EDSE410 ASSESSMENT ONE

Kirra Bullman S00284792

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong developmental disability that is characterised

by how difficult each individual finds social interactions and communication. They often
have unique repetitive behaviours and interests, atypical speech patterns, limited eye
contact, difficulty expressing their feeling, late speech development skills and heightened
sensory sensitivities (Sedehi, Ghasemi, Kashi, & Azimzadeh, 2021). According to ADDMN
(2014), 1 in 68 individuals are diagnosed with ASD and 1 in 4 of these individuals require
specialised support and education to help strengthen their social confidence,
communication skills and learning difficulties. Each person has differing needs, thus why
there are different levels of the spectrum. Any individuals who have a disability, learning
difficulty and/or behavioural challenges face adversities and barriers every day. Feeling a
lack of support and lack of inclusion from their community has a significantly negative
impact on their well-being and quality of life. The Disability Discrimination Act (1992) was
made to decrease the challenges individuals experience by ensuring all human beings with
disabilities feel supported and secure within their society. It further protects their well-being
and aids to eliminate the social stigma that people with disabilities and people without
cannot interact. Promoting inclusion of all individuals reduces the fear of being seen as
‘different’, increases social awareness and grows stronger social connections between
people.

According to Lord, Brugha, Charman, Cusack, Dumas, Frazier, Jones, Jones, Pickles, State,
Taylor, & Veenstra-VanderWeele (2020), there are three types of ASD. There is Autistic
Disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder. Autistic Disorder is
the most common type of ASD and individuals with this disability often have language
delays, feel nervous in social situations and communication challenges. Unique behavioural
patterns and interests are also very relevant. Many individuals are greatly intellectual and
can become fixated and obsessed with one topic (Lord, Brugha, Charman, Cusack, Dumas,
Frazier, Jones, Jones, Pickles, State, Taylor, & Veenstra-VanderWeele, 2020). Asperger’s
Syndrome is usually a less severe form of ASD. People diagnosed still have social challenges
and unique behaviours and interests, however this is a milder form compared to Autistic
Disorder. They have fewer issues with language, communication and socialising; however
everyone is different, thus some forms may be more severe (Lord, Brugha, Charman, Cusack,
Dumas, Frazier, Jones, Jones, Pickles, State, Taylor, & Veenstra-VanderWeele, 2020). Lastly,
Pervasive Developmental Disorder, also known as ‘atypical autism’ or ‘PSS-NOS’ is a form of
ASD for individuals who do not meet the criteria to be diagnosed with Autistic Disorder or
Asperger’s Syndrome. These individuals have the mildest form of ASD and may only
experience smaller social and communication barriers (Lord, Brugha, Charman, Cusack,
Dumas, Frazier, Jones, Jones, Pickles, State, Taylor, & Veenstra-VanderWeele, 2020). Having
this spectrum allows for individuals to access the appropriate and correct treatments,
resources, schooling and therapy available to them. This will help improve their well-being
and quality of life.

Accessing services for ASD individuals is extremely important as it allows them to develop
with strong support from an early age. Depending on the severity of their disability, seeking
professional support will aid in developing their social confidence, communication skills and
sensory sensitivities (Butrimaviciute, & Grieve, 2014). Education, health, community and/or
at home support are a great combination of settings where people can seek for help. It is
imperative that those who aid in each individual’s journey to communicate with one
another, and the family involved (Butrimaviciute, & Grieve, 2014). This is to ensure
treatment goals are being achieved and meeting expectations. There are a variety of
different types of treatments, such as behavioural educational, developmental,
pharmacological, psychological and complementary and/or alternative (Butrimaviciute, &
Grieve, 2014). These resources will not ‘fix’ or ‘cure’ ASD as that is impossible, however it
will aid in helping them feel included, supported and more confident in their community and
society.

