Autism Awareness Month

I was watching the Oprah show earlier today and was reminded that April is Autism Awareness Month. Being a practicing Occupational Therapist in my younger days, I had several referrals for evaluation and treatment of children who were diagnosed with this mystery disorder.

Many people are still not aware of Autism. So to help with awareness campaign, I'd like to share a valuable resource for those of you who are not so familiar with this disorder.

What is Autism?

Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that typically lasts throughout a person's lifetime. It is part of a group of disorders known as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Today, 1 in 150 individuals is diagnosed with autism, making it more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. It occurs in all racial, ethnic, and social groups and is four times more likely to strike boys than girls. Autism impairs a person's ability to communicate and relate to others. It is also associated with rigid routines and repetitive behaviors, such as obsessively arranging objects or following very specific routines. Symptoms can range from very mild to quite severe.

Source: Autism Speaks

Autism Speaks is an organization geared to...

...funding global biomedical research into the causes, prevention, treatments, and cure for autism; to raising public awareness about autism and its effects on individuals, families, and society; and to bringing hope to all who deal with the hardships of this disorder.

As such, they have several pages of information on Autism. One of note is their page of video clips all discussing the different aspects of this disorder. You can access them all here.

Transitioning from Crib to Bed

Our toddler Erin and I co-sleep. It has been that way ever since she was a month old as it was the most convenient for all of us. She was a very light sleeper and could not settle on her own. We've all gotten more sleep when we co-slept.

However, she is already 13 months old and can now be left on her own to sleep. J and I are thinking now of buying her her own bed so that we can go back sleeping alone as a couple.

It is as if the heavens heard me because recently I received the newsletter from Babycenter which featured an article on this. Here is their advice on this particular issue:

No matter what's prompting the move, take it slowly. Let your child help pick out his new bed, and encourage him to accessorize it with favorite stuffed animals or blankets from his crib (avoid stuffed animals if your family has a history of allergies). Be sure to put up a guard rail for extra security — falling out of bed in the middle of the night can be scary and dangerous.

Also, stick with your normal nighttime routine. If the novelty of sleeping in a bed has your toddler up and about past his bedtime, gently but firmly lead him back to the bed, explaining that he must stay there until morning. Your toddler should get the message after a few nights.

Although it talks about transitioning from crib to bed, I suppose the technique would be still similar with our situation. I reckon though that this should be implemented when the little girl is a bit bigger so that it would be easier for her to understand when she makes the big move.

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