Autism is a disorder characterized by difficulties with social skills, attention, and sometimes aggression. People with autism are just as human as others and deserve respect. They often think visually and can understand more than people realize, even if they cannot speak. With the right teaching methods like visual aids, understanding fixations, and addressing sensory issues, people with autism can learn and accomplish much. They experience the world in a unique way and teach compassion.

1. AutismA brief overview of Autism and ways to work with children with Autism.

2. IntroductionAutism has a wide variety of different definitions. The easiest way to describe it would be that people whom suffer with autism, usually lack proper communication skills with others along with very short attention spans, and at times physical aggression.The goal of my presentation is to prove to you that people with Autism as just the same as “us”. Some of them are able to carry on normal conversations, but all of them are human beings and deserve to be treated like one. Despite what people in the medical realm might believe, I believe that all children with Autism can and do understand what you are saying, whether or not they themselves are able to speak. Just because a mute person cannot speak, does that mean that they are deaf? No. I work with several children with Autism on a daily basis, and they have proved this to me. Unfortunately, one of them is not able to really communicate. However, when you compliment him or begin to talk about him he always seems to appear, and if you are saying good things about him, he will walk up to you and look at you in the eye, rest his forehead against yours, grab your hand, and smile extremely big at you. They are smarter than we all give them credit for being. I hope that by then end of this presentation, you will realize the same things that I did when I started working with them. As a future educator, I hope to be able to instill these ideas into my classroom. I hope to not only show my students these valuable lessons, but my colleagues as well.

3. Teaching Tips for Children and Adults with Autism1) Visual Thinkers: Having pictures present or having counters in math lessons is an extreme help for someone with Autism who is learning a new concept. As stated in the article, “Pictures are my first language, and words are my second .” Fixations: Many people with Autism have that one object of theirs that they cannot let go of. If you take this object away, it could cause their behavior to get worse (have a breakdown), or cause them to lose their focus all together. Ultimately, that single object, moving around in their hands can allow them to output some of the input that is coming into their bodies.Motor Control: The vast majority of people with Autism have either poor fine motor skills, or none at all. These skills include, but are not limited to writing techniques, mouth movement/control, and bodily motions to express things.

4. Teaching Tips for Children and Adults with Autism4) Loud Sounds: Loud sounds are without a doubt a trigger for people, especially children with Autism. This not only distracts them, but also causes all sorts of input to come into their bodies. This at times can cause multiple problems.Step-by-Step: Giving step-by-step instructions to these different individuals helps them organize their thought process. With this process, they are able to accomplish any task that may be at hand. Not only will they accomplish this task, but they will also complete it well and thoroughly. Sequencing: This is a big problem with individuals with this disorder. Deciding what letter comes before “b” can be as confusing to them as asking us what E=mc*2 means. For some reason it does not click with them right away. It is best to teach them with motions, rather than with just words.

5. Personal Thoughts on Teaching a Child with AutismI personally believe that every child with Autism has the ability to perform as a “normal” child would. With the proper teaching, and proper therapy so many great things can be accomplished. As this picture states, individuals with Autism are ALWAYS unique, this comes from personal experience, TOTALLY interesting, never a dull moment with them, and finally they are SOMETIMES mysterious, most of the time you never know what they are going to do next which brings so much excitement into working with them. These children who have Autism have taught me so much about life. They have taught me to not only enjoy life, but to live every moment to its fullest. The way they live is so inspiring to me. They are truly a blessing to me.

6. An Inside View of AutismTactile Problems: For most children with Autism, any small itch can send them up a wall. Imagine 1,000,000 ants crawling all over your body. That is how they feel on a day-to-day basis if their pants are too tight, or if they are wearing a wool sweater. This issue can cause unexpected behavioral issues in your child or student with Autism.Auditory problems: Most individuals with Autism have no problem hearing what you have to say, they just have a problem distinguishing that and the other 500 noises around them. It is like they are wearing a “hearing aid, turn on nothing but extra loud” 24/7. This causes them to lose their focus easily.

7. An Inside View of AutismLack of Speech: Many people who have the Autism disorder lack their ability to not only speak, but also their ability to remember the “right” word to say. In general, the ones who are verbal have plenty to say, but they just can’t think of the right word sometimes.Anxiety at puberty: The anxiety that happens at puberty causes an even greater amount of anxiety. Puberty brings all of these new emotions/feelings into their bodies that they haven’t experienced before. This was compared to that of public speaking for us. When a child with Autism goes through puberty, it is like the public speaking feeling for them, every single day.

8. An Inside View of AutismAs I work with these children who have the Autism disorder, I have learned so much about them and the disorder itself. These children are some of the most loving children that I have ever met. They accept you with all of your faults, and are able to look past it. Yet, the majority of the world cannot look past their one minor “fault”, if you could even call it that. Honestly? In my opinion, it is not a fault at all. These kids are some of the most amazing and unique children that I will ever meet. Each and every one of them has a new, and intriguing aspect about them. They have left an impact on my life.

9. Choosing the Right Job for an Individual with Autism1) Endpoint: People with Autism need to be able to see the “end to the means”. In their minds, they need to justify what they are doing to accomplish it in a timely manner. Giving them a monthly, weekly, daily, or even hourly goal would help them tremendously.

10. Choosing the Right Job for an Individual with Autism2) Sell your work: A lot of individuals with Autism are not known for their outgoing personality, but are known for their amazing ability at a certain skill. If this is this case, then sell your work and not so much you sociable skills.3) Social Limitations: Make sure that your boss knows the social limitations that you may have. If you are too uncomfortable greeting customers, or having to talk to a lot of different people, he needs to be aware of this. This will help you in so many ways in what ever business you end up working in.

11. The Right JobI believe that every individual has the equal right to work in any establishment, as long as they show the ability to complete the work in a proper, and timely manner. No matter what your race, gender, social status, or disability, or lack there of, you should be given an equal opportunity.

12. Conclusion I hope that you have been able to see the real side of Autism. It is a big epidemic in today’s society, and we cannot ignore it. The next time that run into someone with this disorder, I highly encourage you to look at them as a real person, and not as someone with a disability. Like the emblem says, Always Unique, Totally Interesting, Sometimes Mysterious.