A child with ASD: features of psychological development

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism refers to disorders in the development of the central nervous system. ASD can be noticed even at an early age, because its symptoms are quite specific.

Etiology of Autism

Until now, the exact nature of the appearance of ASD has not been fully elucidated. Some experts believe that a large role in the occurrence is played by a genetic predisposition. It has been proven that chemical reactions in the brain in autists occur somewhat differently than in others. Various negative effects in the prenatal period can trigger the development of ASD, but this has not been scientifically proven.

Symptoms of ASD

Some experts believe that the first signs of autism can be seen in a child up to a year, but there is no consensus on whether they can be considered symptoms of autistic disorder. The most noticeable features of children with ASD become after a year. The following are signs that you can already notice in the baby so that parents can immediately contact a specialist:

• the child does not react in any way to the appearance of his mother, does not recognize people he knows, does not smile;
• difficulty breastfeeding;
• it is very difficult to make eye contact with the baby: it looks as though “through” people;
• children with ASD are scared of any noisy appliances, such as a vacuum cleaner;
• babies often have trouble sleeping: they are awake, their eyes are open, but they do not sleep and are not capricious;
• when trying to take such children in their arms, the babies begin to arch their backs so that it becomes difficult to press them to their chest.

All these signs may appear in a baby at the age of 3 months, but not a single doctor will diagnose autism at this age, because there is still a process of forming the daily regimen, cognitive activity. At an older age, the baby has more characteristic and obvious signs of ASD:

• monotonous movements;
• lack of interest in others, unwillingness to contact others;
• if a change of scenery occurs, the child is scared and very nervous;
• kids have difficulty mastering self-care skills;
• the child does not play role-playing games;
• long periods of silence are replaced by a monotonous repetition of a single sound or word.

It should be noted that for small autistic people this behavior is absolutely normal, they do not feel any discomfort. Parents often mistake autism for hearing problems, because the reason for going to a specialist is a complaint about decreased hearing or a suspicion of deafness. How is perception of sounds and autism related?

Parents have a suspicion of a decrease in auditory capabilities, because the child does not respond when he is called, does not react to loud sounds. In fact, children have no hearing problems, they just live in their own world and do not consider it necessary to respond to external stimuli until they begin to cause discomfort to the baby.

The manifestation of ASD in preschool age

The development of children with ASD is different from other children. They have violations in the following areas:

• Communications. Children are very unsociable, there is no attachment to relatives and friends. Does not play with other children, does not like when others want to take part in his game. They do not react in any way when they are asked to or simply called. Games are of a monotonous nature, in which the stereotype of actions predominates, non-game objects (stones, sticks, buttons) are preferred, and sanding, transfusion of water can be their favorite actions in the game. Yes, they can take part in games with children, but they hardly understand the rules, do not emotionally react and do not understand the emotions of other kids. Of course, others do not like this behavior, as a result of which self-doubt appears. Therefore, such children prefer to be alone.
• The speech sphere. Interaction with society cannot but affect the development of the child’s speech. In addition to the fact that small autists do not pay attention to adult speech, phrasal speech appears in the period from 1 year to 3 years, but it resembles commenting. The presence of echolalia (involuntary repetition of people) is characteristic. A frequent reason for consultation with a speech therapist is a child’s mutism - refusal to communicate. A characteristic speech feature is that babies do not use the pronoun "I": they speak of themselves in the second and third person.

• Motility - violations in movements are not indicative of ASD, because some movements can be perfectly developed, while others will noticeably lag behind the norm. Children may misjudge the distance to the subject, which can cause motor awkwardness. They can walk on tiptoe, because of possible problems with coordination, the guys can hardly learn to walk the stairs. Difficulties in manipulating small objects, the inability to ride a bicycle are noted. But such motor clumsiness and disturbances in coordination can be combined with an amazing balance. Due to problems in the muscle tone of the mouth and jaw, salivation appears (increased and uncontrolled salivation).
• Necessarily, what experts always pay attention to to make a diagnosis is behavioral disorders. Children can look at one point for a long time or look at an item, admire ordinary things and not be interested in toys. They like it when everything is in their usual places, they are very upset when something goes wrong as they are used to. There may be sudden flashes of aggression if the baby does not succeed or feels uncomfortable because he cannot express his emotions in any other way.
• There is a good development of mechanical memory, but a poor understanding of the content of fairy tales and poems. As for intellectual activity, some autistic babies can have a very high intelligence for their age, even be gifted in some area. Usually these children are said to be “indigo”. And some may have reduced intellectual activity. In any case, the learning process is not focused on them, it is marked by a violation of concentration.

Accompanying children with ASD

If, according to the results of the examination, the child is diagnosed with autism, then he has the opportunity to attend a compensatory type preschool or inclusive group in a kindergarten or a group located at a psychological, pedagogical medical and social center or in short-term stay groups. Due to the fact that it is difficult for a child suffering from ASD to make contact with others, he is lost in an unfamiliar environment, it is necessary that there is a tutor with him who helps him socialize.

Children with ASD stay in kindergarten

The main goal of developing programs for children with ASD in preschool education is their integration into society, so that they have equal rights with other children. The kids who attended the preschool, then much easier to adapt to new conditions and find contact with others.

When building correctional work with such children, an integrated approach should be used - this is pedagogical, psychological and medical assistance to small “outfits”. For the successful implementation of the program, it is necessary to establish emotional contact with the baby. A comfortable stay environment is created for the child, excluding methods of interaction with the world inaccessible to him.

DOU employees also organize socially correct ways of interacting with children. The subject-developmental environment of the kindergarten should take into account the features of the development of a small autistic child, his interests and compensate for his violations. It is advisable that the institution has a sensory room, because it allows you to relax the nervous system, acts on the sensory organs, the child has a feeling of security and tranquility.

