Category: Autism

Introduction

Educators and other educational staff are facing increasing challenges of planning and employing efficient education programs for all the students including those with mental problems like autism. Recent research has presented excellent materials that have been collected by teachers and other supporters of children with autism, together with their families.

Because of the amount of information available on this, teachers can be able to develop teaching program for individual students based on the needs. However, there are some key ideas and methods of supporting such students that need understanding by teachers, other supporters and family of such students.

Students suffering from autism are not able to learn easily and in the same manner as their normal peers and as such, they require support to help them succeed. This support may come in the form of modification of the curriculum to cater for the special needs of the autistic children.

Saudi Arabia has developed special schools with curricula that are designed to help these students who have special needs for them to learn. The teachers are specially trained for this job.

Definition of Autism

Information about autism is very important for teachers and other educational supporters and this will be the basis on which teaching methods and other support services will be devised (American Psychiatric Association 2010, para. 3).

Instructors and education supporters will benefit by understanding the definition, description of its characteristics and the repercussions for teaching. They will also understand strategies for effective teaching and management of autistic students.

Autism is described as a Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) and this condition has a number of characteristics that are define it (American Psychiatric Association 2010, para. 3). They include, impaired communication, poor social interaction and behaviour and restricted, recurring and stereotypic behavioural patterns of conduct and activities.

Autism is hence a complex disorder of the neurological function of the brain and it is essentially as medical condition rated on a spectrum (Al-Ayadhi 2008, p. 192). Its symptoms therefore range on a continuum of combination being described as mild to severe (Roth 2011, p. 18). For instance, a patient can suffer intellectual disability while another patient may have normal intelligence development.

There could be a number of hardships in the expansive and receptive language communication and its estimated that about half of the autistic individuals fail to develop functional speech (Roth 2011, p. 18). However, for those who do, their speech is usually with inadequate communicative function and of very pitiable quality.

Autism is not a curable condition and its a life-long development disorder that a person has to cope with (Al-Ayadhi 2008, p. 192). The individual will always fail to easily understand what she/he sees, hears or otherwise sense by other senses. This is what aggravates the social relationships, conduct and communication problems.

Even though its known that people with autism face serious difficulties when it comes to social interaction and conduct, the level usually vary. Some patients are usually withdrawn from social activities while others are overactive and interact with people in weird ways (Roth 2011, p. 19). Students with autism had difficulties if inattention and often resist change.

They may respond to sensory stimulation in an unusual way and may portray odd character like spinning or flapping their hands (Al-Ayadhi 2008, p. 193). Autistic individuals can have common characteristics but there is never tow people presenting same profile of symptoms or behaviour.

The common characteristics are used for identifying the general need for autistic individuals. However, it is pertinent to combine understanding of specific abilities, interests and the observed signs for every student (Roth 2011, p. 18).

Causes of Autism

It is yet to be proven the actual cause of combination of factors that precipitate into autism. However, research has found increasing evidence that this is a genetic disorder with a number of genes being affected (Lopez-Duran 2010, para. 2). The mode of genetic transmission is very complicated and researches have concentrated identifying and isolating the involved genes.

Evidence shows that there is higher prevalence in children born out of early pregnancies or early life activities and environment could affect the vulnerability if the child (Newschaffer et al. 2007, p. 237). Some studies also show that the brain of autistic people is slightly different from normal individuals as anomalies in the nerves in the head have been observed.

The Diagnosis

Trained physicians or clinical psychologist in autism are the people who can be able to do an accurate diagnosis. However, the assessment and diagnosis is supposed to entail a multidisciplinary team of a language and speech pathologist, psychologist, and a paediatrician psychiatrist (Lopez-Duran 2010, para. 2).

A psychologist assesses the developmental stage and behaviour of the child, the language pathologist evaluates communicative language expression and the paediatrician psychiatrist helps to rule out other causes of the observed symptoms (Roth 2011, p. 23).

There is a criteria developed for this diagnosis, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder  DSM IV and it uses the following major symptoms;

1. impaired communication and wretched social interaction (Newschaffer et al. 2007, p. 237)
2. restrictive, recurrent and stereotypic manner of conduct, activity and concern

Saudi Arabias Stance on Autism

Saudi Arabia does not have a good reputation when it comes to taking care of members with special needs like autistic children. It is therefore a great moment anytime, autism in Saudi Arabia is discussed because the position is going to change dramatically (Al-Salehi 2009, p. 340). Since the condition has no cure, it is often feared by parents in Saudi Arabia.

One can really seen people with disability in Saudi Arabia and this is not to mean that they do not exist rather its because of the societal treatment of these people that make them isolated.

The people are very judgmental on disabled individual together with their families and the harsh treatment they give such people often makes them to be isolated or hidden by family members to avoid contempt from other people (Al-Salehi 2009, p. 340).

Even in todays society, physical and mental problems are still widely stigmatized in this Arab kingdom and parents keep their autistic children hidden because of the fear of ridicule and as such, these children fail to get the help they require to attain better development.

There have been very few studies in Saudi Arabia on autism because of the social isolation and discriminations of families with such people and the patients themselves (Al-Salehi 2009, p. 340).

However, some rough estimates about the prevalence of the condition in Saudi Arabia show that there are 18 people affected by the condition out of 10,000 (Fombonne 2003, p. 89). This is even higher than the developed nations which average at 13 per 10,000.

In the recent address of the autism problem in the world, the last world autism awareness, it was very exciting to see that the Arab world taking part. This means they are ready to take the bold step of addressing autism like any other diseases by providing relevant resources.

To understand its diagnosis and the ways that people can use to support autistic children (Fombonne 2003, p. 91). Even though children with autism are different, they are very important component of the society as human beings and need help just like other children.

More male children suffer autism compare to female children in Saudi Arabia, and the number of registered cases of autism increasing as families come open with their children who need help (Fombonne 2003, p. 91).

Saudi has a plan through its ministries to offer support to families with such people in terms of medication and social services. Because of the limited, currently only the Saudi children are eligible for the financial assistance from the government (Fombonne 2003, p. 96). However, there are plans underway where, more of the residents even the non-Saudi children will be able to get this financial aid in the near future.

Special Needs

Saudi Arabia has few schools for the autistic children. This was an idea hatched to address the hardship that parents go through in trying to find a proper school for their children.

This is often a daunting experience, coupled with the ridicule from some people and compounded with the fact that normal school may not adequately address the needs of these special students, it is proper to have greater understanding of learning needs of autistic children (Al-Salehi 2009, p. 343).

There are very few options available for education the children with autism and this is the reason for increasing the scope of the special needs which are autistic specific and recommending it to the government.

Typically autistic students are unable to learn things instantly by observation and participation because of their impaired communication and social development, these children have very minimal interest in the learning situation.

Their thought, perception of the environment around them and attention span is greatly affected (Newschaffer et al. 2007, p. 239). Despite these difficulties, these children have a right to education, right to play and enjoy their childhood and the right to therapy.

Ethically, there are certain best practices that need to be put into consideration. Just like other children, autistic children need to have a safe and predictable learning environment. They need to be at the same development level as their normal peers as much as possible though to achieve this they will need extensive support (American Psychiatric Association 2010, para. 6).

The children should have consistent routines and processes to follow in their education. There should be very minimal distractions and sensory stimuli in the learning environment (Newschaffer et al. 2007, p. 239).

Autism specific skill should be taught by use of behaviour modification model with the childrens conduct as basis of instruction. The instructors should set communication as the main goal and finally there should be incentives and reinforcement of the learnt material or activities.

Addressing Deficits of Autistic Children

Communication

All children with autism have difficulties in language expression and communication even though the degree to which this happens varies a lot. The problems could be non-verbal or serious language deficiency in social use (Ozand et al., 2003, p. 56). Children tend to be caught up in their own world where communication is not significant.

The common problem includes abnormal gestures, improper facial expression, strange body language or gesture and poor non-verbal communication. They have limited vocabulary, slower or fast talk, repetitive and meaningless speck and limited social function (Lopez-Duran 2010, para. 2).

There is a long list of factors of bad communication and students have difficulty in understanding verbal information, following a conversation and recalling a series of instruction.

Implication in education: in order to help these students to understand, Saudi Arabia education system has to use effective programs for comprehensive communication evaluation and intervention. This will involve speech and language assessment and informal observation of the way children carry themselves around in the class environment (Karim 2009, p. 9).

This assessment identifies goals and help in development of strategies that will help instructors to facilitate development of receptive language and expressive skills (Ozand et al. 2003, p. 56). Instruction should be able to emphasize on development of attention capacity, imitation, and comprehension and good use of language.

Social interaction

Students suffering from autism have varied social interaction behaviour and in most cases they experience a lot if difficulties in establishing new relationships. Their way of interaction is rigid and very limited (Ozand et al. 2003, p. 57). This difficulty is often interpreted as lack of interest of refusal to interaction with peers. Such children in Saudi Arabia were often and some still are secluded because of this.

This ineffective communication causes inability to distill social information from social interaction and utilize proper skills of communicating. In order to understand social situations, the student needs to process the language and non-verbal communication and this is the major deficit in autistic children (Ozand et al. 2003, p. 57).

These children fail to notice crucial social cues and often miss on important messages. These children cannot non-verbal behaviour with their social interaction and they in the same manner fail to read non-verbal communication from others (Karim 2009, p. 9).

Students fail to connect mental states and activities. For instance, autistic children may not realize another child annoyed even when that particular child is crying just since they themselves are not annoyed.

Instructors are able to better help these children when they understand that these children may not be able to perceive that other people have different viewpoints (Karim 2009, p. 9). The autistic students also have unusual and stereotypical way of playing with toys and they play lacks creative imagination.

Implication in teaching  social skills development is very important for these students who have special needs and it is an important factor for devising plans to manage their challenging behaviours. These students cannot learn just by observing or participating (Magnusen 2005, p. 81). It is hence proper to target specific instruction and offer support for this instruction skills in a social setting.

