The Block Center SAVE Program In The News
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Monday, Nov. 15, 2010
By Jan Jarvis Photos” Star-Telegram/Joyce Marshall
Integrated Therapies Helps Some Autistic Kids…
Paul Bauer, 16, demonstrates sensori-motor Auditory visual education, which his mother credits for his new found ability to speak in sentences.
For Most of his life, 16-year-old Paul Bauer has spoken only gibberish and an occasional repetitive phrase. Connie Bauer sensed that her son wanted to say more, but she didn’t know how to help him find the words locked inside his mind. Since being diagnosed with autism as a toddler, he rarely spoke and made his needs known mostly by pointing at things.
Then, during a trip to the mall, something unexpected happened. Paul Bauer walked up to an attendant at a carousel and asked how much it would cost to ride. “He had never done anything like that before,” said Connie Bauer, of Grand Prairie. “Usually he would have just climbed on the ride.”
Bauer credits a 10-hour accelerated sensory integration program, which involves watching spots of light while listening to music, for the change in her son. He is now talking in sentences for the first time.
Sensori-motor auditory visual education, or SAVE, combines three therapies to achieve faster and better results than if they were used separately, said Dr. Mary Ann Block, who developed the program and has been testing it for years on patients in her Hurst office. Training the visual, auditory and motor senses together helps develop, retain and expand the ability to take in, understand and use information more effectively, according to Block, an author and physician who specializes in a natural approach to health.
“The brain is really elastic and flexible,” she said. “Given the chance, it can do amazing things.” To understand how sensory integration works, think about learning to ride a bicycle. “You don’t learn to do it just with your eyes,” Block said. “You need all of your senses.”
It’s the same with SAVE, which Block has used to help people with autism, Asperger’s syndrome and other conditions. College students and adults, with or without autism, have also benefited from memory improvements, reading concentration and organizational skills, she said. Block said she hopes to explore its effectiveness for adults with Alzheimer’s disease.
During a session, the client lies on a slowly rotating padded chair while following colored lights on a computer monitor overhead and listening to music on headphones. “The person just lies there, looks at the lights and listens to the music and it happens to them,” she said.
Bright lights affect people with autism in different ways. Some like the lights and show increased interest in high contrast; others find them less interesting or even aversive, said Dr. Susan Hyman, associate professor of pediatrics at Golisano Children’s Hospital University of Rochester Medical Center in upstate New York. Young children prefer high-contrast items, so lights may be novel in therapy, she said.
Along with the lights, music plays an important role during a typical session. Certain sounds are filtered out of the music, causing the ear to try harder to fill in the blanks, Block said.
Christopher Wood, 11, with mother Katy, describes the therapy as a little like being in a sci-fi movie.
The program draws on three well-known but controversial therapies used around the country for children with learning and behavioral disabilities. Auditory integration therapy was developed in the 1960s and gained popularity in the United States during the 1990s. While there have been numerous anecdotal reports of improved attention, language and comprehension, the “current available information does not support the claims of proponents that these treatments are efficacious,” according to a statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Improvements seen in common practice could be related to other factors such as maturation, repetition or enhanced self-regulation, Hyman said. Clinical trials are needed to evaluate these interventions. “I would not say that sensory intervention is not useful,” she said. “What I would say is interventions as practiced do not have a scientific basis.”
Insurance generally does not cover such therapies or educational programs. The SAVE program costs $2,500.
Block said she has seen improvements in everyone who has used the program.
“In some kids, we have seen changes the first day,” she said.
Scott Bauer, 18, who like his brother Paul is autistic, communicates more, and his teachers at Sam Houston High School say he is behaving better.
“He’s always been nervous, but now he is much calmer,” Connie Bauer said.
After her son Christopher went through the program, Katy Wood of Fort Worth said, she noticed that he was making eye contact more often. Christopher, 11, diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, appeared to be on a more even keel without the highs and lows of the past.
Soon he was initiating chitchat with family members and carrying on conversations. His sense of humor also blossomed.
“He was just sort of able to be there better than before,” Wood said.
