Reducing Behavior Challenges In School

Humans tend to learn by observing others, and this is particularly true of humans in their very early years. Interestingly enough, when someone is born with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders) they may not pick up on things in the same ways as others and may even fail to learn some expected behaviors. This is one of the reasons that Autism often manifests itself as behavior challenges in school.

Even though there are many red flags and warnings that someone has ASD, it may be misdiagnosed until the time they enter into formal schooling, and then it becomes clear that they may be experiencing some of the cognitive or academic disorders as well as the social and behavioral problems that come with Autism. This leads to the need for a child's teachers to find ways to address their behavior challenges in school, but it also helps to know that there are many at home tactics that can be put to good use too.

It all begins with finding one of the better Autism training systems, and these will tend to rely on something known as ABA. This translates to Applied Behavior Analysis which is a science dedicated to observing, noting and addressing human social behaviors. Obviously, these include the behavior challenges in school, but also everywhere else too.

ABA works on the premise that a child with any of the ASD issues is going to generally have an inability to imitate the standard behaviors, and this leads to them being viewed as presenting behavior challenges in school and at home. When parents and teachers are trained in the ways to use ABA principles and strategies, however, they are going to be able to address specific issues in order to promote and encourage positive behaviors and to curb the unwanted ones.

It is interesting to note that most school systems tend to consider the needs of ASD students as something belonging entirely to the special education department, but newer federal mandates make it essential that all children are included in the mainstream environment. This means that most schools systems will, eventually, need to implement Autism training of some kind, but it helps when parents consider it too.

Fortunately, the better training systems make an at home or parents version of their programming available, in addition to the teachers training. This can really boost a child's chances for academic and social success because it means they get the kind of support they need on a full time basis.

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, therapists and school systems how to work with children with autism.

http://www.maximumpotentialkids.com
http://www.abatrainingcourse.com

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New Jersey Autism Statistics

When comparing the number of cases of Autism in New Jersey with the rest of the country, New Jersey shows as having the highest amount of cases nationally. The CDC has released statistics that say one in every one hundred and fifty kids is on the spectrum nationwide. The garden state boasts a much higher number with one in ninety-four. That number appears to show that there are many more kids who have spectrum disorders in the state, but that may not be quite accurate. Experts feel that it simply signifies the amount of early diagnosis that takes place.

Currently, about 87,000 people are estimated to have a form of autism in New Jersey. This number places the state higher than any other when it comes to cases being reported. That does not mean the state actually has more children who suffer from the condition. Instead it stands at the forefront of being able to accurately find and diagnose those children. Simply put, the state is ahead of the nation in regards to autism identification.

There are many variations of the disorder that fall into the spectrum. They can range from mild occurrences to quite severe. The symptoms of each tend to be similar. They can include everything from social and communication impairment, developmental delays and even sensory issues and compulsive behaviors. Many children are diagnosed during their school years. The average age of discovery nationwide is eight years old. It is different in New Jersey. Children are typically diagnosed sometime near four years old.

An early diagnosis helps lead the state into early treatment options. An autistic person will likely require many treatments for their varied problems in a lifetime. The result of the treatments is the ability to manage their problems and live a successful life in spite of their differences. Being able to begin these treatments when the child is younger will prove more successful.

Autistic children generally struggle in school and need special accommodations. That is one other way the state has higher numbers than the national average. Ninety-seven percent of students receive special education services in New Jersey. This number is larger in comparison to the national average of students who receive help at school. Many of these students might struggle and fail without the assistance they receive.

If one were to only look at the numbers available they would easily believe that the state seemed to have more autistic children than the rest of the nation. It might lead to the speculation of risk factors among residents that do not exist elsewhere. That is not necessarily the case. Instead, it is indicative of the frequent ability to diagnose the condition compared to other states.

Anyone who might encounter a child on the spectrum professionally is trained in how to spot the signs and how to handle the child. It is not uncommon for a child to be incorrectly diagnosed for many years. New Jersey sees it less often because there is more knowledge about the neurological disorder available. Because of this it is possible to have the child diagnosed and in treatment long before they even begin school.

It is a fact that the rate of diagnosis is climbing nationwide over past years. There are many who believe in specific causes of the changed. Some simply feel the spectrum now allows many that fell into a broader variety of symptoms to now be considered autistic. No matter what a person believes to be the reasoning, a look at the statistics will show that there is a high rate of autism in New Jersey.

