Gelisim News

The most effective way to facilitate the social cohesion of autistic individuals: Peer support

The studies, carried out in the last 20 years, put forth the fact that the prevalence of autism over the world increased by 240-fold. Early diagnosis in the autism beginning in the early period of childhood and continuing the lifetime is significantly important. Prof. Dr. Makbule Meziyet Arı from the Istanbul Gelisim University said that the autism indicated itself with some basic problems from the birth of the individual especially within the first 36 months.

THEY CANNOT UNDERSTAND ABSTRACT CONCEPTS AND PLAY IMAGINATIVE PLAYS!

The autistic individuals experiencing problems in 3 basic fields, namely, deterioration or impairment in communication, repeated interests and behaviours and deterioration in reciprocal social interaction in general meaning, may also show different symptoms in different age ranges. Prof. Dr. Makbule Meziyet Arı from the Paediatric Development Department of the Faculty of Health Sciences of the Istanbul Gelisim University having emphasized that the lack of interest of the children in environment especially at the age range of 1-3 has risen further indicated as follows:

‘‘The specialists, who will be able to make the diagnosis of autism in our country, are the child psychiatrists and child neurologists. It is possible to diagnose an autism case from the age of 12-month onward. The diagnosis at an early age is important from the point of view of the beginning of education as soon as possible. The hypopsychosis (mental retardation) could be seen slight, medium and serious degree in an approximate proportion of two third of the children having autism diagnosis, and extraordinary talents were seen in the remaining proportion of one in third, and especially, memorising, arithmetic (multiplying multi-digit numbers in mind), music and drawing talents. However, the children face difficulties in setting up connection between the perceptions and transferring the knowledge and skills so learned into different fields. Therefore, they cannot comprehend the abstract expressions and not play imaginative plays.’’

MOTHER-FATHER AND EDUCATOR HAVE TO WORK IN COOPERATION WITH EACH OTHER

It is necessary for the family to get to know the autism from every aspect and have knowledge about and accept the circumstances of the autism that is the most important element of helping the child. Along with this, one of the most effective ways of increasing the social cohesion of the autistic individuals is to ensure them to have education.  Prof. Dr. Makbule Meziyet Arı, who indicated that it was necessary for the parents and educators to work in collaboration with each other during this process, further emphasized that the supportive and positive approach of the teacher at the classroom environment would facilitate the adaptation of the child to the school and at the same time, the peer support was the most important way for the facilitation of the social cohesion of the autistic individuals.