Services Provided in the School System for Your Child with Autism

When a child with autism attends school, she will have specialized treatments and aids to succeed. The school can address the needs pertaining to the child’s autism. This will help the student to be successful. With everyone working together your child with autism will be provided the best education available.

The Law – The Individuals With Disabilities Act

Meeting the needs of all students with disabilities in a free and appropriate public education setting was ensured through the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Act. The legislation requires that special education be provided to children who have special needs as long as they meet the stated requirements; children with autism meet the requirements.

A Right for Your Child -Free and Appropriate Education

An education that does not have a cost to the parent or caregiver and meets the needs of the child is a free and appropriate education. This education promotes learning and progress for the child.

Learning in The Environment That is Least Restrictive

When children with disabilities are in school settings where they learn and socialize with other children without disabilities, they are in a least restrictive setting. When possible, a child with autism will continue in a regular classroom as long as their educational needs are being met.

The school or the parent can request an evaluation to determine the special needs of the child. If as a parent you feel the need for an evaluation, you can make a written request to the school. The school will send a release to your home requesting your permission to so the evaluation. The evaluation will test for the full range of learning disabilities as well as behavioral and mental health issues. At the completion of the testing, a team meeting with you and the school will be held to discuss the services needed by your child.

The IEP – Your Child’s Individual Education Plan

An Individual Education Plan (IEP)is the plan developed to explain the services your child will receive through social education services.  The team that develops the IEP includes the evaluators, the teachers, and the student’s family. The IEP outlines the services needed for the child to receive an appropriate education.

On the IEP, the services that the student will get are stated. If the items listed on the IEP are not providing success for the student, another IEP can be held. The finishing of assignments, ample time to complete the services or assessment of the child’s progress or assistance given to the student may be documentation the IEP. Annually or by the parents asking, the IEP will be reviewed and again completed. Parents always have the option of a new IEP being developed any time they request it.

The Diagnosis of Autism – Finding Acceptance

So may questions fill your mind when your child is first diagnosed with Autism. You may be devastated not believing this is happening to you, your family and your child. So many feelings will fly through you mind and body when the diagnosis of Autism is made. There are some ways to address the ways you are feeling and suggestions on how to come to terms with the diagnosis.

Denial
Denial is a common feeling with any medical issue. Saying and believing a problem is there is a short-term way to deal with it. Refusing to try to understand and come to acceptance with the diagnosis of Autism or believing the doctor is wrong is normal. Difficulty arises when denial of the diagnosis overrides the reality of the situation. Autism will not go away if you ignore it. Acceptance is a hard but necessary step to move forward in looking into options for autism treatment.
Anger
When the diagnosis of Autism is made, you may find yourself full of anger. Anger towards yourself or God happens frequently. Finding yourself angry with parents with children who don’t have Autism may happen. You want to know why your child has the diagnosis of Autism. All forms of anger are normal to experience. When you are angry, when you can, think of all the great things about your child; s/he he is healthy, smiles, participates with the family as s/he is able, to name a few. Not sharing your feelings with others, those you feel safe with, helps you not to hold your feelings inside.

Grief
Grieving over your child receiving a diagnosis of Autism is normal. You may be sad over having a child with special needs. While you were pregnant, you may be sad that the dreams you had for the child will probably not come true. You may wonder about how society will react to your child – how hard will life be. There is a hard step between grief and eventual acceptance. Although it is hard, it is best if you take it. When you feel you will never stop grieving, you may need to talk to a therapist; it may help you through the grieving process.

Acceptance
Acceptance may take a while after your child is diagnosed. When you see the diagnosis as the answer to what is wrong with your child, you may feel relief. The child’s siblings may also have difficulty with the diagnosis and will have to go through the same process you did. Accepting the diagnosis is the first step in helping your child. You may go on the Internet and look for information about Autism; you know it will help your child. Having current information will help you to fully support your child and the treatments offered. Your acceptance in your child being diagnosed with Autism is the first step.

