Autism:

Challenges and Solutions:

Autism is such a complex disorder and individuals with autism have varying challenges they have to overcome. One of these challenges that is commonly seen in those with autism is anxiety. Roughly 40% of those on the spectrum also struggle with anxiety as well (Rudy, 2023). According to Autism Tasmania (2009), anxiety can produce itself as obsessive compulsive behavior, meltdowns, controlling behaviors, and more. A solution that is option is cognitive behavioral therapy(CBT). This can be effective because allowing these individuals the opportunity to talk and walk them through their issues can help them overcome their anxieties (Rudy, 2023).Another solution to overcoming anxiety would be to teach techniques to help them manage and cope with it. In a personal experience with the autistic clients I work with would be to attempt to get them to start counting. These clients are nonverbal and high behavioral often high sensory events cause them to display anxiety and have meltdowns.The experiences this line of work brings forward a lot of techniques you can use to alleviate anxiety. The idea of having them count to a set number helps alleviate the stress of their anxiety by allowing them to focus on the counting rather than what was bringing them anxiety. Another challenge that individuals with autism struggle with is sensory issues. Which is also known as sensory overload (Rudy, 2023). Sensory overload could be anything like being in large loud crowds and feeling uncomfortable, being touched when it is unwanted, and more (Rudy, 2023). Usually sensory issues cannot be something these individuals just grow out of. They can go through therapy to help them learn to cope and manage their sensory overload, but it cannot be cured (Rudy, 2023).

Challenges and Issues For Family Members:

Having a family member who is diagnosed with autism can be a lot. Parents and siblings often go without to be able to provide the care and assure that the needs of the autistic individual. Parents often find themselves struggling financially (Anand, 2021). The cost alone to provide the individual with the resources they may need could cause a financial burden. They may need to hire a caregiver to assist them in helping care for this individual, and it can even get to the extreme of one parent having to quit their job to care for their child (Anand, 2021). Another challenge parents may go through is dealing with the stigmatism that surrounds autism (Anand, 2021). There is a negative connotation that surrounds the diagnosis of autism. Not everyone is accepting and understanding. This can be challenging for a parent and even other children because it can make them feel isolated from others, and could make them feel that their child will not be accepted for who they truly are (Anand, 2021). Parents are not the only family member who face challenges with an autism diagnosis. Being a sibling of someone who has autism can be incredibly embarrassed by their autistic sibling (Rudy, 2023). Children are curious and they have no filter. Imagine the effects it could have on an individual to constantly be asked what is wrong with their sibling (Rudy, 2022). These children could be teased and bullied by their peers. Another challenge siblings might face is a sense of resentment for their sibling (Rudy, 2022). A lot of things have to change with having an autistic siblings. Often they are put aside and told no to accommodate the needs of their sibling. They have to make sacrifices such as having to leave events early (Rudy, 2022). This could lead to the child hating their sibling.

Issues in Societal Areas and Solutions (Accommodations):

School can be a very hard things for those diagnosed with autism. Autism is social defects, repetitive behaviors, and communication defects. These characteristics and the general idea of school usually conflict with each other. There are many sensory challenges that autistic students must face daily such as loud environments (Rudy, 2022). This could send the student into sensory overload, and cause them anxiety which could lead to behavioral issues. An accommodation that could be in place could be allowing the child to wear noise cancelling headphones while in louder environments (Rudy, 2022). Another challenge these individuals face at school is an ever changing routine (Rudy, 2022). Consistency and stability are a huge thing for people with autism. Having schedules and familiar situations that they can look forward to is a huge relief for this individuals. School routines can be changed by substitutes or different staff, snow days, or even testing days (Rudy, 2022). The best accommodation for these individuals would be to let them know in advance if there is going to be a change to their routines. However sometimes we cannot warn them in advance. Struggles for autistic individuals do not stop after school ends and some can even continue in on their careers. Because autism affects an individuals ability to communicate, it may also affect how they work with their coworkers. One challenge those individuals may face at work involves how they interact with other people. It can be incredibly hard for them to understand what people may be thinking or feeling (AbsenceSoft, 2017). An accommodation that could be made is communication on a one on one level (AbsenceSoft, 2017). This would allow for no communication errors and allow the individual to feel like they can fully understand their coworker. Another challenge that you could find in the workplace could be sensory issues (AbsenceSoft, 2017). Accommodations for these issued could include things such as special lights, headphones, or even working remotely (AbsenceSoft, 2017).

Mainstreaming the child:

Mainstreaming is the idea of placing a child with disabilities into a "mainstream" normal classroom (Wilson, 2020). There are definitely pros and cons in choosing to mainstream a child with autism. One of the pros could be an increased self esteem (ABA Therapy Northern Virginia, 2020). Being in a "normal" classroom can help them with their communication skills, and it can help them not feel so different than those around them. A potential con of mainstreaming an autistic child could be the academic disadvantages (ABA Therapy Northern Virginia, 2020). Accommodations can be made for these children and even though the teachers do their best sometimes these children fall behind (ABA Therapy Northern Virginia, 2020).

Societal Awareness and Accommodations:

Inclusion can be a huge deal for those with autism. In including those who are different than us, it allows them to feel seen, understood, and appreciated. It is important for society to be aware and implement accommodations because these individuals deserve the same treatment and respect that "normal" people get. We should not go out of our way to make life harder for anyone including those with autism. It is important to remember that their disability does not define who they are as a person and what they are capable of achieving. Behind each individual with autism is just a normal person who wants to be respected and accepted.

References:

Anand, N. (2021, February 20). Common challenges of parenting an autistic child. Common Challenges of Parenting an Autistic Child. https://caliberautism.com/blog/Common-Challenges-of-Parenting-an-Autistic-Child

Common challenges. Autism Tasmania. (2022, August 24). https://www.autismtas.org.au/about-autism/common-challenges/

Pros and cons of mainstreaming an autistic child. ABA Therapy Northern Virginia. (2020, January 6). https://www.allianceabatherapy.com/blog/165006-pros-and-cons-of-mainstreaming-an-autistic-child#:~:text=Being%20mainstreamed%20means%20that%20your,learn%20acceptance%2C%20collaboration%20and%20tolerance.

Rudy, L. J. (2023a, March 6). Why it can be hard to live with high-functioning autism. Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/why-high-functioning-autism-is-so-challenging-259951

Rudy, L. J. (2022, May 9). What it’s like being the sibling of a child with autism. Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/challenges-of-having-a-sibling-on-the-autism-spectrum-4114557

Rudy, L. J. (2022b, June 1). Good reasons why an autistic child has a tough time with school. Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/why-school-is-so-challenging-4000048

Top workplace accommodations for employees with autism spectrum disorder. AbsenceSoft. (2023, March 24). https://absencesoft.com/resources/top-accommodations-for-employees-with-autism/

Wilson, B. (2022, July 21). What is mainstreaming in special education?. Applied Behavior Analysis Programs Guide. https://www.appliedbehavioranalysisprograms.com/faq/special-education-mainstreaming/

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