Jaden’s Friends Autism Friendly Certification

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Assessment

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WHAT IS AUTISM?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. There is often nothing about how people with ASD look that sets them apart from other people, but people with ASD may communicate, interact, behave, and learn in ways that are different from most other people. The learning, thinking, and problem-solving abilities of people with ASD can range from gifted to severely challenged. Some people with ASD need a lot of help in their daily lives; others need less.A diagnosis of ASD now includes several conditions that used to be diagnosed separately: autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and Asperger syndrome. These conditions are now all called autism spectrum disorder. Nearly three-quarters of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) also have another medical or psychiatric condition. This is called ‘comorbidity’, and the conditions are often called ‘comorbid’ conditions. However, most can be treated. Comorbid conditions, like ADHD, depression and seizure disorders, can appear at any time during a child’s development. Some might not appear until later in adolescence or adulthood. Sometimes these comorbid conditions have symptoms that affect how well ASD therapies and interventions work. So it’s important to identify the conditions and treat them separately.

Boys are 4 times more diagnosed than girls, mainly due to autistic symptoms overlooked in some girls and women. Liliya John, researcher at Altogether Autism writes “that since the beginning, our understandings of autism have always been from a male perspective and this knowledge gap in terms of gender may have contributed to many females ‘flying under the radar’. Research clearly indicates the possibility of a diagnostic gender bias, meaning females who meet the criteria for autism are at disproportionate risk of not receiving a clinical diagnosis”. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, “Of children meeting criteria for ASD, the true male-to-female ratio is not 4:1, as is often assumed; rather, it is closer to 3:1. There appears to be a diagnostic gender bias, meaning that girls who meet criteria for ASD are at disproportionate risk of not receiving a clinical diagnosis.”

There is strong evidence to suggest that autism can be caused by a variety of physical factors, all of which affect brain development. Biological influences play a major role in autism. Autism is not a psychotic disturbance brought on by a mother’s lack of affection, as believed in the 1950’s and 1960’s, by Dr. Bruno Bettelheim, a psychologist at the University of Chicago and survivor of the Dachau concentration camp. Researchers are trying to determine if they should study mothers of children with autism. There’s a lot of backlash because no parent wants to be blamed for their children’s disabilities. Some scientists believe that autism is caused, at least in part, by genetic factors. Because the genes that are implicated in autism can be passed from parent to child, children in families with autism are more likely to be diagnosed with autism as well. However, having a parent or sibling diagnosed with autism does not guarantee that you will have autism as well. No single gene is implemented in autism. Variations in almost 300 genes have been associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders, and less than 10% of individuals with autism express a known genetic risk factor. In addition, environmental factors can regulate gene expression. Autism involves the combined impact of several genes, and different genes may be involved in autism in different families and individuals.

CHARACTERISTICS/ATTRIBUTES OF AUTISM

Both tantrums and meltdowns are outbursts. However, a tantrum has purpose. Once an individual gets what he wants, the tantrum will likely subside. Meltdowns are not your typical tantrums. They can start and end without warning or provocation. A meltdown is a reaction to something and is usually beyond an individual’s control. There is no reasoning with an individual on the ASD. A meltdown may not stop when the individual gets what he wants

Read the following scenarios and choose the correct answer:

Your 18-month-old is happily stacking blocks. Suddenly, the blocks fall over, and he begins to wail and flail. What? He was happy 4 seconds ago. You help him stack the blocks and the world is now a better place.

You've taken your 2-year-old with you shopping. You've been out for a few hours now, and the crankiness has been increasing over the past hour. The lights and smells are starting to take a toll on her. She grabs her sippy, but it's empty, so she hurls it to the floor and begins to cry. Hard. You're already noticing "the looks" from the other shoppers.

You’ve taken your 6 year-old to the barbershop to get his first haircut. He’s sitting in the chair and begins to get fidgety. The sound of the clippers and the hair falling on his neck has now caused him to lose it! You remove him from the chair and take him out of the shop. He continues to throw a fit on the drive home.

Repetitive and restricted behavior is common symptoms of autism. They can range from repetitive movements with objects, repeated body movements such as rocking and hand-flapping, ritualistic behavior, sensory sensitivities and limited interests. These behaviors are believed to relieve anxiety in individuals with autism. These behaviors are known as “stimming”. Stim is short for self-stimulation. When the stimming interferes with socialization, everyday activities and prevents learning, it is often a symptom of autism.

19 year old Sammy gets overwhelmed, angry and upset sometimes. During those times he needs to let it out. He feels antsy when he’s overstimulated, so he moves around and lets out some noise. It’s how he copes. It calms him down. His most common actions are humming loudly to himself with his ears covered or bouncing his leg. Oftentimes, he doesn’t realize he’s bouncing his leg.

Autistic people have difficulty understanding or ‘reading’ other people. They also have a hard time expressing their own emotions. They can appear to be insensitive or prefer time alone when overloaded by people. Unfortunately, due largely to bullying and feelings of isolation, many adults with autism have had suicidal ideations, and they are also prone to committing it. They would often like to make friends and have the company of others, but they have difficulties making this happen. People with autism often have deep emotions, while not always understanding those feelings.

FACTS/CAUSES/MYTHS OF AUTISM

If a child does not achieve typical development milestones by the age of 18 months old, this may be an early sign of autism. With proper evaluation, it is possible for a child under the age of 2 to be diagnosed. However, most children are identified between the ages of 2 and 3 years old. It’s important for parents to understand and carefully observe their children for early symptoms of autism such as: child does not babble or coo by 12 months of age; the child does not wave, point, grasp or make other gestures by 12 months of age; the child does not say single words by 16 months of age. Diagnosing is hard because there's no medical test for it. Instead an autism diagnosis is based on a qualified professional's evaluation of symptoms or behaviors. Just remember that signs, symptoms and severity can vary.

