If you find yourself as a parent beginning to suspect that your child may have Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), it’s entirely normal to be filled with a mixture of concern about what lies ahead for your child, your family and yourself. It’s important to know that you are not alone in these feelings, as they are entirely valid. The truth is, every child with ASD is a unique individual, and each situation presents its own distinct set of strengths, challenges, outcomes, and experiences. Your journey will be the same and will be different to every other parent of a child with ASD.
The purpose of this article series is to assist you in several key areas below:
Part 1 - Understanding the ASD Diagnosis: We’ll delve into what an ASD diagnosis entails providing you with insights to better comprehend your child’s diagnosis.
Part 2 - Available Support: We will explore the support systems currently in place in Ireland, ensuring you’re aware of the resources at your disposal.
Part 3 - Professional Guidance: We will outline the expectations you can have from healthcare and educational professionals, helping you navigate the steps ahead with confidence.
Part 4 - Preparing for School: As your child approaches the school-going age, we’ll discuss what you can anticipate in terms of transitioning into an educational environment, making this transition as smooth as possible for both you and your child.
Part 5 Talking to your child about Autism: Some simple strategies for how to talk to your child and their siblings about Autism.
Part 1 Understanding the ASD Diagnosis:
An Autistic Spectrum Disorder diagnosis for a child signifies that your child has a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by a range of challenges and strengths in social interaction, communication, and behaviour. This diagnosis means that you are both on a journey together with all other family members and within that context, it is important to note that in recent years the term neurodiversity is increasingly used to describe people with Autism.
Neurodiversity is a concept and social movement that has emerged in the late 20th century. It represents the idea that neurological differences among individuals should be recognized and respected as a natural part of human diversity, similar to variations in gender, race or ethnicity. The term is often associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, and a broader range of neurological variations.
These developments would suggest to us that as we move forward, we should develop diagnostic and support frameworks that do not merely seek for challenges and deficits faced by individuals with Autism, but that we should take a more balanced view and give equal attention to a person’s strengths and what they can do.
What this means going forward is that more and more we will see a Person-Centred Planning (PCP) approach for your child as they journey through healthcare, education, social services and other supports that they may require. PCP support ensures that your child will receive personalized and tailored support and services that align to their unique needs, preferences, and goals. The central principle of Person-Centred-Planning is to place your child at the core of decision-making and planning processes, empowering them to have a voice and control over their own lives.
As PCP is based around the individual it is ideal for people who are on the autism spectrum as their needs, preferences and support requirements are often very specific to each individual… [PCP] must take into consideration all aspects of autism, including addressing sensory needs, allowing time spent on special interests (where appropriate), and avoiding situations that cause unnecessary distress. Autism Education Trust, 2012, p.5
We will explore more about what PCP that means for your child as we talk about supports available in Parts 2, 3 and 4 of this article series.
We should also make clear here too that neurodiversity is a perspective and a social movement, and that the development of the neurodiversity perspective is an essential step toward creating a more inclusive and accepting society for all individuals, regardless of their neurological differences. However, we must never downplay the real challenges that individuals with certain neurological conditions may face.
From time to time Medical and Behavioural scientific support services are still necessary supports and interventions for some people with Autism especially when it comes to Health and Safety concerns, Communication difficulties and other challenges that may pose obstacles to an Autistic person’s capacity to participate meaningfully and significantly within their academic and community settings.
Each person and child with an ASD diagnosis will have their own individual experiences, challenges, and strengths when it comes to their diagnosis. However, in general they may face issues and require support in the following areas.
Strengths and Interests
Children with ASD may demonstrate unique skills and excel in specific areas like maths, music, art, or science. Encouraging and nurturing individual strengths and interests can be very beneficial for children with ASD. School should be encouraged to embrace individual strengths and interests.
Communication
Children with ASD will typically face challenges in language development. Some may have delayed speech or struggle with expressive and receptive language skills. Others may have advanced vocabularies but difficulty with pragmatic language using language appropriately in social situations.
Social
Children with ASD may experience difficulties in understanding and responding to social cues such as making eye contact, understanding emotions in others, and engaging in reciprocal conversations.
Sensory Sensitivities
Sensory sensitivities are common in children with ASD. They may be hypersensitive (overreacting to sensory input) or hyposensitive (underreacting). This can affect their response to sights, sounds, textures, and tastes.
Repetitive Behaviours
Some children with ASD may engage in repetitive behaviors or rituals, such as hand-flapping, rocking, or fixation on specific interests. These behaviors are often a means of providing comfort or self-regulation for children with ASD. Support for repetitive behaviours may become necessary if they are significantly impacting on participation in community and learning activities or are giving rise to health and safety concerns.
There are a wide range of supports available for children, young people, and their families that can address challenges and difficulties in the above areas.
We will explore further pathways to support children and individuals with ASD in Parts 2, 3 and 4 of our Autism article series. We will keep you informed about upcoming publication dates, if you have any further queries or concerns on this topic, please feel free to Get in Touch (Link) , and we will do our best to help !