Genetic and environmental risk factors both have a large impact on individuals with ASD,
their family and their school environment. According to Chaste & Leboyer (2012), in the
general population research has proven that autistic traits are highly heritable. It has been
shown that 40% to 80% of people diagnosed with ASD was through genetic influence.
Genetic risk factors such as older parents, family history, and even being born male can
approximately increase your chances of being diagnosed with ASD by four times. These
factors all have extremely strong links to individuals who are diagnosed with autism and
their genetic make-up (Chaste & Leboyer, 2012). Environmental risk factors include prenatal
exposure to air pollution and pesticides, maternal obesity, diabetes and/or immune system
disorders, premature babies and extremely low birth weights. These factors are all
controlled by the environment around these individuals. In terms of protective factors, there
are a wide range of diverse strategies that parents, schools and individuals can obtain to
make a positive difference to people with ASD. Developing the community’s social
awareness of what the disability is, what it is like to be diagnosed with it, best ways to
communicate and how to interact will make a significantly positive impact and strengthen
social relationships (Chaste & Leboyer, 2012). This promotes the inclusion of diversity and
people with a disability. According to Strickland (2014), doctors do not know of any
confirmed ways to prevent ASD, however living an overall healthy life, avoiding drugs and
alcohol during pregnancy, seeking regular medical advice and treatment and staying up to
date with vaccinations has been seen to positively impact ASD diagnoses.

Creating a safe space for individuals with ASD is crucial as it helps to regulate the individuals’
senses and emotions, which has a strong link to their behavioural responses. In particular,
creating a safe space inside and outside of the classroom at school is imperative in any
educational environment. ASD students respond significantly better if they feel supported
compared to if they do not. A major part of a child’s development begins in the educational
system, thus having key strategies in place as a teacher will aid in supporting their students
both with and without ASD (Huijnen, Lexis, Jansens, & de Witte, 2019). Due to the sensory
sensitivities people with ASD experience, creating a calm and predictable environment is
vital. Reducing clutter, distractions and any chance of confusion ensures that students will be
able to stay focussed and feel less overwhelmed. Ensuring the learning support teacher(s)
are available to help assist in lesson activities and for moments where the classroom may
become a little bit more chaotic and in a manner that will negatively impact their ASD
student(s) will greatly help. Having a ‘quiet corner’ that can be accessible for all students,
but is mainly available for ASD students will allow them to deescalate their feelings and
emotions. Placing their favourite objects and calming materials such as blankets will help
manage their stress levels (Huijnen, Lexis, Jansens, & de Witte, 2019). This can mimic a
smaller version of a sensory room, which has been proven to improve their auditory, visual
and tactile processing, as well as their motor skills (fine and gross). Increasing self-regulation
in the classroom, not only improves the students focus, but also allows the teacher to give
more attention to other students at times of need (Huijnen, Lexis, Jansens, & de Witte,
2019).

The Disability Discrimination Act (1992) supports the promotion of equal rights and allows
individual with a disability access to employment, education, transportation and other
important services. Having a legislation act put into place makes it unlawful for someone to
discriminate another person based off of having a disability. This act applies to every type of
disability, including physical, intellectual, psychiatric, sensory, neurological and learning.
Having this act in place promotes the safety of the students and ensures that they will be
cared for and protected when their parents and/or carers are not with them during school
hours. Individuals with ASD face barriers and challenges every day through the feeling of
exclusion, judgement and lack of understanding from their community. The Disability
Discrimination Act (1992) reduces these adversities by allowing all individuals with a
disability to feel included, understood and secure. This ensures their well-being is protected
and strengthens their quality of life while doing so. Allowing children with ASD enrol in
mainstream schooling is a great example of society being more accepting and creating less
prejudice. It empowers students to learn about others and what they face, as well as create
different bonds and relationships.

