Autism | Jeevaniyam Ayurveda Hospital

16/Feb/2023

Global Developmental Delay (GDD) is a term used to describe a child who is significantly behind in their overall development compared to typically developing children of the same age. This can include delays in physical, cognitive, language, and social-emotional development.

The causes of GDD can vary and can be due to a combination of genetic, environmental, and medical factors. Some common causes of GDD include genetic conditions such as Down syndrome, brain damage, exposure to toxins, and severe malnutrition.

Speech delay is a common symptom in Global Developmental Delay (GDD), a condition in which an individual experiences a significant lag in multiple areas of development, including speech and language, motor skills, and cognitive abilities. Speech and language development are critical components of overall development in children and are especially important for those with GDD. Here are some reasons why speech and language development is crucial for children with GDD:

Communication: Speech and language are key forms of communication and are essential for children to express their needs, thoughts, and feelings.

Cognitive Development: Speech and language development are closely linked to cognitive development and can support children in developing their thinking, problem-solving, and memory skills.

Social Interaction: Speech and language development play a critical role in enabling children to form social relationships and engage in social activities, helping them to build relationships and connect with others.

Academic Success: Effective speech and language skills are important for academic success, as they are essential for reading, writing, and understanding classroom instructions.

Improved Self-Esteem: Children who can effectively communicate their thoughts and feelings have improved self-esteem and confidence, which can positively impact their overall well-being.

At Jeevaniyam, we provide early intervention and support which are crucial for children with GDD to help them develop their speech and language skills. With the right support and our resources, children with GDD can develop the skills they need to communicate effectively, participate in social activities, and reach their full potential.

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Support team

11/Feb/2023

Down syndrome and autism are two developmental disorders that can affect children in different ways. Children with Down syndrome may face intellectual and physical challenges, while those with autism may struggle with social interaction and communication. However, both groups of children can benefit greatly from cognitive therapy.

Cognitive therapy is a type of therapy that focuses on helping individuals change negative thoughts and behaviors. It involves teaching children how to recognize and reframe negative thoughts, and then replace them with more positive, realistic ones. This can be particularly helpful for children with Down syndrome and autism, as they may experience feelings of frustration and low self-esteem due to their disabilities.

For children with Down syndrome, cognitive therapy can help improve their self-esteem and confidence. This can be done by working with the child to identify and challenge negative thoughts about their abilities, and then replacing them with more positive, accurate beliefs. For example, if a child with Down syndrome believes that they are not good at anything, a therapist might help them identify their strengths and accomplishments, and then encourage them to focus on these positive qualities.

For children with autism, cognitive therapy can help improve social skills and communication. This can be done by teaching children how to interpret social cues and respond appropriately. For example, a therapist might work with a child with autism to develop strategies for initiating and maintaining conversations, and for recognizing and responding to the emotions and needs of others.

Cognitive therapy can also help children with Down syndrome and autism manage stress and anxiety. This can be done by teaching them relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing and visualization, and by helping them develop coping strategies for dealing with challenging situations.

In addition to individual therapy, parents and caregivers can also benefit from cognitive therapy. This can involve working with a therapist to develop strategies for supporting their child with Down syndrome or autism, and for managing their own emotions and stress levels.

In conclusion, cognitive therapy can be a highly effective treatment for children with Down syndrome and autism. By helping children change negative thoughts and behaviors, cognitive therapy can improve self-esteem, social skills, communication, and stress management. With the right support and guidance, children with these disabilities can reach their full potential and lead happy, fulfilling lives.

At Jeevaniyam, our doctors and therapists give a combination of ayurvedic protocols and therapies that will heal the child both mentally and spiritually and thereby increasing the quality of life the child.

Support team

06/Feb/2023

Autism and Creativity

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects social interaction, communication, and behaviour. Children on the autism spectrum may have difficulty understanding social cues, may be less interested in social interactions and may have repetitive behaviours and narrow interests. Creativity is the ability to come up with original and valuable ideas. There is a belief that children with autism may have a different way of thinking and processing information, which might enhance their creative abilities. Research on autism and creativity in children is limited, but some studies suggest that children with autism may have unique strengths that contribute to their creativity.

While autism can present significant challenges for individuals and their families, some research suggests that certain traits associated with autism may also have benefits.

Attention to Detail: People with autism often have heightened attention to detail, which may help them excel in areas such as art, music, and mathematics. They may be able to notice patterns and details that others might miss and can be very precise in their work.
Visual-spatial Skills: People with autism may have strong visual-spatial skills, which can be beneficial in fields such as art, design, and architecture. They may have a keen ability to notice patterns, colours, and shapes, which can be helpful in creating art or designing structures.
Memory: People with autism may have a good memory, especially for specific information. They may be able to recall facts and figures with accuracy, which can be beneficial in fields such as history, science, or mathematics.
Honesty and Integrity: People with autism may have difficulty understanding social cues, which can make them appear less interested in social interactions. However, they may be more honest and straightforward in their communication, which can be beneficial in fields such as business and politics.
Strong Interests: Some people with autism may have very specific and intense interests, which they may pursue with great focus and passion. This can lead to a great depth of knowledge and expertise in a particular field.

However, it’s important to note that not all children with autism have enhanced creativity and some may have difficulty with creative activities. Creativity is a multifaceted trait, and it is influenced by many factors such as genetics, environment, and experiences. Children with autism may face challenges with social interactions and communication, which may affect their ability to participate in group activities and to express their ideas. It’s also important to recognize that every child with autism is unique, and their abilities and talents will vary. Some children with autism may need additional support and accommodations to reach their full potential in creative activities. For example, some children may benefit from visual aids or other forms of communication to express their ideas. Additionally, providing opportunities for children with autism to explore and develop their interests and talents can help to foster their creativity.

At Jeevaniyam, we help parents to identify autism in a child in a very early stage and our doctors and specialist will help the child to identify their talent and train them to improve their skillset so that they can have a quality life.

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Support team

02/Feb/2023

Global developmental delay (GDD) is a term used to describe a child who is significantly behind in their overall development compared to their peers. Children with GDD may have delays in multiple areas of development, such as cognitive, motor, and language skills. GDD is generally diagnosed when a child has not reached certain developmental milestones by a certain age. The exact cause of GDD can vary and may be due to genetic or environmental factors. Additionally, it can be caused by a combination of different factors, such as prematurity, birth defects, or exposure to toxins.

Children with GDD may also have difficulty with self-care tasks such as dressing, eating, and toileting. They may be delayed in reaching developmental milestones, such as sitting up, crawling, or walking. They may also have difficulty with social interactions, such as making eye contact, responding to their name, or understanding simple instructions. Children may also experience delays in multiple areas of development, such as cognitive, motor, and language skills. This can affect their ability to learn, communicate, and participate in everyday activities.

GDD can also have a significant impact on a child’s family and caregivers. Parents may face additional challenges in caring for a child with GDD, such as arranging for therapy and other interventions and may experience increased stress and emotional strain.

At Jeevaniyam, we handle this with a multi phased plan. Our doctors and therapist will give parents and caregivers adequate training for effectively handling the child. We also use a 3 step process guide along with interventions and support to monitor the improvement of the child.

Identification: The first step in addressing global developmental delay in children is to accurately identify the condition. This typically involves a thorough evaluation by a paediatrician or other specialist, including cognitive, motor, and language development assessments.
Interventions: Once a child has been diagnosed with global developmental delay, the next step is to implement interventions to help them progress. This may include therapy sessions with a speech therapist, occupational therapist, or physical therapist. Additionally, educational interventions such as special education classes may be recommended.
Monitoring and Review: The final step in addressing global developmental delay is to monitor a child’s progress over time and adjust interventions as needed. Regular assessments should be conducted to track progress and identify any areas where additional support may be required. Families should work closely with their child’s healthcare providers and therapists to ensure that the child is receiving the best possible care.

