As I went to sit at my desk on the first day of grade four, I noticed a strange, blue object on the chair next to mine. Nobody had come to claim this seat, but many of my classmates had also noticed the sapphire blue, rubbery cushion. I heard two of my classmates making fun of the student that was going to be sitting in this seat, even though we had not met them yet. They were saying that the new kid was going to be dumb and weird, the greatest insults that an eight year old could think of, and that made me upset. My classmates seemed to know what the cushion was for, but I did not. However, that did not stop me from standing up for the new student. I turned around to address my classmates and shared that not only did they not know who this
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I instantly knew that I wanted to be friends with this new boy in my class. I knew that my other classmates were going to be mean to him, and I wanted him to have a companion. I quickly learned his name, Andrew. I also learned what the cushion was for, and why I noticed that Andrew was different. Andrew has Asperger syndrome, which is now classified as Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Autism Spectrum Disorder “is a complex developmental brain disorder caused by a combination of genetic and environmental issues” (Autism Speaks Canada). Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) “includes three distinct neurological disorders: autism (or classic autism), Asperger syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS)” (Encyclopædia Britannica). Although these neurological disorders were once …show more content…
“Some have difficulties combining words into meaningful phrases” (Autism Speaks Canada), which makes receiving assistance difficult. This can be seen when talking with Andrew; it often takes him a while to find the best words to communicate his point. “Autistic children commonly show various levels of impaired or delayed language acquisition and comprehension” (Koegel et al. 2), “about 40 percent do not speak words at all” (Allman 17). While some children may be mute, some are echolalic (Koegel et al. 2). Echolalia is “the uncontrollable and immediate repetition of words spoken by another person” (Dictionary.com). This means that a child with ASD may repeat a question or phrase that has been said to them, rather than forming a new sentence or response. Other children are mildly affected, but may still speak in unusual ways. Like this, Andrew will say a phrase once, and then whisper it back to himself a second time. ASD may also be a hindrance with nonverbal communication (Allman 16). Gestures, facial expressions and body language are all forms of communicating nonverbally. “Autistic children have a hard time learning what these gestures and expressions mean” (Allman 16). Correspondingly, children affected by ASD may have a hard time expressing themselves through nonverbal communication. “Facial expressions, movements, and gestures may not match what they are saying”
I instantly knew that I wanted to be friends with this new boy in my class. I knew that my other classmates were going to be mean to him, and I wanted him to have a companion. I quickly learned his name, Andrew. I also learned what the cushion was for, and why I noticed that Andrew was different. Andrew has Asperger syndrome, which is now classified as Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Autism Spectrum Disorder “is a complex developmental brain disorder caused by a combination of genetic and environmental issues” (Autism Speaks Canada). Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) “includes three distinct neurological disorders: autism (or classic autism), Asperger syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS)” (Encyclopædia Britannica). Although these neurological disorders were once …show more content…
“Some have difficulties combining words into meaningful phrases” (Autism Speaks Canada), which makes receiving assistance difficult. This can be seen when talking with Andrew; it often takes him a while to find the best words to communicate his point. “Autistic children commonly show various levels of impaired or delayed language acquisition and comprehension” (Koegel et al. 2), “about 40 percent do not speak words at all” (Allman 17). While some children may be mute, some are echolalic (Koegel et al. 2). Echolalia is “the uncontrollable and immediate repetition of words spoken by another person” (Dictionary.com). This means that a child with ASD may repeat a question or phrase that has been said to them, rather than forming a new sentence or response. Other children are mildly affected, but may still speak in unusual ways. Like this, Andrew will say a phrase once, and then whisper it back to himself a second time. ASD may also be a hindrance with nonverbal communication (Allman 16). Gestures, facial expressions and body language are all forms of communicating nonverbally. “Autistic children have a hard time learning what these gestures and expressions mean” (Allman 16). Correspondingly, children affected by ASD may have a hard time expressing themselves through nonverbal communication. “Facial expressions, movements, and gestures may not match what they are saying”