Autism

Autism is a spectrum disorder. That is, symptoms range along a continuum with some individuals less able to cope with everyday demands than others. Autism involves the ability to relate to the environment, management of internal stimuli and extreme sensitivity to the surroundings. To master control of their environment, most individuals need established routines and consistency, a means to quiet themselves internally to better respond to others, and a coherent method for communicating their needs. Many autistic school children and adults are hypervigilant particularly in new or stressful situations (e.g. going into a department store). Often, the increased stress and anxiety impairs their ability to sleep. Other individuals use repetitive behaviors to self-soothe.

Children and adults with autism are individuals with their own personalities, skills, and strengths. In the same way, they may also suffer from other complex difficulties such as attentional or processing issues and depression. Extreme care must be taken to emphasize all strengths and needs rather than channel all difficulties to a single syndrome.

Though there is no cure for autism, neurofeedback training can improve sleep, decrease anxiety and increase socialization, and maximize the potential to learn.

Autism Bibliography

Baron-Cohen, S. (2004). The cognitive neuroscience of Autism. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 75, 945-948.

Belmonte, M.K., Allen, G., Beckel-Mitchener, A., Boulanger, L.M., Carper, R.A., & Webb, S.J. (2004). Autism and abnormal development of brain connectivity. The Journal of Neuroscience, 24, (42), 9228-9231.

Coben, R. (2005b, September). Assessment-guided neurofeedback for autistic spectrum disorder. Presented at the 13^th Annual Conference of the International Society of Neuronal Regulation, Denver Colorado.

Dapretto, M., Davies, M.S., Pfeifer, J.H., Scott, A.A., Sigman, M., Bookheimer, S.Y., et al. (2006). Understanding emotions in others: Mirror neuron dysfunction in children with autism spectrum disorders. Nature Neurosicence, 9(1), 28-30.

Hill, E.L. (2004). Executive dysfunction in autism. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 8 (1), 26-32.

Jarusiewicz, B. (2002). Efficacy of neurofeedback for children in the autistic spectrum: A pilot study. Journal of Neurotherapy, 6 (4), 39-49.

John, E.R., Prichep, L., Fridman, J., & Easton, P. (1998). Neurometrics: computer-assisted differential diagnosis of brain dysfunction. Science, 239, 162-169

McAlonan, G.M., Cheung, V., Cheung V., Cheung, C., Suckling, J., Lam, G.Y., Tai, K.S., et al (2005). Mapping the brain in autism: A voxel-based MRI study of volumetric differences and intercorrelations in autism, Brain 128, (Pt2), 268-276.

Oberman, L.M., Hubbard, E.M., McCleery, J.P., Altschuler, E.L., Ramachandran, V.S., & Pineda, J.A. (2005). EEG evidence for mirror neuron dysfunction in autism spectrum disorders. Cognitive Brain Research, 24 (2), 190-198.

Scolnick, B. (2005). Effects of electroencephalogram biofeedback with asperger's syndrome. International Journal of Rehabilitation Research 28 (2), 159-163.

Sichel, A.G., Fehmi, L.G., & Goldstein, D.M. (1995). Positive outcome with neurofeedback treatment in a case of mild autism. Journal of Neurotherapy, (1), 60-64.

Sicile-Kira, C. (2004). Autism spectrum disorders: The complete guide to understanding autism, asperger's syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder, and ASD's. New York, New York: The Berkley Publishing Group.

Welchew, D.E., Ashwin, C., Berkouk, K., Salvador, R., Suckling, J., Baron-Cohen, S., & Bullmore, E. (2005). Functional disconnectivity of the medial temporal lobe in asperger's syndrome. Biological Psychiatry, 57, 991-998.