In general, we will distinguish four stages of grown for children with autism: preschool, primary school, adolescents and adults. At different stages, apart from individuals with autism it also causes trouble for most autistic families.
Problem in the preschool period
Preschool refers to the learning phase before the age of six. Children with autism are often reluctant to get in touch with the outside world, they may be obsessive in playing cars, sensory toys etc. In fact, children in about 2 years old can conduct clinical assessment for autism. If parents are uncertain about whether your kids hit on the spectrum of autism. Children with autism may have problems on behaviors, communication and social issues. As a result, preschool children need the most social, communication, and mitigation behavioral training. During this golden training phase, they should seek appropriate treatment as early as possible, and their barriers and some derivative problems will be significantly improved.
Problems in primary school
In primary school, children with autism will either attend special schools or mainstream primary schools based on the cognitive and adaptive skills. If your children are enrolled in a special school, there will be more services and back up support, including behavioral therapy, speech therapy and training emotional regulation. Thus students will have more intensive care. While, some children with autism are enrolled in mainstream schools. However, some children with autism may not fully ready for schools and they may still immerse in their own world. They are play and work alone without any social interactions with others. In addition, in general, children with autism may have higher difficulties in having self-control and social interaction, their behaviors may result in teachers and classmates’ complains. For example, they may not be able to sit in class, do not follow the rules of the classroom, do not follow teachers instructions, or cannot or inappropriately express their needs.
At this stage, children with autism who are enrolled in mainstream schools may need shadow teachers to help them with their social life and train their learning to learn behaviors, such as sitting and listening to enhance their learning. There are also children with autism who will take a one-on-one behavioral therapy after class to enhance their learning, social skills, and reviewing school-based or problem-solving skills such as answering questions, sharing toys, etc.
Problems in teenage
Adolescence is an important period for making friends. Students with autism over the age of 12 begin to enter adolescence. How to deal with friends and heterosexual may often cause problems for teachers and parents.
Middle school students may need to acquire appropriate social behaviors and know how to express and control themselves especially how to get along with the opposite sex. Children with autism with low functioning may have more difficulties in emerging and being accepted by their peers. They may have weaker self-esteem and social interpersonal awareness. Behavioral therapists may use interactive teaching to demonstrate and rationale them about appropriate social behaviors. It is important to teach teenagers with autism about what they should do, but interactive teaching is more important to bring out the rationale on the appropriate behaviors. If teenagers with autism can not related and understand why they can’t do certain kinds of behaviors – e.g. touching others’ body parts at random, they will not have the motive to control their behaviors. In this case, teenagers with autism may only control their behavior when the parents or therapists are at present. In the absence of surveillance, they will act as usual with inappropriate behaviors. Therefore, it is important to let teenagers with autism understand why they can or cannot do certain kinds of behaviors, thereby enhancing their motivation to control their behavior.
The difficulties faced by people with autism and their families at different stages are different. Of course, the guidance and help of professionals is especially important! Parents can seek professional help; such as behavioral therapy, to help individuals with autism to better and sooner emerge to the society.
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