Autism Month Celebration

The Many Faces of Autism

by Alexis L. Reyes M.D. FPPS, FPSDBP

AB is a 3 year old boy who has delayed speech. He does not answer or turn his head when his name is called but his response is immediate when TV commercials are shown.  As an infant, he seemed fine and was a happy child but as he turned one, he became more aloof and less inclined to respond to his parent’s attempts at social interaction

CD at 9 years old was odd.  He had no friends and spent most of his time drawing.  He was in fact quite preoccupied with making illustrations of different churches.  He knew by heart the patron saint of each church and could describe in detail some of their lives.  

EF at 24 is a very efficient tour guide.  He begins and ends his tour exactly on time. He could rattle off historical trivia and regularly collects information on the different heroes and heroines of the Philippines.  His other passion is to surf the internet for “sick animals” who he wanted to either adopt or help adopt.  

GH at 35 could only use a few gestures to communicate and had to be supervised by her parents most of the time as she would tend to escape from the house or run away from them when they were in the mall. She was quite aggressive as a young child and often hit herself or bit her hands when she was excited or happy. 

Autism indeed has many faces and these are just a few that illustrate the clinical heterogeneity of the condition.  Recently, the more appropriate term that best describes this developmental disability would be “Autism Spectrum Disorders “ (ASDs) or the Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDDs)  to reflect this broader spectrum of clinical characteristics.  The autism spectrum, in fact, runs the gamut from people with multiple and profound disabilities to those with mild and manageable differences  

ASDs are not rare and affect nearly 1 in every 150 children. Nowadays many general pediatricians and physicians are bound to see and care for these children.  With recent heightened public awareness through media and the internet, more and more parents are likely to seek help when they find “red flags” in their child’s development.  Some of these “red flags” or early markers include the following:  no smiles or other warm joyful expressions by 6 months or thereafter, no back and forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions by nine months or thereafter, no babbling by twelve months, no pointing, showing, reaching or waving by 12 months, no words by 16 months, no two word meaningful phrases by 2 years and any loss of speech or babbling or social skills by any age. (Source:  Could it be Autism ? by Nancy Wiseman)  Although these signs do not necessarily mean a child has autism or any developmental disorder, they are reasons for concern and for further professional evaluation.

  

What does it mean to have an ASD? The new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, Text Revised  (DSM-IV-TR) which defines all known medical disorders for the purposes of diagnosis, describes six characteristics of ASDs. To qualify for a diagnosis, a person must have a total of six or more items from (1), (2), and (3), with at least two from (1) and one each from (2) and (3): 

1. Qualitative impairment in social interaction, manifest by at least two of the following: 

      

• A. Marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors, such as eye-to-eye gaze, 

facial expression, body postures and gestures, to regulate social interaction 

• B. Failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level 

• C. Lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people 

(e.g., by lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest) 

• D. Lack of social or emotional reciprocity

2. Qualitative impairment in communication, as manifest by at least one of the following: 

• A. Delay in, or total lack of, the development of spoken language (not accompanied by 

an attempt to compensate through alternative modes of communication such as gesture or mime) 

• B. In individuals with adequate speech, marked impairment in the ability to initiate or 

sustain a conversation with  others 

• C. Stereotyped and repetitive use of language, or idiosyncratic language 

• D. Lack of varied, spontaneous make-believe, or social imitative play appropriate to developmental level

3. Restrictive repetitive and stereotypic patterns of behavior, interests, and activities, as manifested by 

at least one of the following: 

• A. Encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest 

that is abnormal either in intensity or focus 

• B. Apparently inflexible adherence to specific nonfunctional routines or rituals 

• C. Stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g., hand or finger flapping or twisting, 

or complex whole-body movements) 

• D. Persistent preoccupation with parts of objects.

