Category: Blog Posts

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 1 in 88 children are on the autism spectrum. Because of this staggering statistic, there has been a major push to provide awareness throughout the community. In response to this growing awareness, the travel industry is taking note. 

Traveling with an autistic child can be overwhelming to both child and parent. In order to ease the stress of traveling, certain airports in the country are providing “mock boarding” experiences. This free program offers a trial run of what it is like to buy tickets, go through security, and buckling up on a plane that never takes off. Washington Dulles International Airport as well as Atlanta, Boston, Bridgeport, Manchester, Philadelphia, and Newark have offered this special program.  

TSA also provides a hotline – TSA Cares (1-855) 787-2227. Call 72 hours before your flight to let them know that you are in need of assistance. Try requesting use of the handicap line. Also, alert your airline. Keep in mind that not everyone will be compassionate to your situation. While awareness is growing, there are still many who do not understand. Do you best to be prepared, but realize there is only so much you can control. 

For more information and travel tips, I recommend reading The New York Times Article – Testing Autism and Air Travel. You may also be interested in my soon-to-be-released book,

 “Out of Mind – Out of Sight: Parenting with a Partner with Asperger Syndrome,” click here to download a sample chapter. 

As a convenience for visitors on my website, I have a feature called “Recommended Links.” I have compiled links that I recommend for additional information outside of what I provide for my clients. ADHD, Asperger Syndrome, Depression & Anxiety, and Alcohol & Drug Abuse are all topics that I have included. 
  

I have added a new topic in Recommended Links – Smartphone Apps. I recently blogged about Smartphone Apps being used as supplemental psychotherapy. I do not recommend that these Apps replace psychotherapy, but I believe they can be used in addition to psychotherapy. I will be adding Apps to this area of my website. Please check periodically for new additions.  
  

If you have found any Apps to be effective mental health tools, please contact me or add a comment. 

What makes fish oil unique? Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids which is also found in the brain. Research shows fish oil can have a powerful affect on the brain especially after brain trauma. 

 

What are some of the benefits of fish oil? According to Dr. Nicolas Bazan, director of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence at LSU Health in New Orleans, “We have strong data that suggest omega-3 will activate good proteins to cope with brain damage and turn off proteins that cause neuroinflammation,”

 

The article, Fish Oil Helped Save our Son, contains an amazing story of 17 year old Bobby, who was in a coma after a tragic car accident and had experienced severe brain trauma. The doctors administered large amounts of fish oil and two weeks after the treatment, he came out of the coma. His recovery has been slow, but steady and his doctors and parents attribute his recovery to fish oil. Dr. Michael Lewis, founder of the Brain Health Education and Research Institute, commented by saying, “In my opinion, and this is pure speculation, he never would have come out of a coma if it hadn’t been for the use of omega-3s to allow that natural healing process to occur. In the end, the brain has to heal itself. There are no magic cures for brain injury.”

 

I look forward to hearing more about the healing power of fish oil. Talk to your doctor about how to effectively add fish oil into your life. 

Change is a natural part of life. Nothing ever stays the same. Getting married, getting divorced, moving, kids graduating, getting promoted, getting laid off, retiring – the list of life changes goes on and on. For some individuals, adjusting to change comes easily, but for others it can cause an inordinate amount of stress. 

 

How can you effectively adjust to change? Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you find that you are not able to move with the change in your life, you might be dealing with Adjustment Disorder. This is a short-term disorder that occurs after a major change. The individual is unable to cope with that change. If this sounds like you, seek out the help of amental health care professional. They will be able to guide you through this adjustment process. 

 

For more information, visit Depression and Stress. 

Autism is a mystery that’s slowly being uncovered by the tireless work of researchers around the globe. Current research is zeroing in on whether genetics plays a role in autism and how genes impact the brain. 

 

Researchers at UCLA have focused their attention on a genetic mutation in the MET receptor tyrosine kinase gene that has proven to cause susceptibility to Autism. According to an article in UCLA’s newsroom here is what they found:

 

“For the first time, the researchers showed that the so-called “C” variant, which reduces MET protein expression, specifically impacts the network of connections among different areas of the brain involved in social behavior, including recognizing emotions shown on people’s faces. While this gene variation is commonly found in the brains of both health individuals and those with ASD, the study showed that the gene has a bigger impact on brain connectivity in children with ASD. 

 

Their findings provide new insight into understanding ASD heterogeneity — the considerable individual differences in how ASD symptoms present — which has challenged the field in developing more effective diagnostic tools and biologically based interventions for all affected children. Eventually, genetic information may be useful in identifying subgroups of individuals with ASD who may better respond to different types of treatment.”

 

The more information scientists uncover, the easier it will be to find the right kind of treatment for ASD. For more information on a high functioning form of ASD – visit Asperger Syndrome Frequently Asked Questions.

 

Millions around the globe use a smartphone. Smartphones offer a variety of applications, but there is a new wave of apps that caught my attention – apps to help with mental illness. CNN.com posted an article – Smartphone Apps Become ‘Surrogate Therapist’ – which spoke about this supplemental psychotherapy. 

 

There is a wide array of apps for different mental health illnesses and disorders. Some apps offer mood tracking, positive reinforcement, depression and anxiety screening, goal strategies and much, much more. The cost for many of these applications are either free or just a few dollars. 

 

It is important to remember that if you suffer from any type of mental illness, these applications should never replace psychotherapy. They should only be used in addition to psychotherapy with a trained mental health care professional. 

I am interested in learning more about these applications. If you have tried any apps and have found them helpful, I would like to hear about them. Please leave a comment with your favorite smartphone app or send an email to info@kmarshack.com.