Finding the perfect school can be difficult enough but trying to find a school when you have a child with autism can be a challenging task. You will need a school that both supports you and your child and has appropriate assessment services. It’s also important to establish if they have specialist support and facilities for your child who may be struggling. Many children worldwide go un-diagnosed and therefore struggle through their learning years, which has a profound impact on their social, emotional and academic development. In Bangkok there are various schools and learning support centers who offer their services to assist, as well as a wonderful autism rights advocate and a certified autism specialist.
We now have a dedicated category for learning support on our main website and many of these highly recommended places can assist further.
https://www.bkkkids.com/listing-category/learning-resources-support/
What Is Autism?
Autism is a developmental disorder. When making a diagnosis of autism in children, doctors look for problems in the following 2 main areas:
- Social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication
- Repetitive behaviors, no behavioral flexibility, nervous system disorder
Autism involves a variety of developmental delays. The signs may be obvious or subtle. In some cases, autism cannot be diagnosed in the first visit, and for an effective evaluation, the signs and symptoms must be monitored frequently at several locations, such as schools and nurseries. Signs of the disorder can be difficult to identify or diagnose. It requires extensive experience for doctors to be able to diagnose and treat children with autism effectively.
Upon hearing that their child has been diagnosed with autism, some parents enter a state of denial and refuse to accept the diagnosis at first. Sometimes they will even tell others that their child has just been diagnosed as a late talker by the doctor because they are afraid that their child will be rejected by the school as most people believe that autism is a very serious condition. However, due to ongoing efforts to increase autism awareness, some parents understand the signs and have their children diagnosed during the early stages of autism. Early diagnosis and accurate treatment improve the results significantly, leading to near-normal development in the long term.
Some families with autistic children do not believe that their children have any problems and they leave their children untreated. Some families become depressed and disappointed with their children. They do not have their children trained appropriately and stimulated for development. The autistic children lose the chance to have normal development and come back to be treated when they have grown up, which makes it more difficult for them to be trained appropriately and have their development stimulated. When autism is left untreated into its late stages, some parents have to quit their jobs to look after their children.
A child’s brain develops rapidly during the first five years of life. If autistic children are treated early, they will have a chance of normal development, and their oral communication skills and social interactions will be improved with no repetitive behavioral disorders. Some children with autism go on to earn a degree and work in the same way as their non-autistic peers.
With thanks to Dr. Nattawat Ngamsamut, M.D., Paediatric – Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at Samitivej International Children’s Hospital – Srinakarin Campus
Where To Get Help for Kids With Autism
Trying to find help overseas for kids with an autism spectrum disorder can be incredibly difficult and worldwide there are thousands of autism organizations offering information, resources and services. While you should always consult a physician if you are concerned your child may have autism, you may also have an organization in your country that could provide additional support. Autism speaks offers help and support for many parents in different communities and can offer assistance in finding someone in your country and connect you with other families to offer support in similar situations.
We would like to acknowledge Action for Autism for their hard work in organizing this list, and thank them for sharing this important tool with us and the global community.
Another highly recommend website is the the help guide for autism for seeking help and understanding kids on the autistic spectrum. They discuss where to seek early intervention and offer tips, treatments and services
Resources For Parents
In order to understand Autism a little better we highly recommend watching Netflix’s ‘Atypical’, a coming of age story about a high schooler on the spectrum which explores his relationships with his family and friends. The book ‘The Reason I Jump’ is also a fantastic insight for parents/family members/friends of anyone on the spectrum. A fantastic free downloadable English/Thai book to help children with ADHD to better understand themselves is JJ’s SQUIGGLY MIND.
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