BEHAVIOR IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

BEHAVIOR IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

THIS PROPOSAL IS SUBMITTED FOR THE PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF DEGREE IN NURSING

ABSTRACT

Autism is a neurological severe developmental disorder characterized by an emotional, behavioral character that the individual will have to live with for life (Haas et al. 2019). Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) comprise a range of disorders that impair social behavior, communication, and language (Bolis et al. 2018). Although autism is traditionally considered a rare condition, incidences of the disorder continue to increase. Symptoms of autism vary from mild to severe, thus determining the degree of disability. This is descriptive research that will evaluate the behavior of children with autism. The study will be done through observation of children with ASD at Landpark Academy, Sacramento, for at least eight weeks. The study is motivated by an interest in autistic children and the need to offer the best available care with practical evidence, and the feeling that children with ASD should be included in the affairs of society. Therefore, the core purpose of this study is to observe and review the behavior of children with autism. The findings of this study will be significant in improving available knowledge concerning the behavior of individuals with ASD. Parents of children with autism, educators in special schools, and healthcare workers will find the results of this study to be essential in the scope of their practice.

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a disorder of development that can lead to essential social, communication and behavioral challenges (Duwall et al. 2019). Autism spectrum disorder comprises a range of conditions with some degree of impairment in social behavior, communication, and language. Autistic children also have interests for activities or roles that carried out repetitively and unique to the child. Autism usually starts in childhood and often continue to adolescence and adulthood. In most of the autistic cases, the disorder becomes more evident during the first five years of life.

Autism spectrum disorder may present co-morbidly with other illnesses such as epilepsy, depression, anxiety, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (Barnhill et al. 2017). The degree of intellectual capacity among autistic children exceptionally varies from extreme disability to superior levels (Looms et al. 2017). Globally, approximately one in 160 children have autism. The prevalence of autism varies extensively through different studies. Some studies report a very high prevalence of ASD. However, the prevalence of ASD in low and middle-income countries is so far unknown (Baio et al. 2018).

Movement disorders are common in children with autism and are reported at birth in individuals with autism. Prompt analysis of motion may provide evidence for autism in infancy (Katherine and M, 2018). A typical example of movement disability is when a child places a hand with fingers distinctly outstretched in front of the eyes and quickly moves the hand back and forth. Similarly, the child may move up and down while looking through the slats of Venetian blinds.

Genetic studies contribute to the interpretation of autism as hereditary (Sandin et al. 2017). The susceptibility to autism is linked to 400 to 1000 genes. Genetic susceptibility increases the risk of autism from about 74% to 93%. Also, the risk for ASD increases with a maternal age of above 40 years, and a paternal age of above 50 years. Moreover, it is likely to occur in pregnancy intervals of less than 24 months. Maternal rubella resulted in many instances of autism and other conditions in children. Tuberculous sclerosis occurs comorbid with autism. About 10% of children who have persistent developmental anomaly show a known medical condition.

The behavior of children with autism

Autism does not occur solely. ASD may involve a spectrum of related illnesses that share core symptoms. However, every child or individual diagnosed with ASD presents with problems of social interaction, empathy, communication, communication and flexible behavior. However, there are enormous differences in the degree among individuals with autism. For instance, two or more children with ASD will act completely distinctly when it comes to how they behave and what they are able to do (Happe and F, 2019). Therefore, with this understanding, it is also important to note that ASD is not a disease that is programmed into a child’s genes so as not remain fixed forever (Warner et al. 2017). It is possible to understand the triggers of autistic behaviors of a child by paying close attention to and noting the environment around before the incidents.

There are core communication problems categorized as joint attention and symbol use. Individuals with joint attention elicit difficulty paying attention to people and objects and is seen through challenges of orientation and attending to a social partner. Apart from having problems sharing their emotions with other people, children with ASD may continuously shift gazes between people and objects, follow the gaze and eventually point to another person. Autistic individuals also tend to draw people’s attention to objects or events to share their experiences. Symbol use shows difficulty understanding or learning ordinary or other meanings for symbols. Symbol use is commonly seen when children have difficulty using gestures, learning the simple definitions for words, and using objects functionally and in symbolic play.

Problems with social relationships are one of the most typical issues with autistic people. Children with autism commonly have impaired relationships with their peers (Duvall et al. 2019; Haas et al. 2019). Often, they have problems using non-verbal communicative behaviors in their social relationships. Generally, they hardly initiate or respond to peer or social interactions (Postorino et al. 2017). Children with autism mainly interact for sharing their experiences or amassing a focal point of attention. They have problems using non-verbal communication. Children with autism will pay little to no attention to the emotions of other people (Pan et al. 2017). It is also unlikely that children with autism will imitate the acts of other people.

However, social behavior among children with autism vary and is not a generalized phenomenon as such. Wing and Gould (1979) suggested three groups of children with autism concerning social behavior (Bolis et al. 2018). Aloof is a group of children who approach people to get their needs met and tolerate and enjoy social interactions. Passive individuals make few interactions but respond positively to social initiations from both adults and peers. The active but odd group initiate interactions and respond to other individuals. However, there is a problem in how they start the interaction since their methods of communication are unusual and individuals tend to misunderstand them.

Children with ASD seem to perceive sensory stimuli. However, the difference is that they may respond abnormally to the stimuli. For instance, brainstem auditory evoked response hearing testing may indicate that the peripheral hearing pathway of children with autism is intact, even though how the child abnormally responds to auditory stimuli. Nonetheless, the nature of intelligence of the children generally improves over time. The children may not be able to learn mechanically or repetition in contrast to subjecting them to manipulating symbolic materials (Spain et al. 2017). Additionally, sensory-motor skills may not be much disabled in some young autistic children. However, the children still exhibit impairment in the elements of symbolic play. Younger children with ASD participate in many play activities which are less suggestive and less sophisticated.

