What difficulties do autistic students face in Australia?

For now, all of the conditions associated with this neurological spectrum disorder are placed under the umbrella term Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD), but many people, including professionals and therapists, still use a variety of names and subcategories when diagnosing and talking about autism and its symptoms. 

1. But doesn’t early intervention help with autism? 
2. There are professionals and varied solutions to help autistic individuals, isn’t it?

While early intervention is vital to process the quality of life, there are difficulties that autistic children and adults still face in Australia on most days.

Difficulties That Follow Autism

1. Sensory Difficulty 

Autistic children and youth and even adults frequently have difficulties with sensory processing, which may range in severity, and may significantly affect learning and daily living. Some individuals or students with mild autistic symptoms may be relatively good at communicating but may have difficulties socially, whereas individuals with severe autistic symptoms frequently have trouble verbalising their thoughts. 

2. Attention and Focus Difficulty 

Difficulties in attention may make communication and language skills more difficult for children with ASD. This particular attention and focus issue may also make it difficult for these children to learn skills such as taking turns, understanding facial expressions, or staying on the subject in conversations. Children with ASD find it difficult to transfer what they learn in one environment, like during therapy or school, to others, including at home. It can also linked to a lack of processing auditory information which impacts their level of comprehension. “How can you pay attention if you don’t understand what people say to you. You feel like a stranger in your own country. It is when the brain does not hear what the ears are hearing” says Francoise Nicoloff, a neurodiverse expert.

3. Emotional dysregulation – Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety can also be a problem since children and youth who are on the autism spectrum can have substantial difficulties interacting with others, which must be addressed before they are ready to learn. People on level 2 autism can also have difficulty functioning day-to-day because of challenges in dealing with changes. Autistic students may not engage in attention naturally, making language development and communication skills challenging. 

4. Feeding Difficulty 

According to a survey, children with ASD were found to have feeding difficulties, especially food selectivity. While this issue is quite common in children with autism, it can be stressful for both the child and the family. 

5. Lack of Acceptance

One major difficulty that entails the life of autistic individuals is acceptance in society, be it in school or the workplace. This particular difficulty, or rather lack of proper education related to autism, increases a deficit in employment for people with ASD. Understand that the absence of wider acceptance is not because an autistic is unable to work but due to the limited concept of the whole condition known by other employers. 

The Significance of Autism Challenges 

Autistic students may experience a number of different symptoms and behaviours, which is why autism is considered to be a spectrum rather than a single condition. A child should be diagnosed with autism only when his or her social struggles cannot be explained by a developmental or intellectual disorder. People with autism typically have co-occurring conditions, including anxiety, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder,auditory processing disorder,  epilepsy, depression and difficult behaviours like sleep and feeding difficulties and self-injury. People with ASD are at increased risk of certain health conditions, such as sleeping problems, seizures, and mental disorders. 

A few examples depict differences in social, communication, and behaviour among children with autism. It is also not unusual for parents or relatives of children with ASD to themselves experience mild difficulties with social or communication skills, or engage in some behaviours that are characteristic of ASD. To decide whether your child has Autism Spectrum Disorder or another developmental disorder, doctors carefully examine how your child interacts with others, communicates, and acts. 

Understand that ASD is a brain-developmental condition that affects the way an individual perceives and interacts with others, leading to problems in social interactions and communication. 

Autistics are different because of differences in how autistic brains develop and process information. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a brain development disorder that impacts the way an individual perceives and interacts with others, impacting communication and interactions. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can result in significant social, communication, and behavioural challenges. 

Due to the ever-evolving studies and definitions of autism, there are thought to be a large number of individuals who are just undiagnosed yet may fall within the spectrum of autism. For those thinking that there is some sort of external cause of this neurological spectrum condition, it was thought before that certain children might stop being on the autistic spectrum when they grow up and develop. 

Isn’t The Myth – An Autistic person Has Savant Skills – Correct to An Extent and Advantage to An Autistic?

Many people with ASD may come across sensory problems, repetitive patterns of behaviours, delayed or absent language development, and poor motor coordination, among others. But this neurodevelopmental disorder also gives rise to certain myths and misconceptions. One of the myths that say – an autistic person is a savant might depict that autism does not walk with difficulties. At the same time, there has been only a small percentage of autistic people who might have excellent skills; not all autistic people come with a gift. 

Also, even if all individuals with autism face varied difficulties, because of which they might feel lonely at times, it is important to understand that all autistic are unique in their own way. 

Bear in mind that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) develop at different rates, and they do not necessarily develop skills in the same order as children who are developing normally. And therefore, the ability of individuals with ASD to learn, think, and solve problems may vary from gifted to highly challenged.