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By Alissa Hansen
Autistic spectrum disorder, which is more commonly known as autism is a developmental disorder. Autistic individuals are typically diagnosed with this syndrome between the ages of two and three. Autism changes the perspective in which a child sees the world. Each child is unique and the symptoms of an autistic child can range from mild to severe. Also, the actions of the individual will arise in numerous environments and is continually inappropriate for their age according to society. Cache Valley is no different from any other part of the world. Each community is affected by autism in the exact same way. The only difference is how the family deals with the autistic child and the direction of education that is chosen by the parents. A child is diagnosed with autism if certain behaviors are present. Autistic persons have many symptoms and no child will have the exact same personality. There are multiple symptoms showing the signs of an autistic child. These include a lack of responsiveness to those near the child, an impairment in the development of language, irregular speech patterns, strange interactions with, or responses to, the environment and an absence of hallucinations, delusions and other characteristics of schizophrenia. Early intervention is the main key in assisting a child in the progression of education. There are several intervention strategies, showing that not one specific program is the right method of treatment. Each child who is diagnosed with autism is distinctive in how they react and interact with their immediate environment. As a result, no two children's intervention programs will be the same. However, intervention is based on communication skills. Dr. Beth Foley, associate professor at Utah State University in the Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education department, expressed that the programs offered to autistic children will vary from town to town and from school to school. Some programs are based on the behavioralist perspective meaning that children can be trained how to act, while others are based on the understanding of the child's communication level. Therefore, it is up to the child's family to learn about the different programs and assistance available in their own community. Although Cache Valley is a small area, there has been an abundance of growth in the field of teaching those with autism. "We cannot look at the behavior as a negative thing. It's simply how the child communicates. If we focus on teaching the child to communicate more effectively, the behavior tends to improve," said Foley. There are pockets of good programs in Cache Valley and each has positive and negative characteristics. The issue and decision of how to educate the autistic child however is based on the parents. Various parents may force integration, involving a classroom setting with children with a variety of disabilities along with typical children whereas others prefer their child to be in a classroom where there is a separation from children without disabilities. A speech pathologist by the name of Tobie Fields who works in Cache Valley said, "The state of Utah is achieving its task at seeing autistic children receive an appropriate education." Fields explains that the education of those with disabilities has improved and all the school districts in this area put forth their greatest effort to respond to parents in a positive manner. Overall, Cache Valley offers highly trained individuals who focus on the individual needs of each child and are extremely aware of the social needs of autistic children. In Utah, self-contained classrooms which involve children with a collection of disabilities are offered. This leads to the fact that the student to teacher ratio is improved, therefore assisting the child's needs at a faster rate. Also, Utah offers classroom settings with both behavioralist and naturalistic teaching methods, therefore focusing on the child's behavior along with utilizing natural occurrences. "The difficulty is to combine the efforts of a behavioralist and naturalist approach. It is not an either or question. Programs must involve both teaching methods," said Fields. The Up To 3 Early Intervention Program, at the Center for Persons of Disabilities, here in Cache Valley, evaluates children from birth to three years of age in all developmental domains. The focus of the Up To 3 program is to enhance each family's capabilities and self-confidence to nurture their child's growth and development. Intervention for children with behavioral concerns, delayed socialization, impaired verbal and nonverbal communication patterns are provided using an eclectic approach. Classes are provided where the child and parent attend together. This enables parents to learn along with the child. Parents need to have confidence with alternative parenting strategies to use them at home and other settings. After leaving the center parents are the ones teaching and understanding how their child learns. "Our goals are to address the child's individual needs and to provide parent education and support," said Sue Olsen, director of the Up To 3 Early Intervention Program. The critical steps in facilitating a child with autism is to first have the child accurately diagnosed as being autistic. After this fact is established the decision of how to deal with the syndrome and help the child progress must be decided. In Cache Valley there are many different programs and resources to choose from. However, the decision should be based on the child's needs and level of autism. Although the world of autism is still a mystery, knowledge is contagious and the facts about this syndrome continue to emerge. Family involvement is necessary to help those with autism succeed. Educators need to be sensitive to each family's goals and the diversity which comes along with individual families. It's imperative for teachers and families to work together to address the individual needs of the children and to let those around them learn as well. There is not a definite cause of autism, however it is those that do know and understand autism that have an obligation to assist in educating the public as a whole. As of now intervention and education are the two key factors in helping those with autism spectrum disorder succeed. For further information, see http://www.autism-resources.com/autism.faq.html
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