Singular World, Ana Beatriz Barbosa Silva

Our tendency is always to be ruthless with those who stray from the rules.

Just like a diamond needs to be polished to shine, a person with autism...

deserves and should be welcomed, cared for, and encouraged to develop.

early symptoms of autism manifest, necessarily, before the age of 3.

age

The sooner we notice that something is not going well, the greater the chances of correcting it.
the dysfunctions arising from this condition.

Children with autism have a restricted repertoire of interests and activities.

repetitive

Not necessarily because they are uninterested, but because they do not know and do not
They learned the art of interacting and maintaining bonds.

In Pedro's case, described above, it was easier to relate to adults than

they already knew their way of being, rather than dedicating themselves to the arduous task of interacting with
children of your age, with whom you would have to fight for your space.

Children with autism do not choose to be alone, but the lack of skills
social keeps them distant from others, entertained in their world, without showing
discomfort.

failures or problems in language development are the first signs that

the development of a child is not as expected and may suggest a
autistic functioning.

However, the child does not reproduce them or does not move out of the 'baby talk' phase. We can infer
that a child with autism cannot perceive the effect their actions have on
environment.

echolalia

There is no change in tone or volume in the way you speak. They do not emphasize.
questions or highlight a more important part of the sentence. They have
difficulty in putting emotions into your speech.

Children with autism have little social curiosity and, therefore, do not learn to.
report the events spontaneously.

Children with autistic functioning rarely recount past events and,

Children with autistic functioning rarely recount past events and,
exactly for this reason, teaching them to narrate their experiences is a priority in treatment,

people with autism have difficulty perceiving these intentions of the interlocutor,
for example: "Is he enjoying the conversation or not?", "Does he want to leave or
continue chatting?

People with autism have difficulty perceiving the interlocutor's intentions.

for example: 'Is he enjoying the conversation or not?', 'Does he want to leave or
continue talking?

Your concrete way of seeing the world prevents these children from identifying subtleties.
and underlying issues of a speech.

They do not infer the intentionality of ironies and jokes, nor the statements with double meanings.
sense.

These people can be called 'literal minds', as what matters to...

it is the word or the act itself, and not the intention that is.

These people can be called 'literal minds', as what matters to

it is the word or the act itself, and not the intention behind what they are
selling or listening. They also cannot

These people can be called 'literal minds', as what matters to

it is the word or the act itself, and not the intention behind what they are
selling or listening.

This perception of what goes on in someone else's mind is not so simple to express.
for people with autism.

the culture of a people is determined by the rules of coexistence, or patterns of

socially acceptable behavior.

The behavior patterns of people with autism are independent of race.

nationality or creed of these individuals.

stereotyped and repetitive motor behaviors, such as jumping, body swaying

and/or the hands, clap, shake or twist the fingers and make faces.

They always want the same things, the same way, in the same sequence.

the exacerbated agitation or excess of movements has no purpose. The pleasure is in the
agitation in
the exacerbated agitation or excess movement serves no purpose. The pleasure lies in the
agitation in itself.

The second category is related to disruptive cognitive behaviors, such as

such as compulsions, rituals and routines, insistence, monotony and circumscribed interests
which are characterized by a rigid adherence to some rule or need to
to have things just for the sake of having them.

They cannot devote their time and attention to other learnings, dedicating
all energies to a single focus of interest.

Many children with autism become anxious with changes and have significant problems with
transitions.

a typical example of someone with concrete thinking who has difficulty changing
the routine

Notes: 1) e.g. boy with shoes at 1 PM

people with autism take longer to shift their attention from one thing to another
another, around five seconds on average.

For those people, that is not their grandfather, but rather a set of nose, eyes, mouth.
that do not form a complete internal photographic image.

they don't understand why that is wrong, because they have never managed to pick up the hints of
reprobation.

Notes: 1) just like babies do at 8 months, they test

For those with autism, the detail draws more attention than the whole.

For those with autism, the detail catches more attention than the whole.

For those with autism, detail catches more attention than the whole. It is common, for
example, a child, instead of taking the cart and playing as if they were in a
road, just spinning and looking at the toy's wheel.

deficit of the ability to unify the perceived world.

sees the world in pieces.

the detail or the way something is done is more important than the objective
end of the action.
The detail or the way something is done is more important than the objective.
end of the action.

autism liking trains. They run on tracks, they have a continuity, the
the joke is predictable.

