By Dr. Thomas Romero DC, Neuroplasticity Professional, Optimal You Brain Centers

Pertaining to children with autism, we’re going to take a look at the task-negative mode and task-positive mode areas of the brain. These are located in the Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and are important to focus on patients with autism. Why? Because studies have shown that the corpus callosum in patients with autism has decreased in size (meaning a decrease in commissural fibers, axons that go from the left hemisphere to the right hemisphere of the brain) and they have more projection fibers (this being axons within the brain that go from the back of the brain to the front of the brain). This is important to identify as it shows how the projection fibers are in abundance within certain areas which results in over-stimulation of areas within the brain and also under-stimulation of crucial pathways that exist that the commissural fibers run through.

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Dr. Greg Grillo (dentably.com)

One of the most common questions I get as a dentist is how to make the experience more positive for children with autism. A dentist’s office is full of strange sights and sounds, and I’ve seen firsthand how upsetting this can be to children with autism. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to both prepare your child as well as give their dentist the tools they need to put the child at ease during any dental procedure. This is important, as a trip to the dentist is a vital part of good oral health for children with autism as much as it is for those without.

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Do not pace back and forth when waiting in line for airport security. Airport personnel will become suspicious. Be aware of your hypersensitive visual sense and avoid looking too intently at the many and varied stimuli in airports. This can make other travelers anxious. When headed to the restroom, do not touch every seatback as you move through the airplane’s aisle. Although you need this for vestibular balance, it invades the private space of passengers. When an international flight is canceled or delayed, employ your autism-based proclivity to systemize; tell yourself airports in every country work the same way and there are set procedures for dealing with change.

These rules are just some of the internal narratives I have developed enabling me to successfully travel around the world sharing my vision about autism and Asperger Syndrome – while being on the spectrum myself.

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For any child, the world is filled with a plethora of possible sensory challenges, ranging from lights to sounds, textures, smells, and tastes. The dental office is no exception, especially for kids with dental anxiety or those who are on the autism spectrum.

So, how do you help your child to cope with all of the stimuli he will face during his upcoming dental appointment? After all, just because a fear of the dentist is not uncommon doesn’t mean you want your child to possess this fear.

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