You may have seen an autistic child or adult and never knew that the person had
a diagnosis. Your ignorance about the disorder is not uncommon because most people
who are not experienced with the disorder look at autistic people as those who are
mentally retarded or have some learning disability. This is not true. Autism is a very
complicated disorder that affects children typically from the age of three to conception.
The disorder is neurological in nature and primarily affects the areas of the brain where
communication and social interaction is developed. To the unsuspecting person, the
autistic child or adult would be considered mentally unstable or retarded.
The unique thing about autism and the reason it is sometimes hard to detect is
that the disorder affects different sufferers in different levels of complexity. A mildly
affected child may be able to communicate their wants and needs, but there
communication is often stifled and they do not understand the subtleties of the English
language. Sometimes humor, irony, and other nuances of the language will present a
difficult or impassible barrier to the childs communication process. Another autistic
sufferer may have severe autism where the child or the adult cannot communicate at
all. The sad thing is that the autistic person can think about the what they want to say
and how to communicate it, but the words do not come out and their silence on appears
on the outside.
Can you imagine trying to communicate with your teacher or parent and the
words wont come out? You know the answer to the question and you know how to do
the task, but the communication and the rest of your body just doesnt come out. That
is why it is difficult for both teachers and parents to understand what autism is and how
to deal with it. The child cannot even communicate its wants and needs during play
with other children. A simple act of digging with a sand shovel can be an awkward
movement or grunt that would be totally misunderstood by the other child.
Autistic children act differently to normal situations than other kids. Loud noises,
a deviation from a familiar route, or a change in time schedule can set an autistic child
off with sometimes violent consequences. The acts of an autistic child could be
misinterpreted as a behavior disorder or an emotional disorder. Simple communication
is not there. If a autistic child is hot, it has been reported that some will strip naked in
public and run around. The communication is there. They are hot. It is cooler when I
am naked. Therefore I will be naked and be cool. Again, the communication is there,
but the socially accepted communication in which we communicate is not.
According to statistics, almost four million children will be born with autism in the
next decade. The diagnoses of autistic children are becoming more refined, but think
about the number of children misdiagnosed in the past where there learning and life skill
accommodations were not met by professionals. Autism is a tragic disorder and many
parents should be given kudos for the extra time and energy it takes to raise an autistic
child. In this e-book you will learn the characteristics of autism, its symptoms,
treatments, and learning strategies that will help both you and your child. Though the
definition of autism is still sketchy for health care professionals and psychologists, you
will learn more about autism and have a more definitive approach when dealing with
autism as a teacher, parent, or someone who works with these special people.