At no time does he manage to put himself in the woman's place and understand her reasons.
He just learned that he should not make decisions that involve her without consulting her.

Simon Baron-Cohen raises the hypothesis that the autistic brain would be

Simon Baron-Cohen raises the hypothesis that the autistic brain would be a brain
predominantly male

excess testosterone does not explain all cases of autism existing in the world.
But everything indicates that this could be one of the factors in this patchwork.

Statistically speaking, autism affects more boys than girls, in a

proportion of 4:1.

Asperger syndrome, in which the child has normal intelligence but with some
difficulties in social interaction and behavior.

There are men with more feminine brains and women with more masculine brains;

both women and men who have a brain functioning autistically

(considered an extremely masculine brain) will have their social skills
prejudiced.

What needs to be put to rest is the idea that autism has only one form.

It is not about all or nothing, but about an infinite variation that ranges from traits.
levels,

We can subdivide autism into categories: Traits of autism, with characteristics

very mild; Asperger's Syndrome; Autism in high-functioning individuals;
Classic autism, severe, with associated mental retardation.

gradation

Asperger syndrome, which has a set of symptoms of impairments in

socialization. They remain solitary in their activities, have difficulty in
share ideas and interests, difficulty in understanding what the other is
feeling or thinking.

literacy, Adriano would get caught up in the parts instead of observing the whole, that is,
I was stuck on each letter without understanding that it was part of a
everything

DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). However, until then still
we need to classify it

DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).

Children with this diagnosis usually have great difficulty in interaction.

social. They do not make eye contact, cannot develop relationships.
appropriate and do not try to share interests or jokes with others
people.

classic autism, require extensive training to perform tasks.

simple things like eating, changing clothes, and other daily activities.

symptoms of the autistic spectrum never appear in isolation, that is, they are always
associated with other problems, such as hyperactivity, attention disorders,
mental retardation, epilepsy, among others.

It is believed that 0.6% of people, that is, about one in every 166 individuals could
to be classified within the autism spectrum.

Some families, with a more evolved consciousness, seek out children with
autism for adoption, as they know that they will be neglected or never adopted.

autism, which cannot be diagnosed during pregnancy by methods

currently available,

Despite some websites publishing the correlation between assisted reproduction and
autism, research on the subject is still very limited and, in its great
most are inconclusive or even contradictory.

changes in three specific areas: socialization, language/communication and the

behavior. The components of this trio always go 'hand in hand' and are
intimately related.

Some children enjoy moments of solitude, playing in their rooms, creating their
own 'universes'. However, this behavior does not bring any harm,
since at other times they seek friends, have fun with family and
share, in a healthy way, games and experiences.

a list of 39 common characteristics in the child population.

Generally, children with autism are unable to have satisfactory social interactions.

They cannot establish direct eye contact.

They have difficulties sharing moments or interests with other people.

Failure in anticipating postures or movements.

Animals have more predictable reactions, they do not show as many emotions and expressions.
facial as human beings,

Give interest to them

Inappropriate or unsuitable laughs.

They have difficulties in the development of spoken language,

Stereotyped and repetitive use of language.

Decorate sentences

Difficulty in engaging in pretend play.

Inversion of pronouns. They can speak in the third person.

Naivety. They can't assess ulterior motives.

Difficulty in understanding ironies.

Children and even many adults with autism are not skilled at lying, deceiving,
to deceive or to speak words that do not express the truth.

(hyperlexia).

They have limited interests, such as deep knowledge about dinosaurs,

Attachment to routine. Tendencies to do things the same way all the time.

Stereotyped and repetitive movements, for example, rocking the body, banging
palms,
Valuation of the part by the whole.

Hypersensitivity to touch. Generally, they do not like physical touch.

To walk on tiptoes.

Fear of change.

Self-harm. Some children may bite themselves,

Vestibular stimulation (activities that alter the body's balance).

Aversion to loud noises, screams, or fireworks (phonophobia).

Short attention span.

I like music. In our experience, children with autism generally have a

special fascination for music. Not for the lyrics themselves, but for the melody.

