SchaferAutismReport: Elephant Therapy To Treat Autism, Depression

[Guest guest]

schafer wrote: Tuesday, August 26, 2008 Reader Supported Vol. 12 No. 125p In This Issue: • • TREATMENTElephant Therapy To Treat Autism, DepressionModel Me Kids • CAREChanges May Come From ‘Timeout’

Investigation • • • • PEOPLEMissing Autistic UK Kid Found SafeRESEARCHTrigger For Brain Plasticity IdentifiedPUBLIC HEALTHAutism Statistics Alarm Minnesota SomalisADVOCACYNew Hampshire Governor Signs Bill Creating Autism Council Send your LETTER The Autism Calendar or here: tinyurl.com/283dpa DO SOMETHING ABOUT AUTISM NOW SUBSCRIBE. . . ! . . . Read, then Forward the Schafer Autism Report.$35 for 1 year - 200 issues, or No Cost Review Sub.www.sarnet.org the Autism Calendartm hereHundreds of Local Autism Events Political Discussion Forum Heats Up As Vaccine Link To Autism Question SpreadsAn email discussion list has been created in response to the growing interest in the environmental causes of autism -- now more than 2,200 subscribers. Here is where to join:

SAR Back Issues AUTISM IS TREATABLE Check here Today's SAR is provided through the support of paid subscription readers. - THANK YOU - TREATMENTElephant Therapy To Treat Autism, Depression By Apinya Wipatayotin, Thailand. tinyurl.com/69o5bn Researchers from Chiang Mai University (CMU) have a new means of fighting phobias and depression _ elephants. CMU had previously studied the effects of "elephant therapy" on autistic children and, having noted promising results, are now proposing a similar programme for people suffering from depression or phobias. Audomsark Haesungcharern, dean of CMU's associated medical sciences faculty, believes the animals' voice may have therapeutic qualities. Dr Audomsark says

studies have found elephant calls contain infra sound, which is a relaxation tone, and ultra sound, which can engender active emotions. It is these qualities, as well as previous results with autistic children, that lead the CMU researchers to believe elephants could help depressed people, or individuals with a phobia. The elephant therapy scheme is jointly run by the CMU and the Forest Industry Organisation's (FIO) Thai Elephant Conservation Centre in Lampang. The two organisations yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding to further develop their elephant therapy programme for autistic people aged between nine and 19. The studies began last year and looked into the effects on four autistic children of their interactions with elephants. Results suggested an improvement in a number of areas, such as

self-reliance and social reactions, after spending time with the elephants. "[The results] were beyond our expectations. This has encouraged us to continue the study into how the elephants can help relieve the symptoms [of certain mental disorders]," said Dr Audomsark. Nuntanee Satiansukpong, who heads the elephant therapy project, explained that under the treatment scheme, autistic children will be matched with elephants based on their personalities. For example, hyperactive children will be paired with calm elephants, while introverted children will be matched with enthusiastic elephants. "An autistic boy who had never talked with or even hugged his parents did so after attending the elephant therapy project," she said. The CMU and FIO plan to set up an elephant therapy centre once the study is

completed. There are around 200,000 autistic people recorded in Thailand. Many medical researchers worldwide have found animal-assisted therapy to be of benefit to autistic people. Horses, dogs and dolphins are considered to have potential in this regard. Prasop Tipprasert, the FIO's elephant specialist, said the centre had trained 20 elephants to work with children. He said that safety is the most important concern, so all elephants are tamed and kept under close supervision.For rest of today's SAR click here:www.sarnet.org/frm/forsar.htm Today's SAR is provided through the support of paid subscription readers. - THANK YOU - $35 for 1 year - or free!www.sarnet.org Copyright Notice: The above items are copyright protected. They are for our readers' personal education or research purposes only and provided at their request. Articles may not be further reprinted or used commercially without consent from the copyright holders. To find the copyright holders, follow the referenced website link provided at the beginning of each item. Lenny Schafer editor@... The Schafer Autism Report is a non-profit corporation Unsubscribe here: www.sarnet.org/frm/unsub2.htm _______________________________________________SARnets mailing listSARnets@...http://lists.igc.org/mailman/listinfo/sarnetsYou can unsubscribe send email:http://www.sarnet.org/frm/unsub2.htm-- You are subscribed as: deniseslist@...

[Guest guest]

Note:  THIS IS SO FUNNY!!!  It was sent by a parent who wishes

to remain anonymous for fear of offending anyone.  Warning:   Anyone who gets

offended easily, please stop reading now. 

Dear (or is it Abby)

...sent by a proactive, probiotic, patriotic, pacaderm seeking parent

where do I go for this and does Medwaiver cover it??

..of course bigger is better, so will I get bigger results than with other

animal therapies??

and I have some other questions that I would like answered

ok..how many elephant visits do you need to get the results??

how many elephants do you need to listen to on each visit.?

Do you listen individually or all together??

does it matter if they are Indian or African elephants and is there an optimal

mix of male and female elephants?

