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

Well, the thing you have to understand is that there are about six or seven different kinds and degrees of autism out there. Some do end up leaving the fellow (autism sufferers do tend to be overwhelmingly male, sorry) with an impaired intellect but not all.

The main thing you have to understand about autism though is not the intellect thing as that will vary from child to child as well as from autistic spectrum disorder to disorder....the main thing is what is known as "mind-blindedness".

Mind-blindedness basically is what happens when a person has no theory of mind, or no ability to imagine what other minds might be like or even that they exist. Almost all folks with some sort of autism find social interaction *exceedingly* difficult because of this because they literally cannot empathize with others on an intuitive level, nor learn intuitively what social behaviors are correct for a given person or a given situation.

Almost all autistics are convinced that either everyone thinks exactly like they do, or that they are the only ones around with a mind....depending on how smart they are of course. There are ways to work around it but they take time and specialized training because you have to literally teach on a rational level as much as possible the rules and intuitive guidelines that non-autists take for granted, that "silent language people use with their eyes" that many adults with autism say they are shut out of.

In addition to this, because their brain structure is so altered, folks with autism tend to have certain altered mentalities in common--

--many autists will posess, if not an outright idiot savantism which grants them genius-level prowess in one very narrow endeavor, at least they will have a "knack" or an obsession that they just plug into and know, intuitively, on a level that surpasses the understanding of most non-specialist adults. Even kids with Aspberger's syndrome, the form of autism that leaves intelligence utterly untouched, will have a touch of this: maybe one boy will know more about butterflies than anyone else in a 50-mile radius, or another will be able to do calculus in grade school, while a third might simply play really great guitar, utterly by ear.

Whether the main core intellect of an autist is impaired or not, any special intuitive intelligences should be cultivated and encouraged because they can and will, under the right training, evolve from mere rote memorization to something more improvisational, fluent and creative.

--most autists, even those with Aspberger's, will have problems with at least *one* hypersensitive sense, usually hearing or touch. Maybe you have to cut the tags off of shirts....or not run the vacuum when he's at home...maybe he can't bear to look at the fluttering wings of moths, because they move too fast....point is, many of these hyper-sensitivities can be outgrown or coped with in ways that allow the autist to fit in.

--All autistic people will have, to some degree, a way of thinking that is just plain wired differently from other people. Some adult autists have reported that they think rather like animals, being only in the moment, while others say their lives are a fairy tale, a world wherein everything is an allegory for their inner life....it can vary immensely from one child to another. In most cases, this is harmless and can be trained around so that it becomes nothing more than a rather strong eccentricity....but it can on rare occasion make these kids have *out of control* emotional states, usually negative: terror, despair, rage.

Having said all that: Even the most impaired autist usually has some hope, if not of living a fully adult life on their own, at least of living a life of dignity under minimal supervision. And folks whose intelligence is unimpaired can, with some professional intervention early and often, learn enough work arounds to live a life no different from your average adult...really.

Answer 2

my daughter has autism. autism is a condition you do not grow ut of. it is present from birth but sometimes you can recgnozize the signs till 1-2 yrs.old, some children sooner than this depending on the severity of autism. their are different levels of autism. yes some people can live normal lives and drive, and some unfortunaly have to have assistance as an adult, some are deoended on their parents/caregiver for the rest of their life, and their are also other resources for an adult with autism, group/residential asst. homes. my daughter is 5 now. she cannot speak or function like kids her age. their are some people that are mute throughout their lives and others depending on therapy they had and how well they do with therapy is the main key. hopefully i have helped you a little on this subject. good luck to you

Answer 3

I am not an authority, but my daughter worked with autistic boys. There is definatly a vareity of degrees when it comes to symptoms from the ability to function fairly in the world, to a child that bangs his head against the wall all day long and is unable to communicate anything.
Many of the autistic children are in diapers even as young adults. Too much noise or external stimulation can be an overload for an autistic child.
Some autistic children will have a bit of great intelligence on one subject. My daughter found that she was able to use sign language to communicate with him. It is a difficult syndrom. I don't believe a child can improve, but they can be encouraged to be the best that he or she can be.

Answer 4

Hello,, By seeeing at your quistion about Autism,, I can understand that u are expecting or u might be expecting a child,, and u wanted to know about the details and all the things aboutthe future kid,, but why u give chance to think all the negative stufff, just be bold and u will have great child with out any abnormalities,,
Good Luck

Answer 5

I am not a professional, but someone with some firsthand knowldege, and there are different types of autism that you can grow out of.

Answer 6

http://www.daylon.com/autism/

there's a paper I wrote on the topic. It may or may not answer your question.

Answer 7

try visiting this site. it will answer your questions.

http://www.autism-society.org/