The Elemy Learning Studio is an online learning studio that provides individualized one-on-one and group autism training. They offer lessons on topics such as sensory processing, social behavior, executive function skills, household management and much more to help people with all levels of ASD live a better life in their community.
The “foods that can cause autism during pregnancy” is a question that many parents are asking. There are certain foods which should be avoided during pregnancy to prevent the risk of having an autistic child.
It is impossible to prevent someone from becoming autistic. However, there are treatments that can significantly improve the lives of persons with autism.
You may help your kid gain the skills they need to navigate social communication, such as facial expressions and vocal language, by intervening early.
The Goal Isn’t to Prevent Autism.
Developmental disorders are a range of problems that affect a person’s physical, mental, behavioral, and social development to the point that they may struggle with everyday activities or interactions.
Some developmental diseases may be identified as a distinct ailment that manifests throughout pregnancy or early infancy. Many, such as autism spectrum disease (ASD), have no single cause and hence cannot be prevented or cured.
Autism spectrum disorder is a kind of neurodivergence in which a person’s capacity to communicate, both vocally and nonverbally, differs, posing social and behavioral issues.
This is a complicated disorder that manifests itself in youngsters as young as two or three years old. If you have worries that your child is displaying early indicators of autism, such as avoiding eye contact or having restricted language development, you may urge your physician to keep a closer check on their development.
Understanding Autism’s Causes
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics’ standards, your child’s physician will evaluate them for autism indications at regular intervals (AAP). These screenings are usually done at the following intervals:
- 9 months of age
- 18 months of age
- 24 months of age
If there are more risk factors, more testing may be required.
The following are some of the risk factors for developing autism:
- Autism runs in the family, indicating a possible hereditary predisposition.
- Having an autistic sibling
- Some chromosomal or genetic disorders, such as fragile X syndrome or tuberous sclerosis
- Prescription medicines used during pregnancy, such as thalidomide or valproic acid
- Parents who are in their forties or fifties at the time of conception
- Being a man
- Being born too soon
Autism affects people of all races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds at the same rate. Although changes in the knowledge of symptoms and diagnostic criteria have led to more females being diagnosed in recent years, boys are thought to be more afflicted than girls.
A kid’s chance of having autism may be increased by a number of complicated circumstances, but they do not have to be present for a youngster to be diagnosed with autism. For example, you and your spouse may undertake genetic testing to see whether you and your partner have any autism-related genes; however, possessing these genes does not guarantee that you will pass them on to your kid or that they will cause autism in your child.
Rather than focusing on how to prevent your kid from having autism, it’s important to remember that many individuals on the autistic spectrum grow up to be successful and happy adults. If your kid is diagnosed with autism, the best approach to promote their healthy development is to ensure that they get medical treatment, including autism screenings as recommended by the AAP, as well as ABA therapy and other key interventions.
Vaccines are not linked to the development of autism.
Some individuals think there is a relationship between vaccinations and the development of autism in youngsters. Others argue that vaccinations are the direct cause of autism. This isn’t correct.
Vaccines are not linked to the development of autism., and they are not correlated with an increased risk of autism. Vaccines and autism are unrelated.
Babies get their first immunizations at the age of six months, and they may receive vaccines against a variety of serious childhood diseases during the course of their first two years. Because autism symptoms may be identified as early as 6 months old and autism can be properly diagnosed as early as 2 years old, many parents may subconsciously associate their child’s autistic symptoms with vaccination.
Vaccines protect children against infections including measles, mumps, rubella, scarlet fever, and chickenpox, among others. If you have any doubts about your child’s recommended immunization regimen, go to their physician.
In the late 1990s, one research claimed that vaccination components were linked to autism, however other medical investigations found no evidence of this. The most probable cause was thought to be a substance called thimerosal. Even though this was demonstrated to be false, it was nonetheless removed from vaccine manufacture, with the exception of specific flu vaccinations.
Neurotypical vs. Neurodivergent
Differences in brain structure between those on the autistic spectrum and those who are not are the most probable cause of autism. When compared to neurotypical people, people with autism are referred to as neurodivergent.
Autism affects one out of every 44 children, so there are a lot of neurodivergent kids growing up in a society created for neurotypical kids. Modern ABA treatment does not try to transform autistic children so that they behave like their neurotypical classmates. Instead, ABA teaches children with autism how to navigate a world that isn’t always accommodating to atypical neurological patterns.
