All Things Considered of National Public Radio (NPR) is conducting a discussion about evolution entitled “Human Edge.”  The series explores what, exactly, gives humans an edge over other species.  This week’s installation focused on social skills’ role in enabling humans’ evolution.

27 year old Lisa Daxer, an individual with Asperger's syndrome, which is on the Autistic spectrum, strolls on Wright State University's campus. Photo credit Skip Peterson for NPR.

NPR chose to interview 27 year old Lisa Daxer, an individual on the Autistic spectrum, to highlight the extent to which the disease can affect an individual’s social experience, and the extent to which one’s social experience dictates one’s life. NPR’s article on Daxer can be found here.  You can listen to the entire story or read the transcript, both of which are furnished by NPR.  Daxer’s story provides significant insights into how a brain from an individual on the Autistic spectrum functions and interprets social experiences; if your child or a friend’s child is on the Autistic spectrum, please take time to listen to Daxer’s story.

Humans are social creatures; social interaction helps individuals develop a sense of empathy.  It also helps humans learn what is “acceptable” or “unacceptable” behavior, as far as other human beings are concerned.  Individuals with Autism are often unable to engage socially with others, unless they are explicitly trained on how to interact with others in an “acceptable” fashion.  Daxer actually has a list of things that she’s discovered are not appropriate topics of discussion; similarly, Brainjogging coaches children with Autism about what is appropriate behavior.  Lisa Daxer has a sense of humor: she refers to “normal” people, or ones without Autism or other significant disabilities, as “neuro-typicals,” meaning that their neurological processes are “normal.”  Daxer’s blog, Reports from a Resident Alien, provides insight about Autism from an individual with Autism.  Daxer touches on the ways in which Autism affects her life.  “Neuro-typical” and “normal” are relative terms; humans are only “normal” in terms of comparison with other socially ordained behavior.  Brainjogging can help your child cope with Autism and its toll on his or her social skills so that he or she can better integrate with peers and appear to be “normal,” for whatever the term is worth.

Ideally, all Brainjoggers with Autism will appear to others to be “neuro-typical” in terms of manifested behaviors and social skills.  Brainjogging’s students reach unbelievable heights: non-verbal children learn to verbalize short sentences; children with Autism are invited to friends’ houses; teachers and other children’s parents sometimes don’t even realize that a particular Brainjogger has Autism.  Just yesterday, a special education teacher at a nearby private school shared that a story about Brainjogging’s progress with children with Autism.  E., a kindergartner, was sitting in the lunch room when a third grade teacher said, “Wow, she has changed so much!”  Gone is the child that had massive temper tantrums that distracted from lessons; gone, too, is the child that couldn’t sit still.  Brainjogging is working wonders for this little girl with Autism in Columbus, Georgia!

Early intervention is key in treating children with autism.

Georgia Tech recently received 10 million dollars to study and analyze children’s behavior, and to develop a prototype for screening for autism.  The Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Ty Tagami recently reported that Georgia Tech plans “to create an inexpensive, computerized early warning system for young children who have autism” (Tagami 1).  Many children “are not screened by an autism expert until age 4, but the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all infants be screened at 18 months of age” (Tagami 1).  Early screening ensures early intervention, and treatment to staunch autism’s effect on a child and his or her interactions are most effective with early intervention.  Currently, screening requires the attention of an expert, but Tech hopes to create a system “that would substitute technology for experience.  It would involve a smart video camera that assesses the facial reactions and eye movements of a child who is responding to instructions from an adult.  And it would include a watch-like device that monitors the child’s heart rate and skin electrical conductivity – involuntary physical responses that can help establish emotional states … that put the voluntary facial movements into context” (Tagami 1). Tech does not propose to replace entirely or dispose of experts and the value of their input; Tech hopes only to disseminate more widely the tools for diagnosing autism at an early age so that children might be treated as early as possible.  Please read Tagami’s article in its entirety here for the full story on Georgia Tech’s research on autism and how it might be most easily diagnosed.

Brainjogging has experienced enormous, quantifiable success with students on the autistic spectrum.  Brainjogging treats children on the spectrum in Washington, D.C.; Atlanta, GA; Lagrange, GA; Columbus, GA; New Zealand and many other locations!  Early intervention is extremely important; please contact Brainjogging for a consultation regarding your child with autism!  Call Miss Marjie at the LaGrange office at 706.884.4492 to reserve your space.

No parent wants to watch his or her child struggle with a disability.  With the best of intentions, some parents of children with autism are “‘often anxious to try treatments regardless of the lack of evidence’” supporting them (Science Daily).  Due to the varied symptoms displayed by individuals with autistic spectrum disorder, antidepressants cannot be recommended based on studies by Cochrane researchers (listen to Cochrane’s audio podcast of this study by clicking here).

Antidepressants may not be the best option for individuals with autistic spectrum disorder.

There is “no evidence for any benefits associated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in children,” and there can, in fact, be “serious adverse effects” for children with Autism taking these drugs (Science Daily).

SSRIs are used to treat autism based on the fact that “they act on serotonin, the same chemical in the body that is responsible for some of the psychological processes affected by [autistic spectrum disorder]” (Science Daily).  Cochrane esearchers conducted seven trials, employing 271 patients with autistic spectrum disorder.  These trials monitored the effects of fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, fenfluramine and citalopram on individuals with autistic spectrum disorder, and discerned that there was “no benefit in the five trials in children and some evidence of serious harm, including one child who suffered a prolonged seizure after taking citalopram” (Science Daily).

Cochrane researchers conclude that they “can’t recommend SSRIs as treatments for children, or adults, with autism at this time. However, decisions about the use of SSRIs for co-occurring obsessive-compulsive disorder, aggression, anxiety or depression in individuals with autism should be made on a case-by-case basis” (Science Daily).

Brainjogging has experienced enormous success with children on the autistic spectrum: non-verbal Brainjoggers have begun stringing together four and five word sentences; Atlanta’s Marcus Autism Center has revised one Brainjogger’s diagnosis after observing her before and after Brainjogging; another Brainjogger enjoys social outlets like Boy Scouts and football with his peers.  Brainjogging is a wonderful resource for children on the autistic spectrum.  Please contact Brainjogging to schedule an appointment for your child with autism.