Mark Bree writes articles about Autism for The NJ Center For Autism, a New Jersey Autism resource that specializes in the ABA program. Their website is http://www.njabcs.org.

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How To Care for an Adult With Autism

The ability of an adult with autism to live a functional life outside of a group home is a direct result of the level of needs-based education the autistic person received as a child. If a child with autism is instructed, preferably on a one-to-one basis, the socially acceptable responses to situations, they are generally able to function quite well outside of autism care homes. Even with appropriate childhood training to prepare autistic children for life in normal society, they often find themselves as adults living at home with their parents or in care facilities.

Unfortunately for anyone diagnosed with autism, it is an extremely difficult disease to live with. There is some debate as to general advice that is acceptable for all cases of autism, as the disorder is considered a spectrum disorder. Each patient diagnosed with autism reacts to the disease in an extremely individual manner. Some patients need intensive personal care for their entire lives, while other patients are brilliant in one or two areas and live highly functional lives. There are support groups around the country who exist to assist adults with autism in helping themselves outside of a care home setting. Past research indicates adults with autism are better suited working in positions which utilize their specific strengths. As adults with autism generally have very limited short-term memory, but have excellent long-term memory, they can exist quite well in society when working in strength specific positions.

Although special services are sometimes necessary to assist adults with autism in performing simple, day-to-day, common tasks, most adults with autism can live quite successfully outside of a care home setting. Even those residing in autism care homes can work independently outside of their care home and earn money to live successful lives. Research has indicated the most common concern among adults with autism is the worry that other, "normal", people will see their behavior as weird or unacceptable. With the appropriate training in how to react to social situations, this worry can be significantly lessened. The inability to react appropriately to social situations is not something that is optional in a person with autism; it is an inherent symptom of the disease itself. There are a large number of autistic adults in society today which have educated backgrounds and even college degrees. These people are considered brilliant in their field and have learned to overcome any social oddities in their behavior.

It is extremely important for everyone to educate themselves on the symptoms and behaviors associated with autism. Modern medicine and technology have not prevented the incidences of diagnosed autism in children from rising to 1 in every 166 children. With such a high rate of diagnosed childhood autism, it is highly likely a person will meet or know someone in their life with the disease. Autistic care homes are not available in abundance in the United States and many adults with autism still reside at home with their parents. Autistic people need special attention the same as any person with a mental or physical handicap. Though they can be significantly different from normal people, with the proper attention and training they can live highly successful and independent lives.

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Repetitive Behavior

Repetitive behavior, Stimming.

Although people with Autism will normally appear physically normal and have good muscle control, they will sometimes display unusual repetitive movements.

Which is known as, stereotypic movement disorder, stereotypies or repetitive behaviors, self stimulation, or stimming.

Repetitive behaviors, stimming, obsessions, stereotype and routines are all features of the autistic spectrum disorder. The level of an Autistic persons development and functioning will influence their specific behavior, if any.

The repetitive behavior, stimming, stereotypy or self-stimulatory behavior is common in many individuals with developmental disabilities; but appears to be more common in autism.

Sometimes an Autistic person will have a preoccupation with a certain part of an object (such as the bell on a bike), repetitive use of a particular object, such as flicking a rubber band or twirling a piece of string, or a repetitive activity involving the senses such as smelling, or feeling of particular textures, such as a blanket, or rubbing silk, also listening to different noises.

Repetitive behaviors can also extend into the spoken word as well. Echolalia is the repetition of a single word or phrase.

Stereotypy, repetitive, stimming or obsessive behavior, can involve any one or all senses,
For example:

Sight: Staring into lights, repetitive blinking, flicking their fingers in front of their eyes and hand-flapping.

sound: tapping of the ears, snapping of the fingers.

feel: Rubbing their skin with their hands or with an object, or scratching, bitting.

Taste: Placing body parts or objects into their mouth, or

licking objects and things

Smell: Smelling of objects, or sniffing people.

With Autism sometimes an overload of sensory input is too confusing for them to handle, so they'll actually flap (stim), in order to concentrate on the flapping and calm themselves down.

Autistic people find it hard to multi task, so when they're looking at something it's almost as if they're deaf and can't hear because they will suppress or turn off their auditory system (hearing).

