Do Persons with Autism Lack Empathy?

              A couple of weeks ago, the handle of our old broom broke as I was sweeping the yard. I tried fixing it while C (my eleven year old son with autism) was watching. My efforts failed and decided to dispose the broom instead. Frustrated, I spent almost an hour trying to mend it for nothing. 
The next day, I was surprised to see the broom all fixed up. The handle was neatly and sturdily connected to the broom. I thanked my husband for it. But he replied,"No, I did not fix it." There are only the four of us in the house- me, my hubby, C, and our youngest son who is five years old. If it's not me, nor my husband who fixed the broken broom, then who did? While trying to figure out who, we saw C giggling while staring at us. And so we asked him,"did you fix the broom, dear?" With that radiant smile on his face, he replied, "yes."
            That was not only about an old broken broom. What made us really happy was the fact that our son took the time to help us without being asked. He showed us he cares and we matter to him. 

Autism Parenting 101: Overcoming Frustration

         Most parents, if not all, begin to dream and aspire for their children as soon as they were born. It would begin to wanting their children to be healthy, to be good persons, to finish school, to be successful in whatever they would go into when they become adults. To sum it all up, parents simply want all the best for their children.

Autism and Acceptance

             My son C showed significant delay in his development as early as 10 months of age. At that age, he manifested loss of previously learned skills like glancing when his name is called, waving bye-bye and a few other baby skills. Until he turned two years old with unintelligible speech and extremely hyperactive. Not long after, we brought him to a developmental pediatrician who after an hour or so of evaluation, confirmed that he has autism spectrum disorder (for autism tell tale signs, go to Autism Tell Tale ). That sad day occurred eight years ago. My son is now ten years old. But whenever I recall that day in our life, my eyes still become teary. I still can feel that lump in my throat.  That doesn't mean I still have not learned to accept the fact that my son is on the spectrum. I have long accepted that. I guess parents would never stop feeling hurt when their child is affected with life long disorder or any condition that will have tremendous effects on the quality of life.

           

Conquering the Odds of Handwriting

        Most children with autism attend special education class with an individualized curriculum. They may eventually be transitioned to attend regular school depending on their cognitive abilities and developmental progress in terms of behavior. One huge determinant if a child is ready to be mainstreamed to a regular class is his handwriting. Would he be capable of  copying what is written on the board; or answer written examinations? This is one common problem faced by a special learner in the traditional school setting in the Philippines.
        Handwriting is a complex fine motor skill that requires eye and hand coordination.

Discovering One's Self Through Sports

         A lot has been said about how beneficial sports can be once you get into it. Getting into sports can strengthen the immune system and will certainly make one physically fit. The more important benefits one can derive in engaging in sports are mostly intangible, but becomes innate in one's mind and heart that will translate into becoming a better person. Not necessarily a champion in the chosen sport, but a champion in life.
        Sports is not exclusive to the typical members of the population. There are sports events that celebrate the talents of the differently abled. Although sports demand physical, emotional and  mental strength, talented differently abled individuals have proved they can play and win; lose in a game and still manage to stand with the head up high.
        Engaging into a sport for a person challenged with autism may not be that easy. Considering the fact these persons may  have behavioral and sensory issues; some lack the ability to speak or easily comprehend spoken language, learning to participate in a sports activity may be quite toilsome. Those thoughts occurred in my mind when I read a notice from my son's school about a Softball Clinic. I was hesitant in the beginning but eventually decided to let my son join and have the experience of playing softball.
        Softball is played in a large, open field and requires the skill of throwing and catching a ball, batting and running . Learning the basics of the game may be arduous to someone with poor waiting skill and impulse control; with poor eye and hand coordination; and speech and  language impairment. It is more challenging for those with difficulty in controlling sensory input. Like for instance being overwhelmed when given a series of instructions on what to do; affected by loud or unusual sound; poor sense of  balance and  perception of space making them move clumsily bumping into persons and objects or refuse to move fast (like running);

Having an ID

        B is a 12 year old boy with autism. He was born to Filipino parents residing in London.  Last year, his family spent Christmas in the Philippines. 

        It was B's first time to visit his parents' homeland and meet their relatives. Christmas is a much celebrated occasion in the Philippines. Parties, family reunions happen in this joyous season.
      B and his family were invited to dinner with relatives and friends at a restaurant located in a mall in Quezon City three days before going back to London. Everyone was having a nice time feasting over a sumptuous meal and catching up with people whom they have not been with for quite a long time. Dinner was soon over. Everyone bids their goodbyes. Then they noticed B was not in his seat nor anywhere in the restaurant. The family reported B's loss to the mall security. Security camera footage was reviewed and showed B going out of the mall and headed towards E. Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA). That was the end of the footage. Nobody knew where B went. 

