Anyone willing to answer some questions about autism??

Question

I wanted to know...Do you grown out of Autism
What are the different levels...and can a person with Autism drive and function like a normal person?? What are some basics in thier daily lives?

Answer 1

Autism is a lifelong neurological condition that people do not grow out of, although many people with autism learn to function well in society as they grow older. There are all different "levels" of autism; it is known as a spectrum. Many people with autism can drive, have successful careers, get married, have families, etc., although some will not.

Here is some additional information and information about teaching strategies, although each child is different and may not have all of these needs.

- Recognize your child's strengths and interests and use these as opportunities for education (for example, if your child is very interested in Star Wars, you can teach math problems about Star Wars, make cleaning up into a game about Jedi powers, etc.) You never know when an interest may turn into a possible career option for the future (I recently read a book written by a man with Asperger's who made his childhood interest in "The Wizard of Oz" into seveal job opportunities! ["Demystifying the Autistic Experience" by William Stillman"]) (Source #1)

- People with autism/Asperger's are often visual learners and learn well with pictures, charts, step-by-step written instructions, etc. (Source #1)

- Consider reading books by authors with Autism/Asperger's (while these are often geared towards adults, I think they offer valuable information) Authors to consider include Temple Grandin, Edgar R. Schneider, Jerry Newport, Stephen Shore, and William Stillman (Source #1)

- To motivate a child to use language, you could, for example if you know he wants juice, don't just give it to him becuase you know that's what he wants. Have him say, "juice," or if he is not ready for that yet, just the first sound of the word before you give him any juice. Gradually, very slowly, require him to say additional words such as, "want juice," then "want juice please," then "I want juice please, etc." before you give him the juice. Start with him requesting with one word for most of the things he wants (and keep this up for a long while), before starting to require sentences for any items. (Source #1)

- "Many children with autism are good at drawing, art and computer programming. These talent areas should be encouraged. I think there needs to be much more emphasis on developing the child's talents. Talents can be turned into skills that can be used for future employment." (Source #2)

- "Teaching generalization is often a problem for children with autism. To teach a child to generalize the principle of not running across the street, it must be taught in many different locations. If he is taught in only one location, the child will think that the rule only applies to one specific place." (Source #2)

- "I interpret language literally. It's very confusing for me when you say, 'Hold your horses, cowboy!' when what you really mean is 'Please stop running.'" (Source #3)

- "A visual schedule is extremely helpful as I move through my day. Like your day planner, it relieves me of the stress of having to remember what comes next, makes for smooth transitions between activities, and helps me manage my time and meet your expectations." (Source #3)

- "Try to identify what triggers my meltdowns. This is termed 'the antecedent.' Meltdowns, blowups, tantrums or whatever you want to call them are even more horrid for me than they are for you. They occur because one or more of my senses has gone into overload. If you can figure out why my meltdowns occur, they can be prevented." (Source #3)

- "Work to view my autism as a different ability rather than a disability. Look past what you may see as limitations and see the gifts autism has given me. I may not be good at eye contact or conversation, but have you noticed I don't lie, cheat at games, tattle on my classmates, or pass judgment on other people? ... I probably won't be the next Michael Jordan, but with my attention to fine detail and capacity for extraordinary focus, I might be the next Einstein. Or Mozart. Or Van Gogh. They had autism too." (Source #3)

Answer 2

you can't grow out of autism and yes a person with a low level autusm can lead a normal life children and adults with autism show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities but depending on the level. with some people you may not have a single clue that they have autism only that they may have a learning disability but also be really good at something else. like a child may get an intrest in say basketball cards and the child will be able to name every single basketballers stats. but then they may find other things extreamly diffiucult. go to this site to read more info on it.

Answer 3

Autism is not out grown, there are many levels of Autism. Here is a good web site to really learn more, copehttp://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer

Answer 4

I have a brother that is severly autistic. It is never outgrown. He still lives with his parents. Once they die, he will have to go to a group home. He has the vocabulary and understanding of a 14 month old. He cannot understand a simple sentence and he says less than 20 words. Most people with Down's syndrome are better off. He cannot understand a simple concept such as if you blow out a candle, it will be dark. We could relight it 100 times and he still cannot anticipate that it will be dark if he blows it out.

Answer 5

Well I am not an expert or a doctor, but I have a cousin that has autism. He is in his about 24. When he was a baby his parents had to turn the play pin upside down just to keep him in it long enough for them to use the bathroom or fix a cup of coffee. He finished high school when he was 21. His name is Bobby by the way. I don't know much of what he was like when he was little because I am younger. From what I understand he could be tough to handle at times. As he got older though he seems to calm down a whole bunch. Bobby devolped some unique skills through his teenage years. He was never fat, but very big. He is very tall and thick. When my sister and I were little he would keep us entertained. He would walk around the house on all fours and let us ride on his back at the same time. He would pick us up and twirl us around. Bobby was able to understand that I had a liver diease and he had to be extra careful with me makeing sure I did not get hurt or fall. He was able to understand that and nobody worried about it. He was great with kids so he wanted to do things with other childern. Bobby took up the hobby of making balloon animals and was a pro at it. Everytime we would go to my grandmothers he was always making animals for us to play with. He did birthday partys and fundrasiers all over town. When he got into high school he became active in the special olympics. He loved it. Over time he got better and better and bacame very driven and set goals for himself. He won the title for lifting weights and bench pressing at state severl times over the past years. When my other cousin Jessica (his cousin as well) died he could not understand. It was a sudden death that was unexplained. She was only 16. She got up one moring and was sick and the next day she died. At her furnel Bobby sat there staring at her saying "Thats not Jessica" "That can't be Jessica she's healthy" it was so sad. He went through the whole thing saying it over and over. However when my grandpa died it was expected and he was sick long before hand. Him and Bobby were very close. When Bobby was told he understood. I guess he had more time to process the info. Bobby does not like any kinda violence at all and gets very upset when someone says something bad about his family (espically my grandmother). I don't mean to give my whole family history or anything but I think its intersting that someone who people think of as being handicap actually has more love, kindness, tolerance and drive than most the people I know. I don't think he will ever be able to live on his own or drive a car, but that does not mean he won't live life to the fullest. He was actually in a movie not long ago. Its called The Ringer. Jonny Knocksville stars in the movie. Its about rigging the special olympics. Its a great movie to watch if you are intersted on the subject of autism. They film it in Austin, TX and Bobby went and hugh out with Jonny on set everyday almost. They spent a whole day filming him lifting weights, but it never made it in the movie. He is in the background a lot though. I stoped counting all the times i saw him through out the movie. The bottom line is that some autistic people vary from others, but most are just as capable as most people.

Answer 6

yes