We have got to work on keeping these children engaged with the world.
— Temple Grandin
The squeeze machine is not going to cure anybody, but it may help them relax; and a relaxed person will usually have better behavior.
If you start using a medication in a person with autism, you should see an obvious improvement in behavior in a short period of time. If you do not see an obvious improvement, they probably should not be taking the stuff. It is that simple.
I know a number of autistic adults that are doing extremely well on Prozac.
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of a good teacher.
There is a tremendous range of children with a PDD label.
Autism is an extremely variable disorder.
I am also a believer in an integrated treatment approach to autism.
I am a big believer in early intervention.
Research has shown that a barren environment is much more damaging to baby animals than it is to adult animals. It does not hurt the adult animals the same way it damages babies.
Pressure is calming to the nervous system.
And while we are on the subject of medication you always need to look at risk versus benefit.
I would not be here now if I did not have anti-depressants.
People are always looking for the single magic bullet that will totally change everything. There is no single magic bullet.
Children between the ages of five to ten years are even more variable. They are going to vary from very high functioning, capable of doing normal school work, to nonverbal who have all kinds of neurological problems.
Some children may need a behavioral approach, whereas other children may need a sensory approach.
Research is starting to show that a child should be engaged at least 20 hours a week. I do not think it matters which program you choose as long as it keeps the child actively engaged with the therapist, teacher, or parent for at least 20 hours a week.
I can remember the frustration of not being able to talk. I knew what I wanted to say, but I could not get the words out, so I would just scream.
As you may know, some of the stereotyped behaviors exhibited by autistic children are also found in zoo animals who are raised in a barren environment.
When you take a drug to treat high blood pressure or diabetes, you have an objective test to measure blood pressure and the amount of sugar in the blood. It is straight-forward. With autism, you are looking for changes in behavior.
I have been on the same dose of anti-depressants for 15 years, and my nerves still go up and down in cycles; but my nerves are cycling at a lower level than they were before.
Some teachers just have a knack for working with autistic children. Other teachers do not have it.
Some autistic children cannot stand the sound of certain voices. I have come across cases where teachers tell me that certain children have problems with their voice or another person's voice. This problem tends to be related to high-pitched ladies' voices.
A treatment method or an educational method that will work for one child may not work for another child. The one common denominator for all of the young children is that early intervention does work, and it seems to improve the prognosis.
One of my sensory problems was hearing sensitivity, where certain loud noises, such as a school bell, hurt my ears. It sounded like a dentist drill going through my ears.
You have got to keep autistic children engaged with the world. You cannot let them tune out.