Christopher, who described the therapy as a little like being in a sci-fi movie, said he doesn’t see himself any differently. “I don’t notice myself as much as everyone else does,” he said.
Paul Bauer, who finished the therapy last year, seems less frustrated now that he can communicate with others, his mother said. He really did want to talk, but all that came out was gibberish, she said. “Now he actually tells us stuff,” Bauer said. “It’s just so nice to hear him talking.”
ADHD-What Parents Can Do
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Parents Can Take ControlType II Diabetes – Taking Care of Yourself
By · CommentsDiabetes Information May be Flawed
As a physician I receive complementary copies of Diabetes Forecast for my office. I actually read the magazine before putting it out for my patients because I sometimes find information that I consider not acceptable. This was certainly the case in the July 2010 edition.
Insulin Is Not For Everyone
Diabetes Forecast Magazine, guest editorial writer, David Marrero, PhD, wrote a story “Starting Insulin”, that I must take issue with. In the article he describes a man’s concern that he did not take care of himself and now must take insulin for his Type II Diabetes. Marrero seems to think the patient should not feel responsible for having to take insulin. He actually blames the patient’s concerns on physicians for using insulin as a threat to their Type II Diabetes patients. He also encourages the readers to talk to their doctors to see if taking insulin is a good choice for them. This is the same line we see on pharmaceutical advertisements on television. It must do a good job of selling drugs or the drug companies would not still be using it. It makes me suspect that David Marrero has received money for his research and for his comments.
David Marrero is noted to be a PhD. He is not a physician. Physicians know that Type II Diabetes can be prevented and completely controlled with diet and exercise. Of course we are going to give our patients the option of taking better care of themselves because if they don’t they will end up on insulin and with serious end-stage complications. It is not a threat but it is a promise.
It surprises me that a magazine that is suppose to be focused on the health of people with diabetes, would publish such an article.
Look Who’s Talking
Later in the magazine is an article about Dr. Kitabchi who is doing research comparing two different diets used for Type II Diabetes. The article shows a picture of the researcher, an endocrinologist and diabetes specialist. Either it was a very bad camera angle or Dr. Kitabchi is overweight himself. It is surprising to me that a director of a diabetes center isn’t a better role model for the patients he works with. How motivating can we expect our patients to be if we don’t “walk the walk” ourselves?
I am very disappointed in the picture painted by the American Diabetes Association through their magazine, Diabetic Forecast, which is delivered to probably thousands of people with diabetes. I am sure those people depend on the magazine and the organization to give them information to live their lives by and help them be as healthy as possible. They deserve that.
New Program Helps Sixteen-Year-Old Autistic Boy Talk
By · CommentsConnie Bauer has been trying many different therapies to help her 16-year-old son, Paul, since he was diagnosed with autism as a toddler. Her child still could not communicate or function properly in the world until he completed a 10-hour accelerated sensory integration program at The Block Center in Hurst, Texas.
Before that he only seemed to speak what his mother calls gibberish or repetitive phases. “No one could understand him,” Bauer explained. Trying to communicate with Paul was frustrating for all of us.” But that began to change when Paul participated in the SAVE Program at The Block Center.
SAVE stands for Sensory-motor Auditory Visual Education, a program developed by Dr. Mary Ann Block, the founder and Medical Director of the center. It is an accelerated sensory integration program that combines three proven treatments for sensory-motor, auditory and visual development. “We have seen excellent results with children of all ages and even adults who have been diagnosed with Autism, Asperger’s and with attention, focus and behavioral symptoms,” Dr. Block said.
Paul started talking before he finished the program and he continues to improve. “Paul’s teacher told me that he is talking more and more and that she understands what he is saying now,” Bauer said.
Paul is also processing and understanding better. On a recent trip to the mall, Paul surprised his mother when he walked up to the attendant at a carousel and asked how much it would cost to ride it. “He’s never done anything like that before. He did not have the ability. Instead, he would have just tried to get on the ride without any thought that communication with someone was needed,” she said. Bauer says she is very excited about the results and now feels hopeful about her son’s future and potential.
