Austism, ASD, impact on families discussion by tutor, John Toker

The impact of autism on each member of the family:

Family dynamics vary in a home that has someone with ASD, in part, due to how many children within their system, their gender, their ages, and personalities; girls have shown, in lower grades, to be more depressed with a sibling that has the common need for an inordinate amounts of time and attention. Males have well documented cases of feeling neglected and have negative outlooks on life, also. Albeit, their are exceptions to both males and females. Parents’ coping skills and ability to negotiate and be composed while interacting with each other and their children sets the tone for how boys and girls feel about their siblings with ASD; if parents are positive, and are still focused on the other children’s needs, then it is more likely that the offsprings will feel like their lives matter, and therefore not be inclined to be morose in affect. Naturally, more research needs to be done on family dynamics as it applies to those who have people with ASD in their families (Boutot, & Myles 2011).

Discussion of the impact on siblings:

Siblings of people with ASD are more likely to feel depressed than mainstream society; albeit a relative few studies do not substantiate this and more research on the subject needs to take place. People with ASD take up a disproportionate amount of time by their parents. Consequently, brothers and sisters feel ignored about their problems, and feelings often go ignored in the process. Parents often argue more because of the stress of raising children with ASD, so siblings are exposed to a greater degree of emotional tension in the family; they in turn feel bad by being in such an environment. Once parents of people with ASD pass away, there is a great deal of pressure on siblings to find appropriate living arrangements for those with ASD; they often feel guilty about not finding better housing for them and about the paucity of time they have for them (Boutot, & Myles 2011).

Discussion on the impact of parents:

Mother’s regardless of culture, in the vast majority of cases, feel the most responsibility to care for their children who are on the spectrum of autism. Albeit, father’s, especially in the US and relatively few other countries, feel pressure to do more for their children who have issues with ASD. Parents are more likely to have greater marital problems because they start blaming each other for why their kids have learning and emotional issues. Albeit, there are some few exceptions when mothers and fathers refer to their sons and sometimes daughters with ASD as gifts to their families; their added struggles made them focus more on the emotional well being of their families as a whole (Boutot, & Myles 2011).

Importance of communication and collaboration with families:

Parents have mistrust toward teachers and school administers, and often feel that they are unsupported in their efforts to encounter ASD issues for their boys and girls; teachers and professionals should not take it personally. Communication among instructors, mothers, fathers, and guardians is core to effectively addressing students’ ASD ongoing needs. Many progenitors lack financial means, emotional support, respite via babysitting, respective educational resources, and access to extra curricular activities within the community.

Strategies for communicating with parents:

1. Provide a comprehensive needs assessment for parents who have ASD issues in their families; allow them to  feel comfortable about which questions they answer in it. Give mothers and fathers information about resources in their school districts, state, including Federal funding, and outside in general society that will serve as emotional support, edification about ASD, and in some case financial support.

2. Parent night is used by some teachers so that information about resources for ASD may be disseminated to mothers, fathers and guardians. Teachers can in so delegate support that would not be financially feasible, and go beyond the bounds of their role in helping such children (Boutot, & Myles 2011).

3. Post on school hall bulletin boards information about ASD sources of support that parents may use in their community; it should include what is explained, as best possible, during parent night.

References

Boutot, A., & Myles, B. (2011). Overview of Autism Spectrum Disorders. In Autism Spectrum Disorders Foundations, Characteristics, and Effective Strategies (pp. 93-115). Pearson.

Tutor John Toker web site to help people with ADHD, ADD, Dyslexia,

Tutor John Toker, Autism, Asperger, ADHD, Dyslexia, Executive Function Disorder

http://www.learndifferentlytutor.com/

http://www.johntoker.com/

Unstrange Minds by Dr. Richard Grinker discussion about why Austism and Asperger are diagnosed in the USA compared to some other countries by tutor, John Toker

The impact of culture and location on a family’s response to ASD.

In contrast to the United States and other countries, for example England, India has relatively little educational intervention for those with ASD. In general, those diagnosed on the spectrum are either referred to as retarded or labeled with a euphemism as such by calling them Autistic. Pediatricians and other doctors either acknowledge that they do not know what the ASD includes or they assert that their patients lack sufficient education to understand the ramifications and techniques to help their children with this diagnosis.

Mothers, also in India, are usually blamed for their children being Autistic; relatives claim that they are overprotective of them and in so deprive such individuals of opportunities to socialize. Realistically, mothers in India are under tremendous pressure and strain due to the lack of support that is essential for anyone raising children with ASD; the fathers almost always abstain from directly caring for such individuals. Albeit, Grinker suggests that access to the Internet may lead to a progressive approach in aiding those with Autism.

The impact of autism on the siblings and parents of a child with ASD.

Despite having a relatively high level of professional help in the US when compared to many other parts of the world, parents often feel frustrated that they are not able to help their children with ASD at an adequate level; they often do not see themselves and professionals as having the appropriate training or correct ratio between student and teacher. Albeit, some areas of the United States disproportionately have superior resources for those with such learning issues; they tend to be relatively wealthy districts.

