Autism Case

Autism

Autism is a disorder that has a wide range or affects on people. Some with autism can seem completely normal and others can have major disabilities. High functioning autism, otherwise known as Asperger's Syndrome, causes the person to have normal intelligence but the person would struggle socially. Severely afflicted people may have an extreme intellectual disability and also have many challenges with human interaction. No matter how severe the case is, it still affects the person and their family. Many autistic kids and their families go through more hardships that other families can't understand. The first way they could struggle is with the problems that come with social interaction.

When a person without autism is talking to another person they might notice body language, whereas a person with any form of autism may not notice that the person was bored or in pain. "Mr. Jeavons said that I like maths because it was safe" (Haddon 35). In The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night by Mark Haddon, Chris is autistic and likes solving puzzles. He can't understand body language very well so he looks for clues instead. Autistic children may not like talking to other people but then they may enjoy solving problems or doing math like Chris does in this story.

Another problem that can come with being a parent of a child with autism is the lack of connection between a person and the child. In The Boy Who Loved Windows by Patricia Stacey, Patty has that same problem with her son Walker. Walker would not make eye contact and Patty did not feel a bond with him for a long time. The author said he "could still not look at us at close range" (Stacey 13). Having no deep relationship with even a baby is a hardship in its self. The mother is attached emotionally to the baby before it is even born. When the baby doesn't get close to the mother on the outside it hurts her. Eventually through a lot of therapy and doctors visits, Patty got Walker to make eye contact that meant more than a blank stare.

The second most common symptoms of child autism is trouble with communication. This includes eye contact and trouble understanding conversations that non autistic children should understand. Arthur Schoenstadt says that the main reason that causes struggles with communication is the fact that autistic kids "lack empathy." Another symptom is that the child may develop "obsessive interests" (Schoenstadt). In The Boy Who Loved Windows, Walker's obsession was Windows.

The trouble with communication may not seem like a very bad thing for the families but it is. The problem causes some people to cancel childcare and play dates because the persons child cannot function around others. It also causes strain on a kid who is not potty trained or cannot provide themselves with food and water. When the kid relies on someone else to help them get through the day it will be extra challenging on their families. In some cases the problems are