A group of parents of children with autism spent the one morning last week getting advice from behavior specialists with the Brownsville Independent School District on how to make the holidays less stressful.
In a parent training called “Autism 101,” the specialists presented material to help parents understand the characteristics of autism and strategies for working with children who have autism spectrum disorders, or ASD.
The Autism Society of America defines the disorder as a complex developmental disability that affects a personâ??s social interaction and communication skills. as many as one in 10 children are thought to be affected. Symptoms usually show up by the time a child is 3. ASD generally refers to the severity of the disability, which manifests itself in numerous but predictable ways.
BISDâ??s Special Services Department is well aware of autism and ASD, offering special classes for children with the disorder as well as trainings for parents like the one offered last week.
At one point, Suzette Yekel, the behavior specialist leading the discussion, offered a list of warning signs for autism:
>> Inappropriate laughing or giggling
>> Difficulty expressing needs
>> Inappropriate response to sound
>> Sustained unusual repetitive play
>> Uneven physical or verbal skills
>> No real fear of danger
>> Apparent insensitivity to pain.
Before autism was understood as well as it is today, some autistic people were actually operated on without anesthesia because doctors thought they didnâ??t feel pain, Yekel said, quickly adding that autistic people do , in fact, feel pain.
As Yekel presented the training, David Delgado, another BISD behavior specialist, translated what was being said into Spanish for anyone who didnâ??t fully understand. Then, if someone commented or asked a question in Spanish, he would translate that back into English.
Parents received a list of holiday survival tips for children with autism promising that “with a bit of planning the holidays can be memorable and successful for your child.” the list included advice on how to stick to routines, plan for social gatherings, go shopping and do decorations and gifts.
Pete Zepeda, whose son is 4 and has autism, said he found the training useful.
“Heâ??s everything to us,” Zepeda said of his son. “The more information we can find, the better. I learned some more stuff today. … Now I donâ??t feel like weâ??re the only ones. I feel like weâ??re in a large group of people that are not just making themselves scarce but who want to better inform themselves about this kind of disorder.”
BISD will have two more trainings for parents of autistic children, on Feb. 16, titled “Strategies for the Home” and on April 13 titled “Behavior: make and take.” both are at Vela Middle School, 4905 Paredes Line Road.
The training also presented a list of 10 things a child with autism wants people to know about him or her:
1. “I am first and foremost a child. I have autism. I am not primarily autistic.”
2. “My sensory perceptions are distorted.” (Children with autism often donâ??t read social cues well and have difficulty recognizing the meaning of tone of voice.)
3. “Please distinguish between â??I wonâ??t (choose not to) and I canâ??t (am not able to)â??”
4. “I am a concrete thinker. that means I interpret language very literally.” (Use simple language with autistics. They are very visual people.)
5. “Please be patient with my limited vocabulary.”
6. “I am visually oriented. I learn visually.”
7. “Please focus on what I can do rather than what I canâ??t do.”
8. “Please help me with my social interactions.”
9. “Try to identify what triggers my meltdowns.” (People with autism do not like being told “no,” they often donâ??t have the ability to delay gratification.)
10. “Love me unconditionally.”