Babies Parenting Tips

If your child has a history of autism, then you will want to watch for one of the more serious symptoms: seizures. The first thing that you will have to learn if your autistic child experiences seizures is how to recognize an emergency. The following conditions make a seizure an emergency:

- If the seizure lasts more than 5 minutes, or if there are several seizures in a row without a full recovery occurring between them.

- Breathing difficulty that persists. Though it is common for an autistic child to look as though he or she has briefly stopped breathing during the seizure, breathing should quickly resume.

- If there are any injuries sustained during the seizure.

- Confusion or unconsciousness that persists.

- If it is your child’s first seizure.

- If your child has a history of seizures, but there is a significant change in the typical pattern, type, symptoms, or length of the seizure.

The occurrence of autism and seizures together is relatively common. The Journal of Child Neurology published a study called “Prospective preliminary analysis of the development of autism and epilepsy in children with infantile spasms” (Askalan R, et al) which showed that by puberty, 25 percent of autistic children will develop seizures. It is not known why the incidence of seizures increases so dramatically with adolescence. The study also showed a connection between babies who experience West Syndrome, which causes infantile spasms, and children who will later receive an autism diagnosis.

Autistic children who are at the highest risk for seizures are those who also have specific neurological conditions, for example, neurofibromatosis, tuberous sclerosis, and untreated phenylketonuria.

Many parents of autistic children who display unusual behaviors often struggle to recognize the difference between these behaviors and seizures, or whether their children are indeed having seizures at all. After all, some autistic behaviors can include sudden repetitive movements or swaying, as well as a decreased awareness of his or her surroundings. This can be exactly what a seizure looks like, depending on the person.

To tell the difference between these unusual behaviors and seizures, use the following information:

- Seizures occur suddenly without being provoked by a specific occurrence. On the other hand, unusual behaviors are usually brought about by frustration, fear, anger, or as a consequence of a certain event.

- Seizures will usually follow a type of pattern within one person, though the length and intensity may differ from time to time. However, autism behaviors will often vary in their movements and mannerisms.

- Seizures are often accompanied with a sensation of cold or fear and are frequently followed by weakness, headache, or exhaustion. After a seizure, it is unlikely that an autistic child will simply resume an activity right away.

- Similar to staring ‘off into space’ of an autistic child, absence attacks are a form of small seizure that cause a loss of consciousness for 10 seconds or less, and may involve some mild facial movements or eye blinking. Lip smacking or shuddering may also occur in more complex partial seizures. These people would not respond to any environmental stimuli. However, an autistic child displaying staring mannerisms will.

If your child has a history of autism and you believe that he or she may be having seizures, it is important to speak to your doctor or pediatrician right away to discuss the severity of the seizures as well as possible treatments and preventative measures.

Having a child with autism is often an emotional struggle. But more than the fact it is indeed emotionally challenging to raise a child with autism, what is even more straining is the reality that parents still have to deal with treatments used to treat or manage autism. According to various surveys and reports, a significant number of parents of autistic children are willing to try anything to treat their child’s condition, as long as it is guaranteed not to adversely affect their children (autistic children do have a lot to deal with, after all). So while an ineffective alternative treatment for autism may not adversely affect the child, it will definitely affect the parent-due to disappointment. Parents can’t help but expect the treatment they are using to work, or at least yield some positive effects. When it doesn’t, they will feel down and disappointment, due to many reasons, obviously.

So with this in mind, how should parents approach nutritional treatments for their autistic children?

First, they should learn the basis of nutritional treatments as a cure for autism symptoms. As any parent of an autistic child should know, medical experts have not fully determined the source of autism. Although the cause is generally acknowledged to be genetic, a number of experts believe autism is caused by biomedical factors, including gastrointestinal bacteria, weak immune system, vaccine and mercury, and chemicals produced by certain food substances inside the body. In any case, nutritional treatments serve as a cushion to soften the blow of the effects of autism, so to speak. According to the experts who say autism is caused by a biomedical disorder, autistic children do not get the proper nutrition they should be getting due to the factors listed above. Needless to say, the lack of such nutrients makes it hard for their body to fully develop.

