Accepting Autism : Receiving Autism

In Chapter four it talks about how people that have autism are concrete thinkers. Before reading this chapter I was unaware of much of our social language is figurative. This is something that a child with autism would struggle with. The author makes a good point when saying “you wouldn’t dream of issuing instructions to you child in a foreign language but English can seem that way” ( Notbohm 66). This put it in to words how hard it can be for a child with autism to grasp the language people use. The author identifies four things that people need to watch out for when speaking with a child with autism. The first thing was to avoid idioms and cliches, so this means instead of saying “something smells fishy” try saying “this does seem right to me”. It gives a better and clearer

Autism is a developmental disorder, which is characterized by a dyad of difficulties in a) communication and social interaction and b) restricted interests and imagination (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Individuals on the Autism Spectrum might find it challenging to understand what other people think or what the reasons for their behaviours are, as their ‘theory of mind’ may not be well developed (Schuwerk, Vuori & Sodian, 2015). It is possible that this is why they might behave in socially inappropriate ways, being unable to differentiate between different contexts, while they might also find it difficult to make friends. Moreover, it is likely that they are fond of routines, repetition and structure (Carnahan, Musti-Rao, & Bailey, 2009), as they might be nervous with unknown, new situations. In addition, some of them might not do eye contact with other people, whereas some others might not endure to be touched and might have a difficulty developing speech (Jordan, 2005). Individuals on the Autism Spectrum might sometimes be prohibited to initiate conversations and might struggle with finding different ways to play and behave, due to the possible deficit of imagination, which in some cases might result in them having a narrow sphere of interests. Nevertheless, it should be noted that this group of people is rather heterogeneous, as characteristics of autism may differ from one individual to another (Gwynette, 2013). Another point is that people with Autism

Based on the case study, Sara has many elements and character traits that can identify with her diagnosis of autism. I do strongly believe Sara diagnosis is appropriate and in line with IDEA definition and the revised criteria for ASD in the DSM-5.

ASD is an abbreviation of Autism Spectrum Disorder, a disorder characterized by “social-interaction difficulties, communication challenges and a tendency to engage in repetitive behaviors”. ASD has become so prevalent that “1 in 68 children are identified with ASD” a number which is higher among certain racial minorities (CDC Press Release). While there are many therapies such as pharmaceutical or behavior correcting therapy, it is music which shows much promise in aiding children with autism. From its start in prehistoric humans to today’s clinical and classroom settings music has had a profound impact on the individual; well documented studies and

Autism is a brain disorder that is characterized by slow and difficult comprehension of spoken and non-verbal communication and repetition of behaviors. Autism is normally noticed in the first two years of a child (Myers & Johnson, 2007). Asperger syndrome is an autistic disorder that has almost the same similarities with autism. People with Asperger syndrome have little comprehension of the world and its surroundings and poor communication with other people. People with Asperger syndrome are hard to recognize, as they do not show on their outward appearances. They are average or above average intellectually and have fewer problems in terms of speech and specific learning disabilities unlike in autism. These difficulties include dyslexia, epilepsy, and attention

Bondy, A. S., & Frost, L. A. (1994). The picture exchange communication system. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 9(3), 1-19.

References Altern, J. (2006). Abnormally High Plasma Levels of Vitamin 6 in Children with Autism Not Taking Supplements Compared to Controls not Taking Supplements. US National Library of Medicine. National Institute of Health. Complement Med, 12 (1), 59-63.

Before completing the assignment of reading “Thinking in Pictures,” by Temple Grandin, I did not have much knowledge about autism. My only understanding was autism was some sort of neurological disorder that is seen similar to mentally handicapped individuals to someone with little understanding, like myself. I am very thankful to have been given an assignment like this one that gives me more knowledge of something I should already have in my line of work (though I am sure that was the whole purpose of the assignment, to educate the ignorant). I now have a better understanding of the cause, learning process and functioning of different levels of this defect.

Autism Spectrum Disorder. ASD. Autism. When people hear any of these, it’s either “avoid that person at all costs”, “be super sympathetic”, “pretend to be their friend” or “I have no idea what that is”. My best friend and illustrator of my second book, has no idea what autism is. I tried explaining it to her. It’s very hard to explain how you feel, first of all. To put the fact that you are autistic makes it even more difficult. It doesn’t bother me too much that she doesn’t know. As long as she knows that I truly am a good person, we’re good.

During the second quarter, Lisa Beresford and I have met weekly or sometime more. Our discussions for this quarter have been focusing on several different topics. First, we have discussed different transition activities and strategies that we can use to help the students to be successful. We have discussed transition plans (IEP portion), for students that want to attend the CTC next year, and also students that are graduating this year.

According to “Autism’s Next Wave” by Lydia Denworth, scientists have discovered a new way to help people with autism. This groundbreaking discovery helps patients who suffer from autism, which is a disorder with no proven biological treatments. TMS, an acronym for transcranial magnetic stimulation, uses electromagnetic waves and a magnetic field to temporarily “fix” some patients’ autism symptoms by altering the way the patient’s brain cells communicate. This therapy is similar to electroconvulsive therapy, which was used in the 1930s to treat depression. Unlike electroconvulsive therapy (which used electric shocks to trigger seizures), TMS isn’t painful.

1.Describe your creation - what is represented in the creation?  Why did you choose the elements that you did? What do you think your creation "says" about Autism?

Autism is a disorder that can wreck havoc in the lives of many, and all it takes is one diagnosis. Most families never expect autism to occur in their family. But once it does, the family will never imagine the effect it will have. The family of a child with autism “[is] faced with intolerable mental, economic, and social pressure” (Mosayebi 4). Could a child with autism have a substantial enough effect on the family to cause separation and divorce of their parents?

A time when I was challenged was when I spoke at my schools wellness conference and addressed my feelings about autism. When I first received my diagnosis, I was afraid to tell anyone because I knew about the stereotypes and I thought I would become a joke. However, as I became more comfortable in my own skin and I came to terms with my diagnosis, I slowly began to tell my closest friends about Asperger’s syndrome. Alongside school, I would attend appointments with a speech language pathologist who taught me how to cope and self-regulate when I started to have panic attacks. Eventually, I was able to educate other autistic children the techniques that help me. Moreover, I taught them how to self-declare.

There is no doubt that raising a child with autism is challenging. There is endless research on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) but a very limited amount on the costs and benefits of caring for a person with the disorder. In order to gain a comprehensive perspective on the biggest challenges parents and caregivers of autistic children face, a look into the private lives of these families and close networks is necessary. The only way to give support and provide the much needed services required to help, one must ask them what the most difficult parts about managing autism are. Below examines three of the most common struggles these families face when trying to understand and help their autistic children develop into the capable people they are certainly able of becoming.