Autistic Children

[Comehome]

Hi!

My daughter is under medical investigation for autism at the moment. She is 2,5 years old and late in speach and motor development.

I just wish to know a little bit more about other parents with autistic children.

Where did you get your diagnose?

Where do you go for treatment, such as logopeds, psychiatrists, physio therapists etc. ?

Does your child take any medicines at the moment?

Have you tried hyperbaric oxygen chamber treatment?

I have heard a lot of good things about hyperbaric oxygen chamber and we are about to try it for our daughter very soon.

Thank you for your time, any info is very much appreciated.

take care,

comehome

[Comehome]

Is there really noone on Thaivisa who has a child with Autism??????????

[GarryP]

I know that there are some active Thai groups. I came across them when I was looking into local support groups for with parents of children with cerebral palsy. My daughter was a severe case and passed away a few years ago at the age of 10.

Do you speak Thai? If you do I can see what I can dig up for you so you can contact these people. In any case I wish you all the best and hope everything turns out fine for you.

[dwi]

Hey,

My son (5 years old) is autistic. Been diagnosed when he was 3 years old. Right now he;s going to the main stream school just like other normal kids :-).

It is not easy to find a support for autistic kids here in Bangkok. My son have a occupational therapist, SI therapist and we do some biomedical approached (lots of supplements and CFGF diet).

We are going to Bravo Special Needs Centre for the OT and SI. We also have some Philipino's therapist coming to our place for ABA therapist. For the biomedical approached we going to Jurong Clinic at Vongvanit Building, RAMA IX. We still looking for the English speaking speech therapist :-(.

All the therapist my son have are in English.

good luck!

[Firelily]

We've had two diagnosed autistic children in my kindergarten. It is VERY grim, absolutely no help seems to be available around here, it is a miracle that there is an American-trained expert can give a diagnosis. And of course Thai parents are famous for sticking their heads into the sand, teachers get blamed for all the kid's "failures", parents deny that the child needs speech therapy, etc etc etc. Teachers trained just ten years ago haven't even heard of autism, the younger ones have, but still have no idea how to deal with it.

If I had a kid with learning difficulties, I would move back to Europe (cannot afford international schools). Only the average or better can manage in this educational system, anyone who is different sinks.

[Comehome]

Hi!

Thank you for your replies. We appreciate it a lot!

Our daughter is going to see a specialist doctor next week in Bangkok. She is 2,5 years old now and she is not developing like should.

We are not sure that she is autistic but we think she might have something within the autistic specrum.

Our local doctor is a true angel and does all she can to help her.

It is sad to hear that there is not much support for Autistic children in Thailand. I guess it is easier for some parents to blame the teachers rather than admit to themselves that their children have special needs.

Children with special needs are not that special in the western world. They are out with everyone else doing the same things like other children as much as they can. Some of them have an extra person, like an assistant who will always be with them in the daytime to support them and make sure they take their medication etc.

In the school i went to when i was 6 years old, we had special needs classes in the same building, so that all the students in ordinary classes would learn about children with special needs and get to know them. Also this was perfect social training for the children with autism, downs syndrome, Cerebral Pares, MS, Aspbergers, etc.

Some of them could not talk, had spasms in their special wheelchair sometimes and some would never look you in the eyes but our teachers kept telling us that even if they cannot talk back or will not look us in the eyes when we speak, most of them will STILL hear our voices and feel when we hold their hands.

So we were thaught to say hallo to them and gently touch their fingers when we saw them. That is also how some of them would still recognize us later when we got older.

I know Thailand is not like the western world in many ways and one thing that scares me is the cruelty amongst children. Children can be cruel everywhere but in Asia they it is different. My husband went to school in Japan as a child and he say many of the children there are so mean to eachother when their parents are not around.

Back to children with special needs:

Here some of them are treated like plague and are kept hidden at home at most times becaue people are afraid to be seen with them.

It must be horrible for them to never feel accepted and being blamed for things they simply cannot control even or know why they are doing.

So very sad!

Are there any statistics for children with special needs or children born with genetic disorders in Thailand?

I would be very interested to see how many they are, where they live and how old they are.

All i know about diets for children with special needs are that most of them seem to respond very well to Omega3-fishoil.

We give our girl one capsule/day at the moment.

Regarding treatments many children with autism respond surprisingly well to Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber.

EU-countries still don't allow that sort of treatment for autistic children but i know of parents who take their children abroad (to the UK and Turkey) several times per year and their children improves every time.

I am no expert but according to what i have read, the pressure helps/allows the oxygen within the blood to go deeper into the tissue and it helps healing faster somehow.

I know it is used for faster healing of wounds in people with severe burnwounds or other accidents.

