is unknowingly using this as an expressive art form for emotional ventilation. He always uses colors from light to dark which shows his emotional scale. One side is fire and the other side he mellows down. The work seems to reflect his unfiltered, unpretentious thought and an invitation to his colourful world.The particular work was done when Piano music was played in the background.

Ibrahim's world of vehicles

*Mia ,primary schooler is a young girl who loves colours and craft.Have a look at the varied objects she has used right from the candy wrapper to wild flowers to describe her thoughts,wishes and desires.She is creative indeed.Don't you feel?

*Little Ramsha's Q-tip painting reminds us of a beautiful garden.From her paintings, we get a feeling that she is an admirer of pastels,persimmons, mint and salmon shades.Green and Red represents determination ,ambition,passion and energy. Through pink she exhibits her unconditional love and nurturing nature.

*AadiNarayanan,a middle schooler is a Kochi based budding poet who writes in English and Malayalam.He expresses his deep thoughts and dreams through his poems..Here, is a poem by Aadi in Malayalam for us...

"My own life dream

പുഷ്പങ്ങളും,എൻ്റെ മോഹങ്ങളും

_____________________

ആര് നീ അല്ലയോ പുഷ്പമേ

എൻ്റെ അകതാരിൽ സൗഗന്ധം നിറയ്ക്കും

എൻ്റെ മനോഹര പുഷ്പമേ 

നീ എനിക്ക് പുതുജീവൻ നൽകി

ഞാൻ എൻ്റെ ജീവിതം നിന്നില് കാണിക്ക അർപ്പിക്കുന്നു

ഞാൻ നിന്നെ തേടി അലയുന്നു

എൻ്റെ മോഹനസ്വപ്നങ്ങളും ജീവിതവും 

ഞാൻ നിന്നിൽ അർപ്പിക്കുന്നു"

_Aadi Narayanan Nair

*Sammy,is a middle schooler,a young talent who loves craft work to express himself.Here is a Christmas tree art he made as part of his school project.The cutting and pasting skills are to be much appreciated.He has chosen contrasting colours to distinguish each element he has put up..Clever work.

*Christy is a  high school student,who loves travelling, photography and adventure sports. Check out the visual and spatial intelligence he exhibits through his  i Phone nature photography. Mesmerising is one word that suits his skills..

 *Michael,a middle schooler trying cajon drumming.Drumming enables self expression,relieves stress,helps learn rhythm, increases self confidence and its a good physical work for active kids.

*Christy and Michael kayaking.Kayaking helps to improve concentration,balancing and enhances upper body strength.

*Sherin Mary Zachariah,is a Kochi based writer and poet.She has published three books in Malayalam..
                             മഴവില്ല്
           എൻറെ മനസ്സിലെ ചിന്തകൾ
                    സ്നേഹ സമ്മാനം

Her collection of English poem and prose is published as "Moonlight"

After meeting her,Dr Sashi Tharoor tweeted that "Differently abled means just that,she has abilities many nonautistic people doesnot have.Her words penetrate the mist"

Sherin has received many awards and accolades like Revel Internet Poetry Prize,Autistic Marvel Talent Hunt Award,Unseen and Unspoken Poetry Competition and so on..

Here we have a poem by Sherin for this blog..

https://youtu.be/Oawh4EMg0WM

Listen to the above link ,one of Sherin's poems

Can we ever forget that voice reciting the poem?

Prashanth Gangadharan ,a beautiful soul and member who parted with this world..A charismatic person who made learning a fun activity,the founder of Learning Alternatives.

Taking this opportunity to remember Prashanth and express our love and gratitude.

*Nikhil SaiPrasad..wow..its awesome to watch someone who never runs out of colours.His paintings are a wild swirl of colours. Colours are his silent notes by which he expresses himself and his thoughts.He is limitless,observes everything and displays his ethereal emotions onto the canvas.Nikhil's life revolves around the hues,the chromes,the crimson,the blues and blacks. ..

The radiant and saturated warm tones might be an expression of warmth or dazzling sunlight with conjures the memories of summer time or an expression of anger.The colours he chose represents desire,luminism,happiness,spring optimism..The colour tones are calming yet so powerful and are of serious nature..The blues represent freedom,intuition imagination..

https://www.facebook.com/nikkisaiprasad/

Check out Nikhil's Art and Music  in the above fb page.Support the young talent.Nikhil loves playing piano ,listening to his mother humming to the songs.

*Prateik Panigrahi is young talent who wishes to be a playback singer and you can check out his YouTube channel here..Kindly subscribe to his channel and support him.

https://youtu.be/lN3JFkdJCSc

*Akshay Bhatnagar is someone who needs no description..He is a famous youth,all over India ,who has come over all odds of life..

Akshay Bhatnagar has won Bronze medal in 17 th National Para CP Atheleics Championship held in Patna.

Read about him here.

https://akshaydefeatsautism.com/

These are some of the ways by which our kids motivate themselves to be occupied.A few others are excellent in computer skills and let's hope they will prove themselves excellent in their own chosen fields.

Celebrate the positives rather than focusing on the negatives

Be happy and content in the present😊

Thanking you all...

Swapna Jose Luke.

