Autism - Case Study Example

AUTISM Introduction The research paper is based on a handicapped condition for human beings, ly Autism which could be observed among children beyond a certain age. Autism is medically explained as a neural disorder that is characterized by barriers in verbal as well as non-verbal communication and restricted interactions with the society. This handicapped situation is associated with repetitive and restrictive behavior of individuals suffering from autism. It has been found that the individuals exhibit some pattern of autism at some point of time in their life. However, the handicapped condition becomes evident when the same repetitive and restrictive behavior is shown by the human beings as a result of neural problems either early in the childhood or during subsequent stages. Characteristics and or types The handicapped condition of autism varies from one child to another and from one adult to another. This is due to the different characteristic features of the disease that occurs in the development stage of the childhood. The symptoms of autism are characterized by the abnormalities in the ability of understanding and communication with people in various social spheres. The receptive organs and the brain take more time to receive and transmit signals that are in turn observed in the restrictive behavior of the children. The autistic behavior is observed in various actions such as eating, vision and hearing, flapping of hands and building large stacks of blocks, etc. Generally, the characteristics of autism are observed within the children with two years of childhood. Other characteristics also show that a child may display apparently normal behavior in the initial stages and then start to exhibit autistic symptoms in the subsequent stages (Melillo, 2012). Autism is also observed among individuals beyond a certain age when it is medically examined as symptoms for the handicapped behavior. The types of behavior among the patients of autism range from unusual attachment to various objects, typical and not normal response to surrounding conditions. The patients of autism may be disturbed by the sounds, lights, touches or smell of things which are acceptable for normal people. The individuals handicapped due to autism may also display aggressive behavior as well as actions which are injurious to themselves. Special programs associated with the condition The individuals handicapped due to autism have less than average ability of communication and understanding for which they face hindrances in interacting with their surroundings. However, it has been observed that few autistic children have developed more than average non-verbal skills of memorizing contents of matter, painting, solving numerical, etc. In order to harness their abilities and close the gap between the level of understanding and communication with the society, special programs have been designed in order to treat the handicapped situation in a timely manner. The special programs are designed on the basis of evidence-based techniques that are aimed at understanding the difficulties faced by the handicapped condition of autism (Fuentes, 2008). The programs offer immense and unconditional love to the children suffering from autism. As the characteristics of autism differ from individual to individual, there is no known cure for this handicapped condition. However, the special programs like individual education program (IEP) and individual transition program (ITP), physical education are aimed at increasing the confidence, interaction and cognitive skills of the handicapped individuals. The parents and teachers participate in a whole some manner in these special programs with a conscious approach that they understand the difficulties of the autistic children and help them exhibit normal behavior to the extent possible. Rehabilitation possibilities The special programs are designed to address the difficulties faced the individuals suffering from the handicapped situation of autism. This is aimed at rehabilitating the autistic individuals who exhibit the neural developmental deficiency from their childhood and that carries on further into their future lives and adulthood. It has been observed that due to the efforts of rehabilitation, some of the handicapped individuals have been able to recover from the autistic stages that they suffered in their childhood. The inner abilities of the handicapped individuals are boosted by the special programs. Due to the unconditional love and confidence instilled in them, the autistic individuals have been able to prosper and become successful in later stages of life (Happe, 2005). Although it would be difficult for these individuals to live life on their own, it is certainly possible to rehabilitate them and help them enter into acceptable social interactions with people in various spheres of life. Physical education program and teaching strategies The aspect of physical education and effective teaching strategies is extremely important for curing the handicapped condition of autism. Since the children in the tender ages face lack of development of cognitive power due to neural problems associated with autism, the teaching programs are necessary to help the handicapped individuals identify and learn to exhibit appropriate behavior in different circumstances faced in their daily life. The physical education programs help the individuals to overcome the handicapped situations in which they display repetitive and restrictive behavior. The teaching strategies are also essential in order to help the patients understand in a pace that is appropriate for them. The teachers would need to identify the inner potential and pace at which the individual would be able to grab the techniques of social communication. The teaching strategies would also include providing unconditional affection, acceptability of the handicapped group of people who are rehabilitated (Dawson, 1989). In the initial stages, the verbal communication ability being low the teaching strategy would be to use display of picture, blackboards, music, actions and physical movements to make them understand the normal requirements of life. With the progress of training, the individuals would start to pick up the learning in their own pace and recover from the barriers of autism. Transition The transition for the handicapped individuals suffering from autism would be the course of recovery by which they would start to regain the normal power of cognition and communication while engaging in social interactions. The transition process is planned in such a way that it is accomplished by the time these students complete their graduation. By the time the students suffering from the handicapped condition complete graduation at the age of 16, they pass through the various programs designed under the special programs included in the courses. The special courses help the students to restore normalcy in the lives by addressing the neural developmental faced by them in their childhood. The intensive education program and intensive transition programs are instrumental approaches which are aimed at preparing the student to develop their verbal and non-verbal communication skills. IEP is designed in such a way that it addresses the varied interests of the autistic student over various subjects like drawing, handicrafts, etc. In the intensive transition programs, the parents and the teachers play an active in understanding the difficulties of the students and pass smoothly though the stages of transition under abundant care and guidance (Freedman, 2008). Conclusion The handicapped situation of autism is commonly observed where individuals exhibit peculiar restricted behavior of understanding and communication in case of social engagements mainly due to lack of neural development and delayed response of brain functions. The handicapped condition of autism is carried over from the childhood stage to subsequent adulthood in majority of the cases. Special programs like the intensive education and transition programs are very useful in taking the handicapped individuals pass through the stages of transition to restore normalcy in their lives. The parent and the teachers show immense love and care in understanding the people and help them close the gap while interaction with people in different spheres of life. References Melillo, R. (2012). Autism: The Scientific Truth About Preventing, Diagnosing, and Treating Autism Spectrum Disorders--and What Parents Can Do Now. London: Penguin. Fuentes, C. (2008). Autism. New York: Lulu. Dawson, G. (1989). Autism: Nature, Diagnosis, and Treatment. New York: Guilford Press. Happe, F. (2005). Autism: An Introduction to Psychological Theory. New Jersey: Psychology Press. Freedman, J. (2008). Autism. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group. Read More