Hey there!
Thank you for visiting again.
Phew! It has been such a busy and exhausting day that I simply wanted to scream out in frustration! After calming my nerves with a soothing cup of coffee, my thoughts went to children with autism…. I can verbally say that I am exhausted and ask for a break, but the child with autism most often struggles with communication. This is one of the reasons that s/he may start flapping their hands or run out of a room. S/he is frustrated but cannot express it appropriately.
This month is Autism Awareness Month and I would like to share with you information on Autism. The more awareness there is, the more kids can get diagnosed and managed earlier.
So, what is AUTISM? It is a developmental disorder characterized by delays in communication, socialization and rigid behavior patterns. The child usually also presents with sensory processing problems.
A child with autism has strengths and weaknesses. Harnessing their strengths can help us work on weaknesses.
Here are some Red Flags to watch out for (Taken from Autism South Africa’s website http://aut2know.co.za/understanding-autism1/):
- Little awareness of others.
- Self-injurious behaviour, e.g. head banging, scratching or biting.
- Imaginative play may be poor. E.g. cannot play with a wooden block as if it is a car.
- Unusual habits such as rocking, hand flapping, spinning of objects etc.
- The development of speech and language may be atypical, absent or delayed.
- Indifference to, or dislike of being touched, held or cuddled.
- Minimal reaction to verbal input and sometimes acts as though he/she is deaf.
- Sense of touch, taste, sight, hearing and/or smell may be heightened or lowered.
- Changes in routine or the environment may cause distress.
- Sudden laughing or crying for no apparent reason
- Pursues activities repetitively and cannot be influenced by suggestions of change.
- Uneven gross/fine motor skills.
- Inappropriate attachment to objects.
- Abnormal sleeping patterns.
- Displays extreme distress and/or tantrums for no apparent reason
- Prefers to play alone.
- Difficulty in interacting with others and little or no eye contact.
- No real fear of dangers.
Autism South Africa encourages people to call (+27114849909) or e-mail them (info@autismsouthafrica.org) if 3 or more signs are noted in a child.
So how can an Occupational Therapists help? We offer intervention with:
- Behavior management.
- Improving socialization and social skills.
- Facilitating different methods of learning with the use of eg. visual sequencing charts and work schedules.
- Improving sensory processing difficulties
- Improving gross and fine motor skills.
In order to give back to the community, I am offering FREE Occupational Therapy Screening for Autism on, but strictly by appointment.
I know how complex a condition Autism is to understand therefore I have attended many workshops over the years to understand this condition and to learn how to treat children presenting with it. Using the knowledge gained and my clinical experience, I am hosting a Continued Professional Development (CPD) workshop on Autism on 25/05/2019. Click here for the invitation. It is open to therapists, teachers and parents. Please do share it far and wide.
I have seen the struggles that parents of children with autism go through. With greater awareness, more can be done for our precious children with Autism. It is not just the responsibility of parents, teachers and therapists. You can do something too. Whether it’s a direct intervention, educating yourself or upskilling yourself, you CAN make a difference.
That’s me doing my bit for Autism. I am putting it out there to you…what are YOU doing for Autism Awareness Month? The challenge is on!!
