Introduction
Autism is the disorder of brain development. This very disorder has been characterized by varying degrees and includes interaction difficulties, difficulty in terms of verbal and non-verbal communication, etc. The roots of Autism are being found in the early development of the brain. However, the symptoms relating to Autism tend to emerge from the age between 2 to 3 years. The US CDC (Centre for Disease and Control) exemplified that around 1 in 68 American children is Autistic. Some of the studies have also shown that Autism is more common in boys as compared to girls. From the US perspective, it can be pinpointed that 1 out of 42 boys and 1 out of 189 girls are being diagnosed with Autism. In the recent years, Autism has increased from 10% to 17%. The ratio of Autism is likely to increase. However, nothing can be explained relating to this but yes, two common factors are environmental influences as well as improved diagnosis (Autism Speaks Inc, 1).
The focus of current research paper is on discussing autistic children should have access to proper protocols of learning at home as well as schools, and yes this is true because both schools and home plays an integral part in a child’s development and these both things go hand in hand. A child not only learns from his school, but his/her home is the primary place where learning took place. The current paper discusses what causes Autism and the role of school as well as a home in curing this disease.
Discussion
In the view of Rogers, Autism relates to the lifelong development disability which imposes influence on how a person communicates and relates to others. It is considered as the spectrum condition which elucidates that it affects people in different ways. Similarly, it can be enlightened that anyone with Autism tends to share three main areas of difficulty. The first area includes social interaction. According to Barrows (5), children with Autism are unable to understand their own feelings as well as that of others. They find their frustration and stress management very difficult. Often at school, they may find hard to understand their social rules. Another area of difficulty is social communication; Autistic children cannot understand verbal and non-verbal language. Facial expressions, gestures, etc. are very difficult to be identified by Autistic children. On the contrary, the last area is of social imagination which the ability of the children to image situations outside their routine. They cannot act appropriately in the unstructured time like lunch breaks, moving between the lessons, etc. They even can’t predict the intentions of other people.
In addition to this, there is no particular cause of Autism same as there is no one type of Autism. Since last 5 years, scientists have made an attempt to identify some of the causes relating to Autism. They were of the view that rare changes in genes and/or mutations can be found linked to Autism. In most of the Autism cases, it has been diagnosed that it occurred from the combination of environmental factors and autism risk genes that affect early brain development. Hanbury explained that every single patient and his personality vary (4). Behind every person, there lies a psychological problem which needs to be dealt for assuring stability. Converse to this, some other causes of Autism includes neurological or metabolic factors; certain infections which occur during birth are some of the causes of Autism. Studies conducted on Autism revealed abnormalities in several parts of the brain which depicts that Autism occurs at very early development of the brain and during the development of the child in the mother’s womb. Hope-West stated that abnormalities in the brain become the cause of the Autistic behaviour. There are even subtypes of Autism, which includes Autistic disorder, Rett Syndrome, Pervasive developmental disorder, Asperger's syndrome and Childhood disintegrative disorder.
Currently, there found no specific cure of Autism. However, treatment may permit relative child development and leads to the reduction in the child behaviour. A highly structured routine and the environment are favourable for Autistic children. Some of the treatments that can be contemplated for Autism are discussed below:
Behavioural modification: Via this, the likelihood of problematic behaviour can be decreased, and positive behaviour is persuaded. This is one of the common strategies.
Social skills Therapies: Language and social pragmatic are catered by this therapy for considering verbal functionality with Autism.
Speech, Physical or occupational Therapy: These types of therapies are adopted to address a child’s functional ability
On the contrary, it can be deliberated that many children are being diagnosed with Autism, for this, the schools are being challenged to offer appropriate levels of education. There are various methods and therapies are available which include ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis), PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System), etc. similarly, parents have even themselves created some of methods and program to deal with their autistic children. Parents have observed that schools are not offering appropriate levels of educations and therapies which help their child in coping up with this disorder (Slaughter, 1). Parents have become frustrated with the school system and their policies; hence, they have been exploring homeschooling. Homeschooling would be a growing concern as parents are not satisfied with the school services regarding autism. Children with Autism are placed in the special school setting. Per general education classroom, there are 20 to 30 children that can be considered as over-stimulating for the child with Autism. Moreover, general school teachers are less trained as how to deal with a child having Autism. Parents are only concerned about the negative behaviour which their child can be exposed to; conversely, parents even worry that their child can be a target of bullying which is one of the growing concerns in the schools. In addition to this, it can be said that parents are more concerned regarding the educational programming of their children that is why they are opting for homeschooling as well as special needs schools so that their children can cope from Autism as early as possible. On the contrary, as stated by Higgins et al. (125), there are various benefits linked with homeschooling which includes the creation of the environment that is sometimes difficult to be contemplated at schools, more positive socialization, flexible scheduling can be arranged at home rather than school. It is very essential to develop the child’s interest in their school work as well as studies which can only be done at home. Thus, this indicates that homeschooling and appropriate school setting both are essential for a child with Autism. The various setting is being created at the schools as well because these children cannot directly learn from the books, but various games and other relevant tactics are being conducted to make them learn how to speak, act and respond. That cannot be done at home as children can learn effectively among their friends or children with the same mentality.
