Psyche-Smart autism http://goo.gl/OtkP5

Getting there: Psyche-Smart Autism Book is about to be published. Sixteen years of blood, sweat and tears are finally about to materialize into something hopefully can help many struggling families. You may find out more
here: http://goo.gl/OtkP5
or here: http://goo.gl/N8RUg

Book highlights and learning objectives:

 from a highly sensitive doctor on a journey of self-discovery, unlock autism secrets:
 A reachable goal: autistic, communicative, consistent, congenial, happy & thriving… all in one person!
 Practical easy-to-perform screening tool for autism as early as 2 months of age and throughout life
 When and how autistic children/adults thrive
 How to delay the appearance of autism – learn the triggers you need to avoid and the behaviors you need to adopt
 Substantial emotional relief to struggling parents: why autistics behave the way they do
 A paradigm shift in parent-child relationship from caregiver for a sick child to proud parent of a quirky child who constantly craves learning!
 Step-by-step integrated approach, including unique behavioral tools necessary to raise autistic children from pregnancy to well-adjusted, social adults
 Step-by-step approach to medical and nutritional care for autistic children & adults
 Comprehensive practical advice on social and interpersonal issues management from puberty to old age
 Revealing insights on ADHD & PTSD

Rami Serhan, MD
http://sovereignresearch.org
http://sovereignresearch.org/psychesmartautismtm
https://autismtm.com

Cannabis edibles in autism: could it help tamp down the threat

Cannabis edibles in autism: could it help tamp down the threat

As you might know I had promised not to comment on lay journal articles about autism. It has obviously been overdone and I would not be adding much by doing that. However, a news article about a mother who used marijuana to improve her autistic son's sociability and other interactive traits caught my eye. Of course anyone who has used pot can tell you that it relaxes, mallows and removes the edge.

This is apparently due to cannabis ability to tamp down the activity of the stress system. This system is particularly overactive in autistics and gives them an overinflatedsense of fear. Fear in turn leads to withdrawal. So what we have here is a highly protective sense of self-preservation. This is manifested through fear of engaging with strangers, fear of adventure and so many other forms of fear that can be crippling to many.

Cannabis or pot can temporarily ease the grip of this inhibitory process to allow an autistic person to be more outwardly. This is obviously not a treatment or a cure but who needs to be cured of who they are anyway. This is however a way to let autistics get over a crisis in which they find themselves overly introspective, more than their usual self.

Rami Serhan, MD
consultant@sovereignresearch.org
http://sovereignresearch.org/psychesmartautismtm

Another closeted autistic changes the world: Shy U.S. Intellectual Created Playbook Used in a Revolution NYT

Another closeted autistic changes the world: Shy U.S. Intellectual Created Playbook Used in a Revolution NYTimes

This is a truly heart warming story. An 83 yo Bostonian who has never married, lives a modest existence, is unfamiliar with technology, cannot drive a car, his house is overflowing with books and papers and not much else and his assistant believes that he is incapable of taking care of himself; wrote a manual that has been used to topple dictatorships in at least 7 countries so far. The last of these dictatorships were Egypt and Tunisia.

The man has a history in non-violent struggle. He was an activist against the korean war and went to jail over his convictions. Over the years he has written a lot about toppling dictatorships through non-violent means. One of his manuals is widely used worldwide for this purpose. Not many people in his own country have heard of this remarkable man what with our constant need for war since Andrew Jackson wrote the book on perpetrating violence and getting away with it.

You can identify the traits of an adult autistic just by reading the observations of a journalist. Obviously he is a highly functioning autistic, an expectation we cannot fairly place on every autistic kid. While all autistics share some common defining personality characters, some are more functioning than others and some are more highly intellectual than others. Yet each and everyone of them has a unique talent that a smart and loving parent can and should work on helping their child find it and nourish it.

This great man I am referring to in this article, is described as shy. As you know shy is the code word neurotypicals use to describe someone whom they consider socially inept. This is fine as long as they stick around long enough to realize that while they are cheering on all sorts of violent inclinations and blood thirst, there is someone out there who single-handedly is overturning these inclinations and re-educating generations on tolerance, non-violence and attainment of rights through peaceful means.

Like I always tell my clients, walking away from a violent or explosive situation is not cowardes. Not the least bit. It is only being true to who you are and what you are, a non-violent, civilized person. Walking away from violence does not mean one is giving up her rights and it does not mean you are a pacifist either. It only means one is choosing to take their rights through peaceful means. This can include litigation or sabotage or any of a wide range of tools that gene sharp (the hero of this piece) describes aptly in his books. He says, identify a dictator's weaknesses and exploit them. If you use violence then you are playing to the dictator's strength and you will be defeated. Think for a moment, if you replace the word dictator by the word bully in the previous sentence you got yourself a recipe for your child who is inevitably going to face bullies in school and lat in adulthood too.