Statistics say that 25% of people with autism are nonverbal or minimally verbal. Some who are verbal may be quiet, yes, but others are very chatty. It's like the popular saying goes: If you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism.

Nearly half of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) try to wander or run off, even when there’s adult supervision. Individuals with autism are prone to wandering for various reasons, and many are drawn to bodies of water. For that reason, they're at significant risk of drowning. It’s vital to get your child swim lessons while they are young as preventive measure and to avoid their risk of drowning.

In general autism is a lifelong condition, though patterns and severity of symptoms change in adulthood. Some interesting studies suggest that over a period of years, a small proportion of children diagnosed with autism may cease to experience or show symptoms possibly in response to intensive early intervention. These claims need to further verification. However, in reality, children on the spectrum grow up to be adults on the spectrum.

Approximately 40% of individuals diagnosed with autism are non-verbal. About 25%-30% of children with autism may speak some words around age 12 to 18 months, but then lose them. Others may gain the ability to speak later in childhood. Some individuals on the spectrum have mild to severe intellectual impairment, the intellectual functioning of many others is within, and in some cases above, the normal range.

The percentage of autism in individuals has increased worldwide in recent years. However, it’s still unclear as how these percentages are calculated. It could be the changes in how doctors diagnose and report cases of autism or perhaps an environmental factor surrounding an individual. Experts say the bulk of the increase stems from a growing awareness of autism and developments in how autism is diagnosed. In the United States, the prevalence of autism increased from about 1 in 150 children in 2000 to 1 in 68 children in 2010, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This increase is likely due to a combination of better efforts to diagnose autism, and an increase in people with the condition, the CDC says.

Nearly half of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) try to wander or run off, even when there’s adult supervision. Individuals with autism are prone to wandering for various reasons, and many are drawn to bodies of water. For that reason, they're at significant risk of drowning. It’s vital to get your child swim lessons while they are young as preventive measure and to avoid their risk of drowning.

COMMUNITY IMPACT/AWARENESS

Individuals with ASD experience many challenges with communication, social skills and sensory information. With appropriate accommodations these individuals can be successful anywhere. There is a great need for more autism-friendly businesses and workplaces in the community. Parents with children on the spectrum – and individuals with ASD – encounter how difficult public places can be. The overwhelming sounds, sights and disconcerting expectations of how they’re supposed to behave can be discouraging. At the same time, many well-meaning business owners are unfamiliar with how to create an autism-friendly environment for customers or employees on the spectrum.

There are many ways your business can support individuals on the autism spectrum disorder and their families. Individuals on the spectrum like to shop, eat and get haircuts like everyone else. Being different is not a cause for social exclusion. One of the biggest ways to become more autism friendly is to educate yourself and your staff. Provide a quiet area as a place for a person to compose themselves if they are becoming too overwhelmed in the public area. Once a week, hold a ‘sensory-friendly’ shopping hour or morning. Turn the loudspeaker down or off, do not play any background music. Try dimming the lights a bit to create a less stimulating environment. Develop a priority queuing system. With this system, families who are impacted by autism could register with the store and access a special check-out line to reduce waiting. This will also reduce anxiety and sensory overload, allowing the family to have a more successful shopping experience. Educate your staff. Have an autism awareness presentation bi-annually. Increased awareness in your staff helps create a more inclusive environment for your ASD customers. Trained employees are able to spot a situation or possibly prevent one from happening by responding with compassion. People with autism don’t always react in the same way every time they have an episode. Prepare some online visuals – pictures of different areas in your venue – that families could use to create visual supports or social narratives for their family member with ASD. This will help the family and individual prepare for a visit to your establishment and to be more comfortable when they arrive. Whatever, you decide, always remember not to judge. A little understanding can go a long way.

It's also a great idea to recruit, hire and support employees with ASD. Individuals on the spectrum are very much capable of working given the right environment and proper training. They can thrive in a society that welcomes diversity. According to research conducted by The National Autistic Society, individuals with autism tend to be conscientious and are often very committed to their work. The research also found that these workers are punctual, honest and reliable. Levels of absenteeism is often lower among these workers. However, most are unemployed. How awesome would it be for your business to provide those opportunities for them as a show of support for all communities? This not only widens your customer base and increases your revenue, but you will be recognized as a leader in the community. This fosters more rewarding customer relationships and earns more business from the autism community.

For some autistic children a haircut is really difficult. It's an invasion of personal space; the scratch of hair on their neck or the sensation of scissors and another person touching their hair may be unbearable. They may also struggle with sitting still for any length of time. Not to mention hair salons tend to be fairly buzzy places so there will doubtless be music playing and customers and hairdressers chatting.


Crowds, loud noises and environmental changes. For example: for some autistic children getting a haircut is really difficult. It's an invasion of personal space; the fibers of hair falling on their neck or the sensation of scissors and another person touching their hair may be unbearable. They may also struggle with sitting still for long periods of time. Not to mention hair salons tend to be fairly noisy places filled with music playing and customers and hairdressers chatting. These things can definitely trigger sensory sensitivity in individuals with ASD. A warning and clear instructions will help to assist in the need with sensory overload. Perhaps a visual schedule would be a helpful, too. An overload of the senses can be overwhelming and cause a meltdown. Sounds that are barely noticeable to you may distract a child/adult with autism and keep him from learning. Certain textures may cause children with autism to cringe in disgust. Certain smells may cause him to gag. While sensory issues are extremely prevalent among people on the spectrum, to the point where it's considered a symptom of autism, not everyone on the spectrum has sensory processing disorder.