Power Advocates

Autism Speaks is an organization founded by grandparents of an autistic child. They provide information, support and endeavor to increase awareness of autism spectral disorders. Since 2005 they have helped thousands of parents, researchers and increased awareness in the general public through their website, autismspeaks.org. If you listen to or read the news, you know that there is a popular belief that childhood immunizations can cause autism. Some are so convinced this is true that they refuse to have their children vaccinated. The actual culprit is believed to be Thimerosal, a preservative widely used in the preparation of vaccines. Companies that manufacture vaccines have been strongly...

For most parents, one of the most trying times in their lives is during their child's teenage years. When puberty hits, young adults go through serious changes in their bodies and minds, and parents have little or no control over many situations. In an autistic child, puberty is no different. Although your autistic child is not experiencing puberty in quite the same ways as others his or her age, major hormonal changes still occur in the body. This can lead to extreme results, and this can be either good or bad depending on how your child reacts to the new hormone levels. One of the scariest side effects of changes in an autistic person's body is the onset of seizures. Many autistic individuals...

I recently attended a workshop with author and speaker Bob Burg (Endless Referrals) who talked about some of the most common mistakes people make in networking. Things like shoving business cards at someone and telling them you're the best realtor, life insurance salesperson or you have the best "whatchamacallit" in the biz are sure fire ways to turn off a prospect. His sage advice and system for networking revolves around a very simple but powerful principle: get over yourself and focus on the client or prospect. But do it in a way that is non-intrusive and sincerely interested in the other person. His message made me acutely aware of a pattern I see repeatedly in both business and social...

Help your kids manage their emotions and avoid sabotaging their good times with impulsive behavior. This is especially challenging for kids and adults who are highly sensitive, or who have Asperger Syndrome, Autism or ADHD. Here are seven strategies to help them handle frustration. 1. Help them find in-the-moment strategies for self-calming. Make your child an active participant in exploring what will work best for him. 'Take a break'. 'Tune in to what's happening with your body'. 'Take your mind to an imaginary place that feels peaceful'. 2. Get clear on triggers that send your child into meltdown. Ask questions like "What happens just before you want to explode?" Notice patterns, such as...

We again visit the workplace of employer 'Jack' and his new employee 'Al' who has Asperger Syndrome. In this small informal office, Al felt discomfort and confusion with ordinary routines related to phones, break time and workplace jargon. In this next phase of our work together, we designed three customized action plans, which helped Al succeed with the more social side of office responsibilities. Jack: "When it comes to the job he was hired to do, Al is outstanding. But when people skills are required, he flounders. He goes off topic or seems confused about what people do in ordinary daily situations." Jack decided he would work directly and discreetly with Al, to help him feel less 'centered...

Development means just that.  It’s a process.  The learning process we go through to gain the skills to talk to women is like any other learning process.  It’s full of failure.  Don’t worry, failure is part of the learning process.  In fact, human beings tend to learn more from failure than they do from success.  The guy who can naturally talk to women probably doesn’t understand his skill and therefore can’t utilize it properly.  The guy who’s failed and learned what works holds the power to use his skill on any woman he wishes to approach. Plan on failing.  Count on it.  Depend on it.  Embrace it when it happens but always learn from it.  What was the problem?  Why did it...

If you have to use computers very often, then you should be very careful against computer addiction. This may sound like a fancy problem that critics of computers and internet have created to scare people. However, the truth is that this issue is a very serious problem. One of the biggest advantages of the World Wide Web is that it helps you get in touch with people without any face to face or personal contact. This often leads to a scenario where many persons with very little social exposure get along well by making contacts on the World Wide Web. Just as we feel the urge to talk to our friends on a regular basis, such persons feel the urge to remain online and stay in contact with their online...

Skills to encourage the development of friendships include learning self-control, encouraging problem solving and learning how to give and take in friendships and interactions: Learning Self-Control The ability to regulate ones emotions is an important but hard skill for some children to develop. However this skill's is essential if children are to develop friendships and to be accepted by others. Other children tend to steer clear of peers who can't manage their emotions - be it the child who cries over small issues or who get angry when things don't go their way... One way to help your child keep cool: Urge him to take a break - breathe deeply or take a drink of water - whenever emotions rise...

