Research that benefits children and their families- Omega 3 fatty acids and Autism

During my years of teaching I have often seen children misdiagnosed, improperly treated, and over treated for disorders.  I noticed in my pervious school, parents were quick to put their children on medication and were hesitant to explore some of the natural alternatives and supplements.  Personally, I have begun to look at natural supplements, fruits, grains, etc. to cure my own aliments and sicknesses instead of over the counter and prescription medicine.  Due to my own curiosity I began searching for studies that supported the use of natural alternatives.  I found many studies supported by National Institute of Health on the use of omega-3 fatty acids and how it could reduce behaviors in autistic children. 

One study done at the University of San Francisco in conjunction with Autism Speaks studied 24 children ages 3 to 8, over the course of 12 weeks.  They found that an increase in omega 3 fatty acids decreased the symptoms of hyperactivity in children based on the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (Clinicaltrials.gov, 2012). 

After looking at more research and trials, I found an interesting study that reviewed 6 studies, which found limited evidence to support the efficiency of using omega 3 fatty acids with autistic children.  Many of the studies were had too small sizes, were too short in duration of study, and only looked at outcomes of aberrant behavior (Bent, Bertoglio, Hendren, 2009).   It was concluded although most studies were inconsistent; one study did prove that omega 3 fatty acids had a positive outcome for supporting hyperactivity.  Therefore, more studies should be conducted focusing on reduced hyperactivity as the outcome with larger sample sizes and for a longer duration of study (Bent et all, 2009).

I found these studies to be very interesting as children were at a minimal risk for the studies.  It is my hope that future studies will eventually reveal positive and conclusive outcomes for natural alternatives to support autistic children and their families.

References

Clinicaltrials.gov, (2012). Omega 3 fatty acids for autism treatments. Retrieved from http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT00786799?term=children+with+autism&recr=Completed&rslt=With&rank=4&sect=X73601

Brent, S., Bertoglio, K., Hendren, R. (2009). Omega-3 fatty acids for autistic spectrum disorder: a systematic review. Journal of Autism Developmental Disorders, 39(8): 1145–1154. doi: 10.1007/s10803-009-0724-5

My Research Journey

I have chosen to research the social achievements of children living in single parent homes.  I have chosen this topic because I have taught many children living in single parent homes and have notices similar social behaviors and pattens of those in single family homes.   If families and educators become aware of social patterns and achievements we can better support children and their development.   It  is ambitious to believe we can change the rate of single parenthood however, we can control how we support children and we can advocate for what is best for children and future outcomes.

Thus far in this journey I have learned the importance of checking and double checking the quality of references in addition to the accuracy of my APA in-text and reference citation.  I found it extremely helpful to look at a topic from a larger picture and then narrow it down into subtopics.   I am exited about supporting you all, my classmates, by providing possible references or an editing eye!

If anyone was any articles on child outcomes of children living in single parent household please pass them along!