Understanding Autism And Anxiety On Socialization

                

 

There are many things about autistic children that people generally do not understand, and there are also times when the parents are just as baffled as everyone else. There is a lot of information out there about autistic children, but much of it is conflicting. It?s hard to know what to believe and what pertains to an individual child. Parents naturally want what is best for their children, and they cannot stand to think that their children might be suffering. There can be huge problems with autism and anxiety on socialization for many families.

For a long time, children with autism have been misunderstood on one very essential point. It was long believed that autistic children did not have any desire to mingle with their peers. Parents would feel guilty about attempting socialization because they sensed the deep frustration and anxiety in their children. Trying to force children to play with other kids their age can be an exercise in torture for many autistic children.

Most children with this condition lack the basic skills they need to relate to their peers. They aren?t good at making or holding eye contact, they tend to center any conversations around themselves or on a narrow topic that interests them, and often have a hard time speaking to someone at all. Other children don?t ?get? them and most are not interested in trying to develop the relationship further.

Most parents were told for a long time that their children did not seek out this type of peer interaction. They were told their children would rather be alone, and that pushing them to socialize was harming them. Studies have proven this to be wrong. Many of these children do crave peer interaction, but they simply don?t have the tools to do it. This leads to mounting frustration and anxiety issues for both the child and that child?s parents.

Many autistic children show signs of wanting to stay away from peer socialization, and remain in the company of adults that they trust, or to be by themselves. This is not necessarily their wish, but because they have such a hard time with interactions, and the anxiety is so overwhelming, they withdrawal into their own place where everything is less stressful and right again.

They want to interaction, but it is often so painful they give up on it rather quickly. A child who is shoved into this type of social setting without preparation can suffer huge amounts of frustration, and the anxiety will be overwhelming. Knowing how to proceed with socialization is not something a parent knows instinctively. Even when they seek help, sometimes answers are just not there.

Because there is such a wide range of different problems for children with autism, they must each be treated and handled differently when it comes to socialization.

There are great programs that can help, but each does have its own set of drawbacks. There are special educational classes, but there are negatives to these and some parents don?t want to use them. Some can be in the regular classroom, but they are often singled out as ?different? and this can be very difficult for parent and child.

A proper evaluation and plan of action is essential when it comes to addressing the issues caused by autism and anxiety on socialization. Usually it comes down to a trial and error scenario before you find a method that suits your child and you. Re-adjustments might always be something that is necessary as time goes on.

By Rachel Evans. Sign up for a free newsletter about autistic and discover more on the signs and symptoms of autism

Raising Children With High Functioning Autism

                

 

If your child has been diagnosed with high functioning autism, parenting can be a challenge. The main reason is because autistics do not think and mentally develop the same way as the average child, and so must be taught individually and differently. Therefore, the challenge is finding out what parenting methods work for your autistic child. Essentially, it?s a lot of trial and error.

Raising a child with high functioning autism can be made easier by providing children with the necessary therapy they require. However, aside from therapy, the following are 5 basic parenting tips that may prove helpful along the way:

Tip 1 - Create Schedules ? Most autistics, including those with high functioning autism, resist change and insist on routine. Creating schedules helps autistic children to better comprehend situations and learn. You need to provide your child with a daily schedule that shows him/her the order of activities they will experience. If your child has difficulty reading, create a picture schedule.

Furthermore, telling a child in advance that an activity is about to change, helps to create an easier transition for them. For instance, tell your child ?In 5 minutes, we?re going to stop coloring and read a story?.

Tip 2 - Create understanding ? Make sure your child understands what you want him/her to do. Ensure that the task you are asking is achievable and you understand the specific way in which your child learns and reacts to information told to him/her.

For instance, you should refrain from using figures of speech as part of instruction. A figure of speech is when you use an expression that has a non-literal meaning (IE. metaphors, similes, etc.) This form of language will be lost on an autistic. Thus, a better choice would be to use a visual aid such as a picture or a demonstration, to clarify the task.

