ORLANDO, Fla. – One in 36 children has autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and April is dedicated to autism awareness and acceptance.
Bridgett Ellison talked to certified behavior analyst Shaun Lalime, who is also the center director for Florida Autism Center’s Kissimmee location. He says applied behavior analysis (ABA) is customized care for every individual living with ASD.
“We like to say in the field, if you’ve met one child with autism, you’ve met one child with autism. They’re very unique and different and they have different things they need to get from therapy,” Lalime said. “As far as behavior analysis, we want to improve our child’s overall quality of life. Whether they’re with a speech therapist or occupational therapist, and help teach them new ways to socialize and communicate.”
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While every person is unique, Lalime pointed out some of the characteristics that might prompt an assessment for autism.
“We call them red flags. We’ll see reduced eye contact if the child previously had acquired speech, we’ll see a loss of that, we’ll also typically see more of a preference for solitude than being around individuals,” he said.
While people with autism have unique needs, Lalime says awareness and support are not just treatment of the disorder, but understanding and celebrating the talents and abilities individuals also have.
“Supporting the needs of individuals with autism isn’t just like a moral necessity, but it gives the people a voice to share their unique perspectives. And their talents like you mentioned before, like the race car driver as well, Lalime said. “They can do anything and they have the world at their fingertips just as anyone else. So we want to promote awareness and education so we can create a world essentially where individuals with autism are not only valued for these unique talents that they have and their abilities, but it’s really important to remember supporting them isn’t just a one-time thing, but an ongoing commitment.”
For more about local resources for supporting individuals with autism, click here.
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