I.T.S. work with a range of age groups, including young children, school-aged children, teenagers, adults and older people. Many of these individuals have learning, developmental, physical, social or communicative difficulties.
Our therapists are highly experienced and have specialised skills in working with particular client groups, including autistic/autism spectrum disorder (ASD or autism).
As ASD is such a complex condition, many different disciplines can be involved in the therapeutic process. I.T.S. offers the services of speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, creative expressive therapists, motivational speakers and physiotherapists in the Leicester, Leicestershire and Midlands regions. The benefit of an organisation such as I.T.S. is that our therapists work together as part of a team and can work together to devise the best course of action for every individual.
What’s new in ASD research?
To ensure that we provide relevant, up-to-date and cost-effective therapy, it is vital that we keep abreast of new research. Recent developments in the past fortnight include (source – ScienceDaily.com):
“Study Finds Evidence of Gender Bias Toward Diagnosing Boys With Autism”. Researchers at the universities of Exeter and Bristol have stated that “Boys were more likely to receive a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) than girls, even when symptoms were equally severe”. They suggest that social and demographic factors (i.e. that males are generally more commonly diagnosed with ASD than females) account for why some children receive a diagnosis, whereas others do not.
“Differences in Brain Development Between Males and Females May Hold Clues to Mental Health Disorders”. One current strand of research in the UK is exploring the possibility that ASD may be a version of the ‘extreme male brain’. Researchers in the US have now discovered differences in the development of the amygdala part of the brain in animals, which involves the expression of emotional and social behaviours. It points towards a biological basis for why males are more likely to suffer from mental health disorders. They also found a difference between males and females in the level of endocannabinoid, a natural substance in the brain that affected their behaviour when they play.
“IQ Scores Fail to Predict Academic Performance in Children With Autism”. US researchers are also suggesting that many children with ASD have better academic abilities than initially thought. When analysing results from high-functioning children with ASD, they found that 90% showed a discrepancy between their IQ score and their performance on reading, spelling and maths tests. This suggests that with early diagnosis and intervention, more children with ASD are being diagnosed as ‘high-functioning’ and will have the ability to learn in a classroom. They also found a link between social skills and academic ability in school; that children who had higher social skills at age 6 had better word reading skills at age 9.
Sarah Bennington – November 2010
Written on behalf of Integrated Treatment Services. ITS is a private Speech and Language Therapy service based in Leicestershire and the East Midlands. It specialises in providing highly-skilled Speech and Language Therapists, but also associates with other therapeutic professionals, including Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Psychologists and Arts Therapists.