Unusual Behaviour

Children with autism in most cases demonstrate strange and distinctive behaviour like resisting change (Magnusen 2005, p. 81). They also get fascinated by movement like spinning, preoccupation with some parts of a toy, limited range of interests and rigid adherence to non-functional habits.

Implication in teaching  most of these unusual and stereotypical behaviours can be due to other causes like sensory stimulation and lack of understanding the social situation or anxiety. The instruction plan for these students should include strategies that will expand the interests of the students.

The instruction should also be based on the students reaction to sensory stimuli, development skills and preparation of the students for the anticipated change (Ashcroft et al 2009, p. 143). When planning on the teaching strategy, Saudi teachers should put into consideration the problematic behaviour and its implication on a particular student.

For instance, a student who has a problem in attention and evading things, it could not be easy to do away will all the repetitive behaviours (Karim 2009, p. 10). For successful instruction and support for these students, environmental adjustments to reduce improper behaviour can be necessary. This can be used together with training students on other proper behaviour serving the same purpose.

Poor Attention span

Autistic children have unusual attention span and they have difficulties in a range of areas. This has a very serious implication for effective communication, academics achievement and social development (Magnusen 2005, p. 85). Students with autism suffer attention deficits and they fail to focus on relevant cues or information in the surrounding (Ozand et al. 2003, p. 58).

Their attention is focused on specific areas of the environment and they consequently exclude relevant information. For instance, students may be looking at a ball and not the person the ball is going to be thrown to. If not, a child could fail to take note of insignificant details like the staple holding a booklet and not the writing in it.

Students could also have some difficulties in disengaging or shifting their focus to other objects or information and this is what contributes to the rigidity and resistance to change (Ashcroft et al 2009, p. 143). In the education of Saudi children, this behaviour is an impediment to instruction therefore leads to poor performance.

Implication for teaching  difficulties with attention could considerably affect the students ability to develop social character and use of language. For instance, an autistic student could react to irrelevant social cue that catch their attention or they could respond to only a part of a conversation and therefore fail to understand the message that was being passed across (Ozand et al. 2003, p. 59).

These students are not able to pay attention to multiple cues in a conversation. Therefore when instruction is being passed to these students, Saudi instructor should ensure that these instructions are passed in proper format, which is coherent and focuses their attention by putting emphasis on pertinent information.

Individual plan can be developed for each student to focus their attention as part of the instruction strategy (Magnusen 2005, p. 88).

Supporting Students with Autism

Classroom Modification

It is appropriate that each student should have and personal education plan. This plan should describe the goals, the curricula, and accommodations. The classroom should be planned well and everything in it arranged properly (Magnusen 2005, p. 68).

With Saudi stepping up the its effort to provide support to children with autism, the instructors of these special schools should be able to utilize a structured teaching schedule listing the activities that will be carried out by the students during the day (Magnusen 2005, p. 68). Unlike in the normal classes, these children need to be engaged on tasks that explicitly focus on learning objectives because their attention is deficient.

These children may not change from one task to another easily. These children could want to remain sited on a particular seat or use a certain pencil all through (Ashcroft et al 2009, p. 144).

The transition from one task to the next should be properly designed so that the change can be effected by everyone and the teacher can help students who have difficulties on changing (Magnusen, 2005, p. 69). The new changes are introduced gradually in the instructional learning goals that differentiate the learning objectives of these students with special needs.

Things like sound (high pitch), light (very bright light) and smell should be checked because these students could present unusual sensitivity to these factors. The instruction should be done by repetition of the information, restructuring sentences, rephrasing questions (Ashcroft et al 2009, p. 148), using visual cues to alter behaviour and modelling of tasks.

Peer Initiation Tactics

This strategy is where the socially competent peers are taught and trained to strike a conversation and maintain social interaction with the autistic children in a normal setting. Two children are paired in this strategy (socially competent and autistic) (Lopez-Duran 2010, para. 6). These peer-mediated social interaction processes have been under research for a number of years.

These strategies yield direct outcome of increased social response by the autistic children (Magnusen 2005, p. 81). This strategy is very effective because of the peer acceptance and increased positive social interaction that it brings to the students.

Besides pairing, triads can be used where two socially competent peers are matched with autistic child and this is thought to bring better outcome. The reason being that it compensates for the dead time in the pairing system where communication is somehow limited (Magnusen 2005, p. 81).

The advantages of using the peer-initiated strategies, these strategies take place in the natural setting. The outcomes are valid interaction skills because the programs are dependent on socially competent students. Besides the strategies are easier and time efficient (Magnusen, 2005, p. 84).

These strategies cause increased positive response for both autistic children and the normal children. This develops long lasting social skills as well.

Structured Teaching

This is a strategy of teaching children with special needs and it involves the use of a variety of instructional models like visual supports, music, and picture exchange communication among others. This design of teaching arranges the learning environment in a manner that will allow the children to easily understand (Ashcroft et al, 2009, p. 149).

Visual cues are very important for this type of learning because children with autism can easily focus on the appropriate information which would otherwise have been difficult for them in normal learning setup.

Physical structure is the manner in which the environment is set up for learning. This is basically what is done in the classroom modification. However, it extends to thinks like the playground, hallways and locker rooms (Ashcroft et al, 2009, p. 152). This should be done in a very clear and expressive manner that the children are able to follow or attend to what is supposed to be done.

Conclusion

Children with autism are not competent enough to learn like their peers who are normal. This is the reason why, these children need support in their education or learning programs to attain same success as their peers. Their instructional programs are complex since each child is unique in terms of learning style, development of social skills, communication and they have odd character.

The Saudi Arabian government should ensure that as it supports education for children with autism, the instructional program should be based on the unique special needs of every student as variability is only a slight one.

Reference List

Al-Ayadhi, L.Y.., 2008. Auditory Brainstem Evoked Response In Autistic Children In Central Saudi Arabia, Neurosciences, Vol. 13, Issue 2, pp. 192-3.

Al-Salehi, S.M., Al-Hifthy, E.H., & Ghaziuddin, M. 2009. Autism in Saudi Arabia: Presentation, Clinical Correlates And Comorbidity, Transcult Psychiatry, Vol. 46, No. 2, pp. 3407.

American Psychiatric Association. 2010. Development: 299.9 Autistic disorder. Web. Available from https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsm .

Ashcroft, W., Argiro, S., & Keohane, J., 2009, Success Strategies for Teaching Kids with Autism, Waco, Tex: Prufrock Press.

Fombonne, E. 2003. The Prevalence of Autism, JAMA. Vol. 289, No. 1, pp. 87-89.

Karim, F.P., 2009, The Effectiveness of Instructional Strategies Used For Children with Autism, Michigan: ProQuest.

Lopez-Duran, N., 2010. Autism and Aspergers in the DSM-V: Cognitive Utility. Web. Available from http://www.child-psych.org/2010/02/autism-and-aspergers-in-the-dsm-v-thoughts-on-clinical-utility.html .

Magnusen, C., 2005, Teaching Children with Autism and Related Spectrum Disorders: An Art and A Science. London/ Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Newschaffer, C. J., et al. 2007. The Epidemiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Annu Rev Public Health, Vol. 28, pp. 235-258.

Ozand, P.T., Al-Odaib, A., Merza, H., Al Harbi, S., 2003. Autism: A Review. Journal of Pediatric Neurology, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 55-67.

Roth, I., 2011, Researching the Autism Spectrum: Contemporary Perspectives, New York: Cambridge University Press.

Introduction

Nowadays, all types of preventive vaccinations are available to children, but some parents restrict access to this care because of their beliefs that vaccinations cause autism. According to the Chicago Policy Review journal, the number of parents not vaccinating their children has grown drastically in the last years (Antas, 2015). As more data on the influence of vaccines is available, more parents become skeptical about the advantage of vaccines, predominantly on the subject of whether vaccines generate autism.

Regardless of scientific evidence refuting the claim that vaccinations cause autism, parents are still fearful of vaccinating their children. This anxiety has led to a civic health dispute about the civil liberties of parents to decide whether to vaccinate their children, along with the state regulation on vaccinations to guard the wellbeing of its citizens.

Biblical Viewpoint

One of the viewpoints emphasizing the decision of not vaccinating children is supported by the Bible. As it is stated in the Holy Bible, one should know that his or her body is a holy place of the Holy Spirit within him or her, and one has it from God. It does not belong to anyone, but God (1 Cor. 6:19-20, The Holy Bible). To inject acknowledged neurotoxins into the children, that have notorious health risks, would be a desecration of this biblical postulate.

Founded on the wisdom of the Holy Bible, for some people, it is a religious principle not to have their children inoculated. They wish to be in harmony with those who may think in a different way than they do on this topic. People who believe in the damage brought by vaccinations wish to protect their children from the neurotoxins and overseas animal proteins contained in vaccinations.

Scientific Viewpoint

As opposed to the Biblical point of view, a connecting relationship between vaccinations and autism is not supported by the evidence from well-made and implemented clinical studies. But more and more parents choose not to vaccinate their children. They believe that the risk of autism outweighs the disease-prevention benefits or consequences of polio or other diseases (Parritz & Troy, 2014). As the ratio of unvaccinated children in the area rises, the danger of epidemics of diseases intensifies, producing hypothetically serious public health difficulties.

Furthermore, as the vaccination numbers decline in industrialized countries, it becomes more problematic to defend vaccinations in countries with lower levels of human progress, consequently deteriorating the health of children worldwide. The co-founder of Autism Speaks Association stated the following in his speech on vaccinations:

Over the last twenty years, an all-embracing investigation has questioned whether there is any connection between childhood vaccines and autism. A systematic examination has not directly associated autism with vaccines. Vaccines are vital. Parents should choose whether to protect their kids or not. Hard work must be recurrently done to instruct parents on vaccine protection. If parents choose not to inoculate, they must be conscious of the aftermath. (Wright, 2015)

Conclusion

It is of great importance to remember that children are our future, and we should do everything to protect them from all the dangers of this world, including various infectious diseases. Nonetheless, it is important to pay attention to the personal preferences of their parents, because the government is not the only instance that is truly responsible for the wellbeing of our children. We, as a society, should attempt to come to a common public solution that would resolve the issue in the most peaceful and reasonable way.

