Autism awareness still lacking at schools

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Autism awareness still lacking at schools

Stacey Myers, Staff Writer

If you ask people what autism is, chances are you will get a different response

every time. The Autism Society of America states that it is a developmental

disorder that appears within the first three years of life and affects the

brain’s normal development of social and communication skills. No two people

exhibit the same characteristics, which explains why it is called autism

spectrum disorder.

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder is on the rise, reaching one in 110

births according to the Autism Society. This shows that the problem increasingly

needs to be addressed at all levels of society and especially in schools and

colleges.

Many universities are already beginning to rethink their current support

programs. The vast majority of the students on the spectrum admitted to

universities have been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS), the

highest-functioning form of autism. Typically, these students have average to

above average IQs with deficits in three main areas: communication, social

relationships and behavioral/emotional intelligence. They are exceedingly

literal people, have difficulty understanding facial expressions and usually

have trouble maintaining eye contact. Initiating conversations is generally a

scary prospect for them.

The few autism support programs that exist at TU today still require these

students to use what little self-advocacy they possess to inform their

professors of their diagnosis. Students with AS can often dread holding this

conversation and, not surprisingly, most never follow through.

These communication problems often lead professors and fellow students to make a

wide range of assumptions regarding students with AS. & #8239;These can include

assuming that they are not paying attention because they avoid participating in

group discussions or thinking they do not know any of the material because it

takes them a long time to answer a question when called on in class. Some

professors even think the university’s standards have gone down since the

student seems a little “off.” However, these students bring a lot to the

classroom. They are extremely creative and shed light on concepts or theories

from a completely different perspective. & #8239;

It is imperative to recognize and inform the university about the invisible

disabilities that are just as difficult to live with as physical disabilities.

Awareness is the first step to creating a much-needed change in the

accommodations and support systems. It is time to recognize the increasing

prevalence of these disabilities in our university and in our society in order

to learn about its causes and to better incorporate these students into our

community.