World Autism Awareness Day
World Autism Awareness Day is an internationally
recognised day on the 2nd of April
every year, encouraging Member States of the United Nations to take measures to raise awareness about people with autism throughout the world.
What is autism?
Autism
is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how people perceive the
world and interact with others.
Autistic
people see, hear and feel the world differently to other people. If you are
autistic, you are autistic for life; autism is not an illness or disease and
cannot be 'cured'. Often people feel being
autistic is a fundamental aspect of their identity.
Autism is a spectrum condition. All autistic
people share certain difficulties, but being autistic will affect them in
different ways. Some autistic people also have learning disabilities, mental health issues or other conditions, meaning people need different levels of support. All
people on the autism spectrum learn and develop. With the right sort
of support, all can be helped to live a more fulfilling life of their own
choosing.
Diagnosis
A diagnosis is the formal
identification of autism, usually by a multi-disciplinary diagnostic team,
often including a speech and language therapist, paediatrician, psychiatrist
and/or psychologist.
How autism is diagnosed
PERSISTENT DIFFICULTIES WITH SOCIAL COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL INTERACTION
Social communication
Autistic
people have difficulties with interpreting both verbal and non-verbal language
like gestures or tone of voice. Many have a very literal understanding of
language, and think people always mean exactly what they say. They may find it
difficult to use or understand:
·
facial expressions
·
tone of voice
·
jokes and sarcasm.
Some
may not speak, or have fairly limited speech. They will often understand more
of what other people say to them than they are able to express, yet may
struggle with vagueness or abstract concepts. Some autistic people benefit from
using, or prefer to use, alternative means of communication, such as sign
language or visual symbols. Some are able to communicate
very effectively without speech.
Others
have good language skills, but they may still find it hard to understand the
expectations of others within conversations, perhaps repeating what the other
person has just said (this is called echolalia) or talking at length about
their own interests.
It
often helps to speak in a clear, consistent way and
to give autistic people time to process what has been said to them.
Social interaction
Autistic
people often have difficulty 'reading' other people - recognising or
understanding others' feelings and intentions - and expressing their own
emotions. This can make it very hard for them to navigate the social world.
They may:
·
appear to be insensitive
·
seek out time alone when overloaded by
other people
·
not seek comfort from other people
·
Appear to behave 'strangely' or in a
way thought to be socially inappropriate.
Autistic
people may find it hard to form friendships. Some may want to interact with
other people and make friends, but may be unsure how to go about it.
RESTRICTED AND
REPETITIVE PATTERNS OF BEHAVIOURS, ACTIVITIES OR INTERESTS
Repetitive behaviour and routines
The
world can seem a very unpredictable and confusing place to autistic people, who
often prefer to have a daily routine so that they know what is going to happen
every day. They may want to always travel the same way to and from school or
work, or eat exactly the same food for breakfast.
The
use of rules can also be important. It may be difficult for an autistic person
to take a different approach to something once they have been taught the
'right' way to do it. People on the autism spectrum may not be comfortable with
the idea of change, but may be able to cope better if they can prepare for changes in advance.
Highly-focused interests
Many
autistic people have intense and highly-focused interests, often from a fairly
young age. These can change over time or be lifelong, and can be anything from
art or music, to trains or computers. An interest may sometimes be unusual. One
autistic person loved collecting rubbish, for example. With encouragement, the
person developed an interest in recycling and the environment.
Many
channel their interest into studying, paid work, volunteering, or other
meaningful occupation. Autistic people often report that the pursuit of such
interests is fundamental to their wellbeing and happiness.
Sensory sensitivity
Autistic
people may also experience over- or under-sensitivity to sounds,
touch, tastes, smells, light, colours, temperatures or pain. For example, they
may find certain background sounds, which other people ignore or block out,
unbearably loud or distracting. This can cause anxiety or even physical pain.
Or they may be fascinated by lights or spinning objects
Causes and cures
What causes autism?
The
exact cause of autism is
still being investigated. Research into causes suggests that
a combination of factors - genetic and environmental - may account for
differences in development. Autism is not caused by a person's upbringing,
their social circumstances and is not the fault of the individual with the
condition.
Is there a cure?
There
is no 'cure' for autism. However, there is a range of strategies
and approaches -
methods of enabling learning and development - which people may find to be
helpful.
Information source: -
http://www.autism.org.uk/card
Books on autism available in Library
1. Diagnosis and
treatment of autism:an overview, 2014
Rajendra Prasad Singh
616.8982 R137D
2. Psycho-socio
pedagogic intervention strategies for autism, 2009
Nalini, Hema
616.8982 N148P
3. Autism spectrum
disorders(ASD), 2012
Menon,Latika
371.9 M528A
4. A Cup of Comfort
for Parents of Children With Autism, 2009
Sell,Colleen,ed.
155.455 Se48C
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