Among the natural treatments being used today, nutritional treatments are perhaps the most accepted. Everyone needs proper nutrition, especially children with autism with their underdeveloped bodies. Parents should see nutritional nutrients as a necessity. After all, autistic children have weaker immune systems; it is only natural that parents give them supplements in order to remedy this potential problem.

Often times, nutritional treatments are used to supplement other existing treatments, naturally or otherwise. Since it is only imperative for parents to give their children nutritional supplements, it should be not considered as the be all and end all of autism treatments. Many use such treatment as an additional measure to help make other alternative methods more effective. For instance, people using the gluten-free, casein-free diet often supplement the diet with nutritional treatments.

The substances used for this treatment may vary, although there are certain nutrients that they suggest children with autism take. For instance, Vitamin D is often considered as one of the more important nutrients for autistic children. Besides this, other substances used for nutritional treatments include probiotics, colostrum, and melatonin. They act on different areas of the body that affect an autistic child most severely (probiotics works on the digestive track, while colostrums is for the body’s immune system).

It should be noted, however, that the effects of autism treatments vary from case to case. It may work well for some, while it may not work for others. Parents would do no wrong with nutritional treatments, but they should not expect too much from it.

There are more and more children being diagnosed with autism today. There are new forms of higher functioning autistics being diagnosed, and that leads to higher numbers. Many times children were labeled as being shy or painfully introverted when they really had autism. Though the lower functioning and more common form of autism are easily spotted, those with Asperger’s were often missed or dismissed. Parents that know more about the different symtoms of autism in children will have an easier time recognizing if their child needs further evaluation.

Social Relating: There is a common thread that seems to connect all children with any form of autism. These children have problems relating with others, and in particular, have problems with their peers. They struggle to relate, and they have huge anxiety when trying to form or keep relationships. This causes large amounts of frustration, and many end up alone, avoiding those feelings. They can’t really relate to many things emotionally, though that is different for higher functioning children. In many cases, group activities are just too much for them.

Communication: Some with autism never develop any type of verbal communication. There are others who begin to talk, but then regress. Higher functioning children can have a great vocabulary, but are limited in how they choose to share it. Many of them choose to use gestures rather than talk at all. Those who have some skill might latch on to phrases that they hear and repeat them over and over.

Reaction to Stimulus: Another symptom of autism in children that parents often notice early is that they seem to have exaggerated reactions to many things, or that they have no reaction at all. Many respond to things in the most inappropriate manner. They may cover their ears at tiny sounds, or they may not even blink if a horn were to go off nearby. Some have problems with touch, and seem overly sensitive when touched by others. They may seem like they are in pain from a slight brush of the hand or a simple hug. Others can react violently to bright lights maintaining eye contact can be difficult.

Unusual Behavior: There are many different types of problems that appear in autism. Behaviors are often over-the-top and out of whack with others of the same age. They have a tendency to over-react to things and have tantrums at the slightest variation in schedule. They might be misdiagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder before the proper diagnosis is found. Repetitive motions and actions are also quite common.

At Play: There is some play involved for some children with autism, but some do not play at all, at least, not in the traditional way. Many who do play will play on their own most of the time. They often feel great frustration and anxiety when they are expected to play in a group or with one other child. When they play on their own, it is marked by the repetition of the same motions or action. They appear to be in their own world while at play, and may ignore everything exclusive of the thing they are doing.

Many of the symtoms of autism in children are obvious right away, but they can remain hidden. Some function very well, and these things might not come to light until they are in school or pre-school. When a parent thinks there might be something wrong, they should look for evaluation. No matter what the diagnosis might be, it is smart to remember that some mistakes are made, and some children are said to have autism when they don’t, or that they don’t when they do. If the diagnosis seems wrong, consult with another doctor when there is a change in symptoms.