Take care,

/Comehome

[dwi]

Hi!

Thank you for your replies. We appreciate it a lot!

Our daughter is going to see a specialist doctor next week in Bangkok. She is 2,5 years old now and she is not developing like should.

We are not sure that she is autistic but we think she might have something within the autistic specrum.

Our local doctor is a true angel and does all she can to help her.

It is sad to hear that there is not much support for Autistic children in Thailand. I guess it is easier for some parents to blame the teachers rather than admit to themselves that their children have special needs.

Children with special needs are not that special in the western world. They are out with everyone else doing the same things like other children as much as they can. Some of them have an extra person, like an assistant who will always be with them in the daytime to support them and make sure they take their medication etc.

In the school i went to when i was 6 years old, we had special needs classes in the same building, so that all the students in ordinary classes would learn about children with special needs and get to know them. Also this was perfect social training for the children with autism, downs syndrome, Cerebral Pares, MS, Aspbergers, etc.

Some of them could not talk, had spasms in their special wheelchair sometimes and some would never look you in the eyes but our teachers kept telling us that even if they cannot talk back or will not look us in the eyes when we speak, most of them will STILL hear our voices and feel when we hold their hands.

So we were thaught to say hallo to them and gently touch their fingers when we saw them. That is also how some of them would still recognize us later when we got older.

I know Thailand is not like the western world in many ways and one thing that scares me is the cruelty amongst children. Children can be cruel everywhere but in Asia they it is different. My husband went to school in Japan as a child and he say many of the children there are so mean to eachother when their parents are not around.

Back to children with special needs:

Here some of them are treated like plague and are kept hidden at home at most times becaue people are afraid to be seen with them.

It must be horrible for them to never feel accepted and being blamed for things they simply cannot control even or know why they are doing.

So very sad!

Are there any statistics for children with special needs or children born with genetic disorders in Thailand?

I would be very interested to see how many they are, where they live and how old they are.

All i know about diets for children with special needs are that most of them seem to respond very well to Omega3-fishoil.

We give our girl one capsule/day at the moment.

Regarding treatments many children with autism respond surprisingly well to Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber.

EU-countries still don't allow that sort of treatment for autistic children but i know of parents who take their children abroad (to the UK and Turkey) several times per year and their children improves every time.

I am no expert but according to what i have read, the pressure helps/allows the oxygen within the blood to go deeper into the tissue and it helps healing faster somehow.

I know it is used for faster healing of wounds in people with severe burnwounds or other accidents.

Take care,

/Comehome

Are you living in Bangkok?

Don't worry you are not alone. I am and some other expats (with ASD kids) living in Bangkok always get together for a coffee regularly just for chit chat and supporting each other. Let me know if you are interesting to join.

Yes, I am agree with you. Put the special needs kids to the normal environments are the best therapy for them.

[soihok]

Hello.

I,m sorry to hear that your little girl has a delay in her speech and motor development .

My 7 year old daughter was diagnosed as a sufferer of Autism at the age of 2 and a half , we were in Singapore at the time although she was born in a rural hospital in Thailand.

She is our first child so having kids was new to me so it was confusing ( and still is ) enough without having this Autism " thing" introduced to us.

All came about when we placed her in a play group, I was asked to come for a talk with the head care giver and she explained something was not normal in the way she was responding and acting at the school.

We were eventually guided to a psychiatrist who saw her and had a long evalulation and we had a really long stream of questions, I was asked back and the doctor gave me the sad news , I did,nt know anything about this disability but once I started reading about ,, I cried.

How it had come about , we will never know as both our families histories dont include a mental disability , her birth was very complicated though , she was in an abnormal postion and from my wife going into labour and the difficulties arising the birth took about 10 hours , she had to delivered by cesarian section as it was critical but it saved her life . Though if this starving of oxygen caused her condition now , as I said, we will never know.

We have returned to Singapore after living in Korat for most of last year , she wasn,t it school then..

She is back in a special school here in Singapore , but at about 35000 baht a month it aint cheap

Please dont jump to conclusions about your little girls condition, you are taking correct steps by seeking professional advice and if you are able to , seek more than one evaluation. My daughter cannot speak a language other than her own and makes little sense to others , she is still in pampers and needs constant care , she cannot be left out of sight as she will run away. But if you were to see her she is a perfectly healthy , and beautiful , seven year old.

Its all very sad, but this is life and we make the best of what we can , I always remind myself that there are parents and kids in a far more unfortunate situation , as GaryP,s post. That is very sad Mate , so sorry for you and your daughter.

We have tried all manner of diets including sugar free and gluten free , no dairy , but with no improvment.

