FOCUS Parenting
Struggling to Learn- Part 3
Neurobiological Developmental Disorders
Homayra Billah
Originally from Australia, Homayra Billah is the founder and managing partner of Kanga’ s Pouch Nursery in Qatar. A teacher and busy mum of two, she is passionate about providing positive nurturing environments for children to grow and develop. She began her Qatari adventure in 2008 having taught in Australia for 5 years. Since being in Doha, Homayra has taught at nursery level for 18 months and a well-known British school for almost 4 years before establishing Kanga’ s Pouch.
The word‘ Neurobiological disorder’ sounds very serious to any parent I’ m sure. And whilst these disorders can affect the quality of life in children and adults, they are also very manageable and more widely recognised. Disorders like Autism Spectrum Disorder( ASD) and Asperger’ s Syndrome( AS) are two such commonly recognised disorders in young children.
Just like in my previous two articles, I’ m always really pleased to say that awareness of these topics is so much greater than it was even as early as twenty years ago. Societies are more at ease to offer recognition and support to families facing developmental disorders. Children with low functioning forms of Autism can also enrol comfortably in main stream schools, as can children with ADHD. So, what are these disorders? And what do they mean?
What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Autism is a spectrum of closely related disorders with a shared core of symptoms. Autism spectrum disorder appears in infancy and early childhood, causing delays in many basic areas of development, such as learning to talk, play, and interact with others.
The signs and symptoms of autism vary widely, as do its effects. Some children with autism have only mild impairments, while others have more obstacles to overcome. However, every child on the autism spectrum has problems, at least to some degree, in the following three areas:
Communicating verbally and non-verbally
Relating to others and the world around them
Thinking and behaving flexibly
There are different opinions among doctors, parents, and experts about what causes autism and how best to treat it. There is one fact, however, that everyone agrees on: early and intensive intervention helps. For children at risk and children who show early signs, it can make all the difference.
What does it mean to have ASD?
Each child with autism is unique. Many of those on the autism spectrum have exceptional abilities in skills like maths, visual arts. About 40 percent have average to above average intellectual abilities. Others with autism have significant disability and are unable to live independently. About one third of people with ASD are nonverbal but can learn to communicate using other means. For some, this means the development and delivery of more effective treatments that can address significant challenges in communi-
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