The TV is quiet. You can barely hear it, but for him, it blares. It booms and echoes and screeches and nearly tears off his ears. Ants can crawl across his skin and rip at his flesh. When he looks at you, you seem concerned, but he can’t tell; your face is a blank slate to him. He doesn’t know how to ask for help, and when he does, the words might not even fall out. The skin that holds him together behaves as a boundary for him, but he has no idea. For him, he can not tell where he ends and the rest of the world begins. This is what life might be like for those experiencing severe autism.
What is Autism?
Reside provides care and support for a people with a variety of mental disorders, including those who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder that encompasses social ineptness, communication difficulties, and behaviors which may be limiting or repetitive. The disorder, which varies and is defined based on a spectrum, can have even more serious ailments like those mentioned above or only impact a person’s life with a few of the common symptoms based of the severity of the disorder. Autistic Disorder—sometimes referred to as classical autism—is more severe, while what used to be called Asperger Syndrome (now called High-Functioning Autism) is more mild. Of course, as studies have been conducted, the definitions of autism have changed slightly and autism covers an array of symptoms and severity.
Common Signs of Autism
While those with autism may have very different symptoms, there are common signs which are used to help diagnose people. Often, autistic individuals will exhibit impaired social interaction. An autistic child may share at one thing or person for long periods of time or avoid eye contact completely. They might not respond to sounds, and their name might not trigger a response either. Social cues, like tone of voice, facial features, and other kinds of body language, may not be identified or displayed with ease. Emotional connections can be hard to make, and empathy might be scarce. Autistic individuals may also rock or twirl, or even self-harm.
How is Autism Treated?
As of now, there is no cure for Autism. Instead, a number of treatments and behavioral interventions are used, and these have shown significant improvements in the past. Treatments may need to change over time due to a resistance (as in medication) or alternative intervention treatments to suit personality or psychological differences that may change.
The educational or behavioral interventions that have been shown to help those with Autism the most are skill-oriented training, like building social and language skills. These skill-oriented trainings are used very commonly within Reside. Often times, if someone with Autism is utilizing the help from his family, it is advised that the family seek counseling to help cope with the ASD family member. Medications are often used to help treat those with ASD and relieve related symptoms, like anxiety, depression, and even obsessive-compulsive disorder. Antipsychotics can be used to assist with any behavioral problems, too.
While these forms of treatments have been shown to display improvement in someone with ASD, it is important to remember that there are no scientifically proven treatments, and one should be careful in choosing what kind of treatment to provide.