All inputs including photographs and videos belong to the respective individuals and their parents and the blog is published with their consent.

Increased risk of unintentional injury in Autism spectrum individuals

Increased risk of  unintentional injury in Autism spectrum individuals.

As we all know children live in a world made by and for adults . Their developmental stages in physical, cognitive, psychological and social abilities that influence curiosity, perception, risk taking behaviour, judgement etc make them susceptible to injuries. The cognitive abilities of children are lesser than that of adults as their motor and nervous functions are still developing.

We know that Autism is a spectrum of disorders and only a few individuals in the spectrum are extremely coordinated in their fine motor control. There are a section of people who are less coordinated and need a full time care taker . This blog is intended towards caretakers of those individuals.

Lack of motor skills ,coordination and communication can manifest as not being able to catch oneself up to escape a danger as quickly as others, as in the case of a suffocating situation. High levels of epilepsy rate makes a spectrum individual more prone to accidents. The likelihood of developing epilepsy increases with age in people with spectrum disorders as many studies have shown.

Lack of social acceptance, camouflaging, and bullying are leading causes for intentional accidents and suicides among certain individuals.Drowning due to lack of life skills is one major cause of death among children since they have an affinity to play with water as it is quite calming for them. 

Let's have a look at the factors that make the spectrum individuals more prone to injuries .

The medical fraternity is quite familiar with parents reporting spectrum children requiring medical attention due to injury accidents or poisoning. This usually is a result of comprehension issues, seizures asthma or sensory motor deficits. It is quite note worthy to analyse ,if lack of attention is the major cause which predisposes spectrum individuals to injury as a major fraction of them meet the criteria for ADHD as well. Hearing problems , Visual impairment ,delayed language development all contribute to the occurance of injury. Some of the individuals are hyperactive and more mobile coupled with lack of attention and a fraction of them shows self-injurious nature due to comorbidities too.

Reported injuries and accidents from parents.

* Ingestion of non edibles like coins ,cells ,plastic materials,detergents,silica etc
*Drinking kerosene,turpentine ,coloured cleaning liquids
*Eating medicines like thyroid hormones,anticonvulsants,tranquilizers,Resperidone,menstrual cramp pills,analgesics,oral contraceptives  etc
*Drinking unprotected lab chemicals and corrosives from schools without proper labeling and storage facilities
*Ingestion of pesticides,rat poisons,organophosphorus compounds,mosquito repellents etc
*Breaking glass windows with bare hands
*Infants falling into semiautomatic washing machines as they love watching spinning..
*Touching high speed spinning objects like table fans or ceiling fans.
*Elopement or walking away from home to explore nature
*Drowing in water body or pool
*Peeping into wells and falling from heights due to lack of proprioception followed by fractures or death.
*Seizure related injuries
*Touching hot objects,boiled water/steam injuries
*Flushing objects down the sink or toilet.

Disaster Preparedness Measures

Giving attention to an individual 24/7 is a herculean task. Majority of these accidents have happened in the presence of the parent or caregiver,though not all. Blaming the parents is no remedy for a problem.Instead, discussing on how ,we can be more cautious and have a prolonged life considering the accidents listed above is more important..

The discussion revealed:-

*Placing locks for doors and cabinets
*Labelling objects with danger sign
*Placing an alarm in the child's room and set a few rules for using them
*Eliminate the chances that will allow a child to climb and take something kept high.
*If the child has a wandering tendency,its always advisable to alert the neighbours and police
*Use safety locks to secure items that are unsafe for the individual.
*Visual labels,words,photos and stop signs are quite useful
*Always give safe PET items for use than metal items Eg :- forks
*Open bottles can be substituted by pump dispensers,as a measure to prevent swallowing the whole content of the bottle.
*Social stories of smoke detectors,fire extinguishers etc might help
*Use an ID bracelet for wanderes.

Snippets


* Nirmala, special educator(Chennai) and parent of a 21 year old in the spectrum, revealed her experiences of encountering spectrum children drinking kerosene kept in a mineral water bottle. She explained that safety is an abstract concept and that it should be categorised and taught. Road safety and kitchen safety can be taught first hand if possible. She observed that, contrary to the belief that social stories help , some children may not escape danger when met in real life even after learning safety through social stories.This could be due to lack of proper comprehension, communication difficulties, sensory issues, attention-deficits etc. It could be also due to the reaction time required for the spectrum individuals to respond.

*Vinay Badam ,parent suggested to teach contact numbers in the form of rhymes as some children easily learn that way.He also expressed his fear and concern,using tracking devices like GPS watches,for strangers harming the kids to acquire the devices.

*Sheba Luiz,special educator,Kochi, pointed out that ,accidents can happen to anyone at anytime."As parents, we need to be prepared for it and also train our children in basic first aid.In case of accidental ingestion of poison/drugs, giving activated charcoal helps (except for thinners and corrosives). Activated charcoal keeps swallowed drugs and poison from being absorbed from the gut to the bloodstream. It is a highly effective treatment for many poisons. Remember to give it within an hour of ingestion. Keeping a packet or two of activated charcoal at home will come in handy in case of an emergency.
First aid - showing the children how to wash the wound with soap and water, how to put the medicine, cover the wound with cotton and keeping it in place with a micropore tape. Labeling the contents in the first aid box and if necessary put small pictures or drawings of each one’s use.
Use calamine lotion in case of heat rash.
Keeping the gas valve closed is another important thing to remember and do. Keeping water and a jar of healthy snacks on the dinner table and keep the kitchen cabinets and door under lock and key.
Keep all the keys (including car/two wheeler) safely."