Is this therapy more effective in a natural habitat..or can it be done locally?

Does it increase optimal outcomes if the elephants are casein and gluten free?

does wearing appropriate head wear , such as a bush helmet, make this more

effective?

and for us parents...are there ear plugs provided or are the kids using them

all and ...the ultimate while my kid is in therapy question...is there a

starbucks nearby???

oh one more question...please...if this is combined with the marijuana therapy and you see pink elephants does it increase or lessen the time till autism is cured?? or do you even care at that point?

signed ...an anxious parent seeking pacaderms

ps...I may start a new foundation TAWP " treating autism with

Pacaderms "

maybe you could print this and get me some

support

-------------- Original message from Karp

: --------------

schafer wrote:

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Reader

Supported

Vol. 12 No. 125p

In This Issue:

•

•

TREATMENT

Elephant Therapy To Treat Autism, Depression

Model Me Kids

•

CARE

Changes May Come From ‘Timeout’ Investigation

•

•

•

•

PEOPLE

Missing Autistic UK Kid Found Safe

RESEARCH

Trigger For Brain Plasticity Identified

PUBLIC HEALTH

Autism Statistics Alarm Minnesota Somalis

ADVOCACY

New Hampshire Governor Signs Bill Creating Autism Council

Send your LETTER

The Autism

Calendar

or

here: tinyurl.com/283dpa

DO SOMETHING ABOUT AUTISM NOW

SUBSCRIBE.

.. . !

. . . Read, then Forward the Schafer Autism Report.

$35 for 1 year -

200 issues, or

No Cost Review Sub.

www.sarnet.org

the

Autism Calendartm

here

Hundreds

of Local Autism Events

Political Discussion Forum Heats Up As Vaccine Link To

Autism Question Spreads

An email discussion list has been created in response to the growing

interest in the environmental causes of autism -- now more than 2,200

subscribers. Here is where to join:

SAR Back Issues

AUTISM IS TREATABLE

Check

here

Today's SAR is provided through the support of paid subscription readers.

-

THANK YOU -

TREATMENT

Elephant Therapy To Treat Autism, Depression

By Apinya Wipatayotin, Thailand. tinyurl.com/69o5bn

Researchers from Chiang Mai University (CMU)

have a new means of fighting phobias and depression _ elephants. CMU had

previously studied the effects of " elephant therapy " on autistic

children and, having noted promising results, are now proposing a similar

programme for people suffering from depression or phobias.

Audomsark Haesungcharern, dean of CMU's

associated medical sciences faculty, believes the animals' voice may have

therapeutic qualities.

Dr Audomsark says studies have found

elephant calls contain infra sound, which is a relaxation tone, and ultra

sound, which can engender active emotions.

It is these qualities, as well as previous

results with autistic children, that lead the CMU researchers to believe

elephants could help depressed people, or individuals with a phobia.

The elephant therapy scheme is jointly run

by the CMU and the Forest Industry Organisation's (FIO) Thai Elephant

Conservation Centre in Lampang.

The two organisations yesterday signed a

Memorandum of Understanding to further develop their elephant therapy

programme for autistic people aged between nine and 19.

The studies began last year and looked into

the effects on four autistic children of their interactions with elephants.

Results suggested an improvement in a number

of areas, such as self-reliance and social reactions, after spending time

with the elephants.

" [The results] were beyond our

expectations. This has encouraged us to continue the study into how the elephants

can help relieve the symptoms [of certain mental disorders], " said Dr

Audomsark.

Nuntanee Satiansukpong, who heads the

elephant therapy project, explained that under the treatment scheme,

autistic children will be matched with elephants based on their

personalities.

For example, hyperactive children will be

paired with calm elephants, while introverted children will be matched with

enthusiastic elephants.

" An autistic boy who had never talked

with or even hugged his parents did so after attending the elephant therapy

project, " she said.

The CMU and FIO plan to set up an elephant

therapy centre once the study is completed.

There are around 200,000 autistic people

recorded in Thailand.

Many medical researchers worldwide have

found animal-assisted therapy to be of benefit to autistic people. Horses,

dogs and dolphins are considered to have potential in this regard.

Prasop Tipprasert, the FIO's elephant

specialist, said the centre had trained 20 elephants to work with children.

He said that safety is the most important

concern, so all elephants are tamed and kept under close supervision.

For rest of today's SAR click here:

www.sarnet.org/frm/forsar.htm

Today's SAR is provided through the support of paid

subscription readers.

- THANK YOU -

$35

for 1 year - or free!

www.sarnet.org

Copyright

Notice: The above items are copyright protected. They are for our readers'

personal education or research purposes only and provided at their request.

Articles may not be further reprinted or used commercially without consent

from the copyright holders. To find the copyright holders, follow the

referenced website link provided at the beginning of each item.

Lenny Schafer editor@...

The Schafer Autism Report is a non-profit corporation

Unsubscribe

here: www.sarnet.org/frm/unsub2.htm

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