For more information on the SAVE program or to interview Dr. Mary Ann Block and Connie Bauer and meet Paul, contact The Block Center at 817-280-9933 extension 200 or call Joan Anderson at 817-732-2633
Diet Suggestions for ADHD Symptoms
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Your child’s diet is not only important to his or her general health but it is also important to how your child learns and acts. What your child eats and how often can have a profound negative affect on the body provoking symptoms that are misdiagnosed as ADHD. I have seen market improvement in children with ADHD symptoms who followed these dietary guidelines.
1. Remove Sugar from the Diet: Sugar does affect behavior. Sugar can cause a low blood sugar reaction called hypoglycemia. When the body becomes hypoglycemic, the chemical adrenaline is released and the child feels the “fight or flight” reaction. The child cannot sit still or concentrate and can become agitated. This is a physiological response and the child does not have control over these behaviors.
A Yale study showed that adrenaline levels in children were ten times higher than normal up to five hours after ingesting sugar. All of the children in the study had symptoms of increased adrenaline.
2. Provide Protein Meals and Snacks Every Two Hours: Children with low blood sugar can have symptoms if they do not eat often enough. Skipping a meal or not eating every 2-2 ½ hours can have the same disastrous results as eating sugar. Children with symptoms of hypoglycemia need to eat several small meals each day. These snacks must contain some form of protein (nuts, cheese and meat).
3. Water: Continual intake of water helps the body’s biochemical functions. Water helps flush out toxins and assists in digestion and nutrition. To simply grab a quick drink at the water fountain isn’t enough. Children should be allowed to keep water at their desks in order to continuously quench their thirst and obtain enough water to allow their young bodies to function properly.
4. Recognize Nutritional Deficiency Symptoms: Specific nutrients are needed in our body to make the biochemical processes work properly. The nutrients act as co-factors for all of our biochemical reactions. The following references document their importance:
A. Magnesium deficiency in children is characterized by excessive fidgeting, anxious restlessness, psychomotor instability and learning difficulties in the presence of normal IQ. (Magnesium in Health and Disease, Seelig, 1980)
B. Vitamin B6, in a double blind, cross-over study published in Biological Psychiatry (Vol. 14, no.5,1979), was found to be more effective than methylphenidate (Ritalin) in a group of hyperactive children.
C. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (33, 2,1980), when thiamine deficiency was corrected, behavior improved.
D. Niacin, was found to be helpful for the symptoms of hyperactivity, poor school performance, perceptual changes and inability to maintain social relationships (Schizophrenia, 3, 1971).
E. Zinc levels in children diagnosed with ADHD were found to be significantly lower than controls (Biol.Psychiatry, 1996).
F. DMAE, a neurotransmitter precursor, has been used for years to improve behaviors, mental concentration, puzzle solving ability and organization (J.Pediatrics,1958).
G. Lower levels of Omega-3 fatty acids were discovered in children who had more temper tantrums and sleep problems. (Stevens LJ, Zentall SS, Deck JL, Abate ML, Watkins BA, Lipp SR, Burgess JR.
H. Essential fatty acid metabolism in boys with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Am J Clin Nutr 1995;62 (4):761 8).
Type II Diabetes-Taking Care of Yourself
By · CommentsDiabetes Information May be Flawed
As a physician I receive complementary copies of Diabetes Forecast for my office. I actually read the magazine before putting it out for my patients because I sometimes find information that I consider not acceptable. This was certainly the case in the July 2010 edition.
Insulin Is Not For Everyone
Diabetes Forecast Magazine, guest editorial writer, David Marrero, PhD, wrote a story “Starting Insulin”, that I must take issue with. In the article he describes a man’s concern that he did not take care of himself and now must take insulin for his Type II Diabetes. Marrero seems to think the patient should not feel responsible for having to take insulin. He actually blames the patient’s concerns on physicians for using insulin as a threat to their Type II Diabetes patients. He also encourages the readers to talk to their doctors to see if taking insulin is a good choice for them. This is the same line we see on pharmaceutical advertisements on television. It must do a good job of selling drugs or the drug companies would not still be using it. It makes me suspect that David Marrero has received money for his research and for his comments.