Media portrays disabilities in a variety of ways; thus people should not solidify their
opinions, understanding and knowledge off of what social media, news articles, blogs and
individuals say unless it is supported with legitimate research. Singer (2017) reports that ASD
is being displayed on television more and more, however, does not portray all levels of the
spectrum. For example shows such as, ‘The Good Doctor’, ‘The Big Bang Theory’ and
‘Atypical’ all have main characters who have been diagnosed with ASD. Each of these
characters are seen as significantly intelligent, high-skilled and strongly spoken individuals.
This only showcases a small minority of ASD people. “These days, someone with autism can
have a genius-level intelligence quotient or have intellectual disability and a score far below
average. It can include someone who has no language, minimal language or intact language.
It can apply to an individual who has self-injurious, aggressive behavior, or someone who has
trouble navigating the social scene in the school cafeteria. It can describe a person who
graduated from Harvard Law School or an individual who exited high school with a
certificate of attendance” (Singer, 2017, p. n.a). This statement taken from Singer (2017)
article explains how different each individual is with ASD and how extreme these differences
are. These television shows depict a greatly positive version of ASD and somewhat portray
them as a ‘good’ thing to have in life. In contrast, Roxby (2019) explains stories of two people
(Barney and Robert) who were diagnosed later in life with ASD. They described that they
always “felt like an alien” (Roxby, 2019, p. n.a) and “couldn’t move on with life” (Roxby, 2019,
p. n.a). This article is an important reflection of what real life people face when they are
diagnosed later in life and how they feel when the support is not sufficient and acceptable.
Comparing and contrasting Singer (2017) and Roxby (2019) articles is interesting. Singer
(2017) proves that ASD is glamourised on television more and shows mainly the advantages
of having this disability. Whereas Roxby (2019) presents the people who are living a regular
life and how isolated they felt and how they knew there was a large difference and barrier
keeping them from feeling ‘normal’. In between these two articles, there are also articles
that educate individuals with supported research. These articles are extremely important as
they give a true and correct representation of ASD and how it affects people differently.
Wood (2018) is an article that perfectly reflects how media can help create more awareness
on the topic of disabilities and ASD. This article suggests strategies and methods to use in
school to help individuals with ASD feel more confident socialising. It allows readers to take
on board and utilise this new knowledge to further help and support anyone with a
disability, particularly ASD. Media articles will and do have a major impact on people with
disabilities, thus as said above it is crucial to state facts and spread positive, but truthful
information to depict ASD as it is with supporting research and not just an opinion of a
journalist. If media articles do not educate readers, it will only create more barriers for ASD
individuals to overcome and exclude them from society more. This goes against their human
rights and does not fulfil The Disability Discrimination Act (1992).

In conclusion, ASD is an extremely interesting and complex disability. Through a variety of

diverse factors, people with ASD all have different experiences, thus it is vital to be educated
as no two people are the same. Accessing support networks and systems allows for
individuals to develop and strengthen their confidence in society, along with legislation and
laws in place to guide others and them in the correct direction. Using strategies both in
school and outside of school is important in creating a positive well-being and quality of life
for others who may be experiencing more challenges and barriers in life.

Reference List:

(ADDMN). 2014. Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8

Years, Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States,
2010. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Butrimaviciute, & Grieve, A. (2014). Carers’ experiences of being exposed to challenging

behaviour in services for autism spectrum disorders. Autism : the International Journal of
Research and Practice, 18(8), 882–890. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361313508022

Chaste, P., & Leboyer, M. (2012). Autism risk factors: genes, environment, and
gene-environment interactions. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, 14(3), 281–292.
https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2012.14.3/pchaste

Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (2018). Retrieved from Australian

Government https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2018C00125

Huijnen, Lexis, M. A. S., Jansens, R., & de Witte, L. P. (2019). Roles, Strengths and Challenges
of Using Robots in Interventions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Journal
of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(1), 11–21.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3683-x

Lord, Brugha, T. S., Charman, T., Cusack, J., Dumas, G., Frazier, T., Jones, E. J. H., Jones, R. M.,
Pickles, A., State, M. W., Taylor, J. L., & Veenstra-VanderWeele, J. (2020). Autism spectrum
disorder. Nature Reviews. Disease Primers, 6(1), 5–5.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41572-019-0138-4
Roxby, P. (20, Dec 2019). BBC News. Autism Diagnosis: ‘I want 40 years of my life back’.
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-50380411

Sedehi, Ghasemi, A., Kashi, A., & Azimzadeh, E. (2021). The relationship between the motor
skills level and the severity of autism disorder in children with autism. PEDAGOGY OF
PHYSICAL CULTURE AND SPORTS, 25(1), 58–65.
https://doi.org/10.15561/26649837.2021.0108

Singer, S. (07, Nov 2017). Retrieved from Spectrum News: Portrayals of autism on television
don’t showcase full spectrum
https://www.spectrumnews.org/opinion/viewpoint/portrayals-autism-television-dont-show
case-full-spectrum/

Strickland. (2014). Prevention of cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, and attention
deficit – Hyperactivity disorder. Medical Hypotheses, 82(5), 522–528.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2014.02.003

Wood, R. (29, Mar 2018). The Conversation. How to help autistic children socialise in school.
https://theconversation.com/how-to-help-autistic-children-socialise-in-school-93616