Communication Struggles of Children with Autism - Essay Example

of the Annotated Bibliography Barnhill, Gena. “What is Asperger Syndrome?” Intervention in School & Clinic 36.5 (2001): 259. This article gives a detailed description and characteristics of Asperger Syndrome. The author believes that it is important to disseminate information about the features of Asperger Syndrome to medical experts, mental health providers, educators, and parents so that this problem can be identified early, and correct treatments can be given to help people with AS in coping well. (2) Bogdashina, Olga. Communication Issues in Autism and Asperger Syndrome: Do We Speak the Same Language? London: Jessica Kingsley, 2005. The book examines the impacts of various cognitive approaches and perceptions on the language development and communication abilities of children with autism. The author explains why particular techniques are effective to some children with autism and useless to others. Presenting actual ideas and opinions, the author gives a real account of Asperger Syndrome through the point of view of individuals with autism. (3) Elder, Lisa, Linda Caterino, Janet Chao, Dina Shacknai, & Gina De Simone. “The Efficacy of Social Skills Treatment for Children with Asperger Syndrome” Education & Treatment of Children 29.4 (2006): 635+ This article argues that problems in acquisition of social skills are usually the most serious difficulty for children with Asperger Syndrome. The authors caution that failure to address these problems could lead to manifestations of behavior disorders, anxiety, and depression. They support the use of social skills therapy which is a highly recognized treatment for children with Asperger Syndrome, even though there is a lack of empirical findings to substantiate this theory. (4) Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Random House, 2010. This novel narrates the story of a fifteen-year old boy who has Asperger Syndrome. He is very intelligent, especially in math or numbers, and knows little about people. The story shows how autistic children cope with their daily lives and how their mind are challenged by things or events that seem unusual to them, such as the murder of a neighbor’s dog. (5) Hancock, Terry & Ann Kaiser. “The Effects of Trainer-Implemented Enhanced Milieu Teaching on the Social Communication of Children with Autism” Topics in Early Childhood Special Education 22.1 (2002): 39+ This article presents three effective communication interventions for children with autism, namely, (1) early intervention; (2) focus on communication’s social use; and (3) adequate intervention to strengthen the attainment and broad use of new abilities. The authors discuss the negative implications of interrupted communication between parent and child, and that communication deficits can aggravate difficulty behaviors shown by some autistic children. The article is highly descriptive. (6) Keen, Deb, Gail Woodyatt & Jeff Sigafoos. “Verifying Teacher Perceptions of the Potential Communicative Acts of Children with Autism” Communication Disorders Quarterly 23.3 (2002): 133+ The article attempts to confirm the views of teachers of pre-linguistic pattern in autistic children. In order to acquire accurate results, the authors employ interviews based on the set of rules of the Inventory of Potential Communicative Acts. Structured and naturalistic analyses are afterward carried out to confirm whether the behaviors recognized by teachers did really appear to play a communicative role. The article concludes that interview procedure is an effective method to determine pre-linguistic patterns and communication needs of autistic children. (7) Mancil, G. Richmond, Maureen Conroy, Taketo Nakao, and Peter Alter. “Functional Communication Training in the Natural Environment: A Pilot Investigation with a Young Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder” Education & Treatment of Children 29.4 (2006): 615+ The main objective of the article is to discuss the usefulness and value of functional communication training (FCT) on improving communication abilities and boosting natural communication in an individual with autism in his/her home setting. The article makes use of empirical methods such as spontaneous verbalizations to analyze the existing communication skills of children with autism and determine appropriate techniques to solve communication deficits (8) Olney, Marjorie. “Working with Autism and Other Social-Communication Disorders” The Journal of Rehabilitation 66.4 (2000): 51. This article presents parents and professionals with a comprehensive description and analysis of autism, and proven techniques and methods to help individuals with autism to acquire communication abilities. The article is neatly organized into three parts. The first part presents definitions of autism alongside different theories and perspectives of autism. Second part narrates personal stories of experience with autism. The third part wraps up the discussion with several proposals to enhance the knowledge of professionals on how to develop social-communication skills of individuals with autism. (9) Potter, Carol & Chris Whittaker. Enabling Communication in Children with Autism. Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley, 2001. The authors demonstrate how autistic children are seriously influenced by an array of environmental and social factors, such as interaction with other children and adults and extents of motivation. They confirm how autistic children’s communication abilities can be improved by the competent application of a consolidated array of models and methods. They claim that promoting natural communication should be regarded as a primary pedagogical objective and children with no or limited verbal communication can converse. (10) Rogers, Mary Franey & Brenda Smith Myles. “Using Social Stories and Comic Strip Conversations to Interpret Social Situations for an Adolescent with Asperger Syndrome” Intervention in School & Clinic 36.5 (2001): 310. This article gives a clear and detailed discussion of the communication difficulties experienced by Children with Asperger Syndrome (AS), especially with regard to properly dealing with social cues. Moreover, the authors inform readers that the communication difficulties of children with AS are not plain and simple. There are four major communication difficulties that have to be considered: (1) identifying important from unimportant stimuli; (2) giving attention; (3) changing attention; and (4) understanding the ideas of other people. Hence, the article opens up the discussion on the effectiveness of social stories and comic strips in mitigating these communication difficulties. (11) Twachtman-Cullen, Diane. A Passion to Believe: Autism and the Facilitated Communication Phenomenon. