Autism Related to Child Language Disorder/Intervention - Term Paper Example

Autism related to Child Language Disorder/Intervention Abstract Autism is currently recognized as one of the leading disorders affecting children. In a few decades, it has morphed from a little-known disorder to one of the most prevalent illnesses in children (diagnosis is especially common in children below 12 years). As its prevalence increase (it has risen to one in eighty-eight children compared to one in a hundred in 2009 according to 2012 statistics by the Center for Disease Control). The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE) has a research program that has doubled efforts to determine what causes autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and to identify new treatments. In addition to this, it is now clear that autistic children are vulnerable to a particular cognitive defect related to language impairment (Koegel, Koegel & Surratt, 2002). The existence of such a defect is shown by the nature of clinical findings, the long term effects of the disorder, and findings from experimental research. This paper will explore the connection between autism and child language disorder, and between autism and the various interventions employed to mitigate the effects of the disorder. Key words Autism, infantile autism, autistic, cognitive defects Connection between Autism and Child Language Disorder It is widely acknowledged that there are there are unanswered questions regarding the effect cognitive defects might have on theories relating to the causes and nature of infantile autism. First of all, what are the limitations of the cognitive defect and does it go beyond language? Secondly, does it form the core handicap which triggers other symptoms? Thirdly, if there is evidence that it does, is the cognitive effect a direct cause of behavioral syndrome, or should an interaction exist between a specific set of environmental or other conditions and the cognitive effect before the syndrome develops. With respect to question one, it has been suggested that language is not the primary deficit. Rather, perceptual disturbances stemming from a homeostatic failure are key to autism (Bartak, Rutter & Cox, 2005). Scholars have often put forward the argument that autism results from widespread cognitive impairments that also include handicaps in visual perceptions. Various forms of perceptual defects have also been noted by other scholars. It therefore follows that autistic children can have various cognitive defects that involve verbal skills as well as perceptuo-motor (Rice, Warren & Betz, 2005). On the other hand, a majority of these defects have been discovered in autistic children who had mental retardation. This makes it possible that the defects may have been caused by associatedretardationas as much as autism. In searching for a nature of cognitive skills that might be particular to autism it is crucial to control the degree of cognitive development. Unfortunately, a most research studies conducted have been unable to satisfy this fundamental requirement and therefore are of little (if any) value when determining the scope of the cognitive deficit. On the other hand, studies which have controlled the scope of cognitive development have revealed that in autistic children with low IQ the cognitive handicap goes past verbal skills to encompass feature extraction and obstacles in sequencing (Goldstein, 2002). The revelations insinuate that these obstacles may increase the chances of autism developing. Nonetheless, because the results did not apply to autistic children with higher IQ, they are also in line with the hypothesis that the vital defect might be somewhat narrower. When considering the scope of the deficit, it is worth noting that the vital question is not, ‘what cognitive defects can manifest in autistic children?’, but rather, ‘what are the fundamental deficits that must exist before autism develops?’ In summary, what are the basic cognitive defects that must exist for autism to occur? In order to come up with an answer to this question, it is important to recognize that there are plenty of benefits to be enjoyed in studying autistic children with average (non-verbal) IQ. Despite the fact that they are just a small percentage of autistic children, this subgroup is the one most likely to illustrate a particular cognitive deficit, if at all there is one related to autism. The hypothesis that a particular language deficit may be fundamental to infantile autism can be tested by studying a sample group of children who suffer from such a deficit. This way, it is possible to establish whether autism is a common result (Koegel, Koegel & Surratt, 2002). Interventions to mitigate children’s language and speech difficulties can be very challenging and should be prolonged (LeBlanc et.al, 2006). Comprehensive studies have determined that administering little therapy has equally little benefits. It is impossible to find a cure, therefore therapy is meant to improve communication so as to support children in their environment. Creating awareness among parents and other important stakeholders in children’s lives is crucial to successful therapy. Canada’s Hanen Program (developed for early language) aims to educate parents on practical strategies for relating with their children. A pilot study was conducted to illustrate its effectiveness, and it revealed that the program improved language development for children and their parents. Research on early brain development and the application of credible early growth screens has facilitated the application of preventive policies for extremely young children in the society. Interventions Dr. Sally Ward, a British language and speech therapist, developed a program called WILSTAAR that targets 8-month-old babies that were selected by parent questionnaires as being slow in language development. WILSTAAR involves providing play activities and home visits in order to address areas of weakness, and there is an emphasis on regular interaction and play with babies in serene environments. In addition to this, the program promotes strong attachments between infants and parents. It is well documented that early exposure to educational materials is very important in encouraging literacy. Exposure to educational materials increases the vocabulary of children and changes the attitudes of parents toward the significance of reading with their toddlers and infants (LeBlanc et.al, 2006). There are more studies illustrating the effectiveness of therapy in children with problems in expressive language, phonology and vocabulary deficits than children with expressive language and comprehension abilities throughout their lifetime. Despite this, practical disability and clinical manifestation vary according to cognitive and linguistic ability, age, family and social environment, and comorbidity. Applied behavior analytic (ABA) Language Interventions This form of intervention usually results in significant gains for children suffering from autism. A variety of its forms, including early behavioral intervention, have been created over the past two decades. Majority of these approaches are identified by vital core attributes and each of them has contributed positively to efforts to treat autism. Ivaa Lockaas developed the first recognized model in the ‘60s, and this was widely distributed in the ‘80s (Bartak, Rutter & Cox, 2005). A research program based on ABA and developed at UCLA came up with results that were very promising. The results showed that 47% of children could not be distinguished from peers of the same age. The ABA model of curriculum and intervention has been updated and revised in a new manual, but the pioneer version led to the development of two different but important variants that were designed in response to characteristics of the model. These were: (a) The psycholinguistic conceptual framework (b) Emphasis on discrete trial instruction instead of opportunities for learning natural languages and consequent limitations in generalization that is demonstrated in early studies. Conclusion Autism is a serious disorder that can make life difficult for children by stunting their ability to process information through the development of cognitive skills required to learn. Despite this, support, encouragement, early detection and therapy are the only real ways of minimizing the effects of the disorder. In this regard, parents, teachers and society at large are responsible for making life less challenging for our children. Let us join hands together to help young and innocent boys and girls who may not even be aware of what is happening to them. References Bartak, L., Rutter, M., & Cox, A. (2005). A Comparative Study of Infantile Autism and Specific Developmental Receptive Language Disorder: I. the Children. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 126, 127-145. Goldstein, H. (2002). Communication Intervention for Children with Autism: A Review of Treatment Efficacy. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 32(5), 373-376. Koegel, R., Koegel, L., & Surratt, A. (2002). Language intervention and disruptive behavior in preschool children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 22(2), 141-153. LeBlanc, L., Esch, J., Sidener, T., & Firth, A. (2006). Behavioral Language Interventions for Children with Autism: Comparing Applied Verbal Behavior and Naturalistic Teaching Approaches. The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 22, 49-60 Rice, M., Warren, S., & Betz, Stacy. (2005). Language symptoms of developmental language disorders: An overview of autism, Down syndrome, fragile X, specific language impairment, and Williams syndrome. Applied Psycholinguistics, 26, 7-27. . Read More