by Mary Ann Harrington

Created on: January 21, 2009   Last Updated: January 22, 2009

While working in two urban school districts teaching students diagnosed with severe autism, I realized these children need more than educational programming. They need a therapeutic environment. Staffers need to have the knowledge and the resources not just to teach skills but also to actually improve neurological function. Movement, Auditory and visual processes, and sensory disturbances affect theability to attend and learn. Most teachers were not adequately trained to deal with these complex neurological and central nervous system differences. Staffers who lack appropriate training often confuse these difficulties with cognitive or social dysfunction.

Creation of therapeutic and effective environments, demands staff education, collaboration between disciplinarians and change of criteria and delivery models. Experts in the fields of speech, occupational, physical, and vision therapy must work with teachers and parents to create a program specific for severe autism.

Selected personnel, appropriately licensed and motivated, could be sent to alternative healing training sessions. Therapeutic listening,auditory integration training, biofeedback, interactive metronomes, binaural beats or other rhythmic entrainment programs, sacral cranial, massage,reiki, aromatherapy, yoga, meditation, exercises that cross the midline, acupressure, reflexology and hypnotherapy might be considered.Most parents I worked with had limited outside resources to address the complex issues related to thedisability of their child. Many were on Title 19, which many therapists were unwilling to accept.

Districts could enlist someone from the ASA to serve as an information source for parents concerning diet, enzymes, supplements, chelating procedures, and other myriad other options out there.

Development of supportive environments would help to insure maximum use of resources in urban districts struggling with budget issues. Programs should be placed at sites that can best meet sensory and motor needs. Schools ideally should have:

" Quiet classrooms with natural light and adequate space for sensory equipment." Pools and playground equipment that provided for vestibular input " Proximity to a variety of parks and nature walks " Close access to community facilities allowing for cost-effective and flexible community based programs.

Administrators need to arrange time for teachers, assistants, and parents to consult with the team and implement and refine strategies for continued optimum growth of each

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