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Yoga for Children with Special Needs Yoga is good for the body and the mind. This UVa Children's Hospital program adapts traditional yoga teachings to meet the special needs of children with disabilities. The approach is non-competitive and provides a foundation for building trust, self-confidence and a life-long form of exercise. Instructor: Ruth Goldeen, Occupational Therapist Assisted By: Pediatric Physical Therapy Ages 5 and above (parents, siblings and friends are welcome) Next Program: January 15th to February 19th, 2008 $50 for 5 weeks - Scholarships available upon request. UVa Children's Hospital - Kluge Children’s Rehabilitation Center, 2270 Ivy Rd. Charlottesville Parking available on either side of KCRC. Classes held in the Outpatient Atrium on Ground floor near the main entrance. For information call Ruth Goldeen at (434) 243-6869 or email her at rag2a@virginia.edu Secretin Therapy for Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) Several hundred children have received secretin injections for the treatment of autism and/or pervasive developmental disorder. In the only published study of this treatment, three children with autism were given an injection of secretin. In all three cases, within one week of receiving the injection, the authors noticed less diarrhea, improvement in expressive language and less echolalia, improved eye contact, and improved peer relationships. The authors propose a link between the gastrointestinal disorders observed in many children with autism and their brain dysfunction (Horvath K, Stefanatos G, Sokolski KN, Wachtel R, Nabors L, and Tildon JT. "Improved social and language skills after secretin administration in patients with autistic spectrum disorders." Journal of the Association for Academic Minority Physicians 1998; 9:9-15.). Secretin is a small protein hormone produced in the small intestine. Secretin helps to control digestive function by increasing the amount of water and bicarbonate secreted by the pancreas. The secretin used for injection is prepared from the duodenum of pigs, although a synthetic human version may soon be available. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of a single injection of pig secretin to help diagnose certain gastrointestinal problems in adults. A single injection of pig secretin is generally considered to be safe however there is no information regarding the safety of repeated doses over time, and there is no information regarding its safety in children. No double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of secretin treatment in autism have yet been published and no optimum dosage or recommended frequency of infusion in the treatment of autism have been determined at this time. Like all drugs, there is the possibility of secretin injections being associated with unexpected or unanticipated side effects. Because of concerns of potential liability, the manufacturer of secretin has withdrawn secretin from the market. There is currently an application pending at the FDA for a synthetic version of secretion however it is unclear if and when it will be available. For more information, you might want to visit the following web site:
Biopterine Deficiency in Children with Cerebral Palsy Only a small number of children with cerebral palsy have a form of biopterine deficiency. Dr. Richard Stevenson, the medical director of the Cerebral Palsy Clinic at the Kluge Children's Rehabilitation Center has met multiple times with Dr. Trugman to discuss how to identify such children. Children with cerebral palsy likely to have biopterine deficiency:
Dystonia is stiffness that changes markedly with the time of day and with the child's state of excitement. The stiffness of dystonia seems to "build up" in children as they become more alert or excited or as they try to do something. Dystonia goes away completely when the child is asleep. Most children with cerebral palsy do not have dystonia but have a type of stiffness called spasticity. While spasticity may vary during the course of the day, it is always present, even during sleep. Children with the characteristics listed above should be seen by their physician to discuss the possibility of a biopterine deficiency. A trial of medication may be warranted to see if their dystonia improves. Children who seem to improve on medication probably need further testing to see if they have biopterine deficiency. Children with a known cause for their cerebral palsy (e.g. asphyxia or intraventricular hemorrhage), or children with abnormal findings on brain imaging (CT or MRI) do not need further assessment.
Hyperbaric Oxygen for the Treatment of Cerebral Palsy With hyperbaric oxygen therapy, a person is placed in a pressurized chamber filled with 100% oxygen. In theory, this treatment increases the amount of oxygen delivered to tissues and the extra oxygen may promote or speed healing of damaged tissues and improve the body's ability to kill germs. There is good evidence that hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases the rate that wounds and burns heal. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is also helpful in treating carbon monoxide poisoning and decompression sickness associated with deep-sea diving (the "bends"). While there have been a number of unconfirmed reports of children with cerebral palsy experiencing significant improvements with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, there have been no scientific studies performed suggesting that hyperbaric oxygen therapy is of significant benefit for children with cerebral palsy. |