References

Antas, N. (2015). Philosophy vs. Science in New York Vaccine Debate. Chicago Policy Review (Online). Web.

Parritz, R. H., & Troy, M. F. (2014). Disorders of Childhood: Development and Psychopathology. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Wright, B. (2015). Vaccines and Autism. Web.

Introduction

Autism is mental disorder disease that affects the development of a childs ability. The disease is manifested in children in their first three years after birth.

The disorder is characterized by impaired communication, social interaction and repetitive or restricted behaviors among the sufferers. As such, the problem affects information processing in a childs brain leading to problems in organizing and making connections between different things and events.

This is one of the disorders in the autism spectrum (ASDs) apart from Asperger syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder-Not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) (Krebs, Mike, and Richard 23). However, despite these, mental diseases such as Autism Spectrum are not as problematic as one may think as they can be treated.

Mental Disease

Definition

Autism us a neural development disorder that affects children below the age of three years. The disease affects the brain of a child hampering information processing. This, therefore results to impairment of social interaction and affects communication. A child is also faced with a problem or repetitive behaviors.

Complications

The disorder results into speech retardation, impairment of social interactions and display of repetitive behaviors. The disorder sometimes may be complicated and challenging to deal with it on its own. These complications make it complex for treatment programs. Some of the complications of the disorder include sensory problems as a person suffering from this disorder may be sensitive to sensory input which at sometimes are painful ad discomforting (Mental Disorders para. 6).

These problems may also fail to respond to react to pain, heat, and cold. Seizures is another common complications and usually begins in young children with the disorder. Others include tuberculosis sclerosis which causes tumor to grow in the organs like brain, mental retardation includigng fragile x syndrome, a common mental retardation problem exhibited in males. Others include aggression, digestion problems and not common eating or sleeping habits among children.

Types

There are different types of autism that have been recognized in the autism spectrum (ASDs); autism, Asperger syndrome which is exhibited in young children. The children lack or delay in their language and cognitive development. The third type is the pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) (Morrison 45). This is only diagnosed when the other two disorders; autism and Asperger have not been met

Autism Spectrum

Definition

Autism spectrum is a developmental disability that is caused by an abnormality in brain. People suffering from this disorder have difficulty with communication and social interactions.

Origin

The word autism came into limelight in 1938 when Hans Asperger adopted the terminology of Blurters of autistic psychopaths during his lecturer on child psychology in Germany. He was investigating on the ASD now Asperger syndrome. The word in his 1943 reports called infantile autism Kanner used the word in reference to children who exhibited striking behavioral similarities. However, the words became widely used and known as a separate diagnosis in 1981.

Types

There are a number of types of this disorder. This includes autistic disorders or classic autism, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified or atypical autism, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder and Asperger syndrome.

Asperger Syndrome

Definition

This is one type of autism and has some slight difference with autism. People suffering from this disorder have a problem in their language development. The language is either lacking, or delays or is deviance (Frey and Kathleen 3). They further lack cognitive delays and in most cases they develop an obsession in one topic of interest or activity. Other symptoms related with these disorders include inappropriate social behaviors, uncoordinated/clumsy poor movements, peculiarity in their speech and language, repetitive routines and many others.

Origin

The disorder is one of the new diagnoses of the autism. The disorder is named after Asperger Hans (1906-1980) a psychiatrist and pediatrician from Australia. The disorder or the term was recognized in formal manuals of diagnostics in 1990s.

Effects

Because of these, disorders, people suffering from this disorder have problems with interacting/associating with others. There, language and speech is impaired, have impaired social behaviors among many other characteristics that enable their interaction impossible.

Rett Syndrome

Definition

It is a neuro-developmental disease that affects the grey matter in the brain of a person. This disorder appears in females only (Ishmael 5). The disorder is characterized by a number of deficits after the child is born. On its onset, the disorder is associated with decreased growth of head, the child losses the hand skills. The disorder also results to loss of language and social engagement and lastly there is also poor physical coordination.

Origin

The syndrome is named after its discoverer Dr. Rett Andreas in 1983. He noted that children with the syndrome normally developed well between their first 6-18months of their development.

Effects

The people that suffer from this disorder are at risk of developing gastrointestinal disorders. Most of them also suffer from seizures and have nonverbal skills. Other effects of the disorder are constipation and growth failures that may be a problem to the lives of the individual.

Pervasive Development Disorder

Definition

This is a pervasive disorder that is exhibited among children. It affects the cognitive ability of children hampering effective social interactions and communication (Frey 32). In this disorder, its signs are visible in babies but can only be diagnosed after the child reaches four years.

Origin

Pervasive development disorder is one of disorder on the autism spectrum. Its origin is associated with a Swiss psychiatrist Blueler Eugene in 191. The concept since then has developed by other psychiatrics and pediatricians who carried out researches and investigations such as Kanner.

Effects

The disorders affect the social functioning skills of children. For instance, a child may be very eager in interacting with friends or classmates but may act socially different from the main stream peers hence making un genuine connections (Samuels 31) They also have a problem with understanding figurative languages/speech and sarcasm. They also does not speak at the recommended age and their speeches is repetttive

Detection

Lack of social skills

Children or individual suffering autism are detected from their behaviors. One of the aspects that is used to identify these people is their lack of social skills. These infants show no or less attention to social stimuli in their environment. For instance, they rarely smile, they are shy and look at others less, and they are known to respond less to their names. These children are also less talkative and will not form relationships with others.

Speech Complications

Speech complications are yet another way of detecting the disorders among children. Differences in speech may be evidence for the first year after their birth. This may include unusual gestures, delayed beginning of bubbling, and diminished responses, unsynchronized vocal patterns that do not resonate to their caregivers. These children often repeat same words because of the lapses in their nerves hence affecting their speech.

No eye contact

These children have impaired social interactions behaviors. For instance, they cannot sustain an eye contact because of their disorders. They also have less turn taking and cannot use simple movements as a way of expression such as pointing at something that they may want. This disorder is a result of the mental lapse that halts effective coordination of the child.

Effects

Dependent on other

People suffering from this disorder cannot support themselves for their own upkeep. They therefore have to depend on caregivers to provide them with basic needs and help them in per taking their day-to-day lives. They cannot sustain themselves because of the lapses in their mental ability.

Lack of friends

Because of the stigma and lack of enough sensitization, people suffering from these disorders are alienated. They lack friends because of their conditions that is perceived to be abnormal. Therefore, this widens the gap between them and the mainstream society making such people to be looked upon as being of no value to the society.

Lack of full education

Most of children suffering from this disorder are not taken to school by their parents. This is because of social stigma that the society has attached to the mental health problems (Autism- a Developmental Issue, Not a Curse [interview para. 5). Parents and caregivers, hide the children, hindering them from being provided with health care. This therefore, affects the children as they canto access to education in their condition.

Treatment

No known cure

Discovering or learning that your child has an autism spectrum disorder can be an overwhelming experience to caregivers and parents. Even though, despite the efforts and research, still there is no known cure for the disorder. However, certain treatments and education programmes/approaches maybe used in reducing the challenges that are associated with the problem.

For instance, use of interventions in reducing/lessening disruptive behaviors and educating on self-help which allow for independence may play a significant role in containing the prevalence of the disorder.

No real treatment

No single treatment is effective in treating people on the spectrum. However, people should use positive aspects of their conditions for their own benefits (Autism. Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection para. 5). Nevertheless, treatment needs to begin at an early stage and be tailored to the persons /child unique weaknesses, needs and strengths.

Behavioral and educational approaches can be used; communication, sensory and other interventions can be used. Furthermore, biomedical treatments such as addition of minerals and vitamins, immune systems, modification of diet, immune system regulations, gut treatments among many others.

Research/Public Awareness

CDC campaigns

Many people are not aware of the autism disorders. Ignorance is one of the factors that have led to increased cases of late identification of the disorders. Therefore, it is important that campaigns and sensitization campaigns are done to inform the public on the disorders and where they can get treatment and education.

Center of Disease control and Prevention (CDC) campaigns have helped to greater height in educating and sensitizing the public on the disorders (Samuels 6). The centre has played an important role through educating the public through seminars and workshops around the globe.

Autism Awareness Month (April)

Autism awareness month is normally in April. During the month, the public is sensitized about the disease. Various media are used such as television, radio, internet among many others. Parents are mostly targeted as they are the ones who stay with their children more.

Coping with Autism/Autistic Family Member

Influence on siblings

The disorder has negative influence on children as well as the parents and the general family members. Therefore, coping with the disorder is a difficult experience in most of the families with such cases.

Sibling rivalry

One of the challenges is witnessed among the siblings. There is always a tendency of children to demonstrate rivalry between themselves and this often leads to conflicts among them. There is down look on other siblings that have these disorders by those that are normal.

Sibling relationships

The relationship among children in a family with children suffering from this disorder varies from family to family. Some children will be supportive and offer assistance to their fellow colleagues while others will show resentment and will always distance away from them. Therefore, this may lead to negative relationships in the family between the siblings.

Influence on parents

Parents play an important role in ensuring that children with these disorders are well taken care off. Therefore, their support is important.

Stress between parents

Many parents with children with such problem are often stressed. It is an incidence that is not expected by them. Therefore, they are agonized with the problem and in most of times, they blame one another. This incident may result to a conflict making the relationship to break. It is also a stressful situation that makes the parents to hide their children under carpet for fear of stereotype from society.

Divorce, separation, or improved marriages

The disorder may also lead to either divorce, or may improve the marriage of the parents depending on different circumstances. Many people will not want to be associated with the problem hence as a way of de-linking from the problem or for fear of ridicule by the society they may decide to divorce or separate (How to Solve Three Puzzles para. 5).

Furthermore, the increase in the resources and expenses in maintaining/supporting the children compels many parents to separate. However, other parents may unite and support each other in ensuring that the child with the disorder is well maintained and provided with the necessary requirements.