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1997. The author gives a thorough and decisive analysis of facilitated communication (FC). The author complies with the principles of the FC discipline, using carefully assessed qualitative research methodologies to investigate the interactions and relationships between facilitators and patients. Through the author’s analysis and participant observation and drawing upon actual copies and in depth analyses of FC meetings, she verifies the increasing proofs that findings acquired through FC are unacceptable. (12) Williams, Karen. “Understanding the Student with Asperger Syndrome: Guidelines for Teachers” Intervention in School & Clinic 36.5 (2001): 287. This article describes seven major features of Asperger Syndrome, and then gives recommendations and pedagogical techniques for dealing with these symptoms. However, the recommendations are given merely in the most extensive term and should be modified to the distinctive requirements and demands of the individual learner with Asperger Syndrome. Communication Struggles of Children with Autism Introduction Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a story of Christopher Boone, a fifteen-year old boy with Asperger Syndrome, a form of autism. In its depiction of the daily interactions and experiences of Christopher with the community where he resides, the story presents a vivid picture of experiences for an understanding of this specific cognitive state, an account which offers an optimistic interpretation of the syndrome. This paper provides a definition of autism, description of its accompanied communication problems, and discussion of effective strategies to improve autistic children’s communication abilities. Autism Defined Autism is widely recognized as a complicated developmental impairment. Autism is the outcome of a neurological problem that has an impact on the normal functioning of the brain, influencing development of the individual’s social interaction and communication abilities (Bock & Goode 2003). Autistic individuals have problems with non-verbal communication, a broad array of social activities and interaction (Bogdashina 2005). A form of autism that Christopher Boone has is called Asperger Syndrome (AS), which is, according to Rogers and Myles (2001), a developmental impairment that is identified by disabilities in nonverbal and verbal communication and social interactions and by limiting, recurring activities, interests, and behavior. People with AS are deficient of vital social abilities, have a restricted capacity to participate in give-and-take communication, and have difficulty understanding the traditional or implicit rules of behavior and communication. Asperger Syndrome may bring about the utmost impairment throughout one’s life span when social interaction is the way toward every accomplishment (Lathe 2006). Haddon’s creation of Christopher as a fairly unusual person has appealed considerably to parents who have children with AS and certainly with medical organizations and social workers with substantial involvement in the arena of disability in general. Communication Difficulties of Children with Autism Even though the explanation of language and communication difficulties in autism is unheard of, a large number of scholars and professionals think that the problems originate from various circumstances that take place either prior, during, or subsequent to birth influencing brain or cognitive development (Durig 2005). These disabilities hinder a person’s capacity to interact and understand his/her surroundings or the world. A number of scientists link the communication difficulties to a ‘mind theory’ or disabled capability to reflect on thoughts or visualize the mind state of another person (Barnhill 2001). Alongside this is a disabled capacity to represent, when in play and attempting to communicate. The communication difficulties of individuals with autism differ, depending on the social and intellectual development of the person. A number of children with autism may not be able to speak, while others may have diverse terminologies and are capable of communicating issues of importance in remarkable depth. In spite of this difference, most children with autism have no or slight difficulty with pronunciation (Hancock & Kaiser 2002). For large numbers of children with autism, language and speech improve, to a certain extent, but not normally. This development is often disproportionate. For instance, growth of terminologies in topics of interest may be sped up (Bogdashina 2005). Lots of children with autism have excellent memories. Some may be capable of reading at the age of five. According to some scientists, employing functional magnetic resonance imaging technology (fMRI), autistic children have poor functioning in some portions of the brain responsible for the development of language and speech (Zager 2005). This neuroimaging study decisively revealed brain impairment in autistic children. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time draws upon a powerful sense of the impaired narrating subject focusing the attention of the audience into the communication difficulties of Christopher. Equipped with an accurate understanding of Aspergers, one can definitely discover persuasive explanations why autism causes communication difficulties. The communication ability of Christopher is unique, documenting all his experiences in a discordant, truthful, and uninhibited manner, in the way of an onlooker instead of a participant (Haddon 2010, 3): I pulled the fork out of the dog and lifted him into my arms and hugged him. He was leaking blood from the fork-holes. I like dogs. You always know what a dog is thinking. It has four moods. Happy, sad, cross concentrating. Also dogs are faithful and they do not tell lies because they cannot talk. The inability of Christopher to recognize the cues of communication are usually places of a charming wit. This verbal communication with a railway employee when he is paying for his fare to London is usual of the persistent attempts of Christopher to put the speaker well together with the receiver (Haddon 2010, 35): And the man said, ‘Single or return?’ And I said, What does single or return mean?’ And he said, Do you want to go one way, or do you want to go and come back? And I said, ‘I want to stay there when I get there.’ And he said, For how long?’ And I said, ‘Until I go to university.’ And he said, ‘Single, then’ and then He said, ‘That’ll be $17.’ Similar to other individuals with Aspergers, Christopher experiences difficulties with social interactions. When circumstances engulf him or he cannot understand them, he draws back into small spaces, shrieks, and groans. He is frequently troubled by the lack of ability to recognize physical and social cues, or incapable of resolving the disparity between what a person says and what s/he does. Haddon, even though somewhat inaccurately depicted according to some critics, captured the struggles of individuals with autism to communicate or express themselves to others. Strategies to Improve Communication Abilities of Autistic Children Even the most seriously impaired people can obtain helpful techniques when handled empathically and consistently. The following coping techniques supported by people with autism are discussed. No single treatment has been discovered to effectively enhance communication in people with autism. The objective of treatment should be to develop practical communication. Verbal communication is a practical objective, for some. The objective may be non-verbal communication, for others (Olney 2000). Treatment should involve intermittent thorough assessments given by a person with professional training in the assessment and treatment of communication problems. Some children are positively treated by highly controlled behavior modification therapies like Applied Behavior Analysis; others positively respond to home-based treatment that makes use of actual circumstances as the foundation for preparation (Zager 2005). Other strategies like sensory integration treatment (Elder et al. 2006) and music therapy, which try to enhance the capability of a child to respond to stimuli or information using the senses, seem to have been effective to several children with autism, even though studies on the effectiveness of these strategies is mainly absent (Mancil et al. 2006). The application of social stories is growing as an instrument (Rogers & Myles 2001) for aiding children with autism gain social abilities. Prescriptions may enhance the attention span of an individual or lessen undesirable behaviors, but continuous application of these types of medications is usually hard or unappealing due to their consequences. One assumption states that people on the autism spectrum have greater amounts of normally developing opiates in the brain; hence they do not pursue social relationships or interaction to set in motion these pleasure-producing opiates (Bogdashina 2005). According to Zager (2005), psychotherapy, particular diets, vitamins, and mineral have also been employed, but studies have not substantiated their success. Conclusions Although autism, just like what Christopher Boone has, influences children or individuals distinctly, it is vital to keep in mind that all children develop all through life. The solution is early identification followed by rigorous behavioral and language therapies. Educators should be furnished with the abilities and motivation to work with autistic children. Regardless of the purpose, the main point is that school personnel require efficient and ingenious methods of teaching and interacting with the enlarging population of autistic children in their classrooms. References Barnhill, Gena. “What is Asperger Syndrome?” Intervention in School & Clinic 36.5 (2001): 259. Bock, Gregory & Jamie Goode. Autism: Neural Basis and Treatment Possibilities. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2003. Bogdashina, Olga. Communication Issues in Autism and Asperger Syndrome: Do We Speak the Same Language? London: Jessica Kingsley, 2005. Durig, Alex. How to Understand Autism: The Easy Way. London: Jessica Kingsley, 2005. Elder, Lisa, Linda Caterino, Janet Chao, Dina Shacknai, & Gina De Simone. “The Efficacy of Social Skills Treatment for Children with Asperger Syndrome” Education & Treatment of Children 29.4 (2006): 635+ Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Random House, 2010. Hancock, Terry & Ann Kaiser. “The Effects of Trainer-Implemented Enhanced Milieu Teaching on the Social Communication of Children with Autism” Topics in Early Childhood Special Education 22.1 (2002): 39+ Lathe, Richard. Autism, Brain and Environment. London: Jessica Kingsley, 2006. Mancil, G. Richmond, Maureen Conroy, Taketo Nakao, and Peter Alter. “Functional Communication Training in the Natural Environment: A Pilot Investigation with a Young Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder” Education & Treatment of Children 29.4 (2006): 615+ Olney, Marjorie. “Working with Autism and Other Social-Communication Disorders” The Journal of Rehabilitation 66.4 (2000): 51. Rogers, Mary Franey & Brenda Smith Myles. “Using Social Stories and Comic Strip Conversations to Interpret Social Situations for an Adolescent with Asperger Syndrome” Intervention in School & Clinic 36.5 (2001): 310. Zager, Dianne. Autism Spectrum Disorders: Identification, Education, and Treatment. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2005. Read More