She is affraid of being shut in small places, other than a bus or car . She is not taking any medication.

But she is generally happy which is of some comfort.

Good luck with the evaluation.

[khun_j]

hi,

i believe the reed institute (http://www.reed-institute.com/) has quite a good reputation in working with autistic children.

manarom hospital has some very qualified staff, as well (http://www.manarom.com/index_eng.html#)

all the best for you & your daughter!

[NADTATIDA1]

I have a grown up son who we discovered had autism at the age of 3,this was in the Uk and we managed to get him through mainstream school until he reached 16,i really don"t want to go into to much detail about this whole experience on this forum.But you have to enjoy the good times when you can and take the bad times with a pinch of salt,we found the best way to deal with a child with autism is try to treat them as you would a normal child and think of them as being special and of i higher intelligence,which as you will know in many ways they are.One thing i will say is he as and always has been a very loving child,from my experience i find a lot of autistic children to be the same.Years ago in the UK we found it a struggle getting any help at all and plodded on with our own agenda,without any prescribed drugs or help from any outside agencies,basically because there wasn"t any!

Anyway he reached 17/18 and to put it mildly it got harder, obviously because he had his own ideas on what he wanted to do but could not,or was not in the slightest bit motivated by anyone or anything! we now have a lot of help for him to try and get him functioning as best he can in mainstream society,allthough we know it is hard for him,you try your best to support them and just muddle through the bad times.

If you need any help of any kind or advice private mail me and i will be glad to pass on any knowledge i have learnt over the years.

Good luck to you and keep positive

[Comehome]

Hi again!

Thank you for sharing your experiences, it feels so good to hear that there are others out there doing all in their power for their children!

Garry P, i cried when i read about your girl. Thank you so much for sharing your story!

I came to think about the children with CP we had in my school. There were at least 3-4 of them who had CP. I don't know where they are now and it has been 25-26 years ago since i saw then the last time.

Soihok:

I am sorry to hear about your girl.

The hyperbaric oxygen chamber is like being in a room, it is not so very small. The child breathes in oxygen through a facial mask.

Have you tried giving her Omega3-capsules?

If it is expensive in Singapore i can send some to you from here. Just send me a PM.

Here is a link about a swedish autistic boy, it is in swedish but you can look at the pictures and see what the chamber looks like:

http://blogg.aftonbladet.se/19054/?page=2&pageSize=10

Here are some links with more info about hyperbaric oxygen chamber and its effects on autistic children:

http://www.hbotreatment.com/Autism.htm

http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/60-...help-2009-03-13

http://www.naturalnews.com/026186_oxygen_h...en_therapy.html

We stay in Koh Samui with my family at the moment but we will be in Bangkok next week to see a specialist doctor.

I don't know how long we are staying, it depends on what the doctor is saying and how long time they need for her evaluation.

Thanks to all of you in this thread, for your time and for all your support, i will let you know what happens.

/comehome

[Comehome]

Hi again!

As nervous as i am for the evaluation of our daughter next week....i just suddenly came to think of something really lovely..

Have you ever been to a disco or class dance, for children with disabilities?

It is SO very lovely!

I am sorry if you think i am silly when i tell you all these stories from my school but it suddenly just feels so very close to me again.

One friday the headmaster had organized a school dance for all students in the first year-grade (?), in the school. I was six years old and it was my first year in school, and my first school dance!

This was a very small school with only 180 students in the grades 1-3 in the ordinary classes and around 15st students in the special needs class.

I arrived at the school dance with my best friend. Everyone was already eating chips and cheezedoodles and drinking soda.

All seemed to have a good time.

After a while the music started and everyone went to the dancefloor.

Many of the personal assistants took "their" children to the dancefloor to dance and some sat on the dancefloor in their wheelchairs.

There was one girl with Downs syndrom. She was dancing with a boy who also had downs syndrome. They were really sweet together.

They alwyas though of me as their friend because they said we looked alike. (i look asian). I didn't mind, and they were always nice to everyone.

I don't know if you know but people with Downs Syndrom ,especially young ones, don't have limitations like others.

Suddenly the girl gets tired...and lies down on the floor to rest! On her back, looking up at the ceiling.

And the boy she was dancing with does the same thing.

One of the assistants rushes to see if they are ok and i went along as well.

"I am just a little tired from all the dancing so i just thought i lie down here and rest a little bit." the girl says.

"I am her dancing parter so i keep her company", the boy says with a smile.

So there they are, in the middle of a school dance lying on the floor, resting. Everyone else is dancing around them and they just lie there and smile and look at the ceiling!

And when the girl felt rested enough she got up and continued the dance. And so did her dancing partner!

