Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that is diagnosed in children between the ages of two to four. It’s debated on whether it is hereditary or environmental. The complexity of the disorder has taken a toll on finding a cure for it. Autistic children are incapable of reading other human faces. This makes it unable for them to read emotions like normal children do. The lack of eye contact during infancy is something to bring up during a child’s routine doctor’s check-up. According to autismspeaks.org, “1 in 150 children are diagnosed with autism, making it more than Pediatric cancer, Diabetes, and Aids combined - boys are 4 times more likely to develop it than girls.” That is a frightfully high number. The symptoms can range from mild routine and repetitive behaviors to obsessively and rigidly arranging objects. Some are completely withdrawn from reality, unaware of what’s going on around them.
Autism has turned into a nationwide epidemic in the last several years. Parents are being made aware of this disorder in order to catch it early. According to the autismspeaks.org website, “The law mandates that the state provide all eligible children with free and appropriate education that meets their unique individual needs. One of these free educations is Early Intervention. It’s very important that parents take advantage of this opportunity as soon as the child is diagnosed. It makes a hell of a difference in the future of that child as independent adult. Early intervention may be directed towards the child or the entire family. It’s crucial that the whole family is on board in order for the treatment to be successful.
Adolescence years are difficult for any growing child let alone one with Autism. First of all they are confused on what is taking place in and on their bodies. According to the article from the National Institute for Mental Health, (Cited in what is Autism?) “they may become painfully aware that they are different from their peers.” A realization they may not be ready to face. This may result in regression of childhood behaviors such as rocking, hitting, all that they have worked so hard to overcome. These children need even more support from family, school and peers. Every little effort put is something that will benefit the lives of so many young autistic adults.
Vocational program may be the best thing when a young autistic adult is aged out of public school. Their option will depend a lot on how much they are functioning independently and their social interaction level. They may excel at some jobs depending on their capabilities. For example one who is antisocial but works alone with enormous amount concentration may turn out to be a great computer programmer. One who still enjoys obsessive repetition could be filing cabinets for a living.
Individuals with Autism are part of our society and bringing awareness to everybody should be our goal in defeating this disorder. Autismspeaks.org is a nonprofit Organization that does just that. Please spread the word and reach out a helping hand. We can all make a difference. Just like its true for all of us whether Autistic or not, we are limited by our own abilities and shortcomings. Let’s build on our strength.
I think your comment about how important early intervention is to students with Autism is what sparked my interest in your blog. As a special educator, I work with many students with Autism. They get a lot of extra services that help them learn and grow. Individual treatment plans promote attachment behaviors, increase self-regulation, and improve safety awareness. They also improve self esteem and increase strategies to communicate feelings. Group therapies focus on promoting social interaction and skill development. Group therapies also help those with autism recognize and communicate feelings and recognize the impact of their behaviors on others. Family services help families learn to manage and structure family life and build strong family relationships.
ReplyDeleteEach student in special education has an IEP which stands for an Individual Education Plan. It includes goals for the student to accomplish, accommodations they may need to effectively learn, and ways to assess their progress. Many students with Autism get Occupational Therapy Services. Since I became interested and applied (and finally got in!) to OT school, I always go with my Autistic students to their OT services.
Occupational therapy services focuses on enhancing participation in and performance of activities of daily living. Examples include work, leisure, play, social participation, feeding, dressing, community mobility, and safety procedures. Services for students with Autism differ from student to student and depend on their individual needs and desired goals. The standard is always based on developmentally appropriate skills that students should achieve.
Another service that many Autistic students receive is speech therapy. Speech therapy improves all aspects of communication including comprehension, expression, sound production, and social use of language. Again, it is tailored to specific weaknesses and the environment of the individual child. These therapies help children who have trouble communication socially and have problems behaving.
Many of my Autistic students receive other services as well such as adapted physical education and physical therapy. These services ensure that students are physically developing like peers of their age. Gross motor skills such as walking, skipping, jumping and hopping are commonly practiced skills.
All in all, these extra services help students with Autism develop as close to their normally developing peers as possible. Public education has come a long way in providing services for students with disabilities and now teachers, administrators, and schools are accountable for the education of all students, including those with severe disabilities.
Special Education is a field that is short alot of teachers. I think its wonderful that people with Autism are being helped, and that there is more and more awareness about this. Also, I agree about how important it is for autistic children ( like all children) to have strong support from their family, teachers, and peers. I think it's wonderful that people understand that some autistic people are capeable of holding jobs and doing other things.
ReplyDeleteI have a couple of questions concerning this issue. When was autism recognized as a problem and since then has it gotten worse? It seems to me that I hear more and more about autism. I don’t know if it’s because more and more people are being diagnosed or if they are just shedding light on an existing problem? I know that autism is a hard to deal with for the families with autistic individuals. I know two families that have autistic children and they are a full time job. Resources and help should be given to these people to help lighten the burden of autism on the rest of the family.
ReplyDeleteI have a couple of questions concerning this issue. When was autism recognized as a problem and since then has it gotten worse? It seems to me that I hear more and more about autism. I don’t know if it’s because more and more people are being diagnosed or if they are just shedding light on an existing problem? I know that autism is a hard to deal with for the families with autistic individuals. I know two families that have autistic children and they are a full time job. Resources and help should be given to these people to help lighten the burden of autism on the rest of the family.
ReplyDeleteAutism's False Prophets is a must read for any parent who has questioned their decision about vaccinating their child, is delaying getting vaccines because of worries about reports of links between vaccines and autism, and everyone else who wants more information about the quest for cures for autism, why vaccines were blamed for the rise in autism, and what may have motivated everyone involved in the autism debate. To it seems like autism is becoming more common in today generation than ever but my question is that the vaccination that they suspect weren’t there long time ago or they type of vaccination has change the content to the point to cause autism? It is very hard situation which one to believe. I can’t even imagine what the parents go throw the battle of getting the right treatment for their little one.
ReplyDelete