This involves developing the ability to read facial expressions, body language, and sophisticated verbal communication. Learning skills for daily personal care, scheduling, and controlling emotions in the midst of change or upheaval may also be included.
Early childhood development is a period of rapid brain growth during which the brain acquires new abilities at a higher rate than at any other stage in life. ABA treatment may help toddlers and young children build social, linguistic, and emotional control skills that will assist them throughout school and into life during this critical developmental period.
What Can ABA Therapy Do For You?
ABA therapy is based on research and treatment plans established by Dr. O. Ivar Lovaas in the 1980s, and it focuses on operant and learning conditioning. Lovaas and his colleagues stated that 50 percent of the individuals in their group “recovered” from autism after undergoing substantial ABA treatment for the most of their childhood and adolescence in two important studies completed and published between 1985 and 1993.
While the phrase “recovered” is inaccurate since autism does not go away, it does imply that the individuals made considerable improvements in their ability to negotiate social settings, manage their everyday lives, and care for their mental and physical well-being.
As presently applied, ABA approaches aim to:
- Increase “desirable behaviors,” such as breaking down each stage of a task, such as cleaning teeth, so that it may be finished independently, asking for something explicitly with words, or managing emotions in the case of a schedule change.
- Regular practice will help you maintain these abilities and translate them to circumstances outside of treatment.
- As required, teach new skills.
- Reduce interfering, maladaptive actions that might endanger the person.
Reduce the circumstances in which interfering behaviors occur so that the kid can better self-regulate.
Is it Possible for a Child to Grow Out of Autism?
Autism does not have a cure, thus children do not “grow out” of it.
Further study reveals that with continued intense ABA treatment from a young age, a minority of children classified on the autism spectrum at an early age (as young as one year old, for example) no longer display fundamental symptoms of autism, such as emotional dysregulation or difficulties with social cues. However, estimates of the number of children in this category range from 3% to 25% of all children diagnosed with ASD. These children might be suffering from another developmental issue, a mental or behavioral problem in childhood, or they could have been misdiagnosed owing to the mildness of their symptoms.
Following small-scale research and meta-analyses, it was shown that early childhood ABA treatment may assist many children with mild to moderate autistic symptoms better navigate problems such as social settings, school, and other life pressures.
Participants who had received rigorous treatment for an early childhood diagnosis of autism, for example, scored similarly on communication, language, and face recognition as their neurotypical counterparts later in life, according to a research published in 2013. Another research published in 2014 revealed that 32 of 85 children between the ages of 2 and 19 did not have an intellectual handicap, and 8 did not exhibit detectable autistic symptoms any more.
People with severe autistic symptoms may benefit from a variety of treatments, but they will need more medical and psychological care throughout their life. Their ABA treatment sessions might last an endless amount of time.
5 Tips for Assisting Your Autistic Child
Autism spectrum disorder is a chronic ailment that affects a person’s whole life. Many resources, focusing on ABA treatment, are available to assist the individual from infancy through maturity.
When your kid is diagnosed with autism spectrum condition, follow these five actions to help them:
- Recognize that since autism is such a complicated disorder, there is no way to avoid it.
- Get a formal diagnosis from your child’s physician.
- Find an ABA treatment professional who can begin working with your kid right now.
- Recognize that neurodivergent youngsters, like their neurotypical counterparts, are frequently brilliant and talented people.
The goal of ABA treatment and associated interventions is to assist your kid become as self-sufficient and joyful as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are 5 strategies used to work with a child with autism?
A: 1. Allow them to function on their own terms and give them choice, 2. Let the child define what is best for themselves 3. Find out who they are as individuals 4. Validate your understanding of the situation 5. Respect their unique point of view
What is the best way to support autism?
A: I am not certain what autism is, and therefore cannot answer your question.
What would you do to support a student with autism in your classroom?
A: Personally, I would run a program to teach them skills that they could use in the workplace and also provide support for them.
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Janice is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Special Education. She also holds a Master of Science in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) from Queen’s University, Belfast. She has worked with and case managed children and youth with autism and other intellectual and/or developmental disabilities in home and residential setting since 2013.