I just came to think about how very natural it is for them to do something like that, and how lucky they are in a way, for seeing the world like they do.

She was tired and what do you do when you are tired? You lie down and rest. So that is what they did.

Most disabled children have their own way of thinking and they can not understand symbolic expressions like "the ear of the cup".

If i say "the ear of the cup" they think the cup can hear. They don't understand the symbolic.

Another girl in the special needs class came to the doctor to take a blood test one day. The doctor says as he usually does: "Ok...give me your finger please." and the girl started to cry because she thought the doctor was going to take her finger away from her.

A boy in the same class...turned a cup of lemonade upp-side-down in the schoolcafeteria one time. He was used to having the "ear" of the cup turned to the right because he was righthanded. His teacher who was lefthanded had somehow missed to turn the "ear" of the cup to the right, so he refused to drink his lemonade.

The teacher realizes the situation and says to the boy: "But sweetheart...why don't you just turn the cup", the boy then turned the cup, but upside down instead of turning the "ear" to the other side.

Sweet stories from my school in Sweden.

/comehome

[tonititan]

I think that there is more support available (at least in Bangkok) than there used to be. Like someone said, The Reed Institute works with a lot of children with disabilities. Another place is Acorn to Oaks Center (ATOC). There are several kindergartens/elementary schools in Bangkok that support children with special needs. There are several English-speaking Occupational Therapists and Speech-Language Therapists. I think that there is some support out there, but it's just hard to find.

[Nobukat]

A good friend of mine works for a ATOC here in Bangkok on Sukhumvit Soi 71 specialising in 'special needs' children. Autism, speech, motor problems, Downs Sindrome, etc. School is run by British woman and my friend, who is an active teacher there (with UK experience in special needs), is a very dedicated guy, speaks well of the school. If you contact the school, ask for Paul Whitehead. He does the assessments himself.

[seadoo]

Our family appreciates what you are going through.

We have lived in Thailand for 6 years, and our son was diagnosed with Aspurges Syndrome.

We found a good network of Centres and Doctors.

You can get some help from the Village Centre near Ekamai bus station.

Dr Jom who was recently at the Mamaron Centre is fantastic, he has just left or leaving to set up his own practice.

Their is an Australian Lady/Counsellor in Bkk who helped our whole family through, I cannot remember her details offhand but you can PM me for these.

The childrens Hospital has some reasonable facilities.

In Pattaya a group of farangs with autistic children set up a special school for autistic kids - again PM me for details.

Good luck, but always remember, there is always someone worse off than you, and spend the time cherishing all the good times with your child.

[ohiodad]

I am the father of a 13 year old boy with autism in the US. I have many things to say, but I'll just add two things for now.

First, having an autistic child is extremely stressful, but it is not the end of the world. It can be hard on you, your spouse, your other children and all your relationships. But with time and a lot of patience, you will discover strength you never knew you had. It is good to reach out to other parents with autistic children because they "get it." They understand more than any one else about your fears, about the way others treat your child and about the way others treat you. Talking to other parents won't cure your child, but it will help you cope with the day-to-day trials that you will go through.

Now about the cure -- there really is no cure for autism. What therapies do for your child is very slowly give him a means to cope with the chaos around him. An autistic child suffers from too much information flooding his senses. Most of us are pretty good at filtering out extraneous visual things, sounds and smells. It seems that for an autistic child, everything is important. The kid copes with all this stuff by retreating into his own world. The best therapies are intended to help the child sort out what is important and what can be ignored. Usually this is done with mind-numbing repetition of the tiniest things.

We parents are starving for anything that will bring our children back into the real world. Unfortunately, there are plenty of charlatans out there waiting to prey on our anxieties and desperation. Special diets and hyberbaric oxygen are the modern day version of witchcraft. Last week, the biggest promoter of special diets (gluten free, etc.) was thoroughly discredited by one of the most prestigious medical journals in the world. His theories about the dangers of vaccines has also been completely debunked. In response, his supporters (including a well-known actress) claim that he is being attacked by pharmaceutical companies who fear his ideas will threaten their profits. Meanwhile, gullible parents continue to pursue "treatments" that either harm their children or at a minimum, lighten their wallets.

I spend a lot of time thinking about what will happen to my son in the future. Perhaps the best advice I received was from the mother of a 24 year old autistic boy. She reminded me that I cannot project the skills my son has at 13 to what he will be at 24. Everyone grows. When my son was 3, I would not have believed it possible that at 13, he would stand in front of our congregation, recite blessings and become bar mitzvah. My wife, his teachers and I always look for growth and we celebrate every accomplishment.

In the US, parents of special needs kids work with teachers to complete a form called an Individual Education Plan, or IEP. We do this every year. The plan helps guide the teachers and parents in planning the activities in the classroom. The first question on the IEP is "What are your goals for your child?" For my son, we always write "To make a contribution." He is going to do it.

[NADTATIDA1]

I am the father of a 13 year old boy with autism in the US. I have many things to say, but I'll just add two things for now.

First, having an autistic child is extremely stressful, but it is not the end of the world. It can be hard on you, your spouse, your other children and all your relationships. But with time and a lot of patience, you will discover strength you never knew you had. It is good to reach out to other parents with autistic children because they "get it." They understand more than any one else about your fears, about the way others treat your child and about the way others treat you. Talking to other parents won't cure your child, but it will help you cope with the day-to-day trials that you will go through.

Now about the cure -- there really is no cure for autism. What therapies do for your child is very slowly give him a means to cope with the chaos around him. An autistic child suffers from too much information flooding his senses. Most of us are pretty good at filtering out extraneous visual things, sounds and smells. It seems that for an autistic child, everything is important. The kid copes with all this stuff by retreating into his own world. The best therapies are intended to help the child sort out what is important and what can be ignored. Usually this is done with mind-numbing repetition of the tiniest things.

We parents are starving for anything that will bring our children back into the real world. Unfortunately, there are plenty of charlatans out there waiting to prey on our anxieties and desperation. Special diets and hyberbaric oxygen are the modern day version of witchcraft. Last week, the biggest promoter of special diets (gluten free, etc.) was thoroughly discredited by one of the most prestigious medical journals in the world. His theories about the dangers of vaccines has also been completely debunked. In response, his supporters (including a well-known actress) claim that he is being attacked by pharmaceutical companies who fear his ideas will threaten their profits. Meanwhile, gullible parents continue to pursue "treatments" that either harm their children or at a minimum, lighten their wallets.

I spend a lot of time thinking about what will happen to my son in the future. Perhaps the best advice I received was from the mother of a 24 year old autistic boy. She reminded me that I cannot project the skills my son has at 13 to what he will be at 24. Everyone grows. When my son was 3, I would not have believed it possible that at 13, he would stand in front of our congregation, recite blessings and become bar mitzvah. My wife, his teachers and I always look for growth and we celebrate every accomplishment.

In the US, parents of special needs kids work with teachers to complete a form called an Individual Education Plan, or IEP. We do this every year. The plan helps guide the teachers and parents in planning the activities in the classroom. The first question on the IEP is "What are your goals for your child?" For my son, we always write "To make a contribution." He is going to do it.

Hi Ohiodad,the IEP which you have in the states is very similar to what my son had in the Uk and your mention of it brought back a lot of good memories(some very funny)back to me!

It was always interesting and frustrating at the same time planning the best way forward for my son...basically what we thought he could achieve and gain confidence in,i understand your "to make a contribution" so well.To be more confident was another statement we wrote to often.enjoy your happy days and good luck in the future

[chrgrims]

hi,

i was writing a ph.d. under the supervision of a professor who specializes in autism (while studying i got sick and moved to thailand). the professor's take on autism was that behavioral treatment should be the focus. if a child gets early intervention, with a lot of training, the child can improve a LOT.

[ohiodad]

Before you consider HBOT, please read the following: http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=249 . Here is an excerpt.

As you have no doubt read in this space, autism attracts a wide range of quackery, and HBOT for autism quacks pretty loudly. Whose idea is this, anyway?

All signs point to a guy named Dan Rossignol. Dr. Rossignol is apparently into every form of autism crankery, including mercury poisoning, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress (although I can’t imagine that increased PaO2 is an effective treatment for “oxidative stress”).

(...)

There is an unbroken chain of bad medicine here. Some guy decides that a potentially dangerous treatment might help a protean syndrome. He publishes his ideas in low quality journals. Then, someone sells his treatments uncritically.

HBOT is serious medicine. Off-label use in children with autism isn’t just foolish—it’s dangerous, and should be illegal.

[soihok]

We have been very reluctant to introduce any medication to our Daughter in the hope that she can be" helped to improve".

I dont like the idea of using her as a test, we did approach a Doctor in Singapore a few years ago and I really could,nt bring myself to actually put the little girl through it. So did,nt.

She is physically perfect and to risk her health in order to try this and that is not a decision that I need to think about.

She has had the good fortune to have had access to some very good schools in Singapore and the individual Early Intervention Plans were constructed around her .She is in another school now which is the 3rd she has attended since 2005.

Thanks for the info ohiodad and I do like the approach of "making a contribution" being a goal.

I am having to face the fact she will need constant care for the forseeable future, I am dedicated to provide a caring family and as much help as is available.

