by Heather Cook

Created on: July 08, 2009

An experienced teacher knows if one of his/her students is not "normal". Normal is a compilation of age-appropriate social/verbal skills, functioning small and large motor skills, adequate growth and intellectual level. When a student lacks in these areas, Autism could be the reason.

Autism is a brain development disorder generally characterized by poor social interaction and repetitive behavior. An autistic child will have inadequate communication skills that is often highlighted with laughing inappropriately, talking too loud, talking to themselves or dismissing the proper protocol for having a conversation (i.e not waiting for one person to finish speaking before speaking, changing topics in the middle of the conversation, not finishing the conversation). In a younger student, this can take the form not speaking, referring to themselves by their name, not "I" or "me" and not responding to their name. Sensory issues are also an early warning sign of Autism. An autistic child could be desensitized to pain, but be abnormally sensitive to loud noises, scratchy fabrics and bright lights. Repetitive flapping of the arms, shaking legs and biting (themselves or an object such as a pencil, book or ruler) are also warning signs that a student may be autistic.

There is a wide spectrum of Autism. Autism can be very mild to extremely debilitating and affects boys four times more than girls. A child with a mild case might not attract a teacher's attention to the fact that they have autism, and a teacher might assume that the child is just socially awkward. But it is important to keep an eye on other warning signs. Are they constantly moving? Do they have fierce or limited concentration on their schoolwork? If the answer is yes, there is a good possibility that the student has a mild case of Autism. A child with severe autism is generally not in a classic classroom setting, but there are parents who feel that there is nothing wrong with their child and enroll him or her into school. It is important to take proper care when speaking to parents about a disorder. Having the school's principal or nurse practitioner contact the parents is usually the best way to start helping the student.

If you do find a child who is autistic in your classroom, remember they do not respond like other children. They may ignore you, make a mess, soil or injure themselves and/or be completely mentally distant. It is important to take extreme care not to

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