April is National Autism Awareness Month. I teach children with autism, and I figured I would take this opportunity to spread some knowledge. On a daily basis I see the struggles and celebrations these kids have. Some people say I am crazy for what I do, but I say that I am lucky to do what I do. The children I work with have taught me so much about the meaning of life and the little celebrations that are so much more important that the materialistic things of everyday life. Of course there are good days, and bad days, but most days are good. Who knew that laughing most of the day and singing Raffi songs would be part of my everyday work?
You may have heard a bit about autism. It is a neurobiological disorder with no cure. Today, the occurance is 1 in 150 individuals, but the number is always on the rise. It is 4 times more likely to affect boys, and 1 in 94 boys are affected by it. Children are diagnosed between 18 and 36 months. It affects the social and communicative aspects of a person's life, rendering many of them unable to speak. Early intervention is the key to educating children with autism. It is the window of opportunity where the brain is easy to mold. If you do not know anyone who is affected by autism, I'm sure it won't be long until someone you know is diagnosed with it.
Many of them live in a world of their own with their own way of communicating, and trying to figure out the mysteries of our world. When they are angry some of them have behaviors, such as self injurious behaviors, and aggressions towards those around them. They do not understand the social "norms" about how to appropriately deal with the anger and frustration they have in certain situations. But when they are happy, they are truly happy.
As a teacher and a social worker, it is my job to educate and spread the word. So I urge you to get the facts, get educated, and get involved. For a start, here are some websites you can look at:
Autism Speaks
www.autismspeaks.org
Autism Society of America
www.autism-society.org
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment