Writers’ Paradise

Most of us like to know what our day will be like when we wake up each morning. This is the same for an autistic child. They like order in their life so they feel secure. They like to keep things in the same place and they like to follow set routines. Sudden changes to a routine, such as a change of teacher if one is off sick, may easily upset them. It is hard for any of us to settle down, for example to school work, if we are anxious.
This aspect of autism is easy to manage. Parents or teachers can help the child make a timetable showing what will happen each day and what they will need for each activity, like a PE kit for a games lesson at school. Then if there are any changes to the timetable, they can be explained well in advance and written on the timetable o children have time to get used to the change. If a change happens suddenly, most children can accept it if people take time to explain the reasons for it.

Other ways of helping:
If you get cross or frustrated when something goes wrong, is there something special you do to help you relax? Many autistic children have times when they get very cross or angry. When this happen, they may use different tactics to help them calm down. Some like to go off somewhere quiet on their own. Other may listen to music or special soothing sounds that they know will help them wind down.
A lot of the time, coping with autism is really about finding different ways of doing things. For instance, some young people with autism have difficulty writing neatly and presenting their work well. This can be very frustrating, especially if you know it i really a good piece of work. Lots of people with autism do their homework on a computer. Typing is often much easier and the end result is much more satisfying.

It is very difficult to be sure that a person has autism. It is a tricky condition to diagnose because there is no one thing that all children with autism have. It is not like having chicken pox, where all children have itchy spots. Instead, doctors have to study what a child has been like from birth onwards. It is important that autism is recognized as early in a person’s life as possible. Then with proper support, they can learn how to deal with any difficulties they have and to make the most of the thing they are good at. How ever, sometimes people don’t like the idea of being told that there is something different about their kid. They may be afraid that other people will call names because of their child’s condition. However it is important to find out what is wrong so something can be done to help.

Imagine that someone can’t see very well, and they do not want to go to the optician because they don’t want to wear glasses. Without glasses they will miss out on so much and life will be much more difficult for them. This i the same with autism. Once autism is diagnosed, children and their families can be given the support they need to make the most of their lives.

Doctors and health visitors may spot early symptoms of autism when parents bring their children in for routine health checks. The doctors watch how the autistic child react in lots of different situations. Early signs of autism that they look for include the child not responding when their name is called, not looking at people when they talk to them, and copying other people. Doctors may also do tests to rule out other conditions that may make the child behave in similar ways.

Facts about Autism:

• Autism affects more boys than girls.
• Around one in every 100 people is affected by some form of autism.
• Usually, autism is something babies are born with.

Autism is a condition that affect the way a person communicates and gets on with other people. An autistic child may find it hard to say what he means or they may find it difficult to understand what others mean. Children with autism are just as clever as other people,it i just that they see the world slightly differently. Every autistic child is different and autism affects their life in different ways. Most find it hard to make sense of the world around them in three main ways:

• Communication: They may have some kind of difficulty speaking or listening to other people.
• Understanding: They may have some kind of difficulty understanding other people or their feelings.
• Imagination: They find it hard to think of different ways of doing things, or to imagine how other people feel.

Doctors may use the term autistic spectrum disorder rather than autism. Spectrum simply means range and they use this word to explain that there us a range of different types and levels of autism. Some children have a lot of difficulties. They may speak very little and stay in their own world most of the time. Most autistic children go to ordinary school and talk and learn like others their age. They may simply have trouble understanding people at times, or prefer to be alone rather than involved in other people’s games. Otherwise they lead full and active lives, just like everyone else.

Asperger syndrome: Asperger syndrome i a kind of autism. Children with Asperger syndrome usually have fewer problems with speaking and learning than other autistic children. They may, however, have difficulties understanding what people mean or how they feel. Foe example, when most people talk to someone, they can tell how that person feels as much as by the look on their face as by what they say. People with Asperger syndrome may find it hard to spot and understand signals like these.

Symptoms of Autism:

These are some of the things autistic children do. Not all children with autism do all these things, many stop doing these things as they get older. Children with autism may:

• copy words exactly
• talk about one topic all the time
• behave oddly at times
• handle or spin objects
• not play with other children
• like things to be the same
• seem not to care sometimes
• join in only if an adult insists and helps
• talk but doesn’t listen
• not always look at people when talking
• laugh and giggle at unsuitable time
• BUT may do some things very well and quickly.