If you or someone in your family has ADHD, you are probably always looking for new treatments, information and books on how you can manage the disorder. ADHD affects a lot of families and is prevalent in children and adults. The more that you know about the disorder, the more you can make it better to deal with. It can be a difficult disorder to control, but when you have the best information and the latest materials available to you, it can be a lot easier. If you are looking for new ADHD books that you can buy to have as reference or to read more about, you can find them online. There are a lot of different books available that you can buy that will help you manage the disorder. You can go online...

Everyone knows of the use of controlled research. This is where someone begins to feel significantly better after receiving 'fake' medication (usually a sugar pill or a tablet with no components that serve the chemical need. The the fact that the research was so controlled gives enough evidence that the belief that a condition is being treated can sometimes be just as strong as the management of it. Significant new research (published in the Journal of Development & Behavioral Pediatrics) points to the widespread occurrence of the placebo effect when it directly relates to medication for ADD/ADHD. This should not be anticipated results are proven to happen with just all possible prescriptions that...

Families caring for children with special needs, such as Down syndrome, face tremendous obstacles and challenges, yet they exhibit extraordinary courage that focuses on the care, nurturing and protection of their child that is special in so many ways. Children, with any disabilities, require endless hours of attention: medical appointments, therapies such as speech and/or occupational, hippo therapy, hospital visits, and/or surgeries. Parents and caregivers spend sleepless nights watching, listening, comforting and worrying. However, add to those responsibilities the normal routines of life, and we can imagine the tremendous affect on every family member in the home. The hours of care may mean that...

It is notable that Autism affects each patient differently than the next, and therefore, each patient is approached differently concerning their treatments and therapies. Besides the non-medical interventions, such as music, listening, speech, language, and vision training, medications are also prescribed in certain cases to lessen certain Autism symptoms which are not lessened through the non-medicinal training offered to parents and care givers or special diet changes. One type of medication that is frequently used to control the Autism symptoms of aggressive and violent behaviors, as well as epilepsy, is stimulants, such as the commonly prescribed Ritalin and Adderall. Out of the approximately 58...

If you are at all familiar with autism, then you are probably aware of the recent movement, popularized in the press by celebrities such as Jenny McCarthy, that believes that autism, a brain development disorder that can interfere with and even prevent many types of social interactions and communications as well as making traditional learning difficult, can in fact be treated and cured. Previously, most experts had believed that autism was largely incurable, and that the best-case scenario would be for parents of autistic children to simply treat those children to cope in the real world to the best of their abilities if possible. If not, then often these children, once adults, would end up in...

Treatment Autism If you are at all familiar amongst autism, later you are probably aware of the up to date movement, popularized in the press by celebrities the as Jenny McCarthy, who believes the current autism, a brain development disorder that can interfere with and a good deal prevent many types of social interactions and communications as decently as furnishing traditional learning difficult, can in happening be treated and cured. Treatment Autism Fortunately, with the advent of a variety of new research arenas in the area of autism and other developmental conditions, this no longer has to be the case. And, not surprisingly, omega 3 fatty acids are playing a major role in this groundbreaking...

I'd like to discuss my feelings about biomedical interventions for Autism and talk about the reasons why I think it is important to begin a biomedical approach for your child. I lecture around the country and talk on these videos on my website about how important biomedical intervention is. But one thing to recognize is that when we look to implement a biomedical protocol whether that is through diet, supplements, etc, we are really assessing the underlying medical issues. What that can entail is the use of diagnostic testing, urine, stool, blood, etc. in order to look for imbalances. The imbalances could be nutritional like vitamins and minerals, essential fats or amino acids. Or the imbalances...

Constipation is an issue that I address quite frequently in my practice. It is a very common problem in our society in both children and adults. The ideal situation is to have a bowel movement after each meal. But that may seem like a lot so what I encourage for patients in my practice is to have at least two bowel movements per day. For many people, just having one bowel movement a day is good and for children on the spectrum, having more frequent bowel movements can be challenging. As I have gone over in previous videos, there are many issues that surround constipation with kids on the spectrum. A very common issue is the child who has the urgency to have a bowel movement but they have a difficult...

