Essay On Autism

The Ontario government is focused on providing effective early interventions for young children with autism (Perry, n.d.). Throughout the years, a substantial amount of research has been done regarding the neuroplasticity and the effectiveness of early intervention in young children (Perry, n.d.). The results of this research have given professionals a greater understanding for a new program directed to young children- which is designed and implemented for children with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder and some diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder- Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) are also eligible (Perry, n.d.). In 1999, $19 million was funded by the Ontario government to be invested in the services of Intensive Behaviour Intervention (IBI). This specific program is developed for children up to and including the age of 5 years old (Perry, n.d.).

This article caught my eye for several reasons. The first one is because it mentioned Social Story, which is an intervention I had not heard of before and I wondered how they used Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) in their research. The author’s (2014) wanted to know if you combined Social Story and AAT or Animal Assisted Activities (AAA) if there was a possibility of increasing the social skills of children who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

In source 1, an article written by the ASDF (Autism Spectrum Disorder Foundation), from the website www.myasdf.org , assessed in 2012, with the title ‘How your child can Benefit from Equine Therapy), it states that Autistic children/people benefit immensely from Equine Therapy (horse encounters).

For a number of children with autism having a companion dog is the difference between life and death. Methodically trained guide dogs help create an environment where autistic children are comfortable enough to live a more ordinary lifestyle. Autism spectrum disorder is a major public health problem that is the most common neurological disorder affecting 1 out of every 110 births in the US (Autism Society, 2009). ASDs can range in severity from Asperger Syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism where the child can function relatively well in society, to autistic disorder or classical ASD, which severely inhibits the child’s ability to socialize or communicate (NINDS). Autism manifests itself most strikingly as impairments in formation of

The term autism currently holds a meaning that is significantly different than when it was first adopted into our vocabulary in the 1960’s. The evolution of scientific discoveries within the field of autism research is remarkable and consistently improving. With the prevalence of autism continuing to reach sky rocketing numbers, the inclusion of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in the school system is extremely important. Every child has the right to obtain an education and finding new methods that provide this for children with ASD is vital. Creating programs and techniques that can be personalized to a child is the key to them receiving the most out of their education. Discrete trial teaching, pivotal response treatment and picture

Though there was not a specific hypothesis, it can be concluded that a general hypothesis for the study was if children that have ASD have a service dog, will they have behavior benefits, which is considered to be true. This journal withholding an impact factor of 4.704 is deemed as very informational. Because this study didn’t hurt or deceive anyone, it is deemed as ethical. The data collected within this study can be beneficial to those who have children with ASD; they can simply learn how to make their child’s life easier and less complicated by providing them with a service

Equine-assisted therapy. The use of equine-assisted therapy has been proposed as a method for facilitating positive sensory experiences for children with autism. A doctoral dissertation by Stickney (2010) finds that “the consistent, rhythmic movement of the horse as well as its warmth, appearance, smell, and furry coat sends an array of sensory signals to the central nervous system, affecting motor, visual, proprioceptive, tactile, and vestibular systems that are necessary for development of motor control” (p. 33). Preliminary research studies indicate that the experience of riding a horse can improve motor function, posture, balance, and reaction time. This can encourage positive sensory experiences, which causes the brain to release chemicals

More research is needed to find if animal-assisted interventions offer substantial and reliable improvements in symptoms in children with ASD. If family has extra resources and finds that these interventions might be beneficial for their child’s symptoms, this has not yet been found to be harmful. However, it might be advisable that social skills interventions are integrated into a child’s therapy before the use of an animal to aid in these interactions is selected. It seems that animal-assisted interventions are promising for improving safety and targeting atypical sensory responsiveness. If a child with autism’s safety cannot be managed in other ways and the family is experiencing substantial burden, a service dog might be a beneficial

Animal-assisted therapy is the inclusion of an animal in treatment for a therapeutic purpose, such as a child having a trained therapy dog that serves much like a service dog for the blind (Velde, B. P., Cipriani, J., & Fisher, G., 2005). Animal-assisted activities (AAA) are not individually designed, goal-oriented, or led by a trained professional and include activities like equine-assisted activity, classroom animals, or companion animals (Evans & Gray, 2011). Despite the increasing commonality of animal-assisted interventions, there is a disagreement about the effectiveness of these practices. Supporters of animal-assisted interventions cite anecdotal evidence and findings from several research studies, whereas others assert that these interventions are not supported by quality research and are not ethically sound. However, there is little discussion on which animal-assisted interventions support the most optimal outcomes for particular children with ASD and the specific symptoms they are