4. Delays or abnormal functioning in at least one of the following areas, with onset prior to age 3 years: 

• 1. Social interaction 

• 2. Language as used in social communication 

• 3. Symbolic or imaginative play

( Source: National Institute of Mental Health, 2004) 

The diagnosis of ASD is done by a medical professional with support from physical, occupational, speech therapists and educators. Ideally, everyone involved with a diagnosis should have significant experience with ASDs, their diagnosis and their treatment.   While there is no established cure for autism, there are many “treatments”. The primary goals of treatment are to maximize the child’s ultimate functional independence and quality of life by minimizing the core features of ASDs, teaching social and behavioral skills, reducing maladaptive behaviors and educating and supporting families.  Prognosis depends on several factors. Poorer outcomes are associated with lack of functional speech, mental retardation, seizures and presence of co-morbid psychiatric disorders.  Better outcomes include early identification resulting in early enrollment in appropriate intervention programs with successful inclusion in educational and community settings.   It is hoped that in the near future, new research findings will help identify causes and arrange the necessary interventions that is better than what is available today.  

like stars on earth full movie

hope you enjoy watching the film :)

My Reaction Paper: Like Stars on Earth

Like Stars on Earth

Summary:

A nine-year old boy named Ishaan Awatshi, is always failing miserably in his second attempt to complete his third grade in school. But he is a child who is imaginative and also creative, but once he sees words or mathematical problem, they are backwards and as if the words and numbers are dancing. After that he begins skipping school to avoid trouble or bad test results, his headstrong father and worried mother decide that the only way to get him to take academics seriously is by sending him to a strict boarding school (New Era Boarding School). Ishaan doesn't understand why his parents did this and now this young boy without a family continues in boarding school and yet again, the teachers and students don't understand what his problem is. Things are no different at his new school, and Ishaan has to contend with the added trauma of separation from his family.

One day a new art teacher bursts onto the scene, Ram Shankar Nikumbh, who infects his students with joy and optimism. He breaks all the rules of how things are done by asking them to think, dream and imagine, and all the children respond with enthusiasm, all except Ishaan. Nikumbh soon realizes that Ishaan is very unhappy, and he sets out to discover why. He also went to the house of the family of Ishaan and talked to his parent what is the problem of the child. Ram Shankar Nikumbh also talked to their principal that Ishaan needed time to learn because he has dyslexia. He gives him his time, patience, care and he ultimately helps Ishaan find himself.

As time goes by, Ishaan had a great improvement and he even won in the painting contest. In that time, at the end of the school, his parent went there and has a great evaluation about their child.

Reflection/ reaction

We all have individual differences, as well as Ishaan in the movie that has dyslexia. He is a person that just cannot seem to get anything right in class but are more interested in his surrounding like in the arts, animals and playing games. Though he cannot cope up easily with his class, he has a talent that anybody can’t have.

As a future teacher, do not dismiss a person because they are not performing at the same level as everyone else. As we all know, every child has individual differences. Look for the underlying cause and work for it. Dismissal of Ishaan could have caused him to become much worse and he might have ended up being a drop-out. However, with a little dedication and some individual attention, he was able to strive hard and his above average intelligence showed. He also was able to express himself through his paintings which were very mature for his age. Sometimes what a person can offer to the world is not mainstream or one of the major interest areas such as science or mathematics. Encouragement should be given where children excel, though it may be art or another.

As the movie continues, I see how Ram Shankar Nikumbh, made a way on how he will be able to help Ishaan find himself.  We can also use that method to be make our learner improves, and put our whole heart to take care to them, to give them the attention they needed and let them find their selves.  As a future teacher, we should also know the strategy and technique to make our students to become independent. We should also get the support and extra guidance that they need.

In this story, every person will cry, even when you are deaf and you only have a subtitle. It’s a story that can affect everyone who watched it.

"Go as far as you can see; when you get there,

you'll be able to see further."

