As parents work to find effective treatments for autism, many of the usual symptoms their children display will continue. In the majority of cases, this often includes some form of ‘stimming’. Stimming is an extremely common autism symptom that includes certain repeated behaviors or movements. These behaviors are self-stimulating and consist of repetitive behaviors that are performed to stimulate the senses. Examples of stimming include clapping, running in circles, humming, or manipulating objects (such as bending straws or ripping paper).
Though stimming behaviors may appear to be unnecessary or even unsuitable to some situations, they’re not done to draw attention or to disrupt. Instead, stimming behaviors are often used in order to decrease the stress levels of the child performing them. As autism causes children to react atypically to sensory stimuli, they often use stimming to help to deal with their sensory issues.
Rocking is another kind of stimming behavior that is common among autistic children. Many autistic children feel that rocking back and forth allows them to reestablish a sense of focus when they feel overly sensitive to the stimulus from their surroundings. It can also help with concentration and focus. Though it is more obvious in autistic children, non-autistic children and adults also participate in forms of stimming. Consider the number of times you’ve seen someone drumming their fingers, tapping their pencil, fidgeting with paper, or bounced a knee when sitting down. Anxiety tends to worsens these behaviors. Though behaviors such as biting nails or whistling are often done involuntarily, they do help us to keep control over our emotions and calm us down in tense situations. As children with autism usually find stressors in more of the stimuli in their environment, they often ‘stim’ regularly throughout the day and especially when placed into a new environment.
If you find that your child’s level of stimming increases in line with the introduction of new of more frequent treatments there could be a number of reasons for this.
1. They are looking for reassurance as they learn something new
2. The situation is stressful for them so they are retreating to what is familiar – the stimulatory behavior
3. They don’t like the change to their routine that the new or increased frequency of treatment is introducing.
Of course these reasons aren’t the only ones. However, the key is to monitor behavior and see if the stimming levels out, increases further or decreases as the treatment program progresses. It is also important to keep in mind that stimming behaviors can turn into obsessions. When identifying characteristics for treatment for autism, divide your child’s stimming into two groups: excitatory and calming.
Stimming that is calming is the kind that helps your autistic child to regain focus when feeling stress or anxiety. On the other hand excitatory stimming sends your child’s focus in a negative direction. An example of excitatory stimming could be when an autistic child gets wound up and instead of smiling and giggling, he or she might start clapping, running, or yelling. This can be detrimental behavior as it encourages behaviors that can be inappropriate and are not conducive for effective learning.
Stimming may also be an attachment to specific objects. Though most small children will often have a favorite toy such as a doll or blanket, in the case of autistic children they may struggle give up their attachment to this object. It may be something that they like to smell, look at, hear, or touch. Stimming can also take the form of organizing things. For example, an autistic child may self-stimulate by placing things in order, lining them up, or stacking things. This, like other stimming behaviors, can easily become an obsession.
Stimming habits can be very challenging to break as they are often relaxing and enjoyable and provide a coping mechanism for an autistic child. As a parent you will need to decide what stimming behavior is acceptable both in terms of the action itself and frequency. Bear in mind that trying to stop all stimming could be very stressful for your child. So concentrate on the behaviors that are excitory or inappropriate and leave the calming or harmless activities alone.
Autism Treatment
A supplement group that is very commonly recommended for children with Autism are essential fatty acids. The supplement can come in the form of cod liver oil or just general fish oil and essential fatty acids have become very important therapies for many children with Autism because they serve to replenish the depleted fatty acids. And when I am examining a child, one visible sign that could mean its supplementation is necessary is really hard, thick ear wax.
When a child has thick, hard ear wax that can be some indication of a depletion in essential fatty acids. Now ideally getting a diagnostic test for fatty acid status would occur so that we could asses exactly what form of essential fatty acid needs supplementation. That would enable us to determine whether EPA was depleted or DHA or maybe the omega 6 oils are deficient. Without a thorough test, you don’t know for certain. There are labs that perform essential fatty acid tests, Great Plains has a test as well as other labs. And to determine the exact deficiency, testing is necessary. We can make certain guesses as to what may be deficient in a child but that may not be right. But if you have taken your child in to see a doctor, or their pediatrician and they have noticed that your child has very hard, thick ear wax, your child probably has some form of an essential fatty acid deficiency.