However, there is no empirical research proving the efficacy of DAT. In the first literature review examined, O’Haire (2012) examined several different empirical studies in order to attempt to close the gap of lack of evidence in Animal assisted intervention (AAI) with children who have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). She hoped to do three things: “(a) describe the characteristics of AAI for ASD, (b) evaluate the state of the evidence base, and (c) summarize the reported outcomes of AAI for ASD” (O’Haire, 2012). She narrowed it down to a total of 14 studies that fit the criteria she was looking for. Of these 14, the participants were seen an average of 40 minutes per session, for 13 session for 12 weeks. The outcomes of her review concluded that although AAI has seen to improve ASD; most improvement in social interaction, there is a methodological weakness about these studies. There is no actual proof to these claims; further research will be needed. Similarly, Fiksdal and colleagues (2012) looked at a series of studies done on dolphin-assisted therapy (DAT). They explained that because of the desperation of the parents and because of lack of other effective studies DAT is a popular therapy route. DAT is most often advertised through social media; television, newspaper, movies and more. While there are personal statements of improvement in

Neurological disorders are complex in nature and often the least understood. Given the recent boom in imaging technology and other diagnostic methods, it is now possible to see more clearly into the scope of neurological development and accurately determine the etiology of these diseases. One of such disorders is Autism; a multifactorial condition impairing normal brain development. It affects many aspects of development, including social behavior, cognitive ability and communication skills1 and is commonly diagnosed in children before the age of three1. The symptoms of this condition can vary greatly between individuals; hence its classification as a spectrum disorder. Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome and pervasive

The hallmarks of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) involve marked deficits in social interaction as well as engagement in repetitive behaviors and language difficulties (Leblanc, Richardson, & Warnie, 2005). Although autism can have a profound impact on the capabilities and functioning of the individual, emerging research indicates that applied behavioral analysis (ABA) can be an effective tool for addressing many of the deficits that children with ASD face (Boutot & Myles, 2016). In fact, emerging research indicates that when ABA is utilized for the treatment of young children with ASD many of the challenges faced by this group can be ameliorated (Boutot & Myles, 2016). With these issues in mind the current investigation considers the seven elements of ABA identified by Baer, Wolf, and Risley (1968) in their seminal article on applied behavioral analysis and their application to individuals with ASD. Through a critical review of the seven elements of ABA in relation to ASD it will be possible to illustrate how this approach can be effective for improving outcomes for individuals diagnosed with autism.

Supporters of animals improving social competence find that children have a natural connection with animals that may help to facilitate communication skills, which are often a challenging skill to improve in children with ASD. Solomon (2015) advocates for the inclusion of the animal in structured interactions with the child, because “there are indications that some people diagnosed with ASD ‘are’ more companion-able and more response-able when their interactions with animals are enfolded into interactions with people” (p. 327). She describes these structured interactions for children with ASD through using questions and prompts about the animal to encourage empathic and thoughtful interactions with the animal. Solomon finds through preliminary qualitative studies that children are better able to organize interactions with animals, as these are simpler and less stressful. The children she observes during these interactions often make statements that indicate a greater interpersonal understanding than in a traditional clinical interview, such as “may be he [the dog] wants to be warm” or “but they [the cats] are afraid” (Solomon, 2015, p. 335). Overall, there is limited empirical information on facilitated interactions with animals, but this pilot study prompts other researchers to perform similar

Animal-assisted therapy has proven to be very successful in providing physical and emotional benefits to children with autism. Animal-assisted therapy can vary from something as simple as bringing a pet into the home to something as structured as programs that offer horseback riding or swimming with dolphins. Interacting with animals can help children with autism to develop physically and improve their strength, coordination, and physical abilities. Most importantly the relationship formed with animals can help autistic children have a better sense of well-being, more self-confidence and can offer transferable skills of empathy and relating to others (“pets are fake”). While more research is still needed to determine the effects and confirm the benefits of animal-assisted therapy specifically for children with autism, a number of studies have suggested it could help. In the 1970s, psychologist and researcher David Nathanson began studying how interactions with dolphins affected children with disabilities. Nathanson found that being around dolphins could increase a child's attention, enhance their thinking, help them learn faster, and retain information longer. More recently, a study published in the Western Journal of Nursing Research looked at the effects of interacting with dogs on children with autism spectrum disorders. For the study, children were exposed to a ball, a stuffed dog, or a live dog under the supervision of a therapist. The children who played with the live dog were in a better mood and more aware of their surroundings than the children who were exposed to the ball or stuffed dog(“pet therapy can help with

Autism Spectrum Disorder is not curable but it can be controlled using a certain type of treatments. There are various types of treatments used by parental, caregiver and clinical. The treatments can be separated into behavior and communication approaches, medication and complementary and alternative medicine. Applied behavioral analysis is a treatment approach that is used in many schools and treatment clinics (Foxx, 2008). There are different types of ABA and one of it is early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI). EIBI is the most effective treatment used for young children from birth to 3 years old as the services consist of treatments to assist the child to talk, walk and interact with others (Matson & Goldin, 2014). Discrete trials teaching (DTT) is one of the key teaching methods in EIBI. An efficient approach for teaching children with ASD has been shown by DTT and it plays an important role in language, social and academic skills. DTT has a sequence of discrete learning units that allows the skills to broken down into smaller units when teaching a new skill. DTT consist of three-term possibilities,