Visual Perception – The Precious Gift of Sight for a Child with Autism.

Each child is an individual who has specific treatments that will help with his or her symptoms. Visual perception affects some children with Autism. Being able to learn and understand more easily, reducing potential behavioral issues and experiencing the world around him are some of the benefits of using uniform treatment methods.Just as the way autism affects the child is individualized, so are the treatments they receive.  One potential are to be addressed is visual perception.

Children with Autism, as well as the general population have problems with sensory overload and distortion, so for both treatments have been developed. The child with Autism in contrast to the general population finds the amount if the overload and distortion is too much to be able to handle. The child with Autism may find the sensory overload is due to light, colors, contrast, shapes and patterns. They are too much to handle and potentially the child may act out or shutdown. Sometimes, a genetic condition enhances the effect of autism. An example is if parents have difficulty reading or may have other visual perception problems, so may any of their children.

One method effectively used for the autism treatment of visual perception disorders is the Irene Method. With this method, colors produce a world that is more coordinated. Using a color filter over a page when a child with autism is reading may help with the speed of reading. This is a proven method.  If reading is an activity your child is able to do, you may want to try a filter to determine if the child has a change in comprehension and rate of reading. The filters are more likely to help the child in activities other than reading – during the whole day. The problem can further addressed by using specialized glasses with colored lenses. The process of finding the colors that meet your child’s needs may time; you need to determine the colors that work best for your child. Another option is to use colored light bulbs to assist in addressing the perception problems.

The Irene method addresses the following: depth perception, interaction with others, education an bodily health. The function of the colors is to assist the child in determining how far away she is from the object. Having depth perception, the world becomes more vivid. Being able to feel that the world is a soothing place, the child may have increased ability to interpret the world around them. One the whole, the child will benefit from the treatment as he will have less headaches and dizziness.  Trying this treatment can help your child deal with autism and all that is around him.

As reported in the Vancouver Sun, a recent meta-analysis of several different brain imaging studies shows that individuals on the Autism spectrum often possess superior visual processing abilities as opposed to neurotypicals. They are often faster and better at pattern detection and visual matching, which is why many children with Autism learn to read at an early age as compared to other children.

This analysis, performed by a Canadian-led team, lends support to the idea that people with Autism do not have a “problem” or a “deficiency” so much as their brains simply work differently than those of neurotypicals. Although individuals on the spectrum may not perform as well on tasks that involve executive functions like planning responses and actions, they often are better at pattern recognition, which is also an important cognitive skill.

Studies like this hold great hope for future Autism therapy. Rather than try to shore up a person’s weaknesses, we should focus on their strengths. This is true for anyone, not just people with Autism, but it is especially relevant in cases where an individual has difficulty interacting with others, as is often the case with Autistic individuals.

Since those with Autism are great at pattern detection, perhaps they should be taught to look at postures and facial expressions during communication, rather than trying to focus on words and tones of voice. Rather than focusing on interpretation of the actions of those around them, and then planning actions in response, perhaps people on the spectrum should be taught about patterns of behavior that occur in ordinary social situations. If these patterns are taught visually, it will be even easier for most Autistic individuals to get along with others.

Of course, we need to keep encouraging Autism awareness, as well. Why does our society have such strict, unwritten codes of behavior, and why do we punish so severely people who deviate from those codes? Shouldn’t we appreciate people whose brains work differently, and be glad that they are strong where we are weak, just as we may be strong where they are weak? Rather than focus on endless Autism treatment, could we not find jobs that fit an individual’s talents (code-breaking comes to mind, since people on the spectrum are great at pattern recognition) so that Autistic individuals can be happy and productive just the way they are?

Perhaps these studies show that, as much as we try to teach children with Autism to communicate and function “normally,” we should also try to teach neurotypicals to embrace differences. There may come a day when neurotypicals envy the abilities of those with Autism, and beg them to teach us!

