The Ignorance Toward Autism

Autistic spectrum condition is a lifelong disability which affects how an individual communicates and relates to, other people. The understanding of autism has greatly improved since the 1940s when it was identified and one thing that we are aware of is that there is no cure however, there are many things that can be done to support people with autism. There are a large number of symptoms that are in relation to autism, such as a delay in speech development, not responding when their name is called and despite being able to hear, being intolerant of others entering their personal space. In addition to these, there are behavioural symptoms such as insisting on a familiar routine and becoming very anxious or upset if this is disrupted or changed, they will sometime talk at people rather than having a two-way conversation and a failure to understand or implement social rules.

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

Society is driven by norms and obligations that leads us to having negative perspectives and attitudes toward disabled individuals. We have internalized the physical appearance has a social standard. When the physical differences are not conformed by members of society, individuals with those differences tend to be rejected. For example, in the movie “The Butterfly Circus”, Will was being treated almost like he was not human because he had no arms nor legs. In addition, members of society tend to associate disables as non-productive. According to professor Nanoch Liveh, “The level of societal development, the rate of unemployment, beliefs concerning the origins of poverty, and the importance attached to the nation’s welfare economy and security are all contributing factors affecting attitudes toward people with disabilities.” Not only, social norms

“Work to view my autism as a different ability rather than a disability. Look past what you may see as limitations and see the gifts autism has given me…Be my advocate, be my friend, and we’ll see just how far we can go” –Ellen Botbohm, author of Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew.

The article “introducing disability Studies” by Ronald J. Berger was an eye opener in uncovering the past history of negative stigma associated with having a disability. Through history people have felt the need to stare at people with disabilities or to turn away in fear of maybe contracting the “disease”. This negative attitude was positively reinforced by ordinances such as the Chicago “ugly law” in which a person with physical deformities would have to pay a fine for simply being too “disgusting” looking to other citizens. This law was in place from 1880 to 1973, which is pretty recent in history. However there are positive glimpse in history when it came to uncovering and defining disabilities. Men like Leo Kanner and Asperger have dedicated

To begin, the autistic community has many different ways of communication that works for everyone that they interact with. One of those ways they have worked past their barriers of communication is using sign language. This enables anyone who doesn’t have a voice, or is unable to express their feelings and opinions using words, to show their emotions using a different way of language. Another barrier that is faced by the autistic community is that while our society is heavily based on using tone of voice and body language to communicate our feelings and our reactions to certain situations. The problem that arises from this is that people diagnosis with autism, do not pick up on social cues and are unable to use the same body language

Autism is a very complex disorder that deals with social behavior. People with Autism can have many different stages of Autism ranging anywhere from high functioning (people that act more normal and have less noticeable symptoms), moderately functioning (people with autism that are more noticeable than people who are high functioning, tend to have more ticks, but can cope and adapt more than low functioning), and low functioning (people with autism that more often than not do not talk, more noticeable symptoms, more ticks, and have a hard time copping and adapting). With there being

ociety often has a misunderstood perception of individuals that carry autism. People infer that these autistic individuals are ignorant or sometimes even refer to them as retarded, they treat them as if they’re completely oblivious to what is actually going on around them, and they put these individuals at a lower ranking than ourselves. People that have this disorder are often mocked or called names. The world looks at them as ignorant, incapable vegetables, when in reality, they’re actually geniuses and masterminds. Autism does not make people that carry it stupid or even retarded, it doesn’t deprive them of intelligence, and it doesn’t make them any dumber than you and I. Carriers of autism usually only lack in their social skills rather than their intellectual skills. Autism is a severe disorder that hinders carriers of it to be able to communicate and socially interact with others

1.1 It is important to recognise that individuals who are on the autism spectrum are seen as individuals. Clients with autism can easily be grouped into an autism grouping when providing support for them. For example, two clients who reside in the same property or within the same company could find themselves being provided support for their autism rather than their individualities, strengths and interests. This can lead to a blatant disregard for person centred working, because although they have the same condition it doesn’t necessarily meant they learn in the same way or they like the same things such as watching television or have the same

Autism is categorized by deficits in maintaining social relationships and difficulty communicating. The number of children being diagnosed with autism is steadily increasing. Therefore the need incorporate effective interventions that focus on the development of the individual child has become an imperative component for their success. The key for children with Autism to achieve academic and social success depends upon the collaborative effort that is shared among all parties involved: family, teachers, peers; mental health professionals and the community.

To address the perpetual need for widespread public awareness and core education on various Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), it is important to provide the normally-born people with training and education to help them support individuals born with an ASD and how not to treat them.

I will be focusing this seminar on children with Autism and how they communicate with family, friends and the wider community and how the families are supported within society by the authority such as social workers, also what role social workers can play within a family with an autistic child.

In contrast to help received as an ASD child, services and overall well-being as an ASD adult are lacking. In the article “Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorders,” the authors describe that there is limited support and interventions for individuals with Autism who are over the age of 18 (Howlin and Moss, 2011, p.275). Howlin and Moss state, “The findings indicate that, as adults, many people with ASD, including those of normal IQ, are significantly disadvantaged regarding employment, social relationships, physical and mental health, and quality of life” (2011, p. 275). What makes the situation worse is there is little research being conducted to aid Autistic adults, especially ones over the age of 30 (Howling and Moss, 2011, p. 275). It is

The lecture “Life on the Spectrum: Living, Learning and Growing as an Autistic Person” presented by Howie Jordan was given on October 27, 2015 at USC Upstate. This speech was about the struggles one with autism faces on a daily basis and the adversity they must overcome. Jordan tells the audience about autism through his eyes and the lessons he has learned through his struggles. Lessons such as how to overcome bullying, physical and mental obstacles, and educational struggles. Jordan’s purpose is to shine light on the idea that a person with autism is just that, a person. No matter what disabilities one may have they are still human and deserve to be treated like one in every part of life.

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.