*Dr Gayathri,Paediatrician, Kochi, suggested to use ID badges,teaching contact numbers and teaching to type in the case of nonverbal kids who have wandering habit.

* Dr Rafeeq Ali, Otolaryngologist (ENT) ,Malappuram, expressed that though ingestion of a few drops of kerosene won't cause much harm,there are chances of development of mild inhalational chemical pneumonia after a few weeks.This points out that the quantity of chemicals that is for immediate access and use should be bare minimum. He also cautioned all parents to be more beware of drug ingestion as they are concentrated sources of chemicals compared to diluted household liquids which are less likely to be consumed in larger amounts. He also added that dilution, gastric aspiration and antidotes are the management strategies for poisoning.

*Anju Varghese, Senior Speech Language Pathologist, Renai Medicity Hospital ,stated the relevance of conducting awareness programs for parents of special needs children on child safety in their homes. She pointed out the relevance of teaching the "do's and don'ts" in an age appropriate language, backed up with reinforcements whenever necessary. She advised the parents to always remain prepared and equipped to face any emergency situations.

*Dr Susan Mary Zachariah,Senior specialist,Developmental Paediatrician,AsterMedCity suggested that care should be taken while storing kerosene or other corrosives, because there are higher chances for them to be mistaken for juices or cool drinks. It should be stored away from the individuals reach, locked up in cupboards. In the case of ingestion of kerosene or other corrosives she warned, "not to induce vomiting" as it may increase the chances of aspiration causing pneumonia and worsen the condition.She advised to run the child to the nearest hospital in the case of consumption of any poison.

Everyone accepted that "Prevention is better than Cure".

*Dr.Reeba Ann Daniel, Paediatric Registrar,KIMS, Thiruvananthapuram pointed out the relevance of using chemical free ,natural products as in the case of toothpastes. She stated that accidentally swallowing toothpaste for a long time may lead to fluorosis and white lines in the teeth. She advised to use fluoride free toothpaste for small children.

https://youtu.be/wgQGz73tZbU

Contributors 

Gina Vijayakumar

Catherine Figarado

Litty George

Jayalakshmi K.R

Prashanthi Vankamamidi.

Children always have a curious interest to know how things work. But it is noteworthy that the curiousness is coupled with an unawareness of dangerous conditions. Hence, it is the responsibility of our society to help all with special preference to spectrum individuals.

To conclude, the discussion has further scope for extension with reference to school/therapy centre safety.

"Safety should never be a priority,it should be a precondition"

Thanking all...

Swapna Jose Luke

Images used are royalty free

Healing Gardens for Individuals in the Spectrum

Healing gardens for Autism Spectrum individuals 

Dated 23/02/21

In this busy world, creating a garden with the integration of facilities that cater sensory processing activities are a perfect way to improve the sensory development of ASD individuals.Therapeutic gardening or horticultural therapy is an emerging intervention to help spectrum individuals stimulate the senses of sight,smell,touch,taste and sound thereby helping them with Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID).Studies have shown that sensory gardens reduces anxiety,depression,anger and ADHD in children 

Each and everyone in our community can start a sensory garden either in the corner of a room ,terrace or directly in the courtyard based on the availability of space  and sunlight.However, there are certain precautions to be taken into account while selecting a garden space.The selected space should be safe and away from urban noises in particular. If the individual is sensitive to sunlight due to medications ,choosing a space with filtered light is most preferable.

How to design a garden

The core principle of designing a garden depends on allocating spaces depending on the availability of sunlight,water body or inclusion of water body and green patches.Divide the area to include the following as much as possible considering individual differences and personal choices. 

1.Animal zone.

Inclusion of a pet cat,trained dog or fishes in a small aquarium, gardening of butterfly plants (Sesbania,Cosmos,Crotalaria,Murraya, Caesalpinia etc) to overcome sensory integration issues, emotional regulation and management skills.

Pet therapy is a wonderful way to stimulate social interaction and to reinforce basic task acquisition and completion.

Therapy dog ©️ 

©️ 

2.Sensory play zone

Sensory play zone can be an exciting area,full of vibrant colours,scents ,calm sounds and provisions for tactile inputs(textured materials,pebbles,mats,grass etc) to increase the academic benefits by stimulating multiple senses .Include a hammock swing,therapy balls provisions for swinging,spinning,sliding, climbing ,crawling etc.

Grass for texture

3.Aquatic zone..

Water therapy plays an integral part of a spectrum individual, which wouldn't always necessarily means swimming.Try to include small  fountains,waterfalls etc as the sound of the trickling water and the sensation of the water itself is calming for an ASD individual.

 ©️ 

©️ 

4.Horticultural zone.

Greening is a way of living.Try to incorporate a variety of plants which will help calm the senses,helps nutrition and relaxes one's mind.

Add the following to a Horticultural patch.

a)Aromatic plants like Jasmine,Mint, Coriander,Curry leaves,Basil,Lavender,Coleus barbatus( Panikoorka) etc

Coleus barbatus ©️ 

                                   

Aromatic lemon vine ©️ 

                              

b)Include vibrantly flowering plants for visual stimulation like Caesalpinia,Cosmos,Celosia,Pentas,Portulacas,Marigolds,Ixoras,Chrysanthemums and variegated leaf plants.

Shankpushpi ©️ 

Coloured coleus ©️ 

c)Edible plants to incorporate tastes.For example Stevia and Miracle Berry (sweet) ,Neem and bitter gourd (bitter) Gooseberry ,Ivygourds ,Basil(sour)Peppers (heat)

 ©️ 

d)Tactile plants for observation and sensation.

Including insectivorous plants,touch me not,Gynura etc will help the individual to learn and relax. 

Gynura for texture  ©️ 

5.Acoustic zone

Depending on individual preferences and wind directions ,adding wind chimes or small fountains will be an exciting area for some individuals.

Participate the individuals right from planning to execution and management particularly that of the horticultural zone.Individuals can start observing, right from the  germination of seeds to the different  plant growth phases,ageing of leaves,removal of debris,watering, fertilising, arrival of insects as pollinators and many more.

Precautions.

*Consider individual differences

*Select a safe area and an adult supervision is always necessary 

*Avoid planting latex exuding, poisonous and spiny or thorny plants in the horticultural zone based on the individual. 

*Consider shade plants or indoor gardening for sunlight sensitive individuals. 

Gardening is a way not only for regulating issues related to sensory processing but it helps the parents and caretakers to have a relaxing and calming atmosphere.

Memories and excerpts 

Catherine Figarado ,a banker by profession suggested to add a sandpit, while setting a sensory garden and some of the readers will have a pleasant memory of writing in sand during their toddler years in the "Aashankalari". Sensory play in the sand pit is not only tactile and excites the nerves at the fingertips but also helps to develop social skills and eye -hand coordination

Gina Vijayakumar,parent and all in all for us, suggested a bird feeding or a watering area to be added for the local and migratory birds considering the climate change and she pointed out that it will help the individuals learn empathy and compassion towards mother nature.She also suggested raising ornamental birds and small scale animal farming like a few domestic fowls for organic eggs , provided space is not a limiting factor.Gina also suggested the necessity of teaching composting considering waste management and mineral recycling from wastes to the garden.Rope ladders would be a good addition to a sensory garden ,she added.

Jayalakshmi K.R, Adjunct Faculty at National Child Development Council, expressed her thoughts on the relevance of outdoor activities away from the confined classroom learning.She doubted on the efforts taken by parents and caretakers ,on the amount of time they allocate for an actual outdoor experience, a spectrum child receives.As an educator and a hard-core animal lover, particularly cats and dogs,she expressed her experiences on how her pets  brought about an array of positive behavioural changes in her own children and her students.She suggested adding small tents and inviting friends for a sleep over to develop social skills. She stated that "Anything which is connected to nature ,and keeps our kids off electronic gadgets is always a warmly welcome initiative from the parents and caretakers side" .Her thoughts and statements are definitely something to be introspected and reflected on.Jayalakshmi also shared her  knowledge on how a family empowered their spectrum son to take up gardening as a recreational activity who has now all grown up into a very successful animal breeder and farmer.Though not everyone will be passionate, some will always find a way to make a living out of it.

Pet cat,Jayalakshmi K.R ©️ 

Admiring each element of nature ©️ 

Lakshmi Jayakrishnan,Consultant Psychologist, SKILLS suggested that greening should always start with commonly available flowering plants like Rose,Jasmine,Hibiscus ,Chrysanthemums, Ixoras and locally available fruit trees like Mangoes,Guavas,Musas etc.This will help the family to enjoy seasonal fruits and veggies and she pointed out the advantage as it's "the first step towards natural environment training".Individuals will develop a sense of responsibility and helps to schedule day to day activities with a commitment towards nature. 

Priti Vadakkath, a prominent artist based in Kochi,Celebrity chef featured in various magazines and a plantswoman suggested to include common medicinal plants for herbal use eg.Turmeric,Hibiscus,Phyllanthus,Sida,Neem,Basil,Mint,Coriander,Shankpushpi etc.She cautioned on eliminating poisonous and toxic plants of any kind since spectrum individuals might mouth leaves or flowers.

Her own garden has inspired her to make the best eye catching edible flower cakes or gfcf cakes and cookies and it should be mentioned since mental health and peace is a necessity for parents and caretakers as well.

