Understanding Autism

Children are God’s gift to parents. It is quite a hard task to rear said gifts. But for those parents who are gifted with special children such as those with autism found it to be a challenging endeavor.

I first heard about autism sometime in the year 2001 when a close friend of mine who is a working mother informed me that her daughter who was about to turn three years old then was diagnosed as slightly autistic. What prompted my friend and her husband to consult a developmental pediatrician was that their child’s development was late for her age. Likewise, the child has a different speech pattern for her age, she also does not respond when being called by her name and always have bouts of tantrums. Upon the recommendation of the developmental pedia my friend’s child has to undergo occupational therapy, behavioral modification therapy and speech therapy. My friend also has to watch the diet of her child where chocolates and process foods have to be regulated so that the child won’t become hyperactive. They also have to enroll their child in a special school that caters to one on one instruction. Through the therapies, there was an improvement in the behavior of the child from age 5 until she graduated from elementary.

However, when she was in high school where she was enrolled in a government special school her development deteriorated. She cannot keep up with her classmates who were fast learners. Her tantrums became frequent. The school did not have a special class for students with special needs. My friends have to put up with the said school due to lack of resources. Despite such set up in her school the child was able to graduate from junior high school last year.

After the child’s graduation, my friends searched for school that would suit the needs of their child. Gladly, they discovered the Open Hand School for Applied Arts located in Obrero, Davao City. The school caters to young adults with special needs aged 15 years old and above. Though the school is quite expensive, my friends enrolled their child in the said school. The aim of the school is to make mentally challenged individual become productive through skills and entrepreneurial training and eventually be gainfully employed. So far, the child is one of the fast learners in the school and my friends are happy with the progress of their child. Though at times their daughter has still bouts of tantrums. She has medication that would help her to relax. My friend has also engage her child to coloring books to combat boredom. As of the moment, my friends believe that they are in the right direction with regards to the future of their daughter.

Indeed, as a parent of a child with special needs my friends hurdled various challenges in every stage of development in their daughter’s life. Thus, it takes a lot of kindness, patience and understanding to be a parent of such child.

On another note, my friend hopes that a Bill be passed for the government to provide a program solely for mentally challenged children not only for those afflicted with autism. The Department of Education eventually should tie up with TESDA on this matter so that mentally challenged individuals who cannot afford private schools be trained to become a productive person in the society.

Moreover, let me share with you some vital information about autism that I gathered from various sources in the internet.

What is Autism?
Autistic disorder (sometimes called autism or classical ASD) is the most common condition in a group of developmental disorders known as the autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).

Autistic children have difficulties with social interaction, display problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and exhibit repetitive behaviors or narrow, obsessive interests. These behaviors can range in impact from mild to disabling. Autism varies widely in its severity and symptoms and may go unrecognized, especially in mildly affected children or when more debilitating handicaps mask it. Scientists aren’t certain what causes autism, but it’s likely that both genetics and environment play a role.

Is there any treatment?
There is no cure for autism. Therapies and behavioral interventions are designed to remedy specific symptoms and can bring about substantial improvement. The ideal treatment plan coordinates therapies and interventions that meet the specific needs of individual children. Treatment options include educational/bahavioral interventions, medications, and other therapies. Most professionals agree that the earlier the intervention, the better.

What is the prognosis?
For many children, autism symptoms improve with treatment and with age. Some children with autism grow up to lead normal or near-normal lives. Children whose language skills regress early in life, usually before the age of 3, appear to be at risk of developing epilepsy or seizure-like brain activity. During adolescence, some children with autism may become depressed or experience behavioral problems. Parents of these children should be ready to adjust treatment for their child as needed. People with an ASD usually continue to need services and support as they get older but many are able to work successfully and live independently or within a supportive environment.

Early Diagnosis can Make a Huge Difference…

In clinical terms, there are a few absolute indicators, often referred to as red flags, that indicate that a child should be evaluated. For a parent, these are the red flags that your child should be screened to ensure that he/she is on the right developmental path. If your baby shows any of these signs, please ask your pediatrician or family practitioner for an immediate evaluation:

The following red flags may indicate a child is at risk for atypical development, and is in need of an immediate evaluation:

• No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six months or thereafter
• No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles, or other facial expressions by nine months or thereafter
• No babbling by 12 months
• No back-and-forth gestures, such as pointing, showing, reaching, or waving by 12 months
• No words by 16 months
• No two-word meaningful phrases (without imitating or repeating) by 24 months
• Any loss of speech or babbling or social skills at any age

Other possible signs of autism:

• not play “pretend” games (pretend to “feed” a doll)
• not point at objects to show interest (point at an airplane flying over)
• not look at objects when another person points at them
• have trouble relating to others or not have an interest in other people at all
• avoid eye contact and want to be alone
• have trouble understanding other people’s feelings or talking about their own feelings
• prefer not to be held or cuddled or might cuddle only when they want to
• appear to be unaware when other people talk to them but respond to other sounds
• be very interested in people, but not know how to talk, play, or relate to them
• repeat or echo words or phrases said to them, or repeat words or phrases in place of normal
  language (echolalia)
• have trouble expressing their needs using typical words or motions
• repeat actions over and over again
• have trouble adapting when a routine changes
• have unusual reactions to the way things smell, taste, look, feel, or sound
• lose skills they once had (for instance, stop saying words they were once using)

It is quite alarming that the case of autism is increasing nowadays, Globally, autism is estimated to affect 24.8 million people as of 2015. It occurs four to five times more often in boys than girls. As parents, let us be observant of our child’s development milestone so that we can detect any unusual behavior and seek the help of developmental pediatrician.

Sources:
Shapingpro.wordpress.com
Autismpinoy.com
First Signs, Inc.
Wikipedia.org