The Special Education Teacher

        "Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. This process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials, accessible settings, and other interventions designed to help learners with special needs achieve a higher level of personal self-sufficiency and success in school and community..." - Wikipedia

        That is how special education is defined by Wikipedia. Such heavy words that sounded too complex if it is put into action. That is the job of a special education teacher. A profession that requires more than a Bachelor's degree, but the heart and determination to cause change in the lives of the people they work with. The work of a special education teacher demands utmost patience, persevering determination to help students learn and improve, but not necessarily highly compensated.

A Rightful Place

      J is a 28-year-old, high functional adult with autism.  The time came that his learning abilities reached its plateau. This signaled his parents to put a stop to J's schooling and let him do other things that would still enhance him as a person. 
   The  family owns a freight forwarding business and employed J to work as a data entry encoder. The years spent in special school and therapy center has prepared J to this new phase in his life. It may not be easy at the beginning, but with patience and guidance, J dealt with his new- found place in the society's work force reasonably well. 
     J has been working as a data entry encoder for a few years now. As an employee, he pays his taxes, therefore, contributing to the nation's progress. He is also a Social Security System (SSS) member which assures him of a pension on his retirement. 

So Called "Right to Life"

        I learned from one of the autism blogs I follow, Juniper Hill Farms, the heart-breaking story of Paul Corby. 

        Paul Corby is a young man of 23 years from Pennsylvania, U.S.A., who suffers from a very rare congenital heart disorder, left ventricular non-compaction (LVN). This disorder primarily affects the muscles of the heart, most commonly the left ventricle, which unnaturally appears spongy. This defect renders the heart ineffective in performing its function of circulating blood thus the danger for life-threatening complications. Paul survived three strokes and has been maintained on 19 sorts of medications daily. This being the case, a heart transplant would be the best treatment option.

A Positive Look at Echolalia

        C, a 4 year old child with Autism, was brought to his Developmental Pediatrician for his mid year follow up. The mom gave the doctor an update regarding C's behavior and current concerns. 

" Well, doctor, C's off task behavior was lessened according to his therapist. He can now follow more complex commands. However, he recently has this annoying habit of repeating words or phrases spoken by another person. Sometimes, he tends to repeat phrases from TV commercials. He sounded like a parrot when he does that," his mom told the doctor. The doctor smiled and  replied in a mirthful tone, " That's a good sign. You should not feel bad about C sounding like a parrot. It is a positive indicator for future language development."

Fun Based Learning

Jigsaw Puzzle

         Special needs children when not attending school or therapy sessions should be provided with worthwhile activities at home. Activities that would keep them busy so as not to encourage emergence of self stimulatory behaviors. Or better yet, provide them with activities that would address different sensory issues or motor problems they may have. We can always improvise from whatever we have at home. Like for instance an old coin bank or box with small slit where your child can slip poker chips or coins for fine motor improvement; old plastic jars or containers with screw lid which your child can open and close to strengthen
his grip. Still there are many other ways to improvise therapy devices or toys with special purpose.

Autism Science Then and Now

       Several decades ago, there was a poor understanding of what Autism was. It was in the 1960's that it became recognized as a different entity from psychotic disorders. Since then, Autism has been a focus of many researches determined to find out its causes and how it can be treated. Those researches led us today to the knowledge that genetics and the environment are involved in its causation. However, it is not clear how and why while the number of affected children is continuously rising. And there is no known cure as yet.
     There are still a lot of stones to be unturned to discover all that we need to know about Autism and find the cure. If not the cure, a more effective way to treat it at least. Or ultimately, finding a way to prevent it.
     The medical field has not stop its quest. In fact, here are some of the recent findings and development from studies and researches scientists have been conducting.

Believing He Can

          We were eating at a fast food restaurant when an ad on the wall caught my son's attention. The ad was aimed to recruit children for the summer kiddie crew workshop. The ad showed happy faces of children convincing enough and made my son wanting to join.
          I was a little worried he might not be accepted to join in typical summer programs. But I still tried to inquire about it. The restaurant manager enthusiastically stated all the requirements for joining. But I just had one question to ask her, "Do you accept children with special needs?" The manager paused and then replied " Yes, we do. It's the restaurant's policy to accept every child who wishes to be a kiddie crew." I told the manager a little something about my son. She reaffirmed that my son's condition won't be a problem although they have not experienced having someone like him in the previous years they have been doing the workshop. Upon hearing that, I had my son registered.  
         A few days before he started as a restaurant kiddie crew, I had a lot of  "what ifs" and worried thoughts. What if he could not understand what he would be asked to do? What if he becomes hyperactive, runs around and break something? What if  he could not get along with other kiddie crews?
       My boy is already 8 years old, able to write his name, a sight reader, with tendency to be echolalic sometimes and gets confused with multiple instructions but with very good work behavior.  I was worried to let him be in a place where people may not have a single idea of what Autism is and how people with Autism are. This would be the first time my son would be participating in an activity where the people he would be working with were not trained to deal with children with special needs. 
       My son's most awaited day came. He was excited to be in his kiddie crew uniform. The first day began with a short parent and kiddie crew orientation. The kids were asked to introduce themselves.  My son has speech and language delay but he managed to state his full name and age clearly as he stood up in front of everyone without a trace of  jitteriness. 

