If you live in Huntley and have a special needs child, then this is good news for you. The Huntley Park District is in the process of building 2 playgrounds specially for children with disabilities.

One playground will be located at the south end of Deicke Park. What are some of the things you will find there? Accessible swings, stations for wheelchair bastketball and a "drama village" that encourages make belief play and music. Definitely different from what you will find in a typical playground. In fact, typical playgrounds is not very safe for special-needs children. Plus it's not easy for them to use the equipment. This special playground at Deicke Park is targetted to be ready in spring.

The other playground is located at Leggee. I'm sure the 20 children under the Huntley Unit District 158's elementary school autism program can't wait for it to be completed. They won't have to wait too long coz' it may be ready by November. They will get to enjoy swings, a tricycle and bike track, a sand box, slides and climbing equipment.

Parents will be happy to hear that the playgrounds will be surrounded by a fence to increase security.

I was under the impression that they was no cure for autism. But this story at unioneagle.com entitled "They fought autism and they won" says otherwise.

It's a story of the Vranas and what they did to help their autistic son, Aaren. He started out as a normal baby until 9 months of age. After that, his development changed. He talked less and less. He also screamed and cried and didn't want to be held. These are some characteristics for autism. Later the Children's Hospital confirmed he was on the autism spectrum.

His mother, Diane, was devastated. She put her energy into doing research. Below are some of the things they did:

• Used a program called the Son-rise Therapy Program, through the Autism Treatment Center of America, Massachusetts.
• Created a special playroom for him and recruited volunteers to be with him in the playroom.
• Put him on a GFCF (gluten free casein free) diet. It didn't make a big difference but it helped a bit.
• Nutritional supplements such as peanut butter balls with digestive enzymes
• Chelation treatments to get rid of the heavy metal toxins

Now Aaren is in 2nd grade and is no more on the autism spectrum. His mother Diane has written a book titled "“A love that matters: one family’s journey through autism . . . from heartache to healing.” She wants to help other families who are struggling with autism.

Came across an article that talked about melatonin and how it helps autistic children fall asleep faster and also sleep longer. The study is reported in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. They say the 3mg of melatonin will effectively help improve sleep problems. You can get melatonin in tablet form (and chewables too) It is sold without a prescription in health food stores and drug stores in the United States.

What is Melatonin?
It's a hormone manufactured in your brain (the pineal gland to be exact) that controls your sleeping and waking cycles.

p.s. Click here if you need to learn more about characteristics for autism. Learn to recognize the signs and how you can maximize the potential of your autistic child.

Watch this video and note down the several tell-tale signs that your child may be autistic.

When a parent is told that their child has autism, one of the things that go through their mind is "how can I cure him?" They may desperately seek out a cure of autism.

Some people have strongly advocated that autism doesn't need a cure. Rather, it needs to be understood. Here is one mother who truly understood her autistic son. She does not view autism as a disorder but rather views it as a person with processing differences. She doesn't say that something is wrong with her child but rather something is different or unique.

This is indeed valuable advise from a mother who's gone through the struggles of caring for an autistic child.



You too can Unleash the Maximum Potential of Someone Who Has Autism. All the information you need to help you can be found here:
ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO AUTISM

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Frequently occurring features of an autistic person include a state of anxiety, the need for structure and planning, social misunderstandings and difficulty making choices. Autistic children often have a literal understanding of what is said. An underachieving autistic child told by a teacher to pull his socks up is likely to do just that and unwittingly incur the wrath of the adult.

Sensory overload is another feature that often manifests in autism. For example the flickering of a fluorescent light that goes unnoticed by most may be an annoyance to an autistic child. The child may be sensitive to noises, the feel of some materials against their skin, or the amount of pressure placed on areas of their body. These sensory overloads mean the child can be highly distractible or stressed and can lead to behaviors like covering their ears, screaming, spinning or rocking, hiding under a table, or even self-injury.

There are many strategies for helping an autistic child but the best ones are based on understanding the individual. Be aware of the common causes and triggers for their stress and try to reduce them or divert the child from them. There should be opportunities for the child to take a time out from stressful situations. Autistic children often have some level of obsession about a topic. It might be a type of toy, or a subject like geography or dinosaurs. Use this focus to distract and calm the child when they become stressed.

Autism is a kind of PDD. Aspergers Syndrome is closely related as well. The US Disabilities Education Act defines autism as, "a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age 3, that adversely affects a child's educational performance." Children with autism have a wide range of abilities, intelligence, and behaviors. Early diagnosis is important. Again, experts are not sure what causes autism, but the symptoms can be managed. Many children who have autism grow up to be productive, functioning adults.