BAR MITZVAH PROJECT KIBBUTZ SHAMIR, FAMILIES4AUTISM IN NORTHERN ISRAEL

WHEN MY NEW FRIEND, MICHAL, CAME TO VISIT ME, SHE MET MY LITTLE BROTHER, NIMROD.

“HI” SAID MICHAL, AND GAVE HIM A BIG SMILE. BUT NIMROD DID NOT RESPOND.

HE TURNED AROUND AND CONTINUED PLAYING WITH HIS TOYS.

LATER ON, MICHAL SAID, “I DON’T THINK YOUR BROTHER LIKES ME.”

“IT’S NOT THAT HE DOESN’T LIKE YOU,” I EXPLAINED. HE HAS AUTISM

I DESCRIBED TO MICHAL WHAT AUTISM WAS. SHE LISTENED INTENTLY AND WANTED TO KNOW WHAT CAUSED IT AND HOW IT FELT TO BE AUTISTIC.

WHAT IS AUTISM?

AUTISM CAUSES PEOPLE TO EXPERIENCE THE WORLD DIFFERENTLY FROM MOST PEOPLE.  MANY PEOPLE WITH AUTISM HAVE DIFFICULTY EXPRESSING THEMSELVES WITH WORDS.  MANY PEOPLE WITH AUTISM DISTANCE THEMSELVES FROM SOCIAL SITUATIONS AND OFTEN NEED SPECIAL AIDS TO HELP THEM COMMUNICATE.

THEY OFTEN REACT TO THEIR ENVIRONMENT IN UNUSUAL WAYS. SOMETIMES, EVEN THE MOST ROUTINE SOUNDS CAN CAUSE THEM TO COVER THEIR EARS. OFTEN, PHYSICAL CONTACT, EVEN A GENTLE PAT, CAN BE UNCOMFORTABLE FOR THEM..

PEOPLE WITH AUTISM CANNOT ALWAYS DECODE ACCEPTED SOCIAL BEHAVIORS. FOR INSTANCE, WHEN WE SEE SOMEONE SMILE, WE ASSUME THAT SHE IS HAPPY OR FRIENDLY HOW CAN A PERSON WITH AUTISM COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY IF HE CANNOT ALWAYS DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN A HAPPY OR FRIENDLY SMILE?

HE MAY HAVE DIFFICULTY CONNECTING A WORD WITH ITS CORRECT MEANING. IMAGINE NOT BEING ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT SOMEONE IS SAYING BECAUSE YOU CAN’T UNDERSTAND THE WORDS THEY USE.

NOT BEING ABLE TO FIND THE RIGHT WORDS TO EXPRESS ONESELF MUST BE VERY FRUSTRATING.

PEOPLE WITH AUTISM OFTEN BEHAVE IN STRANGE WAYS SOMETIMES - THEY FLAP THEIR HANDS REPEAT WORDS OR PHRASES MANY TIMES THROW TANTRUMS PLAY WITH ONLY ONE OBJECT REPEATEDLY

FOR MANY, ANY CHANGE IN ROUTINE CAN BE UPSETTING. THEY OFTEN ARRANGE OBJECTS IN A SPECIFIC WAY AND BECOME ANGRY IF THEY ARE MOVED.

IF A PERSON HAS AUTISM, HIS BRAIN HAS DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD AROUND HIM

SENSE OF SIGHT SENSE OF HEARING SENSE OF SMELL SENSE OF TASTE SENSE OF TOUCH OUR BRAINS INTERPRET WHAT OUR FIVE SENSES “RECEIVE”.

IF OUR BRAINS DO NOT HELP US TO CORRECTLY UNDERSTAND THESE MESSAGES, WE CAN FIND IT DIFFICULT TO SPEAK OR PERFORM EVERY-DAY TASKS.

MANY PEOPLE WITH AUTISM FUNCTION ON A VERY HIGH LEVEL AND EXPERIENCE FEWER PROBLEMS IN EVERYDAY LIFE.

HOWEVER, THERE ARE MANY WHO REQUIRE A HIGH LEVEL OF ASSISTANCE.

WHAT CAUSES AUTISM? DURING THE LAST CENTURY, THERE HAS BEEN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CASES OF AUTISM DIAGNOSED, BUT THE CAUSES HAVE NOT YET BEEN IDENTIFIED. THERE ARE SOME THEORIES: GENETIC TENDENCIES ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECOLOGICAL FACTORS A COMBINATION OF BOTH

FOR SOME AS YET UNKNOWN REASON, CERTAIN BRAIN CELLS AND CONNECTIONS DO NOT DEVELOP TYPICALLY IN AUTISTIC CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHICH INFLUENCE COMMUNICATION, EMOTIONS AND SENSES. SCIENTISTS ARE TRYING TO DISCOVER HOW AND WHY THIS OCCURS.

HOW ARE AUTISTIC CHILDREN TREATED? THERE ARE NO MIRACLE CURES OR TREATMENTS, HOWEVER WITH EARLY DIAGNOSIS AND INTENSIVE INTERVENTION, MEDICAL STAFF, SKILLED PROFESSIONALS AND CARETAKERS CAN HELP CHILDREN WITH AUTISM OVERCOME THE DIFFICULTIES AND UNUSUAL BEHAVIORS.

EACH PERSON HAS DIFFERENT NEEDS. ONE OF THE IMPORTANT GOALS OF TREATMENT IS TO DEVELOP SOME FORM OF COMMUNICTION, AND INDEED – MANY PEOPLE WITH AUTISM LEARN TO SPEAK AND THOSE WITH DIFFICULTIES ARE TAUGHT TO COMMUNICATE THROUGH ALTERNATIVE METHODS SUCH AS COMPUTERS AND SIGN LANGUAGE.

CARETAKERS CAN TEACH BEHAVIOR SKILLS SUCH AS WAITING IN LINE, FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS AND SAYING HELLO. PEOPLE WITH AUTISM CAN BE TAUGHT TO PERFORM EVERYDAY TASKS SUCH AS BRUSHING TEETH, DRESSING, PLAYING GAMES, COOKING AND FOOD PREPARATION.

OTHERS ATTEND SPECIAL SCHOOLS FOR AUTISTIC KIDS PUPILS WITH AUTISM ARE OFTEN INTEGRATED INTO REGULAR SCHOOL CLASSES OR STUDY IN SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSES IIN REGULAR SCHOOLS.

MANY KIDS WITH AUTISM GROW UP TO BE INDEPENDENT ADULTS WHO LEARN PROFESSIONS AND GO TO COLLEGE.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

LIKE ALL OF US, PEOPLE WITH AUTISM NEED ACCEPTANCE, ATTENTION AND FRIENDSHIP IN ORDER TO HELP THEM DEVELOP INTO PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ALL CAN GIVE. IT TAKES NO SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE OR SKILLS, ONLY UNDERSTANDING AND DESIRE.