Help Your Autistic Child

I am a true believer that a child's first and most important teacher is the parents. Teaching a child is no easy feat. Any parent will attest to that.

As I strive to teach my own children, I often feel frustrated when they don't listen to my instructions, turn a deaf ear to what I'm saying,  resist my attempts to teach, throw a tantrum or give me a bad attitude. My patience is constantly tested. I wish to cultivate in them good characteristics and be well behaved. I believe this is the desire of all, if not most parents. However, children are as varied as snowflakes: each different and unique. Each come with their own set of challenges.

I cannot imagine how much more difficult it is for parents with special needs children. I have a friend who has an autistic child. I'm amazed at her diligence, patience and strength in teaching this son of hers. I've seen the improvements in his behavior over the years. So much so that he is able to attend a normal school instead of a school for special needs children. Let me make it clear that he is not 'cured' from autism but rather, he has been taught the skills to function in our society.

I believe the most important step she took was to accept, from a very early stage, that her son was different and needed special help. I can see that awareness for special education and autism is increasing, especially in Asia. More parents have a better understanding of autism and are willing to take positive steps to help their child. Before, most old folks would brand a child with autistic traits as disobedient, stupid and useless. Some of them would even mistreat the child. All this because of their lack of understanding and ignorance.

We are lucky that we have the internet to do research. This is our advantage over the older generations. Surfing around the net, you can learn what is autism and read the many experiences of parents with autistic children. You can find teaching supplies such as toy games for learning, flash cards, activity kits, communication pictures, token boards and charts, visual timers, social skills curriculums and ABA language cards. There are forums you can join to gain support and ideas from other parents in the same boat. You can also search for centers that provide services to treat and educate your child.

No doubt it is difficult to raise a child with special needs. It takes lots of patience, dedication, prayer and unconditional love. Do not let pride or ignorance prevent you from giving your child the opportunity to learn new skills. With the right resources, support and education, they can improve. The benefits of early intervention should not be disregarded.

Is your baby's developmental delay 'normal' or a symptom of autism?

(ARA) - More children will receive an autism diagnosis this year than will be diagnosed with AIDS, diabetes and cancer combined, according to the Autism Speaks organization. You've probably heard or read at least some of the often-emotional debate over the causes and cures of autism.

Yet one thing everyone agrees on is that the sooner a child's autism is diagnosed, the sooner that child can get the help he or she needs.

The nation's fastest-growing developmental disorder, autism affects an estimated one in every 110 children. With such a high incidence rate, many parents may agonize over any developmental delays, wondering if what they see is just the normal variances in children's development rates - or an indication of a more serious disorder.

Dr. Rebecca Landa, head of the Center for Autism and Related Disorders at Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, recommends concerned parents act early, rather than waiting to see if developmental delays resolve themselves. Early intervention can have a big impact on the development of children with autism.

"Our research suggests that the 'wait and see' method, which is often recommended to concerned parents, could lead to missed opportunities for early intervention," Dr. Landa says. "By identifying these early signs of autism and acting early, we are providing toddlers with tools and skills to increase social opportunities throughout their lifetime and positioning them to have the best possible outcomes."

Researchers at the Institute have recently made major advances that now allow the signs of autism to be detected in children as young as age 1. Parents concerned about their child's developmental delays should look for these early warning signs:

• Little or no attempt to attract attention - It's typical for infants and toddlers to seek the attention of those around them. Attention-seeking tactics can range from making silly facial expressions, moving their limbs and making babbling sounds in babies younger than 1, to talking and acting silly in children older than 12 months. Children who don't attempt to attract the attention of others in these ways could be at risk for autism.
  
  
• Poor eye contact - By the time they're 2 months old, infants can make direct eye contact with an adult. Children who later develop autism often avoid making eye contact and are more interested in staring at objects or other facial features such as the mouth.
  
  
• Poor or no response to own name - By 6 months, typical children will respond when an adult calls their name. Parents should be concerned if their child infrequently or inconsistently responds to his name.
  
  
• Delayed speech/babbling - Delayed babbling and then delayed spoken language is one of the most recognizable signs that a child's development is delayed. Children should be babbling as young as 6 months.
  
  
• Doesn't mimic facial expressions - As early as 2 months old, babies mimic the facial expressions of others, smiling when someone smiles at them. When a baby does not voluntarily reciprocate a parent's smile, it's a red flag for autism.
  
  
• Engages in unusual play - Unusual play is another red flag. For example, a child might spin, flick or line up toys and objects in a purposeless, repetitive way. This can become more noticeable as children reach 2 or 3 years old.
  
  
• Unusual body movements - Parents can often easily identify differences in how a child moves. Children with autism might repeatedly stiffen their arms or legs, flap their hands or arms, twist their wrists or move in other unusual ways.
  
