Kittinger1

TheSpectrum BrittanyKittinger Shore1 WesternHighSchool12th 10March2014

Kittinger2

TheSpectrum 1in88AmericanchildrenareontheautismspectrumASDaffectsover2millionindividualsin theU.S.andtensofmillionsworldwide(Arledge1a).Governmentautismstatisticssuggestthat prevalencerateshaveincreased10to17percentannuallyinrecentyears(Arledge1b).Withtherecent increaseinchildrendiagnosedwithAutismandAsperger,familiesandteachersareneedingmore educationandguidanceonhowtohelpthesechildrensucceedmorethanever.Whilethereisstillneed forresourcesforfamilies,afewarealreadyoutthere:theAutismTreatmentNetwork,FinancialIssues, SCERTS,PersonalInterview,ABAandNaturalisticTeachingStrategies. ThroughtheAutismTreatmentNetwork,familiescanreceivesupportandguidanceonhowto dealwithanewlyautisticchildoranalreadyautisticone.Thereare17locationsoftheATNintheU.S. TheNationwideChildrens,supportsinparttheATNandprovidescomprehensive,coordinated, multidisciplinary,caretochildrenwithautismandtheirfamilies(Ratliff3a).EachfamilyisgivenaCare Coordinatorwhosupportsandhelpsinassessingrecommendationsanddesigningnextstepsfor childrendiagnosedwithautism.AlongwiththeCareCoordinationteam,theinterdisciplinaryteamis madeupofavarietyofprofessionalsfromdifferentbackgroundswhoworkcollaborativelywiththe familyandtheirchild.WhileattheTreatmentfacility,DevelopmentalPediatrician,Psychologist, Neurologist,SocialWorkerandSpeechandLanguagePathologistwillallworktogetherduringa childsassessmentsimultaneouslytoprovideacomprehensivediagnosticviewofthechild(Ratliff3b) Whilealltechniquesworkforthefamilies,theinterdisciplinaryapproachispreferredbecauseitreduce thenumberofappointmentschildrenneedtoattendwhilemaximizingtheexpertisebyinfusingtheteam withmanyprofessionalviewsofthechild(Ratliff3c).Thegreatcareandknowledgegivenatthe treatmentcenterisveryhelpfulbutallthingscomeataprice.

Kittinger3

ThefinancialaspectofAutismcanbeveryhardandstressfulforfamiliesofautisticchildren,

especiallynewlydiagnosedones.PovertyamongstfamilieswithanautisticchildisgrowingintheUnited Statesatarapidrate,andtherearenotenoughgovernmentfundedprogramsavailabletoassistthem (ASDF2a).Healthinsuranceplansexcludetreatmentforautismoroutrightrefusetocover behavioralrelatedtherapybecauseitisconsiderededucationalratherthanmedical(ASDF2b).Even withallthesesetbacksforfamiliestheprivatelyfundedorganizations,suchasASDF(AutismSpectrum DisorderFoundation),offersfinancialassistancetofamiliesinneed.OrganizationslikeASDFoffer scholarshipsandotherfinancialaidtohelppayforsocialskillscamps,holidaypurchases,swimming lessoncosts,iPadpurchases,andothertherapeutictreatmentsnotcoveredbyhealthinsurance(ASDF 2c).Withtheseorganizationsinplace,familiescanfeelasenseofreliefandlessstressknowingthereis helpandsponsorswillingtohelp. Whenitcomestohelpingafamilyathomedealandcareforanautisticchild,SCERTS,isa veryhelpfulsetoftipstohelpthechildandhis/herfamilyfindsuccess.SCERTSstandsforSocial Communication,EmotionalRegulationandTransactionalSupport.Thisprogramcombinesseveral AutismSpectrumDisordertreatmentstrategies.Ratherthantryingtoimposeonachild,aperceptionof whatheshouldbedoing,theSCERTSmethodidentifiesandbuildsonachild'sstrengths,thencreatesa strategytoimprovesthatstudentsweakness(Wilson5a).Manyexpertsbelievethisisagreatmethodto help,andtheyhavealottosay. Oneexpertinthefield,Mr.DanaRichards,theSeniorClinician(LeadTherapist)atStarr Commonwealth,aboardingschoolfortroubledboys,hadalottosayabouttherecentincreasein childrendiagnosedwithautism.Whenaskedaboutwhatcanbedonetohelpteacherswithautistic students,herespondedwithIbelievethataspartofprofessionaldevelopment,teachersshouldbe