Rami Serhan, MD
consultant@sovereignresearch.org
http://sovereignresearch.org/psychesmartautismtm

Ahhhh ACCEPTANCE, Autistic Reporter depicted in a humorous non-condescending manner by the onion new network

Ahhhh ACCEPTANCE, Autistic Reporter depicted in a humorous non-condescending manner by the onion new network

<iframe frameborder="no" width="480" height="270" scrolling="no" src="http://www.theonion.com/video_embed/?id=18983"><iframe>
Autistic Reporter Covers Gathering Of Crying People


Rami Serhan, MD
consultant@sovereignresearch.org
http://sovereignresearch.org/psychesmartautismtm

Progress in Autism: Self awareness and regulation, a worthy challenge

Progress in Autism: Self awareness and regulation, a worthy challenge

A new study out of Stanford has compiled available evidence to try and map the brain circuits impending a full fledged state of self awareness in autism. The study points to the prefrontal cortex as the seat of self awareness or lack thereof. This is not surprising given the inordinate amount of funds going toward deciphering this particular part of the brain.

This is not saying that the prefrontal cortex is not involved. To the contrary, I am only pointing to the overly narrowed focus on specific area of the brain at the expense of other equally important areas such as the midbrain limbic system, nucleus accumbens abd others.

Having said that let us go back to a more practical approach to self awareness. Autistics, asperger's and highly sensitive individuals are not lacking in self awareness per se. However in social situations they appear to be. In private, when alone however most people on the spectrum are completely self aware and present. It is in the company of others, in the context of interpersonal interaction that the self awareness mechanism seems to fail, and fail it does, often miserably.

As many adults on the spectrum can tell you, they are mostly self aware in private unless they are in sensory overload (immediately following social exposure). And therefore the pattern emerges, self awareness dissolves when an autistic is confronted with a demanding or novel social situation and is promptly reconstituted once that social situation and it's aftermath resolve.

This leads me to pay attention to a functional system in the brain, which many are calling the behavioral inhibitory system. This system is present in every living human being for the purpose of self preservation. This is the system that prevents us from jumping in front of a speeding bus or touch a naked electric wire. In short the purpose of the inhibitory behavior is to prevent self harm. This system is highly responsive to danger. Once a dangerous situation is discovered objectively or even just perceived, the inhibitory system kicks in and exercises restraint over our activities and behavior to ensure preservation of the person's life, and prevention of injury.
For individuals on the spectrum, this inhibitory mechanism is so powerful, it operates on the least possible trigger. This is why autistics are famously aware of impending danger and possible threats well before any neurotypical person is. Autistics are not only aware of danger in advance but are also aware of milder degrees of danger that neuroptypicals may never have considered significant.

Among the dangers that an overactive inhibitory mechanism considers is the presence of strangers or being in a social situation where an autistic has no way of assessing the intentions of the crowd.

So to reframe that problem of self awareness. There is NO global or persistent problem for individuals on the spectrum to see themselves and control their own behavior. On the other hand there is a differential and circumstantial self awareness problem where seeing one self and controlling one's behavior is sacrificed in favor of perceived self preservation drive in the context of a threat. The threat being anything from a loud noise to being present in demanding social situation and so on...

From a pattern and a recharacterization of the problem, we move to our natural hierarchy, self preservation trumps social composure and posturing. Therefore when self preservation is threatened, self awareness and appropriateness go out the window in favor of preventing self harm.this is the natural order and it is present in all people, autistic and neurotypical alike. It is just way more tilted in favor of self preservation in autistics. It is also well tilted in favor of social composure and interactivity in neurotypicals.

Let us move on to practical solutions based in the natural hierarchy of human priorities. You simply cannot ask a person on the spectrum to maintain self awareness and self control when this person is perceiving a threat to her existence. I am mindful most care givers will say but there is no threat that we can sense. Yet, this is the difference between you and the autistic person you care for. While you see opportunity and excitement in meeting people and being in a crowd, the autistic to your side is seeing threat and danger from the same environment. It is a perceived threat, but it is as real as it gets to a person on the spectrum.

Being mindful of and validating perceived threats that autistics feel is the first step. The second step is measured and very very step wise exposure to anything that seems to trigger this threat sensation. Then comes trying to dismantle the components of the threat. Of course engaging by example on the side of the care giver can be very helpful. Yet, more helpful would be to guide an autistic person through what you think makes this situation safe. Pointing out a multitude of smiling faces or peaceful expressionless faces as a sign of safety can be easily done. Pointing out that you know everyone around is also helpful. And so on and so forth as a care giver you have to breakdown the environment and point out all the favorable components in it to put an autistic person at ease. And always remember, no matter what you do, never ever invalidate a feeling of perceived threat as "just in your head" or "just anxiety that requires some meds". Such comments cause the autistic person to further lose self control and possibly become agitated in indignity.