It’s important to note that every child is different and the effects of GDD can vary depending on the specific needs of the child, and the support and interventions they receive. With appropriate interventions and support, children with GDD can make progress and improve their overall functioning.

For more detailed information:

𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗦:
+91 996 151 8687, +91 996 129 8312
www.jeevaniyam.in

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Dr Reshmi Pramod

21/Jan/2023

Triggers in Autism Childrens

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. The exact causes of autism in children are not known, but research suggests that a combination of genetic and environmental factors may play a role. Some studies have identified genetic mutations that may increase the risk of autism, while others have found links between certain environmental exposures, such as maternal infection during pregnancy, and the development of autism. However, more research is needed to fully understand the underlying causes of autism.

The signs and symptoms of autism in children can vary widely, but some common ones include:

Difficulty with social interaction and communication, such as lack of eye contact, delayed speech development, and difficulty understanding social cues or initiating interactions with others.
Repetitive behaviours or interests, such as repetitive movements, repetitive speech, or intense interest in a specific topic.
Difficulty with flexibility and change, such as difficulty adapting to new situations or routines.
Sensory processing issues, such as sensitivity to light, sound, or touch. It’s important to note that autism can present differently in every individual and the severity of symptoms can also vary.

There are certain common triggers for children that elevate and disturb the mind. A few reasons that the parents or caregivers should take care as follows:

Sensory overload. Children with autism can be sensitive to sensory stimulation. In a setting or situation—such as a store or a crowded event—all of the noises, colors, lights, and activity around them become too stressful. They might feel overwhelmed and panic.
Difficulty communicating. For a nonverbal child or one with limited verbal skills, the frustration of not being able to communicate can set off anger or a meltdown.
Information overload. Too much information coming in too fast or from many different directions can be overwhelming. Children with autism often have delayed information processing and need more time to process each piece of information.
Changes in routine. The need for predictability is high for children with autism. Sudden changes can create panic, stress, and meltdowns.
Changes in sleep routine. Many children with autism face difficulty with sleep. This creates stressful situations to child and their family
Changes in diet. Children with ASD exhibit refusal of certain foods. children with autism have significantly more feeding problems and eat a significantly narrower range of foods than children without autism.

This list is certainly not exhaustive, and the risk of these behaviours can increase when—as with any child—an autistic child is overly tired, hungry, or stressed out from another situation. The more parents and other caregivers can become aware of a child’s triggers and the information they reveal about the child’s needs, the more they can try to minimize stressors and help the child cope. It can be a long road to reach that point.

At Jeevaniyam our team of doctors and therapist manage these by mainly focusing on removing imbalanced doshas from the body with the help of ayurvedic therapies like nasya, shirodhara, shodhan procedures, etc.

Dr Reshmi Pramod

16/Jan/2023

ORAL PLACEMENT THERAPY – FOR SPEECH AND FEEDING

Oral–motor is a term that is still widely used in our speech systems. The use of oral motor exercises in a feeding program has never been debated in our field. For example, the feeding activities.

Children with different special need categories cannot imitate targeted speech sounds using auditory and visual stimuli (i.e., “Look, listen, and say what I say”). They also cannot follow specific instructions to produce targeted speech sounds (e.g., “Put your lips together and say m”).

Oral Placement Therapy (OPT) is a tactile teaching technique used for children and adults with Oral Placement Disorders, who cannot learn standard speech sound production using auditory and visual teaching methods alone.

It is based on a common sequence

Facilitate speech movement with the assistance of a therapy tool (ex. Talk Tools® Bite Block, horn, tongue depressor) or a tactile-kinesthetic facilitation technique (ex. PROMPT facial cue);
Facilitate speech movement without the therapy tool and/or tactile-kinesthetic technique (cue fading);
Immediately transition movement into speech with and without therapy tools and/or tactile-kinesthetic techniques.