Cookies with edible real flowers, Priti Vadakkath ©️ 

She felt that learning  hands on growing plants and nurturing will forever be etched in the memories of a spectrum individual.She also suggested including swings,rope ladders,tunnels and tyre swings made of ecofriendly materials like wood using least plastic, based on her experiences enjoying various gardens in Bangalore.She threw us some light on Kilikili method 

https://www.kilikili.org/index.html

Sindhu Saiprasad,mother of an adult in the spectrum and a certified special educator by profession suggested to incorporate everything that stimulates visual,auditory,olfactory,tactle,gustatory, vestibular and proprioceptive sensations.She pointed out the relevance of interacting with flora and fauna around us which elicits emotions like joy,peace ,scientific curiosity and fascination.According to her landscaping the terrain with slopes and hills ,adding flowering trees and plants,fountains,shade trees,benches,textured pathways, bird feeders,pebbles,opportunity to play with clay and sand,wind chimes,scented plants etc should be included.She also expresses her views that sensory gardens if ,built on a bigger space should be accessible to all irrespective of any tag and revealed her pleasant memories in such elaborate gardens in Secunderabad,all around the Hussain Sagar Lake.Priti and Sindhu stressed on the fact that no matter how big or small the gardens be, it should be wheelchair and vision impaired friendly.

Dedicated to the parents and caretakers of individuals in the spectrum.

Swapna Jose Luke,

Parent ,

Former Biochemistry Lecturer .

Reference.

Prasanna G.L

Developmental Therapist

Child development Centre 

Medical College ,Trivandrum.

Images are subject to copyright ©️ 

By 

ASD Parents and Therapists,Kerala ,2021

Autism,ADHD and Reflex Integration

Autism/ADHD and Primitive Reflex integration with reference to MNRI and QRI

Dated 16/9/18 to 22/9/18

Primitive reflexes (CNS reflexes)are present in an infant but absent in a neurologically healthy adult. These reflexes normally disappear within the first year of life due to inhibition by a mature/developing frontal lobe of the brain. If these reflexes are recurring during adulthood,it can reflect damage to the frontal lobe or spinal cord.If these primitive reflexes are unintegrated or retained in a toddler it shows a brain injury.

Expressing our sincere gratitude to Jasmeet and Meghna Mehta who participated in the reflex integration discussion and provided with informations on MNRI and QRI .

A reflex is an involuntary  or automatic, action that your body does in response to something — without you even having to think about it. You don't decide to kick your leg, it just kicks. There are many types of reflexes and every healthy person has them. In fact, we're born with most of them.

Jasmeet very well explained reflexes ,integration of reflexes and how MNRI helps unintegrated reflexes, integrate.

Why are reflexes important ?

From the womb , the childhood reflex movements literally grow the brain. Repeti- tive, automatic reflex movements are essential for the development of balance, mobility, vision, hearing, speaking, learning and communicating.
Reflex movements are the first foundations of the nervous system. Like a block tower, all further development depends on the readiness of the foundation.
Reflexes originate in the brain stem, or survival brain. When reflexes remain active, the survival brain is constantly stimulated. In this survival mode, there is less ability to access the prefrontal lobes, where we think, create, communicate and make beneficial decisions. In other words, we are more likely to react instead of control- ling our impulses.
Unintegrated reflexes trigger the “fight or flight” response, creating chronic stress. Even when there is no logical reason for stress, we can feel stressed because our physiology is constantly reacting as if threatened. Stress becomes a habit, often below the level of our awareness.

Most reflexes have a time period by which they get integrated. Once integrated either they disappear or integrate to form secondary reflexes.

 https://youtu.be/zV9XaVQrSvA

Masgutova Neurosensorymotor Reflex Integration(MNRI)

https://masgutovamethod.com/learning-the-method/mnri-education-curriculum

https://masgutovamethod.com/testimonials/36/i-am-a-parent-of-a-child-with-an-autism-diagnosis-he-also-has-a-diagnosis-of-anxiety-disorder-adhd-and-fragile-x-he-is-16-years-old-and-has-made-immea


MNRI Method is designed to facilitate the emergence, maturation, and integration process of primary reflex motor patterns for anyone, regardless of condition or age.

How can MNRI address a developmental disability like Asd
How can we connect reflexes and Asd?

When there are neurological deficit / Trauma to the brain , these reflex are either in state of hyper or hypo (either active or non responsive). When in such state - they disturb the development of the child. Very often ignored , play a critical role in our child's development.

To exemplify

Fear Paralysis Reflex FPR emerges in the 5th to 8th week of womb life, and ideally is integrated before birth. FPR is most likely a protective mecha- nism in the face of danger and may help us learn to cope with stress. FPR is a “freezing” reaction similar to a deer caught in the headlights.
There is tightening of the jaw and eye muscles; limb muscles contract and pull in toward the core. The breath is held, and there may be a significant drop in heart rate. Those who study reflexes do not always agree on what triggers FPR, but in general we can think of the FPR as a response to a perceived threat. If the FPR is not fully integrated at birth, it can cause lifelong challenges related to fear. There is an underlying anxiety preventing an individual from moving forward toward meaningful goals. When the Fear Paralysis Reflex is unintegrated it interferes with the integration of successive reflexes, especially the Moro Reflex.

