Choosing a School for your Autistic Child

Choosing a school for your autistic child should not be a struggle. You are usually offered a list of schools that professionals think would be suitable for your child. Not all Autistic children are suited to the same schools as they each have different needs.
You know your child and what they are capable of so you can always ask the schools you are interested in what their stance is on teaching people with Autism. Ask the following questions:
* Have they ever had anybody with Autism in their school before?
* Do they have special staff that can handle an autistic child?
* Can the school cater for the needs of your child?
* Does the school have a bullying policy?
* Will the child be offered a routine?
All children are different and the one’s who have Asperger’s disorder or High Functioning Autism, may well be able to study in a mainstream school. Many have in the past and they have done very well. Others with more serious problems, however, may need to go to a special school where the staff is better equipped at dealing with autistic children. There are plenty of options available to you and you really shouldn’t have a problem finding a school that is OK for your child.

Article Source : http://www.autism-explained.com/choosing-a-school.php

What Does Autism Mean?

Autism (say: aw-tih-zum) causes kids to experience the world differently from the way most other kids do. It's hard for kids with autism to talk with other people and express themselves using words. Kids who have autism usually keep to themselves and many can't communicate without special help.
They also may react to what's going on around them in unusual ways. Normal sounds may really bother someone with autism — so much so that the person covers his or her ears. Being touched, even in a gentle way, may feel uncomfortable.
Kids with autism often can't make connections that other kids make easily. For example, when someone smiles, you know the smiling person is happy or being friendly. But a kid with autism may have trouble connecting that smile with the person's happy feelings.
A kid who has autism also has trouble linking words to their meanings. Imagine trying to understand what your mom is saying if you didn't know what her words really mean. It is doubly frustrating then if a kid can't come up with the right words to express his or her own thoughts.
Autism causes kids to act in unusual ways. They might flap their hands, say certain words over and over, have temper tantrums, or play only with one particular toy. Most kids with autism don't like changes in routines. They like to stay on a schedule that is always the same. They also may insist that their toys or other objects be arranged a certain way and get upset if these items are moved or disturbed.
If someone has autism, his or her brain has trouble with an important job: making sense of the world. Every day, your brain interprets the sights, sounds, smells, and other sensations that you experience. If your brain couldn't help you understand these things, you would have trouble functioning, talking, going to school, and doing other everyday stuff. Kids can be mildly affected by autism, so that they only have a little trouble in life, or they can be very affected, so that they need a lot of help.

What Causes Autism?

Autism affects about 1 in every 150 kids, but no one knows what causes it. Some scientists think that some kids might be more likely to get autism because it or similar disorders run in their families. Knowing the exact cause of autism is hard because the human brain is very complicated.
The brain contains over 100 billion nerve cells called neurons (say: nur-ahns). Each neuron may have hundreds or thousands of connections that carry messages to other nerve cells in the brain and body. The connections and the chemical messengers they send (called neurotransmitters) let the neurons that help you see, feel, move, remember, and work together as they should.
For some reason, some of the cells and connections in the brain of a kid with autism — especially those that affect communication, emotions, and senses — don't develop properly or get damaged. Scientists are still trying to understand how and why this happens.

What Do Doctors Do?

Figuring out if a kid has autism can be difficult. A parent is usually the first to suspect that something is wrong. Maybe the kid is old enough to speak but doesn't, doesn't seem interested in people, or behaves in other unusual ways. But autism isn't the only problem that can cause these kinds of symptoms. For example, kids who have hearing problems might have trouble speaking, too.
Usually, the results of lab tests and other medical tests are normal in kids with autism, but doctors may do them to make sure the kid doesn't have other problems. These medical tests can include blood and urine tests, a hearing exam, an EEG (a test to measure brain waves), and an MRI (a picture that shows the structure of the brain). Intelligence (IQ) tests also might be done.
Often, specialists work together as a team to figure out what is wrong. The team might include a pediatrician, a pediatric neurologist, a pediatric developmentalist, a child psychiatrist, a child psychologist, speech and language therapists, and others. The team members study how the child plays, learns, communicates, and behaves. The team listens carefully to what parents have noticed, too. Using the information they've gathered, doctors can decide whether a child has autism or another problem.