Concrete thinking. Difficulty in understanding the meaning of things or words.

that are not tangible, for example "to think", "to suffer", "sadness".

Habit of lining up or stacking things.

It is common for parents to fall into the trap of only pointing out behaviors.
children's problematic behaviors. In doing so, they may lose sight of the skills and
the strengths that they possess.

The more information you have about the subject, the greater the chances of
manage the problem and seek effective alternatives.

Help him to learn and perform the basic activities of daily living (ADLs), such as
such as: dressing oneself, eating alone, taking a shower, changing clothes.

Give him tasks to perform. Try to break down complex tasks into steps.
small.

Praise your child whenever they manage to achieve a challenge that was given to them.
presented.

If you are learning to talk about animals, for example, take him to the zoo. If
about numbers, use this learning in some activity at home,
Establish one meal a day as a family. The family gathered at mealtime is
fundamental for everyone to exchange ideas and experiences,

Put the child in clubs, gyms, and classes where there is contact with others.
children.

Radical restructurings will need to be made for its good development, and for
that family harmony is preserved.

She sees it fragmented, in pieces, as if it were a huge puzzle, whose

pieces need to be gradually fitted together for her world to reveal itself
minimally similar to ours. And, even if you can assemble it, the gaps and
Cracks will always be there.

In general, we observe that, due to a demand from the parents themselves, the schools
they are becoming more and more content creators.

School years are an investment in various areas of life.

It should be made clear that it is not the role of teachers to diagnose children.
with autism.

Some subtleties, such as speaking softly, attracting attention gently, or helping him
Understanding content through figures or images is always very welcome.

they tend to associate group life with something not very enjoyable.

to the extent possible, the student should be the teacher's helper in small tasks,
just like handing out sheets to classmates,

as far as possible, the student should assist the teacher with small tasks,
just like handing out sheets to classmates, pronouncing each one's name.

When addressing the child with autism, the teacher should lower themselves to the child's level to
establish eye contact (eyes to eyes).

The questions should be direct, clear, objective, with simplified vocabulary.

provide the student with practical experiences where they can experiment with things.

a student who is learning to count, for example, needs to "feel" the quantities and
the numbers in a tangible form.
It's important to divide tasks into small steps.

For this, the teacher can leave a roll of toilet paper on the table. He
must teach her to take the roll and then guide her to the bathroom. This way, the child
learn a causal relationship: every time she picks up the paper, she will be 'asking' for
go to the bathroom. This should be repeated countless times, at all times of
physiological needs.

communication can also be done through figures. The teacher and the child
we can exchange images, drawings

Sometimes, it is necessary to start with a topic of interest to the child themselves and,
gradually, direct it towards other themes.

encouraging the child to recount past events (experiences) and to participate in

pretend play

the child exhibits repetitive movements with the hands, we can, for example,
encourage her to paint or cut, as this way we will redirect this activity
engine for something productive, preventing the child from being stuck to the
movement for the movement

Everything must be 'translated' literally, piece by piece.

the teacher must always promote independence. Just like parents at home, it is
it is important to encourage the child to do things by themselves,

the teacher must always promote independence. Just like parents at home, it is
It is important to encourage the child to do things on their own.

a professor must always promote independence. Just like parents at home, it is

it's important to encourage the child to do things on their own, such as taking care of themselves,
wash your hands, close the paint containers, put away the material.

make sure she understood what you meant and repeat it as many times as necessary
necessary, in a calm and affectionate manner.

so, even though they have a different way of showing their affection, people with
Autistic individuals also love and are 100% honest and true.

to express the love they feel in some practical way, as they are not good at
describe feelings.

Notes: 1) autistics are those who truly love

This makes people with autism have true and deep feelings.
but they cannot express them so easily.

People with autism will never pretend love, they will never say loving words unless
they mean exactly what they are feeling.

The intention of their actions is always concrete and objective, and when they love, they do so from
truth. After all, they can't disguise or lie. For them, there is no
reason to pretend.

