Before my friends and relatives freak out with the title of this post, I should specify that our son Aidan is a healthy growing boy so far.  However, it is a concern that my husband and I have for our son.  Personally I feel Autism is quickly becoming the new ADD of the medical community.  Children are being diagnosed and medicated, when all many of them need is a little more attention and discipline.  Both are a ligitimate disorder though, and ones that many parents are concerned about.  I know for our family, there are cases of autism on my husbands side of the family and I was a classic case of ADHD when I was younger.  While the exact cause of Autism is still unknown, genetics are a thought to be a common factor.  Autism Speaks and The National Autism Association both list genetic predisposition as a possible factor in a child developing autism.  Since we are aware that the genetic traits are present in our family for both of these developmental disorders, what can we do to help prevent these traits from coming out in our son?  I must pause here and state that most of my hypothesis in this area are just that, hypothesis.  Most of the treatment for Autism and other learning disorders are hit and miss anyway, since symptoms vary from child to child.  I’ve done quite a lot of research on both disorders, and while some times there is nothing you can do to prevent your child from developing either of them, I do believe there are a number of things that parents can do to help.  Since most children who develop autism, ADD, or ADHD never show any signs or symptoms until they are older, one must assume that something happens along the way to trigger the disorders.  Genetics aside, what I have found to be an underlying factor in these disorders are three basic things.  Overstimulation, understimulation, and lack of stability.

Overstimulation & Understimulation:

A child’s brain developes much more rapidly than an adults.  From the moment they enter the world, they are learning.  Every sound, every site, every touch, every emotional and physical feeling is teaching them more about the world.  For children with a predisposition to developemental disorders, how quickly or slowly they learn can definitely play a roll in triggering things like ADD and Autism.  Here are some steps we are taking to help our son develope at a healthy rate:

• Use age appropriate toys.  We are avoiding toys with bright lights and noise until Aidan is older.  Just basic colors, shapes and textures for our little two week old.
• Avoid spending too much time in front of the TV.  This one is a toughy but a big one.  I’m not saying don’t watch TV, but if baby is sleeping, put him in another room with a monitor.  If baby is alert, make sure he isn’t propped in front of a TV screen and keep the volume down.  The fast movement and loud noise of the TV may be too much for a developing brain.
• Read and talk to your child.  We try to use a normal voice, not baby talk.  The repetition of words, the soothing sound of our voice, and simply watching our mouth move helps our son develop proper communication skills as he grows.
• Spend time with your child.  It’s easy to let small babies simply spend the day in a crib or bassinet while you work around the house, but they might not be getting the stimulation they need for proper development.  Spend at least a couple of hours a day when baby is awake and alert playing and talking to your baby.  Spend some tummy time on the floor to help him develop his motor skills, and introduce new sites and textures to him with basic toys or items around your house like towels or cups or even the cat! (Assuming your pet is good with baby of course!)  I will touch or kiss parts of my son and say out loud what they are as I do.  “This is your nose. . . ear. . .foot. . .fingers. . . ” etc.  Keep it simple, and have fun with your baby.

Stability:

This area is a bit more vague when it comes to a childs development. I’m not talking about a schedule here, though that can play a part.  I’m talking about a sense of security and discipline.  This is slightly more prevelant for an older child than an infant, but can definitely begin at any age. Personal observation has led me to conclude that children who are diagnosed with Autism and other developmental disorders do much better when a little more stability and discipline are added into thier lives.  Things such as having set times for play or TV, setting time apart for one on one learning even when they are not at school, parents being more consistent with boundaries, all help a child with learning disabilities interact and cope better with the world around them.  So having a certain amount of stability before they start developing autistic traits could help prevent it.  Here are two basic actions you can take to help prevent or help ease symptoms of learning disorders:

• Meet your babies needs.  My son is always hungry right now.  He can some times eat every hour during the day.  This becomes very tiring for me since I’m breast feeding.  But meeting my sons basic needs teaches him to trust that mom and dad will take care of him.  Not meeting basic needs such as hunger, can trigger attachment disorders that sometimes go along with learning disabilities such as ADD and Autism.  If I need a break for a bit, I’ll supplement with a bottle of formula.  I try to avoid doing this too much, but at least his needs are still being met and I can give my body a break for a bit.  The same goes for when your child is cold, dirty, hot, in pain or simply wants attention.  It’s very time consuming to be a parent, but meeting your child’s needs on a consistent basis will help them build proper interaction with those around them.
• Say what you mean and follow through.  This is more for when your child is older.  And it can be very hard to do.  I think discipline is a touchy subject for most parents, but it plays a very important roll in a child’s development.  It affects how they treat those around them, and how they interact with the world.  I’m not going to get into such issues as spanking and time outs just yet, but I think the important thing to realize when it comes to discipline is to keep your word.  If you say they will be punished if they do something, then punish them.  If you say no to something, continue to say no, despite how they may react.  Don’t take back what you say, and stay consistent.  And don’t be afraid to deal out consequences.  I do believe there are age appropriate ways to discipline a child, but letting them get away with inappropriate behavior at any age is very detrimental to their development and can cause behavior and learning problems when their actions are finally challenged later in life.  Discipline is an important part of a child’s development and should not be avoided.  To know what is allowed and not allowed and staying consistent in those boundaries provides a sense of stability and freedom for both parents and child.

In the end, the best thing you can do to help your child develop healthy and normaly is to be a parent.  Spend time with them, and help them learn.  I do not believe you can spoil an infant, and as your child grows spending time with mom and dad will be one of their favorite past times.  You’ll build memories, and help your child develope the learning and communication skills he or she needs in life.  There is no cure for Autism, ADD, or ADHD, and some children will develop these disorders dispite what you try to do to prevent it.  But I know personally, anything I can do to help my child live a healthy normal life is worth every moment.