What is Autism?

AUTISM FROM A TEACHER'S VIEW...

I have been teaching autism for more than 10 years and it still surprises me. I studied, learned, trained, and taught purely autism but up until now I can't give my own definition of autism. 

I've seen their strengths, their weaknesses, their difficulties, interests, their personality, and so many more traits. 

There are 3 main traits that tremendously helped me in teaching them. I always think of these three difficulties: Social and communication, Flexibility, and Social Interaction. 

Although, there are other underlying difficulties, these are the areas I always remember in planning and teaching. 

GET FROM RELIABLE SOURCE FOR DEFINITIONS

There are so many definitions that we can refer from. 

There is from Psychiatry.org, webmd.com, autism societies, Wikipedia, DSM V, Center for Disease Control (CDC), and so many more from different sectors and schools of our community. 

With my studies and experiences, all I can come up with are traits that is common to them and that, it is a complex neurological disorder. 

All of their definitions show common traits such as repetitive behaviour, strong interest, or sensory sensitivity (e.g. loud noises or gooey textures). But they also do show strengths in Visual Memory, Music, Math, Science or Art. 

CDC defines autism as...

"Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. CDC is committed to continuing to provide essential data on ASD, search for factors that put children at risk for ASD and possible causes, and develop resources that help identify children with ASD as early as possible."

CDC stands for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

DSM-V defines autism as...

"Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across contexts, not accounted for by general developmental delays..."

You may click this LINK to know more about autism based on DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - 5th edition).

AUTISM SPEAKS defines autism as....

"Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. According to the Centers for Disease Control, autism affects an estimated 1 in 44 children in the United States today."

AUTISM IS UNIQUE 

Autism is a spectrum disorder and varies significantly from person to person. 

Every individual is unique. Some individuals with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder, other term for Autism/Asperger), need significant support while others need little. 

WATCH OUT FOR COMORBIDITY

Autism, just like other disorders, may come with other disorders, a comorbidity, such as sleeping difficulty, anxiety, ADHD, gastrointestinal problems, or depression. 

Treating these other conditions may significantly help them cope in their daily lives. 

One major difficulty of people with autism is lack of social and communication skills which impedes hugely in their daily lives.

EARLY INTERVENTION

Teaching them important skillS will help them tremendously in their journey. 

Early intervention is important as it yields the foundation of our life. 

I can not emphasize it more... teaching them skills as early as possible will help them develop and retain more skills needed all throughout life. 

And, effective teachers play a big role in their life. These teachers are not only school teachers but also their therapists and family members. 

I believe, parents are the best teachers for them. They can support them from birth until their adult life. 

AN INVITE TO PARENTS

I hope you parents, as the major carer, learn something about autism and that you take action in giving support to your child. 

Not every parent is willing to support their children. 

I salute you for reading about autism and knowing what can truly help your child develop their skills.

If you would like to learn more about autism, I constantly create blog articles like this so always read my email for you to get updated. 

I also make freebies that you can download anytime and get inspired by them. 

If you have other questions and concerns, you can message me anytime at teachingparentsautism@yahoo.com

I hope to see you here again in website and be one of my subscribers!

AUSOME!

Quennie Lim

Teaching Parents Autism