Saying Goodbye to Nappies

       Toilet training a child with autism is one hard feat for their parents. Sometimes, toilet training takes years before it could be learned. What makes it harder is the fact that most toilet training techniques known are ineffective  for children under the spectrum. Parents need to work hand in hand with their child's therapist to make the toilet training technique implemented work effectively.

       Toilet training is usually started in typical children at age 2-3 when good bladder control has been attained. This is evident when the nappy is dry when they wake up in the morning. But in the case of children with Autism, many things should be taken into consideration. The presence of gastrointestinal problems like constipation or the child's receptiveness may affect toilet training.

Visual Potty Chart

       My son C attained good bladder control at age 2 but was not ready to receive toilet training instructions since his attention span was short and fleeting with poor communication skills. He was afraid of the toilet bowl and gets startled when he heard the flush of the toilet.
       When he turned 4, he felt uncomfortable wearing pull up diapers and would remove it once he had peed or pooped on it. I took advantage of this and started bringing him to the toilet every hour and ask him to pee. His therapist did the same thing when C was in school and gave me visual potty cards to be used at home.

A Pencil Heavy as a Log

       Being a child with Autism, C had difficulty learning to write. Though he always had drills to work on his fine motor skills in his Occupational Therapy sessions, learning to write was given emphasis in his program when he was aged 5. 

       To hold a pencil or crayon in the proper way (tripod grip) was an agony for him as if he was holding a heavy log. It was even more difficult when he was asked to do writing exercises making up and down strokes.
     While typical children enjoys coloring activities, it seemed to be a very tiring activity for C. He was sweating, his lips tucked showing his eagerness to do the task while his hand moved unsteadily.

Bullied for Being Different

        N's parents always thought that there was something different about him but did not pay much attention about it until N went to school for the first time at age 5. His teacher said he could not cope with the lessons and was actually behaving differently compared to his classmates. Because of being "different", his parents were advised to have N evaluated by a doctor who confirmed that N has Autism.
       Since then, N studied at a special school. His progress in academic and communication skills were quite remarkable. After several years of faring in a special school, he was recommended to be mainstreamed into a regular school.
       A big transition in N's life unfolds. The eight year old boy was assessed and qualified to join in the 1st Grade Class. The first month of the school year went on smoothly for N. But the subsequent month was filled with grim. 
       There was a time N would miss eating during recess because his snack bag was missing. He would come home with scribbles at the back of his polo shirt. Some of his school stuffs  like pencils or pad paper were lost and apparently big boys took them from his bag. When asked who were those kids and why they did that to him, he would just lock himself in deafening silence. But his eyes could not hide the feelings of sadness and fear.

Juniper Hill Farms, an Autism Haven

       Much has been said about children with Autism. Have you ever wondered how would their life be when they become adults? Are they capable of living independently?
      Meet Andy, Brent, Patrick, Jose, Michael and Ray. Despite being regarded as individuals with special needs, they proved their worth as men and equally productive members of the society. Let's take a look and learn from their lives at Juniper Hill Farms.

Brother's Keeper

      It was truly a trying time when the couple found out that J, their eldest son has autism.
     J  has severe autism. Though his parents knew about his disorder, no intervention was given to him until the age of 9 due to lack of knowledge in properly addressing his needs.  
       J is now 29 years old. Like most individuals with severe autism, he has very poor communication skills, not even capable of using non verbal gestures, depends on others even on his toileting needs, with aggressive and self-injurious behavior. 

Finding Toys with a Purpose

  All children love toys. Special needs kids are no exception.  Actually, playing with toys can be a great way for them to have fun while their different sensory issues and development of some skills are being dealt with all at the same time. You just have to find the right toy that can serve that purpose. Also,consider your child's interest to make play time truly enjoyable.

  To find a purposive toy, you may want to consider these pointers:

1. Toys that perk up the senses

• toys that light up  - good for visual stimulation
• picture books
• toys that make sounds 
• toy clay - for tactile stimulation

2. Toys that develop motor skills

• crayons and coloring books - for development of fine motor skill
• paints & water colors - develop fine motor skill, creativity and self expression
• building blocks
• sorting and matching toys
• bicycle - helps in achieving good sense of balance

The Need to Have a "World of their Own"

  Our senses help us discover, learn and understand the world we live in and everything around us. Our perception or reactions to various stimuli that we encounter in our day to day living is governed by our senses.
  Our body is equipped with a lot of senses. The five most recognized of them are:

• sight
• hearing
• taste
• smell
• touch

  In addition to that, other senses include:

• thermoception -  sense of temperature
• proprioception - sense of position.location,orientation and movement of the body and its parts
• vestibular sense - sense of balance
• nociception - sense of pain