Kittinger4

requiredtoattendspecificcoursesonunderstandingandprovidinginstructiontothoseonthespectrum. Whiletherearecollegiateoptionsforteacherstolearnaboutspectrumissues,otherteachersandall schoolpersonnelshouldhavesomeunderstandingastheymayhaveoccasiontointeractwithindividuals onthespectrum(Richard4a).Hewasaveryknowledgeableprofessionalonthetopic.Whenalso askedaboutanotherissueinvolvinghowautismnowaffects1in88children,whydoeshebelieve1in 54areboys,hesaidAswithmostissuessurroundingAutismspectrum,thisisacomplexquestion.A recentstudyoutfromCanadaidentifiedageneticcomponentthatsuggestedamutationintheirX chromosomemaybeapotentialcause,althoughitwasonlynotedin1percentofthosestudied. Additionally,societalviewsofboysandgirlsmayleadtothisskeweddifference.Boysstereotypically maystandoutmoreintheareasusedtomakeadiagnosiswhereasgirlsmaybeoverlookedinthe Autismspectrumdiagnosisandmaybediagnosedwithsomethingelsesuchasananxietydisorderora mooddisorder(Richards4b).Definitelysomethingtoconsider.Hewasveryhelpfulandshinedalotof lightonsomeoftherecentissuesinvolvingAutism. Teacherscanalsosufferwhenitcomestohelpingeducateanautisticchild,butABA& NaturalisticTeachingStrategiescanbecomeveryhelpfultoolsforteacherstoworkwithandhelpeach childfindsuccess.ABAorAppliedBehavioralAnalysis,isthetechniqueofchangingtheenvironment aroundachildwithautismtohelpherhavemoresuccess(Wilson5b).WilczynskiofTheNational AutismCentersaid,Forexample,Imightofferyouachoiceofwhattodoinsteadoftellingyouwhat todo.(Wilson5c).Thetechniqueencouragesverbalcommunicationbetweentheteacherandautistic student,insteadofforcefuldemands.Italsoinvolveschangingtheenvironmentbasedonwhatchoices youmake.Ideally,wetrytobuildadirectrelationshipbetweendesirableoutcomesandthe environmentthechildisin.(Wilson5d).Ontheotherhand,NaturalisticTeachingStrategiesinvolves

Kittinger5

creatinganenvironmentinwhichkidsaremotivatedtoactorcommunicateaspecificwantorneed (Wilson5e).Throughthisprogram,teachershelptoteachchildrenhowtocommunicatewhattheywant orneedthroughtheirwords.Thestrategyfocusesinonthetechniqueofuseyourwords.Withwork andpositivereinforcement,thesetechniqueswillhelpmakeschooleasierandmoreenjoyableforboth thechildandtheteacher. ManyofpeoplewithintheAutismspectrumhaveexceptionalabilitiesinvisualskills,musicand academicskills.About40percenthaveaveragetoaboveaverageintellectualabilities(Arledge1c). ChildrenwithAutismaresomethingspecialandarenodifferentthananormalhuman.Withtherecent increaseinchildrendiagnosedwithAutismandAsperger,familiesandteachersareneedingmore educationandguidanceonhowtohelpthesechildrensucceedmorethanever.Butwiththehelpof specialist,theAutismTreatmentNetworkandtheAutismSpectrumDisorderFoundation,wecanmake adifferenceinthesechildrenslives.

WORKSCITED 1.Arledge,Curtis."WhatIsAutism?"AutismSpeaks.N.p.,n.d.Web.19Feb.2014. 2."TheFinancialImpactofanAutismDiagnosis."AutismSpectrumDisorderFoundationRSS.N.p.,

Kittinger6

2012.Web.20Feb.2014. 3.Ratliff,Karen."AutismTreatmentNetwork."ATN.N.p.,n.d.Web.20Feb.2014. 4.Richards,Dana.Autism/Aspergers.PersonalInterview.21Feb.2014. 5.Wilson,Deirdre."PuzzlingThrough"ANewWaytoTeachChildrenwithAutism."NationalAutism Center,Mar.2010.Web.20Feb.2014.