The Three Levels Of Autism
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders categorizes autism into levels. Level one is the highest functioning category. Children with Level 1 autism need support but can learn a variety of social skills. They are usually able to gain some independence. Individuals diagnosed with Level 2 autism have verbal, social, and behavioral deficits. Even with supports in place, they might struggle with these behaviors. Level 3 autism is the most severe and lowest functioning category. Those with Level 3 autism have immense difficulty socializing, speaking, and communicating nonverbally. These children experience great distress in situations outside of his/her comfort zone.
Problems With Defining The Terms
Is a child with high-functioning autism verbal and sharp but has problems in school due to significant sensory challenges? Are they considered low-functioning if they lack verbal communication skills but excel as a visual artist?
These terms are generally used by parents and caretakers of children with autism, and they often cause confusion and misperception because neither term explains the true level of functionality or ability of the individual with autism neither term fully describes a persons intelligence level, sensory challenges, unease/anxiety or aggressiveness, talents, or persistence.
As such, these terms need a bit better of an explanation. Well take a look at what they really mean for those who are affected by ASD. However, lets first talk about the three levels of ASD and how they present themselves.
Supporting Family Or Friends That Are Caregivers For A Person With Autism
Chances are you already know family or friends that are autism caregivers. Just like with other caregivers, one of the best ways to show support is to give them a break from their daily routine. Let your family and friends know that you want to support them as an autistic caregiver and discuss ways you can help the caregiver. Making meals, cleaning, yard work, and childcare are great ways to support a caregiver. Remember, even a small amount of support to a caregiver can go a long way.
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Help For Parents Of Children With Autism
If you have a child with autism, it is important to get support. The day-to-day care of children with autism can be stressful. Making sure your child get the help they need can also pose a challenge, depending on whether quality support services are available in your area. At the same time, you are likely to have ongoing worries about your child’s prognosis and long-term well being. For all these reasons, you need to take care of yourself, as well as your child. Make an effort to reach out and find the support you need.
Early Autism May Not Last A Lifetime
A new study found that some children correctly diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders at an early age may lose symptoms as they grow older. Further research may help scientists understand this change and point the way to more effective interventions.
ASD includes several related brain disorders, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe. People with ASD generally have trouble with social interactions and communication. ASD affects about 1 in every 88 children.
Optimal outcome a term used when symptoms are lost later in life has been documented in previous ASD studies. However, questions remained about whether the symptoms disappeared or the original diagnosis was wrong.
A research team led by Dr. Deborah Fein at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, sought to investigate whether optimal outcome could be seen in children whod had a confirmed ASD diagnosis before age 5. Optimal outcome participants had to be currently enrolled in regular education classrooms and have a documented report of their earlier diagnosis from a physician or psychologist specializing in autism. To confirm this assessment, the reports were edited to remove all information except the descriptions of behavior. They were then reviewed by an ASD diagnostic expert.
The optimal outcome group appeared to have somewhat milder social problems at an early age than the high-functioning ASD group. However, both had similar communication and repetitive behavior symptoms.
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How Does Aba Therapy Help Prepare Children For Adulthood
ABA therapy works predominantly with children but can be applied at any age. It aims to overcome many of the issues that clients face as they progress from childhood into adulthood. As every clients needs are different, ABA therapists will adjust and fine-tune their treatment accordingly.
The process starts with an assessment that includes exploring the clients direct skills, interviewing caregivers, teachers and parents. That information is used to identify where the therapy will initially focus, and what ABA programs will be used. For example, therapy may start with improving the clients ability to stay seated or participate in reading time.
Autistic People May Act In A Different Way To Other People
Autistic people may:
- find it hard to communicate and interact with other people
- find it hard to understand how other people think or feel
- find things like bright lights or loud noises overwhelming, stressful or uncomfortable
- get anxious or upset about unfamiliar situations and social events
- take longer to understand information
- do or think the same things over and over
If you think you or your child may be autistic, get advice about the signs of autism.
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What Is Low Functioning Autism
The difference between high functioning autism and low functioning autism is behavioral. Low functioning autism causes behaviors that inhibit the ability to conduct daily life. Children with high functioning autism have similar abilities to his/her neurotypical peers.
This is especially true when the child receives early intervention therapies. Children diagnosed with low functioning autism need more support. They struggle to communicate and manage their behaviors.
Symptoms are identifiable in infancy or early childhood. Children with autism spectrum disorder will not meet neurodevelopmental benchmarks on time or at all. These children experience delays in learning how to self-soothe, forming bonds, and talking. They usually experience severe communication and behavioral challenges.