It is a test for us but have remain positve, as I posted earlier, there are people who are in a far worse situation than we are. So I am thankful for our good fortune for being in the position we are.

I tried to contact the OP by sending a PM. Got no answer.

Please reply with your news, I hope its good.

If you need support you are not alone.

Edited February 16, 2010 by soihok

[soihok]

Just to add about the Hyperbaric experience.

I have personally experienced a lot of time inside hyperbaric chambers, it is connected with my work in tunnel construction, we use compressed air as a working enviroment in order to support excavated areas to avoid collapses.

We under go post "dive" treatment in these chambers and believe me when I say that closing my girl in one would put the fear of god into her.

[jonathanfrance]

Hi!

Thank you for your replies. We appreciate it a lot!

Our daughter is going to see a specialist doctor next week in Bangkok. She is 2,5 years old now and she is not developing like should.

We are not sure that she is autistic but we think she might have something within the autistic specrum.

Our local doctor is a true angel and does all she can to help her.

It is sad to hear that there is not much support for Autistic children in Thailand. I guess it is easier for some parents to blame the teachers rather than admit to themselves that their children have special needs.

Children with special needs are not that special in the western world. They are out with everyone else doing the same things like other children as much as they can. Some of them have an extra person, like an assistant who will always be with them in the daytime to support them and make sure they take their medication etc.

In the school i went to when i was 6 years old, we had special needs classes in the same building, so that all the students in ordinary classes would learn about children with special needs and get to know them. Also this was perfect social training for the children with autism, downs syndrome, Cerebral Pares, MS, Aspbergers, etc.

Some of them could not talk, had spasms in their special wheelchair sometimes and some would never look you in the eyes but our teachers kept telling us that even if they cannot talk back or will not look us in the eyes when we speak, most of them will STILL hear our voices and feel when we hold their hands.

So we were thaught to say hallo to them and gently touch their fingers when we saw them. That is also how some of them would still recognize us later when we got older.

I know Thailand is not like the western world in many ways and one thing that scares me is the cruelty amongst children. Children can be cruel everywhere but in Asia they it is different. My husband went to school in Japan as a child and he say many of the children there are so mean to eachother when their parents are not around.

Back to children with special needs:

Here some of them are treated like plague and are kept hidden at home at most times becaue people are afraid to be seen with them.

It must be horrible for them to never feel accepted and being blamed for things they simply cannot control even or know why they are doing.

So very sad!

Are there any statistics for children with special needs or children born with genetic disorders in Thailand?

I would be very interested to see how many they are, where they live and how old they are.

All i know about diets for children with special needs are that most of them seem to respond very well to Omega3-fishoil.

We give our girl one capsule/day at the moment.

Regarding treatments many children with autism respond surprisingly well to Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber.

EU-countries still don't allow that sort of treatment for autistic children but i know of parents who take their children abroad (to the UK and Turkey) several times per year and their children improves every time.

I am no expert but according to what i have read, the pressure helps/allows the oxygen within the blood to go deeper into the tissue and it helps healing faster somehow.

I know it is used for faster healing of wounds in people with severe burnwounds or other accidents.

Take care,

/Comehome

I am Thai and my laboratory in France works with many ASD children from all over the world. Last year I went with Dr Jeff Bradstreet to Thailand to give lectures for 2 days at Piyavet hospital. Also now Royal Thai Navy is very active to help these ASD children in Thailand by using HBOT. They also sent 2 doctors to see how it works in Biomed for Autism with DAN!

Please contact them to see more details.

Dr Torsak from Jerong clinic and Bangkok Hospital also knows well in this subject.

[soihok]

We are starting to see a great improvment with our Daughter lately.

Her attitude and behaviour are changing for the better.

She has been at a special school ,in Singapore, for about 5 months now. The school is the third she has attended from the age of 2 and a half and has a low pupil to teacher ratio, which is normal for special ed schools.

A few weeks ago she just decided to start taking herself to the toilet to do her business, undressing herself first. Then take a shower and brush her teeth.

This almost happened overnight!!!! She is 8 soon.

She is now sitting with us at the table when we eat together and putting her plate in the sink to wash,, again it has just clicked.

I don't know what has prompted this as we have not changed her diet or put her with any specialist.

She does have a very ordered routine now though, where she is at school for 5 days a week, bed time early and eating at the same time.

Her little sister ( 2 and a half ) is shooting up now and they play together well. The school has helped loads, keeping her focused and concentrating on self help skills.

I'm so happy to see some improvment and the speed at which it is happening is so fast

Next step is learning on vocal comunication, but slowly. I praise her , and the school, for the results of their efforts and I am happy to bring some uplifting news to this , rather sad, thread.

