Seminar Recommendation - Nutrition and kids on the spectrum
As a pediatric COTA I find it hard to locate seminars that will be inexpensive and informative. I have had my fair share of ones that have promised to show me how to do this and that and help with a number of different strategies and objectives that have ultimately fallen short of those promises. I have also attended workshops that have lived up to what they promise but rarely have I attended a seminar that has not just lived up to it's promises but went above and beyond with information. This was the case last month when I attended a seminar by Cross Country titled "Nutrition Therapy for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder" here in Hartford, CT.
The seminar states that it will "provide the most authoritative current scientific-based information on nutritional interventions for the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Participants will leave the seminar with the knowledge, strategies and resources to help families make informed decisions regarding diet, nutritional supplements and feeding problems. " The seminar also shares that you will learn about the following:
- Understanding how nutrient deficiencies compromise learning, behavior, mood and brain function
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Gluten Free/Casein Free Diet: Is there a scientific basis for recommendations?
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Vitamin B6: Are therapeutic doses safe and effective?
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Discuss the medical, developmental, sensory integration and behavioral factors contributing to feeding problems
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Provide practical strategies using ABA, Social Stories and Art Therapy to treat mealtime problems and food refusal
- Process to objectively assess effectiveness of nutritional interventions
- Autism Spectrum Disorder-Overview
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Treatment Approaches
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Biomedical Treatment
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Nutritional Interventions
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Gastrointestinal Disorders
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Feeding Problems
Wow! What a tall order to fit into about 6 hours of actual seminar instruction. I went in thinking that I perhaps I would get a few tidbits of information that might, just might be helpful with one or two of my families, if I was lucky. What I left with, however, was tons of informative information on the diets, the suppliments and nutritional advice that would be helpful to a number of the families I work with. The speaker was not just well educated and informerd on the subject she was talking about but she had a good deal of personal experience with her son that she would interject and share throughout the day. This helped to bring every thing she was sharing with us to a more personal "been there, done that" type of atmosphere. I don't think I was the only therapist there who would have liked to have seen this seminar go longer. There was just so much good and helpful information being shared.
I also liked that, although the seminar was titled "Nutrition Therapy for Children on the Autism Spectrum" the information that was shared could be used with any number of children who were experiencing difficulties with eating due to physical or behavioral issues. If you get the chance, this is one seminar that I think you would find very informative and well worth the money spent to attend it. If you do decide to attend it, please let me know what you thought and if you found it as well worth your time and expense as I did.
Thanks for stopping by .. hope to see you back again ...
~Wendy~