Home The Spectrum Center, Bethesda, New York, Chicago. Bethesda, MD. 4715 Cordell Avenue, 4th Floor, Bethesda, Maryland 20814 New York, NY. 307 East 53 St., NY,NY 10022 E-Mail: info@spectrumcenter.com Phone: (301) 657-0988

Responses vary from child to child depending on the state of self-regulation. If the child is over-reactive he may become calmer and if he is under-reactive he may become more alert. The child will appear more focused and more purposeful in his or her behavior. Often in the early stages there is improved eye contact. Parents report that their children become more affectionate. They seek their parents out and want to join in on more family activities. Often they show a keener interest in their parents’ faces. They attempt to study the face as if trying to figure out how the parent’s mouth is working. They also show more interest in themselves, studying themselves in the mirror. They begin to imitate gestures and sounds more readily. They show more awareness of their environment. They will start to notice things they seemed oblivious to before. Some of the sensory sensitivities that were especially extreme will start to diminish.

If the child is non-verbal, he will start to babble more. He will start to make vocalizations the families have not heard previously. Parents will notice that the child responds to his/her name more readily. He may hear words that he can now recognize. If the child is already verbal the family will notice more and increasingly complex phrases. The child will repeat words more readily. He will start to use words spontaneously that he previously had only used rotely. He will demonstrate that he understands more of what is being said by following directions more readily. Communication becomes more purposeful as well as more interactive. Relationships become more of a two-way street.

Parents describe it as an opening to the world. Not only do their ears open, but also their eyes, and the rest of their senses. At the same time that expressive and receptive language improves, other behavioral changes are observed. There is more purposefulness in their behavior. Children who never played with toys seem to better understand how they work. They understand how things relate to each other. They start to understand prepositions, over, under, behind, besides, and in-front of for the first time. They are learning more readily through imitation and start to follow verbal directions. We also see the children start to play symbolically for the first time - making the toy car go to the store, for example.

Often there is a change in emotional affect. Children will be observed to be less in their own world and more willing to join our world. They start to develop words that give them more control of their environment. This helps to ease the tremendous sense of frustration they have. In understanding more of what is being said to them, they can be reasoned with and tend to become more flexible and better adjusted in their handling of transitions. As children start to develop a sense of control and mastery over their bodies, they start to feel more confident and their self-esteem improves. With more internal control they develop a greater sense of autonomy and independence. Overall they are happier children.

These are some of the changes we have seen; yet they vary from child to child and are therefore difficult to predict. While we cannot predict exact changes in a particular child, we are able to observe particular patterns and styles of progress. Counseling throughout the program helps families maximize new behaviors, skills, and communication styles that emerge in their children.

How Can the Spectrum Center help?
Auditory stimulation and sensory integration techniques help individuals with Autism/PDD by making it easier for them to process sensory information more accurately. Children whose systems have been striving to shut out sensory stimulation begin to relax, and are able to more readily connect to those around them. Most children experience relief from extreme sensitivities and tactile defensiveness, plus begin to have an increased sense of self. This gives them the comfort and awareness they need to be at ease in their bodies and in their surroundings. Children make gains in the areas of sensory integration, auditory processing, and motor planning. They make gains in self-help skills as well as language.

Families of Autistic/PDD children often describe their lives as a restricted existence. Loving these children can be a confusing maze as it takes a lot of understanding to relate to a child with such a sensitive nature. If a channel of engagement is not found however, they will continue to withdraw. If you have a child with autism or PDD, call the Spectrum Center to discuss your situation or schedule an initial evaluation.
 

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