MEDICAL ISSUES AND THERAPIES
22q Deletion Syndrome
22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome is a disorder caused by the deletion of a small piece of chromosome 22. The deletion occurs near the middle of the chromosome at a location designated q11.2. 22q Deletion Syndrome has many possible signs and symptoms that can affect almost any part of the body. The features of this syndrome vary widely, even among affected members of the same family. Many children with 22q Deletion Syndrome have developmental delays, including delayed growth and speech development, and learning disabilities. Later in life, they are at an increased risk of developing mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. Additionally, affected children are more likely than children without 22q Deletion Syndrome to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and developmental conditions such as autism spectrum disorders that affect communication and social interaction.
Mitochondrial Disease
Mitochondria are tiny parts of almost every cell in your body. Mitochondria are like the power house of the cells. They turn sugar and oxygen into energy that the cells need to work. In mitochondrial diseases, the mitochondria cannot efficiently turn sugar and oxygen into energy, so the cells do not work correctly.
There are many types of mitochondrial disease, and they can affect different parts of the body: the brain, kidneys, muscles, heart, eyes, ears, and others. Mitochondrial diseases can affect one part of the body or can affect many parts. They can affect those part(s) mildly or very seriously. A child with autism may or may not have a mitochondrial disease. When a child has both autism and a mitochondrial disease, they sometimes have other problems as well, including epilepsy, problems with muscle tone, and/or movement disorders.
Speech Language Therapy
The program started by fostering skills which do not require a single word being said by Mitchell, Jr. Four activities are used with each beginning at the simplest level possible (attending to a single unit) and steadily proceeding to more advanced levels (attending to and holding in mind sequences up to four units). All four activities are taught concurrently in each session. They entail Pre-Language Activities--- Activity A: Matching Pictures; Activity B: Sequencing Body Movements; Activity C: Sequencing Visual Patterns; and Activity D: Building Receptive Language. The activities rely more on visual rather than auditory processing. Essentially, Mitchell, Jr.'s abilities (i.e., in vision) are being utilized, in novel ways, to help foster skills that can enhance language.
The language content throughout the program focuses on meaningful ideas involving people and animals, the actions they perform, and the events they take part in, etc. To express these ideas, two grammatical categories are essential nouns (e.g., in particular animate beings such as man, kid, cat, bird, etc.) and verbs (e.g., the actions performed by these beings such as eat, run, sit, walk, etc.) The earliest levels focus on these categories. The program is organized into 24 levels. Each level teaches a new aspect of language while maintaining all the skills taught in earlier levels. As the levels advance, the exchange looks increasingly like “normal” conversation.
Occupational Therapy
Mitchell, Jr. receives multiple best-evidence treatment approaches (Neuro-developmental, Ayres' Sensory Integration, Oral-motor and Feeding therapy) to successfully meet his individual needs and his family's needs.
Behavioral Therapy
Developed by faculty at the Columbia University Medical Center, Mitchell, Jr.'s therapy is a unique behavioral intervention program designed for children with autism. Through a detailed step-by-step plan, the program sets out to reframe the parent-child bond--a relationship that typically "runs on auto pilot" but is seriously affected by autism. By bringing the intricacies into consciousness, the parent can remold the interaction to create a bond that transforms the life of the child and all members of the family.
The program provides early, intensive behavior therapy that is parent-led and based initially in clinic and ultimately the home. It draws from the latest research in neuroscience, linguistics, and the psychology of parent-child interaction. The program builds the neural networks for self-regulation that must be in place before higher-level skills in cognition and language can emerge.
Neurological Music Therapy
Music Therapy is the application of music for rehabilitation of brain function and development and maintenance of mental and physical health. Mitchell, Jr.'s qualified music therapists create therapeutic music exercises to facilitate functional non-musical outcomes, training and retraining abilities in cognition, speech and language, motor control, academic performance, emotional growth, and social skills.
