Wikipedia says ; Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction , verbal and non-verbal communication , and restricted and repetitive behavior.
Parents usually notice signs in the first two years of their child's life. The signs typically develop gradually, but some children with autism will reach their developmental milestones at a normal pace and then regress.
Understanding the underlying reasons for behaviour is
very important in helping professionals to devise
strategies to help a child on the autism spectrum.
Without at least a background knowledge of the
challenges that having autism can create, a child’s
behaviour can be misinterpreted and their needs will not
be met in the most appropriate way. A teacher or early
years practitioner will therefore need a knowledge of
autism and how to structure situations to promote
learning as well as observational skills and the capacity
to motivate and involve.
Other people’s opinions may have little or no influence
on the behaviour of children on the autism spectrum
and the child may say and do exactly as they want.
Adults who do not know the child or know about autism
may misunderstand the child’s behaviour and view it as
naughty, difficult or lazy when in fact the child did not
understand the situation or task, or did not read the
adult’s intentions or mood correctly.
Typical behaviour
The kind of behaviours professionals look for in
diagnosing autism are:
Delay or absence of spoken language including loss of
early acquired language
Unusual uses of language
Difficulties in playing with other children
Inappropriate eye contact with others
Unusual play activities and interests and failure to share
in the interests or play of others
Communicating wants by taking an adult’s hand and
leading to the desired object or activity
Failure to point out objects with the index finger
Unusual response to certain sounds, sights and textures
Resistance to changes in familiar routines
Repetitive actions or questions
A preference for following their own agenda.
There are a number of subgroups within the spectrum of
autism but all children on the autistic spectrum share a
triad of impairments some of which impact on their
behaviour, for example difficulties with thinking and
behaving flexibly may be evidenced by obsessional or
repetitive activities. Some children on the autism
spectrum may have unusual sleep patterns. Many will
have difficulty in understanding the social behaviour of
others and in behaving in socially appropriate ways.
Other factors besides autism can also affect a child’s
behaviour – personality, environment, family
characteristics and the child’s skills and interests.
Children on the autism spectrum may have other
conditions which can impact on behaviour – for
example ADHD, dyspraxia and obsessive-compulsive
disorder.
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Here are ten things every child with autism
wishes you knew:
1. I am a child.
My autism is part of who I am, not all of who
I am. Are you just one thing, or are you a
person with thoughts, feelings, preferences,
ideas, talents, and dreams? Are you fat
(overweight), myopic (wear glasses) or klutzy
(uncoordinated)? Those may be things that I
see first when I meet you, but you’re more
than just that, aren’t you?
As an adult, you have control over how you
define yourself. If you want to single out one
characteristic, you can make that known. As a
child, I am still unfolding. Neither you nor I yet
know what I may be capable of. If you think of
me as just one thing, you run the danger of
setting up an expectation that may be too
low. And if I get a sense that you don’t think I
“can do it,” my natural response will be, why
try?
2. My senses are out of sync.
This means that ordinary sights, sounds,
smells, tastes, and touches that you may not
even notice can be downright painful for me.
My environment often feels hostile. I may
appear withdrawn or belligerent or mean to
you, but I’m just trying to defend myself.
Here’s why a simple trip to the grocery store
may be agonizing for me.
My hearing may be hyperacute. Dozens of
people jabber at once. The loudspeaker booms
today’s special. Music blares from the sound
system. Registers beep and cough, a coffee
grinder chugs. The meat cutter screeches,
babies wail, carts creak, the fluorescent
lighting hums. My brain can’t filter all the
input and I’m in overload!
My sense of smell may be highly sensitive.
The fish at the meat counter isn’t quite fresh,
the guy standing next to us hasn’t showered
today, the deli is handing out sausage
samples, the baby in line ahead of us has a
poopy diaper, they’re mopping up pickles on
aisle three with ammonia. I feel like throwing
up.
And there’s so much hitting my eyes! The
fluorescent light is not only too bright, it
flickers. The space seems to be moving; the
pulsating light bounces off everything and
distorts what I am seeing. There are too many
items for me to be able to focus (my brain
may compensate with tunnel vision), swirling
fans on the ceiling, so many bodies in
constant motion. All this affects how I feel just
standing there, and now I can’t even tell
where my body is in space.
3. Distinguish between won’t (I choose not to)
and can’t (I am not able to).
It isn’t that I don’t listen to instructions. It’s
that I can’t understand you. When you call to
me from across the room, I hear “*&^%$#@,
Jordan. #$%^*&^%$&*.” Instead, come over to
me, get my attention, and speak in plain
words: “Jordan, put your book in your desk.
