| Autism is a life long developmental
| |
| | and a treatment that works well for one
|
| disability that affects a person's
| |
| | child may work less well for another.
|
| ability to communicate and to make sense
| |
| | Parents should look carefully at a range
|
| of our social world.
| |
| | of different treatments and select one or
|
| The disorder usually appears before the
| |
| | more that they think would suit their
|
| child is three years old. People with
| |
| | particular child's needs, and their own
|
| autism often also have learning
| |
| | ability to implement them.
|
| disabilities, but a minority have normal
| |
| | It is generally recognized that early
|
| or high general intelligence. Boys are 4
| |
| | recognition of the condition together
|
| times more likely to have autism than
| |
| | with some form of highly structured
|
| girls.
| |
| | intensive program is important. Programs
|
| People with autism have difficulties in
| |
| | are numerous, they range from child
|
| three areas, known as "the triad of
| |
| | centered ones built around the child's
|
| impairments":
| |
| | interest to behavioral programs based on
|
| 1. Social interaction. Difficulty in
| |
| | rewarding desired behavior that fits in
|
| relating to others.
| |
| | with a set syllabus. The approach that
|
| 2. Communication. Difficulty in
| |
| | I take is very much an eclectic one, I am
|
| understanding, acquiring and using verbal
| |
| | only interested in what makes a
|
| and non-verbal communication.
| |
| | difference for each child. However, I
|
| 3. Imagination. Difficulty in developing
| |
| | have found that certain elements just
|
| pretend play and generalizing learning.
| |
| | work better than others. Before you
|
| People with autism often have an uneven
| |
| | subscribe wholesale into any particular
|
| profile of skills, with a marked
| |
| | approach, I recommend that you take time
|
| difference in their abilities in some
| |
| | to think about whether all of it applies
|
| areas compared to others; they often show
| |
| | to your child, in the end you know your
|
| strengths in those areas that are
| |
| | child better than anyone.
|
| independent of social understanding, e.g.
| |
| | So what are the elements that I say work?
|
| manipulating numbers or working with
| |
| | They are summed up in one word:
|
| computers.
| |
| | engagement.
|
| Autism affects individuals to varying
| |
| | Have you ever noticed when you are fully
|
| degrees and this is reflected in the term
| |
| | engrossed in something, how you could
|
| "Autistic Spectrum Disorder". The
| |
| | keep doing that thing for a long time and
|
| difficulties in each area of the triad of
| |
| | be content? Unfortunately for most of
|
| impairments may be expressed in different
| |
| | us, social demands interrupt and we
|
| behaviors, e.g. the difficulty in social
| |
| | usually have to allow them to intrude.
|
| interaction may be expressed in terms of
| |
| | However, we are dealing here with
|
| aloof behavior, where the child will have
| |
| | children with autism, a condition that
|
| little to do with others, or as over
| |
| | has a disorder in social functioning at
|
| familiar behavior, such as touching
| |
| | its very core. Social demands are not
|
| strangers in the street.
| |
| | going to so easily interrupt our
|
| There is currently no cure for autism,
| |
| | children!
|
| although there are lots of interventions
| |
| | So we have a choice, do we make use of
|
| available that can make a difference.
| |
| | what already engages them in our
|
| Early diagnosis and treatment can be
| |
| | intervention program or do we ignore it
|
| particularly effective. Individual
| |
| | and try and impose our program on them? I
|
| children with autism have different needs
| |
| | argue for the former.
|
