Cultural Heritage Diaries: World Autism Awareness

APRIL IS THE WORLD AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH!

On World Autism Awareness Month, we would like to share basic information about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to promote autism awareness. Let’s increase our acceptance and appreciation towards them! J

World Autism Awareness Day 2018 is on Monday, April 2, 2018.

On November 1, 2007, the United Nations (UN) called for one day each year to be designated as World Autism Day. On December 18, 2007, the UN General Assembly designated April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day. It was first observed in 2008.

Time and Date AS (n.d) stated that World Autism Awareness Day aims to increase people's awareness about people with autism especially children. The day often features educational events for teachers, health care workers and parents, as well as exhibitions showcasing work created by children with autism.

Autism

Autism is a developmental disability that remains with a person for his or her whole life. This condition affects the brain's functions. The first signs usually appear before a child is three years old. People with autism often:

Find social interaction difficult.
Have problems with verbal and non-verbal communication.
Demonstrate restrictive and repetitive behavior.
Have a limited set of interests and activities.

Autism affects girls and boys of all races and in all geographic regions and has a large impact on children, their families, communities and societies. The prevalence is currently rising in many countries around the world. Caring for and educating children and young people with this condition places challenges on health care, education and training programs.

Furthermore, according to the National Autistic Society (2017), autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how people perceive the world and interact with others.

Autistic people see, hear and feel the world differently to other people. Autism is not an illness or disease and cannot be 'cured'.

Diagnosis

A diagnosis is the formal identification of autism, usually by a multi-disciplinary diagnostic team, often including a speech and language therapist, pediatrician, psychiatrist and/or psychologist.

The benefits of a diagnosis

Getting a timely and thorough assessment and diagnosis may be helpful because:

it helps autistic people (and their families, partners, employers, colleagues, teachers and friends) to understand why they may experience certain difficulties and what they can do about them

it allows people to access services and support.

Common Characteristics of Autism

*May be vary from one person to another.

Most of them have persistent difficulties with social communication and social interaction.

1) Social Communication

Autistic people have difficulties with interpreting both verbal and non-verbal language like gestures or tone of voice. Many have a very literal understanding of language, and think people always mean exactly what they say. They may find it difficult to use or understand:

facial expressions
tone of voice
jokes and sarcasm

Some may not speak, or have fairly limited speech. They will often understand more of what other people say to them than they are able to express. Some autistic people prefer to use alternative means of communication, such as sign language or visual symbols.

Others have good language skills, but they may still find it hard to understand the expectations of others within conversations, perhaps repeating what the other person has just said (this is called echolalia) or talking at length about their own interests.

2) Social Interaction

Autistic people often have difficulty 'reading' other people, recognizing or understanding others' feelings and intentions, and expressing their own emotions. This can make it very hard for them to navigate the social world. They may:

appear to be insensitive
seek out time alone when overloaded by other people
not seek comfort from other people
appear to behave 'strangely' or in a way thought to be socially inappropriate.

Autistic people may find it hard to form friendships. Some may want to interact with other people and make friends, but may be unsure how to go about it.

3) Repetitive Behaviour and Routines

The world can seem a very unpredictable and confusing place to autistic people, who often prefer to have a daily routine so that they know what is going to happen every day.

The use of rules can also be important. It may be difficult for an autistic person to take a different approach to something once they have been taught the 'right' way to do it. People on the autism spectrum may not be comfortable with the idea of change, but may be able to cope better if they can prepare for changes in advance.

4) Highly-Focused Interests

Many autistic people have intense and highly-focused interests. These can change over time or be lifelong, and can be anything from art or music, to trains or computers. An interest may sometimes be unusual.

5) Sensory Sensitivity

Autistic people may also experience over- or under-sensitivity to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light, colours, temperatures or pain. For example, they may find certain background sounds, which other people ignore, as unbearably loud or distracting. This can cause anxiety or even physical pain. Or they may be fascinated by lights or spinning objects.

What causes autism?

The exact cause of autism is still being investigated. Research into causes suggests that a combination of factors - genetic and environmental - may account for differences in development. Autism is not caused by a person's upbringing, their social circumstances and is not the fault of the individual with the condition.

Is there a cure?

There is no 'cure' for autism. However, there is a range of strategies and approaches - methods of enabling learning and development - which people may find to be helpful.

How you can help?

You can help autistic people and their families by:

spreading understanding about autism - sign up to support any Autism Organizations
donating so those organizations can continue to give millions of people information and advice about support
volunteering in care services under Autism Organizations
fundraising