what is the best way to deal with autism?

Answer 1

Find out about it as much as you can. Find an autism support group to find other people who have a child or family member with autism.

If neccesary, email me because i help people who have children with Asperger's Syndrome learn how to cope with it.
Autism is just like Asperger's only Asperger"s is at the very last point on the spectrum line. It is the highest functioning form of autism.

Answer 2

i think a bit more info/more specific question is needed!
although i would say that the best way i would deal with autism is that to remember they are still human beings no different to everyone else they have good/bad days and they also have things they are good/not so good at. people with autism sometimes extra help understanding the world around them, but love them as you would anyone else.because of personal experience (my son) i know that he has made me the person i am today and i wouldn't have him any other way

Answer 3

From my own family experience I would say...get in touch and involved with as many support groups as you can & stay informed of ongoing developments going on all around the world to help us all better understand the causes and effect of Autism.....keep an open mind and a sense of humour!

Answer 4

Autism is a developmental disability which affects
behavior, communication and social interaction.
Children with autism often appear to develop
relatively normally until the age of 24-30 months,
then parents begin to notice delays. Mild forms of
autism may resemble a learning disability, while
more severe forms can involve substantial impairment
of communication, learning and social abilities,
abnormal responses to sensory stimuli, and selfinjurious
behaviors. An individual with autism may
have peak skills --the ability to do one or more
things exceptionally well. These skills manifest in
areas such as mathematical computation, music, art
or memory of data.
Statistics show that out of every 10,000 children
born, fifteen will be affected with autism. Boys are
four times more likely to be affected than girls.
COMMON CHARACTERISTICS
OF AUTISM
􀂜 difficulty relating to people, objects and
events;
􀂜 prefers to spend time alone, rather than with
others;
􀂜 avoids eye contact;
􀂜 unusual attachment to, and use of, inanimate
objects like toys, strings, and spinning
objects;
􀂜 need for a rigid, highly structured routine;
􀂜 repetitive movement, such as hand flapping,
head banging, spinning and rocking -- which
may continue even when they cause selfinjury;
􀂜 unusual responses to physical sensations -
sight, hearing, touch, pain, smell, and taste
may be affected to a lesser or greater degree;
􀂜 communication problems - may exhibit unusual
speech patterns, use words without
understanding their meaning, communicate
with gestures rather than words;
􀂜 very high or low activity levels;
􀂜 impulsive behaviors - no real sense of danger;
􀂜 frequent crying and tantrums for no apparent
reason;
􀂜 may perseverate on a single item, idea or
person.
There are great differences among persons with
autism. Contrary to popular understanding, many
children and adults with autism make eye contact,
show affection, smile, laugh and show a variety of
other emotions, but in varying degrees. With appropriate
intervention, many of the behaviors associated
with autism can be positively changed, and
some may disappear over time. Some adults with
autism live and work independently in the community,
while others depend on the support of family
and professionals. People with autism live normal
life spans.
WHAT CAUSES AUTISM
AND HOW IS IT DIAGNOSED?
Although no one specific cause for autism is
known, current research links autism to biological or
neurological differences in the brain. In some families
there appears to be a pattern of autism or related
disabilities, which suggests there may be a genetic
basis to the disorder, although at this time no
genetic indicator has been directly linked to autism.
Some older theories about the cause of autism
have been proven false. Autism is not a mental illness.
Children with autism are not unruly kids who
choose not to behave. Autism is not caused by bad
parenting. No known psychological factors in the
development of the child have been shown to cause
autism.
There are no medical tests (i.e. blood tests, chromosome
studies, etc.) for diagnosing autism. A diagnosis
must be based on observations of the child's
communication, behavior and developmental levels.
However, because many of the behaviors associated
with autism occur in other disorders, various medical
tests are necessary to rule out other causes.
Autism is referred to as a spectrum disorder, meaning
that the symptoms and characteristics can present
themselves in a wide variety (or spectrum) of
combinations. Because the characteristics of the
disorder vary so much, it is important that the diagnosis
be made by a diagnostician or a multidisciplinary
team with experience in autism. A brief observation
in a single setting cannot provide a true picture
of a child's abilities and behaviors. A multidisciplinary
team may include a neurologist, psychologist,
developmental pediatrician, speech/language
therapist, learning consultant or other professionals
knowledgeable about autism. An accurate diagnosis
can provide the basis for building an appropriate and
effective educational and treatment program.
EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES
FOR OPTIMAL LEARNING
Because of the variety and combination of behaviors
which may be present in a child with autism, no
single approach is effective with all individuals who
have the disorder. Various types of therapies may be
used, including behavior modification, speech/
language therapy, sensory integration training, vision
therapy, music therapy, auditory training, medication,
dietary intervention and others.
Parents and professionals have learned that children
with autism respond best to a highly structured,
individualized program. The program, which
should be structured to fit the child, will be coordinated
by a team of specialists including a special
education teacher, speech/language pathologist,
clinical psychologist and child development specialist.
The parents are also an essential part of this
team.
An individualized program for a child with autism
may include:
􀀢 stopping inappropriate behaviors that prevent
the child from relating to and communicating
with others;
􀀢 increasing attention to purposeful activity and
developing perceptual skills needed for educational
tasks;
􀀢 teaching the child self care skills;
􀀢 stimulating the quantity and quality of language
to increase communication skills;
􀀢 teaching social skills and providing opportunities
for the child to socialize appropriately with others;
􀀢 beginning training in vocational skills and community
living skills at the earliest possible age;
􀀢 providing training for parents to enable them to
provide continuity for the child at home and in
the community.
TIPS
Temple Grandin, Ph.D., an adult with autism
who is an Assistant Professor at Colorado State
University, and has written books on how it feels
to have autism, provided a fact sheet for the Center
for the Study of Autism. Some of those ideas
are excerpted below:
1) Many people with autism are visual thinkers.
Their thoughts are like videotapes running in
their minds. Pictures are their first language,
and words are their second language. To teach
words, demonstrate them in ways the child can
make into pictures.
2) Avoid long strings of verbal instructions. If the
child can read, write the instructions down.
People with autism may not remember sequences
or groups of numbers (like phone numbers)
because they can't make a picture of them
in their mind.
3) Some children with autism are good at drawing,
art or computer programming. These talents
should be encouraged.