A basic supplementation program includes a supplement with some type of fish oil that contains EPA and DHA in it. That can be a very nice way to replenish. And cod liver oil is usually pretty easy to give and many children find this beneficial. Children with Autism benefit from cold liver oil for a couple of reasons. They get the benefit of the essential fatty acid part of the supplement but they can also benefit from the natural vitamin A in the cod liver oil as well. An average dose of cod liver oil is 1 to 2 teaspoons per day, many children find that very helpful. Cod liver oil can also help with visual stimming that some children with Autism have. Once supplemented with cod liver oil, some children don’t side glance as much as they used to and their visual stimming decreases as well. So thick and hard ear wax can be, from a physical examination side, be an indicator of a deficiency in essential fatty acids. Therefore, supplementation would be appropriate in many cases.
Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) therapy, also known as neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) or simply electrical stimulation (E-stim), is a non-invasive treatment that uses electrical impulses to contract and relax muscles. The therapy is used to relieve pain, improve muscle strength and endurance, and promote healing in conditions such as muscle strains, sprains, and injuries. The electrical impulses are delivered through electrodes placed on the skin near the affected muscle or muscle group. EMS therapy can also be used to improve athletic performance, and may be used as a form of physical therapy or as an adjunct to other types of therapy.
EMS has been used for centuries, with the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans all using forms of electrical therapy to treat a variety of ailments. However, it wasn’t until the late 19th century that EMS began to be used for muscle stimulation. In the 1920s and 1930s, a Russian physiologist named Dr. Vladimir Marek began using EMS to treat muscle weakness and paralysis. By the 1950s, EMS had become a popular treatment in Europe and the United States for a variety of conditions, including muscle pain and weakness, spinal cord injuries, and paralysis.
How it works
EMS therapy works by delivering electrical impulses to the muscles through electrodes placed on the skin near the affected muscle or muscle group. These impulses cause the muscle to contract and relax, which can help to relieve pain, improve muscle strength and endurance, and promote healing. The intensity of the impulses can be adjusted to suit the individual needs of the patient, and the therapy can be used to target specific muscle groups or to stimulate the entire body.
The electrical impulses are delivered in a pattern that mimics the way the brain sends signals to the muscles to contract naturally, this is called Interferential Current (IFC) or High-Frequency electrical stimulation. The electrical impulses are delivered in a pattern that mimics the way the brain sends signals to the muscles to contract naturally, this is called Interferential Current (IFC) or High-Frequency electrical stimulation.
Indications
EMS therapy is used to treat a variety of conditions including muscle pain and weakness, spinal cord injuries, and paralysis. It is also used to improve athletic performance, and may be used as a form of physical therapy or as an adjunct to other types of therapy. It has been used to help people with a number of conditions such as chronic pain, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and muscle spasms. EMS therapy is also used to improve muscle strength and endurance in people who have conditions that cause muscle weakness, such as multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, and certain types of muscular dystrophy. It is also used to help people with certain types of paralysis, such as spinal cord injuries and stroke, to regain muscle function.
Athletic Performance
EMS therapy has been used to improve athletic performance by increasing muscle strength and endurance. It is also used to help athletes recover from injuries, such as muscle strains and sprains. The electrical impulses delivered during EMS therapy can help to increase blood flow to the muscles, which can help to speed up the healing process.
Physical Therapy
EMS therapy is often used as a form of physical therapy to help people recover from injuries, such as muscle strains and sprains. The therapy can help to relieve pain, improve muscle strength and endurance, and promote healing. Physical therapists may use EMS therapy as an adjunct to other forms of therapy, such as exercises and stretching. EMS treatment can also be used to alleviate symptoms of chronic pain, such as in cases of chronic low back pain, spinal.