Possible long term effect of an active FPR is
– shallow, difficult breathing
– Underlying anxiety or negativity
– Insecurity, low self-esteem
– Depression, isolation, withdrawal
– Constantly feeling overwhelmed
– Extreme shyness, fear in groups
– Excessive fear of embarrassment
– fear of separation from a loved one,
clinging
– sleep and eating disorders
– feeling stuck
– Elective mutism
– low tolerance to stress
– Withdrawal from touch
– Aggressive or controlling behavior,
craving attention
– Extreme fear of failure, perfectionism
– Phobias


With children with ASD most common reflexes not integrated are
1. Babinski
2. ATNR
3. STNR
4. Spinal Galant
5. Spinal Perez
6. Robinson Grasp
7. Foot Tendon Guard (especially if the child walks with heals up)

What is unique with MNRI?

There are many reflex integration program, MNRI Is has the most research available for reflex integration. An MNRI Therapist is taught how to assess if the reflex is integrated and how to integrate.It has well researched papers for children who have ASD, Cerebral Palsy, ADD, Down Syndrome etc.

MNRI reflex integration program has been well researched and documented.

DR. Svetlana and her son have researched and are always evolving the program since last 20 years.
It's one programme that is approved by 1.Psychological association of America, 2.Occupational therapy association of America
3.Physio therapy association of America  and
4. ASHA  -American speech- language- hearing association )

https://masgutovamethod.com/the-method/the-mnri-method-approach-programs

If the child has retained the Babinski reflexes, here are a few signs you may notice in your child:

Toe walking
Issues with proprioceptive and vestibular system
Muscles in the back of the legs are affected, altering gait
Trouble with balancing
Gravitational Insecurity (not being confident with their sense of stability)
Trouble with vestibular, visual and sensory systems

How can we assess the child  for MNRI?

Technically an assessment will list the reflexes to be worked on, no of days in a week and also priority 1 and 2 where you work on priority one and then on priority 2. Each assessment is valid for 6 months

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23659315

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24092983

https://journals.lww.com/jrnldbp/Pages/articleviewer.aspx?year=1984&issue=06000&article=00004&type=Abstract

What are the drawbacks of MNRI?
Mnri clinics are expensive by Indian standards but 6 hours of therapy for 6 days brings about significant difference

Quantum Reflex Integration (QRI)

https://reflexintegration.net/product/qri-harmonic-low-level-lasers/

https://youtu.be/0fmILtzJ3Dc

https://youtu.be/IKiwQoXxyYU

https://youtu.be/vfyjEQ0wXMw

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1029765563773500/


Meghna Mehta explained that QRI uses a cold laser, no exercises are involved,and it's easier to do on ASD kids.
Qri integrates reflexes faster also is better for integrating Moro and FPR which are typically very important for kids with asd.
Many parents testified the advantages and ease of QRI cold lasers on Asd kids that the onset of seizures have come to a halt after starting QRI, thanks to integrated FPR that raises the seizure threshold.

What happens when cold lasers (noninvasive) are used?
Laser penetrates the skin and affects muscles, nerves, bone, fascia etc. You trace the path on the body for each reflex. Qri also makes use of acupressure points.
Cold Laser is very safe and fda approved, used widely for many years. Precaution is that it should not be used on known cancer ,thyroid and avoid shining in the eyes.
Laser directly affects cellular mitochondria. It increases atp production which helps to  increase the cell division and helps and with inflammation.

It used by OTs/PTs/chiropractors/sports medicine drs.

https://reflexintegration.net/product/quantum-reflex-integration-sansur-bali/

Thank you all participants
#Asd parents and Therapists Group,Kerala.

Asd and Vision Disorders Faq

Vision Disorders Explained By Parents and Queries Answered By Experts On the field.

Dated 27/8/18

Asdparents and Therapists Group was highly privileged to have two eminent optometrists on board to answer queries from parents on vision disorders and Visual perception disorders. Our sincere gratitude to
*Diwakar Rao, working in Sankara Eye Hospital, HOD of Vision Therapy Department, Specialized in Vision Therapy & Behavioural Optometry & Neuro Optometric Rehabilitation.

*Nikhita Jacob , optometrist from sankara  vision clinic , Bangalore

*Zahi-r-Ibrahim Opthalmologist

Vision disorder is basically vision impairment where the vision is affected due to various reasons like refractive error.

Visual perception disorder is related impairment of perceptual skills like discrimination between things, matching the shapes, colors and similar actions in day-to-day life.

Q.What are the possible symptoms of vision disorder?

A.Blurring of vision, going closer to objects, rubbing eyes, squeezing eyes.

Q.My child usually fidgets fingers or objects in front of the eyes.Could you explain the same?

A.Referring to your queries with regard to fidget with fingers or staring at hands is due to visual stimulus.
Most of the special kids have very sensitive visual stimulus, to avoid this over stimulation they adopt eye poking, flapping of hands or even staring at objects.
Their is no written evidence on this.

Q.My daughter have the habit of eye-poking ,sometimes eyeball comes outside. what can i do for this?

A.Eye poking is due to very sensitive visual stimulus. Not to worry about.Eye poking symptoms reduce over a period of time with Vision therapy.
Initially we can help them like using a sticker on the child’s shoes so they know which foot to put them on.
Four line papers to help with word spacing and sizing and correct line alignment.
Use a marker to outline the boundaries for coloring.
Break visual activities into small steps.
Later slowly stop helping them in such routine duties and let them to do it on their own.

