Autism Spectrum Disorders: Triumph over with Ayurveda and Applied Behavior Analysis (Aba)

By Ramachandran SK

Autism Spectrum Disorders:
Triumph over with Auyrveda and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
This book is intended for those who are involved as a parent or care taker in the field of Autism Spectrum Disorders. This book may be useful to the psychology students, teachers, speech and behavior trainers and above all, the parents of children affected with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Now-a-days ABA is the prime management options for children affected with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Ayurveda as add on therapy with ABA was found to very effective in bringing back autistic children to normalcy. Ayurveda may provide good results if tried earlier even without ABA. This book is not a treatment guide for Autism Spectrum Disorders but can be used to understand the way Ayurveda works to triumph over Autism.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Jun 10, 2016
• ISBN: 9781504991834

Ramachandran SK

Dr.S.K.Ramachandran.M.D, is a retired Professor of Government Ayurveda College, Thiruvananthapuram, India. He has retired from Govt. service as the medical Superintendent of Ayurveda College Hospital for Women and Children, Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram (2011) where he has carried out most of his research activities. Now he serves as the Head of Pediatric Department of S.N. Institute of Ayurvedic Studies and Research (SNIASR), Puthur, Kollam, Kerala. He took home his graduate degree in Ayurveda from University of Kerala and earned his post graduate degree from Institute of Post graduate Teaching and Research, Gujarath Ayurveda University, Jamnagar. He began his studies in various childhood problems ever since 1983. Last 20 years, he has been working on various childhood developmental problems. He has guided more than 40 theses in Pediatrics topics including Autism and Cerebral palsy. He has published numerous research papers on various subjects such as Autism, ADHD, Cerebral Palsy and Epilepsy and so on. He has served as the Secretary (2006-2011) of Welfare Association for Rehabilitation of Differently abled (WARD), a charitable trust developed by him for serving disabled children. He has worked as Editors of Journal publications like ‘Saisavam’ and ‘Glitters of Ayurveda.’ He has worked as the Executive Editor of the book Text book of Kaumarabhritya (Indian Pediatrics). Govt. of Kerala has awarded him the Best Doctor (Teacher) Award (2008) considering his entire contributions in the field of Indian Pediatrics. Presently, he is the member of Board of Studies, Kerala University of Health Sciences (KUHS).

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CONTENTS

List of Illustrations

List of Tables

Foreword

Preface

J’s tenth birthday

Autism Spectrum Disorders – An Overview

Introduction

History of Autism

Autism Spectrum Disorders – prevalence

Autism Spectrum Disorders - Causes

Autism Spectrum Disorders – Classification

Autism Spectrum Disorders – Clinical Features

ASD - Screening, diagnosis and assessment

Autism - Treatment Outline

Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention

Play Therapy

Behavior analytic treatment

ABA - Lovaas model

Speech Therapy

Holding Therapy

Music Therapy

Reiki Healing

ASD - Motor clumsiness management

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

History

Definition

BASIS OF ABA

Techniques Used In Behavior Analysis

Objectives of ABA

Discrete Trial Training (DTT)

Autism Spectrum Disorders: Ayurvedic Perspective

Health and disease - Ayurvedic view point

Ayurvedic Perspective of Mind

Concept of Trigunas

Traits of the individuals with different mental temperaments

Unmadam And Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism as per Ayurveda

Autism as Inborn Disease (Sahaja Vyadhi)

Unmadam Spectrum Disorders - Causes

Unmadam Spectrum Disorders - Clinical features

Classification of Psychiatric Disorders

Similarities of Autism Spectrum Disorders and Unmada

Patho - psychology of Autism: Ayurvedic concept

Management Of Autism Spectrum Disorders – Ayurvedic Perspective

Rational Medical Management (Yukti vyapasraya Chikitsa)

Classical Management of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Purificatory Procedures (Sodhana Therapy)

Toxicity management (Visha hara Chikitsa)

Psychotherapies (Satwavachaya Chikitsa)

Do’s and Don’ts in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Food For Autism Spectrum Disorders

Ayurvedic perspective

Wholesome and Unwholesome Diet and Regimens (Pathya and Apathya)

Special Diets for Autism Spectrum Disorders

Ayurvedic Diet advices for Autistic children

Management Of Various Clinical Problems Of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Drugs and therapies for speech and language improvement

Medication and therapies for reducing Disruptive and challenging behaviors

Sensory Integration Therapy

Prevention Of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Preconception care