As explained, the decision of homeschooling is the personal and lifestyle choice, however, not an educational choice. Parents are considered as the partners in the educational process of their children and hence, a close collaboration is required among the parents and schools to work collectively in coping children with autism. Conversely, as illustrated by Makin, close collaboration with the school from the end of parents is essential so that the child can be dealt with a proper understanding of the disease (57). It is crucial for the schools to consider the fact that parents require both on-going support as well as initial training for troubleshooting. Schools are considered as one of the formal support for the families to deal to deal with autistic children. Lack of financial resources and access to information would be the significant barriers for families seeking needed support (Slaughter, 2).
On the other hand, as mentioned by Higgins et al. (125), with the right support from the school, children can enhance and boost their self-esteem, social skills and health of the children with Autism. With proper support from family and school, the autistic children can achieve their full potential. WebMD in negation to this explained that a relationship between a parent and teacher cannot be translated or put into practice, particularly when it comes to an autistic child. Some of the studies suggested that the teachers are not fully trained to deal with autistic children or may find difficulty in impairing it with parents.
However, in the era where autistic children are growing, the use of schools and home schools should be encouraged as they have right to access full educational levels at both the places. Parents may face certain issues in the form of lack of resources in terms of financials, time constraint, etc., but they should not compromise on their child’s development and should help in coping with Autism.
Conclusion
Bibliography
Autism Speaks Inc., "What Is Autism?". Autism Speaks. N.p., 2016. Web. 1 Apr. 2016. Experts often get confused with autism and ASD that is Autism spectrum disorder. However, these both are considered a complex group of disorders leading to the brain development. Autistic children find difficulty in the verbal and non-verbal communication, social interaction and imagination.
Ballaro, Beverly, and Ann Griswold. "Autism: An Overview." Points Of View: Autism (2016): 1. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 1 Apr. 2016.Autistic people usually display behaviors that are quirky and repetitive.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have described autism as a national public health crisis. Some people theorize that autism is due to prenatal care, and it is four times more likely to occur in boys. Autism manifestation can vary from mild to severe.
Barrows, Kate. Autism In Childhood And Autistic Features In Adults : A Psychoanalytic Perspective. London: Karnac Books, 2008. eBook Community College Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 1 Apr. 2016. Adult patients are not considered as impacted by autism as children are; symptoms in autistic adults are found in everyone. Each patient’s conditions vary with their personality. Each stage is treated differently, usually psychoanalytically and psychopathologically. (65)
Hanbury, Martin. Positive Behaviour Strategies To Support Children And Young People With Autism. London: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2007. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 13 Mar. 2016. Autism impacts the development in three areas such as social understanding, social communication, and imagination. Behavior management suggests that someone controls an autistic subject through externally imposed factors. Autistic strategies can be implemented to build on an autistic person’s ability to learn.
Higgins, Daryl J., Susan R. Bailey, and Julian C. Pearce. "Factors associated with functioning style and coping strategies of families with a child with an autism spectrum disorder." Autism 9.2 (2005): 125-137. Autism can be dealt by various therapies and strategies from the end of both parents and schools. Family plays an integral part in the upbringing of the child, and early diagnosis of autism makes them more concerned about their child and hence, enables them to adopt suitable measures by sending their children to special needs school as well as educating them at home.
Hope-West, Allison. Securing Appropriate Education Provision For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders : A Guide For Parents And Professionals. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2011. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 1 Apr. 2016. Autism is not just a random flaw in DNA; it is traced back through genetics. Autism is diagnosed by the observation of the child, medical history, and interview with the parent. There are two main systems used for diagnosis: the ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases) and the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. (39)
Makin, Simon. "What Really Causes Autism." Scientific American Mind 26.6 (2015): 57. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 1 Apr. 2016. Autism is primarily a result of genetics, but is gradually becoming more researched and understood. Each case of autism impacts DNA differently, from mutating one gene to a full sequence. The gene occurs spontaneously in the egg or sperm, not necessarily inherited from the parent.
Rogers, Dennis. "Rising Prevalence Of Autism What Are The Implications?." Autism Advocate 61.3 (2011): 36. MasterFILE Complete. Web. 1 Apr. 2016. Autism is increasing day by day, and hence is one the disease which occurs when a child is in the mother’s womb. Many studies have shown that there is no one type of autism . Similarly, they are different strategies to deal with it. School and home play an integral part in coping the child having children and make them learn, act and respond in a certain manner.
Slaughter, Virginia, Ph.D. "Autism." Magill’S Medical Guide (Online Edition) (2015): Research Starters. Web. 1 Apr. 2016. The government lacks in providing adequate funding for vital services for people with autism. In order for an autistic human being to live a life of dignity, financial assistance is inevitably a must.Adults living with autism have been struggling to pay for health services, health services that were once funded by the government.
WebMD, "Autism Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, And More." WebMD. N.p., 2016. Web. 1 Apr. 2016. Autism is such disorder that is being found in children and every other child, 1 in 68 is autistic. As per the CDC, more children are declared having autism. It is a disease that took place at very early stage of brain development. There are no such laboratory tests for autism . However, medical tests are done to determine if there is any metabolic disorder.