An Autism Doctor Explains How Medical Problems Can Affect The Brain In Autistic Children More and more evidence is coming out that autism in certain individuals is related to a wide array of underlying medical problems - including, but not limited to immune system disorders. One immune issue in particular is autoimmunity where the immune system attacks our own body tissue creating destruction and localized inflammation. There are many types of autoimmune diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis or Lupus. Even though autism is not currently classified as an autoimmune disease there are clearly factors involved that show immune system imbalances are a contributing problem. This...

I want to go over a brief explanation of mitochondria. We know that that mitochondria play a big role in body metabolism in those individuals with Autism. Mitochondria also play a role in everyone's health in terms of how our body produces energy. Some individuals have underlying mitochondrial disease, which is usually detected early in life and can even be life threatening. Other people have an underlying mitochondrial dysfunction which may not be life threatening but certainly can be problematic when faced with environmental challenges. If an affected individual gets sick, has a vaccine reaction or has heavy metal toxicity, that can put a lot of stress on the body. With chronic fatigue syndrome...

I have seen bowel problems in Autism to be an almost universal problem. From small children to teenagers, many of them have bowel issues. These issues can be due to many different things. A child often has a hard time with bowel movements because they cannot feel the need to go. Children with inflammatory bowel issues are also very common in my practice. And many behavioral problems can be tied to children who, on the other end of things, are very constipated. Posturing is a behavior where your child seeks relief from abdominal pain by leaning onto furniture. They can lean on couches, chairs, tables, etc. in an effort to put pressure on the abdominal area and this can be a sign of an underlying...

I want to cover the issue of regression, and particularly since the holidays are over, the issue of regression after the holidays. There are several children that I see in my practice who have been very impacted by regression and it is very disturbing for their families. When you have a child who is progressing, has good eye contact, language and socialization and suddenly regresses, losing eye contact, language and is now engaged in more self stimulatory and sensory seeking behaviors, you must ask what is going on? With the holidays there are always special concerns to address regarding regression, the first is dietary infractions. Maybe over the holidays a child has gluten or dairy that they are...

There is a belief in the Autism community, as well as the Alzheimer community and even other neurological disorders that glutamate causes over activation of the brain. Glutamate is an amino acid that can be found regularly in our diet. It is also found in the brain, in fact the brain has a fairly high amount of glutamate. As a matter of fact, glutamate is one of the most prevalent amino acids in the brain. The theory is that some people suffer from a receptor sensitivity to glutamate. There are receptors located on the surface of the brain. Those receptors receive information from other chemicals, similar to the way a key works in a lock. So glutamate is responsible for triggering the NMDA receptor...

We know that in Autism, bowel problems are big issues, in my experience it is almost universal. Whether the child is small, an older child or even a teenager, we can usually expect some sort of bowel issue and there are many reasons for that. If you have a child who lacks the sensation that they need to have a bowel movement then that can be a problem. Some children have bowel inflammation which we know is problematic. And I see many children who are very constipated and as a result, can have many behavioral issues. This is where the topic of posturing comes in. Posturing is where a child will lean over the edge of a piece of furniture, that can be a couch, chair, even a table, to try and bring some...

There are many children with special needs that can benefit from a probiotic supplement and I want to talk briefly about the different types of probiotics that are available. In general, probiotics are considered to be life promoting organisms that can help with much needed mineral and vitamin utilization, along with being able to provide much needed food for the digestive tract. Probiotic formulas can also aid in the fight against undesirable pathogens such as yeast and bacteria. Probiotics can also serve to help stimulate the critical immune function in the digestive tract. So for that specific purpose of general aid to the digestive system, you could use a multi-flora probiotic formula. A multi...

