Autism Increases over a Generation
Why is it that 25 years ago the NHS indicated that there were only 6 cases of autism in every 10,000 of the population and now the number is around one in 100. The current scientific thinking on both sides of the Atlantic is pointing towards the fact that there is a genetic preposition to autism but that alone doesn’t just account for the massive increase. There must be some other factor/s linked in, which could well be to do with herbicides in agriculture, or through mass vaccinations in the population becoming the norm over the corresponding period but the work continues and may still take some years to pin down the actual reason for this massive increase (Source: Dr Carol Stott Cambridge University).
Officially known as ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorders), it is estimated (although no true research has come up with accurate figures) that there are half a million people in the UK with this disorder and about 140,000 are under 18. Probably only 15% of the adults are in fulltime employment, creating a great burden on the state and the owners of Calmer By Nature website and business are putting forward suggestions and working with the Autism Trust to try to dramatically improve employment for adults with ASD across the country.
So what is Autism & Aspergers?
The spectrum of ASD goes from a person lining up pencils exactly time and time again, which is irritating, but he or she can be in the company of other people and get away with it and be reasonably comfortable to the other end of the spectrum where they are incapable through their disability of fitting into a social situation and they therefore will have a lifelong disability.
How is it defined? The most classic symptom of autism is the inability to interact with other people in social situations or repetitive behaviour or abnormal movements. Others have restricted learning capabilities, poor motor functions or problems with speech and language and an inability to process sensory information properly.
Some people with autism are some of the most intelligent people in the population and have therefore a very high IQ.
High IQ or higher functioning autism (which generally means they have an IQ above 70) normally present with milder symptoms and often fit into the Aspergers group.
Aspergers was not routinely diagnosed until the early 1990’s
It can be extremely difficult for normal thinking people to understand autism, as there are few defined boundaries.
In order for human beings to be able to interact socially and for their minds to integrate with their bodies, it requires their brains to be able to process all the information coming into their senses accurately and correctly. It is essential for the development and maintenance of the skills necessary for daily life, physical, cognitive, emotional and social communication and integration.
Sensory processing is essential to our ability to care for others and ourselves, to play and work and engage in meaningful leisure and social interaction activities.
Examples of Autism
- It is extremely difficult for many to interact socially or understand emotional signals in others. Many would find it difficult to cope with the difference between home life and school life because the boundaries are so different.
- It is common to want everything in perfect lines.
- I met a woman last week whose husband can’t start the week unless there is a particular number of fruit in the fruit bowl.
- Another friend of mine has two autistic children; one of them couldn’t come sailing with me because he couldn’t stand the “regularity of the waves”.
- Many individuals will assume absolutely nothing. Nothing is or can be assumed unless it is known to be certain in their minds.
- The same mother mentioned above has two sons she teaches at home; one of her sons has to work in complete silence otherwise he couldn’t work at all.
- Her other son has to have a constant banging sound in the background to drown out the sounds he can hear from the neon light and from others writing on paper around him.
- It’s very difficult for some sufferers to make eye contact and there is one case quoted in the Sunday Times recently where one person had learned to make eye contact but not to break it.
- Autism can take the form of oversensitivity to the skin; for example, I asked a friend of mine how her son was, the friend replied he was much, much better because we’ve allowed him to wear Crocs all year and his stress has reduced dramatically because he hasn’t had to feel the stitching in his socks.
- Other aspects of typical Autism behaviour include the need to know what’s coming. What is certain, rather than assumed everything has to be certain.
- Any one of their senses can be overactive, whether it is taste, touch, sight, smell, sensitivity to colour, textures, or light.
- Or under active i.e. to obtain a feeling or reaction may require to bang their head or run into walls or play music extremely loud.