All I want to do is find a job when I graduate. I have had some experience through school that has helped me find some skills, but it isn’t in an area I want to work. I can tell you about all the plants I have on the front porch by genus and species, but no one will listen to what I do well.

Planning for young adults with autism transitioning from school to the adult system can present difficulties in a system that may not be fully aware of the strengths of the individual. Throughout school different autism therapies may be offered to assist the young adult to move into the workplace more successfully, but the specific skill set of the individual may not be identified. Young adults with Asperger’s Syndrome need to strive to be given an opportunity to find successful employment.
When the young adult first moves toward post school activity, he must be able to find a job with a clear goal. When thinking about work, he must remember to sell himself and through his personality and work experience.
There are jobs that will and will not work for individuals with Asperger’s no matter the supports and autism treatment and therapy received in the past.  Jobs that involve social interaction such as a waitress are a no.  Visual and non-visual thinkers can provide success – such as clerks in filing jobs or working as a video game programmer. With attention to the strengths of the individual success will follow.

What do you do best? What do you like? When is the best time of day for you to do it? So you like to be around people or not? These are just a few questions that must be asked when planning for a job for people with high functioning autism or Asperger’s.
In reality, there is no limit to what a person can do it only their expertise be found. A clear example of this is Temple Grandin, PhD. Her achievements have recently been acknowledged through a movie about her. Through the movie, people have not only been exposed to an example of success, but her many public appearances have been able to put a face with an expert in her field.

By discovering her strengths, just as all people with autism must, she has been able to define work that best suits her abilities and preferences. Through autism therapy and autism management, individuals can develop the skills they need to move forward to successful work.  Skills may be developed through additional schooling, job training or experience in an accepting atmosphere. By being as free are possible of the misunderstanding, the teasing and ignorance, the person with Asperger’s can learn to compensate for weaknesses  in social skills and be able to promote their area of expertise. Having discovered this, the many questions asked when searching for employment or additional education can be answered in a way that define the person’s outstanding traits and limits being placed in a situation that will only promote failure.

Parents involved with their child with autism can be a valuable part of the child’s growth in the ability to build relationships.  The bond between the parent and the child is not the focus, but instead an overall socialization for the child.

Recognizing the early characteristics of Autism can help in diagnosis and early autism treatment and autism therapy. With this in mind, through play a parent can bring a non-professional, heart led interaction style with the child focusing the child’s interaction with the world.  Such a style based on the child’s ability, not a pathway formed by the parent, can help self-expression in a way that he is most able. The parent may begin with very basic play and slowly move to more complex.  It is felt that when the child is approached at his level having less prescribed interaction may provide an opportunity to build on abilities rather than the disability. In conjunction with other therapies and treatments, the child can flourish and grow.

When the parent is engaging with the child, it is important that he does it in an environment that is most conducive to the child.  As a consistent person in the child’s world, the parent has the best perspective on how child sees and responds to the world as a whole; he will know what does and doesn’t work and in what environment. With the daily interaction experienced on a consistent basis, the bond between the child and the world can be improved and socialization increased.

I knock on the door of a new family on my caseload. Having done intakes for years, I knew that documents I reviewed would not realistically tell me the needs of the family – especially a family who has two children with Autism. After introducing myself, the mother looking haggard and overwhelmed broke into tears asking me, “How could it be I have two children with Autism?’

The number of individuals who fall under the umbrella of the Autism spectrum has widely varied over the years, but recently estimated statistics indicate that 1 in every 110 children are diagnosed with Autism.   Not only is there a 1:100 ratio, but also it is estimated that 1: 70 boys are diagnosed while 1: 110 girls are diagnosed with Autism.   

The occurrence of Autism has increased annually 10-15%. Specifically why the increase has come about is yet to be determined.  Diagnostic tools have improved bringing the age of diagnosis to about four and a half.  This upsurge brings about a need to understand where the child is on the Autism Spectrum and how Autism Therapy and Autism Treatment can benefit the child.

