The Major Deficits That Come Along With Autism Is The Social Aspect Of It Essay

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

“In 2009 a study found that children with autism showed more emotional expression and social engagement during their music therapy sessions as opposed to play sessions without music” (Vivo). “In the study, children also responded more frequently to their therapist’s request than in sessions without music” (Vivo). Music can act as a security blanket for some people. For the children in this study, the music they listened to during their play sessions made them feel secure and allowed them to open up and engage with the other children in their therapy session. Not only can listening to music assist in a child’s therapy engagement, but “a skilled therapist can use music to increase a child’s social interaction and skills” (Vivo). “Therapy can increase the interactions of children by passing and sharing instruments, games that involve movement and music, and gathering around a central instrument” (Vivo). Children learn to socialize whether it is through their verbal communication skills or their non-verbal communication skills. The children are put in a situation where they are forced to socialize however; the music provides an element of protection and security resulting in an autistic child who is no longer wandering around the room in fear but engaging in activities with a smile on their

     Autism is a developmental disability that affects all areas of behavior and perception. Approximately 10 out of every 10,000 children are diagnosed with autism and four out of five are males. Autism is the third most common developmental disability, more common than Down Syndrome. Children with Autism are characterized by impairment in several areas of development such as: Cognitive, Language, Play/Socialization skills and exhibit many challenging behaviors. Behavior Patterns of Autism:

Through the use of music children with autism are able to express themselves better in these social situations. Children with autism are found to not be as engaged with others in social situations as other children. Children with autism are found to have impairment in their communication skills when they want to express themselves in a social situation (Gattino, dos Santos Riesgo, Longo, Leite, & Faccini, 2011). A study done by Kim, Wigram, and Gold found that music therapy promotes social skills, motivational and emotional development in children with

Autism Spectrum Disorder affects various aspects of an autistic child’s life. Many children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder every year, while others go undiagnosed for an extended time, or even for their whole life. A child exhibiting delays in language benchmarks or showing little interest in the surroundings should be examined for possible ASD. Language is often impaired and although the level of impairment can range from severe too unnoticeable in each child, a child is likely to have a delay in another area, like coordination of motor skills, if not in language. Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disorder that causes impairments in various aspects of language development.

“Where could anybody be without organizing their own thoughts”(Slater 1)? Imagine living in a world where one could not communicate with anyone around them on a truly rational level, even though the individual is completely rational. Imagine feeling so frightened by life, that one escapes to an Alternate reality, where they become catatonic, or even take on forms of different personalities to deal with everyday situations. Try not being able to communicate through one’s own words, only repeating what others have said in order to get along in life. This is what living with Autism is like. Autism, through the book definition is a “complex developmental disability…that appears

The research identified that there are very few studies that address social storiesTM for young adults with autism disorders. (Karayazi et. al, 2001, p.126) As a result of that discovery, the researcher studied the effects of using social stories with a young woman with Autism Spectrum Disorder to increase pro-social behavior: nose- cleaning and appropriate greetings. (Karayazi et. al, 2001, pg. 126) Social stories are illustrations that encourages pro-social behavior to individual with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Previous studies examined the use of social stories to increase verbal communication in ASD children; increasing pro-social and reducing disruptive behaviors in ASD children; decreasing disruptive behaviors by using multiple-baseline across participant design (Ozedmir, 2008); and, decreasing anti-social behavior in adolescents. The research hopes to find a positive correlation between social stories and increasing pro-social behavior in young adults.

This article defines music therapy and how it makes an impact for individuals with diagnoses on the autism spectrum. It also explains the job of the therapist and how they work with their clients.

Autism is really come along ways from where it use to be. There’s been so much research done to try and track it early and see if there’s something that can done to try and prevent it. There are celebrities with the disorder as well as some celebrity kids or their children with it. The definition of autism is "a pervasive developmental disorder of children, characterized by impaired communication, excessive rigidity, and emotional detachment" as defined by Dictionary.com and is a part of the autism spectrum disorder that is found in both children and adults. Autism spectrum disorder is a serious neurodevelopmental disorder that impairs a child 's ability to communicate and interact with others. It also includes restricted repetitive behaviors, interests and activities. These issues cause significant impairment in social, occupational and other areas of functioning. Wikipedia states that autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication, and restricted and repetitive behavior.