Tip 3 ? Create a personalized behavior plan ? You can?t rely on the parenting methods that work for parents with regular children, or even those who have a child with high functioning autism. You need to create a program that is specifically oriented around the interests and needs of your child. This means analyzing your child?s behavior and creating a personal program based on his/her behavioral patterns. This is how you will eventually get your child to learn, respond and interact with others.

Tip 4 ? Focus on improvement ? Instead of trying to explain to your child what you don?t like when they do something you deem inappropriate or unproductive, focus on improving their behavior. If you want to improve on past behaviors, teach new ?acceptable? ones to replace the old.

Teaching new behavioral skills will take plenty of time, patience and practice, but eventually the new acceptable behaviors will replace those you don?t approve of.

Tip 5 ? Sensitivity alert! ? Make sure you are aware of the triggers that will upset your child, so you can do your best to ensure they are avoided. Some issues that tend to upset those with high functioning autism include, but are not limited to:

? Sudden loud sounds (IE. alarms)
? Unusual smells in a particular room
? Discomfort when touched
? Being bumped

Although you can?t ensure your child will always be safe from sensitive issues, by knowing what they are helps you to have more control. Like any child, the less stress your autistic child has, the more productive they will be.

Remember, as a parent of a child with high functioning autism, you need to learn how to go with the flow, be creative, patient - and above all ? maintain a positive attitude.

By Rachel Evans. To find out more about high functioning autism and for information on adult autism please visit the links.

Understanding Visual Thought And Autism

                

 

The best way to help an autistic child cope with change is to understand the way they think, so you can present ideas and situations to them in a way they will effectively comprehend.

While the average person thinks in language, the average person with autism thinks in pictures. This thinking process is known as visual thought. Visual thought is when a person thinks in pictures, images or even movies, instead of actual words and concepts. Therefore, for most autistics, words are like a second language. Written and spoken words are transformed into moving pictures with sounds in their mind. It is through the comprehension of their visual thoughts that they can either identify with a situation and words, or not understand.

Recent research on autistic thinking has found that people with autism are inclined to focus on specific details instead of the bigger picture. Unlike a normal brain that connects all of its different processing parts together, the brain of someone with autism is not entirely connected to each of its systems. This is what sometimes makes autistics excellent at one thing and unskilled at something else.

Visual thinkers have difficultly forming concepts. This is because conceptual thinking usually occurs in the frontal cortex of the brain; the part of the brain that has unusual makeup in autistics. The frontal cortex incorporates information from the thinking, sensory and emotional areas of the brain. Due to the fact that the frontal cortex of autistics is not properly connected to the other parts of the brain, they encounter problems when it comes to carrying out normal functions.

Most autistics excel at visual spatial skills, but have difficulty with verbal skills. Instead of developing new conceptual ways of thinking through emotions and words, they can create new visualizations by taking small pieces of other images they have stored in their memory banks to create new visual concepts of understanding. They translate words into pictures, and piece pictures together with actual experiences to create video-like images that make up their thought process.

Autistic individuals have difficulty learning things that cannot be visualized as a picture. For this reason, nouns become the easiest words for children to understand and learn because they can be directly related to images. However, prepositions, verbs, etc. are more difficult for autistics to process because the usually do not understand these words until they are associated with an actual event they remember doing. For instance, the word “under” may be understood through a memory of going under a table. Usually, an autistic has difficulty with words that cannot be converted to pictures and have no definite meaning on their own such as the word “and”.

One of the best ways to help the average person understand the autistic brain is to visit an online image based search engine (IE Google Images) and type in words. The images these words produce can give you an idea of how autistics think and use pictures to form concepts.

The best way to teach an autistic child is to build on their strengths, not just on that which they have difficulty. Thus, teaching and communicating with a visualization aid can be very effective and help them process their thoughts. In most cases, the more someone with autism learns, the more they will comprehend and understand that they think and feel in a different way than the average person.

Just remember, effectively communicating with a person with autism can take time. Therefore, you need to be patient, understanding, and engage your sense of humor.

