Autism

Mary Draffin, Head of Information at the National Autistic Society explains more about this condition that affects over 500,000 people in the United Kingdom.

Autism is a lifelong disability that affects the way a person communicates and relates to those around them. The term autistic spectrum is often used because the condition varies: some children may have accompanying learning disabilities whilst others may have Asperger Syndrome or high functioning autism with an average or above average intelligence. Despite wide-ranging differences, everyone with the condition has difficulty with social interaction, social communication and imagination. This is known as the triad of impairments. Early Signs

Parents are astute judges of their child’s development and most often it is they who first notice the signs. Jane, mother of four-year-old Tommy, said she “always knew there was something different” about her child. Amongst other things,Tommy had no speech and would often shuffle. She could never take him shopping, as people would stare or comment on his “naughty” behaviour. This is a common experience of parents of children with autism.

People with autism may “look” the same as anybody else and it is for this reason that it can be much harder to create awareness and understanding of the condition. Annie, a qualified nursery nurse and mum of five-year-old Ben, who has Asperger Syndrome, started noticing signs around 18 months. “Ben had a fascination with one toy. If the nursery nurse took it away, he would start to scream and flap.” Ben was also extremely sensitive to particular sounds. “For months, every time I took Ben into the bathroom, he would kick and scream and we would end up taking him to his grandparent’s for a bath. Then we realised that the sound of the fan in the bathroom was causing him distress.”

Children with Autism Can Exhibit a Wide Range of Behaviours:

They may not socialise and play with other children and will instead appear rude, disruptive or indifferent.

The child may take little interest in creative or imaginative play, instead preferring to repeat the same activity again and again, e.g. lining up toys.

He/she may have an obsessive interest in a particular subject or toy.

He/she may become particularly upset if routines are altered – for example, if mum varies the route to the shops.

They may have difficulty understanding gestures and making appropriate eye contact.

The child may have difficulty understanding subtle language. For example, words can be taken literally and a comment such as ‘crying your eyes out’ may cause distress.

Other signs include a lack of awareness of danger, hypersensitivity to sound, light, etc., spinning objects and hand flapping.

Disturbingly, in some cases a child may seem to be developing quite normally and then suddenly appears to start losing skills that he or she has acquired.

Diagnosis

Parents who suspect there is something wrong should approach their GP. However, as autism is not a “visible” disability and is very complex, it can sometimes go undetected for some time. Jane’s original paediatrician said there was nothing wrong with Tommy, so she asked for a second opinion. Jane describes it as being “an emotional rollercoaster” as “one part of you wants to believe there’s nothing wrong but then deep down you know there’s something – you wonder if it’s your fault as a parent.”Early Intervention

Early intervention for children, as soon as possible after a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder, is considered essential. Early intervention cannot cure autism but it can minimise the build-up of secondary behavioural problems. Various types of early intervention for developmental disorders exist. The National Autistic Society runs the EarlyBird Programme which aims to support and empower parents. The programme helps parents to understand their child’s autism, manage their child’s behaviour and develop their child’s social communication. This three-month programme combines group-training sessions with individual home visits when the parent and child are videoed working together. Watching the videos in the parent group provides useful feedback and invaluable support.

Annie found EarlyBird beneficial. She said it was “so helpful meeting other people and realising you aren’t insane after all” and she learnt some “amazing tips”. They now have a picture board on the wall which helps Ben follow a morning routine, “he will just look at what is next on the list, and do it!”

Since completing EarlyBird, Jane has been applying the practices she learnt and has seen positive developments in Tommy. Before, she would find it very difficult to take Tommy out but now she is more confident – “if I am out and people look at us, I say he is autistic and I say it with pride.” Tommy has greater self-esteem, is more verbal, sleeps better and is generally calmer.

Jane now believes that the autism is part of who Tommy is, she says, “I couldn’t imagine life without him, he has a fantastic personality inside him and a great sense of humour!”

Helpful Approaches

Predictability and structure – often children with autism find change difficult to understand and cope with. A picture/symbol timetable can help establish a meaningful routine for the child’s day.

Visually interesting toys/activities – children with autism tend to prefer toys that involve visuo-spatial skills such as shape and colour matching, jigsaw puzzles, bubble blowers, pop-up toys, train toys, books with flaps and videos.

Physical activity – helps to develop eye contact and social interaction. For example, swings, slides, musical toys, water toys, rocking horses, trampolines, paddling pools and sand pits.

Play with others – try to engage the child in games that involve others and have simple rules, such as ‘The Hokey-Cokey’, Other examples include: pass the parcel, skittles, snap and catch.

Rewards – children with autism may often have a special interest, e.g. Thomas the Tank Engine, these can be used as rewards as well as tools to teach other subjects.

Simple, calm language – reduce your language and speak slowly and clearly. Avoid using a raised, excited voice and be aware of what you are saying – a child with autism may take things quite literally.

Give positive instruction – i.e. what you want them to do rather than what you don’t want them to do e.g. ‘Sahid, sit down’, rather than ‘Sahid, stop running.’

Communicate with parents/carers – for example, a child’s behaviour that day may be affected by a particularly bad night’s sleep. Keep diary notes to record behaviour to help highlight any patterns.

Joining the nursery – introduce him/her gradually. This could involve staff visiting the child at home, showing him/her photos of the nursery, visiting the nursery when no other children are present, and then gradually increasing the amount of time he/she spends there.

For more information:

The National Autistic Society’s Autism Helpline, for parents and carers. Telphone: 0845 070 4004. Open: Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm.

The EarlyBird Programme, contact Jo Stevens.Telephone: 01226 779218.

www.nas.org.uk