BACKGROUND: Autism appears to affect about one of every 500 children. There is a wide range of ways the disorder can be classified. It can range from a severe form, which is called autistic disorder, to a milder form, known as Asperger syndrome. All children with autism demonstrate deficits in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behaviors or interests. In addition, they will often have unusual responses to sensory experiences, such as certain sounds or the way objects look. Each of these symptoms runs the gamut from mild to severe. They will often show up in each individual child differently. For instance, a child may have little trouble learning to read but may exhibit extremely poor social interaction. Each child will display communication, social, and behavioral patterns that are individual but fit into the overall diagnosis.

TREATMENT: There is no single best treatment for all children with autism. One point that most professionals agree on is that early intervention is important; another is that most individuals with autism respond well to highly structured, specialized programs. An effective treatment program will build on the child's interests, offer a predictable schedule, teach tasks as a series of simple steps, actively engage the child's attention in highly structured activities, and provide regular reinforcement of behavior. Parental involvement has emerged as a major factor in treatment success. Parents work with teachers and therapists to identify the behaviors to be changed and the skills to be taught.

THE HUG MACHINE: Temple Grandin is an adult with autism who has written two books about her life. In her books, she described her severe anxiety and how her discovery of deep pressure ultimately helped her reduce the anxiety's debilitating effects. During her childhood years, Temple would crave deep pressure. She would crawl under sofa cushions or wrap herself in blankets to provide pressure. She said she could not obtain the 'right' amount of pressure from people because they either gave her too much deep pressure or too little. As a teenager, Temple observed cattle being branded in a squeeze chute at a relative's farm and noticed that they immediately calmed down after pressure was administered. Temple reasoned that the deep pressure from the chute led to an overall calming effect and thought it might be able to settle her "over-stimulated nerves," so she invented a device known as the hug machine. A series of clinical trials were conducted at a day school at the Michael Reese Hospital & Medical Center in Chicago to evaluate students' use of the hug machine. Researchers wanted to know if students would actually make use of this equipment on a consistent basis. Students who used the lateral pressure equipment showed a significant improvement in behavior and the ability to perform school-related activities.

For More Information, Contact:
Kelli Sullivan
Department of Occupational Therapy
The Children's Center
5430 West Glenn Drive
Glendale, AZ 85301
(623) 905-0345
http://www.thechildrenscenteraz.org