Siblings often feel ignored by their parents because those with ASD require an inordinate amount of attention. They usually have to be quite around siblings with ASD because outburst from being over stimulated are likely to happen otherwise. Olivia, Isabel’s sister was unusual in that she was able to cope far better than most siblings in such situation; typically, they will be stressed out and feel isolated in facing their own problems and worries.

The experiences of the Grinker family had in dealing with their child’s autism and the school system

Roy Grinker found Applied Behavioral Analysis, ABA, to be too expensive and tried with his wife to create structure that would be similar to it. Grinker and his wife, Joyce, found it exhausting and too difficult to do. Floortime, by Dr. Stanley Greenspan required Roy and Joyce to engage in a social exchange with Isabel; they sat on the floor and increased length and complexity of interacting with her. Grinker and his wife found this to tiring and that Isabel wound up crying about it.

Although Isabel had marked gaps in speech and language, her visual and spatial skills were relatively strong for her. Pre-school at the Smithsonian’s Institution’s Early Enrichment center helped Isabel with some added sense of structure and especially socialization; albeit, issues with ASD, sensory integration, being hypersensitive to environmental sounds, while lacking sufficient sensitivity to pain continued to be problematic for her.

Grinker learned that Isabel was able to  connect her visual and tactile learning skills to her verbal gaps; museums were especially edifying for her. Classifications in biology were particularly interesting and an area of strength for Isabel; this was partly a result of going see them at a zoo and in a museum and to a some extent being part of  the social dynamic of it all. Language for Isabel and people in general, as the author discovered, could only be developed on the ‘scaffolding’ of social interaction; this began with Isabel developing eye contact skills.

Once Isabel started kindergarten, she was in a Montgomery County public school, which was one in Maryland. Her first teacher lacked patience and skill to educate Isabel; the principal did not support one on one teaching and could not articulate the meaning of ASD. Albeit, other educators as the years progressed were highly praised by Grinker because they were competent and effective in helping Isabel learn in school.

Isabel excelled particularly in zoology.

John Toker has a Master’s Degree in Education with a Concentration in LD K-12, and a Master’s Degree in Psychological Services with a Concentration in Counseling with a Post Master’s in Counseling. John is a tutor for Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, ADHD, ADD, Executive Function Disorder and other learning issues. John taught in FCPS, and MCPS; he is usually a tutor in Northern Virginia, especially Fairfax County including McLean, Vienna, Reston VA and other areas in Fairfax County and sometimes a tutor in MCPS, in particular Potomac MD, Bethesda MD, and Rockville MD within Montgomery County.

Tutor John Toker web site to help people with ADHD, ADD, Dyslexia, Autism, Asperger, Executive Function Disorder

http://www.learndifferentlytutor.com/

http://www.johntoker.com/

Unstrange Minds by Dr. Grinker Discussion of the book on why Autism diagnosis has increased over the recent years presented by tutor John Toker

Possible causes for the rise in ASD diagnoses

Research based standards for diagnosing people with ASD became the norm; this increased the rate of diagnosing conversely to the past individuals were wrongly ascribed with other diagnoses. Clinicians are more aware of ASD, and therefore are systematically looking to rule out early indications of it. Prior to extensive research substantiating ASD and the Internet to inform people of ASD, there was a tendency to misattribute symptoms of it. Many doctors would simply call it normal, while others would simply label them as mentally retarded.

Once people with ASD received early intervention in terms of socialization and other forms of education, there was marked improvement in the respective students’ interpersonal skills and cognitive capacity to learn in general; they far exceeded experts expectations. Consequently, there was proof that ASD was often the proper diagnosis for many who had earlier been deemed to have unrelated issues (Grinker, 2008).

Opinion related to the increased prevalence of ASD

Early diagnosis of those with ASD allows them to cognitively develop to a degree that often exceeds mental retardation; some are able to illustrate superiority to the general population. Such finding evoke support by the general public to increase awareness and funding to help people with ASD. Consequently, parents are more likely to be educated about the diagnosis and doctors anticipate that they will be expected to rule out whether ASD is the case; such influence raises the likelihood that it will be the diagnosis in any given pediatric evaluation (Boutot, & Myles 2011).

How the rise in diagnoses will impact teachers and schools

Public school funding increases as more people per capita are diagnosed with ASD, which results in hiring more people for team teaching. People who teach together will need more planning time between them during free periods; they will need to in many cases coordinate who is leading and who is working with individuals. Sometimes, there will be different ways of setting up the structure of classes. For example, a class may be split into half as if they were separate courses and therefore only one teacher per group (Vaughn, & Bos 2007). Political power to vie for better results when teaching those with ASD is greater, and therefore there is more pressure on instructors to succeed in their respective efforts (Grinker, 2008).

References

Boutot, A., & Myles, B. (2011). Overview of Autism Spectrum Disorders. In Autism Spectrum Disorders Foundations, Characteristics, and Effective Strategies (pp. 34-67). Pearson.

