Reflection Paper on Autism Spectrum Disorder

When my son was diagnosed with ASD, there were so many things that ran through my mind. I realized that this situation occurs for most parents and guardians who have children living with the disorder. The questions vary such as: how are we going to take care of this child? What measures are we going to take to ensure that the child feels normal and lives a quality life? Such questions also help the parents to process the information. Some people are left broken by such questions. In this regard, there is a need for early diagnosis of the disorder so that the parents can be adequately prepared. I think the most significant premise of the applied behavior analysis (ABA) treatment drives to the fact that it has been used to target a variety of issues.

These issues include depression, weight management, substance abuse, and behavior disorders. ABA treatment is mostly directed to individuals that have autism. My experience in working with children on the spectrum and having an autistic son has made me realize that when using ABA treatment, it is important to ensure that the child has a motivation or a reward. The reward can be a mixture of things such as cookies, technological device, and candy. Interventions for communication with children with Autism include Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC); Picture Exchange Communication System (PEC); Computer or Video; and Parent Training. (Baio, et al. The above Interventions are based on behavioral principals in a naturalistic coupled with pivotal response training (PRT). It is vital to note that PRT targets key verbal behaviors, hence, the socio-communication assessment to help develop their language skills relating to generalizations.

To draw my insight on the ASD issue, I firmly believe that non-verbal behaviors hinder the development of self and peer relationships. However, with discernment of social skills assessment that includes; evaluation of social competence, social skills, and social validity coupled with functional behavior assessment (FBA), social skills can be achieved with the appropriate social behavior interventions gravitated toward an individual with ASD (Laugeson, et al. If one involves the friends, family and the community, it can be instrumental towards the development of people with ASD. This strategy can help ensure that individuals on the spectrum develop social skills by engaging in certain activities such as practicing play skills using toys, games, peers and, technological devices. Furthermore, the involvement of the parents, especially at home, can enhance positive growth.

Social skills at home can be developed as simple as engaging in conversation, where the child is learning taking turns through role-playing can help ASD individuals learn how to play with others. This place will enable them to ask for a break whenever they feel agitated over something, hence, enabling them to regain emotional control. To avoid difficulties with the generalization of skills, I tend to think that we as parents and educators need to ensure that daily living skills and functional routines are reinforced in all areas of the individual’s life such as school and home. Independence is achievable through teaching autistic children about responsibility. It is also important that the children on the spectrum are taught about financial skills so that they can know how to keep a budget.

Community safety skills and leisure skills are other skills that are essential for independent living. My feeling is that AT plays a great role in the lives of individuals with ASD and their family. This technology has been beneficial, especially for communication, having experienced this benefit first hand with my son. However, technology in relation to autism has been scarcely studied. The rise of concern is whether an individual with ASD can potentially become dependent on the device or AT can help with the transition to more independence. Therefore, further research is needed. It is common for individuals with autism to display abnormal sexual behavior due to their autism. To conclude, my opinion is that it is crucial to embrace programs that train parents on how to perform therapy at home.