Children with low functioning autism struggle to complete activities of daily living. They generally need help with most activities. Children with severe autism are more likely to have co-morbid conditions. These include such as Fragile X syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, and epilepsy.
High Functioning Autism Symptoms
- Fixation on Particular Subjects or Ideas
- Linguistic Oddities
- Development of Repetitive or Restrictive Habits
- Dislike of Change
- Focus on Self
- Unusual Movement Patterns
Diagnosis rates for autism continue to rise, especially as parents and professionals become more familiar with the symptoms of high-functioning autism. Many patients are getting the assistance they need to live full, productive lives because their unusual behaviors are no longer seen as simple social awkwardness or eccentricity. As more caring medical and mental health professionals learn to recognize the most common symptoms of autism, the number of interventions available to people with autism will rise.
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Autism Looks Like Real Complex Lives
Lets challenge that idea of high- and low-functioning. Picture in your mind someone who looks and acts fairly normally. They have ambitions and have achieved major life milestones, like graduating from college with honors. They live on their own, pursuing their passions. Typically, they can speak well with themselves, keep up with conversations, and maintain close bonds with family and some friends.
Now looking at this same person. Burnouts, or complete exhaustion, are an ongoing struggle to simply fit into society. Theyre virtually always needing to rock, fidget, or move in some way. Motivation for normal tasks, like personal hygiene and finances, can be extremely overwhelming. They have had difficulties holding down employment for longer than six months. Since theyre often absorbing every single emotion and sensation with acute sensitivity, they cannot handle a full day of activities that would be a typical day for everyone else.
Would you consider this person high- or low-functioning? What does their autism look like to you? Because this person is me. Im multifaceted, and my ability to function can vary drastically. And, at the end of the day, Im still autistic.
Who Is A Highly Sensitive Empath
Want to take a test online to see if youd be considered a highly sensitive empath? Check out this test and take it as seriously as youd like. Either way, its certainly interesting.
According to Psychology Today, the trademark of an empath is feeling and absorbing other peoples emotions and/or physical symptoms because of their high sensitivities. These people filter the world through their intuition and have a difficult time intellectualizing their feelings.
I identify as a highly sensitive empath, so I can completely relate with this description, especially the last part. In very tense and emotional situations, I actually become numb and feel broken: I cannot think or communicate anything. And I have a very difficult time putting my emotions toward certain situations into words, as I have learned through too many therapy sessions of me often just sitting and stewing in my emotional confusion.
As Ive learned more about myself and have become more attuned to my mind, I see how often I take on my surroundings and really let it affect me with obvious pros and cons at play. Thats probably why most highly sensitive empaths are introverted to avoid excess stimulation and emotional drainage. Even physical senses of sight, smell, and touch are amplified. Highly sensitive empaths are also more prone to mental illness like depression, anxiety and addiction, and some may even experience chronic fatigue and digestive issues.
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Increasing Health Factors For People With Autism
One way that this problem can be addressed is by educating parents, caregivers, and health care professionals to recognize the signs of depression in individuals with autism as early as possible while continuing to improve their social relationships and skills.
Treating social anxiety disorder can also help people manage the limitations they experience with social development and help them control their compulsion to avoid social situations, like scheduling a doctors appointment. This can further teach people with autism how they can cope with the feelings of isolation and frustration that may naturally arise from having autism. If suicidal ideation occurs, they have a system in place to process those thoughts in a healthy manner and to get support.
Bullying also has to be addressed. Physical and verbal attacks prevent autistic children and adolescents from developing socially, and they can lead to depression and suicidal ideation on their own.
Parents concerned about this can seek out school programs that offer integrated classrooms, where students with special needs are part of the general education classrooms. This naturally helps children with autism who have difficulty fitting in. It also gives non-autistic children a chance to know children with autism, so they are less likely to see those children as targets.
Common Outcomes Of Aba Therapy
Parents will, of course, have expectations of ABA therapy as their children move from childhood into adulthood. A common goal for many parents is independent living, or holding down a job. Through ABA therapy, therapists, parents and clients can set individual goals that will help support them through their lives, whether that is to live independently, go out to work, or stay living within the support of their family. This work generally starts at around the age of 14 when the therapist and parents can look at what adulthood will look like for the client.
The success of ABA therapy is dependent on the individual, and the goals will be greatly different depending on their abilities at the outset. Those with high-functioning autism will need little support once they have the skills and foundations set out through ABA. In contrast, others with high support needs may require 24-hour supervision, help with medication or hygiene tasks such as washing and showering.