Extended Family Effects/Influence

Extended families are also faced with these problems. In this setting, children are not accorded the attention that is required because of the increased responsibility of maintain others. Many children with these disorders may not receive the required attention hence making them suffer more. Nuclear families may provide the support as opposed to the extended families.

Conclusion

Autism like any other disorder should be accorded the attention that is deserved. The conditions can be discovered in early life of a child. Proper treatments and diagnosis is important. Parents and caregivers should be aware of the required treatment and diagnosis to provide early medication.

Health groups should ensure that there is enough sensitization and awareness campaigns to inform the parents on the disorder. This will help in reducing the rates of the disorder. Furthermore, parents need to support their children by providing them with the requisite needs.

Works Cited

Autism- a Developmental Issue, Not a Curse [interview]. Africa News Service 13 Dec. 2011. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web.

Autism. Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Gale, Cengage Learning, 2010. Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 14 Feb. 2012.

Frey, Rebecca.Pervasive Developmental Disorders. The Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders. Ed. Brigham Narins. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 1007-1010. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web.

Frey, Rebecca, and Kathleen, Fergus. Asperger Syndrome. The Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders. Ed. Brigham Narins. 2nd ed. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 113 116. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web.

How to Solve Three Puzzles. Newsweek 21 Jan. 2008: 64. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web.

Ishmael, Holly. Rett Syndrome. The Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders. Ed. Brigham Narins. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 1114-1116. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web.

Krebs, Mindy, Mike, McDaniel, and Richard, Neeley. The Effects of Peer Training on the Social Interactions of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Education 131.2 (2010): 393+. Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web.

Mental Disorders. Current Issues: MacMillan Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, Cengage Learning, 2010. Web.

Morrison, Erin. A Review of Research on the Use of Weighted Vests with Children on the Autism Spectrum. Education 127.3 (2007): 323+. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web.

Samuels, Christina.CDC Campaign Focuses on Autism Awareness. Education Week 2 Mar. 2005: 4. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web.

Introduction

In the past, autism and language deficiencies were considered to be two distinct problems. This was the case until, recently, when evidence was presented claiming a definite linkage between the two. Language difficulties were found to be an indicative characteristic of autistic children.

Autism is one of the many autism spectrum disorders categorized in the wider category referred to as PDDs (pervasive developmental disorders) (Conti-Ramsden et al. 62). These disorders delay and interrupt many aspects of child growth, especially communicate and socialization. In simple terms, autism is a complex developmental disability that appears during the first three years of life (Conti-Ramsden et al. 62).

Even though the root of verbal communication difficulties in autistic children is unexplained, many experts have concluded that they as a result of effects of a number of conditions and factors which transpire either, during, or soon after birth. By affecting the development of the victims brain, it results into difficulties which mess a persons capacity to comprehend things or socialize (Conti-Ramsden et al. 62).

Some experts connect the language troubles with the theory of mind, messed up capacity to think, as well as a messed up skill to symbolize during conversations and play. Reports have showed that the US is currently experiencing an autism epidemic. The most recent data confirm that one out of every 91 kids suffers from Autism Spectrum Disorder. Compared with the 1980s, when only 2-5 kids in 10,000 were diagnosed with the problem, the rate has increased greatly (Solomon and Chung 250).

Understanding the link between Language problems and autism

The first three years after a child is born happens to be characterized by intensive speech and language development. It is the period during which the childs brain begins to develop towards maturity (Danon-Boileau 3). However, most basic communication signs appear only days after birth. With time, their dialect mechanisms, consisting of the mouth, throat, jaws and tongue, and throat, and voice become more developed, but not fully established. At that stage, the kid makes controlled sounds.

By the time a child reaches than age of one year, it is likely that he/she will have comprehended a few words. Normally, diagnosis of autism can happen only when the child reaches two years of age. This is because it is a time when it is expected that a majority of the kids should be able to talk. Earlier than that, say 18 months, it is very difficult to detect this problem although kids are able to pronounce an average of nine words (Danon-Boileau 14).

Assessing language problems

For any concerned parent or guardian, it is a priority to know everything about their children, language and autism being some of them. Therefore, such people would want to know how they can tell that the kids have this problem. It helps to know that there are numerous measures available, which can be very helpful in assessing language development problems in autistic kids. Discussed below, are a few of the language patterns and manners often displayed by autistic kids:

Rigid and repetitive language: Time and again, kids suffering from autism, and in an attempt to speak, tend to mumble meaningless words. Also, they may speak words which when understood, are found to be utterly out of context. For example, a kid that when asked to count one to ten repeats himself, it may be a sign of an autistic condition.

Other that repeating their own words, they can also repeat those that they hear from other sources (NIDCD Information Clearinghouse 1). A very good example is if someone tells them something, they may just repeat the same words. If a question, autistic kids may be unable to answer but instead repeat the question. When it comes to repetition, the symptoms of this condition are many.

The children do not just repeat immediate word, but also those that they heard earlier, not only from the people around them, but even from televisions and media. It has also been established that some children suffering from autism are goon in pronunciation of words. However, most of them experience difficulties when it comes to constructive use of the language words. Their problems arise when it comes to deciphering the wording and message in a sentence (NIDCD Information Clearinghouse 1).

Slightly limited capabilities and interests: It is possible for autistic children to deliver profound monologues, especially when talking about topic of interest. However, they may find it very hard successfully persistent in a two-way exchange, even when the topic in of their interest. Despite the limited capabilities, other children display outstanding abilities in areas such as music, counting, math and so on. It has been argued that around ten percent of autistic children demonstrate outstanding skills in particular areas (Danon-Boileau 23).

Irregular development in terms of language and communication abilities: Although is it said that autistic kids have language problems, it does not mean that they do no develop any dialogue skills at all. The truth is that they do, but they do not manage to reach the average level.

The development process tends to be irregular as compared to that of an autism-free kid. It is no surprise that they can be able to develop an incredibly strong vocabulary in a matter of no time, especially in areas they show much interest (NIDCD Information Clearinghouse 1). Also, the problem does not mean that they have not recollection of events, words or things they fell, hear, or see. The fact is that they do.

Some of them can read at five or so years, although they may not understand anything. They on most occasions appear inattentive such that they may fail to react or respond when called or asked anything. Parents unaware of the symptoms of this condition may assume their kids to be deaf, a mistake which can be made by anyone else who encounters an autistic child (NIDCD Information Clearinghouse 1).

Broken non-verbal communication skills: Autism is not only associated with the verbal communication abilities, but also the non-verbal capabilities. Therefore, children who are victims of this condition are not very good when it come to the use of gestures. For instance, he can be unable to point a finger at an object.

Gestures are an integral part of communication because they come in handy in giving meaning to speech. Even their eye conduct is questionable. The way they communicate and the inability to coordinate their verbal and nonverbal communication activities can attract wrong judgment form people. In other words, a listener or observe can even think they are stupid, rude, negligent or uninterested since there is no proper coordination of nonverbal signals and verbal communication (Danon-Boileau 26).

Recommendations

Autism problems may endure for long or turn out to be life-long because there is no specific curative measure for the condition. However, some treatments have been established, which are undoubtedly able to heal autistic kids develop communication (Danon-Boileau 35).

When their communication attempts bear no fruits, they may let out their aggravations through vocal outburst and other behavior motivated by angers. Also, autistic children may not easily fit in the society. This can cause them a lot of stress especially when they happen to undergo upsetting experiences because of their condition. On the other hand, their parents, in any occasions, are always full of stress.

Handling such kids may be a burden considering that their inability to communicate properly also makes it hard to understand and attend to their needs (Solomon and Chung 250). To avoid these problems, below are some of the interventions which can be very reliable in helping autistic kids with language problems.

Providing them with a good developmental environment: This is a very effective remedy where concerned people are required to provide an environment which is strategically designed to stimulate and enhance neural plasticity. In actuality, the brains degree of elasticity is very high, such that if the right environment if available, a child brain development may be controlled. Environmental experiences and other stimulations can cause the cells of the brain to change their organization and function (Brereton 3).

Prescription treatment programs: Another approach to this condition, as suggested by Brereton is reliance on treatment programs, which as of today are many (3). These programs are not only for people whose kids are autistic, but can also assist those who are unsatisfied with the progress of their children are language development.

By consulting professionals, parents are given programs made up of various developmental activities. The arrangement of the activities and their value are professionally determined such that they guarantee good results. These programs are designed such that they can be carries out at home and are very simple to follow (Brereton 6).

Specialist intervention/Speech-language pathologists: When someone is diagnosed with development disabilities, he or she is referred to a specialist, depending on the type of disability. In the case of poor language development, patients are referred to speech-language pathologists.

They are qualified professionals who have been trained and certified to handle complications related to voice, speech or communication. They have the knowledge and instruments to determine a persons skill when it comes to communication and also establish the magnitude of the disorder.

Based on their findings, they rely on their expertise and proceed to decided on an effective approach to treating the problem. They may recommend other checkups, including tests to determine whether the hearing capabilities are normal. They can advise and also design the programs explained above, which stimulate the childs brain and enhance development (NIDCD Information Clearinghouse 1).

Paying attention to childrens language development process early on: It has been established that language and communication development begins very early in ones life-cycle. Communication skills abilities kick in first and pre-language skills follow soon until a point where they can use words perfectly.

Paying attention to this process can help detect these problems before it is too late (NIDCD Information Clearinghouse 1). If sufficiently attentive, parents and other primary caregivers can be able to detect when a kid has a problem. Gestures, use of words, body movements, and babbling, cooing are some of the things which when keenly assessed can be help notice language problems.

This provides an opportunity to take the right action, whether to see a speech-language pathologist or do something else to assist the child. It is at these early stages when the delays and disorders can be fixed in a better way as opposed to when the problem is detected later in life (NIDCD Information Clearinghouse 2).

Conclusion

The paper is very informative and can help parents in making sure that their children develop communication skills properly. Signs of the disorder include repetitive language, slightly limited capabilities and interests, irregular development in terms of language and communication abilities and broken non-verbal communication skills.