In fact, if a person with another developmental disability presents a form of self-stimulatory behavior, the person is quite often labeled as having autistic characteristics

Autistic children may also display self-stimming behaviors. Such as hand flapping and toe walking. Or in some cases self-harming behavior such as biting or head-banging.

Repetitive behaviors are more often observed in children or people at the lower functioning end of the autistic spectrum.

However, some adolescents and adults can revert back to old repetitive behaviors when they are anxious or stressed.

To an Autistic person our normal everyday lives are confusing, our interaction with other people, places, sounds, smells and sights.

To an autistic person we appear to have no clear boundaries, order or meaning to anything. We don't follow the same repetitive patterns in all we do.

Research has shown that stereotypic behaviors interfere with attention and learning in autistic children. But interestingly enough, these stereotypic behaviors are quite often used as a reward of good behavior after completing a task. For example an autistic child may be allowed to twirl string once he has completed his school work.

Research has suggested various reasons why an autistic person may engage in stereotypic behaviors. One theory suggests that these behaviors give the person sensory stimulation (i.e., the person's sense is hyposensitive).

Due to some dysfunctional system in the brain or periphery, their body will want stimulation; therefore the autistic person will engage in the stereotypic behavior to excite or arouse the nervous system.

One theory is that these behaviors release beta-endorphins in their bodies (opiate-like substances) which provides the autistic person internal pleasure.

Repetitive behaviors can be easily confused with the tics that arise in Tourette's syndrome, which is itself a comorbid disorder.

The tics associated with Tourette syndrome usually begin at around age six or seven years. while repetitive movements typically start before two years of age in children on the autistic spectrum and are more likely to be triggered by excitement or stress.

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The Autism Challenge

Austism is a challenge faced by millions of people, a challenge of tremendous significance to our collective futures, a challenge that is essentially of pandemic proportions, the challenge posed by the condition known as Autism.

Autism, a word that officially became part of my family's life in February of 2008, with the "diagnosis" of our 3 year old son. It truly shook our family to it's very core.

While the condition is mentioned fairly often today, there is very little media discussion about the latest "facts". A special thanks goes out to a terrific friend and mentor for his research and support.

For your contextual knowledge, please review the following:

• Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that typically lasts throughout a person's lifetime.
• It is a part of disorders known as the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The spectrum has broad ranges across multiple varieties.
• Autism occurs in all racial, ethnic, and social groups and is four times more likely to strike boys than girls.
• Autism impairs a person's ability to communicate and relate to others. It is also often associated with rigid routines and repetitive behaviors.
• More children will be diagnosed with Autism this year than AIDS, diabetes, and cancer COMBINED. A recommended and highly effective treatment for children diagnosed with Autism is a strict Gluten and Casein-free (GFCF) diet.
• A leading theory is that individuals with Autism have sustained damage to the intestine ("leaky gut") thus prohibiting Gluten and Casein from being digested normally. Gluten and Casein form substances that act like opiates in their bodies. "Leaky Gut" causes immediate release through the intestinal wall where Gluten and Casein travel immediately to the brain.
• These opiates dramatically affect the individuals behavior.
• The latest statistics show that 1 in 110 children will be diagnosed with Autism. (Note: there are calculations that say 1 in 93) 1 in 70 boys will be diagnosed. (Note: there are calculations that say 1 in 53) A new case will be diagnosed almost every 20 minutes.
• Autism costs the United States over $35 billion per year, a figure expected to increase significantly in the next decade.
• There has been a 600% increase in the last two decades. (Yes, 600%)

The causes of Autism are a source of much debate and controversy. It is indeed a very complex puzzle with theories ranging from genetics to vaccines to the withholding of parental affection. I have my own opinion on a correlation between vaccines and the issue.

There is not a documented and validated "cure". However, consistent therapy and other nutritional actions can have a sustainable impact.

The experience with my son has taught me many things about life, about how to be a better father, how to enable greatness for my children, how to be a stronger leader for my family, how to face a considerable challenge.

The following comments are truly "Lessons From My Son":

When faced with a challenge, Your FAITH will be rewarded - God has a way of sending messages to us when we least expect them. For about 6 months after the diagnosis, we experienced the full range of emotions - denial, sadness, anger, confusion, calm, etc. However, we held strong to our belief in The Creator. Our Faith was ultimately reward when our son painted this image in school... as a 3.5 YEAR OLD. It was a "gift" from our son to his loving parents and to the world.

