Navigating Autism: Dispelling Myths, Fostering Understanding, and Enhancing Support - Free Essay

Autism is a broad range of disorders caused by both environmental and genetic factors. It is a disorder characterized by problems involving speech and communication, repetitive behaviors, and the challenge of social skills. Autism typically appears during the early stages of the child's development. Some of the autism symptoms include slow learning of how to speak, abnormal facial expressions, monotonous speech, poor eye contact, and behavioral problems. Statistics show that autism disorder is mainly caused when the brain structure of a child behaves abnormally. That abnormality will also influence the brain's functionality. There are various types of autism disorders, and they include the following: Rett Syndrome, Asperger syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified, and autistic disorder.

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However, there are various myths and misconceptions about autism, and people ought to get it right about this disorder. One of the misconceptions is that students who have autism are not bright (Zdrojewski, 2018). They are considered intellectually disabled, which is not right because most of these people have high intellectual quantity and tend to excel in academics and even music. Other misconceptions about autism are that people with autism cannot make friends because of the social skills challenge. They do not understand others' emotions, such as being happy or sad; that autism is just a mental disorder, and affects children only. Another one is that people have autism because of poor parenting and that insurance companies can cover this disorder.

Unfortunately, most of these myths and misconceptions have persisted for a long time. These beliefs have made children with autism spectrum disorder find it challenging to look for assistance that they require. Sometimes autistic children feel stigmatized and abandoned. These beliefs, for example, that autism is an epidemic and that vaccines cause it, are all outdated. Other myths that have not been discussed above include the following: People with autism do not have other disorders; they have the same skills and problems; they do not speak; they are more aggressive; autism is a childhood condition that can be cured; Autistic people have an excellent 'savant' skill. The last misconception is that autism occurrences have increased over the years.

Autism disorder is one of the critical elements that cannot be ignored when it comes to school achievement. A recent study was conducted to show that many learners with autism spectrum disorder had negative experiences while at school. The negative experiences later affected their academic performance and their future career. Therefore, many precautions should be taken to help these learners with autism. Children with autism spectrum disorder usually have challenges when it comes to communicating their needs to their teachers and fellow children. They also have difficulties understanding the instructions given in class by the teacher. They also face sensory perceptions and cognitive processing delays that may affect their academic performance (Butera et al., 2020).

Schools should try to create awareness for learners about autism and be taught not to be scared of this developmental disorder. Creating awareness will help the learners understand and love one another, especially those with an autism spectrum disorder. Sustainable autism treatment such as nutritional therapy, physical therapy, speech-language, and behavioral therapies should be provided in schools. Teachers can help learners with autism spectrum disorder by teaching them new skills, joining hands with their parents, being proactive in class to help them; and assessing their students earlier to monitor their progress. They should also be given continuous assessments to monitor their progress.

Parents who have autistic children should be involved in the education of the child. Most of these children with autism spectrum disorder face many challenges, such as bullying, which can lower their self-esteem. Apart from teachers, parents have the responsibility of educating their children on essential life skills. This will enable their children to be consistent and maximize their potential. Having a child with autism can also be challenging for parents. Some of the family aspects affected by autism include finances, parents' mental health, marital relationships, poor relationships with siblings, and housekeeping (Hartley et al., 2016). Parents can help their autistic children by rewarding them when they behave well or learn something new. Positive reinforcement will go a long way to assist these children in being optimistic about life.

Conclusion

In conclusion, autism is a disorder caused by environmental and genetic factors. It is characterized by repetitive behaviors, and problems involving skills of speech and communication. Some of the autism symptoms include abnormal actions, poor eye contact, and strange facial expressions. Types of autism comprise the following: Rett Syndrome, Asperger Syndrome, and Pervasive developmental disorder. Some of the misconceptions about autism are that autistic people have intellectual disabilities, are unfriendly, are emotionless, and that autism is a childhood disorder. Autism disorder can affect the performance of a school. To help autistic children, teachers should be proactive, teach them new skills, and give students continuous assessment tests to monitor their progress. Parents with autistic children should educate them on essential life skills.

References

Butera, C., Ring, P., Sideris, J., Jayashankar, A., Kilroy, E., Harrison, L., ... & AzizZadeh, L. (2020). Impact of Sensory Processing on School Performance Outcomes in High Functioning Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Mind, Brain, and Education.

Hartley, S. L., Papp, L. M., Blumenstock, S. M., Floyd, F., & Goetz, G. L. (2016). The effect of daily challenges in children with autism on parents' couple of problem-solving interactions—Journal of Family Psychology, 30(6), 732.

Zdrojewski, R. (2018). Misconception About Autism Spectrum Disorder.