Autism Awareness Month Part 2

Autism is a spectrum disorder where different developmental milestones vary widely. One area that is consistent in all folks with autism is weakness in the gravity sense. All people with autism have issues with any or all of the following:

The gravity sense organ, the semi-circular canal and its ability to read and react to gravity

The cranial nerve and tracts that connects the gravity sense information and intake of sound into the brain stem

The cerebellum with the brainstem that modulates muscle tone and presorts sensory input

Why is this important? One of the most important reasons is that weakness with the gravity sense and other body senses can cause the Lower Brain to send alarm signals to the Upper Brain often resulting in anxiety.

Addressing the issues of the body senses can make this functioning better and lessen anxiety.

April is Autism Awareness Month Part 1

Mind sharing develops in a sequence and in relationship to verbal and nonverbal language. Most people on the autism spectrum have delay in these areas. Both developments depend on a well functioning sensory-motor-reflex system.

Mind sharing for a newborn is undifferentiated. All is one mind and being: the baby, the parents, the environment.

As a baby develops into toddlerhood, the self-mind develops. The toddler learns to understand her own mind and responses with "Me!" and "Mine!" All others are considered part of the toddler mind and therefore should always know its needs and wants.

As time goes on the young preschooler now knows that you have a different mind and that she must ask endless questions to find out what is in your seemingly Olympian mind. The preschooler doesn't know your mind, but still believes that you know hers. She believes that mother knows what she did even if she wasn't there.

Then one big day, the child realizes that minds are separate and that others can't see into her mind. Now she realizes that she can tell an untruth and others will not know. As she grows older, she realizes that when she plays and share minds with others, she sees all new visas, making social interactions irresistable. She finds that each person is a surprise treasure box ready to be opened.