Grinker, R. (2008). Unstrange Minds: Remapping the World of Autism (pp. 1-172). Basic Books.

Vaughn, S., & Bos, C. (2007). Response to Intervention: Developing Success for All Learners. In Teaching students who are exceptional, diverse, and at risk in the general education classroom (4th ed., p. 350 to 398). Boston: Pearson Allyn & Bacon.

John Toker has a Master’s Degree in Education with a Concentration in LD K-12, and a Master’s Degree in Psychological Services with a Concentration in Counseling with a Post Master’s in Counseling. John is a tutor for Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, ADHD, ADD, Executive Function Disorder and other learning issues. John taught in FCPS, and MCPS; he is usually a tutor in Northern Virginia, especially Fairfax County including McLean, Vienna, Reston VA and other areas in Fairfax County and sometimes a tutor in MCPS, in particular Potomac MD, Bethesda MD, and Rockville MD within Montgomery County.

Tutor, John Toker, web site to help people with ADHD, ADD, Dyslexia, Autism, Asperger, Executive Function Disorder

 http://www.learndifferentlytutor.com/

http://www.johntoker.com/

Tutor explains DSM V brings Autism, Aspergers, ASD under one diagnostic umbrella

Previously a tutor would expect children to have different diagnoses whether Autism or Asperger’s Disorder in the DSM IV. The DSM V is a statistical manual that reflects the criteria in which people may be diagnosed as being on the spectrum of Autism. Students who need a tutor, IEP services at school and other educational assistance among professionals are no longer diagnosed separately with Asperger’s, rather anyone on the spectrum of Autism, ASD, is diagnosed as being Autistic; albeit, there are types of autism delineated in any given diagnosis of it. Core illustrations of Autistic behavior or paucity in affect in order to meet the criteria are as follows: poor social communication and related interpersonal skills, repetitive kinesthetic actions and narrow scope of interests, gaps in interacting with others and obsessive behavior present at early age. The following links delineates the specific details of Autism as reflected as a diagnosis in the DSM V:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/hcp-dsm.html

https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/diagnosis/dsm-5-diagnostic-criteria

Asperger’s Disorder is not a diagnosis in the DSM V; tutors, teachers and other educational professionals should be aware of this. Naturally as a tutor, I understand that students with Asperger’s may not want to be under one ASD diagnosis of Autism.

John Toker has a Master’s Degree in Education with a Concentration in LD K-12, and a Master’s Degree in Psychological Services with a Concentration in Counseling with a Post Master’s in Counseling. John is a tutor for Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, ADHD, ADD, Executive Function Disorder and other learning issues. John taught in FCPS, and MCPS; he is usually a tutor in Northern Virginia, especially Fairfax County including McLean, Vienna, Reston VA and other areas in Fairfax County and sometimes a tutor in MCPS, in particular Potomac MD, Bethesda MD, and Rockville MD within Montgomery County.

 http://www.learndifferentlytutor.com/

http://www.johntoker.com/

Breaking Stereotypes about Learning Issues

Learning issues are too often connected to assumptions about respective abilities; ordinary people assume that those with them have too many obstacles to succeed in life. Albeit, many biographies reflect those with problems in school as part of their history to be highly accomplished in the work world. Business people, scientists artist and of many other professions learned to make their learning problems assets to excelling well beyond their peers. Ironically, many of those who teased people for having learning issues were simply good at memorizing school curriculum; they often had far less ability than those subject to criticism. It is essential that biographies of accomplished people are studied by those with learning challenges and those helping them. My tutoring services help students free themselves from stereotypes.

http://www.learndifferentlytutor.com/

Dyslexia, Autism, ADHD, Executive Function Disorder and Being a Tutor

Students often vary as to what they need to meet school grade level requirements; ADHD, Dyslexia, Executive Function Disorder, Autism are some of the reasons many people do not learn in the same way. My tutoring people over the past many years has shown me that individuals vary greatly even within one diagnosis that relates to thought process. Naturally, it is key to see the person getting tutoring services as for who they are, and not simply as a stereotype.

My students to tutor are mostly from Vienna VA, McLean VA, Arlington VA, other areas of Northern VA, Potomac MD, and Bethesda MD. Albeit, some learners are from New England, while others are from the West coast.

Learn Differently Tutor

Tutoring Bridges Learning Gaps with Scholastic Strengths

Tutoring increases the odds of parents’ children being accepted at universities, and most importantly graduating from the schools. Too often homework, extra credit assignments, minimal math, science and writing requirements in high school leave aspiring college students unprepared for curriculum that is required at the college level. I find that those whom I tutor prefer to learn their assigned subject matter in a more comprehensive way, rather than through wrote memorization; in turn, they tend to form an ability to answer abstract questions that are tightly associated with university level of academic work.
Many of my students are misunderstood as simply ADHD, ADD, Dyslexic, Autistic, Executive Function Disorder, while they can often excel in school by being taught an individualized method or custom to their thinking way of learning curriculum.

John Toker, M.Ed. LD K-12, M.A.

http://learndifferentlytutor.com/