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| NSW Health Factsheet | Autism is a developmental disability that affects the way a person processes information. This factsheet helps parents to understand and manage a child with autism, and also provides information on where to find help. |
Autism - how to help and understand your child |
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Last updated: 01 March 2004 What is the autism?Autism is a developmental disability that affects the way a person is able to process information. This affects your child's ability to:
What treatments are available for autism?Currently, there are no medical or behavioural treatments available that will cure autism. One treatment that benefits all children with autism is a structured educational program that focuses on developing communication and social skills, including social play skills. Such a program should be provided before the age of five. What causes autism?Autism is caused by abnormal development of some parts of the brain. Sometimes, this follows from an underlying genetic disorder. Often, no cause for the abnormal brain development can be found. Autism is not caused by the way your child has been reared. Nor is there anything you could have done to prevent it. A paediatrician can advise you if any tests are appropriate to find a cause for your child's autism. How do I understand my child with autism?It is important to understand how your child with autism communicates and learns, as this will be different from the way your other children communicate and learn. People who can help you learn about your child include your child's early intervention teacher or speech pathologist.
They are sometimes able to remember the whole dialogue of a favourite video or story in a book or remember the route to preschool. Because skills learnt in this way often occur without any accompanying understanding, you will need to check in different ways that your child has really learnt and understood the new skill or information. How do I introduce visual objects to support learning?There are four types of visual objects to support learning and communication. These are listed below and range from (whole real objects) easy to understand to more difficult to understand (line drawings). (1=Easy to understand to 4=More difficult to understand)
The aim is to teach your child to gradually work towards the more difficult to understand visual object. It will improve your child's ability to communicate. However, introducing visual objects that are too abstract for your child will not support their understanding of language. It is therefore important to start with whole real items and then gradually move to photographs before moving to line drawings. If you are unsure how to begin to use visual objects to support learning and communication with your child at home, contact your child's teacher or a speech pathologist. How do I deal with problem behaviours?One thing to remember when addressing behavioural issues is that problem behaviour may represent a communication. When trying to manage your child's behaviour, it is important to understand the possible messages behind the behaviour. For example, your child may be trying to express feelings such as fear, anxiety, frustration, illness or tiredness. Or the behaviour may be part of your child's need to be stimulated. This includes repetitive behaviours such as spinning, rocking, head-banging or lining-up objects. However, it is not always possible to find a reason for every problem behaviour. Strategies to manage or change your child's problem behaviour may include:
Who can I contact for more information?Parents find it helpful to attend information sessions or courses about autism and to talk with other parents who have a child with autism. Listed below are some organisations or services that may be able to help you. Ask your doctor to refer you to:
Suggested readingDodd, Susan: Managing Problem Behaviours. MacLennan and Petty, Sydney, 1994. Useful links
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