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SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES WITH AUTISM

Posted by Sandy Howarth on Monday, July 18, 2011, In : Autism support 


Raising children is a strain on most parents as each family copes with their responsibilities based on their experience, knowledge and ability to cope. As the saying goes “the stresses and joys of parenthood”. Parents learn to understand the personalities of each child and their children learn to recognise the personalities of their parents and other family members.

Coping in an environment which clearly lacks the acceptance of Autism, a lack of social support and dealing with an Autistic...


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SENSORY INTEGRATION THERAPY

Posted by Sandy Howarth on Thursday, March 17, 2011, In : SENSORY INTEGRATION THERAPY 



A treatment which assists a person with Autism to improve the way in which their nervous system receives sensory input. It is usually carried out by an Occupational Therapist. Autistic children require this method of therapy as they could be over sensitive to touch, sound and light, hyper active, clumsy with movements, unable to control self or calm self and show signs of speech delay. The typically developing brain integrates the sensors automatically. The Autistic brain requires a great dea...


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TREATMENTS FOR AUTISM

Posted by Sandy Howarth on Thursday, February 17, 2011, In : TREATMENTS FOR AUTISM 

Choosing a suitable educational environment

Parents want what’s best for their children and struggle to give them the best. Whether it is in a mainstream environment, special needs school, or a home based programme the decision should be based on what is most suited to meet your child’s individual needs. The choice should be made based on the child’s ability, which should be determined according to the age and level of development. Needs may vary depending on mobility, co-ordination, ...


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AUTISM ADVICE

Posted by Sandy Howarth on Wednesday, February 16, 2011, In : AUTISM ADVICE 

Dealing with the stress of the diagnosis
No parent expects to hear that their child is Autistic. In addition the shock of the diagnosis can leave parents drained of physical, mental and emotional energy. Therefore, it is important to conserve your energy to focus on areas of priority. Parents of Autistic children experience high stress levels, as everyday parenting skills are not adequate and effective when dealing with a child who is locked in their own little world.

The frustration, guil...


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WHAT IS AUTISM?

Posted by Sandy Howarth on Wednesday, February 16, 2011, In : WHAT IS AUTISM? 

Autism was first recognised by Leo Kanner in 1943 - a hugely complex neurological disorder marked by the "Triad of Impairments" which shows difficulties in the areas of communication, social interaction and imagination. It is also a spectrum disorder in which the individual demonstrating traits of autism can fit in anywhere within the spectrum. The symptoms can vary from mild to moderate to severe where some show accompanying learning disabilities. Autistic children appear to be indifferen...


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AUTISM AND PARENT CONCERNS

Posted by Sandy Howarth on Friday, February 4, 2011, In : AUTISM AND PARENT CONCERNS 



Parents are faced with an array of concerns when dealing with an Autistic child. Reaching out for what the future holds while struggling to obtain services becomes a priority. Nevertheless, a positive future for an Autistic child is one that offers them the support to achieve their full potential. The opportunity to gain meaningful language offers greater promise for an Autistic child who can use language to communicate and cope within our world. However, a child who demonstrates passive beha...


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A SPIRITUAL OUTLOOK ON AUTISM

Posted by Sandy Howarth on Monday, January 17, 2011, In : A SPIRITUAL OUTLOOK ON AUTISM 


Looking at how to deal with the challenges of autism the most effective way I have found is to understand and learn to accept the condition. Here, we are confronted with the first hurdle which is the question of the cause - the answer often leading to “we don’t know.... “ or “we think it is….” People look to find answers, apportion blame or escape from the reality of the life-long care that goes with a diagnosis such as autism. It continues to create high stress levels within the ...


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Understanding autistic behaviour

Posted by Sandy Howarth on Thursday, January 13, 2011, In : Autistic behaviour 


Understanding Autistic behaviour

Autistic children pose challenges to parents and care givers due to the lack of understanding between each other. It is difficult to assess how much a non verbal Autistic child knows through watching television or information they may have acquired from their environment. A close observation of the child will help recognise the cues associated with Autistic behaviour.

