Book contends children with autism move differently
Parents tell you, it’s as if you have a normal child one day and an autistic one the next.
The disorder sometimes appears that suddenly.
But what if you could tell from the moment of birth that your child might be autistic?
And what if you could prevent the devastating disorder from taking control of your child with something as easy as sitting on a swing or manipulating his movements?
Could the answer to autism really be that simple?
Florida psychologists Philip and Osnat Teitelbaum say yes.
And in a world full of theories and speculation about causes and treatments of this skyrocketing disorder, the Teitelbaums offer a compelling, nothing-to-lose argument in their newly released book “Does Your Baby Have Autism?” (SquareOne Publishers, $17.95 paperback).
The couple contend that children with autism move differently than children without. That from the moment of birth through the developmental stages of learning to hold their heads up, turn over, sit, crawl and walk there is an asymmetry in children with autism. They do not use both sides equally.
Osnat Teitelbaum spent hundreds of hours reviewing family videotapes of babies (who were later diagnosed with autism) in the first 12 months of life. She turned off the sound, tuned out the family goings-on and simply looked at how the babies moved.
What she discovered is “autistic babies do things in different ways than typically developed babies.”
While not every baby exhibiting these symptoms will develop autism, nearly all autistic children they studied displayed these differences.
Moms usually notice it early on, she said in a telephone interview. But they don’t have a language to express what they are seeing and feeling.
The book aims to help parents pinpoint those concerns and help them document their observations through pictures and videos.
The Teitelbaums say asymmetry is a signal of neurological damage.
“Movements are nothing but external expressions of the working of the nervous system,” she said.
If the issue is addressed early, the Teitelbaums suggest, families may be able to spare their children and themselves significant hardship.
“We don’t think you can eradicate autism. But we know and believe that you can dramatically change the quality of life for the child, and not less importantly, for the parents,” she said.
Reach Erin Andersen at 473-7217 or eandersen@journalstar.com.
The disorder sometimes appears that suddenly.
But what if you could tell from the moment of birth that your child might be autistic?
And what if you could prevent the devastating disorder from taking control of your child with something as easy as sitting on a swing or manipulating his movements?
Could the answer to autism really be that simple?
Florida psychologists Philip and Osnat Teitelbaum say yes.
And in a world full of theories and speculation about causes and treatments of this skyrocketing disorder, the Teitelbaums offer a compelling, nothing-to-lose argument in their newly released book “Does Your Baby Have Autism?” (SquareOne Publishers, $17.95 paperback).
The couple contend that children with autism move differently than children without. That from the moment of birth through the developmental stages of learning to hold their heads up, turn over, sit, crawl and walk there is an asymmetry in children with autism. They do not use both sides equally.
Osnat Teitelbaum spent hundreds of hours reviewing family videotapes of babies (who were later diagnosed with autism) in the first 12 months of life. She turned off the sound, tuned out the family goings-on and simply looked at how the babies moved.
What she discovered is “autistic babies do things in different ways than typically developed babies.”
While not every baby exhibiting these symptoms will develop autism, nearly all autistic children they studied displayed these differences.
Moms usually notice it early on, she said in a telephone interview. But they don’t have a language to express what they are seeing and feeling.
The book aims to help parents pinpoint those concerns and help them document their observations through pictures and videos.
The Teitelbaums say asymmetry is a signal of neurological damage.
“Movements are nothing but external expressions of the working of the nervous system,” she said.
If the issue is addressed early, the Teitelbaums suggest, families may be able to spare their children and themselves significant hardship.
“We don’t think you can eradicate autism. But we know and believe that you can dramatically change the quality of life for the child, and not less importantly, for the parents,” she said.
Reach Erin Andersen at 473-7217 or eandersen@journalstar.com.
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