I want to briefly discuss with you the various types of probiotics that can be used and that are available for different issues that we see in children with special needs. Probiotics in general are considered life promoting organisms that provide much needed food for the digestive tract and are an aid in the utilization of critical vitamins and minerals. Probiotics can also help to stimulate the immune function in the digestive tract as well as work to keep some pathogens like yeast and bacteria in check. So for general support, a multi-flora probiotic supplement would be used for that specific purpose. And when I say multi-flora probiotic, what I mean is one that includes various forms of...

We tend to think of famous or successful people as having it easy in life, or they somehow got lucky. We admire them for what they have or for what they have accomplished and sometimes wish we were just like them. The truth, however, is often very different from what we imagine. You might be surprised at the famous people who had to overcome a learning disability. More often than not, people are shaped by the obstacles they overcome - such as a learning disability - more than by inherent talent, intelligence, luck or money. Perhaps no one in modern history matches up with the labels genius among genius's, great thinker and super intelligent more than Albert Einstein. He revolutionized the way...

Famous People With Autism We tend to think of famous or successful people as having it easy in life, or they somehow got lucky. We admire them for what they have or for what they have accomplished and sometimes wish we were just like them. The truth, however, is often very different from what we imagine. You might be surprised at the famous people who had to overcome a learning disability. More often than not, people are shaped by the obstacles they overcome - such as a learning disability - more than by inherent talent, intelligence, luck or money. Perhaps no one in modern history matches up with the labels genius among genius's, great thinker and super intelligent more than Albert Einstein. He...

In December of 2007, I was lucky to come across two documentaries covering the topic of neuroplasticity, The Brain That Changes Itself and Fixing My Brain. I eagerly watched them both, and have been unable to let go of what I had seen. The Brain That Changes Itself is narrated by Dr. Norman Doidge, M.D., and based off of his book of the same name. One of the most influential stories involves the Arrowsmith teaching program, which happens to be the subject for Fixing My Brain. It brought back memories of what I had learned at Life Chiropractic College West as the science of chiropractic benefits greatly as our understanding of neuroplasticity grows. It also reminded me of some of the personal...

A Doctor Explains the Benefits of Using a Gluten and Casein Free Diet: The gluten and casein-free diet has been a main stay therapy for children on the autism-spectrum for many years. The reason? It works. Many kids see a dramatic improvement in their condition. What Does a Gluten and Casein Free Diet Do? The GFCF diet helps many children improve their cognitive skills in a number of areas: * Improved attention and focusing * More awareness of their environment * Better eye contact * Less self-stimulatory behavior * More capacity for receptive and expressive language skill. These skills do not always increase with the same intensity for all children, but if you reference the statistics from the...

A number of institutes conducting research on autism exist throughout the world. Many are working to find out the causes and more important the treatments for autism. Technology has made it easier to access some of these institutes and the information they provide. The NICHD, is part of the National Institute of Health within the US Department of Health and Human Services and is one of the aforesaid organizations. Autism Research is another type of organization determined to provide information to individuals as well. This organization helps make it easier to access information. This organization is funded by grants and sponsorships. Autism Research provides a plethora of information to parents and...

I had never even heard of the disease before I saw the movie "Mercury Rising" by Bruce Willis and some kid. Then I saw Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman's "Rainman", and finally Mario Puzo's miniseries "The Last Don". All of a sudden it dawned on me. There really is a severe developmental disease out there called autism, and doctors, scientists, and all other medical professionals for all their knowledge and experience don't know a whole lot about the disease. I mean, after some reading up on the behavioral and developmental disorder, I found that little is known beyond speculation about what causes autism, or how it can be really cured. Needless to say, I got afraid for my life and for the life of my...

I am going to discuss a little more about the concept of leaky gut. Previously I have discussed that it is a breakdown of the tight junctions, or the spaces between the cells of the digestive tract. As they begin to open up, they allow in food proteins as well as other metabolic toxins that are produced by yeast and bacteria. Also anything we absorb from our food and water also can gain entry into our bloodstream with a leaky gut. Treatment for leaky gut is not just one particular thing. However, several supplements have been shown effective at helping leaky gut as well as providing general support to the integrity and health of the digestive system. One such supplement that helps with it is a...