It was inspired by the Great Spirit as a message that our son was brilliant, that the labels of society were irrelevant, that we were making progress, and that our boy's future was bright. A special "Guardian" from above would ensure our son's greatness. An amazing friend once told me to see these special moments as "trophies" given to us by The Father in recognition for our faith and good works.

I have seen every point of progress, every word spoken, every hug, every sign from above as a Trophy, something to always be cherished and be thankful for. Please see the positive moments in your life as fuel for achieving YOUR destiny. When faced with a challenge, Avoid making comparisons to others, focus on YOUR situation - Many of us look at the "good fortune" of others when we have a roadblock.

These comparisons only serve to degrade our spirits and ultimately, take away from the greatness ahead of us. We need to be happy for others while focusing on our own situation and actions. My family was comfortable with our son's glorious gifts and stayed relentlessly focused on his progress. When faced with a challenge, remember that "Your resolve is greater than your circumstances".

Do not ever underestimate your capacity to withstand tough times or your potential to rise above the circumstances. Draw upon your self-confidence as well as those that you love to give you courage. Lao Tzu's quote is timeless - "Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage." Since we were fighting for our son's future, for the legacy of our family, we leaned into multiple therapies that methodically addressed our son's issues, step by step. His therapists have been incredible. The supplements have made a difference. My wife has been an amazing rock for the family. So how can you help in the movement to address Autism? There are several ways for you to make a difference.

Build Your Knowledge - Ensure that you are well versed on the topic. Share your insights with others, especially those with young children or about to have a child. "Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew" by Ellen Notbohm is a 108 page summary that is very powerful.

Be A Resource- If you know someone with a child that has Autism, be there for them. Let them know that you care by providing moral support, praying for them, and sharing in the life of their child. My wife and I were blessed to have family and friends that wrapped their arm's around both of our boys. On a personal note, my parents and brothers have made a big difference for me in this journey. Also, realize that there are many adolescents and young adults that are on the Autism spectrum. Many of them are driving forward courageously thru their challenge and leveraging their strengths. These young people will positively impact the future of our world. If you know of one, support him/her to achieve their dreams. We will all be enriched.

Don't Judge Behavior - There have been times when my son has acted out in public against his affliction. Some people have looked at us with an understanding glance while others were obviously judging my child. They made themselves look incredibly insensitive. The old biblical saying that warns against judging until we have "walked a mile in a person's shoes" truly does apply in these instances - trust me.

Serve As An Advocate - Please ensure that our school boards, our elected officials, and our community leaders are committed to improving the effectiveness of our school systems on this topic. Too many children are marginalized in systems that don't understand their challenges or appreciate their gifts. We have been blessed that every one of our son's teachers has been amazing. However as an additional challenge, there are still many states and insurance companies that provide sub-optimal benefits support. Please push for autism insurance reform legislation with your representatives.

Donate Money To The Cause - There are dire financial needs in the efforts to solve the Autism puzzle. The funds allocated for Autism Research by our government have ranged from 80-120 MM (approximately.3% of the National Institute of Health budget) dollars a year with about another 45-50MM driven by significant efforts by private agencies. Certainly, large amounts of money but not enough to address an issues of these staggering proportions (remember 1 in 110 children). If you are inspired to donate, there are terrific organizations like The Thoughtful House, Autism Speaks, and the Autism Research Institute that are making great progress. My family has been blessed to have had the financial resources to support our son. However, there are so many that can't provide the support necessary for their children.

The cause needs your help. Thank you for your time and attention. Our son is progressing by leaps and bounds as he is now in grade school.

Angel Rodriguez is a business leader. Angel works as a Senior VP at United Surgical Partners out of Dallas, TX. He blogs regularly on his business and personal blog. Subscribe today by visiting Angel Rodriguez today at http://www.angelrodriguez.us

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Benefit By Having Downtime For Your Autistic Child

If you have a child who is autistic, you know how imperative it is to have downtown that will benefit your child and you. Creating downtime is a great way to remove your child from the busy schedule that can be taxing on him or her.