Children with ASD at school

Probably one of the most important and difficult questions that arises before the parents of a special child is his further education. As such, there are no specialized schools for children with autism, everything will depend on what the PMPC decides: if the child has an intellectual disability, they can recommend learning in an 8th form school. If there are severe speech impairments, then speech schools. But often such children are allowed to study at a regular mass school.

Many parents want their child to study in a mass institution for successful socialization in the future. Now, when the whole society is trying to integrate special children into society, special classes are being created in ordinary schools, but still not in all. Why is it difficult for a child to adapt to school conditions?

1. Lack of competence of teachers. Most teachers simply don’t know how to behave with such children because they don’t know all the specifics of ASD. This problem is solved by improving the skills of personnel.
2. Great occupancy in the classrooms. An autistic child who avoids communication in every possible way is very difficult to learn in such conditions.
3. Daily routine and school rules - children will have to get used to new conditions, which is not easy for such children to do.

As in kindergarten, the main tasks of teaching children with ASD are its maximum integration into society and the education of an adequate attitude towards it from peers. The teacher must get acquainted with a special child and his family before the start of the school year, in order to find out his features and make contact.

At school, it will be necessary not only to implement the curriculum, but also to educate certain behavior in the schoolchild with ASD: in the classroom he should have a permanent place and a place where he can relax. The teacher must form an adequate perception of a peer in the children's team with special development needs through various conversations that reveal the theme of individuality.

AOP for children with ASD

Of course, the recommendation to attend mass kindergartens and schools does not mean that the features of these children will not be taken into account in the educational and educational processes. An individual educational route is compiled for them , an adapted educational program (AOP) is written, which reveals the content of remedial classes. The presence of a speech therapist, defectologist and psychologist is mandatory in the teaching staff, because the basic approach to corrective work is complex.

Adapted programs for children with ASD include:

• gradual inclusion of children in the learning process;
• creation of special conditions;
• psychological and pedagogical support to the family;
• the formation of social and cultural values;
• protection of the physical and mental health of the child;
• ensuring the variability of educational programs and the content of classes;
• maximum integration of pupils with ASD into society.

The development of such a program greatly facilitates the process of teaching a child with ASD, because when compiling it, the developmental features of such children are taken into account, an individual training program is created. It is impossible to demand from the autistic pupils the same quick assimilation of the material as from others, the psychological situation plays a big role, since it is very important for them to feel comfortable in the new conditions. AOPs allow autistic children to acquire the necessary knowledge and integrate into society.

Work with special children

Correctional work with children with ASD involves the joint work of a speech therapist, defectologist, psychologist, educators and teachers, as well as active interaction with parents. Of course, you cannot leave such children all day alone in a new place - you need to gradually increase his time in the institution and reduce the time for parents to be present.

Best of all, if the teacher starts the lesson or ends with a certain ritual, it is necessary to exclude all bright objects that can cause a negative reaction of the child. Teachers should wear clothes of calm tones, it is advisable to exclude the use of perfumes. The child should have a permanent personal workplace, all things should always be in place. Participants in the educational process must follow a specific schedule. The slightest disruption in the schedule or a change in the situation can cause stress in autistic children.

Such trifles are very important for the successful correction of a defect, therefore they create a positive emotional background in the child. In the classroom, it is very important to create a situation of success, constant encouragement, stimulation, since the assimilation of knowledge from them is closely interconnected with personal interest. The child needs to be helped in case of difficulties; during classes, the use of various visibility is mandatory.

A good impact on children with autism is having a couple. This is not done at the initial stage of education, but when the child is already comfortable in the new environment. This type of work allows you to more effectively introduce your child to society. The psychologist corrects the negative attitudes of the child, works with the affective side of the defect, helps the baby and his parents adapt. Speech therapist deals with overcoming mutism, logoophobia, creates motivation for communication and corrects speech defects. The defectologist is involved in the correction of the emotional-volitional sphere and the development of higher mental functions.

If a child is diagnosed with autism , this does not mean that he is not allowed to attend an educational institution. With the right approach, an individually selected program, the baby will be able to get all the knowledge, like the rest of the children.

Tips for parents of children with ASD

Parents of children with ASD do not always know what to do, who to contact, and it is difficult for them to realize and accept that their baby has autism. For effective work to overcome ASD, it is necessary that the relatives of the child comply with the following recommendations:

1. Compliance with the daily routine. It is necessary to say what you will do now and accompany all actions with photographs. So the child will already be prepared for action.
2. It is necessary to try as much as possible to play joint games with the child.
3. At the very beginning, you need to choose games and activities based on the interests of the baby, later supplement them with new activities.
4. In the game activity you need to include people from the immediate environment of the child.
5. A good solution is to keep a diary, which will record all the successes and difficulties that may arise in the child. This is done in order to visually show the specialist the development of the baby.
6. Attend classes with specialists.
7. For any success, the child must be encouraged.
8. The selection of tasks is based on the principle from simple to complex.

Perspectives of Children with ASD

What awaits in the future a child with autistic syndrome? This defect cannot be completely overcome; you can try to smooth it out as much as possible so that it is as less noticeable as possible. No one can give an accurate forecast. It all depends on the severity of the autistic disorder and how early the correction work began.

The behavior of children with ASD is quite specific, and even with successful integration into society, autistic traits will still remain, they simply will not be pronounced. Maybe the child cannot be fully introduced into society, and correctional work can progress quite slowly. Accurate forecasts do not exist, so you should always maintain a positive attitude, because a child with ASD is in great need of support.