{"id":4004,"date":"2017-04-11T09:30:37","date_gmt":"2017-04-11T13:30:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grafton.local\/?p=4004"},"modified":"2017-03-30T12:24:54","modified_gmt":"2017-03-30T16:24:54","slug":"the-autism-puzzle-a-lifelong-journey-for-a-brighter-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/the-autism-puzzle-a-lifelong-journey-for-a-brighter-future\/","title":{"rendered":"The Autism Puzzle: A Lifelong Journey for a Brighter Future"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>I have a family member diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and to say that his life has been challenging would be an understatement. \u00a0Unfortunately, he was not diagnosed until the age of 16 and prior to his diagnosis, he was lumped under the large umbrella of \u201cLearning Disabled\u201d.\u00a0 It was a never-ending pursuit of the best services for him and his parents endured unspeakable frustration and grief.\u00a0 However, although the small window of early diagnosis was missed with him, he has made significant gains over the course of his life with the right services.<\/p>\n<p>The knowledge we have gained about ASD has led to increased understanding, research, resources and opportunities for those with this diagnosis.\u00a0 Of course, the earlier the detection, the better.\u00a0 But I strongly believe that individuals diagnosed with ASD have a lifetime of potential to be realized because learning never stops!\u00a0 In my line of work, I specialize in working with adults with disabilities and their staff.\u00a0 I am blissfully surprised every day with the growth, learning and increased independence I see.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Play.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-3133\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3133\" src=\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Play.jpg\" alt=\"Play\" width=\"263\" height=\"192\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Parents are truly the most valuable advocate an individual has in seeking diagnosis and treatment for ASD.\u00a0 The DSM 5 outlines some commonalities found within the spectrum and although every individual is different, there are some basic tell-tale signs that should spark some further investigation into a possible diagnosis:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Preferring to be alone and avoiding interaction is common in ASD. Leo Kanner popularized the term \u201cautism\u201d in the 1940s and this word has Greek origins meaning the state of being by oneself.\u00a0 This can cause strained relationships with family and isolation from peers.<\/li>\n<li>Inappropriate social interaction in relationships is a common sign; disjointed reactions or inappropriate emotional responses to situations such as bursts of yelling, crying, or laughing at the wrong time can happen.<\/li>\n<li>Verbal communication is delayed or absent. This characteristic always jumps out at me \u2013 for individuals with such severe needs, voicing their needs and wants can be so difficult and many times, this leads to problem behavior.\u00a0 That is why I always view communication as a primary need and this component is a must in any quality service model.<\/li>\n<li>Rigidity and repetition are also common signs associated with ASD. This can look like an individual\u2019s desperate need for things to be the same with no deviation from the routine (diet, schools, schedule, etc).\u00a0 This can look like obsessions with certain topics, activities and\/or objects.\u00a0 Stereotypy such as odd noises, hand flapping, or other odd body movements are common.<\/li>\n<li>Sensory input can be over or under the normal perception levels. Certain stimuli through our five senses can be overwhelming to individuals with ASD.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As a behavior analyst, I see behavior as an individual trying to meet a need.\u00a0 That\u2019s it.\u00a0 Sometimes those behaviors are self-destructive or aggressive but it does not negate the legitimate need they have.\u00a0 So given that Applied Behavior Analysis is the only empirically \u2013 proven treatment for ASD, it is a service worth fighting tooth and nail for on behalf of those in need.\u00a0 We must give our clients and family members the voice and the skills they need to realize their potential.\u00a0 Once we pave the way and support them every step, their future becomes significantly brighter.<\/p>\n<p>American Psychiatric Association. (2013).\u00a0<em>Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5<\/em>. Washington, D.C: American Psychiatric Association.<\/p>\n<p>Brennan, Dan. (2015).\u00a0 History of Autism.\u00a0 <em>Web MD<\/em>.\u00a0 Retrieved from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.webmd.com\/brain\/autism\/history-of-autism#1\">http:\/\/www.webmd.com\/brain\/autism\/history-of-autism#1<\/a><\/p>\n<p>History of Autism.\u00a0 <em>Autism Epicenter.<\/em> Retrieved from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.autismepicenter.com\/history-of-autism.shtml\">http:\/\/www.autismepicenter.com\/history-of-autism.shtml<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I have a family member diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and to say that his life has been challenging would be an understatement.  Unfortunately, he was not diagnosed until the age of 16 and prior to his diagnosis, he was lumped under the large umbrella of \u201cLearning Disabled\u201d.  It was a never-ending pursuit of the best services for him and his parents endured unspeakable frustration and grief.  However, although the small window of early diagnosis was missed with him, he has made significant gains over the course of his life with the right services.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":85,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,30,31],"tags":[48,229],"class_list":["post-4004","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-autism","category-behavioral","category-behavioral-healthcare","tag-autism-spectrum-disorders","tag-evidence-based-practices-for-autism"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Autism Puzzle: A Lifelong Journey for a Brighter Future - Grafton<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/the-autism-puzzle-a-lifelong-journey-for-a-brighter-future\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Autism Puzzle: A Lifelong Journey for a Brighter Future - Grafton\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I have a family member diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and to say that his life has been challenging would be an understatement. Unfortunately, he was not diagnosed until the age of 16 and prior to his diagnosis, he was lumped under the large umbrella of \u201cLearning Disabled\u201d. It was a never-ending pursuit of the best services for him and his parents endured unspeakable frustration and grief. However, although the small window of early diagnosis was missed with him, he has made significant gains over the course of his life with the right services.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/the-autism-puzzle-a-lifelong-journey-for-a-brighter-future\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Grafton\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/GraftonNetwork\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-04-11T13:30:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Play.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Bethany Deitz, Director, Adult Services\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@GraftonNetwork\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@GraftonNetwork\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Bethany Deitz, Director, Adult Services\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/the-autism-puzzle-a-lifelong-journey-for-a-brighter-future\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/the-autism-puzzle-a-lifelong-journey-for-a-brighter-future\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Bethany Deitz, Director, Adult Services\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/#\/schema\/person\/ffe0b191255a674c3423db98b42f3e6e\"},\"headline\":\"The Autism Puzzle: A Lifelong Journey for a Brighter Future\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-04-11T13:30:37+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/the-autism-puzzle-a-lifelong-journey-for-a-brighter-future\/\"},\"wordCount\":597,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/the-autism-puzzle-a-lifelong-journey-for-a-brighter-future\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Play.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"autism spectrum disorders\",\"evidence based practices for autism\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Autism\",\"Behavioral\",\"Behavioral Healthcare\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/the-autism-puzzle-a-lifelong-journey-for-a-brighter-future\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/the-autism-puzzle-a-lifelong-journey-for-a-brighter-future\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/the-autism-puzzle-a-lifelong-journey-for-a-brighter-future\/\",\"name\":\"The Autism Puzzle: A Lifelong Journey for a Brighter Future - 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