To help their children develop properly, they can decide to consult specialist who deal with language and communication problems (speech-language pathologists), make an effort to provide the children with a development stimulating environment, design development programs and make sure to monitor the development process.

Annotated bibliography

Brereton, Andrew. Autism: A Guide to Understanding and Helping Your Child. Cullompton: Snowdrop, 2007. Print.

According to this book, autism is a problem which is associated with problems in the brain. The author argues that this problem, if not properly managed, can result in poor development. The author proposes some of the measure which parents and people with autistic kids can adopt to ensure that the condition is taken care of completely.

According to Brereton, the condition is treatable and the victim can be helped to regain normal brain and language development. This is made possible by the fact that the brain of a human being has a relatively high plasticity degree. This is to mean that its cells can be changed and re-organized.

Conti-Ramsden, Gina, Zoe Simkin, and Nicola Botting. The Prevalence Of Autistic Spectrum Disorders In Adolescents With A History Of Specific Language Impairment (SLI). Journal of Child Psychology And Psychiatry 47.6 (2006): 621-628. Print.

In the article, the authors focus of two very important issues which are Specific Language Impairment (SLI) and autism. According to the information provided, the two conditions were traditionally considered to be two completely distinct disorders. The paper look at the incidence of autism spectrum conditions by using a sample consisting of 14 year old adolescents.

The number of adolescents used was seventy six, all of who had previous cases of autism. The research established that prevalence of the condition was 39.9 percent in young people. This was established to be ten times more than the rate likely to be found in the general population.

Danon-Boileau, Laurent. Children Without Language: From Dysphasia to Autism. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press, 2006. Print.

The article present research findings which explain the epidemic state of autism in the United States. Out of every 91 children in the United States, one of them is said to be having this condition. Comparing the current situation of autism with the situation back in the 1980s, the rates have increased very significantly.

According to the author, psychotherapy can be very helpful considering that the parents and victims of the disorder undergo a lot of stress. The article is very detailed such that it discusses the impacts of the condition even at the later life stages.

NIDCD Information Clearinghouse, Communication Problems in Children with Autism. Publication No. 10-4315. Bethesda, MD USA, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 2010. Print.

This paper report one of the many publications and database materials which are maintained by NIDCD and which relate and provide information relating to the hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language (2). According to the report autism is one of the many other disorders in the autism spectrum.

The condition can be diagnosed when a child reaches his or her second year of age. The report discusses some of the symptoms which can be helpful in determining whether a child has this condition. Also, various treatment approaches are proposed, which are very effective in helping children develop normally.

Solomon, Alexandra and Beth Chung. Understanding Autism: How Family Therapists Can Support Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders. Family Process 51.2 (2012): 250-264. Print

The article is very informative and can be very helpful in understanding what autism. Most importantly, it discusses in details how therapists can come in handy in supporting the parents who have kids suffering from this condition. The first part of the paper contains basic information to be known about the condition, autism.

The second part provides information relating to the many challenges which parents face as they seek assistance with diagnosis of autism. A very effective plan, as argued, has been provided in the third section, which can be relied upon in treating the condition. Lastly, the paper shows how therapists work together with the parents of autistic children to ensure that the best treatment is given. In order to attain good results, parents are required to clearly understand the treatment plan.

Works Cited

Brereton, Andrew. Autism: A Guide to Understanding and Helping Your Child. Cullompton: Snowdrop, 2007. Print.

Conti-Ramsden, Gina, Zoe Simkin, and Nicola Botting. The Prevalence Of Autistic Spectrum Disorders In Adolescents With A History Of Specific Language Impairment (SLI). Journal Of Child Psychology And Psychiatry 47.6 (2006): 621-628. Print.

Danon-Boileau, Laurent. Children Without Language: From Dysphasia to Autism. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press, 2006. Print.

NIDCD Information Clearinghouse, Communication Problems in Children with Autism. Publication No. 10-4315. Bethesda, MD USA, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 2010. Print.

Solomon, Alexandra and Beth Chung. Understanding Autism: How Family Therapists Can Support Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders. Family Process 51.2 (2012): 250-264. Print

Concerns surrounding vaccine as a cause of autism began many years ago. This concern emerged as a result of children developing autism after 18 months of growth. It is surprising that autism occurred after children had been vaccinated in the first 18 months.

During the late 1990s, researchers from Food and Drug Administration admitted that children under the age of 18 months were vulnerable to ethyl-mercury found in immunizations. In this regard, there was a probability that children ingested methyl-mercury a renowned organic mercury.

However, for methyl-mercury to cause autism, it must be administered as a drug in large doses beyond the required standards. Moreover, National Autism Association raised concerns over the use of thimerosal as a vaccine preservative. Thimerosal is alleged to increase the exposure of mercury in the vaccine to a substantiated high amount. However, there is a significant amount of research studies indicating that thimerosal is not associated with autism.

Allegations that autism prevalence increases with the number of vaccinated children is non-factual. Irrespective of the unfounded claims about the disorder, vaccines do not cause autism.

Center for Disease and Control (CDC) and Institute of Medicine (IOM) warns that linking vaccines as a cause of autism is-untrue. CDC and IOM revelations are founded from studying the amount of antigens received by a child from the first day of vaccination to two years. This study reveals that there exists no connection of vaccine and autisms spectrum disorder (ASD). In fact, the amount of antigens between children with autism and without is the same irrespective of the vaccines administered.

Moreover, acquiring autism does not result from increasing vaccine antigens. In addition, the amount of vaccine antigens administered to children has reduced in recent years. Development of vaccine with low amounts of antigens has changed with time. The development of cellular pertussis vaccines leads to production of at least 6 antibodies.

It is important to note that a childs immune system can respond to immunologic stimuli from different sources. This means that a child is exposed to many antigens and pathogens not related to vaccines. Allegations that thimerosal cause autism is unfounded since the substance do not preserve vaccines in recent times.

A clinical perspective on autism is that brain damage causes the disorder. In this regard, a childs brain functions abnormally compared to that of a normal child. From a clinical point of view, there exists no single cause of the disorder. From this perspective, biologists assume that autism is developed as a result of heredity, genetic and environmental factors (Currenti, 2010).

An in-depth on the study on families with autistic children reveals that inheritance of the disorder is likely to occur due to irregular genetic coding. This means that a child born in a family with a history of autism may be susceptible to autism (Currenti, 2010). Medical practitioners and pathologists argue that genetic vulnerability is a probable cause of autism. This means that a child that is vulnerable to medical conditions such as tuberous sclerosis and congenital rubella syndrome risk acquiring autism.

Finally, environmental factors such as exposure to mercury toxins can cause autism in children (Currenti, 2010). The prevalence of mercury toxins is higher in modern times than in earlier years. This explains why low levels of mercury in vaccines may not cause autism in children.

Reference

Currenti, S. A. (2010). Understanding and determining the etiology of autism. Cellular and molecular neurobiology, 30(2), 161-171.

The current prevalence of vaccine refusals associated with parental safety concerns necessitates the exploration of the connection between vaccines or its ingredients and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A study conducted by Freed, Clark, Butchart, Singer and Davis (2010) revealed that more than half of 2521 survey respondents believed that there is a strong association between vaccines and autism. Moreover, approximately twelve percent of the survey participants reported that they had not followed recommendations about vaccines and refused administration at least once (Freed et al., 2010). Furthermore, the findings of the study suggest that parental concern about vaccines was significantly higher among parents of Hispanic origin (Freed et al., 2010). Taking into consideration the fact that etiology of ASD in not particularly clear and is still under debate, it is necessary to examine the current literature pertaining to the assessment of the link between vaccine administration and ASD (Freed et al., 2010).

An article written by Price et al. presents the results of a study examining the connection between prenatal and infant ethylmercury exposure associated with the use of ethylmercury in vaccines and immunoglobulin preparations and autistic disorder (AD), ASD, and ASD with regression (2010). The study was conducted on a sample size of 256 children diagnosed with ASD using the control group of 752 subjects of the same age and gender (Price et al., 2010). Childrens exposure (prenatal and postnatal) to thimerosal was verified with the help of immunization records. A conditional logistic regression model was applied in order to determine the degree of association between ASD, AD, and ASD with regression and exposure to thimerosal during different periods of child development.

Results of the study suggested that there is no association between ethylmercury exposure and increased risk of ASDs (Price et al., 2010). A case-control study conducted by DeStefano, Price and Weintraub (2013) confirms Price et al.s findings and suggests that there is no relationship between increasing exposure to organomercury compounds and risk of developing some form of ASDs. However, the authors suggest that there is a chance that immunologic stimulation caused by vaccines containing antigens could be accountable for the development of ASD during the first years of life (DeStefano, 2013). Therefore, this possibility should be further investigated.

Another study aimed at the exploration of the link between exposure to thimerosal-containing vaccine and the increased risk of different ASDs was conducted by Geier, Hooker, Kern, King and Geier in 2013. The study examined whether there is a link between the toxic effects of exposure to thimerosal-containing vaccines and the risk of developing ASD. The study revealed that administration of a thimerosal-containing Diphtheria-Tetanus-acellular-Pertussis (DTaP) vaccine is associated with a higher risk of subsequent ASD diagnosis than administration of thimerosal-free DTaP vaccine due to exposure to organic-Hg (Geier et al., 2013).

Moreover, there is evidence suggesting that the second and the third administrations of thimerosal-containing vaccines do not increase the probability of developing some form of ASDs. The findings of the study reveal that the risk of being diagnosed with ASD after exposure to organic-Hg from two doses of thimerosal-containing vaccine is approximately equal to that of a single dose (Geier et al., 2013). However, the study was significantly limited by the lack of information on the precise timing and cumulative doses of organic-Hg from all thimerosal-containing childhood vaccines (Geier et al., 2013, p. 10) that could be potentially connected with adverse health outcomes. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the timing of Hg exposure and its effects in future studies.

