Whatever Happened To Sleep

Sometimes children on the autism spectrum can have difficulty sleeping.  Every child is different – some can’t get to sleep, some can’t stay asleep and others can’t sleep at the normally accepted times of day and night.

Not every child is awake and yelling the house down.  Sometimes their sleep is restless; sometimes the child will toss and turn.  Sometimes it’s just hard to tell whether the sleep issue is associated with autism or just part of the night terrors that some children experience in their early years.

The problem affects everyone in the house, doesn’t it?  You feel like a zombie on autopilot most days.  This is what some parents have told me.

“My child didn’t sleep through the night for years.  I couldn’t work out what was wrong and he couldn’t tell me.  Finally I realised that his time clock was running differently to ours.  His body told him to sleep in the afternoons and stay awake until the early morning hours.  I gradually shortened his nap time which was difficult – he wasn’t always cooperative - but the payoff was that he went to sleep at a reasonable hour.  Even today he is what people would call a night owl but he has learnt to match his sleep pattern with the need to go to school and so on.  It is hard at the time but it does eventually work out.”

“I remember my brother driving me crazy at night.  His room was next to mine so we shared a common wall.  Every night for years and years I would hear the bed squeaking and creaking.  When I went in to see what was happening, there he was down on all fours on his bed, rocking himself backwards and forwards.  It seemed to be something he had to do before he could relax enough to sleep.  Now my son is doing exactly the same thing.”

Recent studies have suggested that melatonin supplements can solve some of the sleep problems.  It is possible that children on the autism spectrum are not able to produce enough melatonin in their bodies.  Melatonin is the hormone which regulates our sleep patterns. 

Other things that help are sticking to a regular night routine, making sure that your child has his special sleep toy or blanket with him and having quiet time for an hour before bed.

Does your child have sleep problems?  What tips can you share with other parents struggling with this issue?

My Defining Moment

It is hard enough being a teenage girl even if you have all the social skills and social savvy needed to make you part of the ‘in crowd’.  Luckily for most girls they have a bestie that they can chat with and work out the complicated issues of the day.

When you are autistic you may not have the friends to chat with or even the ability to talk at all.  That makes the world a very frustrating place to inhabit.

Carly Fleischmann is a teenage girl who was diagnosed with severe autism and an oral motor condition that prevented her from speaking.

“Doctors predicted that she would never intellectually develop beyond the abilities of a small child.  Although she made some progress after years of intensive behavioural and communication therapy, Carly remained largely unreachable.  Then, at the age of ten, she had a breakthrough.

While working with her devoted therapists Howie and Barb, Carly reached over to their laptop and typed in "HELP TEETH HURT," much to everyone's astonishment.  This was the beginning of Carly's journey toward self-realization.”

The quote comes from the blurb on Carly’s book Breaking Through Autism.

The video is by Carly and it shows life from her perspective and it also shows how she has found and used an alternative form of communication – social media.

Who would have thought that social media would be the saviour of an autistic teenager?

What’s New In Store

With school holidays upon us, your children might be looking for things to keep them occupied.  Here are some great ideas that we have in our What’s New section.

 

The Mancala Wooden Game originated in Africa and is believed to be the oldest game in the world.  This game requires a combination of strategy and a sense of fun as you try to collect the bright colourful stones from your opponent. 

 

An ideal educational toy is the ShapeSorter Cube where you need to push the brightly coloured shapes through the holes.  Great fun as it combines coordination with shape and colour recognition.

The Near and Far – Safari is a fantastic educational game of size and perspective where you build 3D scenes.  Being a 3D game, it also teaches dimensional and spatial concepts as each scene is constructed.  Also, can be used as a special needs learning aid as well as for use with speech pathology exercises.   

The Pin Art – Coloured is loads of fun as you create 3D impressions by simply pushing an object into the pins.  Let the imagination run wild as your child creates unique sculptures from the impressions made by different objects. 

There are plenty of other great toys and gift ideas in the What’s New section that are great fun as well as educational.  Have a look and hopefully you can find something suitable.

New - The Cuddle Loop

This is a great new product that we are pleased to have in stock.  Called the Cuddle Loop, this is a swaddle for children which will fit them up to around 8 years of age.

Designed by a therapist, Cuddle Loop provides a tight, snugly, swaddle effect for all kids, but is highly effective for kids with sensory processing challenges.