Autism is a clinical syndrome characterized by qualitative impairment of social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, imaginative activity, and a markedly restricted repertoire of activities and interests. Within the first 3-6 months of their lives, parents may note the child does not develop a normal pattern of smiling or cuddling response. As they grow older, they do not progress through developmental milestones such as learning to say words or speak sentences. Instead, they seem aloof, detached, and withdrawn. Instead of developing a pattern of relating warmly to their parents, they may instead engage in self-stimulating behavior such as rocking or head banging. By age 2 or 3 years, it is

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 68 children are diagnosed with autism. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a serious neurodevelopmental disorder that impairs a child’s ability to communicate and interact with others (Mayo Clinic, 2014). Individuals who suffer from this disorder are often hindered by behaviors that keep them from properly functioning in their everyday lives. It is hard for a child with autism to form and maintain relationships with family and friends since they are lacking the proper behavioral skills to do so. When a child is diagnosed with ASD, three crucial areas of development are affected: verbal and nonverbal communication, behavior, and social interaction. Since there is no known cause or cure for this disorder, early treatment methods, such as music therapy, can be used to make a huge difference in the lives of the children with ASD. Using music therapy for children with ASD involves a board-certified music therapist working with autistic children to explore the benefits that music can have on their behavior, communication, and development of social skills.

In a study conducted by LaGasse in 2004 looked to measure the effect of music therapy when conducted as a group to see if the social skills of children with ASD would change, compared to a regular social skills group. The study employed seventeen participants with an age range of 6 to 9 years old. The groups engaged in 10 sessions, twice a week, with a schedule of a welcome exercise, followed by a rotation of sensory and social experiences and finally ended with a farewell exercise. The social experiences specifically looked at promoting eye contact, communication and joint attention (LaGasse, 2014). Exercises included passing a ball amongst the group, board games, and telling of jokes to the group. The experience of music to half of the groups was done in a way that would be similar to the nonmusical groups, such as music making instead of play a game or using music to help complete a social interaction (LaGasse, 2014). Results found that specifically after finishing all ten sessions, parents of children who received music based therapy reported large increases in not only eye contact situations, but also in length of time. While eye gaze did increase overall, LaGasse found that it increased among peers but decreased amongst adults, explaining it could be due to the facilitators shifting for a more peer-to-peer interaction. Results from LaGasse’s study were able to show initial evidence those social skills such as joint attention and eye contact could be

Gooding (2011) conducted a study that used specific interventions such as movement to music, instrument playing, singing and improvisation activities for a group of adolescents with different learning disabilities, including Asperger’s Syndrome. All participants showed an increase in social skills over the course of the study. This could suggest that music-based interventions were effective in combating social skills deficits.

Kids that have autism have been known to have many behavioral issues and outbursts, but with the help of music therapy, these serious problems can be lessened. To illustrate this, a study in 2012 was conducted where 41 children with autism were given music therapy for 10 months. Over the 10 month period, the kids participated in a variety of music therapy techniques/strategies, such singing and using instruments. By the end of the study the children were less restless, angry, and noisy, which are some of the key poor behaviors that occur in young kids with autism (De Vivo 1). Furthermore, the music therapy can help children with autism lower their anxiety. Another study was done in 2006 to prove this. Autism Science Foundation wrote about this experiment, saying, “A small four-week study, conducted at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse in 2006, found preliminary success in reducing anxiety in patients with autism through music therapy...” (De Vivo 1). In addition to helping with behavior and anxiety in these children, it can also make them much more social and expressive. Children with autism have been known to be quite shy and unexpressive, but music therapy can make them come out of their shell and be more social (De Vivo 1). Undoubtedly, autistic children have been impacted for the better, by using this technique of music

I am very passionate about working with kids with autism. They have such amazing personalities and I feel like people don’t see past the disability to the unique person they are. For several years I worked at a residential facility for kids on the spectrum. I was a direct care staff that worked one on one with them to work on their goals their treatment plan was focusing on. My passion to help kids with autism comes from my previous experience working with these kids and watching them grow and learn new skills. This transformation that I watched happen and helped be a part of with these kids made me want to help more kids with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There are a lot of skills that need to be taught to these children. Socialization, communication, and positive behavior are just a few kids with autism need help improving. I believe that the earlier that you teach a child these skills the more successful they will be. Early intervention has had a positive outcome within many research experiments that professionals have done. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004) also requires schools to teach kids with disabilities alongside typically developed kids as much as possible.