Appreciate the differences

To better understand this syndrome, on the occasion of April 2nd, "World Autism Awareness Day", Nghe An Newspaper had a conversation with Master Vu Thi Thanh Dao - Director of Nghe An Small Steps Specialized Center, former President of the Vietnam Network of Intervention Facilities for Children with Developmental Disorders.

PV:Dear Madam, autism spectrum disorder is a series of pervasive developmental disorders with varying degrees of severity and has been increasing in recent years. Could you please share more about this developmental disorder and its causes? Is it genetic or are there other factors?

Master Vu Thi Thanh Dao:According to resolution A/RES/62/139 dated January 21, 2008 of the United Nations: “Autismis a lifelong developmental disability, usually manifested within the first three years of life, resulting from a neurological disorder affecting the functioning of the brain, affecting children in many countries regardless of gender, race or socioeconomic status, and characterized by impairments in social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests.

Master Vu Thi Thanh Dao has many years of experience in caring for and supporting children with autism. Photo: MH

The exact cause of autism spectrum disorder is still unknown, however, the mechanisms that cause this disorder are becoming more and more clearly recognized, and one thing is certain: there is no single cause of autism and no single type of autism. Therefore, no two autistic children are the same.

Regarding genetic factors, studies on rates also show that if parents have a child with autism spectrum disorder, the risk of the second child having autism is 15-30 times higher than that of parents with children with normal development. If an identical twin has autism, the twin sibling will have a high chance of having autism of about 36-91%, if the twin is fraternal, the rate is about 0-5%... In addition, new studies also show that, in terms of genetics, there are some special regions on many different chromosomes...

And in fact, most current studies agree with the conclusion: "This is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a biological basis and many causes (environment, genetics, neuropsychological factors, physical problems of the mother that occur during pregnancy)".

PV:It is known that the detection and treatment of children with autism spectrum disorder must be done early. However, what are the current limitations of intervention for children with autism in Vietnam in general and Nghe An in particular, and what difficulties or barriers will these limitations lead to for children with autism in the future?

The rate of children with autism has increased in recent years. Photo: MH

Master Vu Thi Thanh Dao:Currently, the reality of intervention for autistic children is facing many difficulties from parents. Many parents are focusing on knowledge, they want their children to know how to read, do math, and speak within a certain period of time. But the truth is that not all autistic children can meet the requirements of learning to read, do math, and speak. Many autistic children have slow intelligence and have difficulty meeting the requirements of learning, some children have difficulty with speaking, and may not be able to speak.

Autistic people have good intelligence and can respond tostudyand integration, parents are lax and not aware of the issue of developing personal life skills, community life skills, this will greatly limit the control and balance of children's defects, especially stereotyped, shaped and repetitive behavior. That will be a barrier for children to integrate and develop their talents (in children with outstanding talents in music, painting, math...).

Persistence will help children with autism progress. Photo: MH

PV:Dear Madam, one of the major barriers for autistic children is the fear of many parents and families. Meanwhile, to successfully intervene for autistic children, parents play an important and key role. After many years of working in this field, what advice do you have for families whose children show signs of autism?

Master Vu Thi Thanh Dao:Yes, there are many more.parentshave not overcome the mental shock when receiving the conclusion from doctors and specialists "Your child has autism spectrum disorder!". But the role of the family is extremely important in intervening and supporting children with autism spectrum disorder. Because the family is the place that understands children best, understands the child's unique needs best, is a miniature society where children learn essential skills for life.

Group activities will help children integrate. Photo: PV

Many studies have shown that parents of children with autism spectrum disorder are under a lot of stress, frustration, and pressure. But we also hope that parents do not let the “emotional storm” last long, but quickly find a way to accept and adapt to help their children. In fact, if children cannot learn the way we teach, we will teach the way they learn.

Let me borrow the words of a mother who has gone through emotional storms:

“I have learned to accept and love my son’s differences. Because I realize that autism is a part of this world and I will not change the way my son sees the world. Instead, I will change the way the world sees him. I will do everything to make his differences lovable and appreciated by the world...”.