In continuation, the majority of infants with autism achieve developmental milestones on time. Reports of motor delays in children with autism among parents are low. However, parents reporting motor delays and clumsiness in skills that are notably more complicated increase during the preschool and school years (Christensen et al. 2018). Parents also report abnormalities in how the children perceive sensory stimulation. For example, autistic children may be unable to recognise and respond to some sounds. There are also reports of some autistic children being hypersensitive to specific tastes of food. Besides, reports of insensitivities to pain is common in infants with autism in comparison to infants with other anomalies of development. Autistic children also show an unusual interest in visual stimuli, overexcitement when tickled, and certain unusual visual behavior. They may also have play behaviors that may be perceived by their peers as awkward, like limiting playing only to hard objects.

CHAPTER THREE

STUDY METHODOLOGY

STUDY DESIGN

This research will follow a descriptive research design for over eight weeks. This study aims to establish through observation, the behavior of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

STUDY AREA

This study will be done in recognized special education schools for children with autism in the United States. The Landpark Academy, Sacramento is recognized nationally for children with autism. The school admits children diagnosed with ASD from three to 22 years (TBS, 2020). The Landpark Academy offers services to Sacramento Valley school districts. The School has a 1: 1.5 student to staff ratio. The placement of students at the school done by the joint corporation of each student’s home district, the Landpark Academy, and the Student’s Education Plan (IEP) team. The Academy provides intensive individualized education programs developed for every student based that evaluate the disabilities concerning skills, general adaptive functioning, and behaviors interfering with learning. The programs offered by the school is based on behavior and considers addressing the needs of every individual through wide-ranging programming.

STUDY POPULATION

The estimated sample size for the study is 250 students who will involve students from every level of education at Landpark Academy. The study subjects will be put under observation for at least eight weeks. Study participants will be selected as per the list that will be provided by the administration of the campus, also considering parent’s informed consent.

INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA

Inclusion criteria

Those who will be included in the study are:

Full-time students of Landpark Academy, Sacramento.

Students in the list provided by the educators at Landpark academy.

Students whose parents will consent to the study.

Exclusion criteria

Those who will be excluded from the study are:

Those who are not full-time students at Landpark Academy, Sacramento.

Those who will not be on the list provided by the educators.

Those whose parents will not consent to the study.

SAMPLING METHODS

Stratification will be done for all the students on the list provided by the school to represent every study level or unit. Then a random selection will follow to determine the study participants. Only those students who meet the inclusion criteria will be included in the study.

DETERMINATION OF SAMPLE SIZE

The sample size was calculated using the Cochrane’s (1963) formula n= Zp( 1-p)/d2 where: n= the desired sample size, Z is the standard normal deviate at a confidence level of 1.96 which is 95% confidence interval, P is the estimated proportion of students with autism.

Landpark Academy, Sacramento was selected due to the potential for registering many students with autism. Simple random sampling will be used to select study participants.

DATA COLLECTION

Data collection through prepared questionnaires. The questionnaire will be used as the data collection method. The researchers will observe the participants for a period of not less than eight weeks and use the questionnaires to collect data. Experienced and convenient healthcare workers will do the process of data collection. Both the researcher and the research assistants will avail themselves during the eight weeks of data collection.

STUDY VARIABLES

Dependent variable

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

children with autism

Independent variables

Communication deficits

Social behavior

Cognitive behavior

Sensory and motor deficits

Age and gender

STUDY INSTRUMENT

Researchers

Data collectors

Questionnaire

The study questionnaire will be tested with a different group of students that will be selected by the school administration who will be observed for one week. This will be done I consideration of time and cost. Presetting will be done to ensure the reliability of study instruments. All researchers and data collectors who will participate in the study will be present during pretesting.

TRAINING OF THE RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS

The principal researcher will be a trained researcher who will prepare the other research participants. The training will include four twenty data collectors and six research assistants.

DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION

Data will be analyses using both MS Access and SPSS. The results of the study will be presented in tables and pie charts.

MINIMIZATION OF BIAS

Will be done by pretesting the questionnaire and using appropriate methods for study designs, sampling, and data collection, analysis, and presentation.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATION

Ethical consideration will be obtained from the Landpark Academy, Sacramento research committee. The purpose of the study will be explained to the parents of the students and the school administrators.

STUDY LIMITATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Literature for the study has been obtained from international sources. Local literature on ASD is not readily available. Time and resources may be an issue for the study participants. Since the study involves a descriptive study design, there will be problems with decision making concerning the appropriate data to be collected. There shall also be challenges with choosing questions for the questionnaire.

However, since there is little to no information concerning the study topic locally, the results of the study will be essential regarding ASD. Parents and school administrators are looking forward to the outcomes of the study.

DISCUSSION

The general review of the literature concerning the behavior of children with autism is the guiding information for this study. As healthcare professionals and all those in special education, including parents interact daily with children with autism, they should consider the results of this study concerning the behavior of children with autism. The results of the study are exclusively among children with autism. Therefore, with one more study discussing the precepts of autism, society should be a step further with the inclusivity of children with autism.

CONCLUSIONS

Autism is a neurological disease that gets its definition based on developmental patterns and behavioral traits of an individual. The condition is characterized by qualitative anomalies that comprise social interactions, communication skills, cognitive development, and motor and neurological abilities. ASD also encompass a spectrum of other disorders such as the Asperger syndrome. Behavior among children with autism vary. As a result, there is no single behavior among children with ASD that is typical of autism. Similarly, it is conclusive that thus no behavior can automatically exclude any child from being diagnosed with autism.

References

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