Anxiety is a major factor in the life of an Autistic person. The stronger the feeling of anx...


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AUTISM - IS IT THE MMR VACCINE?

Posted by Sandy Howarth on Thursday, January 13, 2011, In : MMR VACCINE 


Is it the MMR vaccine?

My child regressed after the MMR vaccine at 15 months just as a large proportion of other Autistic children did. I do not blame the vaccine for Steven’s Autism, as having studied Steven very closely I recognised that he displayed behaviour that was different or lacking in normal development even before the time when the regression took place. I had concerns over Steven’s level of activity, his erratic sleep pattern and the comprehension of language before he had hi...


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ACT NOW - press release and visit to Downing Street

Posted by Sandy Howarth on Wednesday, October 20, 2010,
Six leading autism Campaigners: Carole Rutherford - Co-founder (Autism In Mind), Ivan Corea (UK Autism Foundation), Richard Exley (Autism Consultancy Services), Anna Kennedy (Hillcrest Autism Services and best selling biography “Not Stupid”), Alison Wiles (Founder Autism – United Kingdom) and Sandy Howarth author of “No Matter What”(Autism) all determined to protect the future of families with Autism in the UK launched their own Impact Assessment Report on 18th October 2010 at the D...
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UNDERSTANDING, CARING & SUPPORTING THE NEEDS OF FAMILIES WITH AUTISM

Posted by Sandy Howarth on Saturday, August 21, 2010, In : SUPPORTING THE NEEDS OF FAMILIES WITH AUTISM 


The Challenges: Autism creates enormous and unexpected challenges to families faced with it - they tug in every direction to help their Autistic loved ones with little or no support from services. The barriers to communication, social issues, the lack of public support and the long term demands on what the future holds adds a further strain on families struggling to cope. The challenges bring out a deep and pure strength of survival in individuals with Autism where their lives revolve around ...


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Thoughts on Autism and Aspergers Syndrome

Posted by Sandy Howarth on Tuesday, July 27, 2010,


Autistic Strengths

Research suggests that Autistic traits are apparent in the non-Autistic population – some have shown less symptoms whilst others have shown more. The complexity of the condition is highlighted through genetic research which shows at least twenty different genes contributing to Autistic development. History reveals many positive examples of individuals who would be classed today as being Autistic but who were previously described as “different” or “odd”, yet they ...


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Structural differences in the Autistic brain

Posted by Sandy Howarth on Friday, July 2, 2010, In : Autism Research 


Autism is still a puzzle to many – Neuro-anotomical investigations suggest that if it is to be assumed that all human behaviour originates from the brain, that it must be clear that to identify the cause of abnormal behaviour that a comparison is necessary between a typical brain and the brain of an Autistic person.

Dr.Joseph Piven from the University of Iowa identified a size difference with the autistic brain showing a larger cerebellum and a smaller corpus collosum than the typical brai...


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Journey through Autism

Posted by Sandy Howarth on Tuesday, May 4, 2010, In : Journey through Autism 

My journey starts with life in Dubai when a beautiful baby was born in the pleasant month of April. He had the most perfectly fresh - soft skin, the beautiful form and the vacant eyes. As a new mother with no previous experience of motherhood I was overjoyed by his look of perfection but baffled by the thought of not knowing what my baby wanted. The bonding, the eye contact, the sharing of joy, the security of attachment was all a constant puzzlement.


The first years were difficult as my ...


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Best tips on Autism - Author Sandy Howarth "No Matter What" Autism

Posted by Sandy Howarth on Thursday, April 29, 2010, In : Best tips on Autism 
 

      

The diagnosis of Autism is typically associated with
Difficulty with verbal and nonverbal communication
Lacking in social and emotional development
Lacking in imagination
Some further symptoms
Lacking or no eye contact
Insistence on routine
Over or under sensitive senses
Bizarre behaviour

To manage Autism
Learn to first accept Autism
Think positively and act positively. Learn to love your child unconditionally “No Matter What” the diagnosis is.
This is your child. A positive outlook will...


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Author of No Matter What


My book "No Matter What" takes a positive approach to understanding and dealing with Autism.