The psychopath, in reality, is a person who cannot feel anything, that is, does not
has feelings or emotions. It is cold, calculating, and rational. Its life doesn't even go through the
world of affections. The people around you have the unique and exclusive role of
please him and fulfill his wishes. All his actions are driven by intentions
coldly calculated. He is fully aware of the mental state of others.
people know exactly why they are sad or happy, but they don't care. It does
uses this for his own pleasure. He doesn't care about others and is very skilled.
socially. Manipulates even his own family members to get what he wants and is
expert in the science of lying and deceiving.

they do it unintentionally.

Notes: 1) same condition as the psychopath

I could not have beliefs or religion, as I did not believe in what I did not see.

When we explained to Cláudia that she needed to talk more with her husband about this
situations of anguish, let him vent and express concern, she us
Responded: 'But do I have to pretend?' We were left without an answer at that moment. Maybe.
Let it be so. We pretend to be polite, to be politically correct.
For the purity of autism, this is complicated.

He still hasn't made an association with himself. Therefore, as mentioned earlier, he does not
can read the other person's mental state through what is seen at that moment.

This mental functioning promotes a hyperfunctioning in specific areas of the

brain, to the detriment of others.

About 10% of people with autism are brilliant at some tasks.

People with such ability can also be called savants.

French). The scholars are few in the world and present "islands" of knowledge in a
brain with so many other 'failures' or deficiencies.

Those with Asperger's syndrome usually have restricted interests, but not
they are always brilliant in these interests. As for those with Savant syndrome (the
savants) present, extraordinarily, at least one special skill.
Rain Man, directed by Barry Levinson in 1988, starring Dustin Hoffman, and
winner of four Oscar awards, including best actor. The story, although
fictitious, was inspired by the life of the American Kim Peek, who possessed the fantastic
ability to memorize up to 98% of everything he read. He devoured up to eight books a day
and was able to achieve the incredible feat of reading two pages at the same time, one with each
eye, absorbing and memorizing its contents.

Her life was portrayed in the feature film Temple Grandin, produced by HBO in 2010.
starring actress Claire Danes.

Most "geniuses" with traits of autism require a tutor or caregiver who

incentivize and channel your abilities into something productive and concrete.

Uta Frith, one of the leading researchers on autism in the world, in her book
Autism — explaining the enigma.

The word 'autism' derives from the Greek 'autos', which means 'to turn toward oneself'.

Eugen Bleuler, in 1911, to describe one of the characteristics of people with

schizophrenia, referring to the social isolation of affected individuals.

In 1944, the Austrian researcher Hans Asperger published in his thesis

PhD, childhood autistic psychopathy, an observational study with more than
400 children, assessing their behavior patterns and skills.

Hans Asperger coined the term autistic psychopathy and referred to the children he studied as
of "little masters", due to their ability to discuss a topic
meticulously.

In addition, Lorna Wing was the first person to describe the triad of symptoms:
changes in sociability, communication/language, and altered pattern of
behaviors.

At that time, behavioral psychology faced strong prejudice from

psychologists who followed other theoretical lines and by society as a whole.

Notes: 1) psychoanalysis does not solve everything

Since then, the problem has come to be treated as a syndrome, as a disorder.

of development and no longer as a psychosis.

The first Brazilian organization was the Association of Friends of the Autistic (AMA), in
São Paulo, officially founded on August 8, 1983,

The first Brazilian organization was the Association of Friends of the Autistic (AMA), in
São Paulo, officially founded on August 8, 1983,
The first Brazilian organization was the Association of Friends of Autistic People (AMA), in
São Paulo, officially founded on August 8, 1983, by a group of parents,
majority with children with autism.

They investigate the 30 thousand genes that make up the human genome, with the aim of
identify those that trigger autism. It is estimated that approximately 15
genes would be the "candidates" for autism, that is, a person who has a
the association of these genes would have a higher probability of developing autism.

autism has as its fundamental cause genetic alterations.

the origin of the disorder would be related to a group of genes and their interaction between
they, and not to a single gene as the cause of the problem.

Monozygotic (identical) twins share 100% of their genetic material.

When considering the prevalence of autism, there is a significant agreement between

the two brothers: if one of them has autism, the other has a 90% chance of having it as well
ter.

For dizygotic (non-identical) twins, the probability drops to

approximately 4.5%, the same risk as a non-twin sibling.

the risk of any newborn having autism is 0.6%.

autism is a disorder with very strong heritability.

