Autism Spectrum Disorder
Do you know a three year old who is having difficulties with communication?
They could be on an autistic spectrum.
We are bidding farewell to a month that is famously known for raising well being awareness, a child abuse prevention and a sexual assault awareness month. In South Africa, it is also the month of freedom where we celebrate diversity and the freedom that our country has achieved. Unfortunately on the Mental Health and Well being side of things, our country is not so informing hence we witness a constant rise in biased, stereotypical and discriminatory behaviour towards people who live with mental illnesses or disorders.
ASD is a neurobehavioural (relationship between the nervous system and behaviour) condition that is characterised by difficulty in social interaction and communication and by restricted or repetitive patterns of thought and behaviour. The word spectrum is used because the severity and symptoms range widely with different skills and impairments floating on the spectrum. This spectrum composes of three main disorders namely Autistic disorder, Aspergers Syndrome and Pervasive Development Disorder. Autistic disorder is believed to be on the heavier end of the spectrum with Aspergers syndrome at the lighter end. People are not fully aware of the spectrum and therefore mistreat people living with ASD. Horrible vernacular names can range from iSdidi to seTseno. These names are cognate; meaning they have the same meaning in other languages. When translated to English these names hold the same weight as lunatic, demented, disturbed or unbalanced.
Autistic syndrome publicly known as autism is a neurological condition that hinders social interactions, communication and imaginative play (noticeable at age 3). Children or people living with Aspergers Syndrome do not have a problem with language, they score high in intelligence tests, but have similar social problems just as those who are living with autistic disorder. Pervasive Development Disorder also known as typical autism, refers to an umbrella word for children who cannot fit into any categorical classification within the systematic flow of the spectrum, these are the misfits of the spectrum. There we have it, they are socially awkward, nothing is wrong with them. They are not aware of their social surroundings.
Autistic syndrome publicly known as autism is a neurological condition that hinders social interactions, communication and imaginative play (noticeable at age 3). Children or people living with Aspergers Syndrome do not have a problem with language, they score high in intelligence tests, but have similar social problems just as those who are living with autistic disorder. Pervasive Development Disorder also known as typical autism, refers to an umbrella word for children who cannot fit into any categorical classification within the systematic flow of the spectrum, these are the misfits of the spectrum. There we have it, they are socially awkward, nothing is wrong with them. They are not aware of their social surroundings.
What causes autism? I can not clearly state that it is largely influenced by inheritance, but genetical proof says so. Childbearing at old age might be a factor, just as Dawn Syndrome. In vernacular these old age birthed children are called "laat lamentjie" this I think means Late Lamey, meaning the child was created at a late stage of its parents age and is bound to be lame. Such naming is horrific, and scars families and caretakers, it curses the children even before they show their potential. Other factors could be alcohol abuse or metabolic conditions that the mother is living with (obesity/diabetes). Shockingly, it has been proven that vaccines can cause autism too. Some situations are not asked or signed up for, this is what the human journey is about. Surviving. Society has horrible names for people that are on an autistic spectrum and are not aware of it.It is not because they are ignorant, it is just lack of broader knowledge and limited language use. We cannot blame them, the government is not doing enough to raise awareness or try enlighten people about issues that they might be facing everyday without being aware, it might also be that some children are misdiagnosed.
Children living with ASD are very sensitive, their sensitivity might greatly trouble or even pain them by the intensity of sounds, touches, smells or sights that seem normal to others. Children living with autism may have repetitive, stereotyped body movements such as rocking, pacing, or hand flapping. They have different attachments to objects and routine changes are never in their list of likes. They are very specific with what they want, and have their own traditions of doing what they want. They are orderly people. A few children with autism may also develop seizures and in some cases, the seizures might appear at later stages of their lives. They may have communication problems but they have unusually developed skills in other areas such as drawing, creating music, solving math problems or memorising facts. Due to their extraordinary skills they test higher in nonverbal intelligence tests.
To parents and caretakers of children that are on an autistic spectrum, look on the positive. Children on a spectrum respond well to positive reinforcements, a praise will go a long way every time a milestone is reached. Patience plays a vital role, just stay consistent and always be on schedule, they love their routines very much. Spend time and play with your child, develop a relationship with them. May this also apply to all parents, praise children for who they are, make them feel good about themselves. Love and support anchors a child's self esteem, this builds character. It is high time we became an inclusive society, accepted people for their differences and who they are. Look onto what value they bring into society and allow everyone to contribute to the bettering of society. Maybe one day society will be characterised by all its components, maybe it will function properly and prosper. Maybe we will reach a unified mutual state of human happiness, where we all live peacefully with one another and enjoy the fruits of life together as a unit and equally.
Thank You for reading. Feel free to comment, I am looking forward to it 😆!
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