Diagnoses of autism spectrum disorders, which once were rare, have increased markedly in recent years. As of 2010, 1 in 110 children in the United States has an autism spectrum disorder, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For some of those children, the disorder is mild and simply requires that they learn basic coping skills. For others, autism is a severe disability.
Identification
Autism is one of several disorders categorized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition as pervasive developmental disorders. Others include Asperger syndrome, Rett's disorder and childhood disintegrative disorder. These are complex neurological disorders characterized by repetitive behaviors and difficulty in social reciprocity. Depending on the disorder, language difficulties may also be present.
If you suspect that your child may have one one of these disorders, speak to your pediatrician. The earlier autism and other pervasive developmental disorders are diagnosed, the better chance a child has of learning to overcome some of these impairments.
Significance
Children with autism often work with occupational therapists and other specialists to address the symptoms of autism that cause the most significant impairment. To maximize the effect of the exercises and activities done in therapy sessions, those activities should be repeated regularly in a variety of settings, including home and school.
Types
Parents who want to help their autistic children through home activities should begin by practicing what the children have learned in formal therapy sessions. From there, focus on a skill that the child is struggling with. If communication is a source of frustration for the child, for example, visual arts such as drawing or painting may be another way for the child to express himself.
Many autistic children also suffer from sensory processing disorders: They are either overly sensitive to stimuli or not sensitive enough. For those with tactile sensitivity, blowing bubbles is a fun way to create positive associations with light touch sensations.
Considerations
Use your child's interests to practice other skills. For example, if your autistic child is interested in trains, use train symbols and metaphors to teach the order in which he or she should complete a task. If organizing homework is a struggle, create a task chart for completing homework, with a backpack icon on the engine labeled "Bring home your books and assignments." The next car might have a picture of a math problem, with the label "Complete your math homework," followed by a car with a bookmark labeled "Do your reading homework" and so on.
Treatment
Many of the symptoms of autism can be overcome with early diagnosis and treatment, parental involvement and positive behavioral supports that are customized for each individual child's needs. Applied behavior analysis, which involves analyzing the causes of inappropriate social behaviors and working in a systematic way to overcome them, has helped many autistic children learn more appropriate ways to handle common situations. Most autistic children need a combination of approaches and techniques to learn coping skills and appropriate social behaviors.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Early Intervention Lessens Impact of Autism
- "Overcoming Autism"; Lynn Kern Koegel and Claire Lazebnik; 2004