The above are practical solutions but the ultimate solution is to create a situation where the person on the spectrum is the center of attention. This is the ultimate way by which autistics gain full self control and the only way by which honest Abe was able to lead a divided nation out of the civil war and preserve the union.

Rami Serhan, MD
consultant@sovereignresearch.org
http://sovereignresearch.org/psychesmartautismtm

STRANGITIS: What if autistics were in charge of healthcare, a short video

STRANGITIS: What if autistics were in charge of healthcare, a short video
An onion style encounter between an autistic psychiatrist and a neurotypical patient set in an imaginary world where autistics decide health policy and societal norms

Rami Serhan, MD
http://sovereignresearch.org
http://sovereignresearch.org/psychesmartautismtm
https://autismtm.com

Recent Tufts study shows autistics experience allergies at 10 times the rate in neurotypical children

Recent Tufts study shows autistics experience allergies at 10 times the rate in neurotypical children
What is this about: this study finds autistic children have 10 times the chance to develop allergic symptoms compared to neurotypical children.
Why is this important: allergies are important because they cause inflammation and increase permeability (leakiness across the gut, blood vessels and so forth).
How is this a problem: inflammation is a problem since it overly activates a child's defenses and makes it easier to go into overload. Going into overload leads to isolation, disinclination to engage with others, temper flares... Increased permeability or leakiness is a problem because this allows toxins, debris and unsanctioned chemicals normally filtered out in the gut or blood to cross into the rest of the body and create an emergency. This emergency is manifested by further inflammation, activation of defenses and eventual overload.
What Can a parent do about it:
first be aware of foods that seem to upset your child. This could be anything. Wheat and grains are commonly the problem but many other foods may be allergic triggers too. For example, cow milk, hen eggs, soy, and sometimes even some vegetables could do it.
Second, recognize the difference between raw wholesome uncontaminated food and between processed chemically laden food. While everyone else may eat at fast food parlors, enjoying a burger or a pizza without visible consequences; one has to be especially cautious in th case of autism and asperger's. Children on the spectrum may not tolerate the chemicals in canned soup or processed candy or a commercial pizza as well as a neurotypical child can. Sensitive kids are also sensitive to environmental chemicals and food industry chemicals (preservatives, starches, food coloring...).
Third: symptoms resulting from food intolerance are typically an upset stomach, skin breakouts, ear infections, diarrhea or constipation. However sypmtoms can be a lot more subtle than that. Things like malaise, the child just looking off, or short tempered or experiencing a headache can be evidence enough of a food related problem. Once one makes the observation of which foods seem to be tolerable and which seem to cause problems, one can devise a diet that is free of these foods. This is not as easy as it sounds because you would have to include the right balance between fat, protein and carbohydrates. Additionally, one has to account for vitamins and rare minerals which are only available in certain food categories and not in others. A parent may be able to do this themselves but are strongly urged to seek the help of a healthcare provider, an enlightened doctor or nutritionist to help along. A provider can do a variety of testing to verify and confirm your child's food intolerances. An enlightened doctor can also help in keeping your child's diet balanced while avoiding the offending foods.
Are there any objective tests for related problems? Of course. There are two main types of food testing. IgG based food allergy panels are widely available and usually test for dozens of possible offending foods. On the other hand, IgA based food intolerance panels can test for major foods (staple foods). There is room for both types of testing in helping your child. However you would have to go to a holistic/integrative healthcare provider for this purpose. Mainstream doctors only do rudimentary and often insufficient food allergy testing. Besides most mainstream doctors lack training in nutritional help.

Please note that I am not including any specific recommendations for providers or laboratories in this piece. However if you are interested please email me for more specific guidance.
Rami Serhan, MD
http://sovereignresearch.org
consultant@sovereignresearch.org
http://sovereignresearch.org/psychesmartautismtm
https://autismtm.com

STRANGITIS: what if autistics were in charge of healthcare, a short youtube video

STRANGITIS: what if autistics were in charge of healthcare, a short youtube video

An onion style encounter between an autistic psychiatrist and a neurotypical patient set in an imaginary world where autistics decide health policy and societal norms

Rami Serhan, MD
http://sovereignresearch.org
http://sovereignresearch.org/psychesmartautismtm
https://autismtm.com

STRANGITIS: What if autistics were in charge of healthcare, a short youtube video

STRANGITIS: What if autistics were in charge of healthcare, a short youtube video
An onion style encounter between an autistic psychiatrist and a neurotypical patient set in an imaginary world where autistics decide health policy and societal norms

Rami Serhan, MD
http://sovereignresearch.org
http://sovereignresearch.org/psychesmartautismtm
https://autismtm.com