Question 2-Take 3 of the alternative interventions and explain each one in depth: what is the theory, what is the intervention, what is the reported outcome? Be sure to discuss “safety” considerations with each of the alternatives (ie: is there a toxicity or deficiency concern? Are there serious negative side effects possible, and if so, what are they? Etc)

Qigong -The first of three methods of alternative interventions that I have chosen to enlighten you with.

Qi (pronounced chee) means energy.
Gong (pronounced gung) means skill

Qigong is the skill of attracting vital energy. Qigong is a self-healing art that combines movement and meditation.  It includes elements of yoga as well.  It is no surprise that Qigong is viewed as effective.  Its yoga-line movement strengthens the body, and stretches and “opens” it as well.  Those who practice yoga believe that this stretching and movement forces toxins out of the organs and into the bloodstream where they may be flushed from the body.  Qigong’s deep breathing oxygenates the body, providing nourishment and vigor across the muscles, inner organs, and the mind.  Lastly, Qiqong’s mediation helps the patient to relax, and further helps the patient to focus their qi on those areas of the body that are harmed and need to be mended.  Any good doctor would tell you that a regimen that includes stretching, muscle development, breathing therapy, and mediation for calming the mind will make a person feel and be healthier.  Qigong accomplishes all of this.
The main idea in qigong practice is the control and manipulation of qi. Some elements of the qi concept can be found in popular culture “The Force” in Star Wars movies, has many qi like qualities.
The concept of qi is fundamental in Chinese Philosophy. This energy is considered to exist in all things including the air, water, food, and sunlight. In the body, qi represents the unseen vital force that sustains life. Qigong practice involves the manipulation and balance of the qi within the practitioner’s body and its interaction with the practitioner’s surroundings.
A person is considered to have been born with original amounts of qi. A person acquires qi from the food by eating, from the air by breathing and from interacting with their environment. A person becomes ill or dies when the amount or type of qi is unbalanced within the body. The practice of qigong is to regulate and control the qi within the body.
Although not proven conclusively from a Western Medical stand point, qigong is an accepted treatment option in the fields of complementary and alternative medicine. Qigong treatment is also used extensively in China as part of Traditional Chinese Medicine and has been included in the curriculum of Chinese universities. Qigong practice serves both a preventive and curative function. It is considered to be effective in improving the effects of many chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, allergy, asthma, arthritis, degenerative disk disease, cancer, depression, anxiety and addiction. Qigong works by improving the practitioners’ immunity response, increasing a person’s self-healing and self-recovery capabilities and enhancing one’s self-regeneration potential.

There is little controversy in the benefit of qigong when the definition of qigong is limited to a series of physical movements and a set of relaxation exercises. Conflict arises between Western views and qigong systems when the claims of qigong practice exceed the capabilities and understanding of traditional science and at an extreme make claims that border on the supernatural.
The main arguments from the view of skeptics against the correlation between qigong practices and health-related results are:
The existence of qi, or any form of vitalism, has not been independently verified in a experimental setting to the satisfaction of the general scientific community. Such a concept is not recognized in traditional biological sciences.
Demonstrations in martial arts such as breaking hard objects with strikes can be fully-explained using physics, without reference to the concept of qi.
Reported claims of supernatural abilities appear to be tricks more suited to magic shows than to any genuine scientific discipline.
Explanations that involve the supernatural or that require a spiritual element are beyond the scope of the scientific method.
Personal benefits for some qigong masters might have provided them with an incentive to exaggerate their claims
In some cases, the practice of qigong can result in mental disorders. This is known as qigong deviation and is characterized by the perception of the practitioner that there is an uncontrolled flow of qi in the body. Other complaints include localized pains, headache, insomnia and uncontrolled spontaneous movements.
When the western medical community encountered abnormal conditions presenting in patients practicing qigong, they used the term Qi-gong psychotic reaction and classified the disorder as a culture-bound syndrome in the 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV) of the American Psychiatric Association. It is described as: "A term describing an acute, time-limited episode characterized by disassociative, paranoid or other psychotic or non-psychotic symptoms that may occur after participation in the Chinese folk health-enhancing practice of qigong. Especially vulnerable are individuals who become overly involved in the practice."
The DSM-IV classification has been criticized by other Western psychiatrists on the grounds that "It is not clear how the architects of the DSM-IV can logically defend labeling a syndrome as aberrant in the context of a diagnostic system while simultaneously placing that syndrome outside of conventional Western nosologic categories that serve as basis for determining whether a syndrome is or is not aberrant and therefore a disorder." In most cases in China, the psychiatrists do not use the psychosis terminology however, preferring "qigong deviation".
Within the qigong community, Qigong Deviation is believed to be caused by:
An inexperienced or unqualified instructor,
Incorrect instructions,
Impatience,
Becoming frightened, irritated, confused or suspicious during the course of qigong practice, or
Inappropriate manipulation or channeling of qi
In cases of psychosis, the Western psychiatric view is that qigong is a precipitating stressor of a latent psychotic disorder to which the patient is predisposed, rather than erroneous qigong practice; a type of reactive psychosis or the precipitation of an underlying mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or posttraumatic stress disorder. The Chinese medical literature includes a wider variety of symptoms associated with qigong deviation; the non-psychotic symptoms correspond to conversion disorder and histrionic personality disorder in Western classifications.

