'Agricultural specialisterne': rural employment revolution for those with Autism

[Visionary7903]

I have mentioned Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Biofeedback in a previous post.

…Dawn … has hired a life coach to work with Jake over the summer, but she still feels there is more that could be done.
“I wasn’t ready,” she said of the transition process. "When someone tells you you need to start preparing at age 14, believe them. I assumed everything he needed would be taken care of. Many meetings and many years later, I found out differently. These are skills we work on at home, but with autism, Jake doesn’t generalize and needs to learn across all environments."…

…What are some of the key differences you see in girls with Asperger’s, compared with typical girls?

…We’re frightened of people. Our primary emotion is fear. [The concept of] other people stimulates the amygdala in our brains, which causes adrenaline overload: this causes the fight-or-flight [response], or freezing. Some will shut down when adrenaline overload happens. Some shut down so much that they don’t speak…

For problems like the ones bolded in the quotes above, Virtual Reality combined with HRV Biofeedback may offer a role in helping Autistic individuals learn to overcome their difficulties, perhaps by exposing them in a safe clinical setting, to situations they may find threatening in a real life environment.

Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback training has been shown to help dance and sports performance for example, by improving an individual’s ability to adapt effectively to stress and environmental demands…

…Raymond, Sajid, Parkinson, and Gruzelier (2005) compared dance performances of 24 Latin and Ballroom dancers who were randomly assigned to either a neurofeedback, HRV BFB, or a no-treatment condition. Dancers in the HRV BFB condition improved dance performance as compared to those in the no-treatment condition and also improved the subscale of ‘technique’ compared to those in the neurofeedback and the no-treatment condition. In sum, findings consistently highlighted the predictive validity of HRV, and that HRV BFB can enhance sport performance. Lagos et al. (2008) also reported that HRV BFB helped a 14- year-old elite athlete cope with competitive stress, potentially, by improving his neuromuscular functioning.
…In general, high HRV represents a flexible autonomic nervous system (ANS), responsive to both internal and external stimuli, and is related to fast reaction times and adaptability. Low HRV, on the other hand, suggests a less flexible ANS that is less able to respond to changing stimuli and/or modulate stress. Further, diminished HRV has been identified as a significant predictor of stress-related disorders and mortality of all sources (Lehrer et al., 2003)…

Indeed, according to a couple of presentations to the 1st International Conference on Innovative Technologies for Autism Spectrum Disorders, held in Valencia, Spain earlier this month, systems are being developed applying Neurofeedback and Biofeedback technologies to real life, every day settings…

Development of a semi-naturalistic QEEG guided neurofeedback protocol for treatment of young autistic children
The aim of this study is to acquire QEEG data in a semi-naturalistic protocol based on imitation and joint attention tasks and to develop a neurofeedback training mediated by the examiner. Brain signals acquired in this setting could be similar to those generated while the child interacts in common life situations. Insights on brain activity during spontaneous interactions are discussed.

Wearable and Mobile Real-Time Biometric Monitoring System
Research has found differences in the functioning of the autonomic nervous system in individuals with [Autism Spectrum Disorders], this can be measured with simple skin sensors. Historically, these sensors have required wired systems to collect data. Now we have wearable, wireless sensors that allow us to monitor ANS changes during daily life. It is hoped that this will allow a deeper understanding of the experience of those with autism.

(sources: When help ends, autistic young adults must find their own way - TwinCities.com; Mind Reading: A Q&A with the Author of Aspergirls | Healthland | TIME.com; http://www.drleahlagos.com/Virtual_Reality_Assisted_Biofeedback.pdf; BIO SIGNALS)