How Is Autism Treated?

There is no cure for autism, but doctors, therapists, and special teachers can help kids with autism overcome or adjust to many difficulties. The earlier a kid starts treatment for autism, the better.
Different kids need different kinds of help, but learning how to communicate is always an important first step. Spoken language can be hard for kids with autism to learn. Most understand words better by seeing them, so therapists teach them how to communicate by pointing or using pictures or sign language. That makes learning other things easier, and eventually, many kids with autism learn to talk.
Therapists also help kids learn social skills, such as how to greet people, wait for a turn, and follow directions. Some kids need special help with living skills (like brushing teeth or making a bed). Others have trouble sitting still or controlling their tempers and need therapy to help them control their behavior. Some kids take medications to help their moods and behavior, but there's no medicine that will make a kid's autism go away.
Students with mild autism sometimes can go to regular school. But most kids with autism need calmer, more orderly surroundings. They also need teachers trained to understand the problems they have with communicating and learning. They may learn at home or in special classes at public or private schools.

Living With Autism

Some kids with mild autism will grow up and be able to live on their own. Those with more serious problems will always need some kind of help. But all kids with autism have brighter futures when they have the support and understanding of doctors, teachers, caregivers, parents, brothers, sisters, and friends.
Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: April 2008
Originally reviewed by: Wendelin A. Burdo-Hartman, MD

Article Source : http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/brain/autism.html

The Connectivity Theory And Autism Syndrome

By: Fabiola Groshan
Autism syndrome affects the way a person communicates and limits the ability to relate to others in a meaningful way, it is a lifelong developmental disorder that emerges in early childhood. A child with autism syndrome isn't able to appreciate cuddles or understand other people's feeling, he can't show signs of affection or develop friendships with other children.

There are researches saying that a lack of central coherence or a problem in the central nervous system is the cause of autism syndrome, and for that people with autism aren't able to bind many activities into a single and have many cognitive and behavioral difficulties. For the same reason, children with autistic syndromes learn to sit up, turn over and crawl in a different manner than normal children.

Brain activity in people at people with autism syndrome has been shown to be atypical in many ways including reduced synchronization across areas of the brain.

The brains of a child with autism syndrome is larger than a normal child's brains and there is one possible suspect for that, meaning a inflammation possibly due to autoimmune activity in the brain.

Autistic children learn to sit up, turn over and crawl in noticeably different manner than normal children and this difference in movement is caused by the same wiring problem in the central nervous system that later causes the social or verbal symptoms commonly associated with the condition of a child with autism syndrome.

Children or adults with autism syndrome have problems with activities such as coordinating their multiple brain areas or flexible understanding or spoken language.

We must know that in the connectivity theory we must also discuss about underconnectivity that can account for the social symptoms of autism syndrome. Social abnormalities are atributes of a deficit in integrative processing, and they may arise in integrating the perceptual and affective processing of social stimuli such as face affect.

High function autistic subjects have much lower levels of connectivity when many brain areas are compared.

It has been noted that a person with autism syndrome can answer sentence comprehension questions more rapidly, though more errors were noted with passive voice sentences.A study's findings are consistent with another theory about the underlying cause of autism syndrome, that faulty connections between the brain's parts may be responsible.

The process to discover if your child has autism syndrome can be slow and upsetting for the family and also for the child, and making friends or receive affection from those they hold dear it is difficult for a child with autism syndrome.
More informations about autism or autism causes about can be found by visiting http://www.autism-info-center.com/

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How To Identify Autism In Your Child

By: Jon Arnold
Let's start at the beginning with discussing what is Autism?

Autism is a disorder of the brain and one in every two and a half thousand children are born with it. Children who are Autistic will show signs of being withdrawn from their environment and will have problems communicating. Often it is confused with Asperger’s Syndrome and, although similar in many ways, they are two different diagnoses.

Signs of Autism can be displayed in a child as young as twelve months and it is usually prominent by the age of three. Autism is also called spectrum disorder or autistic spectrum disorder, and statistics show more males than females have been diagnosed with the neurological abnormality. Often, a child can seem very normal until up to three years of age, then suddenly they begin to change as their speech and social development is impaired. They will exhibit strange behavior and movements, have trouble communicating, some even become deaf and mute and will not like being held. Some will move compulsively and prefer to occupy themselves rather than play with toys or people. Every case is individual, so each child has a different combination of symptoms.