David Marrero is noted to be a PhD. He is not a physician. Physicians know that Type II Diabetes can be prevented and completely controlled with diet and exercise. Of course we are going to give our patients the option of taking better care of themselves because if they don’t they will end up on insulin and with serious end-stage complications. It is not a threat but it is a promise.
It surprises me that a magazine that is suppose to be focused on the health of people with diabetes, would publish such an article.
Look Who’s Talking
Later in the magazine is an article about Dr. Kitabchi who is doing research comparing two different diets used for Type II Diabetes. The article shows a picture of the researcher, an endocrinologist and diabetes specialist. Either it was a very bad camera angle or Dr. Kitabchi is overweight himself. It is surprising to me that a director of a diabetes center isn’t a better role model for the patients he works with. How motivating can we expect our patients to be if we don’t “walk the walk” ourselves?
I am very disappointed in the picture painted by the American Diabetes Association through their magazine, Diabetic Forecast, which is delivered to probably thousands of people with diabetes. I am sure those people depend on the magazine and the organization to give them information to live their lives by and help them be as healthy as possible. They deserve that.
ADHD Misdiagnosis
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Attention and Behavior Problems Are Not ADHD
I have never seen a child that actually has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In my medical practice, I have seen thousands of children that have been labeled ADHD and thousands of children that have been prescribed psychiatric drugs for ADHD, but when they came to my office without a thorough history taken, a complete physical exam, lab work, allergy testing, heavy metal testing or educational testing. When I performed these tests, I discovered that none of them had ADHD. There was always some medical, physical or educational reason for the symptoms. If your child was labeled ADHD without these tests, there is a good chance your child was misdiagnosed as well.
Children with attention and behavior problems can have many different medical or educational problems that cause the attention and behavior symptoms. If one of these other diagnoses is found then that is the real diagnosis, not ADHD.
Find The Cause—Fix The Problem
Labeling children as ADHD and prescribing a psychiatric drug may be quick, easy and cheap, but I do not consider it to be good medicine. I was taught to always look for the underlying cause of any medical problem. Most of the children I have seen that were labeled as ADHD had teachers that encouraged the parents to take the child to the doctor for a prescription. The doctors usually did not do a physical exam, nor took a thorough history. Rarely was any lab work or allergy testing performed. The doctor just accepted the teacher’s opinion for it and prescribed a psychiatric drug to the child.
There is No Objective Medical Test for ADHD
The diagnosis of ADHD is actually made from a checklist filled out by the parents and teachers. Of course, the teachers know what to check to assure an ADHD diagnosis so it doesn’t surprise me that the diagnosis is given quickly and readily just as are the psychiatric drugs used to treat ADHD. Because the label made from a check list, ADHD is just a made up psychiatric label that is based on a group of subjective symptoms. There is no means available to determine that someone actually has ADHD. Your child might have many of the symptoms that make up the psychiatric disorder called ADHD but those same symptoms can be caused from many medical and educational problems as well.
According to the National Institutes of Health, there is no valid test for ADHD, there is no data indicating it is a brain disorder and there is little improvement in academic and social skills when it is treated with drugs.
ADHD Drugs Have Many Potential and Serious Side Effects
It concerns me greatly that children are prescribed these psychiatric drugs that come with a host of potentially dangerous side effects. I am sure you would like your child to be appropriately evaluated before using any of those drugs. The number of children and adolescents taking psychiatric drugs tripled in the past ten years. A study in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine reported that pediatricians and child psychiatrists are turning more and more to prescription drugs to treat their young patients. The study said “little research exists to indicate whether psychiatric drugs are being prescribed responsibly in most cases, or whether they are being over-prescribed-in part because health insurers are reluctant to pay for non-medication treatments.”
The article went on to say that “few psychiatric drugs are approved for use in children” and the “long-term effects on the developing brain are unknown”, though “animal studies have hinted that some of these drugs may have a lasting impact on the brain when given prior to puberty”.