Oral Placement Therapy works only on movements needed for speech clarity. OPT facilitates the pre-requisite skills in muscle control to develop dissociation and grading in the muscles of the abdomen, velum, jaw, lips and tongue for clients who cannot approximate the standard speech sounds using the instructions. If the client can produce standard speech using adequate placement and duration using only auditory and visual cueing, OPT would not be included in that client’s program plan.

At Jeevaniyam, the Speech Language Pathologist, focus on OPT along with conventional Speech Therapy. The therapy program for each child is tailor-made based on the child’s speech and language requirements.

For more detailed information:

𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗦:
+91 996 151 8687, +91 996 129 8312
www.jeevaniyam.in

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Support team

11/Jan/2023

What is an ADHD Diet?

Having a healthy, balanced diet is important to have a happy and healthy life. A healthy diet can provide an effective complementary approach to alleviating some symptoms of ADHD. Ideally, your eating habits would help the brain work better and lessen symptoms, such as restlessness or lack of focus. The link between diet & autism has long been investigated, with some parents of autistic children firmly believing that the symptoms were alleviated by a certain diet.

But what’s the truth? Are there actually any objective measures to support the claim?

Nutrition is a tough topic when it comes to autism. There are so many different diets, protocols and recommendations that often leave parents or autistic adults feeling overwhelmed. Children with autism may limit their food intake or have food preferences. Many children with autism also have gastrointestinal symptoms like constipation, diarrhea or abdominal pain. As a result, children with autism are sometimes low in certain nutrients. Some of these nutrients have been studied to see if giving children supplements of these nutrients may help with autism symptoms. However, more research is needed. Before giving your child any supplements, speak with your child’s dietitian or health care provider first.

The following food elements can be avoided:

Dairy: When casein (one of the proteins in dairy) mixes with stomach acid, it produces something called an exorphin. Exorphins bind to the opioid receptor sites and can result in a myriad of troubles – brain fog, spaciness, inability to concentrate, and a numbness to pain.
Gluten: A mixture of proteins found in grains such as wheat, barley, and rye, gluten can increase inflammation when ingested. In fact, your body can create antibodies to gluten which can fire up, or inflame, your brain.
Corn: There is simply nothing truly beneficial and many potentially harmful things that can come from eating corn.
Sugar: Avoiding sugar and refined carbohydrates and increasing lean protein can dramatically improve concentration and judgment, and decrease impulsiveness.
Artificial Ingredients: Avoid all additives, preservatives, dyes and artificial colours, artificial flavourings, and artificial sweeteners.

Food Items to consider

Milk Substitutes: Be sure the container states the product is casein-free, not just dairy-free.
Gluten-free Bread: These breads are made from rice or tapioca flour. The taste and texture are different from regular bread.
Cheese Substitutes: Check the ingredient list before purchasing any alternative cheese, as some brands that are labelled “dairy-free” may still contain the casein protein.
Meat: Pre-packaged or frozen meat may contain spices that are not gluten-free, so it’s important to check the list of ingredients.
Produce: Fresh fruit and vegetables are usually safe choices for gluten/casein-free foods.

At Jeevaniyam, with the help of the expert team of doctors, therapists and dietitians we find out the symptoms of ADHD at a very young age and help them achieve a social smile by integrating Ayurvedic protocols and dietary intervention in a scientific way.

Dr Reshmi Pramod

07/Jan/2023

Anxiety In Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Anxiety disorders and symptoms are common co-occurring conditions in youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Research on the prevalence and clinical characteristics of this condition has soared during the past decade. Autistic children feel many of the same worries and fears as other children. Autistic children might also worry or feel stressed about things that are less worrying for typically developing children. Often parents would misinterpret certain behaviours as the child’s tantrums and try to rectify these.

Children with ASD develop anxiety mostly due to the following reasons:

Small disruptions to their routines or new sensations they feel in their bodies.
Unfamiliar or unpredictable social situations.
Situations where it’s hard to know what other people are thinking or feeling.
Their own thoughts and feelings, especially unfamiliar or unpleasant physical symptoms that are related to worried thoughts and feelings.