Care of Pregnancy

Newborn care

Child Care

Seasonal care (Ritu charya)

Daily Routines (Dinacharya)

Ethical Regimens (Sadvritha)

Research

Frequently Asked Questions

Abbreviations

Glossary Of Terms

Bibliography

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

LIST OF TABLES

1.   The clinical features of ASD with possible dominance of doshas – Model Scoring Sheet

2.   Similarities in the features of ASD and Vatika Unmadam

3.   Similarities in the features of ASD and Paittika Unmadam

4.   Similarities in the features of ASD and Kaphaja Unmadam

5.   Most Wholesome Diet for Autistic Children

6.   Most Unwholesome Diet for Autistic Children

7.   Foods indicated and contraindicated in practically available clinical subtypes of ASD

8.   Care of Pregnancy – Do’s and Don’ts

9.   Diet and Regimens injurious to Pregnancy

FOREWORD

Ayurveda, the five thousand plus year old Indian system of medicine is gaining a lot of popularity and acceptance globally in the last two decades. Due to lack of research and publicity it was dormant for centuries. I am convinced that it can give a lot of treatment options for many medical problems at reasonable cost and with fewer side effects.

Professor (Dr) S K Ramachandran, a sought after pediatrician and a very popular post graduate teacher in Kaumarabhritya is known to me for a while. His interest in medical research needs special mention.

This book by him gives a detailed account of Autism/ASD in simple language which could be useful for the common man and doctors of all systems and post graduates students in Kaumarabhritya.

It is astonishing to know about the high incidence of this condition. One in hundred children suffers from Autism/Autism Spectrum Disorders! There could be a real increase in this condition or cases are detected early by physicians of all systems.

This book will go a long way in alerting parents in suspecting this condition in their children and seek medical care early. The guidelines of management of this condition will also help children’s specialists of all systems.

Col (Dr) S Mohan M.S

Director of Medical Services (Rtd)

Armed Forces, Sultanate of Oman

Muscat.

www.drsmohan.com

FOREWORD

I know Dr. Ramachandran, the author of this book, personally more than anyone else. Presently, I am also involved in some Autism project. That may be the reason for choosing me to foreword his book on Autism Spectrum Disorders. Both Dr. Ramachandran and I walked strikingly similar paths for more than 40 years in public and private Ayurveda colleges of the state in the Ayurvedic scenario of Kerala, the southern state of India. Both of us have started our mission in 1973 in Govt. Ayurveda College, Thiruvananthapuram and travelled together as classmates, teachers, practitioners and researchers sitting in adjacent seats. While I have struggled to mend the Obstetrics and Gynecology topic of Ayurveda, Dr. Ramachandran has put great effort on redeveloping the pediatrics division of Ayurveda, both are considered as the twin topics of the branch Kaumarabhritya, one of the eight branches of Clinical Ayurveda.

Presently, Dr. Ramachandran mends graduate students of Ayurveda as the Professor and Head of the Kaumarabhritya Department of S.N. Institute of Ayurvedic Studies and Research, Puthur, Kollam. He has dedicated the last two decades of his service for the redevelopment of Indian Pediatrics in Kerala and other parts of India. He has worked out a strategy for management of children with developmental problems who had been sidelined by the core population of the society. He has organized a number of seminars and workshops in academic institutions for the popularization of effective management techniques for such problems. He has travelled all over Kerala conducting many medical screening camps to detect children with developmental disorders such as Cerebral palsy, Mental retardation, Epilepsy, ADHD and Autism. He has guided around fifty dissertations; most of them were on developmental issues of children.

After starting a post graduate course in Kaumarabhritya (Pediatrics) in 2004, he has concentrated on the study and management of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and developed a treatment protocol in Ayurveda. He has saved many children those who behaved selfless due to Autism Spectrum Disorders. Hence, Dr. Ramachandran is the right person to write a book on Ayurvedic perspective of Autism and Ayurvedic management of the same.

While giving authentic Ayurvedic concept of Autism and its management, he is advising simultaneous use of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to provide maximum benefits to the child population affected with Autism.

The reading of this book will be beneficial to Ayurvedic practitioners, psychology students, researchers, caretakers and parents of Autistic children all over the globe. This book will be a boon for Autistic children and brings new hope to their parents who have tried and failed every other source of management to bring back them to normalcy.

I strongly recommend having a copy of this book for those who are engaged in the study, practice and research of Autism Spectrum Disorders. You will reap rich rewards if you are following the Ayurvedic way of Autism management demonstrated in this book. I, with immense pleasure, present this book before the international community to take in the merits.