-Thomas Carlyle

for all the teachers :)

Inspirational Quotes for Teachers

Nikos Kazantzakis

"Ideal teachers are those who use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross, then having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create bridges of their own." -- Nikos Kazantzakis

"Learning is finding out what we already know. Doing is demonstrating that you know it. Teaching is reminding others that they know just as well as you. You are all learners, doers, and teachers." -- Richard Bach

"A teacher who can arouse a feeling for one single good action, for one single good poem, accomplishes more than he who fills our memory with rows and rows of natural objects, classified with name and form." -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"Thought flows in terms of stories -- stories about events, stories about people, and stories about intentions and achievements. The best teachers are the best storytellers. We learn in the form of stories." -- Frank Smith

"Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them become what they are capable of becoming." -- Goethe

Helen Keller

"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement, nothing can be done without hope and confidence." -- Helen Keller

"Once children learn how to learn, nothing is going to narrow their mind. The essence of teaching is to make learning contagious, to have one idea spark another." -- Marva Collins

"In education it isn't how much you have committed to memory or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't. It's knowing where to go to find out what you need to know and it's knowing how to use the information you get." --William Feather

Approaches to ICT Development

Approaches to ICT Development

Advances in technology and the way technology is incorporated into a system is a dynamic process. Each school must work within the context of its own system to fit choices to what best suits its unique situation and culture. Even within a school, various units or courses may use different approaches. The approaches are hierarchical with the emerging approach as a beginning point, and the transforming approach as a goal many perceive as the future of education. 

Emerging 

The emerging approach is linked with schools at the beginning stages of ICT development. Such schools begin to purchase computer equipment and software or perhaps have had some donated. In this initial phase, administrators and teachers are just starting to explore the possibilities and consequences of adding ICT for school management and the curriculum. The school is still firmly grounded in traditional, teacher-centered practice. For example, teachers tend to lecture and provide content while students listen, take notes, and are assessed on the prescribed content. School organization provides discrete time periods for each subject. Learners' access to technology is through individual teachers. A curriculum that focuses on basic skills and an awareness of the uses of ICT assists movement to the next approach.

Applying 

The applying approach is linked with schools in which a new understanding of the contribution of ICT to learning has developed. In this phase, administrators and teachers use ICT for tasks already carried out in school management and in the curriculum. Teachers still largely dominate the learning environment. For example, instructing may be supplemented with ICT such as electronic slide presentations and word-processed handouts. Students receive instruction and add notes to teacher prepared handouts. They use ICT tools to complete required lessons and are assessed on prescribed content. School organization provides discrete time periods for each subject with some flexibility to combine subjects and time periods. Learner access to technology is through one or two classroom computers and computer labs. Until now, ICT has been taught as a separate subject area. To move to the next phase, the school chooses to implement an ICT-based curriculum that increases ICT across various subject areas with the use of specific tools and software. 

Infusing 

The infusing approach is linked with schools that now have a range of computer-based technologies in laboratories, classrooms, and administrative areas. Teachers explore new ways in which ICT changes their personal productivity and professional practice. The curriculum begins to merge subject areas to reflect real-world applications. For example, content is provided from multiple sources, including community and global resources through the World Wide Web. Students' access to technology enables them to choose projects and ICT tools that stimulate learning and demonstrate their knowledge across subject areas. School organization provides the flexibility to combine subjects and time periods. Learners have more choices with regard to learning styles and pathways. They take more responsibility for their own learning and assessment. ICT is taught to selected students as a subject area at the professional level. To advance to the next phase, schools choose an ICT curriculum that allows a project-based, ICT-enhanced approach. These schools begin to involve the community more in the learning environment and as resource providers.

Transforming

The transforming approach is linked with schools that have used ICT creatively to rethink and renew school organization. ICT becomes an integral though invisible part of the daily personal productivity and professional practice. The focus of the curriculum is now much more learner- centered and integrates subject areas in real-world applications. For example, Students may work with community leaders to solve local problems by accessing, analyzing, reporting, and presenting information with ICT tools.

Learners’ access to technology is broad and unrestricted. They take even more responsibility for their own learning and assessment. ICT is taught as a subject area at an applied level and is incorporated into all vocational areas. The school has become a centre of learning for the community.