All about autism in children

Autism spectrum disorder is a condition that is exceptionally difficult to understand. For parents of autistic children, navigating your child’s mysterious world can be challenging. Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterised by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviours, speech, and nonverbal communication.

When it comes to parenting a child with autism, knowledge is power, and the more you know about this condition, the better you can cope.

“Children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have various symptoms, presenting them in different ways and to different degrees. Although stereotypical misconceptions and myths often surround ASD, each case is unique, requiring a tailor-made programme addressing each child’s particular needs and specific skill deficits,” says ABA specialist Jenna White.

We chat to Jenna on more about autism:

• Although some children with ASD may struggle with certain comorbid or co-existing disorders such as OCD, anxiety, depression, and Tourette’s syndrome, autism is not a mental condition. Together with gastrointestinal issues, seizures, neurological conditions, and nutrient deficiencies, these comorbid disorders manifest in behavioural conditions that cause arrested development. In turn, this results in the child missing developmental milestones they haven’t got because they weren’t properly present when they were one, two, or three years of age.

• Two key interventions address an autism diagnosis, applied behavioural analysis (ABA) and biomedical treatment. Bio-medical treatment includes dietary measures to alleviate symptoms related to allergies by removing certain foods and adding vitamins to the diet.­ Biomedical treatment facilitates effective management of medical conditions such as gastrointestinal problems, which present as behavioural conditions. Containing these issues allows the child to be more present for speech and other therapies, opening the way for the children to catch up on time lost in reaching major milestones,” explains Jenna. Applied behavior analysis (ABA) has become a widely accepted intervention among healthcare professionals and is used in many schools and treatment clinics in the US. Additionally, it’s endorsed as an effective treatment for children with autism by many US state and federal agencies, including the United States Surgeon General and the New York State Department of Health. Encouraging positive behaviors while discouraging negative behaviors, ABA is used to improve a variety of skills.

• Autism doesn’t need to be a lifelong disorder. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, research shows early intervention treatment from birth to 36 months can greatly improve a child’s development. With the benefits of time and empirical research, treatment options like ABA and biomedical intervention have transformed the helplessness associated with an autism diagnosis into one where recovery is possible.“Recovery is a gradual process, and it doesn’t look the same for everyone. When we say autism recovered, it doesn’t necessarily mean ‘just like the kid next door’ – it means gradual increases of functionality and ability, paving the way for more opportunities in life.  It doesn’t get erased, but many individuals on the spectrum learn to deal successfully with their challenges and lead independent lives,” says Jenna.

• When it comes to autism, a­ one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work because each child has a unique manifestation of autism. Every person with autism must be treated and assessed on an individual basis. The best school setting for a child on the spectrum will depend on their specific strengths and skill deficits. Teachers need to provide students with customised interventions based on each child’s unique needs rather than addressing the generic need associated with an autism diagnosis.

• While people with ASD have certain overlapping symptoms such as repetitive behaviours, challenges with social interaction, and sensory processing, each child on the spectrum has unique interests, deficits, and their own particular weaknesses, strengths, and abilities.

• Children with autism may not always perceive the subtleties of body language or the nuance of tone in a voice, which means they may not detect sadness or sarcasm. However, this doesn’t stop them from enjoying fulfilling relationships with parents, siblings, spouses, and children. However, it does mean they can experience challenges in navigating social relationships and understanding social cues. When atypical individuals are aware of these parameters, it facilitates understanding of responses from someone with an ASD diagnosis, making it easier to foster mutually fulfilling and enduring relationships.

• Although some children with autism may be non-verbal or may have delayed speech, there are other children whose speech is well developed. Delayed speech can be addressed with speech therapy or a tactile-kinesthetic approach known as PROMPT (prompt restructuring oral muscular phonetic targets), a holistic, dynamic, multi-sensory therapeutic programme developed assessment and treatment of speech production disorders. Children who are non-verbal can be supported by speech augmentation devices that facilitate communication through symbols rather than words. The different scope in speech abilities is another symptom that reflects the nature of autism as a spectrum disorder, with children showing speech acquisition in varying degrees. “Understanding individuals with ASD experience a broad range of functioning from variation in speech abilities to living independently or needing support provides insight into the strengths and challenges for children with an ASD diagnosis,” says Jenna. “This allows atypical people to move beyond the myths and preconceptions and to meet the needs of children with ASD fully, equipping each child with the relevant interventions which address their particular strengths and challenges which provide them with the opportunity to realise their full potential.”