Dr. A. Nalinakshan. M.D (Ay)

Pro Vice Chancellor,

Kerala University of Health Sciences (KUHS)

Thrissur, Kerala, India.

PREFACE

T he purpose of this book is to outline Autism Spectrum Disorders and its management options to date and to bring into notice of the international society about the utility of Ayurvedic Drugs and Procedures in conquering Autism.

There has been an increase in the reported prevalence and incidence of Autism Spectrum Disorders for the last two decades. The label given to these disorders has also changed (Infantile Autism, Autistic disorder, Autism spectrum disorder etc) overtime. Though the causes of ASD are still controversial, the genetic susceptibility and the environmental trigger factors are considered as the most possible ones. Environmental toxicity is found to be a major provoking factor in many neuro developmental disorders including Autism. Since medical management was fruitless in these conditions every other therapy has been tried to obtain a satisfactory relief for the affected population. Different therapy available such as Cognitive behavior therapy, Play therapy, Speech therapy, Holding therapy, Music therapy, Reiki treatment etc have been tried for longer periods to obtain substantial improvement in these children. Many children have to be followed up to whole part of their life to live a meaningful life. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and the Discrete Trial Training (DTT) method is the latest among these series of therapies that was found more successful. And by passage of time, the design and method of these therapies for Autistic will change.

Ayurveda, the alternative medical system of India, has been trying to find a medical solution for children affected with Autism for the last two decades. According to Ayurveda, Autism Spectrum Disorders comes under the heading of Unmadam spectrum of Disorders (Psychiatric Disorders). Ayurveda explains the causes of each and every disease into two fold such as genetic and environmental factors and Autism is not an exception. The individual with Autistic trait interacts differently with environment and produces varied toxicity and losses control over body and mind. This toxicity in Autism can be reversed or eliminated with selected drugs and planned purification procedures of Ayurveda. These treatment modalities coupled with curative diet and regimens can bring back the affected child to normalcy. An Ayurveda dominant pre conception care and life style of marrying partners, a pre, post and neonatal care of pregnant woman, fetus and newborn as well as prescribed daily routines, seasonal care and ethical regimens shall pave way for preventing and eliminating Autism Spectrum Disorders and the like from the society.

Abnormal, undesired and challenging behaviors are the major problems of an older Autistic child or adult. Ayurveda treatment doesn’t bring change in the accustomed behaviors during the initial stages of treatment. Hence a behavior modification therapy becomes mandatory at the beginning stages of Ayurveda treatment. At present, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is fit for that slot.

This book brings out the utility of Ayurveda and ABA in the management of Autism Spectrum Disorders and the like to the notice of the international society.

J’S TENTH BIRTHDAY

T oday is the tenth birth day of J.

I remember the third birth day of J, my daughter when her father, I and just 3 month old younger brother were living together in an apartment in U.S, and things were not going very well for J. She was showing some delay in speech and language development. Her vocabulary hardly increased more than ten words and used them very rarely. She was crying more than children of same age to satisfy her basic needs. She was using neither gestures nor head shakes. J was not shy, but would avoid friends and relatives who frequently visit home. She may go behind the curtains or some furniture in the corner of the house. She maintained no eye contact. She didn’t seem to be aware of her surroundings. On the day of the third birth day she spoiled the occasion with incessant crying, tantrums and turning away from any type of participation.

Today is J’s tenth birthday. We are very happy today for we are celebrating J’s birthday after a period of seven years. We were hardly able to commemorate J’s six birthdays due to either involvement in the recovery process of the problem haunted her or disturbed peace of mind brought into our lives. Today we have decorated our home with bunch of hydrogen balloons and glittering paper ribbons all over the hall hanging from and sticking on the roof and walls. The hall is decorated with glittering, twinkling lights. The fragrance of the jasmine garlands wore by me and J filled over the hall. I can hear the flute dominated sound of classical music flowing in the background.

The smell of jasmine and the eye catching sight of the decorations all over the hall brought memories again of J’s third birth day. Till then she was gentle and quiet who always sat alone in some corner of the house adding over and over the dark violet beads selecting from a heap of beads of different colors to the string of her necklace. But on her third birthday J was quite different. J spilled over with a fit of bad temper as soon as the candles over the birthday cake were lighted. She had thrown away the necklace down with fury. Soon after the turmoil J has created before the specially invited guests, friends and relatives we have decided to take her to a pediatrician. The pediatrician had a brief interview with us and advised