Rachel Evans has an interest in Autism. For further information on Autism please visit http://www.essential-guide-to-autism.com/autism.html or http://www.essential-guide-to-autism.com/blog/2007/01/04/understanding-visual-thought-and-autism/

Building Self Esteem In Children With Autism And Asperger Syndrome

                

 

Children with autism have a much harder time with their self-esteem. They often perceive the constant correction of their behaviors and their social interactions as criticism. The frequent visits to doctors, or speech therapists, or OTs, the testing and the stream of interventions that we try with them can easily leave them feeling like they're under the microscope, a specimen that warrants investigation, a person who needs fixing.

Expressive and comprehensive communication also have a direct impact on a child's self-esteem. These are areas that do not come easily to children or adults with autism/AS. Understanding subtle jokes and participating in human interplay, actions natural to their neuro-typical peers, further increase their feelings of 'not fitting in' and erode their self-esteem.

Combine all this with the expectations of siblings and the all-too-frequent bullying interactions from many peers and it's easy to understand how devastated a child with an autism spectrum disorder can feel.

What can we do? It's critical for us, as family members, educators, and professionals to learn strategies and techniques! In our not-too-distant past, institutional placement was the standard intervention for people with autism/AS. While that is not the case today, we still encounter lack of understanding and appreciation for the unique qualities of the person with ASD. Everyone, especially these visual learners, need a constant reminder of how special they truly are. We must find ways to give them their own Teddy Bear (or dinosaur!) so they will feel "L.C.B." on their own.

It Starts with US

But how do we really build their self-esteem? It starts with us examining our own ideas of how we view children with autism/AS. We must believe in their value ourselves before we can ever change their minds. These kids know when we're faking our compliments or arbitrarily handing out encouragement because the therapy book says we should give 5 positive comments to each correction. It involves empathy, walking in their shoes, rather than sympathy; no one wants to be felt sorry for. Each child is a gift, with his or her own special qualities. We just need to look for these special gifts, tune into the child with our hearts, and bring their essence out.

It Goes on to Others

Knowledge is power and no where is it more powerful than in helping people better understand what it's like to have autism/AS. Explain autism to everyone involved with the child. This will increase their empathy and provide opportunities for genuine praise and encouragement. Explain autism to the child, too, when he is able to understand his disability. Who are we really kidding, other than ourselves, when we pretend a child does not have the autism label or we try to camouflage it? Who are we hurting? It's the child with autism who is hurt in the long run.

Go to conferences, read books, research and share information that takes into consideration the many sensory, social, behavioral and communication challenges faced by the child at his/her functioning level. Armed with this understanding of how the disability affects the child, you and others can better find ways to help him or her fit in.

Remember to teach extended family, educators, other parents and professionals all you can to help integration and provide a deeper understanding when trying to teach particular skills. Be intuitive when advocating for children and persistent in your approach, though not abrasive. Having a positive mental attitude, especially when advocating, helps others want to cooperate with us. After all, who wants to deal with anyone cranky?

Bridge the interactions between peers and the child with autism. Visually and verbally interpret what you think they both are thinking and/or feeling based on your own experiences when you were their age, and your understanding of autism.

By teaching others about autism, more people will become aware of this invisible disability. When people understand empathetically, they will more naturally accept the child with autism, as he is. This is often effective in reducing or eliminating bullying from peers, too.

Learn to correct behaviors by sandwiching the correction in the middle of positive feedback. For example, "Sammy, you are doing a great job cleaning your room. If you pick up the clothes over there it would look even neater. Boy, you sure are a good listener."

Be Positive!

Children with autism often times have an incredible sense of humor. I have to stop myself from laughing so my own son doesn't feel like I'm laughing "at" him, causing him to feel inadequate. Sometimes I'll even say "I'm not laughing at you, Jonny, I'm laughing with you."

Stress the positives! Look for the good in every child, even if you don't see it at first. Pretending to be Pollyanna can only help, but make sure you're genuine in what you say. Stress the good effort your child is making, if he hasn't yet achieved a goal. Show your confidence in his abilities by telling him that you believe he can succeed. Saying things like this that may not be 100% true initially will contribute to your child's trust and belief in himself, raising his self-esteem and encouraging self-motivation to continue trying.

