Written by Dr. Carosso

Lets clear some things up:)

First: “autism” is not a diagnosis, but a term used to describe the wide spectrum of autistic disorders, ranging from Autistic Disorder, to Asperger’s, to Pervasive Developmental Disorder NOS.

Second: children with “autism” are, far more often than not, loving, affectionate, and empathic (to one degree or another) especially with their family members.

Third: These children are typically not mentally retarded but, rather, intelligent. However, their language deficits often interfere with learning.

Fourth: the “epidemic” is among the higher functioning types of autism. The rates of children with ‘Autistic Disorder’ have always been, and remain, at about 1-2% of the population. The reason for the increase in rates for these ‘higher functioning’ kiddos (often those diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder or Asperger’s) may be due to some environmental toxin and that practitioners are now diagnosing children who would have ‘slipped through the cracks’ years ago.

Finally: we don’t know what causes autism, but there is growing evidence that vaccinations don’t.

Hope that helps to clear things up. Lets hear your response. God bless.

Written by Dr. Carosso
Now we have more evidence, care of the British Medical Journal, that prior assertions of vaccinations causing autism are false. Of course, Dr. Wakefield is standing firm on his earlier claims but not looking especially credible in the process. Nonetheless, if nothing else good has come from this, at least there is more care regarding how vaccinations are administered. Regardless of whether vaccinations caused autism or not, I always had concerns about putting so many chemicals, all at once, in that little infant body. Otherwise, there is ample evidence to suggest that withholding vaccinations harms your child given the subsequent increased susceptibility to disease and illness.  I would appreciate your comments; please provide feedback with your opinion. God bless and stay healthy.

Written by Dr. Carosso
You get into an argument with your spouse. You know your point is valid but you’re having trouble getting your mate to acknowledge your view;  instead, he just wants to “move on” and “forget about it.” So, he tries to change the subject and you’re left feeling unheard and misunderstood. You’re simply not ready to “move on” and you feel ‘stuck’ and frustrated.  As you're stewing over the problem, you think that, if only your point of view was acknowledged, even in disagreement, you’d feel more at-ease and prepared to move-on. Well, the same thing happens every time you want to “move on” past your child’s disappointment, frustration, anger, or problem.

Okay, here’s the scenario: your child complains that he does not want to stop playing that new video game, you just purchased for him, to empty the trash. You abruptly respond, in irritated fashion, for him to follow your direction “NOW” and ignore his obvious frustration. Okay, I know what you're thinking;  there are situations when there is simply no time for discussing the matter; nevertheless, you may find that, just as with your prior argument with your spouse, that a simple ‘reflective’ comment, acknowledging your child’s feelings, would help him to more quickly move beyond his feelings and carry-out the assigned task. For example, a comment such as “I understand it’s frustrating to be taken away from your new game. After you finish the chore you can return to playing” may prove to be quite helpful.  Feeling ‘heard’ is extraordinarily powerful; it bolsters a sense of comfort and then allows for moving beyond, and past, the problem at hand.

Otherwise, we tend to feel ‘stuck’ in the argument. Reflective listening is vital in all relationships, for topics that are both positive (“I’m so happy for your accomplishment, you worked so hard…”) and negative (“you're feel sad that your friend didn’t show-up, that can be disappointing”). In regards to this latter situation regarding the friend not showing up, the child will sense his feelings were acknowledged and more likely be willing to move forward to problem-solving, e.g. “why don’t you call your friend Timothy and see if he wants to come over instead.”  In the absence of reflective listening, there is a tendency for your child to become argumentative (“I’m not calling Timmy, I wanted Jim to be here…”).

You can more readily avoid such conflicts with your child, and with any other person in your life, by listening for, and acknowledging, their feelings. Try it; you may find yourself feeling happier too. Feel free to comment, subscribe, and forward to a friend:) God bless.

Written by Dr. Carosso
Okay, as a professional you know that I am supposed to tell you that corporal punishment (spanking) is a no-no and you shouldn’t do it. I’m supposed to tell you that it’s ineffective and simply does not work. Well, I’m not going to tell you that; or at least not that it doesn’t work.

Think of it this way, I imagine most of you men (If any men actually read this blog) would think twice before crossing a guy three times your size. Well, likewise, your kiddo isn’t stupid and realizes when he’s been out-gunned; which is why spanking works. Of course, many of us have our own experience with being spanked, and recognize first-hand the potential effectiveness of a hand on the back-side. However, once we move past the recognition of spanking being effective in getting kids to obey, we are left with some potential problems. I hear you saying ‘I knew you were going to say that…” Well, ignorance can be bliss, but maybe not so blissful for your kids, especially if you rely on spanking as your primary form of discipline.

