The term "Autism Spectrum Disorders" (ASD) is an umbrella term that includes Autistic disorder (sometimes called infantile Autism or childhood Autism); Asperger's and Atypical Autism. ASD is one of the most common neuro‐developmental disorders that interfere with the normal development of the brain. The disorder does not discriminate and can be found throughout the world in all spheres of society.
Diagram Footnote: Autism Spectrum Disorders are identified and described in the American Psychiatric Association, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or commonly referred to as DSM‐IV.
Although, ASD are almost always present at birth, most parents are unaware that anything is out of the ordinary. Most parents will begin to recognise subtle differences between their child’s development, commonly around 2 to 3 years of age. For parents with children with Asperger's symptomology becomes more evident at 5 to 6 years of age.
Autism Spectrum Disorders are accompanied by considerable personal suffering, parental burden and community cost.
Children on the Spectrum will have varying degrees of impairment from mild to severe. Their disorder will affect the way they communicate, their capacity to engage and form social relationships and how they perceive and react to the world they live in. Commonly children with ASD will demonstrate impairment in three core areas, known as the Triad of Impairment. It is important to note that not all children with ASD's will behave in the same way and each child will display a different combination and intensity of characteristics. Read David's story...
The Triad of Impairment
1. Interpersonal relationships and social interactions
Children affected by ASD's have difficulty in understanding feelings and the subtle cues that communicate them; a smile, a wink, or a frown will have little or no meaning. This social world is very bewildering to a child with ASD and they will struggle to form and reciprocate interpersonal relationships, even with their own nuclear family. They will also struggle to cope with the simplest forms of social interactions especially their ability to play and relate to children of their own age that do not have ASD's. Many of these children will experience a heightened level of anxiety when interacting with others.
2. All forms of verbal and non‐verbal communication
Children affected by ASD's will encounter significant difficulties in their ability to develop, understand and apply all forms of communication both verbal and non‐verbal. Most children with ASD's will remain unable to speak and those that do have a level of speech development are rarely able to use these skills to actively communicate with others.
3. Ability to cope with change and unfamiliar environments and routines
Children affected by ASD's will profoundly struggle to cope and can experience high levels of stress and anxiety with any changes in their immediate environments, routines and surroundings. Even the slightest change in mealtimes, dressing, bath time or changing the way you go to school can be extremely disturbing for a child with ASD. Families with children on the spectrum must be ever vigilant in maintaining a highly structured and routined environment and even small changes can stimulate an intense and overwhelming sense of fear and anxiety that can often lead to behavioural 'meltdowns'. Simply put, the disorder makes it difficult for them to relate to the outside world.
Beyond this triad of impairment many children with ASD will also experience an array of behaviour difficulties e.g. restricted interests, repetitive patterns of behaviors may be exhibited like hand flapping, rocking etc. These repetitive behaviours can take the form of persistent and strong preoccupations. They may also experience abnormal sensory responses to light, touch, taste, smell, sound, temperature and pain, and unusual responses to people or attachments to objects. These additional behavioural difficulties will also thrust the child into constant and at
times overwhelming levels of anxiety, confusion and frustration just in wrestling with even the most common everyday stressors of life.
Many children on the spectrum will have the propensity to wander off or escape from even the most secured environments. Parents often have to have multiple locks on all the doors and windows of the family home. Children with ASD are masters at common patterns and overtime will identify and memorize locks, enabling them to move beyond safe and supervised thresholds and boundaries. It is important to understand these children are not naughty, willful children, this is simply how their mind works and they do not appreciate the dangers that lie beyond physical boundaries set by loving parents. Children with ASD's would not think twice about going on to a busy roadway, nor would they look for oncoming cars. They don't understand that some strangers will not have their best interests at heart or a body of water is not safe to go into if you cant swim. Many of these children will not even respond to their own names. Can you imagine the constant pressure parents and carers are under, every minute of each and every day.
One of the most powerful aspects for Children with ASD that receive a dog is the companionship. Many of these special kids will never experience the joys and fun of having a best friend. Dogs unlike people are incredibly perceptive and don't see difference.