Autism is neuro developmental, whereas anxiety is a mental-emotional. Still, the area of the brain involved in the expression of fear, called the amygdala, may play a role in comorbid anxiety and ASD.

Does your child have the following behavioural pattern?

Always feeling on edge
Fatigue
Trouble with concentration and memory
Irritability
Muscle tension
Uncontrollable worries
Reduced amount or quality of sleep

Social and emotional factors may also contribute to anxiety. Autistic people may need support to learn how to read body language and other social cues. Sometimes these situations can make them feel overwhelmed and anxious.

You can help your child learn ways to calm down when they start feeling anxious or stressed.

At Jeevaniyam, we help children who has ASD and suffer anxiety with the help of ayurvedic protocols integrated with:

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy – This helps children develop skills to change their thinking in situations that make them anxious

Therapies And Supports – that use gradual exposure to help children face their fears

Social Stories – these can help prepare children for unfamiliar or stressful situations that generally make them anxious

Relaxation Training – to help your child learn to relax.

A few things that parents and care takers can teach the child to control anxiety are:

Counting slowly to 10
Taking 5 deep breaths
Running around the yard 5 times
Doing 50 jumps on the trampoline
Looking at a collection of favourite or special things
Reading a favourite book
Closing eyes for a few moments
Going to a quiet part of the house.

Dr Reshmi Pramod

29/Nov/2022

Obsessive Interest In Autism Spectrum Disorder

Many autistic people have intense and highly focused interests, often from a fairly young age. These can change over time or be lifelong. It can be art, music, gardening, animals, or numbers. For many younger children it might be a particular cartoon character or some characters that might interest them. Autistic children and teenagers can be very intense and focused about favourite toys, activities and topics of conversation. Some children move from one interest or obsession to another, and the interests last for weeks or months before they change. Others develop an interest – for example, in trains – in early childhood and continue this interest through adolescence and into adulthood.

Some autistic children and teenagers have rituals. For example, some children might keep favourite objects in specific places, like the bottom corner of a drawer in the bedroom. They might have to get their objects out and touch them before bed. Or they might drink only from cups or ask the same questions and always need specific answers. Routines are often important to autistic children and teenagers. They can find change and transitions difficult to cope with. They might like to eat, sleep, or leave the house in the same way every time. For example, children might go to bed happily if you follow their regular bedtime routines but won’t settle if the routines are broken. They might get very upset if their route to preschool is changed, or they might insist on putting their clothes on in the same order each morning. We don’t know what causes obsessive behaviour or the need for routines and rituals. The cause might not be the same for everyone.

Also, obsessions, routines and rituals help some autistic children manage stress and anxiety. When they feel stressed because they don’t understand what’s going on around them, obsessions and rituals let them take some control of their surroundings. Sensory sensitivities can lead to some autistic children developing obsessions and rituals. For example, children might stroke people’s hair whenever they can because they enjoy the sensation, or it helps them feel calm. And some autistic children have trouble with planning, so having a rigid routine or ritual helps comfort them and relieves feelings of stress and anxiety.

At Jeevaniyam we handle autistic children’s obsessions, routines, and rituals. Jeevaniam offers the best autism treatment in Kerala, India. We give trainings to both parents and children so that the child and the families can live with daily obsessive behaviour, routines, and rituals without much of difficulty. Our trained doctors and therapist help the child and the family to identify and answer the following questions:

Is your child’s behaviour affecting their ability to learn?
Is your child’s behaviour affecting their social life?
Is your child’s behaviour affecting your family’s ability to carry out day-to-day activities, or to go on holidays or trips?
How would you feel if this behaviour is the same in a few years?
Is your child’s behaviour causing harm to themselves or others?

