Autism Spectrum Disorder

Welcome to our family!

We have set up this section to share any information and give support relating to Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Helping to explain Autism in layman's terms………..

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a real and serious medical diagnosis with many families caught up in the turmoil of dealing with therapies and treatments to alleviate the symptoms, in the hopes of allowing their children the chance to live reasonably normal lives. There is no 'cure', and children become adults learning how to deal with their Autism, regardless of where they are placed on the spectrum.

When a parent first realises that something is different with their child, they can't put their finger on exactly what it is, they just know, a gut feeling that something may be wrong. They've heard different stories, seen different behaviours, read something that twigs, what if…….

One of the things they may do before starting on the processing pathway to gaining a diagnosis for their child is to research information online, finding suggested traits and symptoms to see if there is a similarity. Some may have had a Dr suggest the possibility so they want to check first before pursuing it officially.

When connecting online it is surprising to find so many sites commenting on "What is Autism about", -with many organisations, stated professionals, well-meaning scholars, and others claiming to have an insight knowledge to their version of an Autism diagnosis.

With so many versions documented in their own typical jargon, it can be difficult to decipher through the maze of confusing mumbo-jumbo to understand what "in Layman's terms" they are trying to say.

I myself am not, nor do I profess to be a professional or have any miraculous answers, I am though a mother of 3 children, Nanna to 8, and great-nan to 1, as well as a full time carer to my grandchild diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. He also has the additional diagnosis of -Generalised Anxiety Disorder, A.D.H.D., Sensory Processing Disorder, Expressive and Receptive language disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and developmental/environmental trauma history, and the added medical diagnosis of Spinal Scoliosis,

I am a passionate advocate for Autism and Special Needs and this is the driving force for sharing my personal story and knowledge.

As a family we have gone through many processing assessments and reviews, including the NDIS process, etc, to assist with our grandson’s development, and have faced many delays due to his personal history, resulting in a late assessment diagnosis; therefore we were unable to gain assistance from early intervention involvement, etc.

Doing it all basically on our own we learnt to process through the maze of non-relevant criteria to find the best assistance for our little man.

Knowing what to look for is the best starting point, although when flying-blind it’s best to go through an Elimination Process, with an attitude of "best cover it all" aspect and cross them off as you go, rather than miss something that may be important.

........so I will share my description, to what Autism is!

Autism is a lifelong developmental disability, it begins in utero (pre-birth), and some describe it as having a different “operating system”.

Knowing the exact cause of autism is difficult because the human brain is very complicated; containing more than 100 billion nerve cells ‘neurons’, they each have hundreds or thousands of connections to carry messages to other nerve cells in the brain and body, the connections and the chemical messengers they send, 'neurotransmitters', keep the neurons working properly.

This process is used to help us see, feel, move, remember, experience emotions, communicate, and so on.

In the brain of a child with autism, some of those cells and connections develop or organize differently, therefore having an extensive influence on development, affecting how the person communicates with, and relates to, other people. It also affects how they make sense of the world around them.

It is a 'Spectrum' condition or disorder, which means that, while all people with autism share certain difficulties, it will affect them in different ways. Some autistic people are able to live relatively independent lives, but others may have accompanying learning disabilities and need a lifetime of specialised support.

Aspergers and Pervasive Developmental Disorder are forms of Autism with average to above-average intelligence. There may be fewer problems with speech but still significant difficulty with social interactions and understanding social cues, understanding and processing language including expressive and receptive language disorders, difficulties with fixations or obsessions, and Executive Function difficulties where time management or keeping track of time is most noticeable.

Along with a diagnosis of Autism, there are usually coexisting conditions (known as comorbidities) including- Anxiety Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Irritable Bowel Disorder, Neuroinflammation and immune dysfunction, seizures, motor clumsiness, sensory sensitivity, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Tourettes Syndrome, Tuberous Sclerosis (benign tumours of the brain or other organs), and other medical conditions including chromosomal abnormalities.

Autistic people also experience over- or under-sensitivity to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light or colours.

Although there are many underlying challenges that these special children are faced with, the main concern is that their mind tends to register more information than normal, and the impact of each bit of information tends to be both stronger and less predictable, giving a more intense and chaotic, sensory and cognitive experience.

This causes them to produce distinctive, unusual ways of thinking, moving, interacting, and processing. These behaviours then occupy more of their attention and energy, having less ability to focus on the finer points of social interaction, resulting in a lack of understanding to the rules of successful and appropriate social behaviour.

They must then teach themselves or be taught specifically how to navigate social situations logically rather than instinctually, showing their difficulty to automatically and appropriately act in social situations; this awkward interaction and non-understanding of the concept is generally the cause of problems they face with making friends.

Although some may show exceptional talents in many areas, due to their differing cognitive function, which is based on the mental process of knowing through natural awareness, perception, reasoning, intuition, judgement, or knowledge, when placed in a society designed around the function of sensory and cognitive developmental, and social needs, they are almost always seen to display their disability to some degree– sometimes quite obviously, and sometimes more subtly.

As stated -there is no 'cure' for autism, although working with a group of specialists; such as a- Paediatrician, psychologist, speech therapist, occupational therapist, etc, they may help learn to communicate better, improve social skills, and more.

With assistance, support and understanding from everyone; they can go on to lead reasonably normal lives.

Hopefully this will give you a little understanding.

Fell free to connect if needed and I try to help however possible.

Happiness and Calm to all xxxx Sue