Tag: AutismAwareness

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A Guide to Dental Care for Children with Autism

Artwork by CreativeSaathi associate Kabir Vernal

Blog submitted by Samantha Litten,
Outreach Coordinator, Byte, Santa Monica, CA, USA, on World Oral hygiene day, 20th March.

Byte connects you to a network of dentists and orthodontists across the United States. Each treatment plan is reviewed and approved by the state-licensed doctor to help ensure you’re a great candidate for clear aligners before you start your journey with them. Visit them here- https://www.byte.com/community/resources/article/dental-care-children-with-autism-guide/

Children with autism are likely to suffer many more oral health problems, including tooth decay, gum disease and dental injury, then children without autism. Many autistic kids have sensory sensitivities that make it difficult to maintain an effective oral hygiene routine. These issues may also make visits to the dentist challenging.

Parents and caregivers can do several things to make oral hygiene and dental visits easier for their autistic kids. Implementing behavioral techniques, using autism-friendly dental products, and seeking out dental professionals with specialized knowledge can all help your child with autism maintain good oral health.

Children with Autism Face Increased Oral Health Risks and can face a handful of issues related to their oral health. Among them:

1. They may have difficulty tolerating the sensory inputs involved in brushing and flossing, leading them to skip these necessary tasks.
2. They may engage in behaviors that endanger the teeth and gums, such as head banging and gum picking. 
3. There is some evidence that children with autism also prefer to eat soft, sweet foods.  These types of foods often promote tooth decay. Parents may also give children with autism candies and other sweet foods as rewards for good behavior.
Because of these challenges, these kids are at greater risk of developing many different oral health conditions, including:

●Tooth decay
●Gum disease
●Teeth grinding, especially at night (known as bruxism)
●Traumatic dental injuries
●Orthodontic problems
●The combination of negative habits with the increased likelihood of gum and teeth issues as a result make bi-annual trips to the dentist more of a priority for these children.

General Oral Health Tips
Daily oral hygiene tasks might be more difficult for children with autism, but they are essential for protecting their teeth and gums. Experts at Byte have developed some useful strategies to help children with autism maintain good oral health.

Lead by ExampleLet Them Gradually Take ControlEstablish a RoutineReward Success


1. Show your child how to brush and floss properly with a live demonstration. First, brush and floss your own teeth in front of them, showing them exactly what each step looks like. Then, perform those same action on them, letting them watch what you’re doing in the mirror.


2. Recommended Oral Hygiene Products
Plenty of oral hygiene products on the market can help children with autism address the set of unique struggles they face. Some of these include:

3. Special toothbrushes. Regular toothbrushes may too harsh for kids with autism. Choose a brush with extra soft or silicone bristles for a gentle experience. 


4. Non-foaming or differently flavored toothpaste. Many children with autism find unflavored and non-foaming toothpastes more tolerable than typical mint or cinnamon flavors. Others enjoy child-friendly flavors like fruit punch and bubblegum. 


5. Flavored floss. Many children with autism strongly object to using mint-flavored floss. Have them try out a few different flavors of floss to see if any of them are more acceptable to your child. If none of them work, a water flosser might be better suited to your child’s needs.


6. Timers. Children with autism often want to get brushing over with as soon as possible, so they may struggle to brush for the entire two-minute period that dentists recommend. Offer them some sort of timer to help with this: this could be a small hourglass, a kitchen timer, a stopwatch, or even a built-in timer on their toothbrush.


Visiting the Dentist


Visiting the dentist can be stressful for children with autism. Here are a few ways to make this process easier for both you and your child.

1.Explain What Will Happen in Advance
2.Practice Desensitization
3.Go to the Same Dentist Each Time
4.Bring Comfort Objects
5.Use Reinforcement Rewards
6.Dentists with Special Training

Luckily, there are so many more things parents and caregivers can do to help with day to day oral hygiene and dentist visits. Byte has created a dental health guide for children with autism. Do visit the website and check all the options now:  https://www.byte.com/community/resources/article/dental-care-children-with-autism-guide/

Author- Samantha Litten
Outreach Coordinator
1556 20th Street, Suite A

Santa Monica, CA 90404

Creative representation for this blog is done by our extremely talented CreativeSaathi associate Kabir Vernal who has drawn a toothfairy which is a featured image for this blog.

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Resources

Parents’ correct approach for teaching a child with Autism

A video blog by Pinki Kumar on explaining Parents’ correct approach for teaching a child with Autism.

Author Pinki Kumar

Pinki is a special educator, play therapist and a mother of a neurodivergent kid. She has a YouTube channel Play and learn to teach different methods and strategies. These videos are a great resource for the parents to help their child learn various skills.

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BloggerSaathi

How to cope anxiety – tipsheet

How to cope “anxiety” – Tipsheet

Today’s blog is really different . I want you to dig deep and find what it is about
There are many images that you can scroll through and you get a wonderful experience
Please do share your comment and don’t forget to share it
I am really looking forward to listen your feedback

Author Heena Sahi

Creative representation for this blog is done by our CreativeSaathi lead Heena Sahi and our extremely talented CreativeSaathi associate Dhrov Tikoo.

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CreativeSaathi

SuperSaturday by CreativeSaathis: blog 1

1. CreativeSaathi – Pranjal Mishra , 25 years

Artwork details:

Title: The Lighthouse

Message: The painting conveys a sense of strength and stability in the face of the wild and unpredictable elements of nature. It is a testament to bravery and resilience of people who have built and maintained lighthouses throughout history, and a celebration of the beauty and power of the sea.