The swaddle is like wearing a hug all the time.  For children who are anxious or fidgety, the feeling of the warm arms around them can be very comforting.  The soft material gives just the right amount of touch pressure to create a feeling of security.  It is also really useful for children who need to share spaces, such as during mat time at school.  The Cuddle Loop can help protect your child’s sense of space so they don’t feel as though the other children are crowding them.

Each Cuddle Loop is made of a stretchable lycra material so it can be used in seated or lying positions.  It can be knotted and wrapped to meet a particular need or comfort just by placing a knot or fastener (not included) at any point to tighten it.

Loops fit children from 6 months to approximately 8 years of age (8.2kg-20.4kg).

The Paralympics

The recently completed 2012 Paralympics not only provided a great spectacle for sport but resulted in a huge leap forward in the public understanding and a new awareness that people with disabilities can be elite athletes.  Furthermore, how the Australian athletes conducted themselves in interviews and how they dealt with their own expectations was also a great credit to them and maybe something our able bodied Olympians could learn from.   

Ryley Batt is a perfect example of this as he is only 23 years old yet this is his third Paralympics in Wheelchair Rugby.  As stated on his profile on the Australian Paralympic Committee website he is considered the “greatest wheelchair rugby player on the planet”.  As a pivotal member of the team he was also the highest goal scorer for the Wheelchair Rugby at the Paralympics.

He only started to use a wheelchair when he was 12 years old and shortly afterwards took up wheelchair rugby.  It was his dedication to succeed combined with his competitive spirit that resulted in him being selected for the Australian Paralympic Team as well as being the youngest ever wheelchair rugby player at 15 years old.

This picture taken from the website of the Paralympic Movement highlights the nature of wheelchair rugby and the extent of the contact that can occur.

While it was the athletes with the obvious disabilities who received most attention, there were athletes of all nationalities such as Mitchell Killduff and Michael Murray who have forms of autism, a disability which is not so obvious.  They should not be overlooked because their achievements are phenomenal.

The Australian Paralympic Committee also runs many programs to support people with disabilities to participate in sports and specifically runs a Paralympic Talent Search program.  Follow the link for more details as well as upcoming dates.

Planning A Party For Children On The Autism Spectrum.

Kate E Reynolds is a nurse, counsellor and trainer of health professionals.  She is also the mother of a son who was diagnosed with severe autism disorder.

She kept a diary of his progress in which she recorded her observations.  She also recorded the things she learnt along the way.  Kate believes in making life as normal as possible for the child and the family.  That means finding ways to help the child fit into the normal social lives of his or her peers.

As you know, one of the hardest things to manage is the party.  It is full of noise, activity, unusual foods and situations that are really hard for your child to interpret.  Kate has written a book called "Party Planning for Children and Teens on the Autism Spectrum" which you might find very useful.

She has also recorded a video in which she talks about parties and how to help your child prepare for and cope with the big event.  I think it is worth watching.  She shares some great tips and she has a very practical approach to life.

If you are planning a party for your child or anticipating an invitation to an event, this video will help you prepare.

Are parents placing too much hope on the iPad solution?

You know how much we love the apps that are becoming available on the iPad.  We have often shared our discoveries with you, knowing that the apps have been specifically designed to help children on the autism spectrum.

Recently some autism specialists and researchers have begun to think that we are placing too much hope in these apps.  They seem to think that we expect the apps to perform miracles for our children.  

Do you think that’s true?  I don’t agree.

Over at Autism Plugged In one writer said, "Technology isn't ‘an answer’ but it can sure help and sometimes in quite life changing ways."

He goes on to say, "The special needs Apps on iTunes and Android are interesting, fun, helpful and are usually developed by highly qualified professionals in relevant areas, but they are only ever going to be another tool to add to your kit bag.  It may even be that the App itself does nothing more than provide you with 10 minutes peace, but that in itself is invaluable."
Isn’t that more in line with the way you view your child’s use of the iPad and apps?

I love seeing results like those you’ll see in the video below.  I love seeing a child find the right tool for his needs.  I love the fact that a simple app holds so much promise.  But I don’t believe they are a "cure" for autism.

As parents of children on the spectrum we will always be looking for tools to make our children’s lives easier but we understand that they are only tools.

What is your opinion?  Do you see the iPad as a cure?