Autism: Parent/Professional Partnerships for Progress

Many times explanations and techniques to deal with Autism are just as valid now as they were years ago. We are talking about techniques such as facilitated touch mainstreaming, talking typewriters, computers, etc. Many of these Autism Techniques are designed to do one thing, get children with Autism out of there shell.

Typical people believe with some clues from older people with autism that being part of what is going on around them in a larger ways is desired. Unfortunately there are also people who believe that children with autism are only mimicking what they see.

Parents know that their children think and feel. Parents understand this human condition in their children in a more fundamental way than other people might. It is interesting to observe that parents seem to understand that their children steer toward sensory feelings and emotions on some level that is not readily observed by others.

Children with Autism seek out structure in whatever small way they can. The ability to seek structure, take chances, and explore their surroundings are important characteristics to recognize and nurture in our children.

Those characteristics are also important for professionals to recognize. When recognized by everyone it is no leap to recognize that these characteristics are not in line with someone who just stores facts and regurgitates them.

Hopefully we are coming to a time when parents, professionals, and educators are working together to understand that there are many different ways to meet the needs of children with Autism. They all have useful information to bring to the table. There is no one way, but luckily a lot of information to be used.

One of the interesting developments is the use of Vasopressin. Vasopressin is typically used to control water content in people. Although the animal studies are very small when the bodies level of vasopressin is manipulated the animal can show autistic characteristics.

This chemical, not drug, may be the key or open to door to understanding bonding emotions. If a child with autism spontaneously shows affection or emotion it may be because they are producing Vasopressin. This chemical may also be a bridge to reintegrate people with mental illness into their social peer groups.