It’s time to go to lunch.” This tells me what
you want me to do and what is going to
happen next. Now it’s much easier for me to
comply.
4. I’m a concrete thinker. I interpret language
literally.
You confuse me by saying, “Hold your horses,
cowboy!” when what you mean is, “Stop
running.” Don’t tell me something is “a piece
of cake” when there’s no dessert in sight and
what you mean is, “This will be easy for you
to do.” When you say, “It’s pouring cats and
dogs,” I see pets coming out of a pitcher. Tell
me, “It’s raining hard.”
Idioms, puns, nuances, inferences, metaphors,
allusions, and sarcasm are lost on me.
5. Listen to all the ways I’m trying to
communicate.
It’s hard for me to tell you what I need when I
don’t have a way to describe my feelings. I
may be hungry, frustrated, frightened, or
confused but right now I can’t find those
words. Be alert for body language, withdrawal,
agitation or other signs that tell you
something is wrong. They’re there.
Or, you may hear me compensate for not
having all the words I need by sounding like a
little professor or movie star, rattling off words
or whole scripts well beyond my
developmental age. I’ve memorized these
messages from the world around me because I
know I am expected to speak when spoken to.
They may come from books, television, or the
speech of other people. Grown-ups call it
echolalia. I may not understand the context or
the terminology I’m using. I just know that it
gets me off the hook for coming up with a
reply.
6. Picture this! I’m visually oriented.
Show me how to do something rather than
just telling me. And be prepared to show me
many times. Lots of patient practice helps me
learn.
Visual supports help me move through my
day. They relieve me of the stress of having to
remember what comes next, make for smooth
transition between activities, and help me
manage my time and meet your expectations.
I need to see something to learn it, because
spoken words are like steam to me; they
evaporate in an instant, before I have a chance
to make sense of them. I don’t have instant-
processing skills. Instructions and information
presented to me visually can stay in front of
me for as long as I need, and will be just the
same when I come back to them later.
Without this, I live the constant frustration of
knowing that I’m missing big blocks of
information and expectations, and am helpless
to do anything about it.
7. Focus and build on what I can do rather
than what I can’t do.
Like any person, I can’t learn in an
environment where I’m constantly made to
feel that I’m not good enough and that I need
fixing. I avoid trying anything new when I’m
sure all I’ll get is criticism, no matter how
“constructive” you think you’re being. Look for
my strengths and you will find them. There is
more than one right way to do most things.
8. Help me with social interactions.
It may look like I don’t want to play with the
other kids on the playground, but it may be
that I simply do not know how to start a
conversation or join their play. Teach me how
to play with others. Encourage other children
to invite me to play along. I might be
delighted to be included.
I do best in structured play activities that have
a clear beginning and end. I don’t know how
to read facial expressions, body language, or
the emotions of others. Coach me. If I laugh
when Emily falls off the slide, it’s not that I
think it’s funny. It’s that I don’t know what to
say. Talk to me about Emily’s feelings and
teach me to ask, “Are you okay?”
9. Identify what triggers my meltdowns.
Meltdowns and blow-ups are more horrid for
me than they are for you. They occur because
one or more of my senses has gone into
overload, or because I’ve been pushed past
the limit of my social abilities. If you can
figure out why my meltdowns occur, they can
be prevented. Keep a log noting times,
settings, people, and activities. A pattern may
emerge.
Remember that everything I do is a form of
communication. It tells you, when my words
cannot, how I’m reacting to what is happening
around me. My behavior may have a physical
cause. Food allergies and sensitivities sleep
problems and gastrointestinal problems can all
affect my behavior. Look for signs, because I
may not be able to tell you about these
things.
10. Love me unconditionally.
Throw away thoughts like, “If you would just
—” and “Why can’t you—?” You didn’t fulfill
every expectation your parents had for you
and you wouldn’t like being constantly
reminded of it. I didn’t choose to have autism.
Remember that it’s happening to me, not you.
Without your support, my chances of growing
up to be successful and independent are slim.
With your support and guidance, the
possibilities are broader than you might think.
Three words we both need to live by:
Patience. Patience. Patience.
View my autism as a different ability rather
than a disability. Look past what you may see
as limitations and see my strengths. I may not
be good at eye contact or conversation, but
have you noticed that I don’t lie, cheat at
games, or pass judgment on other people?
I rely on you. All that I might become won’t
happen without you as my foundation. Be my
advocate, be my guide, love me for who I am,
and we’ll see how far I can go.
Coutesy: http://www.autismeducationtrust.org.uk
www.ellennotbohm.com
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