MB 12 Injections - A treatment option for Autism Spectrum Disorders

   I have been driven by the "many children with whom I spend half of my day" to take out time to write whatever little I know about MB 12 Injections. 

   Current upcoming biomedical research now explains Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) as a plausible ecological and gastrointestinal disorder in genetically vulnerable children. MB 12 or Methyl- B12 or Methylcobalamin, is essentially a family of vital vitamins that detox our bodies from excess Sulphur.
Children with ASD have a defect in an enzyme that is needed to complete this process of detoxification.
Hence supplements of this vitamin help in improving these chemical processes in the body and surprisingly (indirectly) result in -

• improved speech
• language expression
• socialization ( improved eye contact)
• emotional control
• personal awareness
• mental processing
• overall health

These injections should be continued along with the regular interventions of Speech/Language Therapy, OT and Special Education.

The success stories are many! There are plenty of studies reported in the West  that prove the benefits of MB 12 injections.Though we lack sufficient controlled data in the Indian context to prove the 'quantity and quality' of improvement but still this surely looks like a promising treatment option for children with ASD. 

These injections are initially given for 3-6 months to see any discernible changes and continued later if found favourible.

Side effects include - hyperactivity and sleep disturbances, but these mellow down with time.

They are easy to administer at home. ( given subcutaneously) . Currently these injections are procured from USA.

Many of my ASD kids are taking the MB 12 injections and are showing good progress in my sessions, in school and at home :)

Find more info here - http://www.drneubrander.com/index.php

The world of iPad apps

I bought my iPad a few months back and have started using it extensively as a speech therapy tool.. Every time I use an app with the kiddies, I am left amazed at how technology can do miracles! There are plenty of apps that can be downloaded to target specific areas of speech, language, & communication.Following are some apps that can be used with children on the Autism Spectrum.


1. Kindergarten.com - Flashcards that help in building language. Find :- actions, vehicles, rhyming words, healthy habits, functions, foods, emotions, science, shapes, clothing, pretend play, zoo animals, sports, vegetables,musical instruments, places, problem solving, receptive identification.

2. iTouchiLearn - Word games, matching games, puzzles, sight reading etc. 

3. Tap to Talk - Helps in improving communication.

4. Who am I ? - Animal guessing game. Clues provided.

5. Animal Fun -  Fun way to learn the animal names and what sounds they make.

6. I take turns - Helps in teaching the concept of turn taking.

7. 123dominos - Learn numbers, colours , shapes etc.

8. Learn to talk - Helps in teaching to talk using natural progression.

9.Conversation Builder - Allows children to chose the response. Has a  Recording feature

10. First-then-visual-schedule - Great app to build visual schedules for better learning.

11. Reward Chart - Beautiful way of keeping your child motivated to do better!

These apps are available in iPhone and iPod versions too. Some of them are free. Download them now from itunes  and get started!

Read this article to know how the delicious Apple world of iPad apps changed the life of this Autistic boy..Click here!

Social Stories

What is it - A social story breaks down a task or a social activity into small simple steps.
What is needed - Accompanying pictures that outline the steps.
Who needs it- First developed for use with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders).This approach has also been successful with children, adolescents, and adults with ASD and other social and communication delays and differences as well as individuals developing normally.


I use social stories with children to help them understand socially appropriate manners and concepts in different situations.Here are some examples. (feel free to copy and use these pictures)

Click here to find a treasure of some amazing social stories.

--From the horse's mouth--

Structures and Routines

Structure, structure and only structure works best for your little one. I have a 4 month old baby and even she has a daily routine, out of which she starts getting cranky and irritable.
Especially for children on the Autism spectrum, a crystal clear structure and routine is a must. You can start with something as basic as a morning routine or a bedtime routine. Here are some sequencing cards that you can use with your child. You could put a piece of velcro on these (laminated) cards and keep an envelope next to them. These cards have been made using clipart and Boardmaker pictures. You can Google images or even click your child's pictures doing these tasks. Rewards and treats work superbly to kick in the initial liking to complete the tasks with pictures.Keep expecting more out of your kids and let them surprise you!

                                                       MORNING ROUTINE

                                                        BEDTIME ROUTINE

Eye contact and how to improve it!

Eye contact is the deepest way to form successful relationships and have better social interactions. Eye contact should be established not only when the child wants something from you, but also when she wishes to interact and connect! Always greet your child with a smile and a warm countenance when she makes eye contact with you.This way kids feel loved and cared for! The more your children look at you, the more they will learn, the more they will learn about the world of people, and how people communicate, about facial expressions, about the other subtleties of communication.

Children on the Autism spectrum have challenges looking at people. The more we encourage children to look the more likely they will have successful relationships with their peers.

To improve your little one's eye contact-

• Always position yourself in front of your child so that she can look at you.
• Be at eye level or a little below. Be at least 2 feet away from them.
• 
  
  
  While offering any object/toy.food/book etc to your child keep it in front of your face so that she can look at you.
• Reward your child when she looks at you. Use different tones of voice to celebrate the moment.. You can sing/whisper/ do a little dance or happily denote that the child looked at you!

You can-

• Play with stickers and bindis. Stick them on your face near your eyes. Choose different flashy ones, different sizes and colors. You can include your child's favorite sticker too!
• Incorporate different styles of hats, so that the child looks at your face. You can narrate stories to mimic different people wearing different hats. Use lots of tonal variations in your voice while doing this activity.
• You can cut out different head gears, that make your face look different..e.g. - different hair styles cut out in cardboard etc
• Use wigs! They work wonders..Pink, Orange, yellow, green..pull them all out!
• Candles have been my all time favorite.. They also encourage children to learn blowing ( very important oral motor skill for speech development) and also teach children cause and effect relationships.
• Peekaboo! yes get naughty and playful with your child.You can use curtains, pillows, dupattas or anything that helps you get your child look at you. You must talk to the kid while playing this old age game.
• Face/Eye masks also work well. You can get your child's favourite cartoon character mask and play!
• Bubbles - I personally have found this to be "the wonder tool " for kids who have poor eye to object contact. They get so fascinated by the floating, popping  bubbles..Blow one at a time.. and watch your child enjoy!

 Don't forget to respond back positively when your child makes eye contact with you.. She will surely do it again!