Autistic children spend time at school with his or her peers, your child may attend tutoring classes, may spend time visiting his or her doctor for medical advise, therapies, and may participate in a structured classroom, with many activities geared for the disorder of autism. A rigid schedule can be stressful and wearing on your child.

If your child has siblings, they may have downtime that appears to be different, than your child with autism. Your child with autism may decide to retreat himself or herself into their own world. That world can be a quiet room, a favorite comfort zone, a certain television show, a favorite song, a stuffed animal to talk to or even be with a certain member of the family, to relax, etc.

I know my brother had a difficult time to find the energy to be part of every social activity or an activity that required social interaction. It was a challenge for him to read social cues, and belong to an active group. This became emotionally and mentally draining on him. It became stressful not to understand how to communicate. Downtime is an important benefit.

I have learned and experienced, that you have to respect your child and understand that he or she has stress levels just as other people do who do not have autism. Therefore, your child who has autism needs time, space, a quiet place to relax and express his or herself, which can be called their own "oasis". Downtime, is extremely beneficial and will bring positive results.

Your child may have recess time that is available, if your child attends a school that offers it. This is another area that can be stressful. The reason being, is, some children with autism struggle due to the fact of the pressures for social interactions. Such as, sports that can be competitive, sensory input that can create exhaustion and be overloaded. This is not beneficial.

It is imperative not to push or force your child, to enjoy some activity that is not working for him or her. Respect your child and be aware, that it is beneficial to have downtime. Your child needs to recharge his or her system and emotions.

I have experienced with the disorder of my brother that over-scheduling activities, familiar routines, or appointments, is not a wise plan.

You will benefit from having downtime, by creating calming time, and release some of the tensions that have been built to recharge or energize your child.

Do not view or think downtime is a waste of time. It can be beneficial for your child the way he or she functions to enhance their ability to grow and change.

Bonita Darula's informational web sight==> http://www.autismintoawareness.com is where you SIGN up and RECEIVE your FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER with updated topics about downtime that are imperative for your Autistic child and you. In addition, updated new E-Books to choose from about the signs and warnings of Autism. Check it out.

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Dealing With Autism Day To Day

In order for an autistic adult to live a fully functional life on their own they need to have a detailed autistic friendly education as a child. When an autistic child is given one on one instruction they become more able to function outside of specialized care homes, though sometimes with the right childhood teaching to get a child with autism ready for the real world they sometimes do end up with their parents or in a full time care home as adults.

People who are given the diagnosis of autism do have a hard road ahead of them, it is a very hard disease to live with. Much debate has happened pertaining to the right care for every case of autism, because the disease is such a large spectrum disease. Each person who is diagnosed with autism treats their diagnoses with a different reaction.

There are different levels of care needed by autistic patients, some can lead fairly independent lives and are brilliant in a few areas, while some others have to have long term personal care. Across the United States there are specialized groups to help adults with this diagnosis to help them cope with living outside of a care home. Research shows that adults who live with autism work well in jobs where they can use their individual strengths.

The majority of adults who have autism have very little short term memory, but have outstanding long term memory so they can work exceptional in a job that plays on their individual strengths. Even though services are needed some of the time to assist autistic adults to perform day to day tasks, most patients can live quite well on their own outside of a care home. Sometimes even patients who are living in full time care homes can live a majority of their lives without much help.

A majority of adults with autism can work outside of their home and live very fulfilled lives. The biggest worry that adults with autism have is that they will be viewed as weird by other "normal" people in the world. Being unable to react in the right way to different social settings is not the fault of the patient it is simply part of the disease.

A large number of adults with autism in the world today have educated themselves to the point of getting college degrees, these patients are considered exceptional in their certain fields and have overcome any social disturbances in their lives because of the disease. Lastly it is crucial that people educate themselves on everything that is associated with the disease.

Although medicine has made great strides in other fields it has not been able to stop the diagnosis of autism from rising to one in a hundred and sixty six children. Since the numbers are so high pertaining to the diagnosis of autism, almost everyone will have someone in their life that has been diagnosed with the disease.

Unfortunately care homes geared to autistic patients are not abundant in the United States and a lot of adult autistic patients are still living at home. Just like any other person with a handicap or disability autistic people have a lot of special needs. Although people with autism can be drastically different then other people, with the right care and teaching they can lead very independent and fulfilling lives.

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