“Autism is not a disability, it’s a different ability”. (Duncan, n.d.). Autism, also called autism spectrum disorder is a condition that deals with problems with communication and behavior. Autism can range from minor setbacks to needed full-time care. There are more cases of autism than ever before. It can be very manageable in one person and then not in another. It differs on the person. Someone could be walking right next to you and have autism and you might have no clue. Autism can be easy to spot out but most of the time that is unlikely. There are five different types off autism on the spectrum. Autism has a wide range of symptoms, treatments, and how different people are dealing with it.
Therefore, the symptoms of autism have a wide range. Individuals with autism have a lack of social skills. They might prefer to be alone, avoid physical contact, and avoid eye contact. People with autism do not understand emotions. Because of this, it is hard for them to process their own feelings or the feelings of others. They may show no interest in interacting with other people. Autistic individuals also lack communication skills. They have delayed speech, problems saying pronouns, and not using common gestures like pointing or waving.
Another symptom of lack of communication skills is echolalia, where they repeat the same phrase over and over. They also might not recognize when someone is joking with them. There are many patterns of behavior that can be symptoms of autism. Repetitive behaviors like rocking and hand-flapping. They are constantly moving and categorized as hyper. A big sign of autism is they need to have a specific routine to go by every day and when it is messed up even slightly, they will get upset. Another symptom of autism is fixating on one on thing. Sensitivity to touch, light and sound is another pattern of behavior. There are so many symptoms that come along with autism. It can be hard to spot autism if the condition is not severe.
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Interestingly, there are five types of autism. The spectrum has a wide range of conditions. It describes the different social and communication skills to a degree. It is a very broad diagnosis. The most common is Kanner’s Syndrome or classic autism. Another one of the types of autism is Pervasive Developmental Disorder. The symptoms are the same as classic autism. The treatments used are usually the same as classic autism also. Asperger’s Disorder is another fairly common type of autism. These symptoms include Obsessive-Compulsive like behavior, fixations, trouble communicating, and repetitive motions. Rett’s syndrome is another type of disorder. This syndrome is not a well-known type.
The symptoms of this syndrome are muscle atrophy and repetitive hand motions. The last type of autism is Childhood Disintegrative Disorder. This condition is fairly rare. The children that are diagnosed with this are around the ages of two to four years old. The children start losing the motivation to interact with other children and are not interested in playing. Their motor skills and communication skills will regress. The types of autism are all somewhat similar. It can be hard to figure out exactly what type of autism a person has.
In addition, there is no way to test someone for autism. Autism is diagnosed based on a child’s development. A pediatrician may do observations on your child. Early diagnosis and intervention is so important. If your child is showing signs of developmental delay, their pediatrician may refer you to a specialist like a psychiatrist or neurologist. There are many types of treatment for autism, the kind your child will receive depends on your child’s diagnosis. The treatments are to improve speech and behavior. Some might have to take medication for their condition. Treatments include different types of therapies.
The treatments are to reduce the symptoms of the condition and improve the child’s development. Some therapies include play therapy, behavioral therapy, sensory therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. There are medications to reduce some of the symptoms like depression, seizures, anxiety, insomnia, and trouble focusing on things. The medicine is most effective when a child is also doing behavioral therapies.
Risperidone is the only drug approved by the FDA for children on the spectrum. It is used for irritability and can only be taken from five years old to 16 years old. There are not any specific diets that children with autism have to stick to. Things like gluten or casein are often restricted from their diet. It has not been proven that taking that out of their diets is effective or not. Children with autism usually have thinner bones, a healthier diet can help strengthen their bones. At the point in time, doctors still do not know what causes autism. They think that is has to do with a person’s genes.
Next, inclusion in the classroom is very important. One important thing would be to help the child build opportunities to make friends. It is good to for a child with autism to make life-long friends at a young age so that when the child is older, they have friends that already know and accept the child’s diagnosis. School is a very social place. Children with autism are sensitive to socializing. School is a stressful time for children with autism. Autistic children are sensitive to touch, sounds, objects, smells, and visual stimulation. It is good to be mindful of them when teaching and give them a heads up if something is about to occur that will freak them out.
There are many things that a teacher will need to modify to help autistic students function in their classroom. They will need to modify things like instructions, the furniture, and the way that they teach. Since autistic children have problems with social interaction, the teacher needs to make sure they are providing opportunities to help them engage in activities with other children, tolerate other people in their space, share, take turns, and use eye contact. The teacher should provide them with strategies that expand their interests, develop more skills, calm themselves down, reduce anxiety, and prepare for changes. The other students in a class with the child with autism may be confused or scared at what is going on.
The best way to ease this would be to provide your class with information on autism and let them ask questions that you can answer. Assisting children with autism with their interactions can be good for the child and will help them make friends. There are many ways a teacher could go wrong when having an autistic child in their classroom. The best thing for a teacher to do is research, research, research. It is best to educate yourself on the condition before the students arrives in your class. The teacher needs to be prepared so the child’s transition is easy.
Autism does not define a person. Children with autism can still do most of the things that the other children do. They just need a little help. Autism can be very complicated to deal with but is manageable. There are many different types of treatment and diagnosis. It is best to recognize the symptoms and get early on treatment. When the child is older, this will benefit them by knowing how to deal with their behaviors and learning disabilities. Autism is getting more and more common. It would be beneficial for everyone to learn about autism and normalize that these people with autism are still people. Having a disability does not make someone less of a person than you. Everyone should treat people with disabilities the same as they would treat anyone else.
Works Cited
- Bhandari, S. (2019, October 22). Autism: Definition, Symptoms, Causes, & Types. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/understanding-autism-basics
- Classroom Implications. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://inclusionautism.weebly.com/classroom-implications.html
