Description

After long years of being regarded as a mental illness or emotional maladjustment, autism is now regarded as a biological disorder that is due to organic rather than psychological causes. More specifically, autism is a neurological or brain based developmental disorder that particularly manifests as problems in cognition, communication and interaction. In the past 30 years, the prevalence rate of autism has skyrocketed, and it continues to rise. For the child with autism and his or her family, the disorder is a lifelong challenge. The onset typically occurs before three years of age (Marohn, 2002). Whatever the diagnosis, appropriate education and treatment based on the child's abilities and needs can help children develop to their full potential. All too often children with autism are viewed as members of a group, with little interest or concern shown towards each child as an individual. This is clearly not the intent of the present study. The goal here is to strengthen the perceptions towards the unique qualities of each child. 1.1 An overview of Autism "If you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism." - Dr. Stephen Shore Arrays of problems are relatively common among autistic people such as seizure disorders, gastrointestinal issues, mental retardation and mental illness. Many autistic people have no apparent mental or physical illness at all. A majority of autistic people are either hyper or hypo sensitive to light, sound, crowds and other external stimulation. Some have both hyper and hypo sensitivities. This often results in autistic people covering their ears, avoiding or reacting negatively to brightly lit areas, or on the other hand crashing hard into sofas and craving strong bear hugs. While it is unusual to find an autistic person who is obviously