On a personal note, I studied Tai Chi from 1990 to 1995. Presently, my son and I are studying Tae Kwon Do. On our journey to black belt and beyond, he is a red belt and I am a green belt. He has been studying martial arts since he was 4.5 years old (he's now 10). I have been studying martial arts on and off all my adult life. I have finally found a teacher with whom I will be able to reach my potential.

Question 1-What alternative interventions exist for families with autism?

Autism Spectrum Disorders fall under the professions of medicine, psychology, and education. Traditional interventions include pharmaceutical, special education, and behavioral strategies.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine  (NCCAM) was established in 1998. It provides research funding, outreach, and information. Their website is www.nccam.nih.gov.

Complementary medicine is used together with conventional medicine. Alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine.
The following is a list of alternative medicine.
• Homeopathy
• Naturopathy
• Traditional Chinese medicine
• Art Therapy
• Music Therapy
• Dance Therapy
• Yoga
• Diets
• Vitamins and Herbal Supplements
• Melatonin
• Chelation Therapy
• Immunotherapy
• Secretin Therapy
• Flower Essences
• Massage Therapy
• Chiropractic and Osteopathic medicine
• Craniosacral Therapy
• Myofacial Release
• Energy Medicine
• Qigong
• Reiki
• Transitional Magnetic Stimulation
• Hemi-Sync and the Monroe Institute
• Sound-Based Therapies
• Vision Therapy
• Animal-assisted Therapy and Service Dogs

The Beginning

Hello fellow classmates. Treating autism has always been very interesting to me.
When my sister and I were of elementary school age, we saw a TV special about a boy with autism. We were very impressed. Since my sister went on to be an accountant and I am a physical therapist, I guess I was more impressed than she was!
My career path led me to treating adults and it wasn't until I had my son that I became interested in working with children. But it still took me a number of years and having an autistic boy walk into the outpatient clinic I was working in at that time, until I remembered that TV special. Then I realized that I wanted to work with autistic children. But do you know of many school aged children getting PT? If so, then you are in a good place. The first thing autistic children get is ST and OT. So for the couple of years I spent in a different school system than I am in now and I did not have one child with autism or even autistic type behaviors.
Then I got lucky and started working in Roxbury. I first started to get things like..."so and so is falling off the chair. And I can't get him to sit up at circle time..." That's my way in and along with test trunk control, I test their ball skills which are usually lacking. The school district I work in has a great staff (Kevin is among them) and they recognize when a child may need PT.
I will leave you with just this small introduction as I lead you down the path of Complementary Alternative Medicine. I will specifically tell you more about that TV special I saw as a little girl.