Autism?

[westcountryvillain]

Autism is now called Autism Spectrum Disorder because it is a spectrum. It just means that the brain of an autistic person is wired just a little bit differently from the brain of an "ordinary" person. Because it is a spectrum every person with autism is different from every other person with autism and it is impossible to make broad statements that an autistic person will act in a particular way or have particular problems or need particular therapy.
On the one end of the spectrum you may have a non-communicative child who will scream at you if you take away their favourite toy that they are completely obsessed with, and at the other end you may have a perfectly normal child who has a few quirks such as he never looks people in the eye or he has difficulty recognizing normal social cues.
Until recently, the idea of an autistic child was linked to the highly dysfunctional end of the spectrum but now it is understood that a lot of high achieving and highly intelligent people are on the autism spectrum. Highly intelligent autistics is probably where the idea of the eccentric professor comes from. Those that are highly intelligent used to be labelled as having Asperger's syndrome. Some very famous people have been suspected of having Asperger's such as Albert Einstein, Dan Aykroyd and Anthony Hopkins. Asperger's syndrome is now seen as just a very high functioning form of autism coupled with very high intelligence.
Just because the child is labelled as autistic doesn't mean they will have difficulty in school or in life. It may mean they cannot function at all in school or it may mean they are top of the class or it may mean somewhere in between those two extremes.. They may seem very odd or eccentric or they may have very mild behaviours that would be almost impossible to spot by anyone who doesn't spend a lot of time with them. They may need intensive therapy just to learn how to talk or they may only need to be gently reminded from time to time that they really should look somebody in the eye when they're talking to them. They may be completely incapable of dealing with the noise and stress of a typical classroom or they may sit there quietly and obediently because the subject of the class fascinates and stimulates them.
So a diagnosis of autism by itself is not that useful. What is more important is recognizing which situations may cause the child to act differently from what is normally expected so that the situations can be anticipated and the child child can get the help necessary to deal with those situations in a socially acceptable manner. They may need to be pulled out of the class and have intensive one-on-one coaching with a highly trained psychologist or they may not need any help at all. It really depends on the child. So make sure you get a solid diagnosis and solid understanding of what it specifically means to your child so that you can help steer the child through his school years and into adulthood with the right treatment and advocacy. Autistic children can be very successful if given the right help.

Brilliantly summarised CalgaryB - Mick I have a 16yr old who I knew within the first 18mths of his life was a little bit different to his peers, really struggled with sensory overload and all social behaviours had to be learned vs the natural cues that others pick up on through time. Did your grandson go to nursery? If so the SENCO lead there will no doubt already be involved in the transition into school life but to me that's merely "official" endorsement of the situation whereas the parents instinctively know what works best. It may sound needy but creating an environment that puts the child at ease gives them the best chance of learning how to do school and this usually comes from a teacher who connects well, so if that isn't the case then a move may be needed. Sorry if I'm stating the obvious mate.

WCV