As the mother of two young children with Autism, I have encountered a few comments or negative reactions toward my children’s behavior due to the lack of information. This is the reason why I have decided to write this article as I soon realized that when people are made aware of their situation, they become patient and understanding.
Autism is misunderstood
Through the years, I discovered that although most people have heard the term “Autism” or “Autism Spectrum disorder” they do not really understand what it is and what it implies exactly. Often, people even refer to my son as being a “little rain man” like in the movie with Dustin Hoffman. No offence to the author of the story or the producer of the movie, but the type of Autism that was portrayed in the movie was mostly referring to the Autism savant type which includes less than 10% of people that have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum disorder which is also known as ASD.
Another misconception about Autism is the fact that because of an odd behavior that the person is automatically judged as also being mentally challenged which would be a mistake. You see, my son has an interest in any type of technology and despite the fact that he is only five years old, he could show a few people some useful tips. And I say “show” as he is also non-verbal and would you know it, he is also on the moderate to severe part of the spectrum. As for my daughter who is on the lighter end of the spectrum, can easily mistake anyone and pass as a child that is not on the spectrum.
Autism…a different world
For years, only the most severe cases of Autism were diagnosed,as now even when someone is on the lighter end of the spectrum, the diagnosis is made and helpful resources are made available.
In movies, you see a lot of rocking, a refusal to acknowledge the world, an aggressive way to react to others, etc. In fact, these characteristics may not be present in someone with ASD at all or he may have some of these symptoms. Autism Spectrum Disorder includes the word “Spectrum” in it for a good reason. You see, there are as many characteristics and symptoms are there are individuals affected by it.
In several cases, people were called eccentric or odd for the way they either reacted to the world or interacted with people around them. In fact, some were even called “hermits” for their preference for loneliness while in fact they were living with Autism. But you see, not being on the severe end of the spectrum, they were not diagnosed.
I have noticed that most people see autistic persons as being in a different world when in fact, they only see the world in a different way.
What is Autism?
Autism is related to the way the brain works and processes information. You see, the connections and the way the information is analyzed is different than most people. That is why they see, feel, react and interact differently to the world.
In fact, several persons with Autism are either hyposensitive or hypersensitive to their environment through the information sent to the brain by their senses. Hyposensitive means that their senses are unable to perceive all the information which will change the analyzed results. For example, a red element on the stove may be red and hot but the person may not react the same way. Hypersensitive means that the senses will pick up extra information to which the brain will send messages to other body parts which may display different reactions.
My son is hypersensitive to clothing, certain food and textures which explains why he will even wear shorts indoors in the winter, has a limited menu and will react negatively to using liquid glue while participating to an activity of arts and crafts. My daughter will react negatively to the size and texture of certain food and refuses to wear socks indoors unless wearing shoes.
One of the main symptoms or characteristic that Autism Spectrum disorder is well-known for is the difficulty in interacting with others. For my son, being non-verbal is quite an obstacle but he also needs to learn how to play appropriately and trust children. My daughter loves people but gets confused with language at times and does not know how to start and keep up a conversation. She will simply introduce herself and do some parallel play, imitating the other children, convinced that she is playing with them when she is actually playing beside them.
Routine is the key word!
Another source of frustration for a person with Autism is the interruption or the lack of respect for the routine that rules their life. You see, a routine may be boring for most people but for them, it is a safe and comfortable way to deal with everyday life. It is a bit like a security blanket.
Actually, if you see a child that seems to have a temper tantrum you may keep in mind that in fact this child may live with ASD. In most cases the reason for it is related to the disruption of his routine.
Another cause of frustration may be a hypersensitive reaction to his environment. Imagine if you would wear the itchiest sweater possible, wouldn’t you become irritable after a while?
So, before letting your judgment being clouded by your frustration while a witnessing a child’s “temper tantrum”, don’t forget that it may not be related to “just being a spoiled brat” as some people would say or that the parents are “too soft and should show whose the boss”, remember that Autism and its implications might be affecting this child and his family’s life. After all, what if you would later be affected by this disorder through the birth of a child, a new friend, a colleague or a relative? Autism Spectrum disorder affects a lot of people, please show your awareness and your caring nature towards Autism through your daily life.
As the mother of two young children with Autism, I have dealt with misconceptions and negative reactions from people. The big culprit was simply the fact that most people don’t know much about Autism besides the name of this disorder.
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