These questions might help you decide whether it’s worth trying to change things. And if you decide you want to work on your child’s obsessions and routines, your answers might help you work out what to focus on. It will be easy to develop a plan to manage your child’s obsessions, rituals and routines, it’s a good idea to think about your child’s developmental level and communication skills.

For example,

Does your child have the communication skills to understand your instructions?

Working out what’s causing your child’s behaviour might also guide your next steps. Is it sensory?

Does your child feel anxious when faced with the unknown?

We might be able to manage the sensory issues or the anxiety, which could lead to a decrease in the behaviour. If your child’s behaviour isn’t affecting their life or other people in a negative way, but you still want to decrease it, you could consider setting some limits on the behaviour.

Support team

21/Nov/2022

Mental Health & Autism Children

Autism is not a mental health problem, but autistic children can have good and bad mental health like anyone else. It’s a developmental condition that affects how they see the world and how they interact with other people. Children with autism do often experience mental health problems. seven out of ten autistic people have a mental health condition such as anxiety, depression or OCD. It can be challenging to untangle autism and co-occurring mental health conditions.

The co-occurrence of mental health disorders among autistic children can complicate how clinicians understand the child’s behaviour, evaluate interventions they are participating in, and provide strategies for supporting them. When an child is showing signs of distress, knowing the cause of the symptoms can be rather challenging. For example, an autistic child in the classroom may begin to engage in disruptive behaviour, such as ripping up their paper. The teacher or other support staff may assume this behaviour is a result of autism; however, the child may be displaying an anxious behaviour because they do not understand the task at hand. There is little research into why this is, but it may be because autistic people:

Can struggle to try to fit into or make sense of the world, which can lead to feelings of depression and anxiety
May face delays in getting their mental health problems diagnosed
Children are more likely to face stigma and discrimination
Children are less likely to have appropriate support available. For example, group therapy might not be suitable for some autistic people, or therapists might not know how to adapt their approach to helping an autistic person

Research has shown that autistic youth with co-occurring anxiety, depression, OCD, and/or eating disorders often have difficulties in regulating emotions. Emotional dysregulation is the inability to adjust or control one’s emotions, making calming down and/or identifying one’s feelings much harder. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has shown positive results for assisting autistics to understand their emotions and develop the skills to manage their emotions. It is important for parents to have a positive and open communicative.

At Jeevaniyam, we support autistic children with co-occurring mental health conditions by understanding the triggers instead of making vague assumptions with the help of our doctors and supporting staff and digging into the root cause of the problems. Because of emotional dysregulation, autistic individuals are more likely to use maladaptive and involuntary emotional regulation methods, if an individual’s triggers have been addressed and supported yet the individual still demonstrates symptoms of anxiety, professionals should consider evidence-based treatments to provide the individual with healthier regulation methods. Getting an autism diagnosis with our team and developing a better understanding of themselves has helped many autistic individuals with depression to improve the overall mental health.

Older Posts

The Importance of Speech and Language Development in Children with Global Developmental Delay

Cognitive Therapy for Children with Down Syndrome and Autism

Autism and Creativity

Autism and Creativity

Three Step Guide to Progress for Global Development Delay in Children

Triggers in Autism Children

Triggers in Autism Childrens

The signs and symptoms of autism in children can vary widely, but some common ones include:

ORAL PLACEMENT THERAPY – FOR SPEECH AND FEEDING

ORAL PLACEMENT THERAPY – FOR SPEECH AND FEEDING

What is an ADHD diet?

What is an ADHD Diet?

But what’s the truth? Are there actually any objective measures to support the claim?

The following food elements can be avoided:

Food Items to consider

Anxiety In Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Anxiety In Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Does your child have the following behavioural pattern?

Obsessive Interest In Autism Spectrum Disorder

Obsessive Interest In Autism Spectrum Disorder

Does your child have the communication skills to understand your instructions?

Working out what’s causing your child’s behaviour might also guide your next steps. Is it sensory?

Does your child feel anxious when faced with the unknown?

Mental Health & Autism Children

Mental Health & Autism Children

Treatments

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