Many organisations who work with individuals with ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder) see April as an opportunity to educate the public about autism and issues within the autism community.
The Gray Center (http://www.thegraycenter.org/) has provided a downloadable leaflet containing some handy facts about ASD, including:
- 1 in 91 people are now being diagnosed with a form of ASD.
- Each person with autism has unique thoughts, feelings, strengths, challenges, fears and dreams.
- A diagnosis of ASD is based on delays, differences or disabilities in three main areas: socialisation, communication and imagination.
- Most of the characteristics of ASD have social implications; they impact a person’s ability to be successful in social interactions.
- Social interactions take place with other people who share the responsibility for the success of the interaction.
The Autism Society (USA) is partnering with Academy Award®-winning director Gerardine Wurzburg to release a feature length documentary called ‘Wretches & Jabberers’ during Autism Awareness Month. The film will be released in the USA and you can watch the trailer online at www.wretchesandjabberers.org.
Speech and language therapy delivered by a qualified speech and language therapist can be of great benefit to individuals with ASD. Commonly occurring communication problems arising from ASD include:
- Repetitive or rigid language that may appear meaningless and out of context.
- Disordered language development
- Reduced awareness of the appropriate use of language and non-verbal communication during interactions.
- Unusual tone of voice or rhythm and stress patterns in speech.
Sarah Bennington April 2011
Written on behalf of Integrated Treatment Services. ITS is a private Speech and Language Therapy service based in Leicestershire and the East Midlands. It specialises in providing highly-skilled Speech and Language Therapists, but also associates with other therapeutic professionals, including Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Psychologists and Arts Therapists.