Q.My son does cornergaze , mostly when he focus more on TV ,when objects move ,can you explain why is it happening ?

A.Most of the kids have corner gazing, fond of seeing moving objects and rotating objects is due to visual stimulus.

https://www.autism.com/vison

https://www.covd.org/page/Autism

http://www.newimageeyecenter.com/vision-perception.html

Chitra Chandran explained how to ready a child in the spectrum for Vision examination in the hospital.
Preparation is always needed,the only difference is that, compared to preparing a day before as applicable for some kids, deliberately tell the child while on the way to the hospital nowadays ( a step ahead towards dealing with emergency)
Give instructions in advance on how to listen to the doctor and  nurse,and explain  that they r trying to help the child.
Also let them understand how to ask them  or parent  for any help

She pointed out some issues faced  by asd kids for eye examinations such as sensory issues towards touching the chin and  forehead , keeping eyes open for a long time and so on. She also suggested that for touch sensitivity, we should try giving that kind of rough feel with some object at forehead and chin beforehand itself n try keep them desensitized

https://lynnhellerstein.com/succeed-in-school/

https://lynnhellerstein.com/casestudies/

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10803-012-1475-2

Mrs Akila Vaidyanathan explained that Vision is affected by dysfunction of the organ or it's parts the nerve etc. Perception  is affected by how we process the sensory data collected by the organ  (same goes for  hearing)... both are  related but the latter is also affected  by attention or the lack of it.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4327555/

https://www.greatplainslaboratory.com/articles-1/2015/11/13/rickets-and-eye-poking-in-autism-associated-with-calcium-deficiency

Q.Could someone explain more on convergence insufficiency.Is it the reason why children lack the ability to focus on fast moving objects and catch it?

A.Convergence insufficiency actually causes inability to focus but that is not the only reason when it comes to moving objects. Eye movements required to focus on moving objects are called saccades and pursuits, which is mostly affected in ASD kids. That could also be the reason that the child is not able to fixate at moving objects.

Q.How heritable are refractive disorders?

A.If the parents are having a moderate to high power, then most likely the child will have refractive power.

Q.Are vision disorders (not visual perception disorder)  more in asd population than general population?

A.Not really required. Indeed most ASD kids have good vision and affected perceptual skills.

Zahi-r-Ibrahim explained that Refractive errors are independent of issues caused by visual processing.Sometimes individuals struggle to see ,not because they have a refractive error, but due to visual stress.
Glare be it from the surrounding, or glare from a reading surface affects the individual.

Scotopic sensitivity - (visual stress)  , arises from the glare from the surrounding, which impacts on visual processing of information.
In scotopic sensitivity,( visual stress )  individuals affected by it , often cannot read or write very well and are sensitive to light n sound
Individuals who have refractive errors and have been wearing glasses to correct refractive errors , still affected by visual stress ,affecting their reading and writing ,hence affirms
Refractive error independent of
Refractive error.

Q.My daughter mostly likes to squint her eyes every now and then.what could be the reason?

A.Possible reason can be refractive error.We can correct refractive error by glasses.I will recommend comprehensive eye examination

Q.I have squint ( I wear glasses ).when I wear my glasses u won’t see my squint  but when I am physically exhausted ,my squint is obvious .What’s wrong with the eyes?

A.Your symptoms look like intermetant Divergent squint, which get obvious towards end of day, or when you are tired.
Possible cause is poor eye muscle control.
I will suggest eye examination.
Vision therapy will help in your case.

Q.Why does my son constantly rub the eyes?

A.It can be because of foreign body sensation in eye.
It can be because of poor focusing ability (Accommodation insufficiency)
In this case distance vision will be normal.
Problem will be seen for near vision.

Q.Is there any test to find out ,the issues from glare from the  surrounding and from flash cards .How I can help him for this problm?

A .If struggling with glare from flash cards - change the background colour.
Sky blue , pink and yellow.
The colour flash card  to which his response is quickest is the colour that is helping to reduce the glare best.
Use that colour flash card.
Perhaps low light switch to black white flash cards - better contrast .
Daylight - colour paper.
Its a case of trial and error ,if it works use that.


https://www.autismspeaks.org/blog/2015/04/10/%E2%80%98how-can-we-tell-if-our-nonverbal-teen-needs-glasses%E2%80%99

Thank you all
#Asd Parents and Therapists Group,Kerala

Visual Perception

Autism ,Vision and Visual Perception

Dated 26/8/18 to 8/9/18
Visual Problems and Autism

Autistic individuals have difficulty processing and responding to information from their senses, as well as difficulties with communication and social interaction. Visual problems are also very common.
Often, the signs of these vision problems can be masked by the behaviours that autistic individuals use to cope with the sensory overload of the world around them. The behaviors that are attributable to both autism and vision problems can include lack of eye contact, staring at spinning objects or light, fleeting peripheral glances, side viewing, and difficulty attending visually.
Autistic people may also have problems coordinating their central and peripheral vision.
For example, when asked to follow an object with their eyes, they usually do not look directly at the object. Instead, they will scan or look off to the side of the object. Eye movement disorders and crossed eyes are common.