  
• Repetitive language - Children with autism may engage in repetitive language. These children may be able to recite the ABCs before they can make word combinations.
  
  
• Does not express desire to share interests - At 9 to 12 months old, and in some cases earlier, children want to show or share their interests with others. They might point to something and wait for a parent to react, or hold up a toy to see and comment on it. A child with autism may not attempt to engage socially in this way.
  
  
• Disinterested in imitating others - Babies and toddlers love to imitate the actions of others; it's how they learn to laugh, eat and play. An early warning sign of autism is often a child's disinterest in imitating others. A child might occasionally mimic others, but more often observes rather than imitates.

To learn more about early detection research, visit www.kennedykrieger.org.

Recognizing Early Signs of Autism

Image by Norma Desmond via FlickrThere seems to be more and more children these days with developmental and learning problems. Have the risks increased or are we just getting better at diagnosing them? Autism is one such disorder that seems to be on the rise. That's why parents these days are so diligent in keeping track of their children's developmental milestones. We want to be assured that our children are normal and healthy. And if not, we understand the importance of early intervention. The quicker we get help, the higher the chances of our child improving.

So, do you know the early signs of autism?

Autistic children basically have problems in these areas:

• Lack of communication and language problems - very quiet, limited vocabulary, delayed speech, don't smile or coo as babies.
  
• Social impairment - they are in their own world, problems with eye contact and facial expression, unresponsive when you try to connect with them.
• Repetitive body movements and behaviors such as hand flapping.
  
• They may show a fanatical obsession over a certain topic or fixate on certain parts of an object. For example: staring at the ceiling fan or hours turning a switch on and off.
• Hyper sensitive to touch, sound, smells or taste - some don't like to be hugged or are irritated by certain types of clothing. Loud sounds can be distressing too.
  
• Cannot stray away from routines

These are just some signs to look out for. However, autism can be manifested at different levels of intensity and there are different types too. Yes, it just makes the disorder all the more complicated. There are 5 disorders commonly categorized as being on the autism spectrum.

• Classic autism
• Asperger's symdrome
• Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)
• Rett Syndrome
• Childhood Disintegrative Disorder

If you find your child displaying some of these early sign of autism, take action quickly.
More information when you get THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO AUTISM.

For Malaysians, you can seek more help at NASOM TeleAutism.

Parenting An Autistic Child

One of the most pervasive myths that surround autism is that a child who has it will never show affection and can’t accept getting affection from anyone. There have been literally piles of stories of parents taking their child to a psychologist and the doctor telling the parents that your child can’t possibly be autistic because he gives you a hug now and then. While this opinion is just flat wrong, studies have shown that autistic children do process sensory touch differently than a non-autistic child and that this is where the myth that autistic children don’t like to be touched comes from.

Autism and the way it affects kids really runs the gamut from light to severe. An excellent point to remember when dealing with an autistic child is that every single autistic child is different and will react to almost everything differently. Here are some tips for showing your autistic child affection, and remember, your experience may vary.

• Trial and error. For some kids with more severe autism, a simple, random hug can be sensory overload. They can become agitated, upset and even violent if they are touched without prior warning. You will probably need to have a trial and error approach when it comes to hugging and touching your autistic child. Some methods may be responded to in a positive way, other ways won’t be. You just have to try and see.
  
  
• Let the child come to you. If you think your autistic child needs a hug, instead of rushing into his personal space and just taking one, speak to the child, bend down to his/her level and open your arms. Smile and let the child know that they are loved and see what the response is. If they don’t come running in for a hug, don’t be offended, it may just not have been the right time for the child.
  
  
• Try hand signals. If your child is too sensitive to hugs or touches to show affection, you can try positive reinforcement in addition to hand singles. Things like a simple thumbs up accompanied by a smile and some positive comments can let the child know they are loved and what they did was good. You can also offer the child a chance to hug during these situations and they might just take you up on it.
  
  
• Make sure everyone is on the same page. If you, the parents, are starting to make progress on getting your autistic child to be more affectionate, you don’t need a sibling, teacher or grandparent who doesn’t know or understand your child’s boundaries messing up all of your hard work. If you’ve begun to implement an affection program with your autistic child, make sure everyone who would possibly try to hug or touch him/her knows the rules. Consistency and repetition are crucial to autistic kids, and this applies to a situation like this, as well.
  

Trying to figure out a puzzling condition like autism can be a lifelong challenge. For many parents, the affection issue may be the biggest. But with patience and learning to go by the child’s cues and not your own, you will be able to connect with your child in a deep and meaningful way.

Concerned About Autism?

Learn The Facts About Autism & What Really Works Now.
There are many more resources and information about diagnosing, controlling and treating Autism in:
The Essential Guide To Autism