Autism Awareness





I want to support others with Autism, and help create a world where, as a friend of mine would say, normal is just a setting on a wash machine- Kate Goldfield.

 



There was this kid when I was younger in my class. He was very to his self and very quiet. Never made eye contact, never talked much to anyone and was..... well different. I took as he was just shy and didn't pay him much attention while there were some who played off his lonesome characteristics making fun of him every chance they could. When we graduated I never saw again. It wasn't until I got older that I learned about autism through a friend whose sibling suffered from it and realized that might have been what was going on with that young boy in my class. April is not just the month of Spring showers making way for May flowers. Its not just testing for students and vacation planning for the Summer. It Autism Awareness Month. 1stClassLadies are here to give you the information you need to know about autism.

Lets start with what Autism is. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disability caused by a brain abnormality. It is believed by experts that ASD presents itself during the first three years of a person's life. A person with ASD typically has difficulty with social and communication skills. ASD is a wide-spectrum disorder which means that no two people with autism will have exactly the same symptoms. Though there is no known single cause for autism, it is generally accepted that it is caused by abnormalities in brain structure or function. Brain scans show differences in the shape as well as structure of the brain in children with autism compared to neuro-typical children. Studies are being done to investigate certain theories about ASD, such as the link between heredity, genetics and medical problems. In many families, there seems to be a pattern of autism or related disabilities, further supporting a genetic basis to the disorder. While no one gene has been identified as causing autism, researchers are searching for irregular segments of genetic code that children with autism may have inherited.

What does Autism do to ones social life? The way in which a person with an ASD interacts with another individual is quite different compared to how the rest of the population behaves. If the symptoms are not severe, the person with ASD may seem socially clumsy, sometimes offensive in his/her comments, or out of synch with others in his/her company. If the symptoms are more severe, the person may seem not to be interested in other people at all. When it comes to physical contact some  children with an ASD do not like cuddling or being touched like other children do. This is not true for all children with autism. Many will hug a relative (usually immediate family) and enjoy it greatly. This is usually just a question of practice and anticipating that physical contact is going to happen. A change in pattern or routine as well as doing something in the moment may cause a different reaction from a child with autism compared to one without. This also applies to sudden loud noises, change in smell or and/or lighting. Speech for one with ASD maybe little to no speaking at all. They may tend to repeat thing they hear (echolalia) and for some teens they tone may sound flat causing them to sound like "little professors." Empathy for people with autism never comes naturally and they have a hard time understanding other people feelings. If they are reminded  however, the ability  to take other people's feelings into account improves in time remarkably. Learning for one with autism is different for each. They may learn some things fast like how to read long words only to completely forget them later. They may also learn how to do things the hard way rather then easy way first.

Autism is a disorder but it is NOT  the end. Children still grow to love, to learn, to live. They eat and breathe  the same as the rest f us and though the way they may have to do things in order to co exist with us may be different they are  still ONE OF US! If you would  like to donate to help those who have Autism CLICK THIS LINK AND LEND A HAND