The Complete Guide to Autism & Healthcare: Advice for Medical Professionals and People on the Spectrum - Softcover

Lesko, Anita, R.N.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1941765440 ISBN 13: 9781941765449

Verlag: Future Horizons Incorporated, 2017

Inhaltsangabe

Quality advice from a nurse with autism!

Winner of the Temple Grandin Literary Award. The Complete Guide to Autism and Healthcare is geared toward use in healthcare curriculum courses and is a guidebook for all healthcare and allied healthcare providers.

It's important for healthcare professionals to realize that communication starts at the admissions desk and follows through to the patient's discharge. Whether the patient is simply going for a routine doctor's appointment or getting admitted for major surgery, the patient with autism needs specialized care for optimal results.

This book is a comprehensive guide in understanding autism, formulating effective communication strategies, and developing the best care practices. It covers sensory issues, pain tolerance, body awareness, communication challenges, legal and ethical issues, HIPPA compliance, Americans with Disabilities Act, and much more.

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Anita Lesko was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome at age fifty. She graduated from Columbia University in New York City with a Master of Science degree in nurse anesthesia in 1988. She's worked as a certified registered nurse anesthetist, specializing in anesthesia for neurosurgery ever since graduation. An advocate for people with Asperger's syndrome, Anita started a support group for people of all ages with Asperger's, their families and friends, which meets monthly. She is the author of her latest book, "Asperger's syndrome: When Life Hands You Lemons, Make Lemonade." She is the Founder and CEO of Born With Asperger's, an educational and help site for not only people with Asperger's, but their families, employers, fellow employees, educators, neighbors, and anyone who might know someone with Asperger's.

Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

The Complete Guide to Autism & Healthcare

By Anita Lesko

Future Horizons, Inc.

Copyright © 2017 Anita Lesko
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-941765-44-9

Contents

Foreword, 
Introduction, 
Chapter 1 — What Is Autism?, 
Chapter 2 — Demonstration Activity of Autism, 
Chapter 3 — Looking through My Autistic Eyes at the Healthcare System, 
Chapter 4 — Thinking Outside the Box, 
Chapter 5 — Communicating with the Autistic Patient, 
Chapter 6 — Sensory Issues and Sensory Processing Disorder, 
Chapter 7 — Adaptation to the Environment, 
Chapter 8 — Meltdowns & Safety, 
Chapter 9 — Pain Perception of the Autistic Individual, 
Chapter 10 — Preparing the Autistic Patient for an Exam or Procedure, 
Chapter 11 — The Importance of Websites, Videos, and Albums, 
Chapter 12 — Identification of Autistic Patients, 
Chapter 13 — Emergency Department, 
Chapter 14 — Inpatient Admissions, 
Chapter 15 — Preparing for the Operating Room, 
Chapter 16 — Anesthesia for the Autistic Patient, 
Chapter 17 — Women's Health, 
Chapter 18 — HIPAA Requirements, 
Chapter 19 — Americans with Disabilities Act, 
Chapter 20 — Putting All the Pieces Together, 
Chapter 21 — Parents: The Unsung Heroes, 
Chapter 22 — Conclusion, 
About the Author, 

CHAPTER 1

What Is Autism?

This chapter shall commence with a description of autism obtained by the most credible sources on earth. Following that will be a discussion of what it's like to live with autism and a first-hand account of how differently we perceive the world.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication, and behavioral challenges. Often there is nothing about how a person with ASD looks that sets him or her apart from other people, but people with ASD may communicate, interact, behave, and learn in ways that are different from most other people. The learning, thinking, and problem-solving abilities of people with ASD can range from gifted to severely challenged. Some people with ASD need a lot of help in their daily lives; others need less.

A diagnosis of ASD now includes several conditions that used to be diagnosed separately: autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and Asperger's syndrome. These conditions are now all included in the term autism spectrum disorder. The Autism Society of America goes into more detail on the definition of autism, as follows:

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disability; signs typically appear during early childhood and affect a person's ability to communicate and interact with others. ASD is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a spectrum condition that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. There is no known single cause of autism, but increased awareness, early diagnosis/intervention, and access to appropriate services/supports lead to significantly improved outcomes. Some of the behaviors associated with autism include delayed language learning; difficulty making eye contact or holding a conversation; difficulty with executive functioning, which relates to reasoning and planning; narrow, intense interests; poor motor skills; and sensory sensitivities. Again, a person on the spectrum might follow many of these behaviors or just a few, or many others besides. The diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder is applied based on an analysis of all behaviors and their severity.

Signs of autism will begin before a child reaches his third birthday and will remain with him throughout his entire life. Symptoms can lessen as the individual gets older, to the point that it's barely recognized as an adult. However, the person will still struggle with many of the issues as an adult, as they never go completely away. Many on the autism spectrum have extraordinary gifts beyond what ordinary people have that bring much happiness and fulfillment to them.

Some children might show signs or symptoms of autism within the first few months of life; while in others, symptoms might not surface until they are twenty-four months old. Some children might appear to develop normally until age two, then suddenly stop gaining new skills and lose the ones they have. There is no exact pattern and development, which is why it is called a spectrum.

The CDC has lists of signs and symptoms for various areas that are shown below. It is not unusual for parents to see these lists and suddenly realize that their child fits the picture, or for an adult suddenly to realize she is on the spectrum, never understanding why she was so different.

Possible Red Flags

A person with ASD might:

• Not respond to her name by 12 months of age

• Not point at objects to show interest (point at an airplane flying over) by 14 months

• Not play "pretend" games (pretend to "feed" a doll) by 18 months

• Avoid eye contact and want to be alone

• Have trouble understanding other people's feelings or talking about her own feelings

• Have delayed speech and language skills

• Repeat words or phrases over and over (echolalia)

• Give unrelated answers to questions

• Get upset by minor changes

• Have obsessive interests

• Flap her hands, rock her body, or spin in circles

• Have unusual reactions to the way things sound, smell, taste, look, or feel

Social issues are one of the main challenges associated with ASD. These difficulties can cause serious problems in these people's everyday lives.

Examples of social issues related to ASD:

• Does not respond to his name by 12 months of age

• Avoids eye contact

• Prefers to play alone

• Does not share interests with others

• Only interacts to achieve a desired goal

• Has flat or inappropriate facial expressions

• Does not understand personal space boundaries

• Avoids or resists physical contact

• Is not comforted by others during distress

• Has trouble understanding other people's feelings or talking about his own feelings

Every parent wants a perfect child. Parents typically spend time socializing with other parents of children the same age to exchange stories of their child's progress. I'm all too familiar with this event; it occurs regularly in my own workplace. As I listen to my colleagues sharing stories about their child's progress, I wonder to myself how each of them would act if their child was diagnosed with autism and was four years old and still not talking or reaching any of the "normal" development milestones. People take for granted that they will have a "normal" child.

By a child's first birthday, she is typically very interested in people and the world around her. An autistic child might not have any interest in others or the world around her. This is the beginning of a long journey of learning how to interact with people and navigate life in general.

Communication

One of the biggest difficulties someone with ASD will face is communication. Not only will an autistic individual have difficulties communicating, but he will also face difficulty in understanding others in both verbal and...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Future Horizons Incorporated
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2017
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 1941765440
• ISBN 13: 9781941765449
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Auflage: 1
• Anzahl der Seiten: 135
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Anja's; service@anja-karge.de; ; Von-Gumppenberg-Str. 94; Pöttmes; 86554; Deutschland