Model a mental attitude of "things are great". Express yourself in the positive, rather than the negative. Kids with autism/AS are masters at copying what others say, so make sure they're hearing things that are good for them to copy! When we say, "you are great!" to a child often enough, he, too, will believe it and feel valued for who he truly is.

Encourage children to share their thoughts and feelings; this is so important and often sheds new light on existing situations. My son, Jonathan was temporarily removed from the bus after cutting the seat. At first we thought he was acting out, so we had him write an apology to his bus driver. When we read his letter, we discovered that he was being bullied by another student on the bus and that it had been going on for quite some time. We intervened appropriately. The other child was reprimanded and Jonny was taught appropriate methods of expressing his anger in the future.

Balance the Physical with the Mental and Spiritual

Like most people, kids with autism feel better about themselves when they're balanced physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Since they are often very picky eaters and gravitate towards junk food, it's important to try supplementing their diet. Also, provide regular physical activity, when possible, to relieve stress and clear their mind. Set the stage for success by acknowledging their achievements - however small - and reminding them of their past accomplishments. Keep their life manageable and doable, refraining from overwhelming them with so many activities that they become too challenged physically and mentally to succeed at anything. Provide choices to them frequently so they understand they have a say in their own lives and even let them be in charge sometimes. These are all great ways to build self-esteem!

Don't overlook giving them opportunities to connect with their spiritual side through religious avenues or by communing with nature. This can help them feel purposeful, that their lives have meaning and connected with their source.

A strategy that helped raise Jonathan's self-esteem, especially in overcoming his victim thoughts and feelings, was spiritual affirmations. Using affirmations took some time, but we found that it brought calm and peace to Jonathan and our family.

Dr. Jerry Jampolsky, author of Love is Letting Go Of Fear and founder of the Center for Attitudinal Healing, offers many principles I find helpful in teaching us to love ourselves, thereby enhancing self-esteem, both in ourselves and then with others. Some of his principles include:

" The essence of our being is love
" Health is inner peace
" Live in the now
" Become love finders rather than fault finders
" Learn to love others and ourselves by forgiving rather than judging
" We can choose to be peaceful inside regardless of what's going on outside
" We're all students and teachers to each other.

Part of Jerry's message is that by focusing on life as a whole, rather than in fragments, we can see what is truly important. His concepts, when embraced, positively affect how a child with autism thinks and feels about him or herself. Anger, resentment, judgment and similar feelings are all forms of fear. Since love and fear cannot co-exist, letting go of fear allows love to be the dominant feeling.

Look for the Miracles Daily, there are miracles and good things happening all around us. Learn intimately the challenges that children with autism/AS face in their everyday lives. Be on their team by tuning into who they truly are - unique expressions of divine light. Empower them to be themselves, perfectly okay with who and how they are. Do this by loving them for who they are now, today, not who you think they should become, after ABA, or speech therapy or learning 'appropriate' social skills. Consider that children and adults with autism/AS are wonderful beings here to teach us empathy, compassion, understanding and most importantly, how to love. Most importantly, do whatever it takes to include them in life rather than merely integrate their presence.

In genuine star sapphires there are tiny imperfections and inclusions that reflect light perfectly to form a star in the stone. Each child with autism is like this precious gem, unique in every way. Without the tiny inclusions, there would be no star. It is our job as parents, educators and professionals to "bring out the stars" in all of our special children by shining the light on their natural beauty. In so doing, we see their different abilities rather than their disabilities. And, then they will see them, too.http://www.autismtoday.com/articles/buildingselfesteem.html Karen Simmons is a mother of six and author of Little Rainman, a story of autism told through her son's eyes. Her most recent releases are "Peace of Mind for Autism" a CD to help instill calm in people with autism/AS or associated with autism, and "Surrounded By Miracles", a story told by loved ones about Karen's near death experience.