ASD

What is ASD and some therapies to help manage ASD?

By: Victoria Ford
What is ASD?

Autism Spectrum
Disorder, or ASD, is a
neurological and
developmental disorder
 Social
- Lack ability to interact in a
social environment
Symptoms
- Avoid eye contact
- Display lack of interest in
of ASD
people
Children with autism
experience three main
disabilities in social
interactions,
communication, and
Communications behavior.
Behavioral
- Often echolalia (repeat
what others say) - Unusual obsessions
- Almost half are -Self injury
nonverbal - Repetitive object use
- Can be hard to have a (sensory)
conversation without -Highly skilled at certain
talking about what things
interests them most
Therapies for ASD
The following video goes through a therapy session, that includes methods of
calming and separate methods of answering questions. Having different kinds of
therapies and solutions is important.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13DiS7cPgX0
Diagnosing ASD
Signs and symptoms:
Avoids eye contact
Repeats words or phrases
Shows interest in random things
Has trouble adapting to new routine
Has trouble understanding other
peoples feelings
Repeats actions over and over again
Has trouble expressing wants or
needs
A diagnoses for ASD is not usually
reliable until a child is older.
A diagnoses that is made by a
professional doctor at the age of
two years old is somewhat reliable,
but not always.
ASD cannot be diagnoses through a
blood test, it can only be diagnosed
through behavior.
My Experience
I have volunteered with Special Olympics the last few years and have really enjoyed
it. It is rewarding to be able to help students and young adults play sports and
watch them have fun.
My moms best friend has a son who has down syndrome and autism. He is one of
my favorite people to be around. He is constantly happy and wanting to play. We
share some common interests and are both very good at playing a certain game
and whenever we spend time together he wants to play with me.
Last year when we visited Oak Parks school in Traverse City it made me want to
learn more about autism and help spread awareness. People who have autism are
very special and I would like to continue to learn about the disorder and help other
people understand it better.
References
Autism Speaks. (n.d.) Treatments and Therapies Retrieved from
https://www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/tool-kits/100-day-kit/treatments-
therapies
Centers for Disease and Control Prevention. (n.d.) Facts About ASD. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/facts.html
Judd, R. (2015, February) Easy-to-Use Calming Strategies for Autism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13DiS7cPgX0
National Institution of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. (n.d.) Autism Spectrum
Disorder Fact Sheet. Retrieved from https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-
Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Autism-Spectrum-Disorder-Fact-Sheet