Autistic people have nervous systems that do not seem to be wired properly. They do not know what to pay attention to and what to filter out of their locus of attention. Many verbal autistic people describe a sound that prevents them from hearing the sounds in their environment. This white noise seems to interfere with the person’s ability to process sounds properly.

White noise may be the reason that many autistic people do not process spoken language very well. They have difficulty understanding spoken words and the words often seem to blend together into one stream of sound. Since the person is constantly hearing a humming or static sound, he is unable to focus in on words. Many autistic people have difficulty hearing words when they are used in sentences. A sentence may sound like one long word to an autistic person because white noise is interfering with the person’s interpretation of the sentence.

I worked with a little girl who could not tell the difference between words that begin with the letter W. This can be very troublesome and even a little dangerous. To her, the words, wait and want were the same. I would tell her to wait and she would use sign language to ask for a cookie or a treat. I would simply say, “Nope” and prompt her to wait. I didn’t know that she thought I was asking her what she wanted. She would become extremely frustrated and she would often have a tantrum out of frustration. This interfered with our progress in therapy.

It wasn’t until I read about white noise as a factor in autism that I made the connection. It seems that the similarities between the words want and wait would be obvious, but I never really noticed how closely the words resembled each other until I considered the obstacles the little girl faced while trying to understand what I was saying.

No one is positive that all autistic people hear white noise and no one is sure if they hear it continuously. Until we can find a way to effectively communicate with all autistic individuals, we will not be sure. Another thing to consider is whether we can redirect a person who hears white noise. There may be no intervention that can overcome that obstacle. However, the more we come to understand white noise in relation to autism, the more we can determine how to manage it.

Autistic disorder is a relatively new disorder as far as diagnostic classification is concerned. The condition first appears as an actual diagnosis in the 1980′s. Autistic disorder is one of five pervasive developmental disorders that have emerged on the diagnostic scene in the past three decades. There is little wonder that treatments for autism are still in development.

Autism was previously lumped in with mental retardation. However, the two conditions are very different. Treatments for autism are vastly different from treatments for mental retardation. Unfortunately, many people still look at pervasive developmental disorders in the same light as mental retardation.

One significant method among the various treatments for autism is Applied Behavioral Analysis. In a nutshell, this approach breaks tasks down into small steps. The student is given a direction or command and if he gives the appropriate response, he is immediately rewarded with something that is very motivating for him. This helps the child know which response to repeat.

For example, many therapists begin with a come sit at the table command. The therapist uses as few words as possible so there is less information to process. If the child sits at the table, he gets praise, a treat or a game (whatever he finds appealing). The reward system is prevalent is most treatments for autism.

Sensory integration is often rewarding in itself. This is one of the most popular treatments for autism simply because it is enjoyable. Autistic individuals have difficulty processing some sensory information. Basically, they don’t know what to block out and what to absorb so their senses can become overwhelmed.

A child may have difficulty processing movement because his system is blocking out the information he needs. When sensory integration is used as treatments for autism it helps the child process motion by engaging him in activities like swinging or spinning. These activities help him focus on movement. They also prove to be enjoyable for the therapist and for the child.

Applied Behavior Analysis is a wonderful tool for teaching appropriate behavior like eye contact and waiting turns. Sensory integration is a wonderful tool for teaching a child how to navigate through his environment. Together, these treatments for autism have helped many autistic children function to their greatest capacity. You might wish to check these two treatments with your doctor. Being autistic isn’t the end of the world. Help is available.

Many parents of autistic children complain that there isn’t enough autism research being done at this point in time, despite the high numbers of children affected by the condition. Mr. Wright of Autism Speaks says that just 2/3 of 1% of the National Health Budget is being put toward autism research. That tiny percentage is coming out of a $30 million budget. And it just isn’t enough, according to those affected by autism.

The Autism Speaks foundation is attempting to raise funds for research that many individuals hope will provide an eventual cure for the disease. Autism research may eventually be able to provide a cure that could not only release their children from their trapped worlds, but change entire families.

Trying to determine the cause of the disease is one of the most important factors that is being handled in the area of autism research at this time. Once they have a cause, a cure is close behind.

Some studies have suggested that there is a connection between mercury exposure and autism, although not all researchers believe this is the case. Autism research is focusing in part on environmental factors, but without adequate funding, they are a long ways from finding out exactly what is the actual cause.

Studying high-functioning toddlers with autism is one area that some autism research projects have been focusing on. These children are given non-verbal tests (since they are too young to speak well) involving computers. These tests are given to very small children, 18 months to 2 years to gauge their ability to assimilate information and to study exactly how children with autism develop in their formative years.

They are also testing children who have autistic siblings. This gives researchers a control group, children raised in the same home with the same stimulus and environmental exposure as their autistic sibling. And, since children with autistic siblings have a higher probability of developing the condition themselves, researchers can watch them develop right from birth, adding a huge amount of information useful to autism research.

While many years of concentrated focus have given us tools to help these children, we are still a long way from a cure. Only more autism research and better funding for that research can get us closer to that ultimate goal.