An article written by Mrozek-Budzyn, Kieltyka and Majewsk (2010) presents the results of a study examining the connection between measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination and the increased risk of autism in children. The study was also aimed at exploring whether there is a difference in terms of the risk of being diagnosed with ASD between using MMR and a single measles vaccine (Mrozek-Budzyn et al., 2010). The subjects were observed before diagnosis and prior to the onset of first symptoms of the disease. The results of the study suggest that the risk of developing ASD for the group that was administered MMR vaccinations was significantly lower than for the nonvaccinated group (Mrozek-Budzyn et al., 2010).

The similar connection existed between nonvaccinated children and those that were administered a single measles vaccine. The study revealed that the chances of being diagnosed with ASD after receiving a vaccination regardless of its type versus not being administered a vaccination is 0.28 (Mrozek-Budzyn et al., 2010). The findings of the study conducted by Mrozek-Budzyn et al. are confirmed by a report on the association of the pharmaceutical preservative thimerosal and other mercury exposures with the increased risk of developing ASD (Schultz, 2010, p187). The report suggests that the link between any form of mercury exposure and autistic disorder is tenuous. However, taking into consideration that timing of Hg exposure was not considered in the study conducted by Geier et al. and the fact that there is a chance that immunologic stimulation caused by vaccines containing antigens could be accountable for the development of ASD during the first years of life, it is necessary to conduct more research on the issue (DeStefano, 2013).

References

DeStefano, F., Price, C., & Weintraub, E. (2013). Increasing exposure to antibody-stimulating proteins and polysaccharides in vaccines is not associated with risk of autism. The Journal of Pediatrics, 163(2), 561-567.

Freed, G., Clark, S., Butchart, A., Singer, D., & Davis, M. (2010). Parental vaccine safety concerns in 2009. Pediatrics, 125(4), 654-659.

Geier, D., Hooker, B., Kern, J., King, P., & Geier, M. (2013). A two-phase study evaluating the relationship between thimerosal-containing vaccine administration and the risk for an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis in the United States. Neurodegener, 2(1), 2-12.

Mrozek-Budzyn, D., Kieltyka, A., & Majewsk, R. (2010). Lack of association between measles-mumps-rubella vaccination and autism in children: a case-control study. The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 29(4), 397-400.

Price, C., Thompson, W., Goodson, B., Weintraub, E., Croen, L.,&Hinrichsen, V. (2010). Prenatal and infant exposure to thimerosal from vaccines and immunoglobulins and risk of autism. Pediatrics, 126(4), 656-664.

Schultz, S. (2010). Does thimerosal or other mercury exposure increase the risk for autism? Acta Neurobial Experimentalis, 70(1): 187-195.

Introduction

The most fitting DSM diagnosis for Sam in the case is 299.00 autism spectrum disorder (ASD). According to DSM-5, to fit the diagnostic criteria for ASD, a child must have evident deficits in three major areas of social communication as well as 2 out of the 4 restricted or repetitive behaviors. The child must have deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, often characterized by lacking verbal interaction and reduced sharing of emotions and interests, failure to initiate or respond to social interactions. Furthermore, a child must have deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors, such as eye contact and body language. Finally, deficits and difficulties in developing, maintaining, or understanding relationships, and adjusting to social contexts (CDC, 2020).

Discussion

Sam demonstrates all of these behaviors, he does not respond to initiated verbal contact, he fails to make eye contact, and he has no close relationships with anyone his age. Furthermore, he demonstrates highly restricted and fixated interest in certain objects or activities, tinkering with his radios. A dirty t-shirt that slightly smells despite the child being taken care of may indicate that it is potentially a favorite shirt, and ASD patients generally have an inflexible insistence on sameness and ritualized patterns.

A differential diagnosis to monitor for would be attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which may share some characteristics with ASD but also often serves as a comorbidity (Stavropoulos et al., 2018). The child will ultimately have to be monitored and observed for a clearer indication. So far, there is high confidence in the ASD diagnosis, but the child may meet more of the DSM-5 criteria for ASD, as well as the need to evaluate the severity of the condition based on social communication impairments and restricted patterns of behavior.

Conclusion

There is a specific quick 8-item assessment known as the Autism Mental Status Exam (AMSE) which allows a clinician to measure social, communicative, and behavioral functioning, used in combination with observations. This may be more appropriate for a child than a full-length Mental Status Exam, but the key is to test certain cognitive functions of memory, attention, reaction, language, orientation, and others.

References

CDC. (2020).Autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Web.

Stavropoulos, K.K., Bolourian, Y., & Blacher, J. (2018). Differential diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and post traumatic stress disorder: Two clinical cases. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 7(4), 71.

Abstract

Formal education offers the best ideas and skills to learners with different educational needs and expectations. Educationists and researchers should be ready to address the educational needs of every disabled student. This discussion offers my experience after attending a lesson for learners with autism. The essay identifies the instructional methods used by the teacher during the exercise. I have also included the ideas and concepts learned from the field experience.

Class Setting

The exercise targeted learners with different learning disabilities. The students learned how to divide and multiply fractions. I selected this group because it would equip me with the best practices for teaching learners with disabilities. The teacher portrayed the best skills and competencies. This explains why the teaching process was informative and successful.

Brief Description of the Program

The program targeted students with different learning disabilities. Most of the learners had autism. Most of the learners were aged between 12 and 16 years. Most of these students encountered difficulties during the learning process. This explains why students with different conditions such as autism encounter various difficulties in mathematics (Kluth, 2009, p. 37). The most promising thing was that the teacher was competent. She offered the best ideas and skills to her learners. This explains why the experience was inspirational and meaningful to me.

Instructions Used to Teach Mathematics

The teacher used the best instructions to teach her students. The teacher used both visual and graphic representations to instruct her learners. The approach helped the learners solve most of the mathematical problems. The teacher also guided the learners to solve the mathematical problems using different visual objects. The students were also guided using explicit and systematic instructions. The teacher presented the best plans (or methods) to deal with various mathematical problems. The teacher used different visual methods and objects during the learning process. The teacher also encouraged her learners to verbalize their thinking processes (LePage & Courey, 2013, p. 65). The learners used the best steps during the problem-solving processes.

The teacher encouraged the learners to work as teams and share their ideas. The educator used peer-assisted approach to encourage the learners (Baker, Gersten, & Lee, 2002). The teacher used a multi-modal approach to help her students access the core standards of the lesson. She also taught the learners how to master every mathematical skill or concept used to solve the problems. The use of visual aids and explicit instructions made it easier for the learners to solve the problems. The class setting portrayed the best practice for teaching students with disabilities.

Methods Used to Assess Learning: Assessment Data

The experience equipped me with the best approaches to assess learning. The teacher analyzed every answer given by the learners and encouraged them to work as teams. The teacher used an Assessment Comparison Chart (ACC) to review the learning process. This chart identifies the learners disability, instructional method used, achievement from the learning process, and recommendations for future practice (Kluth, 2009, p. 58). This tool helps teachers realize their professional goals. The teacher analyzed every process used by the learners to solve the mathematical problems. The collected data helped the teacher understand whether the teaching practice was successful or not.

What I have learned about teaching mathematics

This exercise has taught me many things about teaching mathematics to disabled learners. The teacher should always focus on the needs of every student. I now know why teachers should make the best changes to the assessment and teaching methods. The teacher should use the best method depending on the needs of the learner (Kluth, 2009). I now understand the best approaches for instructing students with learning difficulties in mathematics. Teachers and educators should always motivate their learners when giving mathematical instructions (Adkins & Larkey, 2013). This approach will make the learning process successful.

Reference List

Adkins, J., & Larkey, S. (2013). Practical Mathematics for Children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder and Other Developmental Delays. New York: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Web.

Baker, S., Gersten, R., & Lee, D. (2002). A Synthesis of Empirical Research on Teaching Mathematics to Low-Achieving Students. Elementary School Journal, 10(1), 51-73. Web.

Kluth, P. (2009). Teaching Students with Autism and Aspergers Syndrome in the Inclusive Classroom. New York: NPR Incorporation. Web.

LePage, P., & Courey, S. (2013). Teaching Children with High-Level Autism: Evidence from Families. New York: Routledge. Web.

Introduction and Biodata

Janet Hurst is a female student in the 3rdgrade that I have observed and assessed for ten days from the 11th to 24 April 2012. The student was diagnosed with autism. She has had difficulties in previous schools. She, therefore, qualified as a special education student. The selection criterion for this student was based on the behavior, and social concerns noted. The student is easily frustrated in the presence of a group of people. This situation also occurs in hallways as she interacts with people. She is usually alone and lacks interest in anything around her. She is not good with words. Therefore, she resorts to making sounds, which are hard to interpret with communication being a problem. She also has some actions, which she repeats now and then.

The strange actions appear to be because of sub-consciousness. She has had difficulties while learning and notices the number seven in car number plates even before anyone else does. At home, she is not able to learn new things. She is reported to dislike strangers and visitors to her home. In class, the student has a problem concentrating. She is always moving around. Since her childhood, she has been experiencing problems with hearing. Most people including her parents have thought of her as deaf. She takes a long to respond to commands. This challenge makes people conclude of deafness. The student has had problems in classrooms with poor performance since her first grade. She always comes last in all classes. The teachers in the grades she has been through report behavioral problems associated with the student. She has, however, not experienced any visual problems. However, she cannot concentrate for long to read a passage. Her parents report difficulties in interacting with the other kids. She often ends up fighting and crying most of the time.

Tests Administered

Throughout the grade and previous grades, the student has sat for many exams. Most of them have been based on the thinking process and communication skills. In most of the tests, reading and writing were tested, with each having its results and interpretations. In reading, the student was provided with passages to read out loud. The diagnosis was made using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence where the student recreated designs using two-color blocks. This exercise was timed. The pictures were also used as responses to questions on general knowledge, which was in the information subtest. In testing vocabulary, Jane was required to name some of the objects provided in picture form. Words were also written where she was required to explain their meanings. Groups of pictures were also provided where she was supposed to pick those that did not belong to the group. Besides, she was supposed to group those that were related. Jane also pointed out the objects in the picture as I named them aloud. She is also supposed to name all the pictures that I provided in the stimulus book.