After diagnosis those involved need to understand where the child stands on the Autism Spectrum Disorder. The Spectrum is understood to include: Asperger’s Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Rett’s Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder NOS (not otherwise specified).  The cause of any of the disorders on the spectrum is unknown. Just as there are different levels and degree of severity so are the causes probably diverse.

Although Rett’s Syndrome is felt by some as not belonging under the Autism Spectrum, Autism Speaks Canada and the National Institute of Health, US recognize is as  a component fitting the over all diagnosis criteria.  It is a condition occurring much less often than other forms of autism, 1:10,000 –mainly girls.

A number of characteristics occurring that follow those of autism include: walking on the toes, lack of eye contact and social interaction, weakened muscle tone. Different from autism spectrum disorders include: development of the condition normally develop and then they seem to cease., hand movements are clearly   attributed to Rett’s. With autism, children often flap their hands to express themselves. With Rett’s have movement characteristic of wringing, squeezing and clasping. Theses movements seem unable to cease. The digression can quickly progress; one minute the individual is crawling and having control of the feet and next they are regressing little by little.  Seizures often accompany Rett’s and the head is unbalanced, small than the rest of the body.

Autism treatment for Rett’s are much like that of individuals with autism,. Physical therapy addresses uncontrolled movement, speech therapy to improve communication, sensory integration to assist in experiencing the environment.   Autism therapy dogs assist the child to have some social interaction, as the interaction is not prescribed, but self-driven.  Autism therapy with animals may also assist in strengthening of muscle tone as the individual moves to interact with the animal.

Unlike other conditions on the autism spectrum, individuals with Rett’s have a shorter life; a number of children live into middle age.

Researchers have covered robots with silicone “skin” to help children with Autism practice interacting with others. This is a controversial move. While one scientist thinks that robots are “safer” for children with Autism because the robot’s limited emotional modes and predictability leave less for them to interpret, there are people who disapprove of this project for that very reason.

Like Dr. San, the spokesperson for the British Psychological Society and a childhood psychologist. She rightly points out that children with Autism need to learn how to interact with people, and relying on robots too much could be dangerous.

Autism can cause problems with integrating sensory information, and also makes it difficult to interpret the hundreds, if not thousands, of social cues that most of us understand everyday without even thinking about it. Robots today are nowhere near capable of mimicking the wide range of human emotion and social cues. Kaspar, the robot in the study, can only smile, frown, laugh, blink, and wave his arms. That isn’t even a small fraction of what children with Autism need to interpret in order to cope with the social universe.

Although these robots may have a place in Autism therapy in severe cases, where a child needs a “stepping stone” up to more complex interaction, I think most results from this study will be falsely positive. After all, if you take a high school graduate and ask him to do grade one math, he will look like a genius, and won’t be stressed at all. That doesn’t mean it’s appropriate to give him grade one math instead of university level problems, just because university is challenging. Likewise, giving a child with Autism a severely watered-down version of a human being might make it look like he is doing well — look, he’s making eye contact! Of course, when the eyes aren’t eyes at all, but part of a machine, is the child really learning to make eye contact? Probably not.

Not only does this robot severely lack in emotion and social cues, but it won’t smell like a human, either. It won’t move like a human — technology isn’t there yet. So any sensory integration issues a child may have won’t be helped, either. It would save a lot of money designing and building robots if we continue to rely on real people who understand and are sensitive to the challenges faced by those on the Autism spectrum. Instead of a robot that is incapable of caring for a human being, why not a real person who cares about the child? Why not a person who understands that it is necessary to exaggerate social cues until the child can detect them more easily?

In today’s world we tend to assume that technology is the answer to everything. But when it comes to children who have trouble interpreting the “human element,” how could an object completely devoid of the human spirit possible help?