Aaron is now
twenty-two years old. He is still living at the group home in Chicago, as well
as working at McDonalds. Aaron’s family comes to visit him regularly, since he
is in the same city that they are. Kayla and Amir have both graduated from
college. Amir is engaged to an Arab woman named Sofia. Sofia and Amir are
planning to get married within the next year, and they plan to move out of
Chicago to be closer to Sofia’s family. Amir graduated with a degree in
Computer Information Systems, and is currently working in his field, but is in
the process of looking to transfer for when he moves. Kayla is not in a serious
relationship; she has decided to pursue her education even further, by going to
medical school. Growing up and seeing all of the issues her little brother has
had, she has decided she would like to become a doctor because she has a strong
passion for helping people.
Ali’s mother was recently diagnosed
with breast cancer. She is not doing well, so Ali spends a lot of time over at
his parents’ house helping to take care of her and help around the house. It
has taken a huge toll on his life. He was extremely close to his mother growing
up, so to see her suffering and going through chemo is very hard on him. Hannah
is very supportive of Ali, and has been working extra hours in order to make up
for what Ali is not making during his time off.
Hannah does not like the working
conditions that Aaron is in. She knows that Aaron is getting paid less than minimum
wage at McDonalds, and realizes there is nothing she can do about it. She feels
that she needs to help Aaron find a new place of employment. She finds an ad in
the newspaper saying that Best Buy is hiring so she takes Aaron there for an
interview. Aaron does well during the interview process and ends up receiving
the job. The job consists of cleaning and making sure customers have been
helped. He is very excited and proud of himself for this and Hannah is very
happy as well. She had heard that Best Buy is a great place for people with
disabilities to work. She met someone at a support group whose daughter has
Autism and worked at Best Buy and really enjoyed it and was treated very
fairly.
Aaron’s residential home has been a
very good thing for him so far. He has had the opportunity to become more
involved with people and obviously work. Aaron has also picked up a new hobby
as well- painting. He enjoys painting and showing off his work to his family
when ever they come to visit him. Art is a very good thing for people with
autism to get involved with. Some benefits of art are that it improves the
capacity for learning, stimulates and strengthens focusing skills and attention
span, increases self-expression, improves language, communication and social skills,
builds sensory integration skills, decreases self-stimulating behaviors and
engages the visual/perceptive area of the brain.
Aaron is now going on twenty-five
years old. His grandmother passed away a few years ago and it was really tough
on Ali. Not only did his grandmother die, but his grandfather’s health started
to decline as well. Ali and Hannah do not have the money to allow one of them
not to work, so Ali went ahead and put his father in a nursing home to allow
him to be taken care of full time. Aaron didn’t seem to take it too hard
because he hadn’t seen his grandparents in a while and wasn’t around them as
often as he was when he was a child.
Amir and Sofia are now married and
they have a son, Ramzi. They have moved out of Chicago, but Amir still makes an
effort to come visit Aaron when he can. Aaron loves when Amir visits and brings
Ramzi. He loves that he is an uncle and he always plays games with him. Amir
and Sofia really enjoy watching the two bond and form a good relationship.
Hannah has not been doing well
lately. She had a stroke due to a blood clot in an artery, but was able to slowly
recover from it. This has forced her to stop working in order to fully get back
to her normal self. This has been stressful for the family financially. Aaron’s
group home is expensive for him to live in. The Shakurs are torn between taking
Aaron out of the group home and living back at home with them and keeping him
there. They are worried about how the change will affect Aaron’s daily routine.
Questions:
1.
How
do people with Autism deal with death of a loved one? Is there a difference in
their grieving process?
2.
How
do people with Autism deal with change? Could change be a bad thing and make
Aaron go back to his old ways with behavioral issues?
3.
What
are some benefits of extracurricular activities for people with Autism?
Decision Point:
Do the Shakurs
stop paying for Aaron’s group home and bring him back home to live due to
financial issues? What repercussions could this have on Aaron’s lifestyle and
behavior?
1. How do people with Autism deal with death of a loved one? Is there a difference in their grieving process?
ReplyDeleteDeath can be a confusing experience for individuals with ASD since it can come quickly or within any notice and because most people choose not to talk about it until after a death has already taken place. Because of this, an individual with ASD may experience some anxiety or depression if not talked through an experience prior or throughout. As with most life experiences, a child with an ASD will understand and adjust better if they are involved in the situation and prepared for dealing with it as much as possible.(NAS 2014)
If a death may be an event that is forthcoming, such as a family member is severely ill, it is best to explain the situation thoroughly to the individual with ASD about what is happening and why and what will probably happen to keep them involved so that they are not caught in a sudden situation that could be traumatizing without knowing what is going on.
2. How do people with Autism deal with change? Could change be a bad thing and make Aaron go back to his old ways with behavioral issues?
“A person with an ASD can find any kind of change difficult. Sometimes, changes that are apparently small and insignificant may cause more difficulties than a significant change, such as the death of a relative. But there are many things you can do to support someone with an ASD through change.” (NAS 2013)
Depending on the severity of the change and how susceptible the individual is, they can react in different ways. Some may take it well and some may not. There are ways to help lower the risk of emotional or behavioral problems though such as using visual supports that will help become familiar with changes that are to come, reinforcing comfort behaviors that reduce stress and anxiety and always gradually adding change in over time.
3. What are some benefits of extracurricular activities for people with Autism?
ReplyDelete“Activities can improve autism symptoms by providing chances for social interaction, improving communication skills, language and providing sensory stimulation. Many autism treatments involve therapeutic activities or are compatible with extracurricular activities that provide benefits.” (Warber)
Also, as mentioned in the narrative, activities can also improve “the capacity for learning, stimulates and strengthens focusing skills and attention span, increases self-expression, improves language, communication and social skills, builds sensory integration skills, decreases self-stimulating behaviors and engages the visual/perceptive area of the brain. “
Decision Point:
Do the Shakurs stop paying for Aaron’s group home and bring him back home to live due to financial issues? What repercussions could this have on Aaron’s lifestyle and behavior?
Hannah will not be able to work for some time since she is recovering from her stroke so the family cannot financially support Aaron’s own residence. He comes back to live with his parents and is dissatisfied with his lack of independence and having to change homes and jobs again. He becomes very distant and detached from his family tries to find alternate ways to rebel against them.
http://www.autism.org.uk/living-with-autism/at-home/death-bereavement-and-autism-spectrum-disorders.aspx
http://autism.lovetoknow.com/Activities_for_Autistic_Adults
http://www.autism.org.uk/living-with-autism/understanding-behaviour/change-preparing-a-person-with-an-autism-spectrum-disorder-for-change.aspx