Kiddie Cocaine
I refer to Ritalin as “Kiddie Cocaine”. It has been known for years that the most commonly prescribed drug, Ritalin, is very similar to cocaine. Medical research has found that Ritalin goes to the same receptor site in the brain as cocaine, causes the same high when taken in the same manner and is used interchangeably with cocaine in medical research. The Journal of the American Medical Association recently published as article that indicates that Ritalin is actually more potent than cocaine. There have been studies indicating that children who take Ritalin are more likely to use drugs like cocaine when they are older. There have been studies that say just the opposite, that taking drugs like Ritalin make a child less likely to use cocaine. I believe both studies are correct. If the child continues to take Ritalin, there would be no reason to use other drugs because the child is already taking a drug that is similar to cocaine. However, if the child has taken Ritalin and then stopped it, that child might be more likely to use cocaine. I speculate that this is because the other drug stimulated the “cocaine” receptor sight. Another study found that primates picked Ritalin over cocaine when given the choice.
Other ADHD Drugs
There are other drugs that are very similar to Ritalin. Some are actually the same as Ritalin but have a different name. Adderal is straight amphetamines. It has never made sense to me to prescribe these dangerous and addictive drugs to young children based on a diagnosis that is completely subjective and has no objective basis. I think that if a child has not had a complete medical and educational work-up, it would be very inappropriate for a doctor to prescribe one of these drugs.
Treating ADHD with What? Marijuana!
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Marijuana Being Used To Treat ADHD–Really?
Yes, it’s true. Apparently parents and doctors are using marijuana on kids who have been diagnosed with ADHD. It seems that this use was discovered by accident when teenagers who were supposedly ADHD seemed to be calmer and be able to focus better when they started smoking pot.
From that, word has spread that marijuana is a useful treatment for ADHD. California allows for the medical use of marijuana which has been found to be helpful for nausea from chemotherapy. Now it seems they’ve found another medical use. I can certainly understand parents wanting to use a safer treatment than the current ones we have.
Marijuana and Ritalin—Both Controlled Addictive Substances
Perhaps marijuana is an improvement over the first and primary drug used for ADHD, Ritalin. Ritalin or methylphenidate is nearly identical to cocaine. Researchers report that methylphenidate goes to the same receptor site in the brain as cocaine and it causes the same high when taken in the same manner. Cocaine and methylphenidate are actually used interchangeably in medical research.
Adderall, another ADHD drug, is nothing more than straight amphetamines. That’s all it contains. Both drugs are controlled substances because they are addictive. Yet, with all this information about Ritalin, Adderall and the other ADHD drugs, they are still heavily prescribed.
Some say marijuana is safer than the drugs currently used to treat ADHD. That might be true but it hasn’t been studied for that use. Marijuana has been touted as an entry way drug, one that leads to other and potentially more serious and dangerous drug use in the future. I don’t know if that is the case either but there are studies indicating that methylphenidate (Ritalin) is an entry way drug. That would make sense to me because it is so much like cocaine.
Treating ADHD WITHOUT Drugs
As far as I’m concerned the entire subject is moot. In my opinion we should not be using marijuana or any other drugs to treat ADHD. We should be taking the time to find the real medical and/or educational cause of the problems and treat those.
ADHD is a subjective psychiatric disorder. The diagnosis is made from a checklist. Where else besides psychiatry does medicine make diagnoses with a checklist and without doing any medical work-up? Your doctor doesn’t decide you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol by a checklist. No, she takes your blood pressure and draws your blood.
Find and Treat the Underlying Causes of ADHD
Instead of Covering Symptoms with Addictive Drugs
I don’t make medical diagnoses with a checklist. I do a full medical and educational work-up on my patients to determine what is wrong with them, to hopefully find the underlying cause of their symptoms and then treat them for that cause. My goal is to get them well, not to just cover symptoms with prescriptions.
Because I do a thorough medical and educational evaluation on children and adults who have trouble focusing, concentrating and often misbehave, I actually have never found anyone who actually has ADHD. There is always a medical or educational reason for and a cause of the symptoms. Treating and fixing the cause allows them to have a full and successful life without a psychiatric label and without a psychiatric drug.
