Autism in Children - Two Important Signs to Monitor That Indicate the Condition

Do you know that more and more people are being afflicted with autism spectrum disorder? This is a fact because many children are continually being diagnosed with this disease on a daily basis all over the world. In the United States alone, it is estimated that more than 2 million people are infected with the disease and the figure is likely to be increasing on a daily basis.

If you are a parent or an intending one, there are certain signs you need to monitor in your child to know if that child is having autism. The major signs to monitor usually affect the communicative and behavior skills of the patient. Read the below two important signs that can help you know whether your child is autistic or not. But of course, ensure that you get the doctor's confirmation before taking any action.

The first sign area you will like to watch out for is the inability of the child to display the needed social skill when it is time. A normal child is likely to show gestures and imitate certain words before he or she reaches one year and six months. If your child at this age cannot show this skill then watch out as he or she might be a victim of the condition.

Another is the behavior he or she is constantly exhibiting. An autistic child usually displays a repetitive characters like the repetition of some words when it is not necessary. He or she could also repeat certain actions such as flapping of hands. The habit is often referred to as stimming. A child with autism usually displays this habit.

These two signs, among others, should alert you to the presence of autism in your child. But of course, before making any decisions or arriving at any conclusions, you should talk to your doctor to examine your child and let you know what the true situation is.

Click to learn --> Autism Toddlers Symptoms and secrets to High Functioning Autism!

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ABA Therapy Uses Repetition to Teach Independence

For many outsiders looking at ABA Therapy for the first time, there are a lot of questions. One of the most common questions parents ask is how teaching a child to repeat an answer that they are given to a question can teach them anything beyond rote memorization. While it is true that initial goals of ABA Therapy include a great deal of teaching children to mimic answers to questions, the therapy is part of a rewiring process that teaches their brains to produce nerve synapses that many brains perform naturally. As this development occurs, children develop the ability to think critically and independently, ultimately leading to skills and functions that help make them virtually indistinguishable from their peers.

Many critics of ABA Training have seen the therapy only a few times and formed an opinion. The fact is that ABA Therapy is the only treatment approved by most health insurance companies for children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. The reason for this is that it simply works. For decades, ABA Therapy has been preparing children with varying degrees of ASD for school, work, and other social situations. While it is most effective when introduced during toddler and preschool years, a majority of people with an ASD can see a significant improvement with ABA Training at any age.

Repetition plays a strong part in ABA Therapy. A child is asked a question and provided the answer. The child is then asked the same question and prompted to respond. Clues are often given, though over time they become vaguer until the child is expected to answer without prompting. This is a valuable tool, because it helps not only teach the child to properly respond to questions and requests, but because it helps providers teach children what types of behavior will get results.

When a question is asked, only appropriate answers and behavior will garner any result. Any inappropriate behaviors are ignored, teaching children over time that proper behavior is the only way to gain attention or favor. While answering questions helps children to learn new things, this aspect of ABA Therapy also teaches fundamentals of behavior and of giving importance to human interaction over other stimuli, things that other children learn much differently.

In conclusion, repetition is truly a fundamental part of ABA Training, but it is not in an effort to teach rote memorization. Only through repetition can thinking patterns within the brain adapt and change themselves, and only through repetition can these children be taught the basic fundamentals of behavior and social interaction. While to outsiders this repetition may make little sense, for parents who have seen it teach their children to think independently, the value of this aspect of ABA Therapy is remarkably obvious.

Garrett Butch is the father of a 6 year old with autism and the founder of Maximum Potential Group.

Maximum Potential has developed courses that train parents and school systems how to work with children with autism.

http://www.maximumpotentialkids.com

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