Many autistic people are *visually defensive. Visually defensive persons avoid contact with specific visual input and might have hypersensitive vision. They have difficulty with visually holding still and frequently rely on a constant scanning of visual information in an attempt to gain meaning.
Since autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) affect how we process and respond to sensory information, it’s important to evaluate exactly what visual sensory information is going in. https://youtu.be/NfDfXCiQRqY

Devyna Lembard gave us an insight into eyesight and Vision.There is a big difference between eye‐sight and vision. Eye‐sight is the ability to see clearly at 20 feet so usually people call it 20-20 vision but, Vision goes far beyond just this

Our nervous system is no different than it was 50,000 years ago
– Our visual system supported survival by letting us know about the dynamic three dimensional space around us and it still does the same.
– Our visual system enabled us to move our body when and where we needed to
– Therefore, our visual and vestibular system have been intimately synchronized to the extent that if the vestibular system has an processing issue then the visual perceptual skills will also get hampered.

In last 20 years,  Visual responsibilities for survival have changed
• We no longer are required to be skilled with the visual assessment of and bodily movement through dynamic three dimensional space
• It has become cognitive survival in a static, two dimensional symbolic near‐point environment
• Now, we need to sit, not move or speak, and process two dimensional language symbols at 16” for long periods of time
• And now, this is often when looking at a light source i.e computer,  iPad or phone.
• This is a socially compulsive, biologically unacceptable task.
• Cognitive survival in a static, two dimensional symbolic near‐point environment does not require 20/20 eyesight!
• At the time of the Civil War, the Snellen chart was developed
• A myth began, and persists today, that 20/20 is perfect vision. This is one of the most naive statements that can be made about vision
• It is especially the cruelest conclusion that can be drawn for a child struggling in school, who has visual problems, but who has 20/20 eye‐sight
• Hence, there has been a shift away from visual / vestibular integration to visual / vestibular dissociation!

The Vestibular System Provides:
An inertial gravity receptor which establishes a
gravitational reference point for our body at all
times and under all conditions
A central vertical axis centeredness of the body
in time and space as a foundation for 3
dimensional orientation and movement
around this center for relating to objects,
people, and events in our world
The ability to self‐regulate behavior with
social‐emotional skill & confidence
A cognitive foundation for orientation,
planning & execution of purposeful
engagement with an integrated weaving of
past, present, & future

Perceptual Stability in Space Requires congruence of:
Vestibulo‐spinal for dynamic postural alignment & control
Vestibulo‐cervical for neck stabilization & head control
Vestibulo‐visual & auditory for head orientation & stability for oculomotor control and sound localization & processing
Vestibulo‐cerebellar for position in space so as to regulate & modulate sequencing & timing of motor output based on signals received & matched to cortical inte.
Vestibular Sensory‐Motor Bridge Triads
1.  Vestibulo‐cochlear‐oculomotor triad of the head
Cervical control for spatial‐temporal
orientation of the head supports looking &
listening

2.    Vestibulo‐proprioceptive‐tactile triad of the body
Cervical integration of the head & body
in time & space affords static positioning &
purposeful movement for meaningful,
adaptive engagement in life skills and occupations

https://www.parentingautismindia.com/2016/11/good-website-eye-can-learn.html

https://www.parentingautismindia.com/2016/10/helpful-book-eye-power.html

Visual perception is among the last of skills a child develops. Eye-hand coordination is a prerequisite. Visual tracking in vertical, horizontal, diagonal, and circular planes is an essential precursor to visual perception. Visual perception consists of visual discrimination, visual figure ground, visual-spatial relationships, visual form constancy, visual memory, and visual closure.
Some are explained below:

Visual-spatial relationships—the ability to determine, from among four forms of identical configuration, the one single form or part of a single form that is going in a different direction from the other forms or from parts of forms

Visual sequential memory—the ability to remember for immediate recall (after a few seconds of exposure) a series of various forms from among four separate series of forms

Visual discrimination—the ability to match or determine the exact characteristics

Visual memory—the ability to remember for immediate recall characteristics of a form

Visual form constancy—the ability to see a form and find that same form even though the form may be smaller or larger and, whatever the size, whether rotated, reversed and/or hidden among other forms

Visual figure-ground—the ability to perceive a form visually; to find this form with other forms hidden in a conglomerated ground of matter

Visual motor skills—the ability to coordinate eye and hand movements to draw geometric shapes, letters, and numbers or to complete a maze

Visual perception—the ability to incorporate and process visual information; to perceive stimuli in forms that are recognized by the brain

Visual closure—the ability to recognize incomplete forms and “fill in” the lines mentally to match a completed form.

https://youtu.be/f-9N-mRRbMc

Devyna Lembard

Thank you all
#Asd parents and Therapists Group,Kerala.

NIEPID

National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (Formerly National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped)established in the year 1984 at Manovikasnagar, Secunderabad (TS) is an Autonomous Body under the administrative control of Deparment of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India. NIEPID (Formely NIMH) is dedicated to provide quality services to Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (Divyangjan) in the National interest. 

http://www.niepid.nic.in/


https://www.facebook.com/niepid/


#Asd parents and Therapists Group.Kerala