In addition, the pregnant woman should avoid alcohol and other toxic substances, as well as
medications, even the 'natural' ones, without proper medical guidance.

If our brain were an orange, the peel would be the part where all the sensations,
motor activities, thoughts and behaviors are produced by neurons
(nerve cells). This outer layer of the brain is called the cortex, or substance.
gray. The inside part of the brain (white matter) would be equivalent to the
orange pulp.

If our brain were an orange, the peel would be the part where all the sensations,
motor activities, thoughts and behaviors are produced by neurons
(nerve cells). This outer layer of the brain is called the cortex, or substance.
gray. The inside part of the brain (white matter) would be equivalent to the
orange pulp.

If our brain were an orange, the peel would be the part where all the sensations,
motor activities, thoughts and behaviors are produced by neurons
(nerve cells). This outer layer of the brain is called the cortex, or substance
gray. The inside part of the brain (white matter) would be the equivalent of the
orange core. There are several paths that connect the top part with the bottom.
below, from the left to the right. These connections are made by the axons
("fibers", "networks", extensions of neurons) that transmit messages.

the brains of people with autism do not function as a cohesive unit, which
reflects in dysfunctional behavioral symptoms.

This makes us think that the person with autism cannot activate that brain area.
so important for social perception and interpretation of what is happening with the other.

The cells that responded to the action and also to its observation were named
mirror neurons.

For example, a person who waves their hand to say "goodbye" shows activity.
cerebral in the motor cortex region similar to a person

For example, a person who waves their hand to say 'goodbye' shows activity.
cerebral in the motor cortex region similar to a person who is just
observing this gesture.

People with autism have a reduction in the activation of mirror neurons, which leads us
let's suppose that when they perform an action, the neurons are activated
normally, however, when they observe another individual performing this action, the
neurons do not respond in the same way.

We developed the ability to 'read the minds' of others; this means that, many
Sometimes, we can capture your feelings, your desires, and your intentions. The
Understanding the other's intention helps us understand their goals.

to perceive mental states, which leads them to mistakenly evaluate a series

of social situations, or, they simply cannot understand them.

People with autism have difficulties in perceiving mental states, which causes...
that evaluate, incorrectly, a series of social situations, or even,
they simply cannot understand them.

Many times, attachment to routine is a way that people with autism have to
to feel safe and not having to devise strategies to solve problems
simple everyday things at all times.

it is still not possible for us to make a diagnosis through a genetic evaluation, a

since the autism genes have not been completely identified.

it is still not possible for us to make the diagnosis through a genetic evaluation, a
since the autism genes have not been completely identified. Thus, the
the diagnosis of autism is basically clinical, through the patient's history and
observation of your behavior.

The formation of a child in the mother's womb depends on numerous factors, which range
since successful fertilization, the implantation of the zygote (or fertilized egg) in
uterine wall, the development of the fetus, until it presents the
characteristics of a complete and ready baby

They usually do not respond to the call, as if they have hearing problems. This
the hypothesis is immediately discarded when the parents play music or move a package of
Cookie and the little noise awakens the child's interest.

Autism is included in a diagnostic group called global developmental disorders.

development. These are characterized, mainly, by difficulties in
socialization, which begins early and can last a lifetime,
compromising some adaptive communication and relationship capabilities
personal.

Notes: 1) Asperger

there is no important or significant delay in language development

verbal.

high-functioning autism, however, in the latter, the speech delay is the major
differential.

"doctor shopping", that is, they go from doctor to doctor in search of other opinions.
or diagnoses.

There are currently no psychological tests that determine if the child is or

not within the spectrum,

Currently, we have three instruments translated into Portuguese and that are
partially validated for our population: the Trait Assessment Scale
Autistic (ATA), the Autism Behavior Inventory (ABC) and the Questionnaire
Autism Screening Questionnaire (ASQ).

comorbidity

About 70% of children with classic (severe) autism have some degree of delay.
mental, which must be evaluated at the time of treatment.

Other important comorbidities should be investigated on a case-by-case basis, such as

anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, and attention deficit disorder
hyperactivity (ADHD)

However, the child is not the disorder.

However, the child is not the disorder.

