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Introduction Children are
very social individuals who require and desire contact with others
to flourish and develop. They will take all the attention they can
get. They love to be held, play, and smile. However, some children
appear to live in their own world, a place portrayed by repetitive
routines and outbursts, odd behaviors, and a complete lack of awareness
or interest in others. For example, they may not respond when spoken
to or they may look away from the person asking the question. These
are characteristics of a developmental disorder called autism.
According to WebMD autism is “a pervasive development disorder
(PDD), a group of illnesses that involve delays in the development
of many basic skills, most notably the ability to socialize or form
relationships with others, to communicate and to use imagination”**.
Nearly 75% of children with autism also have mental retardation.
Diagnosis usually occurs before a child is 3 years old. Common symptoms
that may be present to a degree in a child with autism include:
- Trouble with verbal communication
- Failure to take part in a conversation, even when the child
can speak
- Difficulty with gestures and facial expressions
- Trouble with relating to people and to his or her environment
- Unable to make friends and rather to play alone
- Repetitive ways of playing with toys and other objects, such
as only lining them up a certain way
- Recurring body movements, such as hand flapping, spinning and
head banging
“Autism affects an estimated 10 to 20 of every 10,000 people.
It is about 4 times more common in boys as in girls.”**
Autism varies from mild to severe. Despite having problems with adjusting
to school, some children grow up and become very bright, do well in
school, and live independently. On the other hand, some children with
autism function at a lesser level. Although there is no cure for autism,
proper treatment can have a positive impact on the child’s development
and create a reduction in disruptive behaviors. According to WebMd,
treatment for autism may include a combination of the following:
- Special education: Education is structured
to meet the child's educational needs.
- Behavior modification: This includes strategies
for supporting positive behavior and decreasing problem behavior
by the child.
- Speech, physical or occupational therapy: These
therapies are designed to increase the child's functional abilities.
- Medication: There are no medications currently
approved to treat or cure autism, but there are medications that
may be used to treat specific symptoms.
There are many different approaches for treatment for autism. We
focused on the Floortime Foundation. The Floortime foundation sponsors
an approach called DIR/Floortime. This approach concentrates on
the emotional and social development of the child. It looks at each
child independently and then takes into account the child’s
development level and their relationship with their parents and
or caregivers. It concentrates on a child’s development in
various areas including motor, social, thinking, learning and communication.
Being a parent who has a child with autism can be very devastating
and overwhelming. Once a child is diagnosed there are endless appointments
for several different therapists, at home treatment, along with special
dietary needs. Specifically, a full program for parents who decide
to pursue a DIR/Floortime treatment approach will indulge themselves
in appointments with therapist, such as psychologists, psychiatrists,
speech and occupational. Some parents even seek treatment options
such as nutritionist and developmental optometrist along with many
other options. They also have to carryout the Home Program aspect
of the treatment. This critical component of the treatment is called
the “Floortime”. This is where the parent actually gets
on the floor with the child and plays with them helping to promote
development. The parent is instructed to do this once a day for 8-20
minutes. Along with the appointments, and Floortime the child may
have enrolled in a school for special children or a school for ordinary
children with educational supports. No matter what school the child
is enrolled in, the parent’s involvement will be greater than
a typical parent. This comprehensive program is a lot for a parent
to keep up with: appointments, medication, diet, home routines, etc.
Parents who are very organized can alleviate a lot of stress involved
with raising a child with autism. A parent needs to have reminders
of appointment, dietary requirements, and places to note their child’s
progress. There are currently many different planning interfaces available,
but we wanted to provide an interface specifically for parent with
children with autism. We wanted an interface that will keep track
of appointments, at home daily task, diary of progress and also allow
clinicians and educators to make notes on the child’s progress.
**Reference: Ed. Charlotte E. Grayson, MD. “Autism.”
WebMD, May 2004.
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/60/67141.htm
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