Answer 5

autism is different for everybody we have a three year old son who is autistic and has adhd pecs is a good way of communicating if if the individual will take to it or sign language behavoural aspects are somthing you have to figure out for your self im afraid its really hard but there is lots of support available these days every one is different and needs to be treated as such talk to a healthcare proffesianal as if they will put u in touch with some one who really knows there beans good luck

Answer 6

With high functioning Autism try getting help with social skill training. Try to socialize as much as you can.

I have Aspberger Syndrom myself. So you can talk to me if you would like. I have figured out the majority of social skills through social intervention and the only skill I have't aquired yet is dating. Everything else I have figured out socially.

Answer 7

The best way to help your child is to provide him or her with the best level of support.

This means do not think of it as a label and that nothing can be done. But rather think of it in the way that there are areas that he or she needs help in eg. speech, social interaction, etc. Then look for therapies to help address each of these areas eg. look for good speech therapist. If our normal kids are weak in Maths, we send them for maths tuition. If our normal kids need to learn how to swim because he does not naturally float in water, we send them for swimming classes. The approach is the same.

Surround your child with plenty of love. Show through hugs and kisses and being there for your child to guide him or her through.

Find alternative therapies such as applied kinesiology, brain gym, homeopathy and nutritional supplements. I started out as a sceptic but am now a believer that they do work.

Answer 8

Try to give yourself social experience, and talk to people. Just because you have a mental handicap does not mean you are a freak or anything it just means that you have to work harder then everyone else to get through life.

Answer 9

Start with this web site http://www.autism.org/ I think the website for The View also has some info for you.

Answer 10

Have you heard of the SonRise Program?
it has been very successful for treating autism;
please see link for further info.