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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q : Is it effective for children with Autism to use Visual assistance?
A : Most children with Autism are visual learners. By using Visual assistance, the children may understand instructions better
(Source : Public Awareness IndoCARE for Sekolah Luar Biasa (SLB) North Jakarta region – On June 21, 2008)
Q : Can children with Autism act like other normal children?
A : Autism is not a disease. Autism is a developmental disorder. One thing that we can do is to give children stimulations, interventions and treatments, in the hopes of enabling them to be independent as possible. We teach and enhance life skills with visual cues to help them function in their daily lives.
(Source : Public Awareness IndoCARE for Sekolah Luar Biasa (SLB) North Jakarta region – On June 21, 2008)
Q : How do we understand what children with autism are trying to say?
A : If children with autism understand pictures, we can give them choices in the formal two or more picture visual supports to teach them how to make their own choices. Visual support is one of the ways to communicate with children with ASD.
(Source: Parents and caregiver’s awareness, 12 May 2008)
Q : How do we give instructions to children with ASD? (Give instruction with high intonation).
A : We should not raise our voices, but rather give instructions with clear and firm intonation. Speaking loudly does not help children with ASD to understand better but pictures do .All family members must be consistent and persistent to avoid confusion.
(Source: Parent and caregiver’s awareness, 12 may 2008)
Q : How do children with ASD learn how to take turns?
A : use objects to symbolize whose turn. For example : Hat. If child gets the hat , it means it is his/her turn. When the hat is worn by others, it means it is the other person´s turn.
(Source: Seminar "Creating a Predictable environment and Organizing Activities to Maximize the Learning Potential of Children with Autism" with Mr. Manoj Pathnapuram, 04 August 2007)
Q : Why children with autism need Casein Free Gluten Free (CFGF) diet?
A : Research have shown that many children lack the [dpp4] enzyme that allows them to break down the peptides from gluten and casein. As a result, these individuals, may have proteins, which are not digested fully, and cross the intestinal membrane, reaching the blood vessels, these proteins pass through the blood-brain barrier and interfere with neurotransmission. Consequently, the children may have poor attention span, odd behavior, a deficit in socialization skills and poor speech.
(Source: Public Awareness “Penyuluhan Autisme” Gedung PKG , 07 March 2009)
Q : Many people are concerned if the non-verbal child starts to use the picture exchange as a mode of communication, will they be unmotivated to produce speech, or use words in their communication?
A : Fundamentally, it is important that the child is able to communicate, regardless of his/her means-using verbal or non-verbal language. Communication takes places only when there is a two way interaction between the child and another party (parents, siblings, teacher, peers, etc). Communication is integral for the child to request his/her needs, to ask for help, to agree or disagree, and to receive others inputs as well. A child with autism may experience difficulty in verbal communication due to their lack and speech understand instructions and expressing their emotions, needs and wants. Pictures exchange becomes their voice, or “secret weapon”, to reduce a stressful situation when they need to rely a message to others and logically, in a less stressful environment, it provides a learning opportunity for the child to practise verbal language.
(Source: Parents Gathering IndoCARE 10 January 2009)
Q : Can a child with autism talk?
A : This is very much dependent on the child’s own developmental progress. If the child has modality to be verbal, he/she will be able to speak with guidance and therapy assistance. On the other hand, the child’s medical condition may be too severe and he/she will be experiencing difficulty to talk. Our goal is, nevertheless, to enhance the child’s communication as much as possible, using both verbal and/or non-verbal language.
(Source: Public Awareness “ Autism” at POLRES Jakarta Utara, 20 June 2009)
Q : Mrs. Rahayu has a student who seems to experience problems at school; he does not talk, interacts minimally with other, and has great difficulty in maintaining concentration. However, he is motivated to complete academic tasks given. Are these typical characteristics of a child with autism? According to the child’s mother, this child is able to interact verbally with her at home. How can we advise the parents regarding the child’s conditions at school?
A : There needs to be a certified paediatrician, psychologist and speech and language therapist to be able to diagnose a child with autism. The process of determining the diagnosis will involve an interview with the child’s parents, caregivers as well as a clinical observation of the child.
(Source: Public Awareness “Autism” at POLRES Jakarta Utara, 20 June 2009)