1.4 PULLING ON STRINGS – A JOURNEY BACK FROM AUTISM© 2015 Thomas A. Brown A HEALING START – FIRST STEPS TOWARD RECOVERY The concept of NERUOPLACITY is going to be one of our most important mantras. This concept is backed by some very solid science. Even though some important neural networks have been pruned or are no longer working as autism sets in, we can start to form new pathways and new connections. Science Daily Nov. 17, 2010 – Stanford University. A typical healthy human brain contains about 200 billion nerve cells, or neurons, linked to one another via hundreds of trillions of tiny contacts called synapses. It is at these synapses that an electrical impulse traveling along one neuron is relayed to another. . . . . .the brains overall complexity is almost beyond belief, said Smith. One synapse, by itself, is more like a microprocessor -- with both memory-storage and information-processing elements -- than a mere on/off switch. In fact, one synapse may contain on the order of 1,000 molecular-scale switches. A single human brain has more switches than all the computers and routers and Internet connections on Earth, he said. Willamette University. . . On average, each neuron is connected to other neurons through about 10 000 synapses. (The actual figures vary greatly, depending on the local neuroanatomy.) The brains network of neurons forms a massively parallel information processing system. This contrasts with conventional computers, in which a single processor executes a single series of instructions. We are now going to become programmers of the brain! Many developmental milestones in the first two to eight months involve social interaction (smiles, eye contact, laughs in social interactions, Etc.). Thru this interaction children develop self-regulation, communication, reciprocal-social interaction, imitation of movement, Etc. Developing eye contact is a very critical early stage. One that is often missed with children and individuals on the spectrum. During my early training, we were obsessed with teaching eye contact to children with ASD. WE WERE WRONG. What we should have been teaching was FACIAL GAZING. First, a person can look into your eyes but they do not see your whole facial and emotional expression. I often had the feeling that I was just part of the wall. I also had the feeling that for many individuals, direct eye contact resembled neurological pain. Direct eye contact, for some species, including humans, in interpreted as danger. This sets the nervous system up to prepare for “flight or fight.” Adrenalin kicks, heart rate and muscle tension increases as the eyes dilate (become wider) to take in more light. So, the answer is yes. Direct eye contact is very painful for many individuals on the spectrum. When we teach and use facial gazing, we are now starting to become programmers. We are starting to make changes in neural development by using the NEUROPLACICITY of the brain. TIPS FOR TEACHING GAZING OF THE WHOLE FACE 1. Limit verbal communication and high light and expand your facial expressions. 2. You must be in close, lower your voice to a whisper and intensify a pleasing expression on your face. 3. Use soft words when the child or individual pays attention to your face. 4. Try to have expressions of excitement and fun as you attempt to do a shared reciprocal-interaction. Sharing something tasty (catsup, banana, etc.), sharing an interaction such as something novel. 5. Do not make demands for interaction. Be aware that initially, the activity will have to be short in duration. 6. Try to limit surrounding stimuli – you are the most important thing. 7. Take frequent breaks. 8. HAVE FUN I Love these two clips: https://youtube/watch?v=PpGtrEABWDo youtu.be/4fx0_AT8uRA?list=PL68C4760169F39225 Welcome to programming class! tom
Posted on: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 21:27:03 +0000
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