What is Autism?

Autism is a lifelong developmental disability disorder of neural development, which is characterised by impaired social interaction, communication and repetitive behaviour. It affects the information processing in the brain, simply by altering how the nerve cells connect and organise. Some people who have autism will be unable to live a relatively independent life whilst others may have accompanying learning disabilities that will need a lifetime of specialist support. Those people who suffer from autism may also experience over or under sensitivity to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, lights and colours.

Parents with children who suffer from autism may find this hard to understand, but they need to realise that they are not alone. The research from National Autistic Society suggests that there are over 500,000 people with autism in the UK (1 in 100), and over 2 million people are affected by autism every single day. It is perfectly fine for your child to grow up with the chance of living of relatively normal childhood. At the same time, it is very important to consult with the experts to understand what services are available to help.

Autism and Education

As children grow up, one of the most important factors in this development is the child’s education. By having the right support in the early years can make a huge difference to children and young people with autism. We are guilty of taking our education system for granted, but for a child who suffers from autism, the process of education can be a completely different challenge.

As autism is being more widely recognised throughout the country, there are specialist schools available. The aim of these schools will allow your child to feel more comfortable in their overall surroundings, class mates and most importantly, they will have the chance to be educated by experienced people who understand Autism as well as the needs of the sufferers.

The specialist schools are not operated by the teachers. They are also run by the specially trained teachers, residential carers, learning support assistants and therapists. These highly trained people work closely with parents in order to achieve the best possible outcomes for the development for the child.

It is not uncommon for children to have different levels of autism. With this in mind, it is highly important that the people, who are in charge of the education of these children with autism, will be fully aware of how to react to the different children that attend. Through experience, a valid strategy will be in place for each child. It will outline the process for each child to guarantee that they receive the maximum benefits coming from their education.

Those children who suffer from autism tend to have a lack of confidence. In attending a specialist school, whose primary focus is on the needs of the autistic child, they will be able to take part in activities that can assist them to interacting with people. These exercises will help them to become more confident in their abilities and to respond to scenarios that are a part of growing up in today’s society.

The specialist education that autism sufferers receive will be of great benefit for the development of their future. The care, attention and the understanding will not be provided in a normal school, as the aim of is to provide pupils with a curriculum based education. This has been proven in many cases that this idea does not work for autistic children.