Reading 1

Unit 8- Reading 1

Page 114

THE AUTISM PUZZLE

Autism is a little-understood brain disorder. It is marked by poor social and communication skills and by repetitive behavior. Meet two-year-old Shawn, who was just diagnosed with autism. Shawn sits spinning the wheels of a toy car-spinning, spinning, spinning.

Shawn’s parents have learned that spinning is not a typical phase of childhood. It is a common repetitive behavior of autistic children. “Let’s pretend we’re cats,” Shawn’s three-year-old cousin suggests. “Meow,” she says, walking on hands and knees. Shawn, also three now, flaps his hands in front of his face.

Most autistic kids can’t pretend because they’re not capable of imagining something that is not real. The odd hand-flapping behavior is common in kids with autism. Let’s go to the market,” Shawn’s mom says. Shawn, now four, hurries to the door and stands waiting. The market is noisy with recorded music and the clatter of shopping carts. Shawn covers his ears and is soon screaming. His mom “infers that the noise hurts his ears.

Extreme sensitivity to loud or harsh sounds is common in autism. So is sensitivity to bright lights and various textures. Six-year-old Shawn is watching a Sesame Street videotape. “A B C.” it sings. Shawn rewinds the tape and it repeats. “A B C.” His mother calls, “Shawn! Don’t rewind the tape.” He knows this isn’t allowed, but he likes to see the same part over and over. “No rewind,” he answers.

Like most autistic children, Shawn likes repetition, and he can’t constrain his behavior. His language skills are poorly developed. and he doesn’t speak in full sentences.

Shawn’s school textbook asks this question: Which of these smells good? (a) a window (b) a flower (c) a lamp. Shawn lifts the book to his nose and sniffs. None of them smells at all, so he leaves the answer blank.

Schools usually fail to accurately assess the abilities of autistic children because classroom tasks are not appropriate for them. For instance. many autistic children are not able to link a printed word with something that is not real.

Shawn’s family goes to visit Grandma and Grandpa. Shawn, now eight, rings the doorbell, opens the door, and walks in. “Hi, Shawn,” says Grandma. He ignores her and turns on the TV. “Did you get wet in the rain?” Grandpa asks. “Yes. Rain.” Shawn answers.

Like most autistic children, Shawn doesn’t understand how to behave appropriately in social situations, and prefers to be alone. He answers questions that people ask, but doesn’t understand the give and-take of conversation.

Eleven-year-old Shawn is playing baseball. When it’s his turn at bat, he hits the ball into the outfield. “Run!” yells the team coach. Shawn walks toward first base. Meanwhile. Brad picks up the ball and brings it to Shawn. Like all players on this special team. Shawn and Brad have autism.

Most participants on this team are boys. That’s because kids with autism are predominantly male, with boys outnumbering girls by a ratio of 4 to 1. Autistic kids may have excellent physical skills, but they rarely participate in team sports because they don’t understand the rules.

Shawn is doing math homework. He writes fast, and in less than five minutes he has solved 25 multiplication problems. Some autistic children do well at school subjects, but most do not. Shawn is very bright, but not academically mature. His speaking and listening skills are poor. but in school he is good at math and spelling. He enjoys looking at photographs. and he likes maps and calendars. He frequently writes letters to Grandma and Grandpa describing places his family has visited.

it’s bedtime. Shawn showers and puts on pajamas. He brushes his teeth and climbs into bed. “I love you.” says Mom, giving him a kiss. “I love you.” Shawn repeats and closes his eyes. Shawn is asleep. Finally, his handsome face and sturdy body relax.