With communication being so difficult for those with spectrum disorder, it is common for their IQ to be below average. About a quarter of these cases excel in certain areas like math, art or music and their IQs are well above average. It is much harder to diagnose Autism in adults from any physical symptoms, but they have problems with understanding other’s feelings, forming friendships, recognizing fear and behaving appropriately in social situations. Often, they will be self-destructive in their habits and are unable to understand the consequences of their actions.

Asperger’s Syndrome is a mild form of Autism, with most of the symptoms being the same. Where Autism is clearly diagnosed by about age three, Asperger’s onset is usually much later. Children with Asperger’s will prefer isolation, exhibit eccentricities, will have strange inflections in their way of speaking, can be uncoordinated and clumsy and single minded in their interests.

High functioning autism is where a person has been diagnosed with the disorder but is still able to continue with a relatively unaffected life. Asperger’s disorder is considered milder than this type of Autism, so they can usually maintain a fairly uninterrupted existence. Someone with Asperger’s may not be viewed any differently in society, but with Autism, they will be noticeably unique in their movements and speech and can have more trouble learning. This means they can experience more difficulty fitting in and possibly even discrimination.

There is no cure for Autism or Asperger’s and no way to return their normal functions and abilities. However, much progress is always being made in ways to manage the disorders. Speech therapy, special diets, music therapy, sensory integration, art therapy, behavior modification and auditory training are all ways to assist in handling Autism so they can lead a life as close to normal as is possible. Since it is specific to the individual, treatments are tailored to each case. Some may need drug therapy for hyperactivity disorders or anger control.

Having a child with Autism can be very stressful and taxing on the family, so strategies for coping will be needed for all who are involved. Autistic children need extra attention and endless supplies of love and understanding. They never truly mature like most of us, but they will have a better chance of being independent if they receive the required training and support therapies.
Jon is a computer engineer who maintains many websites to pass along his knowledge, experience, information, and findings. You can read more about Autism, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, and Asbergers Syndrome at his web site at http://www.autism-explained.com/


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Doctors and How To Diagnose Autism

By: Jonathan Sullivan
 When a doctor first suggests that your child has autism, your immediate reaction might be disbelief and the urge to seek a second, third, or even fourth opinion. Because autism is so different in every child, it is a tricky disorder to diagnose. However, there are a few key ways in which doctors can efficiently identify autism in children, and if your infant or toddler is showing any of these signs of autism, you should visit your pediatrician immediately to express your concerns.

Autism occurs at a young age, rather than being a disorder an older child might develop. It is usually detected before the age of three, and many times much earlier. The first signs or autism are usually delays or regression in speech communication. Another early sign is abnormal behavior in group play situations and other social situations. The first step to diagnosing autism is a thorough physical examination as well as a review of family history by a specialist. Although your regular pediatrician will be able to spot unusual behavior, you'll want your child to be examined by a professional who specializes in autism and other similar diseases to make sure your child is properly diagnosed.

The next step includes hearing tests. Sine language and social skill delays could be due to inadequate auditory sensations. There are two types of auditory tests, one of which records the tones a child can hear and the other of which requires sedation and measures the brain response to certain tones. Of course, the first method is preferred, since it does not require any use of a sedative. After auditory testing, your doctor may encourage testing your child for Fragile X syndrome, which often times goes hand in hand with autism. Metabolism can also be evaluated. To do this, your doctor will need a blood or urine sample to analyze DNA.

An MRI or CAT scan can also be helpful in diagnosing autism. The important thing is to work with doctors you trust. Second opinions can be very helpful, but when your child has been diagnosed, stick with one doctor so that treatment is uniform and so that your child will get used to this person. Autism is difficult to diagnose and even more difficult to treat, so remember that you should begin to learn as much as possible about the disorder as soon as your doctor identifies it. If you have yet to speak with your doctor about abnormal behavior in your child, do so immediately. By detecting autism early, you give your child a better chance at becoming a high-functioning individual with much more opportunities in life.
Read about autism symptoms and what is autism at the Autism Diagnosis website.