Reading was tested using short words. The words were increased in size and number beginning with progression to sentences and later to paragraphs. In the process of reading, I would pay attention to the students concentration and ability to integrate what she was reading. Jane had difficulties reading long sentences and paragraphs. She would get lost in between the sentences. In such a case, she would ask questions for clarifications. The longer the time taken, the poorer the result. This test also considered the concentration of the student with the requirement that she did not answer things that were not related to the questions. In the test too, there was the incorporation of language, vision, and communication since I also noted the difficulty in hearing and responses.

Several Jigsaws were also provided as tests in themselves. The student was supposed to arrange the characters, which were mainly photos of animals and buildings. She was supposed to arrange them until they made sense of the object. Jane would get some pats correct, but would however lose concentration easily and abandon the jigsaws for something else. Puzzles were also provided to Jane. She was supposed to fill them and make them appear normal. Though the puzzles were simple, she would not easily answer them. She would get the wording wrong most of the time.

Another method of testing was by the use of common and general knowledge where a paper with questions was handed to her to fill in the gaps. These tests tested her general knowledge and ability to integrate her thoughts. I also asked her to write a story on topics such as her family, holidays, best friends, and food. The task tested her mental process and flow of ideas, as well as the ability to make a sensible story. Colors were also provided where she was supposed to draw and color images. They varied from bright to dull colors. She was also supposed to participate in group work, which involved participating in games under supervision. The contribution to this was then gauged. In most of these group works, she ended up fighting with most of the members and withdrawing from the group. This outcome is a poor indicator of social interaction and thus a poor score for Jane.

Test Results and Assessment Findings

From the test, the IQ scores for the patient could be interpreted. The scores could also be used to gauge Janes performance. In the block design test where she was required to create designs, Jane performed dismally. She was not able to concentrate long enough to arrange the designs. However, when she did, she often ended up making designs that did not make sense. She was, however, able to re-create picture designs that were provided in the stimulus book. In doing this, she took a long time, and she needed assistance in most of the drawings. She did not concentrate for long and ended up being interrupted by any sound and crying. When provided with information and or asked to choose a picture represented by it, she often got the answer wrong except for a few occasions, which involved motor vehicles. She also got half of the vocabulary questions right. She picked the right pictures for the description given verbally. In picture concepts, Jane was to match the groups of pictures but did not get the odd ones from the group. She also took long in doing this and did not want to stop the test. In word reasoning, Jane did not get most of the words she was supposed to come up with after I described a concept behind them. She named the pictures correctly. This effort made sense on most occasions.

The results of the assessment supported the diagnosis of Autistic Disorder. Jane is not good with language, communication, and interpretation of ideas. Besides, she is weak in the thought process. From the test, she has difficulties paying attention and is of low IQ compared with an average student in her grade. Her social skills are also poor. She has difficulties interacting with her fellow students in group work. She is also a slow learner, slow in working and solving problems. She performed poorly in jigsaw puzzles. She would get most of them wrong. She would also give up in the middle to blame others. Her language skills are also poor compared to those of students of her age. She scored poorly on this test. Her performance has, however, been improving compared to lower grades and reports from her previous teachers in the school.

Her arithmetic calculations were less than perfect. She scored poorly in simple calculations and mathematical reasoning. She also had difficulties in following instructions in the test. Jane did the opposite of what she was commanded to do. In picture naming, she could name a few of the images described, and these were mainly the common pictures in the class environment. She also had difficulty integrating the stories read to her and or understanding the plot. Based on the test findings, the student requires special education with special attention at home and school environments. Her interaction with other students was observed to be wanting. She mainly ended up crying in most of the interactions. Her performance in drawing was not bad, and she drew most of the common diagrams impressively for her age. She, however, liked drawing people only and drew nothing else even when commanded. When she did, these were poor and darkly shaded. From the results of this test, Jane should have special education instituted.

Remedial Plan

Jane is a special student who needs specialized care and education. Her autistic behavior and poor communication skills limit management in the normal class setting. Poor skills are also a barrier to the provision of care. In managing her, the teacher needs to pay attention to her repetitive behaviors and stereotyped actions in planning for things to do during the day. Most researchers have concluded that teachers are increasingly facing problems in managing autistic behaviors. They often give up easily in the course of management. Most researchers have concluded that the management of special students in classrooms with other normal students increases their chance of improvement and that any plan should accommodate their disabilities (Uppal, Kohen, & Khan, 2008, p. 2).

In all the plans that a teacher makes in the management of autistic or students with special needs, it has been shown that positive strategies with an emphasis on the building of those behaviors viewed as pro-social are effective (Ducharme, 2007, p. 29). A teacher should therefore reinforce and focus on the positives in these students rather than focusing on the negatives for which to punish the child. There should also be a session on social skills in the training of Jane. There is evidence that developing social skills provides people with ways of interacting with others, correctly responding to social cues, understanding social relationships, and becoming fully integrated into society (Matson et al., 2006, p. 498).

In the structuring of programs for autistic students, the teacher should plan for playtime in the programs. This time will contribute to social interactions. In one of the researches, peers without disabilities were trained to initiate social interactions with autistic children during structured playtimes in their classrooms (Lee, Odom, & Loftin 2007, p. 71). This was observed to increase their social interactions and the stereotypic actions that are characteristically observed reduced. The results were later replicated in studies done on three children with autism (Loftin, Odom, & Lantz, 2008, p. 1132). In the study, the three autistic children exhibiting repetitive motor behaviors were taught how to initiate social interactions with their peers and to self-monitor and record their initiations as well as a concomitant decrease in repetitive motor behavior (Loftin, Odom, & Lantz, 2008, p. 1133).

In communication strategies, Thatcher, Fletcher, and Decker (2008, p.123) emphasized the need for communication skills to be integrated into the remedial plans for students with special needs. In the case of Jane, communication may play a role in determining her management. Since she ends up crying when told to do something she does not desire, she could be taught to complain and to state what she wants to do. This can be the basis for establishing communication.

In preparation for classes with autistic students, it is a requirement that there should be a schedule of events. It should incorporate independent working time for the students where they are allowed to do their work with and without supervision. The schedule should also have time for structured play, activities aimed at improving fine motor skills, group work, and social skill instructions (Autism Classroom Management Edutopia, n.d., p. 1). The classroom setup should also consist of an environment meeting the needs of these students. It should therefore have items such as building blocks and cushions. The environment should also have visual supports and boundaries. It should be organized with the students being taught how to coordinate instructions (Autism Classroom Management Edutopia, n.d., p. 1).

There should be an appropriate data system to be used to collect data mainly on the individualized education plan. The sheets should be ready at the beginning of class, with the students being shown how to make their own. Roles and responsibilities in the class should be assigned and written down. The roles should include the responsibilities of the various staff members and their area of jurisdiction. They should also be given a specific area in which to operate during the class sessions. This strategy will go a long way in increasing the productivity of the students and their performance in classrooms.

There should also be time incorporated for staff debriefing in which the team members of the autism management update their strategies and or compare notes for the day and week. In this session, the performance of the students is of priority. A review should be done to see if there is any improvement. A written behavior plan should be put in place for each student. The plan should incorporate the desired behaviors of students for the time. A copy should be given to all the staff members involved in management instructions (Autism Classroom Management Edutopia, n.d., p. 1). In Janes case, a behavioral plan can be made describing what can be done when she picks up a fight with other students in the group work or when she leaves class in the middle of the session to chase birds. The school sessions should address any sensory issues that Jane may have, and these should be the same for every childs instructions (Autism Classroom Management Edutopia, n.d., p. 1).

The classroom should have few distractions as autistic patients are easily distracted by things such as visual information and background noise (Autism Classroom Management Edutopia, n.d., p. 1). The class should therefore have a limited number of posters. Their seats should be away from openings such as doors and windows where they can see the outside of class (Sebastian, Blakemore, & Charman, 2009, p. 1128). The language to be used also needs to be simple in words that they can understand. It also needs to be concrete (Sebastian, Blakemore, & Charman, 2009, p. 1128). A program of events needs to be followed with transitions being made smoothly as autistic students are known to have fear of changes. They are afraid of new things and do not like venturing into new fields and events.

In teaching autistic students, the training should incorporate independence since they will learn more this way. For activities, which Jane does with ease, she should be shown how to do them alone without supervision. This includes tying her shoelaces, zipping her bag, combing her hair, and feeding herself. It is reported that students with autism improve with training on how to perform their daily tasks. As a basic similarity with other normal students, Jane also requires rewarding to reinforce those characters viewed as being desirable and appropriate. The focus should be made not on the negative aspects of a task that she performed, but on the positive things that she did upon repeating the task.

In the intervention for Jane, her sitting position needs to be adjusted to reduce distractions. For this to be accommodated, she needs to be seated in front of the class where teachers can pay attention to her and prevent distraction from other students. Since she is slower than the average student, her assignments should be given more time. She should also be given more time to get to class and attend other types of activities. Visual support should also be provided with provision for objects and diagrams emphasizing the ideas being taught. For her to keep time and enable her to attend all classes as scheduled, Jane needs to know how to tell time. To achieve this, a clock should be drawn with the hands pointing at the time she is required to do the activity.

Parents and other Professionals

The management of autism is multidimensional with the contribution of all members of society. Away from school, parents bear the greatest responsibility in management since they spend the most time with their children. Collaboration with other players such as teachers, medical professionals, and relatives is however crucial. Collaboration between teachers and parents is important in diagnosing, instituting early management, and in other areas of intervention. The parents should understand the program that their child goes through in school so that they can facilitate it and contribute positively. This relationship between the teacher and parent should be two-way with the teacher being aware of the family conditions surrounding the patient.

Based on the different requirements of autistic patients compared to the normal ones, parents often face challenges in meeting these demands. It is therefore important to start a counseling program for the patients of autistic students, as it will improve the overall outcome of management. In the case of Jane, the teacher will need to meet more often with the parents to discuss the progress of their child in school and the extent to which results are being achieved. For patients like Jane with autism, the traditional teacher-parent relationship where a parent meets the teacher after a long time in PTA meetings should not be followed.