Cultural lessons will enhance students' cognitive abilities. Photo: MH

PV:Science is developing more and more and that has also had a great impact on the intervention and treatment process for autistic children. Could you share some effective treatment methods today that can both reduce costs and help children develop safely and sustainably?

Master Vu Thi Thanh Dao:Currently, there are many methods of therapy, education and intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder in the world. Comprehensive studies on clinical treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder show that there is no specific method that can improve all autism symptoms or be effective in treating all children with autism spectrum disorder. Therefore, to ensure the quality of intervention for children and families, it is necessary to use intervention methods with scientific evidence.

These are methods that have been extensively researched, have control groups, and have demonstrated practical application in intervention and work with children with autism spectrum disorders. There are 5 groups of methods for intervention, treatment, therapy, and education of children with autism spectrum disorders: (1) Group of biomedical treatment methods; (2) Group of methods based on behavioral intervention; (3) Group of interventions related to communication; (4) Sensory therapy/occupational therapy; (5) Group of other support methods.

There are many different methods to intervene, treat and cure this disease. Photo: MH

PV:Apart from some specialized centers, the majority of students with autism are still studying in integrated schools across the province. What do you think this means for children? In the current situation, what are the difficulties in integrating children into schools and what solutions do you think we need to help autistic students adapt easily when studying in integrated schools?

Master Vu Thi Thanh Dao:The period of going to school at the age of 6 is of particular importance to the psychological development of children. For the first time in their lives, children are able to carry out the tasks of learning activities - the main activity for children. At the same time, their social relationships also have qualitative changes. All of these things have created typical psychological characteristics in school-age children with autism spectrum disorder. In addition to the characteristics similar to their peers, school-age children with autism spectrum disorder also have many differences, these differences are deficits in social interaction, problems with verbal and non-verbal communication, along with limited and repetitive behaviors and interests. This deficiency greatly hinders children in integrating into school, because in reality, schools are lacking teachers to support children's integration.

To help autistic students adapt easily when studying in inclusive schools, parents need to correctly recognize their children's abilities in all aspects so that inclusive learning does not encounter barriers. Parents need to discuss frankly with the homeroom teacher about their child's disabilities, not hide and avoid. There should be participation from inclusive schools, parents and specialized teachers to achieve good results in supporting autistic children to integrate.

School-age children with autism spectrum disorder, in addition to having similar characteristics to their peers, also have many differences. Photo: MH

PV:Many parents are concerned because intervention for autistic children requires a very long process but the results are difficult to meet expectations. Is this view correct and after many years of working in this field, what is your biggest concern, madam? On the occasion of "World Autism Awareness Day", what message do you want to convey to everyone so that we can better understand and respond to this developmental disorder?

Master Vu Thi Thanh Dao:After hearing the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, many parents are really confused and devastated, because it is a lifelong developmental disability and it is very difficult to become normal. Many parents during the intervention process have not really been specifically consulted at each stage of development, so many children, although receiving early intervention, have made very little progress, especially in personal living skills and community living skills, important skills for children to be independent in life. Many parents still let the "emotional storms" last for a long time, and easily return to giving up. This has created many negative emotions that affect the intervention, as well as the quality of the intervention and the child's progress. The child may have to stop the intervention process.

Autism is like a rainbow. It has a bright side and a dark side. But every shade is important and beautiful. Photo: MH

On World Autism Awareness Day, I want to tell everyone that “Autism is not a disease, don’t try to cure it. Understand and appreciate the differences with the utmost respect”. As the famous saying of Rosie Tennent Doran - a 25-year-old autistic girl from Scotland: “Autism is like a rainbow. It has a bright side and a dark side. But every color is important and beautiful”.

PV:Thanks for joining the conversation!

Every year, April 2nd has become a special day dedicated to special angels. On this day, all over the world, blue lights are lit - the color of faith and hope, along with many meaningful activities to call for the community's attention to the disadvantaged.