Cheers

[LittleSprout]

I'm a psychologist(licensed by California Board of Psychology, USA) with a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology and extensive experience working with children with autism and families using the DIR/Floortime Model(I have experience with ABA but have moved away from that model for several years now). I provide in-home therapy as well as family consultation. If youPlease e-mail me if you are interested in exploring this paradigm, please let me know. If you are not in touch with other parents already, also please let me know. I have wonderful resources for you and can put you in touch with a support group in town.

[ohiodad]

For four years now, our family has attended a one week camp in Georgia, USA for families with children with autism. 25 families have attended each year and some of us have become quite close. One of the phrases we would recite to keep our spirits up was "When you've seen one autistic child, ... you've seen one autistic child." By that, we would remind ourselves that while kids on the autism spectrum may share similar behaviors, each child is truly unique. Everyone with a child on the spectrum needs to remember this, especially when considering exotic treatments. The vast majority of positive results from these "treatments" are reported as anectodes -- "my child responded well to 'x' and now he is happy." In fact, there is no good science behind any of these studies -- only stories of improvements from happy parents of unique children. Just because there is an apparent success for one child (with no story about what happened six months later) does not mean anything when applied to your child. (BTW, I have a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry and conducted research in cancer chemotherapy. I have the credentials to take a critical look at these reputed "cures.")

I have looked in the eyes of desperate parents who only want the best for their children. (I've been there myself.) All of the parents of older children (say over the age of 10) that I have met have come to the conclusion that things like HBOT and gluten free are at best a waste of money and at worst a source of added harm. We recognize that we are no longer looking for a cure. Rather, we are looking for ways to teach our children how to fit in. ABA and other therapies that involve repitition and learning how to cope with unwanted distractions do not cure the condition. But they give our children tools to cope with their environment.

My biggest concern is that my son lacks the ability to read social cues and just can't manage himself properly in an ordinary social situation. Now he is 13, but I worry about what will happen to him when my wife and I can no longer manage his life. To that end, I have formed a nonprofit corporation that will build and operate an assisted living facility for 50 adults with autism and other special needs. The main feature of the facility will be the presence of a social director who will act as a surrogate parent and encourage the residents to interact with one another.

[BobPhillips]

If anybody knows of an English-speaking Speech Therapist...

We are an American expat family looking for a speech therapist (MA or MS, CCC- SLP)that can help our 3 year old, slightly apraxic son with therapy sessions in KohSamui, Thailand. Ideal candidates will have pediatric experience coveringexpressive and receptive language delays as well as apraxia. Knowledge of PROMPT/Beckman method is aplus, as well oral motor therapy in kids with tonal problems. Please contact me at [email protected] for further details regarding our son and the arrangement.If you know of anyone, then please pass this on to your friends or colleagues.

thank you

Edited July 14, 2010 by BobPhillips

[jonathanfrance]

We will have Integrative medicine for ADHD and ASD on November 26-30. Guest speaker : Dr Jeff Bradstreet director ICDRC and DAN tutor. Dr Bradstreet will also help for consultation after conference.

Edited August 21, 2010 by sbk
email removed

[ohiodad]

We will have Integrative medicine for ADHD and ASD on November 26-30. Guest speaker : Dr Jeff Bradstreet director ICDRC and DAN tutor. Dr Bradstreet will also help for consultation after conference.

I keep coming back with negative information about this. You really have to keep a level head when people offer miracle cures.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/article757537.ece

But most mainstream scientists remain skeptical of the gut-brain connection in autism. They say there's no scientific proof that the diet works. Some doctors warn that parents' desperation, paired with the mystery surrounding autism's causes, makes the field ripe - as a top American pediatric gastrointestinal specialist put it - for "charlatanism."

"If there's nothing else that you think is going to help and you're desperate, you'll do anything," said Wendy Roberts, the head of the autism research unit at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

Here's an inflammatory article about Dr. Bradstreet's credentials: http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2007/02/jeff-bradstreet-deserts-the-sinking-ship/

Please read http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2006/10/dan-on-a-mission-from-god/

And Ricci, the owner and list-moderator for the ABMD board also voiced concern in a long list of troubling DAN! traits. Its too long to quote here (screenshot here, but the lsit included DAN! practitioners who:

1) Have had their licenses suspended for overbilling insurance companies

2) Have had their licenses suspended for substance abuse

3) Have pushed MLM (multi level marketing/pyramid schemes – outlawed in the UK I believe) and lied about their involvement.