Size of the artwork: 987 X 552

Medium used: Digital artwork on MS Paint

Digital Artwork by CreativeSaathi
Pranjal Mishra

Pranjal Mishra is a Graduate in Sociology from IGNOU, is well versed with MS Office and does data entry in Excel. He likes to sing songs and play music on the keyboard. He has recently won the 1st prize in the Online Adyatma Talent Contest 2022 for playing his keyboard. He has also interned at Saamarthya foundation and AMBA for Life. This year i.e. in 2023, Pranjal made a calendar from his digital art which was launched at the Vizag Steel Plant New Year function.
You can reach out to him at mishrapranjal2409@gmail.com

2. CreativeSaathi – GOMATHI SHANKAR, 25 years

Title – Nature my passion

Message:  In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful. –Alice Walker

So, is with humans! Noone is perfect, some are differently abled and perfect in weird ways but they are still beautiful and are dear to God.


Size of the artwork – A 4 sheet
Medium – acrylic, water colour and oil pastel.

Artwork by CreativeSaathi
GOMATHI SHANKAR

Gomathi Shankar is an artist and practice lots of water colour, acrylic colour, colour pencils and also pastel colours. She has got interest in art, craft and also stitching. She does cutting and cooking. She loves nature and walking is her passion. Whenever she feels low, she goes for a walk. She also contributes by making and selling newspaper bag for disposing used sanitary pads. Her art work is selected for sunrise calendar for the year 2021, 2022 and 2023.

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BloggerSaathi

Austism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)


Kerry Magro: Autism can’t define me. I define autism.😊


Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a set of developmental disabilities that affect a person’s ability to socialise and communicate. This neurodevelopmental disorder is sometimes diagnosed before the age of one year, but is usually not diagnosed until much later. Most children with autism are diagnosed after age 3, and some have been diagnosed as young as 18 months. Early intervention is the most effective step, so when children between 2 and 3 years of age show signs of autism, they should be evaluated by a professional.

Symptoms
Autism spectrum disorder symptoms vary from person to person and range in severity, so it is classified as a spectrum. Children with ASD communicate and interact differently from other children. They learn and think differently from others. Some have major challenges and need ongoing support in their daily lives, while others have high autonomous functioning. There is no cure for autism, but symptoms can improve with the right help of Professionals.

Autism symptoms in 2 to 3 year old children :
For some children, symptoms of autism become apparent in the first few months of life. Other children do not show symptoms until age 2. Mild symptoms are often difficult to detect and may be mistaken for a shy nature, or choleric.

We’re going to look at the most common symptoms of autism in children between the ages of 2 and 3.

1. Social skills
2. Does not respond to his name
3. Avoid eye contact
4. Prefers to play alone rather than with other children
5. Does not share with others even when asked to share
6. Does not understand what it means to turn, or turn, using toys
7. Not interested in socialising with other children or people
8. Dislikes or avoids physical contact
9. He’s not interested or doesn’t know how to make friends
10. Lacks facial expression or, conversely, makes inappropriate expressions
11. Not easily appeased or comforted
12. You have difficulty expressing your feelings or talking
13. Difficulty understanding other people’s feelings


Language and communication skills :

1. Compared to other children his age, he is delayed in speech and language skills
2. Repeat words and phrases over and over
3. Does not answer questions well, so communication can be complicated
4. Repeat what others say
5. Does not point at people or objects, or does not respond when pointed at
6. Do not use personal pronouns well, for example, say “you” instead of “I”.
7. Doesn’t gesture or use body language, or rarely does
8. Speak in a monotone or monotonous tone of voice
9. Does not understand role playing or simulation games
10. Does not understand jokes, teasing or sarcasm

Erratic behaviour

1. Makes repetitive movements, such as flapping, rotating, or waving their arms
2. Arrange their toys or other objects in an organized way
3. Get angry and frustrated at small changes in their daily routine
4. Have weird routines and get upset when not allowed to do them, like locking the door
5. There is a fixation for certain parts of the object such as wheels
6. Have obsessive interests
7. Has hyperactivity or short attention span

Autism in children aged 2 to 3 years: Other possible symptoms

1. is induced offensive self harm
2. Have persistent and severe tantrums
3. Have an irregular response to sound, smell, taste, sight or touch
4. Have irregular eating and sleeping habits
5. Lack of fear or more fear than usual
6. Having any one of these symptoms may be normal, but having several of them, especially with language delays, should raise some concerns for parents or caregivers.

Symptoms in boys and girls :

Symptoms of autism are usually the same in boys and girls. However, because autism is diagnosed much more often in boys than in girls, the classic symptoms are often described in a biassed manner. For example, a girl who does not play with trains, trucks, or dinosaurs may show other behaviours such as dressing or arranging dolls in a certain way.

High-functioning girls also have an easier time imitating social behaviour. Average social skills may be more innate in girls, making deficits less marked.

Author Sradhanjali Dasgupta

Consultant Psychologist, Speaker , Learning Developmental Coach, Teacher and trainer Miss. Sradhanjali Dasgupta has been extensively working in the field of Counselling and education for the past few years in several Clinics, Hospitals, NGOs and educational sectors. She also contributes her writings and blogs in various newspapers, magazines and e- magazines Her training and workshops are both for the corporate as well as for the educational sector and are geared up for learning and development,upgradation and capacity building. She have actively taken part in many debates.