Aisha White

CHD 216

Community Research and Interview

The topic that I have chosen is Children with Aspergers/Autism/ASD/PDD
(ASD). The reason that I have chosen this topic is because ASD is becoming a
lot more common among school age children. The inclusion of children with ASD
in preschool is more common today than it was years ago. Schools in the past
had no idea what to do with children with this type of disability.
The family that I have chosen to interview is Mr. & Mrs. Peterson and their
five year old son Aaron*, who is friends with a good friend of mine that Ive known
for years. I have selected them because I have never cared for a child with ASD
and do not fully understand the magnitude of this disability. I also wanted to find
out and understand the challenges this family faces within their homes and their
community.
Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disability, which causes
challenges with a childs social, communication and behavior. Children with ASD
do not look different than others, but you can tell through their interactions, how
they behave, learn and communicate with others. Some abilities like, learning,
thinking and problem solving can range from gifted to severely challenged.
People with ASD may need a lot of help in their every day lives, others may need
less.

Autism statistics from the U.S Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) identify around 1 in 68 American children as on the autism
spectrum-a ten fold increase in prevalence in 40 years
(www.autismspeaks.org/what-autsm). Autism tends to affect children very early
within their brain development. Signs and symptoms of autism usually begin
between 2 and 3 years of age. However, ASD can be detected at 18 months and
sometimes younger. This disorder tends to affect more boys than girls.
Doctors do not diagnose ASD using medical test. ASD diagnosis can be made,
by observing a childs behavior and development. Many children do not get help
early on, because they do not receive a final diagnosis until they are older.
Currently, there is no cure for ASD. Children birth through 3 can learn
important skills if they receive intervention early on in their lives. Therapist help
children learn to walk, talk and interact socially with others. Every child is an
individual and should be helped on an individual basis. What may work for one
child with ASD, may not work for another. A childs teacher, physician, parents
and family are all apart of the early intervention team.
Some of the educational implications of ASD are communication, social
interaction, repetitive behavior/restricted interests, sensory processing and
information processing/learning style. Children with ASD have difficulty with
receptive and expressive communication. Some children may be non-verbal and
others may be verbal but do not know how to appropriately use their language
when communicating with others.

A childs social interaction is seen as a significant feature of autism.

Children may not be able to interact with peers at school and have difficulties
interpreting others facial expressions and body language which may cause
conflict. Also, children with ASD may not follow rules or even be aware of social
interactions and may become a victim of bullying.
A childs diagnosis of ASD affects families in different ways. A child with
an ASD diagnosis will most likely be the main focus within the family, which can
cause stress, anxiety, marital problems and behavioral problems in siblings.
The family that I interviewed says that their son Aarons* diagnosis
affected their entire family. Aarons mom says that he was officially diagnosed
with Autism at age 3. Although, her and her husband felt something was strange
with Aaron when he was two years old. Aaron was a typical thriving baby. He
met every milestone in infancy until he turned two years old. Mr. & Mrs. Peterson
began realizing that Aaron was not communicating as much as he use too and
was doing strange things like repeating actions over and over again and having
meltdowns when his routine changed.
When Aaron* was diagnosed, Mrs. Peterson said it felt as if their whole
world ended. She says that she came to grips with the diagnosis quicker than
her husband did. Mr. Peterson was in denial for 6 months after the diagnosis.
During this time, it put a huge strain on their marriage. Mrs. Peterson had to
explain to Aarons older siblings about what was going on with their brother. She
asked her childrens pediatrician as many questions as she could; she

researched on the Internet and read many books on autism, so that she could
understand how to help her son.
Mrs. Peterson says that the family has been dealing with Aarons
diagnosis for the last three years. She says that it has not been easy but they
take one day at a time. She says that the entire family pitches in to help with
Aaron, which is helpful. They use a visual schedule with pictures at home and at
school so that Aaron knows what to expect. They try to prevent changes in the
schedule to cut down on the meltdowns from Aaron.
Aaron is in Kindergarten and attends a public school. He is currently in
some inclusion classes with typical children and in special classes where he
receives more one on one attention. Aaron also receives speech services,
occupational therapy, physical therapy and behavioral therapy at school. Mrs.
Peterson says that the school does a great job with communicating with them
and does everything they can to help Aaron succeed.
Mrs. Peterson wishes that every child with a disability could be treated like
a regular person. She says that she is proud of her son and all that he has
accomplished and all that he will accomplish in the future. Mrs. Peterson says
that Aaron has taught her about life, love and empathy. She says that she
wouldnt want to change anything about him or their lives. Dealing with a child
with a disability has brought her family closer together and she feels that they
can overcome any obstacle that comes their way!
This research and interview has helped me to understand autism a lot
better. I am more informed because of it. I know that all types of things can

cause strife within a family. Being able to discuss this topic with a family and to
really get an understanding of what they go through because of their sons
diagnosis was eye opening. I was able reflect afterwards and asked myself
these questions, What if this was me? What would I do in this situation?
These questions honestly cant be answered unless you are in this situation.
This project gave me the opportunity to peek into someone elses life that is
different than my own. It was very rewarding and Ive gained great respect for
those who sacrifice everyday to take care of children with disabilities.

Works Cited
www.aboutourkids.org
www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/facts.html
www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism
www.autismtraining
http://kendrik2.wordpress.com
www.wholechildeducation.org