4) Received their degrees from a diploma mill in a strip mall

5) Have treated children for conditions they didn’t have and ignored conditions they clearly did have

6) Charged outrageous fees (Ricci quotes $300 for a bottle of Japanese secretin one can buy onesself for $5)

7) Have performed exorcism on their own autistic children and recommended others to do the same

Frankly, this is a little more than disturbing. Its crazy. Here’s Jeff Bradstreet – who the Autism Omnibus lawyers are putting forward as an expert witness recommending exorcism as a viable treatment for autistic kids.

Finally, the ICDRC is a partnership between Bradstreet and Dan Rossignol, who I wrote about earlier in this thread. See http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2010/03/suing_dan_practitioners_for_malpractice.php

Indeed it is big business to be bilking the parents of autistic children of considerable sums of money to use pseudoscientific "treatments" based largely on the scientifically discredited idea that autism is some form of "vaccine injury" or "toxicity" due to a combination of vaccines and environmental "toxins" (almost always vaguely defined or completely undefined). As a result, children are subjected to potentially dangerous treatments like chelation therapy, which can kill when it goes wrong, designed to "detoxify" the heavy metals that are supposedly causing the child's autism. Coman alleges a whole host of unscientific and unsupportable "tests" by Doctor's Data and "therapies" by Drs. Usman and Rossignol that, in their totality, are truly horrifying.

So, I can relate to your seeking cures. I've lived with an autistic kid now for over a decade. I can attest to the frustrations of watching his peers grow up and develop full, engaging lives while my son lives in social isolation. But it doesn't take a lot of digging to discover that people who offer "miracle" cures are just trying to separate you from your money.

[jonathanfrance]

For four years now, our family has attended a one week camp in Georgia, USA for families with children with autism. 25 families have attended each year and some of us have become quite close. One of the phrases we would recite to keep our spirits up was "When you've seen one autistic child, ... you've seen one autistic child." By that, we would remind ourselves that while kids on the autism spectrum may share similar behaviors, each child is truly unique. Everyone with a child on the spectrum needs to remember this, especially when considering exotic treatments. The vast majority of positive results from these "treatments" are reported as anectodes -- "my child responded well to 'x' and now he is happy." In fact, there is no good science behind any of these studies -- only stories of improvements from happy parents of unique children. Just because there is an apparent success for one child (with no story about what happened six months later) does not mean anything when applied to your child. (BTW, I have a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry and conducted research in cancer chemotherapy. I have the credentials to take a critical look at these reputed "cures.")

I have looked in the eyes of desperate parents who only want the best for their children. (I've been there myself.) All of the parents of older children (say over the age of 10) that I have met have come to the conclusion that things like HBOT and gluten free are at best a waste of money and at worst a source of added harm. We recognize that we are no longer looking for a cure. Rather, we are looking for ways to teach our children how to fit in. ABA and other therapies that involve repitition and learning how to cope with unwanted distractions do not cure the condition. But they give our children tools to cope with their environment.

My biggest concern is that my son lacks the ability to read social cues and just can't manage himself properly in an ordinary social situation. Now he is 13, but I worry about what will happen to him when my wife and I can no longer manage his life. To that end, I have formed a nonprofit corporation that will build and operate an assisted living facility for 50 adults with autism and other special needs. The main feature of the facility will be the presence of a social director who will act as a surrogate parent and encourage the residents to interact with one another.

[jonathanfrance]

Everybody has their own way of thinking. I know that there is many politics going on in US. I am myself researcher who has one normal typical son. I am Thai and have Ph.D. in chemistry from US and post-doc in France. I work in the lab where I have a chance to analyst many autistic kids around the world.. Lab results show that many autistic kids have abnormal in biochemistry.

These DAN! doctors use this biomedical approch of complementary medicine to treat kids- My personal point is why not? What can be wrong if we use nutrition, vitamins and some intergratve methods??. These are not garantie that all kids will respond to these approches. Kids have very severe autism and older will have quite difficult time to recover.

What we really need is the early detection and early intervention - the parents have to look at their kids very carefully and if they show sign of having difficulty in eating and having problem with GI. Then the early intervention has to be done immediately - the best is before age of 6.

Below is the link of one parent about her kids:

http://mayaviktoria.blogspot.com/2010/08/how-to-speak.html?spref=fb

Concerning Dr Bradstreet - you can say anything about him or his partner Dr Rossignol - but I told you one thing that both of them are good guys - they both have autistic kids, they also use these approches to their kids, they believe in what they are doing. If it is not working- they cannot do it for almost 20 years. I also talked to parents who are Bradstreet's patients and most of them have good results- some can recover -some better but not completely recover.

Their method is to prepare kids to have good health and good nutrition and be ready to have behavior therapy .