Generation Rescue - a non-profit organization leading an international movement of scientists, parents, and physicians researching the causes and treatments for autism, ADHD, and chronic illness.
I’ve had the opportunity to work with Generation Rescue in teaching Autistic children yoga. I was pleased to see that the Phresh Kids Mats were beneficial in teaching movement therapy to children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, and I am thankful to Jenny McCarthy for being my first introduction to the concept of “reversal” of autism, and for allowing me to work with her son.
The symbols on the mats provide concrete images, assisting autistic children with visual focus and learning. By consistently reminding children to place body parts on specific symbols, they are able to locate proper symbols and perform the movements independently, although response time varies, depending on the severity of the condition.
Autism affects information processing by disrupting how neurons interact with each other. I’ve discovered poses such as child’s pose, also known in Phresh Kid’s terms as Lazy Lion, as well as the sitting or reclining spinal twists otherwise known as the Phresh Kid’s Cinnamon Twist, work well to help calm the nervous system and optimize neural pathways. Core strengthening movements such as Table Top and simple Pilates-type movements produce similar results. I believe yoga is great therapy for autistic children, promoting increased memory and articulation; by calming the nervous system, the child accesses a natural ability to open up and express him or herself. Finding ways to speak can be a great relief to children with autism where language skills are most often affected. I’ve seen frustrations dissipate with the articulation of an emotion whether through words or movement. It is my belief that yoga assists children on the autistic spectrum to have a voice in the world.
After working with autistic children and investigating the idea that “Autism is preventable and reversible,” I believe that there may be plausible preventative measures to lower the incidence of autism, such as spreading out vaccinations over time to lower toxicity levels and making Mercury-free vaccinations universal. I don’t believe eliminating vaccinations entirely is the key, as they’ve played an imperative role in eradicating a number of devastating diseases, i.e. polio and smallpox. I also have witnessed amazing recoveries in several children diagnosed with autism whose mothers have followed biomedical approaches to relieve their children’s symptoms. The mothers have worked to detox their children through a variety of strict dietary measurements such as sugar-free, gluten-free, casein-free, and by adding supplements such as digestive enzymes, probiotics, omega 3s, vitamins and minerals, and by incorporating such physical activities as yoga therapy and core strengthening.
I would highly recommend reading “Healing and Preventing Autism” by Jenny McCarthy and Jerry Kartzinel M.D. It is a complete guide to understanding the roles of toxins, allergies, yeast, food sensitivities, diet, supplements, behavioral responses, detox, immunity, doctor’s roles, mother’s roles, and recovery. It’s a great resource for integrative nutrition and alternative health practices for reversing autism.
http://www.generationrescue.org/
