A family was seated on the train they took every Sunday evening.
The train started. But instead of going forwards from the station it shunted backward.
Their son, jumped up from his seat jabbing his finger forwards, “Train go that way” he shrieked repeatedly.
Fellow passengers stared, some with obvious sympathy, others were plainly irritated by the noise.
This child hates change of any sort – from what he eats for breakfast to where the cutlery was stacked.
Change and uncertainty can provoke massive anxiety, which can be acted out in various obsessive ways.
He was diagnosed with autism at three years old.
"Source"
Children with autism are very different from one another. It is understandably easy to generalise
those on the autism spectrum as difficult people, but what puts them in the same category is also
what makes them different.
What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges.
There is often nothing about how people with ASD look that sets them apart from other people, but people with ASD may communicate, interact, behave, and learn in ways that are different from most other people. The learning, thinking, and problem-solving abilities of people with ASD can range from gifted to severely challenged.
Some people with ASD need a lot of help in their daily lives; others need less.
Signs of autism usually appear by age 2 or 3. Some associated development delays can appear even earlier, and often, it can be diagnosed as early as 18 months.
To better understand : A viewpoint
Another perspective
Consider another example putting yourself in the perspective of a child navigating a playground.
Walking into a playground filled with children on a weekend, you move towards the swing set,
excited, since you were dreaming about this all week. You are surrounded by children, the noise and laughter is too much for your
brain to process effectively. As a result, you tend to feel anxious andoverwhelmed, and your actions,
owing to an impact on your cognitive functions, are panicked and unusual. You soon become the
laughing stock at the playground.
These cases might have hopefully given you clearer insight about the difficulties
autistic children and their families face. Some of us may have experienced similar cases of embarrasment,
how much harder must it be when it is the norm in your daily life,
to be a constant source of embarrasment and not being able to do things just like everyone else.
Is there a cure for ASD?
Is there a cure for ASD?
There is currently no cure for ASD. However, research shows that early intervention treatment services can improve a child’s development.2, 3 Early intervention services help children from birth to 3 years old (36 months) learn important skills.
While we may not be able to do much for these children, sometimes, attempting to understand them
and helping them get involved as a responsible community, may go a long way in their overall
development.
Here are some things we can do as a community to help those on the autism spectrum:
Here are some things we can do as a community to help those on the autism spectrum:
Always stay positive.
Children with ASD respond best to positive reinforcement. Be sure to talk about or reward good behavior often.
Be generous with compliments for good behavior,and rewards such as giving them a sticker or
letting them play with a favorite toy.Likewise, it is good to ignore excessive attention seeking behaviour.
Look for nonverbal cues.
If you are observant and aware, you can learn to pick up on the nonverbal cues that children with ASD use to communicate.
Pay attention to the kinds of sounds they make, their facial expressions, and the gestures they use when they’re tired, hungry, or want something.
Don’t ask too many questions.
Children who are delayed in speaking end up frequently being asked so many questions. Rather, try to model for them how to may make a request, or how to start or maintain a conversation. Questions, by their very nature, often contain pronouns and abstract language,
both of which can be challenging for children with autism to understand and use appropriately. It can
also be very overwhelming to children with auditory hypersensitivity.
Find similarities.
Help remind children that they share more similarities than differences with their peers and that they can always find something to talk about.
This will help ensure that they do not feel left out.
Include them in activities.
Children on the spectrum will feel much better if they are included in social activities, rather than
being dismissed as outcasts. Even doing something simple, such as inviting them
to sit with you at lunch, can make a difference.
AVOID insensitive remarks and questions.
"But you seem so normal!"
"Do you take medication?"
"I also struggly socially, I must be autistic"
Even though these may be spur-of-the-moment statements,you may cause a lot of
hurt despite never intending to do so. Remember, all forms of autism are NOT
the same, they do not physically manifest the same way in every person.
Stand up for classmates who are bullied relentlessly, for not being the same as everyone else.
They may be struggling with conditions privately,
or may not have the resources to get a proper diagnosis.
Sometimes, children struggling with autism may not realise they have a disorder, and may not
understand the need to fit in and to change.It may be hard for them to communicate,understand jokes,
or to pick up on social cues. The key is to take time to understand, and to be there in times of difficulty.
Resources for students with ASD
The Mood Meter
This is a tool that helps kids to manage emotions and
reflect on them.
A collection of free downloadable worksheets for grades PreK-junior high.
The website is organized by grade level and offers activities focusing on all school subjects.
Finding worksheets and activities similar to those children complete in school may help create a more familiar routine.
PBS KIDS offers activities for ages 2-8, offering ideas that will help enhance your child’s social-emotional, literacy, math, science, and arts skills.
You can choose between crafts, experiments, recipes, apps, and more!
Beeline Reader is a browser extension that focuses on improving the reading abilities of students of all ages and skill levels.
Beeline displays text using color gradients that supports visual tracking and allows readers to focus more on other aspects of reading, such as decoding and comprehension.
Dreambox Learning offers math lessons for students grade levels K-8. Students can set a weekly goal and “level up” as they make progress in learning. Student progress is monitored and collects data, creating personalized interventions to suit student needs.
The personalized approach and goal-oriented learning can be customized to reflect the IEP of a child with Autism
GoNoodle is a website of videos, games, and music for children to engage and interact with. Their content is created by a team of child development experts, choreographers, mindfulness experts, and developers who specialize in kid content.
GoNoodle is a great source for children with ASD because it provides a multisensory approach to learning through movement and supports children with sensory sensitivities.
GoNoodle is free to use.
Minecraft is a game-based learning platform that promotes immersive STEM learning, creativity, and innovation.
Explore a vast collection of coding, math, geography, and science topics through gaming! Minecraft also multiplayer simulations, where students can collaborate in their Minecraft worlds, building, planning, learning, and chatting. For children with ASD, using an augmentative communication program supports practice of social communication skills.
The education version of Minecraft is free.
Pathway 2 Success was created by a special education teacher with a specialization in Autism.
Her blog is created for students with ASD, focusing on social emotional learning, behavior management, coping strategies, mindfulness, and social skills.
Prism is an online game that helps children understand and empathize with their autistic peers,
by putting them in the shoes of Fox, who, along with several other animals,
is on a quest to save the forest from a flooded river.