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Knowing Your Rights: Laws and Autism

By: Jonathan Sullivan
If you or your child has autism, some of the most basic things you can study and learn are your rights. Every American citizen is protected under the constitution, and there are special laws that have been passed to help protect people with autism and other disabilities. By knowing the laws that protect you or your autistic loved ones, you can live in a world that provides better opportunities to everyone, regardless of not only disability, but also race, gender, and ethnicity. This is simply the first step to creating a more tolerant world in general.

The first law with which you should become acquainted is I.D.E.A., or the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The I.D.E.A. covers children ages 3 to 21 and provides autistic children with the special educational programs they need. The I.D.E.A. gives parents the right to be involved with education decisions concerning their child made by the school. Your child first needs to be assessed to qualify under the I.D.E.A., and this is best done by a private professional. In the end, your child has the right by law to receive a free public education that is appropriate for his or her skill level. If your public school has no such program, they are required to find one or create one at no cost to you.

Also become familiar with and knowledgeable about the American Disabilities Act. Under this act, discrimination due to disability is prohibited in the workforce, as well as with state and local government, public accommodations, the United States Congress, public transportation, and telecommunications. For example, if you are autistic, but have the skills to do a certain job, you cannot be refused the job because of your autism.

Other laws provide rights for people with autism so that they are constitutionally equal to others. One such law says that people with autism have the right to vote, and accommodations must be made so that this is possible. Another says that autistic individuals cannot be refused housing based on disability. Others provide equal rights in all other aspects of life, and these should especially be studied if your loved one with autism is in a health care institution. By knowing the law and how it applies to yourself or others with autism, you can be sure that justice is upheld. If you have questions, local law officials should be ready and willing to answer you or provide you with material to answer your own questions. Remember that ignorance of the law is not a valid excuse for anyone, so be an advocate for yourself or others with autism to prevent mistreatment.
Information on autism symptoms can be found at the Autism Diagnosis site.

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How To Deal With Autism

By: Jonathan Sullivan
When dealing with autism, just as in most other disorders, you will be faced with a number of treatment options for yourself or your child. These include treatments that are educational, behavioral, biomedical, nutritional, and sensory. Unfortunately, for patients who are not affluent or who do not have good medical insurance, the cost of these treatments can be pricier than what they can afford. One way to ensure that you or your child receives the best possible treatment for autism is to carefully monitor the effects a treatment has over time. By finding out which treatments work and which do not, you can stop paying for the ineffective methods and put more of your money into those which are creating a positive difference.

First, evaluate the abilities of the autistic individual before treatment begins. To do this, many services and organizations, including the Autism Research Institute, provide a checklist of evaluation points that focus on behavior and illnesses associated with autism. Autistic individuals tend to have increasing functionality as they mature, so remember that some of the positive effects in his or her life are simply due to the natural growth process. However, after two months fill out the checklist once again and compare it to the first. Are there any sharp positive increases in behavior characteristics? If so, this is more likely due to the treatment.

It is important to begin only one treatment method at a time. If you try everything at once instead, good and bad effects may cancel one another out, or even if the effect is totally positive, you will not know which treatment method is causing it and which are not doing anything. Of course, past studies can help you choose which methods to use, but because autism is an extremely complicated and individual disorder, these studies are not always helpful. Also, some treatments are so new that the studies done are only on short-term effects, which is usually unhelpful. Instead, it is a process of trial and error. Two months is a good amount of time to study the differences within an autistic individual trying a new treatment. After two months, if you do not see positive improvement, you can discontinue your use of that particular method and better invest your money in treatment options that work.

Remember that you do not always have to wait two months to make choices about whether to continue or discontinue a treatment method. If the side effects of a medication, for example, are interfering with the patient's life in an unbearable way, then you should discontinue the treatment. You can also make continual treatments based on immediate good reactions-just remember to continually monitor the various methods. Autistic individuals grow and mature just like everyone else, so treatments may stop working after time. Before trying anything new, consult your doctor to make sure you are being as safe and healthy as possible.
Find information about autism statistics and types of autism at the Autism Diagnosis website.

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