However, the child is not the disorder. The child exhibits behaviors of the spectrum.
autistic

when we use our brain with new stimuli and exercises, it 'reprograms' itself,
Creating new pathways between neurons. The more we learn, the more pathways
neurons are formed. This is the principle of psychotherapeutic treatment: to stimulate the
child with behavior modification techniques so that the brain
reorganize for new learnings, new memorizations, and new adaptations, making
these definitive changes.

Plasticity is defined by something that can be shaped or formed. If programming

the individual's genetics did not prepare him for the stimuli he would face in
environment in which it lives, plasticity can allow the brain to readapt to
them.

It is possible to reorganize areas of the brain to make them more functional, or

so that they help the individual to perform tasks that they did not do before,

are, initially, separated into small steps that are trained, practiced.

Appropriate responses are followed by pleasurable rewards, called

reinforcers, which will increase the chances of this appropriate behavior being
repeated.

make learning fun for the child.

Raising a child with atypical development is not one of the simplest tasks,

Patience, firmness, and discipline are some of the characteristics they need.
ter.

Independence is one of the main goals that parents and professionals desire.
the children with autism reach.

In reality, doing therapy without a well-defined goal brings little or no

satisfactory result.

The more the child gets what they want through crying and shouting, the less
she has the need to learn to speak.

The most recommended therapy for children with developmental disorders is therapy.
behavioral.
create opportunities for the child to learn and practice skills for
by means of incentives or positive reinforcements, that is, rewarding and praising her every time
behavior performed in an appropriate manner.

Physical support: when the professional engages in the activity alongside the child,

Light support: a guideline on what should be done.

There is still no medication that treats all the symptoms of autism. The
social and communication difficulties are not directly addressed through the use of
drugs.

But other symptoms also present in the autism spectrum, such as

repetitive behaviors, stereotypes, inattention, irritability
hyperactivity, impulsivity, changes in sleep, show improvements with the
medication treatment.

Risperidone and Aripiprazole.

Resilience is the ability we have to deal with problems, to overcome obstacles.

that appear in our lives or resist the pressures of adverse situations.

The only way to treat a child with autism is with personalization of the
activities and training.

we do not need to waste time on what she already masters.

Various activities can be adapted so that she can do the same activities as the
classroom colleagues.

divide them into small steps, translate them into figures for better understanding of the
school content, among others.

Training in communication is very important and, for this, it is necessary to employ the greatest
possible number of resources,

a child with autism should spend an additional four to five hours a day in
therapies and training.

social support so that they can put into practice the skills learned.

can only develop if it is truly integrated into the environment

familiar.
What we have so far are vague public policies and a legislation in which the
autism is 'fitted in', and not treated as a priority.

However, in practice, reality is quite different: families struggle, many times.

throughout life, in a tiring and lonely way.

children and adolescents with autism have the right to education. According to article 54 of
The Statute of the Child and Adolescent mandates that the State ensure assistance.
specialized education for people with disabilities

a possible first step would be that every classroom with a student with
special needs relied on the support of a teaching assistant.

In addition to technical and educational preparation, teachers need support.

psychological and a good relationship with families to deal with the challenges of
inclusion.

For the criteria of the law, people with Asperger's syndrome do not have the same
rights of people with autism.

four out of five people diagnosed with autism are dependent on their
country? Or, still, why do nine out of ten not have a regular job?

Sometimes, a brilliant person cannot show their potential due to not

to be part of a group.

We have even heard some people say that these individuals would be treated as
robots, however, we share the idea that this is an ignorant statement and that
shows the lack of knowledge of the laws governing the labor regime, that is, all of us
we work for something, for positive reinforcement, we work because at the end of the month
we receive an amount, mostly in cash, and we are happy to be able to
pay our bills.

Around five weeks, all babies are able to smile, see with both
simultaneously (binocularity) and babble. Everything indicates that these processes
they are ontogenetically specified, that is, they come pre-programmed in the species
human, which is why we can observe the facial grimaces (proto-smiles) that babies
showing just a few hours old.

around eight weeks the smile definitely becomes a social act, and
they smile in response to other people who smile

with about eight weeks the smile definitely becomes a social act, and
They smile in response to other people who smile or play with them.

We must look at the child with autism from her perspective, for only in this way
we will be able to help you. There is no "normal" child hidden by
behind autism.