For many children with high-functioning autism, life outcomes are extremely positive their natural abilities lending themselves to certain roles, such as an ability to focus can be translated into high-level jobs that are very systematic. There is a lot of success from those with high-functioning autism with an ability to focus, and ABA therapy gives them the supporting tools to cope with the social areas of adult life that they may have struggled with otherwise.
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Begin Online Autism Therapy In California:
If you live in California and are looking for support and resources, please contact us. Our team of therapists would be honored to work with you. To begin online therapy in California, follow these steps:
Disclosing Your Autism To Others
I frequently hear that receiving an autism diagnosis provided a sense of calmness. After all less confusion about who you are and why your acting that way leads to less stress. You arent left with lingering questions about why its so hard for you to fit in, have a conversation, or why certain sensory things make you really uncomfortable.
Now, you have to decide if and how to disclose your autism to others. If youre an adult, this decision is totally up to you. If youre under the age of eighteen, its up to your parents to decide. Often this decision is made to receive an IEP or individualized education plan. Regardless, the therapists at Open Doors Therapy, encourage you to disclose your autism when its appropriate. We call this a mini-disclosure. Over time, you will learn how to disclose your autism so others can assist you in being the best you can be.
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What Can Be Done To Improve Poor Health And High Death Rates In Autism
Recognising the physical problems in individuals with autism can be challenging. The paper explains the main reasons why and how to overcome them.
One of the barriers to effective identification of physical issues in autism is that their expression can be atypical. Individuals with autism often respond to pain and discomfort with what the others see as odd or challenging behavioursfor example aggression or self-injurious behaviour in individuals with autism can be the primary symptom of a hidden physical condition.
However, the largest roadblock to better recognition and treatment of health problems in autism, as identified by the authors of this paper, is the framework within which most healthcare professional operate, and how they view their patients with autism.
In many cases a healthcare professional will erroneously believe that autism is solely a behavioural dysfunction. He or she will not be familiar or not even aware of the mountain of scientific data on the intrinsic connection between autism and physical health.
Symptoms such as grimacing, appetite disturbances, insomnia and strange postures are not core features of ASD. A considerable volume of scientific evidence points to the possibility of an underlying physical cause to such behaviours. To avert diagnostic overshadowing, screening for physical conditions should be initiated when such behaviours are observed.
Recent Autism Science & Research News
Heres Why That Number Is So Low And All The Ways Im Lucky To Have Made It To 36
Some caveats. First: Not all studies on autism and mortality agree on the average age of our deaths. If you think Im being overly dramatic by picking one that appears to cite the youngest age, here are some otherrecentstudies with more positive results. One says 39 is the average life span another says 54. By positive, though, I mean studies that determined autistic people live longer, on average, than 36, but still found that we die significantly earlier than our non-autistic counterparts.
Second, whenever I write about autism, theres always someone who shows up to point out that Im not really autistic enough to count or that Im not the kind of autistic person that people are thinking about when they think of the tragedies and pressures that face people on the spectrum.
Because I can speak, work, and maintain a semblance of a social life and because I am able to hide my most severe symptoms from other people they assume that I am too high-functioning to be considered autistic. Before that happens here, let me say that, yes, I am probably at a lower risk of death than many autistic people. Not because Im higher-functioning or because my autism is mild, but because I happened to be born into a certain body and a certain set of circumstances.
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Assess Triggers And Develop Strategies
Many parents who come to Illuminate with their children have questions about the therapy. Most wonder what the treatment plan will entail, or what success will look like.
We explained what success looks like in the form of developing skills to live independently. For treatment, therapists use a variety of teaching models depending on the clients needs. One example is natural environment teaching. This method utilizes a clients everyday environment to teach practical skills that can include reading a book, looking at flashcards or watching a movie and then talking about the characters emotions. The therapist then explains how to recognize them in normal life. This method might also include going to a grocery store and finding food on the shelves.
Other methods will be more prescribed and systematic, such as sitting with repetitive tasks and trials to check that the client understands the skills they need and that they are hitting the goals.
So Whats Next What You Can Do To Maximize Your Success As An Individual With Autism
Now that you have a diagnosis, there are a few things you can do to better your life. First, listen inward. Perhaps, youve spent most of your life being invalidated by others. So, you always second guess yourself or question your feelings. Youve tried to fit in or please others. Somewhere along the way youve lost sight of who you are.
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