Autism Spectrum Disorders - Assignment Example

Task: Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) What is autism? Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are developmental disabilities that affect an individual’s communication capabilities, how they perceive the world around them and their behavioural performance. ASD is a term that includes a variety of diagnoses such as Classic autism, Asperger Syndrome and High functioning autism. As such, it is also referred to as a spectrum disorder. What is Asperger Syndrome? Asperger Syndrome affects an individual based on three aspects. These include: how the individual perceives the world; how they process information and how they relate to other people around them – social communication and social interaction. Individuals with Asperger Syndrome can have an aptitude that is either average or above average. That is the main reason why they have less challenges with regard to speech. It should be noted that Asperger Syndrome is hard to detect and distinguish in an individual. How can autism and Asperger syndrome be differentiated? Both syndromes are constituents of ASDs. As a result, they can be confused based on some of the common characteristics that they share. Distinctions between the two include: On set age: This refers to the age when the diagnosis is made. Autism can be detected as early as when the child starts growing up and/ or starts going to school. However, Asperger syndrome is noticed later on in the child’s or individual’s life; that is when they start to have a social life and interactions. Asperger syndrome causes challenges in three aspects which are commonly referred to as “triad of impairments”. These include: social communication, social interaction and social imagination while autism affects an individual’s cognitive development (understanding what is being talked about, understanding feelings, making decisions etc) as well as their communication abilities – they could also encounter a delay in language development. What causes Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs)? The causes of ASDs have not yet being solemnly established. However, professionals perceive that ASDs could be caused by a number of causes. Some of these causes include: physical factors which may cause damage to optimal brain development of the individual; genetics where the individual can inherit from their parents multiple autistic genes; environmental factors such as being subjected to some metals – an example is mercury; toxins that could be existent in some vaccinations. According to an autism research that was conducted back in the 1930’s, the results revealed that every child who had developed autism then, had a parent who was in contact with mercury at one point in their lives; this lead to the development of an autistic gene that was later on passed to the child. Another study also suggested that autism in small children could be caused by some vaccinations which contain traces of mercury. The argument behind this ideology questioned the need of some vaccinations that are given to small children. The study projected that vaccinations “stimulate” the immune system. For the case of small children, there was no need to “stimulate” their immune system since it had not fully developed. Therefore, these vaccinations would become toxins and would lead to autoimmune responses towards the brains’ nerve fibres that would result to autism in small children. What are the signs and characteristics of ASDs? ASDs have a variety of signs and characteristics; however, these vary from one child to another. They include: Social skills challenges - Children with ASDs tend to have challenges with regard to their social skills. A child may: avoid eye contact; prefer playing alone; only interact when they are in need else they will not; lack the capability to express themselves as well as understand the feelings of other people around them. Communication challenges - There are different types of communication challenges that may occur to a child with ASD. Some children may not develop language skills at all, some may have good communication skills and others may develop their language skills at a later time as they grow up. Other communication challenges include: the child may not understand the meaning of the jokes being spoken, they may engage in repetitions of what has been spoken etc. Unusual behaviours and obsessions - Children with ASDs may have an extreme interest (obsession) in specific things. Some children may obsess over a specific game, a specific toy and as they play, they prefer their toys to be lined up in the same order. They may also like to twirl around as they play. At times, some children may get sudden mood changes – that is; they could get angry over small issues etc. In addition to that, they could showcase rigid behaviour in specific toys, colours or particular characters on TV. At what age can a parent or a carer notice that a child has ASDs and who can diagnose them? Autism can be detected in early childhood while Asperger syndrome can be detected later on while the child is being engaged into the social environment. ASDs diagnosis is difficult to perform due to the fact that it is a behavioural syndrome. As a result, doctors will just analyse the individual’s behaviour and do a follow up to try and see whether the individual has developed any of the signs and symptoms related to ASDs. Is there a cure for ASDs? What are the treatments options available? There is still no cure that is associated with ASDs. However, early diagnosis is a treatment option that can prevent the individual from developing the advanced varieties of the syndrome. When an early diagnosis has been carried out, the doctor(s) can recommend a variety of therapies that are specific to the individual’s syndrome. For example: an individual who has developed a delay in language acquisition could undergo a speech therapy so as to help them gain communication skills as well as be in a position to interact effectively with others. What strategies can be used to support a child with ASDs? Children with autism showcase improvement when they learn using visual aids. This helps them to recall information, routines and processes much better as compared to verbal communication. The common strategies include: Visual schedules/ timetables – They help a child to know what they are supposed to do each time. Therefore, their behaviour becomes predictable. It is important to know that following the same routine or procedure will definitely help the child progress. Another visual strategy that could help a child with ASD develop communication skills is the use of visual pictures. Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) – ASDs can leave an individual with a number of impairments. For example: the child may not be in a position to communicate. As a result, PECS is a system that helps the child to develop expressive communication skills. For those who are in a position to communicate, PECS can act as an alternative expressive communication strategy in the event that they face challenges while expressing themselves. Sensory integration – Due to the fact that children with ASDs have a variety of sensory needs, a sensory profile should be created by their specialist so as to establish what needs need to be fulfilled. Functional curriculum – Children with ASDs should be engaged in functional curriculums that provide them with skills on how to interact and communicate with other people as well as express themselves. Academics should also not be left behind; they should be taught on basic literacy skills such as reading, writing and simple math calculations. What statutory support is available for parents who have children with ASD? For parents who have children who have ASDs, the support that is available for them could be in the form of information on how to cater to the child, financial support in the form of allowances and help in adaptations to the house and/ or home where the child will reside. What education provision is available for children with ASD? What support can a parent get so as to help their child with behaviour? A child with ASDs should be subjected to an inclusive education plan that suits their sensory needs. This is because autism is a spectrum syndrome and each child portrays unique needs. Some children could be having a higher spectrum than others. Spectrum relates to the way they respond to stimuli in their environment such as light, sound, smells, taste and touch. As such, some could be having optimized sensitivity than others. For example, if a child has a high sound spectrum, they may cover their ears since that effect irritates their ears. Education should be specific to the child - if the child has a verbal impairment, it would be advisable to enrol the child to an education plan that focuses on developing their communication skills. When a child takes such classes, it is an assurance that they will portray an improvement with time. With regard to support, the parent will get the chance to be taught on what kind of environment is suitable for their child with ASDs. This gives the parent the chance to implement what they see at school back at home. It should be noted that a good environment, be it in school or at home, can contribute to the child’s general behaviour and performance. What are some of the useful books and organisations for parents who have children with ASDs? Some of the useful books include: Everybody Is Different: A Book for Young People Who Have Brothers or Sisters With Autism - which is easy to read and it provides information on how to deal with a child that had ASD. There are also a number of autism support networks such as: The National Autistic Society and the Autism Networks (A.N) in the UK. These organisations provide parents with information on how to cater to their autistic child as well as support. What are the local help lines for parents and carers? Help lines come into aid to provide emergency advice and support for parents and carers who have autistic children. To get acquainted dial: 0808 800 4106 – Free for landlines only For information regarding ASD local support centres, check out the following: The Hillingdon Autistic Care and Support (HACS): They offer parents and carers of autistic children with ample support as well as recommendable play schemes and activities. To know more, follow the link: www.hacs.org.uk or dial: 02086066780 Grange Wood School: The school has a support network designed to cater to parents and carers of autistic children as well as children with learning challenges. They accommodate children in the age bracket of 3 – 11 years. To query for more information, visit: www.grangewoodschool.co.uk or dial: 07900118812 Net Mums in Hillingdon: They also offer special needs programs for children with ASDs. If you are located in Hillingdon, go to the link: http://www.netmums.com or dial: 07826567034 to find out more on how their support could be beneficial. UCAA (U-Can Ask Angels): This is a community initiative in Hillingdon that seeks to encourage meet ups between parents who have autistic children. Through that, they get to share experiences, practices as well as offer each other support. To know more, visit http://www.netmums.com or dial: 07826567034 Works cited Gillberg, C. (1990) What is autism?. International Review of Psychiatry. 2(1). p. 61-66 Harrison, Robert (N.d) The real causes of autism. [Online] Available from: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/The_Real_Causes_of_Autism.html [Accessed: 19 November 2013] Kirby, D. (2006) Evidence of harm: Mercury in vaccines and the autism epidemic: A medical controversy. New York: St. Martin's Griffin National Research Council (2001) Educating Children with Autism. Washington, DC: National Academy Press The National Autistic Society (NAS) (2013) What is Autism and Asperger Syndrome. [Online] Available from: http://www.autism.org.uk/about-autism/autism-and-asperger-syndrome-an-introduction/what-is-autism.aspx [Accessed: 19 November 2013] The National Autistic Society (NAS) (2011) Position statement: Causes of autism. [Online] Available from: http://www.autism.org.uk/News-and-events/Media-Centre/Position-statements/Causes-of-autism.aspx [Accessed: 19 November 2013] Read More