What are the problems? First, do you really want to hit your kids? Is there not something inherently wrong with hitting anyone, let alone somebody you love? Also, are we not trying to send appropriate messages to our kids. Do you like the message of ‘when somebody frustrates you, hit them.’ If your child is prone to be aggressive, e.g. hits his sister when angry, then does it help to tell him “no hitting” and then spank him? How does a parent feel while spanking? Obviously, they’re angry and frustrated; is it a stretch that an angry parent, in the heat of the moment, might hit too hard, or too many times? Does spanking teach the child more appropriate ways of behaving? Is time-out, loss of privilege, the softer and closer approach, or behavior charts more effective? Does spanking create good or bad feelings; does it promote a positive, or negative, tone in the family? Is spanking consistent with Jesus’ command to do unto others as you’d have done unto you? 

These are questions to ask yourself; the answers will lead you in the right direction. Oh, by the way, since I brought-up Jesus, you may be thinking about that ‘spare the rod, spoil the child’ verse. However, God’s “rod” also provides comfort (23rd Psalm “your rod and your staff, they comfort me”); rods were used in Biblical days to guide sheep, not beat them. We want to guide our children; love them, teach and comfort them. The manner in which you carry out those duties, in a consistent, loving, and firm way, maybe even with a sense of humer, will serve you well in raising your kids. Now, go get softer and closer with your kids. I'd love to read your comments. Also, subscribe to regularly receive posts, and forward to a friend:)  God bless.

Written by Dr. John Carosso
I specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of dyslexia and dysgraphia; two conditions that are often, more generally, labeled as a “learning disability.” These conditions are usually inherited (that’s right kids, don’t say your parents never gave you anythingJ) and can greatly interfere with a child’s ability to progress in school.  Fortunately, there are an abundance of treatment options but the options can also result in parents being overwhelmed and not knowing what’s best for their child.

Here are some considerations: first, read to your child daily, assuming that the person reading to the child is a good reader and can clearly and accurately pronounce the letters and words. In that regard, there’s no sense in confusing the child further. Books on tape can be helpful otherwise.

Second, practice writing skills initially thru tracing and progressively moving to free-hand. Repetitive tracing and writing of problem letters (b’s, p’s, d’s…) is helpful. Use off-white paper with larger-size font (14 pt or more) to reduce the letters appearing to “move around on the page” (a common complaint).

Third: practice phonics on-line; simply google “free phonics games” and plenty of sites will be available for daily, fun-filled practice. I also advise a multi-sensory approach, such as the Orton-Gillingham reading program. 

There are a host of other options that can be found in a nifty hand-out available by simply requesting, in the Comments section below. Also, feel free to ask any questions in the Comments section. If you found this helpful, forward to a friend and subscribe.  Happy reading.

Written by: Dr. John Carosso
Okay, so your child has been found to have a learning disability. The big question now is, what do you do about it?  It seems like you’re doing all the right things; an IEP is being developed at school, you have a tutor, and you spend extra time reading to your child and reviewing phonics. All those interventions are appropriate and can be quite effective. Of course, there is a host of other things to consider for remediation, and I’ll cover those things in my next post. However, the most important thing to consider is what do you do, in that interim, between implementing these interventions and your child actually demonstrating progress? Is it realistic that your child can be expected to read two chapters and write a two page essay? Well, for some children with learning disabilities it is, but for most it’s not. When discussing issues of dyslexia and dysgraphia with parents, I make the point that what’s important is that their child demonstrates that specific facts have been learned; how that is demonstrated can be inconsequential.

So, I suggest using any number of modifications including books on tape, a parent reading the chapter to their child, a scribe, dictation software, oral responses, learning to type, and any number of other legitimate interventions that help the child to learn, and demonstrate what they’ve learned on tests and in the classroom. It’s important to think outside the box.

It’s vital your child learns these strategies because they may rely on them for the rest of their life; which is fine. It may be that your child is never a strong reader or writer; however, there are plenty of ways to compensate so that he or she can function just fine in society.

Of course, we’re not going to give-up on improving reading and writing skills, but we have to be realistic when considering strengths and weaknesses.

Hope that helps. God Bless. Feel free to leave a comment or question below:)

Written by: Dr. John Carosso
Wouldn’t it be nice to be omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent, especially when it comes to caring for your kids? Well, you’ll never be any of those things, but you can introduce your child to someone who is. Imagine how comforting and reassuring for your child to know, during times of good and bad, that he or she is being watched-over, protected, helped, comforted, and that he is part of a larger, heavenly clan of his Father, brothers, and sisters. I have seen time and time again; children with a spiritual sense tend to have a stronger conscience, are easier to comfort, and have a better understanding and sense of purpose and meaning in their life. Parent can pull, for example, from the Bible to teach and help their child to understand about morality, compassion, love, the destructiveness of sin, and how to combat sin and, put more simply, how to stay on the ‘straight and narrow’. I can say, first-hand, that having a personal relationship with my Heavenly father is rewarding beyond words, and I relish sharing Him with my kids and watching them grow in their spiritual relationship. Even putting aside the reality of Christ and implications of turning away from God, I strongly suggest that you take advantage of developing, within your child (and why not within yourself too?), a strong spiritual life, based in a loving relationship with Christ. Otherwise, you lose access to an invaluable anchor and rudder that can be the utmost guiding force for good and joy. Comments on this post are welcomed:)