Page 9 - Conundrum of Autism #2

autism patients. Another area of interest to bringing awareness to autism disorder is by

demonstrating effective practices for assessing and evaluating students with autism. In

the present day school system, school districts should be held to a higher standard in

providing special educational programs for challenged cohorts of students most

importantly those with autism disorder. The provision of this special educational

programs which includes interventions and necessary resources pertinent to students need

has gone a long way to changing the paradigm of special education programs with

emphasis leaning more towards the quality of such special education outcomes than

emphasis on access.

Characteristics of Autism

Autism is a complex disorder that challenges the education of a school age child.

It varies widely in its severity and symptoms and in most instances may go undetected in

mildly affected children or at a time period when the disorder is clouded by other

debilitating handicaps. There are three distinctive behaviors that characterize children

with autism:

1. They have difficulties with social interaction – According to varied research

outcomes by National Institute of Health (NIH) in conjunction with studies by the

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, impaired social interaction is

among other features that characterize autism. As the first direct caregivers, parents are

Conundrum of Autism 8

the first to notice symptoms of autism in their children because of their initial

unresponsive behavior to people. A child with autism may appear to develop normally

and then as time progresses he/she withdraws and becomes indifferent to social