In the contribution to be made in the management of Jane by the parents, most of it is in behavioral modification. The parents need to collaborate by rewarding the positive behavior of Jane and avoiding punishment in the many instances that she will be doing the wrong things. In the case of Janes parents, they need to engage her in discussions besides teaching her to do basic things such as clapping her hands to sing, dancing, passing things, and greeting guests. Any progress at home should be reported to the class administrator and teachers. This progress can be used as a basis for any further management needed.

Collaboration is also necessary between medical professionals such as psychiatrists and doctors involved in the management. Parents should keep records of any medication, treatment instructions, and admissions made. This effort will make it easy to keep track of improvement or changes within the course of management. Other members to be involved in the management include friends and relatives of the patient from where information can be gathered for use to formulate a plan. Jane is therefore effectively managed. The prognosis for this condition is dependent on it.

Reference List

Autism Classroom Management Edutopia. (n.d.). K-12 Education & Learning Innovations with Proven Strategies that Work | Edutopia. Web.

Ducharme, J. (2007). Errorless classroom management: A proactive approach to behavioral challenges in the classroom. Orbit, 37(1), 28-31.

Lee, S., Odom, L., & Loftin, R. (2007). Social engagement with peers and stereotypic behavior of children with autism. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 9(2), 67-79.

Loftin, L., Odom, L., & Lantz, F. (2008). Social interaction and repetitive motor behaviors. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38(6), 1124-1135.

Matson, L., Minshawi, F., Gonzalez, L., & Mayville, B. (2006). The relationship of comorbid problem behaviors to social skills in persons with profound mental retardation. Behavior Modification, 30(4), 496-506.

Sebastian, C., Blakemore, J., Charman, T. (2009). Reactions to ostracism in adolescents with Autism Spectrum conditions. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39(1), 1122-1130.

Thatcher, L., Fletcher, K., & Decker, B. (2008). Communication disorders in the school: Perspectives on academic and social success: An introduction. Psychology in the Schools. Special Issue: Communication Disorders, 45(7), 579-581.

Uppal, S., Kohen, D., & Khan, S. (2008). Educational services and the disabled child. (Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 81-004-XIE). Ottawa, ON: Health Analysis and Measurement Group, Statistics Canada. Web.

Introduction

Customer satisfaction is a goal that every organization strives to realize. The success of an organization depends on how well it satisfies its customers. All the practices set by the company that helps to ensure that the organization fully meets the needs of the customers are referred to as total quality management or TQM. According to the American Society for Quality (1), total quality management entails continuous measurement and improvement of the extent to which the organization fulfills the requirements of the customers.

TQM employs strategies and effective communication within the organization to incorporate the quality principles into the culture and activities of the organization to ensure that all the activities are geared towards satisfying the customers. Total quality management is a long-term success strategy that a company seeks to achieve through customer satisfaction.

In successful total quality management, all members of the organization work together to improve the quality of products, services, and the culture within the organization to achieve total customer satisfaction (ODonovan 39). All members of the organization need to be taught on the ways of ensuring total quality management within the organization.

The objective of this report is to present the concept of total quality management as it is portrayed within Dubai Autism Center, a nonprofit making organization in UAE that seeks to help children suffering from autism spectrum disorders and to teach people on how to understand the infected and help them.

The culture within the Dubai Autism Center

The culture of Dubai Autism Center (DAC) is to get all members involved in offering accredited programs that will offer the necessary support to the children that are living under the oppression of Autism. DAC trains its professionals to make them competent in dealing with those children with Autism and to understand the needs of such children. All members must work to make DAC an internationally recognized center that offers consultancy about Autism within the United Arab Emirates region.

The organization seeks to create awareness about Autism and tries to get all the infected integrated into society. The DAC community or members believe in teamwork and thorough training of all members to make them competent enough to be able to serve the community. DAC is community centered and specifically focuses on children that are suffering from Autism.

Although it is a not for profit organization, it is devoted to offering quality services to the community by offering support to the Autism infected children. To achieve this, the DAC members are devoted to working together towards achieving the corporate goals. In other words, DAC believes in cooperative teamwork to realize its goals.

To ensure that the major goal of offering excellent support to the Autism infected is realized, DAC applies several strategies. These strategies are goals that every member should be committed to achieving, and they define the paradigm of the organization. Firstly, DAC fraternity is devoted to providing educational facilities and centers for the children suffering from Autism (DAC 1). The team also seeks to mobilize the local authorities to come up with more specialist services to help Autism infected children.

The organization also publishes books and leaflets aimed at helping people to read and understand better the concept of Autism. DAC encourages research about Autism that will help people gain a deep understanding of the disorder. Other goals include training programs, consultancy services, libraries, operating a helpline to enable parents to address the issue to the organization, among others. All members believe in and work to achieve these goals of the organization.

The DAC also organizes an annual Autism awareness month to create awareness to the people in the United Arab Emirates and the rest of the world about Autism and encouraging them to take part in helping the infected children (DAC 1).

The organization also has a strong organizational structure that is headed by the DAC chairman HH sheik Hamdan followed in the hierarchy by the managing director Ahmad Bin Visas and their subordinate. It is the culture of the organization for all members to respect the authority in the higher and lower hierarchy. This will help the organization achieve its goals and objectives (Harris 319).

Total quality barriers faced by Dubai Autism Center. Why are the barriers to quality?

The total quality management of the DAC is focused on measuring the extent to which the needs of the children suffering from Autism and those of the community regarding Autism are met.

The organization has tried to satisfy the society expectation in dealing with Autism through providing support to the children suffering from Autism, organizing awareness campaign every year, providing specialized schools and institution for the children with Autism, offering consultation services to professional dealing with Autism and training specialists in the field among others (DAC 1).

However, the organization is facing some challenges in implementing total quality management. These challenges are acting as barriers to the total quality management of the organization.

Firstly, the organization is a not for profit organization and it relies on donors, grants and well-wishers for funding. As a result, the organization may not have enough funds to deal with all case as of Autism in the United Arab Emirates and other regions of interest. Creating awareness is a costly event and may not be carried out frequently throughout the year. Currently, the organization is doing the awareness campaigns for one month in a year.

This might not be able to reach out to all the people targeted. Many people are, therefore, still unaware of how to deal with cases of autism that is affecting most of their children. Lack of enough funding is a barrier to the total quality offered by DAC because it makes it impossible to fully achieve some goals of ensuring quality services to the community.

The organization is committed to providing quality information to the community regarding Autism and to provide support to the infected children. For instance, they provide educational facilities and such like. This practice requires a lot of funds which may not be available always.

To reach out to the un-reached communities, the organization requires people to volunteer. Being a nonprofit making organization, DAC is not in a position to employ much personnel to aid in the execution of its responsibilities. Instead, the organization has a volunteering program which calls for people to volunteer in helping the community deal with Autism. The volunteers are limited, and therefore, there is a challenge in delivering quality service to the community.

According to DAC (1), though the company is willing to train people on total quality management in serving the community, people are not available. Few volunteers may not be able to deliver quality that can be delivered by a big group. Volunteers at Dubai Autism Center are important in quality service delivery because they take big responsibilities of creating awareness to the community about Autism. DAC advertises volunteering opportunities in their website but has not been able to get enough volunteers within the United Arab Emirates.

The organization has an integrated system aimed at letting the employees know the vision and mission of the organization, but the big challenge is that employees are few because the organization largely depends on volunteers. The system also ensures total employees involvement in the affairs of the business.

The volunteers are also involved in the mission and vision of the organization and are trained on how to execute the responsibility of the organization. Lack of enough volunteers affects the organization because it incurs a lot of cost in training a few volunteers who may not be enough to cover the targeted region.

Characteristics of a quality culture about Dubai Autism Center

In business, quality means offering goods and services that satisfy the needs of the customers. Quality culture in an organization will involve all the employees to work towards satisfying the needs of the customers (ODonovan 38). Quality culture in an organization ensures there is effective communication in an organization. Form of communication may be interpersonal, inter or intragroup communication or communication at the external levels of the organization.

Effective communication enhances teamwork and hence, the success of the organization. The other aspect of quality culture is better for better movement. According to Harris (315), the organization should be focused on becoming better always. There should also be created within the organization that enables the organization to be unique in the way it delivers services.

Also, the management of the organization should have a total commitment to the mission and vision of the organization. This will commit the whole organization to the realization of its goals. The mindset of the organization (the members) should be changing to cultivate innovation (Goetsch & Stanley 27). This will move the organization to the desired level.

For DAC, the culture is of good quality in terms of commitment of the management and moving from better to better. However, there has not been fully effective communication at external levels. Creativity and innovation have been but a lot ought to be done to improve them. In my opinion, to improve the quality of the culture of DAC, the team needs to come up with more creative means of creating awareness and raising funds.

Though it is not a profit making organization, there is a need to devise mechanisms of raising funds rather than relying entirely on donations. They can publish more books and sell them at a friendly cost. The publicity of volunteering opportunities should focus on the most available groups like continuing university students who could spend their vacations in volunteer activities. This will improve culture quality.

Conclusion

The total quality management of every organization needs close attention because it defines the relationship between the organization and the group it is serving. The culture of the organization determines the extent to which the total quality management is realized. It should, therefore, be directed towards serving the customers or the community to the best.

Works cited

American society for quality (ASQ). Total Quality Management. Milwaukee: ASQ. 2006. Web.

Dubai Autism Center (DAC). Our mission, our vision, our goals. Dubai: dubaiautismcenter, 2006. Web.

Goetsch, David & Stanley Davis. Implementing Total Quality. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1995.

Harris, Stanley G. Organizational Culture and Individual Sensemaking: A Schema-Based Perspective. Organization Science, Vol. 5, (3): pp. 309-321, 1994.

ODonovan, Gabrielle. The Corporate Culture Handbook: How to Plan, Implement andMeasure a Successful Culture Change Program. Raheny: The Liffey Press, 2006. Print.